Manhattan Magazine Spring 2008 by Manhattan College

volume 34 number 1 spring 2008

CALENDAR

June

6-8

Reunion Weekend 2008

Athletic Hall of Fame Nominating Meeting

contents

Around the Quad

Athletic Hall of Fame Selection Meeting

New master’s concentration in school of engineering • Environmental engineering student drives veggie car cross-country • De La Salle Medal Dinner • Fall Honors Convocation

July

ON CAMPUS

College helps dancers get bachelor’s degrees • Focus the Nation • News from the Holocaust Resource Center • CNN interviews chemistry professor • Model UN takes home award • Lectures

Day at the Races, Saratoga, N.Y.

August

Construction Industry Golf, Eastchester, N.Y.

Day at the Races, Monmouth, N.J.

September

JKO Golf, Long Island

President’s Dinner

19-21

Alumni Men’s Retreat

October

Interscholastic Cross Country Meet,

Van Cortlandt Park

National Alumni Council Meeting

Career Fair – Undergraduate & Young Alumni

20 SPORTS

Jaspers in the major league • NY Giants trainer retires • Celebrating 50 years of historic basketball win • Fall and winter sports roundup

27 ADVANCEMENT New scholarships and gifts

28 ALUMNI

New York City Club • New director • Traveling Jaspers • Alumnotes

Fall Honors Convocation

OBITUARIES

Alumni Brunch at Open House

Francis Taylor • Frank Flood

November

Fall Engineering Awareness Day

December

Christmas Luncheon, Sarasota, Fla.

Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

National Alumni Council Meeting

Annual Christmas Concert

Published by the office of college relations, a division of college advancement, Manhattan College, Riverdale, NY 10471 Lydia Gray, Director of College Relations Kristen Cuppek, Editor Rose Spaziani, Assistant Editor

On the cover Dr. David Bollert, assistant professor of philosophy, takes his class outdoors to enjoy an unusually warm day in May.

Contributors Stephen Dombroski Peter Kowal Mary Ellen Malone Scott Silversten Lonny Unger Kerri Whalen Susan Woolhandler Photographers Ben Asen Joshua Cuppek Marty Heitner Design Charles Hess, chess design

manhattan.edu

Manhattan students have more choices than ever in engineering as the College and Con Edison unveiled a new power technology concentration for graduate students at an inaugural ceremony this past fall. The program, tailored for completion toward a master’s degree in mechanical or electrical engineering, focuses study on the power field, an area in which few colleges and universities in the United States offer coursework. “This is our first cohort to specialize in addressing the emerging needs of Con Ed and the power industry in general,” says Dr. Gordon Silverman, acting dean of the school of engineering. The ceremony, attended by Con Edison executives Louis Rana, president and chief operating officer, and Jim Baumstark, vice president of central engineering, outlined the program’s courses and goals. The College has traditionally worked with Con Edison to develop target programs, with the support of Eugene McGrath ’63, retired chairman and CEO of Con Edison and College trustee emeritus. “A challenge that I’d like to offer the students and other people in the program is to make sure that whatever you are going over in your classroom is relevant to the problems of today or relevant to the problems of tomorrow,” Rana said. Indeed, the power technology concentration has 10 courses that aim at this goal, four of which are taught at Con Edison’s Learning Center in Astoria, N.Y. The College proposed the pro-

gram to Con Edison, a natural partner due to the company’s need to recruit and train skilled power engineers. “This is a very complicated business, and there’s a lot of automation and modernization being introduced to the system,” Silverman says. “These engineers have to be knowledgeable and increase their educational background to understand how to do this.” Program courses began in fall 2007. They cover new techniques and emerging technologies; how to use computers to plan power systems and test new ideas; direct energy conversion or “green technology,” which uses light, wind and thermal energies instead of fossil fuels; and project management, among other subjects. Course content was based on surveys conducted by the school of engineering with Con Edison employees to determine the company’s needs and important topics. Upon completion of their master’s degrees, Manhattan engineers with a power technology background go on to manage transmission and distribution of power to the customers of energy companies. They address problems, such as blackouts, and ensure the city’s delicate infrastructure runs smoothly. Silverman says the program will prepare students for power careers and pave the way for them to become skilled, future leaders of companies, such as Con Edison. “We see this as an ongoing need in the industry,” Silverman says. “We believe it will continue to be a success.”

around the quad

Manhattan Teams with Con Edison for Power Technology Program

Dr. Gordon Silverman, acting dean of the College’s school of engineering; Louis Rana, president and chief operating officer of Con Edison; Brother Thomas Scanlan, president of Manhattan College; and Jim Baumstark, vice president of central engineering of Con Edison, at the power technology inaugural ceremony at Manhattan this past September.

“…make sure that whatever you are going over in your classroom is relevant to the problems of today or relevant to the problems of tomorrow.” manhattan.edu

Eric Spargimino ’06 displayed the veggie car on Manhattan’s campus for Focus the Nation on Jan. 31. He keeps a couple of jars of waste vegetable oil on hand for the car.

Going the Distance — Veggie Car Runs Coast to Coast A 3,200-mile trip, $14,000, a vintage technology resurrected as trendy and one ambitious engineer fueled the buzz around campus this fall. The big question on everyone’s mind, including the engineer himself, Eric Spargimino ’06, was: Would he make it? “It” refers to his cross-country trip to California in a 1974, biodiesel-run Mercedes, known around campus as the veggie car. His destination was the Water Environment Federation’s annual conference, WEFTEC, this past October, and yes, he did make it. “The conference was great,” says Spargimino, a master’s student in environmental engineering at Manhattan who raised $7,000 to buy the car and set up its alternative fuel tank and another $7,000 to prepare it for the California trip. “One person even invited me to China for another conference, but it’s too expensive to bring the car there.” The car as a main attraction is easily believable. It’s long and sleek and the color of sea foam. When it was on display in January at Manhattan’s environmental awareness day, Focus the Nation, an entourage of curious students trailed Spargimino to see it. He popped the trunk to reveal a round fuel tank filled with waste vegetable oil (WVO), from which orange coolant lines connect to the engine. The oohs and aahs were palpable. But Spargimino says WVO is hardly a new technology. Back in the 1940s, farmers used it to fuel their tractors and trucks. Shortly after, the popularity of diesel put WVO out of the spotlight until its recent comeback. “I was afraid I wouldn’t make it to San Diego, not because of the technology, but because I was driving a 34-year-old car,” Spargimino says. At one point, he smelled something burning; the car began to blow smoke, which had nothing to do with the WVO and was easily fixed. Another smell, French fries, was never far from the veggie car. Down south, along I-40 (the old Route 66), the car was a magnet for what Spargimino calls monster bugs, which splattered on the green paint. In Albuquerque, N.M., he passed a farm, where 10 old Cadillacs covered in graffiti were half buried in a field. The owner had left cans of spray paint by the road for passersby to decorate them. Spargimino seized the opportunity for some extra publicity and painted the link for his veggie car blog on one of the Cadillacs.

manhattan.edu

These trip moments and more are blogged at http:// theveggiecar.blogspot.com. The journey started at the Jersey Shore and ended in San Diego, the conference’s host city. In between, whenever Spargimino stopped for a meal along the way, he regaled the restaurant staff with stories about the car. “I would chat up the manager and usually had five gallons of WVO by the end of the meal,” Spargimino says. “He would drain the fryer there and then. When I tell him I’ll take it (WVO) for free, he’s pretty happy.” And that’s the beauty of WVO: it is cheap and environmentally friendly, though it tends to congeal in cold weather. Even when Spargimino makes his own biodiesel, a combination of WVO and methanol, it only costs 80 cents per gallon, compared to gas, which costs, on average, more than $3 per gallon. When Spargimino started the veggie car project two years ago for a special topics class in the school of engineering, he briefly teamed with classmate Graham Sharkey ’06 to raise $7,000 to buy the car and equipment to pump, filter and implement WVO technology. Most of the money was raised through a savvy business arrangement: Spargimino sold ad space on the car in exchange for discounted equipment. The ads varied in price and depended upon their location. For example, an ad placed on the hood of the car cost $1,000. Now, Spargimino contemplates his next project. The cross-country trip put his funds in the negative, but he’s already thinking about new ideas for the veggie car. “Beyond this, I’d be happy to bring the car to college campuses and other places to show how we can be environmentally conscious,” he says. “There are so many little things we can do to make a big difference.”

Waste vegetable oil (WVO) fuel tank in the trunk of the veggie car.

around the quad

Record-Breaking De La Salle Dinner Celebrates Frederic Salerno ’65 The 2008 De La Salle Dinner was one for the Manhattan College history books. Returning to the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf=Astoria, the black-tie dinner, which took place on Jan. 16, set a new record by raising more than $1,450,000. An accomplished honoree, Frederic Salerno ’65, retired vice chairman and chief financial officer of Verizon, as well as two dedicated co-chairmen, Mario Gabelli, chairman of Gabelli Funds, and Eugene McGrath ’63, retired chairman and CEO of Con Edison, and a generous committee, helped this year’s dinner surpass the fundraising totals of all the previous dinners in the annual event’s 32-year history. The evening began when master of ceremonies Jim Ryan ’60 took the podium and introduced all the people who helped make the dinner possible, including the vice chairmen: Richard Carrión, president and chief executive officer, Popular, Inc.; William Dooley ’75, senior vice president, financial services, American International Group; Peter Mulderry ’87, managing partner and chief operating officer, SavannahBaltimore Capital Management; Michael Paliotta ’87, managing director, investment banking, Credit Suisse; Kenneth Rathgeber ’70, executive vice president, risk oversight and chief compliance officer, Fidelity Funds, Fidelity Investments; Paul Sagan, president and chief executive officer, Akamai Technologies; Stephen Squeri ’81, executive vice president and chief information officer, American Express; Vincent Tese, member, board of directors, Bear Stearns; and dinner journal chairman John Paluszek ’55, senior counsel, Ketchum. After dinner, Thomas O’Malley ’63, chair of the Manhattan College board of trustees, introduced the dinner co-chairmen. McGrath, who was the 2003 De La Salle medalist and is a trustee emeritus, spoke about Salerno’s generous and dependable nature, work ethic and commitment to service, and how the evening’s honoree embodies the values that the College espouses. “From the time it was started by the Brothers in 1853 as the Academy of the Holy Infancy, this College has stood as a powerful beacon for opportunity and for optimism,” McGrath said. “Fred’s life and career personify the opportunity and validate the optimism.” Gabelli then took the spotlight and had some fun with his nonalumni status. “I have suffered great angst in my life,” he began. “I have suffered great stress tonight because I am a Fordham graduate.” But the former ram braved the Jasper audience because he believes in education, he was born in the Bronx and also lived not too far from the campus during grad school, and most importantly, he had a burning question he wanted answered. “But when I dug deep and said I’ll do it, number one, I always wanted to know what a Jasper is.” All levity aside, he, too, offered sincere remarks about Salerno’s character and exceptional qualities. Before Brother President Thomas Scanlan presented Salerno with the medal, he spoke about the former telecommunications leader’s accomplishments, from overseeing some of the industry’s biggest

mergers to his philanthropic endeavors. Br. Thomas closed his introduction with describing Salerno as the prototypical leader that the dinner seeks to honor. “He is a pre-eminent example of all that Manhattan strives to instill in our graduates,” he said. Salerno, with much earnestness, told the crowd of more than 500 guests how receiving the De La Salle medal has been the highlight of his career. He also spoke highly of Manhattan’s Lasallian tradition of excellence in academics and firm foundation in values and how they prepared him and fellow alumni with an education of both the mind and spirit. “It is this tradition that makes Manhattan unique,” he said. “It is this tradition that makes our graduates stand out. And more important, it is this tradition that makes our alumni truly prepared to make a difference in this world.” And, he added, a “valued education” is necessary in preparing the next generation of leaders to thrive in such a fast-paced, global and challenging world. “When we left school, we felt prepared to face rigors of competition in any career we chose,” he said. “The discipline, the commitment and the high standards were ingrained in every student. And these were as important as the knowledge we gained.” As the evening drew to a close, guests were invited to continue to enjoy the music of Sound on Sound with bandleader Peter La Rosa ’69. The De La Salle Dinner, the most significant fundraising event on the Manhattan College calendar, traditionally honors a business leader who exemplifies the principles of excellence and corporate leadership. The proceeds benefit scholarships and academic programs.

Master of ceremonies Jim Ryan ’60, Brother President Thomas Scanlan, honoree Frederic Salerno ’65, chair of the board of trustees Thomas O’Malley ’63, and dinner co-chairmen Eugene McGrath ’63 and Mario Gabelli at the De La Salle Dinner in January.

manhattan.edu

“Whatever you do, wherever you go, have confidence in yourselves, work energetically to make a positive impact to help improve the human condition and, in doing so, reap the ultimate satisfaction.”

Scholars of Success: Manhattan Students Earn Fall Honors For Manhattan’s brightest seniors, months of hard work culminated in a day of celebration for 140 students and their families at Manhattan’s Fall Honors Convocation in the Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers. The event recognized students from Manhattan’s five schools with a 3.5 GPA or higher for six straight semesters with no academic failures. They were inducted into Epsilon Sigma Pi, the College’s oldest and most prestigious honor society, in October. One of the ceremony’s many highlights was speaker and honoree Dr. George Galasso ’54, who was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science by Dr. Weldon Jackson, executive vice president and provost of Manhattan College. Galasso, former associate director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and former executive director of the Foundation for NIH Research, encouraged students to take chances to achieve career goals. “Whatever you do, wherever you go, have confidence in yourselves, work energetically to make a positive impact to help improve the human condition and, in doing so, reap the ultimate satisfaction,” he said. Galasso devoted his career to research, teaching and science administration. His work has been recognized by colleagues with many awards. He founded the International Society for Antiviral Research in 1985 and, upon his retirement from NIH in 1996, established the nonprofit Foundation for NIH Research. Following the high notes of Galasso’s speech, the deans of engineering, arts, science, business and education announced the inductees from their schools. Students walked to the front of the chapel to accept certificates and keys from Brother President Thomas Scanlan and Jackson. After the ceremony, the students, along with family and friends, attended a reception in Dante’s Den, where they gathered in celebration of their academic success.

Top: Christina Bruno ’08, a double major in marketing and management in the school of business, accepts her certificate for induction into Epsilon Sigma Pi, the College’s oldest honor society, from Brother President Thomas Scanlan. Bottom: Dr. George Galasso ’54, recipient of an honorary Doctor of Science, with Br. Thomas at Manhattan’s Fall Honors Convocation in October.

manhattan.edu

on campus

“It’s the Lasallian connection. The Lasallian issue of bringing education to those who might not have had the opportunity.”h

Dancers Get a Leg-Up at Manhattan

Photo by Paul Kolnik

Manhattan College always has been committed to educating the underserved, those who might not have had the opportunity to attend college because of financial reasons. But now, the College is helping to prepare another group of underserved students achieve their goals of a degree. This group, though a tiny, unique demographic, consists of professional dancers, who often can’t devote the time to traditional programs of higher education. And there’s a program that is changing that. Liberal Education for Arts Professionals (LEAP), based at St. Mary’s College, in the San Francisco Bay area, specifically is designed for current and former dancers and offers them a Bachelor of Arts. The program, which takes three to four years of part-time study to complete, was founded in 1999 and has since grown to include an outpost in Los Angeles, too. Due to popular demand, LEAP started a New York extension in cooperation with Manhattan College, which began in October 2007. “It makes sense to be in New York,” says Mark Baird, LEAP program director. Baird, who is a former professional dancer and earned his degree in the program, worked closely with Dr. Mary Ann O’Donnell, dean of the school of arts, to get the program up and running at the College. Manhattan might seem like an unusual partnership for a program geared toward dancers, especially with other col-

Heather McFadden

leges in the vicinity of the dance companies and without a reputable dance program. But the College and St. Mary’s share a distinct core of values, which made Manhattan a natural choice for a collaboration. “It’s the Lasallian connection,” O’Donnell says. “The Lasallian issue of bringing education to those who might not have had the opportunity.” Professional dancers start at a young age, Baird explains, and join dance companies typically in their late teens. They can’t afford to take time off to attend college during their prime dancing years nor do their rigorous schedules allow for a full load of coursework. However, they need to earn degrees and have career options for when they retire, an inevitable career transition that typically happens between the ages of 30-35. “It’s always been impossible for professional dancers to go to college,” says Baird, who spends a lot of time traveling from coast to coast. “This gives them something to move on to afterward.” LEAP mirrors what other students at St. Mary’s and Manhattan are doing for their undergraduate degrees, with a few exceptions. While typical students are taking dance classes and participating in productions, the professional dancers, who come from ballet, modern, jazz/tap and ethnic dance companies, as well as theater, TV and film, already have done all that. So these students, in a sense, are testing out of those prerequisites and getting credit for their experience. As part of a cohort, the students take one course per term, which meets 10 times. The courses, which include literature, philosophy, kinesiology and music, at Manhattan College correlate to the St. Mary’s syllabus. In the fall, everyone took an English class with Zachary Snider, adjunct instructor of English at Manhattan, and, in the spring, they had music history with Dr. Mark Pottinger, assistant professor of music and chair of the College’s fine arts department. Pottinger, who was approached by O’Donnell, was excited to work with students who already have experience with music and was sold on the program when he heard them tell their stories at the College’s orientation at the beginning of the fall semester. “It’s encouraging that they see education as an important part of their lives,” he says. “It’s really exciting to realize it’s

Austin Laurent

manhattan.edu

a worthwhile program for us and them.” play Phantom of the Opera, her goal is to someday teach at a In keeping with the program’s focus on flexibility, the university. She enrolled in the New York program after lookNew York cohort of 21 students (there are 209 enrolled in ing at other programs but thought LEAP sounded perfect. the program altogether) takes classes at the Hotel PennsylShe likes the idea of being in class with other dancers and vania in midtown Manhattan on Sundays, from 6 to 10 p.m. the realization that she is working toward an aspiration. Baird collaborates with company managers beforehand “The whole point is for us to be able to transition into and then coordinates with the professors and students to something when we are done with dancing,” she says. “I’m schedule classes. Other coursework, as well as academic becoming a smarter person but also reaching my goal.” services, is offered at the LEAP office in New Jersey. McFadden also says the support and advice she gets For Austin Laurent, 24, a dancer with the New York City from the LEAP staff helped her overcome her intimidation Ballet, this program “made a lot of sense.” He did some of returning back to school. She’s even taking some addiresearch before applying to LEAP but ultimately chose this tional online courses. program because it offered a flexible schedule and a curBaird adds that some LEAP graduates have gone on to riculum that was viable to what he wants to do. graduate studies in areas such as art history, law and physiHe appreciates the different perspectives he gains from cal therapy. the classes, a break from the consuming world of ballet, and Right now, though, the students that comprise the New the balance that education brings to his life. He also realizes York cohort are enjoying their Manhattan classes and being how important a college degree is in the “outside world.” back in school. “There are multiple ways to look at a B.A.,” Laurent says. “It’s about balancing and focusing on something differ“It’s a starting point, which is a great thing. But once you get ent,” says Maya Collins, 23, a dancer with the New York City a diploma, it opens up options.” Ballet. “I just want to get the most out of it that I can.” While they take the same core of classes, each student’s And the faculty in the school of arts is happy to have course of study is individualized, Baird explains. So they can them as students. choose electives that correspond to their interests. “It’s a really remarkable group of people,” O’Donnell says. “The point of the LEAP program is to allow and encourage “It’s a pleasure to have part of their educational experience students to find new areas of passion,” he says. “They can to attend to. I’m delighted to count them as Manhattan really focus on something that is meaningful to them.” students.” For Heather McFadden, 36, a dancer in the Broadway

Chemistry Professor Interviewed by CNN

CNN’s entertainment correspondent Lola Ogunnaike dropped by Leo Hall to interview chemistry professor Maria Disavino (left) about her “hot” rating for a story on the network’s American Morning show.

manhattan.edu

It’s not every day that a chemistry professor makes it into the entertainment segment of a major news channel’s story lineup, but Manhattan College’s Maria Disavino did just that. Disavino, compliance officer and lab assistant for the chemistry department, was the subject of a CNN story after she was rated as the nation’s “hottest” professor by the Web site RateMyProfessors.com. A production crew from CNN visited Manhattan College in October to interview Disavino in Leo Hall and observe her teaching a class while interacting with students during a lab session. The twominute story, which also featured another local professor, aired the following week during the network’s American Morning telecast. Disavino spoke with CNN’s entertainment correspondent Lola Ogunnaike for nearly 30 minutes during the interview and often found herself returning to the same basic premise: her goals are to educate students and nothing less. “When I’m up in front of the class, my main goal is to teach,” she adds. While many of Disavino’s students who posted comments on the MTV-owned site praised her teaching abilities and dedication, others also commented on her appearance. Those statements are what surprised the 28-year-old professor, who remains dedicated to her work in labs and classrooms and brushes aside the superficial praise. “When I’m in class, I’m only thinking of one thing: portraying chemistry to my students and having them learn chemistry,” Disavino says. Founded in 1999, RateMyProfessors.com offers student ratings of college and university professors from more than 6,000 schools in the United States and abroad. Last year, the site presented its first annual top 50 rankings of individual professors and institutions.

on campus

Les Judd, president of Green Boroughs, gave students tips on smart environmental practices during Focus the Nation on Jan. 31.

Going Green: Focus the Nation Discusses Environmental Change Climate change, politics, religion and social awareness converged at Manhattan College’s Focus the Nation teach-in on Jan. 31. Similar to an Earth Day event, the daylong educational initiative presented solutions to global warming at thousands of colleges, universities and high schools across the United States. On Manhattan’s campus, nearly 750 members of the College community attended seminars, panels and presentations from local politicians, environmentalists and students. On the eve of Focus the Nation, the College offered a preview of events to come with presentations on renewable energy and climate change by the engineering department, as well as a live Web cast by Dr. Jeff Myers, assistant professor of English, and Dr. Pamela Chasek, associate professor of government and director of the international studies program, who began to organize the events back in November. “The purpose of the day was to raise awareness about climate change and what individuals can do to live in more environmentally sustainable ways,” Chasek says. “We also wanted to call national attention to climate change as a critical issue facing the nation and the planet, and that is not getting sufficient attention in this year’s presidential campaign.” Climate change in connection to religion shaped the day’s first talk, Care of Creation, Catholic/Biblical Perspective on Environmental Issues. The presenter, Thomas Dobbins ’86, justice and peace coordinator for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, discussed the Church’s social teachings of care for the environment. He emphasized helping the poor, who are hurt the most by global warming. “In this shrinking world, everyone is affected and everyone is responsible, although those most responsible are often those least affected,” Dobbins said. Personal responsibility was a theme that resonated throughout the day. One of the most interesting lectures, Green Lifestyles: Living and Eating Sustainably in New York City, recommended ways to conserve energy and provided alternatives to supermarket food. It brought together environmentalist Les Judd, president of Green Boroughs, and Paula Lukats, program manager for Just Food, a nonprofit group that promotes community supported agriculture (CSA) in New York City. Judd suggested ways that people can improve their lifestyles to protect the environment, including taking public transportation to work instead of driving, unplugging appliances that aren’t in use, purchasing products with little or no packaging, drinking New York City’s tap water instead of buying bottled water, and donating clothing to

charity rather than throwing it away. “New York City is one of the most sustainable systems in the world,” Judd said. “We can make personal choices that give the environment a break every once in a while.” In addition to Judd’s suggestions, Lukats offered another example of making personal choices to help the environment: joining a CSA. “We work with eaters and producers to create systems that shrink the number of miles that food comes to you,” Lukats said. “Community supported agriculture is a unique way for people to get food. It’s like a subscription. You buy a portion of the harvest at a farm.” The farms are mostly in upstate New York, much closer than many of the big commercial farms that supply supermarket chains. All the food is organic and dropped off once per week at a neighborhood distribution point for pickup. Subscribers know where the food comes from, as well as the farm’s production practices. Besides lectures, the day’s events also included presentations in Smith Auditorium. Organizations, such as the Bronx River Alliance, Gaia Institute and Catholic Relief Services, set up tables and posters with an environmental focus. At one station, a table of laptop computers was set up for students and faculty members to calculate their carbon footprint, a way to determine how their lifestyles impact the environment. Politicians also joined the mix with a panel discussion on global warming by State Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, City Councilman G. Oliver Koppell and State Senator José M. Serrano ’95. “One of the major shifts we’ve seen is environmental concerns have moved to the local level, especially in the South Bronx,” Serrano said. He talked about legislation that he believes is vital for a healthier environment, including a bill that would require buildings to install green roofs. According to the politicians, buildings are the No. 1 pollutants in New York City. Green roofs provide a solution to this problem because they consist of a roof that is at least partially covered with vegetation and soil, or uses green technology, such as solar panels. As for legislation that has been passed, Dinowitz talked about an environmental law that provides solar tax credits for co-ops and condos. He also discussed simple ideas that make a big impact. “Right now, I’m working on trying to get hundreds of trees planted in our community,” he said. From small lifestyle changes to complex legislation, Manhattan’s Focus the Nation events showed that every person counts in preserving the environment and making the earth a cleaner, healthier place.

manhattan.edu

Holocaust Resource Center Continues To Grow Under New Leadership

“What I want to be doing is not just presenting the talks that have been popular and useful but also making sure that we have resources to share with teachers, students and the community.”

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Dr. Jeff Horn, associate professor of history and the new director of Manhattan College’s Holocaust Resource Center (HRC), has a clearly defined plan for the future: to grow the “resource” component of the center. “As director of the center, one of my goals is to focus on the ‘resource’ in Holocaust Resource Center,” Horn says. “What I want to be doing is not just presenting the talks that have been popular and useful but also making sure that we have resources to share with teachers, students and the community.” Horn, who served as associate director of the HRC since 2000 before taking on the leadership role this past September, references the word “resource” quite often while detailing his upcoming plans. A public resource room is one of his long-term goals, while an increased Internet presence also is on the horizon. In addition, the center’s board of consulters held its first session this past February. To address the issue of revamping the Web site, during the summer, Horn will employ a graduate student, Joshua Franklin, whose main responsibility will be redeveloping the Internet page and posting an “enormous amount of materials” gathered since the center’s inception in 1996. Franklin holds a master’s degree in Holocaust and Genocide Studies from Clark University and is studying in Israel to become a rabbi. “We are going to do a major update [to the Web], including putting up snippets of past speeches, a lot of the things that Fred Schweitzer has written, as well as DVDs, and make that all available online,” Horn adds. Dr. Frederick Schweitzer, professor emeritus of history and the principal founding member of the HRC, served as director until he stepped down on March 27, 2007. At this time, he was honored when the College announced the Frederick M. Schweitzer Lecture on the Holocaust and Genocide. The newly formed lecture series will serve as a way for the College to continue striving toward the original goals of the center, which for more than 10 years has served to educate the entire Manhattan College and Riverdale communities about the Holocaust and other genocides around the world. The first event of the series is scheduled for Oct. 30, when Pulitzer Prize winner Samantha Power will visit the College.

Plans are also in the works for three more students to interview local Holocaust survivors during the spring and summer months, just like the two recent Manhattan College student-produced DVDs that tell the stories of survivors. The additional DVDs will be released later in the year. There are some other staff changes at the HRC, too. Barbara Reynolds ’72 and ’80, wife of late Manhattan College chemical engineering professor Joseph Reynolds, has become assistant director and is responsible for outreach to teachers. She currently is working on organizing a seminar that will train teachers to use art in teaching the Holocaust. Professionals in areas such as film and sculpture are expected to attend. The seminar, which is to be the center’s new major program under Horn’s leadership, is tentatively scheduled for the fall 2008 semester. The plan is to bring together people who work in different media to give teachers varying ways of teaching the Holocaust on different levels. The history of the HRC dates back to 1996, when discussions among concerned faculty and administrators at the College and the Riverdale community led to the center’s founding with the mission to promote Catholic-Jewish dialogue and to educate future generations about the Holocaust. The HRC inaugurated its Visiting Scholars Program the following year, and in 2006, an annual lecture was added to the series focusing on genocides other than the Holocaust. In addition to its public lectures, which draw impressive crowds of students and community members, the center sponsored workshops for teachers in the metropolitan area from 1997-2002 and worked closely with the College’s school of education to incorporate segments on the Holocaust into curriculum and special courses to further its mission. In the past decade, the HRC has sponsored bus trips to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., and New York City’s Battery Park. It also has sponsored events, such as commemorations of Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) and Kristallnacht (a coordinated attack on Jews throughout the German Reich on the night of Nov. 9, 1938) and model Passover seders on campus and in the community. In 2002, the center published Reflections of the Soul: Martin Spett’s Holocaust Experiences, written by a local Holocaust survivor.

Steve Carrea ’08 at the EPA’s Region 2 office in New York City.

To have an internship with one of the most influential agencies that deals with health and the environment throughout the nation sounds like a dream opportunity for a chemical engineer. That is what happened to Steve Carrea ’08, a Manhattan College graduate student who participated in a new internship program for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a government agency that promotes healthy and safe resources for the country’s land, air and water. He heard about the opportunity through the school of engineering, applied and was accepted into the EPA’s pilot program. For a full semester, he traveled to its Region 2 office in the downtown headquarters at Federal Plaza and obtained credit for his work there. As the only one in his position, Carrea was able to participate in hands-on experiences, such as working on specific projects for the EPA. One of his biggest assignments dealt with the implementation of clean diesel technology at construction sites. “We worked to make sure that diesel exhaust emissions were clean for the environment and public health,” says Carrea, about the project. To this end, he was a part of the Mobile Source Team, which focuses on all moveable machinery in construction sites that emit pollution. The EPA offers voluntary mobile source reduction initiatives under its National Clean Diesel Campaigns programs, voluntary diesel retrofit program and Northeast Diesel Collaborative. “The bulldozer is a perfect example of one of the many mobile sources that we focused our efforts on to help implement clean diesel technology,” Carrea says. He also participated in the State Implementation Plan, which helps states to achieve the federal environmental regulations that they need to follow. For this project, Carrea compiled, plotted and analyzed several decades of data consisting of ozone concentrations and trends and concluded his work with a PowerPoint presentation. Carrea’s experience in the EPA intern program served him well. He was offered a full-time job in the Division of Enforcement & Compliance Assistance as an enforcement officer, an impressive first step in his engineering career.

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A Clean Start: Manhattan Engineer Interns in EPA Pilot Program

Manhattan College Honored at Model U.N. Conference A delegation of 11 Manhattan College students visited Washington, D.C., in November to represent the United States at the National Model United Nations Conference, at The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. The students represented the United States on issues such as the use of torture, safe motherhood and family planning, illicit arms sales, debt relief and international trade, and HIV/AIDS prevention. During the intense threeday conference, they also took part in a Security Council crisis simulation of a Turkish invasion of Iraq. For its efforts, the Manhattan team was honored with a Distinguished Delegation Award, one of only six performance awards presented at the conference, which included participants from more than 40 colleges and universities. Dr. Pamela Chasek, associate professor of government and director of the international studies program, led the Manhattan College delegation.

Dr. Pamela Chasek (far left) and the distinguished Manhattan College delegation at the Model United Nations Conference in Washington, D.C.

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Companies Showcase Job Opportunities at Career Fair Manhattan students sampled more than 100 companies and organizations at the annual career fair this past October. The fair’s roster included Tishman Construction, American International Group and Lasallian Volunteers, to name a few employers. Sponsored by the center for career development and alumni association, the career fair offers students the opportunity to learn about jobs and network with potential employers. “The career fair is very interesting,” says Joanne Rando ’10, a biology major in search of an internship. “I really like the company Aerotek. I’m into stem cell research, and I think an internship will be helpful when I apply to medical school.” And it’s not just current students who benefit from the career fair. Alumni, such as Jojie George ’04, are invited back to explore job options. “I got contacts from a lot of companies,” says George, who has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. “They all gave their Web sites, so I can check them out online.”

Manhattan graduates also return to campus as company representatives, many of which are recruited by a group of alumni volunteers who work throughout the summer to staff the fair. At the table for New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Debra Iachetta ’06 and Nat Federici ’86 spoke to students and handed out business cards and pamphlets. “I think there’s a pretty good representation of engineering and nonengineering students,” observed Federici, executive project manager at the DEP, who attended the career fair for the first time this fall and welcomes interested students of all majors. His colleague, Iachetta, an environmental engineer, says they are looking to recruit students who have interest, drive and some experience, although they also look for interns. “The career fair is great,” she says. “The students are very eager to learn about the DEP. Compared with last year, it’s an even better turnout.”

Syska Hennessy representative Cheryl Williams, Matthew Skerett ’08, Entergy representative Shirley Castillo ’07 and Roman Petrina ’08 at the career fair in October.

Mentor Dinner Brings Together Students and Alumni

Tina DeAngelis ’09, Brian Dolan, Michael Czaczkes ’10, Yvonne Przybyla and Richard Stein at Manhattan College’s Mentor Dinner in February.

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This year’s mentor dinner welcomed a prominent business executive, a new mentor program coordinator and nearly 200 students, alumni and faculty to Manhattan’s campus on Feb. 7. Organized by new program coordinator Brother Charles Barbush, the mentor dinner serves as a backdrop for students to interact with their mentors, who are alumni in professional industries that match their interests. At the dinner, Eileen Murray ’80, president of Duff Capital Advisors and a member of Manhattan College’s board of trustees, addressed the audience about the positive impact of her Lasallian Catholic education and emphasized the importance of developing good workplace relationships and treating colleagues with respect and dignity. She also discussed teachers at the College who served as mentors, including Dr. Lydia Panaro, a recently retired assistant professor of English. “She’s a very influential businesswoman, which is why we were happy to have her speak at the dinner,” Br. Charles says. For those in attendance, Murray’s words reinforced the central premise of the mentor program, which enables students to build relationships through networking and learn more about a field of interest and proper business etiquette. In addition to the mentor dinner, two meet-and-greet receptions were held in the fall, one in October for engineering and science students, and the other in November for business, arts and education students. By pairing mentors and mentees early on in the fall, Br. Charles says the amount of time students can be mentored has been expanded. Among his goals for the new year is to appeal to students in all of the College’s five schools to join the mentor program. “I’m trying to enhance student participation,” he says. With a new leader and a mission to increase participation, the mentor program is on track for another successful year.

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The Players Put a Musical Spin on a Classic The Manhattan College Players performed 3 Ghosts, a musical based on Charles Dickens’ tale A Christmas Carol, in December. Directed by Liz Muller, produced by Angela Raiti ’09 and put on by a cast and crew composed of students and alumni, the show ran for two weekends.

“You’ll never change these awful chains!” Jacob Marley and ghosts visit Scrooge to warn him about the future. From left to right: Angela Raiti ’09, Lucas Salvagno ’09, Kristin Maclearie ’09, Michael Macagnone ’09, Alana Wolfe ’09 and Jessica Felline ’08.

Students Exhibit Art in Local Residential Building Manhattan College students taking Digital Drawing, a relatively new course in the fine arts department, finished their class with more than a final grade and a project portfolio; they had the opportunity to exhibit their work at the Solaria, a high-end residence in Riverdale. The idea for the display came about during the fall, when the real estate representative for the Solaria approached Dr. Mark Pottinger, chair of the fine arts department, about having a show for the students at the condominium. As a result, an exhibit took place on Nov. 15, which coincided with an open house luncheon with several real estate agents throughout New York City, and featured eight student works. All the pieces were drawn by hand but were created using the digital tablet, stylus pen and the software program Corel Painter during two semesters of the class.

(Left) Automat by Victoria Gillott ’10 (Top) Untitled by Meghan Plunkett ’07

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Afghan Woman Shedding Burka

Brushstroke Stories: Human Rights Painting Project Depicts Global Leaders The 27 colorful, richly textured canvases of artist Tom Block’s series Human Rights Painting Project sent a strong and timely message to the Jasper community at an opening reception in February. The series of paintings, on display until May in the Alumni Room of the O’Malley Library, depict men and women who have raised awareness of human rights abuses in their countries. At the reception, Block delivered an illustrated lecture Artist as Shaman in an Age of Uncertainty. A shaman is believed to be able to foretell the future through communication with good and evil spirits, a relationship that the artist explores in his paintings. His portraits of lawyers, writers, students and labor union leaders juxtapose the goodness of their work against the violence and corruption of oppressive government regimes. “The series of works that he [Block] does on various subjects are apropos to Manhattan College because they deal with spirituality and human rights and goodness in the world,” says Amy Surak, the College’s archivist. She met Block, a member of Amnesty International, at the Peace and Justice Studies Association’s 2006 conference held on Manhattan’s campus, which is where they first discussed the idea of an exhibit. Each painting, paired with a short bio, serves as a mini history les-

son. Up close, they appear to be wild splatters of every color of paint on Block’s palette, but step back, and the lush brushstrokes form the exaggerated figures of his larger-than-life subjects. Most of his portraits are individuals, such as his red, pink and magenta striped rendering of Jacqueline Moudeina of Chad. She became a prominent human rights lawyer four decades after her father was poisoned to death with a potion made from lion saliva because he refused to join in government politics. Block also groups single countries into one human composite. His Algerian Villager signifies the more than 100,000 people, including many innocent civilians, caught in the fray of warring groups. Another bold canvas, Afghan Woman Shedding Burka, depicts a woman in a sea of red, green, violet, yellow and orange burkas, a tribute to the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan. The members of this group, started in 1977, smuggled cameras under their burkas to snap pictures of Taliban abuses, such as public executions and floggings, which they posted on their Web site for the world to see. From rural villages to big cities, the stories behind Block’s paintings connect people from all over the world. Like their subjects, the paintings rally for change and offer a powerful conduit for conversation on human rights.

ROTC Cadets Honored Two cadets from the Air Force ROTC’s Major William V. Holohan Squadron of the Arnold Air Society at Manhattan College were recognized with national awards. Cadet Matt Krauss ’07, a mechanical engineering major, was awarded the 2007 H.H. Arnold Sabre as the outstanding area commander of the year. Cadet Mateusz Caryk ’07, an economics major, was awarded the Arnold Air Letter Trophy for authoring the most outstanding article of the year, which was featured in The Arnold Air Letter – Newsletter of the Arnold Air Society. Both are currently active duty Air Force pilot trainees. The Arnold Air Society is a professional, honorary service organization whose mission is to provide Air Force officer candidates with opportunities to interact among collegiate level officer candidates, as well as to encourage increased communication with Air Force officers and leaders; to exercise leadership, organizational and public relations skills; and to participate in campus and community service activities.

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Mateusz Caryk ’07

Matt Krauss ’07

Manhattan College marked the 50-year anniversary of the European Union (EU) with Desmond Dinan’s retrospective talk, Interests, Institutions and Individuals: A History of the European Union, at the sixth annual Brother Casimir Gabriel Costello, F.S.C., Lecture this past October. A leading authority on the EU, Dinan is a professor at George Mason University and author of nine books on European affairs. He traced EU formation to a broken post-World War II Europe. As the continent rebuilt itself under the United States’ Marshall Plan, European integration began. By 1951, the European Coal and Steel Community formed to unite control of the coal and steel industries of its members. Economic trade was the catalyst for European countries to prosper. Six years later, a precursor of the EU, the European Economic Community (EEC) was created. “It’s important to remember that the EEC was more than just an economic arrangement,” Dinan said. “It had a political objective and purpose in mind.” For example, Dinan emphasized that the EEC, and later the EU, faced important political and social issues, including the German question, which asked how to integrate Germa-

ny after World War II, and the centrality of Franco-German relations, an ongoing struggle between the opposing interests of European heavyweights France and Germany. In 1957, the EEC became the EU and, despite early issues, member countries have worked together toward a greater good that Dinan called “peace and prosperity.” Indeed, EU membership has alluring economic perks, including market access and policies that subsidize farmers, as well as cultural and security benefits. As the EU evolves, member countries face a broadening policy scope and the enlargement of community membership. Dinan compares the German question of the 1950s to the recent question of Polish membership in the EU. “One of the greatest benefits of enlargement is that it has forced the EU to ask itself what it really is,” he said. The Costello Lecture series, which explores topics in European history, was established by Manhattan College to honor the memory of Br. Gabriel, a former chairman of the history department and dean of the College, who was known on campus as “Mr. History.” Roger Goebel ’57, one of his many grateful students, sponsors the lecture series.

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History Scholar Traces Impact of European Union

Aquinas Lecture Unravels the Story of Narrative Imagination Professor Richard Kearney, the Charles B. Seelig Chair of Philosophy at Boston College, sorted fact from fiction at this year’s Aquinas Lecture, for which he discussed The Narrative Imagination, a topic that explored aspects of storytelling, including myths, cultural identity and catharsis. “We are a tapestry woven from stories heard and told,” said Kearney, who counts literature, movies, fairy tales and history, among different forms of storytelling. He began with myths, which he called communal stories that help to shape cultural identity. These myths could be tales of Greek gods or simply how a culture remembers a piece of history, such as the story of the American Revolution in the United States. “Every society that has a sense of its identity has some story that it tells about itself for better or worse,” he said. Kearney described another function of the narrative imagination as catharsis, or storytelling as a way to heal from a painful experience. “Storytelling is as important as eating is to stay alive,” he said, using the example of how some Holocaust survivors, including authors Eli

Wiesel and Primo Levy, have written about horrific events. He concluded the lecture with his take on the crisis of narrative imagination, which he called the result of how our postmodern world distorts the real and the imagined with slick ad campaigns, “reality” TV and fundamentalist religion. Unlike fairy tales, which Kearney said we know are fiction but still use to make sense of “inexperienced experiences,” the stories packaged for today’s society are not so clear-cut. Kearney’s perspective on this topic comes from years of experience as a public intellectual in Ireland. He was involved in drafting a number of proposals for a Northern Irish peace agreement in 1983, 1993 and 1995 and assisted in speechwriting for the former Irish president, Mary Robinson. The author of more than 20 books on European philosophy and literature, including his most recent trilogy Philosophy at the Limit, he also has presented five series on culture and philosophy for Irish and British television. Named after Saint Thomas Aquinas, the College’s annual lecture is alternately sponsored by the departments of philosophy and religious studies and features distinguished scholars in these fields.

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Alumnus and Scholar Discusses Lasallian Education at Convocation Dr. Richard Tristano ’73 discussed issues of student assessment at the 16th Lasallian Convocation held in September. He is a noted Lasallian scholar and professor of history at Saint Mary’s University, a Christian Brothers school in Winona, Minn. His talk, Lasallian Assessment: In the Footsteps of the Founder or a Badly Put Question?, outlined three goals: to explain the natural tensions between Lasallian values and the concept of the university; to delineate the historical characteristics of Lasallian assessment; and to discuss how assessment of Lasallian values has worked in practice. Tristano discussed the difficulties of integrating the 300-year-old Lasallian experience with 21st century higher education. He asserted the existence of a fundamental divergence in the educational philosophies of liberal arts and the writings of St. John Baptist de La Salle. For example, liberal arts reveres learning for its own sake, while a Lasallian education focuses on training in employable skills for self-sufficiency. According to Tristano, the pedagogical principles as written by St. John Baptist de La Salle, clearly state that major responsibility falls on the teacher, not the student. Christian Brothers are expected to be more like mentors than teachers and set an example that extends beyond the classroom. He told of the registers that Christian Brothers used to evaluate each student on an individual basis. It was the teacher’s responsibility to ascertain a student’s capabilities and steer each one toward the appropriate training. He reiterated the most important principle: “What is beyond the student’s capacity must not be required of him.” The Christian Brothers were responsible for keeping their students connected to the school. Home visits to sick or truant students were obligatory. Tristano asked: “Can such high standards of personalized assessment be maintained in modern college life?” Tristano suggested that reconciling Lasallian values to university-level education will always be an ongoing process. Teachers still strive to be the mentors that early Christian Brothers were in the past and continue to be today.

Examining Jesus’ Family Values Was Jesus married? Was he a father? Anything is possible according to Deirdre Good, professor of New Testament at the General (Anglican) Seminary in New York. She spoke about Jesus’ Family Values at the College this past October. Good’s encyclopedic knowledge of religious art, ancient languages and biblical literature was evident as she discussed the symbolism in Egyptian Coptic murals, translated the layered meanings of Aramaic and Sanskrit words and quoted the Scriptures chapter and verse without so much as a notecard. There were surprises to those who assumed that Jesus espoused family values in the way the term is used in contemporary political debate. “Who’s your Daddy?” asked Good to begin the discussion of how the birth of Jesus disconnected the patrilineal tradition that had heretofore been paramount in the ancient life. From Abraham down to David, spiritual authority descended through the male line — the point of all those passages of who begat who. The immaculate conception of Jesus usurped Joseph’s role as the father of the family. He became “the husband of Mary of whom Jesus was born.” Joseph assumed the role of stepparent to Jesus, his adopted son. Good spoke of the ancient world as a place of clans, tribes and arranged marriages, where there was little privacy within the large communal dwellings that housed large numbers of related people and their servants. Jesus taught a religious ideal of love that placed obligations to God above the obligations to this kinship network. His teachings expanded the definition of family beyond biology to the Christian community of fellow believers. Kinship bonds were loosened and, in some cases, severed. To illustrate her point, Good had members of the audience stand, in order to show the effect of Jesus’ call on biblical family members to follow him. Young people abandoned their parents and left their households without a breadwinner. Women, such as the wife of Herod’s steward, left their husbands to follow Jesus. Her discussion served to underscore what is all too often forgotten: at its origin, Christianity was a revolutionary faith. It preached a universal love for humanity that broke the chains of a nepotistic world based on family, money and connections. Good challenged audience members to understand how complex the question of Christian family values can be. She stressed that there are many interpretations of what Jesus actually taught, and they must decide what family values mean in their lives.

Public Advocate Addresses Genocide in Darfur In late September, Dr. Eric Reeves, professor of English language and literature at Smith College and a public advocate on Darfur issues, spoke about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan. His talk A Long Day’s Dying, Genocide by Attrition in Darfur was co-sponsored by the Holocaust Resource Center (HRC), Justpeace, a student group dedicated to spreading awareness of social issues, and Manhattan’s student government. Dr. Jeff Horn, professor of history and director of the HRC, welcomed the crowd of more than 200. Reeves called Darfur the first great mass murder of the 21st century. More than 500,000 people have perished during the past 29 months, and more than 6,000 people die every month. Jan Egeland, United Nations undersecretary for humanitarian affairs, has warned the toll

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may climb to 100,000 per month if international aid organizations are forced to withdraw. The prospect of withdrawal may soon become a reality because militias, known as Janjaweed, have begun to attack peacekeeping African Union troops, as well as aid workers from groups such as Oxfam. The details of Reeves’ lecture drew a staggering picture of devastation. Two-and-a-half-million non-Muslim Africans live in Darfur’s refugee camps, but these hardly offer protection. Murderous raids against the camps by Janjaweed have scattered thousands of terrified, already homeless people into hiding. Four-and-a-half-million people need food, and there are only 6.5 million people in the Darfur region, an area the size of France. Food production is at a standstill, and rescue

The lives and personal testimonies of local Holocaust survivors brought together members of the Riverdale and Jasper communities for the talk Survivors and their Stories in November. The presentation highlighted an ongoing project funded by a grant from the Lucius N. Littauer Foundation at the College’s Holocaust Resource Center (HRC), for which students interview and document the lives of local Holocaust survivors on film to preserve their stories and make them available to future generations. The evening talk featured the vivid accounts of two Holocaust survivors, Gisela Glaser and Martin Spett, director of the Survivors’ Speakers Bureau. It was followed by excerpts from the DVDs No Time To Cry: Gisela Glaser’s Holocaust Memories and An Interview with Martin Spett, which were made by past and present students Liz Harris ’08, Chris McShane ’07 and Alex Koveos ’07. Both Spett and Glaser expressed profound gratitude for being able to immigrate to the United States. Both are longtime supporters of the HRC, and Spett has represented the College on numerous occasions. The evening began with the lighting of a candle in remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust. Dr. Jeff Horn, the director of the HRC, introduced the speakers and explained the project to the audience. Glaser spoke first of the simple pleasures of small city life growing up in Poland with her family and then the sickening fear and dread caused by the Nazis who overran the area. During the roundups of Jews, she and her sisters hid their little brother every day. At night, they brought food to the frightened child, who wept because he wanted so much to live. Nothing they could do would save him or themselves. When at last the family was taken to a concentration camp,

Glaser’s older sister accompanied their brother to the gas chamber rather than let him go alone. Etched in her memory is the proud, loving toss of her sister’s head as she walked to her death. The fifteen-year-old Glaser was put to hard labor in the camp. For the second half of the presentation, Spett used vivid expressionistic paintings to illustrate his story of survival. One painting was of a brilliant yellow house in the ghetto. He recounted the day the Nazis stormed the area and rousted occupants for the concentration camp. His parents knew of an apartment in the yellow house with a hidden room. When they arrived at the door, it was padlocked, so they broke the lock with an axe and entered to find what seemed like a deserted apartment. His mother called out to the unseen inhabitants who pulled them into a hidden chamber. When the Nazis saw the broken lock, they assumed the apartment had already been searched. By such luck, they had a few extra weeks outside the concentration camp. These stories, filmed by students, illustrate the unique aspects of this project, including the opportunity to work with eyewitnesses and utilize communications technology. Furthermore, the Riverdale community and the College have the opportunity to continue to collaborate on something meaningful to both of them. The DVDs will be distributed free of charge to teachers, thanks to financial support from the dean of the school of arts, Dr. Mary Ann O’Donnell; the executive vice president and provost, Dr. Weldon Jackson; and the HRC. The Survivors and their Stories project will continue. Grants are available to qualified Manhattan College students to continue to film interviews with Holocaust survivors, and four local survivors have volunteered to be interviewed.

efforts are collapsing. “These Khartoum sponsored marauders have dehumanized their non-Muslim neighbors and are intent on depriving them of land, resources and their very existence,” said Reeves, who likened the Janjaweed to the Ku Klux Klan. “Thousands of children have been killed. Thousands of women have been abducted and assaulted.” He went on to outline a complicated political situation that has disabled a coherent response from the international community. The Islamic National Front government in Khartoum, which he characterized as “genocidal by force of habit,” is a major supplier of petroleum to China, who in turn supplies its allies with the arms that enable conflict. On the U.N. Security Council, China has steadfastly supported

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Documenting the Stories of Holocaust Survivors

Holocaust survivor Martin Spett’s painting of a yellow house in the ghetto recalls the place where he hid with his family on the day the Nazis invaded his town.

the Khartoum regime throughout the Darfur brutality, as it did during genocidal destruction in the oil regions of southern Sudan. Reeves, along with Justpeace and many others in the international community, intend to apply pressure on China during the upcoming Olympics in Beijing. These Summer Games are being branded the “Genocide Olympics,” as a way of reminding the world of the energy strategies that underwrite the growing prosperity of China. Through his work, Reeves hopes to raise awareness of the violence in Darfur. His astounding statistics and vivid details of this war-ravaged part of the world are sure to be mapped on the conscience of those who hear his story.

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Student Recycling Project Aims for Green Campus Some environmentally minded students gave the campus community something to think about during winter break. In December, several students from an Environmental Politics class taught by Dr. Pamela Chasek, associate professor of government and director of Manhattan’s international studies program, presented an instructive discussion on recycling that included research and recommendations from a semester-long project. As environmental awareness grows throughout the world, so does the urgency, for these Jaspers, to inform the College community about and improve recycling practices on campus. The presentation, compiled through interviews, surveys and Internet research, emphasized the importance of recycling to address the world’s growing excess waste problems, especially in the United States. If every country consumed as much as the United States, Chasek explained, we would need three planets’ worth of resources. The subject of waste accumulation is seen as a worldwide problem, “but you need to bring it home locally,” she said. And that’s where the Manhattan students came in. During the project, some student groups started locally and went to the residence halls and other campus buildings to count the recycling bins. They found the number of bins and their labeling inadequate — two issues that seemed to be the biggest reason for recycling problems on campus. In addition, several groups took a wider perspective and looked at programs run by other schools to see how those students strive to improve recycling. They also looked into nationwide programs, such as Recycle Mania and Focus the Nation, which both try to expand interest and information on recycling. The students then offered recommendations to improve campus recycling practices, such as “green” activities, recycling events and participation in the nationwide programs, as well as increasing the number of recycling bins around campus, better labeling and greater physical plant awareness. One such recommendation already has been implemented: all the residence halls now have battery recycling bins, so students can recycle batteries, which are toxic waste and can pose problems for landfills. With their well-planned presentation and suggestions, the students proved they are serious about making Manhattan College a leader among environmentally friendly campuses.

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Food Lectures Dish on Farming, Ethnic Cuisine, Ethics and Mass Production The ongoing lecture series Food for Thought cooked up discussion of farming, food production, ItalianAmerican cuisine, ethics and writing at Manhattan this past academic year. For the first lecture, Nena Johnson, director of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, N.Y., talked about Reconnecting Food, People and Place. She described Stone Barns as a farm and education center with an on-site restaurant, a place where farming is a lifestyle that supports small-scale farmers and puts their food in the hands of a chef. “Our mission is to celebrate, teach and advance community-based food production and enjoyment,” she said. Next up, Rocco Marinaccio, professor of Italian at the College, discussed Garlic Eaters: Italian-American Identity and the Table. He explained that Italian-American cuisine reveals social class issues. When poor, hungry Southern Italians immigrated to the United States, their idea of success was a table laden with food. They planted gardens, made wine, improvised with new ingredients and opened restaurants. “Italian-American cooks often did without traditional Italian ingredients,” Marinaccio said. “Garlic was used to make inferior ingredients taste like something.” From Italian cuisine, the series segued to food production as discussed by Peter Singer, co-author of the book The Ethics of What We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter. Singer, who is the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, raised the consequences of an American diet heavy in meat, eggs and dairy. He discussed animal suffering, inadequate food production practices, environmental issues tied to factory farming, and fair trade products.

“In the United States, we are feeding something like 70 percent of our grains to animals,” Singer said. “In no case do we get back more than a third of the food value that we put into these animals.” Singer’s co-author Jim Mason also delivered a lecture, Taming the Beast While Feeding on Wild Ideas. Mason focused on writing and encouraged Manhattan students to immerse themselves in the topics they write about. “If you want to be a good writer, you have to be flexible and resilient and open to new information,” he said. Indeed, Mason spoke from experience. While working on the food ethics book with Singer, he read pig industry magazines front to back and visited farms, where he witnessed the artificial insemination of turkeys. After Mason’s lecture, the series shifted focus with Food for the Masses, presented by Robert Altomare ’72, an engineer for Kraft Foods. He talked about food safety and the impact of mass food production on the country’s economy. “If we look at the size and contribution of the food industry to the U.S. economy, it’s enormous,” he said. For example, according to Altomare, 9.53 billion pounds of cheese are produced in the United States in one year alone. He enhanced his lecture with an engineering analysis of baking a twopound loaf of bread, as well as an overview of the sugar beet industry, which provides 60 percent of the sugar supply in the United States. These statistics, among other interesting facts, rounded out discussion of important food issues that will affect Americans for years to come.

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Faculty/Staff Accomplishments Dr. Nada Marie Assaf-Anid, professor of chemical engineering, has been nominated programming chair of the environmental division of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and will lead the programming of all sessions and symposia during the society’s Philadelphia Centennial in fall 2008. She recently attended the AIChE national meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she chaired sessions on Emissions and Waste Control from Emerging Industries and Novel Risk Assessment Tools. In addition, Assaf-Anid recently published the peer-reviewed journal articles “Curbing the Greenhouse Effect by Carbon Dioxide Adsorption with Zeolite 13X” and “Sustainable Engineering for the Future: A Laboratory Experiment on Carbon Dioxide Adsorption from a Carbon Dioxide-Nitrogen Stream” in the journals AIChE and the International Journal of Chemical Engineering, respectively. Her co-authors on the papers were students John Iarocci ’05, Natalie Ivezaj ’05, Peter Lindner ’05 and Naveen Konduru ’06. Also, Assaf-Anid and Dr. James Patrick Abulencia, assistant professor of chemical engineering, attended two workshops this past October: Funding Biotech Companies, hosted by the New York Biotechnology Association, and Green Chemistry and Green Engineering in the Pharmaceutical Industry, organized by the Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 office. Dr. Pamela Chasek, associate professor of government and director of the international studies program at Manhattan College, presented Mind the Gap: Confronting the MEA Implementation Gap in the Pacific Island Countries at the U.S. Embassy in Wellington, New Zealand, in August. She was based at the school of government after being awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture and research at Victoria University in Wellington, from February through August 2007. Drs. Hung Chu and Yassir Samra, assistant professors of management, Dr. Jonathan Hartman, assistant professor of marketing, and Dr. Carolyn Predmore, associate professor of marketing, presented papers at the Association on Employment Practices and Principles 15th Annual International Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., this past October. Chu’s presentation “Are Baby Boomers Prepared for Retirement?” was co-authored by Dr. Richard Fitzpatrick, professor of management. Samra and Hartman presented their paper “Where Does an Entrepreneur Have the Best Shot? The Effects of Market Stage and Concentration Ratio on New Venture Entry in the Healthcare Sector.” Predmore presented “Backdating of Stock Options: Do Corporate Ethics Matter to Consumers and other Stakeholders?” on behalf of her

co-authors: Alfred Manduley, assistant professor of marketing; Dr. Fred Abdulahad, associate professor of economics and finance; and Dr. Ahmed Goma, associate professor of accounting. Dr. Anirban De, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, served as a member of the BOK2 committee of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), which released Body of Knowledge for Civil Engineers (2nd edition) at the National Academy of Engineering in Washington, D.C., in February. He co-authored the paper “Centrifuge Modeling of Surface Blast Effects on Underground Structures,” which appeared in the September 2007 issue of the peer-reviewed Geotechnical Testing Journal, published by the American Society of Testing and Materials. De also published the paper “Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Settlement: Postclosure Perspectives” in the June 2007 issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, printed by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Dr. Nicholas De Lillo, professor of mathematics and computer science, served as a session chair and reviewed three papers for the 23rd Annual Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges, Eastern Conference at St. Joseph’s College this past October. He also served as a reviewer for three papers presented at the 39th Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education of the Association for Computing Machiners, which was held in Portland, Ore., in March 2008. De Lillo’s latest paper “Implementation of Rotations in AVL Trees Using Java.util” will be published as a forthcoming technical report of the Ivan G. Seidenburg School of Computer Science and Information Systems at Pace University. Dr. Joseph Fahey, professor of religious studies, attended the Catholic Social Ministry gathering in Washington, D.C., in Feb. He spoke on “The Presumption for Labor Unions in Catholic Social Teaching” to the Catholic Labor Network. Dr. Kevin Farley, professor of civil and environmental engineering, was a featured speaker at the Contamination Assessment and Reduction Project Conference at the National Museum of the American Indian in New York City in November. Dr. Thom Gencarelli, associate professor of communication and chair of the communication department, was invited to teach the course Media, Society and Research in Lviv, Ukraine, in July 2007. The course was offered at Ivan Franko

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I sat upon a window-seat. “Sit here.” I squatted at his feet. “I could not see you for the light.” Sun shone that day with solstice might. At the feet of the master, I was held, eye by glistening eye.

Lviv National University to junior faculty from Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States and Eastern Europe. It is part of the Media Literacy in Post-Communist Countries project administered by the Open Society Institute’s Higher Education Support Program and Regional Seminar for Excellence in Teaching. Dr. Robert Geraci, assistant professor of religious studies, published “Apocalyptic AI: Religion and the Promise of Artificial Intelligence” in the spring issue of The Journal of the American Academy of Religion. He also published the article “Robots and the Sacred in Science and Science Fiction” in the winter 2007 edition of Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science. In addition, Geraci published the paper “Cultural Prestige: Popular Science Robotics as Religion/Science Hybrid” in the book Reconfigurations: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Religion in a Post-Secular Society. Dr. Juliana Gilheany, adjunct professor of history, delivered the lecture Highlights of Modern United States Foreign Relations in April at Fordham College of Liberal Studies, Lincoln Center. The talk was part of the College at 60 lecture series. Dr. Shawn Ladda, associate professor of physical education and human performance, authored the chapter Scholastic Physical Education in Women as Leaders in Sport: Impact and Influence (June 2007), edited by Mary A. Hums, Glenna G. Bower and Heidi Grappendorf. Dr. Joseph Lennon, associate professor of English, recently published a collection of poems in the New Hibernian Review. Dr. Bruce Liby, associate professor of physics, and Ryan Scholl ’08 presented the paper “Determining the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Copper with a Michelson Interferometer” at the International Student Research Conference at The City College of New York in October. Dr. Christoph Lienert, associate professor of physical education and human performance, recently authored the chapter A Cross-Cultural Perspective on Inclusive Physical Education in the International, Inclusive, Interdisciplinary: Perspectives of a Modern Sport Science. He delivered the keynote speech Adapted Physical Activity: Transcending Boundaries at the Fourth International Mediterranean Sports Science Congress in Antalya, Turkey, in November. He also conducted the workshop Strategies for Creating Inclusive Physical

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Education, while serving as a member of the Congress’ scientific committee. This past summer, Lienert presented the multimedia case study, Collaboration Between CollegeBased Teacher Education and Public Schools: Creating a Multimedia Case Study to Enhance Physical Education Teacher Education at the 16th International Symposium of Adapted Physical Activity in Rio Claro, Brazil. Dr. John Mahony, professor of environmental engineering, and Dr. Robert Mutch, adjunct professor of environmental engineering, presented the paper “A Study of Tritium in Municipal Solid and Waste and Gas” at the Eighth International Conference on Tritium Science and Technology in Rochester, N.Y., in September. He also served as a mentor to Andrew Wolfson ’08, Caitlin Slattery ’08 and Nicholas Clemente ’08, who presented the paper “Extent and Effect of Chloride Ion Penetration on the Comprehensive Strength of Concrete Undergoing Continuous Cyclic Exposure to Salt Over Six Months” at the university research forum of the annual meeting of the New York Environmental Association in New York City from Feb. 4-6. The paper was awarded third prize for the session. Dr. Zella Moore, assistant professor of psychology, recently wrote The Psychology of Enhancing Human Performance: The Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment Approach, published by Springer Publishing Company. Moore also was invited to Australia during this past summer to consult with the psychology department of the Australian Institute of Sport (Australian Olympic Committee). She spent two weeks training 11 Olympics psychologists in her methods to enhance elite competitive performance while assessing, conceptualizing and treating psychological barriers related to anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, eating disorders and developmental/adjustment issues. In addition, Moore has published the peer-reviewed journal article “Evidencebased Interventions for the Treatment of Eating Disorders” in the Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology. The article was coauthored by psychology majors Raquel Ciampa ’09, Jaime Wilsnack ’08 and Elizabeth Wright ’08. Dr. Mohammad Naraghi, professor of mechanical engineering, organized four sessions on Innovative Methods in Mechanical Engineering Education at the International Mechanical Congress held in Seattle, Wash., this past November. He also was honored by the Computer in Education Division of the American Society for Engineering Education

Seventy-five spoke; twenty-five listened; poetry came alive: “The thinking heart; the feeling mind.” “Delight and wisdom.” All in kind.

— John Fandel, professor emeritus of English and world literature One Afternoon, published in America

for his article “VBA/Excel: An Alternative Computer Programming Tool for Engineering Freshman.” Dr. Frederick Schweitzer, professor emeritus of history and director emeritus of the Holocaust Resource Center, has coauthored Antisemitic Myths, which was published by Indiana University Press. The book includes documents translated by faculty colleagues: Latin by Dr. Joseph Castora, visiting assistant professor of history; Italian by the late Dr. Eleanor Ostrau, former associate professor emeritus of government; German by Robert Kramer, professional lecturer in German and fine arts; French by Dr. Jeff Horn, associate professor of history; and Russian by former student Tatyana Gourov ’95. Dr. Claudia Setzer, professor of religious studies and chair of the department, delivered the lecture Resurrection of the Dead: Interpretation and Transformation of a Classical Belief in February at Iona College. The lecture was part of The Br. John G. Driscoll Professorship in Jewish-Catholic Studies and The American Jewish Committee, Westchester chapter’s presentation Resurrection: Meanings of Afterlife for Christians and Jews. She also presented her paper “A Pinch of Common Sense: Nineteenth Century Feminist Biblical Interpretation” at the American Academy of Religion’s annual meeting in San Diego, Calif., this past November. Dr. Robert Sharp, professor of civil and environmental engineering and the Donald J. O’Connor Endowed Faculty, presented the paper “Switching to Chloramines in the New York City Water System: Impacts on Lead and Copper Leaching, Corrosion and Regrowth” at the American Water Works Association’s annual water quality technology conference in Charlotte, N.C., in November. The paper was co-authored by Brent Gaylord ’09 and Eamonn Coleman ’09, graduate research assistants in the environmental engineering program. The research is funded by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and Hazen and Sawyer Engineers. Sharp also published the paper “Effects of Starvation on Bacterial Transport Through Porous Media” in the Elsevier Press peer-reviewed Journal of Advances in Water Resources. He and Jeanette Brown, adjunct professor of civil and environmental engineering, were invited by the Water Environment Research Federation and Chesapeake Bay Program’s Scientific Technical Advisory Commission to present their recent research at the workshop: Establishing a Research Agenda for Assessing the Bioavailability of Wastewater-Derived Organic Nitrogen in Treatment Systems and Receiving

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Flown, fifty-five years — flown, not lost, that afternoon with Robert Frost.

Waters in September in Baltimore, Md. In addition, Sharp was invited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to serve on a peer-review panel for competitive Phase I Small Business Innovative Research Grants in Water and Wastewater Technology in Washington, D.C., in September. Dr. John Tomer, professor of economics, published two articles: “Why We Need a Commitment Approach to Environmental Policy” in the May 2007 issue of Ecological Economics and “What Is Behavioral Economics?” in the June 2007 issue of the Journal of Socio-Economics. Dr. Helene Tyler, assistant professor of mathematics and computer science, presented her research on “Sequences of Reflection Functors and the Preprojective Component of a Valued Quiver” at the 12th International Conference on Representatives of Algebras this past August at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland. The accompanying paper, which was co-authored by Dr. Mark Kleiner of Syracuse University, will appear in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Pure and Applied Algebra. Daniel Vellone, adjunct instructor of civil engineering, was presented the 2007 Douglas R. Piteau Young Member Award for distinguishing himself in “technical practice, his academic involvement and his community spirit” at the 50th annual meeting of the Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists in Los Angeles. The award is given to an outstanding member of the association who is under the age of 35 and has excelled singly or in combination in technical accomplishments, service to the association and/or service to the engineering geology profession. He also presented the paper “Determination of Mechanical Properties of New York City Rocks Using a Schmidt Rebound Hammer” in the session on rock mass characterization. Dr. Kathryn Weld, associate professor of mathematics and computer science, recently attended the national summer meeting of the Mathematical Association of America and presented the paper “Graphically Abelian Groups” in the special session on graph theory. The paper is co-authored by Dr. Richard Goldstone, assistant professor of mathematics and computer science. Weld and Goldstone were co-organizers of Graph Theory Day 54, which was held at Manhattan College on Oct. 27, 2007. Graph Theory Day, sponsored by the National Academy of Science, is a one-day meeting to stimulate activity among graph theorists.

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“My goal for spring training is to compete for a spot in the starting rotation. If that doesn’t happen when camp breaks, I will go back to Memphis and put in the extra effort to get to the big club.”

Jaspers Join St. Louis Cardinals in Spring Training The Manhattan College baseball program has reached new heights in recent years, and Jaspers are beginning to make their marks in the professional ranks as well. Pitcher Mike Parisi and catcher Nick Derba ’07 participated in spring training with the St. Louis Cardinals in Jupiter, Fla., this past February and March, which gave the former teammates a taste of big league life. Just recently removed from their stays in Riverdale, Parisi and Derba found themselves on the same baseball diamonds as all-stars Albert Pujols and Chris Carpenter. “I was basically in awe when I found out [that I was invited to spring training],” says Derba, who began the minor league season with St. Louis’ Florida State League (A) affiliate, the Palm Beach County Cardinals. Parisi learned in November that he had been added to the St. Louis Cardinals’ 40-man roster, an important accomplishment in the career of a professional baseball player. A spot on a major league organization’s 40-man roster protects players from being exposed to other franchises in the annual Rule 5 Draft held each winter. “This is a huge relief for me,” says Parisi, who was a non-roster invitee to spring training last year and appeared in one game against the New York Mets. “This is a huge step in my career and is something that has been on my mind since the midpoint of last season.” Parisi is the first former Jasper to earn a 40-man roster spot with a major league team since Tom Waddell ’81, who played with the Cleveland Indians from 1984-86. Drafted in the second round in 2004, Parisi is rapidly rising through St. Louis’ organizational ranks. He was only the second player among

Mike Parisi Nick Derba ’07

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2004 second-round choices to land on a 40-man roster, joining Troy Patton of the Houston Astros. The right-hander earned 2007 Starting Pitcher of the Year honors for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds of the Pacific Coast League last season. He went just 8-13 with a 4.91 ERA in 28 starts for the last-place Redbirds but led the squad with 165 innings pitched while collecting 111 strikeouts. Parisi entered the spring with outside hopes of landing the fifth starter spot for the big league Cardinals but returned to Memphis for another year of seasoning. He had one start and appeared in two games during the Grapefruit League schedule, and allowed seven hits and three earned runs over five innings. “My goal for spring training is to compete for a spot in the starting rotation,” he says. “If that doesn’t happen when camp breaks, I will go back to Memphis and put in the extra effort to get to the big club.” Having Parisi to lean on during the opening days of spring training was beneficial to Derba, who was surrounded by baseball stars less than a year after completing his Jaspers career. “I am very happy that Mike will be there with me; it certainly makes it easier knowing somebody when you get there,” says Derba, who was a 30th round draft selection by the Cardinals in June 2007. Derba helped Manhattan capture the 2006 MAAC tournament championship and earn its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1957. The 2008 squad was a preseason pick to win the league title, and a strong recruiting class has the Jaspers poised for more baseball success in the near future.

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Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of a Historic Victory The 1957-58 Manhattan College men’s basketball team achieved one of the biggest victories in the College’s history — a victory that is still momentous 50 years later. In the opening round of the 1958 NCAA Tournament, the Jaspers posted an 89-84 win over West Virginia. The Mountaineers, led by future NBA legend Jerry West, entered that contest with a stellar 26-2 record, but the Jaspers scored the game’s final five points en route to Manhattan’s first ever NCAA triumph.

Head coach Kenneth Norton (front row, far left) and the awe-inspiring 1957-58 men’s basketball team. The players, pictured in their uniforms, are: (front row, from left to right) John Schoenberger ’59, Donald McGorty ’59, Frank Quarto ’59, Charlie Koenig ’60; (center row) Michael Burkoski ’59, Richard Wilbur ’58, Joseph Dougherty ’60, Jack Powers ’58; (back row) Peter Brunone ’60 and Robert Mealy ’60.

Super Finish for “Doc” Johnson John “Doc” Johnson can literally expound on the history of football’s New York Giants. During the course of his 60 years with the Giants, as well as 57 years as the athletic trainer for Manhattan College, Johnson had a role with a franchise that sent him into retirement in super fashion. After more than 900 games and infinitely more memories, Johnson’s career ended with the Giants’ 17-14 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII on Feb. 3. His tenure with the team, which began in 1948,

spanned four world championstitute of Physiotherapy, Johnson ships (1956, 1986, 1990 and 2007) joined Manhattan in 1947 and and concluded with one of the would serve the College until most stirring triumphs in New open-heart surgery forced him to York sports history. curtail some of his responsibilities Johnson’s decision to leave nearly four years ago. But, before the Giants came midway through then, he left an indelible mark at this past season, at a time when the College. He was a member thoughts of a Super Bowl champi- of the fourth class inducted into onship seemed unrealistic. The Gi- Manhattan College’s Athletic Hall ants lauded the 90-year-old when of Fame in 1982, and the John he served as honorary co-captain “Doc” Johnson Athletic Training for the team’s regular season Center is named in his honor. finale against the Patriots on Dec. During the majority of his ten29. During the pregame ceremony, ure with the Giants, he worked he wore a jersey with the number for and became close friends with late team owner Wellington Mara, 42 on the back, the number made a Fordham graduate. According to famous by Charlie Conerly, who just happened to attend the same Johnson, though, the only rivalry college as another championship- with the well-respected Mara was a friendly one. winning Giants quarterback. “When the schools would play “I started out with Charlie Conerly, and fittingly, I wore Charlie’s basketball — he was a very, very number on the day I was a cogreat man, an absolutely wondercaptain,” says Johnson, in the days ful person — he’d come in and say, ‘Well, I guess our guys beat your after the Giants’ historic victory. guys this time. You’ll probably get “And to think about it, Charlie was us next year,’” Johnson says. from Ole Miss, and [Eli] Manning is from Ole Miss. I guess I’m going He has fond memories of his out the same way I came in.” time in Riverdale and says that his A graduate of the Swedish Inroles with the Giants and at Man-

John “Doc” Johnson

hattan College were not much different. Johnson had two jobs that both entailed the nurturing of young athletes, whether it was college students at Manhattan or professional football players with the Giants. “Manhattan College was just like home to me,” he says. “I enjoyed myself there all the time. We put in a lot of hours, but the reason was because we just enjoyed it. The students were great, we made sure they got an education, and I think we were always trying over at [Yankee and Giants] stadiums to do the same kind of thing for the ballplayers.”

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Eryka Perreault ’08

Cross Country Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams ended their fall 2007 season on high notes. The men finished fifth, and the women finished sixth in the university section of the IC4A/ECAC Cross Country Championships held at Van Cortlandt Park. The IC4A/ECAC performances came just a week after both teams finished 19th at the NCAA Regional Championships. Their performances at the NCAA Regionals were a significant improvement over the previous year, according to Dan Mecca, head coach of the cross country and track and field programs at Manhattan College. At the IC4As/ECAC meet, the men’s team effort was led by sophomore Tobias Lundgren, who ran a personal best of 25:52 on the five-mile course to finish third overall. Lundgren and fellow Jasper sophomore Milos Vuckovic, who finished 14th overall in 26:36, earned personal medals. Also scoring for Manhattan in the season’s final meet were sophomores Matt Kaftanski (27:26) and Scott Roman (27:34), and freshmen Zack Price (27:26) and Brendan Brethel (27:44). For the women at the IC4A/ECACs, freshmen Andreina Roel and Jelena Rankovic both ran personal records to lead the Lady Jaspers to their sixth-place finish. In the 5K, Roel ran 19:12, while Rankovic toured the course in 19:35. Other finishers included sophomores Nicole Hallenback (21:28) and Sarah Janssen (22:05); juniors Sarah Rogers (19:37), Ellen Dobbin (19:47), Melissa Trauscht (20:26), Angela Bernarde (20:47) and Julie Carr (21:23); and senior Eryka Perreault (19:55). At the NCAA Regionals on the men’s side, all six Jasper runners set personal records, and again, Lundgren led the way and ran a personal best of 31:14 on the 10K course at Franklin Park in Boston to finish in 55th place. Vuckovic came in just a second behind him in 56th place with a personal best of 31:15. Other Manhattan runners who clocked personal best times were Price (32:47), Roman (33:17), Kaftanski (33:18) and Brethel (34:05). For the women, Perreault was in front and ran the 6K course at Franklin Park in 22:40 to finish 89th overall. Roel finished close behind in 22:47. Also scoring for Manhattan were Rankovic (23:13), Rogers (23:26), Dobbin (23:32), Trauscht (23:39) and Carr (25:00). In all, 37 Division I programs from New York to Maine participated in the NCAA Regionals on both the men’s and women’s teams.

Women’s Volleyball It was an up-and-down season for the youthful Manhattan College women’s volleyball team, which featured eight freshmen. Despite enduring some growing pains throughout the year, the team still maintained a high level of success both on the court and in the classroom. On the court, Manhattan earned its first victory of the year on Aug. 26 as the squad edged America East opponent Hartford, 3-2, in Connecticut. Freshman Diane Strutner led all players with 17 kills and hit .382 on the day. Following a string of losses, the Lady Jaspers turned it around after they posted back-to-back wins against Rider and Saint Peter’s. They capped the season with home victories over league rivals Loyola and Niagara, a promising sign of future success. Throughout the year, the team had a very good mentor: the lone senior, Ashley Watson. An excellent team captain, she will graduate from the College with a total of 1,665 career digs, which places her among the alltime leaders in the program’s history. Among the Lady Jaspers’ newcomers, Strutner shined as a primetime player. During the season, she

Diane Strutner ’11

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averaged 2.82 kills per game, which ranked fourth on the team. Yet, the offensive attack was led by another youngster, sophomore Rita Welsh, who marked 295 kills and hit .197 on the year. In addition, Welsh anchored the team’s defense and tallied 109 blocks, a mark that tops her previous singleseason record of 103 last year. She and Strutner were joined by juniors Jackie Kapovich, Sherryta Stokes and Andrea Reiff as the only Manhattan players to post more than 200 kills during the 2007 campaign. Junior setter Alyssa Getzel paced the offense with 1,110 assists and an average of 10.09 per contest. In just two years, she has compiled 2,408 career assists. Four Lady Jaspers were named to the 2007 MAAC All-Academic Team for their academic excellence: Reiff, Watson, Getzel and Welsh.

There were several high spots for the Manhattan College men’s soccer squad during the fall 2007 season, despite a disappointing win-loss record. For one, the young Jaspers — they started up to six freshmen at certain parts of the season — played to a nail-biting, double-overtime tie against Fordham University in the 100th anniversary game between the two great rivals. They earned hardfought wins over Florida Atlantic and Philadelphia University and played to double-overtime ties against conference rivals Marist and Rider. The squad played in six one-goal games, including those against Saint Peter’s and Loyola, both of whom moved on to the NCAA Championships. Furthermore, while the men’s soccer team didn’t do as well as planned during the season, the Jaspers placed seven players on the 47-athlete roster of the 2007 MAAC Men’s Soccer All-Ac-

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Men’s Soccer ademic Team. These players included seniors Daniel Carr and Adam Kiley; juniors John Ciano, John Dellipriscoli and Kyle Lauchmen; and sophomores Paul Rolston and Alex Sylvan. “Placing seven student-athletes on this very prestigious team, among the highest amount of any team in the MAAC, is a testament to the fact that we have some hard workers not only on the field but in the classroom as well,” says Manhattan men’s soccer head coach Michael Swanwick, who points out that seven MAAC All-Academics is the most Manhattan has had in recent memory. In addition to All-Academic honors, senior midfielder Josh Swett was selected to the 2007 All-MAAC First Team, while sophomore midfielder Tony Safran was named to the AllMAAC Second Team. Jasper freshman defender Joshua Renner was named to the 2007 MAAC All-Rookie Team.

Joshua Renner ’11

Women’s Swimming The highlight of this season had to be when Walter Olsewski ’68 racked up his 100th win as the coach of the Lady Jaspers swim team. The momentous occasion came on Nov. 16, when his team defeated Hunter College 124-81 in a dual meet. Manhattan’s win over Hunter tied the school record for most wins (12) in a single season. The team later broke that mark with its 13th win, a 51-44 defeat of Saint Peter’s College, and later in the season, gave Olsewski his 102nd win (and the program’s record 14th win) with an 88-59 victory over the New Jersey Institute of Technology. This last win was another milestone: his 300th overall win as a high school and collegiate coach, a number that combines his 198 wins as a swim coach in the 1970s and 1980s at

Hicksville and Central Islip high schools and his 102 collegiate wins. All season long, Olsewski’s swimmers competed strongly, including senior Maura McGowan, junior Megan O’Keefe, sophomore Kellie Monaco, as well as freshmen Becky Schwartz, Kayla Hutzler, Debbie Atwell and Diana Rossetti. Academically, the swimmers were stellar performers, too, as five members of the squad earned 2008 MAAC Women’s Swimming and Diving All-Academic Team honors. They are seniors Michelle LaTouche and McGowan, juniors O’Keefe and Anne Mohan, and sophomore Catherine Chan.

Michelle LaTouche ’08

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Devon Austin ’09

Women’s Soccer The Manhattan College women’s soccer team enjoyed a memorable season under the direction of third year head coach Sean Driscoll. Despite an overall 7-7-4 finish and slightly missing the 2007 MAAC Championships, the Lady Jaspers achieved success both on and off the field. Twelve were named to the MAAC All-Academic Team, includ-

ing: seniors Meghan Dobson and Courtney Hughes; juniors Brittany Duhamel and Viviane Masters; and sophomores Jill Beauchamp, Tracey Colantonio, Amanda Fischer, Alexandra Konneker, Jaclyn Levie, Amanda McCormick, Courtney McMahon and Laura Thurston. Beauchamp also was named to the Second Team AllMAAC for her efforts in anchoring Manhattan’s defense throughout the season. She started 17 games for the Lady Jaspers and recorded the game-winning goal on Sept. 28 against Holy Cross. Senior goalkeeper Alicia DeFino was brilliant between the pipes in 2007. She earned the prestigious ECAC Division I Defensive Player of the Week award for three consecutive weeks. Her stats include all 18 starts, five shutouts and a 1.12-goalsagainst average. She ranked first in the league with an average of 5.89 saves per game and was second in both save percentage (.841) and total saves (106). Manhattan notched key victories in September over Atlantic 10 opponent La Salle and Patriot League foes Lafayette and Holy Cross. The Lady Jaspers earned thrilling backto-back wins over Rider and Canisius in early October, before they defeated Marist by a score of 3-2 in overtime on Oct. 21. They ended on a high note with a 3-1 victory at Saint Peter’s for their final contest of the season. The women’s soccer team looks forward to the 2008 campaign as it returns a talented core of letterwinners, who will embark on the program’s run for its first MAAC title.

Alicia DeFino ’08

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Men’s Basketball In just his second year at the helm, head coach Barry Rohrssen has built a strong foundation for the future success of the Manhattan men’s basketball program. During the 2007-08 campaign, the Jaspers enjoyed many highlights upon which to reflect. Guided by junior forward Devon Austin, the lone upperclassman in the starting lineup, the Jaspers launched a solid start and posted a 7-5 record by the turn of the new year. Included in its early win total, the team recorded key nonconference victories over Pepperdine, Princeton and Boston University. Freshman forward Rashad Green emerged as one of the Jaspers’ top newcomers with starts in 27 of his 31 game appearances. He was named MAAC Rookie of the Week on three occasions throughout the season, led the team in rebounding (5.0 rpg) and averaged 7.8 points per game. Manhattan played some of its best basketball of the year in mid-February, when the squad rallied for three straight wins over MAAC foes Canisius, Marist and eventual league champion Siena, all at Draddy Gymnasium. The Jaspers’ 97-87 rout of Canisius proved to be the team’s highest scoring output of the season and the most points scored in a game since Jan. 7, 2002, during which Manhattan posted 98 in a win over Niagara. Green, along with sophomore Darryl Crawford and freshman Andrew Gabriel, reached career highs when they contributed 21 points apiece to the winning effort. Manhattan entered the 2008 MAAC Basketball Championships as the No. 8 seed and earned a date with No. 9 seed Saint Peter’s in the First Round. The team cruised to a 73-59 victory over the Peacocks in its opening round contest, which marked the first MAAC Tournament victory under Rohrssen’s direction. Austin scored 26 points, including six three-point field goals, to carry the squad into a quarterfinals matchup with top-seeded Siena. The season came to an end shortly thereafter with a 66-58 loss to the Saints. Sophomore guard Antoine Pearson was named to the All-MAAC Third Team for his admirable play during the regular season. He led the Jaspers in scoring (12.2 ppg) and assists (2.3 apg). The future looks bright for the Manhattan men’s basketball program as the team graduates just one senior, Franck Traore, and welcomes back 13 letter-winners for the 200809 campaign. Overall, the Jaspers will return 99.6 percent of their scoring offense.

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Women’s Basketball The 2007-08 campaign proved to be a flourishing one for the Manhattan College women’s basketball team. Head coach Myndi Hill, in her fifth season with the program, looked toward her seniors to anchor the squad in its run for a MAAC Championship. Led by senior Caitlin Flood, a First Team All-MAAC selection, the Lady Jaspers proved to be a premier team in the league and finished fourth in the MAAC with a 10-9 conference mark, their best finish since 2002-03. Despite the season’s premature end in the MAAC Tournament quarterfinals, they reached many milestones and enjoyed memorable moments during the year. Flood, the MAAC’s third-leading scorer, averaged 17 points per game and became just the 16th player in Manhattan women’s basketball history to reach the 1,000 career-points plateau. She finished fifth overall on the all-time list by scoring 1,399 points during her four seasons with the program. For her superb efforts, she was named MAAC Player of the Week four times, which was the second-most in the league. Fellow senior Gabrielle Cottrell came up just short of also reaching the 1,000-points milestone and ended her collegiate career with 974 points. She averaged 12.4 points per game, led the Jaspers in free-throw shooting (89.1 percent) and ranked second in three-point field goal percentage (43.3 percent). Senior Aubrie Dellinger led the team in three-point shooting and ranked second in the league in this category (43.4 percent). The team got off to a hot start and won six of its first nine contests. In this

stretch, Manhattan posted key nonconference victories over crosstown rival Fordham, Pennsylvania and Stony Brook. Dellinger was brilliant in a 74-68 win over Stony Brook at Draddy Gymnasium, where she exploded for a career-high 26 points and connected on five three-pointers. Manhattan carried its early success into league play as it made a perfect 4-0 start in the MAAC and won five of its first six conference matches. The team’s sole defeat came in a slight 61-59 loss in Riverdale against eventual league champion Marist. The Lady Jaspers coasted through the remainder of the 2007-08 campaign and wrapped up the regular season with a convincing 73-66 win at Iona on March 1. It marked the second win over the Gaels within two weeks. The team entered the 2008 MAAC Championships confident and prepared to make a run for the conference title behind the leadership of AllMAAC performers Flood and Cottrell, however, it ran into a speed bump in a quarterfinals contest against No. 5 Saint Peter’s. The Peacocks forced Manhattan’s season to come to a halt in dramatic fashion. With just seconds left in the game, Saint Peter’s drained a three-pointer to edge Manhattan 68-65 at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. Academically, the players prospered as five student-athletes were named to the MAAC All-Academic Team for their strong efforts in the classroom. Juniors Annie McIntyre and Kelly Regan, as well as Cottrell, Dellinger and Flood, were honored for their academic excellence.

Aubrie Dellinger ’08

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Dexter Jules ’08 (right)

Indoor Track and Field It is becoming old hat but never tiresome. The men’s and women’s track and field teams just win and win when it comes to the MAAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. On Feb. 22, the men and women both won the championship meet at the Armory Track and Field Center, where freshmen hurdler Siri Fagerlund and shot putter Marina Vojinovic set MAAC records. It was the 12th MAAC Championship in a row for the men and the 11th time in the past 12 years for the women. The Lady Jaspers tallied a whopping 278.50 points, while the men’s team scored an impressive 214 points. A string of wins dominated the field events. In addition to going 1-2 in the women’s shot put, Manhattan placed 1-2-3-4 in the men’s long jump; 1-2-3 in the men’s triple jump, high jump and weight throw; 1-2 in the men’s shot put and women’s long jump; and first and third in both the men’s and women’s pole vault. In the men’s long jump, senior Denis Street took first place with a mark of 7.04m, followed by senior Dexter Jules in second (6.78m), sophomore Jamie Spataro in third (6.74m) and junior Kosta Randjic in fourth (6.71m). Randjic took first place in the men’s triple jump with an NCAA “B” qualifying mark of 15.48m, which missed the meet record by one centimeter. Jules placed second (14.65m), and Street came in third (14.40m). Senior Chris Sole won the men’s high jump in 2.04m, followed by senior Nikolay Tkachenko in second (1.89m) and junior Jason Grant in third (1.89m), as a result of a jump-off. Tkachenko also marked 4.50m to win the men’s pole vault, while sophomore

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DeSean HooShing came in third (4.35m). The men also scored well in the weight throw and shot put events. Senior Paul Peulich took gold in the weight throw at 18.04m; sophomore Seid Mujanovic placed second (17.49m); and senior Rich Reuter grabbed third (16.08m). In the men’s shot put, senior Milan Jotanovic continued his hot streak with a toss of 18.92m to finish ahead of teammate Reuter (15.43m). On the women’s side, Vojinovic’s toss for the shot put landed at 14.73m to break the MAAC record. She finished ahead of freshman Ana Ugarkovic, who marked second place at 11.76m. Sophomore Malin Marmbrandt leaped to gold in the long jump at 5.65m, ahead of Ugarkovic, who took second (5.26m). Marmbrandt also won the women’s triple jump with a 12.05 mark. In the pole vault, grad student Meredith Mante won with a vault of 3.60m, and sophomore Alexandra MacDougall took second (3.00m). The Jaspers racked in more wins in the track events. Among the women’s sprinters, Fagerlund broke the 55m hurdle record by one-tenth of a second and won the event in 8.17s. Fellow teammate Marmbrandt placed fourth in the event, and junior Cara Hessels scored a fifth-place finish. Sophomore Diane Torsell won the 55m dash in 7.18s and edged out Fagerlund (7.23s). In the women’s 200m dash, Torsell took her second gold of the evening in 25.32s. Senior Erin Gregorek won the women’s 400m dash in 59.36s. For the men, Jules took his second gold in 6.52s in the 55m dash, and sophomore Justin Chiaravalle finished first in the 55m hurdles

in 7.94s. Freshman Nick Estis won the gold in the 200m dash in 22.43s. He placed third in the men’s 400m dash at 50.01s, just ahead of junior Kelton Cumberbatch (50.29s). In the distance running events, senior Eryka Perreault won gold in the 800m in a time of 2:17.69s, followed by sophomore Jelena Rankovic, who took silver in 2:17.82. Freshman Andreina Roel took bronze in the 3,000m with a time of 18:21.32. The Lady Jaspers also nabbed gold in the women’s distance relay, which the team won in 12:39.56. They won silver in the 4x400m relay with a time of 4:03.56. On the men’s side, sophomore Milos Vuckovic placed second in the 800m with 1:55.96. In the men’s 3,000m run, freshman Brendan Brethel finished sixth and his 8:38.22 time qualified him for the USA Track and Field National Junior Championships. Many Jaspers earned performance awards, including Marmbrandt, who also won the women’s long and triple jumps and was named the meet’s Co-Outstanding Female Field Performer. Torsell was named Most Outstanding Female Track Performer, and Jules was named Most Outstanding Male Field Performer. Impressively, just a few weeks before the men’s and women’s extraordinary success at the MAAC Championship, the Manhattan men’s track and field team secured the program’s 35th Metropolitan Indoor Championship title, while the women tied Columbia for third place at the Mets. The highlight of the Mets was Jotanovic, who took home the gold medal with an NCAA “A” Championship qualifying toss of 19.47m.

Tamara Branzo Dinh ’82

On any given day, engineering students will impress visitors with a seriousness of purpose, and the number of women among this group is gratifying. From its beginnings, the engineering school has enjoyed a sterling reputation, and its graduates have established themselves as leaders in the industry. It was for this reason that Tamara Stuart encouraged her nieces to study engineering at Manhattan College. Stuart, who emigrated from Russia during World War II, and her engineer husband, wanted to make sure that the girls received the finest education in the field. And so Tamara (Tammy) Branzo Dinh ’82 and Jannette Branzo ’86 became civil engineers, while Margaret Branzo ’83 became an electrical engineer. Upon graduation, Dinh worked for the Army

advancement

The Tamara Branzo Dinh ’82 Memorial Scholarship for Engineering Corps of Engineers and later for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. She married Phillip Dinh and was in the midst of a happy, productive life when she was diagnosed with and died of breast cancer several years ago. After her death, friends from the Port Authority, along with her sisters and husband, contributed to endow a scholarship in Dinh’s name. Last year, her aunt made a gift of $50,000 in order to completely fund the endowment. Stuart’s love for her niece, her namesake, also has moved her to make a provision for the scholarship in her estate. It is important, Stuart says, that it be a memorial to her niece’s beautiful spirit. The Tamara Branzo Dinh ’82 Memorial Scholarship will be earmarked for a female student in the school of engineering.

Living Life to the Fullest — Stephen A. Scalia ’51 His has been called the greatest generation, and the long and distinguished career Stephen A. Scalia ’51 has enjoyed makes him very much a part of that storied generation. He is a loyal supporter of Manhattan College and recently established a charitable gift annuity. Scalia’s pre-Manhattan experience was, unlike that of many college freshmen, extensive and impressive. His early education was interrupted by service in the U.S. Army Infantry during World War II. In May of 1944, he was sent to Europe, and in June of 1944, he was transferred to the Civil Affairs Division of General Headquarters of Supreme Headquarters as a clerk on Gen. Eisenhower’s staff. In this capacity, Scalia was assigned to various posts from southern England to Normandy to main

headquarters in Versailles, and handled much of the correspondence for the Central Registry, a combined registry for both the British and American forces. Later, he would become chief clerk for the main military headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. He recalls his war experiences vividly and has left his account of them as part of the National WWII Museum’s oral history exhibit. Those visiting the New Orleans-based museum have the opportunity to hear Scalia’s story, which includes his most exhilarating memory: standing on top of the Arc de Triomphe on VE Day and watching the city’s huge and joyous celebration of victory. In 1947, Scalia entered Manhattan’s school of arts and sciences and became active in the College publication Manhattan

College Quarterly, for which he later served as editor in chief. Upon graduation, he began a varied career, first with the NBC radio news department and then headed south to New Orleans to begin work in commercial television. Scalia also managed an advertising agency for 20 years and then managed his own agency for another 20 years. After settling in New Orleans, he became interested in historic site preservation and in 1960 purchased two of the city’s properties, the Clay House (1828) and St. Mary’s School (1871), adjacent to each other in the French Quarter. The beautiful restoration work and lush gardens have been photographed frequently for tourist and preservation publications. Scalia has a full and active life, including vacations to Europe,

and as with so many Jaspers, he maintains lifelong friendships from his college days. And he always takes time to remember his alma mater and continues to be a long-time member of the Covenant Society.

Stephen A. Scalia ’51

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Message from the President of the Alumni Society

The Alumni Society continues to expand its activities and alumni involvement in various areas of the country. From the Northeast to Florida to California, Jaspers are gathering for social, cultural and athletic events. The success of these events depends on the support and enthusiasm of our alumni. It is vitally important to reach out and involve more and more Jaspers. Looking back at my long association with the Manhattan College Alumni Society, there was a significant influence that deepened my allegiance to alma mater. Prior to the opening of Draddy Gymnasium, I attended several Jasper basketball games each year. Shortly after the opening of Draddy, Jack Cassidy ’30, a fellow parishioner, spoke to me after Sunday Mass and asked if I wanted to attend more Jasper basketball games. He explained that he had season tickets but had difficulty driving at night. I agreed to drive Jack, and we attended virtually all Manhattan home games, as well as some road games for about a decade. At times, my wife, Anne, was not thrilled with this arrangement, but I told her it was a “corporal work of mercy.” Jack was an active member of the National Alumni Council and involved with the Athletic Hall of Fame Committee. We developed a close relationship that lasted until his passing in June 1993. Acting on Jack’s encouragement, I decided to become a more active alumnus. I relate this story to not only express my appreciation of Jack but also with the hope that other Jaspers will pass the torch of appreciation for and the glory of alma mater. As we entered 2008, about 250 young alums gathered on Jan. 18 for a successful yearbook party. During the month of March, there were several social events to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Jim Connors ’57 hosted the Southwest Florida reception and a luncheon

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on March 14 in Sarasota. The Long Island Jaspers enjoyed a wonderful luncheon, co-chaired by Tom Connelly ’58 and Pat Creegan ’67, at the Inn at New Hyde Park on March 13. Meanwhile, in New York City on March 17, hundreds of Jaspers, alumni and students led by the Manhattan College Pipes and Drums, proudly followed the long green line along Fifth Avenue. The New York City Club met on April 10 at a well-attended reception. Ambassador Thomas McNamara ’62 gave an informative presentation on national security and issues related to terrorism. The Gunn (Alumni) Medal Committee, chaired by Bill Harkins ’67, vice president of the Alumni Society, met at the College on April 16 to select the recipient of this prestigious alumni award. Msgr. Peter Finn ’60 hosted a communion breakfast on April 13 on behalf of the revitalized Staten Island Alumni Chapter, and Peter Sweeney ’64 extended greetings on behalf of the National Alumni Society. A new chapter of Manhattan alumni gathered at the Sharon Heights Country Club in Menlo Park, Calif., on April 23. My thanks go to Joe Merkert ’60, who coordinated this initial dinner meeting of the San Francisco Bay Area Jaspers. Paul Avvento ’07, a Lasallian volunteer working in the area, was the main speaker. Also in April, the Bergen County Alumni Chapter met at the Ramsey Country Club for its annual dinner. Brother William Batt gave a meaningful presentation on the Lasallian tradition. In his talk, he noted that the College celebrated De La Salle (Founder’s) Week from April 7 (Feast of Saint John Baptist de La Salle) through April 13. Alums are always welcome to attend these events. The 20th annual Jasper Open Golf Tournament was held at the Knollwood Country Club in Elmsford, N.Y., on May 5. Golfers in

the New York area displayed their skills at this favorite event. Reunion Weekend will be held June 6-8. All alumni, especially those graduating in years ending in a 3 or 8, are encouraged to attend. It is an excellent opportunity to renew old friendships and make new ones. The Athletic Hall of Fame, chaired by Lisa Toscano ’79, welcomes nominations of outstanding Jasper athletes and coaches. Selection of the 2008 inductees takes place in June. During the summer, there will be days at the races at both Saratoga (July 25) and Monmouth (Aug. 21). Come and cheer on your favorites while expanding your Jasper connections. The annual retreat will be held the third weekend in September at the Passionist Retreat House on the Hudson in Riverdale. It is a unique opportunity to take time out for spiritual renewal. Ed McEneney ’59 and the planning committee always provide us with outstanding speakers. Our prayer and bereavement group, headed up by Phil Colon ’62 and Mike McEneney ’53, welcome your special intentions and invite you to share the communal power of prayer. Alumni interested in initiating new clubs or chapters should contact Ellen Kiernan, director of alumni relations, at ellen.kiernan@ manhattan.edu or (718) 862-7977. Your suggestions are always welcome. As you can see, there are a plethora of activities and events for your enjoyment. Contact a fellow alum and pass the baton of Jasper fellowship — you will enjoy it.

alumni

NYC Club Networking Reception Features

Author Peter Quinn ’69

Author Peter Quinn ’69 addresses alumni at the NYC Club Networking Reception.

Manhattan alumni and students at the November event, from left to right: William Blanco ’80, Daniel Mannarino ’08, Candice Coyne ’07, Christopher Eckert ’08 and Stephanie DeLuca ’08.

Author Peter Quinn ’69 engaged alumni with his witty commentary at the New York City Club Networking Reception at the New York Life building this past November. A speechwriter for Time Warner Inc. and the author of three books, the latest of which is Looking for Jimmy: A Search for Irish America, he told the story of his path to career success. Quinn experimented in different careers after he graduated from Manhattan College, but nothing lasted until “I fell into a career as a speechwriter,” he said. He recounted going to work early to write novels while at Time Warner. “I stuck with that schedule of getting up at 5:30 a.m., five days a week, and working at my own writing for two hours for the next 17 years,” he said. This schedule was difficult, but Quinn said his Manhattan education, especially the example of his former teacher Brother Aquinas Thomas, whom he calls A.Q., strengthened his work ethic. “My years at Manhattan and the instruction I’d received at the hands of teachers like A.Q. — their insistence on doing the work and not trying to skate by — had developed in me a capacity for disciplined endeavor far deeper than I’d ever imagined,” he said. His dedication paid off. Quinn’s first novel Banished Children of Eve won the 1995 American Book Award. He followed this success with another critically acclaimed novel, Hour of the Cat. “It was nice to see that his sentiments resonated with the alumni, especially the recent graduates,” says Tom McCarthy ’06, assistant director of alumni relations, who was pleased with the turnout of nearly 150 alumni of all ages. The New York City Club plans two networking receptions per year for local alumni. This year’s event was organized by club co-chairs Liz Hickey ’99, assistant vice president of New York Life, and Bill Chandler ’70, managing director of Spectrum Consulting Partners, LLC, a financial and economic consulting firm. Pat Boyle ’75, executive vice president of New York Life and Manhattan College trustee, also helped to provide the space for the fall reception.

College Names New Director of Alumni Relations Manhattan College welcomed Ellen Kiernan as its new director of alumni relations in October. Kiernan joins the College from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she served as director of alumni relations. She has spent her entire professional career in higher education administration, including positions at NYU, SUNY Stony Brook, Long Island University and Adelphi University. While at John Jay College, Kiernan engaged a community of 26,000 alumni through segmented outreach and communication initiatives, and organized regional chapters to link nationwide alumni. She also identified and cultivated affinity groups for initiating designated scholarships and created John Jay’s first endowed Alumni Association Scholarship. In her role as alumni outreach coordinator for NYU’s College of Arts and Sciences, Kiernan served as the primary contact for a constituency of more than 140,000 alumni. She can be reached at (718) 862-7977 or ellen.kiernan@manhattan.edu.

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In Memoriam

Manhattan College records with sorrow the deaths of the following alumni:

1932: John H. Geideman, 8/9/07 1933: Brendan P. Battle, 7/3/07 1936: Nicholas V. Scorzelli, 2/6/08 1937: Jeptha R. Macfarlane, 2/5/07 Clarence J. Traube, 11/5/07 1938: Frank J. Brundage, 2/27/08 Louis P. Burns, 9/8/07 Anthony Suraci, 9/29/06 1939: William F. Bloomfield Jr., 12/23/07 Thomas F. McHugh, 10/26/07 Anthony L. Spina, 4/14/07 1940: Paul W. Grover, 4/22/07 James J. Hayes, 9/16/06 1942: Peter J. Oliva, 10/18/07 1943: Peter J. Hickey, 10/3/06 Donald B. Hurley, 9/14/07 Ernest Tsivoglou, 10/22/07 1944: Cornelius L. Griffin Jr., 10/27/07 Peter M. Quinn, 10/3/07 John E. Skvarla, 1/19/08 Francis B. Taylor, 11/16/07 1945: Kyran N. Egan, 1/13/07 1947: Joseph P. Beaney, 10/9/07 William J. Clark, 10/18/07 Thomas Connolly, M.D., 9/30/07 Andrew J. Murphy III, 4/8/07 Br. Peter Reidy, F.S.C., 9/19/07 1948: William F. Bladel, 3/25/07 Joseph A. Canale, 1/4/08

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Joseph M. Conway, 11/23/04 1949: John W. Colwell, 10/7/07 Armand Crescenzi, 1/18/08 Charles T. Larkin, 5/26/07 Edward D. McNierney, 9/1/07 Thomas D. Meehan, 1/21/05 Desmond L. Sherry, 2/10/08 1950: Gilbert A. Bonforte, 11/21/04 Harry J. Brustman, 9/2/07 Raymond J. Farley, 11/15/94 Joseph Fitzpatrick, 8/2/07 Gerald V. Schnutt, 10/18/05 Alfred E. Stancati, 12/23/07 J. Greg Sullivan, 10/29/06 1951: Eugene Cuomo, 12/13/07 George Duarte, 4/17/07 Edmund R. Durocher, 10/12/07 Joseph R. Falcone, 9/20/07 James Larocca, 5/10/03 Edward M. Masterson Sr., 10/4/07 Donald A. Miles, 11/20/07 Thomas D. Pasquale, 2/10/08 Daniel J. Rago, 10/4/07 1952: John J. Darcy, 1/18/07 Frank B. Flood, 1/10/08 William Gambino, 2/27/08 Francis P. Intrieri, 3/30/07 Robert G. McGrath, 1/19/07 John A. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor, 6/21/07 Thomas J. Reid, 11/17/05 1953: Alfred T. Baker, 8/31/07 Leonard P. Grammel, 1/1/08 Warren Haring, 2/23/08 Timothy M. Liston, 4/5/07 1954: Thomas F. Morgan, 4/17/04 John R. Tuohy, 10/3/06

1955: William J. Tangredi, 1/8/08 1956: William F. Callanan, 6/30/07 Donald G. Cleary, 1/24/08 Raymond M. Maliszewski, 10/17/07 Walter J. Rothenheber, 12/14/07 1957: Donald J. Fitzgerald, 12/25/07 John F. McCormack Jr., 10/6/07 Kevin P. McDonnell, 10/17/05 Robert A. Ragazzo, 12/23/07 1958: Rudolph L. Mazzei, 10/18/07 Matthew D. Tomaiuoli, 5/23/02 1959: James F. Brennan, 1/23/08 1960: Gerald F. Erwin, 2/16/08 J. Ronald Morgan Jr., 10/6/07 Edward Mullen, 1/23/08 1961: Br. Jerome A. Corrigan, F.S.C., 11/27/07 Thomas G. Kanganis, 1/29/08 John R. Kennedy, 10/14/07 1962: Fr. Stephen Duffy, 9/9/07 John Fagan, 1/3/08 Kevin P. Hyland, 1/8/08 Alexander D. Osowick, 6/16/07 Raymond C. Vassel, 8/11/07 1963: Thomas B. Foudy, 11/17/07 Michael R. Hough, 12/25/07 1964: Richard Coppolino, 10/24/06 Gerald J. McNiff, 2/21/08 1965: James P. Kissane, 11/14/07 John R. Mazziotti, 12/23/07

1966: Anthony Akel, 11/8/07 Michael Dwyer, 1/27/08 1968: Dorothy B. Corrigan, 11/10/07 1969: George R. Semchyshyn, 11/21/07 1970: John J. McAuley, 11/28/07 Douglas F. Gensinger, 12/27/05 Stephen A. Peltzman, 9/25/07 1973: Dennis P. Baker, 2/13/08 John E. Crist, 1/23/08 Patricia M. Manganaro, 4/4/07 1975: Gerard J. Barcak, 9/22/07 Patrick J. LaManna, 7/29/07 1976: Catherine E. Malone, 12/26/07 1978: Steven Stedfelt, 10/7/07 1980: Stephen J. Wiener, 9/21/07 1983: Jean M. McCann, 3/14/04 Christopher P. Sperandio, 2/18/07 1984: Bridget Barrett, 2/16/08 Denis G. Lynch, 12/20/07 1991: Eamon Desacia, 2/18/08 1996: Joyce L. Tietjen, 3/9/03 1997: Rita C. Fitzgerald, 10/27/05 1999: June A. Rodriguez, 6/20/07

1987 Deirdre Buckley-McCourt received her M.S. in education with distinction from Hofstra University in December 2007. 1996 Ari Spett received his juris doctorate from New York Law School. 2002 Melissa Rosales earned her Master of Arts in media studies from the New School University in 2004.

births

1998 Krystyn (Meyers) Carbonaro & Richard Carbonaro ’97 son Hayden Cole, 9/12/07

1991 Sue & Chris Paliotta son, Nicholas Brian, 5/23/07

Daina & Blaise Grippa son Nicholas Joseph, 9/4/07

1989 Mary & Stephen McGovern son Colin Michael, 10/24/07

1993 Patricia (Guiney) Joyce & John Joyce daughters Erin and Meghan, 5/11/07 Ann (Rimey) Basil & Patrick Basil daughter Madison Marja, 10/23/07

Marriages

1994 Julie & Peter O’Reilly daughter Eibhlin Clare, 7/17/07

1999 Monica Sparaco & Joshua Rainey, 10/14/06

1995 Lauren (Mehnert) Asnis & Jon Asnis son Daniel Joseph, 6/4/07

1998 Jill Ammerata ’99 & Peter Calatozzo, 9/23/07

2001 Casey Russo & Daryl Palmieri, 7/21/07 2002 Donna Leacy ’06 & Brendan Nelson, 2/15/08 2003 Christine Smiouskas & Dean Herfindahl III, 6/9/07

Gina & Steven Eriquez daughter Gianna Rose, 8/8/07

Ellen & Ned Browne daughter Lydia Ann, 5/21/07 Jeanne (McNamara) Conkin & Jason Conkin son James, 8/3/07 2000 Jeanie Flaherty Mitchell son Dennis Christopher, 9/27/07 Mary (Walsh) Lawyer & Preston Lawyer daughter Margaret Mary, 8/31/07

alumni

Advanced Degrees

Gina (Ianne) Grath & Andrew Grath daughter Lucy Susanna, 10/10/07 2002 Melissa Rosales & William Zifchak daughter Nina Amanda, 5/23/07

1997 Anna & Joe Giamelli daughter Samantha Rose, 8/31/07 Elizabeth (Safrey) Markman & Seth Markman son Nathaniel Luke, 3/15/07

ALUMNOTES 1938 Patrick Callahan and his wife, Catherine, have enjoyed 67 years of wedded bliss. They have nine children, 20 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. 1948 New York Times journalist Bill Miller was presented with the second Stan Saplin Sports Media Award on Jan. 19 at the New Balance Track & Field Center at The Armory of New York. The award recognizes an outstanding media professional who has made a significant contribution to the promotion of the sport of track & field. Since 1947, when he started to work as a freelance reporter during his junior year at Manhattan College, Miller has been on the Times staff. During his college years, he also was part of the track & field team and, in 2004, was inducted into Manhattan’s Hall of Fame. 1954 Donald Costello was named Distinguished Lecturer for the Association for Computing Machinery. During this past year, he lectured at universities in the United States and China on Cryptography: From the Enigma to Elliptic Curve Cryptography. After 16 years as president, treasurer and chairman of the board of Dvirka and Bartilucci (D&B) Consulting Engineers, Nicholas Bartilucci will step down as president and treasurer and continue to serve as board chairman. D&B shareholders elected Henry Chlupsa ’65 as president and treasurer and Steven Fangmann ’74 as executive vice president and secretary. 1958 Edward Hartmann, who is vice president of the Council of Orange Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Orange County, Calif., was honored with the Top Hat Award for his work.

1962 Daniel Corry has a new grandson, Robert Daniel Corry. He also congratulates his brother, John ’62, for his 2007 induction into the Manhattan College Hall of Fame. 1963 Albert Rosa is professor emeritus at the University of Denver and teaches as an academy fellow at the United States Air Force Academy. He also is at work on the sixth edition of a textbook on electric circuits, to be published by John Wiley and Sons. Kenneth Mann’s successful research program at the University of Vermont studies blood coagulation. His work has resulted in more than 450 publications, 12 patents and numerous awards, including the E. Donnall Thomas Prize presented by the American Society of Hematology. 1964 Peter Iovine, the son of Carmine Iovine, assistant research professor at Rutgers University’s New Jersey Center for Biomaterials, was honored with the National Science Foundation’s prestigious CAREER award. Peter is an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of San Diego, where the $475,000 award will support his study of dendrimers, which are perfectly branched polymeric molecules with the potential for applications as new materials, drug delivery agents and enzyme mimics. 1968 Two master’s degrees and 36 years of teaching later, Tom Hanley has retired. His past positions include math department chairperson for Rockville Centre Public Schools, union officer and treasurer of the teachers’ union, trustee of the benefit fund and adjunct professor at Nassau Community College.

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ALUMNOTES 1969 Ruben Carbonell, a professor at North Carolina State University, was named director of the Golden Leaf Biomanufacturing Train and Education Center. Author James Patterson’s Maximum Ride: The Final Warning, the latest book in his series for young adults about a group of genetically mutated kids who are part human and part bird, hit bookstores in March. 1970 Francis O’Hagan, the newly appointed vice president of Pamrapo Savings Bank in New Jersey, directs one of the bank’s latest competitive initiatives: the small business division. Raymond Valenti teaches mathematics at Houston Christian High School. George Binninger was appointed CEO of Kreido Biofuels, Inc., an industry pioneer in the field of fluid dynamics based chemical manufacturing. After nearly four decades in education, including work as a teacher, principal and, most recently, superintendent, Bill Mealey has retired. Jim Matthews published The Parents Guide to College Drinking: Facing the Challenge Together. 1971 Dr. Robert Rampino, D.P.M., chairman of the podiatry departments at Jacobi Hospital and North Central Bronx Hospital in New York, was elected president of the New York State Podiatric Medical Association this past June. Dan Howard, Ph.D., became vice chancellor for academic affairs and research at Arkansas State University on Jan. 1. On Oct. 28, Daniel O’Rourke, delivered his sermon Spirituality and the Unbeliever to the congregation at East Aurora Unitarian Universalist Church in East Aurora, N.Y. William Mooney, president of the Westchester County Association, celebrated the 50th anniversary of his first date with his wife, Joan, on Nov. 17, 2006. On that day 50 years ago, they watched Marlon Brando in Viva Zapata at the Alpine Theatre on the corner of Dyckman Street and Broadway in New York. James Willett was inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Hon. Philip Amicone was honored for his re-election as the 41st Mayor of the City of Yonkers, N.Y., at the Renaissance Ball on Feb. 9 at the Yonkers Armory and Police Athletic League Center. 1972 Richard Prince’s first book, Montauk: The Disappearances, spins a mystery of doom and intrigue set on Long Island. Readers can learn more at www.richardprincemontauk.com. STV, a leading architectural, engineering, planning and construction management firm, appointed John Drygulski to vice president and Northeast regional manager of its construction management division in New York City. 1973 Andrew Signore, CEO of Integrated Project Services in Lafayette Hill, Penn., attained the certified pharmaceutical industry professional credential by the ISPE Professional Certification Commission. The credential, which is measured by education, industry experience and an examination, confers competency across a range of subjects, including drug product development and manufacturing. Dennis Fenton, Ph.D., joined the board of directors of

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Amira Pharmaceuticals. He has 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology fields, including more than two decades at the leading human therapeutics company Amgen, where he helped develop the company into a global, fully integrated, multibillion dollar organization. 1974 Marybeth McCall joined Excellus BlueCross BlueShield as associate medical director for utilization management. She will oversee utilization, disease management and health care quality reviews. New York City Police assistant chief Phil Pulaski was appointed to deputy commissioner for operations by NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly ’63. In his new role, he will be responsible for the design, implementation and auditing of NYPD crime fighting strategies. 1976 Manuel Correa, who teaches online management and business classes at Berkeley College in New York, was honored by his employer with the Online Faculty Award for Outstanding Teacher, which recognizes a faculty member who is a role model committed to the success of his students. The Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce board of directors named Brian Killeen interim executive director. 1977 Kevin Monaghan was promoted to senior vice president of business development at NBC Universal Sports & Olympics. Principal Mary Flynn-Maguire announced that she will retire from Lewisboro Elementary School at the end of this school year. General surgeon Thomas Lewis, M.D., joined the medical staff of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital in Brattleboro, Vt. 1978 Kevin Leyden, a solution executive in the Albany, N.Y., office of IBM, was named co-chair of the Business Alliance for Tech Valley High School. Bill Sweeney was recently named an IDG Computerworld Premier 100 IT Leader 2008 for his ability to identify strategic opportunities, tie technology and innovation to specific business needs, and create positive and rewarding work environments, among other qualities. Tom Lindgren was made a partner at the law firm Poyner & Sprull in Raleigh, N.C. Brian Mathews was recently named vice president/director of residential mortgage lending of the Kingston, N.Y., headquarters of Ulster Savings Bank. 1979 Anthony Blose was hired as dean of the college of natural and mathematical sciences at Lake Superior State University in Michigan. On Nov. 7, Lou Lamatina defeated incumbent Steve Setteducati by the narrow margin of 94 votes to become mayor of Emerson, N.J. The 2007 Entrepreneur of the Year Award was presented to Joseph Reilly by the Melbourne Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce. He is the president of Florida Drug Screening, a national provider of drug and alcohol testing with more than 6,000 clients in the United States. 1981 Eric Kreuter is a partner in the valuation, litigation and forensic services unit of BST, a New York-based financial and management consulting firm. Gerard Durney, vice president of clinical services at Lenox

She also recently started a Facebook group for Irish-American poets. A podcast of her poetry can be heard at the link maryannmccarrafitzpatrick.podbean.com. FirstCaribbean International Bank appointed Darron Cash to the position of chief financial officer. A certified public accountant, Cash brings more than 18 years of financial management experience to his new post. 1990 VNR Home Care Services named Hugo Pizarro vice president of human resources. 1991 Mark Bayer works as an assistant principal at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, N.Y. 1993 Thomas Grech recently began teaching at Farmingdale State College, as an adjunct professor of business. Nicholas Mehnert was recently promoted to vice president of billing administration at NYMEX, the world’s largest physical commodity futures exchange and the preeminent trading forum for energy and precious metals. 1995 Aileen Farrelly, C.P.A., and her husband, John, keep busy with their four children: Ellen (10), Clare (7), Sean (4) and Aileen Mary (1). They moved to Yonkers and show their children Manhattan College’s campus at every chance. They also congratulate Danielle Gelsomino Harkins ’95 on her induction into the Manhattan College Hall of Fame. Steven Eriquez became a licensed professional engineer in New York state on Jan. 23. 1996 Mary (Wasacz) Reynolds has completed several marathons in Washington, D.C., Hawaii and Okinawa. She finished the Naha (Okinawa) Marathon in four hours, three minutes. Her husband, Patrick ’97, was promoted to the rank of major in the United States Marine Corps this past September. He is currently deployed in Iraq. New York-based attorney Richard Eskew was named special consul, intellectual property, by Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, a national law firm that specializes in transactional and litigation guidance to leading multinational corporations, investment banks and venture capital firms in the United States and abroad. 1997 Megan O’Rourke currently works as a case manager for the elderly at Catholic Charities in Woodhaven, N.Y. 1998 Debra Foley is engaged to Christopher Spennicchia. They plan to wed in May 2008. 2002 Beth Gilberg and Steve Naber ’00 became engaged on Nov. 10, 2007. A July 2009 wedding is planned. 2003 Eileen Antonison joined the staff of Matawan Student Enrichment program as a science instructor. Gavin Cosgrove will complete his LL.B. from the University of New Brunswick Faculty of Law in Canada this May and begin to practice law at Cunningham, Swan, Carty, Little & Bonham LLP in August. 2005 Michael Brady was named principal at Brady and Company, a governmental relations firm in New York.

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Hill Hospital in New York City and a fellow of the American Healthcare Radiology Administration, was honored as Visitation Academy’s 2007 Man of the Year. Visitation Academy is a private school in Brooklyn, N.Y., from which Durney’s three daughters have graduated. Steve Sansone is the executive director of the Yonkers Downtown/Waterfront Business Improvement District. Robert Rogers, C.P.A., is director of financial systems in the corporate controllers office of AIG. In his spare time, he coaches and referees soccer on Staten Island. Rogers and his wife, Mary Pat, have three children: Katie (15), Kevin (13) and Kerry Anne (10). 1982 Theresa Heneveld, P.E., works as a project manager in the environmental engineering department at Lockwood, Kessler and Bartlett, Inc., Consulting Engineers in Syosset, N.Y. Michael Sweeton was re-elected to a third term as supervisor of the Town of Warwick, N.Y. 1983 After 20 years of service to the zoning board of appeals in New Scotland, N.Y., Ronald Von Ronne has stepped down from his post as chairman to pursue other activities. Abraaj Capital, a premier investment firm specializing in private equity investment in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, appointed Sari Anabtawi to executive director, responsible for coverage and fundraising. Brian Kane was appointed the Fr. John F. Harvey, O.S.F.S., Chair in Moral Theology at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pa., on the feast day of St. Francis de Sales on Jan. 24. He also serves as chairperson of the department of philosophy and theology. 1984 John Banks III is among the possible successors to City Hall’s deputy mayor for economic development, Daniel Doctoroff. Catherine Marshall is delighted that her oldest nephew, Joseph Smith ’11, enrolled in Manhattan College’s school of education this past August. 1986 Thomas Kuster was named CEO of Turner Renewable Energy, a company that provides solar energy to utility and industrial clients. Paul Haering was appointed vice president of engineering and environmental services for Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation, a subsidiary of CH Energy Group. 1987 At the 2006 Bishop’s Testimonial Dinner in Flushing Meadow Park, N.Y., John Thomann of Turner Construction Company was honored with the 2006 Progress of Peoples Achievement Award for outstanding leadership and creating secure homes in caring communities for low income seniors and families, the disabled and the formerly homeless. Cyrus Izzo, P.E., was recently promoted to co-chief executive officer/chief operating officer of the engineering firm Syska Hennessy Group in New York. 1989 MaryAnn McCarra-Fitzpatrick, who is listed in the Westchester Arts Council’s directory of literary artists, contributes articles to the Web site Associated Content, The People’s Media Company and is an online editor for OnPoint Advocacy in Alexandria, Va. Two of her poems were published in Moonlit, as well as others in local newspapers.

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Jim Dauterman ’89 at work with a camel at the Bronx Zoo.

An Alum in Career Camelot

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cleaning, grooming and repeating the same routine again. For him, these quiet days are the best because he works exclusively with the animals. Dauterman makes no secret that he dotes on the camels. After all, they are the reason he became enamored with his job. He greets the camels with a flattened, face-up palm for them to sniff. One camel extends her elegant, U-shaped neck to rub her face against his hand, and it’s obvious the feeling is mutual. “They have such great personalities,” he says. “They’re all different. Some are really hyper, some are more friendly.” To the untrained eye, the camels look alike. In person, they seem larger than life. At nearly 1,800 pounds apiece, Dauterman says they are heavier than camels that roam the desert, especially in the winter when they develop what he calls “hay bellies.” He keeps their names straight with visual cues, such as number of humps (one hump for the dromedary and two humps for the Bactrian) facial features, skin tone and curly or straight hair. Dauterman’s love of animals led him to forge an unlikely path to the Bronx Zoo. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Manhattan College and graduated to become a full-time job manager of a drugstore in his hometown of Yonkers, N.Y. By 1996, he craved a change and ventured back to school, this time to the College of Mount Saint Vincent, for another bachelor’s degree in biology. Not long after, Dauterman started

work at the Bronx Zoo at the special animal exhibits, which groups together the camel barn, butterfly exhibit and children’s zoo. He even devotes his spare time to animal care. On one of his days off, he volunteers at the Norwalk Aquarium in Connecticut, a place he chose because it’s small and intimate. Dauterman supervises the seals and stingrays exhibit and operates the touch tank, where he tells visitors about sea stars and horseshoe crabs. “It gives me my marine biology fix,” he says. “I like to be around sea creatures.” At home, Dauterman keeps two pets: a black-and-white rabbit aptly named Oreo, who he will readily show you with the flick of his cell phone, and Nova, a tarantula that a co-worker bought for him. The two pets may have little in common, but he can appreciate such dichotomy. After all, the course of his career has jumped from one unlikely profession to another, a change of events that Dauterman finds infinitely more fulfilling.

When Jim Dauterman ’89 goes to work, Nicki, Rose, Shirley and Kirby are the stars of the show — and he wouldn’t have it any other way. They are among the camels he cares for as assistant supervisor of special animal exhibits at the Bronx Zoo, where he works behind the scenes to feed, clean and groom the camels, wallabies, pigs, donkeys and even the occasional Christmastime reindeer imported from a farm in Wisconsin. “You have to develop trust and build a relationship with them,” he says, about his ability to work with the animals. Dauterman’s routine begins with a morning feeding: fruit for some animals, such as black potbelly pigs and wallabies, and grain for others, including donkeys, llamas and camels. After breakfast, he gives the camels glucosamine for their joints. He cleans out the animal stalls and then the grooming begins. In a room adjacent to the stalls, Dauterman finds his grooming equipment. There are different brushes to comb hair and pick out straw, as well as a round shedding blade that looks like an oversized lollipop with spokes, which is used to brush out a camel’s loose hair. “We have the camels groomed and looking good out on the track,” he says, referring to the seasonal camel rides that are popular in the summer. On those days, he primps the camels and escorts them onto the track with visitors. But, on this off-season winter day, most of his time is spent feeding,

106 Years of Glaser’s Bake Shop

Herb Glaser ’74, co-owner of Glaser’s Bake Shop in New York City, with a fresh batch of black and white cookies.

On a busy strip of First Avenue at 87th Street in New York City, Glaser’s Bake Shop is anything but standard fare. Most of the storefronts have come and gone, but Glaser’s green façade has been here for the past 106 years. The men behind this sweet aberration: Herb Glaser ’74 and his brother, John, who have carried on the family tradition of baking delicious cakes and cookies for New Yorkers into its second century. Step inside the warm, chocolatescented shop on a January afternoon, and Glaser can be found in the back room, where he slides sheets of brownies from deck ovens onto his work bench, a relic from the days his German immigrant grandparents ran the bakery. He splits shifts with John and comes in at 10 a.m. to bake chocolate chip and pecan brownies, cookies and éclairs, among other popular items. Recipes passed down from his grandparents are used for pastry dough and apple turnovers. “We’re a fairly simple operation, but I’m glad we’re still here,” says Glaser, as he deftly trims the edges off the perimeter of each brownie sheet, sprinkles the top with sugar and cuts generous squares. Ironically, Glaser once aspired to be a dentist and majored in biology at Manhattan College. All along, he had worked in the bakery, and after graduation, the pull back to Glaser’s was too strong to resist. It was in his blood — his grandparents and later his parents made it their livelihood — to continue the shop for a third generation. As a steward of family tradition, Glaser aims to please his customers. From the back room, he keeps one eye on his brownies and the other on the requests of his clientele, as they choose sweets from glass cases lined with apple raisin crumb cake, black and white

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Recipe for Success:

cookies and crunchy Bavarian almond cookies. Some stop to admire pictures of Glaser’s family in the wood cabinets along the opposite wall. In the background of one photograph, there’s a glimpse of the old brick ovens that once stood in the basement and were used for baking until they caved in. When asked about the best part of his job, a sly smile spreads across his face and he says, “Eating the mistakes.” Judging from the steady foot traffic in and out of the bakery — a mother pushing a baby carriage, an older man who addresses Glaser by name and a group of women — there are few mistakes for sale. The cash-only operation, with its white tin ceiling and tiled floor from the early 1900s, has learned to keep up with changing times. Portions are made for singles, whereas they used to be sized for families, an adjustment to the changing demographic of the surrounding Yorkville neighborhood on the Upper East Side. Either way, Glaser says, “We always end up with regular customers.” Which is not to say he never receives big orders. A few years ago, the sugar substitute company Splenda learned of Glaser’s reputation for baking delicious gingerbread during the Christmas holidays and approached him, among other bakers, about making a giant gingerbread house for display at Macy’s in Herald Square. Glaser signed on, but the other bakers eventually dropped out and left him alone to create 500 two-foot gingerbread bricks and 10,000 small gingerbread men to distribute to people on the streets. Seasonal challenges aside, as long as Glaser sees to it, his shop will be a neighborhood stronghold for years to come, a nod to nostalgia and one of the best places in the city to indulge a sweet tooth.

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Laying Down Tracks for a Bright Future and, in the process, filled a void in the industry. But Gentles and For two alums, a new Internet venture could be more than Omisore didn’t just stumble upon it. As astute finance majors, they just a one-hit wonder. analyzed the market beforehand, as they do for all ventures. Gary Gentles ’02 and Adeniyi Omisore ’04 started MusicLife Enter“We analyze the market to see what’s there,” Gentles says. “Is it emptainment Group LLC while they were students. At first, the two finance ty? Do we need to fill it? And that’s when we get into business. So for and computer information systems majors were creating Web sites for Singersroom, we thought about the idea, and it was not there.” record labels, entertainment companies and independent artists, as “For us, it has been finding the right opportunity and trying to take well as writing songs for the likes of Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Bad different business models from other industries and see what else is Boy Records. In 2006, they launched Singersroom.com, an R&B enterworking for other people, and find that niche market,” Omisore adds. tainment news, music and celebrity lifestyle online magazine. After finding that niche, the next step was getting a good name While Gentles had computer skills when he enrolled at the College, he hadn’t designed a Web site until he took a course during his fresh- — something that is simple and recognizable — and then, of course, clients. Gentles called members of the music industry to ask clients man year. Six months later, he was a “Web site wiz” and, subsequently, to co-sign the product, which made the content easier to get. Once introduced Omisore to the process. Omisore became hooked, and the they had the content, the users were easier to acquire, and one thing two began a partnership that would shape their careers. led to another. With already busy schedules as student athletes — both were They worked hard to bring together all the aspects of the Web site. members of the College’s track team — Gentles and Omisore But one aspect that was never a difficulty for the partners was divying squeezed in time to work on their projects by staying up late at night up the job responsibilities. and by bringing their laptops everywhere to make the most of their “The great thing is, through our education, our background, and our downtime. personalities, we get along great,” Gentles says. “We both have busi“If I went to a track meet, I had my laptop with me,” Gentles says. “I ness skills, we both want to lead, and we learn from each other at the was up to 3 a.m. doing Web sites for a client. Whatever it was, we just same time.” starved ourselves basically to make sure we put ourselves in a good Gentles and Omisore wear many different hats at their company. situation for when we graduated.” On any given day, Gentles, chairman and CEO, could be taking on And their extracurricular jobs paid off. When they graduated from the functions of journalist and advertising managing, while Omisore, Manhattan, the former suitemates continued to work on different president and chief editor, is dealing with writers, artists and setting music projects, but it wasn’t too long until they merged their interests up events. There was — and still is — a natural division of roles based into one concept. upon their strengths. “I was really focused on the music side, and he was focused on the Like the entrepreneurs, who do a lot of reading, going to seminars marketing, so we were trying to find a way to have it packaged under and keeping up with industry changes to improve their business one umbrella and then be able to build on it,” Gentles says. “That’s knowledge, the site continues to grow. After two years of diligent how we came together and created Singersroom.” work and learning the ropes, Singersroom is thriving and expanding. Another motivation for Singersroom, Omisore explains, came as a “The first year, I would say it was somewhat of a struggle just beresult of trying to promote an R&B artist, whom they managed at the cause we had to learn the online world and how advertisers work and time, in an urban market focused on hip-hop. what they were looking for,” Gentles says. “But after taking our time, “A lot of traditional formats of media weren’t really looking for going back to the drawing board and studying advertising, now it’s that genre,” Omisore says. “So, at that time, we were looking for turning over. The growth is at least 30 percent every month when it different ideas of how can we create an outlet or a channel for R&B comes to users, and financially it’s a heavy growth.” artists and music.” The dynamic duo realized that they had a brand, too, which could Practically finishing Omisore’s explanation, Gentles adds: “Throughbe cultivated. out that experience, we learned that the best way to promote any“I think it’s also about our brand extension because at first we were thing you’re doing is to create your own resources, so that’s what we just a Web site, and that was really our focus,” Omisore says. “Then we did. We created Singersroom as a platform to promote our own acts, realized we have a brand here; what else can we do with this brand?” to gain new acts, and it turned out to be bigger than we thought.” In the future, Gentles and Omisore will consider moving into eSo the pair created an outlet to promote their own R&B projects

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Adeniyi Omisore ’04 and Gary Gentles ’02 with gospel singer Yolanda Adams.

commerce, such as working with iTunes to sell songs. With a sharp eye on technology, they think in terms of multimedia outlets. “I would hope that it would be a distribution channel,” Omisore says. “I hope that we can distribute content, whether it puts us in position where we can distribute albums, books and different forms of media, and just be a multimedia channel. So if we produce an event, that’s content for the actual event, that could be content for our Web site, that could be content for a mobile phone.” “But at the same time, for any product we do under MusicLife entertainment, we just want to be that go-to product,” Gentles adds. The highly motivated pair also plans to have more events this year, including trying to book tours with top-name artists. They usually do a mid-sized event every quarter via Singersroom Live!, an R&B concert series on their Web site. Past performers have included on-the-verge artists Chrisette Michele, Johnta Austin and Emily King. With a job that lets them be their own boss, mingle with R&B stars, even go to the Grammy Awards, the rewards seem endless. But they take most of their satisfaction from keeping their audience happy and bringing R&B artists to their users. In addition to their Singersroom viewers, Gentles and Omisore aim to make some students happy. Right now, the partners visit high schools to talk about their own experiences and profession. Yet they have another educational program in the works, which would involve bringing in R&B songwriters and artists to help teach literacy to junior high students. It would have an interactive approach in the form of a mobile studio, where the students can actually record a song. While the pair hopes the program motivates the students, they want to put the focus on literacy. “In order for you to be a better songwriter and be an artist, you need to be able to read, you need to be able to write, to have that form of expression, and to be able to connect with people,” Omisore says. Highly motivated students themselves, Gentles and Omisore would like to give these students some direction in leadership and achieving the skills they need for success in their prospective fields. After all, they both value the education they received at Manhattan. And the partners attribute the College with learning how to balance every aspect of their lives, which will come in handy with all their personal and professional goals. “We want to be in a position like Yahoo, where Yahoo controls content,” Gentles says. I want to hire more people, I want to help people, I want to come back to Manhattan College and start my own scholarship and give it to a track athlete. I want to hire people who leave Manhattan College, who leave my high school.”

Taking progress shots of their construction sites might be a common task for some contractors, but for Wilson Nazario ’02, taking a photo of a friend’s job landed him the top spot at the Engineering News-Record’s annual The Year in Construction photo contest. Garnering the most votes among viewers at enr.com from nearly 1,000 submissions, the largest and most competitive contest ever according to the publication, the photo features the construction of the $70 million airport terminal at Isla Verde, Puerto Rico. He used a fish eye lens to shoot the terminal’s oval-shaped steel roof, which soars 117 feet into the air. Nazario, who earned his bachelor’s in civil engineering in 2002 and his master’s in civil engineering in 2003, is the business development manager/marketing manager and project manager for a local general contracting firm, Sun Construction Group, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Photography has been a hobby of Nazario’s since he was a child, and he parlayed his interest into a side job of sorts, a staff photographer. Well, he is actually the editor of the Puerto Rico construction magazine PLANOS Y CAPACETES and one of the photographers. Last year, he joint-ventured with the local chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America to create the magazine. Nazario admits that some publicity may have helped his candidacy with the voters. He explains that the owner of the project is the Puerto Rico Port Authority, and he received a request from the governor and the port authority director to promote the voting campaign. So Nazario made a few appearances on the local news and in the newspapers to talk about the contest with the general public. Selected as one of the top 40 Engineers in Puerto Rico less than 40 years old by the Colegio de Ingenieros y Agrimensores de Puerto Rico, the professional institution that regulates engineering in Puerto Rico, Nazario proves that art and construction can go hand in hand.

Getting the perfect shot: Wilson Nazario ’02 wins the Engineering News-Record’s annual The Year in Construction photo contest with this photograph of the airport terminal at Isla Verde, Puerto Rico.

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Engineering the Perfect Shot

On the Run: Recent Grad Guides City Tours

George Roach ’07, after a run in Greenwich Village in January, points out the Jefferson Market Branch of the New York Public Library, a landmark erected in 1875-77 and designed in Victorian Gothic style.

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For George Roach ’07, maneuvering through New York City’s boroughs, bridges and busy intersections are all part of a day’s work. Since his graduation from Manhattan, the wiry alum and former Jasper track star navigates Gotham’s labyrinth of streets as a guide for City Running Tours (CRT), a three-year-old company conceived by runner Michael Gazaleh, with branches in Charleston, S.C., Chicago, San Diego and Washington, D.C. “Running through a place can give you the most intimate and up-close perspective on how to get around,” Roach says. “If you wish to explore or know any city like the back of your hand, then running is the way to go.” At 9 a.m. on a chilly Saturday, Roach is energized for his first tour of the day, the $60 downtown run, one of CRT’s 12 routes ranging from five to 13 miles that crisscross the city. The downtown run winds through the narrow cobblestone streets of the financial district, into Battery Park, over the Brooklyn Bridge and then back into the city via the Manhattan Bridge. Along the way, Roach points out skyscrapers, statues and landmarks, and offers up interesting tidbits that he learned in Manhattan classes, such as New York City Skyscrapers taught by adjunct professor John Kriskiewicz. He comes equipped with a camera to take your picture, bottled water, a “goodie” bag of freebies, including a T-shirt, power bar and energy goo and, most importantly, an encyclopedic knowledge of his route. “The best part of my job as a running guide is the fact that I get to meet interesting people from all over the world, from every aspect of life, and I get the chance to share my knowledge and passions about New York with them,” says Roach, who lets his tour clients set the pace of the run. The downtown route begins at Chambers Street, from which Roach leads the way to Battery Park City. As he runs on a pathway along the Hudson River, he leaves no stone unturned. In fact, he will tell you that this very ground was made from 1.2 million cubic yards of dirt and rocks excavated during the construction of the World Trade Center and other projects. In the distance, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, mere green specks at the outset, come into focus with each thump of his red

Nike sneakers on the pavement. Up ahead is Castle Clinton, a 19th century fortress built to protect against the British during the War of 1812. From here, Roach veers away from the river and back into the heart of the financial district. He points out the American flag-draped New York Stock Exchange, Trinity Church and his favorite skyscraper, the Equitable Building, which casts a seven-acre shadow on the city. The run continues onto the Brooklyn Bridge, which Roach divulges took 14 years to build, and then makes a brief loop through D.U.M.B.O., an industrial slice of Brooklyn he says is popular with artists. He takes the Manhattan Bridge back into the city and ends the tour on the bustling streets of Chinatown. Exhausted yet? Roach isn’t. He actually makes this whirlwind tour look easy. His time on the Manhattan track and cross country teams has served him well. He is in great shape and barely seems phased by the incline of the Brooklyn Bridge or the challenge of talking and running at the same time, although he admits it can be tough. “Going to school at Manhattan allowed me to have some of the greatest rave runs imaginable,” Roach says. “I was able to run from Manhattan College over the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey and back, as well as run the entire length of the 1 train from 242nd Street to South Ferry, which was a great run to get a sense of the city’s topography and see how the neighborhoods blend into each other.” To keep fit, he sometimes runs with his father, George Roach Sr. ’73, another former member of the Manhattan track team. This spring, he will run with a new road race team started by CRT. His first race is the Cherry Blossom 10-mile run in Washington, D.C., in April. To Roach, running is not just a job; it’s a way of life. Recently, after a personal excursion to Prospect Park, Brooklyn, he decided to run over the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan as the sun was setting, the skyscrapers just beginning to sparkle. “The city looked magnificent … It stretched for miles uninhibited, a monument to itself, and I was glad to be a part of it and it a part of me,” Roach says.

Shared Initiative:

When Dan Geelan ’59 contracted cancer for the second time in 2003, it was a call to action. For years, he had walked the halls of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, first as an IBM salesman, then as a patient and later as a volunteer. It was those visits as a volunteer that inspired him to start Donate A, an organization that collects unused tickets for baseball games, Broadway shows, the Big Apple Circus and other events for children with cancer. “The idea is that I never touch the tickets,” says Geelan, who started the Web site www.DonateA. com after he survived his second bout with cancer. “It’s all on the Internet, and the people contact me. I merely e-mail back the person with the tickets. The person who has the tickets decides on the child who receives them.” The tickets then go to either Memorial SloanKettering or Hackensack University Medical Center, the hospitals that Geelan teams with on Donate A. To date, more than 1,000 tickets have been donated by individuals and corporations and distributed to children with cancer in the metropolitan area. The children, in turn, bring their families to the events.

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Jasper Gives Tickets to Children with Cancer “We gave four tickets for a New York Giants football game to a young boy who was getting a four-hour chemo treatment,” he says, recounting one of his many joyful stories about children who have received tickets. “You could hear him scream a few blocks away. He said ‘Who cares about this cancer — I’m going to a Giants game this weekend!’” According to Geelan, he has yet to spend a cent on the whole operation. “The way this has grown is by word of mouth primarily,” he says. And it has surely grown through his compassion. Because of Donate A, children with cancer don’t just receive seats at a Yankees game; they have respite from a devastating illness and a ticket to happiness.

Dan Geelan ’59, founder of Donate A, ran in the Army 10-Miler in Washington, D.C., on his 70th birthday this past October.

Athletic Hall of Fame Inducts New Stars The Manhattan College Athletic Hall of Fame honored eight outstanding athletes and the 1957-58 basketball and 1977-78 swim teams at the annual induction ceremony on Dec. 1. Pictured from left to right: Paul Mazzei, softball coach from 1989-1996; Robert Byrnes ’68, director of athletics; V. Grady O’Malley ’69, basketball; David Frazier ’93, track and field; Danielle Gelsomino ’95, swimming and track; Jamal Marshall ’95, basketball; Ignatius Rienzo ’50, track; John Corry ’62, track; and George Skau ’59, president of the alumni society.

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At the Top of His Game: Alec McAuley ’66 Directs CYO

The traveling Jaspers visit St. Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square in Moscow, Russia.

Jaspers Cruise the Passage of Peter the Great On their latest excursion, the traveling Jaspers journeyed to Russia in September to explore the country’s national treasures. The first stop was Moscow, where they checked into lodging on the M/S Repin, a river cruise ship. That evening, they gathered to meet other college alumni groups at a welcome reception. For the next two days, the group visited the Kremlin and Red Square, the site of military parades to celebrate May Day. They also stopped at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center and enjoyed a meeting with a cosmonaut who completed several missions to the International Space Center. After Moscow’s opulent sites, the Jaspers cruised up the Volga River to the scenic towns of Uglich, Yaroslavl and Goritsy. On its final stop, the cruise docked for a two-day visit in St. Petersburg, which was founded by Peter the Great more than 300 years ago. The Jaspers toured the Hermitage Museum, the city’s most famous landmark, which was once the Winter Palace of the Czars. In the evening, they attended a ballet performance in the Hermitage Theater, one of the oldest theaters in Russia. Before their return home, the group enjoyed a farewell dinner aboard the ship and shared their experiences. All agreed that it was an enjoyable exploration through the heart of Russia. Coming up, the Jaspers will journey to Tuscany, Italy, in May and Seville, Spain, in September. For more information, call Ellen Kiernan, director of alumni relations, at (718) 862-7977.

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A new career, another city and a call to serve the community — they are just a few of the things that inspire Alec McAuley ’66. The new executive director of Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) for the Archdiocese of New York brings his knack for success in diverse careers in engineering and investment management to a nonprofit group that has always been close to home. “The CYO is interested in doing a lot more now than just sports,” says McAuley, who believes the group needs to reach out to children in new ways. “We’re trying to recognize that kids need more guidance than ever to make a spiritual connection.” He plans to expand programs, such as retreats and workshops, as well as raise awareness of substance abuse and the importance of healthy lifestyle choices. He also wants to introduce or expand CYO’s roster of sports and activities to include theater and performing arts, tennis, cheerleading and golf;w thereby, broadening its appeal. “I’ve been in touch with the Tiger Woods Foundation to try and increase golf in CYO,” he says. “Their mission reads like the CYO mission.” McAuley’s love of sports comes from years of playing and coaching basketball and baseball. The oldest of 10 siblings, he commuted from Long Island to All Hallows High School in the Bronx to play on the basketball team. At Manhattan College, which he attended on a basketball scholarship, he was co-captain of the 1965-66 Manhattan College National Invitation Tournament basketball team with his lifelong friend George Bruns ’66. “The memories from Manhattan

Alec McAuley ’66, executive director of CYO

are so great,” McAuley says. “I have friends today that go all the way back to the College.” After graduating with a bachelor’s in electrical engineering, he put his degree to use in the engineering field and eventually began a 25-year career in the investment industry, the last 12 years of which he spent as a senior marketing executive at Putnam Investments in Boston. McAuley also has long been civicminded. For more than two decades, he served as a board member of Catholic Big Brothers. In recent months, he has plunged full force into the job. He helped to organize a 22,000-strong youth rally for Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to New York in April. In the summer, McAuley will see the Pope again in Australia for World Youth Day. There is no doubt that spirituality, sports and youth programs make him thrive. They are as much a part of CYO’s values as they are a part of him, and what better person for the job than McAuley, who defines this organization in every sense of its mission.

Francis B. Taylor ’44, Ph.D., professor emeritus of mathematics and computer science and former chairman of the mathematics department, passed away on Nov. 16, 2007. He was 82. Taylor taught for more than 40 years on Manhattan’s campus. His teaching legacy and generous support of the College is wellknown on campus and continues in the form of the Francis B. Taylor Medal for Excellence in Science and Mathematics, a special medal that his colleagues established after his 1990 retirement. It is awarded to the top science student in the senior class at Manhattan’s annual Spring Honors Convocation. “He was a superb teacher,” says Dr. Thomas Smith, professor of mathematics and computer science. “His specialization was mathematical statistics.” Taylor joined the College as a mathematics instructor in 1947. As the statistics expert on campus, he taught a number of difficult courses, including Statistical Quality Control and Statistical Inference. His colleagues, many of whom he also taught as students, recall how he made the material accessible and interesting. “He had a very great sense of exposition,” says Nicholas DeLillo, professor of mathematics and computer science, who took Taylor’s Statistical Quality Control course as a Manhattan student. “He kept the students’ attention and was conversational rather than reading from a stack of notes.” During the early 1970s, when the College became coeducational, Dr. Rosemary Farley remembers Taylor as someone who

encouraged her to explore a statistics career. Farley, who is now an associate professor of mathematics and computer science at Manhattan College, took Taylor’s statistics classes as a student at the College of Mount Saint Vincent. She says Taylor groomed her to teach his statistics courses before he retired. “He was so magnanimous in helping me to step into his shoes,” Farley says. “It’s that whole Lasallian tradition of pushing people to excel, and we did excel under his tutelage.” Taylor brought together colleagues in the mathematics department and always listened to new ideas. He was known as the go-to person for faculty members who needed to do statistical analysis for their research. “You could count on him to give a good introduction to a talk or get people to work together,” says Dr. John McCabe, associate professor of mathematics and computer science. From 1964-1972, his leadership qualities served him well as chairman of the mathematics department. During his time as chairman, he recognized the importance of expanding computer science and supported colleagues in their effort to become acquainted with the field. Taylor was born in the Bronx on June 15, 1925. He earned his B.A. from Manhattan College and his A.M. (1947) and Ph.D. (1959) from Columbia University. From 1944-46, he served in the U.S. Navy. In 1987, he was honored as the first recipient of Manhattan College’s Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award.

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Francis Taylor

Frank Flood Frank B. Flood ’52, M.D., former physician to the Christian Brothers, died on Jan. 10, 2008. He was 77. Raised in Forest Hills, N.Y., Flood graduated from Manhattan College’s school of arts and science before earning his medical degree from the Cornell University School of Medicine/New York Hospital and completing an internship/residency in cardiology at Saint Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan. While a medical student, he met his beloved wife, Noreen Healy, who was a registered nurse, teacher and psychologist. The two married on June 9, 1956 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Flood served in the U.S. Army as a captain and director of medical services for troops stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, from 1957 to 1959 and was awarded the U.S. Army Medal for Meritorious Service. A well-regarded doctor, Flood was a professor of medicine at New York Medical College and invented cardiology-related devices, including a revolutionary dual pacemaker/defibrillator. He also wrote the Medical Resident’s Manual and the Army Manual for Emergency Medicine, and his research was published in many professional journals. Flood was an attending physician at Saint Vincent’s Hospital prior to becoming director of medicine and chief of cardiology at Saint Joseph’s Medical Center in Yonkers from 1962-1979. He also was a longtime physician to both the Christian Brothers and Sisters of Charity of Saint Joseph, and revered the Brothers. “My father had a tremendous reverence for the Brothers,” says son Michael Flood ’85, Esq. “He showed it not only through words but as the Brothers themselves taught him, through his actions.” And the Brothers esteemed him. They honored their doctor by making him an affiliate member of the Lasallian Christian Brothers in 1978. “To be honored as an affiliate member of the Brothers was a

high point of his life,” Michael says. “In a profoundly significant way, the Brothers helped make him the person he was. As he told me not too long ago, the Brothers were his ‘heroes.’” Brother Francis Bowers, former provost, dean and associate professor emeritus of English, knew Flood for many years and explains that an appointment with him wasn’t like a typical visit to the doctor. He was genuinely interested in the Brothers and would always take time to talk to them. “I admired him as a professional man,” Br. Bowers says. “He was untiring and compassionate.” In addition to his dedication to the Brothers, Flood remained devoted to his alma mater. He sent all six of his children to Manhattan, and even his wife earned a degree from the College. Throughout his distinguished career, he had many great experiences, but there was one that stood out. In the 1960s, Flood diagnosed one of his patients with a rare and previously incurable brain disorder. After placing a relic of Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton on the patient, the Sisters of Charity in the New York community prayed to Mother Seton for his recovery. The patient recovered shortly thereafter. He certified that the recuperation could not be explained medically, and the Vatican declared the patient’s recovery miraculous. It was the third and final miracle attributed to the intercession of Mother Seton and allowed her to be canonized a saint. Flood and his family attended the canonization ceremonies officiated by Pope Paul VI in Rome in 1975. He kept a private practice in cardiology and internal medicine before retiring to Vero Beach, Fla. Predeceased by his wife in 2002, Flood is survived by his six children: sons Timothy ’80, Michael ’85, Patrick ’85, and daughters Maura Flood ’90, Deirdre Hackeling ’81, Noreen Whitty ’85; nine grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and his sister Joan.

Please join us for Reunion Weekend 2008 at Manhattan College on June 6-8.

Reconnect

Reunion Weekend June 6-8, 2008

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Manhattan College Alumni

Reminisce

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