F AL L 2016
West Chester University MAGAZINE
Stocking Up on Student Relief
IN THIS ISSUE
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t’s about graduating, getting a job, having the right resources, and getting students on their way. It is not about focusing on what is missing, but focusing on where students are trying to go. Jennifer Ginelli, Lightening the Load Foundation Trustee
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On the Cover: Stocking Up on Student Relief
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Most inspiring about the West Chester University Resource Pantry are the individual student stories of perseverance, determination and drive.
Featured Alumnus: Andy Jenks ’13
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Jenks was part of the six-man squad that earned the Silver Medal at the 2016 Paralympics in Brazil.
Distinguished Alumni Award Nominations
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The WCUAA Awards Committee seeks candidates to be selected and recognized for this prestigious honor.
WCUAA Board of Directors Nominations
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Nominations are now being accepted for the WCUAA Board of Directors.
4 University News 10 WCU Profiles 12 Cover Story 14 Sports News
17 Cultural Events 18 Homecoming 2016 21 Alumni Notes 27 Rams on the Road
wcupa.edu/socialmedia
LETTER FROM THE INTERIM PRESIDENT
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empus fugit. Two Latin words have never meant so much. First semester has been a whirlwind of activity on campus with students fully engaged in a wide array of on-campus and off-campus teaching, learning, and living experiences. Committed to student success, faculty and staff have been supporting students in classes, labs, studios, residence halls, rehearsal venues, on athletic fields, and within the community. Our collective efforts are visible across campus and are yielding exceptional results; many seek to join us. In a recent Pittsburgh PostGazette article entitled “West Chester University keeps costs down, sees enrollment rise,” Bill Schackner wrote, “No state-owned campus in Pennsylvania has been growing more than West Chester University, its enrollment climbing 15 percent in five years.” Students and their families have never been more eager to join WCU. This fall’s entering class of freshman and transfer students is the largest ever with more than 3,900 new students. Graduate enrollment is the highest it has ever been with nearly 2,600 students. Looking across the state of Pennsylvania, we are in an enviable position with a record total enrollment exceeding 17,000 students. As a member of this learning community for more than 30 years, I know that WCU’s high-quality, affordable education is especially attractive. As a parent of WCU graduates, I also know that our strong commitment to uphold the values of civility and inclusivity in the context of a caring community is indeed compelling. The everyday actions of students, faculty, alumni, and staff speak volumes and reach far beyond our campus walls. In this issue, we share the many ways that members of the WCU community are actively making a difference by establishing a resource pantry for students in need, supporting a Student Emergency Fund, providing a venue for much-needed contemplative focus, celebrating multicultural richness, strengthening partnerships abroad, and everything in between. While time can indeed fly by much too quickly, it is important to take time and recognize those who provide inspiration every day. Go Rams! Sincerely,
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Editor & Executive Director of Communications Nancy Santos Gainer Associate Editors Matt Born Loretta MacAlpine Design JoAnne Mottola Contributors Erica Thompson James Zuhlke Interim President Christopher Fiorentino Vice President for Advancement and Sponsored Research Mark Pavlovich Director of Alumni Relations Debbie Cornell Naughton The West Chester University Magazine is published three times a year for the alumni, families, students and friends of West Chester University. We welcome letters concerning magazine content or issues pertaining to the University. Letters must be signed and kept to one typed page. Please include address and daytime phone number. We reserve the right to edit. Send correspondence to: Editor, The WCU Magazine, West Chester University, West Chester, PA 19383 West Chester University Magazine is published by the West Chester University Office of Communications
www.wcupa.edu WCU is an AA/EEO institution
Christopher M. Fiorentino Interim President
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West Chester University has entered into an agreement with Ramnarian RUIA College, located in Mumbai, India, to provide undergraduate and graduate student and faculty exchange opportunities. Interim President Chris Fiorentino and Ramnarian RUIA College Principal Suhas Pednekar are pictured signing the formal memorandum of understanding. Pednekar was accompanied by a delegation of 20 students from the college, as well as a number of faculty who met with WCU colleagues from the science and psychology programs. Part of the PASSHE-India Penn Hub partnership forged initially in 2015, the delegation’s recent visit was coordinated and led by Center for International Programs Director Peter Loedel.
WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY COUNCIL OF TRUSTEES Barry C. Dozor ’71 Thomas A. Fillippo ’69 (chair) Christopher Franklin ’87 Jonathan Ireland ’95, M’03 Christopher A. Lewis
The West Chester University Foundation Board of Trustees Officers Keith Beale ’77 (president) Thomas E. Mills, IV ’81 (vice president) Christopher J. DiGiuseppe ’89 (treasurer) Sandra F. Mather ’64, M’68 (secretary) Richard T. Przywara (executive director) Trustees James P. Argires ’56 John H. Baker ’74 Frank Branca ’70 J. Alan Butcher ’88, M’92 Millie C. Cassidy
Deborah J. Chase ’76 Zebulon R. Davenport, ex officio Thomas A. Fillippo ’69 (Council of Trustees representative) Christopher M. Fiorentino, ex officio David A. Gansky ’88 Carl Gersbach ’70 Maury Hoberman, MD David P. Holveck ’68 Kathleen Leidheiser Donald Leisey ’59 Mark P. Mixner, ex officio Tahany Naggar John N. Nickolas ’90 Michael O’Rourke John R. Panichello ’83 Mark G. Pavlovich, ex officio Michael Peich Paula D. Shaffner ’80 James Shinehouse ’80 Roger B. Ware Jr. ’82 Christine Warren ’90, M’99
J. Adam Matlawski ’80 (vice chair) Marian D. Moskowitz Eli Silberman Christine Costello ’04 (secretary) Robert M. Tomlinson ’70
West Chester University Alumni Association President Dean Gentekos ’07 Vice President Matt Holliday ’09 Treasurer Robert E. Smith ’72 Secretary Denise Bowman Trigo ’98 Past President Jeffrey Stein ’91 Directors Lisa Wright Bryant ’87 Clay Cauley ’96 Thomas J. Ciaccio ’91, M’03 Mark Drochek ’86 Kareem Edwards ’07 Bill Friedmann M’09
Dean Gentekos ’07 Jamie W. Goncharoff ’82 Matt Holliday ’09 Jerome Hunt ’03, M’06 Jonathan Long ’03 Nick Polcini ’00, M’05 William Scottoline ’74 Robert E. Smith ’72 Justin Sochovka ’14 Amy Miller-Spavlik ’90, M’92 Jeffrey Stein ’91 Denise Bowman Trigo ’98 Michael Willard ’03 Emeriti Carmen Evans Culp ’52, M’64 Janice Weir Etshied ’50 (deceased) Karl Helicher ’72, M’82, M’87 Joseph F. Kienle ’72, ’74 Richard D. Merion ’59, M’69 John F. Murphy ’43 (deceased) Luther B. Sowers ’49
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UNIVERSITY NEWS
Center for Contemplative Studies Grand Opening
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ith the strike of a gong, a snip of a purple ribbon and an unexpected burst of sun, WCU alumnus Pat Croce officially opened the Center for Contemplative Studies recently. Pat and Diane Croce, who have provided leadership contributions to enhance center programming, were joined in the grand opening festivities by Mayor of the Borough of West Chester Carolyn Comitta ’74, Interim President Chris Fiorentino, College of Health Sciences Dean Linda Adams, and center Co-Directors Don McCown and Christine Moriconi. Prior to the outdoor ceremony, mindfulness newbies and novices visited the center throughout the day to sample a range of diverse contemplative practices from meditation and yoga to Tai Chi Chuan, Reiki, Sensory Awareness, and Compassion Practice. Students were encouraged to express their feelings by dropping purple and yellow ping-pong balls into glass jars that indicated their moods.
Contemplative Studies is an interdisciplinary and multicultural field focused on the application of contemplative practices drawn from the full range of philosophical and spiritual traditions to promote intellectual, physical, and spiritual development. The center, which is staffed by professionals trained in mental health first-aid, is a holistic safe space for students and the local community to explore health and wellness, as well as friendship and solidarity. It functions to help students reduce stress and improve overall self-regulation and self-awareness, while also supporting area neighbors in an effort to improve the well-being of all citizens. The center’s programs are free of charge and a Saturday series is open to the entire community. The Croces’ support is expanding center offerings to help WCU students recognize and take advantage of the valuable benefits that come from training the mind and body through contemplative practices.
After a little rain, Pat Croce (sunglasses) joined Interim President Chris Fiorentino and Borough Mayor Carolyn Comitta ’74 in cutting the ribbon on the Center for Contemplative Studies. Holding the ribbon are thecenter’s Graduate Assistants Kevin Tustin and Mary Schlosbon with (L-R) Christine Moriconi, Diane Croce, Don McCown, Croce, Fiorentino, Comitta, Dean Linda Adams, and Vice President for Advancement and Sponsored Research Mark Pavlovich.
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UNIVERSITY NEWS
Share & Share a Bike
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his fall, the University’s students, faculty, and staff are able to cycle swiftly across campus thanks to a new bike sharing program called Zagster. Jessica Schedlbauer, co-chair of WCU’s Sustainability Advisory Council’s Transportation Committee and professor of biology, notes that these bike riders ease some traffic and parking congestion, and help WCU reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
Riders age 18 or older sign up for $30 annual memberships to use one of the 15 bikes housed at three campus stations that cover North, South, and East campuses. Users can locate bikes via the free Zagster mobile app or online at zagster.com/WCUPA. The program is funded through the West Chester University Foundation Parents Fund and the University Strategic Plan’s Sustainability Theme Team.
Olympic Mind Games
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lympic women’s shot put finalist Cleopatra Borel shared with the Trinidad Sunday Express that dancing right before her event led to her “best outdoor finish ever.” Borel credits Margaret Ottley, professor of sports psychology, with teaching the relaxation technique that helped her progress to the “Big 8.” As the sports psychologist of choice for many international athletes and a native of Trinidad, Ottley was asked to assist Trinidad and Tobago athletes during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this summer. This was Ottley’s fourth Olympic Games! With more than 20 years of professional experience, Ottley has earned a coveted reputation for helping youth and elite athletes achieve mental discipline and overcome issues related to performance anxiety, doubt, and other inadequacies. Her expertise is also widely sought within the United States. Prior to the Brazil games, Ottley counseled the 2016 U.S. Olympic track and field team during an elite athlete retreat in Los Angeles, California. “I felt a sense of contentment that my contribution to the Games had a significant impact on the athletes and coaches from Trinidad and Tobago, and to some extent the USA track and field athletes,” Ottley said.
The Band in the Big Time
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n September 18, the Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band took the field for the pre-game and half-time shows at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Heinz Field. A little rain “did not deter the Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band from delivering outstanding performances,” reports WCU’s Director of Bands Andrew Yozviak ’91, associate professor of applied music.
The band gave an exhibition at the Bands of America Regional High School Marching Band Championship in Pittsburgh on September 17. “When the NFL schedules were announced last April, we noted that the Steelers were in town that weekend,” Yozviak recalls. “I contacted the Steelers organization that day to ask if they hosted bands. They were excited to be able to schedule WCU.” Steelers won 24 – 16.
Margaret Ottley, associate professor of sports psychology
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Pictured (L to R) are Matthew Dowdy, Meryl Dowdy, Lawrence Dowdy, and Leah Dowdy.
omecoming weekend was the perfect occasion to celebrate the naming of the Lawrence A. Dowdy Multicultural Center, as Larry Dowdy ’73, M’80 and many WCU alumni and friends returned to the University in his honor. Larry and Meryl Dowdy were joined in the ribbon-cutting ceremony by Interim President Chris Fiorentino, Bernie Carrozza, chair of the Board of Directors of Student Services Incorporated (SSI) and a long-time former member and chair of the WCU Council of Trustees, Donna Snyder, executive director of SSI, and Jerome “Skip” Hutson, director of the multicultural center. “In 1969, West Chester was a different place than it is now,” said Dowdy, who held a number of leadership positions at WCU for more than 30 years and retired in 2015 as executive deputy to the president and governmental relations officer. “When I reflected
on my tenure at the University, what I saw largely revolved around promoting servant leadership, civility, and inclusion. I wanted to do something to help create new programs and support existing ones to continue that progress.” The SSI Board of Directors was excited to invest in Dowdy’s dream and recognize his service with a generous gift to expand resources to serve students. To enhance the endowment contributed by SSI even further, the Dowdys made a pledge to the Lawrence A. Dowdy Multicultural Center Endowment. Friends and family members followed suit. “Larry’s willingness to make a significant difference in students’ lives is testament to his character, generosity, and ability to inspire a generation of future leaders,” said Carrozza.
Multicultural Center Named for Lawrence A. Dowdy 6 WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Reflecting Society
A U.S. News Places WCU Among the Top Schools on Four Lists
fter 42 years, the Women’s Center has updated its name to the Center for Women & Gender Equity (CWGE), following best practices nationwide to create more inclusive spaces on campus. The Women’s Center was established in 1974 in a much different societal atmosphere to address women’s issues. Its role has expanded over the years. The CWGE now provides education, resources, and advocacy primarily on genderrelated issues, supporting principles of social justice, equity, and inclusion for women and historically marginalized groups, including the LGBTQ community.
“We also focus on building healthier concepts of masculinity for all students,” says Alicia Hahn-Murphy, the center’s director. She points to Libby Thorson’s role as coordinator for Healthy Masculinity and Violence Prevention Programming and the establishment of the Masculinity Project, a campus-wide program encouraging men to challenge society’s definition of masculinity. The campus has offered “positive feedback and encouragement about the message behind our new name,” Hahn-Murphy reports. “They feel supported and welcomed by our space and programming.”
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.S. News & World Report has released their 2017 college rankings, placing West Chester University at #16 on their list of Top Public Schools (North) and #61 among all Regional Universities North. WCU also ranks #35 in Best Colleges for Veterans. West Chester is also included on the U.S. News list of 32 “A+ Schools for B Students” in Regional Universities North. Appearance on this list was determined by the colleges’ numerical ranking in the top three-fourths of their 2017 Best Colleges ranking categories and by where first-year students had placed in their high school class, as well as freshman retention rate (2011 – 2014). Earlier this year, U.S. News released other college rankings for specific master’s programs, placing West Chester at #55 for Best Online MBA, #78 in Graduate Social Work, and #199 in Speech-Language Pathology (Communication Sciences and Disorders).
Students Greg Donnelly and Stephanie Knorr with CWGE Director Alicia Hahn-Murphy (center).
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UNIVERSITY NEWS
WCU Signs Educational Agreement with Moscow State University
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his summer, WCU signed an agreement with Russia’s Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU, Faculty of Global Studies) that opens new opportunities for collaborations in teaching and research, virtual lectures, short courses and, eventually, faculty and student exchanges. “There are many potential avenues of cooperation and partnership,” confirmed Peter Loedel, head of WCU’s Center for International Programs, including plans for West Chester to participate in MSU’s international conference in the fall of 2017. The Honorable W. Curtis Weldon ’69, WCU’s first Russian studies graduate, was instrumental in bringing the two institutions together. He forged friendships and professional relationships with world leaders during his 20 years in Congress (PA-7, 1987 – 2007). Last December, he donated his vast archive of Congressional materials and memorabilia to West Chester. “We are most grateful for this opportunity to partner with one of the world’s foremost centers of higher learning,” Interim President Chris Fiorentino stated. “Thanks to Congressman Weldon’s long-time engagement with Russia, West Chester will be able to provide faculty and students with outstanding educational opportunities, while encouraging dialogue between Russians and Americans.”
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Probing the Potential
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of Microbes in the Mud
he Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded WCU $14,950 in federal funding for a research project that could eventually help treat wastewater in developing nations while also providing alternative energy storage. The goal: to build and test a Wind-Actuated Vibrating Electrochemical (WAVE) Digester to more rapidly convert waste biomass into methane biofuel. The project builds on recent research by Paige Minka, graduate biology student in Assistant Professor of Biology John Pisciotta’s lab. Minka’s curiosity in electromicrobiology was piqued in Pisciotta’s biofuels class in 2014, when she researched sediment microbial fuel cell (sMFC) systems. These devices draw small amounts of power as microorganisms in the mud at the bottoms of ponds and waterways digest organic wastes. The electricity produced is less than battery power, but it’s sustainable. She partnered with Steve Hicks, an electrical engineer at the Stroud Water Research Center in Avondale, Pennsylvania, whom she knew from her summer internship there, to develop “a datalogger specifically for recording temperature and voltage from the sMFC every 10 minutes.” Hicks’ design became the pilot for Stroud’s new Mayfly dataloggers that are now sold through Amazon. With undergraduate Jeremy Irving, Minka installed four sMFCs units at Paradise Farm Camps pond in Down-
ingtown, a youth environmental education center, varying the depth at which device components were submerged. They found that the depth and the corresponding light reaching the cathode component affected how quickly and consistently the microbes began generating electricity. Further study of the “unique microbial communities that we found to be present on the darkened anode … may allow researchers to develop sMFCs with enhanced populations of these important microbes in order to increase power output,” says Minka. Even a small amount of renewable energy would “power small devices such as those used to monitor different environmental parameters in lakes, oceans, bays, streams, etc. I believe this is the most promising application for sMFCs.” Faculty advisor Pisciotta will use the project’s research materials and equipment in future microbial physiology and microbial ecology courses. This new EPA funding was awarded via the People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) grant program, a competition in which college students design solutions for a sustainable future and are funded to participate in the National Sustainable Design Expo on the National Mall each spring. There, says Pisciotta, “Our students will present their work as they compete against the best university teams from across the nation for additional funding to realize the WAVE digester concept.” Minka is defending her master’s thesis in biology and plans to graduate in December.
UNIVERSITY NEWS
MSW Celebrates 20 Years
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est Chester’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program, marking its 20th anniversary this year, graduated its first class from the Philadelphia campus, as well as from main campus, and presented its first graduate awards. Commencement was held at the Friends Center in Philadelphia with the address given by former department chair Mildred C. “Mit” Joyner, former director of WCU’s Baccalaureate Social Work (BSW) program, a founder of WCU’s MSW program, and current vice president of the National Association of Social Workers. The department also offered a new interprofessional summer elective, “Advanced Clinical Practice in Integrated Health: Behavior, Nutrition, Health, and Recovery,” teamtaught by gradate social work faculty and colleagues from the College of Health Sciences’ departments of nutrition, nursing, and public health. Today the MSW program has more than 300 students and 12 full-time faculty at both campuses and is ranked in the top 100 graduate social work programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report.
Mildred C. “Mit” Joyner
All Are Welcome
Community Unity Day
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s part of Community Unity Day festivities, Interim President Chris Fiorentino joined West Chester Borough Mayor Carolyn Comitta and local community, school, and religious leaders at the Charles A. Melton Arts & Education Center for the signing of the Greater West Chester Code of Values Community Resolution and Pledge. The document reaffirms greater West Chester’s commitment to being an inclusive and welcoming community. West Chester NAACP leaders and Department of Justice representatives facilitated drafting the resolution and pledge. Mayor Comitta said, “West Chester’s strength lies in our diversity. We are proud to be an inclusive, welcoming community and will always pledge to stand together and take action to make sure every one of our neighbors feels safe and welcome here.” Those who signed the pledge are empowered to help leaders assure that greater West Chester remains a community that embraces all people. A comprehensive action plan has been outlined and attached to the pledge.
In August, Mayor Comitta and West Chester NAACP President James Jennings (both seated) led the signing of a community pledge that resolves, “We will not tolerate hateful speech or actions toward any individual or group in our community.”
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FACULTY PROFILE
Goin’ North: Innovation in Digital History
Janneken Smucker & Charles Hardy
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CU historians Charles Hardy III and Janneken Smucker are proof that history isn’t all dusty books and faded photos. It’s pixels, URLs, and bytes. The American Historical Association (AHA) has recognized their prowess at synthesizing material into digital collections with the “Oscar” for historians: the 2016 Roy Rosenzweig Prize for innovative and freely available new media projects. It’s a timely honor for their website Goin’ North: Stories from the First Great Migration to Philadelphia. It was exactly 100 years ago that a great influx of African Americans began to arrive from the South, finding work and settling in Philadelphia and other northern cities. The exodus lasted into the early 1970s. Both undergraduate and graduate students in a course Hardy and Smucker co-taught in fall 2014 and spring 2016 played
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a major role in researching and digitizing the records and ephemera that became Goin’ North. That continuity drew the praise of the AHA prize committee: “In integrating the work of successive cohorts of students, Goin’ North offers a compelling model of how iterative project development can be made part of teaching.” The students created a digital archive of more than 500 objects; edited the transcriptions of audio oral history interviews; and wrote brief biographies for those interviewed. “These oral histories sat unused for 30 years,” Hardy says of audio interviews he had conducted in the 1980s for an American public radio project. They represent not only some of the people who migrated to Philadelphia in the early 1900s, but also those African Americans who welcomed them — and some who did not.
STUDENT PROFILE
The students created keywords, links, and indexes using the Oral History Metadata Synchronizer (OHMS) developed by a team led by Goin’ North collaborator Doug Boyd, director of the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries. OHMS allowed the students to bring each personal story to life with newspaper articles from the Philadelphia Tribune’s archive, plus images, websites, and links with GPS coordinates. The digital tools they used are all open access. In addition, the students worked in teams to create six digital storytelling projects, including “The City of Opportunity,” a walking tour of Black Philadelphia in the Roaring ’20s with “then and now” images and text as well as vintage audio about 34 sites in Center City and South Philadelphia. Hardy also teamed with Philadelphia filmmaker Louis Massiah, founder and executive director of Scribe Video Center, to co-direct The Great Migration: A City Transformed, a web-based digital storytelling and video documentary project that teamed African American artists with Black churches and community groups in Philadelphia and Chester. In 2015, Goin’ North netted the non-print oral history award from the Oral History Association and the C. Herbert Finch Online Publication Award from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives. Four of the students in the first class who built the site also earned WCU Student Creativity and Research Awards recognizing their work. AHA is the largest organization of historians in the United States.
READ MORE online at goinnorth.org/about
Sapphire Johnson
Art and Social Change:
A Singer Finds Her Life’s Work
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apphire Johnson’s summer began with her first-ever trip to New York City for a six-day experience she shared with 45 other young performing artists from across the country. She won a full scholarship to ASTEP’s Artist As Citizen Conference, held at the Juilliard School. The conference helped this theatre major with a music concentration discover her “life’s work,” even as she enters her second semester as a WCU sophomore. ASTEP — Artists Striving to End Poverty — is a New York-based non-profit whose conference celebrates, connects, inspires, and develops young leaders in the arts by providing them with a transformative artistic and educational experience. Johnson affirms that she was positively transformed. “I was inspired, compelled to be introspective, and pushed out of my comfort zone,” she says. “I was surrounded by people in love with the arts who want to change the world. … The experience truly changed my life.” A singer, Johnson believes “that arts are a right, not a privilege. … I want my life’s work to aid in the process that turns the STEM education system into STEAM! I believe that arts are fundamental for adequate growth, learning, and understanding.” At the conference, Johnson was inspired to establish an ASTEP chapter at WCU, “so we can do more service as a department with the outside community.” ASTEP’s Artist As Citizen Conference chooses participants ages 18 to 25 based on a number of factors, the two most significant being an evident desire to serve the world through art, and the proven capacity to follow through on one’s creative impulses. Speakers, seminars, workshops, and plan-building give participants the skills to connect the work they do in the arts with the change they want to see happen. Johnson won the scholarship when she represented the University’s Department of Theatre and Dance at this spring’s Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival National Conference.
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COVER STORY
Stocking Up on Student Relief New Resource Pantry Ensures Homeless Students’ Cupboards & Closets Will Never Be Bare Jennifer Ginelli, Tori Weigant Nuccio, and Pat Holveck ’69
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COVER STORY
hile WCU has a long history of helping students overcome barriers to completing their degrees, it was a revelation to learn that the University enrolls more than 30 homeless students annually. Thanks to Tori Weigant Nuccio, assistant director of financial aid, these remarkable and determined young people are being identified, and efforts are underway to support them along with the growing number of low-income students for whom college costs imperil their academic aspirations. Beyond identifying these students, Nuccio has led efforts to address their needs. To do this, she has collaborated with Jamie Williams, assistant director of service learning and volunteer programs. While Nuccio and Williams work in separate areas of the University with entirely different responsibilities, they
“We’ve been thinking about launching a resource pantry for a long time, and now, we’re ready.” The two received an overwhelming number of high-fives for their brain-child and formed an active 20-member advisory council that has fueled a number of creative ideas for the new West Chester University Resource Pantry. “During our research stage, we contacted Pennsylvania Campus Compact and the College and University Food Bank Alliance (CUFBA) to gain the insight and resources needed to launch the resource pantry. We submitted a proposal for a full-time AmeriCorps Vista member to help combat poverty and found Mariah Laraio ’16,” said Williams. “She is also a perfect fit because she is a WCU alumna who majored in nutrition and already has connections with local community agencies combatting food insecurity.”
have forged an alliance over a shared dream — resources. The two women are on a quest to provide the top five resources that a growing number of WCU students cannot afford on their own or that financial aid dollars cannot stretch to cover: non-perishable food, winter apparel, business attire, school supplies, and basic toiletries. “A student may feel the need to have to choose between buying a textbook or a meal, because they don’t have a meal plan,” said Nuccio, who often works with unaccompanied youth ages 18 through 24 who have no parent to turn to and are facing financial hardships. “They may even have to turn down an interview for a great job or a hard-to-come-by internship, because they don’t have a suit. We just can’t have that.” “Tori and I had the same vision,” said Williams, who, when circumstances are confided, makes it a practice to refer students to local community agencies that are able to provide assistance.
From start to finish, the WCU project has taken nearly two years to get off the ground. “It has been one year of putting it together, and one year of organizing how we can possibly make this work. This involved talking to the right people on campus and off campus. Jamie has fantastic relationships with the agencies that will be key players, including the Chester County Food Bank, that will help replenish our stock,” said Nuccio. The resource pantry is located in Lawrence Hall in a discrete location. “The University has given this area to us at a time when space on campus is in high demand and low supply,” stated Williams. “We consider ourselves quite fortunate. Some college and university pantries are located in a small closet, while others are operating off campus.” Nuccio and Williams emphasize that the resource pantry is currently in a “soft launch” due to its size. “Monetary gifts are always appreciated, because it gives the ability to purchase
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COVER STORY
Agnes & Roger Ware
Serving Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Beyond the Resource Pantry
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ealizing there was a need on campus, Roger B. Ware ’82 and his wife, Agnes, made a five-year pledge to provide significant support to create a Student Emergency Fund that provides resources to WCU unaccompanied students who need a variety of more immediate services. “Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Ware, students identified as unaccompanied homeless youth will be able to have unexpected emergency expenses covered,” said Assistant Director of Financial Aid Tori Weigant Nuccio. “For example, if there are any gaps in a student’s medical coverage, it’s nice to know that they may be able to purchase the medicine that they need.” In addition to medical care, the Wares’ gift to the Student Emergency Fund makes it possible to provide food, clothing, books, and other basic essentials. Often, students who are homeless struggle to finish their degrees because they lack financial support for everyday expenses that most students take for granted. The Wares’ generous gift ensures that WCU students will be able to focus on their end goal — a college degree.
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exactly what is being asked for at a specific time,” said Nuccio, who was thrilled to be able to serve the pantry’s first customer the day after she, Laraio and Williams secured 356 pounds of food from the Chester County Food Bank. The space in Lawrence is indeed unique. “We have access to a stairwell that is not being used, so a more private entrance is available for appointments if desired,” said Williams. “We even have bags that look like WCU totes for items and groceries. We will also have separate ID numbers that will allow us to keep track of supplies, while protecting students’ identities.” The two have literally thought of everything, including affiliating the pantry with an office that is dedicated to helping students secure financial aid. By being associated with the Schlock Financial Aid Office, students who would benefit most from assistance can be identified. “When a student tells us that they have a need for the pantry, we can provide information about the benefits of financial literacy, so they can become self-sufficient. We want to make sure that students know what aid is available to help them as well,” said Nuccio. Using a three-tier system, WCU students’ varying levels of need will determine how often they frequent the pantry. Students who qualify for an unaccompanied homeless youth determination will receive unlimited access to the pantry. Students receiving Pell Grants, which are need-based federal grants for undergraduate students with low household incomes, will be able to visit weekly. Those students who receive any type of need-based financial aid will be able to make monthly trips. As the dream has transformed into reality, so has the operational support needed to make the effort work 365 days a year. “Without Dave [’68] and Pat Holveck [’69], the resource pantry would have taken at least two more years to get off the ground,” shared Nuccio. “Most people can’t imagine the operating expenses that are involved with running a resource pantry. We knew we had the University’s support in helping to provide a space, but we felt that requesting an operating budget would have been asking for so much more.” Thanks to the Holvecks’ Lightening the Load Foundation, the first three years of the resource pantry’s operating expenses are being provided. “We know now that we can afford a computer, phone, clothing racks, hangers, and other start-up items. All of these essentials are difficult to purchase with money raised from a student fundraiser. The
COVER STORY
Jamie, Mariah and Tori (seated) gather with members of the Resource Pantry Advisory Council. The council is comprised of those who come from all areas of the University, as well as throughout the greater community. Pictured standing are (L to R) Phoebe Kitson, program manager, Chester County Food Bank; Jodi Roth-Saks, director, Service Learning and Volunteer Programs; Jahmai Fisher, WCU student; Deborah Cornell Naughton, director, Alumni Relations; Skip Hutson, director, Office of Multicultural Affairs; Julie Dietrich, director, Government Relations, Widener University; Kathleen Mundy, nurse, Student Health Services; Margo McDonough, writer/researcher, President’s Office; Debra Isaacs Schafer, founder and CEO, Education Navigation; Kristy Slusser, assistant director, Schlock Financial Aid; and Sandra Jones, director, Off-Campus and Commuter Services.
Holvecks’ support literally puts the resource pantry to work,” said Williams. “Our foundation works to help those in our community,” said WCU alumna and President of the Lightening the Load Foundation Pat Holveck, who was moved to offer assistance after reading an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer about the University’s efforts to support WCU students who are in need. “This is the perfect partnership and we are most excited about it. Everyone has challenges and we do not want these students to be defined by their life circumstances; they are not alone. It is wonderful that WCU continually looks for resources that are going to make positive experiences for its students. We are delighted to be part of this impressive work.” Jennifer Ginelli, a trustee of the foundation and the Holvecks’ daughter, was in agreement. “There is a lot of discussion about getting students from high school to college,
and then securing scholarships for them to go to college. There’s not a lot of discussion, however, about what happens once students get to college,” she said. “Really, the success is the student’s graduation. In speaking with Tori, we were enlightened about the gaps. We learned that things so simple as toiletries and food can make a significant difference in someone’s success. It’s about graduating, getting a job, having the right resources, and getting students on their way. It is not about focusing on what is missing, but focusing on where students are trying to go.” The Holvecks are right — it is all about the students. Most inspiring about the West Chester University Resource Pantry are the individual student stories of perseverance, determination, and drive to secure a college education. In the end, there can be no better legacy for the West Chester University Resource Pantry and all those who are coming together to fill its shelves.
Those interested in learning how to make a monetary donation are welcome to contact Molly Callanan at the WCU Foundation at mcallanan@wcufoundation.org or call 610.436.2868, extension 4158. Questions about how to make a referral may be emailed to pantry@wcupa.edu
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SPORTS NEWS
Dick Yoder Day Celebrated at Farrell Stadium Family and friends of the late Dick Yoder celebrated his life and legacy on October 8. Pictured (L-R): Sen. Andy Dinniman; Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Zeb Davenport; family members Jack Yoder, Kathy Yoder-Schlosser, Jean Yoder, Susan Yoder-Schick, and Richard Yoder II; Susan Fiorentino, wife of WCU Interim President Chris Fiorentino; Mayor Carolyn Comitta; and Director of Athletics Ed Matejkovic.
W
est Chester University and the Borough of West Chester lost a pillar in the community when Richard B. Yoder ’59, often referred to as “The Mayor” or “Mr. West Chester,” passed away on May 3, 2016. Yoder’s wife, Jean, and the WCU Foundation have begun a scholarship in the late Dick Yoder’s name in honor of his commitment to our country, community, and the University. The Richard B. “Dick” Yoder ’59 Football Scholarship Fund will benefit future West Chester University Golden Rams football players, while carrying on the tradition started by Yoder so many years ago. The University paid tribute to his legacy on Dick Yoder Day, Saturday, October 8, when the WCU Golden Rams football team faced off against the Shippensburg Raiders. A
special halftime event featured the presentation of a check for the Richard B. Yoder ’59 Football Scholarship Fund. Among those joining in the presentation were Jean Yoder, Senator Andy Dinniman, West Chester Borough Mayor Carolyn Comitta, Sue Fiorentino ’86, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Zeb Davenport, and Director of Athletics Ed Matejkovic ’69. “Thanks to the generosity of so many, we are very excited that we have permanently endowed this scholarship in Dick’s memory,” said Matejkovic. “Getting this scholarship to the endowment level was very important to us. It means that Dick Yoder’s legacy at WCU will live on assisting talented student athletes, which will help to maintain our long and proud winning tradition. We are committed to continuing to raise funds for this scholarship to honor a great man who has contributed so much to our University and this community.”
DONATIONS to the scholarship fund are welcome and can be made online at www.wcufoundation.org/givedickyoderday.
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CULTURAL EVENTS
CULTURAL EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS
DEC 3
DECEMBER
2 WCU Planetarium: Dethroning the Earth
3 WCU Live! The Greatest Pirate Story Ever Told
3 School of Music:
WCU Live! THE GREATEST PIRATE STORY EVER TOLD
95th Annual Holiday Program
9-18 Brandywine Ballet: The Nutcracker 2016 JANUARY
14-15 Alumni Dance Chapter: Winter Dance Festival
26-29 Gilbert and Sullivan: Ruddigore
27 WCU Planetarium:
JAN 27
Mars and Venus FEBRUARY
1 Artist Reception: Karl Kuerner Art, Spirit, and Beyond
WCU Planetarium MARS AND VENUS
4 Miss West Chester University 2017
17 WCU Live! Cirque Zuma Zuma
25 WCU Live! Committed
For a full schedule of events please visit Cultural & Community Affairs at wcupa.edu/oca & the College of Arts & Humanities at wcupa.edu/arts-humanities/ eventsCalendar.aspx.
Feb 25
WCU Live! COMMITTED
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ALUMNI
West Chester UNIVERSITY October 21-22
2016 18 WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY
ALUMNI
Homecoming IN REVIEW WCUAA
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ALUMNI PROFILE
Andrew Jenks ’13: 2016 Paralympics Silver Medalist
“D
o something that makes you angry,” says Andrew Jenks ’13, recalling counsel he once received that played a role in guiding his academic path. That piece of advice, from Julio Carrion, associate professor of political science and international relations at the University of Delaware, helped galvanize the direction Jenks took as he pursues his Ph.D. at Delaware. Born with incomplete achromatopsia, a non-progressive congenital retinal condition characterized by decreased vision, light sensitivity, and partial color blindness, Jenks gravitated towards disability politics following his undergraduate years at WCU. “The more I read and learned, the more I began to feel that disability studies, particularly in the U.S., needed a perspective engaged with the study of politics.” Originally energized by traditional American politics, he found himself drawn to the narrower examination. Moreover, deficient policies, philosophies and attitudes sometimes hit home. “I would wonder, am I part of a social contract?” Now, coming down the homestretch of his doctoral work, the consideration of disability issues within the political landscape is the focal point of his scholarship. Jenks is particularly interested in federal disability policy and how the attitudes and opinions that help shape those policies are reflected in social policy. He brings to that study an unusual perspective: a member of the U.S. Men’s Goalball Team, Jenks was part of the six-man squad that earned the Silver Medal at the 2016 Paralympics in Brazil. Goalball, a sport played by blind and visually impaired athletes, is the only team sport played internationally that is not adapted from an able-bodied sport. In competing globally at the highest levels, Jenks is afforded rare insight into disability policies and world views that characterize contemporary societies. It also allows him to strive for athletic success on a scale few individuals ever realize. Jenks was introduced to goalball in 2000 at a sports day sponsored by the Delaware Association of Blind Athletes. There, he met John Mulhern, a member of the U.S. Men’s Goalball Team, and coach Greg Gontaryk, and the two soon took him under their wing. By 16 years of age, Jenks was a member of the U.S. World Youth Team and, by 19, was competing on the sport’s premier stage with the U.S. Men’s World Team. Now, with silver and bronze medals in the trophy case, he and his teammates have their eyes on Tokyo, the 2018 games, and a run at the gold. He chuckles as he says goalball “is an old person’s game — athletes compete into their late 20s and 30s,” but he’s mindful of the commitment that accompanies that goal. “You
20 WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY
can stay competitive until what might be considered too old in some sports, but there’s no shortcut to get there.” The excitement in his voice as he thinks about the team’s prospects in 2018 is somewhat tempered as he recalls five-day-a-week training and the team’s intense summer residency program. “I’ve certainly learned time management,” he says cheerfully. “Balancing my studies with the demands of training teaches you that if nothing else. The road to Rio meant a lot of studying in airports,” he laughs. As he speaks with obvious affection for teammates and coaches, for those who contribute so much “even if they’re one cut away from making the team,” and about the thrill of winning the medal, he leaves little doubt a few more such hassles would be a small price to pay for another run at gold.
ALUMNI
A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
WCUAA CHAPTER NEWS BLACK ALUMNI CHAPTER Officers: Deidre Gray - President Lovisha Love-Diggs - Interim Vice President Adrena Carter - Secretary Tiffany Robertson Brown - Treasurer
Whenever Thanksgiving rolls around, we gather with family and friends to give thanks for what we have. I know that it’s not always easy to be thankful for what you have. I experienced that first-hand last year when my husband died suddenly on Thanksgiving day. Since then, I have learned that life really is too short. We made plans to do things in the future that never happened — a luxury vacation, a family reunion and contacting friends who we lost touch with over the years. We get too wrapped-up in what we don’t have and do not focus on what we do have. We all have friends and family who we have lost touch with. Would’ve... could’ve... should’ve... but didn’t. Don’t let this happen to you. Are you wondering what happened to your classmates who you spent at least four years with at WCU? Join our alumni community to find them. Register at www.wcualumni. org or log in to the online community to update your information, find a classmate or submit a class note. Follow us on all of our social media platforms where alumni have daily conversations and share their, thoughts and stories. My year of lasts was 2015, and 2016 was my year of firsts. Make 2017 your year of firsts and reconnect now. You will be very thankful that you did.
“
DEBBIE CORNELL NAUGHTON Director, Alumni Relations dnaughton@wcupa.edu JENNA CARDACIOTTO BIRCH ’06 Assistant Director of Alumni Relations jbirch@wcupa.edu 610-436-2813 alumni@wcupa.edu www.wcualumni.org
The chapter has hosted several events so far this year: • Two happy hours in August • School supply drive • Back to school mentoring mixer in September for returning students • Homecoming welcome reception • Homecoming/silent party • Friendsgiving happy hour with the Chester County Chapter
CHESTER COUNTY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION First and foremost, we’d like to extend congratulations to our Chester County Chapter Vice President Brigid Gallagher for representing Philadelphia in the Rose of Tralee International Festival in Ireland. Congratulations to Nicholas Marcil of Conestoga HS and Sarah Kentworthy of Downingtown West HS for being awarded Chester County Chapter scholarships for their academics and extra-curricular activities participation at the scholarship brunch on September 24. On November 6, our chapter hosted “Yoga and Sips for Scholarships.” The 40-participant Yoga class was led by Molly Mitnick, 2006 alum and founder of Bikram Yoga of Doylestown, and followed by a local craft beer tasting at Levante Brewing. Learn more at www.bikramyogadoylestown.com and www.LevanteBrewing.com. Our Friendsgiving event to collect food for the Chester County Food Bank at Levante was held on November 15. Please visit and like the *NEW* Chester County Chapter’s Alumni Association Facebook page to keep up with the latest events and happenings: www.facebook.com/ WCUChesterCounty. All future chapter meetings are posted on our Facebook page. We’ve implemented bringing canned goods to each meeting to donate to our on-campus WCU Resource Pantry for students in need. Please join our growing chapter!
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a Paul Harris Fellow in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among people.
Williams ’59
Walton ’79
Ford-Roegner ’69
Barragree ’89
Gadsden ’73
Marino ’90
Mauck ’79
Torralvo ’97
Ross Care ’63 wrote the book Disney Legend: Wilfred Jackson, A Life in Animation, which is going into publication and will be out this winter. Jackson was one of the major Disney animation directors who helped develop the sound system for the first Mickey Mouse short, Steamboat Willie. Roger Sanders ’64 was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame on April 14. Patricia Ford-Roegner ’69 received the American Nurses Association lifetime public policy award (entitled the Barbara Curtis Award 2016) in late June.
1970s Davidse ’07
Impagliazzo ’10
1940s Richard Hauer Costa ’43 was honored on his 95th birthday, July 5th, by the residents of Preswick Glen, a retirement community in New Hartford, NY. Professor Costa taught British literature at Texas A&M University, 1970-90, where he was honored twice for distinguished teaching. He published seven books, including critical biographies of H.G. Wells, Malcolm Lowry, and Alison Lurie. He also published an Upstate NY memoir on Edmund Wilson, Safe at Home: A Baseball Wife’s Story and Harry Baur’s Last Performance. At West Chester, he was editor-in-chief of Quad Angles during his senior year. He lives at Preswick Glen with his wife Marie Jo, also a teacher, and their son 22 WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY
Burton ’11 Philip, a Peace Corps volunteer on St. Kitts, an island in the eastern Caribbean.
1950s Retired Army colonel and prostate cancer survivor Jim Williams ’59 was featured on the cover of Cancer Today magazine’s summer edition.
1960s Christian (Chris) Malmgren ’62 and Angela (Angie) Rossi ’63 have been married for 53 years and have been co-directors of a non-profit organization entitled Jesus House Prayer & Renewal Center for 41 years. They have received a commendation from the State of Delaware for their service to the community. Angie has also been named
Tom Faustman ’70 recently published his fourth book, Dylan’s Chase, which is available on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble. Savas Beatie LLC, a leading military and general history publishing company, recently released a new book by Bradley M. Gottfried ’71, The Maps of the Wilderness: An Atlas of the Wilderness Campaign, May 2-7, 1864, the latest in their groundbreaking Military Atlas Series that takes a unique look at each of the key campaigns and battles of the Civil War. Rev. Nathaniel Gadsden ’73, community impact manager for the United Way of the Capital Region, Enola, PA, was awarded the 30th Anniversary Leadership Harrisburg Area 2016 Platinum Award for Servant Leadership. Nathaniel, a 1987 graduate of Leadership Harrisburg, is a pastor, television and radio host,
ALUMNI
and serves on various boards of directors in the Harrisburg area. Linda Milanese Kerschner ’76 had two books published this summer, Kat’s Kittens and Cheerful Chopper to the Rescue, each written for children ages 6 to 8. A portion of the sales from Kat’s Kittens will go to local animal shelters. Cheerful Chopper to the Rescue will benefit the American Helicopter Museum. Three other books, a series about her Italian heritage, are also in print. Thomas McCabe ’76 had an article published in the Middle East journal Middle East Quarterly and military journal Small Wars Journal. Tom is a retired career analyst for the U.S. Department of Defense and a retired lieutenant colonel from the U.S. Air Force Reserve. Tony Sparano ’76, M’79 has retired as principal from the Upper Merion Area School District. He also worked as a teacher and principal in the Great Valley, William Penn and North Penn School Districts. Tony was selected as Pennsylvania’s National Distinguished Principal in 2014-15 and was the recipient of the Valley Forge Optimist Club’s Partner in Education Award for 2015-16. Celeste DiFulvio Sparano ’76 has retired as a classroom teacher from the Tredyffrin-Easttown School District. Celeste taught elementary and middle school students for 32 years. Rick Mauck ’79 and Jessica Killinger, on behalf of her grandfather Dr. Glenn Killinger, were inducted into the Capital Area Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame at a June ceremony in Harrisburg. Rick recently retired following a 35-year career as an educator and high school football coach. Coach Mauck played for the Golden
Rams during the 1975-78 seasons. Rick was especially pleased to learn more about Dr. Killinger from his granddaughter after having lived in Killinger Hall during his freshman and sophomore years. Jeff Walton ’79 has published his first novel, Final Departure: Death is never on time. Jeff, who spent nearly 30 years as a NCIS special agent, draws on his career experiences to craft a story about life, death, and the afterlife. Part fiction and part Christian apologetics, the book blends commentary on higher education, religion, and national security. More information can be found at www. jeffwaltonbooks.com.
1980s David McDermott ’80 is retiring from the East Norriton Township Police Department with more than 33 years of service with the township as a patrol officer. Dave also spent time as a police dispatcher with the Upper Merion Township Police. Both of these departments are in Montgomery County, PA. Michele LeFevre Doyle ’81 has been selected for induction into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. The Class of 2016 was officially inducted in a ceremony on September 10 at the Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley, MD. Michele was being inducted as a “truly great contributor.” Following the conclusion of her playing career, which included four seasons at WCU and a spot on the U.S. World Cup Team in 1982, she served as a coach, administrator, and game ambassador helping to develop girls’ and women’s lacrosse locally, nationally, and internationally for more than 20 years. Thomas Dean ’82, M’93 was recently hired as an editor in Choral Product Sales at J.W. Pepper. Dean spent 34 years teaching music in
public and private schools, instructing students of all ages in choral music, music theory, composition, voice, piano, and more. He served as chair of the Fine Arts Department for Mount Pleasant High School, as well as the Technology and Secondary Grade Reporting Committees in the Brandywine School District. Deb Dreisbach ’86 accepted a position as lecturer (full-time), Criminal Justice Department, Pennsylvania State University, Berks campus, Reading, PA. Deb was previously the head of the Criminal Justice Department at Rowan College at Burlington County, where she taught courses as well as coordinated the department’s courses, schedule, and activities. Prior to teaching full-time, Deb spent 25 years as a special agent with the federal government and worked as an adjunct professor at DeSales University and Montgomery County Community College. Carol Eggert ’87 was named “Veteran of Influence” this past year by the Philadelphia Business Journal. Carol is the vice president of military and veterans affairs at Comcast. Gregory LaMonaca ’88 has been rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell; 2016 and 2015 Daily Times Best Lawyers for “Family Law”; “Top Lawyer” nine times in Main Line Today Magazine (20092015, 2006 and 2004), and named an “Awesome/Top Attorney” for Family Law and Divorce in Suburban Life Magazine from 2010-2016. LaMonaca is a published author of the Brutally Honest Life Management Journal. Wendy Lappin Barragree ’89 has joined the Philadelphia-area office of Chamberlain Hrdlicka, a diversified business law firm with offices in Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia and San Antonio. F A L L 2 016
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ALUMNI Tom Di Camillo ’89, M’04 was named commissioner of the NCAA Division III State University of New York Athletic Conference in January of 2014. In 2016, he was named to the NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championship Committee and East Region chair, representing the committee at the Division III Frozen Four in Lake Placid, NY. He previously served as the assistant commissioner of the NCAA Division II Pacific West Conference (2006-14) and served on the president’s cabinet as the executive director of public relations, marketing and the CAC Foundation at Central Arizona College in 2013-14. He also served as president of the College Sports Information Directors of America in 2011-12, becoming just the third non-NCAA Division I sports information director to ascend to that role. Tom was the sports information director at West Chester University from 1990-2006.
1990s Sgt. Anthony Marino ’90 received his oath of office as Cape May’s new Chief of Police in August. Frederick Hubler, Jr. ’96, president of Creative Capital Wealth Management Group, sponsored and gave an educational talk to more than 25 NFL players at the New Jersey shore in June. Diana Torralvo ’97 was named director of community relations and communication for NBC10 (WCAU) and Telemundo62 (WWSI). In this newly created role, Diana will serve as the internal and external communications lead for the NBC Universal-owned television stations in the Philadelphia market. Dr. Robert Ross ’99 recently had a book published by the University of Nebraska Press, The Great Baseball Revolt: The Rise and Fall of the 1890 Players League. 24 WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY
2000s Deborah Vail Henne ’03 recently published her first children’s picture book entitled The Little Apple Seed.This book weaves science and character development concepts through an engaging story.
Class of 1951
Steven M. Jones ’04 has been named to the 2016 Pennsylvania Rising Stars list (in the areas of Criminal Defense and Civil Litigation: Plaintiff). Jones is an attorney for Begley, Carlin & Mandio, LLP. Alison McGorry Hooper ’05 continued her post-baccalaureate studies and became a science and language arts teacher in 2011. She was married in 2013 in Annapolis, MD, and in 2015 was recognized as a “Top 5” science teacher in Memphis, TN, for growth and achievement in her classroom. She is currently a 6th grade science teacher, team lead, and part of a teacher coaching program, Leading Educators. Dan Paley ’06 wrote the book Luigi and the Barefoot Races, the tall tale of Luigi, a scrappy Philly kid pegged as the fastest runner in his South Philadelphia neighborhood. This 32-page children’s book was published in October 2015 by Tilbury House. Stefania Davidse ’07 received an award from the Perkiomen Valley Chamber of Commerce in February 2016. Stefania owns the Collegeville Yoga Bar, and her business won the Emerging Business of the Year Award. Casey Impagliazzo ’10 recently accepted the position of communications manager for the Division of Student Life at the University of Delaware, where she has worked in visual and strategic communications since her graduation from WCU’s
Members of the Class of 1951 gathered following their 65th Class Reunion on May 14, 2016. Seated: Bubbles Morrison Seidenberg, Wanda Warman Cochran, and Jane Bain Henny. Standing: Joan Field Dailey, Isabel Betty Masino Saul, and Joan Crawford Reid.
Classes of 1962-1966
In April, graduates from the classes of 1962 to 1966 gathered on South Hutchinson Island, FL to reminisce and catch up on the latest news. This year, WCU Interim President Christopher Fiorentino attended.
ALUMNI
Class of 1972
communication studies program. Casey credits professors Orr, Pearson, Jenks, and Levasseur for their guidance in skills integral to this newest role, which oversees the efforts of 12 units designed to support students’ personal and academic success at UD. Kyle Beck ’11 started a company called Visiting Angels in Chadds Ford, PA. Kyle currently has 35 employees and cares for a large number of seniors in the area, offering them in-home care.
Members of the 1972 National Championship Women’s Swim team met this summer in Ocean City, NJ. From left to right: Nina Kruzel Smith ’73, Julie Notorfrancesco MacMullan ’74, Eve Atkinson ’74, M’78, Corinne Schmidli Quinn ’74, Betty Poirier Dawson ’73, and Mary Beth Krawchuck ’74.
Class of 1975
To celebrate their 40th anniversary from graduating WCU, these eight college friends took a river cruise down the Danube in July of 2015. They visited four countries. From left to right: Linda Wiederhold McAleer ’75, Georgann Lucariello ’75, Jean Kosits ’75, Mary Claire McIntyre Curran ’75, Mary Jean Wright Sokolik ’75, Deb Lukens Randall ’75, Ann Shepos ’75, and Lynne Aiello Ewing ’76.
William J. Burton ’11 has joined Montgomery McCracken as an associate in the Wilmington office. William has experience in civil, criminal, and corporate law, and has worked on matters related to wrongful termination, personal injury, workers compensation, and social security. Prior to joining Montgomery McCracken, William served as a law clerk to the Honorable M. Jane Brady of the Delaware Superior Court. Matthew J. Clark ’11 was recently promoted to manager in the small business tax group of Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP (Baker Tilly). He has been with the firm since 2011. He specializes in serving the financial needs of high net worth individuals and small businesses. John Allegretto ’12 recently joined the firm Rubin, Fortunato & Harbison P.C. Prior to joining Rubin Fortunato, John was an associate at Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker in Philadelphia. Renee Kojanis Cuomo ’12 received her DDS degree from New York University in May. She graduated first in her class with multiple academic honors in advanced education and was inducted into the Omega Kappa Upsilon honor society. She graduated summa
cum laude from West Chester University in 2012 with a BS in Biology. She started her residency in orthodontics at Columbia University in July. Joseph “Joey” Wendle ’13 was called up to the big leagues by MLB’s Oakland Athletics. A second baseman, he made his debut August 31 against the Houston Astros, reaching base safely and scoring a run in his first career at bat.
SUBMIT your class notes to the Office of Alumni Relations at www.wcualumni.org
in memoriam 1933 Mildred Lawfer Wilson 1941 Mary Monroe Serafini 1945 Helen Reed Baughman 1948 Jane Thompson Dieffenbach 1951 Robert Bell, Sr. 1951 Wanda Warman Cochran 1955 Elizabeth Ilgenfritz Beckmeyer 1956 John Archer 1956 Lois Rohlfing Sands 1957 Telene Russoli Shada 1959 Albert Ferraro 1962 Joseph Brownholtz 1962 Bruce Sands 1963 Jean Miller Galeone 1963 Yvonne Dashiell Tilghman 1965 Barry Jenner 1966 Valerie Howitt Fiedel 1969 G. Robert Meko 1970 Donald Wieder 1971 John Howard 1986 Diane Rofini 2007 Dorian Dumas, Jr. 2007 Tyrone Patton DEATH NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE Contact the Alumni Relations Office with a copy of the decedent’s obituary from a newspaper or the internet, or, a copy of a letter or email from a family member of the deceased. Please note: death notifications will not be accepted via telephone. F A L L 2 016
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ALUMNI
Marriages (1) Linsey Wisor ’07 to Michael Aviles (2) William Scanlan ’13 to Brittany Watts ’15 Ramzee Stanton ’03 to Kristen Cuthbert’01
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Engagements (3) Carrie Rupp ’12 to Mark McKernan ’08 (4) Kathryn Markovits ’16 to John Coleman, Jr. (5) Hilary Pyo ’15 to Ryan Mulligan ’16
(5)
(6)
(7)
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(6) Melanie Riland ’15 to Francis Reppert, Jr. ’14 (7) Greg Offner, Jr. ’05 to Kimberly Graf
Photo Submission Guidelines Photos should be no less than 300 DPI and in JPG format.
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(10)
If you are scanning a printed photo, please set the scanning resolution to at least 300 dpi. Digital camera and/or cell phone shots should be taken on the highest resolution setting available. Photos should be emailed as an attachment, not pasted into the email or document.
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We reserve the right to not publish a photo of low quality, and not all photos can be published. Please send your photos as email attachments to the attention of the WCU Alumni Relations Office at alumni@wcupa.edu.
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future alumni (8) Ryan Blackman ’10 and wife Dana welcomed Isla Elisabeth Blackman in June 2016 (9) Lorie Mason ’94 and wife Shannon Mason welcomed their daughter Ryann Helen Mason on May 9, 2016 (10) Dr. Linda Jacobi Acker ’03, M’09 and Elliot Acker ’08 welcomed Elliot James Acker in May 2016 (11) Chris Hastie ’06 and Kristin Spirk Hastie ’06 welcomed CJ Hastie in August 2016 (12) Brittany Dize Mizenko ’08 and Edward Mizenko, Jr. welcomed son Liam Joseph Mizenko in May 2016. (13) Jonathan Long ’03 and Jennifer Rossi Long ’05 welcomed daughter Katherine Meduri Long on July 14, 2016.
ALUMNI
RAMS on the Road!
The 9th Annual Rams in the Sand in Sea Isle City, NJ.
Alumni volunteers greeted students on Move-In Day.
Dean Linda Adams with athletic trainer alumni at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) conference in Baltimore, MD.
Vice President and CFO for the Phillies John Nickolas ’90 joins alumni at the July Phillies Phireworks game.
WCU alumni and their families enjoy a hayride at Linvilla Orchards in Media, PA.
Alumni welcomed new students to West Chester University at the freshman send-off ice cream social at Milky Way Farm in Chester Springs, PA. FALL 2 0 1 6
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ALUMNI
2017 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD NOMINATION FORM
2017 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD NOMINEES SOUGHT
Street Address ____________________________________________________
The Distinguished Alumni Awards have been presented by the West Chester University Alumni Association (WCUAA) annually since 1963. The WCUAA Awards Committee seeks candidates to be selected and recognized for this prestigious honor at the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Awards Celebration, which will be held on May 20, 2017 as part of Alumni Weekend.
City/State/Zip ____________________________________________________
The WCUAA Awards Committee is looking for candidates who have:
Phone __________________________________________________________
• Achieved outstanding recognition in their chosen professions,
Name of Nominee_________________________________________________ Class Year(s) _____________________________________________________
Email __________________________________________________________
• R endered unusual service to a particular segment of society either vocationally or avocationally,
Class Year(s) _____________________________________________________
• Achieved outstanding recognition or rendered unusual service by volunteering in a non-profit organization, or
Street Address ____________________________________________________
• Positively influenced large numbers of people throughout a career.
Nominated by ____________________________________________________
City/State/Zip ____________________________________________________ Phone __________________________________________________________ Email __________________________________________________________ Please mail this form to: WCUAA AWARDS COMMITTEE c/o Alumni Relations Office 202 Carter Drive West Chester, PA 19382 To submit this form electronically, visit: www.wcualumni.org. Nominations will be accepted until Dec. 22, 2016.
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If you would like to nominate a deserving alumnus, please complete and mail the form to the Alumni Relations Office at WCU. You may also submit a nomination online via: www.wcualumni.org. Nominations will be accepted until Dec. 22, 2016. Upon receipt of a nomination, a packet will be sent to the nominator for completion. Those who are selected as Distinguished Alumni Award recipients must be able to attend the event on May 20, 2017.
2017 WCUAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS NOMINATION FORM
Nominations are now being accepted for the WCUAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Nominee _________________________________________________________ Class Year(s) ______________________________________________________ Street Address _____________________________________________________ City/State/Zip _____________________________________________________ Phone ___________________________________________________________ Email ___________________________________________________________ Please mail this form to: WCUAA AWARDS COMMITTEE c/o Alumni Relations Office 202 Carter Drive West Chester, PA 19382 To submit this form electronically, visit: www.wcualumni.org. Nominations will be accepted until Dec. 22, 2016.
Nomination forms must be completed and submitted by Dec. 22, 2016. The form will also be available online at www.wcualumni.org. There are six elected seats on the WCUAA Board of Directors each year. Board members are expected to serve a three-year term. The terms of the newly elected members will begin on July 1, 2017. There will be a minimum of six (6) and a maximum of twelve (12) candidates on the election ballot. Board elections ballots will be available in the next issue of the WCU Magazine. You may nominate yourself to run for the Board of Directors. After all nominations are received, nominees will receive a detailed description of duties associated with being a board member. and a biographical form to complete. This must be completed in its entirety to finalize the nomination. Nominations will be accepted until Dec. 22, 2016.
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West Chester University West Chester, PA 19383-7401
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Upcoming WCUAA events!
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DECEMBER
APRIL
8 An Evening with Santa
JANUARY
8 Football Coach Reunion in Nashville
FEBRUARY
25 WCU Live! Dinner & a Show Committed
MARCH
11 WCU Live! Dinner & a Show Caladh Nua
21 WCU Live! Dinner & Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
25 Phillies Sunset Happy Hour in Clearwater
26 Rams on the Road: Phillies @ Clearwater
TBD Sarasota Alumni Polo Tailgate
1 34th Annual Presidential Scholarship Community Gala
MAY
5 WCU Live! Dinner & Stunt Dog Experience 12 Class of 2017 Senior Send-Off
19-21 Alumni Weekend Overnight Stays
19 Alumni Weekend Wine & Cheese/Beer Garden
20 Annual Alumni Board Meeting Town Hall
20 Ram Jam
21 Alumni Brunch & Service Project