MERCYHURST COLLEGE CLASS NOTES The SEVENTIES Rosemary Blieszner ’70, alumni distinguished professor of human development, associate director of the Center for Gerontology, and associate dean of the graduate school at Virginia Tech, delivered the keynote addresses at Virginia Tech’s fall University and Graduate School Commencement ceremonies on Dec. 18, 2009. Blieszner addressed undergraduate students at the University Ceremony. John Gable ’78 announces that Ginia Faye and Bobo’s World Adventure – the first in a series of children’s books – has been published.
The EIGHTIES Sandy Taylor ’87 has been named superintendent of the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site in Tuskegee, Ala. She also supervises the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site and the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail.
The NINETIES Tony Prusak ’90, director of convention sales for Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center, was named vice president for communications and technology of the International Medical Meeting Professionals Association (IMMPA) at the group’s annual meeting May 17-19 in St. Louis, Mo. He was also named to the board of directors for the St. Louis-based organization that provides education, certification and resources to healthcare meeting professionals. Kelly Higgins ’95 earned her doctorate in educational leadership from Fayetteville State University. Ryan Banks ’96 was promoted to director of sales for the “Mrs. Meyer’s
Clean Day” brand for the Caldrea Company based in Minneapolis, Minn. Mrs. Meyer’s is an all-natural, earth-friendly personal care and home cleaning line that can be purchased in retail stores. Ryan resides in Atlanta, Ga., and has a home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Tyson Erlewine ’96 lives in Simpsonville, S.C., where he works as supervisor of therapies at Hillcrest Memorial Hospital. Tyson was selected as one of Greenville’s Best and Brightest 35 and Under by Greenville Business Magazine. Tyson has been recognized as a Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy (OCS) and as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). Tyson, his wife, Sheri, and three children (Carson, Brennan and Payton) are very involved in their community. Tyson has developed a community outreach program to local senior groups about orthopedic issues that seniors may face. He also enjoys coaching baseball and flag football. James Schmitt Jr. ’98 earned a master’s of business administration from Point Park University in Pittsburgh on Aug. 20, 2009. Michael Karabinos ’99 is part of ChemCollective, a digital library of online activities for general chemistry instruction that engages students in authentic problem-solving activities. His recent work on the project led to publication in Science magazine.
The MILLENNIUM Anne Onofrey McClendon ’00 has received her Ed.D. in elementary education from the University of West Alabama. She lives in Tuscaloosa, Ala., with her husband, Allen, and children, Grady and Sadie.
Jill Kolivoski, MT ’01 was part of the 47-member medical staff that supported more than 200 U.S. athletes at the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada. Christina Maffei ’01 was promoted from restaurant manager to food and beverage director at Trump International Hotel and Tower Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawaii. Christina joined the Trump Hotel Collection in 2007 as part of the pre-opening team for the Chicago property, and later joined the pre-opening team for Hawaii before the opening in late 2009. Scott Platz ’01 was awarded his MBA from Lake Erie College on Dec. 13, 2009. Thomas Reznik ’01 graduated from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. His wife, Annie DeMeo Reznik ’02, and children, Caroline, 2, and Anthony, 7 months, were there to cheer him on as he crossed the stage. He is continuing his training in internal medicine at Rhode Island Hospital/ Brown University. Brandon Gabler ’02 completed his Ph.D. in anthropology at the University of Arizona in May 2009, and is employed as senior archaeologist at William Self Associates Inc. in Tucson, Ariz. Mandy Clark ’04 has accepted a position as vice president of operations at Stem Cell Assurance in Boca Raton, Fla. The company provides autologous adult stem cell banking and related procedures. Emily Marie McGuirk ’07 received her master’s degree in art therapy and counseling psychology from the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, Ill. Kenny Foster ’08 was featured in the “Where Are They Now?” section of the Jefferson County Neighbors paper. A first lieutenant in the U.S.
Army, he has been stationed in Fort Polk, La., and Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, and in June moved to Fort Carson, Colo. The article highlighted Kenny’s love for running. Kenny, who attended Mercyhurst on a cross country scholarship, has run many marathons, 10Ks and half-marathons. He is a member of the Army Marathon Team and will be training for the 2012 Olympic Marathon. Katie Zinn ’08 graduated from Case Western Reserve University with her master’s in social service administration.
WEDDINGS
Liz Strucker ’94 and Jason Meador pose with the Laker cheerleaders outside Tullio Field on Sept. 19, 2009. Their wedding in Christ the King Chapel coincided with Homecoming Weekend festivities on campus. Tamerine Kolniak ’97 married Steve Tarnish on June 14, 2009, at Belhurst Castle Winery and Hotel on Seneca Lake in Geneva, N.Y. Lauren Brechtel ’03 married Creg Pura on Jan. 31, 2009, at Holy Rosary Church in Johnsonburg, Pa. They honeymooned in Hawaii and reside in Wilcox, Pa., where Lauren is an administrative assistant at TempleInland, a medium-density fiberboard mill in Mt. Jewett, Pa.
Wilwohl takes world of new media by storm When Josh Wilwohl blogs about “instant communication,” the “give it to me now” paradigm and the “raw energy” of breaking news, there’s no denying his conviction. “Journalism is morphing from a bricks-and-mortar environment to a handheld phenomenon,” he says. “Netbooks®, iPhones®, BlackBerries® and other handheld devices are where the world’s major stories are breaking.” The 2008 Mercyhurst graduate and former Merciad editor has taken the world of new media by storm, pioneering a loosely defined concept - “handheld journalism” - into his
own personal brand and parlaying that into a hot, new career field. Since leaving Mercyhurst, Wilwohl landed a job with Patch.com, a new hyperlocal, national news organization spearheaded by AOL; worked for newspaper giant The New Jersey Star-Ledger; earned his master’s degree in emergency and disaster management; co-founded theklaxon.com, an online news organization operated from handheld devices to provide commentary and analysis on global emergencies and disasters; and coined the term “handheld journalism.”