Canisius College Magazine / Fall 2022

LEADERSHIP FOR THE FUTURE

Canisius’ 25th president, Steve K. Stoute, leans into the transformative power of Catholic education

Together Everyone Achieves More—that is the acronym my father taught me at a very young age to emphasize the importance and value of teams. It is a concept I have never forgotten, one that is integral to my worldview and a cornerstone of the leadership philosophy I bring to the presidency of Canisius College.

In preparation for assuming the office of president at Canisius, I did what every good student does, I did my research. I spent hours scouring sources for pertinent and authoritative information on St. Ignatius Loyola to better understand and connect with our Jesuit identity. What I discovered was, although St. Ignatius is often considered the founder of the Society of Jesus, he was one of 10 men of varying ages, from different countries and distinct socioeconomic circumstances, who were companions—teammates—in service to a shared mission.

As I reflected on the founding of the Society of Jesus, almost 500 years ago, and on one of the values I inherited from my father in the context of the world we live in today, the theme for my inaugural year emerged: Together We RISE. It is understandable to be anxious about the state of our society today but the crises unfolding before our eyes are a call to action. The critical question for us is how will we respond. As a Catholic, Jesuit, urban university, our response must be to RISE—Renew our commitment to justice, Inspire a new generation, Serve all we encounter from a place of love and Empower others to do the same.

I believe in the transformative power of Catholic higher education because that is my personal story: as an immigrant, a first-generation college student and a person of color, who now serves as president of Canisius. I also believe that Canisius College is Where leaders are made. Our Jesuit heritage and way of proceeding creates leaders who are persons for and with others: who seek justice, are inspired to serve, who love their neighbors, and by their example empower others to follow.

I have said it often but it is worth repeating here: nothing of consequence is accomplished alone. Together our Canisius community will rise to meet this moment by educating a new generation of leaders who will go forth and set the world on fire!

AMDG

Happy Returns

The Golden Griffin Fund Marks 20 Years

The Golden Griffin Fund (GGF) marks a milestone this academic year. The studentrun investment fund is now in its 20th year of operation. Established with an initial $200,000 investment, the smallmidcap fund currently holds assets in excess of $750,000.

Perhaps more impressive are the program’s 250-plus graduates – nearly all of whom are professionals in the financial services field and working at some of the largest industry providers including Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Morningstar, Wells Fargo, M&T Bank and Citi.

Since its inception, the Golden Griffin Fund and the student teams that manage it have garnered an international reputation by way of the CFA Institute Research Challenge, which draws more than 1,000 schools from around the world. For the past 12 consecutive years, the GGF team secured first place in the Western New York Challenge and took home the America’s Championship twice. In 2015, the Golden Griffin Fund team was first in finance, outperforming some 900 teams to win the Global CFA Championship. In doing so, Canisius became the first U.S. team to win the global competition since its inception in 2000.

Softball, Baseball Win MAAC Championship Titles

Softball won its 13th MAAC crown on May 14, when the Blue and Gold defeated Siena 4-0. The team went on to play two games in the Gainesville Regional, where it fell to nationally-ranked Florida and Wisconsin.

Baseball won its fourth MAAC championship since 2013 with a 9-5 win over Rider on May 25. The team later fell to nationally-ranked Miami (FL) and perennial national power Arizona, at the Coral Gables Regional.

Canisius’ softball and baseball teams made MAAC history in May, winning their respective Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) championship and then representing the conference in the NCAA Division I Championship tournaments.

Among the 300-plus Division I schools that sponsor softball and baseball, Canisius was one of just four to win a conference championship tournament in both softball and baseball in 2022. Canisius also became the first school in MAAC history to win the softball and baseball championships in the same academic year.

Canisius, D’Youville Sign Articulation Agreement

Job growth in the allied healthcare professions is expected to grow faster than average in the next 10 years. To better train future professionals and get them into the workforce faster, the Canisius Department of Kinesiology entered into a formal articulation agreement with the School of Health Professions at D’Youville University.

U.S. News & World Report ’s latest rankings of America’s “Best Colleges” place Canisius at No. 22 among nearly 200 regional colleges and universities in the North. The publication evaluates more than 1,450 higher education institutions on up to 17 measures of academic quality including student success, first-year student retention rates and graduation rates. Canisius also scored high marks in the categories of “Best Value” (No. 8) and “Best Undergraduate Teaching” (No. 6), among regional universities in the North.

Canisius students pursuing a BS in sports and exercise healthcare, who meet specific program requirements, are now guaranteed admission to the Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Chiropractic and Master’s in Occupational Therapy programs at D’Youville.

The agreement provides students the opportunity to pre-plan their undergraduate and graduate career paths to facilitate their transfer to graduate rehabilitative health science studies.

Five Join Board of Trustees

Less than six months into his tenure and Steve Stoute is already making headlines. The November 4 edition of Business First ranked Canisius’ 25th president among Buffalo’s “Power 100 Business Leaders of Color.”

The ranking recognizes those men and women who have risen to the top of Western New York organizations and are impacting how business is being done to affect positive change for the region.

Cullen Foundation Funds

Teacher Residency Scholarships

The Cullen Foundation is proving to be an enthusiastic supporter of the college’s Western New York Teacher Residency program. The organization awarded its third grant to the program this fall to fund scholarships for second-year resident students. The Cullen Foundation has awarded nearly $400,000 to the Teacher Residency program since it was established in 2018.

Similar to a medical school residency, the Teacher Residency is a rigorous two-year initiative that couples master’s level classes with a full year of teaching in a classroom with a skilled mentorteacher. Graduates earn a master’s degree and New York State dual certification in Childhood/Special Education (Grades 1-6) or Childhood/TESOL (Grades K-12). They are also among the first candidates hired when employment opportunities become available at Canisius’ partner schools, which include Buffalo Public and several charter schools.

The Cullen Foundation is an independent, private foundation dedicated to enhancing education for students in grades pre-K through 12, and advancing performing arts for Erie County.

Wallace Named Dean, School of Education & Human Services

Canisius College named Nancy V. Wallace, PhD, dean of the School of Education and Human Services (SEHS). Wallace was serving as interim dean. During her time in the role, she navigated the change in accreditors for the teacher education programs, addressed new requirements and expectations from the State Education Department and contributed to the provisional accreditation of the Physician Assistant Studies program.

In announcing the appointment, Vice President for Academic Affairs Sara R. Morris, PhD, said “Nancy is an experienced educator and administrator who is well prepared to support the SEHS programs through successful accreditation processes (three in the next two years) and to contribute to a successful Middle States accreditation process.”

Wallace is a tenured associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Leadership and director of partnerships for the SEHS.

IAR Awarded $925k Grant

Funding will be used to test social interventions for autistic children in schools

The U.S. Department of Defense Autism Research Program recently awarded a three-year, $925,000 grant to the Institute for Autism Research (IAR). Researchers will use the funding to test a unique social intervention for autistic children in schools.

“Efforts to develop and implement school social interventions have been hindered by barriers in the school environment such as lack of resources, staffing and training, and limited time during the school day,” explains Marcus L. Thomeer, PhD, co-director of the IAR. “As such, there is a need for feasible and effective social interventions that can be delivered by non-professional (paraprofessional) school staff in school settings, including as part of after-school programs.”

IAR researchers have developed several effective social interventions for autistic children, able to be delivered in clinical and school settings. The research team also developed an innovative after-school social intervention program for delivery by paraprofessionals. Funding from the grant will be used to test both the feasibility and initial effects of the social intervention.

“Paraprofessionals in the study will receive specific training in the social intervention and practice implementing it until they reach a preset level of accuracy prior to beginning the intervention,” said Christopher Lopata, PsyD, IAR co-director and a principal investigator on the study.

In addition to Lopata, the IAR investigators are Marcus L. Thomeer, PhD; Jonathan D. Rodgers, PhD, assistant professor of psychology; and James P. Donnelly, PhD, professor of counseling and human services.

Chapter & Verse

A Native son comes of age, tackling race, class and masculinity in Eric Gansworth’s newest novel My Good Man.

The book tells the story of Brian, a 20-something reporter who, as the only Indigenous writer in a small newsroom, is assigned to stereotypical stories that homogenize the Tuscarora reservation community. But when a mysterious roadside assault lands a family friend in the hospital, Brian must revisit the complex life on the reservation where he was raised. The resulting narrative takes readers through Brian’s attempt to balance himself between Haudenosaunee and American life.

Gansworth is a professor of English and Writer-in-Residence. My Good Man is his 13th book.

The Canisius College Board of Trustees appointed five new members to fill vacant positions. The Board formulates and recommends policy to President Steve Stoute. Members serve three-year terms. The new members are:

Eileen Crotty Sendor ’78 (Ret.) Chief Financial Officer, Hodgson Russ LLP

James Deuschle ’84 (Ret.) Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Rich Products Corporation

Hon. Lenora B. Foote-Beavers ’92 Judge, Buffalo City Court

Thomas G. Smith ’71 (Ret.) Partner, Harter Secrest & Emery

Michael A. Kochczynski ’08, MS ’12 (ex-officio) President, Alumni Association Board of Directors

A Crisis of Refugees

Professor Richard D. Reitsma, PhD, reflects on the pressures of the Russia-Ukraine war in Poland

do not have proper travel documents. (Most refugees are groups of women and children; usually related in some fashion. The men are not allowed to leave, since their services are required in the war effort.) The refugees sleep on cots that are set up in the theater of the former cultural center. Food is provided via a very small kitchen on site.

In Przemyśl, we quickly realized that one of the greatest challenges for the Ukraine House was being able to collect and receive donations to support their work. We spoke at length with the volunteers about the best way for Americans to make financial contributions. I am happy to report that donations can now be made to the Ukraine House in Przemyśl via Paypal.

This past summer, I had the privilege of being the first Canisius College faculty member to participate in the American Studies Center Visiting Professor Exchange Program. The opportunity took me to the University of Warsaw in Poland, where I spent five weeks teaching and lecturing on such topics as LatinX in literature and film, gender and sexuality in American studies, and sexuality, food and cultural belonging. My time abroad also afforded me several occasions to speak on and experience up-close another topic about which I am deeply committed: the issue of immigration.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, it’s estimated that nearly four million people have fled to neighboring Poland. The newly-arrived refugees come primarily from those areas most heavily affected by the fighting and are initially assisted at reception centers along the Ukraine-Poland border.

I was not in close proximity to the border. Instead, the exchange program housed me in an exceptionally well-located apartment, adjacent to the University of Warsaw and next to Łazienki Park, on the grounds of which are various royal palaces, monuments and related buildings, as well as spots to get lody (ice cream), which was the first word I learned in Polish.

Nevertheless, the issue of immigration was apparent throughout Poland, particularly in the train stations and transport hubs, where one can see Ukrainian refugees in transit, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), aid organizations, and food shelters and tents.

The front line of this crisis is Przemyśl, which is less than 10 miles from the Ukrainian border. There, thanks to Tomasz Pudlocki, PhD, a professor of history at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, I was able to speak with aid workers and refugees at the Ukrainian House. The organization provides short-term housing for refugees.

A Ukrainian consulate is on site to help provide legal documents for those fleeing, as flight occurs quickly and children often

In Warsaw, I volunteered at a refugee center housed within Arena Ursynów, a large sports complex. The cots are set up in the gym nasium, where there is a small area for pets and a play space for children. A few computer stations are available for the children’s schooling, as their teachers continue to conduct lessons virtually from various refugee centers across Europe. While here, I cleaned up after the refugees left, ensuring all cots had appropriate and clean bedding, organized the food pantry and picked up in the play area. volunteered alongside one of my students, Zofia Baczewska, who works at the center to provide immigrants with temporary housing and food. She also assists in their search for jobs and apartments. Without a doubt, the pressures of war are evident throughout Poland. Housing is tight, difficult to find and thus more costly. Landlords are reluctant to rent to refugees because their length of stay is uncertain and their financial ability to pay is precarious. The crisis is also causing the cost of goods and services to rise steadily. My students called this Putinflacja – or Putinflation. Not surprisingly, my students (graduates and advanced under graduates) taught me almost as much as I taught them. They were also engaging, curious and dedicated. Many are involved in the efforts to help Ukrainian refugees transition.

The faculty at the University of Warsaw were similarly welcoming to me and my husband, Davide Salvo, PhD, an adjunct professor of classics at Canisius, and eager to hear more about our research on immigration issues and local responses to it. They invited he and I to present on more than one occasion. Davide and I were also their guests at the American Day Celebration hosted by the U.S. Embassy. Outside the classroom, I found time to take in the abundant restaurants of international variety, bakeries, and vegetable and fruit markets. The architecture, culture, museums, churches, palaces, parks, vibrant neighborhoods and city centers were a wonder to explore. Warsaw is an exceptionally walkable and bike-friendly city but it also has excellent public transportation, which is well connected to other cities throughout Poland and the rest of Europe. The liberty to travel freely, which many of us often take for granted, juxtaposed with the desperate choice of Ukrainian refugees to flee their homeland could not have been more stark. Such contrasts and witnessing the degree of human suffering, fear and misery reinforced my commitment to teach, research and serve those impacted by migration.

It is for this reason that I established the Borders & Migrations Initiative (BMI) at Canisius. Together, with students, faculty, staff and members of our Western New York community, we work to understand and support the lives of immigrants and refugees around the globe. We do this through programming, events and opportunities for our community. I’m proud to say that our BMI fall series included a lecture that was borne out of my faculty exchange experience this summer. Titled “Ukrainian Refugees in Poland,” the event featured a conversation with aid workers in both Warsaw and Przemyśl.

It is my hope that our Jesuit values and pedagogy of reflection, discernment and action can lead us to create a better world where the tragedies I witnessed in Poland and other areas of the worldare no longer.

Richard Reitsma, PhD, is an associate professor of Spanish and faculty associate dean for Inclusion and Engagement. For more information on the Borders & Migrations Initiative, visit www.canisius.edu/border

Leadership for the Future

Story: Audrey Browka Photography: Tom Wolf ’86

Some of the best advice Steve Stoute ever received came from his father.

“He liked to say, ‘Seek first to understand, then to be understood,’” Stoute recalls. “Those words resonated and therefore I always endeavor first to listen.”

Canisius College’s freshly inaugurated 25th president has been doing a lot of listening since he arrived on campus July 1. What he has heard so far is heartening.

Canisius’ 25th president, Steve K. Stoute, leans into the transformative power of Catholic education

“People have spoken so glowingly about their Canisius experience and how transformative their education was in their lives,” Stoute recounts. “Those stories provide tremendous perspective about the importance of the institution to the people of this city, this region, and to those around the state and the country.”

As he reaches the half-way point of his freshman year at Canisius, expect Stoute to lean heavily into the transformative power of higher education – particularly Catholic higher education.

For him, it’s personal.

Stoute was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago. The dual-island Caribbean nation sits off the coast of Venezuela and is home to a small population of Catholics (about one-third). His parents, Steve and Joanne Stoute, instilled in him a deep faith. The first of four children, Stoute was educated in the Catholic tradition, from middle school through high school. Not surprisingly, Catholic college followed.

“For my parents, going to an American Catholic college was critically important,” Stoute says. “Their faith in Catholic education changed the trajectory of my life, for our family and for every successive generation.”

Stoute immigrated to the United States at age 19 to attend Seton Hall, a private, Catholic university near Newark, NJ, where he played Division I soccer. He was the first to leave home, the first to leave the country and the first in his family to attend college. Once the culture shock subsided, Stoute thrived in his new environment.

“I chose Seton Hall because it was Catholic and because it was in an urban environment, which afforded plenty of experiential learning opportunities connected to the city, and the business and civic communities,” he says.

The distinctiveness of being Catholic and urban are predominantly what attracted Stoute to Canisius College – and the president’s position.

He learned of the school’s search for a president while in his fourth year as chief of staff and vice president for strategic initiatives at Chicago’s DePaul University. In these roles, Stoute interfaced with nearly every institutional division including academic affairs, advancement, enrollment management, finance and athletics. When Covid-19 hit in March 2020, Stoute helped lead the nation’s largest Catholic university through its transition to online learning and spearheaded new student support initiatives.

“Steve already had all the experience and skills necessary to be a college president,” says Stoute’s former boss and mentor DePaul President Emeritus A. Gabriel Esteban, PhD. “But his leadership during the pandemic made him beyond ready to take the next step and I encouraged him to do so.”

Renew. Inspire. Serve. Empower.

Stoute actually knew by junior year at Seton Hall that he wanted a career in higher education. His aspirations, however, centered on becoming an athletic director, largely due to his positive studentathlete experience. It was not until 2005 when Stoute returned to serve on the university’s governing board that he began to seriously consider the idea of becoming a college president.

“At first I didn’t say it out loud,” laughs Stoute, who sat on the board’s Finance, Student Affairs and Academic Affairs committees, among others. “But the more I began to understand all that goes into creating opportunities for students to change and transform their lives, the more earnest I became about the idea of being a president at an institution of higher learning.”

Stoute spent the next several years immersed in all facets of higher education, beginning with administrative roles in athletics at the University of Southern California. He then returned to New Jersey where he spent three years at Princeton University working in alumni relations and development. While there, Stoute also became a quick study in strategic communications, community relations, alumni relations, donor engagement and development. The next step in his career, earning a terminal degree at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

“I went to law school not intending to practice law but to further my career in higher education,” Stoute explains. “I wanted the training; to learn how to process large quantities of information, distill it, understand what is important, and to be able to make sound, reasonable, evidence-based decisions and apply them in a higher education environment.”

Stoute earned his juris doctor and joined the Philadelphia law firm of Dechert LLP, where he specialized in corporate and securities matters. He had four years invested when his longstanding friend and mentorand newly appointed president of DePaul University offered Stoute a homecoming in higher education.

Education

“It wasn’t a difficult sell,” laughs Esteban. “I knew Steve from his days at Seton Hall. His Catholic education gave him his start and was transformative for him. He always wanted to give back in a way that would do the same for others.”

Seton Hall University BS, Business

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill MS, Exercise & Sport Science

University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School JD, Law

It is from this perspective that an energized President Stoute plans to lead Canisius College into the future.

“We need to evolve in how we think about being a higher education institution,” says Stoute, who is the first person of color to lead Canisius and, at age 41, one of the youngest.

Though not determinative of his leadership, these traits “do influence how I think about the world, our place in it, and our obligation to educate students who see the needs of their communities and understand their responsibility to create a better society for all.”

Stoute expounded on this concept of quintessential servantleadership in his October 22 inaugural address before an audience of more than 500.

“Consider,” he said, “the multiple crises we face in our society which, in many ways, are existential.” Among them, economic, environmental, social and racial. They are challenges unlike those at the turn of the century or at any other point in human history.

Leadership for the Future RI SE

Yet, they are not insurmountable. “And because we are Catholic, Jesuit and urban,” continued Stoute, “Canisius is uniquely positioned to RISE to meet this moment.”

In classrooms, residence halls, athletic spaces and everywhere in between, Stoute called upon the Canisius community to Renew its commitment to justice; Inspire a new generation of leaders who challenge the status quo; Serve every person with love; and Empower others to act the same.

“Canisius has always been the place where leaders are made. Now, we have an opportunity and an obligation to transform a new generation of students into leaders; leaders who can ask the critical questions, understand people and their perspectives, and articulate how to achieve positive outcomes. When we do this, Canisius College will be a force for justice and together, we all will rise,” Stoute concludes.

To be successful, Canisius will heed the early advice of Stoute’s father and seek first to understand, then to be understood.

Introducing Alison Stoute

Each night before bed, sisters Isabelle and Genevieve Stoute pray together with their mom and dad, and reflect on something for which they are grateful.

Cotton candy and unicorns are often among their charming answers. So when the girls expressed their gratitude for school one recent evening, Alison and Steve Stoute were delighted to hear such a grown-up response from their kindergartner and first-grader.

“They hear Steve and I talk a lot about the value of education, so it is sweet to know that they are becoming more mindful of it,” Alison says.

Canisus’ new first lady plans to speak a lot about the value of education and, more specifically higher education, as she introduces herself to the Western New York community. It is a subject matter she is wholly familiar with and the foundation upon which Alison Stoute built her career.

“I realized relatively early on that helping students harness the opportunities higher education provides is the place where my passion lies,” notes Stoute, whose educational and professional paths parallel that of her husband’s in many ways.

An outside hitter for the Marietta College volleyball team, Alison Stoute’s studentathlete experience led to aspirations of a career in higher education, “namely as a college coach.” So, after she earned her undergraduate degree in mathematics from Ohio’s liberal arts school, Stoute had an opportunity to coach at Michigan’s Grand Valley State University while pursuing her master’s degree in higher education.

Winning games was fun but Stoute found her greatest fulfillment in assisting student-athletes succeed off the court. And therein began a succession of professional experiences at higher education institutions across the country, which enabled Alison Stoute “to empower students to find their passions and become their best selves.”

role

At Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC, she developed and implemented student-athlete support programs in the areas of academics, leadership and civic engagement. At North Carolina State University, Stoute designed and instructed senior-level career preparation courses, and created individualized academic support plans for student-athletes.

It was around this time (2008) that she and Steve met at the NCAA national office in Indianapolis, IN. Both were preparing to facilitate an NCAA leadership conference in San Diego, CA. Alison represented the Wolfpack; Steve the Princeton Tigers. The pair stayed in contact post-conference but it would be several years before they recon nected in person and several more before they married, in 2014.

“We were just never in the same geographic location because of our jobs,” Alison explains. The long-distance friendship-turnedrelationship enabled each to concentrate on their respective careers. Steve headed to law school at the University of Pennsylvania. Alison pursued increasingly progressive roles under the academic umbrella.

From advising to retention, admissions to recruitment, she worked to positively affect the trajectory of countless undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students at such universities as Georgia Southern, Drexel and Northwestern.

Alison was at Northwestern, managing the university’s nationallyranked doctoral program in economics, when Canisius announced the appointment of Steve Stoute as the college’s 25th president, thereby making her first lady.

She has since embraced the role fully, pulling on her past professional experiences to help define her new position as the partner to the president and – perhaps more so – the symbolic mother to Canisius College’s student body.

“My plan is to be as present as possible on campus so that I can help students embrace all their unique abilities to ensure that they have the best possible outcomes.”

Canisius College’s first lady is ready to embrace her new

’’

My plan is to be as present as possible on campus so that I can continue to help students embrace all their unique abilities so that they may have the best outcomes.

—

Alison

Stoute —

Student representatives Jahare G. Hudson ’24 president of the Undergraduate Student Association, and E. Menos MS ’23 of the Student Physician Assistant Association, pose with President Steve Stoute ahead of their formal greetings, which they delivered during the inauguration ceremony.

Fiscal Year Review

Thank You for Your Ongoing Support

The Canisius community came together this past fiscal year to help ensure that our students were supported, and that the academic excellence and quality of a Canisius education remained uncompromised during the past academic year.

More than 5,800 donors helped raise $8.6 million for Canisius –vital financial resources that enrich the education of our students, fund important capital improvements, strengthen our Division I sports programs and continue to increase our scholarship endowments.

Thanks to the support of our alumni and friends, Canisius exceeded the $500,000 required to match the half-million dollar challenge from the estate of Patrick C. Minehan ’50, MS ’52, which incentivized donors to increase their annual support.

Endowed Gifts

Assisting students of today – and tomorrow

In gratitude for the education her father received, Anne Duggan established The Sigmund T. ’41 and Rose M. Kaszuba Chemistry and Biochemistry Research Endowment Fund at Canisius College this past fiscal year. Named in honor of her father and mother, the endowment supports important student-faculty research.

Sigmund Kaszuba was the first member of his family to attend college. After graduating with a degree in chemistry, he joined Durez Plastics and Chemicals Inc. in Niagara Falls, NY, where he worked as a chemist until enlisting in the Navy in 1942.

Kaszuba’s Canisius education qualified him for officer training at the Naval Academy and Cornell University as part of the war effort. He served in the European and Pacific theaters during World War II. Upon his military discharge in 1946, Kaszuba returned to Durez Plastics and Chemicals, which later became Occidental Chemical Corporation. He remained there until his passing in 1980.

It is hard to overstate the benefits my father’s education had on the quality of his life and that of our family. It made possible a career he truly loved in a field that prized continued learning.

According to Kaszuba’s daughter, “It is hard to overstate the benefits my father’s education had on the quality of his life and that of our family. It made possible a career he truly loved in a field that prized continued learning,” says Duggan. “He exemplified the adage ‘Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.’ He relished going to work each day. He delighted in scientific advancements and in having a job that promoted his continued professional development. His Canisius degree in chemistry made that career possible.”

Planned Gifts Leaving a legacy

Planned gifts realized during the 2021-22 fiscal year are sure to have an enduring impact on future generations of students. Canisius College received $1.9 million in charitable bequests from 19 donors, ranging from $500 to $807,400. Leading the way was alumna Charlene Youknut ’74, MS ’79 who bequeathed her entire estate to the college to endow a named scholarship.

Additionally, a number of alumni, friends, parents, faculty and staff shared with us their intentions to include Canisius in their estate plans, thereby becoming members of the Rev. James M. Demske ’47, SJ, Society.

To learn more about planned giving opportunities at Canisius and how best to address your philanthropic intentions, contact Mary Ellen Bakowski ’85, MBA ’90 in the Office of Institutional Advancement at bakowskm@canisius.edu or at 716-888-2235.

Canisius benefactors welcomed President Steve Stoute to Western New York, during an evening reception at the Country Club of Buffalo. Board of Trustees Chair Martin J. Berardi ’79 hosted the evening.

(l-r) Gregory and Barbara Castiglia, President Stoute, Cynthia and Patrick Lee HON ’99

(l-r)

Members of the Leadership Society (donors who make gifts of $1,000 or more each fiscal year) gathered to meet President Steve Stoute and his wife, Alison, at the college’s annual donor recognition event in August.

Sue Kulp, Richard Penfold ’68, Karen Penfold, President Stoute and Alison Stoute

- Anne Duggan -

Sigmund T. Kaszuba ’41

Photos by: Joe Cascio

Come Back to Campus

All Alumni Weekend: June 2-4, 2023

Help us help YOU make All Alumni Weekend 2023 the best it can be.

This year’s event is set for June 2-4 and celebrates those class years ending in 3s and 8s. Additionally, the Canisius College Class of 1973 will commemorate its 50th reunion.

But there’s more.

The Office of Alumni Engagement wants to invite all affinity groups back to campus, so everyone can revel in their shared bond as Golden Griffins.

To do this, we need your help.

Simply scan the QR code below and complete the All Alumni Weekend information form, indicating the affinity group you want to see invited to the event. Whether it’s ALANA, the Golden Griffin Fund, All-College Honors or any others (there are so many), just let us know and the Office of Alumni Engagement will work to bring everybody back to campus.

For more information, contact the office directly at alumni@canisius.edu or (800) 201-4952.

Rochester alumni welcomed the college’s new president to Oak Hill Country Club for an evening meet-and-greet. (l-r) President Stoute and Juliette Rhodes Cummings ’74

The Buffalo Chapter of the Alumni Association

’22

Three Join Alumni Association Board of Directors

Three new members joined the Alumni Association Board of Directors on July 1. The board assists the college and specifically the Office of Alumni Engagement, in its mission to involve alumni in direct and meaningful ways with alma mater and its graduates. The new members serve three-year terms. They are:

Lisa

The

Canisius enshrined seven new members into its Sports Hall of Fame on September 17. To be eligible for induction, studentathletes must be acclaimed as one of the outstanding athletes in the history of the college and continue to live lives that reflect favorably on the college.

Members of the 58th induction class are (l-r): Allison K. Daley ’11, MS ’13 (women’s lacrosse); Cory D. Conacher ’11 (hockey); Alan J. McGreal ’10 (men’s soccer); Frank R. Turner ’10, MS ’11 (men’s basketball); Adam D. Jones ’11 (men’s lacrosse); Cameron P. Norton ’09 (softball); and Mark Evans ’83. (Not pictured: Shane Davis ’10)

Mark G. Evans ’83 received the Rev. Paul J. Dugan ’45, SJ, Award, presented to individuals whose acts or efforts have significantly benefited Canisius athletics. Evans is an ardent supporter of and respected donor to the Golden Griffins.

Julia A. Johnson MS ’20 Senior Food Business Manager, Compassion in World Farming

A. LaTrovato MBA ’12 Donor Relations Manager, HauptmanWoodward Medical Research Institute

Jeena A. Owens ’04, MS ’06 Academic Counseling Specialist, Gadsden State Community College

2022-23 Alumni Board is led by the following executive committee: Michael Kochczynski ’08, MS ’12 (President), Lauren (Sformo) Leavy ’12 (First Vice President), William Lorenz Jr. ’09 (Second Vice President) and Anthony Kroese, ’14 (Immediate Past President).

hosted a reception for President Steve Stoute at Buffalo’s Resurgence Brewery. (l-r) President Stoute, Alyssa Deacon

Photos by: Dorian Mode Photography

Story: Martin J. Haumesser

Photo: Brianna Blank ’14

Joseph M. Hanna MSA ’18, MS ’20, was watching the CBS program “60 Minutes” when he was struck by the number of U.S. military men and women fighting in Iraq during the troop surge of 2008. In that program, and later in an article he read, Hanna – an avid golfer – learned that a favorite activity and stress reliever for many of the troops was to hit golf balls in the Iraqi desert. A light bulb went off.

“I thought about their service and the sacrifices they make every day to protect our freedom and wanted to do something to give back in appreciation,” Hanna explains. “The least I could do was to collect some golf balls and clubs for the troops to use – and here we are today as a global non-profit.”

Today, that non-profit, Bunkers in Baghdad, collects and sends new and used golf balls, clubs and equipment to U.S. troops around the world, with a focus on those currently serving in combat zones. Since Hanna sent his first shipment in 2008, Bunkers in Baghdad has provided more than 13 million golf balls and one millionplus clubs to troops deployed in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. An associated program, Bunkers Buddies, enlists students from schools across the country to help with fundraising, equipment collections and letter writing to the troops. The charity is 100 percent volunteer run and supporters include national retailers such as Callaway and TopGolf, as well as professional golfers, entertainers, athletes - and even U.S. presidents. For Hanna, the charity seems to fit like a well-worn golf glove.

Growing up in Buffalo, Hanna attended Canisius High School and took an early interest in golf and other sports. He went on to graduate summa cum laude from the University at Buffalo and cum laude from University at Buffalo Law School.

In 2005, he was the first associate hired right out of law school by Goldberg Segalla, a law firm headquartered in Buffalo where Hanna quickly rose to partner and ultimately into leadership as a member of the firm’s management committee and hiring partner. He chairs the firm’s national Retail and Hospitality and Sports and Entertainment practice groups, as well the firm’s Diversity Task Force, which promotes diversity in the legal profession within the firm and across the country. The firm has been a major supporter of Bunkers in Baghdad from its inception. As Hanna rose through the ranks of the legal world, those outside the profession also took notice of his talents. In 2017, Shawn O'Rourke, PhD, chair of the Department of Sport Management at Canisius College, asked Hanna to teach a class as an adjunct professor. He saw Hanna’s deep legal experience in sports management, including his work with pro athletes, as a good fit for the department. Hanna saw a learning opportunity to aid in his law practice and enrolled at Canisius himself to earn a master’s in sport administration, then a master’s in sport product development from Canisius.

“I was learning in real time and utilizing that knowledge to supplement my experience in sports and entertainment law,” Hanna says. “At the same time, the knowledge I gained at Canisius helped sharpen my skills in the non-profit sector as president of Bunkers in Baghdad.”

Hanna, who resides in Williamsville with his wife, Meghann and two sons, Joey and William, sees Bunkers in Baghdad continuing to roll well into the future.

“There are U.S. troops and veterans all over the world who deserve our appreciation,” he concludes. “As long as we have requests for golf balls and clubs, Bunkers in Baghdad will be here to help.”

I thought about their service and the sacrifices they make every day to protect our freedom and wanted to do something to give back in appreciation

Joseph M. Hanna MSA ’18, MS ’20, coalesces the national golf community around a special cause

Economics

Career Notes: Schroeder is a federal magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. His distinguished career also includes time served as a U.S. attorney and chair of Hodgson Russ’ Litigation Practice.

1990s

‘90 BA Daniel T. Celotto was recently promoted from lieutenant colonel to colonel in the U.S. Marines Corps.

‘91 BA Lynette M. (Dzierzanowski) Greene is the new director of community mental health services for Livingston County. She is the former director of mental health and wellness services for UR Medicine Noyes Health.

‘92 BA Patricia A. (Terian) Mancabelli, a commercial litigation attorney with Mancabelli Law, was named director of the National Association of Women Business Owners - Buffalo Niagara Chapter.

‘92 BA David E. Reid, general counsel for Receivables Management Association International in Sacramento, CA, was elected president of the Folsom Cordova Unified School District Board of Education.

‘94 BA Rosanna Berardi, managing partner and U.S. immigration lawyer for Berardi Immigration Law, received the Ignite Award from the Women’s Business Center at Canisius College. The award recognizes female entrepreneurs, business owners and self-starters.

‘94 BS Mark A. Johnson, vice president and community development manager at Truist, formerly SunTrust Bank in Virginia Beach, VA, was named to the 2022 Inside Business Power List.

‘94 BS, MBA ‘95 Heath J. Szymczak, a litigation attorney at Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC, was named to the Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village Board of Trustees.

‘96 BA Jeffrey R. Pirrone is the new executive director of the National Association for Mental Illness. He was the project director for the Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative.

‘97 BS Eric J. Koch was named vice president of medical affairs at Kenmore Mercy. He was a physician advisor at Catholic Health.

‘97 BS Michael A. Murak was promoted from senior manager to commercial real estate team leader with Evans Bank.

‘97 BS, MBA ‘02, MS ‘05 Jamel C. Perkins, a global technology executive at Sodexo, was appointed to the Hamburg Industrial Development Agency Board of Directors.

‘99 BS George T. Wands was promoted from director of internal audit to chief vice president and chief audit officer at Independent Health.

1970s

‘70 BA George M. Colabella is the new executive director of the Darien Arts Center, located in Darien, CT. He most recently served as development director for Ann’s Place in Danbury, CT, where he built and expanded its individual, foundation and corporate giving.

‘70 BA Roger E. Haberly retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, after 40 years of federal service. He was the Corps Regional Technical Specialist on Commercial Navigation on the Great Lakes.

‘75 BS Gary M. Crosby, former president and CEO of First Niagara, was elected chair of the Kaleida Health Board of Directors. In this role, he works to advance the organization’s mission of advancing the health of the Western New York community.

1980s

‘81 BS Richard G. Braun Jr. joined Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center and Schoellkopf Health Center as the new executive vice president and chief financial officer. He is the former senior vice president of operations and chief operating officer for Upper Allegheny Health System.

‘82 BA Wayne C. Mineo, owner of Mineo and Associates PA in Clearwater, FL, was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to the Pinellas County Housing Authority.

‘84 BS David M. Mangano was promoted from commercial wealth advisor to vice president of Evans Bank.

‘85 BA Cynthia S. Ferrelli, DPM, retired after 30 years as a podiatrist in Williamsville, NY. During her career, she served the local podiatry residency and trained podiatric residents in surgery and office management. She also mentored Canisius students, providing them with opportunities to shadow her at the office. One of those students, Stephen C. Smith ‘14, DPM, recently purchased Ferrelli’s practice.

‘85 BA Joseph J. Karaszewski, retired assistant U.S. attorney, was appointed president-elect of the Notre Dame Law School Alumni Board.

‘85 BS Mark A. Salter explores the role of tribalism in college football in his debut novel Sins of the Tribe The story celebrates the wonder of college football while examining its pitfalls, exploring the moral consequences and dehumanizing effects of winning at all costs.

Career

“not just for academics but to feel valued.”

Career Notes: Konopka’s career in education began in the early 2000s, when she started working as a teacher assistant at Rocky River. She later pursued a teaching degree at Wingate University and became an elementary school teacher in 2008. Konopka has since taught kindergarten, first, third and now fifth grade.

Tonja M. Williams MS ’90, EdD MS, Counseling and Human Services

Career Highlight: Tonja Williams was appointed superintendent of the Buffalo Public School (BPS) District.

Career Notes: Williams has more than three decades of experience working within the BPS District. She most recently served as principal of the Arthur O. Eve School of Distinction and prior to that as director of guidance and counseling for Buffalo Public Schools. She holds an EdD in executive leadership from St. John Fisher College.

2000s

‘00 BA LTC Gerald G. Kellar, PhD, is chief of the Department of Pathology for Madigan Army Medical Center in Seattle, WA. He oversees a staff of 180 employees and soldiers responsible for clinical and anatomical pathology and transfusion-related services for the facility and its five outlying satellite clinics in the Pacific Northwest.

‘00 BA Mikal J. Krueger joined the law firm of McConville Considine Cooman & Morin PC in Rochester, NY, as a senior associate. His practice areas focus on commercial and residential real estate, secured transactions, and financial workouts for which he represents both creditors and debtors in bankruptcy proceedings. Krueger is also chair of the Monroe County Bar Association Bankruptcy Committee, a position he’s held since 2017.

‘00 BA Matthew J. Low was promoted from creative director to chief creative officer at Crowley Webb. In his new role, Low provides day-today management of the Creative Department, and oversees the overall strategy and execution of creative projects.

‘00 BS Michael J. Mineo, MD, executive vice president for Kaleida Health, was named interim chief medical officer of the organization.

’01 BS Nick Fiume was named partner at Dopkins & Company LLP, an accounting and consulting firm which provides audit, tax and consulting services to privately-held companies and not-for-profit organizations. Fiume was director of the firm’s audit practice.

‘01 BA Laurel A. McNall, PhD, was promoted from associate professor and internship coordinator to full professor in the Psychology Department at SUNY Brockport.

‘01 MS Mary C. Szabat was promoted to senior vice president of the Senior Relationship Manager Division at KeyBank, where she works with highnet-worth families and individuals to deliver wealth management solutions. Szabat was vice president for the Senior Client Experience Manager Division.

‘02 MBA John T. Gavigan, former executive director of 43North, became senior partner at the Florida-based venture group Rocket One Capital and chief executive officer of CrediVault, a debt registry startup.

'02 BA Rev. Stephen J. Molvarec '02, SJ, was ordained to the priesthood at the Church of Gesu in Milwaukee, WI.

‘02 BA, MS ‘10 Jessica L. (Pagano) Zyglis joined Lovevery Inc. as the lead UX copywriter. She was the lead copywriter at Fisher-Price.

‘03 BS, MBA ‘10 Kevin P. Celniker was promoted from vice president to commercial real estate director with Evans Bank.

‘03 BA, MS ‘05 Rachelle A. (Held) Paul, director of athletics at Saint Peter’s University, was inducted into the Williamsville Education Foundation Hall of Fame.

‘04 BS, MSEd ‘10 Marie J. (Dafgard) Schuh, a science and gifted resource teacher at Thornburg Middle School in Spotsylvania, VA, was named a 2022 National STEM Scholar by the National Stem Cell Foundation. She is one of 10 middle school science teachers in eight states to be recognized.

‘05 MS Melissa M. (Jackson) Crangle, an image consultant and personal stylist, opened a House of Colour franchise in Western New York.

05 BA Chantele M. Thompson was appointed chief diversity officer for the city of Buffalo’s new Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Thompson was chief equity and inclusion officer at Child & Family Services.

‘06 BS Jamie K. (Antholzner) Henretta was promoted from creative director to vice president of branding and creative for Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants Inc. in Dallas, TX. She has been with the company since 2015.

‘06 MS Glenn D. Spencer, president and chief consultant at Accelerated Results LLC, was named secretary for the Community Connections of NY Inc. Board of Directors.

2010s

‘10 BS Eric J. Verhayden was promoted from network analyst II to senior network analyst with the City of Clearwater’s Information Technology Department in Clearwater, FL.

‘12 BS Kathleen D. Jackson was promoted from senior assurance associate to audit manager at RSM US LLP in McLean, VA.

‘12 MBA Mike B. Hickok is the new marketing director for Lakeshore Savings Bank. He was director of digital strategy for Catholic Health.

‘14 BA William P. Freeman is the pastoral associate for operations and director of music at Guardian Angel Cathedral in Las Vegas, NV. He recently completed his EdS in leadership and is working on his EdD dissertation.

‘14 BS, MBA ‘15 Justin S. Renaud was promoted from manager to senior manager for Dopkins and Company LLP, an accounting and consulting firm.

‘14 MBA Vilona C. Trachtenberg, a distribution coordinator at New Era Cap, received the 2022 ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award from the Buffalo Niagara Partnership. The award honors an emerging leader who

demonstrates excellence, creativity and initiative in their profession and serves as a role model for young women personally and professionally.

‘14 BA, MBA ‘19 Alexander J. Vandenbergh, a supervisor with the accounting and consulting firm Dopkins & Company LLP, was named treasurer of the Mental Health Advocates of Western New York Board of Directors.

'14 BA Melanie N. (Falvo) Woolman is the new president and chief executive officer of the United Way in Weld County, CO. She was vice president for the organization's community impact team.

‘15 BS, MBA ‘16 Tyler M.Owen was promoted from manager to senior manager for Dopkins and Company, an accounting and consulting firm.

‘16 BS C.J. Gates was named video and digital productions coordinator for the Buffalo Bisons. He previously was a freelance video producer for the Buffalo Bisons.

‘16 BS, MBA ‘18 Ryan J. Winkler was promoted from senior associate to supervisor for Dopkins and Company, an accounting and consulting firm.

‘18 BS, MBA ‘19 David J. Cich III was promoted from senior associate to supervisor for Dopkins and Company, an accounting and consulting firm.

‘17 MBA Olena (Azarova) Spencer was promoted from supervisor to manager for Dopkins and Company, an accounting and consulting firm.

‘18 BS Jacob A. Montante was promoted from loan analyst and portfolio manager to acquisition manager at Uniland Development Company. In his new role, Montante generates new commercial real estate acquisitions, investments and development opportunities for the business.

Canisius College takes pride in its alumni and joyfully shares the news of their lives and achievements.

Supportive of our Catholic Church’s teachings, publication of announcements provided to us by our alumni does not necessarily imply an endorsement by the college.

Hon. H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr. ’58 BS,

Career Highlight: Hon. H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr. received the St. Thomas More Award from the St. Thomas More Guild Inc. The award annually honors an individual for outstanding contributions as a Catholic lawyer.

C L ASS ACT

Cheryl A. (Lewandowski) Konopka ’ 88 BS, Management

Highlight: Cheryl Konopka, a fifth-grade teacher at Rocky River Elementary School in Monore, NC, was named the 2022 Teacher of the Year by the Union County Public School District. Konopka was recognized for creating student connections and fostering a collaborative classroom environment, which makes students want to attend school every day,

C L ASS ACT

Weddings

Kathryn R. Campanaro ’18, MS ’22 and Colin Littlefield ’18

July 30, 2022

Morgan K. Clark ’16 and Kevin McVicker

March 12, 2022

Brian D. Fennell ’12 and Hanna G. Simon

June 25, 2022*

Christina M. Franceschi ’12 and Ian C. Buzzio ’13

August 20, 2022

Heather Reed ’16 and Kevin T. Bailey ’18, MS ’21 November 20, 2021 *Indicates married in Christ the King Chapel

Alexandra (Coleman) Bannister ’15 and Gregory Bannister, a son, Beau Legend, born October 20, 2021

Elyssa (Place) Beck ’14 and Douglas Beck ’15 , a daughter Mary Ellen, born March 16, 2022

Charlotte R. (Gorski) Bielecki ’11 and Michael A. Bielecki ’10, MBA ’11, a daughter, Vera Rose, born June 7, 2022

Jessica Kardashian ’10, ’12 and Robert Kardashian, a daughter, Liliana, born November 11, 2021

IN MEMORIAM

William M. O’Connor ’50 October 28, 2021

Ralph A. Nicosia ’50 May 19, 2022

Gene C. Tunney ’51 July 27, 2022

John R. Filippone ’52 July 20, 2022

John J. Hess ’52 April 28, 2022

Albert J. Kielich ’52 July 27, 2022

Raymond L. Myers ’52, MS ’77 July 9, 2022

James E. Brodie ’53 May 3, 2022

Robert A. Dietrich ’55, MD July 29, 2022

Ronald J. Prazmark ’55 May 4, 2022

William A. Rohr ’55 May 18, 2022

Rev. Arthur C. Sziemeister ’55 April 23, 2022

Irwin E. Abt ’56 May 11, 2022

John F. Dziminski ’56 April 28, 2022

William R. Chunco ’57 January 23, 2022

John E. Petlock ’57 July 28, 2022

Robert A. Chamberlin ’58 July 6, 2022

Thomas S. Czosnowski ’58 March 15, 2022

Sr. Henriella M. Kakol ’58 May 10, 2022

John W. Davin ’60 July 7, 2022

Joseph J. Gutt ’60 May 11, 2022

Mary L. (Marzolf) McDonald MSEd ’61 June 7, 2022

Robert M. O’Neill ’61 July 26, 2022

Joseph F. Reina ’62 May 11, 2022

Walter A. Borowiec ’63, PhD April 25, 2022

Rita M. (Russo) Dixon ’63 April 21, 2022

Roger O. Miller ’63 May 14, 2022

Paul A. Gersitz ’64 April 29, 2022

William C. Hohensee ’64 July 29, 2022

Joseph S. Jagiello ’64, MS ’68 June 8, 2022

Darwin H. Knapp Jr. ’65 April 7, 2022

John M. Sullivan ’65, MS ’69 June 30, 2022

William J. Tufo ’66 March 9, 2022

Rev. Joseph P. Janaczek ’67 April 29, 2022

Samuel Johnson ’67 July 14, 2022

John J. Moore ’67, MS ’77, PhD June 8, 2022

Walter J. Winkler ’67 July 21, 2022

Joseph H. Emhof ’69 June 30, 2022

Ronald J. Pilozzi ’69 June 4, 2022

Rev. Robert G. Beiter MSEd ’70 June 13, 2022

Joseph K. Kaszubski MS ’71 June 23, 2022

George B. McNally ’71 April 29, 2022

Donald J. Sherman ’72 May 27, 2022

Paul J. Blachowicz ’73 August 4, 2022

John Keefe Jr. ’73 April 26, 2022

Jerome J. Zack MSEd ’73 May 12, 2022

Kurt P. Alverson MBA ’74 December 20, 2021

Thomas W. Diina ’74 August 3, 2022

Anthony G. Palermo ’74, MBA ’75 July 29, 2022

Thomas S. Szalda ’74 April 2, 2022

Charlene Youknut ’74, MS ’79 October 1, 2021

Robert J. Bruss ’75 December 15, 2021

Karen A. (Kimball) Cook MSEd ’75 August 5, 2022

David L. Borden ’76 May 23, 2022

Joan M. Fleegal MSEd ’76 May 25, 2022

Teresia B. Jovanovic ’76 April 22, 2022

Donna M. Lastowski-Perry ’76, PhD November 21, 2021

David E. Otteni MSEd ’76 May 9, 2022

Ellen B. (Canteline) Marcy MSEd ’77 June 26, 2022

Sr. M. Charlotte Barton HON ’78 April 7, 2022

Joseph R. Brunner ’79 August 5, 2022

John Chodkowski ’80 July 25, 2022

Mildred A. Picone ’80 May 31, 2022

June A. McGrath ’82 April 8, 2022

Lori E. (Donahue) Zielen ’82 June 9, 2022

John P. Scive ’83 April 17, 2022

Cheryl L. Starks ’83 April 22, 2022

Peter A. Phillips ’84 July 1, 2022

Kevin C. Brady ’85 June 5, 2022

Anthony J. Canney Jr. ’87 June 26, 2022

Patricia K. Leonard MSEd ’87 July 24, 2022

Nina C. Zackheim MSEd ’89 April 28, 2022

Andrea M. (Milka) Harvey ’91 May 23, 2022

Barbara Q. Faust MSED ’94 June 6, 2022

Susan S. Grifasi MSEd ’94 May 30, 2022

Alan C. West MBA ’98, MS ’02 July 13, 2022

Tim O. Mains MS ’01 December 30, 2021

Emily M. Aquino ’07 May 17, 2022

Michael C. Blum ’08 June 24, 2022

Kathryn A. Hoffstetter MSEd ’08 July 10, 2022

Kimberlee A. Sabshin ’10 April 12, 2022

Victor A. Rice HON ’10 June 5, 2022

born April 9, 2022 to Salley (Thomas) Crews ’07 and Jamil Crews

FEATURED BABY GRIFF

Victoria M. Mesolella ’13 and Nicholas Cararsco ’13 September 25, 2021

MAKING A SPLASH

Story: Martin J. Haumesser

Photo: Daisy Mescinas

Melissa Simone ’13 dove into the fashion world in 2018 with the founding of her namesake company, Melissa Simone, promoting her innovative swimsuit designs on Instagram. In just a few short years, her styles have become celebrity favorites. Cosmopolitan magazine recently listed Simone among “13 Black-owned fashion brands to know about.” But her path to success has not always been a day at the beach.

Growing up outside of Toronto, Ontario, Simone was recruited out of high school to play basketball at Canisius College. She started as a small forward and played three years before an injury held her out of her senior year. After she earned a degree in psychology from Canisius, Simone pursued a master’s degree in the field from Queens College in Queens, NY, where she played basketball for one more year.

While looking for employment after graduate school, Simone learned that her work visa had not been renewed. With just a credit card and minimal savings, Simone hired an immigration lawyer to help get her visa back. The process took nearly two years but it was life changing.

“During that time, I purchased a sewing machine and began to explore my real passion – sketching, designing and creating swimsuits,” Simone recalls. “My first attempts were not good but I realized I could take something I love and make a go of it. I learned from my mistakes and kept getting better.”

Her visa eventually came through and Simone began to look for public relations work in New York without success. That’s when she decided to dive deeper into her swimsuit creations. Inspired by the suits worn by 1990s super models Christie Brinkley and Tyra Banks, Simone soon had a portfolio of unique designs that blended retro with current trends.

She moved to Los Angeles and with the help of a friend, found a contractor to produce the swimsuits. She promoted Melissa Simone on Instagram and her website, and soon began filling orders out of her bedroom. When celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and Bella Hadid were spotted on social media wearing Melissa Simone designs, the brand went full sail.

Today, Simone has six employees working out of her LA office and her products are sold around the world from the company website. Fashion retail stores in New York City, Los Angeles and Miami also carry the Melissa Simone brand. The New York Post, Vogue and Essence magazines have written about her swimsuits calling the designs trendy, chic and bold.

Simone says she hopes to have her own retail outlets in the future with an expanded product line to include beachwear such as coverups and sandals. For now, she looks forward to the continued growth of her swimsuit line – and that of her one-year-old son.

Simone gives credit to her Canisius College experience for teaching her how to navigate the challenges in life, whether juggling basketball and course study or wading into the sometimes-turbulent waters of fashion design.

“Canisius taught me to weather the storms and I really learned who I was there,” Simone concludes. “I’ve relied on that foundation since I started my company, especially now as I balance family life and a successful business.”

The meteoric rise of Melissa Simone ’13 and her swimsuit line that’s become a favorite among celebrities

Canisius taught me to weather the storms and I really learned who I was there.

A highlight among the series of inaugural events for President Steve Stoute included a special lecture by Rev. Gregory Boyle, SJ, on October 20.

The founder of Homeboy Industries is pictured here offering the blessings of the Church upon the college’s new leader.

Just prior to Father Boyle’s blessing, President Stoute conferred upon him the President’s Medal. Bestowed only periodically, the President’s Medal is presented to individuals who have distinguished themselves in public life through service to God and country.

Father Boyle established the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world. The organization has become a beacon of hope and transforms the lives of thousands, each year.

Father Boyle is the 47th recipient of the Canisius College President’s Medal.