West Chester University Magazine winter/spring 2017

W I N T E R /S PRING 2017

West Chester University MAGAZINE

President Christopher M. Fiorentino Transforming Challenges into Opportunities

IN THIS ISSUE

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e need to approach the education of our students by preparing them to be adaptable and have a tool kit that will allow them to continue to learn how to transition into new opportunities.

West Chester University President Christopher M. Fiorentino

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On the Cover: Christopher M. Fiorentino

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Upon being named president of West Chester University, Fiorentino was in the midst of doing what he does best — leading.

Alumnus Chris Heivly ’82

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Serial entrepreneur Heivly sees opportunities and impacts others’ success as well as his with The Start-Up Factory.

Alumna Meghan Carrigan ’11

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Alumna mentor Carrigan ’11, director of marketing at the PPL Center in Allentown, PA.

WCUAA Board of Directors Candidates

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Background information and statements from the candidates for WCUAA Board of Directors.

4 University News 10 WCU Profiles 12 Cover Story 16 Sports News

17 Cultural Events 18 Alumni Events 19 Alumni Weekend 22 Alumni Notes

wcupa.edu/socialmedia

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

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enewed. Inspired. Optimistic.

The newness of 2017 brings with it much anticipation and excitement as we embark on a new journey together. I am humbled and deeply honored to have been selected as West Chester University’s 15th president, and I embrace the opportunity for us to continue to work together to advance WCU’s rich tradition of cultivating student success. Our more than 17,000 students, all of whom bring to campus their hopes and dreams for a promising future, deserve no less from each of us.

Over the years, I have been privileged to work alongside many of you on various committees, teams and projects. I have watched a number of your families grow and have even had many of you as students in my classes.

As a result, I know that this University is exceptional because of the talent, professionalism and dedication that you bring to it. Indeed, our incredible enrollment demand reflects the reputation and work of our faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as our community partners.

While we are right to celebrate our success, there can be no resting on our laurels. WCU’s future is our responsibility. Together, we must continue to offer relevant academic programming that provides students with the tools they need for success. This means nurturing students’ abilities to analyze, communicate, and make ethical decisions. It also means sustaining an environment that encourages both the exchange of ideas and appreciation for all differences. By embracing these goals, each new group of graduates will follow in the footsteps of our alumni already making a difference in their professions and communities.

So as you read this issue of WCU Magazine, please note the many alumni who are making considerable contributions to our world and who are beating the drum for justice, faculty who are assuming leadership positions and ensuring the sustainability of our planet, our very first doctoral graduates who are ready to make their mark as WCU’s newest alumni, and much more. Without doubt, there is absolutely no place like West Chester.

Sincerely,

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Editor & Executive Director of Communications Nancy Santos Gainer Associate Editors Matt Born Loretta MacAlpine Design JoAnne Mottola Contributors James Zuhlke President Christopher M. 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

Christopher M. Fiorentino President

WCU is an AA/EEO institution

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(Photo: Erica Thompson)

ELEMENTAL INTERACTION TO THE NTH DEGREE: Dedicated in honor of distinguished former faculty of the Chemistry Department Marc Durand, Philip Rudnick, Robert Foery, Philip Witonsky, and John Mangravite, a stateof-the-art scientific display of the Periodic Table of Elements now greets students and visitors to WCU’s Chemistry Department in the

Schmucker Science Center South. The wooden display, which was manufactured by RGB Research, Ltd., a company in the UK, features real samples of each chemical element, artefacts* demonstrating their applications, and interactive software describing the various properties. The Periodic Table of Elements is an honorary focal point thanks to Jeff Evelhoch ’77, vice president of

translational medicine and head of translational biomarkers at Merck Research Laboratories, and his wife, Nancy, and serves as a handson teaching tool for students. The scientific display is the only one of its kind featured at a public university in the mid-Atlantic region. *scientific meaning

WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY COUNCIL OF TRUSTEES Thomas A. Fillippo ’69 (chair) Barry C. Dozor ’71 Ryan M. Long (student) Christopher Franklin ’87 J. Adam Matlawski ’80 (vice chair) Jonathan Ireland ’95, M’03 Marian D. Moskowitz (secretary) Stephen Kinsey ’81 Eli Silberman Christopher A. Lewis Robert M. Tomlinson ’70 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 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

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 Mark Drochek ’86 Bill Friedmann M’09 Brigid Gallagher ’12 Dean Gentekos ’07 Jamie W. Goncharoff ’82

Matt Holliday ’09 Jerome Hunt ’03, M’06 Jonathan Long ’03 Lovisha Love-Diggs Amy Miller-Spavlik ’90, M’92 Nick Polcini ’00, M’05 William Scottoline ’74 Robert E. Smith ’72 Justin Sochovka ’14 Jeffrey Stein ’91 Denise Bowman Trigo ’98 Michael Willard ’03 Emeriti Carmen Evans Culp ’52, M’64 (deceased) Janice Weir Etshied ’50 (deceased) Karl Helicher ’72, M’82, M’87 Joseph F. Kienle ’72, ’74 Richard D. Merion M’59 John F. Murphy ’43 (deceased) Luther B. Sowers ’49

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UNIVERSITY NEWS

December Commencement Includes WCU’s First Doctoral Grads

Several nursing faculty (front row) joined some of the DNP graduates to celebrate the inaugural class.

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he University’s first doctoral candidates were among the 1,333 graduates at winter commencement ceremonies December 17-18. Twenty-one professionals earned their doctor of nursing practice degrees and two individuals received their doctorates in public administration.

At the ceremony for 436 graduate students, Susan Cusack M’98, executive director of Mercy Catholic Medical Center in Philadelphia, told the audience to seize every opportunity that presents itself. Be calculated risk-takers, she advised. “You’ve proven you’re all risk-takers by being here. Don’t let any opportunities slip away until you’re sure they’re not right for you.”

Two ceremonies were held for the 897 undergraduates. Morning graduates heard from Thomas E. Mills, IV ’81, president of Kratos’ Modular Systems Division, which includes two of the leading suppliers of integrated complex shelter and container systems to the U.S. military, U.S. Department of State, and foreign governments. Mills is also a trustee and vice president of the WCU Foundation Board of Trustees and a member of the Business & Public Management

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Center Campaign Committee, as well as a Distinguished Alumni Award winner.

Paula D. Shaffner, Esq. ’80 addressed the afternoon audience.

A partner at Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, she co-chairs the firm’s Securities Litigation & Enforcement practice group and has routinely been recognized by the Super Lawyer rating service. She has served as president of the WCU Foundation Board of Trustees and is current chair of the Development Committee and the WCU Business and Public Management Center Campaign Committee.

In addition, the President’s Medallion for Service was awarded to three alumni: David P. Holveck ’68 and Patricia Holveck ’69, and Vincent Suppan ’47.

The Holvecks have been staunch WCU supporters for decades.

Dave is a former leader in the pharmaceutical industry, retiring in 2013 as president, chief executive officer, and a director of Endo Pharmaceuticals. He is currently on the boards of the Kimmel Center, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and West Chester University Foundation Board of Trustees, as well as the University City Science

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Center Emeritus Board. He received WCU’s honorary doctorate in public service (2000) and the Distinguished Alumni Award (2007). Pat is president of the Holvecks’ Lightening the Load Foundation. She taught school after earning her bachelor’s degree in elementary education at WCU and developed an interest in improving the well-being of veterans, actively supporting Philadelphia’s veterans mentoring programs. Their foundation has benefitted Philadelphia veterans, education programs at the Kimmel Center, and West Chester University students in need. Most recently, the Lightening the Load Foundation provided WCU with a grant to operate a resource pantry to serve its homeless students.

Vincent Suppan ’47, an ardent WCU supporter, established the Vincent Suppan Scholarship for an undergraduate with a declared major in communicative disorders. He taught high school and was a public school speech clinician before joining the WCU English Department as a professor in 1965. He moved to the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology in 1969, where he remained until his retirement in 1982. Suppan also performed with the Golden Rams Alumni Band for more than 50 years and is a long-time member of the Chester County Chapter of the WCU Alumni Association.

He was inducted into the Sturzebecker Hall of Fame in 2007.

Susan Cusack M’98

President Christopher Fiorentino (left) recognized David P. Holveck ’68 and Patricia Holveck ’69 with the President’s Medallion for Service.

President’s Medallion recipient Vincent Suppan ’47 (center) is pictured with Elizabeth Grillo, associate professor, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Ray Zetts, associate dean, College of Health Sciences.

Thomas E. Mills, IV ’81

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UNIVERSITY NEWS

Chris Heivly ’82: Ready to Launch

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aking an impact is what drives Chris Heivly ’82, “The Startup Whisperer.”

“It is that simple. Either I see a problem and I want to fix it or I see an opportunity and I want to fill that void. If I am successful in either scenario, I make a dent. Bigger dents make me feel good.”

Heivly is the 2016-17 Entrepreneur-in-Residence for the Edwin Cottrell Entrepreneurial Leadership Center in WCU’s College of Business and Public Management. He spoke with students last fall, will video conference with more students this spring, and will be on campus in April to judge the Business Idea Pitch.

A managing director of The Startup Factory, the largest seed investment firm in the Southeast, and a founder of MapQuest, Heivly has personally directed more than $75 million in investment capital on behalf of these and other companies.

He got his start at West Chester — or maybe earlier, if you consider his collaborative building projects with childhood friends. The business of building and launching a business is the lesson of his popular TEDx talk, which he crafted into his 2015 book Build the Fort. His goal was providing a simple analogy “that would inspire those on the fence about starting 6 WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY

something to start something. What I have heard is that [the book] does that. Not bad for a guy who failed freshman English at WCU almost 40 years ago.”

Heivly majored in geography but says it wasn’t because he had a plan. He found his first geography class interesting, “then took a computer mapping class the following semester, and the professor and the content just spoke to me. It was new and unknown and, in retrospect, combined two things I ended up being very interested in: computers and mapping.”

Wes Thomas,who is now retired, was that professor. Heivly recalls spending hours with him “talking about computers and mapping. He helped me get to graduate school [University of South Carolina] where Dave Cowan became my new Wes Thomas.”

Many of Heivly’s early role models “became mentors for me. …

Now, I look at role models as people who inspire me to be the best version of who I am today.”

Even if students aren’t planning to launch a business, Heivly advises, “Every student should learn how to write computer code. … Every company is a tech company today. So having a basic understanding of how a computer program is developed and applied to a problem should be a requirement for every college student.”

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Pictured (L to R): James Lindsay, Suni Blackwell, Shariff Blackwell, and Jerome “Skip” Hutson, director of WCU’s Lawrence A. Dowdy Multicultural Center and interim president of the Frederick Douglass Society. (Photo: Melissa Rudolph)

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or the first time at the University’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration, two brothers received the Drum Major for Justice award, which honors alumni whose professional lives and vocational activities have reflected Dr. King’s ideals.

Suni ’03 and Shariff ’02 Blackwell maintain careers while holding executive positions with C.B.S. United, Inc., a non-profit they launched in 2009 in honor of their late mother. Based in Chester, PA, where they grew up and now give back, the organization guides at-risk youth toward good citizenship by providing opportunities to participate in academic, athletic, character/ social developmental, and health awareness activities. It offers mentorship, scholarship, life skills, employment/networking resources, as well as conducts local diabetes awareness events and drives for back-to-school supplies, among other initiatives.

Professionally, Suni is director of wellness, athletics & recreation at Delaware County Community College. Shariff is a case

manager supervisor at Comhar, Inc., a human services organization in Philadelphia, and a part-time outpatient therapist at Silver Springs Martin Luther School.

James Lindsay ’97 was also recognized as a Drum Major. A reentry parole officer specialist in Chester County for 20 years, he has positively impacted thousands of individuals who reenter the community following incarceration. Through his sports and entertainment management and production company, Studio 9 Enterprise, LLC, he also conducts healing drum circles for communities.

The University held its MLK events on January 26, once students, faculty, and staff had returned to campus following winter break.

Many joined the annual service project: making no-sew blankets for children at local hospitals and “Fleece for Keeps” for children in foster care.

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UNIVERSITY NEWS

David Cook

Loving the Numbers & Beating the Odds

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avid Cook is a man whose life is at the very least flavored by, if not driven by, numbers. His love for mathematics stretches back “for as long as I can remember,” he says. “Since first grade. I just loved math, even then.”

Today, some numbers are especially meaningful for him.

Take 24,600, which is the exceedingly small number of actuaries in the United States, according to the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report. Cook, a senior studying actuarial science, is on his way to achieving the required, but challenging Society of Actuaries (SOA) associates certification, the first hurdle toward eventual society fellowship. In the United States, the necessary certification comes from either SOA or the Casualty Actuarial Society, and either path comes with a veritable Hadrian’s Wall of formidable exams. Fellowship calls for as many as a dozen exams, each demanding hundreds of hours of study and preparation while carrying an ominous national pass rate of about 30 percent. (There’s another defining number.) With two of the exams already under his belt, Cook displays no doubt about where his path is leading.

Then there’s 3.979, a figure that goes a long way toward explaining why the daunting task of SOA certification isn’t particularly intimidating to Cook. It’s his grade point average, which reflects two classes in which he did not earn an A. As you might expect, he can indeed pinpoint that moment: “Two A minuses, the first semester of my freshman year,” he says, in a neutral, matter-of-fact way.

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Ultimately, actuarial science demands expertise in a number of interrelated subjects, including mathematics, probability theory, statistics, finance, economics, and computer science. For Cook, that ongoing study means entering WCU’s Applied Statistics graduate studies program next fall.

Then there’s one in 68 — as in the current number of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cook is one of those, having been diagnosed with autism when he was three. His parents shared that diagnosis with him a few years later. “I always knew there was something missing in my life,” he says. “My peers were always ahead of me on the social scene. It helped me to start understanding why that was.”

A spectrum condition that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees, ASD is a complex developmental disability that plays out in a huge variety of ways from one person to the next. For Cook, it was partly about the battle to find “people to share things with.”

At West Chester, Cook has found a supportive environment, with both individuals and resources to help him. This year, the newly initiated Dub-C Autism Program (D-CAP) has proved to be an especially welcome resource. The D-CAP program provides social and behavior supports to help WCU students with autism develop the independent life and interpersonal skills to graduate and lead successful professional lives. It also partly addresses the phenomenon called “aging out,” a moniker used to describe the loss of support systems faced by older children and young adults as they mature. For many, their network of support is aimed at childhood and virtually ceases when the individual reaches the teen years. For Cook, D-CAP has meant increased opportunity to do what many take for granted: to socialize, have lunch with friends, watch movies together — in short, to address that need to find friends to share things with.

“I had excellent resources from the Delaware Autism Program when I was young,” says Cook. “One-to-one support from faculty who really helped me.” But by the age of 12, he says, he was deemed “advanced enough to leave the program — to be completely, I guess, mainstream,” he says. That made the high school years challenging.

“I had reached the age where kids start exploring the world, and I wish I had some extra guidance for that.” Noting the infancy of the D-CAP program — “they just got new furniture a month ago” — he looks forward to its growth. “I’m certain there will be more and more members every year.”

For Cook, the future promises growth, too, not to mention the continuation of an unusually challenging academic career at WCU and the specter of years of vexing certification exams. Typically, though, he seems completely undaunted by the challenges that lie ahead; with a developing actuary’s outlook, the numbers always suggest promise to him. “West Chester’s a great school. I feel accepted here, and I’m really looking forward to doing my graduate work here.”

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Girls Rock on Super Science Saturday

Distance Education Staff Wins Best iBook Honor

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en Ways Teachers Tame Twitter, the first multi-touch book from WCU’s Office of Distance Education (ODE), has won Best iBook of the Year under the Education (School Activities) category at the second annual iBooks Author Conference.

Marc Drumm, an instructional designer in the ODE, was a finalist among creators from Apple Education and PBS Learning Media.

Using Apple’s iBooks Author, Drumm crafted an interactive experience in Apple’s Multi-Touch format, whose features include touching an image to access more information and rotating 3-D figures. “For my first time creating a Multi-Touch book, I tried to keep it simple and primarily included audio and video.”

Ten Ways explores how faculty and graduate students from such institutions as Johns Hopkins University, MIT, and UCLA have embraced Twitter to engage their students both in and out of class, collect research data, and communicate and collaborate with individuals around the world. Drumm plans a minor update to the book this spring and a more extensive update later with additional examples.

Ten Ways Teachers Tame Twitter is available to download for free from the iBooks Store and can be viewed on any Mac, iPad, or iPhone using the iBooks app.

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early 100 girls in grades 6-12 were in Merion Science Center conducting hands-on experiments at the University’s annual Super Science Saturday on November 19.

“Studies have shown that girls start to lose interest in science as they enter middle school,” notes organizer Karen Schwarz, astronomer and associate professor in WCU’s Earth and Space Sciences Department. “Our goal is to educate girls about the various careers that are available in the STEM fields [science, technology, engineering, math], shatter some stereotypes, and show them that science can be fun.”

Annually, she is joined by some of the University’s other women faculty scientists. This year, Schwarz brought in two women engineers thanks to her connection with the American Helicopter Museum and Education Center in West Chester.

Volunteers from the Women in Computer Science club included ​Annelise Stull. A secondary education mathematics major with a computer science minor, she says, “It’s time to bridge the gender gap and promote STEM fields to females — especially at an early age. I didn’t take my first computer science class until college (my high school did not have any computer science classes), so I want to provide an opportunity that I did not have to my future students.”

Marc Drumm

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FACULTY PROFILE

Gotta

Fran Cleland

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f you dance like no one’s watching, Fran Cleland may jump up to join you.

“Dance is an important part of physical education across grade levels because it provides a vehicle for self-expression,” explains the professor and assistant chair of WCU’s Kinesiology Department. “It also offers an opportunity for taking an idea and translating it into movement, which promotes critical thinking and problem solving.

Creating dances also promotes collaboration among students.”

Her leadership, teaching, and research on implementing critical thinking in K-12 physical education, her advocacy for health and physical education in schools, and her professional involvement are being rewarded. In March, Cleland becomes president of SHAPE America: the Society of Health and Physical Educators at the organization’s 10 WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY

Dance

convention. She will deliver the Margaret Paulding Lecture on “Women Daring to Dance,” which she says will examine how women “made dance accessible to all, the pedagogy they employed, and the movement technique(s) they developed.”

With 16,000+ members, SHAPE America is the nation’s largest organization in the field. From 2012-2015, Cleland served on its board of directors. The group also honored her with the 2016 Margie R. Hanson Elementary Physical Education Distinguished Service Award for her contributions during her 42-year career.

“I have won a lot of awards but this one meant the most because I personally knew Margie,” she reflects. “I was happy to be recognized for something I have been passionate about and dedicated to for so many years.”

She is also past president of both the former National Association for Sport and Physical Education and the Pennsylvania State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, which honored her with the 2010 Elmer B. Cottrell award. She has been inducted into the North American Society of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport & Dance Professionals.

Cleland is lead author on the textbook Developmental Physical Education for All Children – Theory into Practice (5th ed.), including the first online editions of instructor and student study guides. Released last fall, this edition took six years to complete and she’s hoping that the educators and students who use it get her message: “We are all destined to move.”

STUDENT PROFILE

Helion Achieves New Heights

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ohn Helion is the 2016 recipient of the Elmer B. Cottrell Award*, the highest award granted by the Pennsylvania State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (PSAHPERD).

“To be placed among the most passionate people in our field — I am just so honored,” said the WCU kinesiology and Honors College professor.

“It’s especially meaningful to be honored by the state organization I’ve been active in for more than 25 years.”

Helion served numerous roles for PSAHPERD, including president 2008-2010; legislative chair of the executive board; early childhood committee chair; vice president for physical education; and twice president of PSAHPERD’s southeast district.

Beyond PSAHPERD, he has been president of the Eastern District, American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance 20122013. Since 2010, he has served on the assessment task force for the National Association for Sport and Physical Education.

“The most rewarding part of my career is watching my students succeed and go on to be state organization VPs, earn their doctorates, become professors. … They pass on their knowledge and can change the world for the better — that’s what’s important.” * The Cottrell name may be familiar to the WCU community.

The College of Business and Public Management’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Center is named for Elmer’s son, Edwin.

John Helion

Ethan Healey

Art and Social Change:

EMT Makes a Difference

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than Healey hasn’t personally faced addiction but he’s seen the effects of an opioid overdose as the nation’s heroin epidemic expands. As an EMT with Good Fellowship Ambulance, he has had to administer Naloxone (Narcan), the “miracle” medication that can immediately reverse the effects that heroin and certain prescription pain drugs have on the body.

Last year, more than 110 people in Chester County had Healey to thank for saving their lives, even though he was not present. As manager of Project Naloxone, Healey is responsible for distributing more than 400 Narcan kits to police departments in the county and for training more than 700 police officers — including WCU Public Safety officers — to use them in overdose situations. For his initiative, he became the first recipient of the Chester County Association of Township Officials

President’s Award for Meritorious Service.

Service is in the DNA for this fulltime WCU business management major. Following his now-retired father’s lead, he has applied to the Pennsylvania State Police. His mother is a retired Army captain.

Healey is also a full-time telecommunications officer with the West Goshen Police Department and says he completes some of his schoolwork during down time on the 3 to 11 p.m. shift. He calls Project Naloxone “part of my stress relief.”

Good Fellowship also offers free education and training sessions for the public. “Many of those who take the course have addicted children or have lost family members to addiction,” Healey says. He plans to expand by getting Narcan kits into high schools. A test is underway with three in Chester County (Avon Grove, Conestoga, and Oxford Area).

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COVER STORY

President Fiorentino (left) is congratulated on his appointment by Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Chancellor Frank T. Brogan (right). Looking on are WCU Council of Trustees Vice Chair Adam Matlawski and Chair of the Board of Governors Cynthia D. Shapira. (Photo: Pete Bannan)

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pon being named president of West Chester University this past January, Christopher M. Fiorentino was in the midst of doing what he does best — leading. Since April, Fiorentino served as WCU’s interim president guiding the flagship of the 14-institution Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. During his time in the interim role, he deftly handled issues of free speech; championed the rights of all people; helped maintain institutional equilibrium; actively solicited the thoughts of students, faculty, staff, and alumni; raised funds to support myriad projects; and even led his cabinet in a study series on the social dynamics of race, class, and gender. He says, “I’ve never had a day where I wasn’t excited to come to work.”

Add to this a 34-year history of commitment to the University with service as a faculty member, dean, vice president, interim president, and it’s hard to envision anyone but Fiorentino at the helm. When Chair of the Board of Governors Cynthia D. Shapira announced his appointment as the University’s 15th president on January 5 in Philips Autograph Library, Fiorentino entered a

room packed with students, faculty, staff, trustees, alumni, and friends who immediately rose to their feet to give thunderous applause. Emphatic nods and thumbs-up signs could be seen across the aisles for the home-grown finalist who had risen to the top of a national search cast far and wide.

“Dr. Fiorentino has been a distinguished member of the West Chester University family since he first joined the faculty more than 30 years ago,” said Shapira. “He not only understands the University’s mission, he has helped to shape it. The Board has great confidence that he will continue to provide exceptional leadership to the institution into the future.”

The Council of Trustees and the members of the Presidential Search Committee concur. “Chris is an accomplished leader who has been a key figure in the University’s development and success,” said Council Chair Thomas A. Fillippo. “The Council is unanimous in its support of Chris and looks forward to working with him to move West Chester forward.”

President Christopher M. Fiorentino: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities 12 WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY

Pictured (L to R) with President Fiorentino (center) following the announcement of his presidency are Council of Trustees member Ryan M. Long (student representative); Council of Trustees Vice Chair Adam Matlawski; The Honorable Barry C. Dozor, chair of the Presidential Search Committee and Council of Trustees member; Chair of the Board of Governors for Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education Cynthia Shapira; Chancellor Frank T. Brogan; The Honorable Robert M. Tomlinson, Council of Trustees member; and Board of Governors member David Maser.

Campus-wide enthusiasm about Fiorentino is palpable. A graduate counselor said during a roundtable discussion about campus relations, “I was a student here. I now work here. I have never seen a president engage so much with the University community. He understands the importance of being active, being visible, being able to really listen.” Immediately before the procession at winter commencement, a former staff member rushed to Fiorentino’s side and took a quick selfie with him saying to those in line, “He used to be my boss and was the best supervisor I’ve ever had.” Similar sentiments can be heard around campus. When students, faculty, staff, and alumni talk about Fiorentino, words like “committed, transparent, engaged, and willing to listen” weave naturally into conversations.

If Fiorentino is on the verge of rock-star status at the University, it comes hard-earned and with much respect for having come up through the ranks. Equally as important, he has earned a reputation for valuing engagement. “I learned early on as a department chair to make sure that I engaged my colleagues in conversation and to consider their perspectives as I made decisions,” he shared.

Fiorentino’s sage wisdom is WCU’s good fortune. As the University prepares to turn another page in its history, its 15th president is committed to reengaging the strategic planning process through collaboration, communication, and transparency. During

a recent meeting he said, “I carry West Chester’s philosophy of decentralized authority. It is important for the success of the University that all members of the community understand how the institution operates and have an opportunity to provide input into the critical decisions that shape the future.”

One critical priority that Fiorentino is resolved to take on immediately involves providing support to areas of the University that need considerable assistance due to the very enviable challenge of burgeoning enrollments.

“Over the past six years, the University has experienced the joy of unprecedented enrollment growth. There has been a 17.36 percent increase in undergraduate and graduate enrollment. We need to enhance support to those areas of the University that have been affected most dramatically and that impact the daily lives of our students,” he said. “Developing new resources to support our mission will then be essential in light of limited state funding and our commitment to keeping tuition as affordable as possible. This means encouraging alumni and other supporters to invest in our students and future by building relationships that lead to engagement and philanthropy,” he said during his acceptance address.

Ensuring student success ultimately means staying on track with high academic standards. Fiorentino is equally committed

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COVER STORY to making sure that the University’s general education core arms students with the necessary analytical and communication skills needed to understand and work in today’s environs. “We need to approach the education of our students by preparing them to be adaptable and have a tool kit that will allow them to continue to learn how to transition into new opportunities,” said Fiorentino.

“This includes critical thinking skills, problem solving, and being able to work in groups and write and think well. If we do this, we will be preparing generations of students for life.”

An economist who was charged with the oversight of WCU’s successful external operations, Fiorentino understands the vital role community partners play in students’ evolution into productive citizens. “While retaining our focus on disciplinary excellence, we must partner with business, government, and nonprofits to promote the entrepreneurial opportunities our students need and that address emerging needs,” he shared. “This includes the development of undergraduate engineering programs and other STEM-related initiatives that serve our region.”

The University’s dedication to preparing students to think, thrive, and work in today’s world is matched by its commitment to prepare students to be learners who value the civil exchange of

The Presidential Inauguration will be held on Friday, April 21.

14 WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY

ideas. Fiorentino is passionate about making sure that a student’s academic career at WCU is bound by an essential thread — an inclusive community that upholds and respects diverse opinions.

Not one to shy away from uncomfortable conversations, Fiorentino said, “We must create a campus climate that is inclusive, yet committed to the exploration of all ideas. Everyone is welcome in our community as we prepare students to engage in meaningful dialogue about the difficult issues that we face.”

It is quite obvious that Fiorentino can see the forest for the trees in the challenging landscape that is public higher education.

He faces current obstacles in the same way that he has tackled complicated issues that have brought him to this moment— with conviction to make a significant difference for each WCU student. As he stood before the many colleagues and friends who had gathered on January 5 with fingers crossed tightly for his success, he said, “While many choose to focus on the problems facing public higher education, the West Chester way is to transform challenges into opportunities.” As the “West Chester way” continues to unfold, generations of WCU students, faculty, staff, and alumni have much to look forward to today and tomorrow.

Susan Fiorentino ’86: Multi-tasking as First Lady

Chris & Susan Fiorentino

W

hen Susan Fiorentino ’86 stands at a certain window in Tanglewood, the home of WCU’s first family, she has a view like none other — it is of the home that she grew up in as a child on South High Street with her six siblings, including an identical twin sister. Top it off by being the daughter of the University’s first chair of the Foreign Language Department and it really means something when she says, “WCU is in my DNA.” She wears the regal purple and gold quite proudly. It is easy to understand why; Susan Roberts Fiorentino is a true Golden Ram through-in and through-out.

The daughter of the late Alfred Roberts and Mary Roberts, who still resides in West Chester, Susan remembers hearing the band play on WCU’s field each summer. She remembers attending elementary school at West Chester University’s laboratory school, which was named the “Demonstration School,” and even her second grade teacher, Sandy Mather ’64, M’68, former professor in WCU’s Department of Geology and Astronomy. She remembers attending West Chester University

and meeting her husband, now President Chris Fiorentino. The rest is WCU history, as well as “her story.”

Susan Fiorentino is assistant professor in the Management Department at WCU and coordinator of the Master of Science in Human Resource Management program. She currently teaches courses related to human resource management, such as employment and labor law, employee relations, as well as issues of employee health in the workplace.

A well-sought expert in her own right, Fiorentino maintains a limited law practice, providing employment and labor law to counseling clients.

Prior to joining the WCU faculty, Fiorentino practiced law as an associate in the Media law firm of Gallagher, Schoenfeld, Surkin, Chupein & DeMis, P.C., with a practice focused on employment and labor law. From 2010-2012, she was an adjunct professor in the University’s Master of Public Administration program, where she taught courses in employee relations and labor relations.

A magna cum laude graduate of Villanova University School of Law, Fiorentino also

holds a master’s degree in political science from Villanova University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from West Chester University.

Looking ahead, Fiorentino is excited about the new journey that she and her husband have embarked upon. “It is not often that a couple gets a chance to take on a new challenge like this together,” she said. “We get to showcase West Chester University wherever we go and support each other along the way.

What better way to live our lives?”

When asked what she is looking forward to most about her added role at WCU, the mother of three, including two WCU alumni, and grandmother of two shared, “I am especially looking forward to engaging students, drawing them in more and making them feel at home.” She is more than up for the task.

Making WCU the perfect home comes quite naturally to Susan R. Fiorentino as proud wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, professor/attorney, alumna, and now first lady.

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SPORTS NEWS

Vonnie Gros Inducted Into Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame

T

he Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame inducted its latest class this past November, which included former West Chester University field hockey head coach Vonnie Gros.

Gros, a legend in the game of intercollegiate field hockey, coached the Golden Rams field hockey squad for 13 years (19641976) amassing an overall record of 100-716 while winning a pair of AIAW national championships in 1975 and 1976. She also mentored the women’s lacrosse team at West Chester from 1964 to 1973, authoring a record of 37-5-4. She was an All-American in both field hockey and lacrosse, while playing collegiately at Ursinus College. Gros already belongs to the U.S. Field Hockey

16 WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY

Hall of Fame (1988), West Chester University Athletics Hall of Fame (1988), and the Chester County Sports Hall of Fame (2010).

She is one of three women in this year’s class — the 13th such class to be inducted since the hall’s inception in 2004 — raising the total of females honored to 20, along with the three AIAW national championship basketball teams from Immaculata University in the 1970s. Seven of those 20 individual women in the hall of fame have ties to West Chester University.

Gros engineered a 29-game unbeaten streak at West Chester spanning three seasons (1972-74) and an amazing 18-game winning streak over her last two campaigns on the Golden Rams sideline (1975-76). From

1972 through 1976, Gros’ field hockey teams lost just one game. She went on to coach Team USA in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, bringing home the bronze medal — the only field hockey medal in Olympic history for the United States — with a nucleus of the roster made up of former West Chester University student-athletes.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place November 3 at the Hilton hotel on City Avenue. The inductees include the 1966-67 76ers; Al Severance, Brian Dawkins, Bruce Harlan, Charlie Manuel, Chris Short, Dick “Hoops” Weiss, Jeff Chandler, Jimmy Watson, George Orton, Goose Goslin, Herman Taylor, Marilyn Stephens, Steve Fredericks, and Sylvia Wene Martin.

CULTURAL EVENTS

CULTURAL EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS MARCH

MAR 10

2-5 University Theatre: Blithe Spirit

3 WCU Live!: The Divine Hand Ensemble

8 WCU Live!: Keyboard Conversations

10 President’s Speaker Series: Linda Ronstadt

11 WCU Live!: Caladh Nua

14 WCU Wind Ensemble at Carnegie Hall

18 WCU Live!: Missoula Children’s Theatre: Treasure Island

31 WCU Live!: Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

APRIL

President’s Speaker Series LINDA RONSTADT

APR 1

1 Presidential Scholarship Gala 10 WCU Live!: Tamagawa University Taiko Drumming

20-23 University Theatre: The Honorable Maid

Presidential

SCHOLARSHIP GALA

27-29 University Dance: Serendipity

28 WCU Planetarium: A Total Solar Eclipse

MAY 5 WCU Live!: Stunt Dog Experience

MAY 5 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.

WCU Live!

STUNT DOG EXPERIENCE WINTER/SPRING 2 0 1 7

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ALUMNI

WCUAA Upcoming Events MARCH

APRIL

WCU LIVE! Caladh Nua Saturday, March 11, 6 p.m.

Dinner and a show with a band that captures the qualities of traditional Irish music with contemporary flair. $20 per person includes dinner with wine at Philips Memorial Building and the show in Asplundh Concert Hall.

Princess and Superhero Tea Party Alumni & Foundation Center Saturday, April 8, 10 a.m.

Join WCU alumni and make your child’s dreams come true with a visit from their favorite princess or superhero! Take pictures, sing, dance, and play games. Food is provided.

Rams on the Road Phillies Sunset Happy Hour at the Marriott Sand Key Clearwater Beach, FL Saturday, March 25, 6 p.m.

Come to the Florida beach with fellow WCU alumni and have a relaxing beverage overlooking the crystal waters of Clearwater. Heavy hors d’oeuvres provided with a cash bar.

Rams on the Road Phillies vs. Pittsburgh Pirates at Spectrum Field Sunday, March 26, 1:05 p.m.

Cheer on the fightin’ Phils and enjoy a delicious buffet lunch with 2 drink tickets. $40 adults, $30 children. This event is held in conjunction with Widener, Neumann, and Drexel.

Sarasota Polo Club Tailgate Sunday, March 19 Sarasota Foodie Tour Monday, March 20 Naples Brewery Tour Wednesday, March 22 Fort Myers Distillery Tour Thursday, March 23 St. Petersburg Brewery Tour Monday, March 27

18 WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY

WCU Alumni Night at the Sterling Pig Brewery Thursday, April 20, 6 p.m.

Join WCU alumni and make your child’s dreams come true with a visit from their favorite princess or superhero! Take pictures, sing, dance, and play games. Food is provided.

MAY WCU Live! Stunt Dog Experience Friday, May 5, 6 p.m.

Rescue dogs perform amazing tricks, air stunts, comedy antics, dancing, and athletic feats. The most entertaining show of its kind. $20 per person includes dinner at Philips Memorial Building and the show in Asplundh Concert Hall.

OCTOBER Save-The-Date for Homecoming October 27-29, 2017 FOR MORE INFORMATION contact the Office of Alumni Relations at www.wcualumni.org or by phone at 610-436-2813.

ALUMNI

Alumni Weekend!

Friday, May 19, through Sunday, May 21, 2017

Friday, May 19 6 p.m. Alumni & Foundation Center Alumni Weekend Wine & Cheese Alumni of all ages gather to kick off the weekend with wine, beer, and food pairing.

Sunday, May 21 10 a.m. Sykes Ballrooms Alumni Brunch and the Alumni Service Project Enjoy brunch with your family while helping the community by participating in a service project.

Saturday, May 20 10 a.m. Alumni & Foundation Center Annual Alumni Board Meeting and Breakfast A town hall meeting environment welcomes you to find out what is new in the Alumni Association.

ALUMNI WEEKEND 2017 is your chance to venture back to campus and reminisce about the best of times and see all that is new at your alma mater.

Other events throughout the day include: Distinguished Alumni Awards Ceremony, campus tours, mini-reunions, and the Alumni Ram Party and Concert.

STAY OVERNIGHT

in Commonwealth Hall on Friday and/or Saturday!

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 610-436-2813 alumni@wcupa.edu www.wcualumni.org/AW

✓ A single room that sleeps up to two or a double room that sleeps up to four ✓ Private bathrooms with amenities are provided, as well as flat screen TVs ✓ Coffee will be available in the morning in the lobby before you start each day of fun

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ALUMNI PROFILE

Shadowing Program Provides Students with a Glimpse of the Future

Taylor Bracale

Meghan Carrigan

T

oday’s college graduates are no doubt far more savvy about careers than were grads of even 10 years ago, thanks to a plethora of readily available information on everything from corporate culture to salary trends. Social media and other technologies have made it a relatively simple task to learn about career paths, emerging industries, trends in the job market, and even to gain insight about individual companies.

Neither the classroom nor technology can replicate the environment and spirit of an actual workplace. To that end, the WCU Twardowski Career Development Center and the West Chester University Alumni Association created and cosponsor the WCU Shadows program, pairing alumni mentors with current students for an invaluable, day-long on-the-job experience.

“There’s just no way you can judge what your daily life will be until you actually experience it,” says alumna mentor Meghan

20 WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY

Carrigan ’11. As the director of marketing at a busy sports and entertainment venue — the PPL Center in Allentown, PA — Carrigan understands that sentiment all too well. This December she gave sophomore Taylor Bracale, a pre-business management student at WCU, a glimpse of that life. “Make no mistake,” Carrigan says, “it’s a lifestyle. The day Taylor visited, my day began at 5 a.m. and went until 11 p.m. PPL Center hosts more than 150 events each year, so it truly does become a lifestyle,” she laughs.

Bracale agreed that there is just no way to communicate that kind of energy and commitment in a classroom. “Classes can give you an indication, but it’s not the same as the actual environment,” she says.

“That was a high-energy day. I met with a lot of Meghan’s colleagues and I really got a feel for the scope of responsibility she has. I was on every level of the venue.”

Launched in 2013, the Shadows program has partnered more than two dozen students and alumni in a great variety of careers. The program focuses on second-year students in all majors. “It’s critical for

ALUMNI

students to engage their career development process early,” says Kate Shellaway, assistant director of the WCU Twardowski Career Development Center. “The shadowing experience provides students with a chance to build on what they are learning in the classroom and to see how it applies in a career field of their interest.”

Even tangential elements of the program can prove enormously helpful. Initially, interested students apply, provide a resume, and are interviewed, a process that mimics actual employment search. Like the real world, there are no guarantees.

It is then incumbent upon selected students to reach out to their partner and make the connection and, ultimately, arrangements for the shadowing day. “A great part of the experience is the opportunity to network,” adds Carrigan, who looks forward to keeping in touch with Bracale. “Taylor was terrific. She asked a number of great questions and was really engaged.”

Carrigan, who says she’s “passionate about my career, the sports and entertainment industry, and West Chester University,” had no doubts about volunteering for the program as soon as she learned about it.

Bracale, too, was excited about the opportunity and found the experience even better than she’d hoped.

“I came home and immediately applied for several internships,” she laughs. “The experience was truly invaluable. I’m really glad I signed up.”

A Message from the Director

Debbie Cornell Naughton

“

At this time of year, we look forward to the spring season, especially after a cold, dreary winter. It is exciting to see the trees starting to bud and the crocuses popping out of the ground. It’s the season when new life bursts from every direction. As the weather starts to warm our spirits, we become alive and more energetic.

At WCU, we are lucky to have a new president who will be giving the student body, faculty, staff, and alumni a new focus. We will be given the opportunity to face the tomorrows ahead with a renewed perspective and a new spirit.

So why don’t you try something new this spring? Volunteer! Working for something you care about enables you to feel a sense of accomplishment and purpose.

This can boost self-confidence and give you a stronger sense of identity.

Not only is volunteering great for mental and physical health, it allows us to stay connected. It is a way to meet new people, make contacts, and strengthen existing relationships. Working on a project with others, you may discover similar interests and values. It also helps individuals develop social and interpersonal skills that are instrumental in relationship building and networking. Please visit www. wcualumni.org/volunteer to find out what piques your interest and complete the Alumni Volunteer Interest Form. Let’s work together to see how you can help WCU. Also, on the last page of this issue, you will find a ballot for the Board of Directors for the West Chester University Alumni Association. These alumni have committed to volunteering. Please read the statements from your colleagues and vote for the candidates of your choice.

Happy spring!

DEBBIE CORNELL NAUGHTON Director, Alumni Relations dnaughton@wcupa.edu

TO LEARN MORE about the WCU Shadows program, contact the WCU Twardowski Career Development Center at 610-436-2501 or cdc@wcupa.edu.

JENNA CARDACIOTTO BIRCH ’06 Assistant Director of Alumni Relations jbirch@wcupa.edu 610-436-2813 alumni@wcupa.edu www.wcualumni.org WINTER/SPRING 2 0 1 7

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ALUMNI

1950s Bill Bruehl ’56 recently published a collection of short stories entitled What the Girl at the Picnic Said. It is available at Amazon in both print and eBook. The book is a collection of coming-of-age stories about a boy growing up in the 20th century from age 5 to 35 dealing with all those adversaries and angels most American boys encounter. Bruehl was also a professor in the English Department between 1959 and 1967. From there, he worked at the University of Delaware and then Stony Brook University’s Department of Theatre Arts.

1960s

Murphy ’71

Poteat ’74

Fabrizio ’83

Robbins ’87

Brenoskie ’06

Kemske ’14

Cwiakala ’15

Joos ’15

Jim Akins ’68 retired in 2001 from Sharon, PA, public schools. Akins taught physical education, health, gifted, computer education, and television production. He was also the aquatics director, head swim coach, and head track & field coach.

ministrators as one of three regional 2017 Superintendents of the Year.

Poteat is the Southern Regional Winner. In June 2016, Poteat also was named the County Superintendent of the Year.

1970s

1980s

Alexander Murphy Jr., Esq. ’71, an entertainment attorney in West Chester, PA, with an affiliate office in New York City, is legal counsel for the recently released motionpicture The Lennon Report. Seen through the eyes of those who lived it, the movie recreates and focuses on the night John Lennon was killed and introduces newly discovered information surrounding his death.

The film features Evan Jonigkeit (X-Men), Stef Dawson (The Hunger Games), David Zayas (Dexter), Adrienne C. Moore (Orange is the New Black), and Richard Kind (Argo).

Winslow Township School District Superintendent H. Major Poteat ’74 has been selected by the New Jersey Association of School Ad22 WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY

Thomas E. (Tommie) Neubauer ’80 became the seventh executive director of the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA) in July 2016. He had served the DIAA for 11 years as the coordinator of officials and events.

Joe Fabrizio ’83, head football coach for Saint Petersburg High School FL, was recognized as the 2016 Tampa Bay Buccaneers High School Coach of the Year, beating out 10 other area high school coaches. He was voted coach of the week several weeks before. His Green Devils had an 8-2 season, were the 2016 St. Pete city champs, and competed in the FHSAA state play-offs. Along with the welldeserved recognition for “Coach Fab,” the football program received a $3,500 donation from the Bucs.

Rex Vernon ’83 retired as a supervisory special agent after 26 1/2 years with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He previously served for six years in the U.S. Navy. He now works as a consultant to the FBI and to Customs and Border Protection. His wife of 33 years, Judy (Scarborough) ’83, works as an RN at Chester County Hospital in West Chester.

Deanne L. Robison ’86 has joined the firm Michael Best as an attorney in the estate & wealth planning services & succession planning practice. She focuses her practice on wealth transfer, estate administration, and elder law. Robison earned her J.D. from the ClevelandMarshall College of Law at Cleveland State University and her B.S. in criminal justice from WCU. She is a member of various legal associations, including the American Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar, the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Waukesha Bar Association, and Pi Alpha Delta Fraternity.

ALUMNI

Barbara Darkes ’87, a McNees Wallace & Nurick attorney, was recognized as one of 14 Local Legal Leaders in the December 2016 issue of Harrisburg Magazine. The magazine conducted a peer-driven survey in which local legal professionals were nominated by others in the field.

Rich Robbins M’87, associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at Bucknell University, contributed two chapters to the book Beyond Foundations: Developing as a Master Advisor. Robbins’ chapters are titled “Assessment of Academic Advising: Overview and Crafting Student Learning Outcomes” and “Assessment of Academic Advising: Gathering Outcome Evidence and Making Changes.” Written for experienced academic advisors, Beyond Foundations provides direction for primary-role and faculty academic advisors who seek not only to take their practice of advising to the next level, but also to widen their circle of influence.

1990s

Jason Burg ’93 has been named creative director at Jacob Tyler, an award-winning branding agency with offices in Washington D.C. and San Diego, CA.

2000s Ryan Williams ’03, M’14 began study toward his DMA at the University of South Carolina. Williams traveled to Dubai in January 2017 to assist in the instruction of their soon-to-be staff members with the inception of their first-ever marching band program.

Steve Brenoskie ’06 has been promoted to major in the United States Air Force. Pictured is his family surrounding him as his daughter pins him.

Josh Maxwell ’08, mayor of Downingtown, PA, recently attended a summit at the White House on sexual violence prevention.

Carmin Bermudez ’09 is currently serving as a business volunteer in Paraguay with the Peace Corps.

Joseph Yeager ’90, M’96 has been elected to the board of the Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE). This non-profit group is the premier advocacy group in Pennsylvania dedicated to helping gifted learners, their families, and educators.

Ari Paul Felber ’09 has enjoyed a flourishing career in magic since graduating from WCU. He has performed for the Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, and TV’s Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons. He has also been featured on NBC, ABC, and PHL17.

Robb Rehberg ’91, president and co-founder of Sport Safety International, is proud to announce that its ConcussionWise for Coaches course has been awarded a 2016 MarCom Gold award in the Medical Category. ConcussionWise for Kids and Heatwise each received honorable mention.

William J. Fennie III ’11 was recently nominated and selected for the Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal’s 2016 Top 20 Under 40.

Fennie is an investment specialist with Integrated Capital Management (ICM).

Joseph Ashman ’92 has been promoted to sergeant with the Maryland State Police.

for 2016. The ISC established this award in 1994 to recognize young sculptors and to encourage their continued commitment to the field.

Mike Kemske ’14 has been promoted to senior staff accountant at Gunnip & Company CPAs. He joined the firm’s audit and assurance team in October 2014.

Steven Cwiakala ’15 recently joined Gunnip & Company CPAs, a fullservice certified public accounting and consulting firm in Wilmington, DE, in the accounting and auditing team.

Louis Holzman ’15 has joined Altitude Marketing, an integrated marketing agency serving technologyfocused B2B companies, as manager of business development. In this newly created position, Holzman will play a key role in the continued growth of Altitude, assisting in business development efforts through prospecting, sales triage, and ensuring smooth onboarding for new clients.

Brian Joos ’15 joined Gunnip & Company CPAs after working with a firm in West Chester. He will work with a variety of corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies, as well as individuals in the areas of federal, multi-state, and local income taxation.

SUBMIT your class notes to the Office of Alumni Relations to alumni@wcupa.edu.

Samantha Diamond ’14 has been awarded the prestigious International Sculpture Center’s (ISC) Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2 017

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ALUMNI (5) Mario LaForgia ’11 and Casandra LaForgia welcomed Adelaide Rose LaForgia in October 2016.

(1)

(3)

(2)

(4)

(6) Ryan Gearhart ’11 and Mollie Gillette Gearhart ’10 welcomed Naomi Elizabeth Gearhart in September 2016.

(7) Pictured at the WCU Wizard of Oz performance in May 2016 are (left to right) Amelia Wagner, daughter of Zack Wagner ’06 and granddaughter of Susan BoydRidyard ’76, and Mallory and Olivia Boyd, daughters of Stephanie (Lilick) Boyd ’07.

Their aunt Vanessa (Boyd) Flick ’02 also attended WCU.

in memoriam (5)

(6)

(7)

Marriages (1) Eric Cheng ’14 to Youwen Zhang ’15 (2) Lisa Maloney ’13 to John Barkmeyer

Future Alumni (3) Justin Halet ’07 and Erin Kilduff Halat ’07 welcomed Emily Adele Halat in March 2016.

(4) Donna DeGiacomo ’08, ’12 and Andrew DeGiacomo welcomed Anthony Joseph DeGiacomo in October 2016.

24 WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY

Class of 1959

1938 Lois Fasolas Mitman 1938 Eleanore Schafer 1943 Elizabeth Miller David 1943 Nancy Emig Stabley 1945 Ruth Miller Cox 1947 Florence Dorward Snyder 1953 Marjorie Dodd Herbine 1956 Thomas Silvester 1956 Ben Eckroth, Jr. 1959 Charles Chiccino 1959 Louis Elvin 1961 Joyce Harrison Bernhardt 1966 Bernita Staudenmaier 1967 Michael Dougherty 1970 H. Thomas McAlpin 1972 Robert Rentzel 1976 Thomas R. Lordan 1992 Curt Mayer 2010 Sean Lydon 2015 Alyssa Sprigle 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.

The Valkyrie Class of 1959 gathered for their annual week in Rehoboth Beach, DE. Neither wind nor rain would keep them from their appointed week of fun, memories, and laughter. A good time was had by all. First Row: Priscilla Weaver Esbenshade, Betty Haws Slaveski, Rachael Trimpey Tracy, Betty Papale Fitzgerald, Doris Hess Howett. Second Row: Mary Fisher Baugher, Gail Brown, Carolyn Helbig Hatt, Mary Quinlan Foley, Joyce Williams Foxx, Betsy Mueller Kelly. Third Row: Barbara Papale Golob, Mary Mellace Colvin, Mary Ann Gotshall Axtell, Barbara Merrick McLaughlin, Sally Hollinger Dunkle, Mary Jane Kling Samoa, Fran Weinmayr Zaloski.

CONNECT WITH US www.wcualumni.org 610-436-2813

ALUMNI

Alumni Events!

Law alumni volunteers mentored students on the career path to becoming lawyers.

Bernie Carrozza ’66 treated his grandchildren to a Night with Santa at the Alumni & Foundation Center.

In November, the Delaware County Alumni Chapter gathered for FriendsGiving at Barnaby’s for happy hour to collect food for Thanksgiving to donate to the community food bank.

In January, football coach alumni gathered for a reception at the AFCA conference in Nashville, TN.

Photo Submission Guidelines Photos should be no less than 300 DPI and in JPG format.

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.

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.

WINTER/SPRING 2 0 1 7

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ALUMNI

ALUMNI

DEAN GENTEKOS ’07

I

n late May 2015, I took a day trip to Ocean City, NJ. It was Friday, not a cloud in the sky and the breeze from the ocean matched perfectly with the 75-degree weather. It wasn’t the weather that was the most pleasant part of my day, however. As many locals and visitors know, it’s not a complete trip to the beach without taking a stroll on the boardwalk and enjoying some of the abundant legendary food options.

As soon as I stepped foot on the boardwalk, I heard a woman yell out from across the way, “I used to go there when it was a Normal School.” It took me a second to realize what she meant, but I soon realized I was wearing a West Chester University Tshirt, which she must have seen from across the way.

I went over to introduce myself and had the opportunity to talk with Jan Longacre and her husband.

Jan fondly told me stories of her experience at WCU, including how the ladies would get dressed up for dinner on Wednesday evenings and how difficult it was to walk down the sidewalks in their high heels; I guess some things never change. After about 20 minutes, Jan and I parted ways and I couldn’t help but walk away with a huge smile on my face.

It’s ironic how certain people come into your life at the right moments. You see, at this time I was in the midst of a contested, and somewhat controversial, election for president of the Alumni Association, and seriously questioning if I had made the right decision. It was that talk with Jan that made me realize that I had done the right thing.

I was humbled to have the opportunity to represent more than 90,000 alumni who have passed through West Chester University, and to be elected president of the Alumni Association. More important, I was excited about the opportunity to interact with alumni, recent graduates, as well as those celebrating their 50-year WCU anniversary.

As I come to the end of my term as president, I want to share a few thoughts that I hope will resonate with you like that conversation Jan had with me. While we have all known for a long time how great West Chester University is, the rest of the world is coming to find this out more and more recently. Over the past few years I’ve had the opportunity to travel and, whether it was in Utah hiking through Zion National Park, overlooking the city views in San Diego, or strolling down the boardwalk, people recognize the West Chester University gear that I am wearing. I encourage you to show your WCU #RamPride as often as possible. Wear your WCU hat, T-shirt or hoodie, and, more importantly, talk about the great experiences you had at

26 WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY

WCU. Our University is no longer a “small state school” and it’s time we share that with the rest of the world.

As the University grows, so too must the Association. I am encouraging you to get involved with the Alumni Association in any capacity that works for you. Not everyone has the ability to donate large sums of money or maybe even the availability to commit to being a board member. That is OK. There are plenty of ways to be an active member of the association and I challenge you to find a way to volunteer with the association in 2017. You can find out more about volunteer opportunities on our website at http://www.wcualumni.org.

There has been so much work done throughout the history of the association and our events have become bigger and better year after year, expanding to a larger and more diverse alumni base. You would be surprised to find out that these events are the work of approximately 40 Alumni Association Board members and volunteers, and two very busy University staff members in the Alumni Relations Office. I would like to thank all of those individuals (you know who you are) who have volunteered their time with the association over the past two years. I cannot thank you enough for giving up your time working our critical events such as Homecoming and Alumni Weekend, so the hundreds of other alumni can enjoy theirs. I sincerely thank you for your loyalty and support to help the association rise to new levels.

Over the past two years, I’ve had the opportunity to speak at commencement welcoming the newest graduates to the alumni ranks. Every time, I leave them with the same final thought and I offer you the same as my farewell. Go out and leave your mark on the world. No matter where life takes you after graduation, WCU will always be home.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your president and I hope to see you “home” many times throughout the years to come.

GO RAMS! Sincerely, Dean Gentekos ’07 President, WCU Alumni Association

2017-2020 WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY ALUMNI BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION The Nominating Committee of the West Chester University Alumni Association is pleased to announce the 2017 WCUAA Board of Directors ballot. Six members will be elected to serve a three-year term of office beginning July 1, 2017. The results of the election will be posted online at www.wcualumni.org after the Annual Meeting on May 20, 2017, and will be published in the fall issue of the WCU Magazine.

Some background information and statements from the candidates follow. The nominees are listed in random order.

Questions regarding the election can be directed to the Alumni Office at 610.436.2813 or alumni@wcupa.edu.

MARK DROCHEK

Education: WCU, BS Computer Science, 1986; Ursinus College, Certificate of Professional Studies in Finance, 2004; Stevens Institute of Technology, MS Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, 2011 Employment: Director of Partners, America, Adents, Inc. I have had the opportunity to serve the West Chester University alumni community as a member of the Alumni Association’s Board of Directors and would be honored to do so again. From my time on the WCU Engineering Advisory Committee to fulfilling the role of treasurer of the WCUAA, giving back to my alma mater has truly been a privilege.

ALISON MAGUIRE

Education: WCU, BS Business Management, Fine Arts minor 2007; Residential Real Estate License, Polly Associates, 2008 Employment: Realtor/Owner, The Moore Maguire Real Estate Group at Keller Williams Realty As a current resident and business owner in West Chester Borough, I aim to utilize my professional experience and education to support the WCUAA, as well as broaden my participation and connections to the local and WCU community.

With strong ties to WCU, including a network of friends, clients, and alumni business associates, I am excited for the opportunity to reconnect my personal network to the University, and to encourage involvement and reciprocal support.

WCUAA Candidate Biographies

L. JAMES KISCADEN

Education: WCU, BS Secondary Education, 1965, M.Ed. History, 1973; Temple University D.Ed. Educational Administration Employment: Clinical Supervisor, Western Governors University I have been a loyal supporter of WCU and the WCU Foundation over the years and have served WCUAA in numerous capacities, while previously serving on the Board of Directors. Additionally, I bring a lifetime of political leadership experience to the position and a community spirit necessary to accomplish the mission of our organization. I would appreciate your support.

STEPHEN M. NICOLAI, ESQ.

Education: WCU, BA Political Science, 2008; Villanova University School of Law, JD, 2011 Employment: Senior Associate, Hogan Lovells US, LLP I credit a great deal of my personal and professional accomplishments to WCU, especially its faculty, staff, and my fellow alumni. As a proud alumnus, and as someone with a passion for service, I want to give back to the community that has given me so much. I currently serve as the co-chair of the WCUAA Bylaws Committee and as a member of the WCUAA Service Committee, but feel I could do more.

Therefore, I humbly ask for your support of my candidacy for the WCUAA Board of Directors. If elected, I won’t let you down.

JONATHAN R. LONG, ESQ.

Education: WCU, BA History, 2003; Temple University, Beasley School of Law, JD, 2012 Employment: Civil Litigation Associate, Buckley, Brion, McGuire, Morris & Sommer LLP The past three years have been wonderful serving on the board and the Alumni Association has made great strides in growing our membership and giving back to the University. I would like to continue to work toward improving the pipeline from current students to active alumni. The WCUAA is a resource for our current students and fellow alumni, but we need to provide more mentoring, career, and networking services to students and alumni.

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ALUMNI

LAUREN A. BOLDEN

Education: WCU, BA English, Psychology minor 2012; MS in Counseling in Higher Education, 2014 Employment: Director of Student Organizations, Widener University As a two-time graduate of WCU, I am excited at the prospect of serving on the Board of Directors and giving back to the University that molded me into the person that I am today.

During my collegiate time, I was heavily involved in service, leadership, and fraternity and sorority life, which paved my path to working in higher education. I would be honored to serve current WCU students, alumni, and the WCU community.

JOHN TAIMA

Education: WCU, BS Education in History/Social Studies, 1985; Rowan University, MA Special Education, 1996 Employment: Retired Teacher, Hammonton High School I am interested in serving on the WCUAA Board of Directors due to all of the positive opportunities that WCU creates. My classes at WCU gave me excellent preparation for my career, as well as nurtured friendships and networks. As a proud alumnus, I have been able to promote the unique opportunities that exist at WCU. I will continue to be a proponent of WCU for current and future generations of Golden Rams.

FREDERICK E. HUBLER, JR.

Education: WCU, BS Business Administration, 1995; University of Phoenix, MBA, 1999 Employment: Chief Wealth Strategist/President, Creative Capital Wealth Management Group Having been on various non-profit and business boards, I would like to bring that experience to the WCUAA Board. I took time off to spend with my twins who are now five years old and now I’m able to get back to volunteering for outside endeavors.

DONNA BRAUNSCHWEIG

Education: WCU, BS Computer and Information Science, 1980 Employment: Senior Vice President, Fulton Financial Corporation It is a goal of mine to be on an educational/academic board where I can use my passion for learning, diverse industry experience, and expertise. I can bring different ways of looking at situations and solutions to problems. It is ideal that the board is for the University that has enabled me to have career success

28 WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY

and is part of the community where I live. I would welcome this exciting opportunity to give back to my alma mater and future students in a different way than I do today.

JEROME R. HUNT, PH.D.

Education: WCU, BA Political Science, 2003; MSA Public Administration, 2006; Howard University, Ph.D. Political Science, 2012 Employment: Visiting Assistant Professor, The University of the District of Columbia Being able to serve another term as a member of the WCUAA Board of Directors would allow me to continue to promote and advocate for our great University. Additionally, it will allow me to connect with alumni and help to expand the reach of the association to alumni young and old.

ROBERT F. FANELLI

Education: WCU, BS Education, 1960; MS Music Education, 1966 Employment: Retired The WCU alumni, especially my 1960 class, is not involved enough with the University to financially support WCU. I have ideas to promote more commitment from all alumni to become a financial friend to WCU.

RANDALL A. WARREN

Education: University of Delaware, BS Computer Science, Economics minor, 1985; WCU, MBA, 1982 Employment: President & Chief Investment officer, Warren Financial Service In recent years, I have become reattached to WCU via the MBA alumni and other activities. I believe I can provide the board and the alumni with a voice representing an entrepreneur and businessman in our community. I run several companies in the area, mainly Warren Financial, which is an advisory business building custom stock and bond portfolios for high net worth customers. I also run two hedge funds, one specializing in start-ups and entrepreneurs, the other specializing in volatility trading and hedging equity exposure. I can benefit the alumni from several points of view.

WCUAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2017 BALLOT Candidates for Board of Directors

Voter 1

Voter 2

Mark Drochek ’86

❍

❍

Alison Maguire ’07

❍

❍

L. James Kiscaden ’65, M’73

❍

❍

Stephen M. Nicolai, Esq. ’08

❍

❍

Jonathan R. Long, Esq. ’03

❍

❍

Lauren A. Bolden ’12, M’14

❍

❍

John Taima ’85

❍

❍

Frederick E. Hubler, Jr. ’95

❍

❍

Donna Braunschweig ’80

❍

❍

Jerome R. Hunt, Ph.D. ’03, M’06

❍

❍

Robert F. Fanelli ’60, M’66

❍

❍

Randall A. Warren M’82

❍

❍

Signature of Voter 1____________________________________________ Voter 1 Name/Year_____________________________________________ Signature of Voter 2____________________________________________ Voter 2 Name/Year_____________________________________________ Street________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip_________________________________________________ Telephone (with area code)_______________________________________ E-mail_______________________________________________________ FOR THIS BALLOT TO BE CONSIDERED VALID:

The ballot must be received by mail no later than 4 p.m. on Friday, April 28, 2017.

Please seal the ballot in an envelope, one ballot per envelope. Clearly write your name(s), class year(s) and address on the outside, and mail to: WCUAA Nominating Committee, Office of Alumni Relations, 202 Carter Drive, West Chester, PA 19382.

VOTING GUIDELINES The listed alumni have been nominated for election to serve on the Board of Directors upon the recommendation of the WCUAA Nominating Committee. Each has agreed to serve if elected.

All WCU graduates are eligible to vote for a maximum of six (6) candidates.

There are two ways to cast your ballot: online and this original written ballot.

Alumni who choose to vote online can go to www.wcualumni.org and select 2017 Board of Directors Election. Directions will be explained.

If you do not wish to vote online, please check the box next to the name of the candidate(s) of your choice on the paper ballot. Couples who are both WCU graduates may use one ballot, indicating Voter 1 and Voter 2.

The Office of Alumni Relations will verify the name(s), class year(s), and address on each mailing envelope as requested by the Nominating Committee. The order of names on the ballot are random.

For this ballot to be considered valid: Only this magazine ballot with the alum’s mailing address on the reverse will be accepted. No copies or scans will be permitted.

Each voter must sign and complete the name, class year, and address section of the ballot.

Please print or type.

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NEW BUILDING Makes for the RIGHT MOVES

Boxes, carts, packing tape, bubble wrap, and smiles were plentiful in January as students, faculty and staff moved into the new 90,000square-foot Business and Public Management Center (BPMC). The state-of-the-art center is now home to the departments of accounting, criminal justice, economics and finance, geography and planning, management, marketing, and public policy and administration. Here’s a quick peek at just some of what the new building is offering students. Look for the summer issue of the WCU Magazine for lots more details!