Widener Magazine, Fall 2021

CELEBRATING 200 YEARS (1821–2021)

As we celebrate our bicentennial, we invite you to explore our rich history, from our origins in Delaware, to our many decades as a respected military college, to the thriving, agile university we are today.

The cover illustration features our 200-year anniversary logo, which combines elements of the three current alumni eras: Pennsylvania Military College, from 1892 to 1972; Widener Pioneer, from 1972 to 2006; and Widener Pride, from 2006 to the present. The bugle represents our PMC alumni, the infamous Dome of Old Main was celebrated during the Pioneer days, and the historic shield element was introduced as part of the Widener logo during the Pride era. The pictures above show the Pride lion mascots, Chester and Melrose, and Rocky the Pioneer mascot.

WIDENER UNIVERSITY

Widener University

One University Place Chester, PA 19013

Phone: 1-888-WIDENER Email: jamcknight@widener.edu Website: www.widener.edu

Published by the Office of University Relations

Executive Editor: Terry Travis Editor: Jeannine McKnight

Art Director/Designer: Debbie Perreca

200th Logo Designer: Ian MacGregor ’13

Class Notes Editor: Jessica Prince

Contributing Writers: Mary Allen

Emily Barrett ’21 Hilary Bentman

Emma Irving ’18 Jeannine McKnight

Magazine Advisory Board: Mary Allen

James Gulick

Jessica Lista

Myra Legg Jeannine McKnight Debbie Perreca Gregory Potter Terry Travis Andrew Workman

Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ wideneruniversity; on Twitter at @WidenerAlumni; and on Instagram at #WidenerAlumni.

CONTENTS

4 A 200-Year Legacy: Names and Philosophies Change, but the Core of Widener Remains Steadfast

As we mark the bicentennial, we’re looking back at some of the stories and people who have informed this place—the traditions, events, and characters whose impact and legacies still resonate.

11 Presidential Timeline

12 Envisioning the Future Roundtable

Seven leaders from across university departments and disciplines come together to discuss Widener’s collective future.

16 Alumni Spotlight on Comcast Leaders

Several Widener alumni have held leadership positions at Comcast—one of the world’s leading telecommunications conglomerates. We catch up with eight of these alumni.

22

Looking Back, Walking Forward

Two students are working to bring the civil rights movement history to life with a walking tour on campus.

24

Widener Invests in Fraternity and Sorority Life on Campus

Recognizing that fraternities and sororities foster lasting relationships and often contribute to student growth and success, Widener is investing in renovations and updates for Greek life and housing.

28 Homecoming 2021

Thousands of alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends turned out for a fantastic and fun Homecoming celebration.

30

Special School of Nursing Timeline

Over the last half century, the School of Nursing has grown into a powerhouse program that is influencing the future of nursing and health care.

32

Widener Dedicates ROTC Center to Retired Four-Star General

John H. Tilelli Jr. ‘63

33 Class Notes

I am pleased to share this special, commemorative issue of Widener Magazine recognizing our university’s 200th year. As celebrations kicked off at Homecoming this fall, I reflected on how much our university has grown and adapted to a changing world. The timeline that flows through these pages, along with the feature story recounting our 200-year legacy, documents our storied history and affirms our long tradition of ensuring students’ success.

The strength and resilience of our university community is impressive. We have many heroes in our history. We have consistently educated leaders who have gone on to shape their fields, solve the world’s most vexing problems, and improve our communities—locally, nationally, and globally. And our alumni continue to make an impact, as highlighted by our spotlight on the many leaders at Comcast who call Widener their alma mater.

It has been an honor and a privilege to lead Widener University, and I am proud of all that we have accomplished together. In this final year of my presidency, I am grateful to continue this work in collaboration with the university community. We continue to make great strides to enhance access to education; promote diversity, equity, and inclusion and communicate our differences in open and respectful ways; and strengthen Widener’s commitment to the city of Chester.

I value most our efforts in helping our community of learners to develop and create better futures for themselves and the world. We’re accomplishing this by advancing a strategy focused on agility and enhancing the student experience. And thanks to the agile thinking of our university community, as reflected in the “Envisioning the Future Roundtable” feature story, Widener is positioned to meet today’s needs and serve tomorrow’s students.

As we reminisce on our past with Pride, we embrace the future with a renewed sense of hope and purpose.

Julie E. Wollman, PhD President

With pride,

A 200-Year Legacy:

and Philosophies Change, But the Core of Widener Remains Steadfast

Names

by Hilary Bentman

1821—The

Bullock School

The Bullock School (pictured) was a Quaker boarding school for boys and was established by John Bullock in Wilmington, Delaware. Bullock was headmaster until his death in 1846.

How do you tell the 200-year history of an institution?

Where do you even start?

Is it in the stories of the tens of thousands of students who have walked its grounds and hallowed halls in search of an education?

Or is it tales of the esteemed professors and charismatic leaders who shaped and sustained the school over the decades?

In the last two centuries, the institution we now call Widener University has evolved and adapted to the times and needs of its students. From its origins in 1821 as the Bullock School in Delaware, to its embrace of military instruction and move to Chester, to today’s thriving university of scholars, Widener has always been in the vanguard of cultivating tomorrow’s leaders.

As we mark the bicentennial, we’re looking back at some of the stories and people who have informed this place—the traditions, events, and characters whose impact and legacies still resonate.

(continued on page 6)

1846—The Alsop School

Samuel Alsop, a Philadelphia Quaker, scholar, mathematician, and teacher at the Bullock School, becomes headmaster. He runs the school until 1853, when he sells his interests to Theodore Hyatt.

1858—Conflict surrounding slavery and states’ rights begins to divide the nation. Abraham Lincoln is elected the 16th president of the United States on November 6, 1860. Lincoln opposed slavery, and his election led to 11 Southern states seceding from the Union, which in turn led to Civil War.

1853—Hyatt’s Select School for Boys

Theodore Hyatt buys the school. Educational excellence, Christian influence, parental involvement, strict discipline, and the addition of military training are hallmarks of Hyatt’s tenure.

Hyatt Select School for Boys, Ninth and Tatnall Streets, Wilmington, Delaware

Names Change, Philosophies Shift

The Bullock School. The Alsop School. Hyatt’s Select School for Boys. Delaware Military Academy. Pennsylvania Military Academy. Pennsylvania Military College. PMC Colleges. Widener College. Widener University.

Many names, locations, and people; but at the root of this story is Col. Theodore Hyatt, a forward-thinker and first of three generations of Hyatts to lead the institution.

His all-male school was strict by contemporary standards. Novels, dice, and cards were forbidden on school grounds. A week’s laundry included a few shirts, a pair of drawers, and two pairs of socks.

“But the fact that we were specifically chartered to include German and chemistry indicates we were an avant-garde curricular

institution, not in the backwater,” said Dr. Lawrence P. Buck, retired Widener history professor and provost, who also served as acting president in the early 2000s.

According to legend, the school transformed into a military academy, eventually modeled after West Point, after Hyatt spotted students marching with broomsticks (they didn’t have weapons).

“He knew that military instruction was taking hold,” said Dr. J. Joseph Edgette, a Widener emeritus professor and folklorist, and unofficial historian of the institution and Widener family.

Widener pays homage to this broomstick tale during Homecoming, when alumni take the field for the Broom Drill.

Military life dominated the institution for decades, and cadets and alumni have served in every war in which the United States has been involved, making tremendous contributions and, for many, the ultimate sacrifice.

By mid-20th century, the school began to shift to include a civilian, co-educational component, with greater diversity within the student body and curriculum. Interest in military schools was waning, escalated by the anti-war sentiment surrounding Vietnam; 1972 marks the last cadet class.

“We weren’t going to be able to survive as a military institution. We had to change,” said Buck, who witnessed the transformation firsthand as a new faculty member.

1859—Delaware Military Academy

Legend has it that in 1858 Hyatt saw students practicing military drills with broomsticks, and he was so impressed that he decided to introduce military instruction to the curricula. This is the start of Widener’s Homecoming Broom Drill tradition. A year later, the school changed its name to the Delaware Military Academy.

1861—American

Civil War

Delaware was a slave state with sympathies for the South when the Civil War began in April 1861, and Delaware Military Academy was almost evenly divided between students from the North and South. Former schoolmates met on opposing sides of the battlefield during the Civil War, which lasted until May 1865.

Colonel Theodore Hyatt

Charles E. Hyatt

Colonel Frank K. Hyatt

1862—Pennsylvania Military Academy

Uncomfortable with Delaware’s pro-slavery stance, the school moved to Pennsylvania and changed its name to Pennsylvania Military Academy. Pictured (left) is the building they moved to, located in West Chester, on the cover of sheet music for “Col. Hyatt’s Military Polka.”

1866—Temporary

Move to Upland, PA

Pennsylvania Military Academy moved to the Upland-Chester area to provide a more accessible location for students. The Crozer Normal School building temporarily housed the school.

1867—Old Main Is Born

Then known as PMC Colleges, the school needed a new name to reflect its new civilian mission, and, more urgently, a financial boost.

Enter Fitz Eugene Dixon Jr., trustee, part owner of several Philadelphia sports franchises, and direct descendant of the Wideners, a prominent Philadelphia family whose philanthropy helped shape the region’s educational and cultural landscape.

Dixon approached his mother, Eleanor Widener (whose father and brother perished on the Titanic) for a financial contribution, which helped save the school.

Grateful for his intervention, officials wanted to rename the school for Dixon, but he asked that the Wideners be honored instead. The Widener connection ran deeper than Dixon. Family patriarch Peter A. B. Widener kept his eye on the school during the 19th century “because he was very impressed with the job they were doing and he would even help them out then,” said Edgette. Peter also convinced Philadelphia department store magnate

1882—Old Main on Fire

Construction begins on Old Main in 1867. Designed by John Crump and built by John Shedwick and Son, Old Main opens to incoming students in September 1868. This building contains both classrooms and cadet living quarters. Two years later, the school adds a new wing housing the observatory seen in this engraving. (continued on page 8)

John Wanamaker to serve as a school trustee.

Today, the Dixon name is found on residence halls and an athletic field. The university’s seal draws inspiration from the Widener family crest, and the institution adopted its colors — blue and gold.

Old Main: More than a Building

For decades, PMC was Old Main. Cadets ate, slept, and attended classes in the building erected in 1867 for $38,000. It even had a bowling alley, and once a week, the building’s bottom floor was uncovered to reveal long rectangular bathtubs for the cadets to wash.

In 1882, a fire broke out in a chemistry lab. Torrential rain left the dirt roads leading to Old Main mired in mud, and the fire company was unable to get its wagons up the hill. Instead, they ran hoses and pumped water from the Delaware River, 14 blocks away.

The fire leveled the building, but Old Main was quickly rebuilt by its original architect for $65,000. This time, science labs were housed in a separate structure — today’s Old Main Annex. Old Main now sits on the National Register of Historic Places.

On Thursday Evening, February 16, 1882, a third-floor chemistry laboratory caught fire, and Old Main sustained considerable damage. The building closed but was rebuilt in 6 months.

Traditions

Inside Old Main’s dome are the signatures of cadets who would sneak up to the fourth floor to scrawl their names; perhaps the most famous belongs to cadet-turned-renownedHollywood-filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille.

Dome signatures are not the only tradition to leave its mark on campus.

Each year, senior cadets placed their yearbook, roster, and flag into a box and buried it on campus, marking the spot with a stone etched with their year. Many of these “tombstones” still rest around Alumni Auditorium.

Contemporary traditions include rubbing the nose of the Pride statues for good luck, and sidestepping the Widener seal in Bown Garden for fear that crossing it before graduation means students won’t earn their degrees.

1886—Electricity arrives!

Chester’s

Old Main (left).

1886—The first car is invented.

However, cars are not accessible to the public until 1908 when the Ford Motor Company releases its Model T. (Right) Benz Patent Motor Car, the first automobile, 1885/86.

Edison Electric Light Company installs electric lights in the Assembly Room of

Bown Garden Dome

Painting of Emma Irving ’18 rubbing the nose of a Pride lion for luck.

1892—Pennsylvania Military College

Because of expanded collegiate programming, PMA, known as the Keystone State’s “West Point,” becomes Pennsylvania Military College (PMC).

1888—A plaque hangs prominently in the Assembly Room, proclaiming the institution’s motto:

1914—The world’s first commercial airline flight takes place in Florida between St. Petersburg and Tampa.

Famous Figures

DeMille was not the only famous person to grace school grounds.

Louis Comfort Tiffany, of Tiffany stained-glass fame, attended for a semester. Sylvanus Morley, Class of 1904, was an archaeologist-turnedWorld-War-I-spy.

Russell Harrison, son and greatgrandson of two U.S. presidents, is an alumnus. In all, eight presidents have visited campus or been guests over the years, including current President Joe Biden, who served as an adjunct professor at Widener Delaware Law School for 17 years.

In 2008, then-Sen. Barack Obama made a presidential campaign stop at Widener (bottom left); the photos from that cold and rainy day contributed to Damon Winter of The New York Times winning the Pulitzer Prize in feature photography.

Speaking of Pulitzers, school alumni Brent Staples (1973) and Brian Kates (1968) both won the coveted prize in editorial writing; Staples in 2019 for his work at The New York Times; Kates in 1999 as part of the editorial board at the New York Daily News.

Among the notable military alumni are 2nd Lt. John Lance “Jack” Geoghegan (1963), whose heroism in Vietnam was depicted in the 1992 book We Were Soldiers Once… and Young and its 2002 film adaptation; and retired four-star Gen. John H. Tilelli, a 1963 alumnus and former trustee chair, who is the highestranking PMC graduate.

In the 1920s, composer/conductor John Philip Sousa penned “The Dauntless Battalion” march for PMC. The school also has a connection to the military bugle call Taps. Several versions of lyrics for Taps have been

composed, including one attributed to PMC. But who actually wrote it? Evidence conflicts, with two possible candidates — alumnus Rukard Hurd (1878) and Professor J. Berg Esenwein, who taught English and literature at the turn of the 20th century.

In sports, NFL greats Billy “White Shoes” Johnson and Joe Fields both wore the blue and gold.

When wealth is lost Nothing is lost; When health is lost Something is lost; When character is lost All is lost.

President George H. W. Bush

President Barack Obama

President Joe Biden

Billie “White Shoes” Johnson ’74

(continued on page10)

John Lance “Jack” Geoghegan ’63

Athletic Feats & Firsts

Football debuted at the school in 1879, but Theodore Hyatt was not a fan and restricted the team to home games only — no travel. In 1888, the team had a perfect record — no losses or ties, and without conceding a single point to their opponents — a feat accomplished without ever leaving campus.

Played on Memorial Field until 1994, football notched Division III national championships in 1977 and 1981. Widener hosted Philadelphia Eagles’ training camp from 1973 to 1979, with fans getting a chance to see players up close and even carrying their gear.

Charles Hyatt, Theodore’s son, introduced cavalry instruction. Stables and a riding hall were built near what’s now the first-year quad of residence halls. “When it was PMC, every student was required to become an expert horseman,” said Edgette. Polo was introduced to the campus, and PMC won the National Intercollegiate Indoor Championship in 1928 and 1943.

Other notable firsts and feats —field hockey and women’s basketball became the school’s first varsity women’s sports in 1972; men’s basketball advanced to the DIII Final Four in 1978 and 1985.

Institutional Longevity

Granted university status in 1979, Widener is now home to more than 40 undergraduate majors, more than 50 graduate and professional programs, and two law schools. It’s recognized for its powerhouse programs in engineering, nursing, and health sciences, among others;

state-of-the-art facilities; faculty mentorship; and hands-on learning that puts students on the inside track to success.

Although the school no longer identifies as a military college, it maintains a strong connection to the service through its Army ROTC cadre, Dauntless Battalion, helping produce the next generation of military leaders.

“From the early 1980s into the 2000s, the very nature of the institution was to drive forward with constant change,” said Buck. “Keep your thumb on the pulse of the MidAtlantic area to see the educational needs and respond quickly to those needs with high-quality programs.”

Widener may seem a long way from its origins, but, in many ways, it’s simply the modern iteration of a steadfast legacy — being on the forefront of education and remaining relevant and agile to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s challenges.

Edgette and Buck attribute the school’s longevity to its leadership — from the Hyatts to Dixon, to its more contemporary presidents — who brought stability and innovation to their roles.

“They’ve been very fortunate in finding presidents who had very, very long tenures, and they had goals in mind and they did not deviate. They wanted to improve, not just redo what’s already been done,” said Edgette. “That leadership all began… with (Theodore) Hyatt. He really started all of this.”

Adds Buck: “Stability is a big part of it. We’ve weathered some tough times. Change is inevitable, but when embraced, it’s made successful.” n

1920—Florence

Leslie becomes PMC’s first female instructor, teaching French. She is promoted and becomes PMC’s first female professor in 1927.

1921—PMC cavalrymen are in demand for numerous public exhibitions. Original caption for this photo, “Fear is not in the vocabulary of PMC cadets.”

Our Presidents

John Bullock 1821–1846

Photo not available Samuel Alsop 1846–1853

Theodore Hyatt 1853–1887

Charles Hyatt 1888–1930

Frank Hyatt 1930–1952

1952–1953

1953–1959

Clarence

1959–1981

Edwin A. Howell (acting)

Edward E. MacMorland

Moll

Robert Bruce 1981–2001

Lawrence Buck (acting) 2001–2002

James Thomas Harris III 2002–2015

Stephen Wilhite (acting) 2015–2015

Julie E. Wollman 2016–2022

ROUNDTABLE ENVISIONING THE FUTURE

Michelle Meekins-Davis Chief Diversity Officer

Behrens Vice President for Library and Information Services and Chief Information Officer

Two hundred years of pride, academic excellence, civic engagement, and community building are behind us. So what does our future hold?

Seven leaders from across university departments and disciplines have come together to discuss just that, as they bury a time capsule big enough to hold many diverse visions of our collective future.

Scott Van Bramer

Professor of Chemistry and Environmental Science and Distinguished University Professor (2014–2017)

Duckett Assistant Dean of Students

1946— Following passage of the G.I. Bill, PMC begins enrolling World War II veterans, either as commuter or boarding students. Veterans are the first non-cadet students ever to attend PMC.

1952—The Pershing Rifles Company Q-5 is chartered and goes on to win numerous awards and national acclaim; it changes to Company Q-15 when it becomes the 15th regimental headquarters in 1967.

Eric

Austin

Nadine McHenry

Professor of Education and Director of the Science Teaching Center

Lombuso S. Khoza Executive Director for the Center of Civic and Global Engagement

Nancy Hesse ’80 Board of Trustees Treasurer, Healthcare Executive, and Chief Nursing Officer

Moderated by Emma Irving ’18 and Jeannine McKnight

Eric Behrens: The Library and IT departments are striving every day to make the university experience more intuitive and personal. We should have fewer forms and more power to get things done in the moment, as we already expect to do from our phones with banking, shopping, and transportation.

Lombuso S. Khoza: I would love to see numerous students traveling abroad to get a global experience through Widener, including short- and long-term study abroad, faculty-led trips, and internships. On the faculty side, outside of facultyled trips, it would be professional development opportunities abroad, including Scholar-in-residence, Fulbright, and Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship. Likewise with the civic engagement programming, we want more students involved campus-wide to pay it forward within Widener, and in the Chester community. We are already doing great work and can continue to do better for all. In addition, practicing sustainability as it relates to the UN Sustainable Development Goals is important for all our students as they embark on global and civic experiences.

Nancy Hesse ’80: I would hope that leadership coursework and co-op opportunities will be expanded exponentially. The need for excellence in future healthcare leadership is compounded by a very overextended healthcare workforce.

Nadine McHenry: I would like to see growth over the next five years in our ability not only to understand the constructs

of cultural proficiency and culturally responsive pedagogy, but also to implement these theoretic ideas into our practices in both coursework and field work.

Austin Duckett: I am hoping we examine and enhance the effect of sophomore experience programs and initiatives on second-year student retention and persistence.

Scott Van Bramer: Instead of just thinking about chemistry or science, when I think about points of growth with Widener, the real place I see potential is in Widener’s reaching out to BIPOC communities that have at times been underrepresented here. Widener does a great job providing students with close personal interaction with faculty and really helping the students who come here grow and meet their potential through lots of high-impact practices, including undergraduate research, internships, civic engagement, project-based learning, and group-based learning. All these factors are vital for students to have transformational experiences, and the more people we can bring here to have those experiences, the better for us all.

Michelle Meekins-Davis: I agree. I want to bring more faculty and administrators that represent the diverse backgrounds of our learning community. In addition, I am hoping to achieve improved retention and graduation rates that are comparable for our majority and underrepresented student populations.

1954—

An evening division is added, enabling area residents to earn their college degrees at night.

1966—Penn Morton College

Women are enrolled at the institution for the first time as nursing students in a joint program with The Crozer Foundation, and Penn Morton College is added as a parallel, coeducational counterpart to Pennsylvania Military College. Military College (PMC).

Looking into Widener’s future, what is a specific point of growth you’re hoping to see in your field in the next five years?

Duckett: Currently, there is a regional shortage of traditional-aged high school students attending institutions of higher education. I see Widener continuing to remain agile and creating academic and co-curricular programs that can address the needs of the modern college student now affected by the lingering circumstances of a global pandemic.

Meekins-Davis: I agree that a challenge is the changing student demographics in the Northeast and learner populations that are seeking degrees and credentials that meet their needs. I envision that Widener will be able to respond with new, creative, and relevant program offerings. I envision that Widener University will continue to transform lives through education well into the future.

Hesse: There was nothing that prepared the healthcare industry for the impact of the pandemic on multiple fronts. Healthcare is financially burdened, and healthcare workers’ physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing has been drained as an impact of COVID-19. The exodus from the profession is definitely going to drain the future leadership pool; Widener healthcare programs can prepare students to fill those gaps.

Khoza: The one major challenge we all face is the pandemic. That said, we work hard to ensure that challenges are mitigated by implementing risk management for students and faculty planning to travel abroad. In addition, resources to travel abroad need to be made available to students and faculty in the form of scholarships, passports, and grants, respectively. Above all, ensuring that faculty are at ease

to support their students’ aspirations for studying abroad and effortless coursework processes and support units for students to successfully register and complete courses abroad. Our civic engagement activities should continue to reflect a supportive and partnering nature in the community. Collaborations that are intentional and proactive in nature thrive best. We are working hard to ensure that these challenges are addressed in the short term.

Behrens: If cybercrime was a country, estimates are that it would already have the world’s third biggest economy behind the U.S. and China. Creating an environment that is simultaneously safe and supportive of scholarship and open communication is an incredible challenge. Fortunately, I think there is a growing awareness among faculty and staff that we are the most important line of defense in protecting the privacy of our students.

Van Bramer: If the point of growth I’m seeing is the increased enrollment of BIPOC students, the challenge that we face is to do more with hiring, retaining, and promoting BIPOC faculty. We have to be really intentional about it and put a lot of time, energy, thought, and money into it, but we can absolutely rise to the occasion, as we have these past two years.

McHenry: I agree. A challenge facing my field is improving the numbers of teachers of color in urban, suburban, and rural schools. The Widener Community Engaged Teacher Education (CETE) program has the capacity to attract teachers of color as we fashion our undergraduate mission and vision statement around the ideas of cultural equity.

Behrens: Stop and think about what we didn’t have 50 years ago that we take for granted today. Now imagine the pace of change is many times faster for the next 50 years. Current arguments about the virtues of online vs. in-person education will become dated sooner than people realize. With new technologies—many of which don’t exist yet—and the challenges of living through climate change, I imagine an incredibly diverse community of learners who learn wherever they are. And some of their learning partners will probably use artificial intelligence!

Right now, the alma mater (the literal “soul mother”) evokes nostalgia for a place that once nurtured us in our youths. I dream of a nurturing connection to Widener not just for an intensive period of a few years, but across different stages of a learner’s life. That will require us to reimagine what we do beyond conferring degrees.

Hesse: That digitalization is definitely key. I see an increase in the opportunities to complete coursework online so we can accommodate all students who desire to advance their degrees. Creative work payback programs and more co-ops to develop

1970—Wolfgram Memorial Library debuts to great acclaim. One of its notable features is the Little Nipper Window.

What is a challenge facing your field, and how do you see Widener programs and people rising to meet the occasion?

When you envision Widener’s future 50 years from now, what do you see?

the future nurse in a more meaningful manner would also be amazing, as would expanding those learning opportunities to the community, the home, and the point of patient care delivery that makes it easy for all to access.

Duckett: I see a campus filled with a rich fabric of diversity in students and employees whose hallmark will be a just and celebrated community woven together by hard work, innovation, and forward-thinking leadership.

Meekins-Davis: I see every student (undergraduate, graduate, extended learner, etc.) being encouraged to obtain a passport no later than their first semester to take advantage of opportunities to travel abroad. All students, regardless of socio-economic means, will have access to travel abroad opportunities. I also see more collaboration between Widener University and the community of Chester.

McHenry: Yes, that deepening of a community bond is so important. For me, Widener’s future 50 years from now includes an education program that is fully culturally responsive across

both graduate and undergraduate programs. It is one that is partnered with the city to encourage civic engagement and a community of practice that brings experts together from varying backgrounds—city representatives, Chester Upland School District teachers, Widener faculty, and the children and families of our city. This learning community is synergistic and able to solve problems together.

Khoza: I see as well a more diverse campus from student, faculty, staff, to administration, with robust programs that seek to serve the community and on a global platform, sharing knowledge with campuses globally. The Chester community will be embraced by all students, and there will be a vibrant community that accepts all individuals regardless of background because of Widener students’ interaction with the community.

Van Bramer: I too see this happy world becoming real. That would be a wonderful place to be—if students from across the region and across unique life circumstances come to Widener and are successful and have those transformative experiences.

McHenry: For my tangible item, I would love to include the 2018 Community Engaged Teacher Preparation Award, a national award dedicated to the promotion of community immersion for teacher education. I’d also like to add this thought, a quote from Ms. Hilda Campbell, one of our community mentors: “Changing hearts is as important as changing minds.”

Khoza: I am adding a map with the students’ and faculty members’ travels abroad destinations, a list of civic engagement activities, and the same digital footprints however they are beamed in the distant future.

Meekins-Davis: I am adding two pieces of Widener University swag: one with our brand from the 1990s, “We Take Your Education Personally,” and another with our guiding principle, “We’re All Widener!”

Van Bramer: I’m adding an artifact from the beginning and end of a student’s journey here. Including a presentation or paper from someone’s first semester at Widener next to their senior thesis will show just how much growth our students are experiencing. And for the intangible thing, I’m putting in the springtime bloom of the trees outside my office.

Hesse: Too much has happened lately in the world of healthcare for me not to put in a few tangible things. I would like to put in a list of all the vaccines available today—what they are for and the schedule that we are to receive them. I have a vial that my Moderna vaccine was from, as well as Pfizer and J&J vials to showcase these historic feats.

I would also add an example of genomic testing results. We are in the early stages of offering “PRECISION medicine” for cancer care (where the immunotherapy is specifically matched to the tumor) and it will be amazing when this is further developed. I’ve also always appreciated seeing historic job descriptions and nursing writings, so I would add in today’s BSN, RN job description. Florence Nightingale’s practice and writings in the 1860s impacted worldwide health reform and epidemiology. What will our writings post COVID-19 do to frame the future of modern-day medicine?

Behrens: I’m also putting in an artifact to represent these COVID-19 days. The tangible thing I would include is my Plantronics Blackwire C3225 headset with microphone arm. Nothing more completely commemorates the experience of the last two years of remote work and learning.

The intangible thing I would include is the electric energy I feel when I enter the atrium of Wolfgram Memorial Library, lit by sunshine from the skylights above, and see students filling every group table on the main floor and the floor above.

Duckett: My tangible item is a branded Widener University mask to remind us of our agility and a time in the history of the United States when leadership, advocacy, and courage matter on all levels. My intangible item is Love — Love of self, love of others, and love of our physical world. n

There’s space for you to add two things to the time capsule: one tangible and one intangible. What are you adding to the capsule for the Widener community to find in the distant future?

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT ON COMCAST LEADERS

by Emma Irving ’18

From the first static dial tones of residential dial-up to the advent of the Peacock streaming service, the Comcast Corporation — headquartered in Center City, Philadelphia, just 14 miles from Widener’s campus — has been innovating in the tech industry for decades. But did you know that many members of the Pride have been integral to these innovations?

Comcast boasts an impressive number of Widener alumni in top leadership positions including:

• Marilyn Whitham ’87, psychology, and ’00, human resource management — Vice President & Chief of Staff, Total Rewards at Comcast NBCUniversal

• Daniel Carr ’92, management information systems — Regional Vice President, Beltway Region

• Erami Botchway ’93 & ’96, electrical engineering — Executive Director, Engineering

The inside track from a Widener degree to a successful career at Comcast is clear, and the bond between the university and this industry leader continues to strengthen thanks to alumni who keep giving back. Learn more about some members of our Pride who took what they learned on campus to Comcast and changed the way we interact with technology in our homes and businesses along the way.

Stephen Perez ’97, accounting Vice President, Comcast Assurance and Advisory Team

A first-generation college student, Stephen Perez came to Widener without much understanding of what the college experience would be like, but he jumped in and got involved playing multiple sports, working a campus job, and more. With a lot on his plate, Perez found a mentor in esteemed accounting professor Dr. Frank Lordi Jr.

“Whenever I was slacking, Dr. Lordi would call and ask what was the matter. He helped me stay grounded and get into a rhythm and mindset that I took into the working world,” Perez said.

Having the support of a tight-knit university community was gamechanging for Perez.

“My twin brother once came to watch my football game, and one of my professors sitting near him asked why he wasn’t playing. He thought that was me!” Perez said. “That just goes to show how much care that professor took to get to know me and my interests outside the classroom.”

Though his daily work now revolves around numbers, Perez is committed to developing the next generation of leaders through meaningful mentorship and sponsorship, just like he found at Widener.

“I come from a blue-collar town, and I was on food assistance while in middle school,” Perez said. “I didn’t come from a lot so for me to be where I am now and be able to give back, there’s nothing better in the world than that.”

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1974—First commercially available personal computer, the Altair, was developed. The IBM PC debuted in 1981, the same year that the world’s first video game magazine, Electronic Games, was published.

1973—The barcode (Universal Product Code) was created.

1974 —

Post-It Notes were invented.

1973—Invention of the first hand-held cellular mobile phone demonstrated by Motorola; it weighed 4.4 pounds. Cell phones became commercially available in 1983.

1979—The SONY Walkman was invented. It was the first small, portable music system device that came with lightweight headphones, enabling us to listen to music on the go.

Richard Massi ’97, electrical engineering Vice President, DTC Reliability and Performance, Peacock

By October of his senior year at Widener, Richard Massi knew he’d be working for Comcast, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Massi completed a four-month co-op at PPL Corporation and then an eight-month co-op with Comcast Cellular before his senior year. His co-op work with Comcast led him to a job offer contingent upon graduation, which he happily accepted.

Massi has held several positions at Comcast in operations, product deployment, and more, and moved to his current role in August 2021, at Peacock, the new NBC streaming service. He’ll be leading a U.S. and international team overseeing the reliability and performance of the streaming service.

The job is highly technical, but, like Perez, Massi says that the best part of his job is the people.

“Comcast is unique in the tenure of the people in the organization. During the early 2000s, people were job-hopping, constantly trying to move to the next hot start-up, but a lot of people at Comcast stayed,” Massi said. “The culture is great, the people are great, and, for a Fortune 26 company, it feels like family.”

That all-in-the-family feeling definitely extends to Widener students.

“I hired a Widener co-op student—Art Kalemkarian—18, and he’s worked for me three different times in various roles,” Massi noted.

“Those relationships are invaluable.”

Kalemkarian ’04, electrical engineering Senior Director, Reliability Engineering

Art

Like Massi, Art Kalemkarian has been at Comcast since a senior-year co-op with the company landed him a job offer, but another opportunity at Widener paved the way for him to step into his own as a professional and a leader: becoming the general manager of the on-campus radio station WDNR (now WUCAST).

“The opportunity to lead an organization of 70 people was great life training and every bit a major complement to what I was doing in the classroom,” Kalemkarian said. “I learned how to lead people, run a budget, problem solve everything from operations to people to technical issues, and work with leadership at the university.

“To bring that learning from the collegiate to the professional space gave me confidence.”

Kalemkarian took that confidence to his co-op program, where he was involved in the trial work for Comcast’s home phone service. From lab testing and architecture design to trial runs, the work he did while still a Widener student would be the work he continued after graduation.

“It was amazing to come back after I graduated and be a part of the national build-out of the product from an engineering perspective,” Kalemkarian said.

Now that’s truly a full-circle moment.

Jeanne Ciampa ’95, electrical engineering Director, Product Delivery, Next Generation Access Networks

Jeanne Ciampa is a natural-born leader, and coming to Widener only heightened those abilities.

“I was always attracted to organizing and leading activities, and I was an officer of almost every club I joined during my time at Widener,” she says. She organized and managed her senior engineering project team, and it was during those long days keeping her team on task that she began to envision a career for herself in technical project and program management.

Ciampa has held several roles during her time at Comcast and credits her strong engineering background and leadership abilities she gained at Widener for helping her remain open to new opportunities.

The best thing about her job though? Supporting and uplifting her team.

“I have a breadth of experience on my current team from junior-level employees beginning their careers to senior team members with a wealth of knowledge. I enjoy working with all of them on their career growth and keeping them motivated and appreciated,” she says.

“I’m most proud when I hear complimentary feedback on the effort of people on my team, especially those I’ve personally had the opportunity to hire myself. Bringing in new people to the organization and supporting their successes gives me great joy.”

Mike Birdsall ’97, accounting Executive Director, Fraud Risk Management at Comcast Cable

Though Mike Birdsall originally put Widener on his college search list because of its outstanding engineering program—and because a high school football coach was an alum who had “nothing but great things to say” about Widener —he ended up in the Exploratory Studies program, considering all options.

Thankfully he didn’t have to consider those options alone, and the mentorship he received from his advisor, Dr. Joseph Hargadon, changed the course of his career.

“Neither of my parents went to college, and they couldn’t provide the guidance I needed, but Dr. Hargadon took the time to ask me about each of the courses I had taken,” Birdsall said. “He asked what classes I liked and didn’t like, which classes had me the most engaged, and we discussed the kinds of careers that each could lead to.

“This was really the first serious discussion that I had in my life about what I wanted to be when I grew up.”

Accounting proved to be the field that checked all the boxes for Birdsall, and after working in public accounting for a time, he took a role with the Internal Audit function at Comcast. He eventually moved into operations and helped establish the Fraud Risk Management organization for Comcast’s mobile business, which now oversees the full cable business.

And all was made possible by the guidance of a Widener mentor.

1976—Widener’s

Jennifer Daley ’88, accounting Vice President and Assistant Treasurer

For Jennifer Daley, another first-generation college student, coming to Widener was a learning experience, but one in which she felt deeply supported.

“Widener made the college search process easy, and I felt immediately comfortable on campus,” she said.

Daley credits many professors-turned-mentors for her success at Widener, but she says pledging a sorority was what made her really feel at home on campus.

“Being involved with Tri-Sigma was a highlight of my time at Widener. I met incredible women that were encouraging and fun, and I felt so much more a part of the school community once I pledged,” she said.

From Widener, Daley went into public accounting and from there wanted to find the right place to stay and grow. For the past 27 years, that company has been Comcast.

Daley enjoys the dynamic nature of the company and the industry, saying she’s “had the same phone number but that’s about all that hasn’t changed” throughout her time there.

Her biggest successes, she says, have been her involvement in three transformative acquisitions: one of a company twice Comcast’s size, one on the heels of the 2008 financial crisis, and one international acquisition that involved a bidding war.

“Each was challenging in its own way,” she said. “It was exciting to be part of the team that put the financing pieces together, and then so satisfying to see it all work on closing day.”

Richard

Sculli

’94, accounting

Senior Director

of Treasury

Services

While Richard Sculli was involved in many activities at Widener —indoor and outdoor track, the Commuter Student Organization, the accounting club—the best part of his collegiate experience was pledging Kappa Sigma fraternity.

In fact, it was through a connection with fellow Kappa Sigma brother Christian Nascimento that Sculli got introduced to another Widener alum, Rosemarie Teta ’76, then president of Comcast Capital Corporation, who eventually hired him.

“We had a great conversation about Widener when I interviewed with her, and being on the accounting board, she knew the strength of the education and leadership Widener provides,” Sculli said.

Twelve years later, Sculli is living his childhood dreams of traveling the world (prepandemic) and keeping a pulse on everything from Comcast’s cable business to funding for global tv and film productions.

Still, giving back to Widener, and especially to Kappa Sigma, is top of mind for him. Sculli has been the alumni advisor to the fraternity for more than 20 years, and he looks forward to getting back to in-person events this academic year.

“Advising them is such a big part of my life. They make me laugh, but they also do really good work,” he said. “The value in Widener’s Greek life from the friendships to the leadership opportunities and academic excellence is huge.”

1979—In recognition of its comprehensive offerings, the institution is renamed Widener University.

Delaware Campus opens as part of a merger with Brandywine Junior College.

Christian Nascimento ’97, accounting Vice President of Product and Premise Services, Comcast Business Member, Widener University Board of Trustees

Despite working at a multinational corporation, Christian Nascimento most values the work he does supporting local businesses.

“Knowing we’re helping entrepreneurs and mom-and-pop shops grow and follow their dreams is the best part of my job,” Nascimento said.

That drive to help others flourished during his Widener days. He was involved in student government, Kappa Sigma fraternity, new student orientation leadership, and an after-school reading program at Stetser Elementary, and he praises the “leadership toolkit” those activities gave him. After working at various firms and startups around the country after graduation, he applied to Comcast and returned to the Philly area. He has been with the company for the past 15 years.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Nascimento was challenged to continue supporting local businesses and Fortune 1000 companies alike with their service needs.

“I’m really proud of the fact that our network performed so well during the pandemic when so much life and business shifted to working from home,” he said. “We were able to keep businesses going.”

Nascimento is excited by the rapid evolution of his industry across a variety of platforms and the learning that goes along with that.

“I enjoy being a generalist and having to understand how all our products work individually, and as part of our broader service,” he said. “I really love the work I do.” n

1980—The university launches University College—now Continuing Studies— offering undergraduate evening, weekend, and distant learning degree programs.

1980—The Child Development Center opens and initially provides childcare for Widener faculty and staff. Later it enrolls children of community members.

Christian Nascimento ’97 talks with Widener freshman business students during a class fieldtrip to the Comcast Center in Philadelphia in 2018.

WALKING FORWARD LOOKING BACK,

by Emma Irving ’18

As vital as it is to understand the events of the past to dream of and work toward a better future, sometimes history can feel remote or inaccessible. Sometimes, we just don’t know how to see the history right in front of us.

M’Nya Preston, a junior anthropology major, and Madison Smith, a sophomore history major, want to change that. They’re bringing history to life on Widener’s main campus by building a walking tour through sites significant to the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

Preston and Smith met in Dr. Jordan Smith’s Practices in Public History: History and Memory in Chester course in fall 2020. After completing a project on the 1964 civil rights protests in Chester, they decided to continue their research.

Through the Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (SURCA) program, Smith and Preston dug deeper into the rich civil rights history of Chester and learned about many important sites and figures tied directly to Widener’s campus.

While Preston and Smith have spent countless hours in Wolfgram Memorial Library working their way through the extensive archives, they’ve also spent a lot of time interviewing Chester residents and reading stories on a Chester community Facebook page. Dr. Smith praises the fact that Smith and Preston “recognize the vitality of interpreting and narrating Chester’s history with input from Chester residents and stakeholders.”

“When you have living people who experienced an event, it’s a lot easier to form some type of connection to the history,” Preston said.

“This isn’t the typical history book or archival material research that people often think about when diving into history,” Smith added.

The result of this research will be a QR-code walking tour featuring scannable plaques at various campus sites. Once scanned, the code will open a YouTube video diving into the significance of the site through historical documents, video clips, audio interviews, and voice reenactments of first-person accounts of the Chester protests. Eventually, Preston and Smith hope to create an augmented-reality version of the walking tour to really put users in the action of the era.

Making the Past, Personal

For Preston, this history is still vibrantly alive in her family today.

“The majority of my family were born and raised in Chester, and so I often talk to my grandmother, great aunts, and other family about this project,” she said. “We think it’s so cool that my family can tell me about the places we’re learning about as part of this project.”

For Smith, who plans to go on to law school, she hopes to share the whole story of the civil rights movement in Chester with everyone in the Widener community.

“There is no formal obligation for students to learn about the community they are going to school in, but I think there should be a moral obligation for them to do so. This project is a great way to make history accessible,” she said.

1981—The School of Hotel and Restaurant Management opens.

In 1996, it is renamed the School of Hospitality Management. Its programs moved into the School of Business Administration in 2018.

Dr. Smith, who received a grant through Project Pericles to incorporate civic engagement into his curriculum, says he hopes the project will empower Chester residents and the Widener community alike to work toward building a more equitable future.

“I don’t think any public history project can, in and of itself, repair what has often been a stressed relationship between Chester and Widener,” he said. “But the goal of this tour is to think of the histories of the university and the city as intertwined.

“We are telling a story that has never before been told in this way through a medium that will hopefully engage the largest possible audience.”

The Complete Story

Smith and Preston both say they can see parallels between the civil rights protests in Chester in 1964 and modernday protests for racial justice. Less than two years after protests over the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor,

1989—Harrisburg Campus opens.

It houses a branch of the School of Law and offers School of Nursing courses.

and others rocked Black Lives Matter back into national headlines, the students say sharing this history is more important than ever.

“Madi and I found ourselves getting slightly emotional talking about the lack of progress that has been made since 1964,” Preston said. “It’s disheartening to see that this happened historically, and our people today are still fighting for the same things.”

When the plaques with QR codes are placed in the spring of 2022, Preston and Smith will kick off the walking tour with an official event. They hope everyone coming to campus will take the time to explore the meaningful people and places behind the 1960s Chester civil rights movement.

Smith says this view of history is complicated, but there’s room for both grief and optimism in this story.

“I want people to know that the City of Chester has amazing people and amazing stories, but also sometimes really dark history that needs to be brought to light.” n

1993—The School of Human Service Professions opens.

It houses education, social work, physical therapy, and graduate clinical psychology programs.

M’Nya Preston and Madison Smith pose at some of the planned stops on their walking tour: From left-to-right: the Old Main Annex, Kirkbride Hall, and the corner of Chestnut and 13th Streets. On the far right, Preston (left) and Smith present their research at the SURCA Symposium.

1994—Leslie C. Quick Jr. Stadium opens.

Widener Invests in Fraternity and Sorority Life on Campus

by Emily Barrett ’21

Widener’s energetic campus community has been a central component of the university’s 200-year-long history. Today, students are invited to participate in more than 80 clubs and organizations whose membership gives them opportunities to not only engage in their interests, but also to forge friendships, build skills, and develop professional networks.

As the university has transitioned through the years, clubs and organizations have evolved to reflect student needs and interests. Changes made in organizations like Fraternity

and Sorority Life have demonstrated Widener’s dedication to student growth and success, both in and out of the classroom.

“We’re committed to having a vibrant full-bodied, out-of-class experience for our students, and that includes fraternities and sororities,” said John Downey, dean of students.

Under the leadership of Downey; Phil Gatling, director of Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL); and Austin Duckett from the Office of Student

Engagement, the university has kickstarted renewed investments in Greek letter organizations. Since its establishment after the end of the Second World War, Widener’s FSL program has grown to represent nearly 500 students, or approximately 19 percent of the undergraduate population. Led by four councils— the Interfraternity Council, College Panhellenic Council, the recently renamed National Pan-Hellenic

2000—PMC Museum opens and is housed in the Alumni Auditorium building.

2004—Widener is invited to join Project Pericles, which encourages colleges to incorporate social responsibility and participatory citizenship in their academic programs.

2006— The Widener Partnership Charter School opens.

Willie Mathis III stands in front of Kappa Sigma located on 13th Street.

Briana Dilger, president of the Council of Independent Organizations, poses in front of her sorority Phi Sigma Sigma.

Council of Independent Organizations—FSL delivers a blended dose of Widener’s institutional values alongside chapter principles to create an enriching student experience.

“When a student joins a fraternity or sorority, they dramatically increase their likelihood that they will remain at the university, will be more satisfied, and will be more successful both in and out of the classroom,” said Downey.

In 2019, the university spearheaded an audit of fraternity and sorority facilities to identify and address needed improvements. With secured university funding, renovations, and updates—such as technology, entertainment, and recreational upgrades—were made to the fraternity and sorority on-campus residences.

(continued on page 22)

Pictured above: Brothers of Phi Delta Theta, both past and present, joined together at Homecoming to dedicate and unveil a new bench outside of the house on 13th Street, celebrating the chapter’s history and bright future.

“We’re committed to having a vibrant full-bodied, out-of-class experience for our students, and that includes fraternities and sororities.”

John Downey, Dean of Students

Recent renovations showcase concerted efforts by the university and FSL organizations to build a partnership, develop robust student experiences, and deepen alumni connections. While acknowledging the difficulties of the past, Downey, Gatling, and other university leaders underscore the importance of communication and providing the chapters with tools and resources they need to expand and thrive.

“We’re pushing them to grow and to have a larger impact on campus. We’re building them up,” said Downey. “It’s a new day for fraternity and sorority life.”

For alumni like Nicholas Schaefer ’87, a founding member of Phi Delta Theta, the university’s deliberate efforts to restore historically challenging relationships with FSL haven’t gone unnoticed.

“We finally feel the love,” said Schaefer. “Coming back and pushing all of that history to the side and looking to the future, it’s great.”

Institutional support is evident to current student leaders like Willie Mathis III as well. The senior civil engineering major and member of

Kappa Sigma joined FSL during his freshman year. Now as president of the Interfraternity Council, Mathis is energized by the demonstrated support.

“I’ve seen a difference in leadership change, not just in our chapter’s executive board, but in the university leadership. They started taking a more proactive approach to FSL, particularly financially and in promoting recognition on campus,” said Mathis.

Expansion in an Unlikely Circumstance

When COVID-19 led the university into remote learning and operations, FSL leaders had to find creative ways to stay connected and engaged with one another. Mathis and other student leaders were quick to transition critical events, such as recruitment and educational workshops, online.

“We had to do full virtual recruitment. It definitely was a big switch and a little tough,” said Mathis, who was the Interfraternity Council’s vice president of membership recruitment in 2020.

2007—As part of its mission to prepare students for global service, Widener establishes a collaboration and exchange program with three universities in China’s largest municipality, Chongqing. Widener has several other active international partnerships currently, including ones in Greece and the Netherlands.

Despite the setback, membership grew across the FSL program—a testament to the students’ perseverance, according to Downey.

“I’m amazed at how the students have been able to recruit and maintain members of the fraternities and sororities despite the circumstances,” Downey said. “They showed great resilience.”

In addition to growing membership, the program began shifting its focus to welcome new organizations, including more academic and racially and ethnically diverse groups. Briana

Dilger is president of the Council of Independent Organizations (CIO), which governs fraternities and sororities that don’t fall under the traditional purview of social chapters.

The senior nursing student aims at building awareness of the council’s six organizations, which include a gender-inclusive honors fraternity, a professional sorority for women in engineering, and a co-ed service fraternity.

“When people think of fraternity and sorority life I don’t want them to only think of the traditional social route, because there are so many different routes and ways to get involved with FSL,” Dilger explained.

Dilger, a member of Phi Sigma Sigma, president of the Order of Omega, and brother of Phi Sigma Pi, further explained that each of the council’s organizations “stand for something unique and special,

2012—Center for Human Sexuality Studies opens. Widener’s program is the only doctoral program in human sexuality studies in the country at a fully accredited university and has gained national recognition.

Fraternity and sorority life continues to have an engaging presence on campus, especially on 13th Street, which is home to Kappa Sigma and Phi Delta Theta.

and they are all great organizations to be involved with.”

Program changes, such as the creation of CIO and the renamed National Pan-Hellenic Council, underscore ongoing efforts to not only expand Greek letter organizations, but better reflect student engagement and the greater campus community.

“These changes show the university that we’re growing in a diverse way,” said Gatling, adding that expansion efforts are continuing as the program works to bring new fraternities, specifically a historically black fraternity, to campus.

The Next Chapter of FSL

As the future of Widener’s FSL program continues to take formation, alumni are playing an active role to preserve the transformative opportunities that they experienced for next generations.

“I credit the university for helping to shape me and for giving me the encouragement, the inspiration, and the tools to be successful once I graduated,” said David Almacy ’92.

That hands-on mentorship and support is what drives Almacy to remain engaged with Widener and its fraternities and sororities.

“The idea is to give back to that, to make sure that Widener as an institution is successful,” said Almacy.

Almacy is part of the Phi Delta Theta alumni network partnering with Widener to launch the 511 Fund, a fundraising initiative to provide housing expenses for chapter brothers who wish to live in the fraternity’s oncampus residence, now located at 511 E. 13th Street.

“We have brothers from all walks of life, and I think one of the most beautiful things about this project is that we’re able to provide access for students to live in the fraternity without having to worry about the

burden of cost,” said Patton Vo ’15, a brother of Phi Delta Theta.

That sense of pride and desire to give back has deep roots in the alumni community, particularly those associated with Greek letter organizations. According to Sean Wagner ’02, executive vice president and CEO of the Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity, he envisions that alumni-led efforts such as the 511 Fund can jumpstart engagement among other graduates to support future fraternity and sorority members.

“My hope is that this can be a model that Widener can use to take to others who had such tremendous experiences and support the university through opportunities to champion students today that are a part of the Greek community,” said Wagner. n

2015—The

University-led renovations continue to take place at Greek letter organizations on campus, including updates to The Castle in 2017, which is home to Delta Phi Epsilon.

School of Law splits, becoming two schools: The Delaware Law School and the Commonwealth Law School.

2020—The School of Human Service Professions is reorganized and renamed the College of Health and Human Services. It offers top-ranked programs in clinical psychology, education, human sexuality studies, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, occupational therapy, social work, and speech-language pathology.

HOMECOMING WEEKEND 2021

This year’s Homecoming Weekend, October 15–16, offered something for everyone. Festivity and fun were in the air as generations of alumni—PMC, Pioneer, and Pride—joined with students, families, faculty, staff, and friends to celebrate the institution we love. The Chester and Melrose mascots were on hand to delight the crowds. Special activities and events included the School of Business Career Day on Friday; our new Homecoming Tailgate Village featuring a Bicentennial Beer Garden, food trucks, live music, and activities for children; the beloved Broom Drill; Homecoming Court; and Widener Marching Band performances.

SBA Career Day debuted as a major event during the 2021 Homecoming Weekend.

1971

FIRST CLASS PHOTO

The school’s first graduating class at Widener awarded degrees to 14 students.

SCHOOL OF NURSING HISTORY

1965

Theresa Lynch was ready for retirement from Penn Nursing when she was approached by Dr. Ronald Wells to discuss the development of a nursing education program in Delaware County. Inspired by the vision and mission of the program, Dr. Lynch pushed off retirement to serve as founding and interim dean.

1965

The Crozer Foundation of Chester is authorized by the state to grant bachelor of science in nursing degrees through the College of Nursing of the Crozer Foundation.

July 1970

The Crozer College of Nursing is absorbed by PMC Colleges as a four-year bachelor’s program.

1972

PMC College’s School of Nursing receives the final accreditation from the National League of Nursing.

1973

Patricia Scahill (second from left) is the first nursing major to join the university’s Army ROTC program.

1981

The Burn, Emergency and Trauma graduate program is created. Led by former Dean Janette Packer, the program is one of three in the nation and the first comprehensive academic program in the northeast at the time.

1981

Old Main undergoes a $1.5 million renovation to house modern lab and classroom spaces. Nursing relocates to the university’s landmark building after construction, which displayed its original brick still charred with marks from the fire that tore through the structure nearly 100 years earlier.

1982

In light of Widener’s shift to university status, the Center for Nursing changes to the School of Nursing.

1983

The highly anticipated Doctor of Nursing program begins a new chapter of educating future nurse scientists at Widener.

Oct. 2011

The Widener Community Nursing Clinic opens in partnership with CityTeam in Chester. The clinic provides students with hands-on experiential learning and offers pro bono medical care to uninsured/ underinsured individuals in Chester and the surrounding area.

1994

The School of Nursing extends its program to central Pennsylvania on the Widener Law Commonwealth campus in Harrisburg.

2011

Founders Hall built to house the school, launching the program into the future of nursing education with innovative learning spaces including the Center for Simulation and Computerized Testing.

2013

The school is one of just six schools nationwide recognized by the National League of Nurses as a Center of Excellence for Advancing the Science of Nursing Education.

2017

The school opens the Leadership Center for Nursing Education Research. The center received more than $400,000 in grant funding to conduct meaningful research, individually and in collaboration with other institutions, aimed at advancing the profession and the health care industry.

2020

As the Covid-19 pandemic results in nurses becoming frontline heroes, Widener’s School of Nursing celebrates its 50th anniversary. The school is recognized by the National League for Nursing as a 2020 Center of Excellence in Advancing the Science of Nursing Education, Enhancing Student Learning, and Professional Development.

WIDENER UNIVERSITY DEDICATES

ROTC CENTER TO FOUR-STAR GENERAL ALUMNUS

On October 27, 2021, members of the Widener community gathered to dedicate the Army ROTC Center to Gen. John H. Tilelli Jr., a 1963 graduate of Pennsylvania Military College and member of the Widener Board of Trustees. Tilelli served five years as board chair before stepping down from that leadership role last year. The event drew alumni from the Pennsylvania Military College, members of the Board of Trustees, university leadership, faculty, staff, and cadets in the Dauntless Battalion, Widener’s ROTC cohort comprised of more than 100 cadets who are enrolled at Widener and seven other regional colleges and universities. In his remarks, Tilelli noted, “as I accept this honor, I do it not for myself, but for the thousands of American sons

by Emily Barrett ’21

and daughters who carried me forward on their shoulders to be where I am today.”

“The soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines are the less than 1 percent of Americans who are willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice…to keep America free. And in my mind’s eye they’re America’s best,” Tilelli said.

A retired four-star general, Tilelli served two tours of duty in Vietnam and commanded the First Calvary Division during the 1991 Gulf War. A generous supporter of the university, Tilelli established the Tilelli Annual Endowed Leadership Scholarship at Widener, which benefits a veteran or member of the ROTC Dauntless Battalion, as well as the Tilelli Leadership Fellowship Endowment.

Class of 1956

Robert Hallman, BS Robert Hallman sends this life update and fond recollections for his fellow alumni: I’m retired now at age 88. “I was president of my class of 1956 for more than a year and started my career as an Admissions employee for PMC just five days following my graduation. Dr. Moll had called me to come back to help the college, and I enjoyed the experience. I was part of the group that encouraged the change from a military college to a civilian college. The pressure for change was difficult, but to continue as a college, this was the only decision that had a chance. I still feel close to the education and experience I had at PMC as a prep school and college graduate. (I spent six years as a student and four years as an employee.) I was part of the PMC film effort, which is still available. [Note from the editor: The Pennsylvania Military College Museum has a YouTube channel under its name with several videos and documentaries featuring PMC history.] The Seventeen Magazine project was a great hit for the cadets and the good-looking girls. I know the military college had the reputation as difficult, but we had a great time. I could go on for hours and tell stories and experiences that would make you feel proud of this college’s history.”

Class of 1967

Edward J. Marolda, BA, history

Dr. Edward Marolda has authored Admirals Under Fire: The U.S. Navy and the Vietnam War, published by Texas Tech

University Press and available through Amazon books. Following his participation in the ROTC program and graduation from PMC, he was commissioned in the U.S.

PMC for enabling much of his later success.

Class of 1971

Douglas C. Roger, Esq., BS, behavioral science

Class of 1979

Paul Beideman, MBA, and ’14 honorary doctorate in public service

from Georgetown University (MA) and George Washington University (PhD). In 1971, he joined the staff of the Naval Historical Center in Washington, D.C., capping a 37-year career there as the director of Naval History (acting) and senior historian of the Navy. During that time, he authored, coauthored, and edited 17 histories, including the award-winning By Sea, Air, and Land: An Illustrated History of the U.S. Navy and the War in Southeast Asia and Shield and Sword: The U.S. Navy and the Persian Gulf War. Following his retirement in 2008, the Navy honored him with its Superior Civilian Service Award, and, in 2017, the Naval Historical Foundation presented him with its prestigious Commodore Dudley Knox Naval History Lifetime Achievement Award. Marolda credits the intellectual and professional grounding he received at

After Douglas Roger graduated from Penn Morton College, he went on to earn a JD in law from Temple University School of Law. Mr. Roger says, “I, formerly aka ‘Banjo,’ continue to practice law from my Media Office. I was fortunate to have served as director of Public Defender Services for eight years, ending 2020, for Delaware County, Pa. My good friend and former roommate Robert Kurland ‘71, formerly aka ‘Moishe,’ an attorney who, among other things, mediates legal matters in Delaware, joined me at my house last evening for a barbecue.

Paul Beideman received the 2021 King Award for College and University Trustee Leadership. Beideman is chair of Widener’s Board of Trustees, and his dedication

Theta Chi fraternity bro Hugo Brooks ‘71 who is doing well at the Jersey shore. I would enjoy hearing from my friends and brothers. All be well.”

Class of 1976

Kevin McNeil, BA, government and politics

Kevin McNeil has retired from 40 years of law practice as a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney. McNeil will be residing in Melbourne Beach, Florida.

to excellence at Widener is reflected in the outstanding student experience the university provides. The King Award for College and University Trustee Leadership recognizes a college or university board member whose service exemplifies commitment to higher education and who demonstrates the highest ethical standards in providing leadership from the trustee level.

Michael Mayhew, BS, engineering

Michael Mayhew sends this message for his fellow alumni: “Been on Earth for quite a while, but really enjoyed my time spent at Widener. If any classmates are planning on traveling up the coast this summer, please drop by Boothbay Harbor, Maine. I’ll happily show you around. It’s a beautiful, fun place. (www.boothbayharbor.com)”

CLASS NOTES

Class of 1980

Bernard W. Smalley, Esq., JD, law

Bernard Smalley is the first African American to serve as president of the Board of Directors of City Trusts, the agency charged with

Class of 1983

The Honorable Rosemary B. Beauregard, JD, law

The Honorable Rosemary B. Beauregard is the first woman in Delaware to serve as judge in the Court of Common Pleas and was honored by the unveiling of her portrait in Courtroom A of the Sussex County Courthouse. Judge Alex Smalls, who attended the ceremony, said, “Diversity is a strength, particularly for the court system, and Judge Beauregard brought an important new perspective to our court and cleared a path for other women.”

Joseph McGrory, JD, law

Class of 1984

overseeing charitable trusts bequeathed to the city of Philadelphia. Mayor Jim Kenney said, “Bernie Smalley is a good man and a great Philadelphian, and, on behalf of the entire city, I congratulate him on his unanimous election as the first African American to lead the Board of City Trusts.”

Class of 1982

Jr. has been selected to the 2021 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list in the area of Land Use/Zoning.

Linda Bownik-Panasuk, BA, English Linda Bownik-Panasuk published Returned to Cattail Marsh (Newman Springs Publishing). It relates the story of Paige Thompson’s return home after the devastating end of a five-year relationship and the loss of her father. The circumstances surrounding her father’s death lead her to dig into long buried secrets. Bownik-Panasuk’s chilling tale has Paige threading the needle between right and wrong as she unveils more and more. All the while, her formerly closed heart begins to open to the possibility of love again as two men enter her life while she untangles the mystery.

Kevin O’Connell, JD, law Kevin O’Connell officially became the fourth chief defender in the history of Delaware. O’Connell was appointed to the position by Governor John Carney and confirmed by the Delaware Senate in May. He has been with the Delaware Office of Defense Services (ODS) since 2005, most recently as the head of the New Castle County Division and head of the office’s Superior Court Unit. Prior to that, O’Connell was in private practice. O’Connell is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a founding member of the Delaware Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Class of 1985

Claudette Carter

Claudette Carter is the widow of the late Walker Carter. She would like alumni to know that she completed a script entitled, “Walker’s Way.” She says, “Walker Carter was a graduate of Widener, a stellar athlete, award-winning coach, beloved husband, father, and friend. Along with his

teammates, Walker won national championships as an athlete and coach at Widener in football, as well as track and field. My script “Walker’s Way” is a powerful, biographical, action-packed docudrama. Through my nonprofit corporation Spotlight Productions, l am receiving donations to

be a source of inspiration for the young and old within our communities, as well as our astute alumni. My family and I were so excited when Walker was inducted into Widener University’s Athletic Hall of Fame a few years ago. A scholarship was established through PECO for more than $50,000 in Walker’s memory.

Class of 1985

Gregory Dudkin, MBA PPL Corporation announced that Gregory N. Dudkin, PPL Electric Utilities president since 2012, has been elected executive vice president and chief operating officer of PPL. Dudkin will oversee the process to secure regulatory approval of PPL’s planned acquisition of the Narragansett Electric Company in Rhode Island and to integrate this electricity and gas delivery business into PPL. Dudkin, who joined PPL Electric Utilities in 2009 as senior vice president of Operations. Prior to joining PPL, he served as Comcast’s

Class of 1987

Mark Himsworth, JD, law

had on schools, students, and families across Chester County and the Commonwealth,” Comitta said. “The disruption in learning has impacted different students in different ways. It’s important that we fully understand the issues at stake as we work to help every young person realize their greatest potential.”

Class of 1992

Fredrick Jones, MS, human resources management

senior vice president of technical operations and fulfillment and as a regional senior vice president for the telecommunications company.

In addition, he has 24 years of wide-ranging electric and gas utility experience at subsidiaries of Exelon Corporation, where he served in a variety of leadership positions. Dudkin serves on the board of directors of the Energy Association of Pennsylvania and serves on a number of other industry and community boards, including the Southeast Electric Exchange and the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation. He is also a member of the Smithsonian Science Education Center National Advisory Board and PPL Foundation’s board of directors.

selected to the 2021 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list in the area of Business Litigation.

Class of 1989

Carolyn Comitta, ME, education

Drawing on her experience as a public-school educator, state Senator Carolyn Comitta was named to the Senate Education Committee for the 2021–22 legislative session. Comitta, who successfully advocated for teachers and school staff to be prioritized for vaccination, said she will work to ensure students, families, and schools have the support and resources they

Previously, she served as a teacher and curriculum specialist in the Octorara Area School District for a decade. In addition to her position on the Senate Education Committee, Comitta will continue to serve as minority chair of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, and on the Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness committees.

Class of 1990

Christine A. Sereni-Massinger, Esq., JD, law

need. “I am honored to serve on the committee and look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address the significant and ongoing impacts this pandemic has

Christine Sereni-Massinger is a criminal justice professor with Saint Leo University and is also a professional horse trainer. She attributes a lot of her success to her passion and unique bond with horses. Sereni-Massinger is fascinated by the study of horse psychology and behavior. She says: “Working with them has really helped me with my teaching in terms of interacting with my students.” To further demonstrate her love of horses, Sereni-Massinger has published a book series for children called The Adventures of Speedy the Wonder Horse

Bishop Malooly announced the appointment of Frederick “Fritz” Jones as executive director of Catholic Charities, Inc., of the Diocese of Wilmington. Jones has served in management jobs at Catholic Charities for 43 years, most recently as director of program operations. He served as interim executive director since March. “I am very pleased to appoint Fritz Jones to this important position,” said Bishop Malooly. “For decades, Fritz has been a leader in our efforts to serve the people of God, especially families and individuals in need. He is committed to our mission to provide critical social services to the people of Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore.” His accomplishments include the reorganization of the behavioral health program, resulting in increased productivity, and the integration of the residential maternity home into a Catholic Charities program adding services to new mothers. Jones has served the community in many ways, including as a member of the Counsel of United Way Executives Designee for Catholic Charities, the Wilmington Planning Commission, and the City of Wilmington Economic Development Committee. Other community groups include the Clarence Fraim

CLASS NOTES

Boys and Girls Club, Rockwood Museum, and as an adjunct instructor at Delaware Technical and Community College.

Lisa Shearman, JD, law Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin, PC is pleased to announce that attorney Lisa A. Shearman, a partner with the firm, has recently been elected a Fellow to the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). Shearman is a principal in the firm and an extremely accomplished trust and estates and business lawyer. She has more than 25 years’ experience advising and implementing sophisticated estate plans for clients. Shearman serves as treasurer of the Montgomery Bar Association, chair of its Probate and Tax Section, chair of the Law Reporter Committee, and vice-chair of the Audit Committee. She is a Fellow of the Montgomery Bar Foundation. In addition,

she also serves as vice president. She was the 2015 recipient of the Pennsylvania Bar Association President’s Special Achievement Award and the 2014 recipient of Milton O. Moss Community Service Award.

Renée Robeson, JD, law

Shearman serves as treasurer of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Real Property, Probate and Trust Section Council and is a Zone 9 delegate to the PBA. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Montgomery County Estate Planning Council and the Wills for Heroes Foundation, for which

Renée Robeson, awaiting final New Jersey Senate confirmation as prosecutor, was sworn in as acting Hunterdon County prosecutor. “We are at a moment in America’s history when those of us entrusted with the administration of justice, at every level, must do more in every way to establish and maintain the trust of those we serve,” Robeson said after being sworn in. “This requires renewed diligence, transparency, and effort. I understand that great trust comes with my office, and I look forward to exerting every ounce of my energy to serving justice, our state, our county, the team I lead, and the public I work to protect.”

Class of 1993

Deborah Gallek Cardenas, MSN

The Pennsylvania State Nurses Association (PSNA) announced that it has named

Deb Cardenas, DNP, MSN, RN, Paralegal, LSSYB, as PSNA president, effective June 29, 2021. Dr. Cardenas is the program manager of Quality and Patient Safety Outcomes at Penn State Health Medical Group’s Academic Practice Division. Cardenas is a graduate of the PSNA Legislative Ambassador Program, was a member of the PSNA Government Relations Committee and Nominating Committee, and has served as PSNA secretary, PSNA vice president, and secretary of the Nursing Foundation of Pennsylvania. PSNA CEO Betsy M. Snook commented: “Dr. Cardenas is a motivated professional nurse leader. During her time with the association, Dr. Cardenas has collaborated with nurses and state lawmakers regarding legislative initiatives and issues affecting the healthcare profession. In addition, she has served as the PSNA Board liaison to the Nursing Foundation of Pennsylvania, in which she helped raise scholarship funds to support the education of nurses in the Commonwealth. Her range of professional experiences in clinical settings and education provide Dr. Cardenas with the knowledge and background to be a strong leader for our membership. We look forward to having her serve PSNA as the incoming president.”

Frank Garrido, BS, hospitality management Domino’s Pizza announced that Frank Garrido was promoted to executive vice president of U.S. operations and support. Garrido most recently served as senior vice president, overseeing Domino’s nearly 400

company-owned stores. He joined Domino’s in 2017 as a regional vice president. Prior to Domino’s, Garrido was vice president of operations for Focus Brands’ McAlister’s Deli, part of Focus Brands’ more than 4,500 ice cream shops, bakeries, restaurants, and cafes worldwide. Garrido also served as executive vice president of operations, training and concept development for Edible Arrangements International.

Class of 1995

Dr. Kathleen Hetherington, president of Howard Community College (HCC), announced her plans to retire on October 1, 2021. She has served as president for 14 years and was the first in the college’s history to be a community college graduate. Dr. Hetherington has dedicated her career in higher education to advancing the mission of community colleges. Dr. Hetherington has served as president of HCC since 2007, leading an institution nationally recognized for its strong academic programs and innovative approaches to instruction. She has worked at HCC for 22 years, previously as executive vice president, capital campaign manager, and vice president of student services. During her tenure as president, HCC achieved recognition as a “Great College to Work For” from the

Kathleen Hetherington, EdD, higher education

Chronicle of Higher Education and ModernThink for 12 consecutive years. Equally impressive, HCC has been named a 2019 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner in the category of education. The Association of Community College Trustees named Dr. Hetherington as its recipient of the 2014 Chief Executive Officer Award, which recognizes the outstanding contributions and leadership of a community college president. The Daily Record recognized Dr. Hetherington three times as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women and named her to the Circle of Excellence. She also was recognized by The Daily Record with its 2018 Influential Marylander Award and as a Most Admired CEO in 2016 and 2020. Leadership Howard County honored Dr. Hetherington as a Distinguished Alumni for 2021. In spring 2019, she and the college’s board of trustees were the recipients of the American Association of Community College’s national Exemplary CEO/Board Award. Before joining HCC, she held progressively responsible positions at the Community College of Philadelphia, including dean of student systems. She was also an adjunct professor at Delaware County Community College in Pennsylvania.

David Nickelson, PsyD, JD, law Global business and technology advisory firm, Celerity, is proud to welcome a new senior client partner, Dr. David Nickelson, to lead its Health + Life Sciences offerings. Nickelson has more

than 20 years of experience helping clients efficiently and effectively discover and deliver healthcare products, services, experiences, and

outcomes, making him the ideal leader to take Celerity’s life sciences division to the next level.

Class of 1997

Lisa A. Beeman, MSW

Lisa Beeman will take on the role as the new Cecil County DSS director, and the DHS family is all the richer for her

worked as a social service administrator III/licensing specialist for the Office of Licensing and Monitoring, Department of Human Services. She has performed this role as a rigorous overseer and champion for youth in foster care, both in terms of maintaining adherence to COMAR requirements and in ensuring best practices training among staff. We are gratified that the capable chain of Cecil County DSS staff expertise will continue to be seamlessly linked with Lisa Beeman as the leader. The vulnerable citizens of Cecil County will continue to be most assuredly in the caring hands of a leader who understands and lives the principles of public service.

Class of 1999

Joseph Padasak, EdD, school administration Joseph O. Padasak has been appointed the new president of St. Maria Goretti Catholic High School near Hagerstown, Pa. Padasak most recently served as superintendent for the Chambersburg Area School District in

society in the Catholic faith is so important now, not only for the region, but also for the country.”

Nancy Hacker, EdD, school administration

The Cheltenham School Board appointed a temporary replacement during a virtual meeting ahead of Superintendent Wagner Marseille’s departure, the school district announced in a statement. The nine-member board selected Nancy Hacker,

enthusiastic embrace of this role. Beeman brings a wealth of experience with her to Cecil County DSS. She worked previously as a cross functional supervisor/ CHESSIE coordinator for Cecil County DSS for seven years. Her leadership skills were honed there, managing and working shoulder-to-shoulder with social workers, aides, foster care teams, and other staff. In addition, Beeman worked directly with families with vulnerable adults and children at risk of abuse and neglect. Most recently, she

Pennsylvania from 2006 to 2019. “It is a great honor for me to join the Goretti family at this critical and exciting time in Catholic education,” he said in the news release. “Goretti’s mission to educate and form productive members of

former Springfield Township School District superintendent, to fill the position on an interim basis. “We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Hacker as interim superintendent as we search for our next superintendent. Dr. Hacker brings an enormous amount of experience, expertise, and wisdom to this role, and we are grateful to her for her service,” said School Board President Joel I. Fishbein in a May 5 statement. Hacker previously worked as a superintendent at school districts in Delaware County, Pa., and New Jersey. Hacker retired from her post in December 2020 after serving as superintendent at Springfield Township School District, according to a Cheltenham School District spokesperson. She had held that position since 2012.

CLASS NOTES

Kevin Noel, BS, business administration

Bridge Partners is pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin Noel as senior vice president for finance and administration at Project HOME, which is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that provides housing, opportunities for employment, medical care, and education to homeless and low-income persons living in the Philadelphia area. Noel joins Project HOME from Northeast Treatment Centers, Inc., in Philadelphia, Pa., where he served as chief financial officer and vice president of administration. Previously, he served as chief financial officer at Children & Families First of Delaware, Inc. Prior, he worked as director of finance at Family & Workplace Connection, Inc. Noel is a highly accomplished, resultdriven senior accounting and finance management executive with more than 20 years of progressive experience in finance and operations management within large nonprofit organizations in the human services and behavioral health sector. He brings to the role a demonstrated ability to streamline business operations that drive growth and increase efficiency and profitability.

Class of 2001

Kenneth Lordy, BS, electrical engineering

True Influence ®, the technology leader of datadriven sales and marketing solutions, announced that Ken

Lordy has joined the company as senior vice president of product management. Lordy brings 20 years of product management and strategic partnership experience to True Influence where he will be responsible for the company’s product roadmaps and strategic direction, as well as helping keep True Influence at the forefront of revenue technology. Lordy is an accomplished executive with a track record of leading products and teams in telecom, data, and MarTech to profitable growth. Most recently at Dun & Bradstreet, Lordy was vice president where he was responsible for product ownership and partnerships, as well as the overall strategy for the Sales & Marketing Business Unit. Prior to Dun & Bradstreet, Lordy spent 10 years at Alcatel-Lucent where he was the director of product management.

Flavia Naves, JD, law

Flavia Naves recently marked her first anniversary as general counsel for Circle, a global financial technology firm that enables businesses of all sizes to harness the power of digital currencies

worldwide. Flavia is an active contributor to the SF Bay Area legal community and is on the board of two local non-profits.

Class of 2002

Christopher L. Kenny Esq., JD, law

Delaware LIVE’s owner has been elected to serve on the board of one of the nation’s largest higher-education accreditation organizations.

Chris L. Kenny, who also owns A Better Delaware, will serve for three years as a public member on the Middle States Commission on Higher Education’s board of commissioners.

“I am extremely honored to accept a commissioner position on the Middle States Commission on Higher Education,” Kenny said. “I look forward to being a part of this historic institution and their mission to assure students and the public of the educational quality of higher education and to ensure institutional accountability, self-appraisal, improvement, and innovation through peer review and the rigorous application of standards.”

Class of 2004

Christy Neill, BS economics

to Neill because of her ability to consistently

and public blockchains for payments, commerce, and financial applications

Christy Neill received the Ameriprise Client Experience Award for her work as a top financial advisor. Neill provides financial advice that is anchored in a solid understanding of client needs and is delivered in one-onone relationships with her clients. This award was given

deliver personalized, goal-based advice and exceptional client service.

Class of 2006

Christopher Nagy, EdD

Dr. Christopher Nagy represented the U.S. educational leaders on an international panel sponsored by School Rubric. The panel addressed what educational systems learned from the pandemic and how education will change as a result. Nagy was also published in the School Rubric Global Education Insights Magazine in July 2021.

Class of 2013

Jordan A. Casey Esq., JD, law

Jordan A. Casey will serve as the director for the new Housing Opportunities Program for Equity (HOPE) as announced by The Foundation for Delaware County. Casey previously served as staff attorney for the Health, Education & Legal Assistance Project: A

Medical-Legal Partnership (HELP: MLP), and at Widener University School of Law. According to a Generocity profile written in February of this year by Markita MorrisLouis, “since 2016, he has been providing free civil legal services to women who are either pregnant or parenting a child under the age of two and enrolled into either Healthy Start and/or the Nurse-Family Partnership under The Foundation for Delaware County.” Casey is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council; Delaware County

Lead Poisoning Prevention Coalition; and the governing

associate council of Haverford Trust Securities, Inc., a subsidiary broker-dealer company of The Haverford Trust Company. With more than 10 years of experience, Collins helped develop, implement, and maintain the firm’s regulatory compliance

The Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list.

Class of 2017

Rob Dowd, BA, accounting; ’17 MSTFP

Ryan Raiker, BS, informatics; ’17 MBA

board of Delaware County Continuum of Care; and he is vice president of the board of directors of Housing Equality Center of Pennsylvania.

Christopher Cicalese, CPA, MSTFP

Alloy Silverstein, a regional accounting firm with offices in Cherry Hill, Hammonton, and Mount Laurel, NJ, announces that Christopher Cicalese, CPA, has been promoted to associate partner.

Dane Collins, Esq., JD, law Dane Collins was promoted from compliance manager to compliance officer and associate council of the Haverford Trust Company, and as chief compliance officer and

program. This promotion reflects Haverford’s commitment to fostering talent and cultivating firm-wide institutional knowledge.

Matthew Murphy, JD, law Richards, Layton & Finger announced that attorney Matthew W. Murphy has been elected as a director of the firm. “We are very proud to promote Matt to director,” said Doneene Damon, president of Richards Layton. “He has the skill, experience, and commitment to excellence to provide our clients with the superior legal services they expect from us.

Matt joins his colleagues at the firm in offering innovative counsel, practical solutions, and exceptional client service.” Murphy focuses his practice on litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery involving fiduciary duties, corporate governance and control, contractual issues, and other commercial disputes. He also advises on transactional matters involving Delaware limited liability companies, partnerships, corporations, and special committees. This year, Murphy was named on

TGS is proud to announce a significant addition to their professional team, Robert Dowd. With years of substantive experience in financial planning, Dowd has joined the TGS team as senior planner. Dowd is a Certified Student Loan Professional and has held the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification since 2018. As senior planner, Dowd is responsible for overseeing and improving planning processes. He will be key in helping to further develop our reporting to clients. Dowd’s career in financial planning began the first time he handed over his lawn-mowing earnings to help with family finances. He quickly realized he’d need more education to truly make a difference in helping others. Today, Dowd finds great reward in easing the stress of financial complexities with efficacious action plans. He currently resides in Folsom, Pa., with his wife, Kelly, his daughters, Molly and Maddie, and their

black lab, Bo. In his free time, Dowd enjoys spending time with friends and family, exercising, and acting. Dowd can be reached at Rob@TGSfin.com.

In this digital age, we often look to those with profound insight for guidance. Ryan Raiker—the head of global content and digital experience strategy at Digital Intelligence software company ABBYY—is one such thought leader. Raiker has been featured on NBC, Data-Driven Investor, MarketWatch, RTInsights.com, TowardsDataScience.com, Insurance Innovation Reporter, and Yahoo News. Raiker continues his involvement with his alma mater as an advisory board member and as an adjunct instructor in business management, communications, and digital media informatics. After obtaining his MBA, Raiker joined TimelinePI, a process intelligence startup, to lead marketing. In August 2019, ABBYY acquired TimelinePI. Raiker now leads the organization’s digital marketing department. There are three things that Raiker believes will help people to succeed: “Believing in yourself—not because of ego, but because you’ve actually put in the work. Believing in your network—it is important to tell everyone you know about what you’re doing and where you want to go. And, believing in your goals—as big or as crazy as they may be.” Raiker says, “these three things will keep people humble but eager to keep on striving for their success, whatever they might define that as.” For more information about Raiker, visit ryanraiker.com, connect on LinkedIn, or check out his Instagram.

In Memoriam

Franklyn (Frank) Featherman ‘47

Maurice O’Connor ‘50

Robert (Bob) Edwards ‘52

Harry James ‘52

Eugene (Gene) Ninnie ‘53

Alberto (Al) Pi ‘54

Richard Cohn ‘55

John Ennis ‘55

Leon Katz ‘55

Bernard Menghetti ‘55

Ralph Griggs ‘58

John Attiani ‘59

William (Bill) Barksdale ‘59

Michael (Mike) Rodgers ‘59

Wilcy Moore ‘60

George Davis ‘61

Roger Schappell ‘61

Nicholas (Nick) Barchock ‘62

Silvio Coccia ‘62

Shea Hefflefinger ‘62

Bruce Lord ‘64

Fred Maslovich ‘64

David Pye ‘64

Richard (Dick) Wojewodzki ‘64

John Brientnall ‘65, ‘70

Charles (Chuck) Schauss ‘65

William Whittaker ‘65

William (Bill) Bengle ‘66

Joseph (Joe) Kielb ‘66

Henry Lutz ‘66

Peter (Pete) Rohana ‘66

Richard Tilelli ‘66

Peter Goheen ‘67

Ronald (Ron) Callentine ‘68

Alan Joffe ‘68

Edward (Ed) Christie ‘69

Daniel Cirminiello ‘69

Herbert Matthews ‘69

Francis (Frank) McGowan ‘69

John Ayres ‘70

Samuel (Don) Bogden ‘70

Class of 2020

Malcolm Yates, MPA

Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) has named Malcolm Yates as the organization’s first director of government relations. Yates comes to PHMC after serving more than two years as the district outreach and community affairs director for U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon. Prior to working with Scanlon, he served as chief of staff at the PA House of Representatives for two years.

John Fisher ‘70

Daniel (Dan) Schorr ‘70

Joseph (Joe) Wallace ‘70

Philip (Phil) De Groot ‘71

Harry Buchanan ‘72

H. (Dan) Muehsam ‘72, ‘85

Daniel Neely ‘72

Antoinette (Toni) Sciallo ‘72, ‘84

Barbara Wright ‘72

Donald Cummings ‘73

Andrew Hamilton ‘73

John Laberee ‘73

Frank Breslin ‘74

John Carbone ‘74, ‘80

Henry J Repsher ‘74

Stephen (Steve) Ryan ‘74

John Bryant ‘75 Joseph Reilly ’75

Christopher Wyandt ‘75

Katherine Bell ‘76

Charles (C. P.) Mirarchi ‘76 Jay Sendzik ‘76

William (Bill) Murray ‘77

Ernest Kociban ‘78

Leo Daley ‘79

Jeffrey Newton ‘80 Kishore Ramanjulu ‘80

Marriage Announcement

Angela Lucci ‘17 married Douglas P. Solomon on April 17, 2021, in Archbald, Pa. The couple had postponed their wedding twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ultimately held the wedding with their closest family members. Their wedding consisted of a celebration of nuptial mass at St. Thomas Aquinas Church of Christ the King Parish in Archbald, followed by a dinner reception at Arcaro and Genell’s in Old Forge, Pa.

James Stevenson ‘80

Jay Baker ‘81

Joan Iacono ‘81, ‘86

Joyce Lund ‘81 Annette Viola ‘81

Robert (Bob) Tonkinson ‘82 George Frank ‘83 Paul Tomlin ‘83

Eugene (Gene) Anderson ‘84 Marian Carlin ‘84, ‘88

Robert (Bob) Cawley ‘84 Kathleen Kauffman ‘84 Phyllis Wax ‘84

Barbara Armstrong ‘86 Bobbye Haupt ‘86 Peter Garcia ‘87

Kathleen Hadley ‘87 Sandra Orbison ‘87 Keith Ekstedt ‘89 Patricia Broscius ‘90 Paul Giordano ‘90 Lynn Cusack ‘91 Joseph Houghton ‘91 Patricia Sukonik ‘91 Elizabeth Hoffman ‘93 Joy Lynch ‘93 William Theurer ‘94

SEND YOUR NEWS FOR CLASS NOTES

Kevin Oliver ‘95

James Woodworth ‘97

Donald Banninger ‘99

David Smith ‘99

Lori Cooper ‘00

Marie Orlandi ‘00

Dennis Scardilli ‘00

Augusto (Gus) Cordova ‘03 Matthew Lehman ‘06

Gail Weiner Shearer ‘06

Jacqueline (Jackie) Triebl ‘07

Robert Arena ‘09

Robert Watkins ‘12

Kelly Wall ‘13

Sherry Poole ‘14

Brandon Burns ‘18 Katherine Richardson ‘18

Friends, Faculty, and Staff

Vijaya

Duggal

Eugene Grimm

Arlene Jacobson

Barbara Johns

Maria Slomiana

Kathleen (Kate) Taylor

Jean Vetere

Have you started a new job, received a promotion, gotten engaged or married, or have some other notable life event? If so, let us know! You can submit your class notes and photos three ways: 1. Submit them online via the Widener Pride Network at alumni.widener.edu. 2. Email them to the Office of Alumni Engagement at alumnioffice@widener.edu 3. Mail them to: The Office of Alumni Engagement, One University Place, Chester, PA 19013

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“I’ve been an advocate for the planet my whole life and will dedicate my life to protecting it. Financial support from alumni enabled me to take part in important research locally and abroad. I am forever grateful!”

~ Kimberly Bennett ’20 Environmental Science

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