Union College Magazine Winter/Spring 2020 by Union College

WINTER/SPRING 2020

UNIONCOLLEGE

Volume 114 / Number 2

A Magazine for Alumni and Friends

$51 M gift highlights launch of 'Powering Union' campaign

3 18

Union's response to COVID-19 50 years ago, the case for coeducation

Danielle Pinney '20 performs on the aerial hoop during the campaign launch celebration.

WINTER/SPRING 2020 // Volume 114 // Number 2

UNION COLLEGE IN THIS ISSUE:

ON THE FRONT COVER

Mary '80 and Rich Templeton '80 announce their gift of $51 million toward the "Powering Union" campaign.

CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Tom Torello EDITOR

Charlie Casey caseyc@union.edu ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Erin DeMuth Judd demuthje@union.edu CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Christen Gowan Tina Lincer Phillip Wajda CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Matt Milless Shawn LaChapelle DESIGN

2k Design PRINTING

Fort Orange Press

UNION COLLEGE is published

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

$51M gift launches “Powering Union: The Campaign for Multiple Tomorrows”

The Decision

A campus-wide party in Memorial Fieldhouse celebrated the largest gift in Union's history and the launch of the $300 million “Powering Union: The Campaign for Multiple Tomorrows.”

Perhaps no change at Union was more transformative than welcoming women. But getting there took some time. About 175 years. Here is how it was decided.

Departments 2 President’s Message

26 Media

46 Unions

4 Around U

30 Alumni Clubs

53 Arrivals

24 Focus

33 Class Notes

54 In Memoriam

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

» Follow us on social media

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Our commitment to the greater good

t the end of a winter term in which we celebrated Union’s past and launched a campaign to invest in our future, the Union community faced an unexpected challenge. The recent outbreak of the coronavirus made a difficult decision inevitable: we did not resume in-person classes for the spring term and are relying on remote learning models for all courses. This was not a decision made lightly, but only after extensive consultation with faculty, administrators, trustees and health officials. The best-case scenario suggested that we would not be able to resume campus classes until mid-May at the earliest. At the same time, developments around the world made it difficult for international students to return to campus after spring break. I know this decision caused frustration for many members of the Union community, perhaps none more than our students. To all students, especially our seniors, I would like to express my deep regret that they cannot spend spring term on campus. While we are hopeful that we can have a campus Commencement in June and resume normal activities over the summer, we will, of course, follow the guidance of state and federal health officials. No one at Union welcomes this change. We all know that one of the things that makes Union special is our residential experience, something that cannot be replicated online. But what also makes us special is our commitment to the greater good, and in this case we are doing our part to stem this pandemic. Through a number of interactions, we have heard the range of emotions from students, faculty, staff and parents. These include frustration over the loss of opportunity, a sense of responsibility, and fear for the well-being of those of us most vulnerable. Sadly, the change goes well beyond campus classrooms, canceling spring athletics, the Steinmetz Symposium, Prize Day and a number of

public lectures. Most notably for alumni, we have had to postpone ReUnion, something we WILL celebrate Oct. 23 through 25 in combination with Homecoming. I am so incredibly proud of the response from our community: students who have adjusted to a new reality; families who have shown extreme patience during a volatile time; staff who have worked nights and weekends to keep us safe and informed; faculty who have quickly re-tooled their teaching and alumni who are fighting on the front lines of this new battle. At the end of this, there will be hundreds of inspiring stories. I look forward to hearing them all. I have spent my academic career studying pernicious and insidious problems of race, class and inequality. I understand the challenges and opportunities of this situation, but I also believe deeply that with creative thought there is usually a way to achieve our goals. The next several months will test all of us and require us to focus on what’s really important and necessary. To borrow some language from our Strategic Plan, our response to this challenge requires wisdom, empathy and courage. • the wisdom that comes from knowledge and experience • the empathy to consider the challenges faced by others • the courage to do what is necessary to achieve our goals I’ll add another word: humility. We must appreciate that others, in good faith, might take the same information we have and reach very different conclusions. I know the next months will not be easy, but I also know that our community will find innovative ways to achieve our core educational, social and civic goals. I look forward to seeing you on campus soon. In the meantime, video, print, and phone will have to suffice. DAVID R. HARRIS, Ph.D.

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

COVID-19

and the College In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, every day brought new challenges and new guidelines. A campus coronavirus task force was created to manage the response. Since January, Union has issued a series of advisories and directives based on information from county, state and federal officials. These began with advisories about the importance of flu shots and isolation for those with symptoms. They continued in February with the announcement that Union would suspend terms abroad study. Finally, in mid-March, the College announced the decision to suspend campus operations, move classes to remote learning models, limit campus staffing and consolidate about 60 students who could not travel home to College Park Hall. As of press time in late March, ReUnion had been moved to combine with Homecoming and Family Weekend on Oct. 23-25. Commencement, set for June 14, was on schedule pending guidance from local, state and federal health officials. For the latest updates on the College's response, visit: www.union.edu/coronavirus

S AV E THE D AT E

OCTOBER 23-25, 2020

REUNION2020 + & Family Weekend FIGHTING THE PANDEMIC. We welcome alumni accounts of professional and personal battles against COVID-19. Send yours to magazine@union.edu

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

AROUND

College celebrates Founders Day

he campus community assembled in Memorial Chapel Feb. 20 to celebrate Founders Day—Union’s 225th birthday. “This is a great opportunity to think about the past and reflect,” President David R. Harris told the audience in his greeting. “At the same time, we should think about where were are going and our future.” In addition to its 225th anniversary, the College is also celebrating the 125th anniversary of engineering, the 100th anniversary of WRUC, the school’s radio station; and the 50th anniversaries of terms abroad and coeducation. In her keynote address, Kelly Williams ’86 intertwined the story of Union’s founding from its roots as the Schenectady Academy to her own origins as a female founder and the responsibility that comes with it. Williams has enjoyed a 30-year career as an entrepreneur in private market investing, most notably as a founder of the Customized Fund Investment Group in 1999, which grew to over $30 billion before she led its sale in 2014. Well known for her commitment to diversity on Wall Street and for establishing a market-leading diverse manager investment practice, Williams has paved the way for others to succeed. “The founder is obviously a visionary behind the enterprise, but she also is responsible for caring and stewarding the hopes and dreams for the future for all who come along for the ride,” she said. A Union trustee since 2008, Williams was the first in her family to attend college. She said she credits her time at Union, from which she holds a degree in political science and mathematics, as the key to her success. She shared specific experiences that had a profound impact on her life, like her term abroad to Japan with History and Political Science Professor Emeritus Donald Thurston. “Living abroad in country where I was 4

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

Kelly Williams '86

the minority gave me a whole new perspective,” Williams said. “It made me understand the importance of being open, being kind and looking for ways to connect with people who are different and to understand the other person’s point of view. The ability to see the other side of the argument became my superpower.” In closing, Williams told the audience that the origins of Union continue to resonate today. “I believe the founders did their best to make room for a future that included all of us, and sought to create an environment where people with vastly different opinions but of infinite goodwill, could help shape other’s views and encourage each other to succeed while developing new fellowship,” she said. The audience gave a standing ovation to Erika Nelson-Mukherjee, an associate professor of German, during the presentation of the Stillman Prize for Excellence in Teaching. The prize was created by David I. Stillman ’72, Abbott Stillman ’69 and Allan Stillman in honor of Abraham Stillman, father and grandfather. It is given annually to a faculty member to encourage

outstanding teaching. Nelson-Mukherjee joined Union in 2007. Normally presented at Convocation, it was delayed while Nelson-Mukherjee grieved the death of her husband, Neil, after a long illness. The award was followed by an uplifting performance of “Seasons of Love,” from Rent, by the Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir and the Union College Choir. Also at Founders Day, Zachary Rittner ’12, a biology and environmental science teacher at Scotch Plains—Fanwood High School in New Jersey, was presented with the Gideon Hawley Teacher Recognition Award. (see profile on p. 43) The celebration opened with remarks from Kathleen LoGiudice, College marshal and professor of biology; Robert Bertagna ’85, chair of the College’s Board of Trustees; Mary Carroll ’86, the Dwane W. Crichton Professor of Chemistry and chair of the Faculty Executive Committee; and Simon Bohn ’20, president of Student Forum. The hour-long ceremony concluded with “Ode to Old Union,” led by Dianne McMullen, professor of music and College organist, and a jazzy singalong of “Happy Birthday” with Max Caplan ’16 on piano.

“

I BELIEVE THE FOUNDERS DID THEIR

BEST TO MAKE ROOM FOR A FUTURE T H AT I N C LU D E D A L L O F U S , AND SOUGHT T O C R E AT E A N E N V I R O N M E N T W H E R E P E O P L E W I T H V A S T LY D I F F E R E N T OPINIONS BUT OF INFINITE GOODWILL, COULD HELP SHAPE OTHER’S VIEWS AND ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER TO SUCCEED W H I L E D E V E L O P I N G N E W F E L L O W S H I P.

– K E L LY W I L L I A M S ’ 8 6

”

Above: At Founders Day, Dakara Da'costa '22 sings "Seasons of Love" from the balcony of Memorial Chapel Inset: Professor Erika Nelson-Mukherjee receives the Stillman Prize for Excellence in Teaching from Strom Thacker, vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of faculty

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

AROUND

ISEC represents ‘new stage in our evolution’

efore the launch of the “Powering Union” campaign, the College formally dedicated the most ambitious building project in its history: the Integrated Science and Engineering Complex. “Today, faculty and students have the technology and the space to support their ideas and their interests,” said President David R. Harris. “We are looking forward to what will happen in this space and the special moments we have created, both large and small, in the years to come.” “With this building we enter a new stage in our evolution and development,” said Nicole Theodosiou, associate professor of biology and co-director of biochemistry. “We have removed walls to create flexible, collaborative suites where research mentoring and teaching can happen in overlapping spaces and students can have areas to call home in their own discipline.” The $100 million project is transforming the former Science and Engineering Center. Built during the late 1960s and dedicated in 1971, the former center has been instrumental in educating generations of students in biology, chemistry, physics and astronomy, and computer, electrical and mechanical engineering. The College broke ground on the complex in May 2017. The 142,000-squarefoot space gives Union one of the finest undergraduate science and engineering facilities in the country.

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

Leah Rosen named VP for Communications and Marketing

The light well draws a crowd at the Feb. 21 dedication of the Integrated Science and Engineering Complex.

eah Rosen has been named the inaugural vice president for Communications and Marketing. A member of the president’s senior staff, Rosen brings more than 20 years of experience at the George Washington University (GW) in Washington, D.C., her alma mater. She has held positions in communications, marketing, special events and external relations. Most recently, she served as the university’s associate vice president for Marketing and Creative Services, providing strategic direction for university-wide marketing campaigns, web and digital assets and creative services projects. This vice president position is a new role for the College, created to elevate all communications and messaging activities and to ensure that internal and external audiences alike have a refined understanding of Union, its aspirations and its role in higher education. Rosen will work closely with President David R. Harris and other senior colleagues, building a communications program that reflects and reinforces the vision and plans for the future. She will oversee nine staff members. In welcoming her to the campus community, President Harris cited Rosen’s extensive strategic higher education experience. “Leah has an impressive background with more than 20 years of higher education marketing experience focused on both traditional and emerging media,” Harris said. “She brings creativity, vision, passion and leadership to the job that will enable progress on our strategic plan objectives of reaching new markets, advancing Union’s academic reputation and articulating our distinctiveness.” “I am thrilled to be joining Union at such a transformational time and have

been inspired by the faculty, students, staff, and alumni that I have met.” Rosen said. “I’m looking forward to working with President Harris and my colleagues to amplify Union’s story across audiences in new and innovative ways.” During her tenure at GW, she developed multi-disciplinary marketing and creative services teams focused on meeting the needs of an ever-evolving higher education landscape, including leading efforts to define and maintain the university’s brand and visual identity. She established GW’s first multimedia team, producing Emmy Award-winning content and under her leadership, the university won its first Webby Award for its virtual tour. Additionally, Rosen has held key roles on university committees, most recently serving as co-chair for the university’s bicentennial celebration. In addition to her administrative appointment, she taught event management courses in GW’s School of Business and traveled internationally with a group of students as a course facilitator at the 2012 London Olympics. Rosen received a bachelor's in business administration and a master's in tourism administration from GW. Outside of the office, she expresses her creativity through a variety of art forms including, jewelry design, silversmithing and enameling. She also enjoys exploring nature, hiking with her dogs, gardening and entertaining friends and family at home. WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

AROUND

Techno-sociologist headlines Feigenbaum Forum

riter, academic and technosociologist Zeynep Tufekci was the featured speaker at the fifth annual Feigenbaum Forum on Innovation and Creativity Nov. 14. She spoke on “The New Gatekeepers: Innovation and Implications in the Digital Age.” Tufekci is known for her research and commentary on the social implications of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence and big data in the context of politics and corporate responsibility. An associate professor at the School of Information and Library Science at the

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

University of North Carolina, Tufekci is also a faculty associate at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. A frequent speaker at TED talks, she is a regular contributor to The Atlantic and The New York Times on technology’s social impact. She is the author of “Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest.” The forum is supported by the Feigenbaum Foundation, created by brothers Armand V. Feigenbaum ’42 and Donald S. Feigenbaum ’46, longtime benefactors to Union. Acknowledged world leaders in

systems engineering and total quality control, the brothers founded General Systems Co., a Pittsfield, Mass.-based international systems engineering firm. Armand died November 2014; Donald, March 2013. Previous speakers have included Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist and author Thomas Friedman; John E. Kelly III ’76, a senior vice president at IBM; Howard Gardner, an internationally renowned psychologist; and artist and designer Maya Lin, whose work includes the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Civil Rights Memorial.

New University Innovation Fellows Named

our students are the latest to be named University Innovation Fellows, a highly selective program designed to help foster entrepreneurship and innovation among students nationwide. They are Sai Lyon Ho ’22; an interdepartmental major (ID) in economics and computer science from Caracas, Venezuela; Madison Holley ’22, a political science major from Chicago; Blake Newcomer ’21, an ID major in geology and economics from Stamford, Conn.; and Aikaterini Petridou ‘21, a computer engineering major from Thessaloniki, Greece. The four are among 360 students from 90 schools chosen for the program,

which is run by Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design. Fellows are selected after an application process that includes an essay and a video highlighting their thoughts on innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. Once chosen, fellows complete six weeks of online training. In the last five years, 22 Union students have been selected as fellows. The program empowers student leaders to increase campus engagement with entrepreneurship, innovation, creativity, design thinking and venture creation. Fellows design innovation spaces, start

entrepreneurship organizations, host experiential learning events and work with faculty to develop new courses. In the spring, Union’s Innovation Fellows may attend a meetup in Silicon Valley, which includes immersive experiences at Stanford University and Google. The students are supported by faculty sponsors Shane Cotter, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering; Erika Nelson-Mukherjee, associate professor of German studies; and Nicole Theodosiou, associate professor of biology and co-director of biochemistry.

Standing ovation An editing oversight in a previous edition left out a photo of Raphael Kummer-Landau ’22, the recipient of the 2019 Hollander Prize in Music at Opening Convocation. Before receiving the prize, the tenor got an enthusiastic standing ovation for his rendition of “Proud of Your Boy” from Aladdin by Ashman and Menken. The Brooklyn native is an electrical engineering major and a music minor who takes voice lessons and spends his free time in the Taylor Music Center practice rooms, writing his own music and “jamming out with friends.” He is a member of the Union College Chorale and co-chair of Golub House. And to round out his Union experience, he is a Zamboni driver at Messa Rink.

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

| TIMELINE |

OCT. The latest volume of the Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies features articles on controlling purple loosestrife, an environmental history of Lower St. Regis Lake degradation, and a fall photo essay. It is published by The Adirondack Research Consortium and Union’s Kelly Adirondack Center.

NOV.

Making our Mark In recognition of the 50th anniversary of coeducation at Union, a website celebrating the impact of Union women launched (union.edu/making-our-mark). The site features a historical timeline, upcoming events and alumnae profiles.

Top 50 Green College The College was named to The Princeton Review’s “Top 50 Green Colleges,” an annual ranking that highlights the country’s most environmentally responsible colleges. Union is among 413 schools profiled in the 10th edition of the Review’s “Guide to Green Colleges.” The College has been included in each edition, but this is the first time the school has earned a spot among the top 50.

Philadanco!, a dance company renowned for engaging in social justice issues, came to campus as part of the Theater and Dance Department’s annual Stephanie C. Davis Dance Residency. Students attended a Horton dance technique master class taught by Janine N. Beckles, a National Teaching Fellow at the School of American Ballet, and Joe Gonzales, Director of D3, Philadanco’s Youth Ensemble. Founder Joan Myers Brown, a laureate of the National Medal of Arts, also gave a talk reflecting on the company’s 50 years of creativity.

DEC.

Brian Huang ’21 at the Taj Mahal in India

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

For more on these and other stories, visit www.union.edu/news

JAN.

11-1 2019 record

Creating a More Inclusive Campus Pooja Kothari ’03, an expert in bias awareness, discussed “Creating a More Inclusive Campus: Gender, Unconscious Bias and Union’s Role.” Her visit kicked off a yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of coeducation at Union. Kothari began her career as a public defender with the Legal Aid Society. She founded Boundless Awareness as a training program to highlight bias in the legal system, and developed it to address bias in other organizations.

Football held a 14-game winning streak before bowing to Salisbury (62-41) in the second round of the NCAA DIII Football National Championship on Nov. 30. Union ended the 2019 season with an 11-1 record. The Dutchmen won their first game in the tournament since 2005 with a 24-21 comeback victory over Case Western Reserve Nov. 23. Union’s winning streak was the third-longest active streak in the country. For more on Union athletics: www.unionathletics.com

Winter Terms around the world During winter break, students participated in mini-terms around the world. Locations included Belize, England, the Galapagos Islands, India, Israel, Mongolia, Panama, Spain, Ghana, Fiji, Madagascar, South Africa, Peru, Argentina, Egypt, New Zealand and the United States

Most viewed news of 2019 An announcement naming Fran’Cee Brown-McClure as the new vice president for Student Affairs and Dean of Students was the most viewed article on the College’s news site in 2019. The piece generated nearly twice as many page views as the second most popular article, which announced an early action option for admission.

Applications to Union topped 7,000, the highest number submitted for any class in history. Applications for the Class of 2024 had a 23 percent jump from the 6,086 who applied last year. The boost was sparked in part by the introduction of early action decisions.

7,000+ % 23 Applications

jump from 2019

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

$51M GIFT PROPELS

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

UNION CAMPAIGN

N A FEST IVE MEMORIAL FIELDHOUSE B URST ING WIT H UNION PRIDE, T HE COLLEGE ON FEB . 21 L AUNC HED T HE PUB LIC PHASE OF IT S $300 MILLION “POWERING UNION: T HE C AMPAIGN

FOR MULT IPLE T OMORROWS,” T HE L ARGEST AND MOST AMB IT IOUS C APITAL C AMPAIGN IN T HE SC HOOL’S 225-Y EAR HIST ORY.

In the night’s most pivotal moment, the campaign got a major boost when President David R. Harris surprised the audience by announcing a $51 million gift from Class of 1980 graduates Rich and Mary Templeton. The gift, the largest ever for the College, will transform engineering and the liberal arts with the creation of the Templeton Institute for Engineering and Computer Science. In addition to the new institute, the gift will be used in the recruitment and retention of women pursuing a degree in engineering or computer science, enhancements to the curriculum, faculty support, and capital to further develop spaces and facilities. “Mary and Rich Templeton have led lives that exemplify our Strategic Plan,” Harris told a cheering crowd of hundreds of donors, alumni, students, staff and supporters. WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

“Our motto says, ‘under the laws of Minerva, we all become brothers and sisters,’” Harris said. “I like to tell alumni that they have over 2,200 brothers and sisters at Union. What would you do for a little brother or sister to help them find their way in the world? “Mary and Rich have answered that call in many ways over the years and they do so now in an unprecedented way.” Rich Templeton is chairman, president and CEO of Texas Instruments. He joined the company after earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Union. Mary (Haanen) Templeton, a philanthropist and community volunteer, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science. She had a 14-year career with General Electric Company before moving to Dallas, the headquarters of Texas Instruments. At Union, Mary and Rich met at the Rathskeller, the beloved social space in

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

the basement of Old Chapel. Rich ran the place and Mary worked there. Rich was on campus last spring as part of a Fortune 500 CEOs forum featuring alumni. The gift announcement was Mary’s first trip back to campus in 39 years. “Union is obviously very special to us and in retrospect it is the foundation upon which we guide our lives and the foundation on which we raised our family,” said Mary Templeton. “We believe we can make a difference for Union by helping to strengthen liberal arts and engineering for generations to come.” “The idea of liberal arts and engineering coming together makes sense and what’s really exciting is that Union is positioned to be best at this,” said Rich Templeton. “Mary and I are pleased to make a gift that touches so many things that are important to us. Now is a great time to be involved with Union and we’re just pleased to be able to do our part.”

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

“We all know how important the mission of the College is and how critical the support of our alumni and friends is in achieving our goals,” Harris said. The College has raised $221 million in gifts and pledges during the leadership phase of the campaign, which began July 1, 2015. This includes 44 gifts or pledges of $1 million or more, nine of which topped $5 million. Nearly 20,000 donors, including more than 11,000 alumni, have supported the campaign to date. Trustees Kathryn Stefanik Barry ’01, David J. Breazzano '78 and Guy Logan ’90 are campaign co-chairs. Robert Bertagna ’85, chair of the College’s Board of Trustees, in urging support for the campaign, said, “There is no better way to invest my time, my talent and my treasure than by supporting Union College’s mission to provide a world-class liberal arts education for the next generation of leaders.” The campaign launch was an inclusive event that touched on all aspects of campus and community life. A number of student speakers shared their unique Union experiences. Performances from a variety of student groups, including the Dance Team, the Black Student Union and the Union College Choir and Orchestra, entertained guests. Academic exhibits highlighted the campaign’s priorities, and a “Taste of Schenectady” featured offerings from local restaurants. Union’s previous campaign, “You are Union,” had a goal of $250 million. By the time it ended in December 2012, it had raised $258 million.

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

CA MPA IG N P RI ORI T I E S

E N S U R I N G A C C E S S ($65M) • Financial aid • Scholarships

The campaign focuses on four priorities that will shape the future of Union: ensuring access; propelling the liberal arts and engineering; developing students beyond the classroom; and The Union Fund.

• Family grants

The campaign priorities align with the College’s latest strategic plan, “The Power of Union,” a sweeping document that will guide the school’s decision-making over the next five years. The plan serves as a blueprint for the College to build upon its 225-year standing as an innovator in liberal education by “developing every student to lead with wisdom, empathy and courage, in ways large and small, now and across multiple tomorrows.”

PROPELLING THE LIBERAL ARTS A N D E N G I N E E R I N G ($150M)

• Persistence Fund (emergency funds) • Student support for pre-orientation, study away and unpaid internships

• New endowed professorships • Center for Faculty Excellence, providing support for professional development, research, travel • Academic programming • Facility enhancements • Technologies and instrumentation DEVELOPING STUDENTS B E Y O N D T H E C L A S S R O O M ($30M) • Immersive experiences, including the Center for Community Engagement, MakerSpace, study away programs and social innovation and entrepreneurship • Co-curricular programming, including residential curriculum and first-year experience

F O R M O RE I N FORM ATI ON, V I SI T:

www.union.edu/powering

• Supporting student success, including the Career Center, wellness services, and programs to support academic achievement (e.g. tutoring and accommodative services) T H E U N I O N F U N D ($55M)

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

Perhaps no change at Union was more transformative than welcoming women.

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

“

C O E D U C AT I O N … I S N E I T H E R A N E W P H E N O M E N O N , N O R A

R A D I C A L E X P E R I M E N T. I N P O I N T O F F A C T, I T I S A L R E A D Y T H E D O M I N A N T F O R M O F A M E R I C A N H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N , A N D D U R I N G T H E N E X T D E C A D E I T W I L L A L M O S T C E R T A I N LY B E C O M E T H E PERVASIVE ONE.

here is little in our historical record to suggest that Union’s decision to admit women as full-time students in 1970 was the result of some kind of progressive wave. Rather, coeducation was a matter of survival. By the end of the 1960’s, most long-established men’s colleges had announced plans or begun to admit women. Union’s leadership was concerned that the College would become “exclusive.” The 1967-68 edition of The Gourman Report, though criticized

The deliberations In his 1967-68 annual report, President Harold Martin wrote, “[Coeducation] might have been raised by any part of the college constituency—alumni, trustees, faculty or students—and it has indeed been raised by some members of each from time to time over recent years. “The most vociferous argument has, of course, come from students, usually through the college newspaper but sometimes from various student groups, in favor of a change

”

–Samuel B. Fortenbaugh ’23, chair of the board, May 1969

the tradition of the College to weight the committee, if at all, toward the status quo,” Martin said, adding that he did not attempt to determine the leanings of other committee members. He later learned that “the original weight of committee sentiment fell on the side of skepticism,” he wrote. James Underwood, professor emeritus of political science who arrived on campus in 1963, recalled Martin as one of the only people on campus who were reluctant about coeducation. He recalls Niemeyer as conservative but open enough to

But getting there took some time. About 175 years. Here is how it was decided. as an unreliable ranking instrument, gave at least a sense of the higher education landscape. Of the 1,187 institutions in the U.S., 919 were coeducational, 175 exclusively for women, and only 93 exclusively for men. “Coeducation … is neither a new phenomenon, nor a radical experiment,” wrote Samuel B. Fortenbaugh ’23, chair of the board, in a May 1969 letter to alumni. “In point of fact, it is already the dominant form of American higher education, and during the next decade it will almost certainly become the pervasive one. “To put the matter bluntly,” he continued, “the market for same-sex colleges is shriveling. The college seeking a healthy future cannot ignore that fact.”

or opposed. (See p. 21) But the steadiest pressing of the issue has come from the faculty …” In 1967, a “July Committee” of faculty recommended coeducation. The next year, Martin appointed an ad hoc committee with Prof. Carl Niemeyer of English as chair. Other members were Prof. Henry Butzel of Biology; Prof. Charles Gati of Political Science, Prof. Filadelfo Panlilio of Mechanical Engineering, Prof. Mira Wilkins, of Economics and History (the lone woman); and Bernard R. Carman, director of public relations and College editor. Niemeyer’s appointment as chair “may enrage the young,” Martin wrote in his annual report. “I knew him to be skeptical about coeducation and I thought it the better part of prudence and proper respect to

have weighed the options. Underwood also recalls Niemeyer chastising the president for his membership in the Mohawk Club, then a men’s-only organization. Deliberations in 1968 relied heavily on work already under way at Princeton, which had surveyed 4,680 high school seniors and found that single-sex liberal arts schools were the least popular option. The survey also found that weaker students preferred singlesex colleges. “The Princeton survey yields one message, loudly and clearly,” wrote editor Bernard R. Carman in a 1968 commentary. “The College that remains segregated will sooner or later be hurting for students.” The committee hosted Prof. Gardner Patterson, chair of the

Ed note: This is the first in a series of articles this year commemorating the 50th anniversary of the admission of women at Union. In this issue, we consider the decision and how it was made.

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

Princeton committee, to discuss among other things the optimum size of the new student body. Women should be added in meaningful numbers, in a ratio of at least one-fifth of the total, according to the committee report. The final recommendation was a student body of 1,200 men and 400 women.

An impact on science and engineering? The committee was highly concerned about the effect coeducation could have on science and engineering. The committee report assumed that “women systematically take different kinds of courses, and major in different subjects than do men.” And even more jarring: “It may also be noted that women, regardless of innate intellectual abilities, lead different lives from men. For many of them marriage is a career, as it is not for men.” Deliberations also brought up the question of replacement versus expansion, either option having costs. Replacement, some assumed, would drain enrollment from the sciences (except perhaps biology) and engineering. “The female of the species has a positive aversion to chemistry, physics and, of course, engineering in all its forms,” Carman wrote. The committee estimated

EARLY WOMEN Despite Union’s 175-year tradition of men’s-only education, a number of women played important roles at Union. And a few quietly earned Union degrees before 1970.

that expansion would run about $7 million, perhaps dictating cuts in areas least attractive to women: science and technology. Committee members also assumed that the 3 to 1 male-female ratio would not last, according to Carman. The population of collegebound men “cuts to much lower intellectual and socioeconomic levels” than women, Carman wrote. If it is easier to recruit qualified women, he surmised, the malefemale ration would drift toward parity, “to the peril of science and engineering.” “In the end, it may well be that the strongest arguments in favor of coeducation are those we may list under the broad heading of consumer demand,” Carman wrote. “In an age when the most intelligent and articulate of students decry the irrelevance of much of their education, how long can a college ignore one of the central facts of modern American life, association of the sexes on the basis of equality?”

The alumni speak In a survey in the winter of 1968, alumni recorded themselves in favor of admitting women by a margin of nearly two to one. Of the 2,521 surveys returned, 1,517 (60 percent) registered moderate or strong

approval; another 813 (32 percent) indicated moderate or strong opposition. Pre-1930 alumni were the only group in which the majority opposed coeducation. One member produced a rare comment: “Damn you, Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Look at the ruin and devastation you have caused. Poor Union. A once venerable and righteous institution has bitten the dust …” The response was not signed. The survey confirmed one important projection from the Princeton study that was echoed by the Union committee: collegebound students prefer coeducation. Indeed, 64 percent of alumni said they would want a daughter to attend a coed Union. In comments that came back from the survey, only 27 respondents used financial support (of lack thereof) to reinforce their position. A total of six alumni said they would support Union regardless. The comments also revealed that a large number of alumni supporting women’s admission at Union had attended coeducational graduate programs where, according to an editor’s comment in the summer 1969 Union College Symposium, they had “discovered to their delight that women can do

1883

1919

1925

Margaret Peissner, a faculty widow, was named registrar, the first women to hold an administrative position at Union.

Ely Esther Griffin became registrar. She also ran the College bookstore and started the student and alumni employment bureau.

Florence Fogler Buckland, a GE employee and MIT grad, completed master’s degree requirements in electrical engineering.

For a complete list of early women, visit the timeline at www.union.edu/making-our-mark

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

more than decorate a fraternity party.” The alumni publication reported that the College discounted a few of the surveys that it determined had been completed by wives of alumni. However, surveys were counted from the handful of alumnae who had earlier completed their degrees through the evening division. “They produced a rare note of unanimity in the statistics,” the alumni editor wrote: “to a man, the ladies believe in coeducation.”

The students speak While there is no record of a student survey, an Oct. 1, 1968, Concordiensis editorial may have summarized student sentiment: Union will become coed, or Union will become exclusive and will deal with a dwindling number of applicants who desire a highly scientific, specialized and expensive kind of education.” The seven-day presence of women on the campus will create, if not a more organic, dynamic, sensitive and diverse atmosphere, then at least a more healthful one. Concordiensis fully agrees with the faculty committee’s opinion that “a more normal kind of relationship between the sexes, based on a range of shared experiences broader than an hour of deafening rock and a

communally broached keg of beer, can only be beneficial.” Because Concordiensis is concerned about Union’s retention of not only its present status, but also its viability, we endorse the recommendations of the faculty committee and urge all students to demonstrate their concern by similarly supporting the Union of the future, not the Union of the present. Union was one of the first colleges in the world to tolerate all religions. Let us not allow Union to be one of the last to discriminate on the basis of sex.

The decision In September 1968, Union’s faculty voted in favor of coeducation, with one dissenting vote, followed by the Board of Trustees’ affirmation to admit women starting in September 1970. Once the decision was made, the College renovated North College and Richmond House for women and, to make more room, increased the number of men allowed off-campus housing. With preparations under way, Martin told the trustees, “I suspect that the wisest course is to think in terms of some extra human beings more than in terms of a second sex of students except for such elemen-

tary considerations as ironing boards, increased closet space and full-length mirrors.” [For more, see the “Women at Union” entry by Faye Dudden in Encyclopedia of Union College History, Wayne Somers, ed.]

1947

1952

1958

1970

1972

Grace Jorgensen, who called herself a “night school girl,” urged coeducation in a letter to Concordiensis. Dr. Jorgensen became a prominent obstetrician, delivered more than 7,000 babies, and served as director of Bellevue Women’s Hospital in Schenectady.

Ruth Anne Evans became the first woman faculty member, joining the College library with faculty status but not rank. She would become Union’s first female full professor in 1973. She retired in 1989.

Sally Van Schaick, a mother of five, earned enough night school credits to earn a degree in English. She had earlier gathered some credits at Duke University and Stetson University. “I was a bit sneaky,” she said. “I started taking some night courses and I don’t think that they were paying that much attention to me.”

Muriel Kauffman, treasurer of Marion Pharmaceutical Laboratories, Kansas City, Mo., is the first woman elected to the College’s board of trustees.

Prof. Helena Birecka of Biology became the first woman to receive tenure at Union.

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

UNION WOMEN

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

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

Who inspired/inspires you, both professionally and personally? JE A N “ GIGI” ( GRIF F IT H ) H A N S E N ’7 7, director with Ankura Consulting Group

Professor and Civil Engineering Department Chair H. Gil Harlow supported me—and others—in being the first women in the CE Department. He never made me feel that being female made any real difference in what I could be and accomplish. His advice to all us students about our duty and responsibilities as engineers still rings true. My dad, Thomas E. Griffith, supported me in all I wanted to do. He suggested I go into civil engineering. He had studied electrical engineering but never finished college. As a builder and a Realtor into his late 80s, he showed me (and my sisters, too)

many real life engineering opportunities. My mom, Mary-Gray Griffith, remains my inspiration, too. She is a classy lady who “stayed home” when my older sister and I were young, yet was a leader at our church and with Girl Scouts. Later, when her life balance allowed it, she owned and managed a very successful Realty office. She loves our home town of Goshen, N.Y., and started a group that saved much of the architectural history of the town. She taught me that I could, at any age, decide at what I wanted to excel. Age and sex have nothing to do with our limitations for setting and accomplishing goals.

What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your career or volunteer activities?

What advice would you offer today’s women students, not just at Union, but across the country?

SA B RINA RAU KANNER ’ 80, executive vice president of design and construction, Brookfield Properties

M A RY O M O B O L A N LE O LUS H O GA ’0 6 , assistant vice president/senior business advisor of Excelsior Growth Fund, president/ CEO of African Women Power (AWP) Network

The most rewarding and challenging aspects of my career and volunteer activities are always people-related. Early in my career, there were significant cultural and personal obstacles to overcome in order to advance. The culture was pervasively unsupportive of women. A favorite example: as I was promoted to project manager in the ‘80s, a colleague told me that he disagreed with my promotion because I was taking a job away from a man who was ostensibly a breadwinner for a family. With this logic, the most powerful CEO would have to be the man with the most children! Infuriating! Thankfully, there were shining exceptions to the culture and, like many of my peers, I persevered and eventually thrived. Easily the most rewarding aspect of my career is teaching and mentoring young people to become the best they can be. Enabling the expansion and growth of a person is genuinely a remarkable and even thrilling process—like nothing else. I highly recommend it should you want more happiness in your professional life.

What was your most formative experience at Union? M EL I S S A S T E WA RT ’9 0, award-winning author of more than 180 children’s science books

My relationship with Professor Karen Williams. I owe my entire career to her sage advice. When I was writing my senior thesis on sequencing fruit fly DNA, she showed me a related article in Discover magazine. She told me I could have written it, and that perhaps writing would be a good job for me. I’m so grateful that Karen saw a talent in me that I didn’t know I had. If it hadn’t been for her, who knows what I’d be doing now. I might have a job that I hate.

I often think about something I call the F.O.C.U.S. methodology; let’s just say I created this. It allows me to focus on what is important. F - focus on family O- find opportunities C - accumulate assets of cash & collateral U- when you find out what you really stand for, adore, honor, respect and love yourself. Everything starts within and with self. S - be content and satisfied with what you accomplish as you move along life’s journey Speak up. Be bold. Live your life. Make mistakes. Learn from these mistakes and move on quickly. Also don’t forget that when you are young is the best time to try out new things, travel to new places and see the world.

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

FOCUS

Virtuous vengeance? K R I S A N N A S C H E I T E R , associate professor of philosophy

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.

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

evenge is a dish best served cold, or so the saying goes. But what if it’s best not served at all? For most of us, it’s hard to decide. We cheer when people get what they deserve. Consider the popularity of “Game of Thrones.” But at the same time, there’s something inside us that cringes at satisfaction derived from harming others. Still, sometimes we might have a right to avenge ourselves. At least that’s what the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, thought. But to understand when we’re potentially entitled to retribution, we need to understand why people hurt each other in the first place. “Justified revenge is not just about showing someone that they cannot get away with wronging us,” said Krisanna Scheiter, who specializes in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy. “The most common reason we harm people, I suspect, is to get something we want. But Aristotle claims that sometimes we wrong people even when it will bring no benefit to us because we think they have no worth.” For Aristotle, there are two ways we assign worth to others. Intrinsic worth is assigned to those we value for their own sake, Scheiter explained. Instrumental worth is assigned to those who can hurt us or help us. “Aristotle thinks that if someone wrongs us because they think we have no worth, neither intrinsic nor instrumental, then we might be justified in seeking revenge,” she added. But a number of conditions must be met for Aristotle to consider revenge moral. “For one, we have to be right that we have been wronged. This entails that we are right about how we ought to be treated and we are right that the wrongdoer intentionally harmed us,” Scheiter said. “We are often wrong about what we deserve and we often misread other people’s intentions, so this alone makes determining when revenge is justified very difficult.” “Suppose a person thinks she ought to get preferential treatment because she is white. When she does not receive preferential treatment, she thinks she has been

wronged,” Scheiter continued. “If she were to seek revenge, her revenge would not be justified because she has not actually been wronged, even though she thinks she has.” It’s these nuances that make revenge such a murky issue. It’s often difficult to know when revenge might be ethical, and even if it is, the ramifications of hurting another person ultimately may not be worth it. If “Game of Thrones” teaches anything, it’s that vengeance can be a consuming, cyclical inclination passed down through generations—with seriously questionable benefits to anyone in the end. “The aim of my research is to show that Aristotle picked up on something about the dynamics of revenge that has an important moral component. I think we lose something in our moral philosophy when we dismiss revenge as inherently immoral,” Scheiter explained. “Maybe in practice revenge is never a good idea, but I think Aristotle might be right that revenge is not wholly bad.” Consider some modern day—nonfiction—ramifications of fighting back. “The power dynamics Aristotle describes about wrongdoing, worth and revenge reflect many of the ways marginalized groups have been wronged throughout history and have pushed back against the majority,” Scheiter said. “Marginalized groups are often treated as if they have neither intrinsic nor instrumental worth, or that their worth is less than those in the majority.” “In an ideal world, those who are wronged would be able to demonstrate their instrumental worth through purely positive means – by benefiting society. But in reality this is not always possible,” she added. “And so those who are marginalized push back by holding protests, demonstrations, strikes and rallies. In doing so they show—at the very least—they have instrumental worth. They show that they are capable of harming, or at least inconveniencing, society and that they are therefore an integral part of society.” Scheiter’s research is supported by a Loeb Classical Library Foundation Fellowship. –Erin DeMuth Judd

Populism and the press in Venezuela R O B E R T S A M E T , assistant professor of anthropology

obert Samet, assistant professor of anthropology, has been conducting fieldwork in Venezuela for more than 13 years. The oil-rich country has the highest homicide rate in South America, according to a recent report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Another report found that Venezuelan cities were among the 10 most dangerous in the world, with the capital, Caracas, at the top of the list. While the country’s late president, the charismatic and domineering Hugo Chávez, downplayed the extent of violent crime, his successor, Nicolás Maduro, declared an all-out war on crime. For his latest project, Samet shadowed crime reporters in Caracas for more than two years to explain the drastic shift in the approach to crime and the media’s role. His research forms the basis for a new book, Deadline: Populism and the Press in Venezuela (University of Chicago Press). How did you choose this topic for a book? When I started my Venezuela fieldwork in 2006, I was interested in the relationship between journalism, democracy and political mobilization. At the time, Caracas was the perfect place to study these issues because it had the most diverse and arguably freest media environment in the Western Hemisphere. It was also the most polarized. In order to get a deeper understanding of how journalists operated under these conditions, I decided to look at the one issue about which there was universal consensus—the problem of crime. How did you conduct your research? Anthropologists are not unlike journalists. I spent more than two years shadowing reporters, photographers and editors on the Caracas crime beat. Because of the dangers associated with crime reporting, journalists from two dozen competing

news outlets collaborated with each other, and they often traveled in a pack. On any given day, I followed them to crime scenes, hospitals, press conferences, interviews and the city morgue. People often mistook me for one of them. What did you learn working with the crime reporters on this book? Venezuela has some of the highest homicide rates in the world. Because of the polarized political environment, however, it was hard to know whether the problem was as grave as the media depicted. After a few weeks on the Caracas crime beat, I found any lingering doubts resolved. It really was that bad.

What do you want the takeaway to be for the reader? I want people to understand the specific practices that fuel populist mobilization. There is no question that crime was a severe problem in Venezuela. Instead of trying to solve the problem, Venezuela’s opposition—figures like Leopoldo López and Juan Guaidó—used the media to mobilize dissent against the government of President Hugo Chávez. The danger of populism is not that it is undemocratic. The danger is that it fuels grievances rather than resolving them. –Phil Wajda

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

| MEDIA |

HENRY JAMES BEDINGER ’67

Patriot, Prisoner, Survivor: An American Family at War Montezuma Publishing

Patriot, Prisoner, Survivor is CDR James Bedinger’s first-hand account of his life, and in particular, his service and imprisonment in Laos during the Vietnam War. Bedinger recounts a tale of heroism, endurance and the shared struggle in the fight for freedom, paralleled with the Bedinger family’s decorated history of service to the United States. From a fresh-faced recruit to a decorated veteran, Bedinger’s story ties living history to the greater narrative of American history. Patriot, Prisoner, Survivor serves as a reminder of the impact an individual can have on the very course of history.

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

RAYMOND ANGELO BELLIOTTI ’70

Is Human Life Absurd? A Philosophical Inquiry into Finitude, Value and Meaning Brill

Belliotti unravels the paradoxes of human existence. The purpose of this philosophical journey is to reveal paths for forging meaningful, significant, valuable, even important lives. By examining notions of the absurd expressed within Search for the Holy Grail, The Seventh Seal and The Big Lebowski, the author crafts a working definition of “absurdity.” He then investigates the contributions of classical thinkers such as Shakespeare, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Tolstoy, Sartre and Camus, as well as philosophers such as Nagel, Feinberg and Taylor. After arguing that human life is not inherently absurd, Belliotti examines the implications of mortality for human existence, the relationship between subjective and objective meaning, and the persuasiveness of several challenging contemporary renderings of meaningful human lives. The SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Fredonia, this is Belliotti’s 21st book.

STUART S. SHAPIRO ’70

SUSAN MAYCOCK ’72

IDENTIFi Yourself: A Journey in F**k You Creative Courage

After Rain

Waterside Press

Identifi Yourself is a humorous and poetic journey to empower and inspire the reader to find their creative strengths. From the Woodstock Music Festival to the halls of Congress to the reinvention of Night Flight, Stuart S. Shapiro connects his life experiences and offers dozens of takeaways to drive creative courage and overwhelm fear of rejection in order to build up that unbeatable f**k you attitude necessary for ultimate survival and success in all of life’s pursuits.

Self-published

After Rain is a collection of reflective narratives on living a life of purpose, passion and joy. Each narrative is accompanied by Susan’s photography, and together these words and art are meant to uplift and inspire. Susan writes about life practices she has found to be essential to her well-being, and she believes, to the well-being of all: gratitude and generosity, compassion and forgiveness, stillness and power, and more. After Rain is a practical guide, a book of wisdom and simple, but profound truths found in our everyday lives: in a drenched garden after a welcome rain, in the wilderness, in our friendships, and in every choice we make.

DAVID DUNHAM ’80

LYNN VILLENCY COHEN ’82

MICHAEL A. DAVI ’83

ALISON MALKIN ’84

“Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind”

A Curated Collection of Letters and Opinion Pieces

PrivileGEd: Experiences from My Unusual 40-Year Career with One of America’s Most Iconic Companies

The High School Years: A Parent’s Guide

A Sharp LLC (developer)

“Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind,” the spiritual successor to cult hit “King of Dragon Pass,” combines interactive fiction and turn-based strategy to immerse you in a hostile, blood-soaked land governed by myth and cursed with wonders. Uncover the secrets of the valley, battle ancient enemies and meet the gods, all while protecting your people and raiding your neighbors’ cows. Hundreds of scenes unfurl, accompanied by gorgeous artwork and backed by a clan simulation that makes every game unique. You’ll be faced with hard choices, but you’ll get advice to follow or ignore—although your advisors have their own agendas. The game, recently released by A Sharp LLC and David Dunham, is available on Steam for Windows 10 or macOS, or the iOS App Store. Learn more at sixages.com.

Self-published

A Curated Collection of Letters and Opinion Pieces is a selective compilation of the writer’s letters and opinion writings on the arts, the environment, historic preservation, parenting and politics. Covering topics such as the evolution of our cities; consequential environmental issues; relevant discussions of ethics in museum management; and the safeguarding and historic preservation of significant homes and buildings; all the writings have appeared in newspapers such as the Berkshire Eagle, the Stamford Advocate and The New York Times from 2006 to 2019. The book is accompanied by illustrations of diverse art works. Written to encourage community discussion on issues that are a part of our public discourse, the writings are candid and sardonic in style and tone, but notably heartfelt and hopeful at their core.

Troy Book Makers

Bursting with interesting and uncanny actual events, Davi’s story outlines a most unusual professional career with General Electric. Brimming with fascinating characters, global adventure, drama, success, tragedy, disappointments and rebounds, this book captures his unique experience of the American Dream. Readers, especially those with or aspiring toward technological paths, will appreciate true examples of innovation and problem solving in a complex industrial environment. PrivileGEd highlights successes based on strong interpersonal relationships, trust and friendship among highly skilled, motivated and dedicated professionals. Learn more at www.michaeldavi.net

iUniverse Publishing

The high school years can be daunting. Communication between parent, teenager and school are limited. Parents ask us, “What is going on?” So here is a manual that lifts the curtain on your teenager’s high school experience and offers guidance to help you through these challenging yet rewarding times.

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

| MEDIA |

JEFF BIGELOW ’95

DANIEL KIRSCH ’05

THOMAS BURKE ’00

QUISQUEYA WITBECK ’16

Emerson’s Adirondack Secret

Augmented Intelligence: The Business Power of Human– Machine Collaboration

Eastbound into the Cosmos

Breaking Boundaries: Bhangra as a Mechanism for Identity Formation and Sociopolitical Refuge Among South Asian American Youths

Troy Book Makers

In the year 2035, the ravages of climate change and subsequent economic and political decline have caused the United States to be broken up into six separate republics. Jasper Stone, an outof-work archeologist, receives a cryptic message from his former colleague, Riley Collins, about an ancient alien artifact hidden somewhere in the Adirondack mountains. Riley believes the relic may contain an urgent warning from an alien civilization, but he disappears before he can share any additional information. Jasper, seeking meaning in his life after the murder of his mother, continues the search for the artifact to help his friend and find some spiritual respite. The key to the location of the artifact lies within the transcendental writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson during his time in the Adirondacks. With the help of his former love, Ingrid Black, Jasper embarks on a quest to secure the artifact and bring its message to light. Worried about how the artifact could threaten their evangelical fundamentalism, the newly formed Southern Republic theocracy sends a former domestic terrorist to stop them. From the waters of Lake Champlain to the ski jumps of Lake Placid, Jasper and Ingrid embark on a journey to save the artifact and perhaps, the world. 28

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group

Artificial intelligence (AI) has long piqued our imaginations about what’s possible from technology. In recent years, billions of dollars have flowed into startups that promise to create new business models based on artificial intelligence, machine learning and “smart” automation. Business leaders must understand the technical realities of AI, and how other organizations are finding success. The most pragmatic and useful way to benefit from AI and machine learning is to implement these powerful technologies as an augmentation to human intelligence. This hybrid approach— a partnership between humans and machines—called augmented intelligence, results in better outcomes than technology or humans on their own. This book focuses on the organizational and technical building blocks required to help business leaders, employees and students to think about and formulate their augmented intelligence strategies. The book explores the risks of improper data use, AI ethics and the need to control the use of AI.

MadHat Press

American culture is strange— and appears even stranger after a hiatus. Cue Everett, back in Chicagoland after living in China. His father has just died, and re-entry to his former life is increasingly complicated. On top of that, while he was abroad everyone Everett cared about dove off the deep end. Exhibit A: Everett’s mom, recently widowed, with a newfound faith in healing crystals and a ponytailed guru. Exhibit B: former roommate Dino’s newly ascetic lifestyle. Increasingly drifting and desperate, Everett signs on to an unconventional venture: the high-stakes world of mushroom smuggling. Do the ends justify the means? What, even, are the ends? Eastbound into the Cosmos is the story of Everett’s attempt to process the longing, the grief, the weirdness. Along the way he discovers the weird in himself, which may just be what ultimately frees him.

Proquest

Breaking Boundaries explores the elements of South Asian American youths’ identity formation, reformation and reification through engagement with the Punjabi folk music and dance of Bhangra. Read it at https://search. proquest.com/docview/228514 9608/98C35042B53C4B16PQ/ 1?accountid=12826

Parents Circle

ROGER HULL, PRESIDENT EMERITUS

The Leader’s Manual and 2020 Vision: Dump Trump Union’s 17th president (1990-2005) has authored two books. 2020 Vision: Dump Trump, is an independent’s analysis of the issues facing voters in 2020 and the need for Democrats to craft the right message and find the right messenger to recapture the Senate and White House. The Leader’s Manual uses the words of those whom readers would agree have attained success and lets those leaders and their words make the argument for principles important for any leader.

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

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

Thank you to all the Parents Circle families and alumni who

have hosted events in their communities. These events offer opportunities to network with fellow families and College leadership. The Union passion, energy and enthusiasm shared during these programs are inspiring.

To learn more about the Parents Circle or to host a family event in your community, contact: Noelle Beach Marchaj '05 Director of Parent and Family Philanthropy Cell: 860-655-2875 marchajn@union.edu

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

Alumni Clubs BOSTON Alumni enjoy the Boston holiday party in December.

CAPITAL DISTRICT Alumni and families attend a Welcome to the City Reception for New York’s Capital District.

Alumni attend a football viewing party in Boston Nov. 23. The Dutchmen beat Case Western Reserve University (24-21) in the first round of the 2019 NCAA D-III Football Championship.

WASHINGTON, D.C. Alumni enjoy the Washington, D.C. holiday party in December.

Save the Date UPCOMING ALUMNI CLUB EVENTS AUG. 12, 2020 Nantucket Campaign Launch Nantucket, Mass. AUG. 13, 2020 Cape Cod Campaign Launch Cape Cod, Mass.

SEPT. 17, 2020 D.C. Campaign Launch Washington, D.C. NOV. 10 - 12, 2020 California Campaign Launch Los Angeles & San Francisco, Calif.

Visit uconnect.union.edu for more information on these and other events. 30

Alumni attend a Red Sox vs. Yankees game at Fenway Park Sept. 9, 2019.

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

Alumni attend a Welcome to the City Reception at the home of Mark Webster ’88 in North Andover, Mass.

Building Our Third Century A bequest was received from the estate of Warren O. Kamm, Class of 1945. The proceeds, along with the remainder of a charitable remainder trust, established the Loretta and Oscar Kamm Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship, named in honor of his parents, will support students pursuing courses in chemistry or the physical sciences. Mr. Kamm earned his degree in chemistry and was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa. He enjoyed a lengthy career at Eastman Kodak. An unrestricted bequest was received from the estate of Elizabeth Veeder. Proceeds will be used to support areas of greatest need. Ms. Veeder was the daughter of Carl W. Veeder, Class of 1913. She attended many Union College events in the area. A bequest was received from the estate of William T. Kirchgasser, Class of 1961. Proceeds established an endowed geology fund, in memory of Professors Leo Hall and Philip Hewitt, to support undergraduate field research. Dr. Kirchgasser earned his degree in geology and was a member of Sigma Xi and Beta Theta Pi while at Union. He enjoyed a lengthy career at SUNY Potsdam as a geology professor and department chair. A bequest was received from the estate of Alice C. Juengling. Along with earlier distributions, the proceeds will be added to the Harlan B. and Alice C. Juengling Endowed Scholarship. Alice was the widow of Harlan B. Juengling, Class of 1951.

A bequest was received from the estate of James F. Dorrill, Class of 1951. A portion of the proceeds was directed in support of Phi Beta Kappa; the remaining unrestricted proceeds will be used to support areas of greatest need. Mr. Dorrill earned his degree in English and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Sigma Kappa and the Concordiensis. After earning a Ph.D. from Harvard University, he joined the University of South Alabama as professor of English and Chaplain to the Catholic Campus Ministry, and later as department chair. The remainders of three charitable gift annuities established with Union were received from the estate of Richard M. Tyndall, Class of 1944. Proceeds will support both the maintenance of the Nott Memorial and the sciences. Mr. Tyndall earned his degree in electrical engineering and was a member of Sigma Chi. He spent his career in industrial engineering. As an alumnus, he was presented with the Gold Award at a 2009 ReUnion engineering ceremony. Bequest distributions were received from the estate of John R. Glover, Class of 1976. Proceeds were used to purchase equipment for use in the photography department and to create several new funds in support of Visual Arts: an endowed fund for equipment and programming; two prize fundsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the John R. Glover (1976) Endowed Prize for Black-and-White Photography and the John R. Glover (1976) Endowed Prize for Color Photographyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and the John R. Glover (1976) Endowed Scholarship. A professional photographer, Mr. Glover earned his degree in economics and physics and was involved with WRUC while at Union.

The remainder of a pooled life income fund established with Union was received from the estate of William V. Johnson, Class of 1944. Proceeds were directed toward the maintenance of Memorial Chapel. Mr. Johnson earned his degree in English. He enjoyed a lengthy career at Bristol-Myers, retiring as director of plant development. A quarterly trust distribution was received from the estate of Robert L. Slobod, Class of 1935. Proceeds will be used to support areas of greatest need. A bequest was received from the estate of Richard P. Propp, Class of 1956. Proceeds will be used in support of scholarship. Dr. Propp was a member of Phi Sigma Delta and majored in pre-med at Union. He went on to earn his degree from Albany Medical College, joined the staff of Albany Medical Center, later retiring after 20 years in private practice. A quarterly trust distribution was received from the estate of Naomi Chambers and added to the Walter R.G. and Naomi Baker Scholarship. Mrs. Chambers was the widow of Walter R. G. Baker, Class of 1916.

CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITIES A deferred payment charitable gift annuity was established by James G. Ehlen, Class of 1962, and Carol Ehlen. The remainder proceeds will be added to the James G. Ehlen, Jr. Endowed Fund.

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

Tax benefits from charitable gifts, with or without itemized deductions If your itemized deductions regularly exceed the standard income-tax deduction, you will continue to itemize and realize tax savings from your gifts to Union College and other charities. But if you’re among the estimated 90 percent of individuals who will not itemize because of the higher standard deduction implemented by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, there are several ways you may still realize tax savings from your gifts.

YOU CAN SAVE TAXES BY: • Giving appreciated securities • Giving from your IRA • Timing your gifts strategically

TO LEARN MO RE, PLEASE CO NTACT: Steven Jo, Director of Gift Planning (518) 388-6156 jos@union.edu www.union.giftplans.org 32

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

CL ASS

N O TE S

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

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

1950 Richard Lieb and his wife Jeanne’s 70th wedding anniversary is coming up. He is still doing publications in law journals, all three of his kids work as lawyers (one is a judge in N.Y. Supreme Court), and his granddaughter just toured Union.

1951 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

James Taub 711 S. Market Street Johnstown, N.Y. 12095 (518) 762-1172 shrevie711@hotmail.com William Greve just celebrated his 90th birthday with his 12 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Dr. Gerald Ente writes, “I have just completed my 24th year as president of the Surgeons and Associates Lodge of the New York State Fraternal Order of Police, which I organized and ran since its inception. In honor of my retirement as president, almost 500 members surprised me by creating the

Dr. Gerald Ente ’51 recently retired as president of the Surgeons and Associates Lodge of the New York State Fraternal Order of Police. In attendance at the celebration were Dr. Murray Fullman (involved with Union’s Sean Murphy Scholarship), Dr. Eric Cheng, Dr. Robert D’Esposito, Peter Ente ’82, Dr. Lee Tessler, Emil Braun (father of Harley Braun ’14)

Dr. Gerald Ente Endowed Mini Term Scholarship Fund. The scholarship will help support Union students’ ability to participate in a three-week mini-term abroad experiences across the globe. It was a special evening, and I enjoyed celebrating with several members of the Union community.”

1952 John C. Walsh’s granddaughter got married in Maryland and graduated from University of Charlotte. Another granddaughter graduated from the University of Miami, and grandson, Tucker Walsh, recently won an Emmy award for directing “Treatment Box.” He and wife, Bette Walsh, have been going strong for over 60 years.

1953 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Hubert Plummer 21 Temple Road Setauket, N.Y. 11733 (631) 941-4076 whp@plummerlaw.com Alan Wright is very proud of his three kids, 11 grandkids, and four great-grandkids. His son, James Wright, graduated from Union College in 1972.

1954 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Avrom J. Gold 33 Madiosn Lane Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29926 (908) 581-1455 avromgold@gmail.com Karl Reinitz reports he is finally over 90 years old.

James Groff recently completed one of his bucket list items. He and his wife, Betts, went on a riverboat cruise from Paris to Normandy and loved it. They plan to go on another riverboat cruise next year from Amsterdam to Budapest. He also participated in the 2019 National Clay Court Championships (tennis) and is the treasurer for a local election candidate. He is proud of his six kids, 12 grandchildren, and five greatgrandchildren. Joseph Loffredo is enjoying retirement in Lake George, N.Y.

1955 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

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

1957 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Paul Mohr 140 E Duce of Clubs Ste A Show Low, Ariz. 85901 dadtired@frontiernet.net Donald E. Mack took a wonderful trip to Sicily recently.

1958 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Robert B. Howe 135 Chevy Chase Dr. Wayzata, Minn. 55391-1053 howex001@umn.edu

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

CLASS NOTES

1959

Dr. David Singer writes, “I recently was chosen (by my peers) as one of the top specialists in internal medicine in 2019 by Los Angeles Magazine in the April ‘TOP DOCS’ issue!”

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

William “Dal” Trader 5361 Santa Catalina Avenue Garden Grove, Calif. 92845 daltrader@earthlink.net (310) 629-8971 Dr. David M. Berger writes, “I am still giving two long days per week to our local VA facility, seeing consultations one day and spending the other in the Operating Room treating skin cancers and soft tissue problems. It’s an opportunity to serve our veterans and it keeps my brain cells shaking hands! Esta and I recently celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. She says it was the best years of her life!”

1960 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Charles E. Roden kiw702@aol.com Dr. Joel Kupersmith writes, “My wife, Dr. Judith Kupersmith, and I were awarded the Medal of Honor for New York Medical College on November 16. It was the first time that a husband and wife team won this honor. I am in 1964 graduate of the medical school and she graduated in 1969. The medal was awarded to me for a long career in academic medicine and government service, including being dean of a medical school, directing the VA medical research program, starting the Million Veteran Program (now the world’s largest genetic database), and publishing over 170 papers and three books. My wife won the honor for a dual career that began as a dancer with the New York City Ballet and later as an academic psychiatrist. She initiated a clinic for performing artists in New York, which has been

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

1968 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Kappa Sigma fraternity brothers from the Class of ’61 gathered for a reunion in Falmouth, Mass. Sept. 9. Front row, left to right, are Dave Muench, Bob Fuller and Bill Marx. Back row, left to right, are Bob Hurlbutt, Don Crist, John Welch and Bill Reaman.

copied worldwide. She authored two books on the subject and has won numerous faculty teaching awards. We are both now on the faculty of Georgetown University, where I am also director of Veterans Initiatives.”

1961 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

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

1963 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

George Ball 6929 Country Line Road Wayland, N.Y. 14572-9553 gball@frontiernet.net Neil Kleinman writes, “This summer we took our family— two sons, two daughters-inlaw and two grandsons—to England and Scotland. It was our objective to share a wide range of experiences among three generations. Our grandsons got to see where their father had lived in Edinburgh as a year abroad student, and where their mother had lived while working for Save the Children. All of us got to see where our oldest son attended St.

Andrew’s University. Our overall experiences ranged from palaces to a rugby match. We were fortunate to be able to give a legacy of memories to our family.”

1965 Lawrence Baldassaro writes, “Having retired from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee after 36 years as a Professor of Italian, I am honored to be the recipient of this year’s Spaights Plaza Award, which is described as ‘an enduring means by which the institution pays a timeless tribute to colleagues who have made significant and lasting contributions to the university.’”

1966

John Dresser Etna, N.H. jdressernh@gmail.com Laurence I. Fox recently joined Hodgson Russ in the firm’s Saratoga Springs, N.Y. office. Laurence handles contract drafting and negotiation, contract administration, bidding issues, surety matters, disputes, claims, administrative reviews, settlements, trials and appeals in state and federal courts, mediations and arbitrations. He is a former assistant attorney general in the contract litigation unit of the NYS Department of Law.

Laurence I. Fox ’68

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

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

1967

1969 CLASS CORRESPONDENTS

George Cushing Delanson, N.Y. pinyachta@gmail.com

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

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

Ray Pike Salisbury, Mass. rnwpike@comcast.net

The Monroe Community College Foundation recently announced that Richard

Reingold joined its board of directors. Richard is vice president and general manager of WHEC-TV. He holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and a master’s degree in management from Northwestern University.

1970 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Frank P. Donnini Newport News, Va. fpdonnini@aol.com Stuart Shapiro writes, “Recently published an autobiography based on my journeys as an independent producer and entrepreneur—Identifi Yourself, available on Amazon. Still producing my long-time TV series ‘Night Flight,’which is now a subscription channel based on retro music and culture largely from the 1980’s. It’s available at nightflightplus.com, ROKU, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV. Actively working as president of iConstituent, a leading software and services company specializing in constituent communication for the U.S. Congress and numerous states and governors. Married to Laurie Dolphin, son Dorian Shapiro and stepsons, Miles Dolphin and Brian Dolphin. Living in New York City, Shelter Island and Sarasota, Fla.” Len Simon lives in San Diego with his wife of 45 years, Candace Carroll. He works part-time as a lawyer and teaches one law school course a year. He has spent most of his career suing corporate America and loving it. He also spends a bit of his professional time on sports-related legal issues, and owns a minor league baseball team. He still writes articles about sports, although mostly sports business and law, as he did as

the sports editor of the Concordiensis. Len and Candace have three sons, two married, but no grandchildren yet. They hold out hope for that. Len is an avid but mediocre golfer. He is in touch with classmates Rich Gilman, Ira Rutkow and Craig Carlson, who now lives in San Diego. Jonathan Littman writes, “I retired 2 years ago after more than 40 years as a family medicine physician and am enjoying every minute of it. I still live in the suburbs of Chicago and my wife and I are lucky enough to be able retreat to our vacation home in a rural area of northwest Illinois a couple of times a month. I volunteer once a week at the Field Museum of Natural History, where I help update inventory in the Insect Department—I was an avid butterfly collector as a child. I sing in a senior choir, have taken up golf, and still play blues piano. Our son lives and works in Manhattan so we get to visit New York from time to time, which affords me the opportunity to meet up with some of my old Union buddies who live there. A big hello to my former classmates! Sorry I won’t be able to attend the 50th class ReUnion in May.” Paul Beals writes, “After Union, I inveigled my way into Cornell’s celebrated (but inaptly named) School of Hotel Administration, where I worked as a writer and researcher and was eventually named editor of the school’s journal, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. After five years as an editor, I realized I didn’t have the generosity of spirit necessary to spend the rest of my professional life shoring up the work of other academics. It was time for a change. Packing multiple disruptions into a short period, Audrey and

I sold or stored everything we owned, married, and left five days later for Switzerland, where I had been engaged to teach and consult. From this platform, I embarked on a 30-plus year career that included teaching, administration and consulting. I taught, primarily to MBA students, finance and managerial economics. Returning to Cornell after our stint in Helvetia, I helped launch one of the first international MBA programs partnering a U.S. business school with a European counterpart. Also, constantly expanding my research and publications in real estate finance and investments, I consulted, primarily with lodging ownership entities, in Europe and North America.” Mike Keesee is a lawyer in Port Chester, N.Y. He writes, “First day at Union, orientation counselors grabbed our bags, took us to our rooms. A little later, some guys, I think organized by Neil Kramer, went out in front of West and played touch football. Nobody knew anyone, so I was designated to play defensive back, which I was happy to do. On about the first or second play, I saw a blur speed past me and catch a touchdown. At the time, I didn’t know I had just joined the club of guys that Craig Carlson beat for touchdowns. I went back to our huddle and announced that we needed to make some changes on defense, such as replace me. Fun afternoon on the first day though!” Craig Parsons lives in Myrtle Beach, S.C. He writes, “I am working as a substitute teacher for the Horry County SC school system. Also enrolled in the Multi-Categorical Special Education program at Coastal Carolina University.”

Alan Eustis lives in Lancaster, Penn. He writes, “After three years in Air Weather Service; an early out after returning from Southeast Asia and the war drawdown, went back to grad school, then eventually National Weather Service. Worked with Air Force over the years on satellites and related projects. I retired a couple of years ago and moved from Washington, D.C. to Lancaster, Pa. People ask what I did for a living, and I usually say ‘it’s complicated.’ I was a meteorologist for 35+ years and ended up retiring from the National Institute of Standards and Technology as a meteorologist. Molly and I enjoy our new home in the old town part of the city. We do a lot of hiking and some volunteer work. Life has been good.” Henry Smith III, Ph.D., writes, “I’m retired (2016), but remain active in community/civic causes. I spent eight years as the deputy cabinet secretary and chief operating officer for Delaware’s largest state agency, the Dept. of Health and Social Services, from February 2009 to December 2017. Prior to coming to that department, I spent 15 years with Delaware’s Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, leaving there as the cabinet secretary in January 2009. In my first five years of Delaware State service, I worked in the State’s Office of Management and Budget, heading up its Internal Consulting Group. Before a career in public service, I spent 18 years working in higher education. Now retired, my wife and I split our year between Charleston, S.C., where we are both from, and Wilmington, Del., to be in reasonable proximity to our five children (one in New York City, one in Baltimore, one in

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

CLASS NOTES

Philadelphia, two in Wilmington; and our grandchildren, who are in these locations. Union College was most instrumental in what I consider to have been a wonderful professional career. I will forever be grateful. When I last visited the campus (about five years ago) I stopped by Richmond House (my freshman dorm), West College, where I spent my sophomore year, and was overwhelmed with wonderful memories.” Fred Jackson lives in Wilmington, N.C. He writes, “As the Vietnam War wound down, the Air Force offered ‘early outs’ to officers, so I left the service after two years, three months and eight days. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great and enjoyable experience. Then I worked for GE in five locations spanning 24 years and became a human resources executive. Seeking a path to early retirement I left GE and joined a small, global, NASDAQ listed techie company—Perceptron, Inc. as VP-HR. Worked there for nine years and retired at age 59 in 2007. Now in Wilmington, with my wife, Ana Maria (Russell Sage 1971, home country Guatemala). Two daughters and two grandchildren live nearby in Raleigh. Enjoy bicycling, boating, reading, bridge and church activities. Miss my Union roommate, Bob Bischoff, who died during the 1980s.” Frank Felts lives in the Albany, N.Y. area. He writes, “My dear wife, Barbara, passed away on Sept. 5, 2019, our 38th wedding anniversary. She was a real Union wife, supporting me in everything Union. She accompanied me at many, many Union events over the years and was a great support for my involvement in Union which, in turn, enriched our 36

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

lives greatly. You will continue to see me on campus for years to come.” Chris Woods lives in Morgan Hill, Calif. He writes, “Finally retired December 31, 2018. Time to stop commuting in Silicon Valley traffic jams every day. Our daughters continue to grace us with more grandchildren. Marker Knox Nebel being the latest just two months ago. We both (Sarah Woods and me) just love to watch them grow, learn to walk and talk, and boy do they talk and graduate from baby to toddler to little people all too fast. Looking forward to visiting the campus next year on my 50th. Some of the fraternity nonsense we used to do seems just like yesterday as does driving up to Skidmore after dinner, having too many beers at the Hub Club (?) and somehow driving home in one piece. Hopefully Rick Miller and William ‘Chow’ Hartt can make it. It’s been way too long.”

University. After 42 years in the university’s Department of Politics and its Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, he retired in September. Although no longer commuting from Greenwich Village, where he lives with his husband, Alex Quinn, and no longer teaching, he continues to do research. His current project is a book on the politics of Social Security.

1971

1973

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

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

1972 R. Douglas Arnold is now the William Church Osborn Professor of Public Affairs, emeritus, at Princeton

R. Douglas Arnold ’72

From left to right: John Denio ’76 and Margaret Goldin-Denio ’76 were joined in September 2019 by Kay Stout Van Woert ’74 and Ned Van Woert ’71 for a bicycle tour from the Northern Italian Alps to Verona, Italy.

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Larry Swartz Niskayuna, N.Y. larry.swartz@agriculture.ny.gov Stanley White is vice president for development for an offshore wind farm developer. “I have four projects in predevelopment with a construction value exceeding $3B. Barb and I live in Noank, Conn., and have three grandchildren (two girls, 5 and 7, and a boy, 2). We continue to sail as much as possible on our Xc38. This past June, I participated in the Bermuda 1-2 (single handed down, double handed back) finishing third in class and eighth in fleet in the single handed race.”

1974 CLASS CORREPSONDENT

Cathy Stuckey Johnson San Mateo, Calif. caj1080@hotmail.com Peter Tavino presented “Geothermal in New York” at a conference in Beijing in August. His drone video of Nott Memorial in May had thousands of Facebook views.

1976 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Jill Schneier Wegenstein Carmel Valley, Calif. jwegenstein@gmail.com Thomas Baca writes, “Helen and I are retired and fully occupied helping out with our grandkids here in Albuquerque and on both coasts. We recently took a trip to Spain, where I was able to show

Helen and Tom Baca ’76 near the Torre del Oro in Seville, Spain

Helen where I spent my term abroad in Seville in 1974. Besides the amazing Spanish food, we saw Flamenco dancers, the best of the Prado and how much more Europeanized Spain has become. For our next big trip, we hope to go to Vienna, where Helen spent her term abroad in 1976!”

1977 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Leila Shames Maude LeeShamesMaude@alumni. union.edu James Garofalo writes, “This summer I celebrated my 30th year with Tim Miller Associates, Inc. in Cold Spring, New York, providing transportation planning services for private developers, residents, and governments both local and state. Union helped me cement my interest in the transportation field.” J. Elias Portnoy writes, “After losing three family members to terminal cancer a few years back (father Samuel ’42, mother and sister), I changed career courses (I owned a noted brand strategy consultancy in Orlando, Fla.) and became involved in the fitness industry. To ensure I was staying as healthy as possible, I started training religiously and learning about nutrition for athletes. I trained intensely enough to compete on stage at age 60 in men’s fitness with kids as young as 19. I then started a talent agency, CR2 Talent Miami, that manages elite fitness athletes. We oversee the careers of important athletes in the U.K., Canada, U.S. and Dubai. I will be getting back on stage to compete again this year at 65. Fitness is not the typical industry for senior citizens, but I love it.”

1978 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Jeff Laniewski, Florence, Ariz. jlaniewski4@gmail.com Dr. Benjamin Rubin recently received the “Best Consultant of the Year” award for 2019 at Suburban-Hopkins Hospital. He is medical director of the Better Vision Center; CEO and president of Meshabarase, LLC; and chairman of ophthalmology at SuburbanHopkins Hospital.

Dr. Benjamin Rubin ’78

private entities on complex commercial litigation matters, product liability lawsuits, employment matters, corporate disputes, and construction claims and lawsuits. He also represents numerous national corporations on self-insured personal injury disputes. Jan De Deka writes, “I retired last June from Research Foundation of the City University of New York and have been doing a bit of travel, most recently Iceland in 2019 and headed to Indonesia in 2020.” Garry Hughes writes, “I retired in May 2015 after 36 years at IBM and two years at Globalfoundries. I still live in the Poughkeepsie area and am in touch with most of my Fiji classmates from the late 70s and early 80s, most recently with John Ottaviano ’80, Dicky

1979 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Kurt Hamblet San Luis Obispo, Calif. kurthamblet@gmail.com Christopher Massaroni recently joined Hodgson Russ in the firm’s Albany, N.Y. office. Christopher represents individuals, and public and

Christopher Massaroni ’79

David Becker ’79 in Switzerland

Rosenthal ’78, Harry Adamakos ’81 and Duncan Mackenzie ’83.” David Becker writes, “Still working full time as a gastroenterologist in Clearwater, Fla. Recently traveled to Switzerland, including the mountain area of Murren, with my wonderful wife, Brenda; and son, Julián.” Debra Kaufman Daren writes, “I am still in my solo private practice of general dentistry and love it! My husband, Steve, and I live full-time in New London, Conn., and part-time (long weekends) in Jupiter, Fla. My son, Andrew, and his wife of five years live in NYC. This June 2020, my daughter, Anna, who resides in Brookline, Mass., will be married in Boston. Susan Portin and I keep actively in touch.” Pamela Madeiros writes, “Inspired by our recent 40th reunion, a crew from the infamous 4th Floor West kept the party going by visiting Katy Boyd at her Lake George compound—Kathleen Ruby, Dee Lord, Carrie Morrill, Iris Blank and me. It was a spectacular opportunity to catch up with dear friends and make puzzles. We then took the band on the road and gathered at my compound in Coxsackie to celebrate ‘collective birthdays,’ this time drawing Tam Meade into the frivolities.”

Fun weekend at Lake George with fellow Zoo (4th floor West) residents Pam Madeiros ’79, Iris (Blank) Harvey ’79, Carrie (Morrill) Cummings ’79, Kathy Ruby ’79 and Katy (Boyd) Boxley ’79

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

CLASS NOTES

Michael Chaskes, M.D. writes, “I am vice chair for the Department of Medicine and medical director for Outpatient Cardiology at the State University of New York at Buffalo. I have two wonderful grandchildren, Stella and Mason. My son, Mark ’12, is an otolaryngology resident at Jefferson in Philadelphia.” Andrew J. Faber, M.D. writes, “Fortunate to recently step back from director; now part-time hospitalist at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, Lakewood Ranch, Fla. Barbara and I enjoy the surrounding Sarasota area.” Eric J. Goldring writes, “Thoroughly enjoying my move to Lake Tahoe and traveling the world as part of my luxury travel business. Next up is my third trip to Antarctica in December after having hosted a small group through Northern Europe and Scotland on Goldring Travel’s annual Culinary & Cultural Cruise this past August. Melding biology, culinary, historical and cultural into travel is so rewarding.” Leslie Kent writes, “I retired several years ago which has allowed more time and flexibility to pursue my passion for travel. I have a long list of places that I hope to explore. Last year my husband and I completed the Great Himalaya Trail in Nepal. A few months later I cycled from the Balkans to the Baltic.”

1980 Mack Sperling was recently recognized in the 2020 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in commercial litigation with the Brooks Pierce firm.

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

The National Academy of Construction has elected Sabrina Kanner, executive vice president, design and construction, for Brookfield Properties, has been elected to the National Academy of Construction. She was inducted on Oct. 24 during the NAC annual meeting in Nashville, Tenn. Sabrina was selected from more than 300 leaders who were considered for academy membership. She was cited by NAC as “an acknowledged industry leader known for her ability to manage diverse teams in planning, design, and construction of significant development and redevelopment projects.”

Sabrina Kanner ’80 (center) was recently elected as a member of the National Academy of Construction’s class of 2019. She is pictured with Tom Sorley, National Academy of Construction president, and Maggie Walker, vice president.

1982 Dr. Steve Auerbach retired after reaching the maximum 30 years of active duty service as medical epidemiologist with the U.S. Public Health Service. His service included stints with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, overseas in Micronesia, and back home in NYC with the regional office of the

SDT sisters Jane Cavalier Lucas ’83, Kathy Stoll Perragaux ’84, Wendy Richards Loughlin ’87, Janice Grossman Hassenfeld ’87, Joanne Lynch Bauer ’85, Lori Cooper Alexander ’86 and Nia Cholakis ’84 visited Joanne on Martha’s Vineyard in September to share good times and make some new memories. The motto for the weekend: “just B.”

Health Resources and Services Administration, working with community health centers, healthcare for the homeless, national health services corps, health professional shortage areas, etc. He is looking forward in retirement to being even more active on the executive board of Physicians for a National Health Program in NYC, other single-payer and health, social and economic justice work. He lives in NYC with his wife, Dr. Karen Becker, and their two children, when they are home. Larry Koved retired from the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, where he was a principal research staff member, after 37 years. He earned an M.S. in computer science from the University of Maryland, College Park, where he studied human-computer interaction, and hypertext (precursor to the World Wide Web). Larry’s research included performance and reliability of cloud services, computer supported collaborative work (CSCW), clientserver computing, virtual reality (VR), mobile computing, Java security, web security, static analysis of software for security and performance

optimization and blockchain. For the past 20 years, he worked in the information security department. Larry co-authored a book and has published numerous academic articles. He is an inventor on over two dozen issued U.S. patents.

Larry Koved ’82

1983 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Cory Lewkowicz Needham, Mass. corylewkowicz@gmail.com

1984 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

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

1988 Diane Mehta writes, “My poetry collection, Forest with Castanets, came out in 2019. I’m an editor at Library Journal and School Library Journal in New York. I’m working on a historical novel set in 1946 India, a collection of essays, and have a small educational book about writing poetry. I’ve written on social policy, parenting, books, travel and other topics for the New York Times, and literary essays for the Paris Review, Foreign Policy and other publications. I have a 15-year-old son.”

edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in environmental law with the Brooks Pierce firm. He was also recognized in the 2020 edition of Benchmark Litigation as a “Future Star.”

1993 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Jill D. Bernstein New York, N.Y. jilldbernstein@yahoo.com Stacie Jordan Brenkovich writes, “Had another wonderful visit with Maria Warner Bruno ’94 and her family in August. It’s been wonderful to see our kids grow up together! Life continues to be full with coaching and attending my kids sporting events and working for Accenture in the social collaboration space— 26 years and counting.”

1994 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Diane Mehta ’88

Michael Hiller writes, “On September 23, I announced that I am running for Congress for the Ninth District of New York. The district covers multiple Brooklyn neighborhoods, including Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Midwood, Ditmas Park, Prospect Park South, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Crown Heights, Manhattan Beach and East Flatbush. The Democratic Primary will be held on June 23. If anyone is interested in the campaign, feel free to visit our website at www.michaelhillerforcongress.com/”

1991 Alex Elkan was recently recognized in the 2020

Randall Beach Schenectady, N.Y. rsbeach72@gmail.com Laura (Carini) Smolcha writes, “In 1992, I traveled to Bath, England through Union’s term abroad program. I lived with a lovely woman, Jane Allan, who worked at the university. We’ve stayed in touch since and this summer I finally went back— this time with Parrish and our kids (Cullen and Sydney) in tow. We had a wonderful stay, visiting the local sites and the university, and enjoyed spending time together. Now we’re back home in Marshfield, Mass.—Cullen in 10th grade, Sydney in 5th. Parrish continues his work at Green Environmental in Rockland as a senior project manager, and I am entering my fourth year back in a middle school classroom after 10 years of serving as the 6-12 social

From left to right are Emma Warner, Matthew Brenkovich, Harry Warner, and Avery Brenkovich. Emma and Harry are children of Maria Warner Bruno ’94. Matthew and Avery are children of Stacie Jordan Brenkovich ’93.

Parrish ’94 and Laura Smolcha ’94 with their children Cullen (15) and Sydney (10), and Jane Allan at Jane’s home in Bath, England.

studies coordinator for the Sharon Public Schools.” Kevin Cortes writes, “I finished up training as an airline pilot for SkyWest Airlines in August 2019. I am super happy to finally have a career after the military that I get excited about. I was proud to represent Union College at the Flight Safety International Center (where SkyWest have multiple simulators for training) in Salt Lake City, Utah.”

1995 Jessica Azoulay recently joined Chadwick Martin Bailey as vice president of program management. Most recently serving as vice president of the marketing intelligence practice of Isobar, Jessica is also a

Kevin Cortes ’94 at SkyWest ERJ-175 simulator training in Salt Lake City, Utah

frequent speaker at industry events on research excellence and emotion science. She holds a B.S. in social psychology from Union College, with a concentration in organizational behavior, as well as a Six Sigma Black Belt certification.

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

CLASS NOTES

1996

Alice Hayden ’17 and Amy Herman Rubinstein ’96 both work for Pride Health in NYC!

Joanne M. McAndrews is the 2019 recipient of the American Medical Writers Association President’s Award, presented annually to the AMWA member who has made distinctive contributions to the association at the chapter or national level. Joanne is a former research scientist who launched her freelance medical writing career in 2000. She joined AMWA in 2004 and has been an engaged volunteer ever since.

1999 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

1997 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Sara Amann Garrand Ballston Lake, N.Y. sgarrand1@nycap.rr.com Adam Richman writes, “After a decade of work at ESPN in technology and content partnerships, I am moving on from ‘The Worldwide Leader in Sports’ to a new role at Facebook, based in Menlo Park, Calif. It was bittersweet to say goodbye to my friends at ESPN, but I am excited for a new challenge. If you are in the Bay Area, look me up!”

Kellie Forrestall BeeBee Lowell, Mass. forrestkj@hotmail.com Brett Zani writes, “My brother, Adam Zani ’01, 40, U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (FMF—Fleet Marine Force), suddenly and unexpectedly left us on Oct. 1, 2019: https:// www.hartwellfuneralhome. net/obituary/adam-zani. He leaves behind his 2 beloved children, Clare and Aiden; the mother of his children, Starr Zani; and his mother, Hilarie. Adam touched so many throughout his life in so many ways. The world was a far better place while he was with us. Adam is so loved and will

be forever missed by all who knew him. Our family and his friends wish to pass along generosity in Adam’s small hometown (Tully, N.Y.), where a well-placed scholarship can ignite a lifetime of learning and public service, as scholarships did for Adam. https://www. gofundme.com/f/adam-zani” Adam is further remembered on p. 59.

2005

2002

Kate Gustafson, former captain of the Union Dutchwomen’s hockey team, has pursued road running since hanging up her skates. Last spring, she joined the world’s most prestigious marathon in the elite women’s field of the Boston Marathon. She was first Canadian and 35th overall with a time of 2:42:34.

Tim Crowell was recently featured at hobokenhorse. com. The story focused on his third council candidacy in Hoboken, New Jersey’s fifth ward election. Dan Anderson recently received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. He teaches mathematics and computer science at Shenendehowa High School in Clifton Park, N.Y.

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Noelle Marchaj Old Saybrook, Conn. marchajn@union.edu

2006 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

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

2003 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Katrina Tentor Lallier Shrewsbury, Mass. katrinalallier@gmail.com Anthony Metz has two children, Bennett (6) and Montana (3). He writes, “I also recently bought land in Cavendish, Vt., and am building a snowmobiling/ hunting cabin.”

Kate Gustafson ’06 ran in the elite women’s field at the 2019 Boston Marathon

2007 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Jackie Siedlecki Murphy Delmar, N.Y. jaclynrenemurphy@gmail.com Alexander Dacey got engaged recently.

Adam Richman ’97

1998 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Ryan T. Smith Jupiter, Fla. ryan.smith@thebenjamin school.org 40

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

Adam Zani ’01, with 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force—Darwin, applies camouflage face paint during Exercise Southern Jackaroo. Adam passed away Oct. 1, 2019.

2008 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Bennett (6) and Montana (3), children of Anthony Metz ’03

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

’00

Union trajectory shapes novel TOM BURKE ’00

om Burke’s mother is quick to point out that her son’s dark and funny new novel, Eastbound to the Cosmos, is not autobiographical. “That’s not me!” she exclaimed at one of his public readings. No wonder. The novel opens as the protagonist, Everett, returns to Chicago from China to mourn his late father and finds his mother (not Burke’s mom!) swayed by “new age hooey.” She has a ponytailed spiritual guide, a roomful of healing crystals and a thing for naked yoga. Everett eventually joins up with a cultaffiliated former roommate to smuggle exotic gourmet mushrooms. For his part, the author denies any association with cults or mushroom smuggling. While not autobiographical, the book is informed by the author’s experiences, starting at Union, “which really shaped the trajectory of my life and career,” said Burke who graduated in 2000 as an English major. Eastbound “explores new kinds of faith and spirituality and the lengths people will go to fulfill those needs,” the author said. Burke, who has been making the rounds at book clubs and readings, says that readers are finding a tension between levity and sadness. “Some people get the

humor and are along for the ride, others have a darker take on it. I’m happy with both of those responses.” (For more on the book, see Media on p. 28) Burke was on campus in February to give a reading and to talk with students. His advice: explore. “I hope students will get out of their comfort zones and be reflective about what they enjoy. To not be preoccupied with where their career will go (but not to not worry about a career) and let your mind explore and take you places you didn’t expect to go.” The most meaningful part of Burke’s Union career came from the mentors who would guide him well after his time on campus. As a student, he came under the tutelage of Mikhail “Misha” Iossel, a Russian émigré who was then Union’s writerin-residence. Burke joined Iossel at the Summer Literary Seminars, the international month-long creative writing program that Iossel founded in his native St. Petersburg. “I fell in love with the intellectual discourse with some of the finest North American writers, and also fell in love with the city,” Burke said. For the next 10 summers, Burke returned to St. Petersburg with Iossel,

who made Burke assistant director of the Russia program. The pair also began a similar program in Nairobi, Kenya, which Burke ran for five years. Besides Iossel, he was also close to two other former Union faculty members, poet and writer Ed Pavlic and the late Binyavanga Wainaina, who succeeded Iossel as Union’s writer-in-residence. Burke later worked alongside Wainaina as co-director of Bard College’s Chinua Achebe Center for African writers and artists. For Burke, who first traveled abroad on a Union term in France, the challenges of leaving home and returning offer fertile ground for fiction. In his new novel, a chapter begins with his observation that people skip town to avoid problems that “don’t magically disappear because of a temporary relocation.” After Union, Burke earned an M.F.A. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He has taught at UMass Amherst, the Newberry Library and Northwestern University, where he is assistant director of the Kaplan Humanities Institute. He lives in his native Evanston, Ill., with his wife and two children. Among the honors in his author’s bio, he first lists the Eugene Yudis Prize for Fiction at Union.

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

CLASS NOTES

Association, in addition to her work with many other legal and non-profit organizations. Heather (Cunningham) Garside started a new position as curator of history at the Paterson (N.J.) Museum on Dec. 2, 2019. A city-run museum that has been in existence since 1925, the Paterson Museum serves as both an educational institution and a cultural center in the city of Paterson. Located in the historic Erecting Shop of the Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works, many of the museum’s permanent exhibits focus on Paterson’s industrial achievements. Within the Paterson Great Falls National Park boundaries, the museum also collaborates with the National Park Service regularly on events and programming. Heather is excited for the many new opportunities and challenges that face her, not least of which include caring for the planes, trains, automobiles and submarines in the collection. If you are ever in New Jersey, swing by for a tour!

Brendan Schaaf ’06 writes, “Union prepared us for many things in life, but it didn’t exactly prepare us for parenthood. Luckily, this enduring friendship has helped us all survive over the years. Despite long distances and growing families, this gang has made an effort to get together almost annually on Cape Cod to re-create the same photograph, adding some new faces along the way.” Bottom picture left to right are Oscar Cairns, Anna Salvia Cairns ’06, Jamie Cairns ’06, Adrian Christie ’06, Sylvie Christie, Elliot Christie, Anique Lebel ’06, Harrison Tuthill, Christine Dragone, Cameron Tuthill, Sean Tuthill ’06, Miles Tuthill, Oliver Hammond, Rebecca Winnick Hammond ’07, Dylan Hammond, Jonathan Hammond ’06, Quinn Schaaf, Marisa Schaaf, Kellan Schaaf, Brendan Schaaf ’06. Not pictured is Chase Potter ’05.

Carla Reeves ’08 42

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

Carla Reeves, an attorney at Goulston & Storrs in Boston, has been accepted into the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity 2020 Fellows Program, which recognizes high-potential attorneys from diverse backgrounds who have exceptional leadership capabilities. At Goulston & Storrs, Carla focuses her practice on employment

litigation and counseling, and government and internal investigations. She serves on the firm’s Inclusion Advisory Committee and is a member of the Hiring Committee. Outside of work, Carla serves on the Board of Directors for the Volunteer Lawyers Project and on the Labor & Employment Section Steering Committee of the Boston Bar

Heather (Cunningham) Garside ’08

2009 CLASS CORRESPONDENTS

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

’12

ZACH RITTNER ’12

Hawley winner shares ‘opportunities of a lifetime’

ach Rittner ’12 was about to give a unit test in his environmental science class when his principal walked into the classroom to announce that he’d just taken a phone call from a dean at Union College. “What is about to happen?” Rittner recalls thinking. “Are they going to rescind my degree? I thought I paid my tuition.” The call was better than that. Dean of Faculty Strom Thacker had called to inform the principal at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School in New Jersey that Rittner was needed in Schenectady for Founders Day on Feb. 20. He was to receive the Gideon Hawley Teacher Recognition Award, which honors high school teachers who have had a continuing influence on the academic life of Union students. Rittner, one of the few alumni to receive the award, was nominated by Maryam Ramjohn ’23, an environmental science major who said, “Mr. Rittner was

an amazing teacher who learned from the best.” She cited her teacher’s passion for field trips as a way of helping students understand the real-world applications of classroom topics. And it was Rittner who encouraged his students to learn from the same professors who taught him. “All the faculty are really incredible— experts in their field and great teachers— but it was the biology department that blew me away,” Rittner said. It was classes, labs and field trips with the likes of Steven Rice, Barbara Pytel, Kathleen LoGiudice, Scott Kirkton and Robert Lauzon that “laid the very foundation of my educational career and personal pedagogy,” he said. “They are all legends who set the bar for what excellence in education looks like and they inspired me to go above and beyond for my students just as they did for me.” Rittner recalls early-morning field trips for plant ecology with Rice, something

that served as a model for a forestry study he does with students to understand trees and calculate biomass and CO2 sequestration. While at Union, he took a term to study environmental science in Australia and New Zealand. That and many field trips from campus were “not just relevant to the classroom, they were opportunities of a lifetime.” Rittner was joined at Founders Day by his parents, Andrew and Mary Rittner; and his brother, Jesse. Rittner has been teaching at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School since 2014. In 2016, he developed and taught the school’s first environmental science program. He holds an MAT from Montclair (N.J.) State University and is pursuing a master’s in environmental science from Montana State University in Bozeman. The Gideon Hawley Award is named for the 1809 graduate of Union College who was New York State’s first superintendent of public education.

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

CLASS NOTES

2010 Casey Snepar writes, “Rebecca Hoffenberg ’11 and I got engaged in December and we will be married in June in New York. I am so excited to marry such an incredible woman!”

managing client relationships and structuring financing for providers of housing across the U.S.

Dave Leavitt ’12, Suhaila Amalanayagam ’12, Rebecca Krasa ’16, Quisqueya Witbeck ’16 and Emily Pastore ’16 gathered on the Envoy rooftop in Boston’s Seaport to celebrate Pastore and Krasa’s send-offs to Juneau, Alaska, and Henapepe, Kauai, respectively.

Casey Snepar ’10 and Rebecca Hoffenberg ’11 are engaged

Sam Barstow '11 writes, “My co-founder, Jake Anderson, and I opened up a pop-up store on Newbury St. for our footwear brand, Forsake (https://forsake.com).”

2011

2012

David Frasz has been named vice president of commercial loan origination at Hunt Real Estate Capital, a division of Hunt Companies. David will be responsible for originating commercial mortgages nationwide across all product lines including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA/HUD, and specialty products. David is primarily focused on nonrecourse Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac financing for multifamily property owners. David is excited to bring his experience and his clients to Hunt where he will be

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Anna Meiring Boston, Mass. annameiring@gmail.com (Michael) Owen Miller graduated from UVA’s Darden School of Business, earning his MBA, in spring 2019.

2013 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Cristina Vazzana Boston, Mass. vazzanaca@gmail.com

Matt Wahl ’13 and Brittany Kenny ’16 recently got engaged. David Frasz ’11

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

2014 Justin Dempsey writes, “I am teaching English in Ourense, Spain.”

2016 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Lauren Woods Watervliet, N.Y. 2016@alumni.union.edu Rani Plotkin writes, “I’m attending graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania, receiving a master’s of public health through the Perelman School of Medicine in spring of 2020.” Evan O’Connor writes, “As of late July, I have been operating as post-production coordinator on Freeform’s television show, “The Bold Type.” I feel very fortunate to work with a team of experienced video editors in an industry that I love so much. I am also very grateful to Union’s Film Studies department for giving me the necessary skills and mentorship to work efficiently in filmmaking while learning how to develop interpersonal relationships with industry professionals.” Rachel Wyman writes, “Aloha! I live in Oahu now and work for Hawai’i Pacific University in university relations.”

Junior Rivas ’14, Michael Vallejo ’16, Geguel Landestoy ’16 and Quisqueya Witbeck ’16 (front) stopped at the Hogback Mountain overlook in West Marlboro, Vt., on their road trip home from ReUnion 2019.

2017 Mead Binhammer writes, “I have recently been published by the Marine Turtle Newsletter, a peer-reviewed science publication pertaining to sea turtle research and conservation efforts. Binhammer, M., M. Beange & R. Arauz. 2019. Sand temperature, sex ratios, and nest success in olive ridley sea turtles. Marine Turtle Newsletter 159: 5-9.” Read it at http://www.seaturtle.org/mtn/ archives/mtn159/

2018 Ryan Scarfo writes, “When I started at Union College in the fall of 2014, I never pictured my life to be the way it is today. I’m playing professional hockey for the Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton Penguins, the AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and I can honestly say I’m living out my childhood dream. My usual days consists of practices, off-ice training and games, depending on the day. Some other things I do throughout the season outside of the rink include special appearances where fans and community members have the opportunity to meet me as well as other players and take pictures or receive autographs, community service events such as reading to children in schools, or even going on radio shows where fans can get to know your personality outside the rink. I always find it rewarding when I have the opportunity to give back to the community and fans who are constantly supporting our team. Though it may not be the traditional career so to speak, I feel very lucky and grateful to do what I do on a daily basis. I constantly get the opportunity to build friendships and relationships with people that stretch far

Call for

VOL U NTEERS Love Union? Love helping out? We have the perfect job for you. The Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement, and the Union Fund, are looking for College Relations volunteers. Reach out to fellow alumni and help us increase philanthropic investments for a variety of programs that directly impact our extraordinary students and faculty.

PLUS, volunteering is a great way to stay connected with other members of the Union community.

the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement at (518) 388-6168 or alumni@union.edu.

beyond the sport of hockey, and I genuinely love what I do. I will continue to live out my childhood dream for as long as I can, and when it comes time to close my chapter on hockey, I will always have my Union degree to start my next journey.”

2019 Ryan Scarfo ’18 plays hockey for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

To learn more, contact

Gillian M. Singer writes, “I have begun my Fulbright grant in the Canary Islands and was accepted to Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health to pursue my MPH starting in 2020.

Dalila Haden writes, “Thoroughly enjoying my time in Cambodia as a Minerva Fellow, and even more excited to come back in April to see my fellow graduates and the future graduating class of 2020. I was able to have dinner with Hannah Najjar ’15 and fellow Cambodia Minerva Fellow Yesenia Negron, who lives here in Cambodia and came to visit Siem Reap for Pchum Ben, a Cambodian holiday. We shared experiences, both about Cambodia and Union, and had a great time!”

Emmanuela Oppong was a GolbalMindED First Gen delegate as part of the GlobalMindED First Gen college student celebration recently. GlobalMindED is a 501(c)(3) innovation network that closes the equity gap through education, entrepreneurship, employment and economic mobility to create a capable, diverse talent pipeline. To read a Q&A with Ella, visit globalminded.org and search for “Oppong.”

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

U UNIONS

’11 Cory Gionet ’10 and Katie Hartnack ’11

UNION COLLEGE | FALL 2019

’94

Kevin Cortes ’94 and Jennifer Nichole Krewalk

’04

Alumni attend the wedding of Alexandra (Waibel) Kennedy ’05 and Iain Kennedy

1994

2005

Kevin Cortes married Jennifer Nichole Krewalk (originally from Burlington, Conn.) Oct. 25, 2019, at Twin Oaks Home Garden and Estates in San Diego, Calif. In attendance was Carrie Dunbar (Watson) Miller, who resides in Pasadena, Calif.

Alexandra (Waibel) Kennedy and Iain Kennedy were married Sept. 14, 2019. Close family and friends joined them at Langley Castle in Haydon Bridge, England. Alumni in attendance included Abbey (Briggs) Lewis, Lindsey Hagopian, Chris Lewis, Sarah Heitner ’06, Sarah (Steuer) Wilson, Kara (Kikel) Mac Corkindale, Elizabeth (Brogan) Rahman ’03 and Emily Dumas.

2004

’04

Adam Weiss ’04 and Rachel Urban enjoy fireworks during their reception

Adam Weiss married Rachel Urban June 1, 2019 at Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, Mass. Two close friends officiated, and the reception featured a vigorous horah, SoCo ice cream and a fireworks show. The couple lives in Washington, D.C.

2006 Dave Korim and Jenna Bernhardt were married Aug. 17, 2019 in Lake Placid, N.Y. Bonnie Cramer, Director of Hillel at Union, officiated the beautiful ceremony. Alumni in

FALL 2019 | UNION COLLEGE

UNIONS

attendance included Courtney (Allen) Brandt ’03, Ed Brandt, Heather McGuire ’08, Ben McGuire, Jen Pangburn, Ro Singh, Nicole Sabbatino, Nevin Smith ’05, Marc Weiner, Mike Simon, Ryan Laddey, Stephanie (Schuman) Nebenzahl and Katharine Linehan.

’06

Alumni attend the wedding of Dave Korim ’06 and Jenna Bernhardt

Alumni attend the wedding of Jessica Ritchie ’06 and Lyle Allen

’06

Matt Torpey ’06 and Mary Beth Tyler

Jessica Ritchie writes, “Lyle Allen and I got married May 3 in a ceremony at Waimea Bay on the North Shore of Oahu. We were joined by about 30 friends and family. The morning ceremony was followed by an epic day of celebrating on the beach. Union peeps included Sarah Serbun, Alice Chow, Alex Dichne, Corey Hayes, Lauren Canepari, Emily Williams, Craig Williams, Evan Gouzie, Kalen Sargent, Taylor Condon, Nat Brown, Brad Akin and Ben Brown.” Matt Torpey and Mary Beth Tyler (University of Georgia ’07) were married June 15, 2019 at Fleetwood Farm Winery in Leesburg, Va. Their families and closest friends, including Union alumni, were in attendance. They met in 2015 and live in Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

2010

’10 48

Alumni attend the wedding of Sarah Schinasi ’10 and Zach Polen ’10

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

Sarah Schinasi married Zach Polen at District Winery in Washington, D.C., March 9, 2019. Alumni in attendance included Paul Gerver, Sarah Gerver (Doucett), Dan Bloomstone, Lori Cassorla, Greg Jaffe, George Fontaine, Lauren Randall, Marissa Gorski (Gaines), Katie Smidt, Lindsey Walaski, Annie Hoh (Keller), Travis Hoh, Elizabeth Osborne, Cristian Ramos, Michael Dollinger, Tess Koman, Brandon Muller, Dan Quinn, Eric Rizzi, Gary Spector, George Kershaw, Ross Bennett, Billy Black, Will Friedman, Drew McConnell, Brad Botto, Bradley

Goldberg, John McSweeney, Kevin Carocci, Nikhil Patel, Pranali Trivedi, Matt Cataldi and Amanda Schlossberg.

’10

Alumni attend the wedding of Jeffrey Coombs ’10 and Kate Rightmyer

Jeffrey Coombs writes, “I recently married Kate Rightmyer on June 29, 2019 in Killington, Vt. (my hometown). Kate is a 2010 graduate of Vanderbilt University and we live in Manhattan.” Alumni in attendance included wedding party members Tim Furcillo, Charlie Hovsepian, Rob Lord, Ted Civetti, Andrew Cassin, Andrew Dresner, Dave Carson, Alex Scheier and Colin McKelligan. Alexandra Vacin and Mitch Greenan were married at City Winery in Chicago July 27, 2019. Alumni in attendance included Kerry Hanson, Brandon Bartel, Lizzy (LaBonte) Rosen, Alec Rosen and Eric Wigand.

2011

’10

After 10 years of dating, Cory Gionet ’10 and Katie Hartnack were married June 22, 2019 at the Otesaga Resort in Cooperstown, N.Y. They live in downtown Boston, Mass. (Photo on page 42.) Alumni attend the wedding of Alexandra Vacin ’10 and Mitch Greenan

2012 On a beautiful June day, Catherine Elliott married Gillian Tisdale at the Red Barn at Hampshire College surrounded by family from across the globe. In attendance were Jacob LaRocca (who fulfilled his promise to be Catherine’s best man), Randy Miller, and Professors Kara Doyle, Andrew Burkett and Anastasia Pease from Union College’s English Department.

’12

2013 From left to right, Jacob LaRocca ’12, Sarah Alderton, Amelia John-Schonfeld, Catherine Elliott Tisdale ’12, Gillian Tisdale, Rachel McGoldrick, and Humza Bokhari

Elana Lerner and Paul Brockmann were married June 30, 2019 in Livingston, N.J. Alumni WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

UNIONS

in attendance included Danielle Stansky ’15, Nicholas Wright ’17, Arielle Sherman ’11, Matthew Sherman ’10, Alexa DiBenedetto ’14, Dan Mendelsohn ’11, Patrick O’Hern ’11, Clancy Slack ’11, Elissa Lerner ’85, Steve Lerner ’82, Sharon Webb ’85, Peter Frank ’83, Cathy Good ’83, Cory Lewkowicz ’83, Doug MacFadden ’83 and Haley Kresch ’23. Nicole Julich writes, “I married Eric Berman (Bucknell University, Class of 2011) on Sept. 21, 2019 in Spring Lake, N.J.” Alumni in attendance included Chelsea Baptiste, Jennifer Silvershein, Catherine O’Brien, Elizabeth (Cohen) Marks, Stacie Schwartz, Amanda Librot, Madeline Levine, Chloe Tatosian, Alex Napp, Benjamin Weiner, Daniel Golden, Andy Stinchfield and Matthew Livingston ’12. Elizabeth (Hackert) Going writes, “On January 19, 2019, during a blizzard in our hometown of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., I married my best friend, Collin Going, who I actually met at the NCAA Hockey National Championship Game in 2014 in Philadelphia! We spent two years living in Morris County, N.J., and relocated to Manchester, N.H. in 2016. Lisa Catrambone ’14 was in attendance at the wedding, and Sarah (Dean) Creer ’13 attended the mass.” Sarah Logan writes, “MarcAnthony Parrino ’14 and I got married at Union Aug. 18, 2018. The ceremony was in Memorial Chapel. We were set up by a friend (Kristin Schmidt) while attending Union and started dating while in school. Alumni in attendance included Ryan Shilling ’14, Kristin Schmidt ’14, Michael Micelli ’14, Jake Lebowitz ’14, Ally Troy ’15, Kenneth Schunck ’14, Brian Havlicek ’14, Melissa Lee DeCota, Joe Bradlee ’14, Steve

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

’13

Alumni attend the wedding of Elana Lerner ’13 and Paul Brockmann ’13

Alumni attend the wedding of Nicole Julich ’13 and Eric Berman

Alumni attend the wedding of Sarah Logan ’13 and MarcAnthony Parrino ’14

Fallon ’14, Madeline Granato ’14, Emily Crandall ’14 and Miceala DiSimone ’14.” Marc is a first lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps deployed to Afghanistan. Sarah works for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in Rensselaer, N.Y. Rachel (Mann) Weinstein married Jason Weinstein at District Winery in Washington, D.C., March 23, 2019. Alumni in attendance included Ali Mailman ’12, Amy Cerini ’12, Kyra Burnett, Lisa Battiste ’14, Maddie Vale, Rachel Finkelstein ’12, Eliana Lakritz ’12, Ariel Blum, Carly Orden, Jessica Barofsky, Kimberly Blecich, Thomas Albano ’12, Irina Zhorov, Kelly Mears ’15, Rachael (Finkelstein) Maginess ’08 and Sean Maginess ’08.

’13

Alumni attend the wedding of Rachel (Mann) Weinstein ’13 and Jason Weinstein

2014 Leandra (Falotico) Paolicelli and Alex Paolicelli were married June 1, 2019 at the Bourne Mansion in Oakdale, N.Y. Alumni in attendance included Abbi Flynn, Adam Herzog, Alexa DiBenedetto, Alex Funez ’15, Andrea Schwartz, Brian Hazzard ’15, Buddy Pollack ’16, Carson Keator ’15, Clara Boesch, Devyn Jeffereis, Dylan Cline ’16, Elana Katz, Elise Sievert, Eliza Cody, Ellen Muehleck, Elsabeth Grabener, Ethan Pearce ’15, Gabriella Levine, Jared Diou-Cass ’16, John Lombardi, Jordan Hirsh, Kate Weeks, Katie Beale, Kirk Seaman, Kyle Patterson, Lutao Xie, Maria Dreeszen, MaryKate Farber, Matthew Kurzweil, Meghan Waldrop, Nell Pinkston ’15, Or Efrat, Ram Batta ’15, Robert Sherman ’16, Ross Fidler ’15, Samantha Bertschmann, Samantha Moyer, Thomas Raymond, Victoria Velazquez and Wes Wall. Dr. Colleen (Kilbourne) Tracy and Matthew Tracy were

’14

Alumni attend the wedding of Leandra (Falotico) Paolicelli ’14 and Alex Paolicelli ’14

Alumni attend the wedding of Dr. Colleen (Kilbourne) Tracy ’14 and Matthew Tracy

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

UNIONS

married June 29, 2019 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Dansville, N.Y. Alumni in attendance included Kevin Kilbourne ’79, Dr. Kevin Geary ’79, Leah Doucette, Patrick DeBenedetto, Brian Daley ’13, Carolyn Infante, Amanda Blake, Amanda (Weld) Templeton, Chelsea Nyman, Jeffrey Ehrlich ’13, Shannon Crowley, Nick LaPoint, Cristina Cusano and Charlie Templeton.

2015 Michelle Howell and Maxwell Unterhalter were married Oct. 12, 2019 at Swank Farms in Loxahatchee, Fla. Michelle is a professional runner for Under Armour and the District Track Club. Maxwell is a second-year law student at Georgetown University. He will be at Milbank LLP this coming summer. Alumni in attendance included Jeremy and Rebekah Vick, Caelan LaPointe and Logan Fine ’16.

’14

Chelsea Nyman ’14 and Jeff Ehrlich ’13 got married Oct. 12, 2019. Met at Union in 2012, tied the knot 7 years later.

2016 Abigail (Hollander) Donovan and Christopher Donovan were married Sept. 21, 2019 at Bourne Farm in Falmouth, Mass. (Cape Cod). In lieu of wedding favors, they chose to make a donation to the Lloydstrong Foundation, which honors the memory of Justin Lloyd ’16, a popular member of the baseball team who succumbed to cancer in 2017. Alumni in attendance included Rachel Wyman, Danielle Frederick, Victoria Cullinan, Eric Egan, Katherine Keever, Adam Johnson, Danielle Proper, Lauren Woods, Edythe Malara, Ryan McGeownConron ’17, Michael Pratt, Jamie Smith, Gregory Giesel ’17, Matthew Yonta and Allison Longo Berquist.

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

’14

’16

Michelle Howell and Maxwell Unterhalter ’15

Alumni attend the wedding of Abigail (Hollander) Donovan ’16 and Christopher Donovan ’16

U ARRIVALS

Zachary Marcus Davis (Davis ’06)

Colin Richard (Rahill ’06)

Grace Lynn (Perillo ’08)

Willow Jane-Margaret (Wamser ’08)

HEY Olivia Blake Bernstein (Bernstein ’08)

Sylvia Novak (Novak ’10)

Anthony Sebastian Beaule (Beaule ’13)

2000

2008

Robyn (Polansky) Morrison writes, “Myles Jacob Morrison arrived on Jan. 26, 2019 at 12:15 a.m. at Saratoga Springs Hospital. He was 6 pounds, 12 ounces and 21 inches.”

Carol (Behrendt) Meola ’76 and Peter Meola ’77 write, “Our daughter, Jessica (Meola) Perillo and her husband, Mike, welcomed their daughter, Grace Lynn, July 19, 2018. She, and her brother, Colin, are just pure and utter joy!”

Dana (Cohen) Bernstein and her husband, Daniel Bernstein, welcomed their daughter, Olivia Blake Bernstein, Dec. 10, 2019 in Boston, Mass.

Shannon (Davi) Wamser and Shawn Wamser welcomed their first child, Willow Jane-Margaret Sept. 1, 2019. She weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. The happy family resides in Warner, N.H.

Ashley (Gilman) Novak writes, “I was married in June 2017. My husband and I had a baby girl in June 2019. Her name is Sylvia.”

2006 Josh Davis writes, “Zachary Marcus Davis was born Aug. 8, 2019 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla, weighing 6 pounds, 4 ounces.” Jim Rahill and Erika (Eisenhut) Rahill welcomed Colin Richard on April 28, 2019. Colin joins in on the fun with big brothers, Ryan and Patrick.

2010

2013 Jillian Beaule writes, “Andrew Beaule ’14 and I welcomed our son, Anthony Sebastian Beaule, on Aug. 15, 2019!”

U H AVE YO U: Had a baby? Changed careers? Traveled? Won an award? Gotten married? Been published or promoted?

LET US KNOW SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE:

classnotes@union.edu, Photos are welcome too. (High-resolution images at least 1 MB in size.)

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

8 IN MEMORIAM

8 1930s Dr. Dominick Mele ’37, of Schenectady, N.Y., who graduated from Albany Medical College and served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during World War II, July 26, 2019. A pediatrician in Schenectady for more than 50 years, he was chief of newborn services at Bellevue Maternity Hospital (1974-87) and won the St. Claire’s Hospital Spirit of Healing Award in 1996. A longtime member of the Scotia Kiwanis Club and the Schenectady Sons of Italy, the City of Schenectady awarded him its Patroon Award in 2013. He was 104.

1940s Beal Marks ’42, of Morehead City, N.C., and formerly of Owego, N.Y., who served with the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Guadalcanal and held a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from MIT, July 15, 2019. Beal, who spent more than 30 years with IBM, enjoyed golf, the music of pianist Teddy Wilson, and watching the Chicago Cubs and Carolina Hurricanes. He was 99. William V. Johnson ’44, of Weymouth, Mass., who served during World War II with the U.S. Army in signal intelligence and spent his entire career with the BristolMyers company, July 29, 2019. Bill, who retired as director of plant expansion, was an avid sailor and served in various commodore positions at the Point O’Woods Yacht Club. Also a fixture in Mary Monroe’s choir, he enjoyed traveling and was a lifelong reader of history. He was 97. Edward N. Dahlstedt ’45, of Lee, Mass., who performed in “Playboy of the Western World” (the first three-act play to be televised) and the first televised Shakespeare play, “Twelfth Night,” June 14, 2019. Ed, who served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and later became a sales execu-

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

tive with General Electric, was a lifelong member of the Schenectady Civic Playhouse. Also a regular performer on WGY’s “FBI in Action,” he also appeared in Martin Kelly’s Dinner Theater and Mystery Theater. He was 95. Wilbur R. Van Eysden ’45, of Doylestown, Penn., who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and spent 37 years with IBM, Aug. 19, 2019. An active member of Brooklyn’s Trinity Lutheran Church, he was 95. Gary Behrendt ’45, of Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., who held an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and went on to become president of Sonocraft Corporation, Sept. 2, 2019. Gary, who enjoyed golf, bridge and spending time with his family, was the first in a long line of Union graduates. He is survived his children, Tom Behrendt ’75 (Lisa Kaston ’75) and Carol Behrendt Meola ’76 (Peter Meola ’77); and his grandchildren, Jeff Meola ’06 and Jessica Perillo ’08. He was 95.

1950s Laurence J. Griswold Jr. ’50, of Raleigh, N.C., who graduated from UFA and served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps before earning a master’s degree in Latin American history from the University of Pennsylvania, July 7, 2019. Larry, who worked at General Electric, also taught in the evening division of Mohawk Valley Community College and was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Utica. Also a member and past president of the Utica Stamp Club and a member of the Utica Tramp and Trail Club, he was 93.

George E. Martin ’50, of Plymouth, Mass., who was elected to the Plymouth Athletic Hall of Fame and served with the U.S. Marine Corps, Aug. 10, 2019. Pepper, who worked in the furniture business with Heyward Wakefield and later in sales management, traveled extensively with his wife throughout Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and South America. He was 91. Paul R. Kruesi ’50, of Golden, Colo., who was educated at Harvard Business School and was a metallurgist, inventor and entrepreneur, Aug. 25, 2019. Paul, who worked for Heavy Minerals Industries and the Vitro Chemical Company (Tenn.), also founded Cato Research Corporation. A holder of more than 20 U.S. patents, his inventions included novel electrochemical cell designs. A member of St. Joseph’s parish and volunteer at the Denver Catholic Worker Soup Kitchen, he was 91. Frederick L. Kieran ’50, of Central Point, Ore., who earned an MBA from New York University and had a successful career in marketing and advertising, first in New York City and then in Orange County, Calif., Aug. 19, 2019. Lloyd, a dedicated family man, was interested in history and was an avid fisherman and boater. He was 90. Donald W. Brightman ’50, of Burnt Hills, N.Y., who was a staff sergeant in the Black Hawk Division during World War II in the Pacific and European Theaters, Aug. 20, 2019. An avid outdoorsman who spent much time in the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains, he enjoyed hiking, canoeing, skiing, hunting, fishing and gardening. Very active in the preservation of the Adirondack Park, he was 93. Howard Bindelglass ’51, of New York, N.Y., who graduated from New York University Law School and then served in the U.S.

8 RICHARD THEODORE “TED” VINICK ’43

Army, Sept. 28, 2019. Later joining the firm of Marshall, Bratter, Greene, Alison and Tucker, he practiced trust and estate law for many years. Also an adjunct professor of law at NYU and a member of the New York and Florida bar, he finished his career with Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin, Krim and Ballon. He was 90.

ichard Theodore “Ted” Vinick ’43, a tireless champion of the College and its athletic teams, passed away at his home in Niskayuna on Dec. 5, 2019 at the age of 97. He was often on campus for lectures, ReUnions and visits to share the latest news. He kept up with fellow alumni, and was a frequent source for stories in this magazine. He was a fixture at hockey and football games, where he wore a garnet cap emblazoned with “Union 1943.” When he couldn’t attend games, his son, Howie, brought the cap for good luck. The College held a moment of silence for Ted before the hockey game against Yale on Dec. 7. He was a member of the Garnet Guard Society, and in 1993 received the Alumni Gold Medal for exceptional service to the College. His late wife, Raquel, taught Spanish at Union for 25 years before retiring in 1992.

A lifelong Schenectady resident, Ted had a retail career of 30 years in his family’s downtown clothing business, Myers Children’s Shop. His second career was with the state Department of Transportation in Albany. Ted was a graduate of Albany Academy and Union before serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was active in community affairs and a longtime member of Congregation Gates of Heaven in Schenectady. He and his wife received the congregation’s Paul S. Swartz Social Justice Award in 2014, which Ted accepted by citing Union presidents Roger Hull and Stephen Ainlay and Prof. Stephen Berk among his heroes. Survivors include two sons, Dr. Daniel Vinick of Tuxedo Park, N.Y., and Howard Vinick of Schenectady. Memorial contributions may be made to Congregation Gates of Heaven or Union’s Annual Fund.

Walter R. May ’52, of Raleigh, N.C., who served in the U.S. Navy and was drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers before holding administrative positions at Cornell University and State University of New York at Binghamton, Aug. 20, 2019. A tournament bridge player and teacher, he became one of the youngest people in the U.S. to become a Life Master. Walter, who later achieved the rank of Platinum Life Master, was 89. Robert O. Dorse ’53, of Seattle, Wash., who earned a B.A. in economics and was a member of Sigma Phi fraternity and the swim team, Aug. 15, 2019. After serving two years in the U.S. Army, he led a career that culminated as president of Dorse and Co., a manufacturer’s representative in the HVAC industry. He was 87. Howard “Duke” C. Miller Jr. ’53, of Plattsburgh, N.Y., who held a doctorate in English and poetry from Lehigh University and spent 40 years teaching at SUNY Plattsburgh, Sept. 17, 2019. Duke, who enjoyed bowling at North Bowl Lanes, fishing at Marine Village and spending time with his grandchildren, was 87. Edward R. Smith ’54, of New London, N.H., who served in the U.S. Air Force before spending 35 years with the Hartford Insurance Group, Oct. 31, 2019. Ted, who rose to executive vice president and chief actuary, was chairman of the Avon Planning and Zoning Board and a member of the

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

IN MEMORIAM

8 DAVID D. COPLON ’50

avid D. Coplon ’50, a retailer who dedicated his life to social justice and was a staunch supporter of Union College’s Kenney Community Center, died Oct. 11, 2019 at the age of 93 in Brooklyn, New York. David, who grew up in Schenectady, N.Y, and spent most of his life there, joined the U.S. Army after graduating from Nott Terrace High School. He served in the 28th Division, based in Heidelberg, Germany, where his Yiddish skills made him a valued translator. After the war, he earned a bachelor's degree in statistics from Union College and later a master's degree in business from Columbia University. Following a brief stint in New York City, where David worked for the Port Authority, he returned to Schenectady to lead the family retail outlet, Coplon’s Woodlawn Department Store. It was one of the first area businesses to hire black salespeople.

Aside from his family, David’s greatest passion was social activism. In 1958, he co-chaired a joint project between the NAACP and the Jewish Community Council, a socioeconomic survey of Schenectady’s black community. David was active in the Civil Rights movement and with organizations dedicated to nuclear non-proliferation and to ending the Vietnam War. He served on the national board of the Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy. In 1971, David conceived the Temple Community Service Corps at Congregation Gates of Heaven, through which hundreds of young people interned at local human services agencies. After closing the family store in 1986, David became a full-time activist. As an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, he energized the Schenectady Municipal Housing

8 56

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

Authority’s Linkages Program, which connected low-income residents with educational and job opportunities. He then became founding director of JOBS etc., which guided clients entering the workforce. Also active in Americans for Peace Now, Tikkun Associates and the Metroplex Economic Development Committee, David won a national photography award and managed the Street Jazz Ensemble. And when he was in his 80s, he created INFO-OP, a community directory, with Union College’s Kenney Center. Senior Services of Albany honored him with a Third Age Achievement Award in recognition of his efforts. A fan of the Brooklyn Nets and the San Francisco Giants, David was predeceased by his wife, Suzanne. He is survived by three children, Jeffrey Coplon of Brooklyn, Miriam Coplon of Schenectady, and Deborah Barone of Alexandria, Va.

Avon Congregational Church Board of Trustees during his time in Connecticut. In N.H., he volunteered at The Fells and was a member of First Baptist Church of New London. He enjoyed landscaping and playing bridge. He was 87. Donald M. Barber ’55, of Salem, Mass., graduated Union College with degrees in history and economics, was a member of ROTC and won a fellowship to Brown University, Aug. 16, 2019. An avid fisherman and master at fly tying, he loved baseball, the New England Patriots and his family. He was 86. Dr. Joseph G. Guerra ’55, of Lake George, N.Y., who graduated from Albany College of Pharmacy and the University of Buffalo Dental School, Oct. 8, 2019. Joe, who owned and operated his own dental practice in Schenectady for 47 years, greatly enjoyed his annual Fourth of July parties and loved his place on Lake George, where he’d spend spare time fishing. He was 86. Julian Chassman ’57, of Jacksonville, Fla., who served in the U.S. Army and was an account executive with Western Publishing Co., July 15, 2019. Chip, who later owned and operated the Sir Speedy printing franchise with his wife, also owned and managed numerous multifamily properties. A dedicated volunteer with the Jacksonville Humane Society, he was 84. Frank M. Lisick Jr. ’57, of Buffalo, N.Y., who served in the U.S. Air Force and worked at Westinghouse Electrical and Columbus McKinnon, Sept. 1, 2019. A member of the Amherst Jaycees, Rotary Club of the Tonawandas, Tonawanda Industrial Expansion Corporation and the DeGraff Memorial Hospital Board of Directors, he was 84. Victor J. Ragusa ’57, of Broadalbin, N.Y., who served with the U.S. Army and was employed at the former General Telephone Company, Beech-Nut Foods, Coleco Industries and Sysco Foods until his retirement, Sept. 20, 2019. Vic, who enjoyed

fishing and hunting in the Adirondacks, was an avid Yankees and Giants fan. He was 84. Dr. Paul R. Rosen ’58 (Ret. Col., U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army), of Denver, Colo., who supported the Harriet and Paul Rosen Endowed Summer Research Fellowship at Union College and a great room at Union Chabad, June 20, 2019. Paul, who also endowed the Dr. Henry M. Butzel Biology Write-up Room at Union, graduated from Albert Einstein Medical College and Columbia University School of Public Health. A surveyor for the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations, he consulted with numerous hospitals and organizations, as well as with the government of Zambia and USAID. After retirement from his 22-year career as a military physician, he volunteered with the Department of Paleontology of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and helped found its Teen Science Scholar program. He was 81. Ronald W. Spira ’58, of Clifton Park, N.Y., and the Villages, Fla., who graduated from Utica College and spent more than 30 years as an English teacher in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Aug. 31, 2019. Ronald, who initiated the Saratoga Springs Junior High School Lifesports Club, also created scholarships at Saratoga Springs Junior High School, Union College and Utica College. A member of the Pioneer Society at Utica College, The Terrace Council at Union College and the Saratoga Springs Retired Teachers Association, he was also a member of Congregation Beth Shalom (Clifton Park) and Temple Shalom of Central Florida (Oxford, Fla.). He was 82. Thomas G. Van Norstrand ’59, of Greenville, S.C., who was a captain in the U.S. Air Force and was an industrial sales engineer who spent 40 years with General Electric, June 24, 2019. A member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, he served on the Greenville County Redevelopment Authority

and was an avid golfer and bowler. Tom, who loved to fly model airplanes and enjoyed boating and spending time with family at the lake house, was 81. Donald J. May ’59, of Skyesville, Md., who held a J.D. from the University of Baltimore and served in the U.S. Army, Aug. 21, 2019. An Eagle Scout and member of the local master’s swim team for 20 years, he practiced family law in Ellicott City for 40 years. Don, a member of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, was honored in 1995 by the College for his work as a fundraiser for the Class of 1959. An avid lover of classical music and boating, he enjoyed studying American history. He was 82.

1960s Ronald W. Topmkins ’60, of Lighthouse Point, Fla., who was a civilian employee of the Department of the Navy and received the Meritorious Civilian Service Award, Sept. 3, 2019. A physicist focused on underwater sonar research, he was science advisor to the 7th fleet in Japan and served at a NATO research facility in La Spezia, Italy. Later, he worked at NUSC/NUWC in Conn. before retiring to Florida. A life master in bridge who worked at the Children’s Science Explorium there, he was 81. Richard G. Budynas ’64, of Canandaigua, N.Y., who held a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Rochester and a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts, June 30, 2019. Dick spent more than 35 years teaching mechanical engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he was associate department head, the James Gleason Endowed Chair and professor emeritus. Also a registered professional engineer in NYS, he wrote the textbook, Advanced Strength and Applied Stress Analysis. A member of National Ski Patrol, he was 79.

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

IN MEMORIAM

David M. Olsen ’64, of Grass Valley, Calif., who served in the U.S. Air Force and received top honors in Japanese from the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, June 9, 2019. Later pursuing a career in the food industry with Diana Fruit, Dave was a musician who sang with the Sierra Master Chorale and with Music in the Mountains. Dave, who hosted the blues program “Good Foot Radio” on KVMR for many years, was 77. John J. Jakubec ’64, of Richmond, Va., who served with the U.S. Air Force in Vietnam and Japan before earning a master’s degree in rehab counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University, Aug. 4, 2019. Employed with Senior Connections for 20 years, he also taught at St. Benedict’s School and worked part-time with ScanScape for 10 years. A longtime member of Meadowbrook County Club who was passionate about the New York Yankees, he was 78. Estelle (Leclerc) Playdon G’64, of Dunbarton, N.H., who held a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of New Hampshire, Sept. 14, 2019. She was 83. Dr. Harold M. Horwitz ’64, of Providence, R.I., who served with the U.S. Army Medical Corps, was a graduate of Tufts Medical School and prominent rheumatologist, Oct. 28, 2019. Chief of rheumatology and an attending physician at Miriam and Pawtucket Hospitals, he was a past president of the R.I. Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. Howard, who enjoyed cycling, skiing and sailing, was also president of the R.I. Society of Internal Medicine and was on the boards of the Lupus Society and Temple Beth-El. He was 76. Eric M. Van Deusen ’65, of Hudson, N.Y., who graduated from SUNY Oneonta and was a librarian for many years at Columbia Greene Community College, June 19, 2019. Eric, who enjoyed hiking at Minnewaska State Park, also volunteered at the Mohonk Preserve doing trail maintenance. He was 75.

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

William I. Rowen G’65, of Niskayuna, N.Y., who graduated from SUNY Maritime College and worked as a marine engineer with United Fruit Company before spending 35 years with General Electric as a gas turbine engineer, Sept. 1, 2019. After retiring from GE, he ran his own company, Turbine Engineering Consultancy, for 20 years. A longtime member of Congregation Agudat Achim who served as the congregation’s president and on its board, he enjoyed spending time with family and friends at a camp on Goodnow Flow. Bill was 81. Roger B. Stone ’65, of Washington, D.C., who earned his B.S. in electrical engineering through the evening division, Oct. 15, 2019. He began his career as a communications engineer with GE and went on to a number of technical management positions with companies including Xerox, CIT Alcatel, MCI, and ITT. He retired in 2005 to travel the world. He was 87. Anthony C. Bucca ’66, of Haines Falls, N.Y., who graduated from Albany Law School and operated a private practice in Greene County, July 19, 2019. Tony, who served as town councilman and supervisor of Hunter, N.Y., also served as NYS assistant attorney general, Greene County assistant public defender and assistant district attorney, and associate counsel to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Tony, who loved spending time in nature, farming and fishing, was 75. Timothy J. Lusk ’67, of Cold Spring, N.Y., who served as a first lieutenant in the artillery in Germany during the Vietnam era and was a salesman with NCR and other companies, Aug. 25, 2019. Tim, who served on the vestry at the Episcopal Church of St. Mary-in-the-Highlands, achieved the highest FCC rating (extra license) for amateur radios. Passionate about history, he was 74. Rita R. Boggs G’67, of Carson, Calif., who taught chemistry at her alma mater, Notre Dame College of Staten Island (N.Y.), and later earned a Ph.D. from the University of

Pennsylvania, Aug. 10, 2019. Founder of American Research and Testing Inc., Rita also taught chemistry at El Camino and CSU Dominguez Hills, and was a dedicated American Chemical Society (ACS) volunteer. An activist-scientist who helped her community understand and confront chemical pollution and safety issues, the City of Carson awarded Rita with a Proclamation of Recognition in 2019. She was 81. Julian P. Ceike ’68, of Townsend, Mass., who did graduate work in French at the University of Colorado and sailed to Spain on a yacht, Sept. 1, 2019. First employed with Bates Corrugated Box company, Julian later owned and operated Neighborhood Tree Service for more than 30 years. Also a ski instructor at Wachusett Mountain for 19 years and a member of the Wachusett Nighttime Race League, he was 72.

1970s Daniel C. Poteralski ’71, of Hixson, Tenn., who held a master’s in nuclear engineering from the College, July 30, 2019. Dan worked at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory and Florida Power and Light before retiring from Carolina Power and Light as manager of nuclear fuels and technology. Heavily involved in Rotary Club and the Rotary Breakfast Club (Chattanooga), Dan was this year’s recipient of the Volunteer of Year Award. Also involved with the Interact Club of Red Bank High School, he was 72. John E. Fritz ’71, of Raleigh, N.C., who held an Ed.D. degree from North Carolina State University and retired as director of medical education at Dorothea Dix Hospital, Aug. 25, 2019. Active in his community, Jack served on the board and was chair of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina; served as commissioner of volunteer training for Special Olympics World Games North Carolina (1999); and was a founder of the Feed the Firefighters Foundation. He also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity of Wake County. He was 72.

Douglas W. Canfield ’72, of Naples, Fla., May 18, 2019. A native of Gloversville, N.Y., he earned a B.S. in biology from Union and a D.D.S. degree from the SUNY College of Buffalo. He practiced general dentistry in Fort Plain and was president of the Fulton-Hamilton-Montgomery County Dental Society. He was 68.

David M. Boggs ’78, of Bethlehem, N.Y., who attended Niskayuna High School, where he participated in football and track, June 13, 2019. David, who graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Union, was 64.

Tracy Rich ’74, of Avon, Conn., who held a doctor of law degree from NYU School of Law and a master of law degree from Boston University School of Law, Aug. 1, 2019. During a career in the life insurance industry he was deputy general counsel for CT Mutual and Mass Mutual Life Insurance. Also executive vice president and general counsel for the Phoenix Co. and the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, he was an adjunct professor in the UCONN School of Law LL.M. Tax Program, too. Tracy, who served on the Connecticut Board of Ethics and as a scout leader in Avon, was 67.

John N. Hryckowian ’81, of Albany, N.Y., and Raleigh, N.C., who spent 38 years as an electrical engineer with IBM, July 30, 2019. After retiring from IBM, John worked with Encore Semi developing detailed physical designs for complex computer processors. A golfer who enjoyed watching hockey and traveling with good friends, he was 64.

Dr. William F. Trolenberg IV ’75, of Newport News, Va., who served as a pilot in the U.S. Navy and graduated from dental school at the University of Texas, June 19, 2019. Bill, who was also a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force and chief of General Dentistry Element at Langley Air Force Base, ran Deer Park Dental office after retiring from the military. An avid sailor who was an Adirondack 46er and expert skier, he was 65. Brian D. Loper ’77, of Irmo, S.C. and Old Lyme, Conn., who was employed by Bechtel Corporation and other contractors and spent 24 years stationed at the Millstone Nuclear Power Station in Waterford, Conn., June 15, 2019. Brian, who coordinated the decommissioning of Connecticut Yankee Nuclear Power Plant in Haddam, was also area project manager of Nuclear Island. He enjoyed watching his three sons play sports and spending time with family and friends on Long Island Sound. He was 63.

1980s

Michael J. Magazu G’81, of Hoosick Falls, N.Y., who held an associate’s degree from Hudson Valley Community College and was employed by N.Y.S. at O.D. Heck (Schenectady, N.Y.) as an orderly, Oct. 20, 2019. Mike, who enjoyed astronomy, cooking, tennis, football and baseball, helped coach youth baseball and football. An avid Bernie Sanders and Boston Red Sox fan, he was also an AA program sponsor. He was 60. Gregory D. “Biff” Jones ’82, of Troy, N.Y., who attended Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, Sept. 5, 2019. A draftsman in the structural engineering department of Peter Corsell Associates, he was involved with landmark restoration and consulted on many of the tallest buildings in New York City. An accomplished gardener, art connoisseur and film history expert, he was 61. Dr. Andrew E.C. Crossley ’87, of Watertown, N.Y., who held an M.B.A. from Babcock School of Management at Wake Forest University and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Dental Medicine, Sept. 3, 2019. Employed first with Glaxo and Wyeth-Ayerst, he later began practicing dentistry with his father

in Watertown. Andrew, who received an award in dental implantology from the Congress of Implantology, was 53.

1990s Petros D. Goneos ’90, of New York, N.Y., who graduated from Athens College and held a master’s in economics from the University of Michigan, Aug. 21, 2019. The director of business development for Orion & Global Chartering (shipping agents in New York), he was 50. Martine Cadet ’92, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., who held a master’s in social work from New York University and a master’s of science in school building leadership from the College of New Rochelle, Aug. 21, 2019. Martine, who was the district wide attendance social worker for East Ramapo School District for the last 20 years, enjoyed traveling, theater, the arts and dance. She was 48.

2000s Adam G. Zani ’01, of Tully, N.Y., who was petty officer first class, HM 1 (Fleet Marine Force) independent duty corpsman, U.S. Navy, Oct. 1, 2019. A former hooker on the Union College rugby team who attended Quinnipiac Law School, he ran many marathons and loved to play golf. Also a graduate of the Surface Warfare Medicine Institute (San Diego), he completed deployments in the Persian Gulf, Australia, Tonga and El Salvador. He was 40.

2010s Serem’may Baleeka Mendez ’19, of Brooklyn, N.Y., who as an aspiring activist and social worker interested in fighting racial and gender injustices, Sept. 13, 2019. A loving person who always spoke up when she saw something wrong, she was 22.

WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

IN MEMORIAM

8 GEORGE TIGGLE ’98

Friends of Union College Howard C. Billings Jr., of Cohoes, N.Y., and formerly of Maplewood and Stillwater, who was an energy coordinator at Union College for many years, July 23, 2019. A member of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Green Island, he sang in various barbershop quartets, Uncle Sam Chorus and Watervliet Cannonaires. He was 88.

George Tiggle ’98 with classmates at their 10th ReUnion

campus service to celebrate the life of George E. Tiggle ’98 featured a number of things that George held dear: family and friends, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, gospel music, prayer, football, fishing stories and laughter. Lots of laughter. Tiggle lost his life Oct. 26, 2019 in a vehicle accident. He was 45. He spent almost two decades as a college admissions and development professional, most recently as student affairs director of development for the University at Albany. Before that, he held positions at Union, the Sage Colleges, Mercersburg Academy and Northfield-Mount Herman School. Born July 11, 1974 in Honolulu, Hawaii, to U.S. Army Sergeant Major Sherman E. Tiggle and Lenora Holland Tiggle, he grew up in Chicopee, Mass. and attended NMH, where he was a standout football player. At Union, he majored in Africana Studies and Performing Arts. He was a

UNION COLLEGE | WINTER/SPRING 2020

member of the football and track and field teams, gospel choir, African and Latin Alliance of Students and Mountebanks. He acted and assisted with a number of theater productions. He also re-established the Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir. In 2013, he earned a master’s in organizational management from Sage Graduate School. Gregarious and joyful, Tiggle had a knack for drawing people together. A decade after heavy rain dampened the 1998 Commencement, he urged his classmates to attend their 10th ReUnion by pledging to do a song-anddance number that began, “Let it Rain.” Members of the Class of 1998 wore bright yellow rain ponchos in the ReUnion parade and stood, in the rain, for a class photo. Front and center, Tiggle held the Van Voast/ Class of 1941 Cup that his class won for best costume. Survivors include his mother; wife, Kendra; daughter, Kailee; and brother, Darryl ’90.

Eudoxia “Dixie” Aniolek of Schenectady, N.Y., who served as technical secretary for the Biology Department for 17 years until her retirement in 1995, Sept. 12, 2019. She was active in Schenectady Kiwanis and Schenectady Business and Professional Women’s Club. A communicant of the Church of St. Adalbert, she was proud of her Polish heritage and enjoyed Polish festivals and Polka dancing. She was 83. Paul Volcker, of New York, N.Y., a former Federal Reserve chairman, namesake of the “Volcker Rule” and Union College’s 2009 Commencement speaker, Dec. 8, 2019. Educated at Princeton University, Harvard University and the London School of Economics, Paul was chairman of President Barack Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board. During his long career, he also served as chairman of Wolfensohn and Co.; head of a committee reviewing dormant Swiss bank accounts of Nazi victims; chairman of the board of the International Accounting Standards Committee; and chair of the Independent Inquiry into the United Nations Oil for Food Program. He was 92.

Photos by Stephen Nadler ’21

LOVE. UNION. ALWAYS.

Mel Carvalho ’20

Aarya Rijal ’21

Blake Newcomer '21

Jess Siragusa ’22

Join the growing number of alumni, parents and friends who have set up recurring gifts to the Union Fund and become members of the Sustainer Circle. You monthly or yearly recurring donation will allow Union students to thrive in and out of the classroom. Support experiential learning opportunities, terms away, internships and research opportunities.

Give small amounts to make a big difference. Give to the future of U.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Visit union.edu/give | Call (518) 388-6175 Or go to uconnect.union.edu/recurring WINTER/SPRING 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

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

Please recycle

The crowd at the Feb. 21 launch of "Powering Union: The Campaign for Multiple Tomorrows"