Utica Magazine - Spring 2018

A MAGAZINE OF UTICA COLLEGE SPRING 2018

UC’s Plant Whisperer How Marcus Recile ’18 brought new life to the campus greenhouse

Honoring Ray Simon’s Legacy | A Student’s Journey Through Kenya

FIRST WORDS Letter from the Editor The Meaning of Mentors Back in November, when my colleagues and I in UC’s communications department shared the news of Professor Ray Simon’s passing on social media, none of us were surprised by the immediate outpouring of love and grief from alumni all over the world.

Within hours, we received dozens of messages from former students who shared photos, stories, and wise words from the iconic PR professor who, as they explained, changed their lives for the better.

What was surprising, though? The vast difference in the way alumni remembered their beloved professor.

For some, Ray Simon was a kind and gentle grandfatherly figure, offering sound guidance or a listening ear to students at pivotal times in their lives and careers.

Others remember Simon’s tough love. His famous “68, Nice Try” was enough of a rude awakening to inspire some of his students to shape up, work hard, and go on to great success (that was certainly the case for Gary Grates ’81, p. 26).

But perhaps that dichotomy is the mark of a powerful mentor—to know just the words a student needs to hear to spur him into realizing his full potential.

In this issue, you’ll find lots of stories of student-faculty relationships that inspire amazing work. Our cover star, senior Marcus Recile, connected with biology professor Sara Scanga over their love for plants, and she gave him the freedom to transform UC’s greenhouse into something truly spectacular (p. 16). MBA student Jennifer Waters (p. 5) worked with business professor Brett Orzechowski to create a business plan for a one-of-a-kind restaurant and market that celebrates the Mohawk Valley. When Amanda Butler ’09 (p. 47) scored

One of my favorites from the many photos we received from Simon alumni: “This is from the Tangerine,” wrote Diane Hickey Hotaling ’83.

“The cutline was a hoot: ‘Professor Simon has a ‘Hickey’ on his neck!’”

her dream job as lead scientist with NASA, she immediately called her mentor, biology professor Larry Aaronson, to thank him for the guidance that started her professional path.

So while it’s true that characters like Ray Simon come along once in a generation, powerful mentors can be found throughout Utica College, every day. I’m proud to share some of their stories here.

As always, let us know what you think. Share your thoughts on our new look and the stories in this issue via email at uticamag@utica.edu.

Mary Donofrio Editor

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FROM PRESIDENT LAURA CASAMENTO

Pride, Preparation, and Moving Forward Addressing the March 5 Campus Lockdown For those who live in the Utica area or are active on social media, the following won’t be news to you. For others, I feel it’s important to share the details of an experience that no one in the Utica College community will soon forget.

On March 5, Utica College was the victim of a terroristic threat via telephone.

The Office of Campus Safety immediately notified law enforcement, and I activated the College’s emergency response team. A lockdown was issued to allow the Utica Police Department to systematically evacuate and search campus buildings and move students, faculty, and staff into a safe zone.

Members of the College community received updates via texts, emails, and postings to social media and the College’s web site throughout the day.

When UPD’s search was complete at approximately 5 p.m., the lockdown was lifted.

On March 6, I was pleased and relieved to announce that an arrest had been made. According to the Utica Police Department, a Utica College student had been arrested and charged in the case. The investigation is still underway.

As I have said many times since March 5, I am profoundly grateful to faculty, staff, and students for responding to the lockdown with professionalism, patience, and genuine caring for one another. Despite the unease that many of us are still feeling, I am greatly comforted by the knowledge that we have an emergency response plan in place, and that it was well executed. I’m confident in the additional precautions we have instituted to improve our safety procedures going forward.

We also owe a debt of gratitude to law enforcement personnel. At the height of the situation, there were more than 100 officers on the Burrstone campus, including representatives from the Utica Police Department, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Department, the New York State Police, the FBI, and Homeland Security.

I know that many still have questions about what transpired. Some answers may emerge during court proceedings, but there are some questions that may never be answered.

While we are slowly returning to a sense of normalcy, we know that the experience affected us deeply and changed us in many ways. I am so proud of the way that we responded to the threats against our College, and as difficult as it was, we are in many ways stronger for having lived through the experience.

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CONTENTS 5

Everyday Pioneers

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Around Campus

13 Athletics FEATURES 16

The Plant Whisperer How Marcus Recile ’18 brought new life to UC’s greenhouse

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Remembering Ray Public relations alumni reflect on their beloved teacher, mentor, and friend

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A Career Centered on Students Preparing for retirement after 41 years, Provost John Johnsen looks back on his student-focused tenure

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After the Storm Briana Greco ’17 reports on UC students’ cleanup efforts in hurricane-ravaged Texas

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Discovering Kenya Viktoria Yudchits ’18 shares photos and stories from her life-changing summer in Kenya

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Alumni News

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Advancement Updates

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Class Notes

Editor Mary C. Donofrio Design Kevin Waldron Senior Writers Joe Perry Kelly Adams Photography Jamie Callari Larry Pacilio Kevin Waldron

Stay in Touch!

Send correspondence regarding Utica, address changes, and Class Notes to: Office of Alumni and Parent Relations Utica College 1600 Burrstone Road Utica, NY 13502-4892 Or call (800) 456-8278, (315) 792-3025 Or e-mail uticamag@utica.edu

Class Notes Editor Mark C. Kovacs Utica is published twice a year, Fall and Spring, by the Office of Marketing and Communications: Kelly Adams, Assistant Vice President.

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Everyday Pioneers:

Jennifer Waters ’09, G’17 MBA grad Jennifer Waters is working to develop a local spot that celebrates the Mohawk Valley—and makes good business sense.

Jennifer Waters has her threeyear-old son, Jack, to thank for helping inspire her big idea.

As an MBA student working with Professor Brett Orzechowski in summer 2017, Waters conceived of Loyal to Local, a one-stop shop for local food, drink, and goods in Rome, New York. The idea has taken hold in the community, attracting attention from both local investors and small business owners interested in taking part.

“I love bringing Jack to local spots, but farmers’ markets are obviously seasonal, and

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some local places aren’t exactly kid-friendly,” she says. “After a ton of conversations with my coworkers who faced similar problems, Loyal to Local evolved from a fleeting idea around the lunch table to a way to actually solve those problems, with the added advantage of bringing some much-needed life back to the City of Rome.”

Loyal to Local, says Waters, would not only be a family-focused dining experience with a farm-to-table eatery, brew pub, and café, but would also provide local vendors with a year-round venue to sell their goods—everything from fresh,

seasonal produce to artisan soaps and handmade furniture.

Waters, who earned a bachelor’s in public relations and journalism from UC in 2009, developed a comprehensive business plan for the project as part of her independent study with Orzechowski. In December 2017, she earned her MBA after 18 months of part-time study, which she balanced with her day job as Vice President for Business Development and Communications for the Mohawk Valley EDGE, a Romebased non-profit that helps new businesses grow in the region.

Her work, she says, has given her an insider’s perspective on what it takes to start a successful venture.

“I know what’s required to get a business off the ground from my work with EDGE, but it’s been interesting to be on the other side,” she says. “It’s a whole new perspective.”

While several local small business owners have expressed interest, Waters is hoping to gain even more traction on April 6, when she’ll present Loyal to Local before a panel of judges (and potential investors) as part of UC’s “Pioneering the Future” regional business pitch competition. Up for grabs: 10,000 dollars to help the winning entrepreneurs take their ideas to market.

“Of course I’m hoping to win,” says Waters, with a laugh. “But I also hope external investors see the merit in this idea and want to work with me.”

SEEING RED A yearly tradition, Gannett Library went red on February 2 for heart health awareness, part of the American Heart Association’s national “Go Red for Women” campaign.

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STRENGTH IN NUMBERS Walkers and runners took to the streets on March 3 for the annual America’s Greatest Heart Run and Walk, now in its 21st year at UC.

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AROUND CAMPUS

How have your research goals evolved?

While my driving force of improving communities has remained the same, I now also want to understand how heavy metals behave chemically in our environment so that I can contemplate long-term remediation solutions. My ultimate career goal would be to have a job in industry where I can improve manufacturing processes by practicing green chemistry, and use that role as a platform for increasing scientific literacy and promoting sustainability beyond the lab.

Good Chemistry Catching up with Lana Nitti ’18 and her communityminded research into lead poisoning.

Back in fall 2016, the Pioneer introduced readers to Lana Nitti, then a UC sophomore doing groundbreaking research into lead exposure in the city of Utica. Nitti shared her goal of creating a community-based project that gives local kids the opportunity to learn about the environment while helping raise awareness about lead poisoning, which is extremely prevalent in some of Utica’s poorest neighborhoods. We caught up with Nitti, who’s preparing to graduate in May and plans to pursue graduate school, to see how her research has developed: What have been some of the highlights of your research journey since 2016?

One of the most exciting things was having the opportunity

to try my experiment with high-school students from Proctor High School. The Young Scholars Liberty Partnerships Program invited me to do a weeklong module during their STEM summer program, where I worked with 60 students, having them harvest soil samples from their own yards in Utica and analyze them for lead content. That experience and their feedback helped me grow so much as an activist, educator, and chemist. I think I may have learned more than the kids did! I was also honored to be a 2017 recipient of the Dean Robert Woods Student Life Awards for the contributions of my research in the area of community service.

Are people in Utica more aware of lead’s dangers since you first starting working on this?

Yes, I think so, but I also believe that there is still more work to be done to foster the kind of awareness that eradicates this major public health issue once and for all. This is something I plan to work on in graduate school and beyond—it’s why I’m planning to pursue a Ph.D. in environmental chemistry.

What’s next for you?

In late March I will be presenting the overall results and implications of my research in New Orleans at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, which is the largest scientific organization in the world. I think that will provide a really rewarding opportunity to reflect on my accomplishments before graduating this May.

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CBS’s Richard Jones to Speak at Commencement Richard Jones ‘92 will deliver the commencement address at UC’s undergraduate ceremony on May 6.

A native of Whitesboro, NY, Jones oversees worldwide tax planning and operations for CBS Corporation as the media company’s executive vice president and general tax counsel.

Jones, a U.S. Army veteran, is also CBS’s chief veteran officer, spearheading programs that provide support to the company’s veterans and their families.

He majored in accounting at UC and received a master’s degree in business and J.D. from Syracuse University. He also holds an LL.M. (master of laws in taxation) from Boston University.

Dr. Todd Pfannestiel to Succeed Johnsen as Provost After a national search, Dr. Todd Pfannestiel was named Utica College’s next provost

and senior vice president of academic affairs, effective June 1, 2018. He will succeed Dr. John Johnsen, who will retire in May after 41 years at UC. Pfannestiel comes to UC from Clarion University of Pennsylvania, where he served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and interim provost and vice president for academic affairs and acting president.

A historian, Pfannestiel has focused his research on American civil liberties and the Vietnam War through the lens of oral history and popular culture. (Photo 1)

Coming Soon: New Residence Halls Construction will soon be underway on three new residence buildings for UC students.

The buildings, which will be located on campus near the Todd and Jen Hutton Sports and Recreation Center and

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tennis courts, will have apartment-style living spaces with four bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and a kitchen in each unit. The spaces will be offered to juniors, seniors, and graduate students.

The project is a public-private partnership between the college, the Utica Municipal Housing Authority, and Albany-based BBL Construction Services. The total cost is estimated to be $13 to $14 million, which will be repaid through student housing rental monies.

Pending proper approvals, the College and partners hope to break ground in late spring or early summer, with fall 2019 occupancy. (Photo 2)

UC to Open New Nursing Site in South Florida Utica College’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) Program has a new home in South Florida. The state-of-the art facility, located

in Miramar, Florida, is set to open in fall 2018.

The site consists of over 11,000 square feet, housing two large classrooms, two clinical skills laboratories, one private testing room, a student lounge, and two patient assessment rooms, designed to simulate hospital rooms for training. More than 200 full-time students are expected to use the facility, which is located in close proximity to area hospitals where ABSN students complete clinical rotations.

“The new facility will allow us to offer our high-quality nursing education program to additional students,” says Polly Smith, associate provost of online learning. “Those students will, in turn, serve the local community and help to alleviate the nursing shortage in South Florida. Working closely with our health care partners, we strive to make our graduates job-ready upon graduation.”

(Photo 3)

AROUND CAMPUS

Faculty Achievement Joseph Ribaudo, associate professor of physics, was awarded a $121,942 National Science Foundation grant for support of his research project, “RUI: The Circumgalactic Medium in the Local Universe.”

most advanced telescopes, including the Hubble Space Telescope. Ribaudo says six undergraduate physics students will assist him in the analysis, and will be paid for their work as part of the NSF grant.

Ribaudo’s research, which he began during his graduate study at the University of Notre Dame, seeks to understand the physical mechanisms responsible for the circulation of gas through galaxies, using data from the world’s

“It’s remarkable that, as undergrads, our students will have the opportunity to do this type of high-impact research supported by the NSF,” says Ribaudo, who explained that the grant funding will also support the students’ travel to national

conferences. “UC physics students will have the experience of being real scientists before graduation.”

In December 2017, Patrice Hallock was named interim dean of Health Professions and Education, replacing Dean Harry Slife, who left UC to take another position. Hallock was formerly department chair for educator preparation and psychology-child life.

Amy Lindsey, associate professor of psychology, had an original research article titled “Antibiotics reduce retinal cell survival in vitro” published in the journal Neurotoxicity Research.

Leonore Fleming, associate professor of philosophy, recently published an article, “Two Dogmas of Biology” in the Philosophy, Theory and Practice in Biology journal.

UC Faculty Bookshelf New releases from Utica College faculty

FOIL: The Law and the Future of Public Information in New York

By Brett Orzechowski, professor of management and media Published by Syracuse University Press Orzechowski guides readers through the creation of the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) and the concept of open government in the 21st century.

Give Methods a Chance

By Kyle Green, assistant professor of sociology, and Sarah Lageson Published by W.W. Norton & Company A collection of short pieces that offer a first-person window into how social scientists generate knowledge and put methods into action.

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ATHLETICS

Ivan Iton ’18 Hometown: Ossining, NY Major: Biology

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Ivan Iton is, in basketball speak, a “94-foot player” – a player capable of influencing and, oftentimes, dictating play the full length of the court. The two-time Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year averaged a league-best 9.7 rebounds, and his 2.5 blocks per game ranked 14th in the country. On the offensive end, he led the Pioneers in scoring with 16.1 points per game, becoming the 16th player in school history to score 1,000 career points.

More impressive, Iton raised his game when it mattered most, improving his scoring, rebounding, and block averages in postseason play, leading UC to its first E8 championship game appearance since 2007.

ATHLETICS

Sideline Report The field hockey team advanced to the Empire 8 championship game. This was UC’s sixth trip to the championship game in the program’s 18-year history.

The women’s cross country team earned its first Empire 8 conference championship. Kaitlyn Stinson ’19 was named the Empire 8 Runner of the Year, while Jessica Ostrowski ’21 was named Empire 8 Rookie of the Year. (1) Keanu Heedram ’20 became the first thrower in school history to qualify for nationals in the shot put. The Empire 8 conference champion entered nationals ranked ninth on the indoor qualifying list after breaking his own school record at regionals with a first-place toss of 16.71 meters. (2)

Men’s lacrosse attacker and fashion throwback Nick Yelich ’18 was profiled in Barstool Sports, a popular comedy-centric sports and men’s lifestyle blog, hailing Yelich as “the most diesel athlete in college sports.” (3) Ashley Mayo ’18 and Ashleyne Babb ’18 each eclipsed the 1,000-career point mark, becoming the 12th and 13th women’s basketball players in UC history, respectively, to achieve the milestone. (4 and 5) Avery Coston ’21 hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to lift the men’s basketball team to a 63-62 semifinal victory over Stevens Institute of Technology and advance the team to the championship game.

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Men’s Hockey Captures First League Title Mikhail Bushinski ’17, G’18 put Yale Law School on hold. Roman Ammirato ’18 left a national championship team. In the afterglow of Utica College’s first-ever men’s hockey league title, never were they surer of themselves and the difficult decisions they made.

including last season’s 2-1 overtime loss to Hobart.

Nine months earlier, he deferred his admission to Yale to take one more shot at a title. He had missed his entire sophomore season after injuring his hip, and had one season of NCAA eligibility remaining.

“This is why I came back – for this moment, with this group,” Bushinski said, just moments after UC’s 8-3 UCHC championship game victory over Elmira.

Ammirato, one of nine seniors—or, in Bushinski’s case, graduate students—on the team, transferred to Utica from Union College in 2016, leaving a national championship program to assume a leadership role on a team he believed was knocking on the door.

The team’s co-captain was playing in his fourth championship game, the team having come up short in 2014, 2016, and 2017,

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“It’s so special. (Transfer-

ring to Utica College) was the best decision I’ve made in hockey, and I’ve been playing hockey a long time,” says Ammirato, who earned All-American and UCHC Player of the Year honors after scoring a school singleseason record 22 goals.

UC’s 21-5-1 season featured many other storylines and notable milestones. The team’s 21 wins were the third most in the nation, and did not include the Pioneers’ 5-4 exhibition victory of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, a team of NHL draft prospects. Utica’s .796 winning percentage was a program best. The team was ranked No. 5 in the final

NCAA regional rankings.

Ammirato led the nation in shorthanded goals, and fellow All-American Dalton Carter ’18 led the nation in scoring by a defenseman.

“It’s was a great season,” head coach Gary Heenan says. “We finally got the monkey off our back with the first league title, and we cemented our place as a national championship contender.

“But as much as anything, I’m happy for our players, especially our nine seniors.

We lost the championship in a heartbreaker last year, and they said this year was going to be different.”

The

PLANT

Whisperer SENIOR MARCUS RECILE CAN BRING DEAD PLANTS BACK TO LIFE—AND HAS TRANSFORMED UC’S GREENHOUSE FROM A FORGOTTEN TEACHING TOOL TO A BELOVED AND THRIVING CAMPUS LANDMARK. Marcus Recile loves plants.

And he wants you to love them, too.

On a tour of UC’s greenhouse, the senior biology major sounds more like a salesman than the greenhouse manager.

“Now this is one of my favorites,” he says, pointing out a bright orange Bird of Paradise flower. “It adds a nice sense of color to the room, and it’s easy to take care of. I have one in my bathroom. The humidity from the shower is great for it.”

In the desert plant section, he explains that succulents

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“I GAVE HIM THE INDEPENDENCE TO TRY HIS IDEAS, AND HE TOOK THE BALL AND RAN WITH IT, EVEN FURTHER THAN I COULD HAVE ANTICIPATED.” are “forgiving. You can forget to water them for weeks, and they’ll be fine.”

Overwatering, he notes, is a common amateur mistake.

A handy trick: “Stick a popsicle stick into the soil about three inches down.

If it comes up moist, don’t water it.”

He’s also known to wax poetic on these tours: “You can learn a lot about life from plants. Nothing ever dies, it just becomes something else.”

Clearly, Marcus Recile’s love for plants goes deep. As the greenhouse’s official caretaker since his freshman year and president of the Utica Growers’ Society, Recile has almost single handedly transformed the greenhouse outside Gordon Science Center from an underappreciated campus facility to a thriving oasis of green, calm, and life—not to mention its own considerable source of income.

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BACK TO BASICS Marcus Recile first noticed the campus greenhouse before he was officially a UC student.

As a high-school senior on a tour during Accepted Students’ Day, “I thought, ‘Oh, they have a greenhouse! That’s awesome,’” he recalls.

Having studied hydroponics in high school, Recile, who’s from Waterbury, Connecticut, imagined that helping out in the greenhouse would make for a fun work-study gig. Only after arriving at UC did he realize what condition the greenhouse was in after years without steady maintenance.

The greenhouse’s previous driving force and dedicated caretaker, biology professor Dave Moore, had retired in 2011, and in the years following, the greenhouse had been used primarily for biology department

research. The few living plants were those species used for teaching.

began to cultivate fertilizer rich in micronutrients that plants need.

“The greenhouse was limping along,” says biology professor Sara Scanga. “And it was not at all aesthetically pleasing.”

He found cost-effective ways to grow new plants, too. He took note of the bright ornamentals that dotted campus in the spring, and at the end of the season, used clippings to clone them, producing more healthy flowers for free.

When he arrived at UC that fall, Recile, who had indeed scored the work-study position, wanted to see it thrive again. He soon found himself in the greenhouse for hours each day, including weekends, and quickly identified a problem at the root: poor soil quality. Instead of using a synthetic fertilizer like Miracle Grow, as had been the common practice, Recile wanted to use natural compost—or more specifically, worm poop, to nourish the soil. He started a vermicomposting (the scientific term for “worm composting”) operation using food waste from the dining halls on campus, and

Back home in Connecticut for the summer after his freshman year, Recile worked at a large greenhouse. When he found out the owner planned to throw away several dozen succulents due to oversupply, he claimed them—and made the three-hour drive back to Utica with a car full of plants in tow. Today, most of UC’s desert plant collection comes from these Connecticut-born transplants.

Scanga, who is also Recile’s adviser, was impressed.

“Marcus really took us back to basics,” she said. “I gave him the independence to try his ideas, and he took the ball and ran with it, even further than I could have anticipated.”

A ‘GROWING’ BUSINESS The year before Recile’s arrival at UC, Scanga had started the Asa Gray Growers Group (AGGG), an offshoot of the Asa Gray Biological Society, which has existed at UC since 1972.

Despite attracting a handful of members, the Growers’ Group lacked funding, and relied on modest bake sales to support their endeavors.

“We’d raise maybe 10 dollars each sale,” says Scanga. “It was really inefficient.”

Enter The Plant Whisperer.

Recile took on a leadership role in the group almost immediately, and proposed a new plan for fundraising:

plant sales, selling extra plants in the greenhouse that would otherwise go to waste. Faculty, he knew, enjoyed keeping plants in their offices, and with the right marketing, students could get excited about plants, too.

With help from his roommates, he plastered campus with colorful signs advertising the first sale. He used his own oil paints to decorate the plain terracotta planters with funky abstract designs (painted pots add about seven bucks to the purchase price).

At the first sale, he handed customers his business card and sold plants with a promise: “If you have any questions or need someone to take care of your plant over break, call me.” He guarantees there will be no dead plants on his watch.

And the Plant Whisperer

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means it: In a tale that’s taken on a mythic quality around the biology department, Professor Jessica Thomas once brought Recile a long-deceased snake plant she kept in her office.

“I left it in the botany lab with a note that said, ‘Marcus, sorry I failed you.

Please reuse the pot.’”

Weeks later, Recile returned the pot to Thomas—with a healthy, vibrant plant growing inside.

“I was speechless,” recalls Thomas. “And I continued to be amazed by his talent, resourcefulness, and creative ideas.”

Since their inception, the biannual plant sales have been hugely profitable for the AGGG (which has since become the Utica Growers’ Society). Instead of selling only leftovers, the increase in demand requires Recile to grow the more popular plants, like peace lilies, coleus, and purple passion plants, specifically for the plant sales. Today, the group regularly brings in over 1,000 dollars per sale, all of which is reinvested into the greenhouse.

THE POWER OF PRODUCE Recile doesn’t just believe in plants’ aesthetic value—he’s a vocal proponent of local, sustainable eating, as well.

His passion grew after a summer back in Connecticut, which Recile spent working as a counselor with the Connecticut Junior Republic, a non-profit near his hometown that

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helps at-risk youth prepare for employment through community service.

At first, Recile struggled to design activities that the kids, mostly 12-13-year-olds, were interested in.

“It was hard to get them to focus,” he says.

But he soon devised a plan that captured their attention. He taught them how to grow produce and herbs to use in their own meals.

He teamed up with the program’s culinary staff, which began to use the homegrown lettuce in salads and garnish hot dishes with fresh herbs. The rest of the produce was sold to the local community.

When he returned to UC, Recile reasoned that the same program could be equally successful at the campus dining hall. He approached Sodexo’s General Manager Damian Boehlert, Executive Chef Art Langdon, and Sustainability Manager Deborah Hanson about growing fresh herbs to use in menu items.

“They were all for it,” he says, and in fall 2017, a dozen planters were installed in the terrace outside Strebel Dining Commons. Recile helps harvest the basil, rosemary, marjoram and other herbs every two weeks, which are then incorporated into Sodexo dishes.

“Most of the money we earned went back into the program, but the kids would each get to keep a small percentage,” he explains.

“The response has been great,” he says. “It’s something the school needed.”

Soon, the students were eagerly growing arugula, basil, sage, rosemary and more. Recile created an Instagram account just for their group, where they’d showcase their harvest. The kids were finally excited about the work they were doing—and thrilled to add about 20 dollars a week to the stipend they were already receiving from the program.

When he’s not talking in romantic terms about plant life, Recile is every inch the entrepreneur. Of the plant sales: “We’re reallocating our assets to create more revenue.” Students who buy plants aren’t customers, they’re “clients.”

The greenhouse isn’t just a school facility, he says, but a functional business “and should be run like one,” which is part of why he took on a business minor during his sophomore year.

“It was cool to see them understand all the work that goes into growing a vegetable,” he says. With many of the students coming from urban areas, “some of them didn’t even know that a carrot grows underground.”

SEEDS FOR SUCCESS

place. Now, the greenhouse is managed by Recile and a group of 10 students, members of the Utica Growers’ Society, divided into three departments: Production, Sales and Marketing, and Finance.

The group isn’t limited to biology students either.

Computer science, cybersecurity, and business students make up the current team.

It’s all part of Recile’s larger goal to build a legacy of students who will keep the greenhouse going (and growing) long after he graduates.

“I realized early on that I didn’t want someone else to have to live out my dream for this place,” he says.

Instead, he’s encouraged his successors to set their own goals for the greenhouse and create their own vision.

Thanks to a crew of eager freshmen and sophomores, Recile, who plans to graduate in December 2018, feels hopeful.

Professor Sara Scanga, too, feels encouraged by the revived student interest in the greenhouse. The procedures and structure Recile has put in place, she says, have given the next generation of students some momentum.

“I realized all my big ideas for the greenhouse can’t happen without money,” he says.

But still, she’s realistic about the prospect of another Plant Whisperer emerging from a future crop of UC undergrads.

From his business courses, he’s developed the skills to put more structure in

“There will never be another Marcus,” she says. “He is irreplaceable.”

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Remembering

RAY For generations of Utica College alumni, Professor Ray Simon was more than beloved teacher—he was the man who set their careers in motion, who instilled confidence, who changed their lives.

On November 7, 2017, the Utica College community lost one of its greatest treasures, the legendary public relations professor Raymond Simon.

Known in the PR world as “the Father of Public Relations Education,” Simon spent 36 years at UC and left an indelible mark on countless students, many who felt compelled to share their memories with Utica magazine after learning of his passing.

“News of Professor Simon’s death stopped me in my tracks,” wrote Diane Hotaling ’83. “I owe my career in higher education to Professor Simon. He saw something in me I didn’t see in myself. His spirit lives on in the thousands of lives he touched, sometimes without even knowing it.”

From David Thurmond ’73: “As a black student far from his home in Atlanta, I found Professor Simon to be much more than the innovator and educator he was. He was my mentor and friend. I attribute all that I accomplished to the positive values he instilled in me.”

“I vividly remember his red ink corrections on my papers,” wrote Jim Moore ’75. “Professor Simon was the kind of man his students will never forget.”

But perhaps his impact was best surmised by Provost John Johnsen: “The measure of his quality as an educator is indicated by the depth of feeling that his students continue to have.”

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By that measure, Ray Simon’s legacy will live on forever.

Here, six Utica College alumni who went on to achieve success in the PR world reflect on their teacher, mentor and friend:

“You Can Do Better” Jim Leach ’67 When I entered UC in 1963 I wasn’t so much a lost soul as voluntarily missing. Dick Costa’s journalism class (my first and one of his last at UC) was a wake-up call that introduced me to the PR major, and ultimately to Ray Simon, who has had a profound effect on me and on hundreds of his other students. Not “former students.” Just students.

Ray took ownership, and the UC PR alumni who I know were influenced by him throughout our lives.

When I was discharged from the Army in 1970, Ray put me on to my first job. “Call Harry Charlton at SUNY. They’ve got something in Plattsburgh.” From then on I

never changed jobs without consulting Ray. The conversations always started the same way: Me: “Hi, Ray” (or in the early years, “Hi, Professor Simon”).

Ray: “JIM!” (He always made it sound like he’d been sitting by the phone, waiting for my call. I’m sure he did it with all his other alumni: “LINDA!; “DUNCAN!”; “KIM!”; “O’GARA!” But when you were the recipient, you felt special.)

After trading the latest news about our spouses and kids, we’d get to the matter at hand. I’d tell Ray what I was considering, and he’d reel off a string of questions to get me focused. Often it started with a reaffirmation of the current situation. “You’ve been there how long? It’s a pretty good job, right?”

That always seemed like Ray’s way of saying: “This isn’t an emergency; you’ve got some options.” Though he did once tell me—and it was the right advice— “When a job starts to make your gut ache, it’s time to move on.”

Ray wasn’t given to unconsidered job changes, as you might surmise from a career that began at Utica College in 1949 and continued though his retirement 36 years later. He’d ask about satisfactions and aspirations, and make you think in ways you otherwise wouldn’t.

Maybe you have a sense of how that makes you feel—knowing that someone thoughtful and smart and experienced cares where you end up. It was the way he taught.

Ray had expectations. He expected us to know the work, to keep up with the assignments, to think about the larger meaning of what we were studying, to write well. And to write a lot. An awful lot.

He read it all, of course, quickly and thoroughly, and the feedback was detailed, if sometimes harsh. No gentleman’s “C”s in Professor Simon’s class.

As close as he came to that

was “68, Nice Try,” a mark that came so often to so many of us during my years that some joker made Ray a stamp. Which he used with impunity. If we went to him in frustration, the session, as likely as not, would conclude with, “You can do better.” That’s a powerful message—a respected teacher telling you not that you didn’t do well enough, but that you could do better.

If you were a public relations major in the 1960s, the Tangerine meant a lot to you. Ray was largely responsible for that. There was no credit assigned to working on the Tangerine—at least none that we could ever prove. But there was no doubt in our mind that if we fell short on an assignment it would somehow figure in that “better” that Ray thought we could do. By late in the day of publication there would always be a group gathered around the bulletin board in the

Tangerine office, poring over a marked-up copy of the week’s paper and reading the pages of typed comments that Ray always provided. He was holding us accountable for the quality of our work.

When Ray told you you could do better (which happened regularly, in my case), he had a way of putting you in good company. For a senior seminar in 1967 Ray assigned a case study on the 50th anniversary of General Motors. I thought I had hit the assignment over the fence. Nope. C+ (which was actually not that bad if you looked at the rest of my transcript).

Ray gave most of the hour to a class discussion of that paper, centering around the schedule of anniversary events—either I’d scheduled them for a month and Ray thought it should happen over a year, or vice versa.

That wasn’t the point. We

were a small group and we all knew each other well from the years we’d spent studying under Ray. Everyone joined in and it was an intellectual exercise among colleagues. The case was based in reality— General Motors actually had celebrated its 50th anniversary. I knew that, so I asked Ray how the pros did it. “Same as you,” he replied with the Simon twinkle. “I’d have given them a C+, too!”

It’s not like that lesson— which happened 50 years ago—meant that much to me, if you get what I mean.

After 35 years in college and university public relations, Jim Leach ’67 retired from Colgate University in 2005 to open Jim Leach Writing & Photography, which operates from an office in Hamilton, New York. He and his wife Linda raised a daughter and two sons, and dote over three grandkids.

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The Kickstarter Jackie Atkin Weeks ’01 I was the epitome of a college student that had no idea what she wanted to do with her life.

The first year and a half or so, I had no major, taking core classes in hopes something would magically spark my interest. Sadly, it wasn’t working out as magically as I’d hoped. At the recommendation of a friend, I took a Public Relations 101 class. I did well but hadn’t thought about it as a long-term interest until Professor Joe Zappala pulled me aside one day wondering whether I had given any thought to it, as it seemed to suit me well. So, I did and through this decision I met a man who I would later discover was a true legend in the public relations world.

I don’t remember when I first met Professor Simon, but boy do I remember him.

I was fascinated by how this small, white-haired man in his mid-80s (at the time) who shuffled down the halls would attract these young, smiling students who just couldn’t get enough interaction with him, including myself. Even more fascinating? He knew all of us in the program by name. I loved talking with him. He was smart, dynamic, encouraging, and went out of his way to chat with all of us students every chance he got. Most of all, it was obvious he wasn’t hanging around the college post-retirement trying to reminisce about the good old days. He was there because he cared about the students. He

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cared about how they were doing in class, cared about their families and cared that they were happy and getting what they needed from the program he founded many years prior.

Toward the end of my junior year, I was fortunate enough to be honored with the summer internship award at the annual PR/J awards ceremony, sharing the win with my good friend Michele Ford. The catch? There was only one internship available (St. Luke’s Healthcare), which Michele was given.

I, in turn, was awarded a check for more money than I had ever received in my 20 years. Although I was more than appreciative of the money and I was genuinely happy for Michele, I was a little disappointed I wouldn’t get the internship experience that summer.

Fast-forward a few weeks.

I’m sitting in my dorm room and the phone rings.

Professor Simon is on the other end. Even though he and I spoke often on campus, you can imagine my surprise and confusion at getting a phone call in my dorm room from this retired professor in his 80s.

Once the confusion faded, Professor Simon presented me with the opportunity that I truly believe kick-started what I would consider a successful and fulfilling career filled with challenge and opportunity.

He went on to tell me that a former student who was leading the PR department in Eastman Kodak’s healthcare division was looking for a summer intern, and

he thought this opportunity was a good fit for me. It was a three-month internship located at their headquarters in Rochester, New York, and it was paid!

There was no way I wasn’t accepting this gift and I was honored that this giant in the PR world would know me well enough and care enough about me to offer me this opportunity. I was grateful. I thanked him profusely and went on to spend the summer in what felt like a real grownup job learning the ins and outs of the corporate world (or as much as you can be being a 20-year-old intern).

I’ve often thought of Professor Simon since graduating from UC, and as I’ve grown in my career I’ve often wondered whether I’d be where I am today if it weren’t for his wisdom, guidance, and the very generous opportunity he presented me. I’ve worked very hard to get where I am today, but one thing I’m certain of is that Professor Simon played a very integral part in getting me here, and I’ll forever be grateful.

Jackie Atkin Weeks ’01 has gone on to earn her M.S. in marketing and has spent the last 13 years leading digital marketing teams and programs for companies like Burton Snowboards, BISSELL Homecare, and X-Rite Pantone. She is currently leading the global marketing team for Fluke Electronics’ largest business unit. She lives with her husband, Nathan, in the greater Seattle area.

“Maybe you have a sense of how that makes you feel—knowing that someone thoughtful and smart and experienced cares where you end up. It was the way he taught.”

Jim Leach ’67

Wake-Up Call Sandra Beckwith ’76

there was nothing special about my name.)

if he did. He offered kind, fatherly advice.

succeed and the courage to take chances.

I knew that Professor Simon wasn’t your ordinary college instructor the summer before I started my junior year at UC as a transfer student.

That didn’t matter. From Day One, this professor made sure I didn’t stay in the background.

When I made plans to marry my hometown boyfriend soon after graduation, Uncle Ray called me into his office, closed the door, and said, “Don’t get married yet.

Get a job, work for a while, spend some time in the world first.”

But that’s not why I will always adore Ray Simon. He was, quite simply, one of the warmest, most “what you see is what you get” men I’ve ever known. I’m grateful I was able to enjoy and benefit from his warmth, wisdom, and friendship for as long as I did. I will always miss him, just as I will always smile when I think of him.

He called my parents’ house early one morning several weeks before the fall semester started to discuss a problem with my class schedule. I had worked as a waitress the night before until about 1:30 a.m., so I was sleeping when he called. My mother got me out of bed. (“It’s THE COLLEGE.”) “Did I wake you?” Professor Simon laughed, already teasing me.

I was more than surprised when he identified himself.

This wouldn’t have happened at the much larger SUNY Cortland, where I had spent the past two years accumulating liberal arts credits knowing that I’d transfer to UC as a junior for my major. But it was typical for this department head.

Weeks later, on my first day in his “Introduction to Public Relations” course that fall, Professor Simon couldn’t just nod his head at me when I responded to my name as he read the class list.

“Sandra. What a beautiful name,” he said, pausing as all heads turned my way.

I turned bright red. I was the kind of new kid who didn’t like being noticed. (And

“Uncle Ray,” as so many of us referred to him by the time we neared the end of our college careers, saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. He made it a point to continually push me outside my comfort zone week in and week out. Every time I protested, he would say, “Oh, you can do this. Don’t worry.”

And each time, I did. I might have been terrified, but I did what he said I could do because how could I not?

You didn’t say “no” to him.

Whether it was venturing to Manhattan with Vic Fariello, Doug Carroll, and Dave Hazard as the Northeast PRSSA team for a national competition at the annual PRSSA conference or asking NBC talk show host Tom Snyder a question as part of the college’s journalism symposium, when Uncle Ray pushed, I moved forward.

He was my first mentor— before we even knew what a “mentor” was. He was more than that, though. Uncle Ray was a friend, offering advice on personal matters when he thought it was necessary.

It wasn’t, “I don’t think you should wear that dress when you present at the competition” advice, although it wouldn’t have surprised me

I didn’t take his advice. And when my marriage ended in Madison, Wisconsin, with great drama almost as soon as it began, Uncle Ray didn’t say, “You should have listened to me,” when he called. He said, “You need to leave. There’s a job at Burson-Marsteller in Chicago I want you to apply for.”

I did, because I trusted his judgment. I got the job most definitely on the strength of his recommendation, not on my confidence-generating interview. (I know this for a fact, thanks to a manager with loose lips after one too many beers.)

Taking the job at what was then the world’s largest public relations agency was life-altering in the best ways possible. Working and living in the third largest city in the U.S. was a far cry from my rural upbringing and small college roots, but it was a memorable and rewarding experience. I owe all the good that has come my way from that experience—both personally and professionally—to Uncle Ray. He gave me the professional foundation I needed to

After being “PR Simonized,” Sandra Beckwith ’76 went on to receive a Silver Anvil, another national publicity award, three regional PRSA awards, and the Raymond Simon Institute Outstanding Public Relations/Journalism Alumna award. The author of several publicity books, she is now a freelance writer and book marketing coach.

Her BuildBookBuzz.com website has been recognized for excellence five times and is ranked in the top 10 among thousands of book marketing sites.

Ray Knew the Reason Susan Murad ’91 In 1990, in a constant state of exhaustion, overwhelmed and intimidated by what I was taking on, I found myself in the parking lot of Utica College.

I was a “non-traditional” student, nearly 11 years older than my classmates and a mother of two, and the future of my newly configured little family depended

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on what happened between that parking lot and Hubbard Hall. Once, the late Jack Behrens pointed out that he noticed my pen was always in my hand as I entered the classroom. I hadn’t realized, that “tell” of my motivation to get into class.

When Cases and Problems in Public Relations was on my schedule, I couldn’t have predicted the impact that class or Ray Simon would have on me.

Ray had retired years before, and in a case of sheer luck or fate, had come back to teach while I was enrolled.

Looking back, I’m sure Ray assessed my situation in his usual expert manner and summed up within the first couple of classes what was happening and why I was there. That knowing nod mattered.

The first time he looked at me and asked a question about the case we were reviewing, I felt a wave of sheer panic come over me.

But Ray’s expression—kind, yet inquisitive eyes, shoulders leaning forward— compelled me to somehow croak out a response.

“Maybe say you’ll check into it and get back to them?” said a voice sounding somewhat like mine.

“Sharon is exactly right,” and although he had my name wrong, I felt thrilled.

Validated. I was right. I just might be able to pull this off.

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“He placed the burden where it rightfully stood—on me.

Those words pierced through my body like a sharp sword.”

Gary F. Grates ’81

That classroom became the place where my 10-year age difference no longer mattered to my classmates or me. My heart healed in that wood-paneled room, and I slowly became a new, whole person again.

Visiting his office with my two- and four-year olds in tow seemed to delight Ray. Now in their 30s, the younger of my children doesn’t remember, but the older recalls knowing that I greatly admired and respected this nice man. She thought of him as grandfatherly. I think he would have liked that.

Cases and Problems in Public Relations remains for me one of the touchstones of not only my professional career, but serves as a guide for life. Be measured.

Look at the entire situation.

“Maybe say you’ll check into it and get back to them.”

Many knew Ray better and for a longer time than I, but his impact on my life was and continues to be profound.

When I would see him, Ray always asked “Susan, how are the children?” before “how’s the job?” He knew they were The Reason he found this quiet, mostly terrified woman sitting in his classroom in 1991.

I was always too emotional to share with him faceto-face just how much he meant to my life and my future. How, if not for him,

Jack, Cecilia, Joe, and Kim, I would not have learned how to believe in myself again. To smile again.

It was enough to see him, to chat with him and to have him know my name.

A Utica native, Susan Murad ’91 earned her master’s degree at Rochester Institute of Technology in 2001. She has held positions in public relations, communications, and marketing for a variety of higher education, non-profit and corporate entities, and currently is the director of public relations and technology transfer for Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, New York. Murad lives in Canandaigua, New York, and has two children and two granddaughters.

The Rallying Cry Gary F. Grates ’81 “Maybe you should think about another career path.”

Those were the words uttered to me late in the first semester of my freshman year as I spoke with Professor Raymond Simon.

And he was right. My first semester was a train wreck, and much of it was due to a lack of commitment to the whole notion of college.

Professor Simon certainly knew this, especially since I totally bombed an entrylevel course with him in

public relations. When I went to visit him that day, my goal was to “explain” the situation and get him to buy my story.

So, what does a professor do? Coddle the student and coax him to get his head screwed on right? Promote the curriculum and career as incredibly beneficial and rewarding so as to jumpstart my interest and attention?

Well, Prof. Simon did neither.

Instead, he placed the burden where it rightfully stood—on me. Those words pierced through my body like a sharp sword. I was speechless (which is almost impossible for anyone in PR) as his assessment of my potential career ambition forced me to finally own up to things. It forced me to rethink my choices. It reinforced the need to take responsibility. It became the rallying cry I needed and pushed me to excel both inside and outside the classroom.

Throughout my four years at UC, Professor Simon was a teacher, mentor, antagonist, cheerleader, and friend.

He guided me to learn the skills and thought-processes to excel in the real world. When I graduated, Professor Simon was calling me to interview at a local manufacturing company for an entry-level position in communications, a position that was held by a previous UC graduate he taught. And

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three years into that position, Professor Simon was again setting up an interview for me with a New York City public relations counseling firm whose president was another graduate of his.

Now, fast-forward 25 years and my relationship with Professor Simon solidified, becoming a cherished bond based on mutual love and respect. I would call him sometimes late at night or on the weekend as I traveled for business seeking his counsel and advice. He would always say something that broke through the clutter, allowing me to view a problem through a new lens. Professor Simon’s gift was an uncanny ability to sift through the symptoms and identify the cause. He taught me so many things about the profession and, more importantly, about relationships and expectations.

His legacy is the thousands of people whose lives he impacted. Professor Simon kept in touch with so many graduates over the years, serving as both a LinkedIn and Facebook before either social network existed, connecting lives and successes and maintaining a strong affiliation for the school long after he “retired” and we left town.

Professor Simon made sure we knew our stuff. He worked hard to keep us in touch. But the most lasting gift from this incredible man is an innate curiosity

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about the world around us starting with the people and relationships that form our ecosystem.

Professor Simon, thank you for making me both the professional and the person I always wanted to be. May you rest in peace.

Gary F. Grates ’81 leads corporate and strategy practices at W20 Group Worldwide, a globally renowned public relations firm. He has counseled more than 100 organizations and CEOs, including PepsiCo, Caterpillar, Shell, Kraft, Nissan, Exxon/Mobil, eBay, United Airlines, Pfizer, and CocaCola. A frequent lecturer and author on issues facing corporate management and communications professionals worldwide, Grates has been referred to as the thought leader in change management communications and effective employee-management relations.

An Honor to Know Him Jennifer Blanchard ’05 Ray Simon was already retired from teaching by the time I became a freshman at UC, but that didn’t stop him from showing up on campus every day and getting to know the new PR-J students. He was always a cheerleader for us and would stop by our classes or a Tangerine or Public Relations Student Society of

America (PRSSA) meeting just to say “hi” and see how things were going.

I respected all he’d accomplished in his career, and loved that he was still so involved with the campus and the students in the department. It was an honor to know him and to have had the opportunity to be awarded several times through the Ray Simon Institute (RSI) while I was a student at UC. I still to this day have my RSI award letters.

I even had the opportunity during my senior year to travel with a big group of students from the PRSSA to New York City to attend a gala celebrating Ray’s birthday and to raise money for RSI. We had such a blast on that trip and I loved seeing all of Ray’s former students come together to celebrate him.

When I graduated from UC, I had secured a dream-job summer internship working at a magazine in Southern California. I was beyond excited. It was a paid internship, but the pay was low compared to the fact that I’d be living in one of the most expensive places in the country, and moving 3,000 miles to get there.

So I applied for an internship support grant I’d heard about that was available to one student through the Ray Simon Institute. I ended up not getting it, but soon after

I received an email from Ray. He said he was reading the Ampersand and was surprised to see my name listed on the masthead.

He was impressed that I was the editor-in-chief of both the Tangerine and the Ampersand that year.

Ray told me no one had ever done that at UC before, and so he wanted to help me out with my move to California for the internship.

He ended up getting me a 500-dollar support grant, just because he was proud of what I’d accomplished.

I’ll never forgot hearing him say that. He was proud of me.

I’m sad that the students who attend UC now and in the future won’t have the opportunity to experience Ray Simon in the flesh. He was such an amazing light, and you could feel the love he had for UC and its students.

But I know one thing’s for sure: Those students, now and in the future, will have access to incredible opportunities thanks to everything he left behind.

Jennifer Blanchard ’05 is an author and blogger in Austin, Texas. She has self-published more than 10 novels and helps aspiring writers through workshops and coaching. Her blog, jenniferblanchard.net, was named one of 2017’s Best Blogs for Writers by PositiveWriter.com.

A Career Centered on Students

By John Johnsen

In fall 1977, John Johnsen arrived at Utica College as a visiting professor of anthropology. Today, nearly 41 years later, UC’s provost and former dean is months away from retirement. Here, he reflects on his proudest accomplishments, UC’s continuing challenges, and the transformation he witnessed—and helped usher in—over the past four decades.

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It was 1976, and I was graduate student at University of Buffalo.

The sole anthropologist at Utica College, Clara Nicholson (now a professor emerita), came to give a talk at Buffalo. I attended and enjoyed her talk very much.

We talked afterward about UC, and it just so happened that Clara was going on leave. She asked me if I would be interested in being considered for her position, and I was.

I interviewed for it and was hired with the expectation that I would stay for a year, maybe two. As it turned out, Clara got funding for her research and wouldn’t be returning. So I applied for the tenure-track position and have been at UC ever since.

It was an easy decision to stay in Utica. I liked the students right away. I liked my colleagues. The entire college was a very congenial atmosphere. And I thought then, and I continue to think, that Utica is a very nice place to live and to raise a family. At that time my wife, Heather, and I had one child, and shortly after our second child was born, then a third. We’ve appreciated the Utica area as a family-friendly place.

It’s been a privilege to witness Utica College undergo a massive transformation over the past four decades.

When I came here, the college was substantially smaller, both in terms of physical plant and in faculty and student body. It was a much less complex, and perhaps much less interesting, institution. There are cultural elements of our college community that have always been present, but Utica College has gotten richer in its diversity and complexity over these 40 years.

The most obvious change, of course, is that it’s no longer Utica College of Syracuse University. For much of the time that I was here, our admissions office sold it as part of Syracuse University. I don’t know how other faculty members felt about that; I always had mixed feelings. On the one hand, I valued my colleagues in the anthropology department at Syracuse. I co-authored a paper with a chair in the department, so I had very good relationships with the faculty there, and enjoyed using SU’s Bird Library for my own research. But on the

other hand, I really wanted Utica to be its own college, and I think most of my colleagues felt the same way.

When it was announced that we would be severing our relationship with Syracuse University in a phased way, there was spontaneous applause on the part of the faculty.

That was the catalyst for Utica College developing its own identity. We’ve made the transition to online learning and to graduate programs. There’s also been a transformation in terms of personnel. Even 10 or 15 years ago, we were a largely tenured-in faculty, and now our faculty profile is much younger, much newer, both because of retirements and replacements, and also because of the growth of the faculty.

The changes have also brought challenges, the biggest of which is always our relative resource scarcity. We’re a relatively small, relatively un-endowed private institution in a part of the country where the demographics have been against us for a while. We’ve developed more resiliency as a result of going online, evolving our graduate programs and diversifying our academic portfolio, but the challenges are still there.

Looking back, all of my proudest accomplishments are centered on our students. I like to think that I brought to my students what they deserved and needed in the classroom. I’ve tried to inspire them to use the information and the perspective of my discipline in ways to enrich their lives and make them better thinkers, better citizens. I like to think I’ve contributed to the growth and development of our curriculum in ways that are helpful for our students and advance the college’s goals. I’m proud to have had a hand in the development of the Young Scholars Program, which has grown and flourished.

Everybody leaves a legacy, and I’d like to think that mine is a positive one. Not everything I’ve done has been well thought out, not everything I’ve done has been admired or liked by everybody, but I’d like to think that on balance, I’ve contributed positively to the college and to its students.

Utica College is a special place, and I know its future is in very capable hands.

“Looking back, all of my proudest accomplishments are centered on our students.”

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After the

ST RM

By Briana Greco ’17

In October 2017, a group of 24 Utica College students, including many construction management majors, traveled to Houston to aid in cleanup efforts after Hurricane Harvey ripped through the region in August. Samaritan’s Purse, a non-profit disaster relief organization, hosted the students’ stay as they volunteered their time and labor for those in need. Then-senior PR/J major Briana Greco ’17 traveled with the group to report on their experience.

I joined the trip to Houston as an inbound reporter. My main purpose was to document the UC students’ experience, but as the trip went on, I found myself as more than just someone with a microphone and camera.

At times, the journey was physically and emotionally draining. The days began at 6 a.m., and volunteers worked for eight hours clearing out destroyed homes and prepping them for contractors to later come in and start rebuilding. We were able to see firsthand the personal belongings these homeowners had to throw out due to the flooding damage, along with the trailers some individuals were living out of adjacent to their destroyed homes.

For all of us, witnessing this put our lives back home into perspective.

Construction management student Mike Delia told me how it was overwhelming to see some of the living conditions these people had to endure.

From the start, Assistant Program Manager for Samaritan’s Purse Debra Cooper, who was our guide during the trip, prepared us for the hardest part of this type of work: leaving these houses completely gutted and empty, since we would not be part of the rebuilding process, just the cleanup. She told us it would be difficult to walk away from individuals in such despair.

“This is a very low point in many of these people’s lives,” Cooper explained, but she went on to reassure us of the impact we were making by being there to lend a hand.

After three days of working on homes, we realized it, too. One homeowner told us how the work we completed in her house in just four hours would have taken her and her husband weeks.

Delia recalled the reaction of one homeowner when she learned that we’d traveled all the way from New York to help. “She just broke down and started crying,” he said. She was so overwhelmed with gratitude.

David Dubbelde, director of UC’s construction management program, organized the trip and knew his students would benefit from the hands-on experience.

“Part of what we do in the curriculum is emphasize the need to give back to the community,” he said. “So it’s a great opportunity to, rather than just talk about it, experience it, and see how you can help people.”

The UC construction management program also donated a large number of tools and safety gear to Samaritan’s Purse for other volunteers to use in the cleanup efforts.

The trip to Texas was much more than we anticipated. The bus ride home was full of tired but grateful students who were proud of their efforts and honored to be able to help the people of Houston.

I signed up for this trip to be a part of something that would affect people’s lives and to report on stories that matter. I’m proud to have done both.

Since graduating from UC in December 2017, Briana Greco is now the Development Coordinator for the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties.

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1

3

2

4 Photo 1: (left to right) UC students Lucas Goyden, Damon Beaver, Keanu Heedram, Jordan Leogrande, Justin Ramsden, Michael Delia, two volunteer leaders from Samaritan’s Purse, Matt Benincasa with the tools and supplies UC’s program donated to the cleanup effort.

Photo 2: Jordan Leogrande removes damaged materials from a home.

Photo 3 : Leogrande and Patrick Bowden carrying out debris from a destroyed house.

Photo 4: The students’ work, which focused on clearing debris, was the first step toward helping homeowners rebuild.

Photo 5: Physical therapy major Liz Kunkler (right) and criminal justice major Danielle Lynch (left) clean a homeowner’s belongings.

5

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DISCOVERING KENYA VIKTORIA YUDCHITS ’18 SHARES PHOTOS AND STORIES FROM HER LIFE-CHANGING SUMMER IN KENYA. In July 2016, UC senior and biology/philosophy dual major Viktoria Yudchits traveled to Kenya, where she spent three weeks volunteering at a school for orphaned children.

The experience not only served as a catalyst for her honors thesis on healthcare in Kenya, but also inspired Viktoria to pursue more volunteer work in the country. In fact, she’s planning a trip back in the summer of 2018.

It all started with a classroom discussion in “Introduction to Ethics” with Dr. Riddle during my freshman year. Dr. Riddle posed the question: Do we have an obligation to help the global poor? My classmates and I voiced our opinions, and then were assigned a paper to further explain our stance. In my paper, I argued that, yes, we all have an obligation to volunteer and help the poor around the world.

Here, she shares her favorite photos from the experience and memories of the children who changed her perspective on “everything,” she says.

I’d always wanted to visit Africa to volunteer, but after that class, I grew impassioned and more determined than ever to make this goal a reality. I did

some research online and found Agape Volunteers, a non-profit group that focuses on humanitarian work in African communities. I applied, and within a few days, it was official: I would be spending three weeks in Kenya during the summer of 2016. My beliefs from ethics class were no longer just words on paper.

any reason to punish the students, and punishment often involved a wooden paddle. On that first day, from outside an office door, the other volunteers and I heard screams from a girl who was being hit for filling up her notebook and asking for another. Why in the world would a student get punished for this?

My placement in Kenya was at a school where I would teach kids between the ages of 9 and 11. To say that my first day there was a culture shock would be an understatement. Reading and seeing pictures of what goes on in a third-world country is one thing; seeing it firsthand is a completely different experience.

Some of the other volunteers were too overwhelmed and left for home early. And honestly, I wanted to leave, too. But then I reconsidered. I didn’t come here to make myself comfortable, I thought. I need to help these kids in some shape or form.

Leaving them is only going to make it worse.

Nothing could have prepared me for the conditions the children lived in, how little they had, or the abuse they suffered at the hands of their school administrators. It seemed like the teachers would find

The children stole my heart from the first day. I had never met kids who were so polite, respectful, responsible, eager to learn, and grateful for everything they had. Despite their poverty, they realized that there were others who had it worse.

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“AT THE END OF THE TRIP, I HAD A REALLY DIFFICULT TIME SAYING GOODBYE. I BECAME SO ATTACHED TO THESE CHILDREN SO QUICKLY. I KNEW EVEN BEFORE I LEFT THAT I NEEDED TO RETURN.”

There was a song they liked to sing and I’ll never forget one of the lyrics: “Let the poor say I am rich.”

I spent most of my time teaching the basic subjects, such as math, science, social studies, and English.

Resources were scarce— their books were outdated, and students had to take turns with supplies, but they had such a passion for learning. They always asked for more homework at the end of the day.

The best part of the day was recess. In a field near the school, I introduced the kids to games like “Red Rover” and “Duck, Duck, Goose.” Their laughter was

contagious. For some of the games we played in class, I would bring in small treats, like candy or pencils with colored erasers, and it was incredible to see how something so small caused their faces to light up. I grew more attached to them each day.

After a week of teaching, the weekends were for exploring. Kenya has so many beautiful places, and I had the amazing opportunity to go on safari in Maasai Mara, where I saw the “Super Seven” animals: lions, elephants, buffalo, leopards, rhinos, cheetahs, and the African wild dogs.

At one point, the lions were so close to our van,

we could almost reach out and touch them (tip: do not reach out and touch them).

I watched a cheetah hunting an antelope. From the zebras and giraffes strolling around, to elephants playing in the mud, to the sound of hyenas on the prowl at night, being so close to wildlife was like nothing I’d ever experienced before.

At the end of the trip, I had a really difficult time saying goodbye. I became so attached to these children so quickly. I knew even before I left that I needed to return. I am currently planning my second trip with hopes to stay there for a couple of months. Not a day

goes by when I don’t think about the kids, and I can’t wait to be reunited with their happy faces soon.

Viktoria Yudchits is currently a senior honors student at Utica College majoring in biology and philosophy, with minors in chemistry and healthcare ethics. In March 2018, she was one of 13 college students nationwide selected to participate in an ethics seminar at the prestigious Georgetown Institute for the Study of Markets and Ethics, where she presented her research on healthcare issues in Kenya. She plans to attend medical school after graduating in May 2018.

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GIVING OPPORTUNITY Finding His Place Harry Keel felt out of his element during his first months at Utica College.

The freshman business major, who grew up in a close-knit family in the small town of Williamsville, New York, found himself overwhelmed by the independence of college life, and his grades suffered. He considered withdrawing and returning home—until he reached out for help.

Thanks to guidance counselors and a handful of caring professors, Keel found his footing and began to excel.

“UC started to feel like family,” remembers Keel ’73, who went on to a long and successful career in the boating industry.

“I owe it all to the support I received that first semester.”

Today, as a member of the Heritage Society, Keel wants to be sure future students have access to the same campus resources that made UC feel like home to him.

As he knows, a little help can make all the difference.

Learn more about Planned Giving opportunities at Utica College. Call 1-800-456-8278 today.

HERITAGE SOCIETY

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ALUMNI NEWS

Speaking Out for Students

President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Utica talked to Lawrence about the experience and his “secret” to inspiring student and teacher success:

In January, a ninth grader at Friendship Collegiate Academy in Washington, D.C. was gunned down walking home from school.

The school’s principal, Curtis Lawrence ’94, was among the 40 high-school students and teachers—including many from Parkland, Florida—invited to the White House on February 21 for a listening session on gun violence hosted by

How did you learn you’d been invited to the President’s listening session?

It happened really quickly.

On Monday, February 19, the CEO of our charter school network emailed me. He said, “The president is doing a listening session. Here’s the link to register now.” I went on and registered to get security clearance, and the next day I was cleared and invited to come as one of the representatives of Friendship Collegiate Academy, along

High-school principal Curtis Lawrence ’94 talked new approaches for student safety during a White House conversation on gun violence in February.

with four of our students.

Did you know what you were going to say going into the session?

I did have an idea. I knew I wanted to share how gun violence has impacted my organization here, which was different from the situation in Parkland, Florida. In January we lost a student who was on his way home.

So the conversation isn’t just about violence in schools, but to and from. I wanted to encourage the president to consider solutions to benefit both scenarios. I shared that it had to be a two-pronged approach.

What was your take on the conversation that emerged?

It seemed like there were two sides that developed; one was for arming teachers, and one was for looking at other solutions. I did not agree with arming teachers, which at one point, the President appeared to be leaning toward. It’s important to realize how different every school is in terms of location, demographics, whether it’s urban or rural, and I wanted to emphasize that.

I will say it was productive since it was televised and got people talking about the issue. People in the nation got to hear that there’s a problem of gun violence on the outside, and students can be victims of it. I hope my comments got the conversation going, and that

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PIONEER PAST It’s hard to believe now, but in UC’s early days, class registration was a formal affair—one warranting a full suit and tie, judging by these sharp-dressed gentlemen in September 1949.

people will start to influence congressional and local officials to make change.

You graduated from UC in 1994. Tell me about your career path since then.

What was it like being in the White House?

I pretty much went right into education after UC. I taught in Harlem for 10 years as a middle-school history teacher. I rose to be the chair of the history department there. While there, I got accepted into a principal training organization, which started my path toward administration. I’ve been an assistant principal in Harlem, the South Bronx, and Newark, New Jersey. I also was a founding principal at a middle school in San Antonio. During my tenure, the school was ranked one of the top 25 middle schools in the state of Texas, and in the top one

For me, as a former history teacher, I was in heaven. We got a tour and saw some incredible things: George Washington’s sword from the American Revolution, china sets going as far back as John Adams’ presidency, a picture Dolly Madison saved from the War of 1812 when the British burned down the White House. Being able to see that level of history was enthralling. We met President Trump at the end, and he took a picture with the students. They were excited about that.

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percent of schools in San Antonio.

That’s impressive! What’s the secret to your success as a principal?

The secret is in hiring talented people and building a team among leadership, and supporting and developing teachers. It shows your belief in what they can do—and in what students can do.

What’s the response been like since you were part of the listening session? Have you gotten any negative feedback?

I got a bunch of texts and emails from friends saying things like, “I was in the airport and I saw you on TV!” My colleagues at school

“I hope my comments got the conversation going, and that people will start to influence congressional and local officials to make change.”

agree with my position and were happy I mentioned the need for a two-pronged approach. I even received a couple emails from people who let me know they were pro-gun, pro-NRA, but said “You spoke your position very well,” and they agree with me that we need to look at both environments and contexts. That was good to hear.

ALUMNI NEWS

Then and Now New buildings, more academic programs, a dome— there’s no question student life at Utica College has changed in the last two decades. But we didn’t realize just how much until we asked two alumni, Keith Taylor ’00 and Laura Holmes ’16, to compare their favorite memories (and favorite dance moves) from their UC days:

TV show you and your roommates watched most often

Favorite off-campus restaurant

Keith: Sportscenter and MTV’s Road Rules Challenge

Laura: Panera, for sure

Best way to spend a Saturday night

Song that will always remind you of college

The campus social event you never missed

Keith: It was definitely “Bar Night” for most, but I was usually at the movies or in my room playing video games.

Keith: “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down” or any other song

by Puff Daddy

Keith: Air Band

Laura: “Hotline Bling” by Drake

Dance move a UC student was most likely to break out on a weekend night

Laura: A mural of photos of my friends

Keith: The Heel Toe. I could do the heel and the toe, just not together.

Keith: Professor John Cormican

Laura: 2-for-1 margaritas at Carmella’s

Laura: Skins (the UK version) and MTV’s Teen Wolf

Laura: Midnight Breakfast!

Always the best.

Laura: The Dougie. Or at least an attempt at it.

Meal or snack that will always remind you of your UC days Keith: Pizza and chicken wings Laura: Easy Mac

Keith: Zebb’s Off-campus eatery where you were most likely to find other UC students Keith: Friendly’s Laura: Chipotle Your favorite piece of dorm décor Keith: My boombox

The “cool” professor

Laura: Definitely Professor Leonore Fleming The best place to study on campus Keith: Library! In one of those big armchairs facing the huge glass windows with a view of the snow-covered campus Laura: The comfy chairs in the corner of the library

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Word or phrase you repeated most often during your time at UC Keith: “Drunk Bus” Laura: “I’ll manage.”

How you communicated with your parents Keith: Once a week at the dorm public phone in the lobby Laura: I used to call my mom when walking back to my dorm after night class twice a week, and I’d Skype my whole family on Sundays.

If this piece of electronic equipment broke, your life was pretty much over Keith: My Sega Dreamcast Laura: My laptop Where are they now?

Keith: I am a freelance graphic designer and cartoonist. My specialties include comic book

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art, illustration, animation, and graphic design. Since graduating from UC, I earned a Master of Fine Arts degree at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I work as a production designer at ABC News in New York City. I live in Long Island with my wife, Nicole Bruno Taylor ’00 (pictured above circa 1998), and two daughters.

Laura: After graduation in 2016, I moved to Hong Kong to teach English at Lingnan University’s Centre for English and Additional Languages and traveled all around Asia. After returning to the U.S. in summer 2017, I joined an organization called Lighthouse Relief, and I’m currently working in an established refugee camp in Ritsona, Greece to provide programming for children. I blog about my adventures at lrholmes.wordpress.com.

ADVANCEMENT UPDATES

A Space to Share A new addition to campus invites members of the UC community to share their thoughts, hopes, and dreams in a public way. Located in the hallway on the first floor of White Hall and managed by the Office of Student Success, the Community Board was funded through the 2015 senior class gift campaign. It’s designed to provide a space for students, faculty and staff to share responses to a question, phrase, or open-ended sentence on a variety of topics. The board’s

first invitation: “Tell us your dream.”

At the dedication ceremony in January, President Laura Casamento lauded the class of 2015 for supporting this “manifestation of our commitment to promoting a dialogue,” she said. “There is arguably no greater testament to the success of the mission of Utica College than the open and respectful expression of information, ideas, and perspectives.”

Construction Management Building Plans Move Forward Planning is well underway for Utica College’s new construction management facility. The project has received zoning and planning board approvals from the City of Utica, and construction documents will be finalized in April 2018.

Fundraising for the facility continues; Utica College has already raised $2.8 million in private and state funds.

On February 19, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer visited UC to offer his support for the project.

“With the supply of construction industry jobs expected to grow over the next several years, Utica College’s construction management program aims to meet that demand by equipping students with the tools they need to be successful in the future,” said Schumer during his visit.

“Utica College provides the link between good-paying jobs and the skills that are needed.”

A dedication ceremony to honor lead donor and construction management alumnus Gary Thurston ’68 is scheduled for this year’s Homecoming, Alumni and Family Weekend on Sept. 29, 2018.

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UC’s Next Generation of Leaders: The ALOT Program Founded in 2017, Alumni Leaders Of Tomorrow (ALOT) gives seniors at UC the opportunity to explore the many ways they can engage with Utica College as students and stay connected as alumni. It provides a forum that empowers students to share information with one another, develop networking skills, and build a positive legacy as leaders of their class.

Over the semester, members of ALOT participated in monthly dinners and networking events, all while learning about the inner workings of the college from members of the President’s Cabinet, Board of Trustees, and Alumni Council.

Congratulations to the inaugural class of ALOT members, who will graduate in May 2018: Tiffany Adasi Yayefatou Bah Anthony Bierria-Anderson Cassidy Brown Ann Ciancia MaKenna Cooley Taneill Davis

Travis Flanagan Ivan Iton Jalaluddin Jamshidy Darrell Jones Jennifer Melvin Viktoria Yudchits

Save the Date for next year ’s Homecoming

HOMECOMING Alumni and Family W eekend

September 28-30, 2018

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Facebook.com/uticacollege or /UticaCollegeHomecoming

Follow us on twitter: @UCHomecoming_18 @uticacollege

Join the community on LinkedIn: Search: Utica College Alumni

Follow us on Instagram: @cuatuc @uticacollege

Class Notes Dr. Allen Berger ’57, Savannah, GA, had his article “Washington Service Seems to Cause Memory Loss,” published in the opinion section of the Savannah Now newspaper.

Theresa Cohen ’62, Utica, NY, was selected as a Genesis Group Celebration of Education honoree; a special recognition of her commitment to the local community and a testament to her professional achievements.

Elaine Falvo ’62, New Hartford, NY, was selected as a Genesis Group Celebration of Education honoree; a special recognition of her commitment to the local community and a testament to her professional achievements.

Richard Benedetto ’65, Springfield, VA, was honored at the Oneida County History Center’s 17th annual Historical Hall of Fame/Living Legends Awards Banquet. He was recognized for his years of service as a community leader and for efforts in furthering the region’s industries, culture, and educational opportunities.

Bob Roth ’68, Montgomery, NY, published his newest and sixth book titled OMG, The Things I Learned in College.

The book is an illustrated look at modern college life.

(PHOTO 1)

Alan Catlin ’70, Schenectady, NY, is the author of the book Blue Velvet, which won the

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1 2017 Slipstream Press Annual Chapbook Competition.

Paul B. Montana ’70, Stratham, NH, gave his two grandsons Trax homecoming hats. They are proud Pioneer fans and hope to attend UC someday. (PHOTOS 2 and 3) Eugene Quadraro ’71, Utica, NY was honored at the Oneida County History Center’s 17th annual Historical Hall of Fame/Living Legends Awards Banquet for his years of service as a community leader. In November 2017, Quadraro was re-elected to the Board of Trustees of the Genesis Group.

David Mathis ’72, Utica, NY, was named a 2017 recipient of the Genesis Group’s Joseph R. Carucci Legacy Award. He

4 was also elected to a one-year term as the secretary-treasurer of the Association of Community College Trustees Board of Directors’ Executive Committee in September 2017. He was also re-elected as northeast regional director for a three-year term in 2016. Mathis will chair the finance and audit committee, serve as secretary to the ACCT Senate, and perform other duties as may be assigned by the chair or board of directors.

Larry E. Bull ’74, New Hartford, NY, was elected to the New York Convenience Store Hall of Fame, which honors individual retailers and suppliers for exceptional achievement in the convenience store industry.

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5 Marguerite A. Simonetti Kershaw ’74, New Hartford, NY, received a Certificate in Bereavement Studies from Maria College in Albany. She is working at the Observer Dispatch in Utica as an obituary clerk.

The Honorable William R. Kiernan ’75, Lowville, NY, was re-elected for a second term as the Town of Lowville Justice.

Jeffrey Senft ’76, Salt Point, NY, celebrated his company S&O Construction Services’ 30th year on October 7, 2017.

Annette Clark ’82, Wampsville, NY, has taken a new job as the recycling coordinator at the Madison County Department of Solid Waste.

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Mary Hayes Gordon ’82, New Hartford, NY, was selected by the Mohawk Valley Chapter of New York State Women, Inc., in conjunction with NYS Women in History month, as a New York State Woman of the Year. (PHOTO 4) David A. Bauer ’84, Lee Center, NY, accepted the position of civil engineering technology instructor at Mohawk Valley Community College.

Lisa Gambacorta ’84, Oriskany, NY, was selected as a Genesis Group Celebration of Education honoree; a special recognition of her commitment to the local community and a testament to her professional achievements.

Dawn Chmielewski ’86, Irvine, CA, was named technology editor for the Hollywood and media news source Deadline.

Heather Mowat ’86, New Hartford, NY, was named Utica’s Budget Director starting January 24, 2018.

Mark Pacilio ’86, Sackets Harbor, NY, was named director of operations for the Neighborhood Center, Inc. of Utica, NY. Wendy L. Ellis ’87, Cold Brook, NY, celebrated 30 years of service at Upstate Cerebral Palsy with a thank you from President and CEO, Louis Tehan ’74.

Dr. James C. Brown ’88, Clinton, NY, presented research at the 55th Annual Conference

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of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences in New Orleans, LA, on February 15, 2018.

Dr. Brown was a coinvestigator/author of the research/ manuscript titled Body-Worn Camera Implementation at a Midsize Upstate New York Law Enforcement Agency: An Erosion of Trust on Trial.

Leeann Light ’88, Westmoreland, NY, was elected foundation chair for the Mohawk Valley Society for Human Resource Management board of 2018.

Rick Short ’88, Whitesboro, NY, was promoted to corporate associate vice president and senior director of marking communications for Indium Corporation. Short ensures that all programs and initiatives align with corporate branding and culture. He was also awarded the CNY BEST Award for Individual/Team by the CNY chapter of the Association for Talent Development (ATD). The award acknowledged Short’s passions, foresight, and continued participation in helping to make the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES Pathways in Technology Early College High School program a success.

Mike Di Leo ’89, Nesconset, NY, authored and published a new novel titled Images of Broken Light, centered on the 1980 murder of John Lennon.

(PHOTO 5)

Jessica Leclerc ’09: Official Success The Winter Olympic Games aren’t just proving ground for the world’s best athletes—they’re the highest level of competition for the officials, too. In February, Jessica Leclerc ’09 was one of only four American women (19 women total) to officiate the women’s ice hockey tournament during the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. The Maine native, former UC hockey captain, and graduate of UC’s Therapeutic Recreation program has been officiating since she was 12.

“I started with youth hockey and college hockey, then a few years ago I got licensed internationally as a linesman. From there I was chosen to officiate the women’s world championships in 2015, which put me in the running to officiate Olympic hockey,” says Leclerc, who learned she’d been selected by the International Ice Hockey Federation to officiate the Olympics just months before the games began. “For me, officiating is a way to be involved in the game and be competitive. My goal has always been to officiate the highest level of hockey I can.”

In PyeongChang, Leclerc achieved her goal and then some: She officiated the historic game between the unified Korean team and Japan, and the bronze medal game between Finland and Olympics Athletes from Russia (OAR). “The experience was simply amazing,” says Leclerc, who later watched from the stands as the U.S. women won gold (refs are not allowed to officiate their own countries’ games). “Watching the U.S. women win really put into perspective what the Olympics are all about: dedication, pride, and the thrill and excitement of sports.”

Deborah Kessler ’90, Poland, NY, is the owner of Kessler Promotions, which won the Catalyst Rising Business Award at the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce’s 2017 Business of the Year Awards.

David Lewis ’91, Southwest Harbor, ME, joined Camden National Bank as Town Hill banking center manager. He is also the treasurer for the Southwest Harbor/Tremont Ambulance Service and serves on the board of directors for the Southwest Harbor Chamber of Commerce.

Kelly Walters ’91, Utica, NY, was named a 2017 recipient of the Genesis Group’s Joseph R. Carucci Legacy Award.

Katherine Millick ’95, Holland Patent, NY, was elected SHRM-CP, PHR for the Mohawk Valley Society for Human Resource Management Board of 2018.

Andrew Puckey ’96, Whitesboro, NY, published his first book, Elevator Babies, a collection of short stories about growing up before the internet. Two of the stories were originally published in Utica College’s literary magazine, Ampersand. (PHOTO 7) Jason A. Ricci ’98, Ilion, NY, was selected as a Genesis Group Celebration of Education honoree; a special recognition of his commitment to the local community and a testament to his professional achievements.

Peter Sengenberger ’98 and Rachel Sengenberger ’99, Charlottesville, VA, have been married for 19 years and have lived in Virginia for the past 16. Peter is a senior brand engagement advisor for a major healthcare system, and Rachel is an outpatient physical therapist. They both enjoy

adventure and have decided to embark on a year-long “life reset” by backpacking around the world. They will be blogging/vlogging about their experience at www.RTWreset. com. (PHOTO 8) Renee M. Russo ’99, Whitesboro, NY, was selected as a Genesis Group Celebration of Education honoree; a special recognition of her commitment to the local community and a testament to her professional achievements.

Jean Palmer ’02, Marcy, NY, a senior public relations specialist, was recognized during the New York School Public Relations Association’s 2017 Annual Communications Awards for her work with the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES. Palmer won an award of Merit in the Special Purpose Category for the 2017-18 BOCES Annual Meeting Book.

Heather M. Zieno ’02, Ilion, NY, was selected as a Genesis Group Celebration of Education honoree; a special recognition of her commitment to the local community and a testament to her professional achievements.

Josef McManus ’03, Newport, NY, took on the position of English Instructor at MVCC. Cory Reid-Vanas ’03, Denver, CO, became a city council member of Edgewater, CO. (PHOTO 9)

Robert V. Longo ’04, Jacksonville, FL, became the new general manager at Jacksonville’s COX Media Group.

Nancy L. Menter ’06, Rome, NY, joined the Mohawk Valley Health System Medical Group as assistant director of hospitalist services. She is responsible for the oversight of the hospitalist program by working alongside providers

and serving as the central coordinator to continually advance the hospitalist workflow processes.

Matthew Donaldson ’07, Las Vegas, NV, is a police officer and was one of the first responders on the scene where the shooting of at least 58 people and hundreds wounded occurred during a concert near the Mandalay Bay resort in October 2017.

James Roberts ’07, Utica, NY, took on the position of Associate Dean for the Department of Humanities at MVCC. Catherine Wintle ’07, Frankfort, NY, joined the Mohawk Valley Health System Medical Group as a family nurse practitioner at the Herkimer Medical Office and has privileges at Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare.

Ryan Goux ’08, New Hartford, NY, was named manager of underwriting for Utica First Insurance Company.

Travis Olivera ’09, Utica, NY, was named director of the Hamilton Public Library in Hamilton, NY. Tanner Stewart ’10, Utica, NY, acquired a new position as a financial advisor for Northwestern Mutual.

Shaun Kaleta ’11, Oriskany, NY, was recognized during the New York School Public Relations Association’s 2017 Annual Communications Awards for his work with the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES. Kaleta, a public relations assistant, won an award for Excellence for his article Whitesboro High School Technology Teacher Builds Prosthetic Hand for Student. He was also recognized for two articles written for the Richfield Springs and Whitesboro Central School

Districts. He shared an award for his role in creating and designing the Whitesboro Central School District Public Information Guide.

Gianni P. Notaro G’11, Clinton, NY, was selected as a Genesis Group Celebration of Education honoree; a special recognition of his commitment to the local community and a testament to his professional achievements.

Angelica B. Pascone ’11, Wolcott, NY, joined the Mohawk Valley Health System Medical Group Washington Mills office as a physician assistant.

Pascone provides diagnostic, therapeutic, preventative and health maintenance services.

Sean Phelan ’11, Utica, NY, was named manager of revenue cycle for the Mohawk Valley Health System. Phelan works with revenue cycle management to assist in developing and reinforcing effective business practices within patient access services, health information management, patient financial services, and the MVHS medical group.

Susan Rosato ’11, Whitesboro, NY, joined the Mohawk Valley Health System Medical Group’s Clinton Medical Office as a family nurse practitioner.

Cody White ’11, Fort Plain, NY was named executive director of revenue cycle for the Mohawk Valley Health System.

White is responsible for the oversight of revenue cycle operations and the design, implementation and maintenance of initiatives and work plans to enhance net revenue.

Audrey Cross ’12, Rome, NY, was named project manager of support services for the Mohawk Valley Health System. Cross is responsible for

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the management of construction, renovations, and other support services projects.

Christina Fearon ’12, Bronx, NY, joined the Mohawk Valley Health System Vascular Surgery Group.

Sergey Germanovich ’12, Sauquoit, NY, joined the Mohawk Valley Health System Medical Group as the director of operations for primary care.

Stephen Karboski ’12, Utica, NY, and fellow funeral directors hosted a ribbon cutting on October 11, 2017 to announce McGrath, Myslinski, Karboski & Nunn Funeral Directors. In November 2017, Karboski was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Genesis Group. (PHOTO 10) Jenna Peppinelli ’12, Deerfield, NY, joined Richard G. Parker, Esq.’s general practice law office.

Jessica Babcock ’13, Oneida, NY, was promoted to senior accountant at D’Arcangelo & Co. Timothy Burns ’13, Binghamton, NY, completed his Master of Science in Nursing at the University of Central Florida in spring 2016 and started his Ph.D. in Nursing at Saint Louis University in fall 2016.

Vikki Feggulis ’13, New Hartford, NY, joined SiteSeeker in August 2017 as a digital marketing associate.

She has helped develop and implement digital strategies for several clients, optimizing their online presence and driving results. (PHOTO 11) Cailee Guider ’14, Tacoma, WA, took on the position of coordinator of health center and college nurse at Mohawk Valley Community College.

Christian N. Leogrande ’14, MBA ’15, Yorkville, NY, was named accounting manager

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8

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for Mohawk Valley Health System. He will provide overall planning, direction, coordination, management and supervision for the MVHS finance department accounting staff.

Lesa Steele ’14, Ilion, NY, was named nurse manager for Maternal Child Services at Mohawk Valley Health System. Steele will oversee the Maternity Department, Well Baby Nursery, Level II Labor, Special Care Nursery, Pediatrics, and the Obstetrical Care Center.

Elizabeth J. Wise ’14, Rome, NY, was selected as a Genesis Group Celebration of Education honoree; a special recognition of her commitment to the local community and a testament to her professional achievements.

Eric Rightmier ’15, Marcy, NY, joined the Indium Corporation as a help desk technician. He is responsible for resolving IT help desk requests, includ-

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ing, resolving hardware and software problems, providing employee training, and troubleshooting.

Pierrot Senat ’16, Queens Village, NY, was recognized as a “Student Star” by On Point for College Utica.

Samantha Dell’Anno ’17, Yorkville, NY, secured a position as a 7th-grade English teacher at Little Falls Middle School.

Kaphler Ler ’17, Utica, NY, was recognized as a “Student Star”

by On Point for College Utica.

Births and Additions 1999 Sarah Goldstein Moss and her husband, Kevin, Charlotte, NC, had a son, Brenner Keith Moss, on November 17, 2016.

2001 Amanda Mayne and her husband, Dan, Baldwinsville, NY, had a son, Landon Matthew, on June 9, 2017. (PHOTO 12)

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2002 Valerie Indolfi and her husband, David, Sauquoit, NY, had a daughter on October 12, 2017.

Tina Ryczek Dukette and her husband, Matthew, Whitesboro, NY, had a daughter on March 10, 2018.

2003 Caitlin Lee and her husband, Chad, Lowville, NY, had a son on March 10, 2018.

Gina Leo and her husband, Michael Sangiacomo ’06, Utica, NY, had twin daughters, Siena Nicolette and Estelle Emily, on April 10, 2017.

2004 Brian Kaley and his wife, Kate, Mamaroneck, NY, had a daughter, Lyla Joyce Kaley, on February 5, 2018. (PHOTO 13) 2006 Michael A. Sangiacomo and his wife, Gina Leo ’03, Utica, NY, had twin daughters Siena Nicolette and Estelle Emily, on April 10, 2017.

2007 Kevin Krogol and Ashleigh Krogol, Sauquoit, NY, had a son on January 16, 2018.

Jack P. Lighthall and Valerie Hannah, Clinton, NY, had a daughter, Hailee Ray, on February 12, 2018.

2010 Steven Sickler and his wife, Amy, New Hartford, NY, had a son on November 14, 2017.

Amber Snyder, New Hartford, NY, had a son on February 16, 2018.

2011 John Husnay and his wife, Brittany, Utica, NY, had a son on March 5, 2018.

2012 Shana Mathers and her husband, Frank, Whitesboro, NY, had a son on September 25, 2017.

Tyler Steenburg and his wife, Trisha, Oneida, NY, had a daughter on October 4, 2017.

2013 Renee Deveans and Corey Buckley, Clinton, NY, had twins, a son and daughter, on January 30, 2018.

Rebecca Pezzulo Rozanski and Andrea Rozanski, Utica, NY, had a daughter on January 24, 2018.

Adam Tritten and his wife, Christine, Whitesboro, NY, had a daughter on December 18, 2017.

2015 Brandi Hall Masker and her husband, Daniel, Oriskany Falls, NY, had a son on September 27, 2017.

Lillian Seifert and Nicholas Kehoe, Sauquoit, NY, had a son on December 20, 2017.

2016 Christopher Murphy and his wife, Amy, Utica, NY, had a son on March 8, 2018.

Weddings and Anniversaries

NY, January 28, 2018.

George T. Sfeir ’57, Utica, NY, January 19, 2018.

David J. Templeman ’57, Rochester, NY, March 4, 2017.

Gene L. DeCondo ’58, Whitesboro, NY, February 19, 2018.

Arthur J. Hagadorn ’58, Baldwinsville, NY, November 23, 2017.

Robert E. Herzog ’58, Chestertown, MD, January 7, 2018.

Nancy Canter Van Winkle ’58, Clifton Park, NY, October 28, 2017.

Jen Francis PT, DPT, COMT ’13 and Meghan Francis MS, OTR/L ’13, Plant City, FL, were married on May 20, 2017 on Siesta Key Beach, FL.

In Memoriam Irlene C. Waldman ’49, Milwaukee, WI, February, 25, 2018.

Peter Sabino ’50, Utica, NY, February 25, 2018.

Gerald Berg ’51, Rochester, NY, December 12, 2016.

David H. Gates ’52, Clinton, CT, December 28, 2017.

Joseph A. Korrie ’52, Port Saint Lucie, FL, October 8, 2017.

Floyd Lankton ’52, Orange City, FL, September 22, 2017.

Robert R. Quinn ’53, Ormond Beach, FL, November 13, 2017.

David J. Templeman ’53, Rochester, NY, March 4, 2017.

Joseph H. Hobika Sr. ’54, Utica, NY, December 6, 2017.

Reverend Wiley H. White ’54, Tempe, AZ, April 4, 2017.

Anthony L. Carchedi ’55, Utica, NY, November 21, 2017.

Dominick A. Manfredo ’56, Utica, NY, December 26, 2017.

Edward G. Ruch ’57, Buffalo,

Arthur J. Lockwood ’58, West Winfield, NY, February 21, 2018.

Anthony D. Rugari ’58, Lake Monticello, VA, November 21, 2017.

Reverend Terry L. Sheldon ’59, Clark Mills, NY, January 19, 2018.

Robert H. Viereck ’59, Brewerton, NY, January 27, 2018.

Thomas B. Pauley ’60, Middletown, RI, January 26, 2018.

Hildred R. Butters ’61, Rome, NY, November 27, 2017.

Malcolm R. Desimone ’61, Clinton, NY, November 6, 2017.

James E. Royle ’61, Kenneth City, FL, January 13, 2018.

Evelyn R. Webster ’61, Whitesboro, NY, December 8, 2017.

Edward J. Cobb ’62, Huntsville, AL, February 7, 2016.

Charles Rose ’62, Rossmoor, NJ, September 3, 2017.

Mary F. See ’62, Syracuse, NY, September 13, 2017.

William H. Suters Jr ’62, Berea, KY, January 11, 2018.

Raymond J. DeCarr Sr. ’63, Sylvan Beach, NY, January 15, 2018.

Raymond J. Caputo ’64, Clay, NY, November 9, 2017.

Anthony A. Fucinello ’64, Palm Coast, FL, October 8, 2017.

Noreen A. Nunn McLoughlin ’64, Naples, FL, September 18, 2017.

Michael W. Sutkowski ’64, Highlands, NJ, December 23, 2017.

Roger O. Elmer ’65, New Hartford, NY, October 28, 2017.

Helen L. Gadziala ’65, Yorkville, NY, January 27, 2018.

Richard E. Silverman ’65, Fayetteville, NY, October 1, 2017.

Daniel A. Vanno ’65, Utica, NY January 17, 2018.

Munro Kinsey ’66, New Hartford, NY, December 15, 2017.

Andrew W. Keiser ’67, Whitesboro, NY, November 29, 2017.

Barry Knamm ’67, Clearwater, FL, August 14, 2015.

David W. Cook ’68, Liverpool, NY, January 19, 2018.

Louis F. LaFache Jr. ’68, Starke, FL, November 29, 2017.

Douglas J. Pirnie ’68, Frankfort, NY, December 8, 2017.

Robert F. Slater ’68, Baldwinsville, NY, October 29, 2017.

Chester S. Buczek ’70, Clinton, NY, February 2, 2018.

Michael J. Cristalli ’70, Utica, NY, March 18, 2018.

Edwin E. Carney ’71, Syracuse, NY, September 14, 2017.

Roger W. Felske ’71, New Hartford, NY, November 2, 2017.

Marvin Gellman ’71, New York, NY, September 11, 2017.

Judith L. Jones ’72, Utica, NY, November 13, 2017.

M. Peter Paravati ’72, Old Forge, NY, November 29, 2017.

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James F. Russo ’73, Utica, NY, October 25, 2017.

Francis R. Leone ’74, Dover, NJ, February 1, 2018.

Lawrence Pezdek ’74, Feeding Hills, MA, November 13, 2017.

George P. Talbot ’74, Hartford, CT, February 2, 2018.

Mary E. Dunckel ’75, Lowville, NY, February 5, 2018.

Susan A. Provost ’75, Tupper Lake, NY, December 9, 2017.

William L. Weigand ’76, North Tonawanda, NY, September 23, 2017.

Sylvia C. Guarini ’77, Rome, NY, January 9, 2018.

Doris O. Husted ’77, Framingham, MA, December 5, 2017.

Richard M. Stieber ’79, Camillus, NY, February 8, 2018.

Daniel Shure ’81, Croton On Hudson, NY, September 7, 2017.

Roberta M. Jachym ’82, Westmoreland, NY, February 3, 2018.

Rocco J. Losito Jr. ’84, Salem, OH, December 17, 2017.

Michael L. DiTano ’85, Atlanta, GA, October 2, 2017.

Allen E. Desmond ’86, Ilion, NY, December 12, 2017.

Harry G. Schrefer ’86, Rome, NY, October 27, 2017.

Dr. Hany M. Ghaleb ’87, Cooperstown, NY, March 1, 2018.

Phillip English ’89, Campbell,

CA, February 6, 2018.

Herman L. Podos ’93, Utica, NY, January 30, 2018.

Richard Nikodem Sr. ’95, Whitesboro, NY, March 9, 2018.

Sasha R. Peters ’06, Brooklyn, NY, April 20, 2017.

Gary Reynolds ’06, Petaluma, CA, October 21, 2017.

Benjamin F. Winkler ’13, Rodman, NY, January 22, 2018.

Omozuwa I. Obiajunwa ’16, Syracuse, NY, November 26, 2017.

Faculty and staff who have passed Reverend Wsevolod Drobot, Mohawk, NY, longtime member of the facilities management team, November 8, 2017.

Gary Reynolds ’06, Petaluma, CA, adjunct lecturer of Economic Crime Management, October 21, 2017.

Dr. Fred Tehan, Marcy, NY, visiting professor in the Chemistry Department, October 30, 2017.

Raymond Simon, New Hartford, NY, Professor Emeritus of Public Relations and Journalism, November 7, 2017.

Wilbur F. Waaser, Elbridge, NY, Professor of Marketing, December 18, 2017.

Send us your news! uticamag@utica.edu

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Amanda Butler ’09: From Gordon Science Center to NASA As a student at UC, Amanda Butler couldn’t possibly narrow down her interests to just one major. Instead, she chose three: biology, chemistry, and mathematics.

Fortunately for Butler ’09, the trifecta has served her well—and helped her find a career at NASA that’s perfectly suited to her curious personality.

“I’m just fascinated by lots of things,” she says.

As a freshman at UC, Butler had an early interest in DNA and molecular biology, and soon began pursuing her own research with help from biology professor Larry Aaronson (pictured with Butler, above). As an undergrad, Butler was twice recognized by the American Society for Microbiology with undergraduate research fellowships.

After graduating in 2009, Butler headed to graduate school at Mayo Clinic Graduate School in Jacksonville, Florida, where she delved into the study of cancer cells. Then, as a postdoctoral fellow at University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine, she continued her stem cell research with frogs. But for Butler, the singular focus took a toll.

“I spent almost 10 years essentially living inside a cell,” says Butler. “Microbiologists often aspire to run their own labs and study one disease or one biological pathway for their entire lives. I knew that wasn’t for me.”

So when she began her hunt for the next opportunity, she was intrigued by a lead scientist job opening at NASA. After several interviews, NASA’s team was impressed. In fall 2017, Butler was offered the position of lead scientist on the science branch of the rodent research team at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountainview, California.

In her new role, Butler helps companies and universities develop studies using rodents to examine the long-term, physiological effects of space travel. She also works with NASA engineers to design equipment to perform the proposed experiments.

“It’s an ideal position for me because I’m always working on something new and learning new things,” she says. “I’ll never get bored.”

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID Utica College

1600 Burrstone Road Utica, NY 13502-4892 Address Service Requested

WARM WELCOME Student ambassador Angelica Ojeda ’19 introduces herself to the crowd at UC’s first-ever Scholars’ Day on February 10, where three prospective students were awarded full-tuition scholarships for academic achievement.

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