Winter 2016 Collegium

COLLEGIUM A PUBLICATION OF ST. JOHN FISHER COLLEGE · WINTER 2016

The

Buffalo Girl

How the heart of a Fisher graduate shaped the heart of “Four Falls of Buffalo”

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FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Alumni, Friends, Students, Parents, and Colleagues: I hope this note finds you well in the New Year.

As I write, the spring 2016 semester is well underway. We have nearly 3,650 students enrolled this semester, pursing studies at the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels.

Of these, nearly 1,000 students are in their final semester at Fisher, and they will be celebrating their graduation from the College in May. We look forward to welcoming them to the ranks of St. John Fisher College alumni.

This semester, we have hundreds participating in experiential learning opportunities – both on campus and in the community, students studying abroad, completing internships, and conducting research, providing assistance at innumerable community schools, local businesses, and agencies. Our goal as a campus community is to have all graduates participate in an experiential learning opportunity prior to graduation by 2017. I am pleased to report that we are making good progress on this goal.

Experiential education provides a complement to classroom learning and helps to clarify interests, skills, strengths, and aspirations.

The accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni that are highlighted in this issue of Collegium demonstrate the depth, breadth, and impact of a St. John Fisher College education. We have much to be proud of as a College – significantly, the achievement of our current students and the continuing success of our alumni.

Traditions are very much part of the life of an educational institution. They connect us both to the institution itself and to the generations of alumni who have experienced the same events before us. This year’s Teddi Dance for Love,

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held the last weekend of January, is the 34th annual 24-hour dance marathon.

All funds raised benefit Camp Good Days and Special Times. The Teddi Dance is one of many campus events that demonstrates our commitment to the Basilian virtue of ‘Goodness.’

Gerard J. Rooney, Ph.D.­­

I would be remiss, if I didn’t ask you to tell your family, friends, and colleagues about the value of a Fisher education. Though applications for admission reached an all-time high last year, we – like many of our peer institutions – are facing a challenging demographic outlook.

Your encouragement of prospective students to consider Fisher is very helpful in our efforts to maintain the strong enrollments that we have seen in recent years. In fact, almost 20% of our current students have relatives who also attended Fisher—whether it was a grandparent, parent, sibling, or cousin—and their experience certainly served as a testament to help continue the Fisher family tradition.

If you are on campus, please stop to introduce yourself. It would be my pleasure to meet you, to learn what you are doing, and to update you on the College.

Thank you for your continuing interest in and support of St. John Fisher College.

Kind regards,

Gerard J. Rooney, Ph.D. President

COLLEGIUM FEATURES

18 The Buffalo Girl 22 A Crowning Career

DEPARTMENTS 4 Campus News 10 College Notes 30 Athletics 32 Class Notes

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WINTER 2016. Collegium is a magazine for alumni, parents, and friends of St. John Fisher College and is published by the Office of Marketing and Communications.

Letters to the editor are welcome and may be sent to the address below. Diverse views are represented and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editor or official policies of the College.

St. John Fisher College, Collegium Editorial Office: 3690 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618 • Email: alumni@sjfc.edu.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Maherly Schaeffer ’98 LAYOUT Maherly Schaeffer ’98

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Melissa Greco Lopes Norm Kieffer ’96 Jeanne Nagle ’84 Maherly Schaeffer ’98 Kate Torok

PHOTOGRAPHY Jim Dolan Photography Melissa Greco Lopes John Smillie Photography Maherly Schaeffer ’98 Kate Torok

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CAMPUSNEWS

STUDENT’S COMMUNITY BIKE PROGRAM TRANSFORMS A NEIGHBORHOOD

Getting fit—one street, one person, one bike— at a time. That’s the motto Theresa Bowick, a student in the Wegmans School of Nursing’s doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program, has for her community initiative, Conkey Cruisers.

A registered nurse, Bowick launched the community health program in 2012 to change the negative perception of exercise in her Conkey Avenue neighborhood. According to the Conkey Cruisers website, Bowick is an avid runner who was often met with skepticism and distrust from many in her neighborhood while out exercising.

As she recalls it, a young boy assumed she was running from police or a probation officer, while an older gentlemen was convinced she was a law enforcement officer. “She is the police,” Bowick remembers him saying to a group of neighbors, “because nobody exercises in this neighborhood!”

Bowick took that negative perception as a call to action and launched Conkey Cruisers Bicycling-to-Better-Health Voyage. Working with community members, agencies, and businesses, Bowick created a program that incentivizes children and their families to increase physical activity, eat nutritiously, and take better care of their health. A big part of the program is encouraging neighborhood residents to bike, run, or walk along the newly constructed El Camino Trail, which runs along Conkey Avenue.

bikes recovered

by Rochester City Police were damaged beyond repair.

But the community came to the rescue for the organization that has served it well. The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, along with other community groups, hosted bike drives, collecting more than 200 bikes for the program.

While the group worked to rebuild Bowick ready to bike with Conkey Cruisers. Lower: Bowick their stock, Bowick reaching out to the community on Good Day Rochester. moved full speed ahead with Season 4 Cruising-for-a-Cause, a month-long fitness program that saw close to 300 participants. The summer session also included the Presidential Kicks Program, where Bowick challenged youth participants to learn the names of all 44 presidents in exchange for a new pair of sneakers. Eleven students met the challenge, and were treated to a limousine ride to the mall to select their hard-earned shoes.

When Bowick enrolled in Fisher’s DNP program, she quickly pulled faculty and students into her cause. Her dissertation focuses on the importance of a healthy community in creating improved outcomes.

“It’s about how to self-empower people to eat better, find affordable physical fitness opportunities, and really be their best selves,” Bowick said.

In 2015, Conkey Cruisers faced a terrible challenge when thieves broke into the shed where the community bikes are stored, stealing the organization’s equipment. Many of the

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Bowick has also launched an initiative called Wheels for Warriors with Conkey Cruisers co-captains Rudolph Harris and Leverette Copeland, both veterans of the armed forces.

The program hopes to deliver bikes to veterans through the Veterans Outreach Center for fitness as well as transportation.

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NAPIER ’83 AND KNITTEL ’94, ’03 (MBA) EMPOWER FUTURE ALUMNAE

The School of Business is tapping into alumnae talent as a part of a new Women’s Leadership Series. In the fall semester, Sharon Napier ’83 and Jill Knittel ’94, ’03 (MBA) came to campus to share advice with the inaugural cohort of more than 20 students.

that construct can help develop a reliable, consistent brand, Napier said. She also encouraged attendees to define their values, and live those every day.

Knittel (left) and Napier (right). Below: Students pose for a photo with Napier and members of the School of Business.

In October, Napier, one of the marketing industry’s best, presented, “Building Your Personal Brand” to students. She helped dispel myths women often face when developing and advancing their personal brands, and offered thoughts on why having a personal brand is critical to professional and personal success.

Her talk at Fisher came on the heels of a Huffington Post profile that touched on leadership, careers in marketing and advertising, and what she believes is the key to success. In the profile, Napier was asked to describe herself in three words, an exercise she then asked of the luncheon’s attendees. Napier said her words—tenacious, open, and straight-shooter— had evolved throughout her career and advised attendees to expect their words to change, too.

Successful People.”

In December, Jill Knittel spoke to the Women’s Leadership group, on “Ten Body Language Habits of

Knittel, a financial advisor at Sage Rutty & Co., gave an interactive presentation on how dress, posture, and body and facial expressions can impact one’s personal brand.

“Your personal brand is the impression you leave with others,” she explained. “It doesn’t matter how hard you try to have your professional brand based on title. Your brand is based on everything you say and do, all the time.”

During the presentation, Knittel focused on how non-verbal cues and behaviors can foster trust and openness, and set the tempo of a meeting, presentation, or interaction with others. One characteristic common among Knittel’s advice is engagement. From preparing for meetings to giving others your full attention, she stressed the importance of showing others that you value their time.

“Don’t make someone feel like the next thing on your schedule is more important,” she said. “Lean in, and be engaged.”

As you redefine those words, Napier said, always keep in mind that your personal brand is the promise on which you aim to deliver. Sharing a strategy from a November 2012 article in Harvard Business Review, she said attendees could construct their leadership brand statement by articulating what they want to be known for and what they want to deliver (“I want to be known for being _____ so I can deliver ____.”). Following

Attendees of the events are a part of the Women’s Leadership Series inaugural cohort. Nominated by professors and administrators in the School of Business and selected by a steering committee to participate, these students will attend four events throughout the academic year that focus on personal confidence, professional presence, communication, mentoring, and networking. Lynn Mucenski-Keck ’01, a professor in the accounting and finance department, and Laurie Valentino ’03 (MS) are two of the founding members of the group.

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CAMPUSNEWS

TEDDI 34: BUILDING ON THE LEGACY

The Teddi Dance for Love turned 34 on January 29, but the campus tradition remains strong for both new and returning Fisher students.

For freshman Mareesa Boyatzies, joining the Teddi Dance for Love Committee has been a chance to say thank you to Camp Good Days and Special Times. Boyatzies was diagnosed with cancer during her freshman year of high school. A day later, her cousin received a similar diagnosis.

“Camp Good Days jumped in and supported my family,” she said.

Boyatzies said that being a camper gave her first-hand experience with what she calls “one of the most amazing places that one can go in their life.” Camp Good Days, she explained, is special because it gives children dealing with cancer—and their siblings—a chance to take a break from thinking about the disease and just be kids. During her time at Camp, Boyatzies made life-long friends from all over the world.

“I knew from the very first day that I would want to have a large role in this organization,” Macaluso recalled.

On January 29, she was finally able to pay it forward. As a member of the development subcommittee, she was tasked with collecting donations for the dance and items for the silent auction.

This year, with the help of vice chair Hilary Wilcox, Macaluso led a committee that was 150-people strong, tending to the hundreds of details required to pull off a 24-hour dance-athon.

“Now that I am in remission, I feel that it is my job to give back to an organization that helped my family in so many ways,” said Boyatzies, who is pursuing a degree in nursing.

“Being chair has taught me so many leadership characteristics,” she said. “It has made my college experience something that I will never forget, and I can’t wait to be a proud Teddi alumna.”

Even though she’s a first-year student at Fisher, the Ontario, New York, native is no stranger to Teddi.

Alumni of the dance are many, and there’s a dedicated group that returns year after year; Macaluso noted that the strong network is largely because of how rewarding, fulfilling, and heartwarming the event is.

Senior Briana Macaluso, a passionate, four-year member of the Teddi Committee, was the chair for this year’s Dance for Love, and in prior years has served as captain of the external subcommittee and vice chair.

As a prospective student from Cicero, New York, Macaluso toured campus when the dance was 6

just 100 days away, and signs of celebration were everywhere. Leaving intrigued about the event, she attended Involvement Fest during her fall semester as a freshman, and joined immediately.

“Once you experience Teddi for the full 24 hours, you’ll never want to not be a part of it again,” she explained.

Teddi 34 raised $54,000 in support of Camp Good Days.

#SJFC

A SAMPLING OF LIFE AT #SJFC FROM INSTAGRAM

Submit pics with #sjfc, and see more by following stjohnfishercollege on Instagram and St. John Fisher College on Tumblr.com.

Donuts and OJ this morning! 3 more days---you’ve got this! #sjfc #laverylibrary #donuts #finals Lavery Library

Day Ends 1.7.16 #drivehome #rochesterny #585 #sjfc Dr. Ramil Sapinoro, professor, School of Pharmacy

Great team win tonight! Ithaca, I hope you get home safe. #makeembelieve #sjfc Nicole Robinson ’18

Hula - hooping hot shots #sjfc #FisherHealth LeeAnn Cocco, mental health counselor in the Fisher Health and Wellness Center

Happy Holidays from #SJFC HEOP Tara Preteroti, assistant director, HEOP

Teddi dancers sending love up to Father Joe in heaven #sjfc Cardinal Courier

#Nicaragua #sjfc #nursing #savinglives #traveling Richelle Lyons, student

My first Christmas as a #college #graduate. Thank you #sjfc #sjfcalumni #sjfc2015 #christmasornament #photography Jackie Lombard ’15

Good morning, Fisher #sjfc Katlin Whitmoyer ’17 7

CAMPUSNEWS

CHRISTENING DAY FOR THE SCHMITT PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LAB

In November, College administrators, faculty, staff, and students formally opened the newly named Kilian J. and Caroline F. Schmitt Physical Chemistry Laboratory, located in the Integrated Science and Health Sciences Building.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony recognized the Kilian J. and Caroline F. Schmitt Foundation, which played an integral role in the construction of the building and the laboratory.

The Schmitt Foundation has been a long time benefactor to Fisher’s initiatives in science and health care education, including the Primary Care Laboratory in the Wegmans School of Nursing, and the preformulation laboratory in the Wegmans School of Pharmacy.

The newly dedicated space honors both the Foundation’s commitment to Fisher’s science programs and its overwhelming support for the new building.

The laboratory provides space for teaching advanced classes, particularly for physical chemistry, as well as additional space for 8

conducting independent research with a number of faculty members. New audio and visual technology allows faculty to record their lectures for later use.

The laboratory boasts five fume-hood workspaces that are equipped with nitrogen gas supply outlets, enabling students to carry out advanced techniques in handling air- and moisturesensitive materials.

Jordan Andrews ’16, a chemistry major who conducted a summer research project, said that the new laboratory offers students a more spacious, comfortable work environment.

“The use of this lab, combined with equipment in the other labs, will help us progress our research, and we hope to use that data to present at a national conference in March,” he said. “This is a great addition to the Fisher program. I’m very excited about it.”

Top (front row, left to right): Jordan Andrews ’16, Vic Salerno ’66, Jim Ryan, Jr., Dr. Theresa Westbay ’86, Dr. Kristina Lantzky. Back: Fr. Al Cylwicki, C.S.B., Jacqueline DiStefano, Jose Perales ’95, Dr. Ian Newbould, President Rooney. Bottom: Members of the Schmitt Foundation get a hands-on experience in the laboratory.

CAMPUSNEWS

RESEARCH CONNECTS JOURNALISM, CITIZENSHIP, AND DEMOCRACY

Dr. Jack Rosenberry, a professor in the Department of Media and Communication, is leading an effort to curate a selection of original research that examines the intersection between journalism education, citizenship, and democracy. The project, “Revitalizing the Bonds of Journalism, Citizenship and Democracy,” is a partnership between the Kettering Foundation and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC).

As the research director for Kettering’s Journalism Educators Exchange, Rosenberry has led a team of fellow journalism educators in a sponsored research project that explores journalism education and citizen-centered journalism practice, with a particular interest in studies that develop and test new curriculum or experiment with a practice innovation in the newsroom or through other media outlets.

“The purpose of the research project is to develop ideas for how journalism educators can teach students how to do the type of journalism that is more supportive of citizenship and democratic engagement,” said Rosenberry.

A call for papers in summer 2015 received more than 50 research proposals from AEJMC scholars. Rosenberry is now managing the peerreview process, which will result in an invitation for 20 authors to produce full papers on their

research topics. Following a second round of peer review, the top five papers will be presented at the AEJMC conference in August 2016. The papers would also be published in a future issue of Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, AEJMC’s flagship scholarly journal. Rosenberry will serve as guest editor for the special section of the journal.

Citizen journalism has been an area of interest to Rosenberry for more than a decade. His doctoral dissertation, “The Fourth Estate in the Networked Age,” explored how online journalism can be supportive of civic engagement. He was also co-editor of the book Public Journalism 2.0 (Routledge, 2009), which examines the evolution of audience-created content, or citizen journalism, in the 21st century.

“The work that Kettering and AEJMC produce is very well-respected, and this has the potential to be an important project that addresses the larger goal of generating ideas for how journalism education can inspire and prepare students to contribute to a productive democratic and community life,” said Rosenberry.

FIRST FRIDAY LECTURES FOCUS ON STATE OF THE COLLEGE, STATE, AND UNION

The First Friday lectures for the spring semester will focus on the State of the College, the State of the State, and the State of the Union.

On Friday, Feb. 5, President Gerard Rooney presented the “State of the College,” discussing Fisher today, and offering insights into the College’s future.

Drs. Michelle Erklenz-Watts and Jeff Liles, from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education, will share insights on the common core, as well as discuss Fisher’s work with high-needs school

districts in the area, during the March First Friday “State of the State” lecture.

Finally, with the presidential election heating up, Dr. Wesley Renfro, professor of political science, will share his analysis of the race for the White House during April’s First Friday “State of the Union” lecture.

Visit www.sjfc.edu to learn more, or contact the Advancement Office at (585) 385-5292 or alumni@ sjfc.edu.

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COLLEGENOTES

HIGHLIGHTS Wegmans School of Nursing Launches Three New Master’s Programs

The Wegmans School of Nursing has launched three new master’s level programs designed to provide the skills and knowledge nurse practitioners must have to meet critical health care needs within the Rochester community.

Graduate level students enrolled in the School of Nursing and other licensed professionals will now have the opportunity to earn a master’s degree in the School’s adult/gerontology primary care nurse practitioner, adult/gerontology acute care nurse practitioner, and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner programs.

These three degrees join two established graduate offerings in the primary care family nurse practitioner and adult/ gerontology clinical nurse specialist programs.

Pre-Law Association Delivers Holiday Baskets to Legal Aid Society Clients

Members of the Pre-Law Association delivered holiday baskets to clients of the Legal Aid Society. Students spent several weeks gathering donations for clients ranging from children to older individuals. Included in the baskets were basic necessities clients cannot often afford.

Kiplinger’s assesses quality according to measurable standards, including the admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio, and the four-year graduation rate. Cost criteria include sticker prices, financial aid, and average debt at graduation.

Rochester School of Medicine, delivering the keynote address. Dr. Deirdre Pierce, assistant professor of pharmacy practice and administration, led members of the Class of 2019 in reciting the Oath of a Pharmacist.

Military Advanced Education & Transitions Recognizes College

Board of Trustee member Fr. Tom Rosica ’80, C.S.B., (middle) who serves as Papal spokesperson and Head of the Holy See Press Office and Vatican Radio, recently met with the Very Reverend George Terence Smith, C.S.B., superior general of the Congregation of St. Basil (right), and Pope Francis at the Vatican in Rome, Italy, following the Pope’s historic first American tour.

Fisher has earned the designation as a Top School in Military Advanced Education & Transition’s Guide to Colleges and Universities. The guide measures best practices in military and veteran education.

The publication is tailored to service members and veterans transitioning to the civilian sector and provides information about institutions that “go out of their way to give back to men and women in uniform.”

Future Pharmacists Earn the White Coat

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Day of Celebration Highlights Unique Cultural Traditions

More than 300 students, faculty, staff, and community members enjoyed performances, arts and crafts, and other activities during the College’s Annual Day of Celebration, held on Saturday, Dec. 5.

The day began with a cultural marketplace and performances by the Chinese Dance Company or Rochester and the University of Rochester Bhangra Group, among others.

Kiplinger’s Names Fisher “Best Value”

Fisher has been named to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s list of the Top 300 Best College Values of 2016. The ranking, which placed Fisher at No. 286, cites public and private colleges and universities that combine outstanding academics with affordable cost. This is the third year in a row that Fisher has been included in the ranking.

Alumnus and Basilian Superior General Meet with Pope Francis

The Wegmans School of Pharmacy held a white coat ceremony on Sunday, Jan. 10, a rite of passage that officially marks the entrance of the Class of 2019 into the profession.

Dr. Christine Birnie, interim dean, made opening remarks with Dr. Henry Hess ’64, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of

Juana Vega, assistant director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Diversity Programs, said, “This celebration looks to respect and

COLLEGENOTES

appreciate all cultures through the holiday season.” The day ended with a traditional Kwanzaa celebration in Ward-Haffey Dining Hall.

Women’s Leadership Series Opens Inaugural Cohort

Dr. Marcia O’Brien, Professor Lynn Mucenski-Keck, and Laurie Valentino are hosting the inaugural cohort of students for the Women’s Leadership Series. Read more about this initiative in “Naper ’83 and Knittel ’94, ’03 (MBA) Empower Future Alumnae” on page 5.

Fisher Ranks in Niche.com’s 30 Best Colleges

The College placed among the top 30 Best Colleges in New York State, according to a ranking by Niche.com.

Among the 86 colleges and universities ranked in New York State, Fisher placed No. 29. Of the 1,164 schools the website evaluated for its 2016 Best Colleges national list, Fisher ranked No. 330.

“The top-ranked colleges are elite academic institutions that provide a good value, attract a diverse student body, and offer an exceptional college experience,” the site reported, noting that the rankings are based on statistics and student reviews, a category where Fisher netted a 3.9 out of 5 rating.

College Makes Best Online List

Fisher placed among the top 15 Best Online Colleges in New York State, according to a ranking by OnlineColleges.net. The College’s Wegmans School of Nursing offers a fully-online RN to BSN program, which was designed to respond to the needs of working professionals who require flexibility in scheduling. Among its 25 peers on the list, Fisher ranked No. 12.

PR Students Learn from the Pros at National Conference

“Be the one to raise your hand.” That’s what Chloe Smith ’16 took away from her time at the Public Relations Student

Society of America’s (PRSSA) annual conference, held this past October in Atlanta, Ga. Smith, along with Sarah Fredendall ’16, Alexandra Hristodoulou ’17, and Olivia Rotonodo ’17, attended the conference as representatives of Fisher’s chapter of PRSSA and PRIMA, the College’s student-run marketing and public relations firm. They were accompanied

by Arien Rozelle, visiting assistant professor in the Department of Media and Communication.

Lavery Library Earns Grant

Lavery Library received a $5,000 grant from the Rochester Regional Library Council that will fund an initiative to improve the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) system and resource-sharing services among libraries in New York State.

With the grant, Lavery will seek to coordinate library collection development among the libraries participating in ILL based on their strengths, resulting in a stronger, more diverse regional collection.

Kate Ross, head of technical services, and Kourtney Blackburn, access services librarian, were instrumental in creating the grant proposal. They also hope to develop software that will gather data about the collections of each library in the system and create automatic notifications when patrons are seeking titles or resources housed in Lavery.

KeyBank Grant Boosts Scholarships

The College received a $5,000 grant from KeyBank to assist with undergraduate scholarship awards.

The grant money was awarded to two Fisher students to help offset the cost of tuition. Eligibility for the scholarship required students to be permanent residents of New York State, have a minimum grade point average of 2.5, be in good standing at

Fisher, and demonstrate a history of community involvement. Students could be matriculated on a full- or part-time basis.

Faculty and Staff Donate in Support of Students

The annual Faculty and Staff Campaign for the Fisher Fund recently ended, with more than 280 members of the campus community donating nearly $90,000 in support of Fisher students. While dollars raised have great impact, it is the participation of staff and faculty that is most meaningful.

“Giving rates show community donors and foundations that we believe in our own mission. But more importantly, we are setting an example for our students, and demonstrating our commitment to their education,” said Maggie Thomas, director of the Fisher Fund.

RECOGNITION & AWARDS Amanda Gabak ’17, president of the College’s Beta Gamma Sigma chapter, joined more than 350 business students and professionals from 14 countries at the international honor society’s Global Leadership Summit in November.

During the four-day conference, which was focused on leadership and strength building, Gabak attended workshops, engaged in hands-on activities, and networked with business school students from around the world.

Continued on next page>>

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COLLEGENOTES

Dr. Katherine Juba, associate professor in

the Wegmans School of Pharmacy, was recently named the winner of The Great Eight-2015 Annual ACCP Meeting Best Paper Presentation, a competition held during the American College of Clinical Pharmacy’s annual Global Conference in October. Juba presented her research, “Methadone and QTc Prolongation in Pain and Palliative Care Patients: A Case Control Study.”

Juba’s co-authors on the paper included Dr. David Hutchinson and Dr. Jack Brown, both faculty members in the School of Pharmacy.

Dr. Tim Madigan, associate professor of

philosophy and director of the Irish studies program, was featured in The Irish Times in a question-andanswer article on WB Yeats and the World Philosophy Day conference, organized by Madigan. The piece highlighted Fisher’s two-day conference and explored Yeats’ place in poetry and philosophy.

Dr. Michelle Erklenz-Watts, director of student academic support and associate professor in the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education, was awarded the 2015 Dr. Mark Szarejko Faculty Information Literacy Award, given by Lavery Library. This award is presented to a faculty member who actively supports information

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literacy. The award is named for Dr. Mark Szarejko ’80 in recognition of his support of the library.

and graduate students at area colleges and universities.

The award was presented by President Rooney during the Library’s Fisher Scholarship Celebration. Erklenz-Watts was recognized by colleagues, students, and Lavery librarians for serving as a strong voice for information literacy.

professor in the religious studies and ethics departments, recently joined the board of the Rochester Area Business Ethics Foundation.

Established in 2007, the foundation promotes and supports the creation of ethical cultures in the Rochester-area business community through awards, scholarships, and year-round community conversations.

Christine Nelson-Tuttle, associate professor in the Wegmans School of Nursing, was named the March of Dimes Nurse of the Year in the Advanced Pediatric Nurse category. The Nurse of the Year awards, given during the organization’s gala, celebrate some of the most deserving nurses in Upstate New York.

Sheila Brady-Root has been named as a

finalist for the Catalyst Award at the Rochester Museum and Science Center’s STEM Awards.

President Rooney has joined the board of

the Rochester Business Alliance/ Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce. The organization, which serves the entire nine-county Finger Lakes Region, promotes and advocates for its members in order to secure economic prosperity for the region.

Lindsey Michaud ’17, nursing major, was honored with the 2015 Dante Scholarship Awards by members of the Italian Women’s Civic Club (IWCC).

Michaud was formally recognized during an awards dinner in November.

The IWCC is an organization that has conducted philanthropic activities in the Greater Rochester Area for more than 90 years. The club administers the Dante Scholarship Program for undergraduate

Dr. Linda MacCammon, an associate

Dr. Arlette Miller Smith, director of the

African American Studies program and founding dean and past director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Diversity Programs delivered the annual Martin Luther King Memorial Lecture at the College at Brockport on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016.

Miller Smith’s lecture, titled, “The Stale Bread of Hate, the Spoiled Meat of Racism’: Healing our Hearts in Harrowing Times,” draws on the relevance of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Eulogy for the Martyred Children.”

King delivered the eulogy on Sept. 18, 1963, at the funeral service for three of the children killed in the Birmingham church bombing.

ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP Drs. Christine Boev, Elizabeth Kiss, Natalie Masco, and Tara Sacco of the School of

Nursing presented at the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses National Teaching Institute. The faculty members were selected to present at the

COLLEGENOTES

conference after a rigorous peer-review process.

Jana Sacks, associate professor of

accounting and finance in the School of Business, recently published a new book, Elementary Financial Derivatives: A Guide to Trading and Valuation with Applications. An introduction to derivatives, the book provides an easy-to-understand approach for teaching and learning complex valuation techniques.

The textbook is designed to serve upper-level undergraduate courses in financial derivatives, quantitative finance, mathematical finance, and financial engineering.

Drs. Susan Hildenbrand, Whitney Rapp, and Susan Schultz, all faculty members

in the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education, presented at the Ontario Council for Exceptional Children’s 2015 international conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada in November.

Hildenbrand and Rapp co-delivered their presentation, “Looking Back as We Look Forward: Using Backward Design to Create Inclusive Teacher Education Programs.” Schultz presented “Lead Poisoning: The Long Term Effects of Lead Poisoning.”

Drs. Vivek Dave and Fang Zhao, from the

Wegmans School of Pharmacy, recently secured an investigator-initiated grant for a research project from Massachusetts-based pharmaceutical company Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The project, titled “In-Vitro Evaluation of Eslicarbazepine Delivery via Enteral Feeding Tubes,” will be carried out at

the School’s pharmaceutics laboratory, and will include active involvement from current Pharm.D. students.

Dave also recently secured a contract for a research project related to the characterization of a newly developed pharmaceutical excipient, Lubritose Mannitol, from leading excipient manufacturer Kerry Bioscience, located in Wisconsin. Students will participate in the work. The facilities and expertise at the School lend themselves to the extension and expansion of this project.

Dr. Ronen Shay, visiting assistant professor in the Department of Media and Communication, recently published an article titled “Windowed Distribution Strategies for Substitutive Television Content: An AudienceCentric Typology,” in the International Journal on Media Management.

Drs. Melinda Lull and Jennifer Mathews

of the Wegmans School of Pharmacy attended the 33rd annual Gay and Lesbian Medical Association conference in Portland, Oregon. They presented, “LGBT Curricular Coverage and Student Services in Health Professions Programs,” along with colleagues from the University of Michigan and Tufts University.

Mathews also presented “The Role of the Pharmacist in LGBTQ Healthcare” with colleagues from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and the Health & Aging Program at the Human Rights Campaign.

Dr. Lauren Calimeris Kocman, an assistant professor of economics, published two articles on economic education in 2015.

Along with Katherine M. Sauer, director of the financial literacy program at the University of Colorado at Boulder, she published “The Syllabus Evolved: Extended Graphic Syllabi for Economics Courses” in the Journal of Economics and Economic Education Research.

They also published “Flipping Out About The Flip: All Hype or Is There Hope?” in the International Review of Economics Education. Flipped, or inverted, classes involve students experiencing lectures outside the classroom, usually via video, and using class time for discussion and problemsolving. The article disseminates their findings on the effects of flipping the principles of microeconomics in the classroom on student learning, based on an experiment at Fisher.

Dr. Whitney Rapp, associate professor

in the School of Education, delivered the keynote address at the annual SUNY Faculty Advisory Council on Teaching and Technology Symposium.

Rapp’s talk, “Universal Design for Learning: Applications for Higher Education,” provided an overview of the UDL and shared strategies for how universally designed learning environments can help prepare a more diverse group of people for success in their fields.

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CAMPUSNEWS

ACCOUNTING STUDENTS MAKE HISTORY

Five Fisher accounting students made history as the first Fisher team to win the national Deloitte FanTAXtic Competition, held in January at Deloitte University in Dallas, Texas.

The team competed against eight other schools in the case-study competition, which encourages students to use their growing knowledge and skills to solve real-world, issues-based business tax scenarios. They rose to the top past teams from Boston College, Brigham Young University, University Left to right: Janet Butchko and Jason Hakerem of Deloitte, Patricia Wollen, Todd Stebbins, Alex DeRosa, Lauren Owens, of Florida, Lehigh University, Rob Riggio, Tom Agan, and Abby Wambach, keynote speaker at the event.

University of North Colorado, Ohio competition diving into more than 100 pages State University, University of San Diego, and of pre-work, which covered complicated tax University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. initiatives.

Tom Agan, Alex DeRosa, Lauren Owens, Rob This type of preparation is important in helping Riggio, and Todd Stebbins earned the bid to students prepare for careers in the accounting the national competition after placing first in a profession, said Lynn Mucenski-Keck, class of regional contest in Boston last November. With 2001 accounting alumna and faculty advisor to the win, the team brought home $20,000 in the Fisher team. individual scholarships and institutional awards.

In addition, another Fisher team won $2,500 for “Its use of real business challenges in a true-to-life setting gives our students the opportunity to hone their second-place performance at regionals. their communication, analytical, and research “We are so proud of our students for their skills,” Mucenski-Keck said. While Mucenskioutstanding performance during the Deloitte Keck praised the team’s work ethic and drive, competition,” said President Rooney. “Challenges they, in turn, saw her guidance and coaching as such as this showcase their commitment to central to their performance. academic excellence and demonstrate the benefits of the personalized experience that is “We all felt as though Professor Mucenski-Keck characteristic of a Fisher education. I commend helped us learn the pre-work material to the not only our students for their hard work and fullest of our ability,” said Agan ’18. “Because determination, but also the School of Business we spent so much time learning the material, we faculty and staff for their dedication in guiding were able to take the information and apply it while solving the case.” them to this achievement.”

Preparation for the competition began in September with students learning about a variety of domestic and international tax issues through mock tax cases.

The team had three weeks to pore over materials for the regional competition, but were given information on site at the national competition.

The team spent the weeks leading up to the

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Once in Dallas, the team received their first challenge Friday evening with only two hours to complete the task.

“Timing was the biggest challenge that we faced,” said Alex DeRosa ’16, an honors student majoring in economics with an accounting minor. “We had to apply all of our knowledge in high-stress situations.”

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The following day, the team had to present before a panel of judges. Even with the time crunch, Dr. Patricia Wollan, a Fisher faculty member who escorted the students to Dallas, said the team turned out a flawless presentation.

“I am sure the students’ level of preparation was the key to their success,” Wollan said.

“Their confidence shone through during their presentation. It was one of the most polished I have ever seen.”

While team members felt confident in their performance, Stebbins ’18 said hearing the College’s name announced as the winner was surreal.

“There really is no way to describe the feeling of not only accomplishing this for our team and Professor Mucenski-Keck, but also to capitalize on an opportunity to put Fisher up there with the

strongest accounting programs in the country,” he said.

Dr. Ray Shady, interim dean of the School of Business, said that programs such as the Deloitte competition allow the School to enhance student learning by offering real-world applications of coursework and close collaboration with faculty members.

“The best students will thrive and excel within a strong academic program, and that is exactly what we offer in accounting at Fisher,” Shady said. “But those students will shine when they are taught, coached, and mentored by smart, committed faculty. We are blessed at the School of Business to have all three: terrific students, strong programs, and faculty committed to student success.”

The Dedication of the

DONALD E. BAIN CAMPUS CENTER Thursday, March 17, 2016 12:30 p.m.

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FISHER VOLUNTEERS HELP GRADESCHOOLERS “WIGGLE” THEIR WAY TO FITNESS

This fall, a new partnership between Fisher and the Nativity Preparatory Academy is bringing together undergraduates and grade school students for morning activities aimed at engaging young kids in physical activity before the start of their school day.

With “active kids equals active minds” as its motto, the program is designed to give students an opportunity to participate in play and fitness activities in the morning, as a way to achieve the Center for Disease Control’s recommended 60 minutes of activity five days a week.

Holly Smith, assistant director of graduate admissions, and Sally Vaughan, director of the Community Service Office, have been the driving force for launching BOKS, a fitness program for children that is sponsored by Reebok.

Most programs are run by parent volunteers, but as one of the few collegiate-secondary school partnerships, Fisher has undergraduates leading the exercise. This was one point that made Nativity Principal Rebecca Maloney a little skeptical.

Smith learned about the BOKS program through her daughter, who has friends that work for the shoe and fitness apparel giant. The program was created by Kathleen Tulliee, a mom from the Boston area, who was looking for more ways to be active with her children. It began as a grassroots effort in her community, and has grown to include nearly 1,700 schools, thanks to the partnership with Reebok, which has its headquarters in Canton, Mass.

After researching its success, and the resources needed to run it each week, Smith approached Vaughan and leadership at the Nativity School with the idea of starting a BOKS program here in Rochester.

“The premise is to just get kids moving and to have fun,” said Smith. “The concept is so simple, but so contagious.”

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“I was apprehensive about the time of day; will college students come here at 7:30 in the morning?” she wondered.

As it turned out, they will. Smith and Vaughan had no trouble finding 10 students from the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and First Generation Scholars to sign on for the fall session.

Smith and Vaughan then headed to Reebok headquarters for a half-day of training on how to run the program.

Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday throughout the semester, Smith, Vaughan, and a group of Fisher students spend an hour with the fifth graders in Sandy Casey’s class at the Nativity School. As a whole, the Fisher students have volunteered more than 175 hours since the program’s October 2015 start.

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It didn’t take that long for Casey to see the change in her class.

behavior to earn the certificate and pick out the game we play.”

“On days we have the BOKS program, our lessons are more productive. The students are more engaged and more involved in their learning,” said Casey, who noted that the school day can feel long for fifth graders, who are at an incredibly active stage in their lives. “The program lets them get their wiggles out in the morning, and it’s a structured, fun way to start their day.”

Motivating factors like “kid of the week” keep the Nativity student excited to be active, but Maloney said she’s seeing an impact much deeper than that. After the Nativity students visited the Fisher campus in November, attending college is all they’ve talked about.

That’s the kind of feedback that Fisher senior Dominic Belko says makes it all worthwhile.

“Hearing the teachers from Nativity tell us the significant difference they have noticed since beginning this program, and how much the students talk about the program, is simply an amazing feeling,” he said.

The program has several components, with a strong focus on individual running. With the warm weather lasting into late December, a small group of students enjoyed running outdoors with Smith. The program also tracks their best times in the 400 meter dash, and challenges students to improve upon their individual scores.

In addition, the sessions include short discussions on healthy living habits, as well as group activities that challenge the body and the mind. Senior Danielle Famolaro said that “cups” is a popular game among the students. “Cups” requires students to run, do sits ups, and collect a cup with each turn. Then, as a team, the students have to build a cup castle.

“Most of the children at Nativity will be first generation college students, so the natural connection with the college students is showing them these dreams are obtainable,” she explained.

“The Fisher students are the best role models you could ask for.”

The college students said they’re learning just as much. Senior Mary Frazier noted that she never knew how much physical activity in the morning can impact student learning later in the day. And, the undergrads are as energized by the program as the grade school kids.

“I love getting involved in the games with the kids,” Frazier said.

As the program’s pilot semester came to an end, Smith and Vaughan had more Fisher students signed on to volunteer. That news has been music to Maloney’s ears.

“When you watch it, you can see why it works, and why it’s so good,” she said of the program.

“We’re thrilled with our partnership with St. John Fisher College. It has been a win-win for all involved.”

“The kids all have different ideas on how to stack them,” said Famolaro. “I love listening to them explain it and work together to try to win.”

Every Friday, Smith announces the “kid of the week,” one student who the Fisher undergrads agree has done particularly well. Each “kid of the week” receives a certificate and the opportunity to select the day’s activity.

“The award is based on listening skills, following directions, and participation,” said Famolaro.

“Most of the kids really try to be on their best

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FISHERFEATURE

The

Buffalo Girl

How the heart of a Fisher graduate shaped the heart of “Four Falls of Buffalo” Being a fan of the Buffalo Bills in the 1990s meant a wild ride of exciting highs, countered by devastating lows, as the team won an incredible four AFC Championships, but suffered heartbreaking losses in four consecutive Super Bowls. It’s an emotional history Bills fans know all too well, and one that Fisher alumna Michelle Girardi Zumwalt ’04 was able to help recreate as a producer of “Four Falls of Buffalo,” one of the newest installments in the ESPN “30 for 30” documentary series.

Produced by NFL Films, where Girardi Zumwalt had worked since 2004, the documentary aired on ESPN in December 2015. It recounts the Buffalo Bills’ back-to-back Super Bowl appearances in 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1994.

A native of Buffalo, Girardi Zumwalt spent her childhood cheering on the city’s beloved Bills during their four year pursuit of greatness.

“Growing up at the time I did—I 18

was eight for the Bills’ first Super Bowl—you couldn’t not be a fan,” she said, recalling Sundays spent with family and neighbors gathered in excitement around the television.

Like many college students who leave home, when she arrived at Fisher 10 years later, she focused on new adventures and her love of the Bills and Buffalo took a back seat to other interests. It wasn’t until after graduation that Girardi Zumwalt became the super fan she is today, proving true the saying, “You can take the girl out of Buffalo, but you can’t take Buffalo out of the girl.”

“After graduation, I moved to New York City; and that was when I felt that pull of home and community,” she said. “I just wanted to be around Bills fans.”

While she hoped to begin a career in book publishing, she joined the New York City Bills Backers for fun, and began writing weekly columns about the game watching experience for their website. The group even brought former Bills Head Coach Marv Levy to New York for a book signing. The work sparked a desire for telling stories about her hometown team.

“I just wanted to write about the Bills, to be involved with the Bills,” she said.

A colleague familiar with her Bills obsession connected her with a friend who worked for NFL Films, which happened to be hiring. She sent over her résumé thinking nothing would come of it, not knowing that it was the philosophy of the cofounder, Steve Sabol, to hire writers and teach them how to be filmmakers.

“NFL: History of the Buffalo Bills.” She also served as a producer on several television shows, winning three Sports Emmys for work on “Inside the NFL,” “SoundFX,” and the HBO Sports series “Hard Knocks.”

Then, in June 2015, as the editing work began on the “30 for 30” documentary, Girardi Zumwalt was offered a job she felt was designed her. Pegula Sports and Entertainment was searching for a senior producer.

Clockwise from top: Zumwalt with Scott Norwood and Bruce DeHaven; Zumwalt at the premier of “Four Falls”; Zumwalt and Marv Levy.

And for Girardi Zumwalt, it was her writing talent that got her in door.

She credits her experiences at Fisher working on the Cardinal Courier and professors like MJ Iuppa for honing her creative writing skills.

“She helped me find my creative voice,” Girardi Zumwalt said, noting that her communication courses and time as the editorin-chief of the Courier taught her interviewing techniques, how to collaborate on a team, and how to generate story ideas.

For more than a decade, she worked with NFL Films on projects that included packaging the Buffalo Bills highlights films after each season and compiling

“The job meant working for the Bills and Sabres—my two teams,” she said, knowing she had to accept the job offer, even though the career change meant leaving behind the documentary.

“I felt bad walking away, it was difficult,” she said. “But I knew it was in good hands; the guys working on it were the best in the business.”

But, when the documentary’s air date was moved from February 2016 to December 2015, she was asked to help collect additional footage needed for the film.

“It was a way for me to contribute before the final edit,” she said.

When the film had its world premiere at North Park Theatre in Buffalo, it was hard to believe it had taken nearly two years to complete. The idea for “Four Falls” hatched during the filming of another ESPN film, “Elway to Marino,” which looked at the six quarterbacks taken during the first round of the 1983 draft.

During an interview with Jim Kelly, one of the six, the Hall of Famer told director Ken Rogers he should consider a film about the Buffalo Bills’ four Super Bowl runs.

Rogers pitched the idea to ESPN, and in fall 2013, brought Girardi Zumwalt on to the project.

“He said, ‘We all agree you have to be part of this – you’re the Buffalo girl, you’re the Bills fan,’” she recalled. “I was honored they asked me. This was a huge project; I’ll never work on anything bigger than that.”

From talking to her, it’s easy to see why working on the ESPN film has found its place as a highlight in Girardi Zumwalt’s professional career.

The crew interviewed team greats Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Steve Tasker, and Andre Reed, as well as Coach Marv Levy, among others.

In addition, Girardi Zumwalt was instrumental in collecting archival material and directing footage of the interviewees.

Of all the interviews, her talk with kicker Scott Norwood was the biggest moment in the film for 19

FISHERFEATURE

her. The kicker for the Bills during Super Bowl XXV, his potentially game-winning 47-yard kick sailed wide right, ending the team’s dreams of bringing home the Vince Lombardi Trophy. During her time at NFL Films, Girardi Zumwalt had seen the footage or heard the radio call dozens, if not hundreds, of times. Twentyfive years later, the same sinking feeling she had as a young fan returned.

uplifting moment during the post-game rally at Buffalo’s City Hall when 30,000 Bills fans chanted Norwood’s name.

“I think the most surprising thing for me was how much he talked about how much he loved Buffalo and the way the fans embraced him,” she said,

that the Bills were winners in their own way,” she said, noting that giving viewers’ insight into the heart of the people of Buffalo was important, too. “I remember the feeling, how everything was lit up and magical. It’s like, if they knew how exciting it was, and how that team was such a

“It is crazy how all these years later, it still affects us,” she said.

Norwood had been hard for the film crew to reach, but after interviewing Bruce DeHaven, Norwood’s special teams coach who now works for the Carolina Panthers, she asked him about connecting her with the former Bill.

“It was the biggest day of my career, when I saw his number on my cell phone,” she said.

A month later, she was down in Virginia interviewing Norwood.

“It was really emotional, and difficult for both of us,” she said. “You know, it’s not easy to interview people about the hardest times of their lives.”

The film handles the kick and its haunting wide right trajectory with care, including a lengthy interview with Norwood, and reactions of support from his former teammates.

“I’ve said since making the film, Scott Norwood didn’t lose the game, he was just the last guy to touch the ball,” she said.

The 20

film

also

recreates

the

Zumwalt suiting up in the Bills locker room.

noting that the City Hall chant, and community’s support for Norwood, was a uniquely Buffalo response. “The heart of the film is that moment. It made me really proud.”

It’s in recounting moments like the City Hall rally, and highlighting the collective success of the team that Girardi Zumwalt hopes sticks with viewers.

“The hope is that people will have a better appreciation for the team and come around to the idea

part of the community, they’d understand why we’re all so crazy about the Bills.

It takes a lot to come back, and have the will to lose,” she said. “I think that’s what came through in the film. It really was a love letter to Bills fans and Buffalo.”

Editor’s Note: “Four Falls of Buffalo” is currently streaming on Netflix and is available for rent/purchase through services including Amazon Video, iTunes, and Google Play.

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COLLEGE NAMES VICE PRESIDENT OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

Life does not always go as planned. Judging by the career trajectory of Phil Castleberry, St. John Fisher College’s new vice president for institutional advancement, that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing.

As an 18-year-old high school student with a pilot’s license, Castleberry had nurtured dreams of a career in commercial aviation. In 1997, he enrolled in the professional pilot bachelor’s degree program at the University of Central Missouri, but wound up switching his major to political science after taking an American government course during his first semester.

Castleberry then set his sights on a career in government, interning in the Missouri General Assembly and with a city management team outside of St. Louis as an undergrad.

He had been admitted to law school, but fate intervened once again. As president of Central’s student government association, he had built a working relationship with Marilyn Landers, the school’s head of development. When she put him in charge of the Central Annual Fund, Castleberry wound up deferring his law school admission to explore the advancement field.

“I have never looked back,” he said.

Law school wound up being deferred indefinitely while Castleberry worked in advancement during the day and attended the University of MissouriKansas City at night, earning a master’s degree in political science in 2002. From there he took on a number of successive leadership positions in the development offices of large research universities and private liberal arts schools. He has spent the last six years at the University of Rochester, most recently as the associate vice president of University Advancement. There he led a $300 million Arts, Sciences & Engineering campaign, which to-date has raised more than $350 million.

Castleberry was drawn to the position at Fisher largely because of the family atmosphere he witnessed, from his first contact with President Rooney through the entire interview process. He

also was attracted to the College’s standing in the local academic community, as well as the chance to work from the ground-up within a new presidential administration.

The fact that he would not have to pull up roots and leave Rochester was also a bonus. Castleberry moved quite a bit as a child because of his father’s naval career, attending 10 different schools from kindergarten through senior year in high school.

“While I wouldn’t trade the experiences I had as a child moving frequently, it isn’t something I wanted for my own children,” he said. He and his wife, Tracy, have three children: Owen, 10; Kate, 7; and Emma, 4.

Castleberry’s self-imposed first order of business upon joining the Fisher community is to begin formulating a strategic plan for advancement.

He looks forward to working with internal and external stakeholders to set goals and prioritize work objectives. To that end, he hopes to meet and talk with as many people as possible, “to learn about Fisher through their eyes.”

“A key reason for our existence is securing the private resources necessary for the College to thrive,” Castleberry said of the Office of Institutional Advancement. “But I also want to make certain we balance that with a program that provides opportunities for alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends to engage with us in meaningful, non-philanthropic ways as well.”

Castleberry welcomes input from one and all, and would especially like to hear from alumni as he begins his work at Fisher. He may be contacted at pcastleberry@sjfc.edu.

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FISHERFEATURE

A CROWNING CAREER

Mary Therese Friel ’04 has spent more than 30 years helping young women find success in the modeling and pageant industries.

Always hold yourself with grace, class, and a positive attitude is the advice Friel drills into her students as the founder of MTF, LLC, a modeling, pageantry, and self-development coaching facility.

And Friel should know. She held the Miss USA title in the late 1970s and earned a sixthplace finish in the Miss Universe competition.

“I love helping women earn the title I once held,” she said, noting that her coaching focuses a lot on the importance of Friel being a role model and living the ideals of community service.

Friel began modeling for Eastman Kodak Company when she was 11, but didn’t become heavily involved in pageants until college. She first enrolled at Fisher when she was 18, but decided to enter the prelaw program at the University of Miami. As a student, she was asked to enter a pageant, but wanted to represent the Empire State.

She relocated to her hometown of Rochester, and re-enrolled at Fisher.

She was walking across campus when she saw a small poster that said, “You Can Be Miss Universe.”

“I remember it like today,” she said. The local pageant fed into the Miss New York competition, so she practiced her runway walk at 22

Fisher, pacing Kearney Hall, book on her head, high-heels on her feet.

While they didn’t select a winner, the organization brought the top 10 contestants to Miss New York USA, the first time the New York pageant was televised. The rest, as they say, is history.

Friel won the title in 1979; from there, she competed and won the 1979 Miss USA crown.

“It was in the middle of my semester at Fisher,” she said. “And for the year you are queen, you go on a whirlwind tour.”

And what a whirlwind it was.

During her reign, Friel served as an ambassador, attended a dinner with the President of the United States, met kings and princes, and went on a USO Tour. A sit-down conversation with Muhammed Ali set her on a path of community service and giving back.

After her year as Miss USA, Friel founded MTF, LLC, growing it into a full-service agency that coaches models to work in print, television, radio, film, theater, runway, and more. At the height of her pageantry coaching, she had 18 winners in 18 years from New York and New Jersey, in both the teen and miss age groups. She also helped coach Miss New York and Miss New Jersey titleholders through to the Miss USA pageant..

Through the years, Friel picked up college credits where she could from places like Villanova University and Fordham University. Then, after two decades away from Fisher, she sat down with Drs. Lauren Vicker and Jim Seward to complete her degree in communications/journalism.

“I’m proud of my Fisher degree, because I earned it,” she said. Her husband, Kent, is also a Fisher graduate, earning his degree in communications/journalism in 2008.

Friel retired from pageant coaching in the late 1980s, maintaining her business as a modeling agency until she met Candace Kuykendall ’11, who goes by the name Candace Kendall professionally.

“She was smart, bright; she had a spark,” Friel recalled. “I said, ‘Let’s do modeling and we’ll talk about pageantry.’”

In the time they worked together, Kendall earned two big titles: Miss New York Teen USA and Miss New York USA. Kendall said Friel taught her the importance of having grace under fire.

“She made me feel more confident by telling me that I had the quality to stay calm under pressure,” said Kendall. “That’s very important in pageants.”

The pageant experience has also served her well as she builds her career. Kendall can be seen in television commercials for Cadillac

Left to right: Friel as Miss USA in 1979; Masny; Torchia; Russo, Miss New York Teen 2014 crowning Torchia, Miss New York Teen 2015; Masny and Russo with members of the Civil Air Patrol at a charity 5k.

and Ulta cosmetics, as well as print ads for Scott Miller Salon & Spa, The Ritz-Carlton hotel chain, Wet Seal, Kodak, and Nordstrom.

Kendall also launched ThreeSixty Model Placement, a company that develops, manages, and places models with agencies in major markets around the world. From creating her business plan to navigating the accounting, she said her Fisher education has aided her greatly in being a business owner.

“I decided to double major in corporate finance and accounting, and I have to thank Dr. Karyl Mammano for that,” she said.

“And Dr. Merouane Lakehal-Ayat encouraged us to be business owners if that was what we wanted.”

While Kendall conquers the industry on the West Coast, back in Rochester, Friel continues to coach young women through pageants, including three current Fisher students: Olenka Masny ’16, Amanda Torchia ’18, and Diana Marie Russo ’18.

Masny was named Miss New York 2014 through the National American Miss organization. A political science and legal studies major, she said her reigning year was a mix of exciting and overwhelming.

“It’s one year of your life, and you want to take in every minute,” she said.

That same year, Russo won the teen division, making Masny and Russo sister-queens. As such, they were able to bond over more than their shared Fisher experiences.

For Torchia, it’s forging these friendships that makes the experience fun. A part of pageants since age nine, she has earned several crowns, including National American Miss New York Teen 2015, Lilac Queen 2012, and Miss New York Teen America 2013.

Torchia, who plans to pursue an MBA after graduation, asserts that her pageant training has helped in her studies as a business management major at Fisher.

“Skills that I use, especially for my business communication class, come easily because of pageantry,” she said. “It’s going to help me in future.”

Torchia hopes to start her own business as a pageant coach with her mother.

“We want to help girls grow confidence, have self-esteem, and learn communication skills through pageantry,” she said.

In addition to pageants, Torchia and Masny both have secured modeling jobs under the guidance of Friel. They also recently competed in the Miss New York USA pageant, the feeder pageant for Miss USA, training extensively with Friel. While neither made it through to the semi-finals, Friel was fiercely proud of their performances.

“They each did an awesome job, and we are so proud of them,” she said. “Sometimes it’s your time, and sometimes it’s not. You do the best you can and hope for the outcome you want. And, if things don’t go your way, you try again next year.”

Even though her current students live in the savvy, fast-paced world of social media, Friel gives them what some might say is simple, old-fashioned advice.

“Just go in being the best you can be, and be true to yourself,” she said. “I don’t think that ever goes out of style.”

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FISHER UNVEILS FIRST STATUE IN MEMORY OF ALUMNUS, VETERAN

This past Veteran’s Day, the College honored a special alumnus and member of the United States Armed Forces, Thomas Urban Way ’66, by unveiling a statue commissioned in his memory. Way, who was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1967, shortly after graduating from Fisher, died in combat while serving in the Vietnam War, just three weeks into his tour of duty.

The College, joined by fellow alumni and friends of Way, commissioned sculptor Timothy P. Schmalz to create a bronze statue to honor Way and capture his love of soccer, which he was known to have played with children in the streets of Vietnam.

More than 80 members of Way’s family, classmates, and friends helped formally unveil the Thomas Urban Way ’66 Memorial Statue, which is situated adjacent to Founders Hall and the Polisseni Track and Field Complex, near the statue of the Reverend John Cavanaugh, C.S.B.

soccer team.

Way was hired by Eastman Kodak Company shortly after earning his degree from Fisher and completed a sales training program before he was drafted into the United States Army. In 1967, he completed basic training at Fort Gordon in Georgia in preparation for infantry duty in Vietnam.

“The Thomas Urban Way Memorial is a tribute to Tom’s life and his sacrifice,” said President Gerard Rooney. “Tom will forever be remembered on this campus as a special member of our Fisher family.”

Born in Spring Lake, New Jersey, and raised in Rochester, Way was a graduate of McQuaid Jesuit High School. While studying sociology at Fisher, he was also a member of the College’s

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He wrote home often, describing his surroundings in detail, including the constant gunfire in the distance, the unbearable heat, and plans for his battalion to ambush the enemy. He wrote of rumors of redeployment to the most active sections of the war. And he asked his family to keep him in their thoughts.

Way celebrated his 23rd birthday on October 4, 1967. The next day, he wrote his final letter

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home, confirming that he would be relocated for an anticipated long siege with intense fighting.

Five days later, on October 9, Way was killed by small arms fire during action against the Viet Cong in the infamous Mekong Delta. He was recognized for his honorable service by the U.S. Army, receiving the Military Merit Medal and the Gallantry Cross with Palm, both awarded by the Government of the Republic of Vietnam. He was also awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Heroism

by U.S. President Lyndon Johnson.

At the beginning of this past fall’s unveiling, representatives of the White Sabers Drum and Bugle Corps and its five-time world champion honor guard presented the colors, while Measure 13, the College’s a cappella group, sang the National Anthem.

Michael Stein, a current finance major at Fisher and U.S. Army veteran who was deployed in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2011 and 2012, noted his pride in being able to honor a fellow infantryman.

Vasile noted that the inspiration for the sculpture was one of the last images taken of Way before he lost his life. In the picture, Way is seen surrounded

by Vietnamese children while teaching them how to play soccer.

“That scene captures Tom’s legacy and seems particularly appropriate for current and future generations of Fisher students preparing for their life’s journey,” he said. “Tom’s legacy message is simply this: It matters not the place or the circumstances you find yourself in; you can make

a positive difference in the lives of other people.”

Way’s sisters, Betty Bufano and Mary Boyer, also shared reflections of his life before presenting President Rooney with a flag in Way’s honor.

“Today’s dedication of this memorial is a breathtaking testimony to the many lives Tom touched,” said Boyer. “With this memorial, you have ensured that Tom’s generosity of spirit will live on.”

“He [Way] is counted among our honored fallen, a man who laid down his life because it was his duty, and because he wanted to protect his comrades,” said Stein, who is president of the College’s Veterans Affairs Club.

The dedication also included remarks by Way’s close friends from his days at Fisher, Dr. Jerry Vasile ’67 and Dave McEneany ’66.

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FISHER ATHLETICS LOSES A LEGEND

The Fisher community lost a legend on Saturday, January 23, as coach Robert “Bobby” Wanzer passed away. He was 94.

Coach Wanzer put together a record of 312-245, including 15 winning seasons from 1963-1987 as Fisher's first men's basketball head coach. He also won two Chase-Lincoln Tournament titles in 1974 and 1979, along with a NAIA District 31 championship in 1979.

A former Seton Hall University All-American and six-time NBA All-Star with the Rochester Royals, Wanzer was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987 with Rick Barry, Pete Maravich, and Walt Frazier.

“If I were to pick five top men, I would have to choose Bobby Wanzer as one,” former New York Knicks coach Joe Lapchick once said. “Not only was he a great scorer, but one of the top defensive men of all time.”

Although he was one of the smallest players in the NBA at 6-foot, Wanzer scored 7,091 points in a career that spanned more than 600 games. He averaged 11.7 points per game.

He was also the first player in NBA history to shoot 90 percent from the foul line in a season.

Wanzer led the Rochester Royals to an NBA Championship title in 1951 and also coached for the Royals.

In 1992, Wanzer was an inaugural member to Fisher's Athletics Hall of Fame and in 2006, Fisher renamed the hardwood at Manning and Napier Varsity Gymnasium “Bobby Wanzer Court.”

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CAMPUSNEWS

STUDENT FINISHES FOURTH IN NATIONAL COMPETITION

Alexis Verone ’16, marketing major and strategic communications minor, earned a fourth place finish in the national TEKsystems Outbound Sales Competition, standing out in a field of 250 college students.

“The competition was an exciting learning experience that I encourage other students to explore to get outside of their comfort zone and see how they can challenge themselves in new ways,” said Verone, a member of the American Marketing Association and co-president of the School’s collegiate chapter (SJFC AMA).

Sponsored by AMA and managed by TEKsystems, a leading provider of IT staffing, talent management, and services, the sales competition was conducted over the phone.

Contestants were given a profile and were required to retain the attention of their “candidate” over

the phone while handling objections and building rapport.

Verone finished in the top 30 percent in the first round and advanced to the second round, where she was named one of ten finalists. Her work in the final round earned her the fourth place finish.

Verone’s ability to create an inviting atmosphere over the phone led to her overall success in the competition. She receives a $150 award and free registration to the American Marketing Association International Collegiate Conference (AMAICC), held in New Orleans, Louisiana “Alexis has a sound work ethic and an unwavering focus to gain valuable experience that advances her learning,” said Lori Hollenbeck, assistant dean of the School of Business. “Her positive attitude and deep engagement in activities has allowed her to stand out as a School of Business student.”

Verone plans to pursue a career in the advertising industry after graduation in May.

FACULTY AND STUDENTS LAUNCH NEW JOURNAL

Faculty members played an instrumental role in the October, 2015 launch of a new academic periodical, The Seneca Falls Dialogues Journal.

The multidisciplinary, peer reviewed, online journal was collaboratively published by women and gender studies affiliates at Fisher, area colleges, the Greater Rochester Area Branch of American Association of University Women, and The Women’s Institute for Leadership and Learning. Dr. Deborah Uman, professor and chair of the Department of English at Fisher, served as a co-editor of the inaugural issue with Dr. Lisa Cunningham, visiting professor of interdisciplinary studies, and Dr. Jill Swiencicki, associate professor of English and director of women and gender studies, joining Uman as members of the journal’s board.

The Seneca Falls Dialogues Journal grows out of the Biennial Seneca Falls Dialogues (SFD), a conference launched in October 2008 to celebrate

the 160th anniversary of the first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York, and the 60th anniversary of Eleanor Roosevelt’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Uman and co-editor Dr. Barbara LeSavoy of The College at Brockport, envision the publication as a means to build a collaborative, open-access forum for students, faculty, and the community.

The founders seek to recognize the importance of creatively engaging diverse tools for feminist activism, particularly those that support dialogues across difference.

This inaugural issue features the essay, “Nature, Technology, and Ruined Women: Ecofeminism and Princess Mononoke,” by Assistant Professor of English Dr. Wendi Sierra, Fisher seniors Alysah Berwald and Erica Maeder, and recent graduate Melissa Guck.

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CAMPUSNEWS

FROM PROJECT PARTNERS TO FRIENDS, COURSE FORGES NEW RELATIONSHIPS

For undergraduate student James Flagler, a typical day includes meals with his friends on the Cardinal football team, classes in the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education, and playing the game he loves. Webster High School student Aaron Marino spends his days going to class in the James S. Alesi Academic Center, studying for his learner’s permit, and watching ESPN. Though the two have a lot in common, they may not have crossed paths if it weren’t for Dr. Linda Schlosser’s service-learning project, which pairs Fisher undergraduates in her Adolescent Development course with students like Marino in the College’s PostSecondary Program (PSP).

Thanks to that partnership, and a shared love of football, Flagler and Marino have become fast friends.

Throughout the fall semester, seven students in Schlosser’s class have served as mentors to PSP participants, engaging in activities that will help bring them further into the fabric of campus life.

While transition programs such as the PSP exist at other colleges, Fisher’s iteration was the brainchild of Dr. Whitney Rapp and her colleague Dr. Susan Flood, director of student services at West Irondequoit Central School District. The idea was to provide students who had earned Individualized Education Program (IEP) diplomas but weren’t ready to transition to adulthood an opportunity to attend a program that would build life skills and give them access to all that a college campus offers.

“It really has changed people’s perception of who benefits from being on a college campus,” Rapp said. “The PSP students are benefitting from all the things–social life, clubs, and fitness center– available to any college students who are making a transition to adult life.”

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The program focuses on building skills in three main areas: daily living, social/personal skills, and work/occupational ability. Students work in the classroom and out in the community, where they learn basic work skills through job coaching and first-hand experience. For example, students from the Webster School District work within their community, including at the school, the YMCA, and Cold Stone Creamery.

Deb Botsford, a special education teacher at Webster PSP, said students also learn to navigate the Rochester Transit System, apply for their driver’s permit, and work on life skills including cooking, laundry, and money management.

“We work with each student and help them become more independent,” said Botsford.

Rapp said that the design of Schlosser’s project, which is intricately involved in building close relationships between the two groups of students, is really about reciprocity.

“The undergrads are learning just as much as the program students. It’s shifting their thinking about the independence level and potential of students with disabilities,” she explained. “It also shows our undergrads that they have more in common with young adults with disabilities than they have differences.”

Over the course of the service-learning project, Botsford has assisted Schlosser’s students in developing a primary goal for the PSP students.

For psychology and statistics major Joelle Traub, that meant helping her peer partner make flashcards to help him pass the driver’s permit test. Traub said her partner also wants to be a radio disc jockey, so she is researching local radio stations that he might be able to visit.

The undergraduates are required to plan activities and learning time with their partners, creating an opportunity for strong bonds and friendships.

Schlosser has challenged them to describe their experience in terms of the theories and paradigms studied throughout her course, and classroom

CAMPUSNEWS

discussions focus on Fisher students’ growing understanding of adolescent development.

cheering on the team during games alongside Flagler’s family.

“What I hope they begin to see is how critical social learning theories are. We do learn from interactions with others and we model those that we see as rewarding,” said Schlosser, an associate professor in the School of Education.

“It has been my hope to harness that passion [for football] and use it to try and achieve the goals of making him feel like part of the campus community and helping him form social interactionary skills,” said Flagler. “It’s about overcoming those initial barriers. The more he meets with people and talks with them, the higher chance he will feel comfortable speaking up.”

Flagler and Marino’s shared passion for football has moved the varsity player to design activities that help Marino find more confidence in interacting with people he doesn’t know. Their main goal as a team is to help Marino feel more socially empowered and comfortable interacting with people his age.

That has meant planning activities that would put Marino in situations that might be slightly uncomfortable but exciting, including a formal meeting with the Fisher Cardinals football staff, attending practices and team dinners, and

STUDENTS USE DIFFICULT TOPICS TO CONNECT

Racism, religion, and socioeconomic status can be challenging topics to discuss, but Fisher students are tackling these topics head-on.

“Race is probably the most difficult topic to talk about with people–especially if we don’t want it to become argumentative and accusatory, which are the least productive ways to engage in the conversation,” says Dr. Rick DeJesúsRueff, vice president for student affairs and diversity initiatives. “Let’s think about our own personal experience–how do we share that–so others understand why we think or feel the way we do. And, what can we do to find points of commonality?”

That’s the central question in the Dialogue Moderator Training Workshop Series, a nineweek workshop that teaches students how to engage in and moderate peer-led discussion on the issues of difference.

“The goal of the dialogue is to identify commonality, and then ask how we make things better, make things different,” he said.

Schlosser said that Flagler and Marino are a good example of how both the Fisher and PSP students are growing and learning from the project.

“In addition to giving the PSP students a college experience, the undergrads are learning what it is like to be an adolescent with disabilities,” she said. “And, I hope they develop as friends for the duration of their time at Fisher.”

At Fisher, senior Colleen O’Conner said that the sustained dialogue workshops have helped her avoid miscommunication by learning how to be an active listener, and understanding how to ask open- and close-ended questions effectively. Both are skills she is using at her job as a resident assistant.

“As a student, peer, and leader on campus, I have already had the fortune of utilizing the skills I have learned,” she said. “I am able to word questions and statements in ways that are nonstandoffish and non-accusatory.”

O’Conner, and nearly a dozen other students in this semester’s program, engage in activities geared toward reflecting on who they are, and how their experiences shape their thoughts and feelings. Others are designed to demonstrate how important trust is to dialogue or to show students how varied life experiences can be among their peers.

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ATHLETICS #GoFisher

SENIOR HITS 1,000 POINT MARK

Chaz Lott, a senior from Wynantskill, New York, became the 21st player in the 53-year history of men’s basketball at Fisher to score 1,000 points.

He reached the marker during a 94-63 win over visiting Cazenovia College in the semifinals of the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa Invitational on December 29. The Cardinals went on to capture the tournament title the following day.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL BREAKS RECORD

Head coach Rob Kornaker, Lott, and assistant coach Sean Coffey.

A four-year starter and a two-time All-Region selection, Lott has 1,009 points for his career. He also ranks fourth at Fisher in career assists with 423, behind Mark Johnson ’86, Sean O’Brien ’06, and Arnie Roese ’79.

The women’s basketball team rang in the New Year making history as well. During a winning game against Medaille College on Jan. 2, the basketball program erupted for 101 points, including 40 points in the second quarter.

The 101 points are the most scored in a game by Fisher in a quarter-century, when the Cardinals defeated City College of New York 106-24 early in the 1991-92 season. The 40 points scored in the second quarter are a new Fisher record as well (NCAA rules went from two halves to four quarters this year).

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ATHLETICS #GoFisher FISHER TO HOST NCAA DIVISION III NATIONAL GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP THIS SPRING

The men’s golf program entered 2016 ranked No. 9 in the Golfweek Division III Coaches Poll.

The Cardinals wrapped up the fall portion of the schedule on a high note, winning three of their five tournaments, the ECAC Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship, the Flower City Preview, and the opening two rounds of the Empire 8 Conference Championship. The Cardinals will look to capture their sixth straight Empire 8 title with the final two rounds of the championship in April.

Opened in 1961, Mendon Golf Club, located in Mendon, is a par 71 championship course and will host the practice rounds as well as the first and second rounds. Midvale Country Club, in Penfield, opened in 1931 and was the first course designed by golf architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr. Tournament practice and play will take place at Midvale, as well as the final championship round.

Tournament celebrations will also be held at Midvale.

This May, golfers from nearly every conference in the NCAA Division III will travel to Rochester for the NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championship, hosted by St. John Fisher College. From May 1013 golfers will converge on Midvale Country Club and Mendon Golf Club to battle for the national title. This is the first time that the College has hosted an NCAA Division III Golf Championship.

With more than 200 of the finest collegiate golfers from across the country visiting Fisher for the championship, the College will be looking for volunteer assistance. If you are interested in being a part of this historic event, please contact Jill McCabe, assistant director of athletics, at jmccabe@sjfc.edu.

MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD, RANKED 13TH NATIONALLY

The men’s outdoor track and field team was ranked 13th in NCAA Division III, in a preseason poll by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Scores were determined using preseason event rankings that include the top marks of the recent NCAA indoor track and field seasons by returning student-athletes and the top marks of the young 2016 campaign.

Senior Kyle Koehler (pictured) has the secondbest mark nationally in the shot put at 16.06 meters, while Peter Girardi posted the fourth-best time in the 60-meter hurdles. Thomas Cosgrove currently ranks fifth nationally in the long jump, while teammates Mark VanMarter and Ryan McQuillen also rank among the national leaders in the long jump. VanMarter is also in the top 30 nationally in the high jump as well.

“It’s pretty exciting to see us ranked as one of the nation’s top 15 programs, especially given the fact that this is just our fifth season as a program,” says head coach Mike Henchen, who led the Fisher men’s team to an Empire 8 Conference Championship in both the outdoor and indoor seasons last year. “We realize there’s a long season ahead of us and hopefully we can take another step forward this year and continue building our winning tradition.”

Follow your favorite Fisher teams! www.athletics.sjfc.edu, @FisherAthletics on Twitter, St. John Fisher College Athletics on Facebook.

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CLASSNOTES

1958

Robert Hinkelman recently shared his photography in an exhibit, “Timeless Textures: The Landscapes and Microscapes of Robert Hinkelman,” at the Patricia O’Keefe Ross Gallery in Fisher’s Joseph S. Skalny Welcome Center.

1964

Dr. Henry Hess delivered the keynote address at the Wegmans School of Pharmacy white coat ceremony in January. Hess is professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine.

THE SCHOLARSHIP GOLF TOURNAMENT

MONDAY, JUNE 6, 2016 OAK HILL COUNTRY CLUB

Honor the legacies of Fr. Lavery and Fr. Dorsey while supporting private scholarships at St. John Fisher College.

Visit http://go.sjfc.edu/golf to learn more and register.

1976

Carol Anthony “John” Davidson has been named to the Board of Directors of TE Connectivity.

1980

Dr. Mark Szarejko spoke at the Florida Scientific Sessions about oral health and implications of oral and systemic cancers. He is scheduled to speak at the 2016 National Commission on Correctional Health Care Annual Conference about understanding oral health from a nursing perspective.

1982

Lauren Burns has joined ER Select as vice president of business development. ER Select, a womanowned business, delivers a portfolio of career services to help companies recruit and develop employees to grow their business.

Mary C. Loewenguth was recently appointed clerk of the court of the United States District Court for the Western District of New York.

Lowenguth began the position in January, and spent 14 years as the executive director of the Monroe County Bar Association and the Foundation of the Monroe County Bar. During her tenure with the Bar, she led the design and management of the Telesca Center for Justice, and was instrumental in the development of the Town and Village Justice Education Program, the first of its kind in New York State.

Save the date for

Fisher Philanthropy Week The Fisher family will kick off the inaugural Fisher Philanthropy Week in mid-March with a series of activities, challenges, and contests to engage students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends in philanthropy.

Presented by the Student Philanthropy Council, the week-long celebration will show the impact of philanthropy on the campus community.

Events include Thank-a-Donor Day, an alumni philanthropy panel, Senior Class Gift Day, and the dedication of the Donald E. Bain Campus Center.

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FISH PHILA ER NTHR W E E O PY K March 14-18

, 2016

CLASSNOTES

1983

Richard Barrington has been named to the Manning & Napier, Inc. Board of Directors as an independent director.

ccounting

ALUMNI SOCIETY

Nancy Catarisano has been named managing partner in the merger of Insero & Co. CPAs P.C. of Rochester and Ciaschi, Dietershagen, Little Mickelson & Co. LLP of Ithaca. The combined firm will operate under the name Insero & Co. and include locations in Rochester, Ithaca, Corning, Cortland, and Watkins Glen.

THE 27TH ANNUAL

ACCOUNTING

AWARDS BANQUET Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Honoring the Accounting Alumnus of the Year and Alumni Rising Stars Presented by Nixon Peabody, LLP

1986

Judy Winters recently joined Canandaigua National Bank and Trust Mortgage Company as a mortgage loan originator. She has more than 25 years of mortgage experience.

1988

Dr. Kevin Curtin contributed a chapter to the two-volume book Group Experts Share Their Favorite Activities for Supervision. Curtin, assistant professor of counseling at Alfred University, wrote “Bug-inthe-Eye Group Supervision for the

Development of Facilitation Skills in Psycho-educational Groups.”

1989

Phillip Theodore and teammate Daley Irvin are participating in the Atlantic Challenge, rowing 3,000 nautical miles across the Atlantic Ocean in an effort to raise $1 million to feed hungry families in the United States. Look for more on this in an upcoming issue of Collegium.

Fisher Places and Faces

Jerome Underwood was named the Rochester Institute of Technology’s 2015-2016 Minett Professor. He will spend one year sharing accounting and finance expertise with students, faculty, and staff members.

Underwood is the senior director of Youth Development and Family Services for the Rochester City School District. Minett Professors, who are distinguished Rochesterarea multicultural professionals, are appointed by RIT President Bill Destler and Kevin McDonald, RIT’s vice president and associate provost for diversity and inclusion.

1995

Katrina Busch was named a finalist for the 2016 Athena Award, given by the Women’s Council, an affiliate of the Rochester Business Alliance.

1998 The Colorado alumni chapter was living the “suite” life at a Denver Nuggets game in November, compliments of John Palmieri ’75. Front: Mark Hill ’11, Jacob Quattrini ’14, Nicole Savage ’14, Jim Martyniak ’57, Laura Wiggins ’03, Kacee Mahaffey, and Joey Jackling ’13. Middle: Bob Schickler ’56, John Palmieri ’75, Naiely Miranda, Cindy Megalo, Cindy Gruele, Michael Delladio ’15, Rachel Wallace, Kristen Sorrells, and Jacquie Cowley ’14. Back: Matt Thibodeau ’13, Larry Megalo ’70, Jim Gruele ’69, Peter Bielka ’95, Mike Guinta ’14, Steve Kang ’09, Mike Spier ’09, and Zach Hildebrand ’14.

Deborah Huether-Carney was inducted into the VIP Woman of the Year Circle by Virtual-Strategy Magazine. Huether-Carney is owner of Cyberhorse Construction in the Dallas/Forth Worth region of Texas.

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CLASSNOTES

Alumni Recognized in “Forty Under 40” The 2015 class of the Rochester Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 includes four Fisher alumni—Kristen Duckles, accounting certificate recipient; Bryan O’Donovan ’04, ’08 (M.S.); Jonathan Prutzman ’00; and Matthew Satterwhite ’07.

Duckles is vice president of strategic business systems and services at Home Properties, Inc. She is also a board member of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester, and a member of the Women’s Leadership Council with the United Way of Greater Rochester and the Women’s Initiative through Make-aWish Western New York.

A two-time graduate of Fisher, O’Donovan earned a bachelor’s degree in history, and a master’s in human resource development. He is the director of UR Medicine Strong West, an affiliate of the University of Rochester Medical Center. In the community, O’Donovan is a board member of the Harbor House of Rochester, and is a member of the American Legion

1999

Melissa Mulcahy Brown ’04 (MS) was named as a finalist for the 2016 Athena Award, given by the Women’s Council, an affiliate of the Rochester Business Alliance.

and the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Prutzman, vice president of business development at Innovative Solutions, is a graduate of the College’s Media and Communication Department, and serves as a member of the department’s advisory board. He also volunteers as a board member for Hickok Center for Brain Injury, and as a mentor through Young Entrepreneurs Academy. Prutzman is a member of the instructional technology committee at Gananda Central School District.

Satterwhite, who earned a bachelor’s in corporate finance from Fisher, serves as the consolidations manager for Carestream Health, Inc. He uses his financial acumen as a member of the finance committee for the Rochester Hearing and Speech Center, and is a member of the board of governors at the Al Sigl Community of Agencies.

2003

2000

Amy (Vaughan) Shannon was named assistant principal at Wayne Central High School. She served as a teacher in the Pittsford School District for 12 years, and recently completed a master's degree from the Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester.

2001

Lesli Myers (MS), ’08 (Ed.D.) was named a finalist for the 2016 Athena Award, given by the Women’s Council, an affiliate of the Rochester Business Alliance.

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Robert Lamb III has joined the Rochester office of Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC as an attorney, focusing on issues involving elder law.

2004 Bouaketh Chanthavisouk (center) was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II National Assistant Coach of the Year.

Chanthavisouk is an assistant coach for the Gannon University Lady Knights.

Mary Holmes, an attorney, recently finished a two year federal clerkship at the vaccine court in Washington, D.C., where she worked with judges to assess the reliability of expert witness theories. A graduate of the biology department, she is now a clerk for the chief judge at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

Christina Verone Juliano has been promoted to partner at Hancock Estabrook, LLP in Syracuse, New York. A member of the firm’s litigan practice, she is admitted to practice in New York, Massachusetts, and United States District Court.

2005

Sarah Guarnere and Trenton Smith were married on January 10, 2015 in Pueblo, Colo. The ceremony was performed by Bishop Fernando Isern, Bishop Emeritus of Pueblo. The

Sept ALUMSave the d emb NI W ate fo er 29 EEK r -Oct END ober 2, 20 1 the wedding party included Angela Guarnere ’05 and Lisa Guarnere ’03, sisters of the bride.

2010

2006

Kailey Kolozsvary has been appointed a public relations specialist at the Martin Group in Buffalo.

Dan Peters was named a Classroom Hero by Symetra Group. He teaches middle school history at Morgan Park Academy in Chicago, Illinois.

2007

Eric North was recently featured in the Democrat & Chronicle’s “Hot Jobs” segment on registered nurses.

Marilynn Paterson Grant (Ed.D.) was named a finalist for the 2016 Athena Award, given by the Women’s Council, an affiliate of the Rochester Business Alliance.

2012

2013

Alida Schillinger ’04 (MBA) has joined Dannible & McKee, LLP in the audit department.

2014

Stephen Castro has joined Mirror Show Management as a project manager.

Hugh Hogle IV (MS) was appointed principal at St. Joseph School in Penfield.

6

2015

Michael Roche has joined Dannible & McKee, LLP in the audit department.

2016

Emily Mein has joined Aspen Dental Management, Inc. as a communication specialist.

IN MEMORIAM:

Vincent Leonardi ’57, December 15, 2015.

Alex Tyshovnytsky ’66, June 2010.

Samantha Miller DiMartino ’12, January 11, 2016.

Alumnus Begins Service with AmeriCorp Matthew Berry ’13 recently began a 10-month term of service in the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), a program through AmeriCorps. Berry, who graduated with a degree in political science, is based in Sacramento, California, at one of the organization’s regional campuses.

Founded in 1994, AmeriCorps NCCC is a residential national service program that supports disaster relief, the environment, infrastructure improvement, energy conservation, and urban and rural development.

Currently, about 75,000 people serve in AmeriCorps programs nationwide each year, and Berry is among the 1,200 serving with AmeriCorps NCCC. “I wanted to make a real impact in communities that needed help,” Berry said, noting his service-minded grandfathers inspired him to join AmeriCorps. “It has always been something I’ve wanted to do, and now was the time.”

Berry, a native of Menands, New York, served as an admissions counselor for Fisher before joining the NCCC. He arrived at his regional campus in early October to begin training, which included an emphasis on teamwork, leadership development, communication, and service-learning, and provided certification in various hard skills.

As a corps member, Berry (pictured above, right) will be responsible for completing a series of six- to eightweek-long service projects with 10 to 12 team members.

Berry will assist with flooding cleanup and wilderness restoration projects at Death Valley National Park, support volunteer and donation management at the Utah Food Bank, help improve affordable housing with non-profits in Hutchinson and Holton, Kansas, and install community gardens in New Mexico and Arizona, among other locations.

In all, Berry will complete at least 1,700 hours of service during his 10-month stint with the program.

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Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Rochester, N.Y. Permit No. 1317 3690 East Avenue Rochester, NY 14618

FISHER THEN

Bob Moline ’68 (left) with a foursome at the 2001 Whackers and Hackers Tournament.

Fisher Golf Tournament season is fast approaching! To participate in the Scholarship Golf Tournament (June 6, Oak Hill Country Club), Whackers and Hackers (July 15), or the Fisher Fall Classic (September 2016), contact the Alumni Office at (585) 385-5292 or alumni@sjfc.edu.

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