Union College Magazine, Fall 2024

UNIONCOLLEGE

Magazine for Alumni and Friends

CIVIL ENGINEERING RETURNS

UNION COLLEGE

FALL 2024

Volume 117 // Number 2

ON THE FRONT COVER

John Keller '91 (right), president of Keller Construction, works on a job site in Albany, N.Y.

VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

Mark Land

EDITOR

Erin DeMuth Judd demuthje@union.edu

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Charlie Casey

Christen Gowan

Tina Lincer

Phillip Wajda

CONTRIBUTING

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Paul Buckowski

Shawn LaChapelle

DESIGN

2k Design

PRINTING

Fort Orange Press

UNION COLLEGE

is published twice 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.

12

IN THIS ISSUE: Civil engineering returns

In May 2022, the College announced the return of civil engineering and the addition of environmental engineering. Hear about civil engineering’s rebirth from faculty and students, and read about some of the incredible careers Union’s civil engineering graduates have had.

Students enjoy the historic solar eclipse on April 8. The campus and surrounding area experienced 97% totality.

20

Navigating artificial intelligence

Across campus, students are learning about generative artificial intelligence. See what they think of AI and how their professors are approaching the use and teaching of this new technology. And check out what alumni are doing with AI in their careers.

26

Inspired to give back

Through acts of generosity of all kinds, supporters of Union College are making sure every student thrives, now and across multiple tomorrows. In this magazine, a few of these donors share why they give.

The strength of our Union community

As part of its commencement coverage this year, our communications and marketing office profiled some of the outstanding graduates that were featured at the ceremony. Among the questions we asked Marcela Quiroga Vargas, our student speaker, and Mayah Teplitskiy, one of our co-valedictorians: “What was your favorite class?”

Their answers were quintessentially Union.

Marcela, a quantitative economics major and math minor, selected her “Poetic Process” course taught by Jordan Smith, while Mayah—a mathematics major—responded “Introduction to Creative Writing” taught by Shena McAuliffe.

They are two outstanding students in quantitative-heavy disciplines with an affinity for humanistic courses that they know will round out their knowledge and serve them well regardless of their future paths. And the best part: Their stories aren’t unique at Union.

In fact, Union’s distinctive blend of the humanities, sciences and engineering is the secret sauce that results in well-rounded graduates who leave the College with a foundation that will prepare them to lead with wisdom, empathy and courage.

Too often today college is viewed as an “either-or” proposition, with the emphasis being on technical or pre-professional areas of study designed to launch graduates on ready-made career paths. At Union, we’re proud to be a “bothand” type of place where students are encouraged to explore the full breadth of their passions.

To be sure, Union offers world-class STEM opportunities that are increasingly popular with students as evidenced by the growing number of engineering and computer sciences majors on our campus. We’re also proud to be investing further in these disciplines, in large part thanks to the transformational generosity of Mary and Rich Templeton, both Class of 1980, who have pledged $91 million to Union in the last four years.

The Templeton gifts were instrumental in the return of civil engineering to Union after a 22-year hiatus (see pages 12 and 26) and the launch last year of a new environmental engineering major that already is proving popular with students and prospective students.

As importantly, the gifts have allowed for the creation of the Templeton Institute for Engineering and Computer Science, which is dedicated

BOTH to attracting more engineering and computer science students AND to exposing our liberal arts students to concepts taught in these disciplines—such as design thinking and generative artificial intelligence—that increasingly are becoming central to all of our lives.

In recent months, we’ve become fond of saying that “Strength Lies in Union” as a shorthand for Union’s distinctiveness, but—like all good slogans—the meaning goes well beyond the four simple words.

• It's in the growth of interdisciplinary course offerings that feature faculty with divergent expertise coming together to offer context-rich content to students.

• It’s in the leadership of the Templeton Institute, which is being co-directed by faculty from our mechanical engineering and English departments.

• It’s in the union of in-class opportunities, experiential learning and community activity that provides our students with a one-of-a-kind educational experience.

• It’s in the diverse collection of students, faculty and staff and the myriad experiences and viewpoints they bring to enrich the Union community.

And it can be found in Sam Crowley ’24. Sam graduated in June as a visual arts major and mechanical engineering minor, and one of two Union students this year to be awarded a prestigious Thomas Watson Fellowship to fund post-graduate international travel and study. Among his current creative projects is a digital animation that makes use of both his drawing skills and computer technology prowess.

Or it can be found in Rafael Murillo, another June graduate. Rafael is an accomplished mariachi performer who added an extra year so that he could complete full majors in BOTH mechanical engineering AND music. For his senior project, he combined his skills and completed a three-term-project in which he designed and built a new guitar capable of playing all 88 pitches found on a full-size piano.

For these students, and many others, strength truly does lie in Union.

DAVID R. HARRIS, P h .D.

Cheers to the Class of 2024!

The Class of 2024 joined the Union community at the height of the COVID pandemic in fall of 2020, experiencing some of the most disruptive college years in modern history. While their journey has been unconventional and challenging, they have persevered and thrived. They celebrated their biggest accomplishment—graduation—under a blazing blue sky on June 16.

Featured speakers included student speaker Marcela Quiroga Vargas ’24 and

keynote speaker Ben Schwartz ’03, an Emmy Award-winning writer, comedian and actor.

Alexandra Nicolaus ’24 and Mayah Teplitskiy ’24 shared the distinction of valedictorian. Elaine Fryer ’24, Charles McVicker ’24, Grace Nicol ’24, Meghan Piser ’24 and Grace Stearns ’24 were co-salutatorians.

To learn more about the ceremony or the Class of 2024, visit union.edu/news

Schwartz ’03, an Emmy Award-winning writer, comedian and actor, gives the keynote address.

U AROUND

Ben

Charger greeted visitors.

Alumni and friends enjoyed ReUnion!

Current and former women athletes networked and shared refreshments in honor of 50 Years of Women’s Athletics at Union.

The Class of 1974 celebrated not only their 50th ReUnion, but also their place as the first official co-ed class at Union College.

A panel of authors, educators or both shared insights about their time during and after college, and paths to professional success. Panelists included Professor Jennifer Mitchell ’04 (moderator), Dr. Estelle Cooke-Sampson ’74, Dr. Sharon Falkenheimer ’74, Gail (Goodman) Snitkoff ’74 and Jessica (Sobiech) Hayashi ’74.

The following alumni were recognized for their outstanding commitment and service to Union College.

ALUMNI GOLD MEDALS WERE PRESENTED TO:

Robert Saltzman ’69 has supported Union for decades, serving on the Alumni Council in a variety of different leadership roles; as president of the Schenectady Alumni Club; and as a member of the Garnet Guard and Terrace Council. He has also been active with the Union College Academy of Lifelong Learning, which has included roles on its curriculum and events committees and as a lecturer. Saltzman is retired from General Electric Global Research.

Michael Newell '74, P'98, P'00, P'02 has served three terms as an alumni trustee and has been a leading member of the Alumni Council for 25 years. He is a founder of the Gridiron Club and initiated the Football Mentoring Program and Union Football Networking Program. A longstanding member of the Union College Chemistry Alumni Council and the Terrace Council, he has also supported the Annual Fund and campus capital projects. Newell has enjoyed a 40-year career in management and marketing.

Julie Greifer Swidler '79, P'14 has been a member of the Union College Board of Trustees since 2015 and currently serves as board chair. A Terrace Council member, she has collaborated on various engagement events, from the 100th Anniversary of WRUC to the Women’s Leadership Institute Volunteer Panel on Law. Also a supporter of the Board of Trustees Constructive Engagement Fund, Swidler is executive vice president of business affairs and general counsel for Sony Music Entertainment.

AN ALUMNI RISING STAR AWARD WAS PRESENTED TO:

Rachel Linder ’19 is an active member of Union’s GOLD committee, a network of young alumni that assists in planning events. Since graduating, she has partnered with the Alumni Office, regularly hosting virtual events. Her virtual cooking demos have been hugely popular, with more than 350 alumni tuning in live and many more watching the recordings.

The Ramée Circle Society hosted a luncheon with President David R. Harris, who shared updates on the College.

Students win prestigious awards

This spring, Union students have had their hard work, drive and intellectual achievement recognized with a host of prestigious honors. To learn more, visit union.edu/news

Stephen Wong ’24 was selected for the Fulbright Student English Teaching Assistant Award in Germany and the U.S. Teaching Assistantship (USTA) Program in Austria, while Gabi Baker ’25 was selected for the Judge Reginald C. Lindsay Fellowship by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Founders Day features Rabbi Cutler

Founders Day this year (Feb. 29), featured a keynote address by Rabbi Matthew Cutler, spiritual leader of Congregation Gates of Heaven in Schenectady. Other highlights included the presentation of the Gideon Hawley Teacher Recognition Award to Yancey Dobbs Miller, a chemistry teacher at Peachtree Ridge High School (Georgia). Miller was nominated by Rajveer Singh ’27. Founders Day also featured the premiere of a musical composition by Jackson Janney ’24, “When David Heard,” performed by the Union College Choir and conducted by Jin Byun, director of music performance.

For more on Founders Day, visit union.edu/news

Ebyan Abshir ’24 and Samuel Crowley ’24 were awarded Thomas J. Watson Fellowships.

Isabella Jenney ’25 received the Kathryn Wasserman Davis Projects for Peace award.

New & re-elected trustees announced

The Union College Board of Trustees recently elected five new members.

They are Daniel Gilbert ’91, Tess Skoller ’13, Ajay Goncalves ’26, Jonathan Anderson ’25 and Jennifer Currey. Pete Haviland-Eduah ’10 was re-elected alumni trustee, while Dr. Estelle Cooke-Sampson '74, P'10 was elected trustee emerita.

MEET THE TRUSTEES:

Dr. Estelle Cooke-Sampson '74, P'10 was elected trustee emerita. A longtime member of the board (1996-2008 and 2011-present), she is a diagnostic radiologist and served as medical director of women’s imaging and on the faculty of Howard University Hospital.

Daniel Gilbert ’91 was elected term trustee. He is a private investor, active across a variety of industries with a focus on sports and technology.

Pete Haviland-Eduah ’10 has been re-elected alumni trustee. Haviland-Eduah is the director of communications and external affairs at Oakland Promise.

Tess Skoller ’13 joins the board as the new president of the Alumni Council. She works at MFS Investment Management as a paid media and advertising lead specialist.

The campus was treated to a dazzling array of dance styles featuring 80 student performers at the Lothridge Festival of Dance in the Nott Memorial. Performances included Bhangra, the Dance Team, JAIVE Afrovibes, Hip Hop, K-Pop, the Latinx Dance Club, Natyashastra and Tap Club.

Jonathan Anderson ’25, a psychology major and sociology minor, was elected student trustee.

Ajay Goncalves ’26, a history and anthropology interdepartmental major, was elected student trustee.

Jennifer Currey was elected faculty trustee. She is an associate professor of Biomedical Engineering and chair of the Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering Department.

To learn more about the trustees, visit union.edu/news

Students shine at Steinmetz

Union’s annual Steinmetz Symposium, a day dedicated to showcasing student scholarly and creative achievement, was held May 10. In its 34th year, the symposium has grown from its debut in April 1991, when 130 students presented, to one that now features more than 400 students.

Steinmetz coincided with Prize Day May 11. The top two awards went to Ebyan Abshir ’24 and Anton Tatus ’24. Abshir received the Frank Bailey (1885) Prize for the greatest service to the College in any field. Tatus received the Josephine Daggett Prize for conduct and character.

To learn more about Steinmetz and Prize Day, visit union.edu/news. Or scan this QR code to watch students describing their work in just a few words.

Soaring success

Congratulations to this year’s SAE Aero Design competition team, which beat out dozens of larger colleges and universities to win third place for their design report.

The team, which competed this April in Van Nuys, Calif., built a 3-foot wingspan remote-controlled plane that carried two liters of water and met other complex design requirements. They persevered through high winds and cold rainy conditions, getting their plane to fly when many teams never got off the ground.

“Competition was a fantastic experience, both seeing all of our hard work pay off and meeting other teams and aerospace professionals,” said Maia Chapin ’26, a mechanical engineering major and Spanish minor. “The aero team has been a fantastic way for me to apply what I learn in the classroom and develop leadership skills, and I’ve absolutely loved getting involved in this side of aerospace.”

Mike York ’25, Michael Kahn ’25, Frederico (San Fernando Valley Flyers pilot), Mohamed Kaid ’24, Ella Middlebrook ’26, Josh Azoulay ’24 and Leza Sorn ’27 at the SAE Aero Design competition this spring

Want to help the team? Alumni can serve as mentors, advisors and corporate sponsors. Email Maia Chapin ’26, SAE Aero Club vice president, at chapinm@union.edu

Exploring the Met

Students recently went behind the scenes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with Sean Belair ’09, associate conservator in the department of Arms and Armor. Scan the QR code to hear professors Sarina Kuersteiner and Joyce Madancy discuss the value of this visit for their classes.

A doorway to books, gifts & more

The Open Door is Schenectady’s locally owned, independent bookstore and gift gallery. It has been serving the Capital Region for 50 years. The Open Door carries a wide selection of literature for adults and children, including those of local and regional interest, as well as an expansive variety of toys, gifts, jewelry, stationery, personal accessories and home goods.

Stop by 128 Jay Street or visit opendoor-bookstore.com

Seven alumni & two teams welcomed into Hall of Fame

The Department of Athletics inducted its 15th class into the Union Athletics Hall of Fame on May 19. Seven individuals and two teams were recognized as part of the Class of 2024. The class included several all-time greats from among many of Union’s most successful teams:

• Abby Arceneaux ’06: Softball All-American pitcher, first base

• John Cagianello ’06: Men’s basketball all-time leading scorer

• Rick Crookes ’65: All-American baseball pitcher, infielder

• Allie Cuozzo ’10: Track & field All-American, soccer and lacrosse standout

• Caitlin Cuozzo ’08: Soccer and lacrosse All-American

• Michael Humphreys ’97: Swimming national champion

• Justin Sievert ’03: All-American track & field thrower, football lineman

In addition, two Teams of Distinction were honored:

• the 1988 field hockey team, which posted a 17-1 record and won the ECAC Mid-Atlantic Region championship

• the 2005 football team, which went 11-1 and captured the program’s second outright Liberty League title.

With this year’s class, the number of individuals inducted into the Hall of Fame climbed to 95 (the first ceremony was in 2002). The number of Teams of Distinction rose to 17 (the honor was first awarded in 2007).

Hall of Fame inductees, from left to right, include Allison Cuozzo ’10, John Cagianello ’06, Justin Sievert ’03, Caitlin (Cuozzo) O’Brien ’08, Rick Crookes ’65, Michael Humphreys ’97 and Abby Arceneaux ’06.

Guests enjoyed the Hall of Fame ceremony.

New rink is taking shape

President David R. Harris joined city, county and state officials at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Mohawk Harbor Event Center May 13. The $50 million multipurpose event center will feature a new ice hockey rink, which will host Union’s Division I men’s and women’s hockey programs.

The event center is scheduled for completion in time for both teams to play in their new home for the 2025-26 season. Above, ceremony attendees gathered in the foreground, while construction progressed in the background.

To learn more, visit union.edu/rink

10

YEARS

Take a walk down memory lane in honor of the 10th anniversary of Union’s 2014 NCAA National Championship victory. Scan the QR code to watch a celebratory video.

CIVIL ENGINEERING RETURNS

“My feeling is one of unmatched joy.”

That’s how Ashraf Ghaly, the Carl B. Jensen Professor of Engineering, reacted to the return of civil engineering. Here to witness the major’s end in 2001, he’s exuberantly embracing its comeback.

And he’s not the only one.

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Every former student I have met since the College announced the return of the department [in May 2022] has given me a huge smile, a strong handshake and sometimes a warm hug,” Ghaly said. “We are also getting a lot of interest from current students.”

In May 2022, environmental engineering was added as well, creating the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). Carolyn Rodak, CEE chair, echoed Ghaly's sentiments.

“Students have established the American Society of Civil Engineers club,” she said. “They are working to become a recognized student chapter of ASCE and are working through logistics to compete in steel bridge and concrete canoe competitions in the future.”

New civil and environmental engineering courses, which began in fall 2023, are also attracting students’ attention.

“Though the numbers are still in flux, our first required CEE course, Engineering Graphics (spring 2024), had 25 students who have

Ashraf Ghaly, the Carl B. Jensen Professor of Engineering

Carolyn Rodak, inaugural chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

declared as civil or environmental engineering majors—or who have indicated they are likely to declare in one of the two majors before the end of the year,” Rodak said. “This is a great turnout for our first year.”

Required courses are those students majoring in the subject must take. Next year, two more such classes will be added. Additional CEE courses open to any student will also be available soon.

Potter Lab, which was built in 1968 and has longstanding ties to civil engineering, is also being renovated into a space for hands-on laboratory activities. The space is currently subdivided and being used, in part, for storage.

“The work will essentially open the full space to be used as a lab for structural materials and mechanics of materials courses, in which students will do things like mix, pour and break concrete, as well as test the strength of other materials such as steel,” Rodak said. “It is also large enough to house a concrete canoe if our ASCE student club chooses to compete.”

Other department initiatives include building contacts in the community to develop collaborative projects and research opportunities for students and adding more CEE faculty, who will continue to

Elena Leslie ’27 and Garret Kelly ’27 collaborate on a studio apartment model in Engineering Graphics.

“It

feels awesome to be part of the new wave of civil engineering. Being among the students who revived the program makes me part of Union’s history. I’ve always loved building structures, and this is absolutely what I want to do when I start my own civil engineering firm.”

—Garret Kelly ’27, civil engineering

enhance academic offerings with new courses and field work experiences.

“The challenges facing us today touch on so many aspects of civil and environmental engineering—from climate change to food insecurity to infrastructure resilience,” Rodak said. “As we see rapid incorporation of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and changes in our environment due to climate change, our CEE degree is providing students with the skills they need to succeed through a holistic educational experience.”

Wondering why civil engineering was eliminated in 2001? Check out a brief history of civil engineering at union.edu/magazine

The bigger engineering picture and a new $40 million gift

“My goal is to work on green buildings. I chose civil engineering because other parts of it such as transportation were more interesting to me. Also, the American Society of Civil Engineers club recently became an official club and it's very exciting.”

– Elena Leslie ’27, civil engineering

We live in a time of rapid technological advancement. To thrive, students need both technical competence and a breadth of knowledge that spans everything from sociology to history to digital art and design.

The Engineering & Computer Science Initiative (ECSI) exists to make sure students leave Union equipped with everything they’ll need. And a new $40 million gift from Mary ’80 and Rich Templeton ’80, announced in April, is helping take ECSI to the next level. (To learn more about this transformational gift, visit union.edu/ templeton-gift and see p. 26)

“We believe strongly in Union, which offers a distinctive combination of the liberal arts, engineering and computer science,” the couple said. “Our investment

will help Union continue to create a firstclass engineering and computer science capability, which, when combined with the liberal arts, uniquely prepares Union graduates to be successful in today’s world.”

The goals of the Engineering & Computer Science Initiative include:

● delivering new and innovative learning opportunities to engineering and computer science students within the context of a broad liberal arts education

● offering non-engineering and computer science students opportunities to become conversant with digital data and technology

● bringing both types of students together to lend multiple perspectives to today’s challenges

Students in the Engineering Graphics course this spring

Here are some recent examples of how ESCI is meeting these goals:

● With the addition of civil and environmental engineering in 2022, students can now choose from seven engineering majors. A new minor in music technology focuses on the connections between music and engineering and computer science and digital arts.

● New faculty with diverse expertise in engineering and computer science are coming on board. Recent hires have included Stephanie Curley and Michael Okwori in the Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering Department and Carolyn Rodak, inaugural chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

● The Templeton Institute brings together teachers, learners and practitioners from myriad fields to focus on academics as well as real-world challenges. It fosters interdisciplinary connectedness with new courses like “Introduction to Science, Technology and Society” (team-taught by liberal arts and engineering faculty) and through events like the recent “Oppenheimer” film viewing and panel discussion. Learn more about the Templeton Institute at union.edu/templeton

“Our ability to add majors like civil and environmental engineering, and minors like music technology, is an integral component of our work to capitalize on the fact that Union’s offerings include the liberal arts and engineering,” said Michele Angrist, the Stephen J. and Diane K. Ciesinski Dean of the Faculty and vice president for Academic Affairs.

Similarly, our commitment to hiring new faculty with diverse expertise and growing the Templeton Institute means that a Union education now encompasses additional pathways—pathways through which students focused on liberal arts will have their horizons and competencies enhanced by exposure to faculty in engineering and computer science, and vice versa.”

Members of the Union College American Society of Civil Engineers student club participated in the 13th Annual Riverkeeper Sweep at Corning Preserve in Albany, N.Y., in May. They picked up trash, recyclables and other materials along the Hudson River. Participants included Trevor Anfindsen ’27, Elena Leslie ’27, Naomi Taylor ’27, Kate McNulty ’27, Lexi Knowles ’27, Jason Sabba ’27 and Eli Smurl ’27.

“I knew I would be doing something with the environment, and the emphasis on engineering resonated in my heart. I am also co-president of the new American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Club and cannot wait to involve our school in competitive building competitions!”

– Eli Smurl ’27, environmental engineering

A panel discussion about the film “Oppenheimer” was recently hosted by the Templeton Institute and featured faculty from physics and astronomy, history and film studies.

To learn more about the Engineering and Computer Science Initiative, visit union.edu/esci

“I have always been very interested in buildings, specifically homes, and am fascinated by the creativity used to design buildings. After learning about how much work needs to be done for the world, I am interested in designing or creating environmentally friendly buildings and homes.”

– Elias Acevedo ’27, civil engineering

Engineering Graphics (CCE 100) students built small practice models of a studio apartment, the components of which were made in Union’s MakerWeb laser cutting lab. This project taught students the basics in CAD file preparation and model construction before they attempted their larger team project—a 1’ = 1/8” scaled model of Steinmetz Hall. This model’s internal walls are too tall, and students learned first-hand the importance of accounting for floor plate height.

“I have always loved science and technology, so going into engineering felt like a nobrainer. With the global climate crisis, it is crucial to have engineers working to fix the issue. I hope to work alongside others someday to do this. I am also excited to be among the first environmental engineering majors, paving the way for future students.”

– Samanthan Rose ’27, environmental engineering

Roger Boyer ’27, Dario Brandao ’27 and Samantha Rose ’27 build a small practice model of a studio apartment in their Engineering Graphics course.

At right, Samuel Flynn '26, Maddie Doyle '26, Elias Acevedo '27 and Reid Vanslette '26 participate in Union's first new civil and environmental engineering course in fall 2023.

Alumni talk civil engineering

Meet a handful of Union’s civil engineering graduates. Using their degrees, they’re enjoying a wide range of interesting and impactful careers. To read what they have to say about civil engineering’s reinstatement and the importance of Union to their professional trajectories, visit union.edu/magazine.

Lisa Freed ’86, who inspires future engineers (Bedford, Mass.)

Kathryn

Gardow ’80, who has done it all (Seattle, Wash.)

What do you do now, and what has your career been like so far?

I am principal of Gardow Consulting, LLC and chair of the Washington State Public Works Board. I have worked as a city engineer, an executive director of a non-profit farmland trust and a business owner, and in construction, project management, land use permitting and political advocacy.

I’ve conserved farmland through easements, guided government leaders through the creation of massive community land developments and lead an infrastructure grant program that benefits jurisdictions across Washington. How many people get to do this? It’s wicked exciting and rewarding, all the projects and initiatives that I’ve been part of.

Civil engineering is a field that intersects many other disciplines. What makes it such a perfect crossroads for so many careers? Civil engineering is basically the building blocks of society and community. It impacts how, where and how well people live. Civil engineering decisions have political, socioeconomic and environmental impacts. All of this is to say that civil engineering is crossdisciplinary—it intersects everything that exists in civilization.

What do you do now, and what has your career been like so far?

I started out very much a general civil engineer. I was part of Boston’s “Big Dig” project and later moved into project construction and land use and permitting. But I have spent the last 13 years as a STEM project manager for iRobot. Our program uses volunteer employees to bring science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) resources to classrooms, educational events and community partners.

My work at iRobot has been amazingly fulfilling, particularly providing resources and mentors to underrepresented students. When we can help students pursue the dream of college and career, that is where our hearts are full. (Shortly before publication of this story, Freed transitioned to pro bono consulting while seeking her next role. She continues to seek opportunities to inspire future engineers.)

Civil engineering is a field that intersects many other disciplines. What makes it such a perfect crossroads for so many careers?

One of the reasons I went into civil engineering is that it gives you a way of thinking. You can go in so many directions. With a civil engineering background, you are only limited by your imagination and how to apply the work. Working in robotics, the projects are always a mix of every engineering discipline. Because of civil, I was able to work across engineering departments in the robotics industry.

Lisa Freed ’86 talks with children at the iRobot Museum. Groups of students routinely visit iRobot to learn about robots and careers in STEM.

Kathryn Gardow ’80 at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new reservoir in Washington state

John Keller ’91, who has engineering in his blood (East Greenbush, N.Y.)

What do you do now, and what has your career been like so far?

I’m president of Keller Construction and the third generation to head the business. I didn’t go into the design side like a lot of my classmates but went more into the construction and field side because I couldn’t wait to work for the family business.

We’re a heavy highway company, but we’ve gotten into concrete, bridge work, directional drilling—a little bit of everything. We also do a lot of emergency work for area municipalities and Union College. We’ve done a ton of other work at Union, too. We were involved in the Integrated Science and Engineering Complex and the Wold Center, for instance. When I think back to what campus looked like in 1987, it’s just amazing what we’ve been a part of. Seeing buildings go up and helping Union grow, that’s been really fun.

Civil engineering is a field that intersects many other disciplines. What makes it such a perfect crossroads for so many careers?

Civil engineering is basically everything outside, from roads to bridges—everything we need every day. And infrastructure is not getting better. Winters in the northeast put a beating on literally everything. Civil engineers need knowledge of all kinds of areas to keep up with fixing so many different things.

Harry White ’92, who finds a way (Albany, N.Y.)

What do you do now, and what has your career been like so far? I am the director of the Structure Policy and Innovation Bureau for the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). My varied work history started in bridge design and included work in standards, structural research and materials testing. It’s been quite a ride. My expertise has always been identifying the proper solutions for unusual problems.

For example, NYSDOT was the first to utilize fiber reinforced polymers to repair aluminum overhead sign structures—basically we’re putting high-strength plastic casts on aluminum joints. Our solution drew national attention and I have conducted training on the process across the USA and Canada. This kind of stuff has been the most rewarding part of my career. When you’re able to create a novel solution to a problem, that feels great.

Civil engineering is a field that intersects many other disciplines. What makes it such a perfect crossroads for so many careers?

Civil engineering has an outsize impact on modern society. Right now, I’m part of a group working on the Hunts Point Project in the Bronx. Our job is to figure out how to move a highway that runs through a residential area—to basically elevate it above the neighborhood. By raising the road so motorists can just drive through the area, rather than idling at street level, we can reduce pollution that’s linked to asthma. If you want to have a lasting impact on society, being a civil engineer is a great way to start.

John Keller ’91 at one of Keller Construction’s job sites in Albany, N.Y.

Celebrating civil engineering alumni

In recognition of their professional accomplishments, Matthew Parlakian ’97, Department of Defense civil engineer (facilities), and Seth Condell ’97, NY/NJ area manager and vice president at Parsons Corporation, received the Gold Award in Civil Engineering during ReUnion in May.

Katie Zehnder ’98, who innovates with new tech and AI (Columbus, Ohio)

What do you do now, and what has your career been like so far?

As vice president and transportation innovation leader at HNTB Corporation, my current specialty is advanced mobility and sustainable energy solutions. For example, HNTB is working with 15 states to implement the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. My team is leading this work.

We have also developed, and are supporting the implementation of, the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Advanced Transportation Mobility Strategic Plan. It aims to improve quality of life and create economic opportunity through ground and aviation transportation. Recommendations include a variety of mobility hub styles and functionalities that use emerging technologies to connect underserved people and places more efficiently. The most rewarding part of being a civil engineer and working on these types of projects is seeing the impact of your designs move society forward.

Civil engineering intersects with many other fields, even artificial intelligence. How do you use AI in your job?

HNTB’s clients are primarily government agencies. With natural disasters on the rise, infrastructure resiliency is more important than ever. Our digital infrastructure solutions team is working on artificial intelligence-based decision support systems that help predict the impact and likelihood of disruptions to the transportation network (bridges, culverts, roadways, retaining walls, utilities and ancillary structures). This allows for more organized and coordinated multi-agency response plans.

Alumni interested in learning more about the civil and environmental engineering (CEE) programs can

Zehnder ’98 has been involved in the implementation of the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program across 15 states. Located in Ohio, this is the first station to open in the U.S.

Katie

From left to right are Professor Ashraf Ghaly, Matthew Parlakian ’97, Professor Carolyn Rodak, Seth Condell ’97 and Professor Mohammad Mafi.

Navigating at Union

AI

John Rieffel, professor of computer science and department chair, works with students on tensegrity robots in the CROCHET Lab. Rieffel’s research uses AI to optimize movements of these “soft robots”—composed of rigid struts and springs—that have potential applications in search-and-rescue, space exploration and surgery. Learn more about these robots at union.edu/magazine

Across Union’s campus—in classes, labs and independent research—students are learning about generative artificial intelligence.

Students and faculty are considering AI’s impact on society. What is AI exactly, and is it actually intelligent? When should we use it, and how might it help? When should we not, and what could go wrong? Union’s commitment to interdisciplinary education makes it a great place to tackle these big questions. Faculty and students are leveraging connections between themselves and their areas of expertise to traverse these uncharted technological waters.

What is AI ?

AI covers a huge swath of computer science and takes many forms.

Some researchers say that AI is all the things that we don’t know how to do with a computer, and once we do, they are no longer AI, said John Rieffel, professor of computer science. “One of the ironies is that throughout the history of AI, we have been moving the goalposts.”

For a long time, the pinnacle of AI was getting a computer to play tic tac toe, he added. Then came checkers. Then chess.

Things that we think should be easy for a computer are quite hard—like getting generative AI to produce plausible images or relatable language.

When an image is so very, very close to lifelike, but not quite, people recognize it instantly—often in the form of an unsettling feeling computer scientists have dubbed “the uncanny valley.”

“The more human-like something behaves, the freakier and more alarming the imperfections,” Rieffel said. “The human brain is very good at detecting imposters or when things don’t quite match.”

Andrew Burkett, professor of English and co-director of the Templeton Institute, asks students in his first-year inquiry course, “Humans & Nonhumans: Challenges from Artificial Intelligence and Biotechnology,” to compare their own writing to machine-generated texts analyzing course readings.

Students are often “bowled over” by ChatGPT’s inaccuracies and incomplete arguments compared to their own writing.

“At the same time, we stop to think about the ways that we might use ChatGPT as a starting point to generate a few outlines,” said Burkett, who also acknowledges that “ChatGPT has an excellent ability to summarize brief bursts of information from massive web searches.”

Students leverage AI across disciplines

From computer science to English, students are applying artificial intelligence tools to their studies and research, and in the process, learning how best to responsibly use this technology.

Ava Hubert ’26, for instance, conducted research assessing student attitudes toward AI and AI use at Union to shed light on how her peers feel about these platforms. She presented her findings during Steinmetz Symposium in May. Hubert is majoring in neuroscience and minoring in philosophy.

“It is massively important to understand the ramifications of becoming reliant on AI. A discussion to be had is whether these platforms can be used as tools rather than shortcuts,” she explained. “My experience researching AI use/attitudes at Union has opened my eyes to the importance of honesty and open communication when it comes to appropriate use of AI platforms in academic settings and in general. This is relevant not only to my current research, but whatever career I end up pursuing.”

For more student perspectives on AI, visit union.edu/magazine

Interested in learning more about how students and faculty are using AI in academics and research? Visit union.edu/ai

Navigating

Want to know how Union is approaching academic integrity in the age of AI? Visit union.edu/magazine to read more.

Is AI actually intelligent?

Defining AI has been a subject of debate since it was first introduced by mathematicians in the 1950s.

“Some say that with AI we are talking about something that is truly intelligent in a human way,” said Kristina Striegnitz, associate professor of computer science. “But we don’t have tools to measure that.”

“Some have used AI more practically as a research area and AI is a label,” she continued. “But most people, including those who work on it, would say AI is not actually intelligent.”

Is there a sense that every new generation of AI is more “intelligent” than the last?

“A lot of research now goes into explainable AI. A large language model is a black box. It’s hard for humans to explain how the output was produced. For critical applications—like healthcare— it would be good to have an explanation as to how the solution came about.”

How should we use AI?

Responsibly. And with our eyes wide open.

“The tech itself isn’t good or bad—it’s a tool. It’s humans who are capable of evil. Like a 3D printer in the hands of someone who wants to print a ghost gun, or generative AI in the hands of someone who wants to steal money by impersonating someone,” said Rieffel.

“We want students to understand that technology has consequences,” he added. “When you’re developing a new technology, you need to think about what’s the worst thing that can happen. What can go wrong?”

Rieffel teaches a class on cyborgs with professors Jen Mitchell of English and Kate Feller of biology. Students consider that data from personal devices is retained by the vendor and sometimes shared publicly with consequences. Data from a period-tracking app could be used to prosecute women who have had an abortion and live in states that have crimi-

nalized the procedure. Apps like Strava that track and share a runner’s activity have been used by the Taliban to locate U.S. military installations in Afghanistan.

Other problems with AI may come from the data used to train it.

The 2020 documentary Coded Bias begins with the discovery by an MIT researcher that facial recognition technology does not accurately see darkskinned faces. It goes on to investigate the discrimination of minorities and women that AI brings to a number of areas, including education, healthcare, housing and employment.

“You don’t have to spend much time on the internet to realize there is a lot of sexism and racism, and AI is trained from the internet,” Rieffel said.

Nick Webb, an associate professor of computer science who specializes in computational linguistics, argues that there is no such thing as unbiased data. For example, economic data gathered in the 1980s accounted for only two genders.

“If you are not aware of the inclusion or omission of data, then the analysis becomes suspect,” he said. “Where did the data come from? How well do I understand that it contains all the information that I need? What are the biases? If I don’t understand that, then I can’t draw meaningful and useful conclusions.”

“The appeal of teaching machine learning—the basis of AI—at a liberal arts college is the ability to ask these questions to reflect on humanity and how we can and should be using these tools,” Webb continued. “Or more importantly, how we should not be using these tools.”

Rieffel echoed these sentiments.

“The value of learning about artificial intelligence at a liberal arts college is that you can better contextualize the implications of technology,” he said. “You

Associate Professor of Computer Science Kristina Striegnitz teaches a class.

AI & ancient Greek pottery

Oliver (Ollie) Taylor ’24, who majored in computer science and classics, conducted interdisciplinary research for his senior thesis. He used a type of artificial intelligence called convolutional neural networks that allowed him to classify images of ancient Greek pottery fragments. Using an AI tool like this helps archeologists sift through the thousands of images of pottery from an excavation site more quickly. This gives them more time to focus on higher level analysis of the art, like determining where pottery was made.

To watch a video about Taylor’s work, scan the QR code.

can take classes in computer science, philosophy, economics or English and take a step back to understand all the implications. Being a good citizen of the world is understanding the context in which technology exists.”

Burkett agrees.

“I want Union graduates to be able to evaluate AI critically through the lens of their fine-tuned liberal arts education, but I also want to help them understand some basic ways to use such tools to save time and work in their lives,” he said. “We all need to find some middle path here between the hype and the hysteria around AI. Historically speaking, like all new media and other technologies, AI presents both risks and affordances.”

Marianna Bergamaschi Ganapini, associate professor of philosophy, discussed the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in a recent Academic Hour virtual session. A recording is available at ualumni.union.edu. Select the “events” menu, then “webinars.”

The Templeton Institute presented its Great AI Debate during Steinmetz Symposium on May 10. Participating panelists included Kristina Striegnitz, associate professor of computer science; Eric Zhao ’24, computer science major; Aspen Morris ’25, music major and computer science minor; Ashok Ramasubramanian, co-director of the Templeton Institute and dean of engineering; Andrew Burkett, professor of English and co-director of the Templeton Institute; and Marianna Bergamaschi Ganapini, associate professor of philosophy.

Alumni in artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence has applicability in nearly every field. Just ask Union grads like these. Whether they were science or humanities students, they’ve leveraged AI in their careers. Get a glimpse of what they’re up to here and learn more about them and their thoughts on AI at union.edu/magazine.

John Kelly III ’76, physics (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)

John Kelly III ’76 retired from IBM in 2020 after 40 years of service. He joined the company in research and development after earning a Ph.D. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Kelly held many positions during his tenure, including senior vice president and director of IBM Research. When he retired, he was executive vice president (the No. 2 leader in the company). Kelly is often described by many in the industry as the “father of Watson,” the famous computer system most known for competing against human contestants on “Jeopardy!”

John Kelly III ’76 with the Watson computer system

Stephanie Perry ’04, geology & psychology (Edmond, Okla.)

Stephanie Perry ’04 has worked as a geologist and petrophysicist in the oil and gas industry for 14 years. As a petrophysical supervisor with Continental Resources, part of Perry’s job involves studying and analyzing the chemical and physical properties of oil and gas deposits, including rocks and soil around the deposits. She collects data about these natural resource reservoirs that help her understand rock density, pore pressure, electrical and acoustic properties of the rock and the level of radioactivity in an area. This data can be used to estimate how porous the rocks are, the volume of oil and/or gas present and whether it can be extracted. Machine learning and AI are used to develop data relationships that assist her in evaluating these resources.

Stephanie Perry ’04 studied abroad in Peru with Professor of Geosciences John Garver.

Antonio J. Gutierrez Jr. ’10, philosophy (Framingham, Mass.)

Antonio J. Gutierrez Jr. ’10 is co-founder of Saga Education, where he is a leader in the organization’s business strategy, external affairs and state and federal policy initiatives. Saga Education partners with states and districts, offering expertise, best-in-class learning technology and resources to help implement evidencebased personalized learning models during the regular school day. Saga leverages the power of human capital and technology to accelerate student outcomes and create equitable learning for students. For instance, the organization is using AI technology to transform and scale its tutoring programs nationwide.

Haicheng (Harri) Lin ’16, mathematics & visual arts (Seattle, Wash.)

Haicheng (Harri) Lin ’16 is a senior user experience designer at NVIDIA. He designs software and improves the experiences of people who use that software. For instance, Lin develops software that allows researchers/scientists to tap into computing resources from data centers (warehouses filled with vast amounts of servers and high-performance computers), thus facilitating their work on advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning initiatives. One example is scheduler software. Think of it as the operating system for highperformance computers—it efficiently organizes and automates task execution across multiple networks and servers. In other words, this scheduler manages work queues, allocates resources and ensures timely completion of AI development tasks.

Alessandra Knight ’14, Spanish with anthropology minor (New York City)

Alessandra Knight ’14 co-founded Katch in early 2021 because she believed there was a gap in the way people worked. The technology people use is always shifting and improving. But when it comes to scheduling and how people connect, the tools have stayed the same. Katch (gokatch.ai), an email assistant that supports scheduling needs, aims to change this. All an individual needs to do is loop Katch into any email message and it will replay automatically sharing calendar availability. Knight recently stepped down as CEO and moved into an advisory role with the company, which launched its first iteration in January 2022.

Haicheng (Harri) Lin ’16 made this image using DALLE, an AI system that can create realistic images and art from a description in natural language. He was using DALLE to help visualize a mathematical concept (a genus two compact Riemann surface) in higher dimensions, as this is difficult to imagine on flat, two-dimensional paper.

Inspired to give back

Donors share why they support Union

Union continues to thrive after 229 years because so many people believe in the College. In what it stands for—education and opportunity. In the way it changes lives—of alumni and students. In what it makes possible—dreams and discovery. Through acts of generosity at all levels, these supporters are making sure every student thrives, now and across multiple tomorrows. Read on to see what inspires a few of these donors to give back.

To learn more about opportunities to support students and programs, contact David Jadin, director of major gifts, at jadind@union.edu or (518) 388-6728.

Rich '80 and Mary Templeton '80

The Mary H. (1980) and Richard K. (1980) Templeton Engineering Building Fund, established by Mary ’80 and Richard Templeton ’80, will support new construction in engineering and computer science-related spaces and facilities, with a focus on civil and environmental engineering. In doing so, the fund will bolster Union’s Engineering and Computer Science Initiative and its unique ability to educate students in both the liberal arts and technical disciplines. To learn more about this gift, see p. 14.

What inspired you to make your gift?

It really is a case of strengthening engineering and computer science because we think it ends up being foundational in a world that’s just going to be technologically more sophisticated. Parents, as well as prospective students, have an expectation for a return on investment and a return on time spent. And we think Union meets that mark well by positioning people to be able to get a job. We’re excited about this gift because we think it’s going to further build Union’s strength in engineering and computer science, and we’re just thrilled to be able to help out.

A gift to Union is a vote of confidence in the College. Why do you believe in Union?

We are so appreciative of Union for having a bold vision to strengthen engineering and computer science, and link them with the liberal arts. We're impressed that Union has the courage to move out on this initiative. We really respect what Union is doing and we respect that our investment has been handled so carefully. We just have a tremendous amount of confidence in what’s being done with the College.

What would you say to others considering a gift to the College?

If you look at giving when it comes to higher education, we really need to have everyone across the Union community involved. Working together, we can make a huge impact. The school’s been available for decades— in fact, centuries—and by us working together, we can ensure that it’s going to be available for decades and centuries to come. It could be for annual giving day, scholarships, fellowships or professor endowments. There are many, many opportunities to help Union, and we would encourage everybody to help out.

Union’s Annual Scholarship Fund is more than financial aid, it’s a catalyst for realizing dreams. Each year this fund provides countless students with scholarships starting at $5,000 and helps Union meet the full demonstrated financial need of all admitted students. Donors like Nicholas D’Angelo ’14 are empowering students to pursue their education without limitations.

What inspired you to make your gift?

I was first inspired to give when our class lost Sarah Foster in 2019. I did not know Sarah well, but we were both history majors. We had several classes together and I was always struck by her kindness and her goodness. To honor the spirit Sarah exemplified, friends, classmates, family and faculty created the Sarah Foster Memorial Prize. It’s given to a graduating senior who, like Sarah, is a history major and plans to pursue teaching. Since then, I’ve tried to do more and have made a pledge to the Annual Scholarship Fund in honor of the Class of 2014’s 10-year ReUnion. I want others to have the same opportunities that I have been fortunate enough to have.

A gift to Union is a vote of confidence in the College. Why do you believe in Union?

I am grateful to Union for all it has given me—a first-class education, but so much more than this. Students at Union develop a commitment to service and gain the confidence to know that every individual can make a lasting, important difference. That education must be nurtured and honored, and alumni can do that by staying involved and giving back.

What would you say to others considering a gift to the College? You should do it! Gifts of any amount make a difference and our cumulative giving has a remarkable impact on students. And giving back does not have to be financial. When students reach out about their careers, pick up the phone. I love hearing from students and recent graduates who are beginning to consider what to do next, and alumni can truly be helpful by sharing their own experiences.

Nicholas D’Angelo ’14 with his wife, Kathryn D’Angelo

The Eder Student Endowed Book Fund,

created from the gifts of David ’96 and Pakhi Eder ’98 in honor of Leonard J. Eder, is used annually to assist with textbook costs. Students from a multitude of disciplines benefit from this critical fund, which ensures they can continue their academic journeys without the burden of textbook expenses. (Questions answered by Pakhi Eder.)

What inspired you to make your gift?

This fund was established in honor of my father-in-law, who was deeply committed to community service and philanthropy. I strongly believe that a solid education is the gateway to opportunity, and therefore focused this fund on students who had the merits to attend Union but faced financial hardships.

A gift to Union is a vote of confidence in the College. Why do you believe in Union?

Quite simply, because Union believed in me. The institution was wholly committed to my personal and academic development, for which I am tremendously grateful. The opportunities presented were limitless—from studying abroad and writing a senior thesis to volunteering with various organizations and even meeting my husband. My four years at Union were instrumental in shaping my future.

What would you say to others considering a gift to the College?

Think about the impact. Every time I receive a letter from a recipient, it is a reminder that even the smallest gesture can make a meaningful impact on one individual. There are many ways to make a gift to Union, and I would recommend doing it in a way that reflects your goals and values.

The Brennan Family Study Away

Fellowship

was established by Katie and Jim Brennan, parents of Jack Brennan, Class of 2026. This expendable fund provides financial assistance for one or more students annually to support their participation in mini-term study away programs.

What inspired you to make your gift?

We think that now more than ever, developing an understanding of other geographies and cultures is an important part of education, and an important part of success in business and life after college.

A gift to Union is a vote of confidence in the College. Why do you believe in Union?

Union helps develop leaders, both in academics and in spirit, and we really think President David Harris has set a great example here.

What would you say to others considering a gift to the College?

The return on investment is high because study away mini-terms develop our future leaders in unique and important ways.

David ’96 and Pakhi Eder ’98 with their children

Katie and Jim Brennan with their children, Jack ’26, Charlotte, William and Eloise

Ever wonder what Union professors are up to when they aren’t teaching? Just about everything, as it turns out. Nothing is beyond their collective reach or curious minds. Here’s a glimpse of the diverse and intriguing work they do.

Devin

Ramos ’25

with Francis

Wilkin, senior lecturer in the Department of Physics and Astronomy

Out of this world: Astronomy students discover exoplanets

It’s not every day a person plays a role in discovering a planet.

But several students working with Francis Wilkin have done just that.

“We have two separate published papers where students are credited in the co-discovery of exoplanets, which are planets that orbit a star outside our solar system,” said Wilkin. “The papers involve the discovery of miniNeptunes.”

Sometimes known as gas dwarfs or transitional planets, mini-Neptunes measure between two and four times the size of Earth. They are scattered throughout the Milky Way.

“We are very excited for our first exoplanet discovery papers and proud to be among many other contributors to this research, including scientists from Switzerland and other countries,” Wilkin said.

“Before coming to Union, I never expected to be doing this much research, let alone co-authoring a paper,” said physics major Devin Ramos ’25, about one of the papers, which appeared in the May 2024 Astronomy &

Astrophysics journal. “The opportunity has been great all around, and every day I’m amazed at all that has been accomplished as part of Professor Wilkin’s astrophysics team.”

One of Wilkin’s former students, Georgia Mraz ’21, is credited in the May Astronomical Journal with co-publishing on exoplanet discovery. Mraz is now a Ph.D. student at McGill University in Montreal.

Alexia Goldenberg ’27 and Micaela Magno ’27, who began studying with Wilkin as first-years, are also looking toward being published co-authors.

“They have their names on exoplanet reports that are still private, but some day should be published,” Wilkin said. “The idea that students in their first year of college are already helping to discover planets is mind-bending compared to the old days when ‘research’ would wait for the senior thesis or even grad school.”

To learn more about astronomy research at Union, visit union.edu/physics-and-astronomy.

BURK KETCHAM ’48

Trevor’s Travels

Green Hollow Press

While working for a publisher in Cambridge, Mass., Trevor wrote The Rossis about the problems of Italian immigrants in the 20s and 30s as they were assimilating into the U.S. melting pot. The book made the New York Times bestseller list and Trevor gained riches he never had. Then he met an attractive businesswoman who was a runner. This story traces his adventures and misadventures on a book-signing trip, as well as the love story between Trevor Hadley and Dibsy Digby.

ANTHONY EHRLICH ’57

Endangered Species

Writers Ink Press

As an undergraduate engineering student, Anthony Ehrlich had several poems and short stories published in Union’s literary magazine, The Idol After a successful professional career, he now works as a hired hand on his daughter’s organic farm in Florida. This collection of 33 pieces was written in the last three years and embodies his truth, garnered from a good life with many ups and downs. The title poem won an award from the Florida State Poets Association. Overall, the book is a heart-felt celebration of humanity.

LARRY LENTCHNER ’63

The Reluctant Guru of Alphabet City

Absolutely Amazing eBooks

The Reluctant Guru of Alphabet City is at once the coming-of-age story of an American guru and a guide to the discovery of spiritual life without pretension. Through no actions on her own part, Aziza unintentionally becomes a spiritual personage in Greenwich Village, and her personal writings are thrust into prominence. Fighting it every step of the way, her path eventually leads her to accept the mantle of being a guru.

DAVID HOLDRIDGE ’66

The Water Above

Independently published

A severely wounded Vietnam veteran is released from an Army hospital to live the rest of his days in the cellar of his parents’ home. In a somewhat miraculous recovery, he ventures forth to Africa as an American vagabond, eventually returning home to seek a fortune in the marketplace. Instead, the fury of his pursuit drives him to unsustainable ends and into the refuge of an exceptional woman. The book attempts to weave the inherent uncertainties of a daring love affair, the presumptions of the American experiment and the fallacies of Charity amidst the chaos of a Lebanon at war.

DR. ANDREW S. LEVITAS ’68

Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry: A Love Story

Independently published

A woman’s odds of getting into medical school in the mid-1960s were pretty poor. A man could expect to apply anywhere. To enhance her chances, Lisa Mautner (Barnard ’69) decides to follow her faculty advisor’s advice and take organic chemistry “across the street” with the men at Columbia. She is hazed mercilessly until Ben Rothstein (Columbia ’68) intervenes. She asks him to be her secret study partner, at first to avoid speculation that any success she has will be attributed to his help. Then the study partnership blossoms into another kind of partnership entirely, one that will change both their lives.

DAVE WORRELL ’68

Runnemede Boy

Parnilis Media

Runnemede Boy is a memoir in verse that chronicles growing up in a small town in southern New Jersey in the 1950s and 1960s, and the growth and emergence of a personality.

DAN VALENTI ’74

Verse or Adverse: How to Read and Enjoy Poetry

Peter Lang Publishing

Previous titles that have attempted to address the finer points of reading poetry either approach it from an overly technical standpoint or gloss over significant points. Verse or Adverse provides fresh insights in accessible language. The author strikes an ideal balance between two extremes: Making unrealistic assumptions about what the reader might know about poetry while not reducing the subject to its least common denominator. Valenti has had more than 200 poems published, has taught poetry and enjoyed a prose career in journalism, literature and books. This is the second book in his “Lang Trilogy.”

NANCY MURPHY ’77

The Space Carved by the Sharpness of Your Absence Gyroscope Press

While the theme of this debut poetry book is loss, the scope is as broad as a life lived, a woman’s life. All the ordinary things that can happen to a person become extraordinary when they are happening to you, as this book captures so intimately and honestly. The poet George Franklin wrote in his review for Cultural Daily, “In this lovely, courageous book...Murphy’s subject is the life she has lived, and continues to live, in a space occasioned by loss. She does not seek validation of her choices, and she does not apologize for them. Her poems are ‘just proof of something that mattered.’”

NANCY GERBER ’78

Burnt Toast: A Memoir of My Immigrant Grandmother Apprentice House Press

Nancy Gerber attempts to discover more about her beloved maternal grandmother, who revealed little of her long, mysterious life before she died at the age of 92. She never even disclosed her birth name. Gerber details her knowledge with memories shared from childhood into adulthood. She includes everything she knows about her grandmother’s immigration from Ukraine to the United States and the life she built—in an effort to piece together an identity lost to suffering and time. Kirkus Reviews calls Burnt Toast “an affecting homage to the woman she so profoundly loved though hardly knew.”

EMILY

MONOSSON ’83

Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic Norton

Fungi are everywhere. Most are harmless; some are helpful. A few are killers. Collectively, infectious fungi are the most devastating agents of disease on Earth, and a fungus that can persist in the environment without its host is here to stay. In Blight, Emily Monosson documents how trade, travel and a changing climate are making us all more vulnerable to invasion. Yet prevention is not impossible. Tracing the history of fungal spread and the most recent discoveries in the field, Monosson meets scientists who are working to protect species under threat, and whose innovative approaches to fungal invasion have the potential to save human lives.

DR. DANIEL LABY ’83

Eye of the Champion Selfpublishing.com

Sports vision is an often-overlooked area that can be leveraged for improved performance. This book, written by a sports vision specialist, details knowledge gained over a 30-year career working with professional athletes from all major sports. It begins with a detailed review of how and why vision is important in sports; takes the reader on a journey through the vision system, identifying the areas critical to performance; and spotlights different areas that impact sports performance.

KERRIE (TICKNOR) DROBAN ZHIVAGO ’87

Aurora: The Psychiatrist Who Treated the Movie Theater Killer Penguin Publishing Group

This book is a compelling look at violence and trauma from the psychiatrist who treated mass shooter James Holmes, perpetrator of the Aurora movie theater massacre. As an expert and speaker on mass shootings and gun violence, Dr. Lynn Fenton’s account provides an intimate look at her life, as well as alarming insight into the sinister patient who called himself “fear incarnate.” With unprecedented access to thousands of pages of documents, recordings, trial transcripts and medical records, Aurora attempts to answer the question Holmes himself posed in his infamous notebook: “Why? Why? Why?”

MELISSA STEWART ’90

Thank You, Moon: Celebrating Nature’s Nightlight

Alfred A. Knopf

With the soothing rhythm of a bedtime story and the scientific wonder of a nature doc, comes a celebration of the moon and all the creatures who rely on its light to find their way home. As Earth’s closest companion in space, the moon has fascinated humankind for generations, and this nonfiction picture book sheds light on the mysterious ways it affects life on Earth. With luminous illustrations by Jessica Lanan and a lyrical text that is part lullaby and part scientific resource, Thank You, Moon is a treasure for all ages to enjoy.

MARK MICHALISIN ’94

In The Arena: From the Boardroom to the Classroom Manuscripts Press

In the Arena reaches out to all of us who have struggled with our confidence, who seek inspiration in stories from others. It is a compilation of goals Mark Michalisin, an associate professor at Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business, sets for his students and why they are important. Mark’s book is for everyone searching for that one thing to motivate and inspire. This book is a blueprint: If you combine a good work ethic, a grounded perspective, set goals and master necessary skills, you will be on the path to a productive, successful and happy life.

CHELSEA WOODARD ’04

At the Lepidopterist’s House Southern Indiana Review Press

At the Lepidopterist’s House invites the reader to explore natural and mythic landscapes, examine the interiors of marriage and the domestic, and consider the bodies of animals as vessels of memory and imagination. At times through the lens of scientific observation or artistic rendering, at others through lived experience, the speakers of these poems face separation from places and people, gathering real and remembered artifacts as a means of better understanding our tumultuous world. This collection is a meditation on the ways one can lose and reimagine home, on what it means to love and to grieve, to find freedom and lightness among the weight of the material and the human. Chelsea Woodard is the winner of the 2022 Michael Waters Poetry Prize.

KATHY MANDUSIC FINLEY ’07

My One-Eyed, Three-Legged Therapist: How My Cat Clio Saved Me (Human-Animal Bond Series) Purdue University Press

This is the story of how a kitten helped the author regain the courage to face life’s challenges. A difficult childhood led to an abusive marriage, but things changed on Kathy Mandusic Finley’s fortieth birthday when colleagues gave her Clio. The runt of the litter, a two-time cancer survivor and a special needs cat, Clio thrived despite what life threw at her. Finley put her own life in perspective by learning to accept the past, embrace the present and look forward to the future. The book received advance praise from cartoonist and author Patrick McDonnell.

JULIA HOTZ ’15

The Connection Cure: The Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service, and Belonging Simon & Schuster

Around the world, health care providers have started asking “What matters to you?” Instead of solely pharmaceutical prescriptions, they offer “social prescriptions”—referrals to community activities and resources. Science shows that social prescribing is effective for treating symptoms of the modern world’s most common ailments—depression, ADHD, addiction, trauma, anxiety, chronic pain, dementia, diabetes and loneliness. As Hotz tours the globe to investigate the spread of social prescribing to over thirty countries, she meets people personifying its revolutionary potential. The success stories she finds bring a long-known theory to life: if we can change our environment, we can change our health.

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 807 Union Street Schenectady, N.Y. 12308

Or send synopsis and high-resolution image to: magazine@union.edu

Alumni Clubs

SCHENECTADY, N.Y.

Alumni and parents attended a reception in February.

Alumni and parents attended a holiday reception with President David Harris in February.

DALLAS, TEXAS

Alumni enjoyed an event at SweetWater Brewery in November.

ATLANTA, GA.

Alumni and families had fun at Franklin Park Zoo in April.

BOSTON, MASS.

Alumni Clubs

BALTIMORE, MD.

ATLANTA, GA.

INTRODUCING Academic Hour

Join us for the Academic Hour, a new series we launched this year. Each virtual session features a Union community member providing their expertise on a given topic. So far, we’ve enjoyed discussions on “The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence” with professor Marianna Bergamaschi Ganapini; “Shaping the Future of Engineering at Union” with professor Carolyn Rodak; and “Oppenheimer, Heisenberg and the Bomb?” with professor Mark Walker. Keep an eye out for upcoming sessions or check out recordings of previous sessions at ualumni.union.edu. Select the “Events” menu, then “Webinars.”

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE ALUMNI COUNCIL

GREETINGS FELLOW ALUMNI,

Iam thrilled to be writing to you as the new president of the Union College Alumni Council.

I want to thank Vin Mattone ’06 for three years of transformative service as my predecessor. Under his leadership, we hosted and sponsored dozens of events across the country, conducted three successful alumni trustee elections and recognized countless exceptional alumni with awards. I look forward to building on Vin’s legacy and continuing to bolster the capabilities of the council alongside our new executive committee.

Founded with the mission to promote and strengthen Union, the Alumni Council plays a vital role in engaging alumni in the ongoing life of the College. We work to nurture connections between alumni and with the College itself, ensuring that the bonds forged during our time at Union continue to thrive.

Our dedication to supporting the mission and values of Union College drives everything we do. From creating alumni affinity groups and overseeing the alumni trustee election to awarding the Alumni Gold Medal and providing a scholarship for two students annually. Everything we do is made possible by the dedication of the incredible alumni volunteers who make up the council.

I invite all alumni who share our passion for Union to consider joining the council. Your participation and contributions could help shape the future of our alma mater and strengthen the ties that bind the alumni community together.

If you’re interested in joining the council, please complete the application available at union.edu/alumni. Together we can continue to uphold the legacy of Union College and celebrate the achievements of our extraordinary alumni.

I look forward to meeting you all at our events or seeing you on campus for ReUnion or Homecoming!

– Tess Skoller ’13, president, Union College Alumni Council

Alumni attended a holiday party at the Guinness Brewery in December.

Alumni toured the Atlanta Botanical Gardens in April.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT:

Don Harrell ’75

By Ewo Harrell ’10

Don Harrell ’75 is an author, arts activist and educator, administrator, researcher, folklorist, filmmaker, music producer, performing artist and college professor. He is president of the nonprofit African Diasporic Arts and Education Inc., an organization created to foster knowledge and understanding of African life and culture in the African diaspora. Harrell also co-founded Orisirisi African Folklore with his wife, Tutu Harrell, nearly 40 years ago. The performing arts and arts education company shares the goal of illuminating the beauty of the culture of African tradition.

Affiliated with the University of Central Florida, Valencia College and Ringling College of Arts and Design, he lectures on various Africana Studies courses and topics. Harrell serves on the executive board of Alternate ROOTS, which operates at the intersection of arts and activism; is an Intercultural Leadership Institute Fellow; and has received numerous awards for his dedication to the social uplift of African peoples.

Since graduation, Harrell has returned for Homecoming to participate in a UNITAS-sponsored panel and performed with his wife in the Nott Memorial for a Black History Month Celebration, while his daughter, Ewo Harrell ’10, was a student. He majored in American Studies at Union and earned his master’s degree in African Studies at UCLA.

Which of these activities has been most meaningful?

The performance in the Nott was the most consequential because it is where I took my first acting class with Professor Barry Smith. Though unaware of it then, I would spend much of my life on stage.

What was your most formative experience at Union?

A 3-dimensional design course gave me a new perspective on how to view our universe. I learned that most people only look at the world in two dimensions, with a tunnel vision-like gaze, and miss the glorious reality of the depth of the world around them. My work study appointment at Hamilton Hill Drop-In Art Center was also impactful. I mentored kids using Africancentered drumming and drum-making— positive activities for relationship-building and artistic expression.

Don Harrell ’75 performs at Disney World’s Epcot, where he and his wife, Tutu Harrell, established residency for their performing arts company, Orisirisi African Folklore, for nearly 10 years.

Favorite Union memory:

As a student: The community I created while living in Hickok House. At the time, members dubbed Hickok House “The Black House” because of its culture-specific residents and activities. As an alumnus: When Ebony Union organized a return to campus for Homecoming. We ceremonially planted a tree in Jackson’s Garden and installed a plaque in honor of members of the Black Student Union, who had transitioned since our days at Union.

What is the best piece of personal/ professional advice that you have ever received/given?

Find out what your true passion is and make it your life’s work.

Fun fact about yourself: I’m the opposite of Chicken Little—an eternal optimist.

Author’s note: Union holds a special place in my heart, not only because it shaped my academic journey but also because of the legacy it carries for my family. My father, Don Harrell ’75, is a beacon in arts, education and activism. I have the honor of carrying forward his legacy again as executive director of African Diasporic Arts Education, Inc.

Parents Circle

Union is the embodiment of a small liberal arts college. The community is small enough that one sees plenty of familiar faces on campus, students get to know their professors, and professors take the time to get to know their students. At the same time, Union provides world-class learning opportunities, from studying volcanology on the Big Island of Hawaii to working on a presidential campaign in New Hampshire to studying abroad in New Zealand.

– Mark and Julie Jones P’25

Union’s Parents Circle is a parent philanthropy group. Members become College insiders and investors in its success, ultimately developing stronger ties to their student’s Union experience. We are thrilled to welcome Class of 2028 families to the Union community, and we invite all families to join us in supporting the educational programs and activities that will make your child’s college journey 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

Mark and Julie Jones P’25, with son Andrew Jones ’25

1951

Friends and family are remembering Klaus Eppler, of New York, N.Y., who died Jan. 30, 2024, at the age of 93. A member of Kappa Nu fraternity and the discussion club, he graduated from Union College as valedictorian of his class. He went on to attend Yale Law School, served in U.S. Army Intelligence in West Berlin, and became a partner at Proskauer, Rose, Goetz and Mendelson. He was a nationally known securities law practitioner and president of the New York County Lawyers Association and chaired continuing legal education courses for more than 30 years. Klaus took great pleasure in travel, mountains, music, chocolate and his decades-long friendships, but his greatest love was for his family. He was the beloved husband of Joyce Eppler (deceased) for 66 years. He will be sorely missed by his daugh-

CLASS NOTES U

ters Karen Sanchez-Eppler (and husband Benigno) and Amy Eppler-Epstein (and husband Steve); by his grandchildren Elias (and wife Emily), Rebecca (and husband Steve and child Emery), Eppchez, and Ep-Ep (and partner Allison); and caregivers Gabriela Lacasa and artist-inresidence Sady Pineda. Klaus is further remembered on p. 57.

1952

Friends and family are remembering Dr. Richard “Dick” Pollen, of Kensington, Md., who died in October of 2023 at age 92. Dick, who was a practicing physician until shortly before his 91st birthday, was born in New York and grew up on Long Island. Once he left home for Union College he was on his life’s adventure. He earned a N.Y. state scholarship to attend Rochester Medical School, specializing in internal medicine and endocrinology. He married his high school sweetheart, the former Sandra Levine; they were married for 68 years until his passing. They settled in Maryland, raising their two daughters and becoming an integral part of the community. Dick is survived by his wife, Sandy, his two daughters and five grandchildren. At the time of his death, he was awaiting the arrival of his first greatgrandchild. Dick is further remembered on p. 57.

1953

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

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

1954

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Avrom J. Gold 19702 Bella Loma, Apt. 9-102 San Antonio, Texas 78256 (908) 581-1455 avromgold@gmail.com

1955

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Ken Haefner 1346 Waverly Pl. Schenectady, N.Y. 12308 kbhaefner@gmail.com

1956

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

William Deuell 2666 Steeple Run Lane Manteca, Calif. 95336 whd2923@gmail.com

1957

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Paul Mohr

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

1958

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

David C. Horton 68 Paul Revere Road Lexington, Mass. 02421 paulrevereroad@aol.com

1959

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

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

1960

CLASS CORRESPONDENTS

Charles E. Roden kiw702@aol.com

Joel Kupersmith, M.D. jk1688@georgetown.edu

Family and friends are remembering Robert C. Byrne Jr., of Princeton, Ill., who died Feb. 10, 2024. Robert earned a Master of Arts in science from UCONN in 1967, followed by a Master of Science in chemistry from the same university in 1970. He began his teaching journey as a high school chemistry teacher in Danielson, Conn., and joined the faculty of Illinois Valley Community College, where he taught chemistry for 31 years until his retirement in 2001. During his tenure at IVCC, Bob initiated the Rivers Project, which provided students with unique opportunities to explore and understand the importance of rivers in our ecosystem. In 1997, he received the prestigious Catalyst Award for his exceptional teaching skills and commitment to his students’ success. Bob’s contributions to the field of chemistry earned him the esteemed status of an emeritus member

Klaus Eppler ’51 died Jan. 30, 2024

of the American Chemical Society. He was 86. Bob is further remembered on p. 59.

1964

Simon Sobo writes, “After practicing psychiatry for 40 years and publishing many paradigm challenging articles, I started a second career as a writer after retirement, turning my attention to fiction and opinion pieces. It’s pouring out of me. I’ve written 4 novels, a screenplay and a children’s musical. Commentary is publishing a current article on Israel’s war with Hamas. Links to my writing can be found at Simonsobo.com and Commodorenovel.com.”

1966

Pete Kissinger writes, “I was honored this past February in San Diego with an achievement award from the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry (SEAC) that in future years will be titled The Kissinger Award. This organization is focused on electrochemical sensors used in every hospital laboratory and others sold as glucose sensors to support diabetic health. My early experience with the topic came from undergraduate research at the Union Chemistry Department. Now an emeritus professor from

Purdue and an entrepreneur, I remain committed to what got me started 60 years ago as a sophomore.”

1967

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Joseph Smaldino 6310 Lantern Ridge Lane Knoxville, Tenn. 37921 smaldinoj@comcast.net (815) 762-5984

Jeffrey Hedquist was a featured presenter at the Radio Masters Sales Summit in Cincinnati on Sept. 14, 2023. His talk, “Get the Juice!,” demonstrated to broadcasters from all over the country how to capture advertisers’ passion, secrets and stories using Hedquist’s “Audience Needs Analysis” to uncover the gems that make creating effective commercials easier.

William Frisbee writes, “Still living in Abbotsford, BC (winter) and Harrison Hot Springs, BC (summer). Son, Jeff, is head of Medical Physiology Department at Western in London. Grandson, Nate, works as an urban planner for the City of London and granddaughter, Amelia, attends Western University. Son, Ryan, is head of Horticultural Therapy at the Regional Health Centre in Abbotsford, BC. Granddaughter, Marianne, has completed 3 years in the business program at the University of the Fraser Valley and her employer—with whom she started as a summer intern—keeps paying her to work full-time in Vancouver. She will finish her degree over the summer of 2024.”

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

Classmates are remembering Robert R. Klimowski, of Merchantville, N.J., who proudly served in the U.S. Navy for 23 years before spending 20 years as a civilian systems engineer for the Navy at NAEC Lakehurst. He died May 20, 2021. When Bob enlisted in 1968, the Navy sent him to Marquette University to complete the last year of his civil engineering degree, where he also earned a mechanical engineering degree. He received a commission as a Naval officer in 1976 and served on ships. Years later, Bob applied for the designation of engineering duty officer overseeing repairs to Navy ships, which requires a post-grad degree. So, the Navy sent him to MIT, where he earned four more degrees, including a Ph.D. Later, as a civilian engineer who was also a military veteran, Bob was on a top-secret project for the Navy until 2009 as part of a three-person team. They designed the Electro-magnetic Catapult System at Lakehurst, which is now being

installed on the Navy’s two (soon to be three) newest aircraft carriers. A longtime member and former commander of American Legion Post #68, he loved watching his son grow up and participate in sports and music. Bob helped coach many MBBL teams, was a Cub Scout leader, a marshal for the Broomall String Band and part of the Camden Catholic football parents club. He was 73. He is further remembered on p. 60.

Robert Sussman ’67 has advised that his brother-in-law, Charles M. Sabatelle, of Tucson, Ariz., died March 11, 2024. He received his BA in English from Union and attended Harvard after graduation. He taught English as a second language at the Center for English as a Second Language in the Humanities Department of the University of Arizona. At Union, he was a member of Phi Sigma Delta and the freshmen track team and, along with Professor Klemm and other students, inaugurated Union’s Study Abroad program in Vienna, Austria. A devoted teacher, Charles was well-liked and respected by his students and staff; and was always available to help them, whether inside or outside the classroom. In particular, since most of his students were foreign graduate students, he would go that extra mile to help them adjust to life in Tucson and navigate the university’s educational system. Charles was an avid reader and loved traveling, restoring old cars, collecting coins, running and swimming. He was 76. Charles is further remembered on p. 60.

Simon Sobo ’64

Robert R. Klimowski ’69 died May 20, 2021

1970

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Frank P. Donnini

Newport News, Va. fpdonnini@aol.com

Michael Di Pietro writes, “Greetings to our classmates and hope to see you in 2025 for #55. Alice and I celebrated our 50th anniversary last fall. She is a retired Ann Arbor district librarian and a trained archivist. I am professor emeritus of radiology and pediatrics at University of Michigan (UM), where I have taught and worked for 42 years. I love being on a university campus. Our son grew up on campuses and is still on a campus; the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. I couldn’t interest him in Union 25 years ago, but Michigan worked out fine. Some years ago, our historical library had an exhibit on Michigan’s first president, Henry Tappan, a Union graduate no less, who brought the European (German) model of a research university here. It was good to learn of this connection. UM has been good to me. I was named inaugural John F. Holt Collegiate Professor of Radiology in 2005 and the Annual Di Pietro Lectureship was established upon my retirement in 2016. As the only UM medical faculty to have been awarded both the Lifetime Achievement Award in Clinical Care and Lifetime Award in Education, and as the only member of the Society for Pediatric Radiology to receive its two annual awards for education and annual Pioneer Award, I consider myself academically lucky. I stay in touch with Jeff Knetzer and Rich Lewis, MD. Both have done well and Union should be proud. Years ago, I ran into Gary Decatur. He travels to

exotic parts of the world, where he teaches and seems to live simply. Gary impressed me as a free spirit who hasn’t changed in appearance in 50 years! I am indebted to Carl George (biology) who taught me how to report clearly, methodically and succinctly; Fred Klemm (German) who included me in Union’s first term abroad program (im Wien); John Girdner (child psychology) who taught me how to observe and report behavior objectively; and Edgar Curtis (music) who first brought me to Union. He’d be happy to know that I remain active as a bassoonist and am currently the first avocational musician to serve on the Board of the International Double Reed Society. Over time I have enjoyed meeting, befriending and occasionally playing with the pros. Of course, all this means nothing without good health and a sense of humor.”

John Hammerstrom writes that he “was the third fastest swimmer in the 75-79 age group at the Summer National Championships of U.S. Masters swimmers, held in Sarasota, Fla., finishing behind two ringers in the 50-meter freestyle race. He also finished seventh in the 100-meter freestyle. John and his wife of 43 years, Diane Marshall, enjoy living on the Big Island of Hawaii where they built their off-grid home.”

Neil Kramer lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Robin, a retired city official who is now manager of a philanthropic foundation. Two of their sons also live in LA. Ben, the eldest, is an agent at Creative Artists and dad to the only grandchild, Noah June, who is almost 9. The youngest son, Gabe ’09, also lives in LA, where he is a lobbyist concerned with real estate development. The middle son, Daniel, is a restaurateur in Washington, D.C. Neil writes, “I have mostly worked in private secondary schools since completing a history doctorate at Claremont Graduate School 45 years ago. I’m helping with a building project for Geffen Academy at UCLA, from which I retired at the end of 2020. I was lucky to have a short visit at Union College in October 2023 that included dinners in the Rathskeller, a hockey game and a football game.”

Dick Sheremeta lives in Montana much of the year and writes that he is “at our North Carolina winter home right now and spending most of my time making furniture when not out golfing.”

Bob Stone, originally from Long Island, N.Y., has lived in RI since 1985. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Union. Bob worked for nearly 30 years in the financial

services business and holds a CLU and CHFC designation from the American College. He and wife, Angela, have been married for 53 years and reside today in East Greenwich. Bob writes, “Long time since I sent any news. I can now say I am a published author … had my first novel published just before Christmas 2023. The title is The Chronicles of Benjamin Prescott. It is historical fiction set in the early 1700s in New England and a tale of murder, coming of age, friendship, treasure and revenge. I’ve established a Facebook page on RBS Books, where information can be found and people can follow future publications. My second novel should be out before the end of the year.”

After 50 years, Michael Thompson is still an attorney at law practicing in Canton, Ohio. Mike writes, “I have no hobbies, hate golf, too old to play basketball, my wife has a horse which keeps her busy (I simply write checks to pay for its board, etc.), and all my children (4) and grand-children (8) live from the East Coast to Dallas but not in Ohio! Sorry when I see that one of our Phi Sigma Delta fraternity brothers has passed, starting with Andy Leventhal up to Andy Sherman recently!”

Michael Di Pietro ’70

John Hammerstrom ’70 with wife Diane

Bob Stone ’70

David Toliver writes, “After I retired from Thomson Reuters at the end of 2017, my wife, Ginny, began writing a memoir of our lives together. She finished writing it last year and I served as editor and publisher. The self-published book is titled Make Friends, Make Peace: A Memoir of Family, Travel and Hospitality and is available online from many major booksellers. The two of us will have been married for 50 years this coming June!”

Chris Wood sent in a photo, highly Photoshopped to solarize it, of him driving around his runabout in Narragansett Bay, R.I. He writes, “Now, at a spry 75, I tend to reminisce more frequently about my formative years at Union. The expected question after dinner every night at Psi Upsilon fraternity: “Road North? Who’s in?” AKA, “Let's go drink at the Hub Club in Saratoga Springs and see if we can pick up a Skidmore girl.” While not exactly a strictly academic adventure, it did teach we bumbling young men many key facets of life. After working in the tech business for 44 years in Silicon Valley, I retired a few years ago and now have the wonderful gift of

playing with our four grandchildren, who keep us young and alive. I also now understand why we humans have children in our 20s and 30s but not in our 70s. Little children have an On switch but do not have an Off switch. On the other hand, we have a smoothly working Off switch and a flaky On switch that you hope keeps working for a few more years. At least long enough to see one or more of my grandchildren get accepted at Union!”

Chris Wood ’70 sent in this highly Photoshopped image of him driving around his runabout in Narragansett Bay, R.I.

J.C. Woodward, an Alpha Delta Phi fraternity member at Union, lives in Fitzwilliam, N.H. He writes, “I'm still using my programming skills that began with General Electric’s donation of a GE 415 mainframe computer to the EE department at Union in the late 60s. Although I can afford not to work, I enjoy consulting gigs using GIS to model fish habitats in stream networks and writing software for statistical analysis of big data sets. I also enjoy NH winters for ice climbing, XC skiing, hiking and ice fishing.”

1971

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

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

1973

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

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

Cathy Stuckey Johnson ’74 writes, “My husband, Mark Edward Johnson, whom I met my freshman year in October 1970, died March 24, 2024, after a short battle with cancer. After Union, Mark landed his first sales job with Procter & Gamble. His impressive career spanned many companies and roles, including 20 years with Hartz Mountain and 17 years with Central Garden and Pet. Mark excelled in sports—track as a younger man and then tennis and golf as an adult. Mark was always drawn to a good party—he loved food and wine and sharing those things with family and friends. He never missed an opportunity to grill up something for a gaggle of our kids’ friends. As Mark moved into his retirement era, his focus shifted to volunteerism, travel and really leaning into his role as Papa. Mark served for many years on the Friends for Youth board of directors, including acting as board chairman for 5 years, and volunteered on his church vestry as well. He and I took many amazing trips over the years to innumerable far-flung places such as China, South Africa, South America, Europe and Thailand. He cherished exploring the world. Mark loved our family fiercely and was the doting Papa to our five grandchildren.” In addition to Cathy, Mark is survived by their two children, Jennifer

Frost and Matthew Johnson; five grandchildren (Linley, Mark, Ayla, Evelyn and Morgan); and brother Chris Johnson ’79. Mark’s father, Edward L. Johnson, was a member of the Class of 1944, and his father-in-law, John C. Stuckey, graduated in 1949. Mark is further remembered on p. 61.

1974

Classmates are remembering Amy Juskowitz Sponseller for her glowing smile and kindness. As a graduate of the first female admitted class at Union College and class president, she was known for her compassion and always putting others' needs above her own. Amy will be remembered for all of her involvement on campus, including Film Haps and working “behind the bar” at The Rathskeller, fondly remembered by classmates as the “local watering hole” during their time on campus. After graduating from Union College, Amy went on to obtain a master’s degree from American University and had a fruitful career as a counselor in Baltimore. Her passion was helping people, in particular those with cancer. She helped lead Camp Sunrise, for children with cancer, and

David Toliver ’70 with wife Ginny

Mark Edward Johnson ’73 died March 24, 2024

worked each year for thirtyfive years to make the summer event happen. She also led a drive to find matches for bone marrow donors and was thrilled whenever she found another. This spirit of kindness resonated with others, and when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a group of friends (Amy’s Army) formed spontaneously to help her with chemo, medical visits, chores and companionship in a way that was heart-warming. She will be deeply missed by her loving family and friends, and her absence was felt by her classmates at the Class of 1974’s 50th ReUnion in May 2024. Amy is further remembered on p. 61.

Jim Koch and Debbie (Penn) Kilgus ’73 met at a double “chance” reunion at McKenzie’s Outpost at 5,500’ of elevation at Revelstoke Mountain Resort in British Columbia. It was a double reunion because Jim, Jim’s wife Kitty, and Debbie

went to graduate school at the Paul School of Business at UNH. We knew so many common friends and professors which made the accidental reunion so memorable.

Dan Valenti writes, “This is a photo from a creative writing class taught by Prof. Elizabeth Mansfield, at her place in the Stockade. It was fall semester 1973. This was the course that focused my creative abilities, after which I had my aim on becoming a full-time writer and author—a goal I achieved. This was one of the best courses in my entire academic career. Great people.” From left are Michael Milsom, Kit Singh ’76 (top row); Mark Mindel, Jennifer Smith, Richard Maid, Steve Gambrell, Virginia Lyle (middle row); Dan Valenti, Ev Osgood, Jennifer Kellet, Prof. Mansfield and her dog (bottom row). (Photo by John Rosen)

1975

Dr. Howard Eisenson writes, “My wife, Beth, and I have two adult children; one a neontologist and the other a professional actor. We are thrilled to have four grandchildren, two in Charlotte, N.C., and 2 in Silver Spring, Md. As a family physician, I have been fortunate to work in several settings—recently as chief medical officer for our local

community health center. I am currently working part-time providing home-based primary care to homebound adults.”

Classmates are remembering Eric Reimann for his generosity of spirit and optimism. He was a beloved figure at Union and beyond—a vivacious rascal, the life of every party and utterly charming. His positive, indomitable attitude in the face of adversity remains an inspiration to his classmates and all who knew and loved him. A childhood bout with polio in his native, pre-vaccine Switzerland did little to dim his energetic spirits or level of rambunctious activity. Who can forget Eric swinging from the trellis in front of West College; prat-falling down stairs or over railings; playing a mean game of hall hockey with his metal canes; and his Three Stooges-inspired sound effects? After graduating from Union, Eric received his MBA from Syracuse University. He became nationally known as a programmer-analyst specializing in the Datatel/Colleague administrative information system used by over 600 colleges, including Union. Over the decades, he wrote code extensions and modifications for more than 20 colleges. A resident of the Atlanta area, Eric had recently won a prize in the Georgia State Lottery. He had planned to use some of the winnings to treat his extended family to a reunion gathering before passing away suddenly. Eric’s legacy includes the countless friendships he so effortlessly made and the admiration we all held for him. A small measure of that esteem is the golf tournament that has been held in his honor for the past 26 years in Schenectady— The Eric Reimann CelebrityProAm Invitational Golf Tournament (The Reimann

Cup). Henceforth, it will be known as The Reimann Memorial Cup. We invite his friends and admirers to join us every year in his memory. Contact Bob Ruggeri ’74 at robert.ruggeri.esq@outlook.com for details. Eric is further remembered on p. 61.

Eric Reimann ’75 died May 13, 2023.

1976

CLASS CORRESPONDENT Paul Boyd pboyd@yahoo.com

Donald “Don” B. Leach Jr. ’76 represented Union College at the Kenyon College inauguration of its 20th president, Julie Kornfeld, April 13, 2024. Don, a lifelong resident of Columbus, Ohio, retired in 2019 from the law firm of Dinsmôre & Shohl, where he had been managing partner of the Columbus office. He and his wife, Jane, celebrated their 40th anniversary on April 14, 2024. Pictured are Don and Jane.

Amy Juskowitz Sponseller ’74 died July 29, 2023.

1978

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Jeff Laniewski, Florence, Ariz. jlaniewski4@gmail.com

1979

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

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

1981

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Sue Barnhart Ferris sferris59@gmail.com

Nicholas “Nick” Gray writes, “I retired in October 2018 after 30 years in the IT department of UPS and 37 years in the industry. I have really enjoyed retirement and keep busy by walking every day, helping around the house and volunteering in a community service organization in town. Our older son is a senior at Union (Class of 2024). We were fortunate to be able to attend the Admitted Student Open House in February 2020 and meet President Harris at the Founders Day dinner the evening before the Open House. I have been the chair of the Parents Circle for the past 2 years. Sadly, I lost my younger sister in May 2018 (57 yo) and my mother (91 yo) in November 2020 and my youngest nephew (31 yo) in December 2022. We are still in Bergen County, N.J., and our goal is to move south at some point but that will depend on how successful our younger son’s band becomes. Check out Funhouse Mirrors on all streaming platforms.”

1982

Rich Tanenbaum writes, “Robert Fox succumbed to his decades long battle with

multiple sclerosis on April 3 at the age of 63. Thankfully, several of us were able to visit with Bob to say our goodbyes the week before he passed in North Carolina. This past August, we celebrated Bob’s life with a visit to Union, where we spread his ashes in several of his favorite places: The Skeller, Smythe House, 700 South and Mike’s Dogs, among others. In attendance were classmates from 1982, including myself, Will Lloyd, Fred Leinfuss, Matt Coben, Joe Laurin and Dave Ruden. Bob will be sorely missed.”

Matthew Sandler MD writes, “I recently retired from the practice of cardiac electrophysiology after 29 years! I finally have time to...clean my desk. And doctor visits of my own! No big plans otherwise. Hello to all Alpha Delts who read this.”

1983

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Cory Lewkowicz Needham, Mass. corylewkowicz@gmail.com

1984

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Linda Gutin Durham, N.C. lindagutin@hotmail.com

Spyro Karakizis writes, “I have retired from Accenture after 22 years as a managing director in the Data & Applied Intelligence group. Now living in Dallas, I keep busy with volunteer work and traveling. Michael Klein writes, “I retired in the spring of 2024 after a 35-year career with Citigroup in New York. My wife, Martha, and I are now empty nesters with our eldest daughter, Emma, in Boston and getting married in October, and our youngest, Sarah, loving life deep in the woods of Vermont. We are living full-time on Martha’s Vineyard and enjoying everything the island has to offer. Retirement has been described by some as the ‘happy hour’ of life, and I am bellying up to the bar.

L’chaim!”

Jennifer (Dunbar) Beausoleil writes, “In November, I was re-elected to serve on my town’s Board of Education as chairman. 2024 marks my 16th year serving education and students in my town, and 12th year as chairman. It is an honor to serve, advocating for STEM, early literacy and SEL programs.”

Alison Malkin writes, “I retired in June 2023 after 33 years as a licensed independent clinical social worker in the Newton Public Schools in MA. I’ve joined a private practice, Windhorse Counseling, in W. Concord, MA. I am working 3 days weekly offering therapy and have become the clinical director. We are still living in Bedford, MA., while my husband, Rich Comeau, volunteers in Ukraine providing humanitarian aid.”

Ted Borer writes, “Still cycling and gardening. Two kids married and on their own. One who just has winter trimester

to wrap up and he’ll graduate from Union. #4 kid has 2 years at Vassar before my wife and I write the final big check. Then we aspire to take on some new adventures.” Ted was also recently featured in the New York Times article, “To Slash Carbon Emissions, Colleges Are Digging Really Deep.”

Sheila Crone Armstrong writes, “I currently work at Klone Lab in Newburyport, MA. We are a licensing company for New Balance and Callaway Golf Footwear.”

Michael Rogers is currently chief financial officer of Apnimed, Inc., a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing oral medicines to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and related disorders. He previously served as chief financial officer of Aerpio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Acorda Therapeutics, Inc., and Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. until the company’s sale to Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He also served as chief financial officer at BG Medicine, Inc., Advanced Health Corporation and Autoimmune Inc. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Akebia, Inc. Mr. Rogers served as chairman of the Board of Directors of Keryx Pharmaceuticals until its merger with Akebia, Inc. He previously served on the Board of Directors for EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, Aravive, Inc., and Coronado Biosciences, Inc. Prior to his roles as chief financial officer, Mr. Rogers was as a vice president in investment banking at Lehman Brothers and PaineWebber, where he focused on life sciences companies. Mr. Rogers received an M.B.A. from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

Spyro Karakizis ’84 at Jenny Lake, Grand Teton National Park, Wy.

William “Bill” Unterborn writes, “I have spent the last nine seasons singing with the Eastman Rochester Chorus, a community and student choir affiliated with the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music. We perform at the historic Eastman Theatre in Rochester, N.Y., with student ensembles and, on occasion, with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Some of the highlights of my time with the ERC were singing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Mozart’s and Brahms’ Requiems with the RPO, and backing up Bobby McFerrin in an improvisational choir. I recently joined my son as a guest singer with his choir, the Oratorio Society of Virginia, for a concert in Charlottesville, Virginia. Many of my fondest memories of Union were made singing with Hugh Allen Wilson and the Men’s Glee Club. I am grateful that I am able to continue performing at such a high level.”

Alissa Quinn writes, “I am proud to share that my newest business team member is my daughter, Rachel Quinn, financial advisor, The Quinn Management Group at UBS Financial Services. I continue to be a ballroom dance enthusiast, living in the Albany Capital Region, carrying on the legacy started by my parents, Frank and Angela Calabria, who danced together for over 50+ years, while my dad was a professor of psychology at Union!”

Cindy Scalzo writes, “Now that my husband and I are retired we have made it our mission to do as many trips as possible while still healthy and strong enough to put our carryon luggage into the overhead bins. Recent trips have included Australia and New Zealand for FIFA matches, Churchill, Canada, to see polar bears and visiting the Galapagos.”

Naomi (Blank) Weinberg writes, “This year will mark my 20th year as an attorney with Osen LLC (a New Jersey law firm), doing very rewarding work as we represent American citizens who’ve been killed or injured by terrorists. Last November, I celebrated my 37th wedding anniversary with my husband Bruce Weinberg. We have two wonderful sons: Eric (age 33) and Jason (age 29), who married the terrific Kaitlin McDermott in October 2022.”

Roberta (Bobby) Cohen writes, “I have taken a new position with a former employer. The Business Outreach Center Network is a non-profit organization that provides extensive free training in areas such as finance and organizational management, and services such as technical training and legal advice to entrepreneurs in underserved communities in the five boroughs of New York City and beyond. I worked as the director of the Child Care Business Development Project at its inception, and now I’ve returned as the grant manager to offer grants to residential childcare businesses in areas that were hard hit by the pandemic to reestablish the businesses and expand. I’m excited to revisit this chapter from my past because I will have the opportunity to work with the owners of the hundreds of home-based businesses BOC helped to start and grow over the years.”

Amy Dresner Kaplow writes, “I am currently working for FirstService Residential as a professional community association manager (PCAM) in Rockville, Md., managing 3 homeowner associations of 600 homes, a master association and the clubhouse for the

Tim Hesler ’85, and his wife, Wendy, and daughter, Ann, celebrate the Central Park, NYC, wedding of his daughter, Kate, with Dr. Trevor Gill, from Vancouver, BC.

community. I have worked for FirstService for 6 years, managing high rise condominiums and HOAs. Still living in Potomac, Md., where I have been for 24 years.”

Sheila Spitz writes, “Adam and I are a Union union looking to celebrate our 37th wedding anniversary in September and our union of 42 years! Adam is lead physician at Novant Health Endocrinology in Charlotte, N.C. He is an avid cyclist— road, mountain and gravel. Adam is the author of EMR, a fictional medical thriller. I remain active as an art and design consultant and a corporate attorney, and I also teach pro bono Holocaust and tolerance (thank you Prof. Berk). When we’re not traveling, which we love to do, we share time between Charlotte and Brooklyn Heights. We have two daughters, Peri who works for Synechron and lives in St. Pete Beach, Fla., and Hayley, who is in the film industry in NYC. We love connecting with Union friends and family.”

Chris Kiwus writes, “I started a new job/location/etc. on 1/1/24. After almost 10 years at Virginia Tech, I’m now the VP of facilities, real estate and planning at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C.”

1985

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Timothy Hesler timothy.t.hesler@gmail.com

1986

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Allan Markus bigalmed1@gmail.com

Chris Hutchins writes, “I visited Roger Likewise ’87 and his wife, Kim, at their home in Colorado Springs, CO, this past October. We hiked around Colorado Springs, camped and hiked around Breckenridge, and camped and mountain biked around Moab, Utah. We hadn’t seen each other in 35 years. Interestingly enough, Roger succeeded me as chapter president of Phi Gamma Delta, and we both went on to earn PhDs in our respective fields. Not for college days alone.”

Chris Hutchins ’86 and Roger Likewise ’87

Craig Blum writes, “Retired Dec. 31, 2022, from Nordson Corporation as National Sales Manager. Was with the company for 32 years through a couple of acquisitions. Keeping very busy between playing on 5 hockey teams (ice & roller), pickleball, golf, softball and bike riding; traveling with my wife and friends; and spending lots of time with our new rescue pup from South Korea, Jax. Turned turn 60 on May 7th and celebrated my 34th wedding anniversary to my lovely wife, Kerrie Schneider Blum, on May 5th. We headed to Vienna, Austria in mid-April to celebrate. My oldest son, Tyler, just turned 32 on Feb. 15th and got engaged a month later. He is a wine & liquor salesman on the Jersey Shore. He also plays on one of my ice hockey teams. My youngest son, Jared, turned 29 at the end of July. He is currently getting his masters in mental health after working for Enterprise for almost 6 years. Got together with a large group of mid-80s alumni at the 10-year anniversary celebration of Union’s DI National Championship this summer (July 2024). Had a nice dinner and Rangers game at MSG in Dec. 2023 with a few Union hockey and Chi Psi brothers: Darrell Gustafson, Rich Preziotti & Jay Grossman.”

Hooey Stewart Wilks writes, “I can’t believe we celebrated our 40th reunion! After a decade in finance and then time at home with my kids, I’m enjoying a new career while empty nesting! Building on my photography classes taken at Union with Marty Benjamin, I run a niche fine art business focused on ski art. It’s been great combining something I love with my entrepreneurial and creative skills as a last chapter career. I sell my art at hooeymountain.com (which was also developed using skills learned at Union!) and through galleries in ski towns including Aspen, Vail, Telluride, Stowe and others. I travel to many ski resorts throughout the year and love running into other Unionites! I’ve also crossed paths with Dave Kaplan ’85 also exhibiting at a few local Connecticut photography shows. This past summer I had a great beach weekend with Mary Soley Bria ’86, Astrid Morsch Quish ’86, Rob Quish ’83, Colleen Quinn Brust ’87, Wendy Allen Carlson ’87, Ted Carlson ’87 and Puke Smeadly ’86.”

Chris Kaler writes, “I’ve published several books

Longtime friends celebrate their 40th year of a cherished poker game tradition in 2022. Participants included Daniel (Big Dan) Friedman ’87, Hyram (Ram) Stephens (attended 1982), Frank Clark (groupie), Dan (Whiggins) Higgins ’86, David (Beals) Beal ’86, Brian McKinsey ’87 (barely), William (Bill) Brikelmaier ’87 and Robert Goldfarb (attended 1982-83).

recently. The summaries can be found on https://topherkaler.com”

1987

CLASS CORRESPONDENT Drena Root drena.kr@gmail.com

Robert Stern writes, “I was elected president of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Subrogation Professionals. My term commenced on January 1, 2024 (it is a 2-year term). I previously served as vice president for 2 years, and treasurer for 4 years.”

Gretchen Becker, Nora Tuthill Glueck and Georgia Sullivan are training to compete in the Title 9 Mini-Triathlon Relay in Hopkinton, MA in September (This is a repeat performance of their 2014 debut, when they placed 4th out of 28 after a minor chip malfunction). 4th roommate Amy Walsh is crucial to the team’s success, providing spirited signs for encouragement and cookies. Go Union Chargers/ Chargettes!”

Daniel B. Friedman writes, “In 1982 on the 2nd floor of Davidson dorm, about 25 guys were all cramped into a half floor because of the sorority on the other side of the door. A few of us liked to play poker so a game started. We played so often and for so long we were kicked out of every room and every decent establishment in the College and began to just play on the floor in the hallway. That game continued all through college (5 years for some of us) and to this day. That poker group from 1982 has played at least once a year and sometimes more for over 40 years now. We have a couple of lawyers, a doctor, an engineer, some very successful businessmen and at least 2 of us are retired now. When we get together, the same college jokes get said, the same insults fly and it is just really nice that we have kept in touch for all of these years now. As you can see the July 2022 picture was when we celebrated our 40th year. Bob’s daughters made the nice poster for us. She is very artistic.”

One of several books published recently by Chris Kaler ’86

Craig Blum ’86, Darrell Gustafson ’90, Rich Preziotti ’86 and Jay Grossman ’87

1990

Curtis Butler participated in the Union College Career Center’s Insights with Alumni program in January. He discussed how individuals can tell their stories and leverage their experiences after Union. Curtis majored in economics and modern languages at Union and holds a master’s degree in international relations from Johns Hopkins. He has had a long career in finance that has included stints at prestigious firms, including JP Morgan. Curtis has a passion for helping Union students tell their stories and find success on their professional journeys.

David Markenson writes, “I have recently been appointed as senior associate dean for research at New York Medical College School of Health Sciences and Practice.”

Daniel Elkeslassy hosted Alan DerKazarian and Will Cook in Montreal for a Bruins vs. Habs hockey game at the Bell Centre, and they also watched the 2014 Union victory over B.C. in the NCAA National Semi-Final of the Frozen Four because they couldn’t find the National Championship game on YouTube. The three of them had last been together 27 years ago at Daniel’s wedding in Casablanca, Morocco, where Daniel still lives. Alan and Will each live outside of Boston.

1991

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Jen Brandwein jenbrandwein2@gmail.com

Kimberly Keller Vlasseman writes, “After 24 years of teaching in The Netherlands and 25 years of marriage, my husband and I decided to move to Malaysia! We are teaching at Mont’Kiara International School in Kuala Lumpur. I am teaching MYP mathematics to grades 7, 8, 9, and Patrick is teaching MYP PE. We are enjoying SE Asia, and have already had 2 wonderful holidays in Thailand. Our sons are graduating university in The Netherlands soon and spreading their wings. Lots of changes in the Keller/ Vlasseman household!”

1992

CLASS CORRESPONDENT Laurel Mullen jay.mullen@comcast.net

1993

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

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

1994

CLASS CORRESPONDENT Randall Beach Schenectady, N.Y. rsbeach72@gmail.com

1995

Daniel Aguirre writes, “Recently, I accepted a role as the Sr. VP of Global HR for Igneo Technologies, a renewable energy and recycling company in NYC. This is a super exciting role in what I consider a cutting-edge industry. Currently, residing in Rockland County, N.Y., with my wife, Gina, of 22 years, my two sons, Justin and Mark, my daughter, Giana, and my dog, Hudson.”

Tamara (Du) Biega and Elissa (Hecker) Strauss were thrilled to reunite in Hawaii, where

Tam lives. “It took her long enough to get out to visit!” said Tam. “It was amazing to visit Tam and her family, where they live in paradise,” said Elissa. These two met their freshman year as neighbors on the 3rd floor in West (where Elissa also met her husband, David ’94). They have enjoyed watching each other, their families and professional lives grow ever since.

1996

CLASS CORRESPONDENT Marla Striar marlastriar@gmail.com

Dr. Marie Cavuoto Petrizzo is associate dean for medical education at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine (ZSOM) on Long Island, N.Y. She joined the Zucker School of Medicine as a small group facilitator in 2017 and subsequently became co-director of the school’s patient, physician and society curricular component. In 2020, Marie became the assistant dean for medical education. In her new capacity as associate dean, she will build off her role as chair of the Curriculum Renewal Technology Team and lead the implementation of the medical school’s renewed First 100 Weeks (FOW) curriculum and assessment programs, further integrate the FOW and Second

Daniel Elkeslassy ’90, Alan DerKazarian ’90 and Will Cook ’90

The Keller/Vlasseman family on Phi Phi Island, Thailand (December 2023)

Tamara (Du) Biega ’95 and Elissa (Hecker) Strauss ’95

Meeting a medical need

Have you had genetic testing? Has someone you love? These days, the answer is probably yes. Maybe it was for cancer, maybe for an unknown condition, maybe during pregnancy.

But what happened after those tests? Did you talk with someone? Did a genetic counselor help you understand what the results meant and how they could be used to improve your healthcare now and in the future?

If the answer is no, you’re not alone. Since genetic testing really began to explode a decade ago, this has been a perpetual problem.

“There haven’t been enough genetic counselors to serve all the people who

need testing,” explained Ellen Matloff ’91, founder and former director of the Cancer Genetic Counseling Program at Yale School of Medicine. “Even for patients lucky enough to meet a certified genetic counselor, they most often never see them again—meaning there is no way to pass down frequent and important advances in the field to those patients and their clinicians.

“As a result, patients across the country have had their test results misinterpreted, leading to poor clinical outcomes.”

Matloff, though, is on a mission to change this through her company, My Gene Counsel. And she’s got help from an old friend and fellow Union grad, Jay Freeland ’91.

How did your Union experience influence the path you’ve taken?

“When I took genetics with Professor Karen Williams as part of my biology major, I knew it was my passion. But I wasn’t sure what to do in genetics until I did a Union-organized internship at Albany Medical Center in their genetics department, rotating with their medical geneticist and genetic counselors. The combination of science, psychology, working with the latest genetic testing technologies and helping people was magical. I was hooked on genetic counseling.”

—Ellen Matloff, president & CEO of My Gene Counsel

MY GENE COUNSEL

Matloff has always been an outspoken patient advocate, especially when it comes to genetics. She was even a plaintiff in a 2013 Supreme Court case that led to drastically lower prices for genetic testing and made it possible for many more patients to afford this technology.

She left Yale in 2014 after 18 years there and launched My Gene Counsel (mGC), a digital health company specializing in scaled genetic counseling and testing.

“We’ve created digital tools that use technology to help our partners—like health centers, pharma, research foundations and EMRs—multiply their genetic counselors and keep patients and clinicians up to date with notifications as the field changes,” explained Matloff, who holds a master’s in genetic counseling from Northwestern.

Consider the Living Lab Report. This digital platform creates a long-lasting connection between clinicians and their

ELLEN MATLOFF ’91

patients by providing constantly updated information. Whenever new details are discovered related to a disease or condition, or precision medicines are developed or guidelines evolve, this information is shared with the clinician and patient.

As a result, these ever-evolving lab reports help fill the void when there are too few genetic counselors, Matloff said. This tool enables clinicians to better understand test results; properly contextualize them for their patients based on the most current scientific knowledge; and provide timely advice about how to use results for healthcare decisions.

It’s this sort of innovative approach to helping people that drew Freeland to My Gene Counsel.

The former president, CEO and director of FARO Technologies, Freeland is a senior advisor to mGC, utilizing his connections and experience with partnerships, scaling and investor relations to help guide strategic initiatives.

“When I retired, my wife and I decided that one of the things I would spend my time on is investing in companies that we both felt were meaningfully improving the lives of others,” he said. “My Gene Counsel is doing this.”

“I want to see mGC’s tools being utilized across the medical system to ensure everyone has timely and accurate access to the latest recommendations for testing or treatment in the continually evolving genetics space,” Freeland continued. “Timeliness and accuracy of information for decision-making is irreplaceable.”

And he knows this first-hand. Which makes his wish to see mGC thrive a personal one.

“As a six-year cancer survivor and the father of a child with Down syndrome, the world of genetics has been front and center in my life for the last 11 years,” Freeland said. “These experiences have made it easy for me to connect with My Gene Counsel’s mission.”

Learn more about My Gene Counsel at mygenecounsel.com

How did your Union experience influence the path you’ve taken?

“I am the poster child for what a T-shaped Union education represents. The vertical part of my T was an amazing economics curriculum, spanning from Therese McCarty (who was my first college professor while I was in her first-ever college class) to Bruce Reynolds, who was my very patient thesis advisor. The horizontal components of my T are the experiences that I gained from my extra-curricular activities and non-major classes—like psychology, art history and The Chemistry of Things. These taught me how to use a different part of my brain and how to operate way outside my comfort zone.”

—Jay Freeland, senior advisor to My Gene Counsel

100 Weeks (SOW) and ensure LCME compliance and continuous quality improvement of the educational program. Marie graduated from Albany Medical College, holds an M.S.Ed degree, is a practicing allergist and clinical immunologist, and is the director of the Allergy and Immunology Fellowship Training Program at Northwell Health. She is a member of many professional organizations, including the Academy of Medical Educators. Marie was awarded a Dean’s Fund for Innovation in Medical Education as the primary investigator for her project, “Introduction of Video Otoscopy to Enhance Medical Students’ Technical and Diagnostic Skills,” which also received a national Stephen Abrahamson Innovations in Medical Education Award. She co-authored the American Academy of Pediatrics Influenza Prevention and Control course annually from 2011-2018, is a medical contributor for several health-based websites, has published in peer-reviewed journals in the field of allergy and immunology and medical education, and has presented her research nationally.

Tanweer “Tan” Ansari writes, “I am pleased to announce that effective December 1, 2023, I was promoted to executive vice president, general counsel & chief risk officer of the First National Bank of Long Island.”

1997

CLASS CORRESPONDENT Sara Amann Garrand Ballston Lake, N.Y. sgarrand1@nycap.rr.com

Holly Saupp has been appointed by New York State (NYS) Governor Kathy Hochul to the role of associate

JAY FREELAND ’91

director in the NYS Office of the Chief Disability Officer (CDO). Holly writes, “I am honored to work with my colleagues and with NY’s first-ever CDO, Kim Hill-Ridley, to advocate on behalf of people with disabilities and represent the issues we face. Our office focuses on breaking down silos between state agencies that provide services and supports to people with disabilities, as well as on improving diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility for all New Yorkers with disabilities.”

1998

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Ryan T. Smith Jupiter, Fla. ryan.smith@thebenjaminschool.org

1999

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Monica Lussier monica_lussier@yahoo.com

2000

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Kimberly Kilby kimberlyakilby@gmail.com

Kim Kilby writes, “I am currently completing an MA program in Musical Theater Writing and Design at BerkleeNYC, while also practicing part-time virtual primary care. Huge thanks to classmate and composer Pakk Hui for all the advice about music school. It has been a crazy and thrilling pivot, I’m learning from the best, and feeling very abundant! I’m so grateful to Prof Tim Olsen and the late Prof Hilary Tann for their encouragement and wisdom. Union is such a special place all around, but my heart will always be with the Union College Music Department.”

Kenny Scott writes, “After living in Tokyo, Japan, for 14 years (with a 1-year stint in India in between), I settled in Hollywood, California, in late 2014. I’ve been working extremely long hours as a senior project manager for Kaiser Permanente within their supply chain services—pay operations organization for over 6 years. Although not a working actor here in Hollywood (for the time being), I still maintain my membership in the SAG-AFTRA actors union since 2008. Plus, I have voting rights every year for the Screen Actors Guild Awards! I’m still living the bachelor life and enjoy taking summer vacations, traveling solo to Iceland, Cape May (NJ), Alaska, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Yukon Territory and Burma in previous years. Whenever I have free time, I enjoy going back to my hometown (Buffalo, N.Y.), watching true

crime and history documentaries, NHL, NBA, women’s soccer, and supporting my Buffalo Bills!”

Alvertos Diamantopoulos writes, “I live in Athens and I am working for the Greek Caterpillar dealer. As electric power & material handling equipment sales manager, I am responsible for Caterpillar generator set (diesel and gas) and recently, since 2018 through 2020, I am also in

raised their hand when the improv team asked for a story from the audience and then they based the entire show on Nix’s story. We then snuck into the afterparty and met Ben. We also ran into Will Arnett, JJ Abrams and Oscar Isaac outside the venue, who had attended to watch their good friend Ben do a night of long form improv.”

charge of Caterpillar lift trucks, along with a couple other products/brands (ie. JLG platforms, Palfinger products).”

2001

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Erin Grogan erinlgrogan@gmail.com

2002

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Elise DiBenedetto elise.dibenedetto@gmail.com

Jeremy Losaw and Matt Rozin-Prior ’21 met in Namibia in July 2023 to collaborate to deliver innovation training programs in Windhoek and Swakopmund. Jeremy and his colleagues at Wily Design in Charlotte, N.C., won the grant that was awarded by the U.S. Embassy in Namibia to teach design sprint and rapid prototyping techniques to Namibian entrepreneurs, students and innovators. Matt, winner of 2021 Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, was invited by the team to use the opportunity as the starting point for his COVID-delayed year abroad to work on his Watson project, “Designing Ourselves: Investigating The Design-Culture Feedback Loop.” Matt worked with the Wily team to deliver the

Jeremy Losaw ’02 and Matt Rozin-Prior ’21 in Namibia

Matt Aronowitz ’00 writes, “Me and my kid Nix (freshman at Drexel) went to see Ben Schwartz ’03 and Friends at the Beacon Theatre in NYC. Nix

Kenny Scott ’00

training programs and was able to learn about the African innovation scene to support his project. It was a unique opportunity for two mechanical engineering alumni from different generations to collaborate together. Jeremy, whose 2002 application for the Watson Fellowship was rejected, was proud to be a small part of Matt’s Watson journey.

2003

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Katrina Tentor Lallier Shrewsbury, Mass. katrinalallier@gmail.com

2004

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Jon Berman jonathancberman@gmail.com

2005

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Annette C. Stock annettecstock@gmail.com

Heather Nappi writes, “My husband, Chris Nappi, was inducted to the Capital Region Hall of Fame in August 2023.”

of Heather

and Chris

poster at the Capital Region Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

2006

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Sarah T. Heitner New York, N.Y. sarah.t.heitner@gmail.com

Thomas R Hickernell writes, “I’m now an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Yale University, seeing patients in Stamford, Conn., and operating at Greenwich Hospital. I was formerly an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Columbia. This past summer I hosted Kyra Lum ’24 at Yale University as an undergraduate research

Lum ’24 and Dr. Thomas R Hickernell ’06

fellow. She was introduced to me by my former chemistry professor and friend Professor Joanne Kehlbeck.”

2007

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Jackie Siedlecki Murphy jaclynrenemurphy@gmail.com

Marcus, age 2, is the son of Jonathan Kurman ’07 and his wife, Marissa Archambeau. He is shown here with his canine brother, Bruce, on June 12, 2023.

Thomas R Hickernell ’06, Shaun Parkin ’04, Ariel Azani ’04 (and spouse Jess), Shannon Lacorte ’04 (and spouse Jess) and Sarah Steuer ’05 (and spouse Matt) saw Ben Schwartz ’03 perform to a sellout crowd at Radio City Music Hall in NYC in 2023. They were all in Idol Minds, the short form improv group where Ben got his comedy start back at Union College.

2008

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Dana Cohen Bernstein New York, N.Y. dana.lynn.bernstein@gmail.com

2009

CLASS CORRESPONDENTS

Gabe Kramer Los Angeles, Calif. kramerg3@gmail.com

Carl S. Winkler New York, N.Y. carl.s.winkler@gmail.com

Sean Dale writes, “Seventh-day Adventism, born from the Great Disappointment of 1844, thrives with over 20 million global members. Led by Ellen G. White, Joseph Bates and James White, the faith emphasizes Sabbath observance and Christ’s imminent return, contributing to society with educational and healthcare institutions. Hope Studios, the cinematic arm of Hope Channel International, embraces this legacy with The Hopeful, a film released nationwide in April 2024. Join us on a cinematic journey exploring timeless truths and values that shape the church’s identity. Hope Studios’ mission extends beyond entertainment; using storytelling to inspire global positive change with narratives rooted in faith and universal values.” Sean is a distribution specialist for Hope Studios. Learn more at www.thehopefulmovie.com.

2010

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Deanna Cox deannac88@gmail.com

2012

CLASS CORRESPONDENTS

Anna Meiring annameiring@gmail.com

Benjamin Engle benjamin.engle@gmail.com

Children

Nappi ’05

Nappi ’05 pose with their father’s

Kyra

Sarayfah Bolling ’11 is a people person. Helping others thrive and believing in them—that’s her jam. She’s turned this passion into a career. One that enables her to help people every day through two roles—one at Callisto, the other at YouthBuild USA.

YouthBuild USA supports a network of YouthBuild programs partnering with opportunity youth (ages 16 to 24)—who are disconnected from school and work— as they pursue education and prepare for future careers.

“Being a child who grew up in a low-income home and community, I had first-hand experience seeing many of my peers fall through the cracks academically, by dropping out of school, through teen pregnancy, poverty or engaging in illegal activities,” said Bolling, who recently joined YouthBuild USA’s board of directors. “I saw

Empowering others: A passion and a profession ’11

perpetration, with a targeted focus on serving higher education institutions.

As director of programs and strategic engagement at Callisto, Bolling works closely with colleges to support sexual assault awareness programming and campus-wide integration of Callisto Vault.

Callisto Vault is an encrypted platform that offers a safe way for survivors to connect with others harmed by the same perpetrator. The program provides confidential legal options counseling services and offers a mechanism for survivors of serial perpetrators to connect, establishing a pattern of predatory behavior.

“Finding a match in our system and learning that someone else has been harmed by the same perpetrator provides validation for many survivors that they’ve experienced a violation. Validation can kickstart the healing process,” Bolling said. “Additionally, when survivors are connected to each other, it can establish a pattern of evidence that has the potential to increase justice and accountability outcomes for perpetrators—ultimately reducing sexual assault on college campuses.”

that people in my community who experienced these challenges had very different life outcomes—homelessness, poverty, incarceration, even death.”

“Instead of being a bystander to the challenges my community was and is facing, I decided to use my voice, funds and privilege to empower young people,” she continued. “By connecting them with critical resources and programs, like YouthBuild, we can positively change their life outcomes through workforce development training and honing their hard and soft skills to make them more engaged, well-rounded people.”

At Callisto, Bolling is also helping people struggling with challenging situations.

Callisto is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to use technology to empower survivors of sexual violence. It’s dedicated to addressing the issue of serial

“The work we do at Callisto is a gamechanger for survivors,” she continued, adding that services are provided for free to anyone with an active .edu email address in the United States and its territories.

“Both Callisto and YouthBuild USA allow me to make an impact in the lives of young people. The transition from teen to adult is a critical time and often a defining one as we find ourselves and make decisions that determine our life trajectory,” Bolling said. “When we feel we have limited pathways, don’t believe in ourselves or encounter tremendous adversity, the decisions we make may lead us down a path that will have significant negative impacts.

“It is our responsibility to support young people and help them take advantage of all life’s possibilities. When we can change their self-perception and help them envision a different future, they can realize their full potential, despite the adversity they have faced.”

SARAYFAH BOLLING ’11

2013

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

How did your time at Union influence your path?

“One of the most powerful experiences was participating in the first Civil Rights mini-term with Professor Melinda Lawson. Even though I am from Georgia, having the opportunity to walk where my ancestors worked the land, and hearing first-hand accounts from historical figures who helped integrate classrooms and buses and fought for my right to be treated equally, was transformative. That trip was a stepping stone to my commitment to working with young adults to empower them to immerse themselves in their communities through service. To encourage them to use their knowledge, talents and skills to enable the next generation to stand upon their shoulders to make our future world more equitable and accessible to all.”

—Sarayfah Bolling ’11, director of programs and strategic engagement at Callisto; YouthBuild USA board member

Bolling is grateful to have a career that aligns with her personal and professional passions.

“I want to make sure that the world future generations inherit is one that will allow them to flourish and be their best, and full selves, in whatever form or shape that takes for them,” Bolling said. “There is so much ill in the world, and this is my small way of using my power to lift up others.”

To learn more about Callisto or YouthBuild USA, visit projectcallisto.org or youthbuild.org

Cristina Vazzana Boston, Mass. vazzanaca@gmail.com

2016

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

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

2017

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Jake Ulrich jake.ulrich@duke.edu

Michael J. Doherty II stars in his indie feature film debut, “Goodnight, Light,” available on Amazon Prime Video and Tubi. Michael stars as Owen, a carefree recent college grad celebrating summer with his friends

at a lakeside cabin. What starts as a low-key vacation turns into a weekend no one could have imagined. Michael is working towards his dream of becoming a full-time actor, so your support is greatly appreciated!

Ben Megathlin and Audrey Hunt write, “We are happy to announce that we got married on May 11, 2024.”

Arthur Schutzberg writes, “I recently graduated with my MBA from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business. I’m currently working for my family’s pool part manufacturing business in Los Angeles, growing our presence in the US and was announced as one of the pool industry’s 30 Under 40, named by PoolPro Magazine.”

2018

Last fall, three alumnae participated in a panel, “How I Used My Economics Degree,” presented by the Women in Economics Club. Kajal Choudhari is a finance and strategy manager at Estee Lauder; Julianne Loree is an MBA candidate at Dartmouth; and Alison Sommers ’22 is an investment analyst at Liberty Mutual Insurance.

2019

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Delila Haden dhaden1919@gmail.com

2020

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Kayla Fisher kaylafisherny3@gmail.com

Omarra Hannibal-Williams ohannibalwilliams@gmail.com

Abby Valachovic writes, “I have published one article so far from graduate school: https:// link.springer.com/article/ 10.1007/s00360-023-01508-2”

Meg Barros writes, “I’m in my second year of medical school and I’m getting married March 16!”

2022

In February, Destiny Hallenbeck held a virtual lunch session with Union College students. A history major, she talked about her time at Union and her role as director of outreach for Congressman Ryan Pat (NY-18). She was elected to Chatham Town Council as a student.

2023

Anuja Keerthi Konda and Alice Cheng co-authored a research paper titled, “MixedMethods Study of End-of-Life Experiences of Patients with Hematologic Malignancies in Social Hospice Residential Home Care Settings.” The paper was published in JCO Oncology Practice on Feb. 2, 2024, and it is also co-authored by Dr. Carol S. Weisse, Dr. Ajay Major ’12 and Dr. Kelly Melekis. Anuja and Alice began working on this research project during their time at Union as student research assistants to Dr. Weisse in the Department of Psychology. Anuja and Alice were students in the Leadership in Medicine (BS/MBA/MD) program at Union College. As part of this program, they also earned their MBAs in healthcare management from Clarkson University in 2023. They are in their first year of medical school at Albany Medical College.

'74)

with big brother Landon (Bobola ’09)

1974

Estelle Cooke-Sampson welcomed a granddaughter, Celeste Manning, in February 2024. She is the niece of Simone Sampson ’10 and great-niece of Lawrence Cooke ’77 and the late Gerald Cooke ’73.

2009

Julie (Vairo) Bobola and her husband, Adam, welcomed their second baby boy, Deacon, in September. He joins 6-year-old big brother, Landon.

2010

Lisa and Brian Matthews write, “Our second son, Oliver Taylor Matthews, was born on April 22, 2023. He joins big brother Daniel (3yo).”

2012

Aviva Rutkin and Alison Bruzek welcomed their first child, Celia June (CJ), in April.

Celeste Manning (Cooke-Sampson

Deacon

Oliver Taylor Matthews (Matthews ’10)

Celia June (Rutkin ’12)

You can help Union flourish across multiple tomorrows by including your alma mater in your will or estate plan. Just like the deep roots that ground this 175 year-old ginkgo tree that graces Jackson’s Garden, our endowment provides fundamental support for the College.

Founded in 1978 and named in honor of JosephJacques Ramée, the architect whose designs made Union the first planned American campus, the Ramée Circle Society recognizes alumni and friends who nurture Union by including the College in their will or estate plan. To date, more than 1,150 individuals have joined the Ramée Circle Society.

Through a planned gift, you will:

■ Extend Union’s excellence in undergraduate education into the future

■ Discover a giving option that works for you without impacting your budget now

■ Ensure your legacy while you help secure Union’s long-term stability and prestige

Thank you to our Ramée Circle Society members!

View our members list to make sure your name is included or request to be added at rameecircle.org.

UNIONS U

2009

Brittany (Miller) Baskin ’09 and Aaron Baskin married in Mystic, Conn., June 4, 2023. Alumni in attendance included Will Green, Meagan Keenan, Robbie Presutti ’10, Meggie Moriarty, Abby Cable ’10 and Mike McAndrew.

2013

Lizzy Rosato ’12 and Chris Moore were married July 1, 2023, at Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y. Alumni in attendance included Ryan and Jamie Dowling, Brenny Kinnane and Brianne Fennessy, Ted and Kealin Civetti, Kyle and Megan Christine, Ross and

Brittany Marden, Rob and Sally Young, Ben and Alex Weiner, Andy and Meagan Thistle, Hilary Bergman, Hilary Salander, Andie Coopersmith, Ali Berg, Jamie Therrien, Lizzie Santoro, Heather Dewey, Oliver Declue, Sean Read, Peter Griesinger, Jordan Douglass, Philip Mendes, Ben Price, Tucker Diestel, Eric Spector and Rogan Quinn.

2014

November 10, 2023, Nicholas D’Angelo married Kathryn Waggoner in Dripping Springs, Texas, in a ceremony officiated by Chief Judge Janet DiFiore (Ret.)

Alumni attend the wedding of Brittany (Miller) Baskin ’09 and Aaron Baskin.

Alumni attend the wedding of Lizzy Rosato ’12 and Chris Moore ’13.

Dan Friedman ’15 and Madeline Frieze ’15

Michelle (Goldberg) Fellows married Matthew Fellows at The St. Regis in Washington, D.C., Nov. 11, 2023. In attendance were Kenneth Adler ’83, Alan Goldberg ’83, Lily Gurman, Elizabeth Nailling, Malcolm Sherrod ’17, Megan Phippen, Gabriella Romero, Lauren (Tower) Morse and Alexandra Stone ’12.

2015

Dan Friedman and Madeline Frieze were married Sept. 9, 2023, at Lyman Estate in Waltham, Mass. Alumni in attendance included Stacey Sylvetskey, Julia Meier, Malcolm Kelly, Brian Baker, Jill (Ackermann) Farr, Kaitlyn Suarez, Mary Beth Gadarowski, Victoria Carr, Kaila Amirault, Samantha (Kropp) Tremlett, Samuel Tremlett ’2012, Sriya Bhumi, Dillon Brown, Bernadette Sapienza Brown, Evan

Leibovitz, Kyle Tevlin, Arber Xhema, Pat May and Matt McGavick.

2016

Zak Tobin and Katherine Christopher celebrated their wedding on top of Stratton Mountain in Vermont Sept. 9, 2023. Union friends in attendance, including a number of Delta Kappa Epsilon brothers, were Aude Bechu, Matt Wolford, Ben Schroeder, Harrison Griffin, Stephanie DiGiorgio, Andrew Fellows, Nuzhat Chowdhury, Rebecca Krasa, Brandon Jones, Julie Fishman, Peter Durkin, Katelyn Billings, Caitlin McManimon, Mitchell Finitz, Will Balta, Kenny Marshall, Maggie Box, Schuyler Stockman, Sam Goggin, Will Smiegal, Krishna Pokuri and Duncan Smith.

Nicholas D’Angelo ’14 married Kathryn Waggoner.

Alumni attend the wedding of Michelle (Goldberg) Fellows ’14 and Matthew Fellows.

Alumni attend the wedding of Zak Tobin ’16 and Katherine Christopher ’16.

Alumni attend the wedding of Ariella Honig-Stern ’17 and Benjamin Stern.

Alexander Eddinger and Alexis (Wojtowicz) Eddinger ’17 were married Sept. 9, 2023, in Keuka Park, N.Y.

2017

Ariella Honig-Stern married Benjamin Stern Nov. 11, 2023. Alumni in attendance included Kenneth Robert White Jr. ’16, Allison Smith, Davita Honig ’27, Peter Durkin, Lauren Daugherty, Audrey Hunt ’17 and Benjamin Megathlin ’17.

2018

Sydney Keane and Toby Casper were married Sept. 30, 2023, at the Nantucket Yacht Club in Nantucket, Mass. Alumni in attendance included Noah Altamirano, Peter Anastos, Evan April, Jenni Barra, Dave Baumann, Sam Bebout, Nick Cascione, Lindsey Collins, Nick

+ ’19

Talitha Kumaresan ’19 and Matt Lewis ’18 were married in White Plains, N.Y., in front of family and friends. They were grateful to celebrate with Union classmates.

Alumni attend the wedding of Sydney Keane ’18 and Toby Casper ’18.

Croce ’17, Emily Dahlstrom, Johnny Driscoll, Adrianna Dubay ’19, Christian Fay, Josh Freilich, Cole Gendels, Michael Gray, Miles Hunter, Julia Kipp, Alex Kozikowski, Danny Kycia ’17, Aly Leahy, Nolan Lescalleet ’17, Connor Light, Lance Lonergan ’17, Hannah Madden,

Jenny McQuaide, Katie Monahan, Jason Nelson, Taylor Rado, Owen Reda, Jill Slezek, Caroline Staccone ’15, Michelle Staples ’17, Allie Supranowicz, Kate Van Patten and Alissa Vitiello.

1940s

Lawrence Ritter ’44, of Suffern, N.Y., who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps 9th Air Force and held a master’s degree from the University of Chicago, July 4, 2023. A chemist with Lederle Laboratories (now Pfizer), he had a number of patents when he retired after nearly 50 years. He was 100.

Dr. Clifford M. Tepper ’44, of Schenectady, N.Y., and Chevy Chase, Md., who graduated from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Sept. 4, 2023. He served in the U.S. Air Force and later opened a pediatric practice in Schenectady. Also a clinical professor of pediatrics, allergy and immunology at Albany Medical College, he was active in his community and at Union College. He was 100.

Rev. Clyde W. Petrie ’48, of Aurora, Colo., who served in the U.S. Navy and graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Jan. 11, 2022. He served as pastor in five churches of the American Baptist Churches USA denomination and on various local and state ministries. He was 94.

Guy C. Mattson ’49, of Palm Harbor, Fla., who served in the U.S. Navy and held a Ph.D. from the University of Florida, July 26, 2023. While working at Dow Chemical Company, he patented a germicide and worked on NASA’s Apollo program. Later, he was chair of the department of chemistry at the University of Central Florida. He was 96.

1950s

Donald A. Wright ’50, of Batavia, N.Y., who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and held an M.S. from the University of Rochester, Oct. 3, 2023. Don was a statistician at Eastman Kodak Company for 39

IN MEMORIAM

years and an adjunct professor at Rochester Institute of Technology. He was 96.

Gerald T. Harris ’50, of Aviston, Ill., who served in the U.S. Air Force and spent 30 years in civil service with the Air Force Communications Command, Oct. 11, 2023. An engineer and technical manager, he played a key role in USAF’s first global communications system. Active in professional, charitable and church activities, he was 95.

Wilbur Kelley ’50, of South Portland, Maine, who served with the U.S. Navy during World War II, was an Eagle Scout and held a master’s from Columbia University, Oct. 22, 2023. He also held a doctorate from SUNY Albany and spent his career in education, including in Capital Region (N.Y.) high schools and at area colleges. He was 98.

Hon. William D. Brinnier III ’50, of Saugerties, N.Y., who graduated from Albany Law School and served in the U.S. Navy, Dec. 1, 2023. He served Saugerties in many capacities, including as village attorney, and ran a private practice. He retired from the Ulster County Family Court in 1994 and was a member of many professional and community organizations. He was 97.

Hon. David H. Brind ’51, of Canandaigua, N.Y., who was presiding judge of Geneva City Court (1974-96) and a graduate of Albany Law School, Aug. 8, 2023. He served in the U.S. Army’s Counterintelligence Corps and was a 71-year member of the St. Andrews Society of Albany. Active in his community, he was 93.

Van der Bogert Van Shanklin ’51, of Schenectady, N.Y., who retired from Schenectady County as personnel director and director of Civil Service, July 21, 2023. He also served as deputy mayor and budget officer for the city after retiring from The Schenectady Trust Company as COO. He was 94.

Klaus Eppler ’51, of New York, N.Y., who graduated from Yale Law School and served in U.S. Army Intelligence, Jan. 30, 2024. A partner in the corporate division of Proskauer, Rose, Goetz and Mendelsohn, he was a nationally known securities law practitioner. Klaus, whose greatest love was for his family, was 93.

Michael Colucciello Jr. ’52, of Rotterdam, N.Y., who served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and held a PharmD degree from Albany College of Pharmacy, Aug. 1, 2023. A pharmacist and later an inspector of health professionals with the NYS Office of Professional Discipline, he was 92.

Joe Horning ’52, of Willow Valley Manor North, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and in the Marine Reserves, Aug. 6, 2023. A member of the Military Officer’s Association, he spent 30 years with DuPont and held an MBA from the University of Delaware. He was 102.

John H. Matern ’52, of Newtown, Conn., who held a master’s degree from Buffalo State and was a teacher at Chapel of the Redeemer Lutheran School, Sept. 18, 2023. He later served as principal of St. Peter Lutheran School before rejoining Chapel of the Redeemer as princpal. He was 94.

Dr. Richard Pollen ’52, of Kensington, Md., who was a practicing physician until shortly before his 91st birthday, died in October of 2023. Dick attended Rochester Medical School, specializing in internal medicine and endocrinology. He was 92.

Robert P. Davis ’52, of Port Saint Lucie, Fla., who served with the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and retired as an executive after 33 years with General Electric, Oct. 9, 2023. Bob was a Mason, 37-year member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and elder for All Villages Presbyterian Church, among other community commitments. He was 92.

Dr. Pasquale J. Fugazzotto ’53, of Allentown, Penn., who graduated from Albany Medical School and served in the U.S. Army, Sept. 4, 2023. He started ABC Pediatrics and spent decades caring for adolescents, babies and children. He was 92.

Dr. John I. Larkin ’53, of Redding, Conn., who graduated from Albany Medical College and served in the Army Medical Corps, Dec. 10, 2023. A co-founder of the Children’s Medical Group, he also served as chair of the pediatrics department at Greenwich Hospital. Active in First Presbyterian Church, Jack was also president of Angler’s Club of New York. He was 92.

Elwyn V. Harp ’53, of West Hartford, Conn., who retired from IBM after 32 years and served in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Feb. 2, 2024. Active in his community, May 21, 2019, was declared El Harp Day for his contributions to West Hartford. El, also a fundraising agent for his class at Union College, was a recipient of Union’s prestigious Alumni Gold Medal. He was 92.

James D. Hartnett ’54, of Miami, Fla., who served with the U.S. Army in Korea and graduated from the University of Florida, June 28, 2023. An insurance agent for MassMutual for more than 50 years, he was a founding member of St. Hugh Chapter of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. He was 92.

John H. Wurster ’55, of New Windsor, N.Y., who served in the U.S. Army and went on to work for Travelers and Frontier Insurance companies, Oct. 17, 2023. A long-time member of King of Kings Lutheran Church, he volunteered with many organizations, including the Jaycees and Deacon Jack Seymour Food Pantry. He was 90.

Rev. Harold V.W. Vink ’55, of Bridgeport, Conn., who held a master’s degree from Yale University School of Divinity, Nov. 30, 2023. He served the Methodist Church in Great Neck, Brooklyn and Elmot, N.Y., and in Trumbull, Conn. He helped establish a

Head Start Program in Bushwick. He was 90.

Kimball R. Gross ’56, of Holden, Mass., who was a group underwriter for State Mutual Insurance Co. for more than 30 years, Dec. 3, 2023. A member of Toastmasters International, he was also a member of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America. Kim was 88.

Dr. Philip A. Freedman ’56, of Boynton Beach, Fla., who attended NYU Medical School and served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps in Vietnam, Dec. 24, 2023. Later, he built a practice in Cortlandt Manor, N.Y., focused on general and vascular surgery. Phil, who also served as chief of surgery at the VA Hospital (West Palm Beach), was 88.

Jerry J. Dudak ’57, of North Fort Myers, Fla., and formerly of Castleton-on-Hudson, N.Y., who graduated from UCLA and earned a master’s from SUNY Albany, Oct. 14, 2023. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he spent 35 years with the State of New York, retiring as deputy director of the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations. He was 88.

James D. Wever ’57, of West Hebron, N.Y., who served in the U.S. Navy and was known as a civil engineer, math and Sunday school teacher, carpenter and lay preacher and theologian, Nov. 17, 2023. A certified teacher, he also did lengthy master’s work at Columbia Bible College. He was 88.

Donald A. Bathrick ’57, of Rexford, N.Y., who served in the U.S. Navy and retired from New York Telephone/Verizon, Dec. 11, 2023. Don, who enjoyed gardening, music, golf and bridge, was 87.

Kent B. Joscelyn ’57, of Ann Arbor, Mich., who held a J.D. from Albany Law School and served in the U.S. Air Force and Reserves, Dec. 24, 2023. He founded the Journal of Criminal Justice and served as editor-in-chief for four decades. He practiced law for many years, focusing on issues of science, technology and the law. He was 87.

Charles G. Carl ’57, of Pensacola, Fla., who graduated from SUNY College of Education at Albany, Jan. 11, 2024. A past treasurer of the Union Alumni Club of Schenectady and New Jersey Regional Club volunteer, he had a career in banking at Schenectady Trust Company and Wells Fargo (N.J.). Three of his children and a grandchild attended Union College. He was 88.

Richard E. Squillace ’58, of Marlborough, Mass., who held a master’s degree from Northeastern University and was an Air Force ROTC graduate, Aug. 7, 2023. He enjoyed a long career at General Electric and taught technical and math courses at the University of Tampa, Schenectady County Community College and in high schools. He was 87.

Miles F. Bintz ’59, of Geneseo, N.Y., who was a U.S. Air Force Vietnam veteran, March 22, 2022. An engineer for General Electric in Schenectady for 25 years, he retired from Dresser Rand in Olean. He was 84.

Alfred P. Duncker ’59, of Washington, D.C., who held a Ph.D. from Columbia University and taught political science at Hartwick College, Aug. 14, 2023. He later served on the White House Conference on Aging and had a career as a civil servant with the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. He was 85.

James B. Forster ’59, of Hurley, N.Y., who held a master’s degree from Yale University and was an electrical engineer and subcontractor for NASA, Nov. 11, 2023. He retired from the Bendrix Corporation. He was 85.

Edward A. Lonergan ’59, of Old Saybrook, Conn., who was recruited to General Dynamics Electric Boat Division and spent 50 years there, Dec. 29, 2023. A longtime Cub Scout master and Parks & Rec T-ball coach, he was a generous supporter of Union College and established the Edward A. Lonergan Scholarship.

John A. Minor ’59, of Greenwich, Conn., who worked in advertising and marketing with Salada Foods, Kellogg Co. and Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, Jan. 19, 2024. He was an avid sailor and a board member of the Riverside Yacht Club, Greenwich Symphony and Beachaven Association. He and his wife, Birgit, had two children and five grandchildren. Survivors include his daughter, Karen Minor Danvers ’91 and son-in-law, David Danvers ’90. He was 86.

1960s

Thomas G. Hoffman ’60, of Fletcher, N.C., who was a math teacher for many years in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and at the NYS Division for Youth, Feb. 12, 2023. He broke track and cross country records at Union and coached track while teaching at Poughkeepsie High. Married for 61 years with a daughter, a son and two grandchildren, he was 84.

Rev. Jonathan MacKenzie ’60, of Cambridge, Mass., who served in the U.S. Army, held a master’s degree from General Seminary and was an ordained Episcopal priest, Aug. 24, 2023. He served in parishes across Pennsylvania, New York, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and was an active member of St. Anne’s Episcopal Church (North Bellrica). He was 84.

Barry S. Crawshaw ’60, of Hendersonville, N.C., who had a long career in information systems and was active in community service for 40 years, Sept. 17, 2023. A clever handyman, he became an avid Apple user involved in The Northwest of Us user’s group. He was 85.

Robert C. Byrne Jr. ’60, of Princeton, Ill., who also earned two master’s degrees from University of Connecticut, Feb. 10, 2024. He began his career as a high school chemistry teacher in Danielson, Conn., then joined Illinois Valley Community College, where he taught chemistry for 31 years until his retirement in 2001. He was 86.

William B. Marx Jr. ’61, who received the Engineering Dean’s Award from Union College, Oct. 3, 2023. At Union, Bill was a mechanical engineering major and member and president of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He lettered in football and lacrosse. After 36 years with AT&T, Bill retired as senior executive vice president of Lucent Technologies.

Gerald Paley ’61, of Rochester, N.Y., who attended Cornell Law School and worked at the U.S. Department of Labor, Oct. 16, 2023. He later became a partner at Nixon Hargrave Devans & Doyle before finishing his career at Phillips Lytle LLP. He was 84.

Michael Gordon ’62, of North East, Md., who spent 30 years with IBM and later spent 27 years operating his own consulting business, July 21, 2023. Active with North East Little League as a coach and league president, he also served 10 years on the Cecil County Board of Education. He was 82.

C. Louis Abelove ’62, of Utica, N.Y., who graduated from New York University School of Law, died April 20, 2024. A practicing attorney and businessman for 56 years, Louis loved his family, practicing law and antique cars, especially Packards. Survivors include his wife, Ellen; two children, Amy and Joel; and four grandchildren. Louis was 83.

William W. Lana ’62 died March 4, 2023. He was 83.

Joseph F. Baile III ’62, of Coral Springs, Fla., who served in the U.S. Air Force and owned Mama Mia’s restaurant (Ocean City, N.J.), Oct. 11, 2023. He later worked for Pantry Pride and the Miami Herald. An enthusiastic sports fan, he was 83.

William Beevers ’63, of Utica, N.Y., who held degrees from Indiana Wesleyan and SUNY-Albany, and served in the U.S. Army, Dec. 4, 2023. He was employed by General Electric in a variety of engineering, systems, finance, manufacturing and sourcing positions. He was 81.

Stephen A. Nelick ’63, of Washington, D.C., who held an MBA from the University of Chicago and worked for the Federal Reserve Board and World Bank Group, Jan. 4, 2024. In retirement Steve learned robotics and wowed his family with his baking. He was 82.

Harry Wrede ’64, of Colorado Springs, Colo., who served in the U.S. Air Force (1964-85) and held an MBA from New York Institute of Technology, April 21, 2023. Harry later spent 10 years as business manager for his wife’s childcare management business. He was 81.

William F. Bernadt Jr. ’64, of East Amherst, N.Y., who worked with the NYS Division for Youth and retired as assistant director of health services, Oct. 12, 2023. A troop committee chairman for Boy Scouts of America, he was an active outdoorsman. Bill, who donated multiple gallons of blood to the Red Cross, was 81.

Walter J. Mackey Jr. ’64, of Jupiter, Fla., who earned a J.D. from Ohio State University Law School and found success in commercial real estate in South Florida, Oct. 29, 2023. Walter loved a good party and his family—his proudest accomplishment. He was 81.

Lawrence E. McCray ’65, of Lexington, Mass., who held a Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was the first program director of the U.S. Regulatory Council, Dec. 26, 2023. A founding director of the policy division at the National Academy of Sciences, he was a member of International Randonneurs and a lifelong athlete.

John R. Roy ’65, of Slingerlands, N.Y., who held two master’s degrees from the University at Albany, Jan. 2, 2024. A professor emeritus of English at Hudson Valley Community College, he also taught art history at Junior College of Albany and Russell Sage. A member several organizations, including the Sand Lake Center for the Arts, he was 81.

Gerric Dudley ’66, of Bellingham, Wash., who held a master’s degree from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), June 15, 2023. He led the Blue Canyon Foundation, a treatment facility for adults with disabilities, and founded the Dudley Foundation. Also CEO of Lake Whatcom Center, he was 79.

Robert H. Rice Jr. ’66, of Clifton Park, N.Y., who served in the National Guard and had a long career in communications and public information, Dec. 14, 2023. Director of communications for New York State United Teachers, he was a member of the Shenendehowa United Methodist Church. Bob was an active community volunteer.

Edgar R. Levine ’67, of Indianapolis, Ind., who held an MBA from Northwestern University and was a manufacturing executive at companies including Quaker Oats, Frito Lay and EAR, Sept. 14, 2023. Later, Sandy taught operations and supply chain management at Indiana Tech and was a math tutor. He was 78.

Steven H. Abelove ’67 died Aug. 16, 2022. He was 78.

Peter B. Juhl G’67, of Brevard, N.C., who served with the U.S. Army during the Korean War, graduated from Rutgers University and earned a master’s from Union College, Oct. 22, 2023. Peter mastered out of a Ph.D. program at RPI, worked at General Electric and Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory and directed International Modal Conferences with Union College. He was 88.

Roger A. Wilkin ’67, of Berkeley Heights, N.J., who held a master’s from Cornell University and a master’s from New Brunswick Theological Seminary, Nov. 15, 2023. He worked at Bell Labs and AIS Futures and enjoyed a 40-year career in Young Life, a non-denominational Christian ministry. He was 78.

Robert R. Klimowski ’69, of Merchantville, N.J., who served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam era and graduated from Marquette University, died May 20, 2021.

Bob also held a Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and worked for 20 years as a systems engineer for the Navy at NAEC Lakehurst. He was 73.

Charles M. Sabatelle ’69, of Tucson, Ariz., died March 11, 2024. Charles attended Harvard after graduating from Union. He taught English as a second language at the Center for English as a Second Language in the Humanities Department of the University of Arizona. An avid reader who loved traveling, restoring old cars, collecting coins, running and swimming, he was 76.

1970s

Peter E. Hodges ’70, of Niceville, Fla., who held a master’s degree from Stevens Institute of Technology and had a 43-year career with AT&T and IBM, July 28, 2023. A talented musician, he was also an avid sailor and member of the Birmingham Sailing and Bluewater Bay Sailing Clubs. He was 74.

John F. Irwin ’70, of Clifton Park, N.Y., who was an entrepreneur and owned Park Specialties in Albany, doing finishing work for printers, Oct. 1, 2023. A member of Country Knolls West Golf League for 30 years, he enjoyed bowling and traveling. He was 74.

Jeffrey Smart ’70, of Aspen, Colo., who worked at The Welding Co. and in car rentals for ABC before driving for High Mountain Taxi, Sept. 29, 2023. A marvelous storyteller and lifelong reader, he later worked at FedEx before retiring and focusing on his golf game.

Dr. Robert M. Krauss ’70, of Naples, Fla., who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, Dec. 2, 2023. He had two practices in West Chester and Kennett Square, Penn., and was a member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church and Lely Presbyterian Church. On the board of directors of Serving at the Crossroads, he was 74.

Dean G. Hoffman ’70, who held a Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo and was still mentoring students at Auburn University at the time of his passing, Nov. 11, 2022. Dean, who published numerous papers and books of graph theory, design theory, number theory and puzzles, was 73.

Eric J. Oleson ’71, of Orange, Va., who made bread, quick-point rugs, painted fences and built a kayak, July 31, 2023. He helped renovate and run the farmhouse in Orange he moved into in 1980, and had a deep appreciation for nature. He was 74.

William G. Selley ’71, of Clifton Park, N.Y., who served in the National Guard and worked at General Electric R&D and Knolls Atomic Power Lab, Aug. 10, 2023. Bill, who loved cruising to the Carribean, Alaska and Bermuda, was 81.

Edward Gorga ’71, of Schenectady, N.Y., who held two master’s degrees from Siena College and Union College, Aug. 31, 2023. He was head of Galway Central High School’s math department and taught math and science for 39 years. Edward, who loved his farm, was 91.

Dr. Barry Powers ’71, of Wrightsville Beach, N.C., who graduated from New York Medical College and was a clinical professor of radiology at Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Aug. 21, 2022. A founder of Eastern Radiologists, he was also chief of radiology at Dupin General Hospital. Barry was 73.

Richard R. Allen G’72, of Schenectady, N.Y., who served in the U.S. Air Force, graduated from Michigan State University and held an MBA from Union College, Sept. 14, 2023. Dick had a long career at General Electric and was an active community volunteer who coached football and held multiple Pop Warner leadership positions. He was 87.

William J. Holleran ’72, of Gaithersburg, Md., who held a master’s from American University and held many positions in public relations in a variety of industries, Nov. 2, 2023. The owner of Holleran Communications LLC for more than 25

years, he was also an adjunct professor at University of Maryland Global Campus. He was 73.

Salvatore Andolina ’72, of Amsterdam. N.Y., who retired in 2002 from Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, Dec. 9, 2023. Sal operated and managed nuclear reactors at the Kesselring Site and was an Engineering Officer of the Watch. An avid skier, he was 82.

Peter Schiffman ’73, of Davis, Calif., who was professor emeritus and research geologist emeritus at the University of California-Davis, May 26, 2023. A field geologist, petrologist and geochemist, his research largely focused on hydrothermal systems. Peter was also an avid fan of playing and listening to music.

Mark E. Johnson ’73, of San Mateo, Calif., who held an MBA from Rutgers University, died March 24, 2024. Mark’s career included 20 years with Hartz Mountain and 17 years with Central Garden and Pet. Active in his community, he served for many years on the Friends of Youth board of directors. Mark, who loved his family fiercely, was 72.

Amy J. Sponseller ’74, of Baltimore, Md., who was president of the first Union College co-ed class and held a master’s degree from American University, July 29, 2023. A counselor at Gallaudet College and Northern Virginia Community College, she later worked at Johns Hopkins Hospital. President-elect of Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, she was 71.

Ralph E. Gaunay Jr. G’74, of Mechanicville, N.Y., who worked for General Electric for many years, held a master’s degree from Union College and retired from Farm Family Insurance, Jan. 17. 2024. In retirement Skip worked part-time at Enterprise, enjoyed time with friends and traveling with his wife. Skip, who loved animals, was 77.

Emily L. Gosnell ’75, of East Windsor, N.J., who graduated from Seton Hall Law School and was an assistant attorney general for the State of New Jersey, Aug. 21,

2023. She later worked for Somerset/ Sussex and Middlesex County Legal Services and founded her own law office focusing on family law and DYFS matters. She was 70.

Richard F. Serapilio G’75, of Schenectady, N.Y., who graduated from the University of Bridgeport and earned a master’s degree from Union College, Sept. 6, 2023. He spent 39 years with the Schenectady City School District, teaching every math course the high schools offered. Also a coach for football, wrestling and girls bowling, he was 77.

Eric A. Reimann ’75, of Acworth, Ga., who held an MBA from Syracuse University, May 13, 2023. He was a nationally known programmer-analyst who specialized in the Datatel/Colleague administrative information system used by over 600 colleges, including Union College. He was 70.

Wesley E. Radcliffe ’76, of Lincoln, Neb., who served in the New York Army National Guard and worked at General Electric and was a transmitter engineer for several radio stations, July 27, 2023. During retirement, he co-owned Radcliffe Designer Marble. He was 82.

Mark F. Acerra G’76, of Sandown and Madbury, N.H., who graduated from Tufts University and held a master’s degree from Union College, Dec. 20, 2023. He spent 27 years with General Electric Company. He was 82.

Robert E. Johnson ’76, of Albany, N.Y., who served in the U.S. Air Force and was a civil engineer for many years with the NYS Public Service Commission, Jan. 21, 2024. He enjoyed his 1967 Corvette and 2019 Stingray, and his summer camp and boating on Great Sacandaga Lake. He was 80.

Scott L. Gellis ’77, of Hillsborough, N.C., who was retired from Bentley Systems Inc., Nov. 22, 2023. He was 67.

Robert Harleman ’77, of Norwalk, Conn., died May 19, 2023.

Ira B. Sutton ’77, of Nashua, N.H., who graduated from Suffolk University School of Law, Dec. 14, 2023. He served as BDC manager at Toyota of Nashua, cherished his role as a father and was a natural mentor. He was 68.

Cynthia H. Battiste ’78, of Rexford, N.Y., who as associate director of Alumni Affairs at Union College before spending 17 years as a teachers aide at Glencliff Elementary, Sept. 8, 2023. A gifted vocalist, she sang in the First Presbyterian Church choir for 45 years. She was 67.

Lothar A. Gruenke ’79, of Schenectady, N.Y., died Aug. 18, 2023. He was 84.

Robert Stickle ’79, of Albany, N.Y., who served in the Naval Reserve for 23 years and enjoyed woodworking, Nov. 20, 2023. A very active member of Boys Scouts of America for 58 years, he was 89.

1980s

Thomas J. Ruane G’80, of Northampton, Mass., who graduated from SUNY New Paltz and held a master’s degree from Union College, July 19, 2023. A programmer at IBM, he spent 43 years with the company. A member of the Society of Baseball Research since 1991, he was 69.

Robert W. Matt G’81, of New Hartford, N.Y., who held an MBA from Union College and an M.S. from RPI, Aug. 9, 2023. A senior application support analyst at Turning Stone Casino, he was also an electrical engineer with several companies, including General Electric. Bob, a longtime competitive swim official, was 70.

Susan L. Brandau ’81, of Schenectady, N.Y., who was a dedicated civil servant with the NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Aug. 4, 2023. Susan, who rose to be director of the Bureau of Recovery, loved family gatherings, gardening and a good book. She was 64.

Jeane A. Sinnenberg ’81, of Schenectady, N.Y., who was assistant registrar at Union College until her 2003 retirement, Sept. 25,

DONALD F. ARNOLD SR.

Donald F. Arnold Sr., of Colonie, N.Y., who had a distinguished and fulfilling academic career, much of it spent at Union College, died Oct. 22, 2023. He was 79.

After graduating with his Ph.D. from SUNY Buffalo in 1970, Don joined SUNY Albany as an assistant professor of accounting. He was quickly promoted to associate professor with tenure. During this time, he spent a year as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Galway in Ireland.

In 1982, he left SUNY Albany for an appointment as tenured full professor at Union College, where he oversaw the MBA and Ph.D. accounting programs. He also served as director of the Union College Graduate Management Institute. Don retired in 2009, before the graduate school fully separated from Union College.

Don’s early research focused on accounting rules, how they came into being and what their original intent was. Later, he helped lead a long-term project on ethical factors influencing the decision-making of auditors. This research involved scholars worldwide and produced a slew of influential articles in academic journals, which are still widely quoted and considered seminal in the field.

Don was highly regarded in his profession. He was elected to the Hall of Fame of the Northeastern Region of the American Accounting Association. He was also a beloved mentor to Ph.D. students, all of whom went on to positions in academia and international accounting firms. His dedication to helping them advance in their careers was indicative of his extraordinary kindness and generosity.

Don is remembered by his fellow faculty members as a productive scholar, wise mentor and joyful colleague who brought out the best in people.

He lived an amazing life with his wife of 55 years, Betty Arnold, and the two of them were truly a team. Betty predeceased Don by six months.

Don is survived by his son Don Arnold Jr. ’90 G’92; daughters Kelli Arnold G’94 and Erin Arnold LeBel G’97; grandson Aiden LeBel; and sons-in-law Gene Basile and Greg LeBel.

2023. Jeane loved to travel, enjoyed playing golf and bridge, and taught CCD classes at St. Joseph’s Church. She was 89.

Douglas S. Smith ’84, of Bloomfield, Conn., who spent most of his career at The Hartford and retired after 30 years as vice president of underwriting, July 7, 2023. A longtime member and past president of the Granby/Simsbury Rotary Club, he was 61.

Laurence Castelli ’84, of Danvers, Mass., who retired from Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection as an attorney, Sept. 4, 2023. Larry developed systems and policies to ensure privacy compliance for travelers, importers, partner localities and governments. He is survived by children Peter Castelli and Helen-Marie Castelli; brother William Castelli (Erin); sister Allyson Larsen (Lance), many nieces and a nephew.

Margaret O. MacKenzie G’84, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., who graduated from Buffalo Female Seminary and Wheaton College, Nov. 12, 2023. She held a master’s from Union College and taught at Dutchess Day School before beginning her long association with Vassar College. An alumna trustee for Wheaton, she was 88.

Colleen C. Brockway ’88, of Bedford, N.H., who was a senior commercial underwriter at Acadia Insurance for 25 years, Sept. 12, 2023. She cherished her family and was an avid photographer. Colleen was 57.

1990s

John E. Wehrum ’92 died June 6, 2023. He was 53.

Gregory J. Harrison ’94, of Penfield, N.Y., who was a financial advisor and loved the outdoors, Nov. 16, 2023. He especially loved the Adirondacks, exploring in his canoe, hiking, carving and just sitting around the campfire. Gregory, who adored his family, was 51.

Geraldine F. Heckeler ’97, of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., who taught piano to area children for many years and was a long-

JOANNE TOBIESSEN

Joanne Tobiessen, retired director of the College’s career and placement program, is being remembered as a caring mentor to students and colleagues and a champion for advancing women on campus and beyond.

She passed away Dec. 5, 2023. Joanne joined the College in 1983 and retired in 2001.

Raised in the Midwest, she never lost her Midwestern values. After her family moved to California, she attended Pomona College for two years, then graduated from Northwestern University. Later, she went on to earn her master’s degree in social work from the University of California, Berkeley.

She moved to North Carolina where she married her husband, Peter. While there, she worked at a clinic at the University of North Carolina, counseling parents of children with physical and mental challenges. When Peter accepted a position at Union, they moved to Schenectady where she served as a social worker at Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital.

Later she took a job in the career center at Russell Sage College, eventually reaching the position of director.

In 1983, she joined Union as director of the Career Center. While there, she trained a group of student Peer Facilitators who counseled their peers about career development. She was also well known for mentoring younger colleagues in the profession. Tom Denham, now the principal of Careers in Transition, a private career counseling service, attributes his success to Joanne’s mentoring at Union.

“Because of her investment in me, I have been able to impact the careers of hundreds of students, alumni and individuals in our community,” he said. “She made a difference in my life, and I am paying it forward and making a difference in the lives of my clients. She can take credit for all the people I have helped over the years.”

She also served as co-chair on Union’s Commission on the Status of Women and was among a small group of faculty and administrators who launched the women’s studies program at Union. She observed that knowledge

gained by students through women’s studies had a ripple effect that “creates a different kind of atmosphere on campus … a more questioning environment [that is] supportive for people to speak out on a variety of issues.”

After she retired in 2001, she formed the Working Group on Girls of Schenectady Inc. through the League of Women Voters. This mentorship program targeting Schenectady middle school girls is now in its 20th year. WGGS recently won the United Way’s Perfect Pitch award for FRESH, a program that fosters sustainable life skills.

WGGS “was dear to her heart and dedicated to her pursuit of enhancing the lives of girls and women,” said Dianne Crozier, a retired admissions dean who worked with Joanne at WGGS. “What a tribute to her that the hard work and support on behalf of these girls continues.”

Survivors include her husband, Peter, professor of biological sciences emeritus; and her son, Josh.

serving Girl Scout leader, Sept. 13, 2023. Later a board member of Schenectady Council of the Girl Scouts of America, she also was an executive administrative assistant at WRGB and Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory. Fay was 91.

2000s

Gregory A. Mendis ’07, of West Newton, Mass., who was a gifted athlete and writer and will be remembered for his winsome personality, Nov. 19, 2023. Deeply connected with the Shalom Catholic Community and Agape Prayer Group, he was dedicated to helping the homeless and people struggling with addiction. He was 39.

Friends of Union College

Leon F. Ward, of Troy, N.Y., who was a campus operations keeper at Union College, Aug. 28, 2023. He was 81.

Doris Quick, of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., who was a teacher in Burnt Hills and Schenectady school districts and held master’s and doctoral degrees from the University at Albany, Oct. 12, 2023. Dottie, who later worked in Master of Arts Teaching Department at Union College, was 89.

Antonietta Paniccia, of Schenectady, N.Y., who worked in the household management department at Union College for many years, Jan. 17, 2024. A lifetime member of the Sacred Heart League and faithful communicant of St. Anthony’s Church, she kept a beautiful flower and vegetable garden. She was 92.

JJAMES W. MURPHY

At the May 1, 1970, Vietnam War protest in downtown Schenectady, James Murphy, then a Catholic priest and Union College chaplain, uses a bullhorn to address Union students. (Photo by Dr. Lester Kritzer ’73)

ames W. Murphy, resigned priest, lifelong social activist and former chaplain at Union College, died April 1, 2024, at his home in Scotia, N.Y. Born in Schenectady, Jim attended Mater Christi Seminary, St. Paul Seminary and the University of Ottawa, the Gregorian University in Rome, the North American College in Rome and was proudly part of the Vatican II class. He was ordained a priest at St. Peters, at the end of the Vatican Council.

Although Jim left the active priesthood in 1984 when he married Faye Tischler, he remained a devout Catholic and social activist.

He served on the Schenectady County Legislature for two terms, was head of People’s Advisory Service and was a clergy member of Clergy and Laity Concerned for Vietnam. He was an administrator at SICM and served in an administrative role at the Law Order and Justice Center and the Centers for Community Justice.

Murphy was also very involved at Union during his time on campus. May 1, 1970, he helped lead a group of students on a march through downtown Schenectady to General Electric. They were demonstrating against what was then called the second-largest U.S. Defense Department contractor. The march was in response to a speech President Richard Nixon gave April 30, when he announced an incursion into Cambodia. This was seen by many as an expansion of the Vietnam War.

Jim is survived by his wife, Faye Tischler, and his brothers Edward Murphy of Dunedin, Fla., and Tom Murphy (Barbara) of Niskayuna, N.Y.

Union students are pushing boundaries and finding new ways to explore and study our world. Clara LaCorte ’24, whose neuroscience research explored the possible benefits of interactive physical and cognitive exercise (iPACES) on attention and working memory in college students with ADHD, is just one example.

Gifts to The Union Fund allow students to have uniquely Union experiences, pursue their passions and invest in the world around them.

To make a gift: Visit union.edu/give Call the Office of Annual Giving at (518) 388-6175

Return the envelope enclosed in this magazine Scan the QR code

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