ALUMNI
Dear Alumni and Friends: Once again the stories featured in PURCHASE magazine make me proud to be an alumnus of Purchase College. The success of fellow alumni, the continued achievement of faculty, and the activities on campus all serve to perpetuate the idiosyncratic culture of Purchase. We’ve long known about the many boldfaced names that our film program has produced, but it’s great to read about so many of you who’ve made your way in the film industry, despite its shifting landscape, as well as those new to the industry who refuse to allow its obstacles to dampen your burning passion to make films. I’m truly amazed at the books created by Purchase visual artists. “The Art of the Book” was a nice introduction for me, albeit a reminder for many of you, about the colorful and renowned history of the program at the college. I can’t wait to see where Steve Lam, the new director of the School of Art+Design, will take experimental publishing and the Center for Editions. It makes perfect sense that Purchase College, with its history of attracting those interested in social change and environmental activism, would be on the forefront of carbon-footprint reduction among colleges and universities nationwide. Many of the important initiatives undertaken at Purchase would not be possible without your support. Student scholarships for those most in need, faculty development efforts, and alumni networking opportunities exist because of the critical unrestricted funds provided by the PURCHASE FUND. Please consider making a gift this year to keep Purchase competitive and thriving. Donations of any size have an impact. To find out more about the Annual Fund, go http://www. purchase.edu/giving/ and click on “Purchase Fund.” You can even donate quickly and securely online.
1975
Jody Oberfelder (dance) has been venturing into immersive theater. Her newest piece, 4Chambers, is a sensory journey into the heart. Visit her website, www.jodyoberfelder.com, for more information. Stacie Nicole Simmons (literature) says that God’s providence and life have taken her down many pathways. She and her husband, Evan, have six children, and are the proud grandparents of six grandchildren. Currently, they both teach at the IDEA Public Charter School (Washington, DC). In May, Simmons will graduate from American University with a master’s in history (concentrating on public history). She says she looks forward to all that the future holds for her and her family.
1976
Larry Isaacs (biology) is a board-certified surgeon with 20-plus years of operating experience. He has been named a fellow at New York Medical College with an associated academic appointment. Nearly 40 years after Purchase, he has ended up 5.6 miles down the road from campus! Maura Mandrano (literature) was unceremoniously retired when Hurricane Sandy destroyed the marine business she owned on City Island in the Bronx. She now devotes her time to wildlife rehabilitation (in which she is licensed in New York State), animal rescue, and singing in the Westchester Chorale. Michael Savage (acting) recently published Tap Dancing All the Way to Omaha Beach, a book he wrote with his father about his father’s famous Hollywood tap-dancing days and heroic experiences in World War II. Savage is honored that the National Museum of WWII Veterans in New Orleans, LA, carries it in its bookstore. He is looking forward to making a film to take the honor to the next level.
1977
As alumni and friends of Purchase, you play a role alongside the administration, faculty, staff, and current students to continue the efforts to make Purchase shine even brighter. Help lead the charge as a donor, or become a part of our team through volunteerism and active participation in campus and alumni life.
Joel Bennett (liberal arts) is president of Organizational Wellness & Learning Systems (OWLS), and will publish his fourth book in 2014. Raw Coping Power (from Stress to Thriving) helps readers transform stress into positive thriving. OWLS’s well-being, leadership, and team health programs have been tested in clinical trials and have reached more than 30,000 workers in the U.S. and abroad. Bennett lives in Fort Worth/Austin, TX, with his wife, Jan. Check out his website at www. organizationalwellness.com.
Please stay in touch by sending professional and personal news for “Alumni in Action,” as well as updated addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses to alumni@purchase.edu. Do you have any suggestions for how we can better connect with your fellow alumni? Let us know. I look forward to hearing from you and am honored to serve as your president.
Jeffrey S. Putman ‘96 President, Purchase College Alumni Association, Inc. jeffrey.putman@purchase.edu --Dr. Jeffrey S. Putman ‘96 was elected president of the Purchase College Alumni Association in December 2007. He is currently vice president for studentaffairs & dean of students at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY.
Terry McCarthy PUR C H A SE | 2 6
Laura Rónai
in Action
Jeremy Gerard (literature; Distinguished Alumnus 2008) published Wynn Place Show: A Biased History of the Rollicking Life and Extreme Times of Wynn Handman and the American Place Theatre (Smith and Kraus Publishers), which the New York Times called “an overdue biography… that engagingly recounts Mr. Handman’s long and storied career.” The New Yorker magazine’s John Lahr said the “robust account” is “lively and well-informed” and that “Gerard’s book bears fascinating witness to theatrical times gone by.” Jessica Hentoff (sociology) won funding from the YouthBridge Social Enterprise and Innovation Competition to start the Circus Harmony Flying Trapeze Center this spring in St. Louis. She is also raising money to take her youth circus troupe back to Israel to continue its Peace through Pyramids Partnership with the Jewish/Arab Galilee Circus in Israel. Learn more about these and her other social circus activities at www. circusharmony.org.
Wyatt Townley
Wyatt Townley (formerly Barbara Wyatt Baker, dance) is the poet laureate of Kansas. Her work has been twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize, read by Garrison Keillor