Fall 2012 - Alumni Home

Transcription

Fall 2012
The Magazine for SUNY Fredonia Alumni and Friends
Ready to Serve
Western New York native
and SUNY alumna
Virginia S. Horvath begins
as Fredonia’s 13th president.
Ruff Lands Purr-fect Role
2011 Theatre and Dance graduate’s
first job is with the Cats national tour.
Don’t Miss Homecoming 2012!
“Ground”breaking research
“Fredonia Around the World,” Sept. 28-30.
Full slate of events inside.
Fredonia professor leads first-ever
Great Lakes plastic pollution study.
Statement
Fall 2012
18
19
S
chool of Business
“Matchmaking” skills prove key
to enhancing learning, improving
organizations.
College of Education
Helen Johnson, ’52, takes Committee
of 200 challenge a step further.
athletics
12
20
Journalist alumni ‘headline’
campus conference
14
Four of Western New York’s
most successful journalists
returned to campus to speak
to today’s students.
14
Dr. Virginia S. Horvath begins her service
as Fredonia’s 13th President
Homecoming 2012
A global theme has been set to help
hundreds of Fredonians return to
celebrate alumni weekend Sept. 28-30.
10
L arger than life artist
Christo to speak
16
Ruff lands purr-fect role
Who could have guessed that the very first job
for 2011 Musical Theatre graduate Elizabeth Ruff
would be as a major character in Andrew Lloyd
Weber’s Cats North American tour? Her former
professors, for starters.
23
A rts and Sciences
Dr. Sherri “Sam” Mason led
a team aboard a tall ship this
summer as they conducted the
world’s first Great Lakes plastic
pollution survey.
20
Alumni and Campus Events Calendar
Inauguration of President Virginia Schaefer Horvath
Weeklong Celebration, September 16 - 22
For full schedule, visit www.fredonia.edu/president/inauguration/ or see page 9.
Slide-lecture by internationally acclaimed artist Christo
Tuesday, Sept. 18, 7 p.m., King Concert Hall.
Free, but tickets are required and available at Ticket Office.
Made possible by a gift from Jesse and Cathy Marion,’79.
Maytum Convocation Lecture “Deadly Persuasion: The Power of Advertising”
Featuring author and filmmaker Dr. Jean Kilbourne
Wednesday, Sept. 19, 3:30 p.m., King Concert Hall.
Free, but tickets are required and available at Ticket Office.
President Virginia Schaefer Horvath Investiture Ceremony
Friday, Sept. 21, 2 p.m., King Concert Hall.
Free, but tickets are required. To learn more, visit www.fredonia.edu.
Inaugural Day of Service
Saturday, Sept. 22, at times and places throughout Western New York. Free. Advance registration required.
16
OCTOBER
President’s Award for
Excellence Lecture
featuring Psychology
Professor Cheryl Drout
Nashville, Tenn.
Alumni Reunion
Communication Disorders
and Sciences Gala
Thursday, Oct. 4
Location and time, TBA
Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2 p.m.,
Rosch Recital Hall. Free.
Kasling Memorial Lecture
Friday, Oct. 19, 6-9 p.m.
Michael’s Banquet Facility,
Hamburg, N.Y.
Homecoming Weekend
Friday-Sunday, Sept. 28-30
(see schedule on pages 4-5).
Includes Science Alumni
Conference (see back cover).
hining student leader
S
leaves behind colorful imprint
24
26
28
33
A fond farewell
The campus saluted retiring President
Dennis Hefner and his wife, Jan.
Commencement 2012
Faculty and student accolades
23
Class Notes
Career Corner
Family Weekend
Friday–Sunday, Oct. 26–28
To learn more visit www.
fredonia.edu/campuslife/
familyweekend.asp
Scholars Breakfast
(by invitation only)
Saturday, Oct. 27
Steele Hall Indoor Track
Admissions Events
Monday, Oct. 8
Please check the Alumni Portal as details are confirmed, http://alumni.fredonia.edu
SEPTEMBER
Tuesday, Oct. 16, 4 p.m.
“...boring old shale - how
simple questions can take
one on a submicroscopic to
global tectonic journey...”
Featuring Geosciences
Professor Gary Lash
20
SPRING WRAP-UP
COLLEGE BEATS
4
The Blue Devils earned their
first-ever NCAA tournament
appearance following a programbest 14-win season.
Senior Class President Maggie Oliver
left quite a mark during her four years
on campus.
The celebrated artist Christo,
whose acclaim is as large as his
world-renowned environmental
installations, will appear Sept.18
as part of the campus’
Inauguration Week festivities.
Meet the new boss
3
22
L
acrosse nets record season
NOVEMBER
JANUARY 2013
Freedonia Marxonia:
Marx Brothers Film
Festival and Symposium
J-Term
Saturday, Nov. 3
Campus
1980s Reunion Jazz
Ensemble Concert –
Syracuse Reunion
Saturday, Nov. 10
Location and time, TBD
Alumni Annual
Board Meeting
Wednesday, Nov.14, 3:15 p.m.
Alumni House, Campus
Jan. 7-18
To learn more, visit
www.fredonia.edu/jterm
Sarasota Windjammers
Concert Gathering
Sunday, Jan. 20, 1 p.m.
Sailor Circus
2075 Bahia Vista S.,
Sarasota, FL 34239
Consult the Alumni Portal
after November or contact
karen.west@fredonia.edu for
details. Windjammers
Unlimited is a circus historical
society dedicated to the
Columbus Day Open House
Saturday, Oct. 27
Open House
preservation of traditional
circus music. Mary Anne Harp,
’63, and daughter of the late
music faculty member Herbert
Harp, will conduct and play
in the band. Join alumni and
friends in the section marked
with the large SUNY Fredonia
banners.
Spring Semester Begins
Monday, Jan. 28
Check the Alumni Portal as
details are confirmed and
added at alumni.fredonia.edu.
Saturday, Nov. 10
Veterans Day Open House*
*Bilingual track available
Monday, Feb. 18
Presidents Day Open House
Saturday, April 6
Accepted Student Reception
Saturday, June 15
June Preview Day
Students and their families
can also visit any day during
the academic year. Just
contact Admissions to
arrange an appointment.
To learn more, visit:
fredonia.edu/admissions/
visiting.asp or call
1-800-252-1212.
Fall ’12 Preview
Statement
Homecoming ’12 Highlights
Sept. 28-30
Volume 41, No. 1, Fall 2012
Editor
Michael Barone
Assistant Editor
Lisa Eikenburg, APR
Designer
Patty Herkey
Photographers
Rhea Anna, Roger Coda, Lori Deemer
Contributing Writers
Roger Coda, Tracy Collingwood, Patricia Feraldi
Christine Davis Mantai, Brittany Neddo and Jerry Reilly
Production Manager
Paula Warren
CLASS NOTES
Donna Venn
College Council
Frank Pagano (Chair), Cynthia Ahlstrom, Angelo Bennice,
Michael Cerrie, Russell Diethrick Jr., Dr. Robert Heichberger,
Jordan Nicholson (student member), JoAnn Niebel and
Carla Westerlund
Fredonia College Foundation
Board of Directors
Debra Horn Stachura (Chair), Meagan Allers (student member),
Phillip Belena, David Carnahan, Terry Clifton, Robert Coon,
Dennis Costello, Jeffrey Fancher, Carla Giambrone, Dr. Greg
Gibbs, Amos Goodwine Jr., Betty Catania Gossett, Walter
Gotowka, Dr. Virginia Horvath, Richard Johnson, CPA; Deborah
Kathman, Dr. Jeffery Kelly, Jean Malinoski, David Mancuso,
Cathy Marion, Dr. Michael Marletta, Kurt Maytum, Judy
Metzger, Michael Petsky, Daniel Reininga, Dr. Susan Schall,
Michael Schiavone, James Stroud, Dr. David Tiffany, Carol Ward
and Thomas Waring Jr. Honorary Members: Dr. Rocco Doino,
Gileen French, Dr. Richard Gilman, Stan Lundine, Douglas
Manly, Robert Maytum, James Mintun Jr., Dr. J. Brien Murphy,
Edward Steele, Kenneth Strickler, Jeffrey J. Wallace Sr., Henry K.
(Mike) Williams IV and Nancy Yocum.
Alumni Association Board of Directors
Dr. Greg Gibbs (President), Eileen Star Batrouny, Diane
Rzepkowski Chodan, April Diodato, Betsy Dixon-Lang, Dr. David
Fountaine, Dr. Virginia Horvath, Emma Sharp McFayden, Dennis
McGrath, Esq.; Patrick Newell, Daniel Parker, Darrin Paschke,
Kevin Porteus, Tammy Wilson Pryor, Christopher P. Reybrouck,
Robert J. Smith, Stash C. Stanley, James Sturm, Dr. David Tiffany,
Clifton Turner, Dr. Sherryl Weems and Laura Bonomo Wrubel.
Published biannually by the Office of Public Relations at the State
University of New York at Fredonia, 272 Central Ave., Fredonia, NY
14063, (716) 673-3323. Periodical postage paid at Fredonia, NY and
at additional mailing offices. The Statement is mailed to alumni,
parents, graduate students, faculty and staff, and friends of the university.
Articles may be reprinted without permission.
Dear Alumni and Friends,
As a new era begins at SUNY Fredonia, we are honored and thrilled to be leading our
respective organizations in an attempt to further advance the college and its impact upon
the students, alumni and communities we all serve.
The campus is in the midst of a building boom not seen since its signature I.M. Pei
buildings of the 1960s. We watch eagerly at the progress of the new Science Center.
When its doors open in 2014, it will help redefine not only how science is learned and
lived on campus, but also the way many people think of SUNY Fredonia. Not far behind
is the Rockefeller Arts Center addition, which is in its design phase and will add muchneeded dance and art studio space for our students.
We are also improving the quality of our students’ lives outside of the classroom. As you
read this, the Williams Center renovation has just concluded. Now, our students and guests
will enjoy a brighter, more welcoming student union that improves the quality of the extracurricular learning and social experiences our students receive. The former Dods Hall pool
area has been gutted and is being transformed into a long-awaited, state-of-the-art fitness
center which will open in Spring 2013.
We are seeing many changes in campus leadership as well. In addition to the presidential
change, we are in the midst of searches for both a new Vice President for Finance and
Administration and a Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Also, the new
College of Visual and Performing Arts will be founded in Summer 2013, with a new dean
to lead the departments of Visual Arts and New Media, Theatre and Dance, the School of
Music, and Rockefeller Arts Center.
SUNY Fredonia is also embarking upon a new, five-year strategic plan – The Power of
Fredonia – a campus blueprint and a link to SUNY’s own new mission. It focuses on Fredonia’s
core strengths as it aspires to show its leadership as a Community of Learning, an Engaged
Community, a Global Community and a Sustainable Community. When coupled with
the university’s new Baccalaureate Goals, these changes should encourage greater interdisciplinary collaboration and further enhance our teaching and learning outcomes.
We welcome your involvement at every stage of the Fredonia experience. We invite you
to join us in the classroom as guest presenters, just as several recent journalism alumni did
this past spring (see page 12). You can also join us in the community as caring volunteers,
in the business world as economic generators, or at networking events designed to help new
graduates get jobs or experienced alumni advance their careers.
Lastly, we hope you’ll keep your Fredonia memories alive by joining us Sept. 28-30 for
Homecoming weekend, and at our reunions, performances and athletic events all across
the U.S. We look forward to working with you as we continue to advance the Fredonia
name and enhance the reputation of your degrees and capabilities around the globe.
It is with pleasure that we invite you to meet SUNY Fredonia’s
13th President, Dr. Virginia Schaefer Horvath, at Homecoming 2012.
While there will be many opportunities to meet President Horvath
throughout the weekend, the annual White Inn Meet and Greet on
Friday evening, Sept. 28, at 9 p.m., is being held in her honor. Please
stop in and introduce yourself. There is no charge for the event.
Homecoming also marks the 50th Anniversary of Jewett Hall
and a Science Alumni Conference is planned (see back cover).
There will be many other wonderful events including the
dedication of the newly renovated Williams Center on
Friday afternoon, spectacular concerts, great
athletic contests and a host of additional
special events.
Two alumni will be recognized for
outstanding achievement in their respective
fields: on Saturday, Sept, 29, Dianne
(Carson) Craig, ’85, (Mathematics),
president and CEO of Ford Motor Company
Canada, Limited, and Dennis Thiele,
Ph.D., ’78, (Biology), George Barth Geller
Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology
and Cancer Biology at the Duke University
School of Medicine, will be recognized with
the Outstanding Achievement Award at the
Alumni Awards Brunch. The event will begin
at 11:30 a.m. in the Cranston Marché dining area
(former Cranston Hall) on the second floor of University
Commons. Rounding out the program will be special
recognition of all of our Golden Grads (those alums from
the Class of 1962 and before) and all honored classes.
Immediately following the brunch,
Allen Sweet, ’54, (Music Education)
will sign copies of his book, The
Stoneware of Havana, NY and Its
Makers 1850-1888, in the Bookstore.
Also on Saturday, the College of
Education will hold its Sixth Annual
Discussion and Reception: Sharing Ideas,
Catching Up with Friends, at 1 p.m., in
the Alumni House, 286 Central Ave.
Take this time to catch up while enjoying
light refreshments. All alumni, friends
and faculty are invited to attend. For
additional information please contact
Nicole Hohenstein,’00, at (716) 673-4768.
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Statement | Fall 2012
Virginia S. Horvath, Ph.D.
President, SUNY Fredonia
Dr. Dennis Thiele, ’78
Dianne (Carson) Craig, ’85
Sincerely,
Where Success is a Tradition
Plan to attend the many wonderful athletic contests scheduled
this year. On Saturday, Sept. 29, the Ruterbusch 5K (in memory of
Fred Ruterbusch, ’77) will commence at 9 a.m. at the Steele Hall
Indoor Track. Our Men’s Soccer Team plays Buffalo State at 1 p.m. at
University Stadium. Also on Saturday, the traditional Men’s Alumni
Soccer game will be held at 9 a.m. and our Women’s Soccer Team
will host a special Alumni match at 10:30 a.m. New this year will be a
Womens’ Alumni Basketball Game at 11 a.m. in the Dods Hall gym.
There are several free musical performances. The Fredonia
Reunion Jazz Ensemble will once again perform on Friday at
8 p.m. in Rosch Recital Hall. A special offering will be a
School of Music Master Class with bassoonist Charles
McCracken at 2 p.m. in the new Robert and
Marilyn Maytum Music Rehearsal Hall (1080
Mason). At 4 p.m., there will be a free School
of Music Faculty Recital in Rosch Recital
Hall and at 8 p.m., the Wind Ensemble
will perform a free concert in King
Concert Hall.
Five former student-athletes will be
inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame
on Saturday. The Class of 2012 includes
Michael Gibbons, ’02 (basketball);
Will Hamele, ’03 (ice hockey); Bryan
Ingham, ’95, and Dr. Rick Joyce, ’81
(track and field); and Jennifer (Robinson)
Fehrenbach, ’03 (soccer). The event is at
6 p.m. in the Cranston Marché.
The classes of 1987 and 2002 will celebrate
anniversaries with special events. For all of the
other honored classes – the classes
of 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1992, 1997
and 2007 – there will be an Honored
Class Multi-Reception in the Williams
Center Multipurpose Room from 4 to
6 p.m. on Saturday. Complimentary
light refreshments and a cash beer/
wine bar will be available. Look for your
respective area. Specific downtown
establishments will be designated
for further opportunities in which to
gather later that evening. Look for the
location assignments at the Homecoming
Registration Table.
Plan now to
Greg K. Gibbs, Ph.D.
President, Fredonia Alumni Association
celebrate the memories
at Homecoming ’12 in Fredonia!
alumni.fredonia.edu
3
Fall ’12 Preview
Reservation information:
register here and mail
or register online!
Lodging information
Best Western
College Lodge
3912 Vineyard Drive, Dunkirk
(716) 366-7100
Rt. 380, Brocton
RV Parking/Rooms
Call FSA at (716) 673-3417
ext. 6227
Brick House Bed and Breakfast
7573 East Main Road, Westfield
(716) 326-6262
Brookside Manor
Bed and Breakfast
3728 Rt. 83, Fredonia
(716) 672-7721
Candlelight Lodge
Bed and Breakfast
143 East Main St., Westfield
(716) 326-2830
Chautauqua Suites
215 West Lake Road, Mayville
(716) 269-7829
Clarion Hotel
Comfort Inn
Vineyard Drive, Dunkirk
(716) 672-4450
Comfort Inn
Rts. 86 (17) and 60, Jamestown
(716) 664-5920
Days Inn
10455 Bennett Road (Rt. 60),
Fredonia
(716) 673-1351
Dunkirk Motel
310 Lake Shore Drive W., Dunkirk
(716) 366-2200
30 Lake Shore Drive E., Dunkirk
(716) 366-8350
Edwards Waterhouse Inn
71 Central Avenue, Fredonia
(716) 672-6751
Holiday Motel
Thruway Exit 60, Westfield
(716) 326-3741
KOA Campground
E. Lake Road (Rt. 5), Westfield
(716) 326-3573
Pinewoods Cottage
Bed and Breakfast
11634 York Road, Silver Creek
(716) 934-4173
South Shore Motor Lodge
W. Lake Road, Dunkirk
(716) 366-2822
The Spencer Hotel
25 Palestine Ave., Chautauqua
(716) 357-3785 or 1-800-398-1306
White Inn
52 E. Main St., Fredonia
(716) 672-2103
Webb’s Year Round Resort
Rt. 394, Mayville
(716) 753-2161
Woodside Campground
Griswold Road, Cassadaga
(716) 672-4408
YWCA
58 South Portage St., Westfield
(716) 326-2011
Theater Motel
Tickets will be mailed for
reservations received prior
to Sept. 21. After this, tickets
may be picked up at the Alumni
House, 286 Central Ave.,
Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.
to 3:30 p.m., or at Saturday’s
registration, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
in the Williams Center. A limited
number of Athletic Hall of Fame,
Jewett Hall 50th Anniversary
Dinner, and Alumni Awards
Brunch tickets will be available
for purchase during registration.
Reservation Form: Checks
should be made payable to
Fredonia Alumni Association
and mailed to: Homecoming Alumni House, 286 Central
Ave., SUNY Fredonia, Fredonia,
NY 14063. Or online at
Fredonia.edu/alumni/events.
7592 E. Rt. 20, Westfield
(716) 326-2161
Homecoming 2012 Schedule
Saturday, Sept. 29
Registration and Ticket Pick Up
1- 8 p.m.
A free shuttle bus will continuously
circulate the parking lots and campus
for your convenience.
Registration and Ticket
Pick Up at Williams Center
Information Booth
8 a.m.- 6 p.m.
Bookstore Open.
9 a.m.- 8 p.m.
University Commons
(former Cranston Hall)
Williams Center Dedication
4 p.m.
Coffee may be purchased
at Starbucks.
Multipurpose Room
Biology Alumni Coffee
9 -11 a.m.
Keynote Seminar:
“The Biology of Copper:
From Mammalian Development
to Anti-Microbial Weapon,”
by Dennis J. Thiele, Ph.D., ’78
4 p.m.
Jewett Hall Lobby. Free.
Tours of Jewett Hall will be led every
half hour by former faculty members
and current students.
Natural Sciences Alumni Coffee
9 -11 a.m.
Jewett Hall Room 101. Free.
Chicken Barbecue
5 p.m.
Dods Hall Grove
Sponsored by FSU Swim Team.
Tickets are $8.00 and should be
purchased in advance. A small
number may be available at the door.
Science Reception
5 p.m.
Jewett Hall Lobby. Free.
Student posters will be on display.
Pep Rally
6 p.m.
Williams Center Multipurpose Room
Theme: “Fredonia Around the World”
Homecoming King and
Queen crowned.
4
1970s Reunion
Jazz Ensemble Concert
8 p.m.
Houghton Hall Foyer. Free.
Meet at Steele Indoor Track.
International Dance
Extravaganza
9 p.m.
Men’s Alumni Soccer Game
9 a.m.
The Spot/Tim Horton’s,
Williams Center.
A tribute to our international
students. Free.
Meet and Greet President
Virginia Schaefer Horvath
9-11 p.m.
White Inn, 52 E. Main St.
An informal opportunity to meet
our new University President.
Complimentary hors d’oeuvres,
cash bar.
Method of Payment
Check here if this is a new address.
Payment Enclosed
Bill my credit card.
Name
first
maiden last
Indicate card number
and expiration date below.
Address
MasterCard
VISA
Class Year
Phone
Discover
Credit Card #
Email Address
Guest’s Name Fredonia Graduate?
# Attending
Alumni Awards Brunch
Friday Night Chicken Barbecue
Class of 1987 25-Year Reunion
Class of 1987 Photograph
Jewett Hall 50th Anniversary Dinner
Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner
Per Person TOTAL
$15 $
$8$
$5
$
$12
$
$25
$
$25
$
TOTAL$
So we can plan (even though there is no charge), please let us know if you will attend: # Attending
Class of 1967 Multi-Honored Class Reception
Class of 2002 10-Year Reunion at Old Main Inn
Exp. Date
/
Month
Year
Print name as it appears on your credit card:
Please note: There will NOT be child
care services provided. If you need a
sitter on Saturday evening, the Alumni
Office can recommend a student that
you may hire.
mail to:
Homecoming
Alumni House, 286 Central Ave.
SUNY Fredonia, Fredonia, NY 14063.
Hope to see everyone
on Sept. 28 - 30!
Plan now to celebrate the memories at Homecoming ’12 in Fredonia!
Friday, Sept. 28
RESERVATION DEADLINE – Sept. 21, 2012
Rutterbusch 5K Memorial Run
9 a.m.
University Stadium
Campus Tour
9 a.m.
Meet at Information Booth,
Williams Center.
Women’s Alumni Soccer Game
10:30 a.m.
University Stadium
Women’s Alumni
Basketball Game
11 a.m.
Dods Hall Gymnasium
Sunday, Sept. 30
Bookstore is Open
11 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Alumni Picnic
2 - 4 p.m.
University Commons
(former Cranston Hall)
Dods Grove/Tent/DJ. Nominal charge
for food, beverages and beer.
Please bring ID.
Alumni Awards Brunch
11:30 a.m.
Honoring Outstanding Achievement
Award recipients, Dianne (Carson)
Craig, ’85, (Mathematics) and
Dennis Thiele, Ph.D., ’78 (Biology).
Recognition of honored classes.
Music by Ron Corsaro ’61.
Cranston Marché
Price: $15/person.
Reservations recommended.
WNYF Alumni Reception
11 a.m.- 2 p.m.
TV studio, Hendrix Hall
Book Signing by Allen Sweet,’54.
1 p.m.
Bookstore, University Commons.
Men’s Soccer vs. Buffalo State
1 p.m.
University Stadium
College of Education Reception
1 p.m.
Committee of 200 will
be recognized.
All are welcome. Free.
Science Alumni Conference
1- 4 p.m.
Twenty-minute concurrent sessions
by SUNY Fredonia Alumni.
Fenton Hall rooms 153,159,164
and 168.
“On the Hop: Paintings
by Paul Ryan”
2 - 6 p.m.
Cathy and Jesse Marion Art Gallery,
Rockefeller Arts Center. Free.
School of Music Master Class:
Charles McCracken, bassoon.
2 p.m.
Mason Hall Room 1080. Free.
Department of Communication
Alumni Reception
3 p.m.
Heenan’s Pub, 39 E. Main St.
Sponsored by ACA, WCVF, WNYF.
Honored Class MultiReceptions – Honoring all
members of the classes of
1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1992,
1997 and 2007.
4 - 6 p.m.
Williams Center Multipurpose Room.
Complimentary hors d’oeuvres.
Cash bar.
School of Music Faculty Recital
4 p.m.
Featuring Dr. Natasha Farny, cello;
Donald George, tenor; Dr. Lucy
Mauro, piano; Dr. Gerald Gray and
Fredonia Chamber Choir.
Bus leaves for Jewett Hall 50th
Anniversary Celebration at
College Lodge, Brocton.
4:15 p.m.
Meet at Williams Center Bus Stop.
Complimentary shuttle will be
ongoing until after the anniversary
dinner at lodge.
Natural History Tours
at the College Lodge –
part of Jewett Hall 50th
Anniversary Celebration
5-6 p.m.
Led by Biology faculty members
Drs. Bill Brown and Jonathan Titus.
Please take shuttle bus.
(See previous item on schedule.)
Jewett Hall 50th Anniversary
Memories and Reflections
Dinner Celebration
6 p.m.
College Lodge, Brocton.
Complimentary wine/beer at 6 p.m.,
Western New York Buffet at 7 p.m.
Price: $25/person.
Ongoing complimentary shuttle bus
will be available for transport to and
from lodge to campus.
Athletic Hall of Fame Induction
Ceremony and Dinner
6 p.m.
Cranston Marché,
University Commons.
Cash bar reception at 6 p.m.,
dinner at 7 p.m.
Price: $25/person.
Class of 1987 –
25-Year Reunion Reception
6 p.m.
Double Reed Day
Faculty Recital, 9 a.m.
Student Concert, 3:15 p.m.
The Spot/Tim Horton’s,
Williams Center.
Price: $5/person includes light
refreshments and prizes.
Cash beer/wine bar.
Sponsored by School of Music. Free.
Class of 2002 10-Year Reunion Happy Hour
7 p.m.
Old Main Inn, 24 Water St.
Complimentary munchies.
Cash bar.
Pre-released film for students.
7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Williams Center Multipurpose Room.
Price: $1/person.
Sponsored by Spectrum.
Wind Ensemble Concert
8 p.m.
King Concert Hall. Free.
Downtown Meetings
9 p.m.
Look for location assignments
at Homecoming Registration
Table. All honored classes
(1962, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982,
1987, 1992, 1997, 2002 and 2007)
will have opportunities to
convene at designated
establishments downtown.
by Paul Ryan”
2 - 6 p.m.
Cathy and Jesse Marion Art Gallery,
Rockefeller Arts Center. Free.
Free Shuttle Offered:
Note: A FREE shuttle bus service will
be available from the following area
hotels/motels to downtown Fredonia
(in front of the police station on
Temple Street) and back from 9 a.m.
to 3 a.m.: Days Inn, Comfort Inn, Best
Western, Dunkirk Motel, Clarion Hotel
and Campus. Bus schedules will be
available at respective lodgings.
Locations and times may be subject
to change.
Changes will be posted at the Alumni
House and the Williams Center
throughout the weekend, and are also
posted at www.fredonia.edu/alumni.
Win Fredonia Gear
Bring or send your business card to
the Alumni House by Friday, Sept. 28
to win Fredonia memorabilia in
periodic drawings throughout
Saturday, Sept. 29.
Attention Alumni Athletes:
If you’re interested in participating
in any of the contests, please
notify the Athletics Office in
Dods Hall (716) 673-3101.
alumni.fredonia.edu
5
Cover Story
Cover Story
Ready to Serve
Dr.Virginia Horvath is appointed 13th President of SUNY Fredonia
In 2005, Virginia Horvath made one of the toughest decisions of her life.
She had a chance to return to her native Western New York and
become Vice President for Academic Affairs – the second-highest
ranking position – at a 180-year-old liberal arts college which had seen
considerable growth and revitalization recently. It would also bring her
closer to her father who, on the heels of her mother’s passing, was
dealing with some health issues of his own.
However, it would also take her away from her husband, Brooke, their
four grown daughters, and the life they had built together at Kent State
University, where she had lived and worked for more than 20 years.
It was a difficult choice, but something happened during the
interview process at that college – a little place called SUNY Fredonia –
that made her realize logging all those weekend visitation miles to
Ohio and back would be well worth it.
“In every session of my campus interview here, people would give me
details about the campus and programs,” she recalls, “but what really lit
up their faces was when they talked about students. I saw it in everyone –
the staff, faculty, administrators. That’s what charges everyone here and
what drew me to this place.”
The decision paid off, as today Dr. Virginia S. Horvath finds herself as
SUNY Fredonia’s 13th President, completing a dream of hers that began
more than 20 years ago.
For many years, Ginny, as she likes to be known, seemed very
happy following the traditional path of a professor. Having earned her
undergraduate degree at the University of Buffalo by age 20, the SUNY
alumna moved quickly to continue her education by enrolling in
master’s and then doctoral programs at Kent State. She liked the
6
university very much and, when presented with an opportunity to
stay and join the English faculty in 1985, she readily agreed.
However, the circumstances of her appointment exposed her to more
administrative responsibilities than a typical faculty member sees. She
joined the faculty of Kent State East Liverpool, a small (400 students at
the time) campus in an eight-campus system which currently enrolls
more than 40,000 students. The experience had a profound impact on
her, opening her eyes to the differences she could make on many lives
from a leadership role.
“I was one of just nine full-time faculty,” she says of the open
admission East Liverpool campus. “Most of the students were women.
The average age was 28. Many thought they’d never go to college.
We saw lives change in just four semesters – not just their lives,
but the lives of whole families.”
The experience invigorated Dr. Horvath, inspiring her to go far
above her daily faculty requirements.
“Teaching there wasn’t just a paycheck or a job or something I would
do so I could have my summers free for research,” she explains. “It was
very humbling for me to see that these students – with all of their family
pressures – still made time for education. Almost all were the first in
their families to earn a degree.”
In many ways, she could relate to her students. She had also been a
first-generation college graduate. She grew up in a large family in what
she describes as a “crowded, multigenerational home where there was
plenty of love but limited resources.” She and her six siblings were
expected to work hard, seek life-changing opportunities, and –
somehow – go to college.
“My parents did not have the opportunity to attend college, but my
mother always emboldened us to venture beyond our modest beginnings,”
she recalls. “Although I wanted to go away to college, I learned frugality,
as I worked to pay my own way at a local university. I learned practicality
too, discovering that registering for more than 20 credit hours each
semester would allow me to graduate a year earlier.”
The East Liverpool Campus’ limited faculty numbers required
Dr. Horvath to wear many hats and, out of necessity, thrust her into
an administrator’s role.
“We were on all the committees: the governance, tenure, promotion,
facilities, student life, and community service,” she explains.
She learned about university planning and budgets, enrollment and
recruiting, and governance. She soon found herself not just serving on
committees, but often heading them up.
“As a result, people started saying to me, ‘You should be an
administrator,’” she remembers. “I kept resisting, because it was
important to me to progress through the academic ranks,” which
she did when she was promoted to full professor in 1999.
However, the turning point she believes came a few years earlier, in
1991, when she won the Distinguished Teaching Award at Kent State,
a prestigious honor given by its alumni association.
“Suddenly I had become an expert in certain people’s eyes,” she says.
“I was soon on a national level in teaching and learning discussions.”
That led to an interim dean appointment and the surprising
realization that she really enjoyed administrative work.
“It allowed me to bring some ideas to the university instead of just
to my own students and colleagues in my field. I was able to work with
faculty and discuss issues like curriculum, tenure and governance,
because I shared their perspectives,” she adds.
In 2001 she was appointed Dean for Academic and Student Services
at Kent State and began to focus more intently on assisting her institution
in a time of great change for higher education. She completed the
American Council on Education’s (ACE) Fellows Program in
Washington, D.C., where she was one of 36 Fellows learning about the
major issues of college administration. The program, which includes
shadowing a college president for a year, engaged her in discussions of
many issues at national and international levels. She visited more than
30 U.S. institutions and 12 in India, and she met with national leaders
on such topics as government relations, diversity, media relations,
curriculum, and the changing academy. Along the way, she realized
what she wanted in the next campus she would serve.
“When I was in that program and placed at a small, residential
college, I discovered I really wanted to be at a liberal arts college,” she
recalls. “That surprised many of the others in that program, but I knew
that’s where my heart is.”
SUNY Fredonia was the perfect fit, and she joined the campus in
2005 as Vice President for Academic Affairs. During the last seven years,
she’s had ample opportunity to go elsewhere, but the proverbial grass
never appeared any greener at other institutions.
“When you’re an academic vice president, you get a lot of calls from
search firms,” she says. “Their consultants would say, ‘You should apply
to this place or that one.’ And I would say, ‘I don’t think so.’
“They would ask me, ‘What kind of place would you like to be at?’
And as I would answer, the consultants would invariably say, ‘You’re
describing your own campus.’ And they were right! I didn’t mean to,
but I was.”
Since coming to Fredonia, Dr. Horvath has played a major role in many
critical processes and initiatives, including the current and previous
strategic plans, accreditation reviews, staffing and budget planning,
curriculum, assessment processes and hiring. All of that, coupled with
her unique knowledge and awareness of Fredonia’s strengths and
opportunities, made the search committee and SUNY Chancellor
Nancy Zimpher see that she was the clear candidate among more than
50 nationwide applicants to succeed retiring President Dennis Hefner.
“Dr. Horvath’s proven commitment to improving higher education in
Western New York will serve her well in her new role as president,” said
Chancellor Zimpher. “She has an impressive legacy of leadership that
I am confident she will build upon at the college, and I know she will
exceed the expectations of students, faculty, staff and alumni alike.”
“I believe she is a natural, logical choice to continue the momentum
and positive trajectory our team has achieved,” added President Hefner.
“We have worked very well together over the last seven years, and her
impact upon this campus to date has been remarkable.”
The 54-year-old Horvath says she is fortunate to have learned from
Dr. Hefner and other colleagues over the past seven years. She has
enjoyed being a part of the recent successes and sees still greater potential
for Fredonia. She outlined some of her ideas at a press conference
following her appointment by the SUNY Board of Trustees in March.
“In the presidential (search) profile, there was a statement that said
a goal for the next president would be ‘to bring Fredonia to a point of
some distinction among the comprehensive colleges.’ I think that’s a
pretty modest goal,” she said with a smile.
“I would like to see us do much more than that, and be recognized
for the distinction we already have – not just in Western New York or
the state, but even nationally, for the kinds of things that happen here
that I think make it an ideal place to attend.”
She added that she understands the legacy Dr. Hefner has created:
strong enrollments, impressive facilities, construction and renovation,
fiscal responsibility and commitments to the many communities
Fredonia serves.
“There are so many things that are going well here,” she said. “In part
due to Dr. Hefner’s leadership and the work of members of this campus,
I’m not stepping into a role where there are huge things that need to be
addressed. This is not a ‘fixer upper.’”
Still, the campus’ first female president has already begun a legacy
of her own. Her service to her profession and the campus is well known.
She was the driving force behind the creation of the Fredonia Academic
Community Engagement (FACE) Center, which connects student
learning and pedagogy with opportunities to serve and impact the
Western New York community.
Service has and will remain a big component of her life. This past
January she and Brooke, a professor of English at Kent State – and “the
more famous of the two of us,” she insists – traveled with a non-profit
organization to Haiti for a three-day endeavor to deliver shoes to those
in need, in an effort to combat injuries and diseases which are a greater
health risk for people without shoes.
“Our travel with Soles4Souls was amazing,” she attests. “There’s
something very different about supporting by writing a check and going
to a remote area of an impoverished country, washing the feet of men,
women, and children, and fitting them with shoes. We couldn’t speak
much of their Creole language, but we connected through smile, touch,
and even a soccer game with the kids at a UNICEF orphanage. It was
humbling and rewarding.”
She believes strongly that a college should give significantly of its time
and resources. That commitment will be actively demonstrated the day
following her official investiture ceremony in September, as she leads
students, faculty, staff and alumni in an Inaugural Day of Service at
multiple sites throughout Western New York (see page 9 for details).
“I’m especially interested in the parts of our strategic plan that talk
about our relationships with different communities – not only those in
our county, Western New York and the state, but globally,” she says.
“We have opportunities to have Fredonia be a connection to the world
and to bring the world to our campus.”
Under her leadership, SUNY Fredonia has also added several new
alumni.fredonia.edu
7
Cover Story
At May’s Commencement, President Hefner presented Dr. Horvath
with a symbolic key, representing one of his favorite statistics: the
5,406 doors on Fredonia’s campus. “I hope it will help you keep every
one of those doors open for future generations,” he said.
Dr. Horvath received a nearly minute-long ovation from the standing-room-only crowd when she was introduced as the Incoming President
at her March 30 press conference in Reed Library.
academic programs, as well as the Office of Student Creative Activity
and Research (OSCAR), and the Professional Development Center,
which the faculty and staff have especially appreciated.
“In my five years at Fredonia, I’ve consistently seen Ginny be extremely
encouraging to faculty, publicly through policy as well as privately in
person,” said Dr. Rob Deemer, head of the School of Music’s Composition
area and chair of the University Senate this coming academic year. “For
example, the extent to which the Professional Development Center has
become an integral part of our campus can be attributed in great part
to Ginny’s enthusiastic leadership. Combine that with her support of
the Office of Student Creative Activity and Research as well as her close
work with our new Baccalaureate Goals, and you see how much she
supports the advancement of a strong and creative academic culture.”
She also places a high importance on diversity, both among the
student body and the employee base. She credits her international
opportunities in Kenya as an American Field Service (AFS) student
and in Japan as a visiting faculty member for helping to shape her
commitment to global understanding as an important part of a liberal
arts education. She is a major advocate for liberal arts education as
essential learning for the 21st century and embraces many of the
attributes that have led to the success of nearly two centuries of Fredonia
alumni: small class sizes, quality, affordability, and challenging students
in and out of the classroom to learn more than they thought possible.
She also believes in collaboration and has a knack for bringing people
together. Even if they are widely apart on an issue, she patiently works
with them until a compromise or solution can be reached.
“I once said to her, ‘I don’t know what happens in your office,’” says
Pam Fabritius, secretary to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
“‘People come here and they’re upset, but then they come out, and
they’re O.K. That’s amazing.’”
Students have picked up on that vibe as well.
“From the first time I met Dr. Horvath my freshman year, she showed
me the opportunities available at Fredonia,” adds senior Meagan Allers,
an Early Childhood Education major from Williamsville, N.Y. “She is so
in touch with the students. She is Fredonia. She has seen the growth and
been part of the tradition.”
However, Dr. Horvath sees these as compliments that are more about
Fredonia than her. “What I’ve seen during my first seven years here is the
8
creativity that people bring to their work and the fact that, no matter what
people do, they are willing to work together – even in times of fiscal
challenges – to do what’s right for students. That’s what inspires me.”
She also draws inspiration from teaching and has regularly taught
throughout her Kent State and Fredonia administrative tenures. There’s
no better way to stay engaged with students and understand their needs,
she insists, and things will be no different now that she’s president.
“I’m teaching this fall, an honors seminar on the comic and how humor
functions. It’s an interdisciplinary course with readings from a number
of fields…” she proudly states before rattling off the full syllabus like a
five-star restaurant server hoping to entice you to try the chef’s special.
That’s music to the ears of just about any student who has taken her
classes before.
“My very first semester, I was lucky enough to take an honors seminar
with Dr. Horvath,” says Alex Ives, a senior Political Science major from
Rochester, N.Y. “She made the class consumable for freshmen and seniors
alike, in a way that kept the students close even after the semester ended.”
Like many, Mr. Ives also learned that their relationship didn’t end
after the final grades were submitted.
“Not once in my four years here has she neglected to stop and chat
with me when we encounter each other. She connects to students on the
human level,” he adds.
Dr. Horvath sees other possible areas for further progress, including
investments in technology, online/hybrid learning, research
opportunities, facilities, and exploring new sources of revenue.
“Being involved in the classroom has also allowed her to be in touch
with my generation of learners who use iPads, computers, smart phones,
and are really into technology,” says Ms. Allers.
Just as importantly, she is preparing for opportunities based on the
changing higher education landscape, including economic shifts, new
technology demands and ways the campus prepares students to live and
work in the world as educated, knowledgeable citizens.
“What can we do in response?” she asks. “What can we do that is
distinctively Fredonia? I want us to be more visible in Western New
York. I want to contribute to its economic development. My message to
the community is, if you don’t know very much about Fredonia, get to
know us. Watch us and join us.”
At the 2010 Scholars Breakfast, Dr. Horvath was joined by her father,
Paul (second from left), SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher (second from
right), and President Hefner in presenting an award established in
memory of her mother, Mary Joyce, to Kathleen Grace Fiori, ’12 (left).
Dr. Horvath played a key role in developing “The Power of Fredonia,” the campus’ new five-year
strategic plan. She is also eager to oversee the completion of the new Science Center (above),
which she believes will “redefine the way science is not only taught, but lived, here at Fredonia.”
YOU’RE INVITED TO INAUGURATION WEEK!
SUNY Fredonia is pleased to announce a week-long series
of events to celebrate the inauguration of Dr. Virginia
Schaefer Horvath as its 13th president. The investiture
ceremony, scheduled for Friday, Sept. 21, at 2 p.m. in King
Concert Hall of Rockefeller Arts Center, will be preceded
by five days of concerts, lectures, exhibits, symposia and an
international dinner, designed to draw attention to Fredonia’s
rich tradition of artistic and intellectual excellence and our
increasing commitment to global issues and international exchange.
The day of the investiture will be filled with pomp and circumstance
as delegates from other colleges and universities join members of the
SUNY Fredonia faculty, processing in academic regalia to the strains
of ceremonial marches by the Fredonia Wind Ensemble. SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher will officiate the
formal installation, and President Horvath will deliver
her inaugural address describing her vision for the future
of Fredonia.
The following day has been designated a campus-wide
Inaugural Day of Service. In keeping with SUNY Fredonia’s
growing commitment to community engagement and
sustainability, students, faculty, staff and alumni are invited to
join various teams working on a variety of community service projects
across Western New York in partnership with area non-profit
agencies, addressing critical community needs.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Most inaugural week activities
are free. However, seating
capacity at all venues is limited
and tickets will be required at
most events for capacity control
purposes. For tickets, visit the
R.S.V.P. link at www.fredonia.
edu/president/inauguration.
Sunday, Sept. 16
Western New York Chamber
Orchestra “Musical Portraits”
Concert. 4 p.m. King Concert
Hall. Paid admission, tickets required.
Opening of “History of SUNY
Fredonia” library exhibit and
unveiling of Dr. Horvath’s
official presidential portrait.
6 p.m. Reed Library. Free.*
Monday, Sept. 17
School of Music Faculty
Showcase Concert
8 p.m., Rosch Recital Hall. Free.*
Tuesday, Sept. 18
Slide-lecture by internationally
acclaimed artist Christo.
7 p.m. King Concert Hall. Presented by the Department
of Visual Arts and New Media. Made possible by a gift from
Jesse and Cathy Marion, ’79.
Free. Tickets required.
Wednesday, Sept. 19
Annual Maytum Convocation
Lecture: Dr. Jean Kilbourne,
feminist author, speaker and
filmmaker, internationally
recognized for her work on the
image of women in advertising,
speaks on, “Deadly Persuasion:
The Power of Advertising.”
3:30 p.m. King Concert Hall. Free. Tickets required.
Thursday, Sept. 20
Building Communities of
Learning: Innovative Teaching
at SUNY Fredonia
Meet and mingle from 3:30 to
4 p.m., panel presentation from
4 to 5:30 p.m., Williams Center
Room 204. Free.*
International Inaugural Dinner
6 p.m., Williams Center
Multipurpose Room.
Paid admission, tickets required.
Friday, Sept. 21
Investiture Ceremony
2 p.m., King Concert Hall
Free. Tickets/reservations required.
Reception to follow,
Rockefeller Arts Center Plaza.
Reception rain location:
Multipurpose Room of the
Williams Center.
Saturday, Sept. 22
Inaugural Day of Service at
times and places throughout
Western New York. Students,
faculty, staff and alumni roll up
their sleeves in partnership
with a variety of community
organizations and projects. Free. Advance registration required.
*Tickets not required
alumni.fredonia.edu
9
Youth is Served
Youth is Served
In the theatre business, it’s unusual for a college graduate to land her
first job just weeks after earning her diploma.
And when that job is with the national tour of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s
Cats – one of the most popular musicals ever – it’s downright exceptional.
But as she showed repeatedly during her years at Fredonia, Elizabeth
Ruff is far from common.
A native of the Rochester, N.Y., suburb of Brighton, this 2011 Musical
Theatre alumna turned heads the moment she stepped on campus.
“Elizabeth is as talented a performer as we have ever had at SUNY
Fredonia,” said Department of Theatre and Dance Chair Tom Loughlin,
who quickly recognized her ability and cast her in the female lead of
The Rocky Horror Show – as a freshman. “When I first saw her audition,
I knew immediately she was a unique talent.”
Loughlin’s evaluation mirrored that of Clemmons/Dewing Casting,
who identified Ms. Ruff’s talents during a mere 90-second audition in
Memphis, Tenn., in her final semester. They offered her an audition for
“I loved playing Jellylorum,” she says. “I was on stage all the time.
I got to show off some of my opera and comedic skills.”
In addition, she was the understudy for “Grizabella,” the frail,
elderly feline who sings the musical’s most famous number, “Memory.”
This classic ballad has been performed by dozens of the world’s biggest
recording artists, including Johnny Mathis, Barry Manilow and
Barbara Streisand.
And on March 18 in Madison, Wisc., it was performed live for the
first time by Elizabeth Ruff.
She would be called upon three more times to perform the role
during the coast-to-coast, 34-city tour across the U.S. and Canada.
She also had the thrill of delivering a solo performance of the national
anthem at Wrigley Field before a Chicago Cubs game to promote the
tour while it was there.
“It was incredibly nerve wracking every single time I had to go on
(to play Grizabella),” Ruff admits. “She’s only on stage for 12 minutes
the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music throughout
high school.
“I wasn’t one of those kids that ran around saying, ‘I’m going to be
on Broadway one day,’” she explains. “There was never any pressure like
that, but my family was always really supportive of me.”
However, she “absolutely fell in love” with musical theatre while
attending the National High School Institute theatre conservatory
camp at Northwestern University the summer after her junior year
of high school.
“That was a blast. There were 160 kids, a very selective talented
group, and that’s when I realized that this was what I wanted to do,”
she remembers.
As a Fredonia student, Ruff was a frequent face on the stages of
Rockefeller Arts Center. In addition to Rocky Horror, she landed
leading roles in productions of Kiss Me Kate, The Sound of Music and
A Christmas Carol. She also performed at the 2011 Commencement
“You move to New York so that you can leave New York,” she
explains. “You audition there, but you’re going to likely work for
another company in another city for a while.”
The tour has also given her a good deal of confidence – as has her
Fredonia education, which Ruff credits for the four years of training
that prepared her for that 90-second audition and the six-month tour
that followed.
“The atmosphere that Fredonia creates is so nurturing. You become
friends with your professors. I mean, they’re definitely teachers –
but they don’t treat you like children or think of you as ‘young
whippersnappers,’” she laughs. “They’re there to help you mature,
find out who you want to be, and discover the mark you want to
make in the world.”
She especially remembers some advice she received from Director
of Performance Ted Sharon, who describes Ruff as a “powerhouse
on stage.”
Ruff lands
Purr-fect role with
Cats national tour.
(Promotional photo, Ruff not pictured.)
On campus Ruff earned the female lead – as a freshman – in “The Rocky Horror Show.”
the Asian tour of Legally Blonde. However, her remaining semester
commitments made that impossible, and she was devastated that such
an amazing opportunity had passed her by.
That is, until a better one came along.
“I was very, very lucky,” said Ruff of the call that came soon after
to audition for the ensemble of the 30th Cats national tour. “The stars
were aligned.”
She impressed once again, and was originally cast in the “Female
Vocal Swing” role. However, shortly into the month-long New York City
rehearsals, she was awarded the role of “Jellylorum,” a calico-colored
cat who helps an aging “Gus (The Theatre Cat)” recall his glory days
for the audience via a song of the same title.
10
throughout the entire show, but it’s a very important 12 minutes.
When it’s over, there’s definitely a sigh of relief, but also a magical
moment where you say to yourself, ‘I really love my job.’”
Ruff’s talents were evident at a young age. The only girl opposite three
sports-minded younger brothers, she was usually a solo act, entertaining
her family and friends (or just herself) at every opportunity.
“My brothers would often say, ‘Elizabeth, stop singing for once in
your life!’” she laughs.
Fortunately, she didn’t. She began playing piano and attending
summer theatre camps as a child. At age 13, a family friend encouraged
her parents to get her involved in more elite theatrical productions and
further her theatre, music and dance education. She also studied at
© Joan Marcus
“He told us, ‘Your goal on stage is not to
make yourself look the best. It’s to make your
partner look the best,’” she recalls. “I keep
that in mind all the time.”
She’s also grateful to Professor Paul
Ruff performed the national anthem before a Chicago Cubs game at world-famous Wrigley Field to promote the tour.
Mockovak, who has kept in touch with her
since she’s graduated and helped connect
her to alumni and industry professionals.
“Paul is one of the biggest supporters of our alumni. He connected
Eve Pops concert, and served as director of Disney’s The Jungle Book
me with an agent in Chicago while I was there,” she says.
Kids for the annual “Playground” summer youth camp.
However, she has a special appreciation for Loughlin, fully recognizing
Ruff recognizes how well-rounded her experiences at Fredonia were.
the impact the SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor had on her.
“You learn about every part of the business. Not just acting and singing,
“He is a ‘no b.s.’ kind of guy and really laid it all out for you as to what
but the scene shop, the costumes, the tech. There are a lot of times when
you should expect,” she recalls. “He taught me that things aren’t going
you are really drained, because you want to do it all,” she recalls.
to be handed to you on a platter; you have to go find it. I was lucky to
She often carried well over 20 credit hours most semesters, but
be cast in a lead role as a freshman. He took me under his wing and
believes that was a key factor in what set her apart during her audition
really helped me out.”
and on tour.
Loughlin is quick to disagree. “Liz is blessed with a powerful and
“I could tell that the cast and directors appreciated that I knew a little
beautiful singing voice, as well as being a gifted dramatic actor,” he
bit about their world,” she says. “I don’t think I could have received
says. “The talent she has is not something any one of us can really
the same level of education if I had gone to another school.”
take credit for. She was born to perform; all we did was give her
Now that the tour is complete, she is preparing for “the big move”
opportunities and get out of her way. She has big things ahead of her.”
to New York, a decision which she is more financially prepared for
In other words, this is just the first of many “memories” Liz Ruff
thanks to this first job.
will create.
alumni.fredonia.edu
11
Journalism graduates ‘headline’ campus conference
SUNY Fredonia’s first cohort of Journalism majors began in Fall 2009 – a fact that surprises many, due to the campus’
history of producing generations of top-notch media professionals. All across the U.S., you’ll find them: writers, editors,
reporters, bloggers, DJs, anchors, photographers, videographers, news directors, production engineers and sales/marketing
professionals. However, none of them left Fredonia with a formal journalism degree. Instead, alumni – English, Communication
and Philosophy majors, among others – have used their liberal arts education to succeed in this rewarding field.
The new Journalism program has had instant success, with 50 students comprising that initial cohort. Students cite
the variety of on-campus media available for hands-on experience, from the rich histories of The Leader, WNYF-TV and
Fredonia Radio Systems, to the new “Raphy Report” news briefs, as resources that are giving them critical skills and
networking opportunities outside of the classroom. Lead professor and former Buffalo News reporter Elmer Ploetz is
also credited for bringing enthusiasm and expertise to the new program, which is already expanding.
The Fredonia name resonates strongly in the media professions due to the accomplishments of so many proud graduates.
In April, some of Western New York’s best returned to share insights with students at the campus’ first annual Society of
Professional Journalists conference. Here’s a glimpse at these professionals and what they had to say.
Charles Lewis, Staff Photographer, The Buffalo News
Vic Baker, Senior Producer, WIBV-TV/Channel 4
Charles Lewis had no aspirations for a newspaper career when he
enrolled at SUNY Fredonia in the mid-1980s, but numerous learning
experiences and opportunities to pursue his passion through the campus
became the springboard to a successful career in photojournalism.
Beginning as a Music major, he joined the radio station, switched his
major to Communication and ultimately to English. “I just kind of fell
into English; as I tried different things,
I always took English classes and did
well, and I was always pretty strong in
writing,” Lewis remembers. “It seemed
to be the best fit for me.”
A camera in hand was a good fit,
too. Lewis took a photography course
and began shooting for The Leader
and yearbook. Assignments at rallies,
concerts and sporting events brought
Lewis into contact with Elmer Haas,
who shot for the Observer in Dunkirk.
“He was really passionate about
photojournalism and loved to talk
about photography,” Lewis said. “And I
thought, ‘Wow. That is a great way to
make a living.’”
Following graduation, Lewis became a staff photographer at The PostJournal in Jamestown, and later worked at the Observer. Big-circulation
markets followed, first at The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Pa., and then
The Buffalo News, where he’s been for the last 13 years.
“I made good connections at Fredonia and got valuable support from
the faculty,” he said, pointing to Communication professors Ted Schwalbe
and Dan Berggren, as well as English professors James Shokoff,
Malcolm “Mac” Nelson, Robert Deming and Karen Mills-Courts as
key influencers.
“The breadth of experiences that I got at Fredonia was what I found
most useful,” he explained. “One of the things that I found really helps me
in doing my job is I was always interested in a whole variety of things –
and I really got to experience a variety of things at Fredonia.”
He was initially skeptical of digital cameras, but now says they give
him more time to shoot in the field. His advice to today’s students is
simple: “Embrace all the new technology.”
At the conference, Lewis presented his portfolio, explained how
he approaches assignments and offered tips on composition, focal
lengths and equipment.
Vic Baker, a senior producer at WIBV-TV (Channel 4) in Buffalo, N.Y.,
already had some seasoning as a reporter when he arrived at SUNY
Fredonia in 1969, but critical-thinking skills he refined as a Philosophy
major have served him well in a broadcast journalism career still
going strong.
Philosophy is not so much a subject as it is the pursuit of excellence
in wisdom, Baker explained. “We need to be analytical thinkers – not
taking things at face value, but probing deep, and the training that I
received here helped me tremendously.” Baker was challenged by teachers,
such as Dr. Marvin Kohl, to formulate well-reasoned, powerful essays.
SUNY Fredonia didn’t have a formal communication program in the
early 1970s, but Baker says the school allowed him to craft an independent
study tract that sharpened his documentary and filmmaking skills.
He had written radio newscasts and was a newspaper stringer in high
school. He quickly immersed himself on campus in the news business
through key editorial positions at The Leader and WCVF radio.
It was through WCVF that Baker attended an Associated Press
convention and “hooked up” with WIVB as a stringer, which led to
scene coverage of severe storm damage and devastating floods from
Hurricane Agnes along the Southern Tier in 1972. He later became
news director of WDOE radio in Dunkirk and a stringer for The Buffalo
Evening News before joining Channel 4 as a full-time reporter in 1975.
He’s produced its 6 p.m. news since 1977.
A Hornell, N.Y., native and member of the Buffalo Broadcasters
Hall of Fame, he has witnessed earth-shaking changes in the ways
news is gathered, presented and consumed. Images once recorded
on 16mm film can now be delivered instantly to the consumer by
the reporter in the field. “No more ‘film at 11;’ if it happens now, they
expect it now.”
Even with technological advances, Baker
emphasized the importance of having a firm
grounding in classic literature, western
civilization, economics, politics, and the
Declaration of Independence and U.S.
Constitution. “These are the concepts and
the disciplines you need to
be good journalists,”
he told students.
12
Joanna Pasceri, Co-anchor, WKBW-TV/Channel 7
Joanna Pasceri is one of the most widely recognized Fredonians in
Western New York. As the co-anchor of WKBW-TV/Channel 7’s 5 p.m.,
6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts, she’s been in the family rooms of many
of the region’s 1.5 million residents every night for the last 15 years –
a dream-come-true for this Lockport, N.Y., native.
“I feel really lucky that I was able to do pretty much everything close
to home,” said Ms. Pasceri.
By high school, Joanna knew she wanted to be a journalist. “My
favorite TV show growing up was ‘Lou Grant,’” she admitted. However,
Fredonia helped this 1987 Communication graduate realize her calling
wasn’t in newspapers, but television.
Fredonia had a strong broadcast communication program and great
internships, including an opportunity in Washington, D.C., which
allowed her to work at an independent TV news bureau on Capitol Hill.
“It was a small operation but they had some great professionals who
really took me under their wings,” she explained. “That’s what helped me
break into this business,” which she did just three months after earning
her bachelor’s degree when she was hired by WETM-TV in Elmira, N.Y.
Still, she missed her home town, and when an opportunity came
along for her to move back home, she jumped at the chance.
She was hired as a producer with WKBW in 1993, promoted to
reporter/anchor in 1997, and ascended to her current position in 2006.
She earned several awards, including the Associated Press’ Best Spot
News Coverage and Best Continuing Coverage honors.
Fredonia’s reputation is well-known throughout her industry, attests
Pasceri, who needs to look no further than
her WKBW family for proof. She is one of six
Fredonians currently at the station, including Jeff
Russo, ’97 (Sports Director); Lanora Ziobrowski,
’84 (Program Manager); Meghan Erbacher, ’09
(Assignment Desk); Adam Francis, ’03 (Photojournalist), and Kevin Chudy, ’83 (Engineer).
“If that doesn’t tell you how well this college
prepares you for the business, I don’t know what does,” she said. “You
go to school to expand your mind, not necessarily to get a job. But
it’s great when you can do both, and that’s what I think we’re doing at
Fredonia. Today’s students are coming out of school qualified to work.
They’re ready – and that’s rare.”
There’s a little reminder of Fredonia’s impact on her waiting at home,
too – husband Richard, a 1986 Business Administration graduate,
whom she met as a student.
“I’m really fortunate to do what I love in the city that means the most
to me,” she acknowledged. “It’s a lesson a lot of journalists learn, and
I was lucky I learned it right off the bat.”
She also shared some other lessons learned with the students.
“Explore everything,” she advised. “Don’t be narrow minded and
just stick to what you know.”
She also stressed the value of each person’s individuality. “There will
always be somebody smarter or prettier than you, but there is only one
‘you.’ You have to make the most of you.”
Jeff Woodard, News Director, WGRZ-TV/Channel 2
Recently, Jeff Woodard found himself in an unusual position. Instead
of directing the news, he was the news. For weeks, media around the
world had been reporting on a “mysterious illness” affecting a dozen
teenage girls in LeRoy, N.Y., a small town in between Buffalo and
Rochester. The patients exhibited a series of nervous twitches and
tics, drawing the attention of all the major networks, The New York
Times – even environmentalist Erin Brockovich.
Doctors diagnosed it as Conversion Disorder, a psychological condition,
adding that all the media attention – including dozens of Internet videos
of the girls exhibiting their symptoms – wasn’t helping. So Woodard
asked his WGRZ-TV team: “What if we stopped? Couldn’t an equally
good reporting job be done without showing the girls struggling?”
With his colleagues’ approval, he announced that WGRZ would no
longer show footage of the girls, a decision which generated ethical
debates – and much applause – on and off the air.
“We looked at where that community was,” he explained. “The
kids weren’t getting better and…we realized the community could
potentially get a huge benefit out of (the decision). Our mission is to
serve the community, to do some good. We wanted to report the story
with passion and compassion.”
Such a stance in today’s media, where deadlines and “viewer interest”
often carry more weight than privacy rights, may be surprising. But if
you understand Jeff’s roots, it all adds up.
Growing up, Woodard read the paper daily and liked knowing
what was going on in his Finger Lakes community of Dundee, N.Y.
He had a “real curiosity,” which he followed to a job at a local radio
station, a two-year college and, ultimately, SUNY Fredonia.
Fredonia’s quaint setting was a perfect fit. “I fell in love the moment
I saw it,” he said. “It’s a large campus, but a small one. You get the
attention of your instructions whenever you want it, and there are lots of
hands-on opportunities. It had everything I wanted.”
He worked for WNYF-TV and at Jamestown’s WHUG-FM, but it
was The Leader, ironically,
and a class he took from its
advisor, Penny Deakin,
which made Jeff pursue TV.
“I remember just loving
that class because I had a
chance to write,” he said.
“That’s why I became a
producer; there’s a lot
more writing.”
He was hired as the
morning news anchor in Jamestown after finishing school in 1995
and worked weekends in Syracuse at ABC affiliate WIXT-TV, which
soon hired him full-time and allowed him to begin producing.
Woodard joined WGRZ in 1998 as the 11 p.m. producer, eventually
rising to news director in 2008. Since then, WGRZ has earned the
top spot in Buffalo’s top morning and early-evening news blocks. His
team has won 10 Emmys and five national Edward R. Murrow awards,
including the 2011 award for Overall Excellence for a “small” market.
Perhaps that’s why the LeRoy story had such an impact on him.
Even today, despite working in the state’s second-largest city, he
still loves a good small town. He and his wife, Brandie (Wallin), ’03,
(Elementary Education) call the rural community of Eden, N.Y.,
home. There they raise three horses and two dogs along with their
two daughters – a lifestyle he relishes.
“I love Western New York and what it represents,” he said. “I have
no interest in going anywhere else.”
He hopes today’s students keep some of those values in mind as
they start their careers.
“Don’t get into this if you just want to be on TV,” he advised. “But if
you want to get involved in a community and make a difference, there
are still jobs in this business for people like that.”
alumni.fredonia.edu
13
Fall ’12 Preview
Fall ’12 Preview
Renowned artist Christo to give presentation, meet students
The celebrated artist Christo, whose acclaim in the world of
environmental art looms as large as his world-renowned installations,
will appear at SUNY Fredonia this fall as a guest of the college’s
Department of Visual Arts and New Media as a part of the campus’
Inauguration Week activities.
“This is a rare opportunity to bring one of the most internationally
renowned visual artists to our campus,” said Distinguished Professor of
Visual Arts and New Media Alberto Rey. “Each of his projects receives
a tremendous amount of international recognition in the media and
the art world. His work has changed the way many people look at the
idea of ‘art’.”
Christo will deliver a lecture/slide presentation Tuesday, Sept. 18, at
7 p.m. in King Concert Hall. It is free and open to the public, but tickets
are required and are available at the campus Ticket Office.
Christo’s visit has been made possible by a generous gift from Cathy
Marion (’79), director of the Marion Foundation and a member of the
Fredonia College Foundation Board of Directors, and her husband, Jesse
Marion, president of Marion Investments. The couple, whose previous
generosity to campus is reflected in the recently renovated Marion Art
Gallery in the Rockefeller Arts Center, is thrilled to be able to bring
such a globally celebrated artist to Fredonia.
Born in Bulgaria in 1935, Christo studied in Sofia and in Vienna
and was a portrait artist in Paris, where he met his future wife and
collaborator, Jeanne-Claude. In 1964, they relocated to New York City.
His earliest sculptures were made of bottles and cans that were
sometimes wrapped in paper, plastic or fabric.
Working together with Jeanne-Claude (who passed away in 2009),
Christo made his mark in the world of art by creating controversial
outdoor sculptures often using fabric that forced observers to confront
questions regarding the nature of art.
Their early works included: “Dockside Packages” (1961, Cologne);
“Iron Curtain – Wall of Oil Drums” (1962, Paris); and “Corridor Store
Front” (1968, New York City). Their installations grew substantially
with a suspended 42,390-cubic-foot air package in Minneapolis and
wrapped buildings in Chicago and Switzerland. These were followed
by even larger projects, such as “Valley Curtain” (1972, Colorado);
“Running Fence” (1976, Marin and Sonoma counties in California)
and “Surrounded Islands” (1983, Biscayne Bay, Fla.).
The couple wrapped the Pont Neuf Bridge in Paris with beige cloth in
1985. In Japan, 1,340 giant blue umbrellas were installed across the Sato
14
River Valley and 1,760 giant yellow ones were placed in Tejon Pass, Calif.
In just 16 days, more than four million people saw “The Gates,” a
23-mile-long installation comprised of 7,503 vinyl gates with free-flowing,
saffron-colored cloth panels in New York’s Central Park in 2005.
Each project was a major undertaking, consisting of detailed
planning and construction phases, permits and environmental impact
documentation, and requiring hundreds of workers to install and
remove. Installation sites were restored to their original condition and
materials recycled after the art work was taken down.
Though short-lived – lasting anywhere from eight hours to six
months – their outdoor sculptures have been seen by people of all
walks of life, including people who don’t routinely visit museums.
A direct SUNY Fredonia connection to Christo facilitated this
campus visit.
“Having a faculty member (Alberto Rey) who had worked on a couple
of Christo’s projects gave us a window of opportunity to approach
him. He was immediately receptive to the idea,” said Visual Arts and
New Media Chair and Distinguished Teaching Professor Bob Booth.
“I’m sure it would have been more difficult without Alberto’s connection.”
One of Christo’s upcoming projects is “Over the River,” featuring
nearly six miles of silver-colored fabric panels draped in sections
over of a 42-mile stretch of the Arkansas River in Colorado’s Bighorn
Canyon. Exhibition is anticipated in August 2015, following a
28-month installation.
“To truly appreciate the scale of their work – which is regularly many
miles long – one should try to experience it in person,” said Rey, who
worked on “Surrounded Island” and “Umbrellas.”
Mrs. Marion and her husband had the opportunity to view the
breathtaking installation of “The Gates” in Central Park a few years
ago and were awed by the bold scale of their work.
“We hope that the students and everyone who attends his lecture are
inspired by the passion and genius of this man who has dedicated his
life to the pursuit of his art,” she said.
Rey echoed Marion’s appreciation of the impact which these works
have on people.
“Each of the works that I have experienced has moved me deeply
and has affected me more than any work I have ever seen in any
museum or other exhibition site. These are once-in-a-lifetime types
of experiences,” he said.
Dr. Jean Kilbourne to keynote 2012-13 Convocation Series
This fall SUNY Fredonia will welcome Dr. Jean Kilbourne, the
author, speaker and filmmaker who is internationally recognized for
her work on the image of women in advertising and her critique of
alcohol and tobacco advertising and its impact on today’s youth.
Dr. Kilbourne, who is also credited with introducing the idea of
promoting media literacy as a way to prevent problems she views as
originating from mass media advertising campaigns, will deliver the
2012 Maytum Convocation Lecture on Wednesday, Sept. 19, in King
Concert Hall. Her appearance kicks off the year long theme, “A Time
for Change: Shifting Paradigms, Creating Possibilities.”
Kilbourne’s films, lectures and television appearances have been
seen by millions of people throughout the world. She is perhaps best
known for the films that are based on her lectures, including, “Killing
Us Softly,” which chronicles how advertising depicts women over a
20-year span. Other Kilbourne films include, “Slim Hopes: Advertising
and the Obsession with Thinness,” and “Pack of Lies: The Advertising
of Tobacco.”
Kilbourne also authored the book, Can’t Buy My Love: How
Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel, in which she
discussed advertising’s effects on gender roles, alcohol and substance
addiction, relationships, violence, and the objectification of women
and men. That won the 1999 Distinguished Publication Award
from the Association for Women in Psychology, while Publishers
Weekly called it “a profound work that is required reading for
informed consumers.”
She also co-authored, So Sexy So Soon: The New Sexualized
Childhood and What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Kids.
“Once again, our committee has worked hard to ensure that the
keynote speaker is widely applicable to a variety of academic disciplines
and student interests,” said Convocation Committee Chair Jack
Croxton, a member of Fredonia’s psychology faculty. “Dr. Kilbourne
is among the most sought-after speakers on college campuses today
because of the relevance of her work and her understanding of the
daily social pressures faced by today’s youth.”
Kilbourne has lectured at colleges, universities, conferences and
organizations. She has written many articles, including editorials in
The New York Times, USA Today and The Journal of the American
Medical Women’s Association. She has been interviewed by Time,
Newsweek, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The
Washington Post, The Globe and Mail, and The Boston Globe, among
many others. She has been a guest on hundreds of television and radio programs, including, “NewsHour
with Jim Lehrer,” “All Things Considered,” “The Today Show,” “20/20,” and “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
Through her lectures, films and articles, many of her original ideas and concepts have become mainstream.
These include the concepts of the tyranny of the beauty ideal, the connection between the objectification of
women and violence, the themes of liberation and weight control exploited in tobacco advertising aimed at
women, the targeting of alcoholics by the alcohol industry, addiction as a love affair and many others.
She has served as an advisor to former Surgeons General C. Everett Koop and Antonia Novello and has
testified for the U.S. Congress. In 1993, she was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
to the National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
“Jean Kilbourne’s appearance will be both an enriching and eye-opening experience for students,”
said sophomore Public Relations major Lauren Orlowski, one of two student members on the Convocation
Committee. “I think it is crucial that students understand the effects mass media has on our generation,
and I feel that Dr. Kilbourne exceeds every expectation when addressing these issues.”
The Maytum Convocation Lecture will once again be free and open to the public, although tickets are
required and available at the SUNY Fredonia Ticket Office.
Dr. Jean Kilbourne, an expert
on women in advertising, will
deliver the Maytum Convocation
Lecture on Sept. 19, kicking off
the 2012-13 series theme, “A Time
for Change: Shifting Paradigms,
Creating Possibilities.”
alumni.fredonia.edu
15
COLLEGE BEATS | College of Arts and Sciences
Fall Preview | Events and Performances
SUNY Fredonia leads the
first-ever survey of
plastic
pollution
in the
Great Lakes
For tickets to all events,
contact the Ticket Office at
(716) 673-3501 (1-866-441-4928),
www.fredonia.edu/tickets,
or in person. For a full list of
campus events, visit department
websites at www.fredonia.edu.
ROCKEFELLER ARTS
CENTER / THEATRE AND
DANCE EVENTS
LehrerDance Company
on board the Flagship Niagara
Saturday, Sept. 8, 7:30 p.m.
Marvel Theatre, Tickets: $10
The company showcases Lehrer’s
unique choreography and embodies
his definitive style.
Western New York
Chamber Orchestra
Battle of Lake Erie vessel from the War of 1812 (coincidentally, during
For years, Dr. Sherri “Sam” Mason has encouraged people to reduce
the war’s bicentennial). They lived on the ship and slept in hammocks.
the plastic they consume. A chemistry and biochemistry professor and
Meals were cooked on a wood-burning stove. The team was taught how
the coordinator of Fredonia’s Environmental Sciences program, she
to sail the ship and participated in a variety of daily activities.
has urged students and community members to avoid products that
The project was made possible through a partnership with 5 Gyres,
either contain or are sealed in plastic, and eliminate plastic shopping
an organization which has surveyed all five major oceans and seen this
bags. Plastic doesn’t biodegrade, she explains. As much as 50% of it
pollution first-hand. It strives to bring awareness to the global issue.
never winds up in a landfill. Instead, it becomes part of our ecosystem,
The project was also awarded a $10,000 grant from the Burning River
entering our animals, plants, soil, water and – ultimately – us.
Foundation, a Cleveland, Ohio-based entity dedicated to improving,
This summer, she decided to show people exactly what she means.
maintaining and celebrating the vitality of the region’s freshwater
From July 11 to 31, Dr. Mason, in collaboration with the 5 Gyres
resources. The team used a “manta trawl,” a net system used for
Institute, led the first-ever survey of plastic pollution in the Great Lakes.
sampling the surface of a body of water for debris.
Together with students and faculty researchers from
Many aquatic species become endangered as the
Fredonia and other Great Lakes-based universities,
amount of plastic spreads throughout bodies of
she collected samples which will be used to formulate
water, according to Mason. Products such as bags
an analysis from the team’s findings later this year.
and beverage containers make their way into our
They will attempt to quantify the amount of plastic
lakes, rivers and streams. In the process they become
polluting the largest group of fresh water lakes on
fragmented under the action of water. Marine animals
Earth. The study also intends on raising regional
can become entangled or eat these fragments
awareness of how much plastic is filtering in and
thinking that they are food. Researchers have
out of our open waters.
estimated that plastic leads to the deaths of a
With roughly 35 million people residing within
million aquatic animals annually.
the more than 94,000-square-mile Great Lakes
“The world is an interconnected system. This is
ecosystem, along with the well-known abundance
not just about aquatic animals; it is a significant
of plastic in the world’s oceans, Dr. Mason and her
concern to human health as well,” explained Mason,
colleagues have reason to believe that substantial
who has led a variety of other environmental and
plastic debris will be found.
Dr. Sherri “Sam” Mason led students
and other researchers in July in the
sustainable initiatives on and off campus over the
“Roughly 80% of plastic debris found in the
first-ever study of plastic pollution
past several years.
oceans comes from land,” said Mason when the
focused solely on the Great Lakes.
During one of the group’s first stops in Marquette,
project was initially announced in the spring. “The
Mich., they conducted surveys at two different
Great Lakes comprise a flow-through water system
beaches. Both had plastic debris present, including
and empty into the ocean. If our hypothesis holds
“nurdles,” or pre-production plastic particles. They also discovered a
true, we should find significant amounts of plastic debris
“plastic graveyard” of debris about 50 meters off Middle Bay beach –
here as well.”
an algae growth a couple of meters wide mixed with a plethora of
The magnitude of this three-week endeavor was immediately
plastic waste.
apparent to outsiders, attracting news media across the nation,
For the students involved like Hannah Farley, this expedition
including an Associated Press article which appeared in The Wall
offered an unparalleled experience. Its significance was not lost on
Street Journal when the project was announced and an in-depth
this member of the Class of 2013.
public radio report in the days leading up the team’s departure.
“It’s pretty impressive,” said Farley. “We are at the forefront of scientific
As an added perk, the researchers rode in style. They sailed west
research of our generation. What we find here could change the way
across lakes Superior, Huron and Erie on board the Flagship Niagara, an
the Western World perceives the ‘single-use-plastic’ lifestyle of today.”
Erie, Pa.-based replica of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry’s victorious
16
“Musical Portraits”
Sunday, Sept. 16, 4 p.m.
King Concert Hall, Tickets: $20
The featured guest is world-renowned
opera and song composer John Musto.
“The Lure of Alaska”
with Dale Johnson
Saturday, Sept. 22, 7:30 p.m.
King Concert Hall, Tickets: $7.50
A World Travel Series Event.
Between Daylight and
Booneville by the
Performing Arts Company
Western New York
Chamber Orchestra
“Bach to Basics”
Sunday, Oct. 28, 4 p.m.
King Concert Hall, Tickets: $20
The Fredonia College Choir joins the
group for Hayden’s “St. Nicholas
Mass” and the stirring Bach Cantata
No. 82 “Ich habe genug.”
Suor Angelica and
Gianni Schicchi
The Hillman Opera
Nov. 8, 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m.;
Nov. 11 at 2 p.m.
(SUNY Fredonia students $10)
Two one-act masterpieces from
Italian composer Giacomo Puccini
(1858 - 1924).
Robin Hood by The DuffleBag
Theatre Company
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Ensemble Concerts
To learn more, visit
www.fredonia.edu/music
Free, open to the public,
and all at 8 p.m. unless noted.
Special Event
Fredonia Madrigal Feast
Friday, Dec. 7 (time TBA)
Williams Center
King Concert Hall
Thursday, Sept. 27
and Monday, Nov. 12
Featuring the Fredonia Chamber Choir
under the direction of Dr. Gerald Gray,
complemented by a variety of
chamber ensembles.
Saturday, Sept. 29
and Thursday, Nov. 15
Faculty/Guest Artists
Rosch Recital Hall
Concert Band
Tuesday, Sept. 11
All College Band
Faculty Recital: Laura Koepke, bassoon
Friday, Sept. 14
Head off to Sherwood Forest for a
family adventure with Robin Hood
and his merry band!
Saturday, Sept. 15
A Kaleidoscope Family Series event.
Monday, Sept. 17
A family struggles with the past and
the future as they debate whether to
sell a valuable antique piano.
Wednesday, Oct. 3
and Tuesday, Nov. 6
Thursday, Oct. 4
and Tuesday, Nov. 13
Ethos FallSound Series:
Dr. David Colwell, violin
Nov. 30, Dec. 1, 6, 7 and 8 at
7:30 p.m.; Dec. 2 at 2 p.m.
Bartlett Theatre, Tickets: $16
(SUNY Fredonia students $10)
Wind Ensemble
Free unless noted and open to the
public. All at 8 p.m. unless noted.
Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
The Piano Lesson
Wind Symphony
Faculty Recital: Dr. Natasha Farny,
cello, and friends
Faculty Showcase
Wednesday, Sept. 19
Faculty and Guest Artist Recital:
Maureen Yuen, violin, and
Dr. Adrienne Elishe, viola
Saturday, Oct. 6
College Symphony Orchestra
Wednesday, Nov. 28
University Chorus and Women’s Chorus
Rosch Recital Hall
Friday, Sept. 28
Alumni Jazz and Fredonia
Jazz Ensemble
Monday, Oct. 22
and Wednesday, Oct. 31
Curricular Jazz
Tuesday, Oct. 23
Fredonia Clarinet Ensemble
Friday, Sept. 21
Thursday, Oct. 25
Fredonia Trombone Choir
Friday, Oct. 5 and Saturday,
Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday,
Oct. 7 at 2 p.m.
Bartlett Theatre, Tickets: $6
(SUNY Fredonia students, $3)
A Walter Gloor Mainstage Series Event.
Mivos String Quartet
Big Band Christmas Spectacular
Saturday, Sept. 29, 4 p.m.
Choral Showcase
Tuesday, Oct. 30
A young bride in coal mining country
is ridiculed for having dreams of a
new life elsewhere, but circumstances
change the picture.
Eight of SUNY Fredonia’s most talented singers and dancers join forces
with the all-professional Little Apple
Big Band.
Faculty Recital: Dr. Natasha Farny,
cello; Donald George, tenor;
Lucy Mauro, piano; Dr.Gerald Gray,
Fredonia Chamber Choir
Monday, Oct. 1
Flutasia
Chicago
A DFT Communications Pops Series event.
Oct. 19, 20, 25, 26 and 27 at
7:30 p.m.; Oct. 21 at 2 p.m.
Step into the world of showgirls,
vaudeville and celebrity crime in this
razzle-dazzle musical.
A Walter Gloor Mainstage Series Event.
The Hit Men
Saturday, Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m.
King Concert Hall,
Tickets: $25, 22.50 and $20
The ’60s, ’70s and ’80s were a golden
era for songwriting and six musicians
who performed its hits present a look
back through rock and roll history.
A DFT Communications Pops Series event.
Thursday, Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m.
King Concert Hall,
Tickets: $25, 22.50 and $20
Orchesis Dance Company
Friday, Dec. 7 and
Saturday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m.
Art Exhibits
Cathy and Jesse Marion Art
Gallery, Rockefeller Arts Center
Hours: Tuesday to Thursday and
Sunday, 2 to 6 p.m.; Friday and
Saturday, 2 to 8 p.m. Free.
by Paul Runyon”
Aug. 31–Sept. 30; Opening reception:
Friday, Aug. 31, 7 p.m.
“Invertebrates & Architecture:
Works by Julian Montague”
Oct. 19-Nov. 14; Opening
reception Friday, Oct. 19, 7 p.m.
Senior Show
Nov. 30–Dec. 6; Opening
reception Friday, Nov. 30, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 27
Fredonia Bassoon Ensemble
Thursday, Nov. 1
loadbang performs John Cage
Friday, Nov. 2
Wednesday, Oct. 3
Tuesday, Nov. 6
Dr. Michael Mizrahi, piano
Fredonia Guitar Ensemble and Quartet
Wednesday, Nov. 7
Saturday, Oct. 6, 4 p.m.
Latin Jazz Ensemble
Faculty Recital: ANA (Drs. Angela
Haas, Natasha Farny, Anne Kissel)
Thursday, Nov. 8
Monday, Oct. 8
Wednesday, Nov. 14
Guest Artist Recital:
Dr. Andrea Cheeseman, clarinet
Chamber Made Guitar
Tuesday, Oct. 9
Fredonia Percussion Ensemble
Woodwind Chamber Ensembles
Saxophone Ensemble
Monday, Nov. 26
Fredonia Wind Quintet
Tuesday, Nov. 27
Wednesday, Oct. 17
Brass Choir
Guest Artist Recital:
Concert of the music of John Cage
Monday, Dec. 3
Thursday, Oct. 18
Tuesday, Dec. 4
and Thursday, Dec. 6
Faculty Recital:
Dr. Wildy Zumwalt, saxophone
Improv Collective
String Chamber Ensembles
Sunday, Nov. 4, 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 5
Faculty Recital: Retro
World Mallet Ensemble
Monday and Tuesday,
Nov. 12 and 13
Saturday, Dec. 8
Guest Artist Recital: Lunar Ensemble
Diers Recital Hall
Chamber Orchestra
Friday, Dec. 7, 6 p.m.
African Drumming Ensemble
alumni.fredonia.edu
17
COLLEGE BEATS | School of Business
They read almost like ads in the personals: Students “yearning” for real-life experience to complement their
classroom learning. Local organizations “desperately seeking” new ideas to help them grow and improve.
The School of Business’ capstone courses have become the proverbial coffee shop where both can meet and
start something special.
Under the leadership of Dean Russell Boisjoly and Department of Business Administration Chair Mojtaba
Seyedian, the School of Business is increasingly committed to service learning and community involvement.
Capstones allow students to integrate knowledge gained in marketing, finance and accounting with real-life
situations — and make a tangible impact on the community while they are at it.
“Students have an opportunity to learn how classic strategy
models work in the real world and build the skills they need to
succeed after graduation,” said Dr. Susan McNamara, who leads
the strategic management capstone. “In return, the businesses
receive energy, creativity and talent from the student teams.”
Dr. McNamara’s initial section is devoted to strategic management
of one’s career. From there, 30 students work collectively on a “mini
analysis” of a business client. They learn techniques in market
research, lean management and business analysis, and then apply
them in a professional situation. That prepares the five-person teams
to develop detailed plans to address client needs or concerns.
The demands on students are considerable. They must understand
the vision, mission and goals of the organization, and learn about its
competitive environment and the various industry sectors that affect
it through analyses and market research.
One assignment included outlining steps to help market
Cott Beverages (formerly Cliffstar Corp.), and recruit and retain
employees. Student recommendations to engage a marketing
communication agency, increase internal communication and
distribute product samples are “already in the works” at Cott.
“This was a way for our company to work with the community,
receive fresh ideas and perspectives to help our business grow,
and increase the pipeline of potential future leaders,” said Cott
spokesperson Jennifer Davis.
Branding, corporate awareness and outreach for future employees
were goals of WCA Services Corp. Executive Director David
Thomas said student input will be synthesized into a project and then
Dr. Susan McNamara (standing, left) of the School of Business works with
expanded. Their recommendation to reach out to schools for future
Business Management major and student intern Caitlin Lynch, ’12 (seated, left),
and members of the Cott Beverages marketing team.
emergency responders was “spot on,” Thomas said, and rebranding
ideas “hit the nail on the head.”
Applying its existing branding to a marketing strategy to engage 16 to 30 year-olds was the goal of the
United Way of Northern Chautauqua County. Executive Director Deborah Tederous said an educational
component that uses SUNY Fredonia students to mentor high school students from Chautauqua Striders
is being developed as a result.
A ringing endorsement came from DFT Communications, which has participated three times. Each year,
DFT offers students from the consulting internship opportunities the following semester to implement the
recommendations their team developed.
Over 25 local businesses, including manufacturing, retail, food/business, technology, advertising, health
care and tourism, have worked with students, as have non-profits such as Brooks Memorial Hospital, the
Arts Incubator and the Dunkirk Historical Museum.
Capstones also create invaluable networking opportunities for students, including Caitlin Lynch
(’12, Business Management), who obtained a summer internship at Cott Beverages. “My experience at
Fredonia has taught me to be confident and motivated, as success is earned through hard work,” Lynch
said. “This overall experience will be so valuable to me in any future position.”
Jennifer Zelasko (’12, Marketing) said interacting and working with real business clients were important
skills she learned. “Being able to target what the main problem is, and find realistic solutions, is an important
skill to have in any career path,” she added.
Dr. McNamara is ideally suited to coordinate the capstone experience. She previously directed the Workforce
Investment Board, which assists businesses in economic development and matches workers with employers.
“I’m in the community. I know the professionals — the CEOs who value student input and love working
with Fredonia students,” she said. “Listening to our local business leaders’ challenges and goals offers the
opportunity to specifically match them with students with the appropriate skills and interests. It’s like an
eHarmony kind of thing.”
And the School of Business intends to keep playing Cupid for many years to come.
School of Business uses
“matchmaking” skills to enhance
learning, improve organizations
18
College of Education | COLLEGE BEATS
“Fredonia made it possible for me to pursue my dream. Now it is
‘payback time.’”
That’s how Helen Johnson sees her role at SUNY Fredonia some
of
60 years after receiving her bachelor’s degree in Education. Johnson,
who enjoyed a 35-year career, believes current students should have
the same opportunity she had.
“I wanted to do something to help young people today to become
teachers,” the 1952 graduate explained. “You see, I was so fortunate.
Back in 1948, Fredonia didn’t
charge tuition, so that made
it possible for me to go to college and become a teacher. All these
years I had it in the back of my mind I wanted to do something to
help,” she said.
Johnson enthusiastically joined the College of Education’s
Committee of Friends, formed a year ago by the Fredonia College
Foundation to attract individual $200 contributions from College
of Education alumni to support current SUNY Fredonia students
who share their passion for teaching. By pooling these contributions,
scholarships valued at $2,000 can be awarded to incoming freshmen
education majors. These donations help students defray the costs of
tuition, room and board. Every dollar given goes directly to a student.
The funds given in 2011 by the Committee of Friends have
created scholarships for nine incoming freshmen.
So inspired by the mission of the Committee of Friends – and
the action of her twin brother, Harold, who set up a scholarship at
his alma mater – Johnson went a step further by establishing the
Helen Johnson Legacy Scholarship Endowment at SUNY Fredonia.
Her fund assists students enrolled in the unique Fredonia-Hamburg
Teacher Education program, a cooperative venture between SUNY
Fredonia and the Hamburg Central School District, where Johnson
spent most of her career.
Johnson was delighted to meet the two recipients of her scholarship
fund this past year, one at the Scholars Breakfast and the other
at the College of Education’s celebratory luncheon during
Helen Johnson, center, joined twin brother, Harold, and senior Ellen Konicki, at
the College of Education’s celebratory luncheon on campus in May. A Childhood
Commencement week. She also visited one of the recipients at
Inclusive Education-Math major from Blasdell, N.Y., Konicki was one of two
the Hamburg elementary school where she was assigned.
inaugural recipients of a scholarship Ms. Johnson established in response to the
The College of Education will honor all Committee of Friends
Committee of 200 initiative last year.
members and provide them with an opportunity to meet students
who received these scholarships at a gathering to be held Homecoming weekend. A list of all Committee of
Friends donors will appear in the College of Education’s website this fall.
To learn more about how to invest in future teachers by joining the Committee of Friends or establishing
your own endowment scholarship fund, contact Heather McKeever, associate director of Development at the
Fredonia College Foundation. She can also be reached at heather.mckeever@fredonia.edu or (716) 673-3321.
College
Education
STATE UNIVERSIT Y OF NEW YORK AT FREDONIA
committee of friends
‘Payback time:’ Retired teacher
takes Committee of 200
challenge a step further
Harlem Charter School Principal keynotes annual COE symposium
Fredonia native Jim Manly returned to keynote SUNY Fredonia’s fourth annual College of Education Research
Symposium on March 31. Manly is the Founding Principal of The Success Academy of Harlem 2, a highperforming elementary charter school in Central Harlem. In the past four years, the school outperformed
expected scores (based on school demographics established by the New York State Education Department)
by over 30 percentage points in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. The school began with only
kindergarten and first grades but today is comprised of more than 60 staff members serving 645 students in
grades K-4 – and plans to expand to eighth grade. Manly is responsible for managing all aspects of school
design, instruction and operations.
The annual research symposium provides an opportunity to professional educators of all levels from across
Western New York as well as undergraduate and graduate students to collaborate in reporting research in their field
of study. It also affords educated professionals an opportunity to hear about research being done by SUNY Fredonia
students and faculty. Members of the College of Education share ideas about important educational topics and
engage in interesting dialogue about educational research and research projects. The theme of this year's
symposium was, “Partnerships for Success: Working Together to Transform P-12 Schools and Teacher Preparation.”
From left, Dean Christine Givner, Success
Academy of Harlem Principal Jim Manly,
and President Dennis Hefner.
alumni.fredonia.edu
19
Athletics
The senior Blue Devils on this year’s record-setting team included (from left) Megan Mietelski, Karli Brinthaupt, Morgan McNamara, Amy Simon and Sara Ceraso.
Lacrosse team scores record-setting season
by Jerry Reilly, Director of Sports Information
In May, Fredonia State qualified for the 2012 NCAA Division III
Women’s Lacrosse tournament – its first national tournament
appearance in the program’s 17-year history.
The Blue Devils had the second highest strength-of-schedule in the
Empire Region, and one of the top 15 in the nation. A 7-1 conference
record and a 14-4 record following the State University of New York
Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament were two other key factors
in the Blue Devils’ inclusion when the 31-team field was announced May
6 on NCAA.com during a live selection show.
In addition, the NCAA selection committee also awarded Fredonia
State a first-round home game. It was the campus’ first NCAA home
game of any kind since the 1994-95 men’s hockey season.
“It was a very nerve-wracking weekend,” Head Coach Chris Case said
of the days leading up to the official announcement. “There was a lot
of number crunching and scoreboard watching on my end to see if we
would get (an at-large) bid. With only eight (at-large) bids in the whole
country, I knew it would be tough to get one.
The Blue Devils lost a first-round heartbreaker to St. John Fisher, 9-8
in overtime, yet that setback failed to dim the feeling of accomplishment
among the team.
“Making it to our first NCAA tournament was an amazing experience,”
senior attacker Karli Brinthaupt (Horseheads, N.Y.) said. “Even though
we didn’t get as far as we hoped, I am still so honored to have made it
and I couldn’t be happier that it happened our senior year.”
Brinthaupt, attackers Sara Ceraso (Bellmore, N.Y.), Morgan
McNamara (Oswego, N.Y.) and Amy Simon (Amherst, N.Y.), and
defender Megan Mietelski (Fairport, N.Y.) were all four-year players.
Mietelski became the first Fredonian named to the Intercollegiate
Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-American First
Team after she earned her fourth straight All-SUNYAC honor and
second straight IWLCA Empire Region selection. She later added the
2012 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for carrying the highest grade point
average among the 26-member All-SUNYAC team.
Simon graduated as the all-time leading scorer after earning her
fourth straight All-SUNYAC award and her second IWLCA regional
selection. McNamara placed her name on several statistical Top 10 lists,
Brinthaupt was a consistent playmaker all four years, and Ceraso missed
her entire junior season due to injury, yet was still chosen team captain,
joining Mietelski and Simon. Other awards went to Case, named
SUNYAC Coach of the Year for the second time (his first came in
2008); sophomore midfielder Katie Kleine (Cazenovia, N.Y.), a First
Team All-SUNYAC selection, SUNYAC Rookie of the Year, and
Empire Region selection; and junior goalkeeper Casey Chiesa
(Baldwinsville, N.Y.), named First Team All-SUNYAC.
“I think that a lot of our success came out of the fact that we weren’t
a young team,” Mietelski said. “We only had two freshmen, so everyone
knew the routine. It was nice because we didn’t have to use practice time to
go over previous concepts, and the freshmen picked (things) up quickly.”
The team opened the season with a home win over Allegheny, then
lost at nationally ranked Messiah before winning two of three games
during its annual Florida trip, including a win over nationally ranked
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The team wouldn’t lose again for over a
month, including a key seven-day stretch in early April with wins
against Geneseo, Oneonta and Buffalo State.
“I remember thinking that those three games could literally make or
break our playoff chances,” Mietelski said. “We needed to take one game
at a time, and when we (beat) Geneseo at their home field in double
overtime, I remember thinking, ‘Alright, one down.’”
The Geneseo victory was the first in team history and the first
time Case, who also coaches women’s soccer, had defeated Geneseo
in either sport.
After the Oneonta and Buffalo State wins, the team’s confidence grew
even further, leading to a school-record nine-game winning streak.
Others noticed too. When the IWLCA released its NCAA D-III poll
on April 17, Fredonia State was included for the first time in program
history. Although the Blue Devils did not crack the Top 20, they were
among the teams “also receiving votes” and stayed on the list for the rest
of the season.
The win streak ended with an 8-7 home loss to No. 2-ranked Cortland
before one of the largest women’s crowds in program history. Despite
the loss, the team’s confidence remained, just as it had two years earlier
following the team’s first win ever over a ranked opponent. Several of
the seniors, when asked to look back on their careers, pointed to the
2010 victory over then-No. 20 Nazareth as the game in which they
began believing in themselves.
“I remember feeling we had done something big,” Ceraso said.
“We always had those games where we had fallen short (and) wished
we could replay just five minutes of it; but that game, we gave it our
all. We’ve had other amazing wins since then, but that is the first time
I remember an overwhelming feeling of amazement the second the
game was over.”
Simon recalled two other steppingstones. One was a close loss to
perennial SUNYAC champion Cortland in 2010, which, she said,
“proved…when we played our game, we could compete with them.”
The other came in a 2011: a come-from-behind win over St. Lawrence.
Down 7-0, the Blue Devils rallied for a 13-12 win, an experience
which stuck with the returning players.
“I can recall numerous times this past season where we had been
down a number of goals, and the girls just never gave up,” Simon said.
“We worked as hard as we could, coming back one goal at a time,
until the game changed in our favor.
“That is one of the biggest changes I have seen in this program and
one of the reasons we were so successful this past year. I never once felt
like our team had given up, or accepted a loss until the clock ran out.”
“We never really proved ourselves before,” McNamara said.
“Maybe in some games, but not in an entire season. (Starting with)
our freshmen year, we would write to each other on Facebook over
winter break about how excited we were to get back and actually have
a season to be proud about. This year the message really got to me.
It was our last shot to show these teams that we deserved to win.”
The seniors mentioned tough practices, long bus rides, and one even
recalled a trip to a favorite fast-food restaurant in Florida as memorable
moments along the way to becoming the first group of senior players
to lead Fredonia State to the NCAA tournament. They also cited their
love of the game and the lifelong friendships they have formed.
“It was hard to predict how far we would come in four years,”
Brinthaupt said, “but I knew from the beginning that I was playing
with teammates who had a real passion for the game, who would
never sell themselves or the team short. I was proud to be playing
next to such passionate players.”
“Not many people can say they have been in a national tournament,
or competed against some of the best teams in the nation,” McNamara
said. “Not only did I end my career with a great memorable season but…
also with best friends that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Not many
people can say that either.”
Spring Recap
BASEBALL
(13-22 overall,
6-12 SUNYAC) – Senior outfielder Dan Greco
(Lockport) was the SUNYAC
batting champion with a .417 batting
average, including a .407 in conference
games. He and junior infielder Dillon Lowe
(Pittsford) were First Team All-SUNYAC selections,
Lowe on the strength of a .358 batting average.
MEN’S BASKETBALL (13-12 overall, 8-10 SUNYAC) – Senior
forward Julius Bryant (Buffalo) returned from a redshirt
season to become Second Team All-SUNYAC. Bryant
averaged a team-leading 14.2 points and 6.0 rebounds
per game. He also led the team with 20 blocked shots.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (10-15 overall, 6-12 SUNYAC) –
The Blue Devils placed two players on the All-SUNYAC
Team for the first time since 2007. Sophomore guard
Becky Hebert (Hilton) made the Second Team, senior
guard Nicole Calbi (Olean) the Third Team. Hebert also
made the D3Hoops.com East Region First Team after
averaging 20.5 points per game, first in the SUNYAC and
12th best in NCAA D-III. Her 472 points were the second
most by a Blue Devil in one season.
MEN’S HOCKEY (12-11-3 overall, 6-7-3 SUNYAC) – Senior
forward Bryan Ross (Livonia, Mich.) completed his fouryear Blue Devil career with 136 points, tied for fourth
20
Fall Preview
all-time at Fredonia State. He also made First Team
All-SUNYAC. Freshman forward Jared Wynia (Calgary,
Alberta) was SUNYAC Rookie of the Year. As a team, the
Blue Devils were 1-1 in the SUNYAC Tournament.
SOFTBALL (16-16-1 overall, 7-11 SUNYAC) – Junior
outfielder Katie Bartkowiak (Fredonia) continued her
assault on the school record book in several offensive
categories, while senior first baseman Michelle Lattner
(Cheektowaga) graduated as the all-time team leader on
defense for total chances, putouts, and fielding percentage. Both were selected to SUNYAC all-conference and
NFCA Northeast all-region teams.
MEN’S SWIMMING and DIVING – Junior diver Ryan Fuller
(Endicott) won SUNYAC titles off both boards. He was
the Outstanding Diver of the meet and a First Team AllSUNYAC selection. Sophomore John Estanislau (East
Longmeadow, Mass.) was Second Team All-SUNYAC
and the Chancellor’s Award winner for having the
highest GPA among the all-conference team. He broke
three individual team records and was part of three
school record-setting relays.
WOMEN’S SWIMMING and DIVING – Junior Sarah Ficarro
(Owego) finished second in the 3-meter springboard at
the NCAA D-III Swimming and Diving championships. It
resulted in her third All-American award to go with three
honorable mentions, including an 11th place finish in the
NCAA 1-meter event this winter. She was the SUNYAC
championship’s Women’s Outstanding Diver after winning the 3-meter competition in Buffalo. Sophomore
Ashley Keller (Lockport) was the SUNYAC 1-meter champion and, along with Ficarro, selected SUNYAC First
Team. Two other divers, senior Leanne Kies (Owego) and
sophomore Katelyn Haley (Canandaigua), were Second
Team selections, as were two swimmers, juniors Stephanie Andrasek (Parma, Ohio) and Lizzie Lodinsky (Buffalo).
The team finished second in SUNYAC standings — its
best finish ever.
MEN’S TRACK and FIELD – Senior pole vaulter Broncho
Rollins (Ithaca) earned All-American honors twice after
finishing sixth in both the indoor and outdoor NCAA
D-III championship meets. In the process, he set school
records during both seasons and won the SUNYAC
outdoor pole vault title, while junior Spencer Lefort
(Java Center) was first in the SUNYAC decathlon. Lefort
competed at the NCAA D-III meet and finished 15th.
Senior sprinter Webster Thomas (Windsor, Conn.) and
junior thrower Max Radley (Batavia) made Second Team
All-SUNYAC after the outdoor season. Senior jumper
Andrew Charsky (Castleton) was a Second Team choice
indoors.
WOMEN’S TRACK and FIELD – Senior jumper-sprinter
Melissa Cummiskey (Clarence) was Second Team AllSUNYAC after finishing second in the long jump at the
outdoor championship meet.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Head coach: Kevin Moore. Season starts: On the road Nov.
16 at the Hilbert Tournament. Home games: D’Youville
(Nov. 20), Elmira (Nov. 27), New Paltz (Nov. 30), Oneonta
(Dec. 1), Penn State Behrend (Dec. 15), Brockport (Jan. 15),
Potsdam (Jan. 25), Plattsburgh (Jan. 26), Cortland (Feb. 1),
Oswego (Feb. 2), Buffalo State (Feb. 12), Geneseo (Feb. 15).
Mark this down: Senior Night Feb. 15 vs. Geneseo.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Head coach: Donna Wise. Season starts: At home Nov.
15 vs. Nazareth. Other home games: D’Youville (Nov. 20),
New Paltz (Nov. 30), Oneonta (Dec. 1), Brockport (Jan. 15),
Potsdam (Jan. 25), Plattsburgh (Jan. 26), Cortland (Feb. 1),
Oswego (Feb. 2), Buffalo State (Feb. 12), Geneseo (Feb. 15).
Mark this down: Senior Night Feb. 15 vs. Geneseo.
CROSS COUNTRY
Head coach: Tom Wilson. Season starts: Sept. 1 at the
Daniel Walker Invitational, Grand Island, N.Y. Home
meets: Pre-SUNYAC Invitational (Sept. 8), SUNYAC
Championships (Oct. 27). Mark this down: Start times for
both home meets are 11 a.m. and noon, respectively, at
Lake Erie State Park, Portland, N.Y.
MEN’S HOCKEY
Head coach: Jeff Meredith. Season starts: At home Oct.
19 vs. Canton. Other home games: Geneseo (Oct. 26),
Brockport (Oct. 27), Penn State (Oct. 30), Morrisville
(Nov. 3), Buffalo State (Nov. 30), Elmira (Dec. 7), St.
Anselm’s (Jan. 4), New England (Jan. 5), Potsdam (Feb. 1),
Plattsburgh (Feb. 2), Cortland (Feb. 8), Oswego (Feb. 9).
Mark this down: Pink The Rink is Feb. 8, followed by Senior
Night Feb. 9.
MEN’S SOCCER
Head coach: P.J. Gondek. Season starts: On the road
Aug. 31 vs. St. John Fisher in the Flower City Tournament,
Rochester, N.Y. Home games: Geneva (Sept. 4), Penn State
Behrend (Sept. 7) and Houghton (Sept. 8) in the Blue Devil
Clarion Classic, Geneseo (Sept. 21), Brockport (Sept. 22),
Buffalo State (Sept. 29), Plattsburgh (Oct. 12), Potsdam
(Oct. 13), Hobart (Oct. 23). Mark this down: The annual
alumni game is Sept. 29.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Head coach: Chris Case. Season starts: On the road Aug.
31 vs. host Roanoke in the Roanoke Classic. Home games:
Rochester (Sept. 7) and Allegheny (Sept. 8) in the Blue
Devil Clarion Classic, St. John Fisher (Sept. 18), Oswego
(Oct. 5), Cortland (Oct. 6), Oneonta (Oct. 19), New Paltz
(Oct. 20), RIT (Oct. 23). Mark this down: The annual alumni
game is Sept. 29.
SWIMMING and DIVING
Head coach: Arthur Wang. Season starts: At home Oct. 27
vs. RIT. Other home meets: Blue Devil Invitational (Nov. 30
through Dec. 2), Gannon (Dec. 7), Ithaca and Nazareth (Jan.
12), Canisius (Jan. 26), Brockport (Feb. 2). Mark this down:
The SUNYAC championship meet is Feb. 20-23, two weeks
later than originally scheduled.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Head coach: Joe Calarco. Season starts: At home Aug. 31
vs. Oneonta. Other home matches: Brockport (Sept. 8),
Wells (Sept. 10), Oswego (Sept. 15), Pitt Bradford (Sept.
18), Geneseo (Sept. 19), D’Youville (Sept. 24), Thiel (Oct. 1).
Mark this down: SUNYAC team championships are Oct. 5-7.
INDOOR TRACK and FIELD
Head coach: Tom Wilson. Season starts: At home Dec. 1
with the Mary Phillips meet. Mark this down: The SUNYAC
championship is Feb. 23 at Brockport.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Head coach: Geoff Braun. Season starts: On the road
Aug. 31 vs. at the Cortland Tournament. Home matches:
Nazareth (Sept. 11), SUNYAC West Pool Play (Sept. 21-22),
Blue Devil Invitational (Oct. 5-6), St. John Fisher (Oct. 23),
Hiram and Ithaca (Oct. 27). Mark this down: The SUNYAC
championship tourney starts Nov. 2 at the West Division’s
No. 1 seed.
alumni.fredonia.edu
21
Hefner Retirement Gala
Stellar Students
Shining student leader
leaves behind colorful imprint
Four years ago Maggie Oliver walked onto campus for the first time,
having no idea what to expect. In an instant, she was drawn to Fredonia,
and after touring the radio station and seeing its extensive archives, it
was a done deal.
The media enthusiast began as a Communication/Audio-Radio major
but soon realized that she disliked hearing and editing her own voice.
She was also intrigued by media and film. She immediately added TV/
Digital Film as a second major. Oliver, a documentary fanatic, is
fascinated with the idea of taking a creative route in this film genre.
As a freshman, she wasted no time in becoming actively involved
with campus media organizations. By her senior year, she rose to
editor-in-chief of The Leader,
Fredonia’s student-run newspaper,
where she spent countless evenings
putting together each weekly issue.
She contributed to the paper’s
continuing evolution by overseeing
its website re-launch, adding more
lifestyle features and renovating
the overall presentation.
This year, when she was not
leading the newspaper staff, Oliver
was leading her senior class, as
president. Her motive for becoming
President of the Class of 2012 was
to arouse change. In previous
years, she believed there had not
been enough senior class events,
and Oliver wanted to ensure that her fellow classmates got the senior
year they deserved. “I just wanted to make sure that the Class of 2012
didn’t have that reputation of not doing a lot of events.”
The Class of 2012 donated two beautiful stained glass windows that
were installed in the Cranston Marché lobby this spring. It is the first
class in years to pay off its gift in full before Commencement.
“Maggie Oliver is, by far, one of the best class presidents with whom
I have worked with,” said Patricia Feraldi, ’77, director of Alumni
Affairs. “She is a true and dedicated leader.”
Oliver also followed through on her first love, getting involved with
Fredonia Radio Systems. Last year she hosted a late-night blues segment
and produced, “High Noon Friday,” a weekly afternoon show which she
infused with a variety of student guests, upcoming events and riddles.
22
She was also vice president of the Sound Services student group,
where she helped book performers and produce live concerts and other
events. She was involved with Fredonia’s TV station (WNYF) and the
SUNY Model European Union and its press corps, and sought learning
opportunities off campus as well, including two internships in Dublin,
Ireland. She also served as a marketing intern with Textivia, a tenant
of the SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator in Dunkirk.
The notoriety of this student ambassador over the years led to her
induction into the Alma Mater Society in 2011. She was also one of the
select few nominated for this year’s Lanford Presidential Prize, given
annually to the senior who exhibited balanced achievement and
exemplifies SUNY Fredonia’s ideals
during their Fredonia career.
Oliver credits her college
experience with making her well
rounded. “It’s been a really good
opportunity to do what I want,
learn as much as I can about the
real world, and make myself
more employable.”
Her ambitious and enthusiastic
personality landed her many titles
on campus. “I think my motivation
stems back to my upbringing; my
family has instilled a very strong
work ethic in me since I was very
young,” Oliver said. She names
communication professors Elmer
Ploetz, Mark Kiyak and Nefin Dinc as a few individuals who have not
only fed her with encouraging advice, but also inspired her to push
beyond what she has accomplished so far.
“Maggie is a tireless worker with a great sense of humor,” said Kiyak,
a film production professor. “One of the things that make her special
is her ability to think outside the box while conveying her ideas in a
conventional, pragmatic way.”
“I think I’ve become a better speaker, and somewhat more mature,”
Oliver added. “I can assess what kind of life I want to have.”
Immediately after graduation, she traveled and then moved to New
York City, known for its documentary scene, where she hopes to begin
her career. If it goes anywhere near as well as her undergraduate career,
we’ll probably be hearing her name again soon.
The Robert and Marilyn Maytum Music Rehearsal Halls were transformed into an elegant venue with the help of a dedicated planning committee.
College Council member and education
faculty emeritus Dr. Robert Heichberger
and his wife, Elaine.
Distinguished Teaching Professor Jim Hurtgen (left)
and Master of Ceremonies Kurt Maytum present a
personalized captain’s chair to President Hefner.
Also joining in the fun at the gala were (from left) alumna
Dr. Estelle Crino, ’77; former first lady of Fredonia Elizabeth “Kris”
Beal, and former Fredonia College Foundation capital campaign
chair Douglas H. Manly.
The Hefner family at the retirement gala in May (from left):
son Joel Hefner, Jan Hefner, President Dennis Hefner, and
daughter Kara Hefner.
Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus Kenneth
Mantai (right) with former students and Fredonia
College Foundation board members Drs. Michael Marletta,
’73, and Jeffery Kelly, ’82. Dr. Marletta is president of the
Scripps Research Institute and Dr. Kelly is a distinguished
researcher at the institute.
“Doors to Success” Capital Campaign
Chair David Carnahan joined Fredonia
College Foundation Board of Directors
Chair Debra Horn Stachura, ’75, in
paying tribute to President Hefner.
alumni.fredonia.edu
23
Spring Wrap-Up
185th Commencement signals many new beginnings
More than 1,400 students were honored in Steele Hall
on May 12 as President Dennis Hefner led Fredonia’s
Commencement for the final time in his 16-year tenure.
Two nearly identical ceremonies were held at
10 a.m. and 3 p.m., featuring remarks from
President Hefner, Fredonia College Council Chair
Frank Pagano, keynote speaker and alumnus Dale
Cooter, ’70, and Senior Class President Maggie Oliver.
President Hefner acknowledged that this year’s
ceremony was a little different than his previous 15.
“With my impending retirement, in a real sense, today
represents my graduation from serving as SUNY Fredonia’s
12th president,” he explained. “So with your permission,
I’d like to consider myself an honorary member of the
graduating Class of 2012,” prompting a roar of applause
and approval at each ceremony from his hundreds of
fellow “classmates” in attendance.
He then presented Incoming President Virginia
Horvath with a ceremonial key, a symbolic gesture that
connects to one of Dr. Hefner’s favorite statistics: the
5,406 doors on campus.
“I am pleased to present you with this special campus
key, to assist you in keeping every one of those doors
open for future generations of students,” he said.
Dr. Horvath was quick to return the favor, presenting President Hefner
with a ceremonial scroll to officially signify his “graduation” as an
honorary member of the Class of 2012. All of the day’s graduates
received a commemorative scroll case on which was inscribed, “The Final
Handshake: President Hefner’s Last Commencement, May 12, 2012.”
Chairman Pagano echoed their remarks, and spoke to the anticipation
the campus collectively shares as it prepares for this next phase in its
rich history.
“We stand ready to face tomorrow’s challenges, eager to see what
changes await, and excited for how we might build upon the progress
which we have achieved to date, and add to the legacy we have created,”
he said.
Mr. Pagano also encouraged the graduates to never forget the
knowledge and experiences they received at Fredonia, and to maintain
strong ties to the campus throughout their lives.
Mr. Cooter also graduated from Georgetown University Law Center
and is a successful attorney in Washington, D.C., and principal of the
firm Cooter, Mangold, Deckelbaum & Karas, L.L.P. He also saluted Dr.
Hefner, marveling at the growth and improvements the campus has
undergone during Hefner’s tenure, both in terms of its physical assets
and its academic standards.
“He has led an increase in admissions standards to the point where
I no longer would be accepted,” Cooter joked.
Cooter explained that Fredonia was the first step in the transformation
of his life. The south Syracuse native from modest beginnings told the
audience how caring and nurturing Fredonia’s faculty was during his
time here – a “culture shock” he had never before experienced.
24
“I’d never been around so many people who wanted
to see me succeed,” he said. “This place literally,
probably, saved my life. I was able to compete with
students from the most prestigious universities
in the world. Fredonia’s graduates are the real
deal, the total package. Like me, you have
today the tools you need to compete and succeed.”
Senior Class President Oliver of Redfield, N.Y.,
graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science
degree and majors in Communication-Audio/Radio
and TV/Digital Film. She reminded her classmates how
fortunate they are to have had the Fredonia experience.
“If there is one thing I’ve learned from college, it’s
that the sky’s the limit on what you can do – if you’re
dedicated,” she said. “We are all very lucky to have
attended this institution that, from my experience, lets
students find out things for themselves. That’s a big
deal to me; not every student gets the opportunities we
have had.”
Ms. Oliver also announced the senior class gift:
two new stained glass windows in the shape of the
Fredonia seal, which were installed in the lobby of
the Cranston Marché in University Commons.
Adjacent to them is a quote by well-known artist,
author and film director Aaron Rose, which reads: “In the right light,
at the right time, everything is extraordinary.”
Other highlights included student performances by the Fredonia
Wind Ensemble and Fredonia Wind Symphony, under the direction
of Dr. Paula Holcomb. In addition, the Fredonia Women’s Choir,
under the direction of SUNY Fredonia alumnus Justin Pomietlarz,
performed, “If,” a work composed by School of Music Director Karl
Boelter, based on the poem by Rudyard Kipling. Kyle T. Sackett, who
graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Music degree in
Music Education, performed the national anthem at the morning
ceremony, and Tami M. Papagiannopoulos, who graduated Magna
Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Performance,
performed it in the afternoon.
A posthumous undergraduate degree in CommunicationCommunication Studies was awarded by President Hefner to
family representatives of Hope Antz, who passed away in the summer
of 2009. They were escorted to the platform by Dr. Ted Schwalbe,
chair of the Department of Communication.
Lastly, former Student Association President Michael Baker, a
senior from Walworth, N.Y., graduating Cum Laude with a Bachelor
of Science degree in Geology, had the distinction of being the final
student to walk across the Steele Hall dais and shake hands with
President Hefner. He marked the 18,449th and final graduate to be
congratulated at center stage by Dr. Hefner during his 16-year tenure.
Clockwise from upper left:
End of the line: SUNY Fredonia President Dennis Hefner shakes
the hand of former Student Association President Michael Baker
at the conclusion of Commencement. Mr. Baker is a member of
the Class of 2012 and the 18,449th – and final – graduate to be
congratulated by President Hefner during his 16-year tenure.
SUNY Fredonia Senior Class President Maggie Oliver presents to
President Hefner a photo of the Class of 2012’s campus gift: two
stained glass windows depicting the college’s seal that are now
installed in the front windows of University Commons.
Incoming SUNY Fredonia President Virginia Horvath holds a
ceremonial key presented to her by retiring President Hefner.
President Hefner displays a commemorative Commencement scroll,
presented to him as an honorary member of the Class of 2012.
Zhuojun “Georgie” Fu of Shanghai, China receives the Lanford
Presidential Prize, given annually to a senior who shows balanced
achievement and who exemplifies Fredonia’s ideals while
maintaining a strong G.P.A. Ms. Fu – the first international
student to receive the honor – graduated Summa Cum Laude
with a Bachelor of Science in Communication-Public Relations
with a second major in Computer Science-Applied Math.
SUNY Fredonia graduates show their excitement as they begin their
processional march through campus and into Steele Hall Arena.
Class of 1970 alumnus Dale Cooter, a highly regarded attorney
in Washington, D.C., gave the keynote address at the 185th
Commencement, telling the graduates, “Fredonia saved my life.”
alumni.fredonia.edu
25
Faculty Accolades
Faculty Accolades
SUNY Fredonia faculty, staff and students
recognized for excellence and service
Professor Julie Newell
and Dr. Jack Croxton
From left, Dr. Linda Hall, Dr. Adrienne McCormick, Diane Bohn and Julie Williams.
Dr. Jack Croxton of the Department of Psychology and Professor Julie
Newell of the School of Music received appointments to two of SUNY’s
highest honors.
Dr. Croxton, who also is director of the Office of Student Creative
Activity and Research, was appointed a SUNY Distinguished Service
Professor. A member of the faculty since 1979, he served as chair of the
Department of Psychology for 17 years, and as interim dean and assistant
dean of the College of Natural and Social Sciences for two years. He is
the recipient of the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and the
SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service.
Professor Newell, a SUNY Fredonia alumna, has been appointed
SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor. Professor of voice and opera
coordinator, Ms. Newell has been a member of the music faculty since
1989. Among her many honors are the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for
Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities, and the William
T. Hagan Young Scholar/Artist Award. She also has led international
studies programs for music students to Shimoda, Japan, and Italy.
Recipients of the 2011-12 SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence
include Dr. Adrienne McCormick, recipient of the Chancellor’s Award
for Excellence in Faculty Service; Julie Williams, Chancellor’s Award for
Excellence in Professional Service; Dr. Linda Hall, Chancellor’s Award
for Excellence in Teaching; and Diane Bohn, Chancellor’s Award for
Excellence in Classified Service. “These awards underscore SUNY’s appreciation of faculty and staff who serve our campuses and students with
absolute excellence,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “Each
of this year’s 289 honorees have demonstrated extraordinary dedication
and service and are highly deserving of this distinction.”
A member of the faculty since 1998, Dr. McCormick is a full professor
and has been chair of the Department of English since 2007, previously
serving as associate chair. Dr. McCormick served as interim director/
director of the Women’s Studies Program for over five years, and was
organizer of the Literary London English department study abroad
program. She also has served the campus as an associate of the
Professional Development Center and as a mentor through the center’s
Connections program.
26
Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence recipients
with Incoming President Virginia Horvath (center).
Ms. Williams is clinical supervisor for the Department of
Communication Disorders and Sciences. She has been a professional
staff member since August 2002 when hired as a part-time clinical
supervisor and adjunct instructor, becoming full-time clinical supervisor
in 2005. A Fredonia alumna, Ms. Williams has also organized the
annual Stroke Awareness Walk, and coordinates the Stroke/Head Injury
Support Group in the department’s Henry C. Youngerman Center for
Communication Disorders.
Dr. Hall, also a Fredonia alumna, is an associate professor of accounting
in the university’s School of Business. A faculty member since 2001,
she is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Management
Accountant, and has served the university on many committees
including appointments to the Academic Affairs Administrative
Review Committee, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools
of Business (AACSB) Assurance of Learning Steering Committee
and the SUNY Fredonia Presidential Search Committee.
Mrs. Bohn, a secretary in the Department of English, has been
a member of the classified staff since 1989, initially with a shared
appointment in the Department of English and then School of
Education. She has been lauded by her supervisors and colleagues
for her professionalism and efficiency, mentoring of new classified
staff, and enthusiastic service to faculty and students.
Dr. Dale Tuggy, an associate professor of philosophy, received a
Chancellor’s Award for Internationalization to teach a new course,
“Global Philosophy of Religion,” to students in India during the 20122013 January term (J-term). He is one of only five professors throughout
the SUNY system to receive the highly selective award.
Graduating students were honored by Chancellor Zimpher with the
Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, and included Zhuojun
“Georgie” Fu, the first international recipient of the Lanford Presidential
Prize from the Oscar and Esther Lanford Endowment of the Fredonia
College Foundation; Steven James Gangloff; Keriann E. Ketcham; and
Jessica Martorana. President’s, Kasling and Hagan awardees recognized
Audrey Miga, Denise Szalkowski, Dr. Cheryl Drout and President Hefner. Dr. Gary Lash
Nearly 85 years of service to SUNY Fredonia
were reflected in the distinguished careers of
the recipients of the 2012 President’s Awards for
Excellence presented in April. The 2012 honorees –
the last to be conferred by President Dennis
Hefner – were Department of Psychology Chair
Cheryl Drout; Audrey Miga, office manager
for Fredonia College Foundation/University
Advancement; and Assistant to the President
Denise Szalkowski. Geosciences Professor Gary Lash was named the Kasling Lecturer for
the 2012-2013 academic year, and Associate Professor David Kinkela of
the Department of History will receive the annual William T. Hagan
Young Scholar/Artist Award. Dr. Lash will offer the Kasling Lecture
on Tuesday, Oct. 16, at 4 p.m. in Rosch Recital Hall, and the Hagan
award will be presented to Dr. Kinkela at the same event. Dr. Lash’s
lecture is entitled, “...boring old shale - how simple questions can take
one on a submicroscopic to global tectonic journey...”
Dr. Lash has been a professor in the Department of Geosciences
since 1981. He was the recipient of the Hagan award in 1989 for
his research. In the mid-’90s, Lash’s interests turned to the local
stratigraphy, specifically the Devonian shale sequence so well exposed
along the Lake Erie shoreline and in creek bottoms in western New
York. Dr. Lash and Professor Terry Engelder of Penn State initiated a
collaboration that continues to this day. Early in 2008, Drs. Lash and
Engelder released calculations on the amount of natural gas that the
Devonian Marcellus Shale might hold, which attracted the interest of
the natural gas industry and helped to make the Marcellus Shale the
household word it has become. Their work also led to the pair being
included in Foreign Policy magazine’s list of Top Global Thinkers
for 2011. Dr. Lash continues to study the Devonian shale succession,
most recently addressing the use of inorganic chemistry as a means
of understanding the environment of deposition of these deposits.
Dr. Kinkela, also director of SUNY Fredonia’s Honors Program,
received his Ph.D. in 2005 from New York University. He is author of,
DDT and the American Century: Global Health, Environmental
Politics, and the Pesticide that Changed the World (UNC Press, 2011),
and co-editor of the forthcoming book, Nation-States and the Global
Environment: New Approaches to International Environmental
History (Oxford University Press). In 2008-09, he was a research
fellow at the Institute for Historical Studies at the University of Texas
at Austin, and in 2010, he was a fellow at the Charles Warren Center
for Studies in American History at Harvard University.
As part of her award for excellence in teaching, Dr. Drout will present
a lecture on Tuesday, Sept. 11, at 2 p.m. in Rosch Recital Hall, with the title,
“What is the Sound of One Voice Teaching?” Described as mediation on
student engagement, Dr. Drout will share experiences teaching and
learning with SUNY Fredonia students and those in the university’s
Japanese partner institutions, as well as colleagues and mentors. She
noted, “Informed by the backdrop of the dual tragedies of 9/11/01 and
3/11/2011 (the Japanese earthquake and tsunami), I will highlight the
spirit of ‘joyful effort’ that imbues the Fredonia community.”
Mrs. Miga’s duties in her 35 years with the campus include serving
as office manager and secretary of the Fredonia College Foundation,
performing as receptionist and in clerical duties for a team of 20
staff members, and assisting with special events. Before joining the
foundation in 1987, Miga was a stenographer for the Assistant to
the President for 10 years.
As Assistant to the President, Ms. Szalkowski is regarded throughout
campus as a consummate professional who – drawing upon strong
organizational, technical and interpersonal skills – skillfully handles the
Herculean task of managing this fast-paced, demanding office. Prior to
joining the President’s Office in 2003, Ms. Szalkowski served as a secretary
in the office of the Vice President for Administration for four years and
as a secretary to the Assistant Vice President for Human Resources.
Dr. David Kinkela
alumni.fredonia.edu
27
Class Notes
Class Notes
1930s
1960s
1970s
Marquerite (Farnham) Smith, ’34,
(elem. ed.) just celebrated her
100th birthday.
Florence (Varga) Anselona, ’60, (elem.
ed.) retired after 25 years at Grumman
Aerospace Corp. She is an active singer
with Mira Costa Masterworks Chorale.
She recently visited Sydney, Australia;
New Zealand and the Fuji Islands.
Ken Snyder, ’70, and Nancy (McGraw)
Snyder, ’70, (elem. ed.) are both
retired, Ken from Royalton-Hartland
High School as a math teacher and
Nancy from Albion (N.Y.) Central
School as an elementary teacher.
They are Buffalo Sabres season
ticket holders.
1950s
Marjorie Gibbs, ’52, (music ed.) is
singing in a wonderful 100-plus voice
choral group, The Burnt Hills Oratorio
Society. They sang Mendelssohn’s
“Elijah” with a 45-piece orchestra
at Skidmore College to a full house.
Marjorie is a retired junior and senior
high school guidance counselor.
Kenneth Keith, ’57, (elem. ed.)
represented President Dennis Hefner
and SUNY Fredonia at the inauguration
of Corning Community College’s sixth
President, Dr. Katherine P. Douglas,
on April 27.
Cecilia (Howell) Fordham, ’59,
(speech) taught two classes of acting at
the University of Hawaii’s Kapiolani
Community College in Fall 2011,
Dr. Timothy Gallineau, ’62, (elem.
ed.) was honored with the 2011
Distinguished Service to Higher
Education Award by the College
Student Personnel Association of
New York State, Inc. (CSPA-NYS).
Lee H. Pritchard, ’62, (music ed.)
represented President Dennis Hefner
and SUNY Fredonia at the inauguration
of SUNY New Paltz’s eighth President,
Dr. Donald P. Christian, on April 13.
Dr. Joseph Casimino, ’67, (music ed.)
retired as music chairman for
Lancaster schools and as principal of
St. Mary’s High School in Lancaster,
N.Y.; he is a former president of the Erie
County Music Educators Association
Diane (Rzepkowski) Chodan, ’71,
(soc. studies/sec. ed.) won the 20102011 New York News Publishers
Association contest for headline
writing in the “newspapers under
10,000” circulation class.
Gary Dailey, ’72, (music ed.) after
40-plus years of teaching music in the
Baltimore, Md./Washington, D.C.,
area and playing “on the road” with
Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson and
the U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors, has
retired to Charlotte, N.C. with his
extended family.
Catherine Hunt, ’72, ’77, (soc.
studies/sec. ed., history) was named
Alice (Krause) Smith, ’73, (English)
was nominated for the Who’s Who
in Women’s Business Directory. She
is also President of the VFW Ladies
Auxilary Chapter Post 4174 of Lehigh
Acres, Fla., and received a million
mile safe driving award from the
Professional Drivers Association
of America.
Jim Clauss, ’74, (soc. stds./sec. ed.)
retired in 2008 after a 34-year career
as teacher, coach and athletic director.
In 2010, Jim was inducted into the
Lewiston-Porter High School Hall of
Fame as the winningest varsity coach
in school history. Recently, he learned
that he will also be inducted into the
N.Y.S. Boys’ High School Hall of Fame
in November in Middletown, N.Y.
Sharon Cleary, ’74, (speech and hear.)
is working at Union Bank Consumer
Lending and was volunteer of the month
at the San Diego Humane Society
and the Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
Daniel S. Pogonowski, ’75, (biology/
sec. ed.) is retired after 35 years as a
science academic department chair.
He received the Anne Arundel County
(Md.) Semi-Finalist 2011 Excellence in
Education Award.
Deborah Abdo-D’Ambrosio, ’76,
(elem. ed.) is a teacher at Cora L. Rice
Elementary School in the Prince
George’s County Maryland School
District, and has earned the highest
credential available to American
educators by recently becoming a
National Board Certified Teacher
through the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards
(NBPTS).
Dr. David Corbin, ’76, (chem.)
has been named a 2012 Pedersen
Medalist by the DuPont Company
in Wilmington, Del.
Sharon (Mikos) Heuss, ’76, (elem. ed.)
is a middle school counselor in San
Diego, Calif.
Pauline (Kenney) Emilson, ’77,
(music ed.) conducted the brass
ensemble at the 2012 Chautauqua
County Music Teachers’ Association’s
Winter All-County Concert.
Roland Martin, ’77, (music ed.) has
been serving as the interim director
of the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus.
Gretchen (Preve) McCallister, ’77,
(elem. ed.) is an adjunct instructor in the
Early Childhood Education department
at Seminole (Fla.) State College.
Dr. David Banach, ’78, (chem.) was
the guest speaker at the Memorial
Day ceremonies in Dunkirk, N.Y.
He has been a captain in the U.S.
Naval Reserve since 2000.
1980s
Vinny Saeva, ’80, (soc. stds./sec. ed.)
and Anne (Maliwauki) Saeva, ’81 (bus.
admin.) are proud to announce their
daughter, Elizabeth, graduated from
SUNY Fredonia in May with honors.
Thomas Waring Jr., ’80, (pol. sci.)
received the NAIFA Quality Award from
the National Association of Insurance
and Financial Advisors. He is the
president of Waring Financial Group.
David DeWind, ’81, (bus. admin.)
was hired as a financial advisor at
Sage Rutty & Company.
Doug Fenton, ’78, (special stds.) was
elected secretary of the Dunkirk
Community Chamber of Commerce.
Gail Hunter, ’81, (theatre) received
one of three 2012 WISE (Women in
Sports Events) Women of the Year
awards. She is Senior Vice President
of Events and Attractions for the
National Basketball Association.
Reid Smith, ’79, (sociology) was
honored for his 50-year career of
service in law enforcement and is
currently a police officer for North
Sean Kirst, ’81, (English) was part of
a panel discussion at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art in New York City in
April related to an exhibit honoring
Bank and Cameron Compression
Systems. Roberta is also certified
in WorkPlace Big Five Profile and
Benchmarks 360, and is qualified
in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Assessment.
Brian Cummings, ’83, (biology) was
elected to the board of directors at
EWI in Columbus, Ohio. He is the
Vice President of Technology
Commercialization and Knowledge
Transfer at Ohio State University.
John Smith, ’83, (account.) has joined
the office of Sands Anderson, PC,
law firm in Richmond, Va.
Scott Martelle, ’84, (pol. sci.) is
working on a new book, Jones’s Bones:
The Search for an American Hero,
about the search in Paris in the 1800s
for the body of Revolutionary War
sailor John Paul Jones, to be published
by Chicago Review Press.
Ida Boyd, ’85, (commun.) received the
Distinguished Alumni Award from the
Alumni, faculty and staff gathered in
Lancaster, Pa., during the Pennsylvania
Music Educators Association Conference
in April including (from left) PMEA Vice
President Bill Pendziwiatr ’71, School of
Music Director Karl Boelter, Assistant
Professor Jill Reese, ’96, Associate
Professor Christian Bernhard, Admissions
Assistant Saori Sagala, Irene (Reynolds),
’73, and Fred Guerriero ’71, and Associate
Director of Development June MillerSpann ’94,’02.
Catherine Hunt, ’72, ’77
and mentored a pre-school’s faculty
through accreditation and later served
as its acting director through May. In
addition, Cecilia directed an outdoor
production of, A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, this summer.
Dr. Arlie (Muller) Parks, ’59, (speech/
theatre, elem. ed.) of San Diego, Calif.,
is no longer doing much volunteering
but instead has been traveling, with
recent destinations including Greece,
Hawaii, Northern Ireland, Sweden,
Malta, Sicily and Denmark.
28
2
8
Statement
Fall 2012
Statement | Fall
2010
(ECMEA), and a former member of
the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
Board of Directors.
Paul Denning, ’68, ’73, (psych.) just
retired from a 40-year career in human
resources, most recently having
worked at West Valley Environmental
Services in West Valley, N.Y. Paul
would enjoy corresponding by email
at pgdenning2@gmail.com.
Dr. William Gordon, ’68, (biology/
sec. ed.) presented a program at
Jamestown Community College,
“Oxidative Stress and the Role of
Mitochondria in Photoreceptor
Apoptotic Cell Death or Why Does
Light Kill Photoreceptors?” as a part
of its celebration of science series.
Associate Principal by her firm,
Ellenzweig, an architectural practice
in Cambridge, Mass., specializing in
the design of science buildings for
colleges and universities. She has been
Director of Marketing since joining
the firm in 2001. Catherine has lived
in Boston since 1986 and would love
to be in contact with alumni in the
Boston area.
John Maguda, ’72, (English) has been
elected to the executive committee
for Local 92, American Federation
of Musicians.
Tom Dudzick, ’73, (art) last year
broke the box office record at Cork
Arts Theatre in Ireland with the Irish
adaptation of his hit play, Over the
Tavern. It was mounted twice in one
season at that theatre and is going to
be staged again this year. He continues
churning out plays from his home in
Nyack, N.Y., just north of the Big Apple.
Tom Dudzick, ’73
Robert DelZoppo, ’74, (math./sec. ed.)
has been promoted to Assistant Vice
President, Advanced Technology
Programs for SRC, Inc., formerly
Syracuse Research Corp.
Norman Heuss, ’76, (bus. admin.)
is the Director of Operations for a
joint program to develop a new
communications system for the
U.S. Department of Defense.
Jeanne (Cameron) Washburn, ’74,
(elem. ed.) has been practicing law for
15 years and is also a law instructor
for the University of Phoenix. She has
two daughters, ages 6 and 10.
Lawrence Neumeister, ’76, (biology)
wrote a self-published suspense/
mystery novel, The Serpent Gowanus.
Robert Allen, ’75, (biology) is the
director of the Harris County (Texas)
Pollution Control Services Department.
Irv Downing, ’75, (history) will
oversee the Division of Institutional
Advancement at the University of
Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College. He currently is Vice
President for Economic Development.
Denise (Elliot) Smith, ’76, (speech
and hearing hand.) retired as a fulltime speech and language pathologist
and has been working part-time for
six years since retirement.
Mark Zanghi, ’76, (pol. sci.) was
admitted to practice in the U.S.
District Court for the Southern
District of Ohio on Jan. 27. He is
an Assistant Prosecutor in the Civil
Division for the Licking County,
Ohio, Prosecutor’s Office.
Irv Downing, ’75
From left to right: Sharon Cleary ’74; Cathy Riley ’86; Norman Heuss ’76; Sharon Heuss ’76;
Arlie Muller Parks ’59; and Florence Anselona ’60; attended the San Diego reunion this past February.
Collins (N.Y.) police after retiring
from the Erie County Sheriff’s
Department.
David (music ed.) and Patricia (Dick)
Stacey, ’79, (music therapy) along with
their daughter and son-in-law, Erin
and Rick Mufford, created an original
composition and arrangements
honoring one of Dave’s former music
students, Trevor Cook, a Marine
who was killed in a helicopter crash.
The work was performed at a concert
in May marking Dave’s retirement
after 31 years of teaching music in
the Lyndonville (N.Y.) Central
School District.
Shari Yudenfreund-Sujka, ’79,
(biology) and her family of six made
it to their seventh and final continent,
first stopping in New Zealand and
then touching down in Melbourne,
Australia. They saw kangaroos, koalas,
and penguins in the wild, along with
over 75 species of birds on their trip.
Jefferson Burdick, a Syracuse man
who’s considered to be the father of
baseball card collecting, and another
exhibition, “Breaking the Color
Barrier in Major League Baseball.”
Cheryl (Hall) Franceschi, ’82, (theatre)
was hired as a Major Gift Officer at
Concordia University in Portland, Ore.
Dr. Jackie Luzak, ’82, (elem. ed.)
received the Continuing Service
Award at La Cañada High in
California, where she is Principal.
Roberta (Ross) Bemiller, ’83, (psych.)
was appointed a Leadership
Development Consultant and Coach
by Career Partners International
Buffalo/Niagara. A certified coach,
Roberta has more than 20 years
experience in Talent Acquisition and
Assessment, Leadership Development,
and Coaching. She has held positions
with Buffalo General Hospital, M&T
Educational Development Program at
SUNY Fredonia. She is a Lieutenant
Colonel at the U.S. Army Reserve
Legal Command in Gaithersburg, Md.,
where she is the Deputy Senior Human
Resources Officer. She is also a Ph.D.
candidate at Capella University in
Organizational Management.
Karen Cataldo, ’85, (visual arts) has
accepted a position with the University
of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
in Newark, N.J., as the Director of
Value Analysis and Product Safety.
Jeff Nelson, ’85, (music perf. /sound
rec.) played on recent recordings with
composer/arranger Michel Legrand
(“Noel! Noel!! Noel!!!”) and with jazz
legend Jimmy Heath (“Live at the
Blue Note”). He has been playing in
the orchestra for Broadway’s, Sister
Act, and can once again be heard this
season on the theme music for NBC’s
“Sunday Night Football.”
alumni.fredonia.edu
alumni.fredonia.edu
29
29
Class Notes
Class Notes
Mark Simshauser, ’85, (commun.) was
hired as Vice President and Business
Development Officer at TAB Bank on
Long Island, N.Y.
David Foley, ’89, (soc. studies/sec.
ed.) was honored with the Good Scout
Award by the Allegheny Highlands
Council, Boy Scouts of America.
Bethany D. Fancher-Herbert, ’92,
(account.) was promoted to
Administrative Vice President
for M&T Bank.
Fred Dunn, ’86, (music ed.) directed
Haydn’s “Little Organ Mass” with his
select choir.
Stephen Miller, ’89, (account.) was
promoted to Director of Contracts
and Specialized Programs for the
Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center.
Laura L. (Destro) Napoli, ’92,
(account.) was promoted to Director
at the Bahgat & Laurito-Bahgat CPAs,
P.C. accounting firm.
Cathy (Davis) Riley, ’86, (commun.)
owns and operates an association
management company in San
Diego, Calif.
Kevin Graham, ’87, (bus. admin.)
has been appointed Chief Financial
Officer for Genesee ARC, a non-profit
organization serving developmentally
disabled individuals and their families.
Christof Morrissey, ’87, (English) has
been living and working in Berlin,
Germany. He teaches writing skills
in a retraining program and does
translation work as well as his own
research. He recently translated the
book from German, Eugenio Pacelli Pius XII (1876-1958), In the View of
Scholarship (Peter Pfister, Editor).
Michael D. Schiller, ’89, (bus. admin.)
is the Assistant Vice President at Canandaigua National Bank & Trust and also
became a certified financial planner.
1990s
Michael Ende, ’94, (account.) is
currently working at M&T Bank as
a Vice President Portfolio Manager
in Loan Analysis.
Scott Light, ’95, (math/sec. ed.) is
in his 14th year of teaching high
school math and coaching lacrosse
and loving every minute of it.
Brenda Battleson, ’90, (history)
earned her Ph.D. in Communication
at the University at Buffalo and
accepted a position as Assistant
Professor in U.B.’s Department of
Library and Information Studies.
Dr. Helen (Carreras) Suchanick, ’90,
(interdisc. stds.) initiated new
electronic medical records in her
practice and received certification
with HealtheLink.
Daniel Ljiljanich, ’95, (soc. studies/sec.
ed.) has been named superintendent of
Silver Creek Central Schools.
Chad Pye, ’95, (bus. admin.) was
promoted to Chief Operating Officer
by the Capital Management Group
of Companies.
Dayna Roselli, ’97, (commun.) is the
weekday morning host on KLAS-TV,
Channel 8 news in Las Vegas, Nev.
Christopher Smith, ’97, (account.) has
been named a Principal in the Erie, Pa.
accounting firm of Schaffner, Knight,
Minnaugh Company, P.C.
Brian Tiede, ’97, (math) is currently
working at Xerox as Unit/Backup and
Recovery System Administrator.
David Conklin, ’98, (interdisc. stds.)
has been appointed to the Jamestown
(N.Y.) Area YMCA’s Metro Board
of Directors. He is the President of
Jamestown Business College.
Brian Mendler, ’98, (commun.)
opened Yolickity, a self-serve frozen
yogurt store in Webster, N.Y.
2000s
Michelle Blackley, ’00, (commun.) has
accepted a position with the Niagara
Tourism & Convention Corporation
in Niagara Falls, N.Y. She will develop,
implement and promote strategies and
activities of the Niagara USA region
to the media and area stakeholders.
She will also manage the Niagara
USA blog, is Editor of Edible Buffalo
magazine and an adjunct instructor of
communication at Buffalo State College.
Nicole M. Colomb, ’00, (biochem.)
joined Virginia Commonwealth
University as its Enterprise and
Economic Development executive.
Alex Moore, ’98, (bus. admin.) was
appointed to Senior Vice President of
Sales and Marketing for Dawson Metal
Company, Inc., of Jamestown, N.Y.
Michael Conte, ’00, (music ed.)
received the Excellence in Music
Education award from the Buffalo
Philharmonic Orchestra and the Erie
County Music Educators Association.
Emily (Murphy) VanDette, ’98,
(English), SUNY Fredonia assistant
professor of English, received a $6,000
David P. Cybulski, ’00, (bus. admin.)
was named Relationship Manager for
Key Bank in Orchard Park, N.Y.
Justin Feasel, ’02, (pol. sci.) was
named Director of Communications
for Monroe County (N.Y.).
Stephen Kiernan, ’02, (media arts) has
been named President of Algonquin
Studios, a Buffalo-based professional
services firm.
Valerie (Villa) Suffoletto, ’02, ’09,
(music ed.) is President of the
Amherst (N.Y.) Players, which she
runs with her husband.
Jesse Archer, ’03, (music ed.)
conducted the 54-piece Senior High
All-County Band at the All-County
Concert sponsored by the Allegany
County School Music Association.
He teaches music theory at Portville
(N.Y.) Central School.
Lindsey Sack, ’03, (commun.) has
been promoted to National Marketing
Coordinator for CBRE. Lindsey is in
charge of supporting CBRE’s global
marketing initiatives across 430 offices.
Previously, Lindsey served for seven
Daniel Galas, ’04, (visual arts) is
paying tribute to his hometown with
a unique carving and print series
featuring prominent Buffalo landmarks.
The series, “Buffalo Architecture,”
is a collection of limited edition prints
made from linocuts, carvings made
into linoleum-covered wood. They
are on display at the Buffalo Psychiatric
Center, Buffalo City Hall and
the waterfront.
Emily Joy, ’04, ’06, (child. ed./
English, literacy) competed in
NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.”
Adam Phillips, ’04, (musical theatre)
released his second album, “Songs of
Old (A Christmas Album).” It’s
available on iTunes, Cdbaby.com,
and through www.facebook.com/
AdamPhillipsHymn.
Dennis Repino, ’04, (music perf.)
played in a guitar duo in a free concert
for the Brockport (N.Y.) community’s
Lincoln Center in Montemezzi’s
La Nave. He was the music director at
Temple Beth Shalom and continues
to sing at Scarsdale Congregational
Church in New York City.
Will Barlow, ’07, (bus. admin./mgmt.)
is captain of the Columbus Cottonmouths hockey team which just won
the Southern Professional Hockey
League Championship.
Matt Bauman, ’08, (interdis. stds.
sport mgmt.) was hired as a pitching
coach for the Elmira Pioneers.
Lindsay Bryde, ’08, (English) recently
finished her Master of Fine Arts in
Creative Writing - Dramatic Writing
at Adelphi University and accepted a
job offer with off-Broadway’s Westside
Theatre as a House Manager.
Nick Dhimitri, ’08, (pol. sci.) was
named Western New York regional
director by U.S. Senator Charles
Schumer. Nick formerly was Legislative
Aide to New York State Senator
Tim Kennedy.
Alumni and friends gathered in West
Hollywood, Calif. in February. From left:
Eugene Kapaloski ’53; Joe Spereno ’68;
Karen Volpe ’93; Tanya Constantino ’02;
Paul Preston ’92; Kathy Sully ’99;
Rosie Harold ’04 and husband Noah
(standing with beard); and Cliff O'Connell ’65.
Alex Moore, ’98
The book was published by Schnell
and Steiner of Regensburg in 2012
and Christof was responsible for
translating all of the articles.
Eric Barnard, ’88, (bus. admin.) was
promoted to Retail Area Manager for
Five Star Bank.
Julie Luce, ’88, (bus. admin.) was
hired by Chautauqua Physical &
Occupational Therapy as a speech
language pathologist.
Suzanne Mohnkern, ’88, (visual arts)
is currently the director of music
ministries at St. Paul’s Lutheran
Church in Erie, Pa.
Dr. Liana Valente, ’88, (music perf.)
has been recognized as a nationally
certified teacher of music by the Music
Teachers National Association. She
teaches in the choral and musical
theater departments at Harrison
School for the Arts and at Rollins
College in Winter Park, Fla.
30
31
Statement
Fall 2012
Statement | Fall
2010
Thomas J. Domin, ’02
Michael Szczublewski, ’90, (music
perf.) was the director of the 20112012 Chautauqua County Music
Teachers Association’s Winter
Festival Jazz Ensemble.
Thomas Camp Jr., ’91, (bus. admin.)
is managing the finance department
at a family-owned auto dealership
in Webster, N.Y., and raising three
wonderful daughters.
Mark Colmerauer, ’92, (geophysics)
has been appointed Regional
Environmental Services Manager
for C & S Companies in Buffalo, N.Y.
Pete Correale, ’92, (commun.)
performed stand-up comedy at the
Improv at CityPlace in West Palm
Beach, Fla.
John D’Agostino, ’92, (English) was
elected as President of the Dunkirk
Community Chamber of Commerce.
Pamela DelMedico, ’04
Sarah Derrenbacher, ’04
Kirstin (Lowry) Sommers, ’95,
(English) has been appointed as General
Counsel at the Seneca Gaming Corp.
Lee F. Giardini, ’96, (account.) was
promoted to Director at Buffamante
Whipple Buttafaro, P.C. in its Olean,
N.Y., office.
Dr. David O’Rourke, ’96, (English)
accepted the position of Assistant
Superintendent of Management
Services for the Erie 2 ChautauquaCattaraugus Board of Cooperative
Educational Services (BOCES). He
was previously Superintendent of
Silver Creek Central Schools. On
June 26 David was appointed Erie 2
District Superintendent/Chief
Executive Officer.
Christine (Cramer) Merkel, ’97,
(music ed.) is the director of the Gates
Chili High School Show Choir in
Rochester, N.Y.
Steve Pacer, ’05
summer research stipend from
the National Endowment for the
Humanities in Washington, D.C.
Nominated by College of Arts and
Sciences Dean John Kijinksi, Dr.
VanDette is among the 8% of
applicants who received the award.
Norman Zogaib, ’98, (music ed.)
conducted the Chautauqua County AllCounty Senior High Chorus at the Spring
All-County Concert at Chautauqua
Institution. He is on the music faculty
at Hamburg (N.Y.) High School.
Michael Cutini, ’99, (pol. sci.) has
been promoted to Special Counsel in
the litigation group at Schulte, Roth &
Zabel LLP.
Tina Zboch, ’99, (bus. admin.) is host
of a new television show, “Dialogues,”
a bi-monthly, half-hour public affairs
program on local cable access focusing
on issues relating to Northern
Chautauqua County. Tina is a reporter
for WDOE radio in Dunkirk, N.Y.
Will Barlow, ’07
Heather (Mansfield) McKeever, ’00,
(commun./media mgmt.) was
appointed Mayor of the village of
Gowanda, N.Y.
Jim Briggs III, ’01, (sound rec. tech.)
is the mix engineer for Public Radio
International’s “Selected Shorts” and
WNYC NY Public Radio’s “Here’s the
Thing,” hosted by Alec Baldwin. He also
mixed the hour-long national documentary special, “Living 9/11,” for WNYC
and the Public Radio Exchange (PRX).
Jeffrey Bianchi, ’02, (music perf.)
performed classical guitar music at the
first concert of the Kinna Chamber
Concert Series at the Cultural Arts
Center in Douglasville, Ga.
years as the Marketing Director of
CBRE/Buffalo.
Pamela DelMedico, ’04, (visual arts)
accepted a position as Outreach and
Development Coordinator at the
Central Association for the Blind and
Visually Impaired of Utica.
Sarah Derrenbacher, ’04, (commun./
pub. rel.) is Vice President and Client
Partner at Brand Integrity and a freelance photographer. She recently had
her first public photography shows
at Brighton Restaurant, the Ladd
Agency and at Starbucks, all in the
Rochester, N.Y. area.
Adam Fusco, ’04, (biology/adol. ed.)
has taught at Batavia (N.Y.) High School
Kate Decker, ’02, (bus. admin./finance)
has been promoted to banking officer for six years and is currently on a
at Lyons National Bank in Geneva, N.Y. leave of absence teaching in the AngloAmerican School in Moscow, Russia.
Thomas J. Domin, ’02, (bus. admin./
finance) was appointed Vice President
and Relationship Manager for Key
Bank for the Western New York District.
effort to raise funds for, “Water for
South Sudan,” a Rochester-based nonprofit organization helping the people
of South Sudan. He currently teaches
at Finger Lakes Community College.
Benjamin Peters, ’08, (interdisc. stds./
sport mgmt. and ex. sci.) received the
Republican Caucus endorsement in
the spring election for trustee in the
village of Silver Creek.
Daniel Coon, ’05, (commun.) started
an independent production house,
Exodus Productions; is a published
author under the pen name “Kuner
X;” and is co-creator of an animated
pilot, “The High School Drama Show.”
Collin Corcoran, ’09, (visual arts) was
appointed as art director for The
Martin Group, a Buffalo-based
branding and creative marketing firm.
Steve Pacer, ’05, (English) has been
named Public Affairs Specialist for
AAA of Western and Central New York.
Jessica Kelley, ’09, (social work)
has been hired as an admissions
representative and resident advisor at
The Friendly Home in Brighton, N.Y.
Elizabeth Holtan, ’09, (English)
was named a Business Development
Steve Neratko, ’05, (pol. sci.) has been Coordinator with the Better Business
hired as the new Director of Planning Bureau at its national headquarters in
and Development for the City of Dunkirk. Arlington, Va.
Joseph Flaxman, ’06, (music perf.)
was a young artist at Des Moines
Metro Opera, performed in a summer
opera festival on Belle Isle in France,
and will perform in the fall at the
Ryan Maloney, ’09, (interdis. stds./
sport mgmt/exercise sci.) was hired
as the assistant coach for the women’s
volleyball team at SUNY Fredonia.
alumni.fredonia.edu
alumni.fredonia.edu
31
31
Career Corner
Class Notes
2010s
Sarah Crisman, ’10, (account.) earned
her designation as a Certified Public
Accountant and works for Brock,
Schechter & Polakoff, LLP, as a
staff accountant.
Alex Morton, ’11, (sport mgmt.) is
now playing hockey for the Huntsville
Havoc in Huntsville, Ala., a southern
professional hockey league team.
He was acquired in a trade from the
Louisiana Ice Gators where he scored
nine goals and had 16 assists.
Shannon Gordon, ’10, (history) has
gone on to finish her master’s degree
in Adult Education with a focus in
Student Personnel Administration.
On Feb. 1, she started working for
Ohio University as the Assistant
Director of Scholarships.
Mallory Swanson, ’11, (bus. admin./
finance) is a staff accountant at
Bahgat & Laurito-Bahgat, CPA,
and just passed her Certified Public
Accountant exam.
John Gradel, ’10, (history) has
been named Assistant Director of
the Institute for International
Studies at Lock Haven University
of Pennsylvania.
Tom Loughlin, (theatre and dance)
appeared in, The Hostage, an Irish
Classical Theatre play in Buffalo, N.Y.
Robert Herrmann, ’10, (bus. admin.)
will be playing for the Alpine
Cowboys of the independent Pecos
Baseball League.
Faculty
Phil Hastings, a filmmaker and
Visual Arts and New Media assistant
professor, was invited to give an artist
talk and screen his film, “Steadfast,” at
the 18th Biennale of Sydney, a threemonth visual arts exhibit presented
every two years in Australia.
Marriages
Gail R. (Minazzi) Warzel, Class of 1971
Justin M. Sheehan, ’96, (English)
to Nina Zehr.
Florien C. “Mona” (Carlson) Laughlin,
Class of 1973
Deaths
Pamela S. (Hall) Lydic, Class of 1979
Alumni
Mary L. Brooks, Class of 1931
Bruce A. Stokes, Class of 1977
Lisa A. Speziale, Class of 1979
Career Corner
Gertrude M. Houston, Class of 1980
Clarence L. Hartlieb, Class of 1935
Victor G. Aitken, Class of 1981
Be a Mentor: Fredonia Career Connection
Wilma E. (Farquharson) Maloney,
Class of 1937
Leigh R. Nevinger, Class of 1985
by Tracy Collingwood, ’94, Director of Career Development
Ruth (Rynalski ) Swanson,
Class of 1938
Lois (Sorenson) Olson, Class of 1939
Rita Mae (Whitney) Huntley,
Class of 1945
Genevieve (Skoczylas) Lind,
Class of 1945
Janet L. (Luke) Lawson, Class of 1946
Eleanor J. (Conklin) Hoch,
Class of 1947
Dorothy (Morlok) Sloand,
Class of 1949
Margaret “Peg” (Sherwood) Spath,
Class of 1987
Become a mentor to a Fredonia graduate or a current student
through our Fredonia Career Connection program. Mentors are
alumni, employers, faculty, staff, and parents who work in a variety
of areas and are willing to share their expertise and advice. Bart Kahn, Class of 1988
Charlene C. (Adelmann) Franaszek,
Class of 1990
Francella M. Hornburg-Burchett,
Class of 1992
The Fredonia Career Connection is a network of professionals
created to help current students and graduates who are exploring
a variety of options – career decisions, internships, employment
opportunities, graduate school and relocation.
Suzanne E. (Estu) Fratangelo,
Class of 1996
Students
Kofi B. Genfi
Maria C. Maggioli
Your participation in this program is an invaluable tool for
students and other alumni who are trying to gather information
that will help them make good career decisions.
A Chicago area alumni event was hosted by
the Alumni Association and Dr. Allan Dennis
’70, and his wife, Karen. Front Left: Shari
Ginsberg, ’90, Reimer Guest; Dr. Bennett
Reimer, ’54, and Cabai Guest. Back Left:
Ty Stetzenmeyer, ’76; Scott Swimley, ’98;
Laura Zuckerman, ’68; Dr. Dennis, ’70;
Zuckerman Guest; James Killian, ’70;
Kevin Cabai, ’80.
Joshua Radford, ’10, (commun./TV
and digital film) appeared as an English
soldier in, The Hostage, an Irish
Classical Theatre play in Buffalo, N.Y.
Sarah Walczak, ’10, (visual arts/
graphic design) has been appointed to
graphic designer at CENERGY, an
East Aurora, N.Y.-based marketing
and activation agency.
Byron Abt, ’11, (commun./video
prod.) produced a music video for the
song, “Here’s to Hoping,” for the CD,
“The Price I Pay,” by the rock band 86
To Nowhere.
Department of Theatre and Dance
Assistant Professor Dixon Reynolds
won an Artie Award in Buffalo recently
for Outstanding Costume Design for,
“La Bête,” (Irish Classical Theatre
Company).
Births
A son, James Henry, to Julie and
Michael Ende, ’94 (account.).
A son, Joshua, to Caroline and
Brian Tiede, ’97 (math.).
A daughter, Alexa Carly, to Hillary
Katie Indriolo, ’11, (commun./pub. rel.) (Zuckerberg), ’95, (commun.) and
Tom Saputo.
is Public Relations Coordinator at The
Firm Public Relations & Marketing.
A daughter, Evelyn Rose, to Katherine
(Metzger), ’04, ’09, (music ed.) and
Richard Ryan, ’04 (commun./
public rel.).
A daughter, Adelyn Joan, to Christina
(Castro) (psych.) and Christopher
Kensy (math./middle child. cert.), ’06.
32
3 2
Statement
Fall 2012
Statement | Fall
2010
Marybeth Smith, Class of 1952
Faculty, Staff and Emeritus
Muriel E. (Merenda) Jacobs,
Class of 1953
Theris M. (Bouquin) Aldrich
Class of 1940; 1960-1974
Joyce G. (Greeley) Laing, Class of 1954
A. Connie (O’Connell) Francis,
Class of 1957
Dr. Homer E. Garretson
School of Music, 1957-1988
Mary Ann (Eppolito) Hillyard,
Class of 1961
Nancy (Green) Gugino
Health Center, 1985-1999
Milton E. Hewes, Class of 1963
Ronald R. Ransom, Groundskeeper
Carol L. (Mohr) Sawyer, Class of 1964
Lucy C. (Allessi) Sciarrino
Faculty Student Association
Karen R. (Knight) Rider, Class of 1967
Dr. James R. Soukup
Political Science, 1970-1991
Delanor J. (Dascenzo) Westling,
Class of 1967
Mark W. Speziale
Faculty Student Association
Veronica A. Astrello, Class of 1969
Linda A. Wells, Secretary
School of Music, 1991-2002
Susan (Miga) Schieres, Class of 1970
Willis I. Truax Jr., Class of 1970
Lee Cain, Class of 1971
George E. Moore, Jr., Classes of 1971, ’75
There are many things you can do to be helpful. The student should be prepared
with questions to ask you; but just sharing your experiences, your career path, and
remembering the difficulty involved in making career choices would be a good
start. Offering information about your experiences can help put a student at ease.
What do you wish you had known before you graduated or selected your career?
Sign up online now
Begin by completing the Mentor Profile and Registration Form on the Career
Development Office website at http://www.fredonia.edu/cdo/m-mentor.asp. You will
be able to indicate how you want students to contact you (phone or email), the type
of mentoring activities you are willing to provide, and the maximum number of
students who can express interest. If you would like further information, contact the
Career Development Office at (716) 673-3327 or email careers@fredonia.edu.
Dr. John H. Antosh, Modern
Languages and Literatures, 1990-2011
Richard B. Glenzer, Class of 1958
Genevieve E. (Earle) Rowland,
Class of 1965
How can you provide a good experience
for a student or recent graduate?
As an alum who knows what it takes to succeed on campus and beyond, you have
many valuable insights to offer current students. By becoming a mentor, you can give
back to your alma mater by providing today’s students with career advice, while also
staying connected to the place that helped you become the success you are today.
Attention All Fredonia Alumni Association/Bank of America Credit Card holders:
As of July 31, 2012, the Bank of America (BoA) will no longer offer the Fredonia Alumni Association credit card program. BoA
will continue to handle your account and remains committed to satisfying customers. You may continue to use your current card:
however, purchases made with your card will NO LONGER BENEFIT the Fredonia Alumni Association. BoA will be replacing
cards as they reach expiration dates (or are lost or stolen). This change was initiated by BoA. We apologize for any inconvenience
and thank alumni who have participated in the program.
alumni.fredonia.edu
alumni.fredonia.edu
33
33
NONPROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
BUFFALO, N.Y.
PERMIT NO. 367
Office of Alumni Affairs
286 Central Avenue
Fredonia, NY 14063
Jewett anniversary, science alumni conference part of Homecoming
Two major science events – the 50th anniversary celebration of Jewett
Hall and the second Science Alumni Conference – will be an integral
part of Homecoming Weekend, Sept. 28-30.
“This is an exciting time for all of us as we reminisce
and reflect on the days spent in Jewett Hall, and look
forward to another new era of science education in
the Science Center,” said Patricia Astry, chair of the
biology department.
Indeed, Jewett Hall (named after Franklin
N. Jewett, who taught science for 47 years at
Fredonia), heralded a new era in science education when its doors opened in 1963. In the five
decades that followed, it has been the home of
more than 2,000 Biology majors and hundreds of
other science majors. The new Science Center, now
under construction and a stone’s throw from Jewett’s
front doors, will advance science learning and research
to yet another level.
The celebration begins Friday at 4 p.m. in Jewett Hall Room
101, with a keynote seminar presented by Dr. Dennis Thiele, ’78, a faculty
member in the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Research
at Duke University. A reception for alumni, students and faculty will
follow in the Jewett lobby at 5 p.m.
3 4
Statement Spring 2010
Saturday’s activities begin with a Biology alumni coffee-and-donut
gathering, featuring photos, videos and written reflections offered by
alumni and emeritus faculty, in the Jewett lobby from 9 to
11 a.m.; a gathering for other natural sciences alumni is
planned in the Houghton Hall foyer.
Next, Dr. Thiele will be one of two honorees at
the annual Alumni Awards Brunch, happening at
11:30 a.m. in the Cranston Marché.
The Science Alumni Conference will follow,
featuring 20-minute concurrent presentations
by Fredonia science alums, from 1 to 4 p.m. Alumni who would like to give presentations are
asked to complete the online registration form
available on the Department of Biology website.
Lastly, natural history tours at the College
Lodge will be offered by biology professors Drs.
William Brown and Jonathan Titus from 5 to 6 p.m.,
followed by a beer and wine bar and buffet dinner, also
at the lodge. Lots of memories to be shared!
To register or learn more, visit www.fredonia.edu/department/biology/
news/jewett50thcelebration.asp.

Fall 2012 - Alumni Home

Transcription

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