CANISIUS COLLEGE MAGAZINE
WINTER 2011
president’sperspective
John J. Hurley
Canisius College Magazine WINTER 2011 VOLUME 12, ISSUE 1
President John J. Hurley Associate Vice President for Public Relations & Executive Editor Debra S. Park MS ’06
One of the things I noticed when I came to Canisius 14 years ago was how ageless many of our professors looked. The year was 1997 but most looked the same as they did when I left as a graduate in 1978. I joked with several that the job obviously agreed with them and that the years had been very kind to them. I have come to see that spending a career engaged in reading, writing, thinking and passing along wisdom to young people can be a veritable “fountain of youth.” In time, it caused me to take for granted the presence of so many special people on the campus. I suppose that I assumed that they would always be here. I know that is not the case, however, and we report with some sadness in this issue (page 20) on the passing of two long-time members of the faculty, Mel Schroeder and Larry Minet, and a much younger colleague, John Kalb of the Biology Department. Larry Minet, a retired member of the Economics and Finance Department, was still a fixture in the faculty lounge at the time of his death. In his retirement, Larry found in Canisius a true second home, where he was content to read for hours and drop in unannounced at various campus gatherings.
Managing Editor Audrey R. Browka Director of Creative Services & Layout Editor Andalyn Courtney Contributing Designers Shaun M. Maciejewski Rose Twardowski Director of Alumni Relations Eileen L. Hudson ’83 Contributing Writers Elizabeth M. Bohen ’74, MS ’76 Dianna Civello Kristin E. Etu ’91 Rachel Flammer Erin H. Hartnett Eileen C. Herbert ’04 Eileen L. Hudson ’83 Laura B. Marek ’06 Illustration Kevin Serwacki
John Kalb passed away suddenly at the end of the fall semester. While only 44, he had accomplished so much in his research, his teaching and his development of the biology curriculum at the college. His passing is mourned by his department, his students, his professional colleagues outside the college, and his family.
Photography Matt Cashore Shaun Maciejewski Tom Wolf ’86
Mel Schroeder was still teaching full-time in the English Department in the fall before discovering that he had cancer. The case was too advanced for aggressive treatment and Mel passed away peacefully shortly after the spring semester began. He leaves behind a legion of English majors, Griffin editors, Quadrangle poets and connoisseurs of books and movies, all of whom were the beneficiaries of his wisdom and guidance. I count myself among the lucky ones who had Mel in three classes, and discussed student journalism and The Griffin with him by the hour.
To Contact Us We are eager to hear your comments about Canisius College Magazine. Please send correspondence to: Canisius College Magazine 2001 Main Street, Lyons Hall Room 209, Buffalo, NY 14208 Phone 716-888-2790 Fax 716-888-2778
Jesuit education is special because the people who are on the front lines delivering it every day – the faculty – are special. We have lost some special people. May they rest in peace!
Canisius College Magazine is published four times a year (winter, spring, summer, fall) by Canisius College at: 2001 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14208 USPS 908-760 Periodical postage paid at Buffalo, NY and additional offices Postmaster send change of address to: Canisius College, 2001 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14208
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contents WINTER 2011
6 | Jesuit Profile Homecoming Rev. Joseph E. Billotti, S.J., returns to Buffalo to continue his journey as a Jesuit.
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10 | Cover Story Make it Matter Feed your soul and the souls of others through service.
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departments 4
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32 16 | Faculty Profile
32 | Alumni Profile
At Your Service
most valuable player Former NBA coach Jeff Nix ’80 plays host to America’s military families at collegiate sporting events across the country.
David J. Snyder, PhD, personifies what it means to use one’s gifts for the service of others.
BLUE & GOLD BRIEFS C A MPUS NE WS A ND NOTE S faculty notes facult y NE WS A ND update s
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a legacy of leadership
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CANISIUS CONNECTIONs
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AS YOU WERE
C A mpa ig n ne ws a nd update s
A LUMNI NE WS A ND NOTE S
S TORIE S FROM THE PA S T
Erratum The fall 2010 issue of Canisius College Magazine erroneously omitted Robert A. Klump’s professional title in the story “A Conversation with the Chief Justice” (pg 16). Klump is director of the Raichle Pre-Law Program at Canisius College.
Science Hall Work to Begin in Spring After years of planning, Canisius College is scheduled to start the first phase of development on Science Hall in late May. Science Hall will be developed at the site of the former HealthNow building on Main Street and become a state-of-the-art interdisciplinary science center for the college’s science departments, which are currently located in three different buildings. The total estimated cost of the project is $68 million and will be completed in phases. Canisius expects to utilize the building as early as fall 2012. “Science Hall will enable us to build upon one of the college’s greatest academic strengths,” said Canisius College President John J. Hurley. “The building will become the hub of an integrated and interdisciplinary program, in which new curricular and research initiatives will be implemented to keep Canisius at the forefront of undergraduate science education.” The first phase of the Science Hall development is a result of a $16 million financing package made available under the federal stimulus bill, and the receipt of a $2 million grant from the John R. Oishei Foundation; $1 million of which will serve as a challenge grant to attract additional gifts to the college for the project. Canisius previously obtained two appropriations from the New York State Legislature totaling $7 million and a $400,000 appropriation from the federal government obtained through the efforts of Congressman Brian Higgins. “It has been a challenge to assemble all of the pieces in a difficult economic environment but thanks to our partners at M&T Bank and the Buffalo and Erie County Industrial Land Development Corp. and the generosity of the John R. Oishei Foundation, work on this critically important project can now begin,” added President Hurley.
that is a critical piece in the growth and enhancement of academic programs at Canisius College,” said Robert D. Gioia, president of The John R. Oishei Foundation. “We look forward to seeing Science Hall take shape as a center for engaged learning and creative collaboration across the campus and the wider community.” The first phase of the Science Hall project includes the renovation of the first floor and atrium area located at the southern end of the building. The first floor will house the newly-established Institute for Autism Research (IAR), a science education lab, robotics lab, the Office of Pre-Health/Pre-Professions Programs, the college’s Mathematics Department and common areas. Phase I will also include the construction of classrooms, two major computer labs, large and small conference rooms, student and faculty lounges, the building’s main café and student mailrooms. The building’s atrium will feature a “Science on Display” space, where student/faculty projects will be displayed. Special exhibits, curated by the Buffalo Museum of Science, will also be located here. In addition, the atrium space will accommodate the college’s annual mini zoo, created by the Canisius Zoological Society in cooperation with the Buffalo Zoo. Later development phases of Science Hall will include the renovation of the lower level, which will house the Institute for the Study of Human-Animal Relationships, physics and computer science laboratories and select chemistry instrumentation rooms, and the second and third levels of the building, where the Chemistry/Biochemistry, Biology and Computer Science departments’ teaching and research labs, classrooms, faculty offices and conference rooms will be located.
To date, the Oishei grant is the largest private foundation grant received Science Hall is the principal priority of Canisius’ $90 million campaign, for the Science Hall project. A Legacy of Leadership. With the commitment from the Oishei “The John R. Oishei Foundation is pleased to support this major initiative Foundation, the campaign total now stands at $80.2 million.
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Count on This
blue&goldbriefs
Another year adds up to more success stories for the Canisius College Accounting Department. Kay J. Hashimoto MBAPA ’09 received the prestigious American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ (AICPA) Elijah Watt Sells Award. The award is presented annually to candidates who obtain the 10 highest cumulative scores on all four sections of the computerized Uniform CPA Examination. The 2009 award is unique because multiple candidates received identical cumulative scores. This resulted in a tie and increased the total number of winners to 15. More than 93,000 individuals sat for the 2009 CPA exam, which is the most recent exam cycle published by the National Association of the State Boards of Accountancy. Hashimoto is a 2009 graduate of the Canisius College Master of Business in Professional Accounting Program. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Harvard University. “The accounting education I received at Canisius gave me an excellent foundation upon which to study for the CPA exam,” says Hashimoto, who is employed at PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York City. “The clear presentation of relevant, upto-date topics by my professors at Canisius, along with my diligent and methodical preparation for the CPA exam shortly after, enabled me to master accounting concepts and go into each exam very well prepared.” The AICPA created the Elijah Watt Sells Award in 1923. Sells was one of the country’s first CPAs under the provision of a New York State law enacted in 1896, and a leader in advancing professional education. Hashimoto is one of several Canisius alumni who sat for the 2009 CPA exam and contributed to the college’s overall high pass rate percentages in New York State. This group scored the highest pass rate percentage (70.8 percent) in New York State, on the auditing portion of the exam. Canisius alumni also had the fourth highest pass rate percentage (51.9 percent) in New York on the financial accounting and reporting section of the CPA exam, and the fourth highest pass rate percentage (61.3 percent) on the regulation section. “These results speak to the quality of instruction students receive in the accounting program,” said Joseph B. O’Donnell, PhD, chair of the Accounting Department.“I am proud of these recent graduates and our dedicated faculty who, together, continue our tradition of producing graduates who excel on the CPA exam and in their professional careers.” The results are based on schools that had 20 or more candidates sit for the sections of the exam, according to the National Association of the State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA).
Business School Gets AACSB Stamp of Approval The Richard J. Wehle School of Business maintained AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accreditation of its undergraduate and graduate business degree programs. The AACSB is the premier accreditation body for institutions that offer undergraduate, master’s and doctorate degrees in business and accounting. Less than five percent of business schools, worldwide, earn AACSB accreditation. To maintain AACSB accreditation, a business program must undergo a rigorous internal review every five years. During this review, the program is required to demonstrate its continued commitment to 21 quality standards related to faculty qualification, strategic management of resources, interactions of faculty and students, and a commitment to continuous improvement and achievement of learning goals in degree programs. “It takes a great deal of self-evaluation and determination to earn and maintain AACSB accreditation,” says Antone F. Alber, PhD, dean of the Wehle School of Business. “Everyone from the deans to faculty and staff must make a commitment to the ongoing improvement of quality instruction and the continued delivery of high-quality education to students.” The Richard J. Wehle School of Business offers majors in nine different areas.
Foster Named Associate VP for Academic Affairs Canisius College named Blair W. Foster associate vice president for academic affairs. In addition to this promotion, Foster retains his position as registrar, responsible for the Office of Student Records and Registration, the Office of Student Success and Retention, the Student Advisement Office and the Career Center. “Blair’s promotion recognizes his continuously expanding responsibilities and the strategic importance of the areas he manages,” Blair W. Foster says Scott A. Chadwick, PhD, vice president for academic affairs. “Our efforts to integrate student recruitment, advisement and retention through seamless data systems would not be possible without his exemplary leadership.” Foster is a member of President John J. Hurley’s Senior Operating Team, the Long Range Strategic Planning Committee and the Academic Program Board. He previously served as dean of academic records and registrar at Canisius. Foster is a graduate of Heidelberg College in Tiffin, OH.
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Homecoming Rev. Joseph E. Billotti, S.J., returns to Buffalo to continue his journey as a Jesuit story by KRISTiN E. ETU ’91 Photos by Tom Wolf ’86
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ev. Joseph E. Billotti, S.J., says his life’s journey began the day he tentatively crossed the threshold of Fordham Preparatory School on the campus of New York’s Fordham University. He was 14-years old.
“Like Charlie when he entered The Chocolate Factory,” recalls Father Billotti referring to the 1964 Ronald Dahl novel, “the fear and anticipation of entering into this mysterious world of wonder was also exhilarating. Little did I know that day would be the most momentous day of my young life.” Sixty-four years later, Father Billotti’s journey continues at Canisius College. As the new special assistant to Canisius President John J. Hurley, Father Billotti contributes to projects related to the President’s Office, such as long-range strategic planning, record retention and A Legacy of Leadership: The Campaign for Canisius College. He first arrived on campus in 2009. The former rector and president of Canisius High School (1981-1989) served as assistant to then Executive Vice President and Vice President for College Relations Hurley. “We met and spoke about his time at Canisius High School,” recalls President Hurley. “Of course, I’m a St. Joe’s boy so I joked with him and said ‘I don’t know if this is going to work’ but we started to talk and I knew he would fit in well at the college. He is a very warm and gracious man who wants to be involved in the life of the campus.” Father Billotti’s role at Canisius is much more expansive, as a result. He radiates warmth and sacredness when he presides over noon Mass in Christ the King Chapel. Father Billotti brings a quiet but strong Jesuit presence to important alumni events, both in Buffalo and elsewhere across the country. His generosity of spirit leaves an indelible impression on everyone. “Father Billotti can strike up a conversation with anyone,” says President Hurley. “He finds that point of connection with whomever he meets, and shares himself with them.” Students, in particular, appreciate Father Billotti’s openness, when he shares his personal Jesuit experiences with them on campus ministry retreats. Father Billotti’s modest yet reassuring nature puts students at ease. “The things that have happened in Father Billotti’s spiritual life are things that a lot of students begin to relate to when they’re on retreats,” says Louiza N. Case ’12, a psychology and Spanish dual major. “He is someone I emulate.” Father Billotti is a similar inspiration to younger Jesuits in Loyola Hall. “It’s nice to have someone who has so many years in the Society of Jesus but who is also very youthful – in thoughts and actions,” says Rev. Michael A. Guzik, S.J., a religion instructor at Canisius High School. “Father Billotti is enthusiastic and inquisitive about all that is new. But he is also very serious about the Jesuit community’s mission to promulgate the Spiritual Exercises, which is what makes him a wonderful spiritual leader.” Father Billotti attributes much of his spiritual awareness to the two decades he spent abroad in the Western Pacific Islands, which he describes as a significant time in his Jesuit journey.
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“I thought I would be three years on Kwajalein Island and then return at St. Raymond’s Parish in the Bronx, where he was an altar boy. Rev. to the United States,” says Father Billotti. “But when my superior told me J.B. O’Connell, S.J., encouraged the young Billotti to apply to Fordham I could stay as long as I wanted, it became a whole new ball game for me.” Preparatory School. “Before that I really knew nothing about Jesuits Father Billotti moved frequently throughout the islands, each time he or Jesuit schools,” he says. took on new and different roles. He served as lead chaplain on the Kwajalein Missile Range (1990-1992), pastor of Ebeye Island (19921995), director of Ponape Agricultural and Trade School on Pohnpei Island in the Federated States of Micronesia (1995-1999), and Vicar General of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (2000-2009).
Father Billotti graduated from Fordham Prep, entered the Jesuit novitiate, and went on to earn a master’s degree in mathematics from Fordham University and a PhD in applied mathematics from Brown University.
This past summer, he returned to that same Fordham University campus that welcomed him 64 years ago. It was his first time back and “When you spend that many years living outside of the United States, the visit gave him cause for reflection. it is very enlightening,” says Father Billotti. “You really become a citizen of the world.” “It was as if the open spaces that beckoned me were now filled with Father Billotti’s spiritual awareness actually began when he was just the leaves of aging trees, alive and vibrantly green, like old, comforting friends,” says Father Billotti. “There are things I still would like to four-years old. His mother converted to Catholicism. do but what I carry in my heart are not things but people who have “Because she chose her faith, I believe my mother was more deeply touched my soul, and given me substance and sustenance.” committed to it,” says Father Billotti. He recalls becoming “fascinated by the Mass” and even “attending during the day” when he could. Certainly, it’s been a colorful and rewarding journey for Father Billotti. Father Billotti came to admire the Jesuit priest who said Sunday Mass Canisius College is fortunate that it can continue at 2001 Main Street.
Photo, top: Rev. Joseph E. Billotti, S.J., on Bird Island off the Island of Saipan, the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Photo, above, left: The fiesta procession in honor of St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of St. Jude Parish, on the Island of Saipan. Photo, bottom, right: Rev. Joseph E. Billotti, S.J., with a First Communion class in the sanctuary of St. Jude Parish.
facultynotes Dierenfield Wins Alpha Sigma Nu Award The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) conferred its 2010 Alpha Sigma Nu Book Award upon Bruce J. Dierenfield, PhD, professor of history and director of the All-College Honors Program. Dierenfield was recognized in the professional studies category for his book The Battle Over School Prayer: How Engle v. Vitale Changed America. Brought about by five Nassau County, NY families, Engel v. Vitale was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that determined it was unconstitutional for the New York State Board of Regents to compose a non-denominational prayer, and mandate that it be recited each day in public schools. Alpha Sigma Nu is the honor society of Jesuit institutions of higher education. Each year, the society recognizes outstanding publishing achievement by faculty and administrators in the humanities and sciences, from its 31 member Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States, Canada and Korea. Books are selected based on scholarship, mastery of literature, research findings, authority in interpretation, objectivity, readability and imagination.
College Entrepreneurs Win on National Stage Kudos to the Canisius College chapter of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO). Under the guidance of Ji-Hee Kim, PhD, director of entrepreneurship and CEO faculty advisor, the student club won second place in the ‘Best Marketing Plan’ category at the 2010 CEO Annual National Conference in Chicago, IL. CEO is a global, non-profit organization, which provides networking opportunities for students and serves as an informational resource for prospective entrepreneurs. This is the third consecutive year that the Canisius CEO chapter took home honors from the conference, and the second consecutive year Canisius CEO students led conference panel discussions.
Research Grant Enables Thomeer, Lopata to Further Autism Studies The Organization for Autism Research (OAR) recently awarded a $30,000 research grant to the college’s Institute for Autism Research (IAR). The grant will be used to conduct a randomized trial to assess the effectiveness of an interactive software program that teaches facial and vocal emotion-recognition. Principle investigators Marcus L. Thomeer, PhD and Christopher J. Lopata, PsyD, co-directors of the IAR, will collaborate on the study with co-investigator Martin A. Volker, PhD, associate professor of counseling and school psychology at the University at Buffalo (SUNY). “Children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs) struggle to recognize facial expressions and vocal emotions,” explains Thomeer. “This study seeks to increase facial emotion recognition, vocal emotion recognition and social skills, while also reducing the social-communicative problems associated with HFASDs.” Marcus L. Thomeer, PhD with Christopher J. Lopata, PsyD
The study will be conducted with seven to 12 year-old children with HFASD.
“This study will be instrumental in evaluating a new potential treatment option for children with HFASDs,” adds Lopata. The IAR conducts leading-edge research on autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), and provides researchers and affiliated faculty the facilities necessary to study and treat autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in a collaborative manner. Canisius is one of only seven OAR award recipients, nationwide.
Linda A. Volonino, PhD, professor of information systems, authored a new book along with some assistance from Gregory R. Wood, PhD, associate professor of management/marketing, who served as a contributing writer. Information Technology for Management: Improving Strategic and Operational Performance takes a practical, managerial-oriented approach to demonstrate how information technology (IT) can be a critical success factor in enterprise operations. It explains that the major role of IT is to provide enterprises with strategic advantages to facilitate problem-solving, increase productivity and quality, improve customer service, enhance communication and collaboration, and enable business process restructuring. Integrated throughout the book is information on how the use of social computing, mobile computing, the Web and intranets can change how business is done in virtually all enterprises. Information Technology for Management: Improving Strategic and Operational Performance is available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.
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Feed your soul and the souls of others through service StORy: audrey R. Browka ILLUStRatIOn: kevin Serwacki
t time you answered the call to ser vi s a l e h t ce? was that is significant at an academic level as well as on a personal level. They want to be involved in something greater than themselves.” This new generation of students fuels an increase in the number of service initiatives across campus, each year. To meet student Imagine the potential if we all contributed just one hour a day, a week or interest and demand, the college continues to add locations and a month to causes about which we care. We could help feed the hungry, outreach opportunities to several of its long-standing service programs, provide shelter for the homeless or educate underprivileged children. such as Alternative Spring Break and Winter Service Week. It also When you contribute your time, your skills and your compassion, introduces new service initiatives, as well. you make life a little easier and a bit more joyful for someone else and When the Office of Campus Ministry decided to partner with the local yourself - after all, service is food for the soul. chapter of the Burrito Project last year, students responded, over“Nothing beats a smile on a child’s face or is as heartwarming as a hug,” whelmingly. Each week, these undergraduates gather in the undercroft says All-College Honors student Mary Mietlicki ’12. “It makes you feel of Christ the King Chapel to prepare upwards of 120 fresh, home-made good inside and lets you know that what you are doing really does matter.” burritos. They then walk a four-mile route to deliver the burritos to the Maybe we can all learn from Mietlicki and her peers at Canisius, who city’s poor and homeless populations. Students stop at an alcoholic’s anonymous meeting, the bus station, half-way houses and pocket-parks, make service an integral part of their lives. and an overnight drop-in center for the homeless. Last year alone, these charitable role models - 2,600 of them - contributed approximately 33,000 hours of service to local, regional and global “The people we help have nothing but each week we provide them communities. They carried out their efforts via service - and community- with something that they can count on,” says James Smith ’12. Smith based learning opportunities, service-immersion experiences, and and his brothers in the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity are among the original participants in the Buffalo through countless campus ministry, student-athlete and student club Burrito Project, and played a key role volunteer initiatives. in expanding participation in the “Service is an inherent part of the Canisius story and is as aged as program from once, every other the institution’s Jesuit founders, who believed education should week; to once every week. “One develop individuals ready to act for the civic good,” explains of SigEp’s cardinal principles is Scott A. Chadwick, PhD, vice president for academic affairs. virtue,” says Smith. That doesn’t It’s a concept that more and more schools are beginning mean simply holding the door for to emulate. The Corporation for National and Community someone or picking up littered trash. Service reports that a growing source of the nation’s volunteers is college students. The growth is attributed, in part, to the number of high schools, public and parochial, that now require students to participate in community service. Has it been too long?
“The students who choose Canisius for their education do not come here for a degree alone,” adds Chadwick. “Our students want a college experience
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“God gives all of us individual gifts to give and our world needs all of our gifts,” says Sr. Mary Galeone, RSM, co-director of the Mercy Center And that’s exactly why so many students find time to give back, despite in the Bronx. Sr. Galeone coordinates Canisius College’s student their harried schedules of classes, club meetings, athletic games and volunteer efforts during campus ministry’s Winter Service Week in New York City. Whenever possible, she tries social gatherings. to match students’ interests and resources with “There are a lot of opportunities that require their service work. “It’s important that there only an hour out of your day if that is what is a fit between the gifts students bring and you are able to give,” says Robert Novak ’13. the needs of the agencies,” adds Sr. Galeone. A student-athlete, Novak delivers meals Learn more about service opportunities in When resources are matched with needs, root to the homebound elderly and disabled as your community or abroad by contacting causes of problems can be addressed. part of the college’s partnership with Meals any of the following resources: Caitlin Slattery ’11 experienced this firston Wheels. “In less than an hour I can help • Canisius College Campus Ministry hand, during her tenure as president of someone in need, and show I care about them canisius.edu/camp_minist Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). The and their community,” adds Novak. “I would • volunteermatch.org 50-member student business club “helps do Meals on Wheels everyday if I could.” • 1-800-volunteer.org people in need, help themselves,” explains Novak’s enthusiasm mirrors the enormous Slattery. SIFE students bring their know-how pool of energy, idealism and talent among in market economics, entrepreneurship and Canisius students, which they harness in a variety of ways to serve the needs of the greater community. Take for financial literacy to bear in poverty-stricken communities, both instance the counseling majors who create mentorship programs for here and abroad. SIFE’s current project, BESO (Building Economic at-risk middle and high school students. Future accountants provide Stability Overseas), teaches indigent women in Morelia, Mexico how to free tax assistance to low- and moderate-income people via the Volunteer craft purses from recycled magazines. The students export the purses Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Education students tutor to the U.S., where they sell them for $5 to $25, each, depending on the size. the city’s refugees in English. One hundred percent of the profits are returned to the Mexican women. It means going out of the way in order to do what is right,” adds Smith. “The Buffalo Burrito Project is the most meaningful time I spend each week.”
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Business students serve as consultants to budgetstrapped non-profits. The list goes on.
“This is a very low-cost project that empowers underprivileged women to earn decent incomes and sustain themselves and their families, while they work from home and care for their children,” says Slattery. But “service is just as much about helping as it is about learning,” adds Davidlee Klimchuk ’12, who volunteers several times a week at St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy. “When you give back, you learn what it means to be grateful and you begin to realize there are a lot of untruths in stereotypes.”
Mary Mietlicki ’12 (third from left) became convinced that she wanted to teach in a high-needs school after graduation, once she witnessed the educational disadvantages of impoverished children at a day camp in Mexico.
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Service-immersion trips at Canisius take students into the dire sections of Jamaica to serve on security farms, which grow food for the poor. They immerse students in the indigenous culture of Guatemala to experience the region’s local and global conditions, and determine what systemic changes need to take place to sustain the Central American country. Perhaps the most intense service-immersion Unfortunately, some people believe that the less fortunate deserve experience is the one students make to the Chennai Mission in rural what they get; that if they worked hard they wouldn’t be in their India. Here they work alongside Jesuit priests to situations. But many times, those most in need of help are the products assist directly with the Dalit (‘untouchable’) of their upbringings. “Their parents had habits or addictions, and children, considered the lowest on the therefore their children grow up not knowing any different,” explains caste system. Klimchuk, whose greatest learning moment came after he met a But no matter the location, the homeless man in New York City. The man’s sole possession was a situation or the condition, service picture of his son, who served overseas in the U.S. military, which and service-immersion experiences he shared with Klimchuk. “Service is about making conversation with put a very real face on the economic the people you help, developing relationships with them, and letting and social complexities of the unde privileged. They challenge them know that they are valued as human beings.” those of us who serve to dig for Sure, it’s easy for us to complain about work, bills or car repairs. But when you witness the harsh realities of high-needs individuals, the things you thought were important quickly fall into perspective. “Nice clothes or electronic gadgets don’t matter so much to me anymore,” says Novak. “There’s a difference between what I want and what I need.”
The Office of Community-Based Learning at Canisius partners with more than 100 local agencies to provide students with service-learning and community-based learning opportunities. According to its fall 2010 service report:
915
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Service-learning courses were offered
Students participated in service-learning
13,522
hours of service were completed
Perhaps there are no greater lessons in human empathy than those learned during, what is known as, service-immersion. These trips purposefully take participants beyond the boundaries of their comfort zones, where they live simply amongst the most marginalized people, experience their struggles, and witness the difference service makes in the lives of others. Service-immersion is not for the faint at heart but rather for those with souls of strength and the will to match it. “The purpose is to go into the gritty reality of the world and find God there, and to let this God of the poor, this God of justice and liberation, transform our hearts,” says Rev. John P. Bucki, S.J., director of campus ministry. Robert Novak ’13 (right) delivers meals to the homebound elderly and disabled as part of the college’s partnership with Meals on Wheels.
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truths behind the injustices, and encourage us to explore our places in the world and obligations to it. Along the way, we begin to see the world anew; vaster then our own small places in it. We fall in love and grow in solidarity with the people of the world, especially the poor. We let the stories of the disadvantaged become our stories. We let our voices speak for them. “We become part of the solution,” adds Father Bucki. Once Mary Mietlicki witnessed the educational disadvantages of impoverished children at a day camp in Mexico, the childhood special education major became convinced that she wanted “to teach in a high-needs school after graduation.” Davidlee Klimchuk came to Canisius with plans to one day become an English teacher. His volunteer experiences, however, made him realize that “giving back brings him the most joy.” Klimchuk is now considering careers in social work, with non-profit community agencies, or as a campus minister. “My service experiences really changed how I look at the world and my role in it,” echoes Christopher T. Luthi ’03. A math teacher at the Island Pacific Academy in Kapolei, HI, Luthi continued his service commitment after graduation. He volunteered three years as a teacher at Manhattan Nativity School, which he first visited during a Winter Service Week immersion trip. Luthi then went to work with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. in Micronesia. Other Canisius graduates volunteer with the Mercy Volunteer Corps. or the Peace Corps. Their efforts expand across the globe, from Guyana, South America, to Juneau, Alaska, and to Tanzania, Africa.
“While many colleges and universities strive to be excellent educational institutions, Canisius strives for academic excellence and education for justice,” says Luthi, who admits he took some criticism for his volunteer work after graduation. “People told me I was not using what I learned in college but being a person for others was what I learned in college.” Luthi is one of thousands of less obvious but equally impressive Canisius alumni who answer the call to service in their own, personal and private ways. As Canisius President John J. Hurley underscored in his inaugural address, all of us at Canisius – faculty, staff, students and alumni – have a responsibility to “bring our resources – intellectual, spiritual, financial and manual – to bear on the pressing social and economic issues of today,” he stated. “We must pledge to work with others in our cities and the wider world, to respond to injustice, suffering and despair, to engage it constructively and to provide hope.” What your exact role should be is best for you to discover and decide. But if each of us play a part, our collective lives will be richer, our communities stronger and our world greater. Then, when you reflect on your service with a sense of pride and fulfillment, quite possibly you will remember it as the moment when your story of service and the Canisius story of service converged. “Service opens up your mind and your heart and deepens your spirituality,” says Klimchuk. “It makes you want to help people help themselves so that someday soup kitchens, homeless shelters and the like no longer need to exist.” It’s never too late to make it matter.
Give the Gift of Service In recognition of President John J. Hurley’s inaugural call to serve the faith and promote justice, Canisius College invites alumni, students, faculty, staff, family and friends to give a gift of service. Interested participants may give a gift of service in their own neighborhoods or with agencies of their choice at any time throughout the upcoming year. The Office of Campus Ministry coordinates a number of service projects throughout the academic year. To learn more, visit canisius.edu/camp_minist or call 716-888-2420. Don’t forget to let Canisius know about your gift of service at canisius.edu/inauguration/gift.asp.
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David J. Snyder, PhD, exemplifies what St. Ignatius Loyola had in mind when he spoke about the ‘complete student.’ The associate professor of management/marketing seamlessly unites his scholarship, Christian faith and spirit of the heart, and brings it to bear on individuals, organizations andregions in need. Story by Audrey R. Browka Photos by Tom Wolf ’86
Snyder is known among students, faculty and peers for his savvy marketing and sales expertise. “His extensive service activities, and international teaching and travel give him unusual insight into the impact of social, economic and political factors on marketing activities,” says Gordon W. Meyer, PhD, chair of the Management/Marketing Department. But it’s the ways in which Snyder marries his scholarship with service that distinguish him here at home and in the global community. Snyder travels frequently to Vietnam, where he educates the country’s business leaders and university students about international trade and marketing. He explains, “Vietnam’s membership into the World Trade Organization in 2007 opened up large sectors of its economy to foreign investors,” says Snyder. “The challenge then became educating the country’s business leaders and future managers to not only market to customers in their own country but to learn how to compete in a global market, as well.” Snyder teaches marketing to full-time business people as part of the Royal Education Program in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. He also teaches on behalf of the World Bank’s Development and Learning Centers in those cities. The World Bank network has locations in developing countries throughout the world. “Dave’s enthusiasm, not only for the material he teaches but his love of the Vietnamese people and culture, enhance learning and the learning experience for students,” says Le, T. Ngoc Lien, director of Pan American Education, which recruits American professors to teach in Vietnam. “He never sees students as nameless faces. He knows all of them personally and keeps in touch with them.” Snyder also serves as a dissertation supervisor for Vietnamese students as they pursue mater’s degrees in international trade and finance. It’s part of a joint program offered by Leeds University in England and the Academy of Finance in Hanoi. “It’s really the best of both worlds,” says Snyder. “My time in Vietnam helps me learn more about its global market, their companies and cultural environment, which I am then able to share with Canisius students. At the same time, I contribute what I know about the Western ways of doing business to help the country move up the socio-economic ladder.”
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Snyder’s efforts in Southeast Asia represent just one of many examples of scholarship and service on his curriculum vitae.
diversity of religious and cultural values. They also minister to the needs of the poor and oppressed.
Prior to Vietnam, Snyder spent a one-year sabbatical in Zimbabwe, Africa at the height of its HIV/AIDS epidemic. At the time, the devastating disease afflicted more than a quarter of Zimbabwe’s adult population, claimed the lives of approximately 1,000 people a week and orphaned one million children.
“It was an unforgettable experience for us,” recalls Snyder, who made the trip with his wife, Rev. Karen (Kit) P. Snyder, a United Methodist pastor and former professor of management/marketing. “It reaffirmed my faith about the significance of service.”
Snyder provided help the best way he knew how. He researched the socio-economic impact of AIDS in Zimbabwe. Snyder then used his findings to develop a series of marketing initiatives for community, hospital, government and funeral agencies, so they could use them to inform the indigenous about HIV, treatment options and prevention techniques. “The idea was to help slow or curtail the spread of the contagion through educational awareness, such as promotion, public service announcements, printed materials, and newspaper and magazine articles,” explains Snyder. He presented his findings to the International Academy of African Business Development, which is comprised of educators from Africa, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Snyder’s most recent sabbatical took him out to sea for nearly two months, where he again married his pursuit of scholarship with his commitment to service. Snyder served as a visiting professor on board the University of Virginia’s Semester at Sea program. The international study trip transports students and faculty to 10 different developing countries. At each port, participants survey the various stages of economic development, contrasting political systems, and
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Service is, in fact, a way of life for Snyder and has been for as long as he can remember. “My father was a Navy officer and that required the family to move every couple years,” explains Snyder, who by age 18 lived in nearly a dozen diverse places. He witnessed the volatile Vietnam anti-war movement in Washington, D.C. He encountered the socio-economic juxtaposition of extreme poverty and wealth on the Mexican Pacific Coast of Tijuana. And he lived, learned and played with Muslim children when his father was stationed near Istanbul, Turkey. “In each new place I had to meet new friends, familiarize myself with new schools and learn about new places,” recalls Snyder. “My parents’ conviction to serve the Church through outreach was the only continuity for my three siblings and me.” Together, the Snyder family visited the elderly in nursing homes and called on the sick in hospitals. Every Sunday, the Snyder siblings went with their father to deliver audio tapes of church sermons to shut-ins. Service became an enduring commitment for Snyder. As an undergraduate at Davidson College in rural North Carolina, he led the prison ministry at Huntersville Prison. Snyder and several students visited the minimum security correctional unit about once
a week, where they played basketball and board games with the inmates. Snyder also participated in the Big Brother/Big Sister Program throughout college. His service commitments multiplied when he met his wife at Davidson College and the couple married. They both work to raise awareness about globalization and the human atrocities in Sudan’s western region of Darfur, as trained workshop leaders for the United Methodist Church School of Mission for the Western New York Conference. The Snyders teach Sunday school at the Brockport United Methodist Church where Kit is a pastor. They also share responsibilities at the Ecumenical Clothing Store and sing in the church choir. Perhaps most noteworthy is that the couple raised two sons whose dedication to service equals that of their own. “Jeremy travels several times to Nicaragua to build clinics and libraries and Wesley participates in mission projects in South Africa and the Lesotho (pronounced: Su’-too),” says Snyder. “We couldn’t be more proud of them.” Snyder’s children are grown but he continues to educate a new generation of young people at Canisius about the intricacies of price, promotion and product, as well as the value of service. He delights in the small class sizes, which enable him to develop those essential one-on-one relationships with students, “similar to those he had with his own college professors.” Inspired by his students’
“He teaches students to respect the culture of the country they’re studying: Who were the founding fathers, what are the customs, what fine arts and visual arts do they have.” Ossei-Anto adds, “It’s not uncommon for him to come dressed in the traditional garb of whatever country we’re studying!” Snyder duly prepares his undergraduate and graduate students to make a professional impact on the international market. But he teaches them to recognize their wherewithal to make a social impact, as well. Snyder requires students to participate in service-learning assignments, in some of his coursework. The work requires students to use their management and marketing know-how to assist smallbusiness owners or non-profit organizations that might not have the internal resources to help themselves. Snyder serves as a stellar example to students. During his eight-year term on the VIVE LaCasa Board of Directors, he advised the refugee organization as it implemented new marketing initiatives to increase donor support. As a member of the Asbury Shalom Zone Board of Directors, Snyder collaborated with community resources – churches, business leaders and residents – to help facilitate job training and after-school care for residents on Buffalo’s Lower West Side. He also lent his expertise to Buffalo’s Trinity Episcopal Church. Snyder created a marketing plan for the bookstore, which is located on the Delaware Avenue site. His plan spelled out what leaders needed to do in the areas of product and promotion strategy in order for the store to remain viable. “Dave is a true gem and a great resource,” says Donna M. Dosher, owner and operator of Borders Without Limits LLC. “He and his students evaluated almost every aspect of my framing business, compared it with other local competitors and then presented me with a series of recommendations that helped my business become more competitive and distinguished.” Similar service-learning initiatives helped the Canisius chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) win the organization’s national Outstanding Community Service Award. Snyder serves as the club’s faculty advisor. “He is a great leader,” says Ossei-Anto, former president of the Canisius AMA chapter. “In order to compete for this award, AMA members must show how they used their knowledge and skills to bring about change for the community or a non-profit organization. Dr. Snyder epitomizes this and under his guidance, ‘little old Canisius’ competed successfully against the likes of Penn State and Michigan State.”
energy for learning, Snyder incorporates his own worldly experiences to create personal, one-of-a-kind classroom lessons. He savors students’ responses. “Dr. Snyder doesn’t just focus on target market, price, product and promotion strategy,” says Josephine Ossei-Anto ’10, MBA ’11.
Indeed, this is the heart of the Jesuit mission, to use one’s gift for the service of others and the benefit of society, and “faculty members have an obligation to set that example for students,” says Snyder. “When we do, we provide a brighter future for students, our community and our world.” But don’t just take Snyder’s word for it. Ask any of the people or organizations who are beneficiaries of Snyder’s gift of service.
Photo, above: David Snyder, PhD (right) and his son, Wesley, drink from coconuts during a visit to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam
inmemoriam Canisius Mourns Loss of Beloved Faculty Members Canisius College recently lost three dear friends and colleagues. Melvin (‘Mel’) Schroeder, associate professor of English, passed away on February 9, 2011. He was 78. John M. Kalb, PhD, professor of biology, died suddenly on December 22, 2010 at the age of 44. Canisius lost Lawrence Minet, PhD, professor emeritus of economics/finance, on November 22, 2010. He was 85. All three Canisius professors were beloved members of the college community. Larry Minet joined the ranks of the Canisius faculty in 1957 and spent 35 years at Canisius. During that time, he taught the principles of economics and helped build the college’s Economics and Finance Department. Canisius elevated Minet to emeritus status in 1996 and he became a fixture in the faculty lounge, where he spent most of his time reading. Aside from his extensive career as a professor, Minet had a lifelong interest in poetry. He authored approximately 225 poems, many of which can be read at http://lawrenceminet. com/app/index.php.
John M. Kalb, PhD
John M. Kalb, PhD
Melvin (‘Mel’) Schroeder
Minet held an undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a doctorate degree in economics from Columbia University. He also earned a master’s degree in European history from John Carroll University. John Kalb joined the Canisius faculty in 2000 and made a great impact on the Biology Department in his short tenure. Most recently, Kalb co-created the new program “Mentoring Science Scholars: Creating a Learning Community in the Biological Sciences.” The program helps academically-talented environmental science and animal behavior, ecology and conservation majors make the transition from science students to scientists. Kalb collaborated on the program with Sara R. Morris, PhD, professor of biology and Susan Margulis, PhD, assistant professor of biology. The three successfully co-authored the grant proposal for the program, which received nearly $600,000 in support from the National Science Foundation. Kalb earned his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the University of Rochester, his graduate degree in molecular biology from Cornell University, and conducted his post-doctoral training at the University of Calgary. Mel Schroeder taught an estimated 5,000 students throughout his near half-century in the classroom. He specialized in 20th century literature, especially British literature, as well as writing and drama. Schroeder especially loved the works of Joseph Conrad, D.H. Lawrence, James Joyce and E.M. Forster.
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Schroeder was one of the earliest professors to teach in the All-College Honors Program, and among the first group of Canisius faculty to teamteach coursework. Literature & Philosophy; Literature, Science & Technology; and Literature, Lawrence Minet, PhD War & History are a few of the interdisciplinary classes Schroeder shared with professors in philosophy, chemistry, history, and with colleagues in his own English Department. He found the educational approach of collaborative learning beneficial for students because it led them to understand the world as a whole. Outside the classroom, Schroeder advised editors of The Griffin. He served six years as chair of the Canisius College English Department, four years as chair of the Faculty Senate, and lent his expertise to several college committees. Schroeder earned his BA and MA from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and was at work on his doctoral dissertation on the 20th Century British Novel. A memorial Mass for Mel Schroeder is scheduled for Saturday, April 30 at 5:00 p.m. in Christ the King Chapel.
Fatta ’66, PhD, is Recipient of 2011 Distinguished Citizen Achievement Award Look to any one of the region’s thriving civic, cultural or educational institutions and it’s likely that Angelo M. Fatta ’66, PhD, contributed to its success. For this reason, Canisius College will present Fatta with its Distinguished Citizen Achievement Award at the 45th annual Regents Scholarship Ball on Saturday, May 7, at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo. Independent Health is the presenting sponsor of the event.
the Burchfield-Penney Art Center, the Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities, as well as alma mater.
“Ange’s interest in and commitment to this community is limitless in its breadth and scope,” says Deborah A. DiMatteo MBA ’88, a member of the Board of Regents’ Distinguished Citizen Award Selection Committee. “His leadership is an outstanding example of how Canisius College graduates embody the Jesuit ideal Fatta is the co-founder of BuffLink Inc. of ‘men and women for others.’” The private-sector initiative promotes the The Regents Ball is the principal fund region as a life sciences economy, and is raiser for the Canisius College Board of credited with the creation of several new Regents Scholarship Fund. Proceeds provide enterprises and growth companies that vital financial support to promising young make Buffalo Niagara a global competitor. students, who otherwise would not be able He is an equally staunch advocate for the to take advantage of a Canisius education. region’s cultural and educational organizations. Fatta made great strides toward To purchase tickets or to learn about securing the financial future of the Buffalo sponsorships, contact Lainey Pate ’08, Philharmonic Orchestra, during his tenure assistant director of events and stewardship, as chair of its board of directors. He was at 716-888-8228 or visit the website at instrumental in similar success stories for canisius.edu/regentsball.
Support Canisius and Save Tax Dollars Here’s some exciting news to help you save tax dollars and support Canisius College. The U.S. Congress reinstated the Individual Retirement Account (IRA) charitable rollover as part of its Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010. That means if you are age 70 ½ or older and have an IRA account, you can roll over up to $100,000 a year from an IRA directly to a tax exempt charity, such as Canisius College, free of federal income tax. The IRA charitable rollover was reinstated through December 31, 2011. For more information, contact Dianna Civello, associate vice president for institutional advancement, at 716-888-8220 or civellod@canisius.edu.
Campaign Update As of February 9, Canisius College has secured $80.2 million in commitments toward its $90 million goal for A Legacy of Leadership: The Campaign for Canisius College. To learn more about our campaign, visit canisius.edu/campaign. C ANI SIUS COLLEGE M AGA ZINE • WINTER 2011
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Give and You Shall Receive Most families travel to the Caribbean for some rest and relaxation but the annual trip that Paul J. Farrell ’81 and his family take to the Dominican Republic is no day at the beach.
Game On Keith C. Stube, MD, specializes in career comebacks Keith C. Stube, MD, may not be an athlete but he is an MVP in the Canisius College athletics program. An orthopedic surgeon, Stube is co-owner of the successful Knee Center of Western New York. When he’s not managing his practice, however, Stube volunteers and serves as an attending physician on the sidelines of Golden Griffin home games, ready to care for student-athletes if they become injured. “He literally saves athletic careers from potential career-threatening injuries,” says Andrew N. Smith ’89, head athletic trainer and clinical instructor at Canisius College. Off the court, field or ice, Stube hosts weekly clinics at Canisius to evaluate injured student-athletes. He consults regularly with the college’s sports medicine staff about players’ treatments and conditioning, and performs surgeries on student-athletes when necessary. Stube also lends his orthopedic expertise on the Canisius College Medical Advisory Board.
Farrell; his wife, Lynne; and their children, Patrick (19) and Hailey (16), minister to the needs of the poor and marginalized along the outskirts of Santo Domingo. In recent years, they Paul J. Farrell ’81 built a church and living accommodations for a pastor, who previously slept on a foam mattress on the ground. They also constructed an orphanage, and cared for abandoned and abused children, many of whom are lucky to be fed once a day. Farrell and his family give a lot of themselves during their week-long service immersion but it’s nothing compared to what they receive in return. “God pays us back tenfold,” says Farrell, who explains “We see God in action when we serve.” An added blessing occurs when the service experience is shared with family. “We really begin to understand the meaning of the expression ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit.’”
Many of his career highlights include stories of Canisius athletes he cared for, who made incredible comebacks from injuries. “Dewitt R. Doss ’04, MSEd ’05, went on to score his career 1,000th point in his final game despite two surgeries for an ACL tear and fractured foot,” recalls Stube. “Thomas P. Zabawa ’01 suffered a broken hand in the first half of a football game but went on to score three touchdowns on catches, in the same game, while wearing a hand cast.” The players show their gratitude to Stube with gifts of team jerseys and signed photographs, all of which line the walls of his practice. But that’s not why he does what he does. The Syracuse native, who had no connection to Canisius prior to his move to Buffalo Dr. Keith Stube (center) tends to an injured player in 1995, says “I would during the Golden Griffin basketball game against Niagara on January 28. probably spend all my time at the games anyway so I may as well cover them and get a better seat,” he laughs.
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Members of the Farrell family build a church in the Dominican Republic village of El Piñone.
Farrell and his wife share their faith in service with Canisius College students. The couple provides financial support to Alternative Spring Break (ASB). The annual student trip, organized by the Office of Campus Ministry, is a unique community-service alternative to traditional spring break activities. Fifty undergraduates travel to rural Appalachia or urban areas in Erie, PA, New Orleans, LA, and Washington, D.C., to assist the impoverished and experience diverse cultures and lifestyles. “Paul and Lynne’s generosity enables campus ministry to continue to diversify the number of service experiences it offers to students during ASB week, and provides service-immersion experiences to students who might not otherwise consider them due to the costs involved,” says Sarah E. Signorino ’04, MS ’08, associate campus minister and ASB coordinator. “The college couldn’t be more grateful.”
Endowed Scholarships Make Canisius Education a Reality When it came time for Justin Masucci ’11 to consider college, he worried that even with a stellar high school academic record and an impressive list of activities he might not be able to receive the Canisius education he always wanted. But his goal became a reality thanks to the generosity of three separate endowed scholarships: the Virginia F. and R. Carlos ’56 Carballada Endowed Scholarship, the John M. Montfort ’51 Memorial Scholarship, and the Professor Edwin L. Neville Scholarship in History. “Endowed scholarships provide opportunities for young people to receive a quality education at Canisius, and I am honored to have such a privilege,” says Masucci, who makes the most of every opportunity on campus. A student in the All-College Honors Program, Masucci studies history and classics. He is treasurer of Eta Sigma Phi, the classics honor society, as well as treasurer of the Classics Club and the College Republicans. Masucci also serves on the Student Senate Finance Committee, and is co-president and editor of The Courier, a student magazine. He plans to attend graduate school to earn his doctorate degree and become a history professor.
Pictured (l-r): Thomas R. Hess, Sheila Montfort Hess, Justin J. Masucci ’11, Virginia F. Carballada and R. Carlos Carballada ’56, at the Endowed Scholarship Mass and Brunch.
Did You Know? More than 345 endowed scholarships and $3 million were awarded to Canisius College students in 2010-11. Thank you to all of the Canisius College endowed scholarship benefactors for the gift of a Canisius College education!
Masucci is learning to become a leader and that is precisely what Joyce Neville had in mind when she established an endowed scholarship in honor of her late husband and Canisius professor, Edwin Neville, PhD. “Knowing that Ed’s legacy lives on and helps students like Justin pursue their dreams is very meaningful,” says Neville.
Masucci is one of nearly 35 scholarship recipients at Canisius who attended this year’s Endowed Scholarship Mass and brunch. The annual event gives students a chance to meet with their benefactors and thank them for their generosity. “The scholarships become so much more personal and meaningful when you meet and get to know the people who support you and your education,” says Masucci. “I won’t ever forget them.”
Financial aid packages for Canisius College students are often comprised of more than one endowed scholarship, in addition to institutional grants and government aid. To learn more about endowed scholarships at Canisius, contact Marion Mittler, director of stewardship, at 716-888-8217 or mittlerm@canisius.edu.
Make Canisius College Part of Your Legacy The enduring impact of charitable bequests helped shape the Canisius circumstances change. Moreover, the flexible nature of bequests allows College of today. Your support to the Rev. James M. Demske ’47, S.J., you to leave an exact amount or percentage of your estate, which can be used to support a specific program at Canisius, if you choose. Society can continue that tradition well into the future. When you include Canisius College in your estate plans, you receive Help us continue to provide outstanding educational opportunities to the satisfaction of knowing that your legacy will live on at 2001 Main highly qualified students. Make Canisius College part of your legacy. Street, as well as in the lives of Canisius students. For more information, contact Dianna Civello, associate vice presiA bequest to Canisius costs nothing during your lifetime, it can lower dent for institutional advancement, at 716-888-8220 or civellod@ estate taxes, and a bequest can easily be revised or revoked if plans or canisius.edu. C ANI SIUS COLLEGE M AGA ZINE • WINTER 2011
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Col. Patrick J. Cunningham ’59: Saluting Sacrifice
T
hroughout Col. Patrick J. Cunningham’s
30-plus years of service to his country, no assignment quite compares to his current one. This Class of 1959 alumnus is executive director of The Buffalo & Erie County Naval and Military Park. The museum of military history is the largest inland park in the United States and an impressive presence on Lake Erie’s shore. It is home to several decommissioned U.S. Naval vessels, a UH-1 Huey helicopter, an Air Force F-101F Voodoo Fighter Jet and a Nike Hercules missile. More significant, says Cunningham, the park is a symbol of the region’s patriotism, dedication and sacrifice. “This park recognizes the contributions of those who served in all branches of the armed forces and the sacrifices they made so that we can enjoy our freedoms,” says Cunningham. After graduation, the ROTC cadet was commissioned as an artillery officer at Fort Bragg, NC. His active duty included tours in Korea, France and Germany. Cunningham worked with the United States Information Agency on psychological warfare, during the Vietnam War. Subsequent assignments included 13 years at the Pentagon, where he managed the budget for all active duty and retired Army personnel; coordinated new and innovative projects for the Department of the Army Inspector General; and held successive assignments as executive officer for the director of the Army budget and comptroller of the Army. Cunningham spent his last five years on active duty as chief of staff at Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN. He ‘reenlisted’ after just four years of retirement. “I missed the military environment and so when I heard there was a national search for an executive director at the Naval and Military Park, I applied,” recalls Cunningham. That was in 1993. In the years since, Cunningham worked to make The Buffalo & Erie County Naval and Military Park a magnet destination. The park recently concluded a Marine art exhibition, “Blue Water, Still Water.” In its place is a new World War II exhibit. “We’re also gearing up for a commemoration of the War of 1812,” notes Cunningham. Although the park is open just eight months a year, it attracts approximately 40,000 visitors annually - many of whom are veterans from across the United States and have a multimillion dollar economic impact on the region. And as the region cements plans for further development along Buffalo’s waterfront, “more people will be attracted to Buffalo’s shore and we anticipate our numbers will increase even more,” states Cunningham. Hooah to that!
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Canisius College inducted six new members into its Sports Hall of Fame during half-time of the men’s basketball game against Iona in January. This years inductees are (l-r): Thomas Appenheimer ’94; Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach Randy Mearns ’92, who accepted on behalf of Jason Cummings ’95; Joshua Oort ’98; Erin Oveis ’01; Dan McNaughton MS ’80; and Kristina Chavez Gnacinski ’98, MBA ’01.
New York City Alumni Chapter Nearly 50 members and friends of the New York City Alumni Chapter volunteered at the ING NYC Marathon. Volunteers distributed water to runners at the 17-mile mark. Mary Robertson Wittenberg ’84 is the CEO of the New York Road Runners, which organizes the annual race. Pictured l-r: Stephen Contino, Nick Contino ’06, Stephen Williams ’04, Hilary Bauer, Michele Manuel ’90, Mark Devit ’01, Andrei Jacobs ’99, Phineas Azcuy, Teagan White, Kayla Boorady ’05, Joyson Thomas ’03, Joshua Coleman ’10, Ed Kelley ’08, Maureen Blake ’11, Bob Kennedy ‘85
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Distinguished Alumni 2010 Canisius College recognized six graduates with its Distinguished Alumni Award. Presented annually, it is the Alumni Board’s preeminent award and recognizes graduates who are leaders in their chosen professions. The 2010 Distinguished Alumni Award honorees are:
Anthony J. (A.J.) Bellia Jr. ’91
Professor of Law | Notre Dame Law School
Anthony J. Bellia Jr. believes that life is a journey, not a guided tour. “You have to chart your own way because every path is different,” he says. Bellia shares these words of inspiration with his students at Notre Dame Law School, where he is a professor of law and the Notre Dame Presidential Fellow. While in law school at Notre Dame, A.J. interned with Judge William M. Skretny ’66 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York in Buffalo. He was the first intern Skretny ever invited to return as confidential law clerk. A.J. proceeded to clerk for the Ninth Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals and then for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. After two years with a private firm in Washington, he joined the faculty of Notre Dame Law School in 2000. First job: Part of a summer landscaping crew at Canisius, while in high school. Best career advice: “Chart your own course. Work hard. Build capital in yourself.” Anna Marie Rooth Cellino ’75
President National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation
When Anna Marie Cellino was elected corporate secretary of National Fuel Gas in 1995, she became the company’s first female officer. Now as president of National Fuel Gas Distribution, she is the first woman to head its utility segment. Cellino joined the company as an attorney after graduating from the U.B. School of Law in 1981 and steadily climbed the ranks. Promoted to senior attorney in 1988, Cellino advanced to general manager of the Consumer Business Division in 1991, to assistant vice president in 1992, and vice president in 1994. She was elected secretary of National Fuel Gas Distribution in 1999, promoted to senior vice president in 2001, and to president in 2008. Cellino is a director of the Northeast Gas Association, she sits on the leadership council of the American Gas Association, and serves on the Wehle School of Business Advisory Council. Best career advice: “Treat everyone like they’re the CEO.” Interesting fact: All of Cellino’s siblings (she has four brothers) graduated from Canisius College. Mark J. Czarnecki MBA ’91
President | M&T Bank
With more than $68 billion in assets, M&T is one of the nation’s 20 largest banks and one of the most highly regarded. At the helm is Mark J. Czarnecki, president of Buffalo’s largest publicly traded company since 2007. Czarnecki started at the bank 30 years prior, as an assistant branch manager. His intentions were to save money for law school but “I decided I liked banking and M&T.” Throughout his bank career, Czarnecki advanced through managerial posts in retail banking, business banking and commercial lending. He joined the Investment Group in 1994, and became president of M&T Securities in 1995. Appointed executive vice president two years later, Czarnecki assumed responsibility for the entire Investment Group, comprised of M&T Securities, M&T Insurance, MBD, and the Trust and Investment Services Division of M&T Bank. In 2003, he added oversight of M&T’s retail banking network. First job: Worked for the Town of Amherst running golf courses in the summer. Best career advice: “It’s not what you’re doing now, it’s the ability to constantly learn and adapt that distinguishes who is successful.”
Robert J. Kresse ’50, HON ’00
Counsel | Hiscock & Barclay LLP
Throughout Robert J. Kresse’s long career as an attorney of counsel with Hiscock & Barclay, he won praise from clients and colleagues as a counselor, confidant, friend and trusted advisor. But Kresse’s efforts to preserve and promote virtually everything that enriches the community are among his most stellar accomplishments. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Darwin L. Martin House might be in ruins were it not for Kresse’s leadership with the Martin House Restoration Corporation. The city’s parks system not only survives but thrives because of Kresse’s involvement with Buffalo’s Olmsted Parks Conservancy. St. Mary of Sorrows Church received a new lease on life when Kresse rescued the treasured landmark from demolition and restored it as the King Urban Life Center and Charter School. Canisius’ own library would be inadequate to the demands of contemporary higher education if not for Kresse’s tireless push to expand and refurbish the Bouwhuis Library. First job: Newsboy for The Buffalo Times, The Courier Express and The Buffalo News. Best career advice: “The best advice was from my father. He said, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and love your brother as yourself.’” Most Rev. Dominic Dinh Mai Luong MSEd ’67 Auxiliary Bishop | Diocese of Orange, California In 2003, the Most Rev. Dominic Dinh Mai Luong became only the second bishop of Asian origin in the United States, and the very first from Vietnam. He began his career with the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo as a teacher at the Diocesan Preparatory Seminary, an associate pastor of St. Louis Church, and a chaplain for Vietnamese students in Buffalo. When many Vietnamese immigrated to New Orleans after the fall of Saigon, Bishop Luong was sent to be director of the Vietnamese Apostolate. He became a cultural guide, a spiritual patriarch, and an interpreter to fellow immigrants. He celebrated Mass for them on weekends and devoted weekdays to helping them find housing, jobs and transportation. Bishop Luong was appointed founding pastor of Mary, Queen of Vietnam Church in New Orleans in 1983. He became a monsignor in 1986, and director of the National Center for the Vietnamese Apostolate in 1989.
Buffalo Niagara Alumni Chapter Members of the Buffalo Niagara Alumni Chapter celebrated the season of giving with donations of non-perishable food items for St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy in Buffalo. Canisius alumni brought their donations to the chapter’s annual Christmas party at Sonoma Grille. Pictured (above) l-r: Norman Paolini Jr. ’69, HON ’09 and Amy Betros HON ’09, co-founders and co-directors of St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy, with Canisius College President John J. Hurley. Pictured (below) l-r: Scott Marchant, Tracey Marchant ’97, Jennifer Crawford ’99, Maria-Rose Frisina ’93
Interesting Fact: Bishop Luong worked in the college’s seismograph station as a student because of his fascination with earthquakes. First job: Professor of biology at the Diocesan Seminary in Buffalo. Lawrence J. Vilardo ’77
Partner | Connors & Vilardo LLP
Lawrence J. Vilardo is renowned for his legal expertise. The Harvard Law School graduate served as confidential law clerk to the Hon. Irving L. Goldberg in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Dallas, TX. Vilardo returned to Buffalo in 1981 as an associate at Damon and Morey, where he met Terrence M. Connors ’68. Five years later, they established Connors and Vilardo, a litigation firm that represents a diverse client base. Now, in addition to the New York State Bar, Vilardo is admitted in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fifth and Eleventh Circuits, and the United States Supreme Court. He is among only 500 attorneys to be elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers. Interesting fact: Vilardo served as the editor-in-chief of The Griffin and editor of the Harvard Law Review. Best career advice: “Do what you love doing.” C ANI SIUS COLLEGE M AGA ZINE • WINTER 2011
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Lorenda Williams ’99, MS ’04, MSEd ’10: Back to School orenda D.C. Williams ’99, MS ’04, MSEd ’10, speaks from experience when she encourages students at Burgard Vocational High School to aim high. The former Erie County Sheriff’s Deputy saw firsthand what can happen to young people when they aren’t challenged. These experiences triggered a career change for Williams. She now employs the lessons she learned in the Sheriff’s Department as an assistant principal at Burgard High School. “Many of the skills I acquired on the job, in terms of communicating effectively with a diverse population, and being able to pick up on non-verbal cues and de-escalate situations, are all valuable skills in the education field,” says Williams. But her work is much more than managing student discipline. Williams describes herself as the school’s “instructional leader” and works closely with teachers to improve instruction and increase student achievement. She also focuses her efforts on enhancing the educational and social environments for students so “they may find success and become contributing members of society.” Williams’ transition into education began during her tenure with the Sheriff’s Department. She worked full-time during the day and pursued her master’s degree in counseling and human services at night. “I knew that degree would couple nicely with my background in mental health,” says Williams, who holds an undergraduate degree in psychology and criminal justice. She was right. Williams’ education combined with her professional experiences landed her work as a school counselor at Amherst Central High School. There, she helped students identify their interests, skills and talents, and encouraged successful study techniques and career exploration. Williams’ natural ability with students garnered the attention of her superiors who “groomed her” and “encouraged her” to consider educational administration. Upon their advice, Williams again returned to alma mater to earn a second master’s degree; this time in educational administration and supervision. “More than anything, I appreciate the quality of the education I received at Canisius. I wanted to prove that I deserved to be at Canisius and that I deserved a diploma from Canisius,” says Williams, who concedes that the college’s rigorous curriculum and challenging professors proved too much for her as a freshman. “At the time, the dean suggested I take a year off.” Instead, Williams went to a community school, improved her grades, and returned to Canisius the following year. Her perseverance since earned her three degrees from Canisius. But perhaps more important is that Williams’ resolve earned her the right to tell her own students what can be achieved when they aim high.
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A L U M N I
S P O T L I G H T
class notes 1930s
inducted into the Canisius High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame.
’37 Donald G. Jacobi, retired owner of Don Jacobi Inc. Men’s Clothing, was the special honoree at the St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute Alumni Association Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony.
’68 BA Alfred F. Luhr III, senior vice president at M&T Bank Corporation, was inducted into the Canisius High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame.
1950s ’54 BS Louis J. Harasty, a retired commercial photography instructor for the Buffalo Public Schools, was featured in a Buffalo News article, entitled “Long After WWII, a Talk with Truman,” in the weekly section Saluting Our War Heroes/ Stories About Those Who Served. ’59 BS Jon S. Spisiak is the new realtor for Realty Associates of Delray Beach, FL, where he specializes in active adult communities and retirement residences in South East Florida. He is the retired senior vice president of Morgan Stanley.
1960s ’60 BS Peter X. Bellanti, tax manager at Amato Fox & Company PC, received the first annual Distinguished Service Award from the New York State Society of CPAs Buffalo Chapter. ’60 BA Lawrence J. Casazza, MD, director of African Communities Against Malaria, was inducted into the Canisius High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame. ’60 BA, MS ’67 Vincent F. Saele is the new senior counsel for Changing Our World Inc., an international firm that specializes in fund raising and philanthropy. He previously served as senior vice president at Johnson & Wales University. ’63 BA Alvin J. McKenna, partner at Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP, is included in the 2011 edition of Best Lawyers in America, to which he has been named for more than 20 consecutive years. ’63 BA Andrew D. Merrick, partner at Brown & Kelly LLP, is included in the 2010 Upstate New York Edition of Super Lawyers. ’63 BA James N. Schmit, special counsel at Damon & Morey LLP, is included in the 2011 edition of Best Lawyers in America.
’69 BA Paul A. Battaglia, JD, a partner in the law firm of Jaeckle Fleischmann and Mugel LLP, served as a presenter at the 57th anniversary of the Institute on Taxation, sponsored by the University at Buffalo School of Management. He presented an update on S&C corporations. ’69 BA Harry F. Mooney, partner at Hurwitz & Fine PC, is included in the 2011 edition of Best Lawyers in America. ’69 BA Kenneth P. Service is the new executive director of the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education. He previously served as vice president of institutional relations at La Roche College.
1970s ’70 BA James L. Budny, MD, a neurosurgeon at Millard Fillmore Hospital, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the local chapter of the American College of Surgeons.
’73 BA Joseph F. Saeli Jr., partner at Saeli & Tollner PC, is included in the 2010 Upstate New York edition of Super Lawyers, which recognizes the top five percent of lawyers in Upstate New York. ’75 BA Michael P. Denehy is the new lead exhibit designer at the University of Texas at Austin. He previously served as director of creative services for IBM Corporation. ’76 BA LTC Peter J. Schifferle, director of the Advanced Operational Art Studies Fellowship at the School of Advanced Military Studies, authored the book America’s School for War: Fort Leavenworth, Officer Education, and Victory in World War II, which was published by the University Press of Kansas. ’77 BA Dorri Giles Raposa, senior vice president and director of consulting services at HDR Engineering Inc., was named to a two-year term on the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) International Board of Directors.
’70 BA Hon. Richard B. Halloran Jr., circuit judge for Wayne County Circuit Court, received a federal grant to develop a Domestic Violence Court.
’78 BA Mark Spitler, partner with Gibson, McAskill & Crosby LLP, was named a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in America.
’70 BA Franklin W. Heller, senior partner at Damon & Morey LLP, is included in the Best Lawyers in America 2011 Annual Guide to Bankruptcy and Creditors-Debtor Rights Law. He is also included in the Best Lawyers commercial litigation list.
’79 BS Kathleen M. (Sturm) Fortune, quality specialist at the St. Louis Cord Blood Bank in St. Louis, MO, was elected to the Cellular Therapy Section Coordinating Committee for the AABB (American Association of Blood Banks).
’70 BA, MS ’73 Gregory R. Maday, executive vice president of Warner Brothers Theater Ventures Inc., is the producer of “Elf” the musical, which opened in November at the Hirschfeld Theater in New York City.
’79 BS Micheal Osika, vice president of finance and operations at Ethan Allen Home Interiors, was named chair of the Philanthropic Committee for The American Red Cross Board of Directors.
’72 BA Ronald H. Luczak was promoted to vice president for business development for The Travel Team Inc. He is responsible for the company’s leisure divisions in Buffalo and Jamestown, NY; Erie, PA; and Tampa and Islamorada, FL. He also oversees the company’s marketing and public relations.
’64 BA Richard M. Slattery retired from his position as teacher of Latin, German and Spanish at the Tuscaloosa County High School in Alabama, after a 25-year career.
’71 BA Robert H. Maloney, founder and principal of Maloney Government Relations LLC, received four awards, including the Ultimate Love Award, Sampson Award, Icon Award and Achievement Award, from Simba Do Jang Inc. The International Martial Arts Association recognized his dedication and contributions to the sport. Maloney is a Grand Master Ninth Degree Black Belt and has been practicing martial arts with the organization for 30 years.
’65 BA James P. Renda, owner and attorney at James P. Renda Attorney at Law, was recognized by Buffalo’s Business First, Buffalo Law Journal , Who’s Who in Law 2010, Best Lawyers in America and New York Super Lawyers 2010.
’72 BS James C. Metzler, vice president of small firm interests for The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, is listed among the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting in 2010 by Accounting Today.
’68 BA Thomas J. Lawley, MD, dean at Emory University School of Medicine, was
’73 BS Jan A. Nowak, MD, PhD, a pathologist at North Shore University
’63 BA Rev. Mark J. Wolski, pastor of Saint Peter & Paul Parish in Hamburg, NY, was elected to the parish’s Priests’ Council. He also serves on the Diocesan Finance Committee and the Villa Maria College Board of Directors.
Health System, received the 2010 College of American Pathologists Foundation Humanitarian Grant Award.
’79 BA David M. Spiller, a basketball instructor and break room clerk at Giant Eagle’s Market District grocer in Columbus, OH, was inducted into the Genesee Community College Athletic Hall of Fame. ’79 BA Hon. Gerald Whalen, New York State Supreme Court justice, was named chair of the Judges’ Committee of the Bar Association of Erie County. ’79 BS Robert L. Zotara, president of the PMA Group, recently co-founded and is vice president of Just Do It Dental. The web-based information product company creates winning formulas, strategies and blueprints to help dental practices throughout the country achieve financial freedom.
1980s ’80 BS Rocco Lucente II, president of Cohen & Lombardo PC, is featured in the 2010-2011 edition of Who’s Who Among Executives & Professionals. ’81 BS Norman L. Miosi, territory account manager at Intuit, was inducted into the Western New York Baseball Hall of Fame.
’82 BA John T. Kolaga, special counsel at Damon & Morey LLP, was elected president of the Elmwood Village Association Board of Directors. ’82 BA Kathleen A. (Grisanti) Lillis, MD, founded Adolescent Urgent Care of WNY. The center is the region’s first urgent care, physician-led center staffed by pediatric specialists. ’83 MBA Bruce A. Bonhoff is the new vice president of the commercial lending team at Evans Bank. He previously served as vice president of Key Bank. ’83 BS John R. Cinquino, first vice president of Commercial Corporate Banking at First Niagara Bank, was elected to the Summit Educational Resources Board of Directors. ’83 MA Andrea Tyrpak Endres was promoted to assistant principal for academics at Canisius High School. She has been at the school for more than 25 years, and most recently served as chair of the Theology Department. ’83 BA Martin C. Mahoney, MD, PhD, chairman in the Department of Clinical Prevention at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, was named vice chair of the American Cancer Society Primary Care Advisory Committee. ’84 BS Michael L. Bradley, vice president and chief financial officer at NOCO Energy Corp., was named the 2010 large private company Financial Executive of the Year by Buffalo’s Business First. ’84 BA, MS ’01 Patricia G. Duffy was promoted to principal at Six Mile Charter Academy in Fort Myers, FL. She previously served as principal of curriculum. ’84 BS Patrick L. Emmerling, JD, a partner in the law firm of Jaeckle Fleischmann and Mugel LLP, served as a presenter at the 57th anniversary of the Institute on Taxation, sponsored by the University at Buffalo School of Management. His presentation was entitled “Estate Planning with a Dysfunctional Congress.” ’84 BA, MS ’91 Pauletta A. (Prince) Stines was promoted to principal of Bennett Park Montessori. She previously served as assistant principal at the school. ’86 BA Matthew J. Naylon was promoted to full partner and vice president of sales for Western Colorado Associates Health Group. He previously served as director of new business sales for the Denver region. ’87 BS Kim M. (Schmitt) Bowers was promoted to senior business analyst for Sykes Enterprises. She previously served as an assistant director for client services. ’87 BS Sean Cunningham, ATC, head athletic trainer for the Florida Marlins, was selected as the National League All-Star Athletic Trainer at Major League Baseball's 2010 All-Star Game held in Anaheim, CA. ’87 BS Gregory G. Emminger, vice president and relationship manager of business banking at First Niagara Bank, received the 2010 Lender of the Year
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class notes Award from the New York Business Development Corporation. ’87 MBA John J. Staschak, president and chief executive officer of Bryant & Stratton College, was elected to The Association of Proprietary Colleges Board of Trustees. ’88 BS Lois J. Arcara was promoted to executive director of Ernst & Young. She has 21 years of experience with the firm, and focuses on corporate domestic and international tax reporting and compliance. ’88 BA Sean P. Beiter is the new partner in the law office of Goldberg Segalla LLP. He previously was a partner in the labor and employment practice group at Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel LLP. ’88 BA Dean J. Kotlowski, PhD, was promoted to professor of history at Salisbury University. He also received the university’s Distinguished Faculty Award, which is the highest honor bestowed by faculty. ’89 BS Stephen L. Bojdak is the new vice president of the commercial lending team at Evans Bank. He previously served as vice president of business banking at Citizens Bank. ’89 BS Brigitte A. (Ricco) Chip was promoted to executive director in the personal financial services group at Ernst & Young LLP, serving the Boston, MA and Providence, RI markets. She previously served as a tax consultant at Blesy & Associates. ’89 BA Michelle M. (Wynne) Parker, attorney and partner at Anspach Meeks Ellenberger LLP and a part-time town prosecutor in Evans, NY, is included in the 2010 Upstate New York edition of Super Lawyers. ’89 BS Daniel P. Powers was promoted to assistant section chief of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He previously served as the head of FBI operations for South Asia at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India, covering six countries.
1990s ’90 BS Jennifer L. (Neimeier) Clarey is the new payroll and benefits manager at Nichols School. She previously served as the accounting manager at Global Energy Ventures LLC. ’90 BS Stanley F. Collesano, an attorney with Tyra & Collesano PC, was inducted into the St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute Alumni Association Athletic Hall of Fame. ’90 BA Kimberly A. Hocking is the new head of public services at the Law School Library of Campbell University in Raleigh, NC. She previously served as a public services librarian at Peace College. ’90 BA James J. Klubek is the new principal at Silver Creek High School. He previously served as assistant principal at West Seneca East Middle School.
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’91 MBA Mark J. Czarnecki, president of M&T Bank Corporation, was elected to the Buffalo Niagara Partnership Board of Directors. ’91 BS Mark J. Koziel, director of specialized communities and firm practice management at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, was listed among the 100 Most Influential People in Accounting in 2010 by Accounting Today. ’92 BA Peter J. Guido is the new career agent at Mass Mutual Financial Group. He previously served as a sales agent at Combined Life Insurance of America. ’93 MSED Timothy K. Fitzgerald was promoted to principal of Canisius High School. He previously served as assistant principal for academics. ’93 BA Pauline (Costanzo) Will, partner of Watson Bennett Colligan & Schechter LLP, presented on the topics of trucking and transportation law and toxic tort litigation at the 2010 Cambridge University International Property & Casualty Insurance Summer School: Insuring the 21st Century. ’94 BA Rosanna Berardi, managing partner of Berardi Immigration Law, was named to Buffalo’s Business First “40 Under Forty” list, in recognition of her professional success and community involvement. ’94 BS Carolyn M. (Hoch) Powell, business development manager at Buffalo Niagara Enterprise, was elected to the Working for Downtown Board of Directors. ’95 BS Charles R. Mancabelli Jr., guitarist, singer and songwriter for the band Bemsha, won a gold medal in the pentathlon at the 2010 Empire State Games. ’95 BA Rev. Paul C. O’Connor, S.J., was ordained a Jesuit priest on the campus of Marquette University by Bishop Blasé J. Cupich of the Diocese of Rapid City, SD. He is also the new associate pastor at Old St. Pat’s Church in Chicago, IL. ’97 BS John Connerton was promoted to senior vice president at Evans Bank. He joined the bank in 2002 and most recently served as principal accounting officer. ’97 BS George M. Knab was promoted to managing director of the international tax group at KPMG LLP. He previously served as senior manager. ’97 MBA Ralph M. Pawlak is the new senior project manager in the Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Department at Watts Architecture & Engineering. He has more than 20 years of experience as a licensed professional engineer. ’97 MS John C. Penhollow is the new vice president of corporate sales and services for the Cleveland Browns. He previously served as director of corporate sales for the New York Yankees. ’98 MS Tracie M. Lewis was named principal of Roosevelt Early Childhood Center. She previously served as principal of Hamlin Park School 74.
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’98 BA Audrey A. (Barr) Seeley, an attorney at Hurwitz & Fine PC, was named to Buffalo’s Business First “40 Under Forty” list, in recognition of her professional success and community involvement. ’99 BS Danielle M. (Dorsaneo) Goetz, MD, is the new member of the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, OH. She is also an assistant professor of pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University.
2000s ’00 BA Albert R. Cowie, MD, is a new member of the Southtowns Radiology medical staff. He completed his residency in radiology at Rochester General Hospital. ’01 BS Nicholas Fiume, senior manager of Assurance Services at Deloitte & Touche LLP, was named to Buffalo’s Business First “40 Under Forty” list, in recognition for his professional success and community involvement. ’02 MA Sabatino Cimato is the new principal of Hutchinson-Central Technical High School. He previously served as the principal of North Park Middle Academy. ’02 BS, MBA ’04 Christopher B. Eckert was promoted to senior manager of the Buffalo Audit Department at Freed Maxick & Battaglia PC. He previously served as manager.
’04 BA Joseph P. Dunson is a new attorney in the complex litigation division at Seeley, Savidge, Ebert and Gourash Co., LPA. He previously served as an associate at Lowe Eklund Wakefield. ’04 MS Benjamin B. Roberts was promoted to senior account manager at e3communications. He joined the company in 2005 and most recently served as senior account executive in the public relations services group. ’04 BA Melanie A. (Karabatsos) Till was promoted to senior media buyer for SKM Group Inc. She joined the company in 2004 as a media coordinator. ’05 BA U.S. Army Capt. Christopher H. Coppola returned home from his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. ’06 MBA Timothy J. Bohen Jr. is the new clinical specialist at Genentech Inc. He previously served as a specialty senior sales professional at Sanofi Aventis. ’06 BS Stacy L. Piatkowski Hoffman, DDS, is the new associate dentist at Brendan Dowd DDS. ’06 MBA Jennifer M. O’Neill is the new chief financial officer and vice president of IRSHelp.com. She previously served as chief executive officer of Bankruptcy Exchange. ’06 BS Christopher R. Piedici was promoted to supervisor at Freed Maxick & Battaglia CPAs, PC. He previously served as senior accountant.
’02 MSED, MS ’04 Lynn M. Girdlestone, assistant principal of Depew High School, was named the athletic director of the school, in addition to her current responsibilities.
’07 BA Katie L. Rampino is the new account executive at Eric Mower & Associates. She previously served as a marketing assistant at the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy.
’02 BA Brian K. Kasprowicz is the new email engineer at Synacor. He previously served as enterprise architect at Bureau Veritas.
’10 MSED Lisa Geiger is the new adoption social worker and family advocate at Adoption STAR.
’02 BS Mary C. (Berowski) Kauderer, MD, is the new physician in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department at the Buffalo Medical Group, PC. She completed her residency in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University at Buffalo. ’02 MS Jill A. (Monkelbaan) Monaco was promoted to principal of Immaculata Academy. She previously served as assistant principal. ’03 BS Aimiamia Amadasu was promoted to mortgage servicing unit manager at Bank of America. She previously served as mortgage servicing team manager. ’03 BA Stephen C. Lingle is the new account executive at Carr Marketing Communications. He previously served as the public relations and marketing director for Immaculata Academy. ’03 BA Jonathan E. Lopez, PhD, is a new assistant professor of mathematics at D’Youville College. He previously served as assistant professor of mathematics and statistics at Canisius College.
’10 BS Anthony J. Gullo, an MBA student at Canisius College, passed all parts of the CPA exam and accepted a job offer from Ernst & Young LLP, which he will start in fall 2011.
To see what alumni events are happening in your area, visit the Alumni Calendar of Events at canisius.edu/alumni.
New job? Newly married? New arrival to the family? Simply E-mail your news and notes to alumnote@canisius.edu . The editors will share your accomplishments in a future issue of Canisius College Magazine. Just remember to indicate Alumni Note, Alumni Wedding or Baby Griff in the subject field of your E-mail.
canisiusconnections
carrie Jo (Simmons) Brunelle ’02 and ryan Brunelle, a son, chase mathews, born June 28, 2010
Lisa m. (kaminska) krueger ’03 and Ciaran Krueger, a daughter, caoimhe Stacey, born August 28, 2010
Sophia J. (valentine) Burden ’04 and kenyatta L. Burden ’03, twin daughters, madison ann and maya Lee, born July 27, 2010
Elizabeth a. (moses) Rivera ’95, mSED ’06 and Daniel J. rivera, a daughter, natalia Elizabeth, born September 22, 2010
Genevieve m. (Garcia) Dispenza ’02, mBa ’05 and Anthony g. Dispenza, a daughter, Gabrielle mae, born July 15, 2010 Jennifer L. (Dylag) Gillard ’02, mSED ’06 and Shawn gillard, a daughter, madeline mae, born March 20, 2010 Danielle m. (Dorsaneo) Goetz ’99, mD and Jason goetz, a son, aaron charles, born february 22, 2010
T H I S I S S U E ’ S F E AT U R E D B A B Y G R I F F
Abayomi Malana born to aimiamia amadasu ’03 and timothy mccray January 3, 2010
Julie L. (Demunda) hall ’00 and gary hall, a son, Rocco Joseph, born September 25, 2010 Jennifer E. (Feichter-Burzynski) Janiszeski ’04 and richard Janiszeski, a son, Joshua Richard, born July 8, 2010
Sarah E. (huntley) Spillman ’02 and michael J. Spillman ’02, a daughter, Delia Rose, born June 2, 2010
think your baby ought to be in pictures? Send us a photo of your newborn with his/her name and date of birth. each issue, we will draw from the entries. if your child’s picture is chosen, he/she will be featured as the next “Baby griff.” Send photos to: Canisius College Magazine Baby Pictures; 2001 Main Street, lyons hall 209; Buffalo, ny 14208 or e-mail a high resolution photo to alumnote@canisius.edu. aLL Baby Griff photos submitted can be viewed on the college’s alumni site at canisius.edu/alumni/ wedding_births.asp. Photos will be returned if a self-addressed, stamped envelope is provided.
IN MEMORIAM
*kathleen a. Gibbs ’02 and Brian a. herbst ’02 on october 9, 2010
clement Schubert ’40, mS ’43 August 17, 2010
Joseph F. Dimaio ’53 September 6, 2010
*victoria m. kraft ’05 and Douglas Callen on September 25, 2010
albert F. pepe ’41 September 1, 2010
alfred J. morley ’54 September 15, 2010
John J. conway Sr. ’42 September 13, 2010
norman J. Rung ’54 August 7, 2010
Edward S. czapla ’43 September 28, 2010
Robert a. Binner mS ’60, EdD September 26, 2010
*colleen a. nugent ’03, mD and peter S. martin ’02, mD on September 4, 2010
Stanley c. pietrowski ’44 September 9, 2010
Bruce W. klotzbach ’65 August 23, 2010
*mary c. Rimlinger ’03 and Matthew Miller on September 18, 2010
mark J. mogavero ’46, mS ’49 August 28, 2010
michael Glieco ’67 november 22, 2010
*colleen m. Schwab mSED ’10 and thomas R. Bender ’08 on october 9, 2010
William m. Fleming ’48 May 12, 2010
Barbara m. Soper ’69 August 24, 2010
Stanley J. michalak ’48 october 2, 2010
Diane a. D’angelo ’70 March 29, 2010
Dolores R. (Lukasiewicz) Reinbold ’49, mS ’51 August 27, 2010
David J. Wyler ’72 August 13, 2010
paul F. hogan ’50 August 26, 2010 Richard E. Brodfuehrer ’50 August 10, 2010 paul W. hall ’51 March 25, 2010
Robert F. moss mS ’78 August 14, 2010 Lawrence R. Basel Sr. mS ’79 August 23, 2010 Shakir askia ’86 September 16, 2010
patrick F. Ruggiero ’51 August 16, 2010
anthony S. marranca ’96, mSED ’04, mBa ’06 September 11, 2010
William J. Strachan ’51 August 26, 2010
matthew D. puchlerz ’06 September 1, 2010
angelo m. Lovullo ’52, mS ’79 August 31, 2010
*Lindsay J. hoelscher ’01, mD and matthew mcclure on September 18, 2010 *Sarah L. Jay ’04 and Paul DeWald on october 2, 2010 Shaylee a. malek ’06 and eric Tuskind on october 10, 2010 Renee m. malizia ’05 and matthew J. condon ’04 on May 22, 2010 kimberly p. mctigue ’09, mSED ’10 and kevin p. mahoney ’09 on october 8, 2010 amy m. monafo ’99 and Eric c. patton ’00, mSED ’05 on october 2, 2010 *tracey L. penner ’07 and matthew J. mancini ’06 on September 18, 2010 natalie m. Ruffino ’02, mSED ’06 and Jeff J. Wheeler on September 3, 2010 tuhina Sen ’01, DDS and Dip roy on May 8, 2010 Joan E. Stoltman ’05 and todd J. Swatling ’07 on July 10, 2010 Larissa R. thompson ’07 and Adam West on August 21, 2010 *Jessica k. zoladz ’03 and Zar ni htay on october 9, 2010
Weddings *Indicates married at Christ the King Chapel.
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N
STORY: KRISTIN E. Etu ’91
PHOTOs: Matt Cashore
Former NBA coach Jeffrey
G. Nix ’80
holds court for America’s military families, at collegiate sporting events across the country.
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effrey G. Nix ’80 had “hoop dreams.” He hoped to play professional basketball. But those dreams didn’t exactly materialize as he envisioned. The reality turned out even better. Nix is co-founder and president of Camouflage Kids. The national non-profit organization provides the children and spouses of active service military men and women with entire game day experiences at college sporting events across the country. “The idea is primarily for the kids to forget – even just for a day – that mom or dad is deployed and in a potentially dangerous situation,” says Nix. Each Camouflage Kids participant receives a ticket to the game, a backpack, t-shirt and wristband; a $100 value for a family of four. A pre-game tour takes children into the locker rooms, where they meet athletes and coaches. Prior to the start of each game, the military families in attendance are invited onto the court while the National Anthem is performed. “It may seem simple but the outings that Camouflage Kids offer are a big morale boost to families like ours,” says Lisa McGrath, wife of Army Capt. Scott A. McGrath and mother of Marlena, 13; Maximus, 8; and Maci, 4. She and her kids attended Camouflage Kids games at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Fort Carson, CO and at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. “The kids always have an amazing time,” adds McGrath, whose husband deploys to an undisclosed location in August. It will be his third deployment in nine years of active duty. “The best part is instead of the kids going home glum because their dad isn’t there, they go home with smiles on their faces.” Those smiles outshine anything Nix ever imagined for himself, on or off the court.
“Jeff is a leader. He can analyze a situation and put his assets together, offensively and defensively, whether it’s a game plan or life.”
From the time he was a child in Portville, NY, Nix lived and breathed basketball. Several colleges recruited him out of high school. Nix chose to bring his talents to the Canisius court, where he earned a full scholarship. Sophomore year, Nix suffered an injury during a game against Niagara and he thought his playing days were over. “I was a delusional player back then,” recalls Nix with a laugh. “I thought the coach wanted to get rid of me and my injury would give him the excuse he needed.”
The injury did sideline Nix’s playing career at Canisius but not his potential. Head Coach Nick Macarchuck recognized more than just athletic talent in Nix. He saw someone who understood the game, inside and out, and invited him to help coach the college’s junior varsity team. “I caught the coaching bug after that,” says Nix, who went on to become a playmaker for both collegiate and professional basketball teams.
- Richard “Digger” Phelps, ESPN analyst
Throughout his tenure, he served as an assistant basketball coach at The University of Notre Dame, Xavier (OH), Loyola (MD) and St. Francis University (PA). Nix coached five NCAA Tournaments and a National Invitational Tournament. His winning record earned him work as an assistant coach, assistant general manager and director of scouting with the New York Knickerbockers. He spent 15 years with the NBA (National Basketball Association) team, coached in two NBA Finals (1994 and 1999), and one NBA All-Star Game (2000). It was during Nix’s NBA career that he came up with the initial idea for Camouflage Kids. A coach and friend at the Air Force Academy told him how much the military children enjoyed playing during the Academy’s open gym time because it distracted them from the reality of their mothers and fathers deployed overseas. Nix wanted to do something for the children, so he purchased season tickets to Air Force Academy basketball games and donated them to its military families. “You would have thought I invented the tank, they were so excited,” laughs Nix. “I thought, ‘We have to find a way to help more families. We need to do this on a national scale.’”
The McGrath family enjoyed some quality family time at a West Point basketball game in January courtesy of Camouflage Kids. Pictured L-R: Maci, 4; Scott, Lisa, Maximus, 8 (in front) and Marlena, 13.
Nix reached out to an all-star line-up of NBA and NCAA friends for help. He scored a slam dunk. Richard “Digger” Phelps, ESPN analyst and former Notre Dame head basketball coach responded, as did Mike Brey, Notre Dame head men’s basketball coach; Tom Izzo, Michigan State head men’s basketball coach; and retired NCAA coach Bobby Knight (best known for coaching the Indiana Hoosiers and winning more games than any other NCAA Division I coach). “Jeff is a leader,” says Phelps. “He can analyze a situation and put his assets together, offensively and defensively, whether it’s a game plan or life.” These decorated coaches host fund-raisers for Camouflage Kids and serve on its board of directors. Some even travel to the Middle East with Nix to participate in Operation Hoop Talk: Talking Hoops with the Troops and Operation Hardwood: Hoops for Troops. Both are United Service Organization (USO) - sponsored initiatives that send college coaches overseas to visit military troops and coach basketball teams comprised of American service members. “I don’t think we can ever realize what our troops go through unless we live it,” says Izzo, who participated in Operation Hardwood in 2005. “While the politics of war often dominate media headlines, it’s the men and women who serve, and their children and their families who are often the forgotten story,” adds Ray Stults, a U.S. Army veteran and co-founder of Camouflage Kids. “Our organization gives these families the attention they deserve.” Since its first tip-off six years ago, more than 9,000 children benefited from Camouflage Kids. The organization, itself, continues to grow. More than 20 institutions in 10 states participate in the program, including the former schools at which Nix coached: The University of Notre Dame (1987-1992) and Canisius College (1979-1981). “We hope to lift the kids’ spirits at a time when they need it most,” says Thomas P. Parrotta, head men’s basketball coach at Canisius, who notes that the college hosts the families of National Guard units based out of Niagara Falls and Buffalo. “An added benefit for us would be to inspire the kids athletically and academically.”
In fact, that’s all part of Nix’s game plan. When and wherever possible, he arranges for the children to tour the college campuses they visit. Camouflage Kids also awards scholarships to children of military families. “If our small organization can introduce these kids to college campuses, and get them to think about college and improve their grades, we’ve scored big,” says Nix. He is a firm believer in education, and recalls the role his Canisius education played during one of the most trying times of his career. In 2007, Nix gave a deposition in a $10 million sexual harassment lawsuit filed by former Knicks marketing executive Anucha Browne Saunders against Knicks President Isiah Thomas and the Knicks organization. Nix knew his testimony would likely cost him his job as director of scouting but he never thought twice about what he needed to do. “I remembered the values I learned at Canisius from people like Rev. Paul J. Dugan, S.J., and Rev. James M. Demske ’47, S.J.,” says Nix. “They taught me to always do the right thing. If not, you cheat other people and you cheat yourself.” Nix will graduate – again – from Canisius College this May, with his master’s degree in sport administration. He completed most of his coursework online (Nix is a resident of Granger, IN) but comes to class in Buffalo, when his schedule allows. He thrives on students’ energy. “These 20-year old kids are ready to conquer the world like I was at their age,” says Nix with a smile. He hopes to harness that same enthusiasm to ensure the future of Camouflage Kids and whatever other game he encounters in his next quarter of life. “Whatever Jeff does, whether he coaches or works in athletic administration, it’s never just about winning games,” says Phelps. “It’s about winning with the kids, winning in the community, and using his love of the game to connect with people and places.” “Jeff is all that is right about being a coach and a human being,” adds Izzo. “He believes it is truly better to give than to receive.” That makes him one of alma mater’s most valuable players.
C ANI SIUS COLLEGE M AGA ZINE • WINTER 2011
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Canisius College Magazine 2001 Main Street | Buffalo, NY 14208 | canisius.edu
The development of Science Hall, which is scheduled to begin in May 2011 (see pg 4), is the latest in a long history of rebirths for the parcel of land near the corner of Main Street and Jefferson Avenue. This picture (circa 1897) is from atop ‘Chute the Chutes,’ an early flume-like ride housed at Buffalo Athletic Field, which operated on the site until it became Luna Park (1905-1908). Carnival Court, a mid-city amusement park, occupied the property from 1909-1915. It was purchased by Sears & Roebuck in 1929 photo Courtesy of the Buffalo State College Courier-Express Collection