CONNECTIONS a publication for alumnae of russell sage college
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volume
INSIDE
20 • number 1 | summer 2017
Celebrations and Dedications at Reunion 2017
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 1 Sage Names 10th President
4 Campus Attracts Filmmakers
2 Supreme Court Justice Visits
16 Class Notes
DDEAN’S MESSAGE
DEBORAH LAWRENCE, PH.D.,’88
CONNECTIONS DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING Shannon Ballard Gorman SGS ’13
Dear Alumnae, As I write, we are preparing to host U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on April 4. This is an amazing opportunity for our students, faculty and staff to ask questions of and interact with Justice Sotomayor. I feel extremely fortunate to have such wonderful “bookend” events to our Centennial year: Astronaut Stephanie Wilson in September and Justice Sotomayor in April – two remarkable women of influence! We are in full swing preparing for our end-of-year celebrations: the WORLD Conference, Undergraduate Research Day, Honors Convocation, Baccalaureate, honor society inductions and Commencement. Spring is also the time when we mark the achievements of the concluding academic year, and this year is no exception. While there are many I would like to share with you, I will highlight just a few here, to give you a sense of the range of arenas in which our students and faculty excel.
• Theatre major Samantha Tirrell ’17 has been accepted into the very competitive graduate program in Theatre at Yale.
• Criminal Justice major Andriana White ’17 has been accepted at multiple law schools.
• Nursing major Adrienne Dudla ’18 has been accepted at an Integrative Medicine internship in California this summer, one of only 20 students selected nationwide.
• Associate Professor of English Shealeen Meaney, Ph.D., has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship to conduct research in India. This makes five faculty awarded Fulbrights in recent years – a remarkable record for a small university!
This is also the time when high school juniors begin their college search in earnest, and we rely on you to spread the word about Russell Sage College as you gather with family, friends, and colleagues. To help you articulate the value of a women’s college, in addition to what you already know from your own experiences, here are some facts and figures from a 2008 study conducted by the Women’s College Coalition (womenscolleges.org).
• 85 percent of women who graduated from women’s colleges state that their college was extremely or very effective in preparing them for their first job, versus 65 percent from public universities.
• 51 percent of women who graduated from women’s colleges complete graduate degrees, versus 27 percent from public universities.
• Additionally, graduates of women’s colleges are more likely to have the communication, leadership and collaborative skills that employers want; have higher levels of self-confidence; and are better prepared for future career change and advancement.
We have a rich heritage to be proud of and a promising future to embrace. Finally, as the academic year concludes, we prepare to say farewell to President Susan Scrimshaw, Ph.D., and thank her for her years of service to Sage, and to welcome Christopher Ames, Ph.D., who will begin serving this summer as Sage’s 10th president. Having taught at Agnes Scott College for women for 15 years as a literature professor, he is certainly familiar with the value of a women’s college. Wishing you all well as you Be, Know, and Do MORE,
EDITOR Elizabeth Gallagher ART DIRECTOR Sarah Statham SGS ’08, SGS ’17 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Duncan Crary Elizabeth Gallagher CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Neil Grabowsky Tamara Hansen Matt Milless Sean Russell GRAPHIC DESIGNER Simona Bortis-Schultz/figure 8 THE SAGE COLLEGES OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS & PR 65 1st Street Troy, NY 12180 Tel: (518) 244-2246 connections@sage.edu | sage.edu
“To Be, To Know, To Do”
Russell Sage College’s enduring motto
“Be. Know. Do. MORE”
Tagline celebrating Russell Sage College’s 100-year legacy and its promising future
Mission Statement The mission and purpose of The Sage Colleges is to provide the individual student with the opportunity and means to develop and advance personally and professionally, and thus to be successful in achieving life goals; to contribute to the larger society a group of diverse, thoughtful and competent citizenleaders who continue to be engaged in the pursuit of lifelong learning; and to translate learning into action and application, recognizing the obligation of educated persons to lead and to serve their communities.
About the Cover
Deborah Lawrence ’88 Dean, Russell Sage College
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President Susan Scrimshaw and Russell Sage College alumnae look on as the new sign in front of Scrimshaw Health Sciences Hall (formerly Ricketts Hall) is revealed on Reunion weekend. Significant renovations to the building, home of the Physical and Occupational Therapy programs, were made possible by gifts in honor of Scrimshaw.
PRESIDENT’S PAGE
SUSAN SCRIMSHAW, PH.D.
The Centennial Campaign for Sage has raised $60.3 million, exceeding its $60 million goal. Watch centennial.sage.edu for final campaign updates.
Jillian Schwab ’14 (left) with President Scrimshaw at the dedication of Celebration, a sculpture by Kathryn Field, in the Shea Learning Center in October 2016. The sculpture includes steel and paint images of Russell Sage students and is a Centennial gift from Donna Robinson Esteves ’70. The dedication kicked off a weekend of Centennial celebrations last fall, including a gala and a brunch hosted by the Russell Sage College Alumnae Association. Visit horizons.sage.edu and centennial.sage.edu for more coverage of Centennial events.
CHRISTOPHER AMES, PH.D., NAMED SAGE’S 10TH PRESIDENT Christopher Ames, Ph.D., provost of Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, literature professor and author, will become Sage’s 10th president on July 1, 2017. Tip Simons, chair of The Sage Colleges Board of Trustees; Fred Miller, member of the board of trustees; President Scrimshaw; and Alexandra Jupin JCA ’65, RSC ’67, former trustee and arts administrator, at Sage’s 100th commencement on May 13. Sage awarded degrees to 883 graduates and honorary doctorates to Miller and Jupin at the ceremony. President Scrimshaw was the commencement speaker, in keeping with an academic tradition that college presidents address the last commencement of their tenure. Incoming President Christopher Ames met Russell Sage students on campus in March 2017. To read more about Ames, visit sage.edu/president.
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U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE SONIA SOTOMAYOR VISITS CAMPUS
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ussell Sage College was honored to host U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on April 4, 2017, as part of its Centennial celebration. Justice Sotomayor candidly answered questions posed by students during a Q & A in Schacht Fine Arts Center; she posed for photos with the students and shook hands with those in aisle seats as she spoke. More than 1,000 students, faculty, staff, trustees and alumnae attended the Q & A, moderated by President Scrimshaw. Afterward, a small group of students, faculty, staff and alumnae who had been selected via lottery enjoyed a private lunch with Justice Sotomayor.
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I took WORLD 101 in fall 2016 and it was cool to learn about an amazing woman who fit the trait of someone we could have learned about. Justice Sotomayor fit what WORLD stands for.
Sotomayor was nominated by President Barack Obama and became an associate justice of the Supreme Court in 2009. “The entire Sage community was thrilled to host such a trailblazing woman of influence,” said President Scrimshaw, who presented Justice Sotomayor with an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service from Sage at the event. “She has made history by serving on the nation’s highest court as the first Hispanic and the third woman.” Visit sage.edu to read the citation and more reaction from alumnae and students, and for links to the recorded Q & A and media coverage.
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STUDENTS REACT Comments have been lightly edited and condensed.
BECCA HOULE ’20 Question for Justice Sotomayor: “What is your favorite childhood memory?” Inspiration: “I wanted something that was different and something someone might not have asked. Immediately I thought of that question and I went with it. I loved her response, ‘Being hugged by my grandmother.’ I love getting hugs from my grandmother and she allowed me to connect with her. When one of my friends from home found out I was asking Justice Sotomayor about her favorite childhood memory, she said ‘That’s an interesting one. It can give you a lot of information about a person. I like it.’” MORE: “I took WORLD 101 in fall 2016 and it was cool to learn about an amazing woman who fit the trait of someone we could have learned about. Justice Sotomayor fit what WORLD stands for.” VICTORIA MARCARIO ’18 Question for Justice Sotomayor: “What is the best part of being a Supreme Court Justice?” Inspiration: “I wanted to ask a question that was relatively open and not too specific because the person usually follows up their answer with an anecdote.” [NOTE: Justice Sotomayor responded, “Being here,” and elaborated on how much personally connecting with audiences means to her.] MORE:“When I was a freshman we read Justice Sotomayor’s autobiography, My Beloved World. I remember thinking that her ability to overcome obstacles and stand up for herself was wonderful, and she is just as powerful and eloquent in real life.” EMILY STADNIK ’18 Question for Justice Sotomayor: “If you could go back and change anything that happened throughout your life, would you and what would it be?” Inspiration: “I read Justice Sotomayor’s memoir, My Beloved World, as a freshman at Russell Sage for my WORLD 101 class … I enjoyed it so much. The memoir made me
feel like I was walking through her life with her, and it was a life so much different than my own. It inspired me to read more nonfiction books, especially those written by or about inspiring people. Her story encouraged me to stay in school at a time when I felt alone and scared as a college freshman. As I read her memoir I reflected on my own life and thought about things that I wish I could change, or thought what if so and so didn’t happen? It was interesting to get her reflections on how she was affected by life events, and why she wouldn’t change them. It helped me to realize that the same can be true for my own life.”
I had a FABULOUS time attending this event ... A once in a lifetime opportunity. This justice is such an inspiring person ... I had tears in my eyes the entire time.
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the last class of seniors that I watched turn from fresh faced, green, excited freshmen into ready-to-graduate adults asking me for a Ruck Date to discuss what to do after graduation and for help writing a resume and cover letter. Also, as a ‘2,’ it is my Reunion year! I am really excited about that. This event also brought back some alumnae from neighboring states who I haven’t seen since graduation.” JENNIFER RUSTON MORRISSEY ’91: “I was profoundly proud to witness the awarding of an honorary degree to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Her words were inspirational and it warmed my heart to think of the impact that she had on the current students in attendance. I live out of the area and I am not able to visit the campus enough. It was so wonderful to be back on campus and walk through the various buildings and courtyards with my husband. We both hold so many wonderful memories of our time in Troy (he was at RPI). Thank you for making the day possible. It was a wonderful event.” COLLEEN SCHMITT ’91 [M.S., SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, 2004; DPT, SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES, 2009]: “I had a FABULOUS time attending this event ... A once in a lifetime opportunity. This justice is such an inspiring person ... I had tears in my eyes the entire time.”
ALUMNAE REACT TESS CARSTENSEN, RN, BSN, CEN ’12: “I am a proud alumna of RSC and it is amazing that we were fortunate enough to have such an influential woman speak to our students. How often would I be able to witness a member of the Supreme Court speak from less than 100 feet away! She spoke to students and working class adults as if she was one of us. She told us her life story and was unashamed to speak of her relative’s drug issues, and that she grew up in less than fortunate circumstances in the city, something which government officials normally try to hide behind closed doors. She encompasses what it truly means to be a woman of influence. This event brought me some general college nostalgia. This is
Read MORE sage.edu
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ussell Sage College recently served as the filming location for not one but two independent movies. Shooting for Off The Rails lasted four days on campus in October 2016, while filming for James Franco’s The Pretenders occurred on campus during the first week of November. “For a while it looked like we were both going to be filming on the campus at the same time,” said Steven O’Connor, location manager for Off the Rails (originally titled Derailed during filming). Even more extraordinary is that the storyline of Off the Rails, which aired on Lifetime Movie Network on March 26, is actually set at Sage. “Usually filmmakers go into a location and change the signage, so Russell Sage College would become some other college. This time they kept the name – the college in the movie is Russell Sage,” O’Connor said. “I’m really glad they didn’t change the names of the locations and the cities – Albany and Troy. When the characters go into Jack’s restaurant in Albany, they’re going into Jack’s. That was really exciting to me, being an Albany person – to see the city where I was born as Albany in a movie and not a stand-in for another city.”
RUSSELL SAGE COLLEGE: STARRING AS HERSELF
Filming locations included Sage Hall, Gurley Hall, Sage Park and Lafayette Courtyard. Several shots included building exteriors on campus and facing Second Street, while multiple rooms within those buildings served as a variety of settings.
About OFF THE RAILS
Most of the credit for landing Russell Sage College a starring role belongs to O’Connor, an Albany native who earned his associate and bachelor’s degrees from Junior College of Albany and Sage Evening College. For nine years, he has been involved with the Upstate Independent Filmmakers Network, a nonprofit that he now serves as president. Last year, producer Michael Buttiglieri asked O’Connor if he was interested in a location scout/manager position for Off The Rails, which he accepted. The filmmakers were looking for a college that had an “Ivy League” look, rather than a modern state university. O’Connor showed the Russell Sage campus first. “It was perfect for what they wanted,” he said. Russell Sage College people appeared on screen, too, including Leigh Strimbeck, artist-in residence at the Theatre Institute at Sage, who played Maggie Barrow, a relative of the main character.
Scenes from Off the Rails showing Russell Sage College, courtesy of Divine Immortality Productions 2016.
Behind the scenes on THE PRETENDERS
Student and film extra Summer Jennings.
1970s and 80s era cars on campus for the filming of James Franco’s The Pretenders in November 2016.
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MORE Troy Movie Memories Off The Rails is a psychological thriller set in Albany and Troy, and follows Nicole Barrow, the survivor of a train derailment that caused her to lose her memory. Barrow is a geography professor at Russell Sage College and her love for cartography and old maps is something that she did not lose in the crash. Her visits with a hypnotherapist reveal disturbing flashes of a raven and a mysterious man. As she scrambles to put the pieces of her mind back together, the beautiful Terra Incognita map display in Boston leads her to recall a man she knows she’s loved but can’t quite place. Is this man tied to her flashbacks? Barrow is in a hunt to track the mystery of her former self. (Plot summary provided by the filmmakers.)
Downtown Troy and the Russell Sage College neighborhood have served as the backdrop for several Hollywood movies over the years, including The Bostonians (1984), Ironweed (1987), The Age of Innocence (1993) and The Time Machine (2002). A native of Northampton, Massachusetts, Lynn Kopka ’74 has remained in Troy since graduation and she remembers each time Hollywood has come to town, including the time Jack Nicholson was in her backyard during the filming of Ironweed. “When they filmed The Age of Innocence, it was so boring. We would wait hours and hours and nothing would happen. I remember seeing Michele Pfeifer walk out of the house and I was like, ‘I’m done.’ That was around 2 a.m.,” she said. “We were all paid to light our houses all night long. There were horses in Washington Park and they made artificial snowbanks.” As president of the Washington Park Association in Troy, Kopka has been a driving force for the dramatic revitalization of that neighborhood. Hollywood helped inspire her mission by giving her a glimpse of what those historic buildings and blocks would look like when restored.
Summer Jennings ’17 had a lot of fun as an extra on the set of The Pretenders while it filmed on Russell Sage College’s campus and in downtown Albany. She was in six different scenes: a rooftop party scene, shot on the roof of Kellas Hall; a campus street scene; two scenes in a pizzeria in the city of Albany; and two dorm scenes. “Each day I was on set, I was in close proximity to the director, James Franco, and working with or around the main four actors of the film,” she said. “One scene in particular, my favorite one, involving the pivotal story scene, I was positioned right outside of the small dorm room James Franco sat in, out of the shot, directing. It was absolutely amazing hearing him give pointers, direction and input to every take. Out of respect, I did not approach him during filming. Not to
say I wasn’t tempted when he was within a foot of me, sometimes!” Jennings, who is pursuing an interdisciplinary degree to prepare for a career in marketing and design, said it was “a burst of ‘what-the-heck’ attitude” that led her to email the casting director to inquire about opportunities for extras as soon as she learned that the Academy Award-nominated actor, director and producer Franco was scouting film locations on campus. While the filmmakers later posted an open call for extras to the entire Russell Sage College community, Jennings’ initiative landed her an additional role. “Two weeks before shooting began, I got an email offering me another extra job in a movie featuring Chloë Grace Moretz. A friend from New Jersey and I shot an 80s/90s prom scene.”
“At the time, Washington Place was derelict,” she said. “It had boarded up windows.” But with some Hollywood cosmetics, film crews temporarily touched up the buildings for the screen. “Once we saw those buildings as they could be in the movie, then we wanted to make them look that way for real,” she said. “And they do today.” Katie DeGoosh-DiMarzio ’02 remembers being a student when The Time Machine was filmed a block from campus. “They closed it off, so we could only peer down Second Street on the way to I Love NY Pizza,” she said. “In the dark I saw the big lights lighting up the flower shop where they filmed the snowy, opening scene.”
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PROFESSORS RESEARCH 5K TRAINING FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS
Grant Funded Investigation Benefits Sage Students and Wider Community
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ssistant Professor of Public Health Dayna Maniccia, DrPH, and Associate Professor of Law & Society Janel Leone, Ph.D., are evaluating the outcomes of a 5K training program for survivors of intimate partner violence with support from a $10,000 grant from the National Council on Family Relations. Most research on interventions for domestic violence survivors has focused on shelter-based services, like support groups; Maniccia and Leone’s study is the first to measure the effectiveness of a structured running program as a means to improve survivors’ well-being and interpersonal relationships. The project will assist a local program and extend research opportunities to students in several disciplines.
STRONG THROUGH EVERY MILE Strong Through Every Mile works in conjunction with human service agencies and volunteers to provide training, running gear, race fees and, if needed, transportation and child care, for survivors of domestic violence as they prepare for a 5K race. Five survivors and two case managers participated in the first session in 2013; since then, more than 100 women have crossed the finish line with Strong Through Every Mile. Maniccia, an avid runner, followed the program through friends who volunteer as running mentors.
When she learned that the group had not conducted a formal evaluation, she offered her expertise in program planning and evaluation. Strong Through Every Mile has several anecdotal examples of its impact said Maniccia, describing women who have gone on to achieve other goals after their 5K success – but as a nonprofit, it will need objective data to build its case for funding and support. Maniccia asked Janel Leone, whose scholarship focuses on the dynamics and implications of violence against women, to collaborate. “I knew we could make an important contribution to the field,” said Leone. “As devastating and traumatizing as intimate partner violence is, there are ways we can effectively intervene and help women to flourish. But we need data to back up that statement.” The National Council on Family Relations grant is supporting the design and administration of a pre- and post-test for Strong Through Every Mile participants and a control group. “We’re focused on psychological health, social well-being, personal relationships and physical health,” said Leone. “We know that exercise benefits more than physical health in general, and we suspect it has a particularly powerful effect on this population.” “If this holds up in the formal evaluation, Strong Through Every Mile will have scientific proof from an unbiased source that program leaders and funders can use for decision making,” said Maniccia.
Dayna Maniccia, DrPH, and Janel Leone, Ph.D. 6
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A TRULY INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECT Johanna Muller ’17 worked with Maniccia to draft a logic model for Strong Through Every Mile. A logic model is a document that charts the relationship between the resources, activities, results and impact of a program; it is a key strategic planning tool in general, and a necessary precursor to a formal evaluation. Muller said that her work on the logic model was very different than the work she usually conducts for her Nutrition Science major and a great way to broaden her skillset. “This will most definitely help me stand out [on graduate school applications and with employers],” she said. “This is a truly interdisciplinary project,” said Leone, describing how several students from Sage’s Health Sciences, Management, Law & Society and Psychology programs have been or will be involved in conducting focus groups, administering surveys, collecting and analyzing data, and other aspects of the evaluation through fall 2017. “Passion for anything is contagious, and when students see professors excited about their research and its potential impact on the community, their motivation to learn grows immeasurably.”
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The women’s basketball team captured the Skyline Conference Championship in February and competed in the NCAA regional tournament in March.
MORE at sagegators.com
SAGE ADDS WOMEN’S FIELD HOCKEY TEAM Sage will once again offer women’s field hockey among its varsity teams beginning in the 2018-19 academic year. The team brings the number of women’s varsity teams to nine. (A Russell Sage College varsity field hockey team also competed in the 1970s.) The new program will fit perfectly into Sage’s growing athletics department said Vice President for Student Life Trish Cellemme ’89. “Sage’s Division III athletics program is a vital part of the overall student experience,” she said. “The field hockey program will add to our robust athletics offerings and contribute to our vibrant campus life.” Sage will hire a head coach a year in advance of competition, in order to recruit athletes for the new team and be immediately competitive within the Empire 8 conference.
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Over her 33-year award-winning career, Beth Johnson ’75 contributed to a number of initiatives that placed science front and center at the National Park Service. In 2016, as both Russell Sage College and NPS celebrated centennials, Johnson spoke on campus as part of the Department of Biology and School of Health Sciences Women in Science lecture series. She later told Connections MORE.
SCIENCE IN THE PARKS
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he role of science has increased since 1980 when I started my NPS career,” said Johnson, who joined the Park Service as a biologist shortly after earning a bachelor’s degree at Russell Sage and a master’s degree at Cornell University. “Many more scientists are engaged in answering critical questions and working to maintain the highest standard of scientific integrity. They are also working to assure that park managers can access, understand and use scientific findings to make the best decisions to restore, protect and adapt to changing conditions in the parks and beyond park boundaries.” Johnson first worked in the NPS Office of Science and Technology in Washington, D.C., on high-profile projects including the 1982 Coastal Barrier Resources Act (which protected coastal habitats and reduced the public’s exposure to catastrophic storm damage by removing federal development incentives) and the State of the Parks report, which published the results of
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the first Park Service-wide survey of park managers’ assessments of the threats to their parks. The report became one of the documents used to support the NPS’s investment in science programs. After two and a half years in D.C., Johnson transferred to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, a 70,000-acre park surrounding the nationally designated Middle Delaware Scenic and Recreational River in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. At first, she was the sole scientist at the Water Gap, but during her tenure, she created a robust science program and led 10 professional scientists. They worked out of Arisbe – the former residence of philosopher Charles S. Peirce that is on the NPS-administered National Register of Historic Places – on diverse projects, including wildlife habitat and ecosystem protection, geographic information systems, community planning issues that affected the park, and water quality. In 1993, Johnson received the prestigious
National Park Service Director’s Award for her work to raise water quality standards in the Middle and Upper Delaware Scenic Rivers. It was a 10-year effort that required coordination among scientists, government entities and non-profits in several states. “Water quality protection was the main reason for the award but really this is another example of ‘it takes a village to protect a river,’” said Johnson. “There was always ‘we’ working together to make progress.” Those alliances she helped build have continued their important work, and received additional support through the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act of 2015, which provides federal funding for coordinated conservation efforts among federal, state and local partners. The legislation that established the National Park Service in 1916 entrusted it with “stewardship of an extensive array of natural resources that span broad geographic and temporal scales and many levels of ecological complexity,” said
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You can’t protect or conserve what you don’t know or understand. Johnson, but while there were notable successes, in the late 1970s and through the 1980s eight professional outside reviews found NPS science resources “woefully inadequate” to fulfill its founding mandates over the long term. “I listened for almost 20 years of my early career as park scientists lamented the limited science staffing and funding in the parks and as scientists outside NPS advised that we needed to increase science capabilities in order to make better management decisions. It was a longstanding issue,” said Johnson. “In essence, we knew, and [the professional reviews] were all telling us, you can’t protect or conserve what you don’t know or understand.” Then, in 1999, the National Park Service embarked on a massive program to inventory and map specific park resources, and to monitor “vital signs” – plant and animal life; air, water and soil quality; natural sounds; night skies and more – at 270 of the more than 400 sites under the Park Service’s jurisdiction. The inventory provided a baseline and the vital signs monitoring program will assess the health of park ecosystems and provide a scientific basis for management decisions over the long term. More than 350 people were hired as part of the nationwide program, “the biggest increase in science program staff during my career,” said Johnson, and, for her, another program-building effort. She was one of seven regional coordinators who, along with Washington-office scientists, designed the program. “The amount of data the nationwide inventory and monitoring program has collected and evaluated over nearly two decades has modernized science in the National Park Service, contributed to our better understanding of challenges facing the parks and increased effectiveness of efforts to protect parks for future generations,” she said.
then returned to Washington, as deputy associate director at the Park Service’s Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate. The directorate is NPS’s “national science office,” with more than 250 scientists, policy experts and attorneys who assist parks with a variety of initiatives. When Johnson joined the directorate she was immediately involved in a huge effort to increase solar, wind and geothermal energy development on Interior Department lands and national waters. Johnson represented NPS interests in high-level meetings with leaders from the Departments of the Interior, Energy, Commerce, Agriculture and Defense. Her work took her abroad, too. In 2010, she was part of a State Department delegation at the meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan (The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity is the key international treaty focused on sustaining the diversity of life on Earth), and in 2009 she attended an international meeting hosted by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and World Commission on Protected Areas in Granada, Spain, where she made a position statement for the U.S. National Park Service on climate change. In 2013, after four years at the Science Directorate – and 33 at the Park Service – Johnson retired. “I loved the challenging work and the people,” she said, but, “I was ready to move away from meetings and the computer screen to the outdoors!” She has extensive flower and vegetable gardens and a dozen chickens at her home in Rhode Island, and time for hiking, wildlife watching, traveling and being with friends and family, including her mother and two daughters, one on each coast. “I believe I still have time to find my second career,” she added. For more information on science in the National Parks, visit nature.nps.gov.
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MORE from Beth International Parks: “One career highlight in 1992 was spending a month in Russia to assist with concepts for a 1.5 million-hectare park in Karelia. The fall of the Soviet Union was less than a year earlier. The kindred spirit Russian park managers we met were welcoming and delighted to share experiences. One park manager returned to the U.S. with us and spent a month traveling to various parks but most of his time in Delaware Water Gap. As I talked to him about the laws, regulations and policies protecting parks in the U.S. and all the planning we accomplished before moving forward on a program he said, ‘I think we are from different planets,’ as there was nothing comparable in Russia at that time. This first meeting started a long relationship with some of our cooperators in the park.” Science at Sage: Johnson followed her sister Susan Johnson Jennings ’73 to Russell Sage, intending to pursue pre-veterinary coursework. “Then, I discovered field ecology directly as a result of Professor of Biology Nancy Slack, Ph.D.” she said. “I was introduced to tropical ecology in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands during a Sage January term and subsequently spent a semester at the West Indies Lab on St. Croix completing field research and cooperating with other scientists on site. My interests in biology were not confined to the laboratory.” Student Memories: “I enjoyed campus life at Russell Sage, including learning in mostly small classes taught by professors who got to know the students, singing with the Sagettes and getting to know women in my dorms and classes and through the Big Sisters program. I keep in touch and have traveled with my Big Sister Yolanda Alcorta ’73 and am still very close to my roommate Mary Lynn McQuillen Jacko, DPT, ’75 even after 40 years!”
Johnson led inventory and monitoring efforts in the Northeast for 10 years, CONNECTIONS summer 2017
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Basketball taught me communication and overall teamwork. I also had the misfortune of tearing my ACL my sophomore year. Turned out to be a good thing. I can relate to the athletes here and help them work through the struggles of daily rehab with school.
J Jennifer McIntosh with her husband, Donald, and dog, Zoey.
PHYSICAL THERAPY GRAD HEADS SPORTS MEDICINE FOR 480 COLLEGE ATHLETES ON COLORADO CAMPUS
ennifer Dwyer McIntosh is head athletic trainer at Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. In her role, McIntosh oversees sports medicine for approximately 480 student-athletes in 18 varsity sports, helping them maintain appropriate physical condition for safe competition. “I graduated in May 1992 … I did the Physical Therapy five-year program, but I am still a Red Devil!,” said McIntosh, who worked in outpatient orthopedics before pursuing a graduate degree in sports medicine. The same things that attracted her to Russell Sage College attracted her to Mines for an athletic training internship during her graduate degree, she said, citing “a closeknit community and a lot of traditions.” She joined Mines full time as an assistant athletic trainer in 1999 and was named head trainer in 2000. “The staff changes are huge,” she said of the department’s growth since
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MORE ALUMNAE NEWS then, “from myself and a part-time assistant trainer to myself and four assistant trainers.” She’s been involved with establishing new training facilities including a state-of-the art “hydro area” in a new football stadium and she’s helped build successful teams. “Tradition for our school is football being an engineering school, mostly male, for so many years,” she said, noting the football team’s four conference championships. “However, the past few years, women’s soccer has grown leaps and bounds.” In 10 years, Mines women’s soccer has won four conference championships and six conference tournament championships and competed in nine NCAA tournaments, making it to the final four in 2014 and winning the NCAA South Central Region Championship in 2016. (Mines competes in the NCAA Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.) “Volleyball, women’s basketball and softball have also made conference and NCAA regional appearances and swimming, crosscountry and track have had individuals and relay teams qualify for the NCAAs,” she said, listing a few more recent accomplishments, including the men’s basketball team competing in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 2017; men’s track winning the NCAA Division II national championship in 2015; wrestling’s recent two national qualifiers and All Americans; and a 2012 grad playing on the Web.com professional golf tour. McIntosh draws on her experience as a student-athlete at Russell Sage daily. “Basketball taught me communication and overall teamwork,” she said. “I also had the misfortune of tearing my ACL my sophomore year. Turned out to be a good thing. I can relate to the athletes here and help them work through the struggles of daily rehab with school.” ACL tears, sprains and strains are common, McIntosh said, although, while rare, more serious injuries do happen. She is still in touch with a soccer player who experienced a traumatic spine injury in 2009, requiring him to wear a Halo brace for several months and undergo a year of intensive therapy. “He made a full recovery. To be there for the injury through surgery, help with recovery and watch him return to the field was the most rewarding part of my job,” she said. “All the emotional and physical highs and lows
really make a connection between you and the athlete ... I cry at senior day, graduation, former student-athletes’ weddings and when they return with their families.” “The Experiences of Female Athletic Trainers in the Role of the Head Athletic Trainer,” a qualitative study published in 2015 in the Journal of Athletic Training, asserts that “very few women have leadership positions in athletic training (i.e., head athletic training positions) in intercollegiate athletics.” “I can see this is changing,” said McIntosh, one of four female head athletic trainers in the Rocky Mountain Conference. “The more I travel, the more women I come into contact with [in roles preparing them for leadership positions in athletic training]. It is a matter of whether they continue in the profession, in a head position. Time will tell.” “My basketball coaches [from Russell Sage] are very successful business owners who I still look up to,” she said. “At RSC, our athletic trainer was a female and she encouraged all of her athletes to pursue our careers toward being the head of a department no matter what our field was, head athletic trainer, director of a rehab facility, or head of an education department. In the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, I have some amazing male role models who have encouraged me.” McIntosh is grateful to all these mentors: “I can’t imagine doing anything else. I am exactly where I always wanted to be.”
Alumna Serves on NPS Advisory Board Leonore Blitz ’64 has served on the National Park Service Advisory Board since 2010 and also served on the NPS 2016 Centennial Commission. The advisory board “is the most diverse and active board since being founded in the 1930s. Members are eight women and four men, most unusual for any public, corporate or NGO Board,” she wrote. “The NPS is critical to celebrating and honoring our history, achievements, leadership, diversity, freedom, tolerance and the beacon for hope, fairness and humanity in the U.S. and globally.” Blitz, principal of Leonore Blitz Consultants, has designed successful fundraising, communications and marketing campaigns for nonprofits, corporations and more than 25 national political campaigns including Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns. “I have been officially invited to the White House since 2009 for 12 visits,” she said, including bill signings, briefings, holiday parties and Women’s History Day dinners. Dana Schleifstein ’13 and Deepa Persaud ’12 spoke to students about internship and career opportunities at their employer, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals – identified by Forbes as a top three Most Innovative Company – during the spring semester. Please visit sage.edu/studentlife/career-planning to learn how your organization can recruit at Russell Sage.
Connect MORE alumni.sage.edu
Dana Schleifstein and Deepa Persaud talk to students.
CONNECTIONS summer 2017
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DALUMNAE ASSOCIATION
ANNIE IWANICKI ’86
S
pring and summer greetings! Spring is my favorite season and yet, as a Florida resident, I have to look harder than most to see the rebirth and transformations given to us during this season of fresh starts. I love how the earth reawakens after its winter slumber and bursts forth into technicolor. While I miss out on lilacs and flower bulbs in my yard, I can participate in other spring rituals like spring cleaning. For me, that means rummaging though my closet and drawers and removing all those pieces that no longer thrill me or serve me in some way. While I have always looked forward to this exercise, I have a new purpose in mind to share with you: The Sage Career Closet. The Career Closet is an initiative of the Office of Career Planning that provides students (and alumnae) with professional clothing for interviews, internships, jobs and networking success. I invite you to spring clean your own closets and consider donating gently used professional attire to the Sage Career Closet. Clothes, shoes and accessories are most welcome and you can make arrangements to drop off your items with Joan Clifford in the Alumnae House (cliffj3@sage.edu). What better way to recycle and repurpose your items than to help students to look and feel their best while they engage in career enhancing activities. Speaking of regrowth, Troy is undergoing quite the renaissance and if you haven’t been to Troy lately, you are missing out! The restaurants (including a new sushi restaurant), the farmer’s market! Cute retail establishments! Come back to campus and Troy to see for yourself! Have you joined our new online community yet? Earlier this year, Sage launched alumni.sage.edu. This community allows you to connect with classmates and friends on social, professional and intellectual levels like never before. It allows you to search your old friends, manage your own information, register for events and much more! If you received an email from Sage with your unique alumni ID number, please use your ID number when you log in to the new community for the first time. If you did not receive an alumni ID number, please contact community@sage.edu. In closing, I want to extend my appreciation to Reunion Co-Chairs Deb McAllister ’83 and Tami Miller ’83, who planned a fun-filled weekend for classes ending in 2 and 7 ( check out the photos on page 14 ) and an all-alumnae fiesta for President Scrimshaw, who has led us so fervently over the past nine years. I also thank each of you who supported the 2016-17 Sage Fund for Excellence. Whether you donated as part of $100K in a Day, Day of Giving, Mascot Madness, phonathon or class agent appeal, thank you! It is never too late to make your gift – every gift, regardless of its size, is appreciated. Wishing you a delightful spring and summer,
Annie Iwanicki ’86 RSCAA President Annmpi13@gmail.com
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CONNECTIONS summer 2017
DALUMNAE ASSOCIATION
EVENTS
GOING GREEN:
Connections Moving Online Only This is the last print issue of Connections magazine. Going forward, the alumnae, faculty and student profiles, Alumnae Association updates, class notes and campus highlights you have found in Connections magazine will be available at connections.sage.edu. If you currently receive email from Russell Sage College, you will periodically receive emails alerting you to new content. If you haven’t been receiving emails from Russell Sage, please join the new alumnae community at alumni.sage.edu to update your contact information.
Maggie Bodkin ’71, Alix Gordon ’69, Ellen Cook ’70 and Director of Alumnae Relations Joan Clifford ’82 during the Russell Sage College Alumnae Association’s visit to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, in March.
President Susan Scrimshaw and Francine Ebersman ’79 in Phoenix.
If you received an email from Sage with your unique alumni ID number, please use your ID number when you log in to the new community for the first time. If you did not receive an alumni ID number, please contact community@sage.edu.
Alumnae gathered at Columbia Restaurant in Sarasota, Florida, in January for lunch with President Susan Scrimshaw.
Connect MORE alumni.sage.edu
Phoenix-area alumnae at a Centennial reception in February.
CONNECTIONS summer 2017
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DALUMNAE ASSOCIATION
REUNION
BLUE ANGELS
PURPLE COWS
1942
1957
1982
1962
GOLDEN HORSESHOES
1972
1992
RED DEVILS
1967 14
CONNECTIONS summer 2017
1987
2007
DALUMNAE ASSOCIATION
REUNION
ALUMNAE HONORED AT REUNION
Crockett Medalist Alexandra Jupin (center)
ALEXANDRA JUPIN RECEIVES CROCKETT MEDAL Alexandra Jupin ’67 received the Doris L. Crockett Medal during Reunion weekend. The Crockett Medal is the Russell Sage College Alumnae Association’s highest honor and recognizes alumnae for commitment to the college in conjunction with professional achievement and/or community service.
1977
Jupin has led arts organizations in Florida and Arizona, produced theater on Broadway and London’s West End, served on the board of the International Society for the Performing Arts and participated in international cultural collaborations. She has remained involved with The Sage Colleges since earning an associate degree at Junior College of Albany and a bachelor’s degree at Russell Sage. She served on The Sage Colleges Board of Trustees for 12 years, chaired the campaign for the Schacht Fine Arts Center and co-chaired the Centennial Campaign for Sage. As part of her Centennial gift, she created a scholarship for nontraditional undergraduate students. Rooms in the Shea Learning Center library at Russell Sage and the Armory at Sage College of Albany are named in her honor and she received an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters at commencement in 2017.
NINE HONORED AT REUNION
2012
MORE Reunion photos at flickr.com/sagephotoshare
Carrie Cokely, Ph.D., ’97, Donna Wojtowicz Honsinger ’88, Yolanda Rucker Morris ’97, Kay Rock ’67 and Susan Pagano Wright ’82 were recognized as the Alumnae Association’s 2017 Women of Influence for their influence in their professions and communities; Carla Pasquarelli ’07 received the Marion Hughes Reuss ’45 award for professional accomplishments within 15 years of graduation; and Faith Rubin ’67 was honored for service to the association. Cokely is vice president of the Alumnae Association and associate vice president of academic affairs at Curry College. Honsinger is a high school math teacher who promotes research into Niemann-Pick Disease Type C. Morris, a former Alumnae Association board member, is director of admissions events and special programs at Daemen College and an advocate for people affected by autism. Rock is a retired human resources professional, consultant and the author of two books. Wright is president of Marlboro Group International LLC/M Real Estate Merchandising, LLC. Pasquarelli is coordinator of Athletic Training Services at St. Mary’s Healthcare and has special expertise in concussion management. Rubin, a former member of The Sage Colleges Board of Trustees, was honored for her leadership in establishing and nurturing the Boston Alumnae Chapter. The RSCAA also honored Susan Scrimshaw and professor emerita Kathleen Donnelly, Ph.D., as Friends of the Association. Scrimshaw collaborated with the association throughout her tenure as Sage president. Donnelly is the author of Women of Influence: Honorary Alumnae of Russell Sage College, available for purchase from the Alumnae Association, and has led alumnae tours to sites associated with honorary degree recipients. CONNECTIONS summer 2017
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CLASS NOTES
LOG IN to the new alumnae community at alumni.sage.edu to read more class notes and submit your own.
1939
Pauline “Polly” Soper Minehan died on February 4, 2017. She acted as class correspondent until her death. Polly was executive secretary for the Alumnae Association, now called the Office of Alumnae Relations, from 1960 until 1983. She received the Doris L. Crockett Distinguished Service Award and a 75th Anniversary Award from Russell Sage College. Please send your news to: connections@sage.edu
1940
Please send your news to: Elizabeth “Betty” Cummings, 6 Church Street, West Boylston, MA 01583-1603; 508-835-3774; beamancummings@charter.net
1941
Please send your news to: connections@sage.edu
1942
Please send your news to: connections@sage.edu
1943
Please send your news to: Muriel L. Wilhelm, 35 Schooner St. Apt. 314, Damariscotta, ME 04543; 207-563-0218
1944
Please send your news to: connections@sage.edu
1945
Please send your news to: connections@sage.edu 16
CONNECTIONS summer 2017
1946
Barbara Pierce Duke’s friend since freshman year at Slocum House, Anne Mooers Doherty, passed away on December 10, 2016. Anne’s daughter described her mother as self-assured, gracious and independent. Anne is survived by three daughters, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Another sad message arrived from the Office of Alumnae Relations that Winifred Grinnell Canby passed away in 2006. Marjorie Mowrey is recovering from a pulled leg muscle. We hope continued therapy will bring Marjorie back to good health. She is enjoying her new house and reminds us that there is always more ice cream to eat!
story about everlasting love. They’ll be married 67 years this June! View it online at augustamagazine.com/2017/02/02/ everlasting-love. I had a note from Priscilla Perkins Wilson ’50 in which she enclosed Ruth Harvie’s obituary. She and Ruth were Sagettes and lived in the Grafton/Chester area of Vermont. Also of great sadness was a message from the college reporting the passing of Emily Guile Gerken, Priscilla Hallock Coulter and Alberta Marciniak Ashton. We send our condolences to their families. Eleanor Sapega Cochran emailed “no news is good news” and Eleanor King Markel wrote, “Just say I’m doing great and best wishes to all.”
Vera Cohen Lee expects her new book, a graphic novel, will soon be published. Vera has been in Cuba three times in five years and is still entertaining at nursing homes, doing a tango with a cane we call the “recuperation tango.”
Marjorie “Midge” Schwartz Lewis spoke of her annual lunch with Elsie “Chick” Gabor Summit last fall, but called soon after to tell of Chick’s husband’s sudden death. We are so sorry and send our good thoughts to Chick and her family.
As far as any remarkable news from your correspondent, I am hanging in there. Some days, that is remarkable!
Mildred “Billie” Blythe Coleman and Bill live in Jaffrey, NH, but escaped from the snow and cold for a month to Florida. Billie wrote of greatly missing Betty Wiesner, our class president and close friend to many of us. We miss her, indeed.
Please send your news to: Ann Heddens Kingston, 645 Ridge View Drive, Louisville, CO 80027-3295; 303-604-6408; ignatz1130@gmail.com
1947
Please send your news to: Sylvia Saarnijoki, 24 Holly House Court #4A, Litchfield, CT 06759-3640; 860-567-5271
1948
Mary Aileen “Ranney” Matheis was reelected to the board of the Irvine Ranch Water District for the eighth time in 2016. It is one of the largest water districts in California, with over 300,000 customers. Please send your news to: Suzanne Freedman Juster, Pacifica Forest Trace, 5500 NW 69th Ave. Apt. 577, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33319; 954-722-5567; isjuster@aol.com
1949
Melissa Tobakos and her husband were featured in Augusta Magazine; their photo was on the first page of a feature
Please send your news to: Elizabeth “Jay” Lee Warren, 46 West 25th Ave., Spokane, WA 99203; 509-995-1928; billandjay@ hotmail.com
1950
“Time goes so quickly, it’s hard to recall” were words from a song we sang our first years at Sage. Then it continued … “History, English, hygiene, too.” I’ll try to relay information from phone conversations with some classmates. Betty Caldwell Selling mentioned having an eye problem, involving surgery when the lens slipped on her cataract. He husband, Bob, had a triple bypass and all went well. Marge Reinhardt Helm is busy with volunteer work and family. She has nine grandchildren, six great-grandsons and one great-granddaughter. Marion Holderle Ginegaw was still recovering from a left knee replacement
CLASS NOTES when she had the same procedure on her right knee. Her first great-grandchild, a boy, was born this year. Mary “Des” Desposati Kline’s granddaughter is with the Long Island Ballet and lives with Des. Her grandson is a police officer in Nassau County. Harriet “Pot” DeFranco is involved with many groups, including some she leads. In February, she and her family took a Caribbean cruise. Pot has two greatgrandchildren. Betty Ward Harrison has had a few episodes with broken bones. She is finally back home after a long and difficult recovery. We were recently informed of the passing of Helen “Mickie” Miklas and extend our sympathy to her family. Mickie had been in a nursing home for several years and Dottie “Otis” Benenati had been in contact with Mickie’s niece during that time. Hannelore “Lorrie” Bremser Dunne sent a letter explaining a hearing problem. She is in touch with Dottie Benenati and Mary “Des” Desposati Kline and also mentioned that she has three great-granddaughters and is happy to see her grandchildren having a good life. Diane Bault DeMille keeps up with her family by way of Facebook. They are scattered in Australia, California, Oregon and Texas in addition to those closer to home. She has 15 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Marie “Re” Corrado attended many of Russell Sage College’s Centennial celebrations. She’s spending some time in sunny Florida. Priscilla Perkins Wilson has had an acute loss of hearing in one ear and moderate loss in the other. Her family visits her in Vermont throughout the year. June Ott Barth announced the birth of a great-grandson. Barbara “Bobbie” Bell Bombard’s daughter-in-law finished her master’s degree and teaches Spanish in New York. Jeanne “Randy” Randall Mader spends seven months in Florida each year. One granddaughter graduated from college and Randy plans to attend another granddaughter’s graduation this May. She
enjoys beautiful views from her Lake Placid, NY, and Florida homes. I, Barbara “Bret” Rosenbloom Movsky spend most of my time at home doing chores like getting rid of unnecessary things! I have seven grandchildren. I was privileged to attend the graduation of the oldest grandchild from Virginia Tech in December. Hopefully, I will be able to attend another grandchild’s graduation in May from Elon University. It’s nice to have good things to look forward to at this point! Please send your news to: Bret Movsky, 221 Warrington Drive, Rochester, NY 14618; 585244-7095; brmovsky@yahoo.com
1951
I am writing this during a March blizzard. News from the over-85 crowd is mixed. Flossie Hinkle Frommer and Carolyn Stevenson Bedford both lost their husbands this year. Flossie and Walter had been married 66 years. They met at Friends Central in Philadelphia and married soon after Flossie graduated from Sage. Flossie lives in Coconut Creek, FL. One of her sons and her daughter live nearby. Her other son lives in Binghamton, NY. Carolyn lost her husband, Pat, last August. He had been in a nursing home for three years. Pat was a civil engineer whose profession took them to many different job sites where Carolyn set up a home. She once told me the number of kitchens in which she had cooked. Cannot remember the number, but it was a lot. She had the good news that their first great-grandchild, Charlie, arrived and she is enjoying him. When I spoke with Sally Norris Douglass, she was recovering from pneumonia and looking forward to what her granddaughter Paige calls her “CLA” (cute little apartment). She likes living in senior housing in Solomon, MD, and sends her best to us all. Rose DelNegro Weaver visited her children in Tucson and Scottsville, AZ, in February and her son in Florida, in March. Elaine Lessen Ainspan and I shared some laughs about our adjustments to being over 85. We both drive, but not after sundown; we do our own housework and stay active in our communities; we have become shorter, so we are taking up hems in our clothing,
but we can still see to thread the needle. Elaine had a bout with pneumonia this year and still feels the effects. Anne Gruber Robb says that Walt still goes to work every day. They continue to be active in the community. She added to the things we do differently after 85. Much as we enjoyed shopping in stores, we now use the internet or catalogs. I don’t know if that is an age thing; my grandchildren do that also, but it is different for us. Alan and I are doing OK. Alan had a mild stroke last spring, but has recovered well. Drives, fixes the car engine, is planning to plow our driveway after the blizzard is over. We spent time in Florida this winter. We enjoy the better weather. Our area is impacted when the president spends his weekends there. It just was wild at times with low-flying aircraft, roads closed, etc. Alan continues to be active with Learning in Retirement at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. I stay busy taking up hems and all that. Everyone I talked with is pleased to learn of the choice of Christopher Ames as the new president of The Sage Colleges. He was once provost of Washington College, where our granddaughter Brooke is a sophomore. My Sage sisters, Melissa Chapin Tobakos ’49 and Pat Walker Mullholland ’53 write that they and their husbands are doing OK. I enjoy this job because I keep in touch with so many friends. I just talked with Marietta Methe who lives in Henderson, NV. We agreed that staying active keeps us going. She sounds the same cheerful personality I remember when we were at Sage. The next issue of Connections comes out in the fall. Give me a call or email me, so we can keep in touch. Please send your news to: Jane McKersie; 978-551-3786; jadmck5@gmail.com
1952
Please send your news to: Mary Ellen Falter Davie, 27 Freedom Pond Lane, N. Chili, NY 14514; 585-617-5123; rpdavie@rochester. rr.com
1953
This is the first time in 40 years we have not spent part of winter in Sanibel, FL. We miss CONNECTIONS summer 2017
17
CLASS NOTES it, but it becomes increasingly difficult and stressful for us to travel. I guess that is the way it goes when you are old. Martha Klahn Shangraw moved into a retirement facility across the road from her townhouse a couple of years ago. She didn’t have to make a lot of adjustments since it was in the same neighborhood. She is happy because there are lots of activities and she doesn’t have to cook anymore. The retirement facility’s executive director is Andrea Pelletier Hebert ’88. From Albany, Jane Katzin Loeb is treasurer of the women’s auxiliary of the local Jewish nursing home, a volunteer in the gift shop, and on the board of the Women’s Philanthropy section of the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York. She plays duplicate and social bridge and mahjong and is in a book club. Jane attends events at Sage College of Albany. She said they have a wonderful art gallery with outstanding exhibits. Jane’s daughters live in New Jersey and Oregon and her son lives in Arizona. “Rise and Shine!” That is what Nancy Phillips Wood and I said to each other 68 years ago when we lived next door to each other in Sampson House freshman year. Nancy and Charles celebrated Christmas with daughter Anne in Virginia the week before Christmas, because driving on the highways over the holidays is difficult. On Christmas Day, she and Charles had quiet time together. Jack and I also celebrate Christmas a week early with our family. A couple of weeks ago, the Woods had a visit from grandson Dwayne. He had been sent to Fort Bragg for special duty. It was the first time they had seen him in a year. Before she left for Florida, Jean Twiss Riley Harris sent me Erye Hayner Sneck’s obituary. Erye died on November 14, 2016. She enriched the community as a member of the Troy Garden Club, the Junior League and the Rensselaer County Historical Society. She enjoyed rug hooking, sewing and tennis. She knitted for family and the men and women of the National Guard deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. Erye kept her mind sharp with word puzzles and bridge. She participated in several long-term medical studies and contributed to medical research through The Rockefeller University. Erye 18
CONNECTIONS summer 2017
donated her body to the anatomical gift program at Albany Medical College. Jean spoke to Rosemarie Adinolfi Hamilton and hopes to see her in the summer when she comes east. It is fun hearing from Joan Crummy Firra. She wrote that she was skiing with her Virginia grandchildren at Snowshoe, WV. In March, Joan traveled to Scotland to track down her family genealogy and be a tourist. In July, she is attending the World Confederation of Physical Therapists in Cape Town and then joining Natural Habitat Adventures for a two-week safari in Botswana. If you can remember back to the last Connections, Joan was going to Churchill, Manitoba, in November to see the polar bears. She did see the polar bears waiting for Hudson Bay to freeze so they could hunt seals. I called Helen Delage Bethell and a cheerful voice said hello. She is active in land conservation in her area. Helen and John spend summers on their sailboat going leisurely up and down the coast. They have three children: a son nearby, a daughter in Oregon and a son in Maryland. The son that lives nearby is a great help, taking care of the yard and general maintenance for his parents. Audrey DeSmidt Benson was in Leesburg, FL, until March, with a heated pool and lots of friendly people. Before she left for the south, she had a 60th birthday party for her youngest daughter in Boston. That really made her feel old. I can identify with that; my oldest daughter just turned 60. Maxine Serata Epstein had all good news. She is expecting two more greatgrandchildren in September, which will bring her total to five. She was looking forward to a wedding and a lovely new bride in the family. She speaks to Jane Katzin Loeb and Doris Rogers Rothman regularly. Mackie plays a lot of bridge and enjoys every minute of it. When I heard from Doris Rogers Rothman, she had just returned from her granddaughter’s bat mitzvah in Tampa that included a luncheon cruise. Always upbeat, Doris ended by saying that they live in great weather and have great times with friends and family. She was looking forward to a 100th birthday celebration for
one of their friends. This man plays bridge and still drives. He just recently gave up golf and tennis. He is Doris’ hero. My former roommate Ailyn Terada lives with her niece in upstate New York. She goes to a program for seniors four days a week and enjoys talking to the people there, exercising and doing arts and crafts. Her dog, Toby, died, but her niece’s dog, Shadow, keeps her company. Barbara Parson O’Keefe and Andy have the better of two worlds. They look out on the Connecticut River in the winter and are at the beach in the summer. Andy has a bum leg and a heart condition. In order to facilitate staying in their home, they installed a chairlift to take them upstairs to their bedroom. They used to do a lot of traveling in Europe, but now they are happy to stay close to home and their doctors. I sent Liz Greene Hafler pictures of our remodeled cottage because she and I have spent many happy days there. In her response, she included the following story. About two years ago, she lost her Sage ring and after looking everywhere she could think of, she gave up. Last November, she was grinding balsam needles that she had collected several years ago in Maine to make into sachets. She discovered her ring at the bottom of the box! She was so happy she cried. Please send your news to: Patricia Walker Mulholland, 1013 Sassafrass Circle, Bloomington, IN 47408; 812-334-2457; jmulholl@indiana.edu
1954
Nancy Miller Slurzberg moved to Arizona to be closer to her daughter Wendy and family. She is adjusting, but misses her home in Fort Lee, NJ. I, Leila Berkowitz Schwartz, and my husband, Lenny, moved to our home in Lake Luzerne, NY. We miss being near New York City, where the city never sleeps. Please see my new address below, to send any class news. Please send your news to: Leila Berkowitz Schwartz, 12 Crescent Street, Box 688, Lake Luzerne, NY 12846; 518-696-3908; leilen1@me.com
CLASS NOTES
1955
We send sympathy to Jean Reule Lewis of Sarasota, FL, whose husband, John, passed away in 2016. John pinned Jean their junior year of college. They were married 60 years. Althea Williams Hurley has plans to meet Mary Ann Tillson Barrie and Joanne Stewart Hush for a California lunch. Joanne will leave the Cape for a month’s stay in sunny San Diego. Margery Van Keuren Winter had heart valve repairs in 2016 at Mount Sinai in New York City. She and her husband, John (RPI, 1952), returned to their home in Wichita, KS, after recovering at their Catskill Mountains home in Lew Beach, NY. Marge plans to visit Russell Sage while they are in Troy for John’s 65th RPI reunion this fall. Marcy Luloff Sabesin’s name was omitted from the list of attendees at the 60th Reunion of the Class of 1956. Marcy’s husband, Seymour, accompanied her. He and Judy Fatel Lebson’s husband, Marty, were impressed with what Russell Sage College has accomplished. They mentioned that the joint celebration with RSC’s 100th anniversary was exciting and everyone was thrilled with the barbecue and fireworks over the Hudson River. Marcy and Seymour enjoyed three winter months in Tucson, AZ, where they socialized with their Chicago friends who were also there, and participated in many cultural activities. Janet Holton Class said that at age 82, not a lot new happens, but it is good to be busy and active. She attends an exercise program three times a week and is active with her church and Bible studies. Janet hosted a friend from the Philippines for a few months until she moved to take a teaching position in Chemistry at the University of Southern Missouri. Their conversations opened Janet’s eyes to many things about a culture she had not known about before. Janet is active with Global Connections, an organization that assists international students at Bowling Green State University.
surgeon here in Syracuse said it was due to my age. Beware! Happy summer and stay healthy! Please send your news to: Vee McEvoy Lindberg, 5100 Highbridge Street Apt. 22C, Fayetteville, NY 13066; 315-632-6133; pvlindberg@twcny.rr.com
1956
Please send your news to: Carol Davis Winston, 35 Dunbar Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418; 561-625-5910; carwins@comcast.net
1957
Joan Clark Gilbert is not sure these are truly the golden years, as she struggles with arthritis and other medical issues, but reports that she is improving now. Bev Bugel Manlapaz would second Joan’s motion, as she fractured her pelvis last winter and has not much good to say about Florida medical care. She keeps active in the real estate business by doing website updates for her broker.
dotsyfrost@yahoo.com Diann Allan Billing, 46 Mallard Drive, Hackettstown, NJ 07840-2836; 973-9624648; dbilling@verizon.net
1959
Claire Minogue Stahler returned to the Capital District after decades away and said they are glad to be back home. “We live at Avila, a senior independent living community in Albany. Our son George and his wife Tami work in Albany, and it is a pleasure to see them often. Our other children are in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, so everyone is accessible. We enjoy good health, and that is a blessing.” Please send your news to: Karolyn Wentzel Nealon, 3310 Longbow Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15235-5135; 412-824-2558; jhnealon@ verizon.net
1960
Richard and Nancy Blair Myers enjoy the activities in their retirement community and their new car with all the bells and whistles and safety features. They think it will probably outlive them. Shirley Miller Takach sent me a copy of some of my undying prose from the December 1955 issue of Review. I can’t believe she kept it, but then I looked through some old boxes and found I had, too! Shirley has a fine collection of grandchildren ranging in age from about 2 to 28. The youngest was the ring bearer at the wedding of the oldest in April. The college has informed me of the death of Jeanne McCoy Yamrick. Our sympathy to her friends and family. Please send your news to: Irma J. Wilhelm, 21 Hackmatack Lane, Hallowell, ME 04347; 207-622-9344; Ijwilhelm@aol.com
1958
I am sorry to inform you of the passing of Frances Jordan Lewis and Helen Dewey Burdick.
Please send your news to: Millicent Clayton Hull, 1332 Atterberry Road, Sequim, WA 98382; 360-504-1149; MMCH21@juno.com
I am recovering from surgery and a sixday hospital stay for a twisted colon. My
Dorothy Muller Frost, 230 Lake Drive, North Bennington, VT 05257; 802-442-2997;
Carole Fromer Carole Fromer of South Glastonbury, CT, was honored as a Legend in Family and Consumer Sciences at the annual conference of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences in Seattle, WA. During her career on the faculty of the University of Connecticut and through the present, Carole has been active in the organization, holding leadership positions at the state and national level including national president. Her biography is included in Leaders in Family and Consumer Sciences, published by Kappa Omicron Nu National Honor Society for the Human Sciences. CONNECTIONS summer 2017
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CLASS NOTES Please send your news to: Kathryn Diamond, 793 Ashbury Street, San Francisco, CA 94117; kathryn@ kathryndiamond.net
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Judith Ann Grimmett wrote of being impressed with the accomplishments of Christopher Ames, the 10th president of The Sage Colleges, and to express her congratulations and to wish him much success. Please send your news to: Sandra Houck Tiedemann, 272 Patrice Terrace, Williamsville, NY 14221-3922; 716-632-6756; sjtstitches@aol.com Linda Nee, 10201 Grosvenor Place, Apartment 1413, North Bethesda, MD 20852; Nee.Linda@aol.com
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Rosemarie Vacca, Sylvia Alvezi Connor and Holly Dorman ’74. In October, Sylvia Alvezi Connor and Rosemarie Vacca ventured to Albany for Sage’s Centennial Gala. “We were eager to reach our hotel; however finding it was a challenge,” Rosemarie reported. “Thelma and Louise,” as they called themselves, managed to get lost and end up at The College of Saint Rose, but eventually made it to the Sage celebration, happy to help blow out 100 candles on the birthday cake. Rosemarie and Sylvia were looking forward to the 55th Reunion in June. Please send your news to: Carolyn Cogan Garter, 13657 Whippet Way West, Delray Beach, FL 33484-1569; 561-498-3093; ccggrandma@yahoo.com 20
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Elaine Cohen Freedman, 96 Brookline Avenue, Albany, NY 12203; rlfrealty@ verizon.net
the presentation. Pam Lacker Brooks ’72, Georgiana Benson Schuldt ’60 and Doris Fischman Roth attended.
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Doris Fischman Roth enjoyed another wonderful sister trip to Copper Canyon Mexico with Elin Fischman Lawrence ’69 in December. The train through the mountains, cable car over the canyon, the Tarahumara people, a cruise on the Sea of Cortez and time together laughing, hiking and eating was so much fun!
Please send your news to: Jean Hunt Evoy, 1596 NW Goathill Street, Arcadia, FL 34266; jevoy@bio.miami.edu Carol Carpenter Michels, 160 Barley Neck Road Box 396, East Orleans, MA 02643; carol.michels@gmail.com
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Please send your news to: Shari Taylor Grove, 32 Shepard Street #31, Cambridge, MA 02138-1518; 617-576-1302; sharigrove@ gmail.com
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Please send me, Bonita “Bonnie” Maxon, your email address if you are not getting my updates about Sage. Marion Stebbins Wells lives in Ellsworth, ME. She is retired from physical therapy. She and her husband, David, are Rotarians and have distributed wheelchairs in Panama and Belize, and just returned from delivering 123 wheelchairs to Costa Rica. They plan another distribution next year, possibly to the Dominican Republic, and another, larger one of 500 wheelchairs to several South American countries. Their daughter, Gaylynn, is studying for a doctorate in Physical Therapy at Columbia University. I called Carol Pratt Houlton to try to get her to join our email group. I called Suzanne Clowry in Brewster, MA, and found out that she is a doll doctor. She repairs and restores antique and modern dolls. Nancy Sothern Mueller visited Iran. She said it was a fascinating trip, and the handcrafts and art were spectacular. She also spent a few days in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and Muscat, Oman. Two Golden Horseshoes and two Blue Angels attended an event for the Rotary Guatemala Water Project in Fort Lauderdale, FL, in March. Elin Fischman Lawrence ’69 and her husband, Rick, who have been involved with the project for years, led
Pam Lacker Brooks ’72, Georgiana Benson Schuldt ’60, Elin Fischman Lawrence ’69 and Doris Fischman Roth. Judie Pearlman Wexler just returned from Beijing where she stayed with her daughter and grandsons who live there. In addition to visiting family, she was in Beijing working with Chinese university collaborations. In October, Judie became interim president of California Institute of Integral Studies, which works with universities and organizations in China offering workshops and certificates in counseling psychology. Barbara Schwartz Onish and Ken spent two weeks in Israel. They traveled with their son, Russ, his wife, Jen, and their three children, and their daughter Alison, her husband, Don, and their child. It was a great time and wonderful way to celebrate Hanukkah and the New Year. Marcia Carlson Leader wrote that she loves to hear news about classmates. She vacations on Grand Bahama during the winter. If any of her friends would like to visit, please email her. Diane Schuldenfrei Hostetler wrote, “While most of my Sage friends are looking at great-grandchildren, I am about to have my first grandchild in July. It’s been a long wait, but my son Noah and his wife, Stephanie,
CLASS NOTES have moved to a home near us in Bothell, WA, and we are all looking forward to the new addition.”
could not attend our 50th Reunion but were able to travel a few miles to Boothbay Harbor, and Sally was already visiting Nancy in Maine. They had dinner at Oliver’s at Cozy Harbor Wharf. Although Carol sees Ann every few years and has seen Nancy and Sally a few times, she had not seen Tami or KG in 50 years. “It seemed like we were back in college. We didn’t miss a beat! Tami and KG were as funny as ever. KG even admitted that she should have gone into stand-up comedy.”
Bonnie Maxon, volunteering with the American Federation of Teachers’ Get Out the Vote campaign. Margaret “Peg” Holmes wrote that she met an alumna from Russell Sage’s Class of 1974 while working at the Biltmore. Peg didn’t get her name but realizes why it’s called a small world! At the end of October until the day after the election, I, Bonnie, went to Fort Lauderdale, FL, to help the American Federation of Teachers with the Get Out the Vote campaign. Florida has several weeks of early voting which is different from New York, where we have one day. While there, I spent a day with Doris Fischman Roth. I spent five weeks in Mazatlan, Mexico, during January, enjoying shrimp and warm weather. This June, we leave for a fourmonth trip in our RV. We’ll meet with a caravan to spend 52 days traveling around Alaska and British Columbia. Paula Zandri Duddy has served as the Fine Arts chairperson at Xaverian Brothers High School, an all-boys college preparatory school in Westwood, MA, for 30 years. She said Sage was a wonderful start to her career in the arts. Please send your news to: Bonita “Bonnie” Maxon, 110 E. Shore Drive, Petersburg, NY 12138; 518-658-2873; bamrdk@aol.com
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In August, Carol Sweet Morse and her husband, David, headed to Boothbay Harbor, ME, to visit her roommate, Ann Ogilvie Wehrwein. Carol had organized a reunion with Ann, Tami Fern, Karen “KG” Gould, Nancy Kebbon Aho and Sally Dunnells Campbell after she learned that Tami and KG would be in the area. They
Members of the Class of 1966 in Maine. Tami spends winter in Florida. She spent her working years educating gifted and talented children and writing a book, Project Funny Bone. KG’s daughter is to be married soon. KG owned and operated a home health agency. She lives in Boston and New Hampshire. Nancy and Sally had long, successful careers as physical therapists. Nancy retired to a house on a lake in Damariscotta, ME, where she and her husband, Arne, spend summers. Sally and her husband live in Connecticut but are contemplating a move to the Midwest to be near her son. Sally had cardiac surgery last winter and has recovered well. Ann lives in Hallowell, ME. Carol hopes for another reunion next summer. More news from Carol Sweet Morse is not so good. After returning from Maine, David was diagnosed with the same pancreatic cancer that Carol had. He suffered several setbacks, including two weeks in an intensive care unit and five weeks in rehab. Since he has been able to gain strength, he has started chemotherapy to shrink the tumor and make it possible to be removed. Carol said his appetite has returned and he is tolerating the chemo well. Her own health is good and she continues to do Pilates and lift weights and sing and take piano
lessons. She is involved with the vestry of her church and a committee for the local Cancer Support Team, an organization that provided her with nursing support during her own chemo treatment. She laments that right now she doesn’t see enough of her grandchildren. I know I can speak for our class that our thoughts are with Carol and David at this time. Anna Marie “Toot” Evans Small and her husband are about to celebrate their 50th anniversary! They relocated to Boulder, CO, and she wrote that “living in the foothills of the mountains is an exciting change.” She retired in September after more than 50 years in nursing, but began a part-time job at a medical center in her favorite field of psychiatric care. She lives within walking distance of her middle son and his family, including their 7- and 8-year-old daughters. Her oldest son lives in Destin, FL, with their 11- and 14-year-old children. Her youngest son is a second-year law student at Harvard. Joyce Hartman Diaz had a busy summer visiting family, including a new California grandchild. She is busy with the Arizona State University Retirees Association, and after returning from her summer trip, she chaired a party for the retirees. In September, she went to Las Vegas to meet her sister and brother-in-law from Maryland. They went on an amazing trip to Bryce Canyon National Park and saw a lovely sunset over Sunset Point overlook. They spent the next two days stunned by the magnificent hoodoos (rock spires), then were off to Zion National Park to enjoy hiking and vastly different landscapes. Back in Phoenix, Joyce’s daughter and family arrived and they were off on their next national park adventure to the Grand Canyon. Her granddaughters are 8 and 9, and this was a first for them. After two days at the canyon, they drove to the Petrified Forest National Park. Joyce proudly wears her 2016 National Park Service commemorative shirt – four national parks in two weeks! She said, “After one more luncheon for 50 retirees and a local television personality as presenter, I did enjoy some tranquil moments the rest of 2016.” Annette Lipstein Friedman is off on another kayaking trip – this time to Hawaii on a CONNECTIONS summer 2017
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CLASS NOTES 34-passenger ship. She works per diem as a homecare physical therapist. Her grandkids and husband are all well. In her spare time she plays canasta and mahjong, and was looking forward to New Orleans for sun, fun, music and food in May.
will volunteer and assist people at the local library. Jill said she has wonderful memories of our Reunion in 2016. She hopes to meet Jane Early Owens, Chloe Goossen Morris and Judy Wargo Moorhouse in the spring. She’d love to see anyone who might be in her area.
Judy Galza Di Mattia is becoming a Certified Personal Trainer. She said, “Those of you who want to be body beautiful, come look me up. You won’t believe the results we are getting in my gym. You are never too old to realize your potential and it is so rewarding helping people get there.”
Ginny Borg Wolfe is basking in the glow of memories of our Reunion. “It was such a great time and we were treated like royalty!” She and Jim took a three-week vacation on the west coast of Mexico, with “warm weather, friendly people and great food.”
Linda Nelson Pettit and her husband, Bo, enjoyed New Zealand for a month, then headed to Australia for three weeks! It was their 45th anniversary gift to themselves. “We went to Bilbo Baggins Shire in Hobbiton! Fascinating movie set!”
Francie Greenbaum Preisman’s husband, Bob, took the whole family on a cruise through the Panama Canal to celebrate his 80th birthday! Francie said, “Our 10-yearold granddaughter, Jenna, led our zip line adventure through the rain forest in Costa Rica. We also swam with dolphins and visited large sea turtles. Seven people celebrating a lifetime event was amazing!”
Jane Meenes Page and her husband, Al, live in Glenview, IL, just north of Chicago. Al suffers from Parkinson’s but is stable. Jane retired five years ago from her job as clinical director of adoption at the Cradle Adoption Agency in Evanston. They have two granddaughters, ages 14 months and 3 years. Jane is co-president of her Temple Sisterhood and also does volunteer work at the Cradle. Donna Schulman Bender is involved with REAP, an acronym for Retired and Eager to Assist Pupils, a program she designed. The program focuses on integrating character education and mindfulness into relationships between older people and students. Donna encourages comments and ideas. Contact her at dbender417@ yahoo.com. Ruth Rosborough Keiser spent Christmas with both of her sons and family in San Francisco and in San Jose, where she lives. She continues doing needlepoint and cross-stitch with a stitchery group and takes painting lessons from a wonderful, wellknown artist. “Add in the theater, concerts, and singalongs and I have a full schedule!” She sends her best to all the Purple Cows. Jill Rowley Sitcer and her husband, Gary, are a year into retirement in Williamsburg, VA. She enjoys being in a floral guild at church, arranging altar flowers on a rotation, which she did for years in New Jersey. Gary took a tax prep course through AARP. He 22
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Kay Steinkirchner Rock is the author of two books, including the recently published Over the Hill and Gaining Speed, a collection of her columns from the Bucks County Herald (Pennsylvania). Kay recently established the Evelyn Donaldson Steinkirchner Scholarship Fund at Russell Sage College, in memory of her mother. The scholarship will be awarded to firstgeneration students at Russell Sage College. Please send your news to: Judith Prest Bowden, 518-441-5012; judithbowden@ yahoo.com Rona Miller McNabola, 30 Spottswood Road, Glen Rock, NJ 07452; 201-444-8950; ronamc@verizon.net
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Liz Dodge wintered in the Algrave region of Portugal, in a small fishing village that has become a bit of a British expat area. She said it was beautiful, but chillier than expected, as the houses are built to let heat out, not keep it in. Marsha Snyder and her husband, Bob, spent time in February and March in Myanmar and Thailand. In addition to traveling extensively in both countries, they volunteered at an elephant preserve. Caroline Bailey Toner’s daughter gave birth to identical twin girls in December. Sadly, we have lost two more classmates: Nancy Wolff Donahue in 2008 and Mary Levett in 2011. Please send your news to: Judy Shor Kronick, 158 Brewster Road, Windsor, CT 06095-2624; 860-830-5887; judykron2@comcast.net Barbara Towne Patterson, 1 Ralsey Road, Stamford, CT 06902; 203-324-7259; b.patterson66@gmail.com
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Jeanne Holmberg Johnson, Nancy Goetz Harper, Tina Carrol Tosch and Marcia Bourland. In November 2016, Tina Carrol Tosch, Jeanne Holmberg Johnson, Nancy Goetz Harper and Marcia Bourland spent five days in Hilton Head, SC, reminiscing, eating and drinking, catching up, shopping, eating and drinking, touring Savannah, GA, and eating and drinking (Marcia’s words). Nancy and her husband, Bob, retired to St. Simons Island, GA, four years ago. Their son and daughter are in Wake Forest, NC, and Atlanta, and have two children each. Marcia and David are retired and live in Chicago. They spent five weeks in Puerto Vallarta in winter 2017. They take advantage of the Chicago restaurant scene, reveled in the Cubs’ World Series win and enjoy the company of David’s children and 14 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Jeanne Holmberg Johnson retired in 2015
Kay Steinkirchner Rock
CLASS NOTES and moved to the Palm Springs area. Both her sons live in Montana and she divides her time between the Southern California desert and the Montana mountains. After a year of retirement she accepted a two-daysa-week job at Eisenhower Medical Center as an inpatient wound consultant. In 2008, Tina retired from Johnson & Johnson. Her two grandsons keep her and her husband busy on grandparents’ babysitting day. Tina volunteers at the arboretum in Glen Ellen, IL, where she lives, and as a culinary assistant at a local cooking school. As if that isn’t enough, she has two part-time jobs. She particularly loves being a standardized patient at a postgraduate medical university. Since her work there is with medical students, she can say that we are in good hands with the young people entering into the medical field (which makes me feel better already). In August, I spent a week on the Olympic Peninsula with Linda Havig Peters and Jeff. We hiked at (not up) Mount Rainier and Olympic National Park, harvested oysters and mussels, sipped cocktails as the sun dipped beneath the Hood Canal and sometimes did nothing. In January, Eileen Ryan and I attempted to ski at Bear Mountain in California. I have nothing more to say about that. As I write, Eileen Ryan and Sheila McCarthy and everyone else mentioned in this column are looking forward to Reunion! Cathy Gammerino Weston married Daniel Weston, an architect and RPI graduate, in 1968. She began teaching junior high and high school in 1968 and retired in 2005. She had been a department head; “spent four hectic years as yearbook advisor”; and was Southington’s Teacher of the Year and a semifinalist for Connecticut Teacher of the Year. After retiring from the classroom, she worked for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and traveled in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania, providing professional development and sales presentations. “I have left the red pens behind and rather than correcting reams of student essays, I am now writing both poetry and fiction. It is a wonderful way to relax,” said Cathy. In 2002, they bought what became their retirement home in South Chatham, MA. They have a daughter, Melissa, who competed as a figure
skater growing up. She is married to William Maniscalco, rink manager at Northford Ice Pavilion and hockey coach at Avon Old Prep. “She works at Yale University and loves to travel as much as her father and I. She lives in a home designed by her dad,” wrote Cathy. “Dan and I have become complete Francophiles as we have spent extensive time in Provence and Paris since I retired. Our favorite village is the little hill town of Sablet right in the middle of the Cotes du Rhone wine country … Tuscany, Barcelona and Budapest have also added to our traveling adventures.” Cathy is in touch with freshman year roommate MJ Riley Dodge.
Elin Fischman Lawrence and her husband.
The Alumnae Office reported the 2015 death of classmate and nursing graduate Anita Konikow Glassman. Please send your news to: Susan Wolfe Herron, 408F S. Croskey Street, Unit F, Philadelphia, PA 19146; 215-735-1088; swherron@verizon.net
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Blue Angels of 1969, our 50th Reunion is two years away. Pencil in May 31-June 2, 2019. I hope all of you will return to Troy. No excuses … we are all wider, shorter, grayer, wiser, but I hope still have the spirit of our fabulous class! Muff Fowler Englebert always sends a beautiful holiday photo of her five grandchildren. Muff never seems to change; so full of spunk and energy. Judy Colucci Tough has six beautiful redheaded grandchildren. Judy attended an event in Austin, TX, where Jess Lawrence, my daughter, was the keynote speaker. The last time Judy saw Jess she was 3 or 4 years old. Jane Goldenberg Cohen is thrilled her children and their families are close, in the New York-New Jersey area. Henry retired and will continue consulting a few days a week. Jane enjoys mahjong and bridge. Maxine Clayman Ferencz’s holiday card featured her eight grandchildren and husband Jon’s 70th birthday celebration in Vermont. Her sister Shari, from the Class of 1970, attended the festivities. We missed Sherry Scott Strammiello and Michael when they were in Florida visiting their son and family. Hope to see them in Rhode Island this summer.
Elin Fischman Lawrence and her sister Doris Fischman Roth ’65. Rick and I love our retirement life in Florida and Rhode Island. In December I joined Doris Fischman Roth ’65 for our annual sister trip to Copper Canyon, Mexico. We cruised on the Sea of Cortez, stayed in Zorro’s home, rode the historic railroad into Copper Canyon and enjoyed a cable car ride and seeing the Tarahumara people and their amazing baskets. In January, Rick and I traveled to South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Cape Town is a gorgeous city. Beautiful turquoise waters, mountains, penguins, scenic coast highway, botanical gardens, Table Mountain, Robben Island and museums. We enjoyed Johannesburg and Pretoria and learned so much about Nelson Mandela and apartheid. We went on five game drives in Hluhluwe, Kruger and Chobe National Parks. We were fortunate to the see “the big five” on our first game drive. Rick’s photos could be in National Geographic! We traveled to Guatemala for the 13th year in a row in March to celebrate the completion of the 16th village with water, filters, latrines and safe stoves in the highlands. Thanks to Rotary clubs in New England, Florida, Montreal, Venezuela and a Rotary Global grant for contributing $118,500 for this year’s four villages. Please send your news to: Elin Fischman Lawrence, 315 Ram Island Road, CONNECTIONS summer 2017
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CLASS NOTES Charlestown, RI 02813, 401-364-7169 (MayOctober); 2100 South Ocean Lane, Point of Americas 1 #1008, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316, 754-223-7223(October-May); cell: 860-643-4560; elinlawrence@yahoo.com
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I received a heartfelt request from Linda Zanella Kristensen for help making her YouTube video go viral. Watch it at https:// youtu.be/ydsFGOzo2ck. Linda narrates the video of her daughter Maigunn’s life here in the US. Linda fears Maigunn may have to return to Norway. Donna Sawyer, Jennifer Johnson, Janet Tully-Kuzman and Candy Santos Rataul were just a few of the alumnae at the Centennial brunch hosted by the Russell Sage College Alumnae Association in October 2016. Jennifer recommends Women of Influence, a book about women who have received honorary degrees from RSC. The book is by Kathleen Donnelly, a retired Sage chemistry professor.
Donna Sawyer, RSCAA Board Member Jennifer Johnson, Janet Tully Kuzman and Candy Santos Rataul. Please send your news to: Beverly Miller Sigg, 5101 Hwy A1A Villa 6, Vero Beach, FL 32963; b2zig@yahoo.com
1971 Greetings! As most of you have learned, class news also appears at Sage.edu/classnotes. Our 45th Reunion was a hoot and I’ll share more news from the book that Maggie Bodkin compiled. Pat Tidd Ketcham wrote from her home in Rochester Hills, MI, that she has always worked as a nurse and for the past 20 years has been a member of the teaching faculty for the BSN program at Oakland University in Rochester, MI. She celebrated 24
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36 years married to Dan who has a JD from the University of Detroit and is a senior managing engineer for Exponent, Inc. Their three children, Peter, Suzanne and Laura, are college graduates with careers and families of their own.
Bruce, live in Durango, CO. She volunteers with Planned Parenthood. Sue is the mom of Carrie Brondyke, a graduate of the University of Illinois, and Kimberly, a graduate of North Park University. Sue is the grandmother of three girls.
Meg Van Allen Albert and her husband, David, live on Cape Cod and run a bedand-breakfast. Meg is the semi-retired marketing director at the Riverview School. Her children, Erin and Mark, have made her a proud grandma of four. Meg does some substitute teaching. Add international travel and she’s a busy lady!
Paulette Wong Wilbur keeps in touch at Christmas. She and her husband, John, have four sons, one daughter and five grandchildren. The entire clan was recently together at the wedding of her son Jason, which also included her brother and her mom. We all know how lucky she is to still have her mom! Paulette and John are retired but busy with volunteer work and a family on the move. They enjoyed a fraternity reunion in Austin, TX, as well as a trip to Florida to visit friends.
Virginia Lee (yes, we call her Virginia now) retired in 2011 from her career as an elementary school teacher. She is a docent at the Colgate Art Gallery and volunteers with hospice – she helps patients to audio record or videotape their stories. She is grandmother to Ben, Madelyn and Payne. She still owns her 1974 Argosy travel trailer which she tows with a 1975 Oldsmobile station wagon. She’s always looking for a destination! Donna Labatt married Joseph “Jose” Smith, Jr., a Lt. Colonel in the United States Air Force, in 1985. Donna is an account executive at Vernon Company in Newton, IA, and a licensed pilot. She has a home in Clovis, NM. For 20 years Donna had a career in the Air Force as an aircraft maintenance officer. She also was a longdistance motorcyclist for many years. After graduating from Sage, she worked at a holiday house in Scotland and as an au pair outside of Cologne, Germany. Louise Latty Thompson retired from the Winthrop Public Schools in 2010. Her husband, Woodrow “Woody” Thompson, is a semi-retired geologist for the state of New Hampshire. Their daughter Larissa and her husband are the parents of Ella. Lucienne McCormick Walker is retired from a 32-year career coordinating engineering training programs at GE in Schenectady. She and her husband, George, are the parents of Lauren, who is a graduate of Fordham University and the New School. George recently retired from his career as a CPA at Flynn, Walker, Diggin, PC and he and Lucienne have moved to Florida. Sue Dixon Rodman retired from a nursing career in 2011 and she and her husband,
Sue Haines Blase also keeps in touch at Christmas. She added another grandchild, Sadie Lynn, in August and was expecting grandchild number three in February. Sue works as a nurse. It’s always great to see and talk to Mary “Marzie” Altpeter who retired from her faculty position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2013. Marzie holds an MSW, an MPA and a doctorate. She has three stepchildren, six grandsons and three grandnephews. She became an alumna trustee in 2015. She’s always working for the betterment of Sage. In 2016, she became a member of the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance Team at UNC. Elizabeth “Beth” Collis retired as an obstetrics nurse in 2014 after a rewarding career. Her daughters, Katie and Claire, have given her six grandchildren. A son, Michael, died in 2001 at the age of 26. Beth lives in Dublin, OH. In 1982, Mary Ellen Moore cofounded Hospice of Wilkes County (North Carolina) and continued there for 13 years. She then went to HomeCare Management Corp., a private agency, first as nurse and later as director of nursing for six offices, until she retired in 2014 after 20 years. Her left hip was replaced in 2013 and her right hip in 2014. I wonder how that affects her passion for riding as she had a Buckskin Tennessee Walking Horse in her notes of 2011. She also mentioned then that her husband, Thomas Walsh, is deceased. Mary Ellen went on to write that she came out of retirement in 2015
CLASS NOTES to work with Happy Valley Medical Center and has a part-time job doing assessments for Alexander City and McDowell City Departments of Social Services. She is vice chairman for Caldwell City Council on Aging and is on many other committees and also does volunteer work. Her campus memory was a good one. She wrote, “I almost got kicked out for bringing two buckets of snow into a little boy’s room with leukemia to have a snowball fight and the boy laughed and had a ball but my instructor did not think it was appropriate. The boy died the next week and his mother could not thank me enough and went to my instructor to let her know how much it meant.”
Pat Seeley Adema, Tom and Dee Frasco Fellion, Bill Jovell, Alan Adema and Irene Szymanski Jovell. In January, Dee Frasco Fellion and her husband, Tom, Pat Seeley Adema and her husband, Alan, and Irene Szymanski Jovell and her husband, Bill, reunited at Columbia Restaurant in Sarasota, FL. Ellen Barclay Wilheim updated from her home in Valley Village, CA. In 1975 she received a master’s degree from Bridgewater State. She married Robert in 1982 and has two children, Reva and Emily. Martha “Marty” Berry Katter, who lives in Harvard, MA, and her husband, Bill, are the parents of Dana and Meredith. From Denton, TX, Barbara Booth Lawson wrote to Maggie to say that she and her husband, John, who is manager of Batch Production Operations at AIG Technologies in Fort Worth, are the parents of Reverend Rebecca Putnam, who holds a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. Barbara fondly remembers Rally Day. Don’t we all! Donna Rose Hall French and her husband, Charles, whom we all know as John, are retired. She was an elementary school teacher and he was a locomotive engineer for Amtrak. Rose, as we’ve been calling her since I was her roommate sophomore
year, is on the leadership team for our class. She’s a class agent, is on the Reunion committee and was busy with the Centennial celebration this past year. She and John, married 45 years and counting, have traveled all the lower 48 by SUV and traveled to Alaska in 2016. Hawaii is next! In 2015, Anki Wolf sold her house of 35 years in Newton, MA, and moved west … to the next town, Wellesley, MA! Her condo was renovated for six months and she finally moved in April 2016. “We use the house in New Hampshire four days a week, year round, and return to Wellesley for three days midweek.” Anki is engaged to a wonderful man and said, “We continue to enjoy our families, friends and our travel [including] trips to Ireland and Palm Springs, CA, for golf. We are looking forward to another golf vacation in Arizona this winter. My son, Matt, is 35 and building a real estate development company. Jake is 32 and has moved to the Chicago area and will be an assistant director of a camp for 1,000 youngsters ... The Boston Sage ’71 women get together periodically for dinners … Marty Berry Katter, Joanne Petito McCarron, Marilyn Lockwood Corrigan, and myself. All are retired and enjoying grandchildren. Please keep in touch via email: ankiwolf304@gmail.com.” So many of you wrote to update Maggie for our 45th that I would need the entire issue to include you all! If you haven’t seen your name in this issue or the last, please be assured that if you updated for the 45th, I will get to you. In the meantime, I am always interested in newer information so please send me an email and I’ll include you. Your leadership team is already planning for our 50th in 2021. It will be here sooner than we think! Let’s keep in touch. Red Devils Rock! Please send your news to: Mary Mulvihill Pecoraro, 5 Walsh Avenue, Stoneham, MA 02180; 781-662-8648; mmpec71@gmail.com
1972 Lauraine “Cookie” Cornell Marcus lives in Williamsville, NY, with her husband, Warren. She retired two years ago after more than 30 years as a clinical psychologist for New York state, serving people who have intellectual disabilities. She works for a local agency serving people who have
intellectual disabilities one day a week. She wrote, “Since retiring, I have become more active with my church, taking the lead in redesigning our website (a newly acquired skill) and promoting our activities via social media. I am also a grandmother to Jack and have the pleasure of babysitting him one day a week. Warren and I are beginning to spread our traveling wings. This fall we spent several days in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. We may tag a similar trip after this year’s Reunion.” Mary Ellen Budge Walsh, wrote, “How wonderful to reconnect with my friends and years at Russell Sage! We witnessed the Vietnam War, the Nixon years and the Civil Rights movement. We hated being called ‘nice girls.’ We went bra-less, wore jeans instead of skirts (we staged a sit-in for that privilege, remember?) and, freshman year, experienced the last-known panty raid. After that year, there was a sea change, and panty raids became part of ‘the old days.’ I’ve been blessed with three children: Jay, in real estate in Saratoga, recently married to the lovely Katie Dufort; Jeff, a regional manager for Atlas Copco, married to the wonderful Jess Schnell and father to Noah with a baby to come; and Jen, with Tom Marchesani, active together in everything from real estate rentals to Flea Market Flip. James (we married junior year at Sage) sadly died nearly seven years ago, after 39 years of marriage. I’m now engaged to Mitchell Miller, looking forward to life with him.” Please send your news to: Rosemary Crowley Buja, 19 Greenvalley Road, Medway, MA 02053-1933; 508-533-6120; rcbuja@gmail.com Patricia Maiorano Johnson, 2433 220th Place, NE, Sammamish, WA 98074; 425868-0139; pj2433@comcast.net Susan Ackerman Hillman, 29428 Arlington Way, Farmington Hills, MI 48331; 248-4898062; suehillman@aol.com
1973 Please send your news to: Deborah Tuma, 525 Riverleigh Avenue, Unit 72, Riverhead, NY 11901; 631-338-5421; dstumafish@ yahoo.com
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CLASS NOTES Clarissa Robaczynski Alimena, 47 Mulberry Lane, Shelton, CT 06484; calimena@yahoo.com
editor of CBT Automotive News, a magazine for auto dealers. Mary’s husband, Ralph McGill Jr., died in 2010. Their son, Grady, is a junior at Beacon College, studying hospitality.
1974 Chris Palmer is still barrel racing, still loving it, still winning a lot, too, thanks to some terrific horses she’s been blessed to run with. She wrote that it is nice to relax after the campaign season. She was the photographer for the Johnston County, Wake County and North Carolina Republican Party and Americans for Prosperity, going from one event to another a couple of days a week and wrote it is “nice to wonder what I’m going to do today instead of having to consult the calendar.” Chris is in touch with Diane Gladden Howard, who’s in Arlington, VA, umpiring baseball and playing softball.
Please send your news to: Marie Nangeroni, 2031 Nott Street, Niskayuna, NY 12309; 518669-9937; mnangeroni@hotmail.com
Patricia Henry Uhl with her husband. I, Melanie Puorto joined Pat Henry Uhl and Kathy Wiggins Reynolds at the “all alumnae” barbecue at Reunion 2016. Pat and I carried our 1975 banner in the Parade of Classes.
Please send your news to: Jo SchoenGood, 47 Dowitcher Court, Wayne, NJ 07470; Cbyh2@aol.com Denise Lipkvich, 5 Tanglewood Drive, Brandford, CT 06405; dlipkvich@yahoo.com
1975
Russell Sage College alumnae at the wedding of Angela Puorto ’07, SGS ’09, daughter of Melanie Puorto. Later in the summer, my oldest daughter, Angela Puorto ’07, SGS ’09 married Angel Cortina in Rehoboth Beach, DE. Guests included Linda Deis Gaylo, Sharon Wiberley Valiquette, Margaret Zerby Minneman, Donna Zygman ’77, Jennifer Harris ’09, Daniela Puorto ’09, SGS ’12, Jess Trong ’09, Giovanna Puorto SCA ’10, Jessica Hankle ’10, Veronica Nunes ’12, Kayla Bronson Hartman ’12 and Tess Carstensen ’13.
1976
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CONNECTIONS summer 2017
Wendy Symmes Mayer, 57 Linden Avenue, Swampscott, MA 01907; 781-581-6235; sage6235@aol.com
Jane Cox Lord graduated from Grand Canyon University in 2015 with a master’s in Nursing Education and has written for textbooks.
Please send your news to: Melanie Punte Puorto-Conte, 2000 Van Antwerp Road, Niskayuna, NY 12309; 518-842-0602; mpuortoconte@nycap.rr.com
Patricia Henry Uhl and Kathy Wiggins Reynolds.
Elizabeth Sciurba, 27 Ingersol Road, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866; 518-695-6405; esciurba@nycap.rr.com
1977
Jean Thompson Fedak retired from teaching Physical Education in 2013. She had been chairperson of her department for four years prior and coached varsity volleyball and swimming for 15 years. Jean and Mike, married 41 years, have two adult children involved in hotel management and investments. I, Jo SchoenGood retired after 36 years of teaching high school Physical Education and Health; coaching field hockey, swimming, volleyball and golf; and supervising student teachers at William Paterson University. Now the fun begins!
Vilma Zaracostas Russ, 41 Ridge Road, Cornwall, NY 12518; 845-534-2325; vilmaruss@yahoo.com
Mary Welch McGill is editor of Travelgirl magazine. Travelgirl can be found at newsstands, by subscription and at travelgirlinc.com. She is also managing
Louise Ward is a labor and delivery nurse at Yale-New Haven Hospital, where she has worked for 30 years. She owns Childbirth and Parenting Education of Greater New Haven, LLC, and recently had another Russell Sage alumna in her class. Visit childbirtheducationgnh.org. Louise and Kevin celebrated 31 years of marriage last year. She wrote, “He continues to amaze me with his perseverance to meet daily tasks and work in our town library. He sustained a traumatic brain injury serving with the Air Force in Dessert Storm and is remarkable. Our daughter, Virginia, completed her master’s in comparative education in London this past fall. She is our world traveler working in international education. Our Adrienne followed her mother and grandmother into nursing and works at Yale-New Haven Hospital ... Linda Holstein Stronge will be coming with me to Reunion. See you then.” Yes, it is hard to believe this is our 40th Reunion! Kathy Cowell has been planning this event for us. Ziggy and I, Lois Cloud Malenczak, are looking forward to it! Join us on Facebook at Russell Sage College ’77. Please send your news to: Lois Cloud Malenczak, 102 Edwards Avenue, Sayville,
CLASS NOTES NY 11782; 631-563-1966; lcloudpt@aol.com Patricia Troutwine Tammar; brewsterbound55@gmail.com Joanne Salvador, 301 South Ocean Blue #1, Pompano Beach, FL 33062; j.m.salvador@ att.net
1978 I, Laura Laffond, am sharing correspondence from classmates who I asked to share news about themselves in Connections.
Cora Scharf Trujillo wrote from Seattle, WA, that she celebrated her retirement and 60th birthday on November 19. It was a blast, with a 1960s dance party theme, costumes and prizes. She spent most of January in Costa Rica, volunteering on a coffee plantation. Since then she has been cross-country skiing, visited Palm Springs and took a three-week road trip with her husband, Frank, to hike in national and state parks in the southwest. She volunteers on an organic farm near Seattle and is looking forward to volunteering in areas that support women’s access to birth control, the environment and immigrants. Please send your news to: Laura Haid Laffond, 3580 Loftlands Drive, Earlysville, VA 22936-2452; 434-465-1350; llaffond@ comcast.net Mary Beth Ford Karam, 204 Greenwood Drive, Schenectady, NY 12303; 518-3559713; bkaram56@gmail.com
Petey Larkin Winters, second from right, and her family. Petey Larkin Winters wrote that she married her husband, Jim, a United States Air Force Academy graduate and a pilot, in 1987. “We are with Wycliffe Bible Translators and have lived most of our married life outside of the United States. We have five children, ages 16 to 25 (three are still at home. I homeschool the youngest two, one works locally, one is a college freshman in North Carolina and our son works in Tennessee.)” Petey wrote of graduate studies in linguistics in Texas, French study in Europe and training in Cameroon, then living in Senegal for 20 years. In addition to providing educational services, Petey provided physical therapy consultations with an orthopedist in the capital city and developmental evaluations in the village. “We bought our first house over Skype this past summer,” wrote Petey, now back in the US. “With so much traveling – Jim is now a translation consultant for West Africa – it is only this month that we will be together for more than three weeks. Thanks to Laura for always tracking me down. One year, I got a letter from her in the village just a few years after the postmark!”
Place, Johnson City, TN 37615; tsgeraci@ aol.com Maxine Goldsmith, 39 Harwich Lane, West Hartford, CT 06117; 860-836-9898; geemaxhome@gmail.com
1981 Deborah Sandstrom Jones and her husband, Mark, are grandparents! Grace Charlotte Trinder was born in Sarasota, FL, on February 15, to their oldest daughter, Caroline, and her husband, Glenn. Deborah wrote, “Being a third grade teacher worked to my benefit as I was able to be with the Trinder family for 10 days with my other daughters, Haley and Meryl, during our February break. Mark and I can’t wait to spend winters in Florida when I retire from teaching in five years!”
Sharon Barber Wall, 58 Bloomingdale Avenue, East Greenbush, NY 12061; 518479-4226; sbwall@nycap.rr.com
1979 Please send your news to: Linda Cowell-Jay, 3 Crossbow Road, Norfolk, MA 02056; 508520-8735; lcowellmd@aol.com
1980 I, Terry Geraci, was saddened to learn of the passing of Patti Turi in December. Patti was a gifted athlete and artist, enjoyed photography and loved the outdoors. She was active in sports throughout high school and designed her own major in athletic training at Sage. She obtained a master’s degree from Castleton University and taught Biology for many years before retiring. We extend our condolences to Patti’s family and friends. We realize many of you stay in touch via social media, but please keep us in mind as an avenue to share your accomplishments, adventures and updates with those who may not be part of the social networks but remain interested in keeping in touch with classmates. Please send your news to: Therese Sutherland Geraci, 2439 Crescent Lake
Members of the Class of 1981 in Florida. Laurie Lutz and nine members of the Blue Angel Class of 1981 had a reunion in Amelia Island, FL, in 2016. Susan Barthelmess May, Jeanne St. Germain Angelo, Terry Murphy Matuszyk, Kaethe Mickelson Flynn, Lori Tevlin DiPiazza, Lynne Davis Batty, Mary Ellen Nuhn Perich and Laurie May Lutz spent a long weekend at Hoyt House Bed & Breakfast. There was much touring, shopping, eating and drinking, but mostly laughing. Nancy Adams was a special education teacher for six years, before going to seminary. Since 1990, she’s been a fulltime pastor, serving churches in New York and Pennsylvania. In 2014, she was appointed superintendent of the Mountain View District of the Upper New York Conference of the United Methodist CONNECTIONS summer 2017
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CLASS NOTES Church. Her office is in Corning, NY, and she supervises United Methodist pastors in Chemung, Steuben and parts of Schuyler and Allegany Counties. Every summer, she directs a camp for adults with special needs. Please send your news to: Ann Marie Murray, ammpteach@aol.com Suzanne Candee Tartaglia, 21 Mount Nebo Road, Newtown, CT 06470; 203-270-6880; suzanne@candee.org
1982
1984
1987
Please send your news to: Amy Young, 29 Howes Street, Springfield, MA 01118; 413747-8965; aeyoung84@gmail.com
On a sad note, we have been notified that Barbara Mudge Kirk passed away. Our condolences to her family and friends.
1985
This June we celebrated our 30 year Sage Reunion! It is always wonderful catching up with everyone.
Please send your news to: Deborah Webster McMaster, 77 Hollis Street, Pepperell, MA 01463; 978-433-1947; dwmcmaster77@aol.com
1986
Sheri Scavone, executive director of the Western New York Women’s Foundation, was included among 100 business leaders on Bizwomen’s Women to Watch list in 2016. Please send your news to: Jeanne Fitzpatrick Bovenkerk; jbovenkerk@gmail.com Michele Iracondo McMurray; mmcmurray419@gmail.com
1988
Cheryl Steinglass Scheige and Jennifer DiLustro Cornetta. Therese Bentley, member of The Sage Colleges Board of Trustees, at a dedication ceremony for a floor in German House named the Bentley Floor, in recognition of her Centennial gift to Sage. Laurie Halloran has a rapidly growing life science consulting business headquartered in Boston, with offices in 15 states. She was selected as an Enterprising Woman of the Year for 2017 and received an award in April in Florida. She was nominated to participate on a precision medicine advisory board for Merck. She enjoys life in Boston with her husband, Gary, and three sons, ages 16, 18 and 25.
Barbara Turner Chambers received her master’s in Organizational Leadership from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut in December. Alison Doyle Thebado and Jennifer Flather met prior to the Women’s March on Washington. Alison has two daughters, one a model and the other a lawyer. Teri Young completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing three years ago.
Kathy Burns Meyerson; kam1119@aol.com
Christine “Topher” Vasilou reports superwoman efforts: “Awww, nothing really. Just juggling two full-time jobs, built a cement plant, and am now transforming a procurement organization at a Fortune 500 company.”
1983
Please send your news to: Jennifer Flather; Jennifer.flather@outlook.com
Please send your news to: Sharon Spicer, 10 Laurel Glen Drive, Shelton, CT 06484; 203-929-6706; smwspicer@gmail.com
Alison Wolf, 27 Birch Road, West Hartford, CT 06119; 860-714-7059; Alisonl.wolf@ gmail.com
Please send your news to: Lisa Abatemarco, 205 East Noble Street, Selma, NC 27576; lmra323@gmail.com
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Cheryl Steinglass Scheige had a great time catching up with her college roommate Jennifer DiLustro Cornetta at the Diplomat Beach Resort, but they missed Rebecca Thav Klasfeld!
CONNECTIONS summer 2017
Annie Paulhus Iwanicki ’86 and Karen Kinsman. Karen Kinsman had an amazing time at Sage’s Centennial Gala in October, where she saw Vice President for Student Life Trish Cellemme ’89 and Russell Sage College Dean Deb Lawrence. She wrote, “Joanne Augstein-Collins ’04 and Sandy ‘TC’ Augstein-Collins ’87 were two of my dates. TC was our housemate in 1988 and 1989. We’ve been close friends since 1985! I also spent time with my other besties from Sage: Tina Therrien O’Brien, Michele Bond Williams, Ellen Benoit Johnson and Christine Gragnano Holz over that weekend … I had not seen Annie Paulhus Iwanicki ’86 in decades. Annie was one in our Big Sister class who helped get me involved in student government, Rally Day and more … I caught up with Katie Marino too!” Karen wrote that she topped off the weekend with Sunday brunch with Sybillyn Jennings, Ph.D. “Syb was a huge influence in my life as a
CLASS NOTES professor in Founder’s Seminar and Psychology, my Psych advisor, and ultimately my friend. We had been in touch via Facebook for some time, but had not seen each other since maybe 1990! We spent a couple wonderful hours catching up.”
Please send your news to: Elizabeth Bartolomeo Edwards, 472 East K Street, Benicia, CA 94510; mlredwards@sbcglobal.net Valerie Priolo McKee, 3663 Hosiers Oaks Drive, Portsmouth, VA 23703-3470; 757-6383243; bryantvaleriemckee@hotmail.com
1992
Please send your news to: Lili Knighton; lili.knighton@gmail.com Jennifer Sennett Glenn, 16 Sargent Street, Queensbury, NY 12804; 518-793-8308; je.glenn@roadrunner.com
1998
Please send your news to: Debbie Bacon Sopchak; dsopchak@edrnet.com
1993 Please send your news to: Elizabeth Krizar, 933 Route 9, Hudson, NY 12534; 518-4419008; ekriz@hotmail.com Some Golden Horseshoes gathered in Troy last summer when Lori Johnson visited from Colorado. Pictured: Michelle Crowley, Sue Hamelin-Kaznay, Jane Taubner Barney, Lori O’Brien Johnson, Susie Baumann Anthony and Elaine Reffner Teeters. Please send your news to: Kristine Menihan Taylor, 140 West Hill Road, Painted Post, NY 14870; ktaylor@cppmail.com
1989 Please send your news to: Beth Gehring Gruber, 4437 SW 14th Avenue, Cape Coral, FL 33914; 973-632-3423; beth_gehring@ hotmail.com
1990 Please send your news to: Cathy Maxwell DeVoti, 199 Foley Road, Sheffield, MA 01257; threekidz3@yahoo.com Katie O’Conner Nikolski, 3 Hart Drive, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603; knikolski@yahoo. com
1991 Jennifer L. Ruston Morrissey lives in Easton, PA, and works at Muhlenberg College in Allentown. She wrote that she and her husband have two wonderful sons, “although we will be empty nesters soon.” She would love to connect with alumnae in Pennsylvania or the Albany area. Contact her at Jennifer.morrissey@rcn.com.
1994 Ayesha Ibrahim wrote to say hello! She lives and works in New Paltz, NY, and is in contact with her Little Sisters from 1995. Please send your news to: Lori McCarthy; lormccarthy@yahoo.com Michela Moore; michelamoore@comcast.net
1995 Please send your news to: Linda Stroka Riemer, 2325 Harrow Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15241; the_riemers@yahoo.com Kate Siegmann Robertson, 126 Bushendorf Road, Ravena, NY 12143-2212; 518-7562388; rarksr@gmail.com
1996 Please send your news to: Wendy Kares, 27 Kimball Street, Lebanon, NH 03766; winkares@gmail.com Michaelynn McClenahan, 806 Huntingdon Drive, Schenectady, NY 12309; 518-4692788; mikemcc213@aol.com
1997 Alexis Kuchins recently became the director of business development for a health economics outcome research firm in Boston, serving the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. She has twin girls who will turn 3 in July and will enter preschool in the fall.
Jennifer Besze-Gleason and Charlotte Smith-Zenzick were part of a snowshoe team at an event to raise awareness about breast cancer. Jennifer Besze-Gleason sent a big shoutout to Charlotte Smith-Zenzick for joining team Hot Flashers in Vermont for a 3K snowshoe event for breast cancer awareness. Jennifer wrote, “We hope to make it an annual event. Char, you are always the best! For any fellow Sage survivors who want support through treatment, please contact me at beszeje@ hotmail.com or 862-222-6268.” Andrea Evans received her doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2016 from Utica College. She has worked for St. Mary’s Healthcare Physical Rehabilitation Department for nearly five years and lives in Johnstown, NY. I, Catrina Truesdell, see Antoinette Nelson Eicholzer and her family on a regular basis. Please send your news to: Catrina McKissick Truesdell, 7 Webb Avenue, Sidney, NY 13838; 607-433-9801; catrinapt1@hotmail.com Angela Porter Gordon, 34 Arcadia Court, Albany, NY 12205; 518-729-5532; angela. gordon@gmail.com
1999 Please send your news to: Amy Carlotto Zuckett, 515 Hunters Path Road, Bridgeville, PA 15017; amy.carlotto2@gmail.com CONNECTIONS summer 2017
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CLASS NOTES Melissa Fields Roller, 700 West Road, Richmond, MA 01254; 413-698-8078; mjroller@earthlink.net
2000 Please send your news to: Cara Desautels Beyor, 2145 Plains Road, Milton, VT 054684378; 802-527-1360; desauc16@aol.com
40 list of people shaping the future of the Capital District. She is manager of Community Relations and Corporate Events at Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan, Inc., in Albany and the mother of Eleanor, 8, and Charlotte, 5. Victoria received a master’s degree in Organizational Management from Sage in 2010.
Brittany Lemoine Cappiello, brittany@ williamstownpt.com
Roni Schneider’s son, Jackson, and Sarah Ciuryla Pratt’s daughter, Sloane. Roni Schneider and her fiancé, Steven, welcomed their first child in December 2016. Jackson Hunter showed up two weeks early and blessed mommy with a fast and easy labor and delivery. Sarah Ciuryla Pratt delivered a healthy baby girl, Sloane, in December. Sloane joins sisters Skyler, 2, and Sage, 5, in a happy family in southern Arizona. Dad Marcus has his hands full now! Please send your news to: Kendra Wray Pulsifer-Griep, 5 Marion Road, North Billerica, MA 01862; 303-524-5709; kwp31@yahoo.com
Sarah Gaedeke and her family. Please send your news to: Melissa Callaghan Rice; coachcallaghan@yahoo.com Jaqueline Parente; jparente327@gmail.com
2003
Victoria Carosella Baecker was named to the Albany Business Review’s 40 Under 30
CONNECTIONS summer 2017
2006 Please send your news to: Jessica Rafter; jrafter101984@gmail.com
2007
Please send your news to: Jennifer Harris, 12 Francis Drive, Wynantskill, NY 12198; 518275-2263; jenniferdabeyharris@gmail.com Angela Puorto-Cortina, 105A Hicock Street, Winooski, VT 05404; apuorto@gmail.com
2008
SarahBeth Douglas Votra, PO Box 222, Tully, NY 13159; 315-882-7617; sarahbethvotra@ gmail.com
2004
Jessica Trong and her fiancé. Jessica Trong got engaged in 2016, surrounded by family and friends, including several alumnae, at her 30th birthday party. They are planning a September 2017 wedding.
Julia Stevens Bogardus’ son, James. Victoria Carosella Baecker
2005 Steffanie Winne, 457 State Road 146, Building 5-Apt 212, Guilderland Center, NY 12085; decievingapple@gmail.com
Please send your news to: Michelle Fage, PO Box 37, St. John, VI 00831; 310-9683789; michelle.m.fage@gmail.com
Sarah Gaedeke, her husband, Alex, and son Myles welcomed Norah Roland Clarke in April 2016. They live in Collinsville, CT. Sarah teaches sixth grade in New Hartford.
Julia Stevens Bogardus, 45 State Street, Oxford, NY 13830; 518-257-2407; julia. bogardus@gmail.com
Please send your news to: Jessica Gertler, 1422 Jenkins Street, Merrick, NY 11566; jessicagertler@gmail.com
2001 2002
Please send your news to: Julia Hillje Dardia, 87 Poplar Road, Wayne, NJ 07470; 518-527-3314; juliahilljedardia@gmail.com
I, Julia Stevens Bogardus, my husband, Jonathan, and my son Henry welcomed James Haven in February. Henry loves being a big brother!
Kate E. Tibbs celebrated her one-year anniversary at BROC-Community Action in Southwestern Vermont. She wrote, “I work in their weatherization department, as the program specialist for the Southwestern Vermont Hoarding Task Force. I still reside in the beautiful mountains of Vermont with my husband and dog.”
CLASS NOTES Ashley Subolefsky Feldman and her husband, Dave, welcomed son Jackson John in March 2017.
Hannah Wade Geyik and her husband, Sahin, are thrilled to announce the birth of their son Hasan in December 2016.
Jona Favreau and her husband. Jona Favreau has great news! In 2016, Jona and her partner sold Troy Cloth & Paper in downtown Troy. She now works in operations for Hudson River Foods in Castleton, NY, a startup company which owns 11 national brands and will soon manufacture allergenfree food. She’s still investing in our beloved Troy and purchased a house in the East Side neighborhood. This is her first time living outside of downtown since moving on campus in 2004. On February 25, 2017, her business partner became her husband when they threw a surprise wedding for family members at Peck’s Arcade! They ended the night at The Ruck, enjoying craft beer and eating hot fries. Please send your news to: Amy Witterschein, 234 Hillside Avenue, Springfield, NJ 07081; 845-649-2491; amywitterschein@gmail.com Briana Dolan Tracy, 267 Eastchester Road; New Rochelle, NY 10801; 518-421-5913; brianadolan1@gmail.com Jessica Trong, 10 Farm Street, Troy, NY 12180; 518-928-2303; jtmarie0922@gmail.com
2009 Julia Kiley Horaj was named Middle School Teacher of the Year by the Nashua (New Hampshire) Education Foundation. She is a nominee for New Hampshire Teacher of the Year. Congratulations, Julia! She is in her fifth year teaching at Pennichuck Middle School and is in the midst of graduate studies at Boston University. She and her husband, Mike, just moved into their first house at 6 Hereford Drive, Nashua, NH 03062.
Kelly Manning Powers’ daughter, Reese.
Hannah Wade Geyik’s son, Hasan.
Kelly Manning Powers had a baby girl, Reese, in 2016.
Please send your news to: Kyle Byrer; byrer.kyle@gmail.com
Please send your news to: Danielle Drahos Basore, 59 Brunswick Avenue, 2nd Floor, Troy, NY 12180; 610-334-6976; danielleabasore@gmail.com
2013
Daniela Puorto, 15 Parkside Place, Revere, MA 02151; daniela.puorto@gmail.com
2010 Please send your news to: Veronica Nunes, 21 Lochview Drive, Windsor, CT 06095; 860977-3397; veronicajnunes@gmail.com Brittany Wood, 306 Sunset Avenue, Rensselaer, NY 12144; 518-322-6634; brittanywood06@gmail.com
2011 Please send your news to: Ivanna Ramos Figueroa; ivannar@gmail.com Amanda Spring, 729 E 750 N Ogden, UT 84404; 518-756-8255; amanda.spring22@ gmail.com
Please send your news to: Meghan Whipple, 25 Wakefield Street, Lewiston, ME 04240; bass_slayer91@hotmail.com Courtney Reed, PO Box 262, Mechanicville, NY 12118; creed1391@yahoo.com Ginamarie Garabedian, 39 Forest Street, East Hartford, CT 06118; ginamarie_ helene@hotmail.com
2014 Please send your news to: connections@sage.edu
2015 Please send your news to: connections@sage.edu
2016
2012 Mara Serven married her college sweetheart Michael Davey (RPI, 2011) in September 2016 in Amherst, MA.
Polly Clements’ mother Nancee Nixdorf, Beverly Perkins Turner ’48 and Polly. Polly Clements visited Beverly Perkins Turner ’48 in Yarmouth Port, MA. Beverly donated her nursing pin to Polly for her graduation from nursing school in 2016.
Ashley Subolefsky Feldman and family.
Kate Saulsbery ’11 (second from left) sent this photo with Brittany Wood ’10, Sarah Rusch ’11 and Mara Serven Davey ’12 at Mara’s wedding.
Please send your news to: Tanesha Beebe; tanesha.beebe@gmail.com CONNECTIONS summer 2017
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DIN MEMORIAM
1927
1947
1956
1968
Evelyn Dougherty Sharp 3/2/1969
Barbara Frisbie Baker 4/22/2011
Natalie Feitelson Dorf 12/1/2016
Frances Montgomery Duval 7/23/2012
Evelyn Lang Goodwin 4/28/2015
Barbara Chaloner Knakal 2/28/2016
Anita Konikow Glassman 12/15/2016
Janet McCreary Litke 2/12/2014
Frances Jordan Lewis 12/14/2016
Lynda Dewey Stryker 11/23/2016
Sheila Sutland Pakula 11/29/2016
Ingrid Hubbinette Frink 11/15/2015
1948
1958
Pauline Soper Minehan 2/4/2017
Martha Laffin Perry 10/25/2016
Nancy McBride Berman 1/26/2016
Isabelle Brown O’Neal 12/4/2015
1949
1961
Loretta Meduski Kreiger 7/26/2013
Judith Mulvany Hegarty 2/21/2017
1950
1962
Helen Miklas 11/24/2016
Patricia Minehan Cataudella 11/25/2016
1951
1964
Isabelle Bennett 6/27/2016
Ruth Rebman Anderson 10/15/2014
1936 Ada Noonan Engelmann 6/18/2012
1939
1940 Eleanor Brownsey Biklen 2/5/2017
1941 Thelma Stark Gewirtzman 5/24/2015
1943 Marcia Wood Bacon 2/4/2013
1952
Esther Romweber Davidson 8/5/2015
Elaine Hansen Cleary 12/27/2016
Joanne Rockoff Gorfinkle 6/24/2016
1945
1953
1965
Katharine Brooks Arsem 12/21/2016
Erye Hayner Sneck 11/14/2016
Marilyn Wilbur Haskell 10/20/2016 Marion Gerhardt Vedder 12/16/2016
1946 Winifred Grinnell Canby 8/2/2006
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Patricia French 3/8/2016
1954 Carol Vogler Dorer 7/14/2015
1955 Mary Kellett Floyd 7/24/2016
Loretta Martin Fair 12/15/2016 Grace Hilt-Mack 11/25/2016
1966 Nancy Wolff Donahue 11/28/2008 Mary Levett 9/9/2011
Anne Mooers Doherty 12/10/2016
Barbara Lisle Picken 5/4/2016
1967
Ruth Callaghan Sheehy 12/11/2016
Barbara Thomas Stierlen 7/17/2016
Gretchen Lally 10/19/2012
CONNECTIONS summer 2017
1969 Jean Armstrong 12/11/2010 Paulette Goly 11/1/2016
1971 Judith Fellows-Swenson 11/25/2016
1979 Karla Flegel 2/13/2017
1982 Betsy Fein Fusek 1/2/2017
1983 Meredith Sklar 12/8/2015
1985 Cheryl Gleason Holley 11/6/2016
CORPORATE CONNECTIONS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM | THE SAGE COLLEGES THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Corporate Connections scholarship sponsors provided 115 scholarships to Capital Region students in their final year of study at Sage. To learn how your company can get involved, visit sage.edu/giving/ corporateconnections.
For more than 100 years, Russell Sage College students have
Office of Institutional Advancement
benefited from the generosity of alumnae. It’s a tradition upon
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which all other traditions at Russell Sage depend. Gifts from grateful
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alumnae allow Russell Sage College students to Be. Know. Do. MORE sage.edu/giving
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GOING GREEN:
Connections Moving Online Only
This is the last print issue of Connections magazine.
R
ussell Sage College is taking a new approach to delivering college news. Going forward, the alumnae, faculty and student profiles, Alumnae Association updates, class notes and campus highlights you have found in Connections magazine will be
available at connections.sage. edu. It’s an important way that Russell Sage College can respond to alumnae requests for more frequent and timely news, while conserving environmental and college resources. If you currently receive email from Russell Sage College, you will periodically receive emails alerting
you to new content. If you haven’t been receiving emails from Russell Sage, please visit alumni.sage.edu to update your contact information. Thank you for your loyalty! Please continue to share your story ideas and feedback at connections@sage.edu. Connections loves hearing from you!