W&J Magazine Spring 2016

SPRING 2016

Washington C O L L E G E

Jefferson M A G A Z I N E

Seeking Justice The relentless pursuit of the truth for four W&J alumni

SPRING 2016

Washington C O L L E G E

Jefferson M A G A Z I N E

Seeking Justice The relentless pursuit of the truth for four W&J alumni

On the cover Keri Bozich ’03 started her own business, Keri Bozich Investigations, where she works as an unbiased private investigator, uncovering facts and finding out the truth about crimes. For more on how W&J alumni are making their contributions to the justice system, turn to page 9.

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Keri Bozich stands in the Washington County Courthouse, where she got her start as a private investigator.

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SPRING 2016 MAGAZINE

Washington C O L L E G E

Jefferson M A G A Z I N E

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Table of Contents

18

4 news 9 feature 18 sports 22 alumni 28 class notes

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28 WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON COLLEGE

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W&J

president’s message

Fulfilling our civic duty

Washington & Jefferson College Magazine

In Shakespeare’s play “Henry VI, Part 2,” Dick the Butcher said, “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” This has been interpreted as a criticism of the criminal justice system, but in fact it was a compliment. Dick believed that if he overturned law and order, he could be king. So, the line actually upholds the role of those who enforce the law as the sources of justice and order in society.

SPRING 2016

In this issue of the magazine, we celebrate W&J’s legacy of producing some of the best practitioners of criminal justice in the country. Washington & Jefferson College was founded in 1781 on what was then the western frontier to produce the preachers, teachers and civic leaders who would be the backbone of European civilization as it moved westward over the plains. And many of those civic leaders were lawyers and civil servants. Men like John White Geary (Jefferson Class of 1839) created order out of chaos in San Francisco during the Gold Rush. He served as the last mayor of Spanish San Francisco and the first mayor of an American San Francisco as well as acting as fire chief, coroner and sometimes even policeman. As a result, he had a major street named for him in downtown San Francisco.

Undeterred by the complications of his job out West, Geary later served as governor of Kansas, a general in the Civil War and governor of Pennsylvania. James G. Blaine (Washington Class of 1847) was also an intrepid public servant. He entered politics as a representative from Maine, later became Speaker of the House and then Secretary of State— the only Secretary of State to serve under three different presidents. He almost won the race for the presidency, but when he made an unfortunate remark about his opponent (reportedly calling Grover Cleveland a “rum-running radical”), he narrowly lost the election. When John Brown’s case was being argued in Harper’s Ferry, the Virginia governor who proposed he be hanged was Henry Alexander Wise, a Washington College graduate, and Hiram Griswold, the Cleveland attorney who defended him, was a Jefferson College graduate.

That historical commitment to preserving law and order continues to run strong among our graduates. Several recent graduates have joined major municipal police forces; others pursue forensics as scientists, psychologists or accountants; some join the military. And then, of course, there are the lawyers. Did you know that W&J has been determined to produce more lawyers per capita than any other college in the country? All too often, lawyers get a bad rap. When they are on our side, they are saviors; when they oppose us, they are reprehensible. But they are always engaged in the most important civic conversations—methodically examining both sides of a question in order to clarify for us all the rules by which our civil society, our democracy, operates.

While contention in the courtroom is the most dramatic way in which our rules are examined, the criminal justice system is the result of a complex web of activity. Policymakers create the rules that allow us to live together in harmony. Judges interpret and apply those rules. Medical examiners, detectives and private investigators ensure that the facts surrounding a dispute are as solid as possible, allowing those who interpret the law to apply it with confidence. The people who do all these jobs demonstrate the benefits of a liberal arts education. They must understand history, politics, textual interpretation, science, psychology and rhetoric. They are the ultimate critical thinkers, applying logic and evidence to persuade others.

TORI HARING-SMITH, PH.D. PRESIDENT

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Editor ALLYSON GILMORE KENNEDY ’12

Editorial Assistant EMILY PAYNE ’15

Contributors ERIN FAULK JONES ’08 SEAN KING KERRI DIGIOVANNI LACOCK ’09 MADISON LOVRIC ’16 KAYLA MADDEN SCOTT MCGUINNESS CAROLYN WILSON ’16

Designer JEFF VANIK, VANIK DESIGN LLC

Photographers DENMARSH PHOTOGRAPHY ELLIOTT CRAMER MARTIN SANTEK

Printer FREEPORT PRESS

W&J Magazine, published twice a year by the Office of Communications, highlights alumni and campus news about and of interest to more than 23,000 alumni and friends of the College.

To receive additional copies or back issues, please call 724-223-6074 or email wjmag@washjeff.edu.

Letters to the Editor W&J welcomes feedback from readers regarding the magazine or topics related to the College.

Submissions may be edited for style, length and clarity.

Email wjmag@washjeff.edu or mail a letter to: Editor, W&J Magazine Office of Communications Washington & Jefferson College 60 S. Lincoln Street Washington, PA 15301

Noted & Quoted

“I FEEL A VERY STRONG SENSE OF PRIDE

for the way that this industry has shaped our communities and my own family history and what’s to come.”

1. “Spotlight: Kimberly Price,” Triblive.com, Tory N. Parrish, Jan. 10, 2016

KIMBERLY PRICE ’091

“HE HAS DONE A GREAT JOB

EMBRACING THE LEADERSHIP ROLE AND HE IS HELPING US TO LAY A FOUNDATION FOR OUR PROGRAM.”

ETHAN STEWART-SMITH, MEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH2

“Without a knowledge of cursive,

we will be cut off from our past.”

LINDA TROOST, PH.D., PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH; COORDINATOR OF THE PROFESSIONAL WRITING PROGRAM3

“These are world-class institutions with exceptional talent, and I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and join this team of outstanding professionals.”

GARY SILVERMAN ’78, PH.D., M.D.4

“The energy in Pittsburgh is magnetic. OUR

CITY IS BACK.”

2. “PV grad Lindquist is a standout at Washington & Jefferson,” Bill Arsenault, LancasterOnline, Feb. 13, 2016 3. “Cursive writing on decline in some school districts,” Karen Mansfield, Observer-Reporter, Nov. 21, 2015 4. “Silverman named head of pediatrics,” Kristina Sauerwein, Washington University in St. Louis, Nov. 12, 2015 5.“The 5 Best Big Cities,” Ian Salisbury, TIME.com, Aug. 16, 2015

DAN LAW ’085

“I look at the problems we have across the country, and it’s scary and challenging, and A LOT OF HARD WORK.” BEN MARKLE ’056

“You just have to try to acknowledge someone as they want instead of some preconceived notion you want them to conform to so you’re comfortable.”

KRISS GILES ’197

“WHAT IS NOW A BARREN FIELD WITH FEW INSECTS WILL HOPEFULLY BE

BLOOMING AND BUZZING THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.” JAMES G. MARCH, PH.D., ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, BIOLOGY8

6. “West Newton history endures in collection,” Stacey Federoff, The Daily News, Aug. 10, 2015 7. “W&J student tackles gender, identity on campus,” David Singer, Observer-Reporter, Nov. 22, 2015 8.“Volunteers create butterfly sanctuary in East Washington,” Natalie Reid Miller, Observer-Reporter, Oct. 19, 2015

WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON COLLEGE

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W&J news Alumna conducts research in Germany How do you choose among three dream jobs?

For alumna Heather Painter ’13, having to make the choice itself was a dream come true.

Painter, who recently finished a two-year appointment with Teach for America, is now in Cologne, Germany, participating in research for Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX). The opportunity was one of three—including a Fulbright Award and an international teaching assistantship—she received as her time with Teach for America drew to a close.

Center for Applied Policy Research. At the Center, Painter works against racism and political extremism, both areas where she hopes she can make an impact.

“This year will further cement my German language abilities, expand my professional network, provide a sound theoretical basis for the career in public policy and education policy I aspire to have through university coursework, and allow me to bring research back to the U.S. that will hopefully help children and people be more tolerant of one another,” she said.

Choosing among three highly sought-after positions was a difficult decision for Painter.

In addition to CBYX, Painter was also offered a U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria and a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Germany. However, CBYX proved to be the most beneficial choice for Painter’s future.

Teach for America placed Painter in Arkansas at KIPP Delta Elementary Literacy Academy, a charter school that focuses both on core school subjects and teaching life skills and character traits. Painter said this opened her eyes to what it means to be a teacher and has also impacted her time in Germany.

With CBYX, Painter is able to immerse herself in a new culture while taking bachelor and master-level courses at Ludwig-MaximiliansUniversität München and interning for the

“I know now that teachers also teach students how to solve conflicts, how to fail and keep trying, how to be empathetic, and joyful, and curious, and so much more. This ‘non-cognitive’

Heather Painter credits her experience during her Teach for America appointment with driving her research on education.

side of education captured my interest and is something I will continue to research this year in Germany,” said Painter.

Painter is very thankful for the opportunities she has had since graduating from W&J. There were many staff members and faculty who helped her with post-graduation life, she said.

“W&J professors and staff wrote my recommendations, helped me prepare for the interviews, gave me their perspectives when I had to make a difficult choice between the three options, and I am so indebted to and grateful to the College for helping me get to where I am now,” said Painter.

– CAROLYN WILSON ’16

Molecular biology major researches diabetes treatment A Washington & Jefferson College student’s research is contributing to improved treatment of Type 1 diabetes.

“It’s just so inspiring because I have met patients before and have seen how they struggled with their diabetes,” Goltz said. “To know that one day this is going to benefit them, there is nothing greater than that.”

Joseph Goltz ’17, a cellular and molecular biology major from Sewickley, Pa., spent the summer of 2015 in Rochester, Minn., in an internship at the Mayo Clinic’s Endocrinology Research Unit using his experience to study diabetes and insulin pump therapy.

Goltz and his team worked on multiple projects, including a study that helped determine the safety and efficiency of the DiAs closed-loop system in the outpatient setting. This helped to improve the closed-loop therapy treatment for Type 1 diabetes by using an algorithm to help design a pump that can better monitor the amount of insulin needed in a diabetic person’s body.

This is one of the first closed-loop studies that allows participants to use the system in their normal home environment because the algorithm used to control the pump can be stored on a cellphone called the Google Nexus

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Goltz’s participation in this research project was made possible by the J. Robert Maxwell ’43 Student Internship Endowment, an award Goltz received earlier this year.

Joseph Goltz was awarded the J. Robert Maxwell ’43 Student Internship Endowment, a scholarship to complete his off-campus research.

phone. While this research is at the beginning stages, Goltz is very excited to see where it goes in the future.

The J. Robert Maxwell ’43 Student Internship Endowment is a prestigious scholarship opportunity annually awarded to W&J sophomore and junior students who demonstrate financial need in completing off-campus internship experiences. Goltz is one of 10 W&J students to receive the award in 2015.

On campus, Goltz is a member of the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society, the Pre-Health Professions Society and the Newman Club. After graduation, he plans to attend medical school and become an endocrinologist.

– MADISON LOVRIC ’16

Psychology major becomes an advocate for human trafficking victims After securing a Magellan Project award for the summer of 2015, Washington & Jefferson College student Katey Wilson ’18 headed to sunny Florida to study a darker side of society.

Wilson, from Monroeville, Pa., is a psychology major with a minor in forensic science. She Psychology major Katey Wilson worked for a human focused her Magellan trafficking help hotline for her Magellan Project.

Project on human trafficking—the illegal movement of people for the purpose of forced labor or sexual exploitation—to learn the mental effects it has on both the victims and on those who provide them with professional help and support.

After learning about human trafficking in the United States from a relative who had volunteered with an organization that helped victims, Wilson decided to spend the summer of 2015 in Florida learning more about the topic.

Wilson spent time with victims and worked for a human trafficking help hotline, where she listened to victims’ stories and helped connect them with the services and organizations that could help them. She also attended conferences and said she quickly realized that this crime is not only devastating, but often is not accurately portrayed in the media.

“A lot of what people read online or in magazines is not accurate,” Wilson said. “Trafficking is usually portrayed in the media as young adolescent girls being sexually exploited. The majority of human trafficking victims are victims of labor trafficking. I learned about the real-life dark and twisted sufferings these young men and women go through every day.”

Wilson learned how to identify victims in everyday situations, by looking for behaviors that victims display, and how to lead them to the resources they need. She also learned how to specialize in helping LGBTQ and male victims, who she said are often overlooked because of a tendency for media organizations to focus on female victims.

Wilson received calls from throughout the state of Florida while staffing a help hotline for victims. She said she talked to many people who felt they had lost their faith after all they had been through, which she said was challenging to handle given her own strong faith.

“It was hard to break down what was being said to me because I couldn’t relate at all. I really had to put all that I know and believe aside to comprehend where they were coming from,” Wilson said.

Wilson hopes to work for a government agency after she graduates. In the meantime, she plans on remaining an advocate for victims of human trafficking and partaking in anti-domestic violence events around campus.

“This experience has touched my heart in a way no other subject matter has before, and I know that if this anti-human trafficking movement continues to progress, we can stop this horrible crime,” Wilson said.

Senior earns spot in highly competitive program Chemistry major Wes Pein ’16 won a highly competitive spot in the Michigan Chemistry Opportunities for Research & Education (M|CORE) weekend at the University of Michigan.

Pein, a natural leader on campus who acts as a W&J Gateway adviser and a resident assistant for the Office of Student Life, was chosen nationally Wes Pein was chosen nationally as one of the top 10 as one of the top 10 qualified prospective chemistry graduate students qualified prospective for the Michigan Chemistry Opportunities for chemistry graduate Research & Education weekend. students. As part of the program, he has an incredible opportunity to further his knowledge and experience in the chemistry field.

“This is exciting because I will be able to tour the facilities, meet graduate students and faculty members, sit in on lectures and participate in workshops,” Pein said. “All of the expenses are covered by the University of Michigan.”

W&J faculty members nominated Pein to apply to the program, and after he was chosen to apply, they worked closely with him to complete the application. His hard work and dedication were evident to many both before and during the process.

“Wes is an exceedingly motivated and talented student who is extremely involved in the chemistry department. He has distinguished himself through his coursework, as well as his service as a laboratory assistant and a Peer Assisted Learning tutor,” said Mike Leonard, Ph.D., associate professor and department chair of chemistry, as well as Pein’s adviser. “There’s no doubt that he has a bright future in chemistry, and the M|CORE Preview Weekend will give him a head start on selecting the graduate program that he will attend.”

After this experience, Pein will be better prepared for his future in chemistry. Pein hopes to earn his doctorate in chemistry to either work in the pharmaceutical field or the green energy field or to become a professor. Whatever path Pein decides to take, he would like to acknowledge the people who made it possible for him to get this far.

“I owe all of my success to my friends, family, alumni, staff and faculty who have helped me along the way. I would not be able to perform on this high of a level without the help and support of all of you,” Pein said. “In particular, I would give special thanks to Dr. Leonard, for playing an instrumental role in my education and in (my) life. He has provided me with the tools and inspiration for me to accomplish all that I have and will do. For that, I am truly grateful.”

– CAROLYN WILSON ’16

– MADISON LOVRIC ’16

WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON COLLEGE

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news

ROTC seniors receive active duty assignments Four seniors in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program at Washington & Jefferson College have earned active duty assignments in the United States Army.

Cadets Emma Church ’16, Dakota Holloway ’16, Garett Pyle ’16 and Stephanie Solida ’16 will receive their unit assignments this spring.

A fifth senior, Cadet Ulysses Laman ’16, has commissioned into the U.S. Army Reserves.

The students have been working toward this goal since they began W&J’s ROTC program, and they said earning the assignments is both an honor and a perfect way to end their time in a program that has meant so much to them.

“I decided to join ROTC long before I got to W&J,” said Pyle, a computing and information studies major from Farmington, Pa. “I come from a long line of individuals who have served in the United States military, stretching back to the American Revolution. Growing up, I always wanted to serve this great nation.”

The process for receiving an active duty assignment is competitive. A student’s college major, grade-point average, campus involvement, physical fitness and leadership initiative are all considered, resulting in the student’s national ranking within the ROTC program.

Major Joseph Masserini, W&J’s ROTC instructor, said more than 5,600 students nationwide commission each year; about half of those students receive an active duty assignment.

Five students from a college of W&J’s size is abnormally high, he said, and is unusual for a program that is relatively new.

Cadets Dakota Holloway, Garett Pyle, Stephanie Solida, Emma Church and Ulysses Laman (left to right) are entering into careers with the U.S. Army after graduation.

“This says something about the caliber of our students. This says something about W&J.” – MAJOR JOSEPH MASSERINI

“The best part of this process is that most of this is within the cadet’s power. They control their GPA and their physical fitness; they choose to volunteer and help in the community,” he said. “This says something about the caliber of our students. This says something about W&J.” The ROTC program at W&J began in 1948, but it was withdrawn in 1991 as part of a cost-saving strategy in the military. It was reinstated in 2011, and is an elective curriculum that students can take along with their regular academic courses. The program is open to students in any major. W&J’s ROTC program currently has 19 members.

Solida, a biology major from Rimersburg, Pa., said her time in ROTC has increased her confidence and influenced her leadership style.

“I have learned a lot about my own leadership style and how to refine it. I have learned to be patient and to trust people. I have learned how to stand my ground and also how to help other people develop,” she said. “My ROTC classmates are all extraordinary people, and I would never have been able to make it through the program without them. They’ve taught me how important it is to lean on other people and to have each other’s backs.”

Her fellow cadets echoed that sentiment, and said their ROTC training will contribute to their success in their careers and influence their commitment to their communities.

Church said her goal is to become a clinical psychologist for the military,

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helping soldiers and their families work through psychological issues, including mental illness.

“There is a lot of stigma surrounding mental (illness) awareness, and the military is currently struggling to combat it,” she said. “I want to be a part of the change as a voice for the soldiers.”

Solida also is considering a career in mental health care or in another branch of medicine after she has completed her active duty service.

Following what Pyle hopes will be a lengthy career in the Army, he plans to pursue a job in the logistics field, and he also wants to attend carpentry school, eventually opening a business to restore antiques.

That Masserini is proud of his students goes without saying. He said the students’ patriotism, dedication and energy have re-energized him, and he has no doubt that their futures are bright.

“I have zero doubts that the Army is gaining five great future officers, four on active duty, which is fantastic,” he said. “I know there are soldiers out there who are looking for the officer they can follow, who is able to set that example and lead the way in ambiguous times, and that’s what we have. I have no doubt the cadets graduating this year can do that for people. I get excited when I think about it.”

– ERIN FAULK JONES ’08

Graduate programs return to W&J Washington & Jefferson College has expanded its academic offerings to include four graduate programs for the spring 2016 semester. The programs cover a range of topics in areas that are curricular strengths for the College and are designed to boost the skill set of working professionals in the fields of health care, professional writing, accounting and bereavement studies.

“Graduate education has a long history at W&J and an exciting future.

In 1984, W&J issued its last master’s degree. Since then, the institution has had a focus solely on undergraduate education. After thirty years, we are re-introducing graduate-level degrees to the College,” said Michael Shaughnessy, Ph.D., associate dean of graduate studies. “We are eager to engage new students and welcome new alumni to our community.”

The master’s degree in applied health care economics is designed to provide mid-career health care professionals with the essential economic skills, knowledge of multidisciplinary health services and understanding of data analysis necessary to advance their careers. This program is open to students with an undergraduate degree and two to five years of work experience in some segment of the health care industry.

The master’s degree and graduate certificate programs in professional writing train individuals as communication specialists and information managers and prepare them for flexible careers in the workplace. Students develop skills in writing, editing, research, layout and design, as well as learn how to prepare professional documents and presentations for different audiences and purposes. The program is open to students who have a bachelor’s degree in any field.

The graduate certificate in professional accounting is designed to assist students in preparing for the CPA exam, developing analytical thinking skills and developing professional communication skills, both oral and written.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: APPLIED HEALTH CARE ECONOMICS www.washjeff.edu/applied-health-care-economics Program Director Doug McKell dmckell@washjeff.edu PROFESSIONAL WRITING www.washjeff.edu/professional-writing-1 Program Director Kathleen McEvoy, Ph.D., kmcevoy@washjeff.edu PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTING www.washjeff.edu/professional-accounting Program Director Steve Kuhn, Ph.D., skuhn@washjeff.edu THANATOLOGY www.washjeff.edu/thanatology Program Director Daniel Stinson, Ph.D., dstinson@washjeff.edu

The program is open to students who have an undergraduate degree with a major in accounting. Credits earned through this course of study (up to 16 semester hours) may be used by students to help satisfy the 150-hour education requirement necessary to obtain a license as a certified public accountant.

The graduate certificate in thanatology is designed to enrich and strengthen the skills of professionals working in the field of dying, death and bereavement. The program is open to those who have a bachelor’s degree and have an interest in the field of thanatology, including those working in professional fields as funeral directors, clergy, counselors, school personnel, social workers or hospice workers.

Register for Global Summer Academy today! www.wjsummer.com ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT

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• Business, Economics & Entrepreneurship • Forensic Science • Gender and the Media • International Relations & Conflict Resolution • Introduction to Psychology • Pre-Med & AP Biology Prep • SAT & College/University Admission Prep • Veterinary Science • Writing for College (ESL) • Writing Workshop

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For students in grades 8-12 800-226-8829

CAMPUS LIFE W&J is consistently applauded for the personalized attention offered to prospective students. The connection prospective students make with our community is often cited as the reason they choose to make W&J their home. You can be a part of these one-on-one connections with future W&J students at this year’s Global Summer Academy.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit us at www.wjsummer.com or email us at wjsummer@washjeff.edu WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON COLLEGE

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W&J

news

W&J Mock Trial team knocks out high-ranking competition The Washington & Jefferson College Mock Trial team gained recognition and accolades when it placed second at the Ithaca College Bomber Blitz Invitational in January.

This was W&J’s first time competing in the Ithaca Invitational, held Jan. 30 and 31, and the team’s success was all the more impressive given that the team currently does not have a coach.

Nathaniel Ecker ’17, James Campese ’17, Ethan Heller ’18 and Courtney Brennan ’16 worked together to coordinate the attorney and witness roles for the team, and Ecker said the success of the team was truly a collaborative effort.

“We would not be able to succeed without everyone’s help,” Ecker said. “Mock trial is truly a team event.”

The competition consists of a mock trial of a fictitious court case. Each team is presented with a set of facts, witnesses, affidavits, interrogations, physical evidence, previous court orders and motions, and the federal rules of evidence. Students portray either an attorney or a witness; student “attorneys” conduct opening and closing statements, direct and cross examinations and present their case in front of a jury of actual practicing attorneys.

W&J’s Mock Trial team finished with a 7-1-0 record and came in second place overall, defeating teams from Swarthmore, Ithaca College, St. Bonaventure and SUNY Geneseo. W&J finished ahead of teams from

“It’s a great feeling to take down some of the most prestigious schools in the nation … it really evidences the caliber of our school’s pre-law program.”

– NATHANIEL ECKER ’17

The Mock Trial team won second place at Ithaca College’s Invitational.

Amherst, Swarthmore, Colgate, King’s College and Ithaca.

Additionally, the team won several individual awards. Heller and Ecker won the tournament’s Top Attorney award, and Yusuph Ulomi ’19 (nicknamed “Joe”) and Ecker won the tournament’s Top Witness awards.

“The success of W&J’s Mock Trial team is certainly a testament to everyone’s hard work throughout the year,” Ecker said. “It’s a

great feeling to take down some of the most prestigious schools in the nation … it really evidences the caliber of our school’s pre-law program. As we continue to work on our case, in preparation for regionals, I have no doubt that our team will continue to improve. This year our team’s goal is to advance all the way to nationals.”

– ERIN FAULK JONES ’08

W&J serves up hope as new member of the Food Recovery Network When Washington & Jefferson College senior Alyssa Evanoff ’16 saw that the Washington City Mission had a great need for food donations, she decided to rally the W&J community to address the need.

“It’s an eye-opening experience helping with a delivery,” Evanoff said. “Judy Sandy, the kitchen coordinator at the City Mission, said they rely on donations like ours, so it’s a great experience to help.”

Evanoff is an environmental studies and German double major with a minor in gender and women’s studies from Pittsburgh, Pa. A year ago, she teamed up with James March, Ph.D., an associate professor of biology at W&J, and the W&J Sustainability Committee to begin the process of securing a W&J chapter of the Food Recovery Network.

While the program is still in the beginning stages, Evanoff is confident that it will continue into the future and would like to see regular deliveries made. Currently, each delivery is about 75-80 pounds of food, and the program’s goal is to reach 1,000 pounds of food per delivery.

The Food Recovery Network is a national organization that enables campuses to send their unused food to homeless shelters. With the help of the organization, Evanoff is able to coordinate student volunteers to help with food deliveries to the City Mission. The deliveries from W&J help to provide three meals a day for many of the 300 or more people the City Mission serves each day.

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This coordination with the Food Recovery Network has connected W&J students to the Washington community in many ways.

“The program has two major benefits: reducing waste and helping to feed those in need in our community,” said Justin Dandoy, director of community engagement at W&J. “We are able to connect our students with the Mission as volunteers through this project.”

– MADISON LOVRIC ’16

“Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light.”

– GEORGE WASHINGTON

Seeking Justice The relentless pursuit of the truth for four W&J alumni Since the ratification of the Constitution and the founding of the United States, the rules of government have evolved to better promote the welfare of Americans. Our justice system comprises countless people—lawyers, prosecutors, detectives, medical examiners, judges—who are striving to make the world we live in a better, more fair place. The following four alumni are determined to have truth prevail and justice preserved.

WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON COLLEGE

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feature

Due diligence Retiring at age 30 wasn’t part of her life plan.

But in 2012, that is where Keri Bozich ’03 found herself—retired from the government and not sure what to do next.

Bozich worked as a special agent for the U.S. Department of the Treasury in the criminal investigation division of the Internal Revenue Service, where she investigated potential violations of the Internal Revenue Code and related offenses by interviewing people, analyzing financial records and conducting undercover operations, among other responsibilities.

The accounting major hadn’t had an interest in law enforcement, but one of her professors at W&J made it mandatory for her class to go when 10

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the IRS came to recruit interns. Bozich’s future was sealed, or it was at least for the next 10 years.

IRS, and I didn’t even really know what skills I had,” Bozich said.

She probably would still be working for the government if it wasn’t for an accident that changed her life. In 2010, Bozich was involved in a car accident on the job that required her to undergo shoulder surgery. After the surgery, she was put on restricted duty for medical reasons, but was never cleared again for her position as an agent. The government was unable to offer her what it calls a “reasonable accommodation” since going from a law enforcement to a non-law enforcement position is not comparable— essentially forcing her to retire.

So she decided to take a job at an investigation company, but realized very soon that she could do much better on her own. Bozich took a leap of faith into the realm of self-employment and started her own private investigating business, Keri Bozich Investigations (KBI). She was moving from the world of white-collar crime and federal investigations to a variety of crimes and state cases, working mainly for defense attorneys.

“I didn’t really know what to do because I had only ever been a criminal investigator for the

When Bozich first started her business, she had the advantage of already having connections in the legal world. She wrote letters to attorneys in Pittsburgh that she knew from her days in the

“Not everyone is guilty. And so it feels good when the truth prevails, and then you feel like the justice system actually works. I know that’s not always the case, but it does feel good to help people.”

– KERI BOZICH ’03

though when you feel strongly that you know what really happened or the truth of the matter, it’s hard not to get invested.”

That passion for her career, though, is probably what makes Bozich so successful. Finding out the truth and helping people are what Bozich thrives on.

“Not everyone is guilty. And so it feels good when the truth prevails, and then you feel like the justice system actually works. I know that’s not always the case, but it does feel good to help people,” Bozich said.

She has learned more than ever, through her work as a private investigator, that there really are two sides to every story. When Bozich worked for the government, justice seemed black and white; her job was to provide evidence to prosecute people, so that is the only side of the law that she saw. She will be the first to admit that it made her slightly closed-minded.

An attorney once told Bozich that when you work for the government, you only look at a person’s conduct, and when you work for the defense, you look at a person’s character.

IRS—when they were defending people she was working to prosecute—to tell them about KBI and what she could offer them. Bozich learned very quickly that she did have skills; her work spoke for itself, and she began to get clients mainly through word of mouth.

Becoming a private investigator isn’t very difficult, but being good at it is. It is a job in which reputation is everything. Bozich works as an unbiased investigator—uncovering facts, finding witnesses and interviewing subjects— but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t get invested in her cases.

“I’m an independent party to each case. I would never lie for someone nor would I ever provide information that isn’t completely truthful. And thus far, I’ve never been asked to,” Bozich explained. “Any information that I uncover that is useful to the case could potentially be presented in court. So I truly am independent,

“I’m sure there are still disgusting people out there, plenty of them monsters, but I guess I actually get to see the better side of people who are trying to exonerate themselves or just trying to show the reasoning behind how things happened,” Bozich said. “It’s not always what it looks like on paper.”

could have six cases at once and then go a few weeks without any.

Being self-employed, Bozich doesn’t have to rely on others, but it also means that she investigates by herself, which was an adjustment from working for the government when she went everywhere with a partner. She goes where the crimes happen to investigate and interview, and that is not always the best part of town. But for Bozich, her work is all about doing whatever it takes to uncover facts.

What Bozich didn’t realize until that car accident changed her life was that she didn’t have job satisfaction as an agent with the IRS. She made a great living with great benefits, but she wasn’t truly enjoying what she was doing.

With a little bit of fate, Bozich found her fit.

“When I worked for the government, even when I mostly worked tax fraud and some other stuff, I never felt good at the end of the day putting someone in jail. There are definitely people who deserve to be in jail; we all know that,” Bozich explained. “But it never made me feel good. I’m just happier doing what I do now.”

– ALLYSON GILMORE KENNEDY ’12

It also means for Bozich that a win in court doesn’t necessarily mean a not guilty verdict; it could mean making sure the sentence fits the crime—and of course, it doesn’t always. Bozich has sat in court and has watched the system walk all over people, but this only makes her even more dedicated to her work.

And being a private investigator does take commitment. The job can be hectic. For Bozich, being flexible is key. Often, attorneys call her to conduct work for a hearing that is happening the next day. She has to be able to drop everything and go out that night and work.

Except when she has a court appearance, Bozich doesn’t have a set schedule. She has to be available when someone needs her, which also means her workload can be varied—at times she WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON COLLEGE

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A reasonable degree of scientific certainty There is something fundamentally human about problem-solving, almost an instinctual inclination to uncover mysteries or discover why or how an event happened. And Darin Trelka ’92, M.D., Ph.D., is at his best when he is doing just that— using his scientifically trained mind to uncover facts and provide answers as a forensic pathologist.

Growing up, the medical examiner-turnedprofessor was surrounded by the sciences within the world of academia. It was time spent with his father, W&J Professor Dennis Trelka, Ph.D., doing dissections, feeding laboratory animals and preparing labs for undergraduate students that really sparked his interest in biological science and set him on his future career path.

Trelka will be the first to tell you, though, that despite the strong academic influences around him—including his mom, Constance Trelka ’76, who was a teacher at Washington High School—at the start of his college career, he was not a particularly strong student. It wasn’t until his sophomore year, when he took a course called comparative psychology of non-human primates and humans, that he learned how to study and became dedicated to his academic future—a future that he hoped included medical school.

However, despite his best efforts to bolster his GPA enough to be competitive in a medical program, Trelka wasn’t quite ready. He decided 12

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to apply to doctoral programs and matriculated at Thomas Jefferson University in the department of anatomy, pathology and cell biology.

After earning his doctorate, Trelka found himself still drawn to the medical field, so he applied to medical programs and decided to continue his education at MCP-Hahnemann University. During his last few years of medical school, Trelka was trying to find what area of medicine best fit his interests. In an effort to fuse science and medicine together, he landed on pathology programs and chose the University of Virginia for his residency.

At this point, Trelka wasn’t set on forensic pathology as the direction for his career.

Previously in medical school, he had completed a week-long rotation in forensics and did not have a very positive experience. “I just couldn’t see this being medical practice. I thought it was just awful,” Trelka said.

However, during his pathology residency, Trelka spent a rotation in the Virginia Medical Examiner’s Office, and within hours of being there, he was enthralled by the entire process.

The necessity to know a little about everything— medicine, poisons, electricity, firearms, ballistics, explosions—was especially fascinating to him. After his residency, Trelka was hired as a forensic pathologist at the Cuyahoga County

Coroner’s Office in Cleveland, Ohio, where he worked for two years.

As one can imagine, working in a coroner’s or medical examiner’s office is not an easy job.

When Trelka was still a fellow, he was called to the scene of a family that had been murdered: a mother, a father, a 9-year-old and a 4-year-old.

A week later, a similar crime happened. “And if I was shaken the first week, I can tell you that, at least emotionally, I was more than shaken,” Trelka said. “I don’t know what other word you want to use. But at that point I was very, very upset and had difficulty functioning a bit.”

He received some of the best advice he could have from his adviser, Marcella Fierro. She told him: “You are the only one who can take this case forward. You are the only one who can make sure that these people’s stories are told.

You are perfectly positioned and trained to document and to convey all of the information to make sure that there’s justice sought for what happened to these people. So concentrate on that. That is your job right now.”

With that advice, Trelka understood how he could make his contribution to society. “You have to separate yourself from the emotionality, and you become a data-gathering machine,” Trelka said.

PHOTO CREDIT: MIAMI HERALD

“And I feel like I make my best contribution when I am standing on that line with all of those practitioners and figuring those things out and making sure bad things don’t happen to good people.”

– DARIN TRELKA ’92, M.D., PH.D.

Trelka testifies during a trial in Broward County Circuit Court in Ft. Lauderdal, Fla.

PHOTO CREDIT: ASSOCIATED PRESS/RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, HATLEY N. MASON

witnesses, police officers and physicians. “The police can ask a person a question and we as death investigators can ask a person a question and though the person isn’t lying, they can tell us very different things because we’re not police,” he explained. “We don’t have arrest capabilities, and I’m a doctor; so they’re going to tell me things that they’re not going to tell a police officer.”

It wasn’t just about the legal system for Trelka; his practice of forensics gave him the opportunity to heal wounds and give families a sense of closure about a loved one.

An artist’s rendering of Trelka during a trial in Richmond, Va.

For Trelka, going to a scene where there were no answers and the police and the family were counting on him to find out what happened, was very exciting. He was the only one who could say if the death was natural, accidental or criminal. Upon his word, a scene could turn into a crime scene and law enforcement would be mobilized.

He had to be all right with not knowing sometimes, too, even though people were counting on him to know everything—a misconception that television has perpetuated.

“I have to work in a scientific world where I can only convey what I can prove,” Trelka said.

“And so those are my confines and that’s all I can do. And you have to be OK with saying occasionally, ‘I don’t know.’”

When Trelka was investigating a death, he had to bring all his medical and pathology knowledge, but he also needed his communication skills when he talked to

“We give law enforcement and attorneys the information that they need to create their cases.

And sometimes it just isn’t enough, and that’s very important. Because if you don’t have enough data, perhaps the case shouldn’t go on,” Trelka said. “But if you do have the data, then you can really help to at least provide justice for, at least in my case, the decedent and their families. And I feel like I really contribute in that manner where I help seek justice for the decedents and their families, you know, people that can’t speak for themselves, and we and law enforcement and the attorneys, we are their voice.”

After his time in Ohio, Trelka decided to apply for jobs in Florida and was hired at the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office in Fort Lauderdale as an associate medical examiner.

During his time there, he advanced to deputy chief medical examiner and acted as interim chief medical examiner for a time. But being a medical examiner can take its toll. On average, Trelka would work between 200 and 300 cases per year, with 20 to 30 open at once. Trelka explained, “There are regular hours punctuated by complete and utter absorption in the field.”

Trelka was ready for a change. During his time in Ohio and Florida, he was teaching as much as he could—an enthusiasm that stemmed from his father. Every six months or so, he would send out applications to local universities and it just

so happened that Florida Atlantic University called him one day.

“After some soul-searching and an interview and after having been offered a job, I decided that I was ready for a transition into a more academic lifestyle,” Trelka said.

He is now an assistant professor of clinical biomedical science and director of anatomical programs at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, where he teaches growth anatomy and histology and helps out in the pathology lab. He also started a forensics course in the School of Criminology & Criminal Justice.

Trelka has not completely given up forensic pathology now that he is a professor. He sometimes covers at medical examiner offices, and he operates a consultation service. He also still gets called to testify on some of his old cases.

Throughout his career, Trelka has helped provide answers to his students, law enforcement and families. He has helped solve crimes, and he has helped prepare the next generation of medical practitioners. This comic book fan got the chance to be a real-life Avenger in his own way.

Reflecting on his days as a medical examiner, Trelka said: “I got a lot of gratification in figuring things out for law enforcement and helping be part of the process of jurisprudence.

I feel like forensic pathologists, attorneys, law enforcement, even firefighters, so many of us sort of stand on the edge in between civilization and chaos. And I know that sounds very philosophic and perhaps a little too deep, but I really feel that. And I feel like I make my best contribution when I am standing on that line with all of those practitioners and figuring those things out and making sure bad things don’t happen to good people.”

– ALLYSON GILMORE KENNEDY ’12

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The burden of proof John Bord ’73 has lost count of the number of times he has received death threats, not to mention the contracts that have been put out on his life. In a profession that is often glamorized by the media with little attention paid to the dangers, it’s a personal price the prosecuting attorney is willing to pay.

“I realized a long time ago, if I wasn’t getting threatened, I wasn’t doing my job,” Bord said.

On a daily basis, Bord deals with people who blatantly disregard societal laws and dislike anyone who imposes those laws on them, so he’s bound to make some enemies along the way.

After serving as assistant prosecuting attorney for 14 years, Bord was elected prosecutor in 1998. Since that time, he has served as the chief legal officer of Taylor County, W.Va. He is responsible for the prosecution of all crime; he assists in the investigation of all violations of the law, tries cases before judges, presents information to grand juries and requests the issuing of warrants.

A hands-on prosecutor by choice, Bord established a rule in Taylor County that if there is a death, he is to be called right away.

He goes to crime scenes and autopsies and, as a result, he has seen the worst of humanity.

“Most prosecutors don’t (go to crime scenes).

It’s not that I enjoy looking at a crime scene.

But you only get one chance to see things as

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they are, and to ask the officers questions while they are actively doing their investigation,” Bord explained. “Pictures never do justice to a crime scene. A defense attorney gets pictures; he sees it as it was. So when I go to paint my picture for a jury, I can paint it as it is, as it was at the time I saw it. It makes a world of difference. Same is true with an autopsy: It’s not pleasant to watch, but I want to be able to ask the medical examiner questions—the hows and whys of the cause of death—while he is conducting the autopsy.”

Bord received one such call late one January night in 2012 while he was attending a conference out of town. A man had been shot in the back of the head, and Bord was on the phone with troopers until morning. While foul play was suspected, the case was eventually shelved due to a lack of resources and evidence with the hope that one day, they would catch a break.

“The problem is that we don’t have a lot of finances. It’s a small county and a poor state,” Bord said. And that evidence—ballistics, lab results, expert witnesses—all requires money.

A break did come, but not in the form Bord had expected. Three years after the incident, in January of 2015, Bord received a call from the producers of “Cold Justice,” a real-life crime TV show, saying they were interested in helping to solve the case.

“I realized a long time ago, if I wasn’t getting threatened, I wasn’t doing my job.”

John Bord celebrates with Kelly Siegler after the taping of “Cold Justice.”

– JOHN BORD ’73

The “Cold Justice” team, including former crime-scene investigator Yolanda McClary and former prosecutor Kelly Siegler, among others, has been traveling to towns across the United States to provide its expertise and resources to solve cold cases. Although Bord’s investigation is not your typical “cold” case—being only three years old—he was glad to have the show’s help and all the assets at its disposal.

While the case is summed up in 40-odd minutes plus commercials, the more-than-24-person crew filmed for nearly 10 hours a day for almost a full week, but it was worth all the time spent. Alongside McClary and Siegler, Bord assisted in re-investigating the case, resulting in Bord presenting the case to a special grand jury, which returned a true bill for a first-degree murder indictment against the victim’s wife. She is set to go on trial sometime this year.

Although Bord made his debut on prime-time television—a momentous occasion to most—to him,“Cold Justice” is just a show, and he’s just glad the case was investigated further. Bord’s father gave him a valuable piece of advice he has always lived by: to keep his ego below his neck and to not let things go to his head.

Therefore, Bord’s career goal is simple—to make a difference in his community.

Bord’s dedication stems from the fact that he doesn’t see what he does as just a job. While he thoroughly enjoys what he does and gets a lot of personal satisfaction out of his career, he also knows that he has a duty to his community. It is his responsibility to make sure that people who commit crimes are held accountable. He will be the first to admit that he feels pressure, and most of it is self-induced because he truly cares about doing what is right.

“I try extremely hard to make sure that the defendant gets every benefit of the doubt before we go into court,” Bord explained.

Bord treats people how he would want to be treated—with respect—no matter what they’ve done. Even if he truly believes they’re guilty, he feels an ethical responsibility to give them every opportunity to exonerate themselves until their time comes in court.

Leading up to a trial, Bord is fully engrossed in the case, preparing non-stop for a month ahead of time. The time spent is worth it, though, when he gets to court. In the courtroom, Bord is in his element. He is able to see a conclusion

to his case, and more often than not, the conclusion is in his favor. In his 18 years as a prosecutor, Bord has lost only two trials.

But for him, no case is more memorable than the next—maybe more tragic, like the ones that involve children—because he doesn’t let cases stick with him. He tries to move on.

Bord knows that our society is not perfect, and therefore, it is an undeniable fact that there will always be crime. He sees himself as an agent to slowing it down, and when he is done, others will come after him. But he knows his actions have consequences in shaping our society. “We as prosecutors or district attorneys are the tip of the sword when it comes to fighting crime. How we handle it, frankly, dictates the type of society we live in,” Bord said.

If you ask Bord what justice is he’ll tell you that justice is what 12 jurors say it is. “Is it always right? No. Do I get upset with it? Yes, sometimes I do. But it’s still the best system of justice. It’s not me making up my mind, or me saying the person is guilty, or a judge saying the person is guilty, it’s 12 people saying they’re guilty, and it has to be unanimous.”

– ALLYSON GILMORE KENNEDY ’12

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Beyond reasonable doubt As a criminal defense attorney, Schwartzbach is well-aware that public favor is against him.

In the world of entertainment, criminal defense lawyers are usually beguiling, abject characters who ruthlessly lie, defend the guilty and shamelessly toe the line of moral ambiguity, perpetuating the public’s perception of these fictionalized archetypes.

However, the core of criminal defense work is much bigger than these perceptions. “When we’re fighting for somebody’s constitutional rights, we’re fighting for everybody’s constitutional rights,” Schwartzbach reasoned.

“Regardless of who the defendant is, regardless of how heinous the crime charged is, it is absolutely the obligation of the criminal defense attorney to force the prosecution to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”

In his line of work, Schwartzbach sees how easy it can be to turn people into objects. When we fail to see people as human, as someone with a name and a life story, the easier it becomes to write them off in society and deny them justice.

But the issue is never truly black and white.

To him, every life has meaning and the same right to life, which must be protected even in the face of criminal behavior. “Even if somebody has done a terrible thing, that doesn’t mean that they’re necessarily a terrible person. And even if they were a terrible person at the time, it doesn’t mean that they’re always going to be a terrible person,” Schwartzbach said.

More important, he recognizes that his job is not to just get his clients off the hook or minimize the consequences, but to help them, especially if they have engaged in a criminal act, because often their behavior is a symptom of an underlying problem.

There are undeniable links between poverty, education, mental illness, substance abuse and those who engage in crime. Beyond facing the legal ramifications of their actions, Schwartzbach said, “I try to get my clients to focus on who they are going to be when they get 16

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PHOTO CREDIT: ASSOCIATED PRESS/NICK UT

When Gerry Schwartzbach ’66 enters the courtroom, you won’t find the fast-talking, fist-pounding theatrics of lawyers often portrayed in TV and film. Instead you’ll encounter a soft-spoken, expertly prepared lawyer—bow tie and all—whose presence demands respect.

Gerry Schwartzbach holds Robert Blake’s ankle bracelet after Blake was found not guilty in his murder trial.

through the legal system; what will they have learned, and what skills are they going to have to do something productive with their lives.”

From his time as a VISTA volunteer in Detroit to grabbing headlines in international newsworthy cases, Schwartzbach has had remarkable success, saving innocent people, turning lives around and inciting social change through his work.

However, Schwartzbach’s law career hasn’t always been glamorous or even certain. After entering George Washington University Law School in 1966, he soon found that he hated it and contemplated leaving law school altogether.

It wasn’t until his second year, when he got involved in a poverty law program defending the underprivileged in small claims court in Washington, D.C., that he found his inspiration.

“That’s when I knew I wanted to be a lawyer,” he said. “When I saw that the law could be used as a vehicle for social change, not just to make the rich richer…(and) that by helping people, I could do something meaningful with my life.”

Still, in the realm of criminal defense work, what is right isn’t always easy nor does it come without great personal sacrifice, something Schwartzbach attests to firsthand.

“I’ve paid a very high price for what I’ve done and how I’ve done it,” Schwartzbach explained.

Defending the destitute, the wrongfully accused, the troubled and even the famous has taken its toll upon not only the 71-year old himself but his family as well. He’s faced threats against his life, hospitalizations for exhaustion and heavy financial struggles.

During trial, he can end up working seven days

a week up to 20 hours a day. For Schwartzbach, preparation is everything—from scouring evidence for flaws, digging into research or raising shadows of reasonable doubt among jurors, his doggedness is often what wins him the case.

Looking back, Schwartzbach admits his one regret is not being more financially responsible in planning for the “golden years” he and his wife, Susan, will spend together. Over the years, he has represented a number of clients for free or virtually no money because he liked them or because the case involved an issue he thought was important. Though, if you ask him if it has all been worth it, the answer will be yes in a heartbeat. “Even if I’ve never received any publicity or accolades, it was definitely worth it because I believe I’ve helped a lot of people and done something meaningful with my life,” he said.

And while he will never promise his clients results or that he won’t make mistakes, he does promise two things: to never lie and to try as hard as he can to fight for them, often working himself to the bone to do so.

In perhaps his most well-known case, Schwartzbach defended Hollywood actor Robert Blake, who was accused of his wife’s murder. Despite 75 percent of jurors thinking Blake was guilty, Schwartzbach won the trial by focusing on the lack of physical evidence against Blake and cleverly discrediting the two star witnesses who claimed Blake solicited them to murder his wife.

He successfully defended Delores Churchill on attempted murder charges against her abusive husband and later became the first male elected

in the U.S., accused of trying to hasten the death of a potential organ donor, in 2008. Proving Roozrokh’s actions were intended to prevent suffering and appropriate given the unusual circumstances, Schwartzbach won the doctor’s acquittal, thereby helping restore confidence in organ transplantation and establish nationwide protocols for end-of-life care.

PHOTO CREDIT: ASSOCIATED PRESS/NICK UT

In spite of the moments of great exhilaration and triumph, working in the justice system is often an uphill battle. “It’s a system that functions through human beings, and human beings have frailties,” Schwartzbach noted.

Consequently, justice can sometimes slip through the cracks. In one particular case, even swastika and white power tattoos couldn’t sway Schwartzbach, who is Jewish, from defending Glen “Buddy” Nickerson. Schwartzbach began defending Nickerson, who was wrongfully convicted in 1984 for a double murder, pro bono in 1996.

“That’s when I knew I wanted to be a lawyer.

When I saw that the law could be used as a vehicle for social change, not just to make the rich richer…(and) that by helping people I could do something meaningful with my life.”

– GERRY SCHWARTZBACH ’66

to the board of directors at La Casa de las Madres, a shelter for battered women, which had taken on Churchill’s case.

Schwartzbach secured civil rights activist and lawyer Stephen Bingham’s acquittal on conspiracy and murder charges after a brilliant cross-examination of correctional officers severely crippled the prosecution’s case, which accused Bingham of smuggling a gun, later used in a deadly attempted escape, into San Quentin Prison.

“Every time a client has been acquitted, there’s great exhilaration,” Schwartzbach said, but added that his most meaningful moments have come from cases that had lasting effects on society and the law.

In 1982, Schwartzbach won a decision in the California Supreme Court that established the presumed right to two lawyers for any defendant facing the death penalty. “I believe that as a result of that decision, far fewer people were sentenced to death in California than they otherwise would have been,” he said.

In the first criminal prosecution of its kind, Schwartzbach vigorously defended Dr. Hootan Roozrokh, the youngest organ transplant surgeon

Six years later, Nickerson was still in prison awaiting his fate when he sent Schwartzbach a letter, which now hangs proudly in a frame on the wall of his office. Part of the letter reads, “You’ve made me see people for who they are and not what they are. And I’ll get the tattoo removed like I said because I know no other way to show you that I have very high respect for you and your family.” Finally, in 2013, after 19 years spent behind bars, Nickerson was exonerated and released from prison.

This was a moment of great human redemption in Schwartzbach’s eyes because for him, justice is simple. It’s about people within the criminal justice system respecting the roles they play, the Constitution and the people who come before the court. It’s about moving society forward to address the root causes of crime through good education systems, health systems, mental health systems and substance abuse systems.

Justice is simply about treating people as if they matter. He believes, “If I had been able to obtain a good result, and more importantly if I had been able to help someone turn their life around, that’s incredibly meaningful.”

SCHWARTZBACH PUBLISHES NEW BOOK Schwartzbach published his new book “Leaning on the Arc: A Personal History of Criminal Defense” on March 16, 2016, exactly 11 years after winning the highly publicized, internationally scrutinized acquittal of Robert Blake.

Told through gripping firsthand accounts of key cases throughout Schwartzbach’s career, “Leaning on the Arc” critically examines the strengths and faults of the justice system, arguing that we must stop objectifying people before we can achieve true justice, and also serves as a didactic account of what it takes, both professionally and personally, to work in high-stakes criminal defense law.

“Leaning on the Arc” is available on Amazon.com.

“Gerry Schwartzbach’s fascinating book is not only packed with great tales of injustice subverted by intelligence and passion, but it reminds us how the litany of prosecutorial injustices we read about daily can be overthrown by the old industrial-age values of diligence, deep thought, and a burning commitment to justice. Though many of the cases in this book are about the famous, I met him when he was defending a penniless and unknown close friend of mine.”

— Peter Coyote, Actor/Author

“This is the fascinating memoir of an excellent, highly accomplished, practical and idealistic criminal defense lawyer, as committed to his clients, the proper functioning of the criminal justice system and the rule of law as any lawyer could be. The lesson to be drawn is that thoughtful and the most thorough preparation is the key ingredient for success in the practice of law, regardless of one’s specialty.”

— Robert Helman, Partner, Mayer Brown LLP, Adjunct Professor University of Chicago Law School

– EMILY PAYNE ’15

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DOMINATING THE FIELD FOOTBALL EXTENDS WINNING SEASON STREAK TO 32 Only three teams in all of college football can boast that they have had more consecutive winning seasons than Washington & Jefferson College. That did not change in 2015, as the Presidents finished 8-2 and won eight or more games in a season for the 28th time during their 32-year winning stretch. All told, the 124th season of W&J football stretched the program’s win total to 715, the third most in NCAA Division III history.

The season opened with three victories as the Presidents dispatched Wooster 56-10, Westminster 35-31 and Carnegie Mellon 38-14 to move to 3-0 and a No. 13 national ranking heading into the bye week.

After two seasons squaring off against Thomas More in Washington, the Presidents hit the road to Crestview Hills, Ky., to battle the Saints in a meeting of two top 15 teams.

Despite 360 yards passing from quarterback Pete Coughlin ’17, the Presidents fell 38-20.

Running back Ryan Ruffing concluded his college career as the NCAA Division III leader in points, total touchdowns and rushing touchdowns.

Head Coach Mike Sirianni led the Presidents to their 32nd straight winning season.

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President seniors celebrate their final football season with their parents.

Coughlin attempted 58 passes, equaling the school record set by W&J Athletic Hall of Famer Bobby Swallow ’09.

After the defeat, W&J returned home to the friendly confines of Cameron Stadium for a pair of games, including a 55-7 thumping of Grove City on Homecoming and a 66-42 victory over Bethany.

Time ran out on a late rally the following week in a 35-28 loss at Case Western Reserve, but W&J tightened up and won the final three games of the season by an average of 27 points, highlighted by a 45-23 win over

Waynesburg in the annual Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Backyard Brawl.

Running back Ryan Ruffing ’16, a second-team All-Region and first-team All-PAC selection, finished the season with 1,227 yards and 21 touchdowns. He concluded his career as the NCAA Division III leader in points (336), total touchdowns (56) and rushing touchdowns (51). His 56 scores and 336 points rank third in program history.

Joining Ruffing on the All-Region teams were offensive lineman Zack Crossey ’16 and wide receiver Daniel Lis ’16. Crossey, who was a unanimous first-team Preseason All-American, earned his second-straight first-team All-Region honor and third first-team All-PAC award. Lis set the W&J record with a 93-yard punt return touchdown in the season-opener at Wooster and earned third-team laurels as a returner after taking back a pair of punts for scores and averaging an NCAA-best 18.3 yards per return.

Pete Coughlin will enter his senior season with a total of 6,869 passing yards and 60 touchdowns in 31 games.

Coughlin will enter his senior season in 2016 already among the five most prolific passers in school history as he has thrown for 6,869 yards and 60 touchdowns in 31 career games.

In total, 13 Presidents were named All-PAC after the season, with seven slated to return in 2016. Crossey, Lis and Ruffing represented W&J on the first team, while the second team saw Coughlin, offensive lineman Brandon Martuccio ’17, defensive back Dan Graziano ’16, linebacker Jalen Morris ’16, defensive lineman Ryan Snedeker ’17 and wide receiver Jesse Zubik ’18 selected. Honorable mention accolades were bestowed upon defensive back Tim Blair ’17, kicker Ted Ford ’19, defensive back Luke Merhaut ’17 and linebacker Bryce Merrill ’16.

The 2016 season opens at Cameron Stadium with W&J hosting Wooster at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 3.

– SEAN KING

W&J was victorious in its third game of the 2015 season against Carnegie Mellon 38-14.

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sports Jordan Toohey broke the W&J women’s soccer single-season scoring record her first season as a President.

it’s special. “I’ve had this feeling ever since I was younger and the feeling hasn’t changed over the years as I grow older. Every goal means something to me,” she said.

For Curtis, who completed his ninth season at W&J in 2015 and holds more career wins with the program than the six coaches who preceded him combined, having a player like Toohey at the forefront of the offense is something he doesn’t take lightly. “As a player, Jordan has brought that certain predatory quality to our offense that had been missing. We’ve had, and still do have, other quality goal-scorers here at W&J, but no one has scored goals as instinctively as Jordan,” he said.

reaching her

For the accounting major with plans to attend law school, the competition on the field has helped prepare her for the rugged world of criminal and personal injury law, which she plans to study and practice.

Ever since she could remember, Jordan Toohey ’18 had dreamed of earning a scholarship to play Division I soccer. So when she started her freshman year of college playing for a Division I program, she thought she had achieved exactly what she wanted. Not only was she a member of the team, she appeared in 15 games and made four starts. But something didn’t feel right.

“I lost the love for the game,” said Toohey, who decided to contact W&J Women’s Head Soccer Coach Pete Curtis, one of the coaches who recruited her the most out of Mount Pleasant Area Senior High School, which is about an hour east of Washington.

“Coach Curtis made it very clear that there would always be a spot waiting for me (at W&J) if I changed my mind,” Toohey said.

Once it became clear that Division I soccer wasn’t for her, she didn’t even look to transfer anywhere else, applying only to W&J. “I knew W&J would be where I wanted to go,” Toohey said. “I knew that I could come play soccer at a highly competitive level, while also enjoying the game in general.”

“When I was informed of Jordan’s desire to transfer to W&J, following the conclusion of her freshman season at St. Francis, my first thought was ‘better late than never!’” said Curtis. “I knew Jordan was the type of young lady that would thrive here, both on and off the field.”

And Curtis was right. Since arriving on campus in the winter of 2015, Toohey has excelled as a President. In her first season of Division III soccer, the 5-foot-2 sophomore had arguably the best season of any soccer player—men’s or women’s—that the school had seen.

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It took 52 minutes and 42 seconds into the season for her to find the back of the net for the first time since her senior year in high school, and from there she took off. In W&J’s next game, she scored all four goals to help the Presidents defeat Pitt-Greensburg, 4-0.

Off the field and outside of the classroom, she finds time to be involved throughout the campus community, serving as the vice president of finance for Pi Beta Phi sorority, acting as a member of the Young Entrepreneurs Society, working in the Communications department and as a writer for the Red & Black school newspaper.

It took Toohey just 12 games to break the W&J women’s soccer single-season scoring record

“Jordan is an extremely determined and focused young lady,” Curtis said. “She possesses a

“I knew that I could come play soccer at a highly competitive level, while also enjoying the game in general.”

– JORDAN TOOHEY ’18

when she recorded her 21st goal of the season in a Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) match against Waynesburg at Alexandre Stadium. The showing was a part of a four-goal effort, part of 11 straight matches with at least one goal.

After helping lead the Presidents to a 14-2-2 overall season in her first year and finishing with a league-leading 27 goals (the third-highest single-season total in league history and sixth on the W&J career scoring list) Toohey was named the PAC Player of the Year, becoming just the fourth President to earn the honor, and she earned All-Region honors.

Scoring has always come naturally to Toohey, who totaled 143 career goals in high school. For her, though, no matter how many times she puts a soccer ball behind an opposing goalkeeper,

terrific work ethic, which shines through in everything she does.”

Looking back on her decision to attend W&J, Toohey holds no regrets. “I have been very welcomed into the W&J community from the moment I first got on campus and those relationships continue to grow,” Toohey said.

“People go out of their way to talk to you and get to know you, and I know I can go to any one of my professors, coaches and advisers and they will help me with anything I need academically or even with any life situation.”

– SEAN KING

W&J inducts 17th Athletic Hall of Fame class Washington & Jefferson College inducted its 17th Athletic Hall of Fame class on Friday, Sept. 11, 2015, at a ceremony in the Rossin Campus Center Allen Ballroom. The five new members are: Audrey Taylor Bores ’03 (water polo), Ray Simms ’58 (football, basketball, track & field and the Robert M. Murphy Award winner), Ron Snee ’63, Ph.D., (wrestling), Stephan Swentkowsky ’91 (football) and R. Barry Trew ’59 (rifle).

Bores helped usher in an era of water polo excellence for W&J, starting with her Division III All-America award in 2000. She established school records for goals (174), assists (97) and points (271), all of which stood until finally being topped in 2009. Bores was a three-sport athlete as she also was a four-year swimmer as well as a member of the school’s field hockey team in 2002. Following each water polo season, she was selected to the Division III All-Academic Team and was a two-time Collegiate Division III National Championships All-Tournament Team choice.

Simms was the recipient of the Robert M. Murphy Award, named in honor of Robert M. Murphy 1906, general secretary and graduate athletic trainer at W&J from 1906 until the time of his death in 1925. The award bestows special recognition to selected athletes who exemplify outstanding lifetime achievements and induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Simms was a three-sport standout at W&J who competed in football, basketball and track & field. In football, Simms was selected to the All-District Team following the 1956 and 1957 seasons. He was a three-year letter winner and earned six collegiate varsity letters overall.

Snee claimed the 147-pound Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) championship in 1963 with a

Dean Trew (who represented his father R. Barry Trew), Audrey Taylor Bores, Stephan Swentkowsky, Ron Snee and Ray Simms (from left to right) are congratulated by President Tori Haring-Smith, Ph.D.

perfect 14-0 record, becoming the fifth wrestler in school history to capture a league title. Overall, Snee compiled one of the best records in school history at 42-10-1. As a junior, he posted an 11-1 record that helped W&J win its first-ever PAC team championship. That championship also marked W&J’s first PAC team title in any sport. After receiving his doctorate in applied and mathematical statistics from Rutgers University, he was appointed to the faculty at Rutgers, later moving to the DuPont Company, where he worked for 24 years prior to starting his management consulting career.

Swentkowsky, the 1989 PAC and Observer-Reporter Defensive Player of the Year, remains W&J football’s career sack leader with 43. He is also still fourth in school history with 56.5 tackles for a loss. Swentkowsky was a two-time All-America defensive lineman for the Presidents, having been selected to the 1988 Pizza Hut and 1990 Champion All-America squads.

During the 1988 season, Swentkowsky set a then single-season record with 15.5 sacks. He

was a two-time first-team All-PAC performer and a four-year letter winner who guided the Presidents to a 35-5-1 record and four conference championships. W&J also made three NCAA Division III playoff appearances during his years on the squad.

Trew, who was inducted posthumously and was represented by his son, Dean, became the first marksman in collegiate rifle history to earn NRA Intercollegiate All-America honors in four straight seasons at W&J. In his four years as a member of the varsity rifle team, he won three straight national indoor championships and back-to-back national outdoor titles. He also won the overall national championship five times and was an alternate on the 1960 U.S. Olympic team. He became the first to achieve a perfect score in the Pittsburgh-Suburban Rifle League, in which he once fired six consecutive perfect scores. In 1992, Trew was inducted into the Washington-Greene County chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.

– SCOTT MCGUINNESS

DOYLE SELECTED AS W&J’S 47TH ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN For the 47th time, a W&J student-athlete was named an Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America when offensive lineman Ryan Doyle ’16 earned second-team honors.

Doyle boasts a 3.943 GPA as a business administration major with a minor in entrepreneurial studies. Along with serving as a resident assistant through the Office of Residence Life, he is a three-time PAC Academic Honor Roll selection and seven-time Dean’s List recipient. The Alpha Scholar earned the 2015 William G. and Belle M. Marshall Prize in Economics, which is awarded to a W&J student who demonstrates achievement and promise in economics.

On the field, Doyle started the final seven games at right guard for the 8-2 Presidents, who finished with the sixth offense in the country with an average of 521.3 yards per game.

Looking back on his college decision from four years ago, Doyle has no regrets for choosing to “Be a President.”

“I looked for a challenge both on the field and in the classroom, and being a W&J student-athlete has definitely accomplished that in preparation for my life and career after graduation,” he said.

Ryan Doyle became the seventh football player in W&J history to win Academic All-America laurels.

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Homecoming is a shared American tradition, tailor-made for the social customs of colleges and universities everywhere. But, on October 9 & 10, more than 700 alumni, parents and friends came together to prove that homecoming at Washington & Jefferson College is unlike any other.

Packed full of good times and delicious food, the weekend program was about more than just luncheons, tailgating and parties. Alumni of all ages came decked out in red and black to celebrate a solidarity-filled weekend, reconnect with classmates and reflect on the values, traditions and spirit that make W&J unique.

e

In that true spirit of W&J tradition, the weekend kicked off with a full house for the annual Welcome Back Reception, where alumni gathered to await the announcement of this year’s reunion Class Cup winner. With an impressive 32 percent class participation, the Class of 1970 took home the coveted cup. Neck-and-neck throughout the Class Cup race, both the classes of 1970 and 1975 designated funds raised to be used toward their class endowments: The Class of 1970 Endowed Faculty Development Fund and The Class of 1975 Faculty Development Fund.

While the weekend played host to many of W&J’s beloved annual traditions, including class reunion celebrations, professional lectures and the Presidential Guard dinner, newly added events like the Chemistry of Beer Student Showcase and the W&J Campus Arboretum Tour added some new flavor to an always fun-filled weekend.

SAVE THE DATE to join us for Homecoming & Reunion Weekend, October 7 & 8, 2016. b Faculty member Robert Dodge stops for a photo with alumnae Sue Webreck Alman ’75, Ph.D., and Linda McClain MacLeod ’75.

c Mitchell Azar ’85, Leonel Vasquez ’85, M.D., Jim Wano ’85 and Daniel Radke ’85 pose with the beloved campus statues of George and Tom.

d Alumni entertain themselves at the Selfie Station, a new addition to the 2015 Homecoming fun. e Vi Robertson Forrest ’72 shares an embrace with Kathleen Mitchell. f Alumni award winners Tony Zanders ’07, The Honorable Kevin A. Ohlson ’82 and Patrick Correnty ’87, M.D., stand for a photo with President Tori Haring-Smith.

g The Class of 1970 came together to celebrate its 45th Washington & Jefferson College reunion. In honor of this milestone, the class raised $64,432 to support the Class of 1970 Endowed Faculty Development Fund and took home the coveted Class Cup with an impressive 32 percent total class participation.

h Bob Mele ’16 and Olivia Leventry ’16 were named the 2015 Homecoming King and Queen. i Fans cheer on the Presidents as they defeat Grove City College 55-7 during the Homecoming game. j Steven Conner ’75, D.P.M., sports his throwback W&J sweater during the popular Fifth Quarter celebration.

1) Hall of Fame honorees Walter Cooper ’50, M.D., and classmate William Span ’50 join referees on the field for the Homecoming game coin toss.

1! Alumni of all ages enjoy this year’s photo booth—and the props!

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Connect with your alma mater and fellow alumni Though our network of more than 13,000 Washington & Jefferson College alumni is spread across the globe, we hope you’ll always stay connected to each other and your alma mater. There are many ways you can stay up to date about the latest W&J news and keep the connection strong with your fellow alumni.

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook: Washington & Jefferson College Alumni LinkedIn: Washington & Jefferson College Alumni Twitter: @WJCollege Instagram: WJCollege

Visit www.jayconnected.com...

STAY CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER

STAY CONNECTED TO W&J

www.jayconnected.com/directory

www.jayconnected.com/enews

Search for your classmates using the Alumni Directory

Check out the latest College news by reading the @W&J eNewsletter

www.jayconnected.com/classnotes

www.jayconnected.com/wjmagazine

View or submit Class Notes

View the latest W&J Alumni Magazine published semiannually

www.jayconnected.com/events

www.jayconnected.com/homecoming

Find out when we are visiting an area near you

Don’t miss Homecoming & Reunion Weekend, October 7 & 8, 2016

www.jayconnected.com/getinvolved

www.jayconnected.com/reunions

Learn about giving back as a W&J alumni volunteer

Find out when you’re due to celebrate a milestone reunion

www.jayconnected.com/give Make a gift to the W&J Fund

THE OFFICE OF ADMISSION LAUNCHES ALUMNI AMBASSADOR PROGRAM The W&J Office of Admission is calling on all graduates to take part in a new volunteer initiative that leverages experience, skills and passion for your alma mater into the College’s efforts to build enrollment. From representing your alma mater at college fairs to meeting with students one-on-one, the program provides a myriad of admission-related volunteer opportunities that encourage alumni to play an active role in raising the visibility of W&J and providing important and personal contact to prospective students and their parents during the

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college-search process. To learn more about the opportunities available through the Alumni Ambassador Program for the Office of Admission, visit www.jayconnected.com/admissionvolunteer.

Have additional questions about the Alumni Ambassador Program or other alumni volunteer opportunities? Contact Kaley Tomsic, assistant director of alumni engagement, at 724-531-6864 / ktomsic@washjeff.edu or visit www.jayconnected.com/getinvolved.

YOUR LEGACY, THEIR FUTURE Include Washington & Jefferson College in your will or trust

When you leave a legacy gift to W&J, you give our students a valuable opportunity.

An opportunity to pursue an education they could not otherwise afford. An opportunity to enhance their degree with research and travel experiences outside the classroom. An opportunity to graduate from W&J with the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve their dreams.

How it works: Include a gift to W&J in your will or trust.

Make your gift unrestricted or direct it to a program or fund at W&J. Indicate a specific gift amount or a percentage of your estate in your will or trust.

Benefits: Your assets remain in your control during your lifetime.

Your bequest won’t affect your current assets and can be revised if circumstances change.

You can direct your gift to a particular purpose, such as an academic program or scholarship.

You will be eligible for membership in the Old Main Society, a recognition society for the over 200 donors who have made a legacy gift to W&J. Legacy gifts preserve the future of W&J. Please consider making your contribution today to enrich the lives of future graduates for years to come.

If you would like more information about including W&J in your will or trust, please contact Michele Abate Hufnagel ’93, associate vice president of development and alumni relations, at 724-223-6503 or email at mhufnagel@washjeff.edu.

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An entrepreneurial spirit As president and founder of Gibson Stainless and Specialty Inc., a company that produces stainless steel electrical fittings, it’s no surprise that Joe Gibson ’86 has a passion for entrepreneurship.

And now, he wants to give W&J students who share that same ambition the chance to create new opportunities from their innovative ideas with the establishment of the Gibson Stainless Entrepreneurial Scholarship.

Motivated from an early age, Gibson began working upon graduating from high school, postponing his college career until the age of 25.

“I was a local to Washington County and decided to work right after high school. I worked for eight years before I realized that I wasn’t doing the things I wanted to do, and that in order to reach my goals, I had to get a degree,” Gibson said. “Because I already had a job and was going back at the age of 25, I wanted to make sure I went to a good school.”

So he decided to enroll at W&J. Now, almost 30 years into a successful career, Gibson is a firm believer in the power of a good liberal arts education, but he also understands the cost associated with it.

“I can still remember meeting with financial aid and, even though the cost of tuition at W&J was minimal compared to what it is now, I still couldn’t afford it. But W&J was willing to work with me and put a great package together,” he recalled.

He added, “Any pool of money that can help a student get a good education is so valuable, and a scholarship, particularly one that is directed to someone with an entrepreneurial spirit, really hits home with me.”

Though he didn’t declare until the “last minute,” Gibson holds a bachelor’s degree from W&J in business and a minor in psychology. Upon graduating in 1986, he applied to the University of Pittsburgh’s MBA program. But he was also anxious to make a name for himself in the working world and made a decision to send out resumes at the same time.

He ended up landing a job interview with a small manufacturing company in Johnstown, Pa. When the job was offered to him, Gibson couldn’t pass up the chance. He saw an opportunity to advance quickly within the small company and became general manager within the first six months.

Gibson credits securing his first job, as well as his future career accomplishments, to his W&J education.

“The man who interviewed me noticed right away that I graduated from W&J and that I was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. That was a big deal to him,” Gibson remembered. “I’ve always appreciated the education I received, and I truly believe that I wouldn’t be where I am today without my W&J education.”

Witnessing firsthand their dad’s success, both of Gibson’s children also attended W&J; his daughter, Maggie Gibson, graduated in 2010 and his son, Joey Gibson, in 2012. Maggie now works alongside her father at Gibson Stainless and likes to remind her dad daily that her grade-point average was higher than his.

With his gift to the College, Gibson hopes to ease the financial burden on students who have a particular focus on entrepreneurship.

“I worked my way through college, and it was difficult working full-time and going to school,” he said. “By establishing this scholarship, I hope that students will be able to focus more on their business ideas than anything else.”

Gibson also hopes that his contribution will encourage his fellow alumni to consider a gift to an area of the College that they are passionate about.

“I think that so many W&J graduates have done exceptionally well in life, and it’s impossible to say that W&J didn’t play some role in helping them get to that place,” he said. “I know I’ve been fortunate over the years and I now am in a position where I can help other W&J students. I hope that others choose to pay it forward as well.”

Joe Gibson is president and founder of Gibson Stainless and Specialty Inc.

“By establishing this scholarship, I hope that students will be able to focus more on their business ideas than anything else.”

– JOE GIBSON ’86

– KAYLA MADDEN

Each year, Washington & Jefferson College publishes the Honor Roll of Donors report to celebrate and recognize donors at every giving level. To view the 2014-2015 Honor Roll of Donors, visit www.jayconnected.com/honorroll.

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Athletic facilities undergo updates During Homecoming 2014, Washington & Jefferson College announced An Uncommon Bond: The Campaign for Washington & Jefferson College, an effort to raise $100 million to strengthen the College’s capacity to support students and faculty both today and in the future.

A major part of the campaign was to improve the College’s athletic facilities. The Janet Swanson Tennis Center, which opened on Sept.

11, 2015, was the first completed project of the campaign, and construction has begun for the James David Ross Family Recreation Center, a new recreation facility that will serve the entire W&J campus community.

The Swanson Center features six tennis courts, two more than the previous facility. A designated viewing area allows a comfortable view of all courts, which are lighted, a feature that will make play during evenings and inclement weather easier to accommodate. On-site storage and restroom facilities also were added.

The women’s tennis team, with Head Coach Christopher Faulk ’10 (left) and Assistant Coach Jeff Miller-Tomaino ’08 at the Janet Swanson Tennis Center opening day.

Janet Swanson, namesake of the center, and Scott Leaf ’76, D.D.S., a donor and namesake of one of the six courts, were each honored at the dedication ceremony Sept.11.

Head Tennis Coach Christopher Faulk ’10, himself a former W&J tennis player, said the Center will greatly benefit both the team and the College, allowing ample space to host matches and larger events, a state-of-the-art athletic facility to be enjoyed by the Presidents and visiting teams, and improved recruitment opportunities.

“This is an indicator of the true dedication W&J has, not only to the tennis program, but to all student-athletes at the College,” Faulk said. “It opens up a world of opportunities for us. This is really something for W&J to be proud of.”

For W&J senior Courtney Brennan ’16, the Center represents new opportunities as well as the pinnacle of her college tennis career. She said she feels blessed to play her final college season in a facility that went above and beyond expectations.

“I have witnessed the complete transformation of both the men’s and women’s teams. We have produced winning seasons each year thanks to Coach Faulk’s leadership,” she said. “The men’s and women’s teams are a tight-knit group, and I think that is visible in our matches and a secret to our success and overall love for the sport.”

The James David Ross Family Recreation Center will expand and improve the Henry Memorial Gymnasium, which has long been the home of athletics at W&J. “This building is going to be the centerpiece for the transformation of athletic facilities at W&J,” said W&J President Tori Haring-Smith, Ph.D. “This is a great pleasure not just for me but for the board, for my family, for people who have

Athletic Director Scott McGuinness, Vice President of Development Mike Grzesiak, President Tori Haring-Smith, Chair of the W&J Board of Trustees Dick Clark ’68, David Ross ’78, Vice President of Finance Denny McMaster and Courtney Brennan ’16 celebrate the groundbreaking for the James David Ross Family Recreation Center.

been around this project for a long time,” said David Ross ’78, donor of the recreation center, which was named for his father. “This facility, we believe, is going to be a great, great asset for the College.”

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Oct. 8 for the recreation center, which will feature almost 30,000 square feet of space, including three indoor track lanes, three indoor multi-sport courts, yoga and exercise rooms, batting cages, a pole-vault pen and several other improvements that will be part of later phases of the project.

Ross, a current member of the W&J Board of Trustees and chairman of the Property, Building and Grounds Committee, is the founder of Atlantic Realty, one of the largest privately owned real estate developers in the Washington, D.C., area. He has guided the construction and renovation of several W&J buildings, including

the Swanson Science Center, the renovation of Dieter-Porter Life Sciences Building and Ross Memorial Park, also named for his family.

Ross played both football and baseball at W&J, and said he looks forward to seeing a new generation of Presidents make use of the recreation center.

“Our coaches will have state-of-the-art indoor facilities to continue to attract talented student-athletes to this campus,” said W&J Athletic Director Scott McGuinness. “We are on the brink of a new era of W&J athletics and many, most notably our devoted alumni, are playing roles in these exciting projects.”

The campaign will also fund improvements to U. Grant Miller Library, among other initiatives. More information is available at www.anuncommonbond.com.

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Defense lawyer recognized for nonprofit Mark Rubenstein ’75 received a proclamation from Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald in recognition of the 10-year anniversary of Pittsburgh Youth Leadership (PYL). Rubenstein, a criminal defense attorney, started the nonprofit in 2006 to give teens from Pittsburgh who come from low-income families the chance to embark on bike adventures across the country.

Inspired by his own cross-country journey with his wife, Claudia, and his son, Jake, Rubenstein wanted to pass on the values the cycling trip had instilled in his family to others. He wanted to work with at-risk youth to give them an opportunity they would not normally have in the hopes of teaching them “goal-oriented behavior, determination, focus, cooperative behavior as a group and an awareness of the environment.”

In 2014, Rubenstein was also honored with the Manny Gold Humanitarian Award from the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame of Western Pennsylvania. The honors he has received are a testament to the success of PYL, which finds that its participants have an average graduation rate of 89 percent compared to the Department of Education’s national average of 80 percent and 74 percent among economically disadvantaged youth.

PYL has successfully forged strong connections between Rubenstein and program participants—many complete multiple trips and look

1935 William Proudfit, M.D., was inducted into the 2015 Connellsville Area School District Hall of Fame, which was established by the Connellsville Area Falcon Foundation in 2010 to honor past graduates and former employees.

The oldest inductee to date, Proudfit is a 1932 graduate of Connellsville High School. After graduating from Harvard Medical School, Proudfit became a practicing internist and cardiologist. He eventually became the head of electrocardiography and then head of clinical cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic until 1974.

Proudfit also served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and was an internal medical specialist at different Army hospitals.

1942 Fred Emerson, alongside 80 other veterans from World War II, Vietnam and the Korean War, was honored on Veterans Day aboard the USS North Carolina. Emerson served in

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Mark Rubenstein founded the nonprofit, Pittsburgh Youth Leadership, which takes teens on cycling trips across the U.S.

forward to keeping in touch with Rubenstein after leaving PYL. A deep bond is also fostered among the young men. Through grueling training sessions and long biking days, they learn to support one another as they accumulate several thousands of miles on their cycling trips and then bask in the reward of a finished journey together.

Most recently, Rubenstein and a group of PYL cyclists rode from Seaside, Ore., to the Jersey Shore. Since 2006, Rubenstein has taken kids, who often have not ridden a bike farther than a friend’s house, on trips to 44 states, covering more than 200,000 miles.

England, France and Germany during World War II.

1946 E. Lee North re-released his historical novel, “For This One Hour,” originally published in 1968. The story blends both history and fiction as it recounts the horrors of the Katyn Forest massacre of thousands of Polish officer prisoners of war at the hands of the Soviet Union during World War II. North decided to publish the book again after finding a letter written to him in 1968 from Pulitzer Prize-winning editor Reuben Maury.

1949 Edwin Pear, M.D., is now a retired OB/GYN and lives in Florida with his wife of 58 years, Miki. He has two children and three grandchildren.

Col. Thomas Tredici, M.D., a U.S. Air Force medical corps veteran, was a featured speaker at The University of Texas at San Antonio’s

35th Ophthalmology Residents’ Graduation. He spoke about his experience as an eye surgeon during the Vietnam Conflict in 1965.

1954 Ed McGlumphy was inducted into the Martins Ferry High School Hall of Fame in Ohio.

An influential and revered basketball coach, McGlumphy’s career spans more than 40 years, during which he has facilitated summer basketball camps in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Brazil, served as an athletic director for 10 years and coached tennis, track, golf, basketball and football at various points in time. When he coached at Martins Ferry, McGlumphy’s alma mater, his team earned a 58-29 record over the course of four years and won the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Class AAA championship in 1961. McGlumphy was inducted into the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1984. He has an overall 465-311 record and has earned the title “coach of the year” 10 times. He served

two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean War before beginning his coaching career.

1962 Fred Veil was chosen by the Sharlot Hall Museum Board in Prescott, Ariz., to become the permanent executive director of the museum after taking over the position in 2013.

Previously, Veil had a career in business and law. He is currently a member of the Arizona History Convention and the Prescott Corral of Westerners, an organization dedicated to preserving Western culture and history.

1966 James McAraw, D.M.D., along with fellow doctors at River Valley Periodontics & Implant Dentistry, is now performing dental restorations with the help of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology. This technology improves the surgical process by increasing the speed of prosthodontic design and providing accurate surgical guides that facilitate proper implant positions.

1967 Alfred “Buz” Ilch recently retired from the Saint James Nursery School in Ridgefield, N.J., where he had served as school director since 1983. He was previously an editor and writer with American Management Association in New York City for 13 years.

Frederick Nesta, Ph.D., is now senior lecturer at the University College London. Nesta is also course manager for the master’s in library and information studies at UCL-Qatar in Doha, Qatar, where he is establishing a new program to train regional librarians.

PRESIDENT SPOTTING Zeta Beta Tau brothers Jeff Schapira ’69, Bruce Wolf ’70 and Lou Kapner ’68 (from left to right) got together on Cape Cod in July 2015.

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Dennis Slamon, M.D., Ph.D., was ranked in the top 10 percent of NASDAQ director performers for the past year. Slamon serves as pharmaceutical director for BioMarin, and his performance is placed 52nd out of 2,239 in BSS News Bite’s NASDAQ rankings. In 2014, Slamon joined BioMarin Pharmaceutical’s Board of Directors. He currently serves as director of clinical/transitional research and as director of the Revlon/UCLA Women’s Cancer Research Program at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Bruce Wolf (left) and Irvin Ungar attended the $38 million capital campaign grand reopening of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, in Greensburg, Pa., where Wolf is president of the board.

Chuck Booth ’41 also serves on the board.

1975

1971 Gordon Core retired in July from California University of Pennsylvania (CalU). Core has been the director of planned giving at CalU since 2005. His early work in fundraising for higher education began at W&J in 1985 and spanned roughly 17 years in several developmental responsibilities.

1972 M. Terrance Simon, D.O., was honored as one of The Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Master Faculty, an honor bestowed every four years upon a small number of physicians teaching at Heritage College’s clinical campuses for their contributions to the college. Simon practices with Family Practice Associates Inc. in Massillon, Ohio, and is a clinical associate professor in the college’s department of family medicine.

’72 M. Terrance Simon, D.O., was honored as one of The Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Master Faculty.

Beta Theta Pi brothers Andy Aloe ’76, Ph.D., Dan Aloe ’77, David White ’77, Glenn Rice ’78, Ph.D., Bill Walls ’75, Paul Medvedo ’77 and Bill Booth ’77 (from left to right) reunited in Napa Valley, Calif., at Quantum Limit Vineyards, which is owned by Rice.

Joan Chapman has been elected to the Washington County Community Foundation Board of Trustees and will serve a three-year term. Currently, Chapman is vice president of systems for Chapman Corp. and manages the company’s computer and information systems.

1981 Roger Goodell, commissioner of the NFL, recently met with U.S. Representative Tom Rooney ’93, Ph.D., to discuss brain injury and health issues. Rep. Rooney is the co-chairman of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force.

1982 Scott Petri of Begley, Carlin & Mandio, LLP was awarded “State Official of the Year” by Pennsylvania Bio, the voice of advancement for Pennsylvania’s bioscience industry. A second-time recipient, Petri is receiving the award for his advocacy in the research and development tax credit as part of the ongoing budget for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

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Silverman to head pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine Gary A. Silverman ’78, M.D., Ph.D., has been named the Harriet B. Spoehrer Professor and head of the department of pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Along with his appointment, Silverman, a highly respected neonatologist, will serve as the pediatrician-in-chief at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. As part of a partnership between the University and the hospital, Silverman will be appointed executive director of the Children’s Discovery Institute, a center for pediatric research and innovation.

Silverman returns to Washington University, where he was a postdoctoral research fellow from 1988-1991. In 1989, he completed a fellowship in newborn medicine at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

He is excited to return to carry on the institution’s “excellence in medical education and community outreach” as well as galvanize the University’s biomedical research efforts.

Previously, Silverman was vice chair for basic research at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. He also was the Twenty-Five Club Professor of Pediatrics, Cell Biology and Physiology at the School of Medicine and the division chief of newborn medicine at Children’s Hospital and Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC. In his various roles, Silverman was able to combine his love of clinical practice and medical research. He has made numerous contributions to the medical field throughout his career, earning many honors and awards along the way. Silverman also is the author of more than 110 peer-reviewed scientific papers and more than 25 book chapters.

Petri, a Pennsylvania state representative, also serves as chairman of the House Urban Affairs Committee, chairman of the Ethics Committee and co-chairman of the Life Science Caucus.

1983 Jeffrey Ware, D.C., has been named executive director of D’Youville College’s chiropractic program in Buffalo, N.Y., having served as interim director since January. He will be responsible for planning and budgeting as well as managing curriculum, academic policies, student needs and faculty issues. Previously, Ware was the dean of chiropractic affairs and director of professional development at Logan University in Chesterfield, Mo., and he also maintained a private practice.

1985 Shawn Lochinger joined the education law firm of Sweet, Stevens, Katz & Williams LLP in its new office in central Pennsylvania. Lochinger, a former gifted education hearing officer with a background in special education law and labor/ employment law, brings his wealth of experience to the firm, which represents nearly 300 schools, school districts, 30

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vocational/technical schools, intermediate units and municipal entities in more than 50 counties in Pennsylvania.

Howard Osterman, D.P.M., is now seeing patients at Foot and Ankle Specialists of The Mid-Atlantic LLC’s new location in Chevy Chase, Md. Osterman is board-certified by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery in foot surgery and is a fellow at the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine. Recently, Washingtonian magazine recognized Osterman as a top podiatrist and sports medicine professional. Osterman is also one of Yelp’s top rated podiatric physicians and received special recognition on Angie’s List of preferred providers.

1986 James Kraus was one of 19 Pietragallo, Gordon, Alfano, Bosick & Raspanti LLP lawyers named to the 2015 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list, an honor that only 5 percent of the Pennsylvania Bar receives.

Lisa Putorti McFarland bought Beechie’s Place Restaurant & Bar in Meadow Lands, Pa., on Nov. 5, 2010. She continues to operate under the same name.

Gary Silverman, a neonatologist, was the 2011 recipient of W&J’s Distinguished Service Award.

Candace Younginger Robick, Ph.D., was named assistant principal at the Urban Pathways K5 College Charter School in Pittsburgh, which recently became the only school in Pennsylvania to receive a distinguished award for its implementation of the Core Knowledge Curriculum.

Dan Rooney has been scouting for the Steelers since 1997. His wife, Allison Evanoff ’92, M.D., is in her 15th year as a family physician in Gastonia, N.C. She has been voted “Best Family Physician of Gastonia” the past three years and has completed five marathons, including the Boston Marathon. Rooney and Evanoff live in Gastonia with their two sons, JP and Brendan.

1990 David Bell led the FBI’s investigation into the events surrounding the Boston Marathon

’90 David Bell led the FBI’s investigation into the events surrounding the Boston Marathon bombing from 2013 to 2015.

bombing from 2013 to 2015. Bell attended law school and served in the U.S Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps before becoming a special agent with the FBI in 2003.

1991 Robert D. Swift, D.O., is the new orthopedic surgeon for Lewis County Orthopedics, part of the Lewis County General Hospital in Lowville, N.Y. Prior to his appointment, Swift worked as a sports medicine physician, orthopedic grammatologist and general orthopedic surgeon. He has subspeciality training in shoulder arthroscopy and sports medicine from the Hughston Clinic in Columbus, Ga., and orthopedic trauma from the Vanderbilt Orthopedic Institute in Nashville, Tenn. Swift is board-certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Orthopedic Surgery.

1995 Robert Sickles has rejoined Broad and Cassel as managing partner at the firm’s Tampa, Fla., office.

Sickles will be responsible for managing day-to-day operations and will be a member of the firm’s commercial

litigation practice group. After six years as partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, Sickles is returning to Broad and Cassel, where he worked from 2000-2009. Sickles represents clients in consumer finance-related litigation, including the representation of clients in all aspects of the automotive industry. He served as counsel for more than 250 licensed dealerships throughout Florida and currently serves as outside general counsel to a number of franchise and independent auto dealers as well as the Florida Independent Automobile Dealers Association.

1997 Drew Chelosky accepted the position of director of advancement at Winchester Thurston School in Pittsburgh.

Brian Green was admitted to practice law in Maryland.

He previously was admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Green has worked for the Murthy Law Firm in Owings Mills, Md., since 2007, where he handles immigration and naturalization cases with an emphasis on employer compliance and federal court litigation. Regularly traveling around

the U.S. for work, Green represents companies and individuals before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Labor, Department of State and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

1998 Amy Curren Atkinson has been appointed interim executive director of the Community Foundation of Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio. Atkinson joined the foundation in 2009 as associate director.

Ryan Berley and his brother, Eric, own the best ice cream shop in Pennsylvania, according to a list by Business Insider. The Franklin Fountain, located in Philadelphia’s Old City, “brings back the authentic soda fountains of old-school Philadelphia” where customers come from all over the city to enjoy the treats at the beloved shop. The list was based on Foursquare users’ likes, shares and other factors.

Summerly Kulik recently joined the law firm of Babst Calland as a staff attorney working in the firm’s mineral title services and energy and natural resource group. Kulik’s focus will be on counseling energy-related clients on various legal matters, including title examination, oil and gas title opinions and land ownership rights. With ownership of oil and gas rights and property going back decades, Kulik will have to look at contracts and rights of way agreements,

Alumna brings compassion and learning to martial arts Kara Czerniak ’91 has brought Kinder Karate, a “compassionate type of martial arts,” to Bethel Park, Pa. Drawing on her background as a psychologist, Czerniak created the program with her husband, Paul, for children age 3 to 6. Kinder Karate focuses not only on physical exercise but on mental and emotional development as well, laying essential building blocks for Czerniak’s students to learn simple life skills in a way that they can understand.

PHOTO CREDIT: ELEANOR BAILEY OF THE ALMANAC

Czerniak teaches lessons that she finds children don’t often receive in school or on athletic teams. Individual lessons aim to promote a healthy lifestyle for her students as well as cultivate personal development through positive encouragement and lessons about self-esteem, confidence, discipline and respect.

The inspiration for Kinder Karate stems from some of Czerniak’s own observations in which young athletes, including her own children, are taught how to play their sport and sharpen their skills as athletes, but they are not gaining the know-how “to become winners in life,” which is where Kinder Karate aims to step in.

Teaching the difference between a command and a question, Czerniak instills the simple knowledge of answering a command “yes, ma’am” or “no, sir” and giving the desired information when asked a question. These lessons and others aim to teach the students about getting by in life in a fun, healthy environment.

After much success and positive feedback, Czerniak expanded her scope in August by introducing Kinder Hop, a dance program geared toward young girls age 4 or older. Since a majority (80 percent) of her karate students are boys, Czerniak wanted to find a way to reach out to young girls as well and instill in them a mentality of supporting and building up their peers.

Kara Czerniak works with children at the program she created, Kinder Karate, which focuses on mental and emotional development for children age 3 to 6.

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class notes

dating as far back as the 1800s, to determine control of various levels of property.

J. Matthew Valosen, M.D., has been named a partner at the Bone and Joint Institute of South Georgia after joining the practice in 2012. After earning his M.D. from Drexel University College of Medicine in 2003, Valosen completed his residency at Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon and was deployed to Iraq, where he earned the Bronze Star and helped advance orthopedic care.

Valosen is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in arthroscopic approaches to orthopedic conditions, joint surgery and other orthopedic surgical procedures.

2003 André Barnabei was featured in an article by the Pittsburgh Business Times for his work as vice president of human resources at Rivers Casino.

The Rivers Casino in the North Shore of Pittsburgh has more than 1,700 employees, and nearly all of them were screened by Barnabei.

2004 Michael McCracken, Ph.D., has been appointed to the Joseph A. Walker Professorship of Physics, which was endowed by John Swanson at W&J.

’04 Michael McCracken, Ph.D., has been appointed to the Joseph A. Walker Professorship of Physics at W&J. Mauri Peyton is the owner of PeytonBolin, a top real estate law firm in Florida that was honored by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the country. This honor earned the firm a top spot on the distinguished “Inc. 5000 list” in August 2015. An award ceremony was held in October in Orlando, Fla., honoring PeytonBolin and the other companies that made the list.

2005 Michael S. Batalo, M.D., accepted the position of medical oncologist at the FirstHealth Outpatient Cancer Center in Pinehurst, N.C. Before joining FirstHealth, Batalo completed a hematology-medical oncology fellowship at the Medical College of Virginia-Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. Board-certified in internal medicine and

board-eligible in hematology-oncology, Batalo is looking forward to promoting cancer prevention and patient wellness in his new role.

Jonathan Flickinger has been promoted to director of human resources at Swanson Industries Inc. in Morgantown, W.Va. Flickinger will continue to work closely with executive leadership and private equity ownership (AEA Investors, New York City), serving all U.S. and international company locations.

Ben Markle was featured in an article on TribLive.com for his historical collection of artifacts from his hometown, West Newton, Pa. Deeply invested in community development, Markle serves as a board member of Downtown West Newton Inc. and was the former president of the now dormant West Newton Historical Society. His collection includes cabinets full of soda, milk and medicine glass bottles manufactured in West Newton as well as signs and collectibles such as an announcement of Warren G. Harding’s funeral train passing through the town and early West Newton High School diplomas. Markle currently leads walking tours of the town for visitors to the Great Allegheny Passage and hopes to display some of the history he’s collected once a railroad car along the trail is fully restored.

Home on the range, alum leads ‘homesteader’ lifestyle Bob Von Scio ’07 was featured in the Observer-Reporter detailing how he and his family have successfully cultivated a lifestyle of living off the land. After inheriting his grandparents’ property, the former digital marketing consultant and his wife, Sara, dove wholeheartedly into the “homesteader” life. The change came sooner than expected but had always been Von Scio’s plan, having grown up around gardening and farming at his grandparents’.

An English major while at W&J, Von Scio brought his love of literature to his homestead, naming it “Tabard Farm” after the tavern in “The Canterbury Tales.”

The family has created an “edible landscape,” working year-round to harvest their own meats, fruits and vegetables. The fall is for picking vegetables, preserving and curing meat from pigs and turkeys, and marking trees for cutting. Winter mainly consists of hauling firewood, shoveling snow and hunting. Spring is the busy season full of planting, setting up fencing for livestock and procuring pigs and rabbits. Summer is a time for preparing duck and chicken meat and waiting for the garden to grow.

Not completely cut off from the necessities and amenities of the modern age, the Von Scio residence is connected to an electrical grid, has telephone service and gets by on a slower DSL Internet connection. Without access to the public sewer system, municipal water, gas or cable, the family uses a rain-collecting cistern, a water well, solar panel arrays and a wood-burning heater.

Sara coaches her son Chaucer’s (another literary nod to author Geoffrey Chaucer) soccer team, and Von Scio frequents the local Starbucks once a month to download his digital media fix.

Books and online blogs have guided his knowledge of how to raise, butcher and cook animals.

Von Scio and Sara also started a website called Tabard Farm to chronicle recipes, pictures and blog entries of the projects they’ve undertaken.

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Bob Von Scio and his family have cultivated a self-sustaining, environmentally responsible lifestyle.

Morrissey recognized for bridal beauty business Shannon Morrissey ’04 and her business partner and best friend, Amanda Badini Hildabrand, were featured in WHIRL Magazine’s list of Women in Business 2015 as prominent Pittsburgh entrepreneurs for their company, Mina Rose Beauty LLC. Mina Rose Beauty’s name is inspired by Morrissey’s grandmother, Rose, and Badini Hildabrand’s great-grandmother, Jelsamina. The pair provide on-location makeup artistry, specializing in airbrush makeup application and skin-care techniques for brides, bridal parties and other special occasions.

Inspired by the idea of natural beauty and confidence, Morrissey and Badini Hildabrand are professional makeup artists and licensed estheticians who are passionate about using makeup and skin care to enhance natural beauty rather than to cover it.

This genuine belief is why Mina Rose does not do “before and after pictures,” believing one look is not in any way better than the other. The only thing that matters is that the women they work with feel their best, which adds to both the authenticity and success of Mina Rose.

Celebrated for the motto, “beauty from the inside out,” Mina Rose has been featured in both WHIRL Magazine’s wedding issue and guide and was chosen as a 2015 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award winner, which recognizes the top 5 percent of local wedding professionals based on reviews from the WeddingWire Network (evaluating vendors’ quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism).

Morrissey and Badini Hildabrand studied at South Hills Beauty Academy and the Temptu Professional Studios in New York City. Morrissey holds a master’s degree from Duquesne University and also works in health care.

2006 Tim Gaertner was hired as the boys’ basketball coach at Hopewell High School in Aliquippa, Pa. Previously, he had been an assistant coach at North Catholic High School. Gaertner teaches seventh-grade social studies at Moon Area Junior High School.

2007 Timothy Wagner, Ed.D., was appointed associate principal for program planning and innovation at Upper St. Clair High School in a unanimous vote by the Upper St. Clair Board of School Directors. After graduating from W&J, Wagner began his teaching career at Upper St. Clair Streams Elementary School, teaching first and second grade. He also taught fifth grade English and social studies at Boyce Middle School and served as a gifted coordinator at Ft. Couch Middle School and Upper St. Clair

’07 Timothy Wagner, Ed.D., was appointed associate principal for program planning and innovation at Upper St. Clair High School.

High School. Before becoming associate high school principal, Wagner was the middle school English language arts curriculum leader.

2008 Tony Lewis curated a group exhibition, “Take a Joke, Enjoy a Drink,” which showcased four Chicago-based artists and art educators.

The exhibition, which aimed to build stronger ties between art communities in Chicago and Cleveland, explored one of Cleveland’s neighborhoods by introducing the artists’ work through the lens of Lewis’ personal relationship with them.

2009 Daniel Rosenberg earned a Master of Arts in modern Chinese history from Nanjing University. He has also been certified at the highest level of proficiency in Mandarin and as a teacher of English as a foreign language.

2010 Jordan Kozik was hired as a new attorney at Rosenberg & Associates LLC. Kozik practices in real estate law with a focus on foreclosures, evictions and bankruptcy. He is a member of the Virginia State Bar and is also admitted to

Shannon Morrissey holds a photo of her grandmother, Rose, who inspired the name for her beauty service company, Mina Rose Beauty LLC.

practice in all of the Virginia State Courts and the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts for the eastern and western districts of Virginia.

Jackie Cabonor Mahland was sworn in as an attorney in the state of Ohio on Nov. 16, 2015.

She will be practicing at Maguire Legal Group in Tallmadge, Ohio.

Leigh Myers Shannon graduated with a Master of Education from Edinboro University May 2015.

2012 Samantha Barclay earned her juris doctorate from Duquesne University School of Law. She passed the Pennsylvania Bar Exam and will begin her law career as a drafting attorney at PC Law Associates in Greentree, Pa. Donnelle Jageman accepted a position as project coordinator for corporate planning and business development at TriHealth in Cincinnati.

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2013

2005

2010

Olivia Duball graduated from Duquesne University with a Master of Education with a focus in marriage and family therapy in in August 2015. Duball was inducted into the Chi Sigma Iota honor society for maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout her master’s program.

She is currently pursuing her supervision hours to become a licensed professional counselor in Pennsylvania.

Courtney Watson and Jason Barton were married Sept. 13, 2014. The ceremony and reception took place at the Mountain Lakes House in Princeton, N.J. The couple currently resides in Lakewood, N.J.

Ryan Kennedy and Allyson Gilmore ’12 were married Oct. 3, 2015, at The Barn at Fallingwater in Mill Run, Pa. A reception followed.

W&J alumni in the bridal party included Chris Baratz ’09, Amanda Del Sordo ’12, Christa Fornella ’13, Kevin Hart, Kandace Mandarino ’12 and Cameron Sell. The couple honeymooned in Scotland and Ireland.

Katie Lynch graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a Master of Arts Management and started her first full-time job as a project manager at the Arts Education Collaborative, a nonprofit arts education consulting company that works with school districts, arts and cultural institutions and education policy influencers to grow quality arts education in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Jaclyn Sipe has joined the corporate communications department at PNC Bank as a corporate communications specialist. She is responsible for ongoing reports, writing and research of media relations, employee communications and administrative support.

Sipe earned a master’s degree in professional writing from Carnegie Mellon University in December 2014.

Alexandra Sossi has joined W&J as assistant director of admission. Most recently, she was a title abstractor for Oil and Gas Abstracting LLC. Sossi’s primary role will be recruiting students. She will be responsible for correspondence with applicants and high school counselors, interviewing students and reviewing applications.

Kyle White earned a master’s degree in public relations in August 2015 and now resides in Colorado.

WEDDINGS

2002 Joe Filberto and Lea Ranieri were married May 16, 2015, at Colgate Rochester Divinity School.

W&J alumni in the bridal party included Chuck Benedict, RJ Dreucci ’01, Michael Fuga and Ian Versaw.

2006 Samantha Malone and Tyler Rubright were married June 6, 2015, in Greenville, S.C. The couple plans to reside in Arlington Va., and continue their environmental health research and outreach work. Tyler works at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Samantha works at FracTracker Alliance while she continues her doctoral environmental health studies at the University of Pittsburgh.

2007 Michael Trumpower and Courtney Sherwin ’11 were united in marriage July 25, 2015, at Saint Vincent Basilica in Latrobe, Pa.

Brian Joel Verdi and Katie Elizabeth Mottura were married May 23, 2015, at Rustic Acres Farm in Volant, Pa. W&J alumni in attendance included Katie’s W&J roommate, Nicole Suhrie Ryan, who was a bridesmaid, and Tammy Svitek.

2008 Erin Faulk and Michael Jones were married Oct. 17, 2015, at Washington & Jefferson College. Chris Faulk ’10 and Jessica D’Arcy Garda were members of the bridal party. Faulk is the content manager in the Office of Communications at W&J and Jones is an editor for the Observer-Reporter newspaper in Washington, Pa. Matthew Rudzki and Bridget Marie Recznik were united in marriage Sept. 5, 2015.

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Molly Macioce and Justin Schmotzer were married June 20, 2015, at the Saint Elizabeth Church in Pittsburgh. A reception was held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Canonsburg, Pa. Tiffany Sherred Jamieson was a bridesmaid.

The couple met in their freshman year at W&J. Aric Wendorff and Tabatha Dorman were united in marriage Sep. 5, 2015.

Alumni in attendance were Doug Edwards, Joe Doonan, Kristen Kilgore, John Buffalini ’11 and Shanna McDonough Edwards ’12.

2011 Julia Christine Balacko and Jeffrey Daniel Knopes ’14 were united in marriage in the foyer of Old Main at Washington & Jefferson College on June 19, 2015.

Nathan Harmotto and Alyssa Vukson ’12 were married May 24, 2015, at the White Barn in Prospect, Pa.

Alex Malyszka and Kate Putkoski ’12 were married on Aug. 17, 2013.

Amy Mihalchik and TJ Burhans were united in marriage Sept. 5, 2015. Alumni in attendance were Jen Magee, Ryan Lehman, Zac Brown and Alexandra Cabonor.

2012 Gary W. Flavion and Bayleigh R. McMenamin ’14 were married Oct. 10, 2015, in Saxonburg, Pa., by Professor Emeritus Robert Vande Kappelle, Ph.D. Bayleigh and Gary met at W&J and were deeply honored to have their friend and professor lead the ceremony.

2013 Joshua Deckman and Stephanie Schuster were married June 7, 2014, at the Cranberry Highlands Golf Course in Cranberry Twp., Pa.

NEW ADDITIONS

1994 Tina Tuminella and her husband, David DeLong, announce the birth of their daughter, Nica Margaret, Sept. 13, 2014.

She joins big brother Theo.

Tuminella spoke on stage about becoming a mother of “advanced maternal age” in “Listen To Your Mother”—a national storytelling performance that debuted in Pittsburgh on May 8, 2015.

1999 Angie Goss Zuhl and her husband, Eric, welcomed their daughter, Jacqueline Rosemary, May 28, 2015.

Jennifer Juriga Solak and her husband, Joey, welcomed their first child, Nina Imogen, March 4, 2015.

2003 Keri Bozich and Randall McKinney welcomed their son, Hayes Jackson, Sept. 1, 2015. Bozich is a licensed private investigator and the owner of KBI, Keri Bozich Investigations, in Bridgeville, Pa. Matthew Scheller and his wife, Saki, announce the birth of their daughter, Kiona Summer, July 11, 2015.

2004 Andy Herrick and his wife, Stacy Derrow Herrick ’06, welcomed their daughter, Abigail Lennon, March 26, 2015.

2007 Christopher Cannon and his wife, Kristen, welcomed their son, Lawson Lee, June 12, 2015.

Christine Briski Chilcott and her husband, Ross, announce the birth of their son, Emmett Christopher, Sept. 23, 2015.

2011 Alex Malyszka and Kate Putkoski Malyszka ’12 welcomed their first child, Jacob Alexander, Oct. 13, 2015.

2000 Rev. Ben Scott and his wife, Maria, announce the birth of their daughter, Elizabeth Grace, Aug. 4, 2015. Elizabeth joins three big sisters.

2002 Brian Johnson, M.D., and Michelle Mantine Johnson ’03 welcomed their son, Henry Vincent, June 24, 2015. He joins big sister Madeline.

IN MEMORIAM Hudson D. Fowler ’34, M.D., Cleveland, Ohio, died April 25, 2015, at age 102.

John C. Mettler ’38, Ph.D., Charleston, S.C., died May 30, 2014, at age 98. Dr. Mettler earned his Ph.D. from Clark University and retired

as a professor of economics in the business department at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina.

David R. Langfit Sr. ’41, Vero Beach, Fla., died Aug. 5, 2015, at age 96. Mr. Langfit was a U.S. Navy veteran having served as a lieutenant commander on three ships during World War II in the Pacific Campaign. He had a long and successful career as a realtor and land developer in Indian River County and was instrumental in the development of many projects in Vero Beach and the surrounding county. He was a member of the Indian River County Board of Realtors.

Paul L. Wharton ’43, Piqua, Ohio, died May 7, 2015, at age 93. Mr. Wharton was employed as an engineer by the French Oil Mill Machinery Company until his retirement in 1986. A decorated U.S. Army veteran, Mr. Wharton served during World War II, where he was wounded during the Battle of the Bulge.

Mr. Wharton was also a former member of Piqua Country Club, Philosophers Club, Piqua Kiwanis Club, Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, and a life member of V.F.W. Post #4874 and Disabled American Veterans.

Cornell L. Beach ’45, Jamestown, N.Y., died Sept. 27, 2015, at age 93. A World War II Navy veteran, Mr. Beach served in the Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1946. In 1948, Mr. Beach was employed by the Jamestown Board of Education, during which time he helped establish Jamestown Community College, where he became the first business official. Later, Mr. Beach was employed as the comptroller at Jamestown Malleable Iron. He then returned to school administration as the business officer at Pine Valley Central School and later as assistant superintendent of schools at Brasher Falls Central School.

Henry A. Morrow Jr. ’45, Charlottesville, Va., died Sept. 22, 2015, at age 91. Mr. Morrow served in World War II as an Army Air Corps bombardier with the 376 Heavy Bombardment Group. He was stationed in Lecce, Italy, and was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart for his service. Mr. Morrow went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania Law School and had a distinguished 35-year career practicing law with the firm of Thorp, Reed and Armstrong in Pittsburgh. He then spent his retirement traveling, playing golf and hiking on the Appalachian Trail.

’45 Henry A. Morrow Jr. served in World War II as an Army Air Corps bombardier and was awarded the Purple Heart for his service.

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class notes

Ramon L. Burke ’47, Marble Falls, Texas, died May 7, 2015, at age 90. Mr. Burke joined the U.S. Army in 1943, served with the 334th Infantry (84th Division) in Europe and was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge and Bronze Star Medal. In 1948 he joined the U.S. Navy and served in various sea and foreign shore assignments. Mr. Burke then resigned his commission in the U.S. Navy and accepted a position with Compania Shell de Venezuela in Maracaibo, Venezuela, from 1958 to 1960. In 1960 he returned to Shell Oil Company in New York. Until his retirement from Shell in 1982, Mr. Burke managed the installation of the first computer in Shell’s New York head office and later played a major role in the consolidation of Shell’s computing and information services from the New York head office and five regional centers to a single data center in Houston.

’47 John Swick donated generously to an international programs fund at W&J and, with his support, 260 awards have been offered to students since 2008.

John M. Swick ’47, Lake Worth, Fla., died Oct. 19, 2015, at age 89. Mr. Swick served with the U.S. Marines during World War II, which sparked his love of travel. He was stationed on the USS Birmingham, which took part in the battles of Saipan, Tinian, Guam, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. After the war, Mr. Swick earned a civil engineering degree at W&J before going on to study naval architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For the next two years, Mr. Swick worked at a shipyard in Sweden while traveling around Europe in his spare time.

Upon returning home to the U.S., he taught at W&J and worked in the steel industry before moving to Puerto Rico, where he lived and owned a Puerto Rican industrial supply house, Superior Machinery, for 25 years. Mr. Swick donated generously to an international programs fund at W&J. With his support, 260 awards have been offered to students since 2008, enabling many students to study abroad when they would otherwise not have been able to do so, with a simple request that the students send him a report and photos after their time abroad.

Donald N. Campbell ’48, Ph.D., West Columbia, Texas, died July 29, 2015, at age 91.

In 1959, Dr. Campbell and two other scientists started the company Greenbrier Instruments.

A pioneer in the field of gas chromatography,

’48 Donald N. Campbell, Ph.D., started Greenbrier Instruments with two other scientists. his new company successfully produced gas chromatographs and other gas analysis instruments. Greenbrier Instruments was later purchased by Bendix Corp., and Dr. Campbell became plant manager for many years at the company. He chaired the Greenbrier Valley Airport Authority, and he was instrumental in the construction of the airport near Lewisburg, W. Va., and the beginning of commercial air service in the Greenbrier Valley. After retiring from Bendix Corp., Dr. Campbell began consulting with Fluid Data Corp. in Angleton, Texas, and eventually became manager of that facility. He held a number of patents and published numerous technical papers throughout his career. He served in the U.S. Air Force during WWII. Joseph B. Lanczak ’49, Burgettstown, Pa., died May 25, 2015, at age 93. After high school, Mr. Lanczak worked in the Civilian Conservation

Bernard A. Staskiewicz (1924-2015)

Distinguished professor emeritus and alumnus Bernard A. Staskiewicz ’47, Ph.D., a loyal student, professor, mentor, parent, chairman and friend to W&J, died Dec. 30, 2015, at the age of 90.

Dr. Staskiewicz attended W&J during the height of World War II, graduating in 1947 with a degree in chemistry, alongside only 25 classmates. As the war drew to a close, enrollment rates exploded, and Dr. Staskiewicz was asked to stay at W&J to teach chemistry. For the next five years, he continued to teach as he pursued his master’s and doctoral degrees at the Carnegie Institute of Technology.

After earning his Ph.D., Dr. Staskiewicz accepted a position with Standard Oil of New Jersey in 1953 as a research chemist, earning several U.S. patents for his work. He later joined Rayonier as a group leader in cellulose research.

Reuniting with his first passion, Dr. Staskiewicz left the world of industry, returning to W&J as an associate professor in the department of chemistry in 1958. He became a full professor in 1962 and became chairman of the department in 1969. Dr. Staskiewicz acted as chairman of the sciences and mathematics division in 1989. He also provided leadership on the pre-health committee. He established important relationships between W&J and top health professional schools as well as encouraged and assisted students to pursue internships in the pre-health field.

Dr. Staskiewicz helped galvanize the sciences during his 46

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years with the College. In the 1970s, he developed the conceptual inquiry and parallel development approach to teaching, earning the chemistry department a National Science Foundation grant and recognition by the American Chemical Society.

Though he retired in 1995, Dr. Staskiewicz’s dedication and love for his alma mater remained unyielding. He received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the College Bernard Staskiewicz taught in 1995 on Founder’s Day. A chemistry at W&J for 46 years before his retirement in 1995. brilliant professor and generous supporter of the College, Dr. Staskiewicz was honored as a professor emeritus and received the W&J Distinguished Service Award in 2006.

Of his five children, Gail Staskiewicz Warner ’74, William Staskiewicz ’80 and Charles Staskiewicz ’87 followed in their father’s footsteps to become alumni of W&J.

John S. Kern (1942-2015)

Respected aviation and safety expert Aviation expert and former W&J Trustee John S. Kern ’64 died Sept. 2, 2015, at the age of 72, after a long battle with cancer.

an air crew member whenever possible.

Mr. Kern began flight training in the U.S. Army ROTC’s flight program at W&J, earning his pilot license shortly thereafter.

After a brief one-year retirement in 2001, Mr. Kern was called to help develop the Next Generation Air Transportation System as director of the Joint Planning and Development Office.

Working with the Departments of Transportation, Defense and Homeland Security, the FAA, NASA and the White John Kern was a former trustee House Office of Science and of W&J. Technology Policy, Mr. Kern constructed a new 20- to 25-year air traffic system designed to handle increased air travel without delays and with speedy, convenient and reliable service.

After graduation, Mr. Kern joined the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam as a pilot of the OV-1 Mohawk Intelligence Aircraft and an infantry officer leader, earning him a Bronze Star, the Air Medal with 21 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Distinguished Service Cross.

Upon returning home from the war, Mr. Kern began a career in aviation and later became a respected expert in airline safety.

He joined Northwest Airlines in 1971 as a pilot. Over the next 30 years, Mr. Kern worked his way through the ranks, serving in various capacities and leadership roles for Northwest and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), eventually becoming one of the FAA’s highest-ranking officials.

At the FAA, he became the director of flight procedure, training and standards and deputy associate administrator for aviation standards. At Northwest, he was the senior vice president of operations and chief safety officer, continuing his love of flying as

Corps in Shenandoah National Park and Panama.

Then, Mr. Lanczak was drafted into the U.S. Army and served during World War II. He landed with the first wave on Omaha Beach, Normandy, France, on D-Day, June 6, 1944. A legacy recording of his personal story of his participation in the Normandy campaign can be found in the Library of Congress, World War II Museum in New Orleans and Omaha Beach Memorial Museum in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, France. Mr. Lanczak worked as a supervisor for General Motors Fisher Body Division in McKeesport for 30 years. After retiring, Mr. Lanczak remained busy by driving a van for special-needs children and volunteering to speak to area schools about his military service as a survivor of D-Day. Charles W. Mason Jr. ’49, M.D., State College, Pa., died July 14, 2015, at age 89. Dr. Mason served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during World War II. He earned his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1953 and interned at Columbia Hospital in Wilkinsburg, Pa. From 1955 to 1978, Dr. Mason operated a private practice in Monroeville, Pa. He then worked as a student health physician at the Ritenour Health Center at Penn State from 1978 to 1991.

Richard A. Krinzman ’50, Union, N.J., died June 14, 2015, at age 90. Mr. Krinzman worked as a certified public accountant since the 1950s and last worked for M.D. Oppenheim & Company P.C., in Iselin, N.J. He was a World War II veteran.

Rev. Edward S. Hammett ’51, Somerset, Pa., died May 23, 2015, at age 85. Rev. Hammett served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and was later employed at Bethlehem Steel Company. Rev. Hammett left Bethlehem Steel Company to attend the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, where he earned a Master of Divinity.

After becoming licensed to preach in 1960, Rev. Hammett became fully ordained in 1964.

Rev. Hammett then served United Methodist Churches in McKeesport, Harrison City, Uniontown, Fairview, McMurray, Charleroi and Davidson/Scenery Hill, Pa. Upon retirement, he served as a visiting pastor for the Trinity Lutheran Church in Somerset.

James H. Preston ’51, D.D.S., Saint Clairsville, Ohio, died July 26, 2015, at age 86. Dr. Preston served in the U.S. Navy, stationed in Green Cove Springs, Fla., before returning to Poland, Ohio, to set up his dental practice that spanned over 30 years. Dr. Preston retired from practice in 1990.

Laurence T. Ritchie ’51, M.D, White Oak, Pa., died Oct. 6, 2015, at age 88. Dr. Ritchie served as a medic in the Navy until his discharge in December 1946. At W&J, Dr. Ritchie was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He graduated from Temple University Medical School in 1955.

While at Temple, Dr. Ritchie was invited to be a member of the prestigious Babcock Surgical Society. He began his medical practice in White Oak and was beloved by his patients throughout his 52 years of medical practice. An old-fashioned family physician who made house visits to elderly

’51 Laurence Ritchie, M.D., an old-fashioned physician who still made house calls to elderly patients, practiced medicine until he was 82. patients and wore a suit and tie during his rounds, Dr. Ritchie practiced medicine until he was 82. He was the past president of the McKeesport Hospital Medical Staff and was a member of the board of trustees for several terms.

Rev. Col. Paul L. Salansky ’51, D.D., D.Min., Batavia, Ill., died Aug. 30, 2015, at age 90.

Rev. Col. Salansky spent three years in active service during World War II. His lifetime of pastoral ministry in the Presbyterian Church began at two small churches in Wales and Red Oak, Iowa. He then served a church in Reinbeck, Iowa, before moving on to Illinois, where he served churches in South Shore, Lincoln and Downers Grove. Throughout his ministry, Rev. Col. Salansky continued to serve in the Army Reserves for 33 years, attaining the rank of colonel. After retirement, he served many other churches and ministries as an interim and pulpit supply pastor, guest speaker and Bible study leader.

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class notes

Arthur C. Smock ’51, Amherst, Ohio, died July 9, 2015, at age 86. Mr. Smock proudly served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War from 1951 to 1953 at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Aberdeen, Md. He was employed at U.S. Steel in Lorain, Ohio, for 32 years before retiring as a metallurgical engineer in 1983. While employed for U.S. Steel, Mr. Smock assisted in implementing the BOP shop in Gary, Ind., and Bilbao, Spain.

Vincent S. Franz Jr. ’57, Naples, Fla., died March 9, 2015, at age 81. Mr. Franz was president of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity at W&J. He served his country in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Wasp and USS Hornet during the Korean War. He owned the Wilmer G. Engel Insurance Agency from 1965 until 1997. Mr. Franz also enjoyed many years with the Knights of Columbus and the Bridgeville Rotary.

Howard S. Gittins ’57, Port Charlotte, Fla., died July 20, 2015, at age 81. Mr. Gittins had a long career in advertising and marketing in the Pittsburgh area, ending as chairman of Della Femina McNamee. In 1992, he became vice president of marketing for the financial firm Bill Few Associates until retiring in 1999.

He taught advertising and marketing at the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh and served on the boards of the River City Brass Band, the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera and the Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre.

Richard H. Piatt ’57, Washington, Pa., died Sept. 1, 2015, at age 79. Mr. Piatt graduated from Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science in 1958.

After which he worked for his father, Ralph E. Piatt, in Piatt Funeral Home until his father’s death when he purchased the business in 1971.

In 1979, Mr. Piatt purchased Stewart F. Barnhill Funeral Home and merged the name to Piatt and Barnhill Funeral Directors Inc. He served the public for over 40 years until his retirement in 1999. Mr. Piatt was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and the Alumni Association of Washington & Jefferson College. Mr. Piatt served on the Washington Park and Recreation Commission for 25 years and was a performer with the Washington Community Theater.

William F. Stitt ’57, D.D.S., Fort Myers, Fla., died April 26, 2015, at age 79. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine and then served as a naval dental officer in Pensacola, Fla. Dr. Stitt later returned to Pennsylvania and served the South Hills communities’ dental needs for nearly 40 years. An accomplished musician, Dr. Stitt played the organ, guitar, harmonica, accordion and mandolin and was active in several theater organ societies.

William Schmidt ’63, M.D., Miami, Fla., died Nov. 5, 2014, at age 73. Dr. Schmidt was an experienced physician, having received several prestigious awards, including the Iron Arrow Society and Kappa Scholar awards from the University of Miami. After completing medical

school at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Schmidt moved to South Florida where he taught at the University of Miami School of Medicine.

Bert M. Moldovan ’65, White Oak, Pa., died Nov. 9, 2015, at age 72. Mr. Moldovan served as a lieutenant with the U.S. Army, serving during the Vietnam War with the Staff Judge Advocate office. He owned his own law firm, Bert M. Moldovan at Law, in McKeesport, Pa., until his retirement. Mr. Moldovan was a former McKeesport Area School District Board Member, served as a solicitor for Allegheny County and was a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association, the Gemilas Chesed Congregation and the former Duquesne Club.

Ronald J. Taylor ’66, M.D., Baltimore, Md., died May 5, 2015, at age 70. Dr. Taylor was the medical director and director of psychiatry at Taylor Medical Group in Towson, Md., which he opened in 1975 and maintained until 1997. From 1984 to 1988, Dr. Taylor also served as medical director for Marshall

’66 Ronald Taylor, M.D., was the medical director and director of psychiatry at Taylor Medical Group, which he opened in 1975.

Albert G. Nickel (1943-2015)

Dedicated trustee and compassionate philanthropist Known for living life to the fullest, Albert G. Nickel ’65, trustee of Washington & Jefferson College, died Nov. 21, 2015, at the age of 72.

After earning his M.B.A. from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, Mr. Nickel moved to New York in 1974 to begin a remarkable career as an advertising executive. He began as an account executive at Sudler and Hennessey and became a founding principal of Dorritie & Lyons Inc., which later became Dorritie Lyons & Nickel. He eventually became president and CEO of Lyons Lavey Nickel Swift, co-chairman of TBWA\WorldHealth and then chairman of LyonHeart. In 2012, Mr. Nickel was inducted into the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame.

Always a very philanthropic man, upon retiring in 2008, Mr. Nickel kept busy with his daughters’ school and athletic events, church work and board service for the local YMCA. Mr. Nickel made it his passion to give back to the community, devoting himself to organizations such as the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp and the Orthopaedic Foundation; he also served as a trustee of the Wilton YMCA, CancerCare and Washington & Jefferson College.

Mr. Nickel is fondly remembered as a compassionate and driven person who overcame a lot of adversity in his life. At 22, he lost

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his brother to a drunk driver; he also suffered the loss of two of his children, Melissa and Mark. By trusting in his faith and believing he could overcome these tragedies, Mr. Nickel kept moving forward and was blessed with two daughters, Grace and Olivia. In 2002, he received the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor, presented to those who best embody the values of the American Dream.

Mr. Nickel served in the U.S. Air Force, achieving the rank of captain in the Air Force Reserves.

Al Nickel was inducted into the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame.

Marian N. Ream (1933-2015)

Admired educator and dedicated alumna Marian N. Ream ’71, Ph.D., Ed.D., died June 14, 2015, at the age of 82. Dr. Ream came to W&J in 1961, serving as president of the W&J Women’s Auxiliary until her enrollment as a student in 1970—the first year women were admitted to the College as full-time students. She became one of the first four women to graduate from W&J, ushering in the first three-generation female legacy, which includes her daughter, Cynthia Ream Phillips ’77, and her granddaughter, Ashley Phillips ’08.

After graduating from W&J, Dr. Ream worked endlessly to inspire change and innovation, mainly through education. She began her career at Trinity High School, teaching for a year before accepting a position at Washington School District to teach English and coach boys’ and girls’ tennis.

Passionate about her own education, Dr. Ream earned two doctorates within a span of three years, a Ph.D. in 1981 and an Ed.D. in 1984 from West Virginia University.

Together with her husband, the late Charles Ream, Ph.D., former head football coach who brought the first PAC championship to W&J in 1970, Dr. Ream founded Universal Learning Corp. in 1976. For roughly the next two decades, the couple traveled around the world developing schools at nuclear reactor sites in Korea, the

Medical Services in Towson and for American Psych Management Inc. In 1982, he became one of the first physicians in the nation to be given membership in the American College of Physician Executives. Throughout his life, Dr. Taylor maintained close ties to the University of Maryland. He joined the school’s Medical Alumni Association board in 1979, and in 1985 he became the Association’s 111th president.

Ray Gusky ’68, Pittsburgh, Pa., died Feb. 22, 2015, at age 68.

James K. Nicely ’69, Pawleys Island, S.C., died Dec. 17, 2014, at age 67. Mr. Nicely was a U.S. Army Reserve veteran of the Vietnam War. He was a member of the Murrells Inlet Elks, Litchfield Country Club, American Legion, Charleston Royal Order of Jesters, Billiken Club and the Jaffa Shrine. He was the past president of the Indiana County Bar Association and past president of Mid-Atlantic Jesters.

David A. Reece ’69, Raleigh, N.C., died Sept.

21, 2014, at age 67.

Bruce E. Albright ’70, Bethel Park, Pa., died July 31, 2015, at age 67. Mr. Albright retired from the American Cancer Society after working there for 20 years.

Paul A. Stephens Jr. ’72, Atlanta, Ga., died July 10, 2015, at age 65. Mr. Stephens served his country in the U.S. Army and as a member

Philippines and South America for Westinghouse and Bechtel.

As a nod to her alma mater, they named these schools the W&J/Westinghouse Learning Centers.

Upon retirement in 1992, Dr. Ream kept busy as she and her husband moved to Jensen Beach, Fla., and developed fitness programs for Florida Power & Light. Dr. Ream also became a Florida Supreme Court mediator in the mid-1990s. Later, she Marian Ream was among the first served as a member of W&J’s four women to graduate from W&J in 1971.

Alumni Executive Committee and represented W&J at the inauguration of the first female president at Stetson University at the request of President Tori Haring-Smith, Ph.D.

of the JAG Corps. After the Gulf War, he worked as an attorney for the Social Security Administration for more than 25 years.

Richard W. Carnahan ’73, Beaver, Pa., died Aug. 7, 2015, at age 64. Mr. Carnahan retired in 2014 as the manager of Shenango China Area Federal Credit Union in New Castle, Pa., where he continued to work as a consultant. During his retirement, Mr. Carnahan began his “dream job” as an employee working in the cart barn at Rolling Acres Golf Course and was an avid golfer himself.

Vincent M. Pacienza ’76, M.D., Manhasset, N.Y., died Oct. 7, 2015, at age 61. Dr. Pacienza attended medical school in Mexico at Nuevo Leon University. He was a cardiologist and doctor of internal medicine at St. Francis Hospital before opening his own private practice in Manhasset.

Mark R. Sapowith ’76, Philadelphia, Pa., died Oct. 22, 2015, at age 61. After discovering a passion for sales, Mr. Sapowith created a telecommunications company in 1987 and successfully ran the company for 28 years.

Diana Mark Engelmeyer ’79, Pittsburgh, Pa., died Nov. 11, 2015, at age 58. Mrs. Engelmeyer was employed with Utility Service Partners Inc. as marketing manager. She was previously involved in technology and software sales with Microsoft and other companies.

Deborah Saxe Patterson ’79, West Orange, N.J., died July 18, 2015, at age 58. Mrs. Patterson earned her Master of Science from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in 1982. She was a teacher at Golda Och Academy since 2006.

Elena Solari Masters ’80, Squirrel Hill, Pa., died June 3, 2013, at age 55.

Barry L. King ’81, Long Beach, Calif., died June 21, 2015, at age 56.

Kevin L. Knox ’84, Roxborough, Pa., died Oct. 25, 2015, at age 53. Mr. Knox worked for the Philadelphia Police Department as a forensic scientist for 28 years.

Patrick J. Uram ’86, Washington, Pa., died Nov. 14, 2015, at age 51. Mr. Uram was executive director at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Bratislava, Slovakia. He had a great appreciation for art and was active in politics and alumni activities at all three of his alma maters—Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School, W&J and the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh.

Kara Dixon Campbell ’96, Latrobe, Pa., died Aug. 16, 2015, at age 41. Mrs. Campbell was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority at W&J. She was employed as a math teacher most recently at the Eastern Westmoreland Career WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON COLLEGE

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class notes

and Technology Center in Latrobe. Previously, she worked for the Huntington Learning Center in Greensburg, Pa. She was a member of St. Vincent Basilica Parish and was a dedicated volunteer for the annual food drive at Latrobe Elementary School.

Frank D. Csetter II ’00, Washington, Pa., died May 27, 2015, at age 42. Mr. Csetter graduated summa cum laude from W&J and was employed at Washington Medical Supply. Mr. Csetter volunteered at the Washington Women’s Shelter and was a member of the Anawanna Club.

FRIENDS Michael Berry, Washington, Pa., died Aug. 24, 2015, at age 61. Mr. Berry, an exceptionally accomplished musician, was a drumming instructor at W&J and a professional drummer in the region. Over the course of 30 years, he played at a wide range of venues from small jazz clubs to Carnegie Hall and La Casino de Monte Carlo. During the 1980s, he was the drummer for the jazz vocal group Rare Silk, which earned Grammy nominations in 1984 and 1986 and opened for legends such as Benny Goodman and Bob Hope. He is survived by his wife, Faun Doherty, an associate professor in the department of mathematics at W&J. Constance Ceisler, Philadelphia, Pa., died Sept.

3, 2015, at age 88. Mrs. Ceisler was employed as a teacher at McKeesport High School, St. Hilary Grade School and Trinity School District.

Mrs. Ceisler was the wife of Robert L. Ceisler ’40. The pair celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2005 before Robert’s passing. In 2009, she moved to Philadelphia to be closer to family and took advantage of the arts and culture, often traveling to New York to attend Broadway productions.

Marlene Sprowls Durig, Kansas City, Kan., died Oct. 14, 2015, at age 78. Mrs. Durig graduated from Claysville High School as class valedictorian in 1955. In 1993, she and her family moved to Kansas City, where Mrs. Durig worked to complete her college degree, graduating from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with honors in 2002. At the University of Missouri-Kansas City as well as at the University of South Carolina, where she lived for a while, she provided leadership in academic, social and family-related groups and activities. She is survived by her husband, James Robert Durig ’58, Ph.D. Angelo F. Falconi, Washington, Pa., died Nov. 6, 2015, at age 91. Mr. Falconi was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Force and remained on active duty until the end of World War II. He returned 40

SPRING 2016 MAGAZINE

from the war to operate his Ford dealership until the 1960s. A pioneer in the automobile industry for 70 years, Mr. Falconi has owned automobile dealerships in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Florida, Nevada, Arizona and California. He was involved in various business ventures, including the development of the Washington Mall. Mr. Falconi strongly supported organizations in his hometown as well, including Washington & Jefferson College.

Howard W. Griggs, Amity, Pa., died Nov. 4, 2015, at age 83. Mr. Griggs was employed at W&J as a security guard for 16 years. He served in the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force from 1950-1971. For his service he received the National Defense Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, two Good Conduct Medals, Vietnam Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal and Aircraft Crewman Badge.

Thomas W. Hart, Ph.D., Canonsburg, Pa., died Aug. 21, 2015, at age 77. Dr. Hart earned his master’s degree and doctorate in botany from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and taught for 28 years at Washington & Jefferson College.

He retired in 2000 as a professor in the biology department and holds an honorary doctorate emeritus from W&J. Dr. Hart was an elder at First Presbyterian Church of Washington, served on the board of Chartiers Creek Watershed Association, was a past supervisor of South Franklin Township, was a trustee of Washington County Community Foundation and was historian and lecturer of the Bradford House Association. He was a recognized researcher and lecturer on the Whiskey Rebellion. Later in life, he and his wife, Myrna, pursued an interest in daylilies and hybridized several original kinds.

Nicholas Huslak, Forest, Va., died Oct. 27, 2015, at age 90. He attended W&J, the University of Pittsburgh and Rutgers University.

Mr. Huslak taught math for 45 years in New York and Pennsylvania as well as on television.

Peter A. Jefferson, Palm City, Fla., died Sept.

9, 2015, at age 87. Mr. Jefferson, a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, became an architect in 1954. He designed a jail, museums, libraries, commercial buildings and many beautiful homes. He was the recipient of many architectural awards, and his drawings are archived at the University of Miami. He attended W&J. Mildred Kite, Canonsburg, Pa., died June 18, 2015, at age 63. Mrs. Kite graduated from Washington High School and worked in the food service department at Washington & Jefferson College for 41 years.

James V. Magnone, Washington, Pa., died June 14, 2015, at age 91. Mr. Magnone, a Washington, Pa., native, was an avid football fan. Mr. Magnone attended both Washington

High School and W&J football games, and he was a longtime season ticket holder for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mr. Magnone retired from Lightning Express Trucking and was a member of the Teamsters Union as well as the ISDA Alpine Lodge in Washington.

David L. Patterson, New York, N.Y., died May 20, 2015, at age 85. Mr. Patterson joined the U.S. Army in 1951 and served in the Korean War. After his service, he went on to a career in chemical engineering. He attended W&J. Gregory Retos, Pompano Beach, Fla., died May 25, 2015, at age 65. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Mr. Retos attended W&J. Nancy Yagoda Weill, Livingston, N.J., died Oct. 2, 2015, at age 75. Mrs. Weill attended Boston University. She is survived by her husband Alan Weill ’59.

John E. Yothers, Longs, S.C., died Nov. 16, 2014, at age 72. Mr. Yothers taught art for many years in the Burgettstown Area School District and was an adjunct professor at Washington & Jefferson College. As a working artist, Mr. Yothers won numerous awards at exhibitions that included the Westmoreland Museum of American Art and the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort Invitational. Shortly before his death, Mr. Yothers published a book of his work titled “John Yothers Collected Works.”

WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON COLLEGE

OCTOBER 7 & 8

Tradition

Never Graduates

Wherever your life path has taken you since your days on campus, we hope you never forget your W&J experience.

Be a part of the celebration at Homecoming & Reunion Weekend: October 7 & 8, 2016.

www.jayconnected.com/homecoming

WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON COLLEGE

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Washington & Jefferson College 60 South Lincoln Street Washington, Pennsylvania 15301-4801

ATHLETIC UPDATE Construction is underway on the James David Ross Family Recreation Center, which will feature nearly 30,000 square feet of space and will expand and improve Henry Memorial Gymnasium. The center is part of An Uncommon Bond: The Campaign for Washington & Jefferson College and is set to be completed in the spring of 2017. For more information, turn to page 27.

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