Allegheny College’s Gallery of Flags represents the diverse student population of the College and hangs overhead in the Henderson Campus Center. The flags represent nearly 50 nations, and were installed to welcome our students, faculty, staff, and community members from all walks of life to the campus, as well as acknowledge the large international presence at Allegheny College.
The Gallery of Flags seeks to support the College’s diversity initiatives, while serving as a reminder to students about the value of study abroad opportunities. As students prepare to embark in today’s global community, the Gallery serves as a daily reminder of the breadth of international advancement available to our students.
photo Jenny Goldsmith
This is not your mother's career services. Nor your older sibling’s. Allegheny’s Center for Career & Professional Development is a thriving hub for career resources.
10 Alpha Chi Rho Establishes Internship Endowment Fund
Alpha Chi Rho fraternity was an active part of academic and social life at Allegheny for over 90 years. Recently, a committee of alumni brought to life the Alpha Chi Rho Internship Endowment Fund.
14 Athletics
Throughout the rich tradition of Allegheny College football, there have been a handful of father-son combinations to play for the Blue and Gold. The O’Briens are the latest.
18 On the Campus
Celebrations, news and updates from Allegheny.
24 Class Notes
News and events from alumni.
40 Preparing Students for the Jobs of Today and Tomorrow
Brian Collingwood, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Center for Career & Professional Development, shares new developments in this crucial element of the Allegheny experience.
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CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Steven D. Levinsky ’78
PRESIDENT
Ronald B. Cole ’87, Ph.D.
VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
Matthew P. Stinson
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR/ LEAD MAGAZINE DESIGNER
Brian Martone
CONTRIBUTORS
Penny Drexel
Phil Foxman ’90
Katheryn Frazier
Jenny Goldsmith
Heather Grubbs
Travis Larner
Sara Pineo
Jennifer Rignani
Bernadette Wilson
PHOTOGRAPHY
Jenny Goldsmith
Derek Li
Ed Mailliard
Richard Sayer
Nate Smallwood
ON THE COVER International student Daria Kutova ’25 discusses her future with Autumn Parker ’16, Associate Director of Alumni & Employer Engagement at the Center for Career & Professional Development.
Photo: Nate Smallwood
Dear Alumni and Friends,
As this magazine arrives, we will be welcoming spring, a beautiful time of growth and promise on campus. With growth in mind, I am so pleased to share this issue. In addition to the wonderful updates about our alumni and latest achievements, we have much to share about progress on the Allegheny Strategic Pathway.
The fall 2023 issue of the magazine featured an overview of our exciting Pathway, and each subsequent magazine, starting with this current issue, will highlight progress and outcomes on each of the goals. In this issue, we’re highlighting Goal 1 of the Allegheny Strategic Pathway - Academic Excellence and Strong Outcomes. We know that academic excellence is at the center of strong outcomes for students. A future issue will specifically feature academic initiatives, and this issue has a strong focus on career and professional development.
As a person who loves his work, I understand the notion of turning passion into purpose. It’s my hope that our students and alumni do, too. We are committed to playing a role in making that happen through the hard work and dedication of staff, faculty, and alumni who operate and support our Center for Career & Professional Development.
A rewarding career or meaningful vocation is one of life’s most important journeys. Many of us meet our closest friends at work. Some change the lives of others through their careers, like our faculty and staff. Still others simply find out who they are through many different
chapters of a career. Like we say here, “Why be just one thing?”
One of our jobs at Allegheny College is to ensure our students have the time and resources to explore what they want to be when their undergraduate days are over, whether that path is initially to seek a job or compensated service or to attend graduate or professional school. Beyond that first outcome, we prepare our graduates as lifelong learners equipped with important skills in critical thinking, writing, and speaking.
One of the many incredible assets of Allegheny College to prepare students for strong outcomes is our newly upgraded Center for Career & Professional Development. The welcoming space at Pelletier is entirely geared toward equipping students with everything they need to research, find, and launch the careers an Allegheny education prepares them for. Placement in the best graduate programs or in the right first job is a top priority of the entire Allegheny community, and the Center is the hub of that goal.
The career resources we offer to students and alumni are designed with the diverse marketplace in mind. And, we encourage and welcome students to engage in the Center from their first day as Gators, until they retire as alumni.
Finally, I am so proud of the connection between our alumni and the Center for Career & Professional Development. They are the fuel for the Center, offering advice, counsel, internships, employment, and a range of other services. And as always, the connection between Gators spans generations. They help each other up
and take real pleasure in mentoring and providing support - both financial and practical. The role that our alumni play in the future roles our graduates will fill in the world cannot be overstated.
You may have heard here or there that a liberal arts education is not practical. I argue that it’s the most practical thing in the world. Employers value intellectually well-rounded people, as business and industry evolve at rapid speed. Liberal arts, particularly an Allegheny education, inspires critical thinking and problem solving across multiple disciplines and perspectives. At Allegheny, we integrate this rigor with the practicality of career and professional development from the first day of freshman year.
The structure of our major and minor combinations affirms this, too. I cannot think of a better way to teach young people how to work hard and become successful, than to have them feel part of a continuum of success as exemplified by our alumni. Generations of alumni have shared with me that Allegheny prepared them not only for the jobs or professional school upon graduation, but for jobs and careers that they didn’t know they’d have or that didn’t even exist when they graduated. An Allegheny education is a powerful driver of strong outcomes for a lifetime.
Please enjoy this issue of Allegheny magazine. I look forward to seeing you soon, when the flowers are in bloom and another class of talented graduates walks from the commencement stage into the next chapters of their lives.
Go Gators!
Allegheny College delivers bountiful outcomes for alumni. The latest offerings of career support come by way of the revamped Center for Career & Professional Development (CCPD). The value of the Center is broad and tangible, but often not understood by students. That’s where a refreshed look, new employer relationships, passionate alumni connections, and ongoing storytelling about student and alumni success are critical.
This is not your mother's career services. Nor your older sibling’s. Allegheny’s Center for Career & Professional Development is a hub for career activity and career resources that is so
much more than a one-and-done meeting about writing a résumé. As a matter of fact, students who engage with the enthusiastic staff, alumni, and employer partners will discover a résumé is a small part of the journey to their first career.
Brian Collingwood, Ph.D., CCPD’s executive director, says, “Our Center is not just offering a traditional advisor going through transactional work. We have exploratory advisors. It's definitely a place to connect. We encourage students to get involved from their first day on campus through their last day before Commencement.”
At Allegheny, students are encouraged to explore all of their interests and are offered an entire ecosystem of support. Sometimes that leads to students having so many options that inertia sets in, and the thought of going to a career center is stifling. To circumvent that overwhelming sense, the Center team focuses on the importance of exploration. For example, if a student knows for sure that they want to go to medical school, they’ll be prompted to dig deeper. What part of medicine is exciting? What type of classes, internships, or study away experiences would help to make an informed decision as to the right school and program?
This exploratory approach is a big piece of Allegheny’s emerging first-year experience. It’s part of how the College is reshaping the curriculum, and this initiative helps students in their first and second year discover their fit at the College and regarding what they might pursue professionally. And alumni play a critical role in this.
Alumni connections and interactions are plentiful and available for just about any interest a student may have. They are always excited about helping a student. Alumni also love to share their own pathways to success.
We encourage students to get involved from their first day on campus through their last day before Commencement.
Brian Collingwood, Ph.D. Executive Director, Center for Career & Professional Development
Trustee Tom Sadvary ’75 plays an active role with the CCPD. He says, “As an employer for 40 years, I believe in the notion of someone with a really strong liberal arts background, who has either a graduate degree in a more technical area like medicine or law or business or computer science, but has that ability to communicate, analyze, and think critically, is a phenomenal package. Those soft skills — they are as equal as learning how to be a CPA, how to become a computer scientist, or how to do surgery.”
Collingwood is excited when alumni like Sadvary invest their time and passion into career services. “It's really starting to launch into the alumni community in a productive way, where students are connecting with people who can help them, and then they’re learning how to connect and help students once they graduate,” he says.
Another part of the CCPD ecosystem that is focused on the value of
alumni connection is that of career communities. Through the Allegheny platform Gator2Gator, there is an encyclopedia of alumni who are eager to connect with students and each other to offer career guidance, professional networking, and advice on anything from relocation to how to get into a particular industry. The Center is in the process of expanding the platform to include groups of people and opportunities that focus on a specific industry or affinity.
Sadvary encourages alumni to jump in. “I think alums can help to be a sounding board, either with a phone call or Zoom session or with having interns. Obviously a lot of our students need internships that can really help them get exposed to a profession and a career that may or may not interest them — at least they can explore.”
The CCPD also encourages alumni engagement through networking events. In October 2023, the Center recruited alumni to meet with students during a reception in Pittsburgh, where alumni shared their journeys from Allegheny to the successful careers they enjoy today. (See link below.)
Key times to get students engaged in career planning are during their sophomore and junior years, when students are more comfortable on
campus but aren't yet embroiled in their Senior Comp. A big part of this is encouraging students to consider experiential learning. If a student can meaningfully convey the value that they received through any of their Allegheny experiences, their viability as a job candidate increases.
One experiential learning experience includes study away, which Jim Fitch, associate director of the CCPD, considers pivotal to the students’ desirability to employers. “We assist students who take advantage of studying away by helping them prepare to share that experience in terms that will appeal to prospective employers,” says Fitch. He notes that being able to equate what they did to real-world issues is important. For example, students would be able to explain, “I studied in Australia for a semester where I was able to work in a rainforest ecosystem. This is something that I never would have been able to do here in the United States. I now have experience working in multiple ecosystems, and I better understand this industry / business / job that I am pursuing.”
We assist students who take advantage of studying away by helping them prepare to share that experience in terms that will appeal to prospective employers.
Jim Fitch Associate Director, Center for Career & Professional Development
The CCPD truly is an ecosystem. Whether students have no idea what they want to do after graduation or they know exactly what they want to do, the CCPD is ready to support them in their journey.
The CCPD encourages students to consider what stage they are currently in and find resources and events that help them meet the goals aligned with where they are today.
• BLUE AND GOLD WEEKEND
Annually, alumni return to campus to speak to students from a wide range of academic departments about their career pathways post-graduation. Through opportunities including speed networking, mock interviews, panel discussions, and classroom visits, students glean insights and make meaningful connections.
• GATOR2GATOR
Recognizing the vast experience and expertise of our alumni, this platform connects alumni with fellow Allegheny graduates and current students for professional networking and career advice. Friendly, positive, helpful advice and guidance from a fellow Alleghenian can make all the difference.
• ON-CAMPUS RECRUITMENT
Alumni and employer partners regularly come to campus for direct-hire interviews, networking, internship offers, and job information sharing.
• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS
Professional development sessions are offered across various departments that make up the College's career support ecosystem, including the Maytum Center for Student Success and the Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business and Economics.
Workshop topics include:
• Adulting 101 and 102
• Personal Financial Management, including sessions on managing expenses and investing
• Career Readiness, including sessions on common questions such as: “Demystifying Approaches to Interviews” and “Compensation Conversations: Know Your Worth and How to Negotiate”
• INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS THROUGH THE ALLEGHENY LAB FOR INNOVATION & CREATIVITY (ALIC)
Employers, alumni, and faculty work together to provide opportunities for technical skill development through co-op courses, allowing students to have hands-on experience that will complement their coursework and better prepare them for future career opportunities.
• STUDENT ADVOCATES
The CCPD believes in students helping students through career office programs. Two examples are the Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business and Economics (CBE) Fellows, a select group of motivated students who function as a leadership team to support CBE programming and serve as student ambassadors, and the Center for Political Participation Fellows, who are workstudy students hired each semester to do meaningful research and help run the Center for Political Participation.
• CIC RIIPEN PILOT
The Council of Independent Colleges announced in August 2023 the selection of 25 member institutions, including Allegheny, to participate in the inaugural cohort of the Work-Based Learning (WBL) Consortium. The WBL Consortium will provide a national community of practice to support institutions in easing student barriers to internship access and job market preparation, particularly for students from under-represented groups. This experiential learning platform, managed by Riipen, will integrate real-world, employer-designed projects into existing courses to equip students with skills, real-world experiences, and professional connections to support their future careers.
To learn more about the Center for Career & Professional Development
I think alums can help to be a sounding board, either with a phone call or Zoom session or with having interns.
Tom Sadvary ’75 Allegheny College Trustee
The range of services and benefits of the CCPD are vast and include the newly launched Alpha Chi Rho Internship Endowment Fund (see pg. 10), created by a committee of Alpha Chi Rho brothers who graduated in the ’60s. This is one step toward the effort to bolster Allegheny’s internship funding program. About 40 students per year benefit from internship scholarship awards averaging $2,000. The funds help supplement their internship experiences by providing housing, transportation, and meals.
Lastly, and most excitingly perhaps, are the range of employers who come directly to campus to showcase their companies, looking for talent. Recruiters frequently come away from these events with Allegheny students top of mind. They also post available internships and jobs through Allegheny’s Handshake Recruiting Portal.
According to Collingwood, the average person used to spend 90,000 hours
at work over their lifetime. New ways of working and the varied careers embraced by Allegheny grads might temper that number a bit, from fieldwork to graduate school and remote vocations. “We want students to love what they do throughout their career journey, and the best place to start is with the free resources offered right on campus in the CCPD,” he says.
A recent survey by The Harvard Business Review of hiring executives across a range of industries found that 80% of employers agree that all students need a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences. The accompanying article noted, “Indeed, in the global knowledge economy, employer demand for graduates with a liberal education is growing.”
Graduates of Allegheny understand the value of a strong liberal arts education. Our alumni are among the most successful professionals in their fields. The entirety of the Allegheny College experience is to prepare students for the winding path that often makes up the career journey, which is the heart of the first goal of Allegheny’s Strategic Pathway: that every student will gain high-quality knowledge, skills, and abilities, rooted in the liberal arts, that prepare them for meaningful lives and purposeful careers in an interconnected world.
Just a glimpse into the unique combinations of majors and minors of our graduates illustrates that mixing disciplines makes for alumni who are prepared for anything, and highly desirable to employers, graduate schools, and entrepreneurial pursuits. Allegheny students are required to combine things that may not “go together.” Math and art? Of course! Creative thinking solves problems, and problems are at the root of math. Biology and business? Naturally –from how diseases affect the global economy to ways of addressing climate through commerce. The list goes on and on. Employers recognize that they need well-rounded people to lead their teams. People with the ability to adapt and change with an evolving market in a world that moves at an unprecedented velocity are prized.
CCPD staff and alumni volunteers work to ensure students get direct, seamless access to anything they need to prepare for life after college. From major Hollywood producers to Wall Street leaders, rural teachers to world-class surgeons, students can access alumni they desire and receive guidance, a connection, a recommendation, an internship, and perhaps a job.
There was a strong desire to leave a legacy.
Dale
Though the Phi Iota Chapter of Alpha Chi Rho fraternity has not been active on campus for several decades, the bonds between its brothers and with Allegheny remain deep. Together, a determined committee composed of alumni from the ’60s imagined and brought to life the Alpha Chi Rho Internship Endowment Fund. The income from this fund provides financial support for internships for eligible students who desire real-world experience and who might not otherwise be able to participate.
“There was a strong desire to leave a legacy,” said Dale Meadowcroft ’68. “Alpha Chi Rho was a vibrant fraternity at Allegheny College, known for its academic excellence and numerous leadership roles on campus. As our 50th reunions came and went, canceled by COVID, there was still a strong bond and desire to reunite. Soon there were close to 40 brothers at Zoom meetings, expressing what Allegheny meant to us.”
Bob Allen ’67 (Chair)
Tom Boland ’68
AJ Katz ’67
John Kelso ’66
Dale Meadowcroft ’68
Mick Mohr ’69
Art Nagel ’67
Mike Ritchie ’69
Bill Stahl ’69
Bob Terrill ’67
Dave Wuertzer ’66
Meadowcroft ’68 At left: Alpha Chi Rho brothers from the '60s gathered on campus in June 2023 as part of Reunion Weekend.The brothers began fundraising in 2021, and as of January 2024, the committee met their goal of $100,000 in commitments with a “New Year’s gift” from Peter Durst ’66 and his wife, Ellen. Donations were made by 50 individuals, with lead gifts from Bob ’67 and Marybeth Stout Allen ’69, and Arthur Nagel ’67.
Bob Allen spearheaded the nearly twoyear fundraising effort after learning of the experience his grandson had at another college, where there was simply no option to pursue an internship. Tom Boland ’68 agreed with the value of supporting internships. “I had the opportunity to witness the benefits of intern programs for Air Force cadets and professional development of U.S. Air Force (now Space Force) officers, and I recognized that the Alpha Chi Rho initiative would benefit Allegheny in much the same way,” he said. John Kelso ’66 added that such support “helps students negotiate the many obstacles they face when selecting a future career.”
Mike Ritchie ’69 described this fundraising initiative as a “personally rewarding experience, reconnecting with fraternity brothers from many (too many to count) years ago.” And Bill Stahl ’69 shared that “the funding of internships is meant to be a ‘give back’ to the school; it is a form of ‘thank you’ for all that Allegheny has given to us.”
Awards are managed through a collaboration between Allegheny’s Center for Career & Professional Development (CCPD) and the Office of Financial Aid.
Brian Collingwood, Ph.D., executive director of the CCPD, says, "The growth of this fund will undoubtedly support a larger number of Allegheny internships at a pivotal time for the College, when we are increasing our focus on internships and preparation for career outcomes for all students across their four years."
The first recipient of the Alpha Chi Rho Internship Endowment Fund was Emme Cunningham ’23. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, she had never had a chance to explore what possibilities other states had to offer. In summer 2023, Cunningham, an environmental science and sustainability and English double major, received funding to conduct fieldwork as an environment intern with American Transmission Company in
The funding of internships is meant to be a ‘give back’ to the school; it is a form of ‘thank you’ for all that Allegheny has given to us.
Bill Stahl ’69
Madison, Wisconsin. She expressed her gratitude to the donors with enthusiasm, saying, “I cannot express how much your funding has helped to make this summer a dream come true for me and made such an impact on my worldview … I never thought I would fall in love with Madison and an internship as much as I have.” Since her graduation in May 2023, Cunningham has begun her career as an environmental health and safety leadership development associate at Parker Hannifin.
The second recipient was RJ Swanson ’24, an economics major and communications and political science double minor. In a thank you note to the donors, he said, “I interned with PNC Bank in Pittsburgh as a member of their finance and accounting program. I was responsible for managing the software cubes that house the bank’s financial data, and I collaborated with a group of other interns to research and present a project to senior management
in the finance department including recommendations for the bank on how to navigate an evolving area of the business. I am humbled to share that at the end of the internship, I received an offer to return to the bank to work full time after graduation. Your kindness has made a significant difference in my life, and I will always be grateful for your contributions. I hope to one day be successful enough to pay it forward and help students just as you all have helped me.”
Alpha Chi Rho fraternity was an active part of academic and social life at Allegheny for over 90 years. Throughout those years, it cultivated a brotherhood where men challenged and inspired each other, through character, honor, and integrity, to improve themselves, their fraternity, Allegheny College, and society. During a period of racial and religious transition, Alpha Chi Rho was proud to be a campus leader, having AfricanAmerican and Jewish brothers in its membership and chapter leadership.
New members were invited to join the fraternity based on what they would contribute to the integrity of the fraternity, and academics and leadership were valued above all else. It was not uncommon to see members in leadership positions, from student government to Allegheny Singers (Choir) management. Many waited tables or managed dining programs. Others served as resident hall advisors or captained athletic teams.
Alpha Chi Rho Internship Endowment Committee members were enrolled at Allegheny during the height of the war in Vietnam. Many brothers enrolled in the advanced AFROTC Program, graduating with a commission and a multi-year commitment to serve. Several served overseas, and some made a successful career in the Air Force.
The bond of the fraternity brothers is emblematic of a line in one of Alpha Chi Rho’s fraternity songs, “Our strong band shall ne’er be broken.” After graduation, many stayed in touch through class reunions, weddings, births of children, and grandchildren, and contacted each other in the event of classmate deaths. Then, as the group approached the year of their 50th class reunion, it became evident that their connection could be fostered to make a lasting impact at Allegheny through the Internship Endowment Fund.
“I think for now our goal is to keep the fund alive as a viable way to give back to the College,” says Bob Allen. “We have exceeded expectations getting this far. I think for now our goal is to keep the Internship Fund alive as a viable place to give back to the College.”
Interested in following the Phi Iota Chapter’s lead and learning about ways to support the next generation of leaders?
Contact Andrew Youtz, senior director of advancement for leadership giving, at ayoutz@allegheny.edu.
Alpha Chi Rho brothers and spouses/partners who gathered together in June 2023 included: front row: Linda Orellana, Lydia Kelso, Barb Pelander Hanniford '69, Betty Miller, Judy Mohr; second row: Jeff Bullard '65, Ginny Judd Wuertzer '66, Bill Orellana ’67; third row: John Kelso '66, Dave Wuertzer '66, Jack Gornall ’67; fourth row: George Jones '66, Wendell Mohr ’69, Ken Miller ’67; back row: Howard Sterling ’66, Peggy Peters Bullard '65, Glenn Hanniford '68, Bob Allen '67, Marybeth Stout Allen '69, Dale Meadowcroft '68, Ellie Tucker Meadowcroft '70.
My heart bursts with pride watching all my boys, but it’s a different connection knowing Declan is part of something that I was part of.
Jerry O’Brien ’91
They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Perhaps the old cliché is true for alligators as well.
Throughout the rich tradition of Allegheny College football, there have been a handful of father-son combinations to play for the Blue and Gold. The most recent –and perhaps the most accomplished – are the O’Briens.
Jerry O’Brien ’91 was a two-time All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) running back. During his senior year in the fall of 1990, Jerry played a crucial role on an Allegheny team that went undefeated and captured the NCAA Division III national championship with a 21-14 overtime win over Lycoming College. Norm Sundstrom, then the College’s director of athletics, called the national championship “the greatest athletics achievement” in Allegheny history in the winter 1991 edition of Allegheny magazine.
Long retired from his playing days, Jerry now spends his Saturdays watching his three sons play college football. The oldest, Cameron, graduated from Washington & Jefferson College in 2021. The youngest, Liam, is a first-year student-athlete at Case Western Reserve University.
Jerry’s middle son, Declan O’Brien ’24, has built quite a reputation of his own on the gridiron at Allegheny.
“As an alum who played in the most successful era of the College’s football program, I was very glad that he – I don’t want to say followed my footsteps, because he’s surpassed anything that I’ve ever been able to do there individually –put his trust in Allegheny and excelled on and off the field,” Jerry said.
“My heart bursts with pride watching all my boys, but it’s a different connection knowing Declan is part of something that I was part of.”
Declan led the team in receiving in 2021 and 2022, but what he accomplished last fall will be remembered for ages. The most electric receiver in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC), he utilized his extraordinary route-running ability and breakaway speed and flourished in a new offensive scheme under first-year head coach Braden Layer. As a result, Declan rewrote school records for the most receptions (91) and receiving yards (1,228) in a season. Of his career-high 10 touchdowns, Declan tied a school record for the longest touchdown reception with a 95-yard catch-and-run in the season finale against his younger brother, Liam, and the Case Western Reserve Spartans. The native of Irwin, Pennsylvania, earned numerous awards for his prolific performance and was included on the AllPAC First Team.
“I feel like that’s everyone’s goal coming in, to leave sort of a legacy or to leave their name in the record books one way or another,” Declan said. “I wouldn’t say I ever expected it to happen, but I am definitely thankful.”
Jerry acknowledged that his experience at Allegheny may have impacted his son’s decision but emphasized how important it was for Declan to select the college he felt was right for him.
A big part of it was the education. I knew it was a pretty prestigious school academically. I realized there are a lot of opportunities that are unique to Allegheny for getting jobs after graduation.
a level of familiarity with it,” said Declan about the recruiting process coming out of Norwin High School.
“A big part of it was the education. I knew it was a pretty prestigious school academically. I realized there are a lot of opportunities that are unique to Allegheny for getting jobs after graduation. The coaches that did recruit me, I liked everything they had to say. I think (Allegheny) was the school that went the hardest in recruiting me. It felt like the right place to go.”
Cheering on Declan and his Gator teammates from the stands at the Robertson Athletic Complex is a full-circle moment for the O’Briens. Jerry likened it to his father, the late Gerald O’Brien Sr., who was in the same position in the same stadium more than 30 years ago. However, the bonds forged on the football field run much deeper than immediate family.
Declan O’Brien ’24
“I felt comfortable with his decision; it really was his,” explained Jerry. “I knew the combination of how Declan approaches challenges and the kind of challenges Allegheny presents to student-athletes would be a great fit for him.”
“Allegheny was one of the few schools that recruited me that I had actually been to before, and I had been to some games outside of being recruited, so there was
“So many of my teammates from the national championship team have been following along with what Declan is doing,” Jerry said. “I’d be getting text messages asking how things are going, and after the game, I’d get all these messages saying congratulations.
“It’s neat that Declan is part of that same fraternity of Gator football players. Everyone who played before me, they’re national champions. They own a part of that. And everyone who has played after us is part of that as well.”
Members of the O'Brien family traveled to Allegheny for Senior Day. Pictured left to right are Declan's brother Cameron; his mother, Lauren; Declan; his father, Jerry; and his sister, Norah.
The 2023 season will be one to remember for the Allegheny College volleyball program. The Gators finished with a 24-9 overall record, the most wins in a season since 2000, and advanced to postseason play for the third consecutive year. Furthermore, Allegheny captured championship hardware at the 2023 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Championship, the first postseason title of any kind for the Allegheny volleyball team since 1991.
Led by the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, junior middle hitter Dagney Javes ’25, the Gators swept their semifinal match against Penn State Behrend and the title match against William Paterson University on November 18. Javes recorded a combined 25 kills with a team-leading .440 attack percentage in the wins over the Lions and the Pioneers, who hosted the one-day event at the William Paterson Sports and Recreation Center in Wayne, New Jersey.
The Pioneers presented a formidable opponent who won 26 matches and reached the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) semifinals this fall. However, after Allegheny won a challenging first set, 25-23, the Gators cruised to victory by taking the second set, 25-16, and the third, 25-14. In the third set alone, Allegheny’s offense had 17 kills with only one error for a match-best .444 attack percentage.
Joining Javes on the ECAC All-Tournament Team were libero Jacy Diaz ’26 and setter Izzy Gray ’26. Diaz, the 2023 Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Defensive Player of the Year, excelled in the championship match with 29 digs and six service aces. Gray finished with a double-double in the semifinals with 16 assists and 13 digs, and added 25 assists in the finals against WPU.
Allegheny’s volleyball team was all smiles after capturing the 2023 ECAC Division III Championship, the first postseason title of any kind for the Allegheny volleyball team since 1991.
Dagney Javes ’25 received the tournament MVP trophy.
Photos courtesy of William Paterson University
On Friday, September 22, a large group from the Allegheny College athletics community and their friends and family filled Schultz Banquet Hall to celebrate the Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
The Class of 2023 was the 41st to be enshrined and included one team and four student-athletes, spanning five decades of athletic excellence. Earning their permanent place in Allegheny history were the 1978 men’s soccer team, Robert Bedrosian ’77 (baseball), Elizabeth Blyth ’13 (women’s golf), Lauren Butler Ganz ’12 (women’s track & field), and Nancy Nelson Mates ’88 (softball).
Not pictured in the group photo below are Bedrosian and Mates, who were unable to attend the banquet. Bedrosian’s formal induction will be celebrated with the Class of 2024 this fall. Mates’ award was accepted by her husband, Mike Mates ’88, a former football student-athlete who was previously inducted with the Hall of Fame Class of 2005. Former head softball coach Kay Gould (HOF ’91) also spoke on her behalf.
Allegheny President Dr. Ron Cole (center) shares a laugh with former student-athletes from the undefeated 1978 men’s soccer team during the pre-dinner cocktail hour outside Schultz Banquet Hall.
Pictured above is the Allegheny College Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2023, including the 1978 men’s soccer team, Elizabeth Blyth ’13 (women’s golf), Lauren Butler Ganz ’12 (women’s track & field), Nancy Nelson Mates ’88 (softball, represented by spouse Mike Mates ’88), and Robert Bedrosian ’77 (baseball, not pictured).
In attendance at the Hall of Fame ceremony were two of the most influential athletics administrators from the past five decades: Norm Sundstrom (HOF ’92, left), accompanied by his wife, Betty (center), and Maureen Hunter Hager (HOF ’09, right).
Allegheny has announced the expansion of its investment in the Commitment to Access Program (CAP), building upon the College’s founding mission of providing access to a transformative education.
The program now covers 100% of tuition for Ohio and Pennsylvania students from families earning an annual income of $50,000 or less. In its inaugural year, 64 students were provided an affordable path to an Allegheny education through CAP.
“As a first-generation student from a lowincome family, I never thought I would be able to attend Allegheny College,” shared Alizabeth Atkison ’27. “I was nearing the end of my first year at another college and worrying if I could afford my semester when my mother told me Allegheny was offering a program to help low-income families. I sobbed tears of joy when I was accepted to Allegheny — this is where I was meant to be. The CAP program truly changed my life.”
Common App also announced Allegheny joined their direct admission program, which provides proactive admission offers to first-generation and low- and middle-income students who meet the College’s admission profile. Through direct admission, students who may have excluded Allegheny from their college search based on cost or other barriers will be welcomed as part of the Allegheny community.
In addition, The New York Times recognized Allegheny as the top college in Pennsylvania and 32nd in the country for having the greatest economic diversity. And, the College ranked in the top 20% nationally in economic mobility rankings released in July by the nonprofit organization Third Way. These recognitions demonstrate that the College not only enrolls students across the socioeconomic spectrum but ensures they graduate and lead successful and meaningful lives.
Allegheny has announced the expansion of the Allegheny Lab for Innovation and Creativity (ALIC) to bring workforce development and education resources into the community.
In partnership with the regional advanced manufacturing industry, Allegheny will play a central role in the economic resurgence of Crawford County in response to the over 20% growth in the aerospace, research, and information technology industries in recent years combined with a decline in skilled workers for these positions. ALIC will equip our regional workforce to adapt
equipment in the facility includes fiveaxis CNC machines, electrical discharge machining, additive manufacturing, automation technologies, mechatronics, research laboratories, quality assurance technologies, and computer labs, which were all selected based on input from 25 organizations across Western Pennsylvania. The first industry workshops focused on Solidworks, an industry standard 3D modeling software taught by Tom Swanberg, an engineer from local manufacturer Acutec.
Building upon Allegheny’s historic strengths as a leading undergraduate
• Co-op opportunities for students to learn from industry leaders in coursework focused on technological innovation and skills.
• Micro-credentials embedded in the Allegheny curriculum for students to demonstrate skills acquired through coursework and internships.
• The Manufacturing Advanced Placement Program in association with Acutec that provides Allegheny graduates with employment and full funding toward a Master of Manufacturing Management.
to emerging technological development and advances in business operations and help businesses future-proof by providing research and development opportunities.
The newly opened ALIC @ Bessemer will bring the educational mission of Allegheny directly to the community and industry partners. Led by Assistant Provost of Academic Innovation Byron Rich, the three-story space is designed to mimic a real-world environment providing off-site training and onboarding opportunities so industry partners can avoid production line shutdowns for this purpose. The advanced manufacturing
research institution, ALIC integrates the liberal arts foundation with emerging technologies toward transformative student outcomes. Established in 2019, ALIC is an ecosystem of resources that provides students, and now community partners, with hands-on experience with emerging and established digital fabrication and design technology to design and build prototypes of products, artistic projects, video games, smart devices, and anything else they can imagine. In addition to partnerships for regional workforce development, ALIC empowers Allegheny students through:
• The NWPA Innovation Beehive Network node focused on sustainability that provides startups with insights into developing sustainable supply chains, development of energy solutions, and other sustainable practices
Future plans for ALIC @ Bessemer include a Research and Development Hub where regional companies, alumni-owned businesses, students, and professors will work together to generate solutions to industry problems. The R&D Hub will also serve as an incubator for student-led startups.
Allegheny is celebrating 50 years of environmental science education. The first major was “Aquatic Environments” in the 1972-73 academic year. Fifty years later, Environmental Science and Sustainability (ESS) is one of the largest majors at the College. From religious studies to business and data science to global health, students across nearly every program find intersections with ESS.
Professor Eric Pallant, who has taught in the department since 1987, reflects on the decades since he began at Allegheny, including how intersectionality has helped advance the study of the environment:
“We really needed the humanists. If we didn’t change how we thought about the world, it didn’t matter what the data we scientists could produce said. If we didn’t feel any different, people would not hear our message. We needed people who
were artists and photographers and video makers and writers to get us to reimagine our relationship to the environment.”
One of the hallmarks of Allegheny’s ESS program is hands-on experience. Students learn by doing, whether it’s researching organisms in French Creek, collecting soil in Bousson Environmental Research Reserve, GIS mapping of climate vulnerability, or conducting energy audits for local community organizations. Every student is involved in actionable, physical immersion in the world of environmental science and sustainability. In the words of Professor Pallant, “We probably have more waders and boots than books.”
The practical benefits of an environmental science education at Allegheny are farreaching. When the Erie Wildlife Refuge was in jeopardy of being defunded, ESS Department Chair and Professor Terry Bensel devoted an entire semester to
studying the economic benefit of the Refuge.
The College also engages the entire campus and makes institutional decisions with a focus on sustainability. The Board of Trustees adopted Environmental Guiding Principles in 2002, cementing Allegheny as a leader in environmental science education and integrating environmental concerns as a priority in decision making.
In 2007, the College committed to be one of the inaugural schools to sign on to the Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitments, and in 2020, the College became the first school in Pennsylvania, and eighth in the country, to become carbon neutral. Kelly Mack Boulton ’07, the College’s director of sustainability, was invited to the White House in recognition of the institution attaining carbon neutrality.
Allegheny received a three-part leadership gift totaling $16 million from Allegheny College Trustee Emerita Patricia Bush Tippie ’56, and an additional $5 million from the estate of Phil St. Moritz ’61.
Tippie’s gift includes a $10 million commitment to renovate Brooks Hall. The gift will be leveraged to raise an additional $10 million to modernize and upgrade the historic residence hall into a vibrant living and learning space, while utilizing sustainability practices that support the College’s carbon net neutrality.
The gift also includes a five-year, $5 million commitment to create fund-matching opportunities during the College’s annual fundraiser, Gator Give Day, which involves alumni, students, and friends of the College. Also, a $1 million endowed Student Investment Fund is being created in the Bruce R. Thompson
Center for Business and Economics. The Student Investment Fund, initiated by business and economics students, will give students real-world experience investing in the stock market and will be 100% run by students under the guidance of faculty and an advisory board.
St. Moritz's estate has given $5 million to revitalize the historic Reis Hall, which will become the St. Moritz Center for Innovation at Reis Hall. This center will be the home of the Allegheny Lab for Innovation and Creativity (ALIC) and Allegheny's Center for Interdisciplinary Studies. Established in 2019, ALIC is an ecosystem of resources that provides students and community partners with hands-on experience with emerging and established digital fabrication and design technology to design and build prototypes of products, artistic projects, media, smart devices, robotics, and anything else they can imagine.
In March, Allegheny announced the addition of a new major, a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management, offered to new and existing students beginning in the fall 2024 semester. The program addresses growing needs in the delivery of preventive health and healthcare services, preparing students with interdisciplinary expertise across the College, including coursework in biology, business, economics, global health studies, philosophy, and psychology.
Healthcare Management involves the study of the entire ecosystem of the healthcare industry, which includes service providers, insurers,
manufacturers, nonprofit institutions, and government actors. Students in this major will experience analysis of the structure of healthcare provision, public health debates, ethical issues in healthcare, and the medical and mental health terminology common in healthcare settings.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of U.S. workers employed as medical and health services managers in 2029 will likely be 32% higher than it was in 2019.
“That means there are numerous full-time employment positions for individuals
with an undergraduate degree in Healthcare Management,” explains Angela Haddad, Ph.D., Allegheny’s provost and dean of the faculty. “Using Allegheny College’s unique approach to liberal arts that focuses on major-minor combinations, students will understand theories, tools, and research methods needed to address the complex and evolving challenges within the healthcare sector.”
The new major unveils in tandem with the College’s Global Health major celebrating 10 years of graduating Allegheny students.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education has designated Allegheny as a PA Hunger-Free Campus. To achieve the PA Hunger-Free Campus designation, institutions must certify and be able to demonstrate that they meet the following criteria:
1. The institution has a method to directly connect students to food options through one or more of the following: an on-campus food pantry, a local community-based food pantry, or a food delivery program.
2. The institution has strategies in place to increase awareness of the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility rules for students, focuses SNAP outreach on potentially eligible students, and helps students apply for SNAP and other benefits.
3. The institution has a task force that meets on a regular basis to address basic needs initiatives, including hunger, and raises awareness among students using an equity, inclusion, and belonging lens. The task force includes students, faculty, financial aid staff, student support staff, and at least one member of institutional leadership (Cabinet, Vice President, etc.).
4. The institution collects and reports data to the college/university community and/or state on student food insecurity, such as participation in the Hope Center’s #RealCollege Survey.
Ian Binnington, Ph.D., said of the achievement, “The designation isn’t just about meal plans. It’s about structurally thinking about what are the needs of students, how we assess those needs, and how we meet those needs. We’ve done a lot of work with student organizations including the Food Recovery Network and Allegheny Student Government.”
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20–SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2024
Special recognition goes to the late Marjorie J. Kerr Ward ’46, whose bequest made her a member of the William Bentley Legacy Society, a recognition for those who have provided for Allegheny through wills, charitable gift annuities, and/or charitable remainder trusts, or have designated the College as a beneficiary of their life insurance or retirement assets.
Special recognition goes to Laurana Schultz Fish ’47 and Henry Fish, who posthumously established the The Schultz-Fish Family Scholarship Fund to provide need-based scholarship support with preference given to students from Crawford County, Pennsylvania, and Erie County, Pennsylvania.
Special recognition goes to the late Jerry L. Matthews ’53, whose bequest made him a member of the William Bentley Legacy Society, a recognition for those who have provided for Allegheny through wills, charitable gift annuities, and/or charitable remainder trusts, or have designated the College as a beneficiary of their life insurance or retirement assets.
Special recognition goes to Ferd Sauereisen ’57, who has been welcomed posthumously into the 1815 Society. The 1815 Society is the top tier of the President’s Society and recognizes those with $1 million or more in lifetime cash giving.
Congratulations to Dr. John L. Orchard ’66, who established the John L. ’66 and Mindy Orchard Fund for Undergraduate Research to provide support for student-faculty collaborative research opportunities, as well as Allegheny-approved, off-campus research. With the establishment of this fund, Orchard
is welcomed into the William Bentley Legacy Society, a recognition for those who have provided for Allegheny through wills, charitable gift annuities, and/or charitable remainder trusts, or have designated the College as a beneficiary of their life insurance or retirement assets.
Ron McKnight says, “After retiring from Hammermill/International Paper, we moved to the mountains of NC for 17 years. In 2016 we gave up the NC mountains for the hills of Central PA, and moved to the Masonic Village in Elizabethtown, PA. Enjoying retirement and our 13 grandchildren and 12 greatgrandchildren.”
Jim Brumage says he’d love to hear from friends he attended Allegheny with in the late 1950s-early 1960s.
Jeffrey W. Elias, Ph.D., will publish, in 2024, “Get Funded: A Practical Guide to Understanding the Grant Application Process and Writing Winning Proposals in the Behavioral and Biomedical Fields.” The text is published by American Psychological Association Books and will appear online first and then in hardback.
Shelley Borger Koltnow says in retirement, she is a member of the online faculty of the SC Global Division of Southwestern College, Winfield, Kansas. “I serve as the program chair for both health care administration and general studies and contribute to course development including graduate and undergraduate capstone, business, and health administration courses. My partner John Coyne and I stay active and busy with softball (John), yoga and Pilates (me), travel, and our respective grandkids. (We have six apiece.)”
Congratulations to Robin Menge Hoffman ’75, who established the Robin Menge Hoffman ’75 Scholarship, which will provide scholarship support for eligible students.
Congratulations to Ralph Hopkins ’78, who established the Ralph Lee Hopkins Field Research Fund, which will provide support for student opportunities in field research.
Dane T. Velie received his Master of Science in Information Systems (MSIS) degree from Kennesaw State University in Georgia in August 2023. This was accompanied by his Master of Science in Business Economics (MSBE) degree from Georgia State University in January 2020. “Still, even to this day, nothing compares with the pride and thrill of graduating from Allegheny College in June 1970, “ he says. “Some events in history and life just always seem to stand the test of time.” He retired from IBM with 17 years of service on December 31, 2013.
Diane Sutter, National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation’s Broadcast Leadership Training program founder and dean, was the 2023 National Radio Award recipient. In her work with the Broadcast Leadership Training program, Sutter has been instrumental in empowering aspiring broadcast owners and senior-level executives, with a special focus on women and people of color. The program, now in its 24th year, provides an M.B.A-style curriculum to teach the essentials of owning and managing successful radio and television stations. Sutter is also president and CEO of ShootingStar Broadcasting.
Larry Levine says that despite the fact that he is well past what used to be the mandatory retirement age, he continues his Kingsfield impersonation teaching law at the University of the Pacific’s MCGeorge School of Law. He teaches torts, sexual orientation/gender identity law, and bioethics. He also serves as the associate dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and, yes, “Dean Levine” has a certain ring to it.
The law firm of Knox McLaughlin Gornall & Sennett, P.C. held an event at the Erie Club in Erie, Pennsylvania, to honor former U.S. District Court Judge Sean McLaughlin. Allegheny was well represented. Pictured from left to right are Antonio Frisina ’19, Edwin McKean ’61, Jacob Fleming ’22, and Mark Wassell ’79. McKean is retired from the Knox Law Firm and Wassell serves as chairman of its Labor and Employment Practice Group. Both Frisina and Fleming attend the University of Pittsburgh Law School and were spending the summer at the firm as summer associates. Another alum, Guy Fustine ’79, is chairman of the firm’s Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Practice Group.
In Zionsville, Indiana, Jan Van Gorder ’62 and Dr. Kim Diefenderfer ’80 connected via their shared interest in classic cars. Said Diefenderfer, “We first met at the Zionsville show (in 2022) and chatted about our cars, not knowing we had another connection. When we met again (in 2023), I noticed Jan was wearing an Allegheny sweatshirt. So, this time we talked not just about cars, but about Allegheny and western PA.” Growing up in Pittsburgh, Van Gorder says he spent summers at his family’s property on Canadohta Lake (Crawford County), which was a major factor in his choosing to attend Allegheny. The property remains in Van Gorder’s family, and he and his wife, Patricia Van Atta Van Gorder ’62, still visit annually. Originally from Mercer County, Diefenderfer and his wife, Dianne, continue to visit their parents in Greenville several times per year. Work opportunities brought both families to the greater Indianapolis area.
Besides their Zionsville addresses and Allegheny connection, the new friends have something else in common. Both earned “Top 40” awards (out of 150 cars) at the 2023 Zionsville American Dream Car Show – Van Gorder for his numbers-matching ’72 Chevrolet Chevelle convertible and Diefenderfer for his ’71 Pontiac LeMans resto-mod. They welcome communication from other Allegheny classic car buffs in the Indianapolis area.
Richard Cowell surprised Reunion Weekend 2023 attendees by driving the Corvette that he had as a student to the event. The car still features his Allegheny parking stickers!
Dr. John Hutcherson completed the 102 mile Ride to End Polio in Tucson, Arizona, on November 18. This premier cycling event is part of El Tour de Tucson with over 7,000 cyclists participating.
Longtime Allegheny close friends (left to right) Giff Lawrence '66, Bill Cowles '66, Bruce Beagley '68, Cort Liddell '66, and Dale Persons '68 gathered in Bemus Point, New York, at the home of Giff and Jane Lawrence. This close friendship of more than 50 years is celebrated during a mini-reunion each year to reminisce about their fond memories of Allegheny.
During the week of June 18-24, a group went on a barge cruise with French Country Waterways in the Champagne district of France. Of the 11 passengers, seven were Allegheny graduates. During their last stop in France, they found this alligator-themed graffiti in Courcy, France. Pictured left to right are: Dr. Deborah Watson ’72, John Frick ’72, Cindy Natali Potter ’79, Dr. Rob Potter ’78, Barbara Marvin Mize ’71, Dr. Chris Chengelis ’72, and Mike Mize ’71.
Rob Clemens reported in July that the “50th Reunion of the Class of 1973 continues in Sitka, Alaska.” Pictured left to right are Scot Smith, Clemens, Jack Myles, Dr. Rick Rumbaugh, Keith Steiner, and Greg Peoples
In October 2023, four Phi Delts from the Class of 1979 spent a week biking 360 miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Washington, D.C., along the Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Canal. Pictured left to right are Dr. Ray Meeks, Jonathan Spencer, Dr. Tom Wormer, and Dr. Steve Bice
In June 2023, SAE fraternity brothers/ Allegheny alumni Ken Knapp ’82, Fred Rodkey ’81, and Stu Burrows ’82, as well as friend Anthony Morris, did the GAP and C&O Canal bike trails that connect Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. “Not bad for a few old Sigs. Phi Alpha,” he says. Pictured left to right are Burrows, Knapp, Rodkey, and Morris.
Tom Held ’83 and his wife, Linda; Kevin McKenna ’83 and his wife, Molly; and Mimi Dunne Rog ’85 and Joe Rog ’85 celebrated over 40 years of friendship with a safari to South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. Mimi celebrated her 60th birthday on the trip. This picture, complete with Allegheny banner, was taken at sunset at Chobe National Park in Botswana.
Stewart Hastings accepted the position of law director for the City of Sandusky, Ohio. He previously was the law director for Beachwood, Ohio.
Jeffrey Dunn has published “Radio Free Olympia,” a novel where Washington’s wild Olympic Peninsula is embodied through a captivating circle of visionaries and characters. “Embark on a riveting journey into this untamed region where folklore legends and historical icons come to life in a complex ecological tapestry,” he writes. His novel has been nominated for a Washington State Book Award and has been deemed an Editor's Choice by Publishers Weekly. He invites you to visit his website at jeffreydunnspokane.com.
hopes to continue to travel as much as possible with her husband, Mike Bolton, and daughters Amanda and Jane. Coincidentally, Judge Cox is succeeded in her position by Keri Holleb Hotaling ’95, another Allegheny graduate.
MJ Meenen launched a nonprofit consulting practice, mjm envision, in May 2023 and is working with staff and boards of charities, helping them to enhance their impact in the community.
"Mim" Falconi Laudonia says hi to Gators everywhere from Vermilion, Ohio, where she's finally retired (mostly). Special greetings go out to her fellow choir members, especially Kappa Alpha Sigma (Kwire Alto Sisterhood) members. Keep singing!
Susan Cox retired from her position as a federal magistrate judge in Chicago. She served for 16 years after a career in private practice and as a federal prosecutor. Cox also is a judge of the Federal Re-entry Court, which serves formerly incarcerated people when they emerge from prison, and is the presiding judge of the Veterans Treatment Court. Post-retirement, Judge Cox will continue to work with formerly incarcerated individuals as the chair of a foundation set up by the court to supplement government funding for these programs and as a member of the Board of St. Leonard’s Ministries, which also serves this population. She
Karen Skarupski has been promoted to senior vice president, Human Resources, at Erie Insurance (ERIE). During her 32 years with ERIE, Skarupski has held several leadership roles in law, human resources, compliance, and privacy, and has served as VP, corporate privacy officer, since 2018. Skarupski has a bachelor's degree in history from Allegheny and a Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University. She is also a Certified Information Privacy Manager and a Certified Information Privacy Professional.
Kevin Baird has been appointed chief executive officer of International Automotive Components Group (IAC), a global manufacturer of automotive products for OEM customers. Baird joins IAC after most recently serving as chief operating officer of automotive supplier Tenneco, Inc.
Dr. Steven Halm has been named founding dean of Xavier University’s proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine. Halm joins Xavier after four years as dean of the Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has a bachelor's in biology from Allegheny and a doctorate in osteopathic medicine from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Scott R. Jennette is among 10 attorneys constituting the Rochester, New York,
office of Ward Greenberg to join Hodgson Russ LLP in January 2024.
John Kaites has been named dean of the Colangelo College of Business. He is also co-founder of Global Security and Innovation Strategies (a security consulting and business advisory company), owns or is part owner of several companies and is an attorney who has represented professional sports teams. He received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Allegheny and a law degree from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.
David G. Bergh, Ed.D., has been appointed interim president of Vermont State University. Bergh brings over 25 years of higher education experience to this role, including nearly 20 years of experience from within the Vermont State Colleges System. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Allegheny, an M.P.A. from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy from the University at Albany, State University of New York, and an Ed.D. in educational leadership and policy studies from the University of Vermont.
Dr. Crista Coles Arangala has been named the inaugural director of the Data Nexus initiative at Elon University. The initiative is designed to teach data competency through campus centers and academic programs that support student learning and faculty development. Arangala has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Allegheny, a master’s and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Cincinnati, and a Master of Higher Education Administration Certificate from Stony Brook University.
Jennifer Fortune launched One Fortune Media Consultants LLC, which provides media planning/ buying services and marketing consultation to businesses that want to advertise their product or service. onefortunemedia.com
Frank Jarecki wrote “The Wealth Cap” in 2023. He says, “I wrote this book because I am concerned about the rising crime and disparity in this city, and also our country. I also wrote this book because I don't see as many opportunities for our kids as I did when I was growing up. If you are seeing the same trends and are concerned, I ask you to read my book.” The book can be found on Amazon.
Noralen Curl was featured in several national news outlets, including cnbc. com and Business Insider, for her role as an antiques expert on advice website JustAnswer.com. She has worked on the site since 2012 and is an accredited member of the International Society of Appraisers with USPAP qualifications. In addition to her work on JustAnswer.com, Curl works full time as a personal property appraiser and is president of her own company, Curlatorial Corp.
By Jennifer Rignani
Lamont King Jr., Western States volunteer, ultra runner, and accomplished public pension fund lawyer, has been named to the Board of Directors for the Western States Endurance Run. King serves as deputy general counsel for CalSTRS, the California State Teachers’ Retirement System. He started running “ultras” in 2014, and he has finished more than 50. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
Carol Glatz ’88 grew up traveling often, and her mother was a language teacher. The double major in political science and philosophy says, “I was already bitten by the travel bug, and I loved languages and other cultures starting at a very young age. Allegheny’s political science department took majors on a bus trip to D.C. to meet alumni and attend a big jobs fair that also showcased opportunities for doing volunteer projects abroad. I established a lot of friends, connections, and insight that would all help me eventually move to Europe and find employment.”
Glatz has been a senior correspondent at the Rome bureau of Catholic News Service since 2004. The bureau is part of the communications department of the D.C.-based U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Glatz covers everything about the Vatican, the pope, and other events or features connected with the Catholic Church and its initiatives or members (religious sisters, charity, exhibition). Prior to her current role, she operated the Vatican Radio’s English-language section of the news desk.
Glatz says, “Since the Vatican is its own ‘country,’ it provides for a huge variety of stories that involve: art, music, archeology, finance banking, legal-jurisdictional issues, theology, social justice, ecology, politics, history, science, astronomy … literally everything. What I love most is I’m always discovering and learning something new, and it allows for travel and on-the-ground reporting. There is a small ‘world’ of reporters and journalists in Rome who come from all over the world to cover the Vatican.”
Glatz notes her time at Vatican Radio was equally as exciting, since that service provided coverage in 40 different languages. With colleagues from dozens of countries, she says, “It was like a mini-UN.”
Her first job after graduating from Allegheny was in environmental legislation for New York State. She took an environmental science class her senior year and fell in love with the subject, as it combined policy and science. She pursued that career for a number of years before she made the switch to journalism.
Glatz says, “Allegheny really prepares you for graduate school — the emphasis on writing, research, accurate citation, and analytical thinking was instrumental! Now I have an M.S. in media management from The New School. So much of what I do is what I had to do in a number of courses: read a document or book and explain clearly and concisely what it means, what’s the context, what is it responding to, and its impact.”
During her Allegheny years, Glatz worked in newscasting, as a DJ for WARC radio, and spent a year as a sports editor and writer at The Campus. She attributes those experiences to providing much of the skills she uses today.
From yet another perspective, Glatz credits her Allegheny art history course with giving her enough insight and literacy to be able to work at the Vatican. She says, “I can look at Michelangelo or Raphael and write about masterpieces in the Vatican Museums!
“Allegheny fostered a lifestyle of being involved with as many different subjects and activities as you wanted, so I still love trying to have an ‘eclectic’ mix of activities and interests. My life as an athlete at Allegheny was also incredibly important. It provided leadership skills, built tremendous confidence and humility, and you learned to balance discipline and fun. It showed the beauty of a camaraderie that comes from experiencing things together, having shared goals, and surviving many challenges.”
Kevin Crooks ’15 and his aunt Katy Crean Toth ’83 celebrated after the Escape from Alcatraz 2-mile open water swim in San Francisco, California.
Dr. Andrea Richard’s friends and family spent a fun-filled week in the Dominican Republic celebrating her 60th birthday. Other class members of the Class of 1985 pictured include: Lincoln Andrews, Renée Miller Andrews, Gina Rugala, and Dr. Angelo Cammarata
A group of Allegheny friends gathered in Washington, D.C., in September for a 60th birthday celebration. The weekend festivities included an e-bike ride through the monuments on a beautiful fall day. Left to right: Dr. Scott Rineer '85, Dr. Kelly Miller '85, Barb Burhenn Weibel '86, Dr. Tim Weibel '85, John Fulton '85, Evelyn Nedved Pendleton '87, Dr. Jeff Pendleton '85, Dr. Bill Varley '85, and Dr. Kevin Treu '85.
Brian Shea wrote, produced, and directed “Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time,” a sketch comedy show that debuted at DreamWrights Center for Community Arts in York, Pennsylvania, on August 24, 2023. He continues to perform, teach, and coach improv and co-founded Highwire Improv in Baltimore in 2020.
By Jenny Goldsmith
Traversing 100 miles of craggy terrain through dust clouds and vertical mountain grades is not for the faint of heart. Lamont King ’95 pushes through the formidable physical pain with a fierce mental strength that perhaps only ultramarathon runners can understand, let alone endure.
“The beauty of running long distances is that you can think about anything or nothing at all,” says King. “I often fall into a meditative or flow state where I’m just present with the simple act of running. Other times I access the jukebox in my head and call up whatever song is appropriate for the circumstances.”
The political science major and Black studies minor joined the Board of Directors for the Western States Endurance Run (WSER), the world’s oldest 100-mile trail race, which begins in over 7,000 feet of altitude in Olympic Valley, California, and ends 100.2 miles later in Auburn, California.
King was immediately drawn to distance running after watching “A Race for the Soul,” an independent film chronicling both elite ultra-marathoners and recreational runners competing in the Western States race. The story follows competitors on the overnight journey through the Sierra Nevada mountains, documenting the arduous course that requires participants to climb over 17,500 feet and descend 22,970 feet in temperatures that range from nearly freezing to over 100 degrees.
“At the time, I couldn’t really wrap my head around running 100 miles, but there was part of me that wanted to try,” says King. “It wasn’t until years later that I signed up for my first ultramarathon, and after running 50K, 50 mile, and 100K races, I decided to try 100 miles. From there, it was a quest to get into Western States, and it took seven years to come to fruition.”
Once King hit the Western States trail, it took him over 27 hours to complete, but he was officially hooked.
“I ran with gratitude and really soaked up the experience of the trail, the other runners, the volunteers, and friends I encountered along the way,” King says. “I’m left with a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction that is hard to explain.”
The Cleveland, Ohio, native resides in Northern California, where he serves as deputy general counsel for the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, the world’s largest educator-only
pension fund. King credits his time at Allegheny for cracking open his passion for law. During his senior year, he served on the College Judicial Board, which helped inspire his Senior Comprehensive Project that covered the use of temporary insanity as a defense in criminal prosecutions.
“My undergraduate experience was very influential on my career,” says King. “It was wonderful to meet people from across the U.S. and around the world. I learned a lot about myself and others; it’s a perspective that I draw upon every day. I also value having received an education that is applicable in so many contexts.”
When looking back at his time in Meadville, King recalls a scenic campus, diverse student body, and esteemed professors like Howard Tamashiro, Ph.D., and Robert G. Seddig, Ph.D., as highlights who helped shape his future. After graduating from Allegheny, King returned to Cleveland to study law at Case Western Reserve University.
During his first year in law school, King traveled to Costa Rica for a study abroad program where he met a fellow law student from Los Angeles, California, who would later become his wife. After receiving his law degree, King made the leap to move to California in pursuit of his budding new love interest and his career in law.
“When I chose to attend law school I didn’t really think I would practice law. I mainly wanted to learn about the law and hone my critical-thinking skills. I figured having a JD [Juris Doctor] could help my career prospects,” King says. “I did not anticipate that I would eventually find a great fit as an attorney with the California State Teachers’ Retirement System.”
King, a lifelong athlete and fitness enthusiast, has now completed over 50 ultramarathons and hopes to continue exploring the sport of endurance running both on and off the trails as the newest board member for the WSER Foundation.
“As a board member, I have the opportunity to contribute in an even more meaningful way, which includes helping the Western States Endurance Run Foundation meet its mission to create a supportive, inclusive, and welcoming environment, and serving as a leader in the growing sport of ultrarunning,” says King.
The Rev. Dr. Jason Cashing became the next minister for the Clarence Presbyterian Church, Clarence, New York. Returning to his home area of Western New York, he and his family are again close to parents and extended family. This call marks a new chapter and new degree of ministry, which had its beginnings at Allegheny.
Amber Morian Gowetski has been named CEO of Sarah Reed Senior Living, a continuing care retirement community in Erie, Pennsylvania. Gowetski brings more than two decades of experience in senior living to the role. Most recently, she was the nursing home administrator for Orchard Manor in Grove City, Pennsylvania. Gowetski has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Allegheny.
Jennifer Scheller Neumann became chief of the U.S. Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division, Appellate Section. Neumann has been an attorney and then a manager in the section since 2004. She supervises the federal government's litigation in federal and state courts of appeal on matters including environmental, natural resources, Indian, property, animal welfare, worker safety, constitutional, and administrative law. The section handles both defensive work and civil and criminal enforcement matters. Neumann lives in Virginia with her husband, Jeff, and three children.
Nathan Smith was selected by the United States Golf Association to captain the 2025 U.S. Walker Cup team. The former NCAA Division III All-American and Allegheny hall of famer will lead the 10-man amateur team against Great Britain and Ireland September 6-7, 2025, at Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, California.
Dr. Jonathan Collins was granted tenure and promoted to associate professor at Whitman College. He joined the Chemistry Department at Whitman in 2015. His research team, the Collins Lab, focuses on the development of new biocatalysts and supporting technologies for the efficient preparation of important small molecules. He has a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Brock University - St. Catharines and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Allegheny.
Rachel Dingman was featured with Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. In celebration of Pardes’s 50th, they are highlighting 50 standout alumni whose accomplishments exemplify the rich texture of the Pardes community worldwide. Dingman is the senior director of Jewish Enrichment for BBYO International. As an educational coach and resource provider, Dingman’s work focuses on supporting teens, advisors, and staff in building meaningful and innovative experiences rooted in Judaic content.
Matthew Kaunert was named director of the Clean Water Institute and research and teaching associate in Biology at Lycoming College. He has a bachelor’s degree from Allegheny, a master’s degree from Georgia Southern University, and is in the finishing stages of earning a doctorate from Ohio University.
Dr. Winnie Wong received the Ohio Dental Association N. Wayne Hiatt Rising Star Award, which recognizes a young leader in dentistry with outstanding leadership and initiative and a strong commitment to volunteerism within the community and the profession. Wong has a D.M.D. from the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine. She went on to complete a general practice residency at Loyola University Medical Center. She then moved back to Cleveland where she worked as an associate dentist, and in 2022, became co-owner of a dental practice.
Michael Tylka has been appointed director of the Centre Regional Planning Agency based in State College, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Ashley Wurzbacher published her first novel, “How to Care for a Human Girl,” in August 2023. This follows her first book "Happy Like This," a short story collection, which was published in 2019 by the University of Iowa Press through the Iowa Short Fiction Award series. She has taught creative writing at the University of Montevallo for the past seven years. She received her bachelor’s degree in English from Allegheny, her M.F.A in creative writing from Eastern Washington University, and her Ph.D. in creative writing and literature from University of Houston. Wurzbacher was a featured guest for Allegheny's Single Voice Reading Series in fall 2023.
Will Tippins was in a Pittsburgh PostGazette article featuring his company, Tippins Foods, that he launched in 2022. The company sells freeze-dried meal kits for backpackers.
Dr. Dana O'Connor received her Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.
Marley Parish joined Spotlight PA’s State College regional bureau as the rural affairs reporter. Most recently, she worked for the Pennsylvania Capital-Star in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
’20
Nicolas Bulgarides published his book, “Redemption,” under his writerly name Peter Pietri. He worked on “Redemption”
during his time at Allegheny, finishing the novel in 2020 during COVID. “My experience with Allegheny is in the blood of the book; it was what I worked on when I wasn't studying,” he said. The book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and several European bookstores.
’21
Thomas MG Cassidy joined the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), a nonprofit corporation that operates three federally funded research and development centers in the public interest, as a research associate in the Information Technology
By Katheryn Frazier
and Systems Division of IDA’s Systems and Analyses Center. Cassidy received his bachelor’s degree in international studies from Allegheny and his master’s degree in cybersecurity from Carnegie Mellon University.
Professor Emeritus Dr. Paul Zolbrod is pleased to share that his new book, “Paradise Revised: Lines from John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ and the Navajo Creation Story,” has been published. He says he highlighted Allegheny in his acknowledgement, noting, “were it not for
Submit your news and events for inclusion in Class Notes: allegheny.edu/classnotes
Share your own story or experience for Allegheny to feature: allegheny.edu/storyideas the College the book never would have been written.” See
Emily S. Rahravan ’18 shares her passion for science and food with over a million home cooks as an assistant digital editor at Cook’s Illustrated and America’s Test Kitchen.
As an environmental science and sustainability major with minors in history and creative writing, Rahravan says her professors at Allegheny contributed significantly to her success and encouraged her to understand the “why” behind science and food.
“I felt they had a very sincere interest in my doing well,” she says of her faculty mentors. “The fact that people had faith in me and were actively pushing me toward bigger and better things really made me feel I was in the right place.”
While at Allegheny, Rahravan observed food insecurity in the Meadville community. The experience inspired Rahravan to devote her Senior Comp to creating a cookbook for participants who receive supplemental nutrition assistance (SNAP) from the government.
The cookbook accommodated low-income households, taking into account the affordability of the recipes, time intensity, and access to cooking appliances. To write the cookbook, Rahravan developed recipes and tested them rigorously so they could be easily understood and replicated. To this day, she still gets asked about the cookbook.
“This directly led me to an opening at America’s Test Kitchen on their cookbook team,” Rahravan says. “I learned that if you devote your comp to something really specific to your passions, that you are truly interested in, it can lead directly to a job.”
After graduating with her bachelor’s degree, Rahravan worked as a publishing editor for America’s Test Kitchen but transitioned to a position in the digital newsroom. Primarily, she writes for America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Illustrated online, pitches stories, and uses analytics to optimize their content.
“I feel very grateful to work at a place that combines my love for teaching people how to cook, and the science behind food itself,” Rahravan says.
Reflecting on her Allegheny experience, Rahravan says her history minor strengthened her research skills, influencing how she gathers information and conveys it. She adds that her creative writing minor provided a collaborative environment, especially at nonfiction workshops, allowing her to find a distinct voice.
Grateful for her Allegheny education, Rahravan has invested time as a volunteer for her alma mater. In October 2022, she shared insights from her career with Allegheny students through the Media & Communications Exploring Pathways Series, hosted by the Center for Career and Professional Development.
ALUMNI PROFILE
After connecting in 2009 over email during Dr. Xun "X" Li '09’s Senior Class Gift campaign, Francis "Ric" Rivette '74 and his wife, alumna-by-marriage Judith La Manna Rivette, began a decade-plus friendship with Li, most recently culminating in Judith's officiation of Li's wedding on August 5, 2023, to Andia Shahzadi. There have been many highlights along the way, and Li sums it up by saying, "I think it speaks volumes about the natural kinship we feel for fellow Allegheny alumni, with our nearly 40-year graduation gap making zero difference." Go Gators!
Marlana Pawlak '14 and Ethan Ivey '16 were married on March 18, 2023, at St. Peter's Church, followed by a reception at the MuseumLab in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Other Allegheny alumni in attendance were Bennett Cook '16, Brittany Bowes '17, Asher Sells '15, Danny Yarnell '16, Dre Corbin '14, Mason Allen '16, Neal Colecchi '16, Nicole Innes Corbin '16, Gordon Day '15, Doranny Jaime Abreu '16, Marcus Webster '15, Adam Brandner '17, Jimmy Barron '17, Kerri Barron '15, Wyatt Good '14, Ed Kelly '14, Ryan Schroth '12, Adam Renchner-Kelly '14, Jordana Tenenbaum Kelly '14, Amy Lind Schroth '14, Kasey Hinkle Soletti '14, Elisa Portillo Wein '14, and Kurt Pawlak '09 (not pictured).
Blair Hartman ’14 and Gabby Curtis ’15 celebrated their engagement in July 2023. They initially met during their course of study in the Communication Arts Department and reconnected several years after graduation. Hartman and Curtis are excited to start planning a wedding for fall 2024.
Sam Brooks ’18 says she had the pleasure of capturing the proposal of Jacob Hanko ’17 and Erin Lafferty ’17 in the summer. The couple met at Allegheny during their first year.
Emily Rice '21 and Michael Weisberg '21 were married October 7, 2023, in Clearwater, Florida. Included in their wedding party were Steven Spotts '21 and Kevin Burkhart '21. Rice’s father, Samuel Rice '91, was joined by his college friends Nancy Mendrala '91, Michael Stella '91, and Dr. Eric Landree '93
Craig Berger and Briana Berger welcomed their first child, Miguel Franklin, on February 26, 2023. The Berger family lives in Kent, Ohio.
Jessica Minsterman Leehan and Peter Leehan celebrated the birth of their third child, Ciara Quinn Leehan, on May 1, 2023. Big sisters Abby and Emma couldn’t be more excited to welcome her to the family.
Find the full listing at allegheny.edu/magazine
These include death notices reported by December 1, 2023.
’46
Evelyn Mae Becker Lieberman on October 30, 2023. ’47
Barbara Ann "Bobbie" Osburn Watkins on July 16, 2023. ’49
Richard L. Biemer on September 12, 2023. Jean Gillis Harth on August 10, 2023.
’50
Phyllis Isabelle Rosen Hollander on July 13, 2023.
Pierre DeMaison Poux on October 27, 2023.
Dr. Neal Dahl Van Marter on September 26, 2023.
’51
Donald "Don" F. Rupert on November 23, 2023. ’52
Job Thomas "Tom" Hares on June 12, 2023.
James D. Young on October 24, 2023. ’53
Thomas J. Beagan Jr. on July 11, 2023. Frank Cummins on August 26, 2023.
Daphne A. Wolf Franc on September 24, 2023.
Nancy Stuart Maxwell Guarnieri on October 2, 2023. Dr. Winfield Scott "Skip" Zehrung III on September 7, 2023.
Robert “Bob” Strong Gourley on September 11, 2023.
Dane Hannum on September 25, 2023.
Michael N. McGrew on October 4, 2023. ’55
Roberta Amy “Becky” Bailey on June 16, 2023.
Jean Ann Christman Kalberer on July 3, 2023.
Joseph F. Riesenman on June 22, 2023.
Mary Lou Robinson Seamens on July 9, 2023.
Taras G. Szmagala on June 7, 2023.
Imelda Anne McNamara Way on August 7, 2023. ’56
William E. Bowser on July 19, 2023.
Clifford Alan Morton on September 28, 2023.
Mary Louisa Soisson Nettrour on November 28, 2023.
Thomas Vath Dolan on June 3, 2023.
Linda Jensen Pointer on July 4, 2023.
Dr. Darel Kerr Straub on May 22, 2023.
Mary Jo Howard Cornes on September 2, 2023.
Antony “Tony” E. Fiorentino on September 6, 2023. ’59
Mary Ann Secarea Berg on June 24, 2023.
Pauline “Polly” Parker Seely Cosyns on June 11, 2023.
Susan Tschirgi King on June 18, 2023.
Theodore R. "Ted" LeSuer on July 1, 2023.
Sarah A. Lucas Madej on October 15, 2023.
Nancy Blomquist Shattuck on August 12, 2023.
Ann Jones Gerace died September 24, 2023.
Gerace served on the Allegheny College Board of Trustees from 2002-2006.
Gerace served as a proud Highlander at Baldwin High School and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in education from Allegheny, graduating as the class valedictorian and serving as president of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She further pursued her education at Carnegie Mellon University, where she obtained a master's in public management from the Heinz School in 1996.
Gerace began her career as a school teacher in Nassau, New York. She then returned to Pittsburgh, where she married Samuel P. Gerace ’58 and taught elementary education in the Baldwin-Whitehall School District. She followed in her mother's footsteps by serving in various leadership roles with the Girl Scouts of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Her dedication to conservation and sustainable practices led her to Conservation Consultants Inc. (CCI), where she served in the role of executive director for 24 years.
Gerace is survived by her beloved sister, Mary Lou Herrold (Dan); and her children, Samuel P. Gerace (Lynne), Julie A. Doumont (Verne), Thomas A. Gerace, and Kristin L. Gerace. She also leaves behind several grandchildren and many nephews, nieces, cousins, and cherished friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas Lewis Jones Sr. ’30 and Anna Mae (Zitzman) Jones; her brother, Thomas Lewis Jones Jr. ’64; and Samuel P. Gerace Sr.
’60
Ann Crandall Hills on September 30, 2023.
Victor “Vic” Paul Kress on July 22, 2023.
Frances Dalzell Miller on June 14, 2023.
Sally Jane "Bess" Welch Philip on April 13, 2023.
Harry Smith on July 16, 2023.
’61
Alan Ansell on March 27, 2023.
Richard A. Valone Sr. on April 22, 2023. ’62
David J. Lipsitz on September 1, 2023.
Roger Murray Smith on October 29, 2023.
’63
Bruce Beyer Africa, M.D., Ph.D., on June 5, 2023.
Dr. Ross W. Buck on September 1, 2022.
Philip L. Keisel Sr. on October 27, 2023.
’64
Dr. Robert "Bob" William Stinson on July 7, 2023.
’65
Katherine "Kaye" Wynn Simonton Schlueter on June 20, 2023. ’66
William “Bill” K. Gilbert, M.D., on July 27, 2023.
Norman "Don" Gordon on May 23, 2023.
Ann Mary Ruhling on August 1, 2023. ’67
Ronald J. D'Arcy-Clarke on June 21, 2023.
Dr. Sherrill Anne Foradora Kuckuck on June 24, 2023.
Michael Paul Varble on August 14, 2023.
’68
John Curtis Artz on November 22, 2023.
Nancy Kay Nicholson Grabiak on July 27, 2023.
James Peter Green on June 14, 2023.
Dr. Karen Ruth Lichtenstein on May 9, 2023.
’69
Cathy Jean Artis, M.D., on November 7, 2023.
Dr. Richard J. "Rick" Stadtmiller on July 24, 2023. ’70
Frederic George Antoun Jr. on June 30, 2023.
Robert Bruce Washburn on June 29, 2023. ’71
James Auld Anderson Jr. on July 8, 2023.
Jacquard Welsh Guenon on July 20, 2023. ’72
James Daniel Murphy on June 26, 2023.
’73
The Rev. Dr. Carol J. Jablonski on June 19, 2023.
’75
Michael H. Longo on October 5, 2023. ’77
Mary Martha Truschel on August 27, 2023. ’78
David P. Zielinski on November 17, 2023.
’79
Dr. Samuel Adam Abrash on February 15, 2023.
Julia Lee Eberhart on June 10, 2023.
Dr. Robert G. Seddig died January 11, 2024.
During more than four decades on the Allegheny faculty, Professor Seddig exemplified the very best of a teacherscholar. His legacy includes teaching and mentoring thousands of students in political science, particularly in constitutional law and law and American politics.
In 2009, Professor Seddig was honored with the Julian Ross Award for Excellence in Teaching, a testament to the lasting difference he made in his students’ lives.
Among his nominations for the award, one alumnus reflected that Professor Seddig taught “in a way that would capture his students’ imaginations and get them to think about how to solve problems,” and others reflected on his hands-on teaching, which ranged from open forum-style debates to semesterlong case studies that encouraged students to have an active role in their learning.
Professor Seddig regularly led trips for students to Washington, D.C., so they could connect and learn directly
with professionals in law, policy, and government. His colleagues in the Political Science Department also note that his passion for justice and equity ran through his academic work. Professor Seddig served as chair of political science and served on a wide range of college committees throughout his career. In 2016, his legacy was honored with the establishment of the Robert G. Seddig Chair in Law and Policy.
We extend our deepest sympathies to Professor Seddig’s wife, Lyta, and his entire family.
’80
Paul E. Curtis on August 28, 2023.
’81
Barry Johnson on October 2, 2023.
’82
Christopher “Chris” Keating on October 7, 2023. Yuko Iino Love on July 15, 2023. ’87
Stephen W. Minnigh on October 27, 2023.
’88
Chris A. Daverse on June 21, 2023. ’89
Alice Voigt on October 3, 2023. ’98
Dr. Patrick Michael Martinucci on September 28, 2023.
Henry Benton Suhr Jr. died October 12, 2023.
Suhr began serving on the Allegheny College Board of Trustees in 1971 and was named Trustee emeritus in 1996.
He attended Oil City schools and graduated from the Hill School at
Pottstown in 1951. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in economics from Allegheny. He served from 1955–57 in the U.S. Army and continued with the Army Reserves until 1967 at which time he held the rank of captain. Up until the time he died he maintained his personal and family business offices in Oil City.
Suhr is survived by his wife of 67 years, Beverly Lauffer Suhr; his children, Douglas Henry Suhr ’84 and his wife, Sarah; Henry “Hank” Benton Suhr III ’88 and his wife, Renee; Elizabeth Suhr Heisey ’88; and four grandchildren.
Larry J. Yartz died August 6, 2023.
Yartz graduated from Moniteau High School in May 1960 and earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Slippery Rock State University, graduating summa cum laude. After graduating from Slippery Rock he was awarded a NASA Fellowship at the University of Oklahoma to pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics. He earned a Master of Arts degree from
Oklahoma University in June 1966 in mathematics.
Yartz was an assistant professor of Mathematics at Allegheny and served as the treasurer and director of Institutional Research at Allegheny beginning in 1978 through January 1996. In May 1992 Yartz founded the Meadville Medical Center Foundation where he was president and
CEO. He retired from that position in January 1999.
Yartz married Carolyn R. Weilacher in August 1966. He was preceded in death by an infant son, Derek J. Yartz, born May 25, 1970, died May 26, 1970. He is survived by wife Carolyn R. Yartz and daughter, Kristen R. Yartz ’93, son-in-law Jeremy P. Slade, and two granddaughters.
Barbara Charlton Adams on August 2, 2023.
David Bruce Allen on June 20, 2023.
Gerard R. Bey on September 24, 2023.
Dick Biddle on August 11, 2023.
Donald Ray Boatman on July 18, 2023.
Luciana Antonia Bohne on August 9, 2023.
Dr. Alice Solomon Gertzog on August 11, 2023.
Rosalind “Roz” Jean Hupp on August 7, 2023.
James Jenkins on September 2, 2023.
Richard E. Lundahl on September 8, 2023.
Harold "Mack" McElhaney on November 7, 2023.
Ann M. McEntee on August 7, 2023.
Rebecca A. Schreckengost on July 29, 2023.
Carl G. “Butch” Gilliland died November 27, 2023.
Gilliland attended Conneaut Valley High School. He then served our country in the United States Army for 12 years including a tour of duty in Vietnam.
For 28 years, he worked in the maintenance department at Allegheny and retired in 2005.
Survivors include his loving wife of 61 years, Janice Young Gilliland; a daughter, Barbara (Robert) Kurtz; two sons, Jeffrey (Theresa) Gilliland and Gregory (Molly) Gilliland; four grandchildren, Madison, Hailey, Teagan, and Lincoln; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth and Elizabeth (Linn) Gilliland; five brothers, Clyde, Kenneth (Red), Peter,
Frederick (Fritz), and William Gilliland; and a sister, Betty Troup.
Former Assistant Football Coach, and Former Student Life Coordinator – Residence Life
Jermaine Mitchell died August 13, 2023.
Born on September 7, 1989, in Brooklyn, New York, Mitchell was the epitome of kindness, compassion, and integrity. His laughter was infectious, his work ethic unparalleled, and his loyalty unwavering.
As a former defensive line player, Mitchell proudly showcased his dedication and passion on the field. He began at Xaverian High School as a defensive tackle, helping the school capture their first and only
CHSFL AA City Championship in 2006. He then went on to become a four-year starter at Allegheny from 2007-2010, where he majored in economics and minored in math. During his senior year, he earned Second Team All-NCAC honors. His subsequent coaching journey took him to Marietta College, the University of Charleston, Gannon University, and eventually back to Allegheny. Most recently, in 2022, he served as the linebackers and special teams coordinator at North Carolina Wesleyan College.
In addition to his beloved wife Olivia Lang Mitchell ’11 and their newborn, Maya, Mitchell is survived by his parents, Rudolph and Patricia Mitchell; siblings Jason, and his wife, Kehnesha, Rudolph Mitchell Jr., his nieces, and a large circle of in-laws including Pamela Dailey, Jeff Lang and Sandy Wycoff Lang ’77, Maxwell ’09, Nicole, Quinn, and Nolan Lang, Veronica Lang ’14 and Travis Pratt, Isabel Lang, and Sara and Jeff Handler.
What does it mean to be career ready? How should colleges address the need to prepare students for the jobs of today and tomorrow?
Today, colleges find themselves defending their relevance to a diverse audience – from government officials to families trying to find the right fit for their students. When attempting to decipher whether attending college is worth it, many turn to what colleges are doing to address the career development needs of their students.
its definition of career readiness. NACE explains that career readiness is a foundation from which to demonstrate competencies that broadly prepare college students for workplace and lifelong career management.
We are confident that our rigorous liberal arts traditions will continue to impress employers and that the career competencies of our graduates will continue to align with the skills employers value most.
I regularly connect with a range of recruiters interested in Allegheny. During a recent conversation with a C-suite alum who is active in college recruiting, I learned that her greatest candidates for internships and full-time positions demonstrate their abilities to adapt, solve problems, and think critically. While technical expertise certainly helps, some qualities evolve and sharpen across college semesters. Additionally, she shared that new hires who relate their work to a broader mission and are motivated by a sense of service to others make a lasting impact at her organization. While I greatly appreciated this feedback, the most impactful takeaway I received was when the alum exclaimed, “We need more employees with an Allegheny College education!”
In a 2023 report, the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) called upon higher education to take an active role in shaping workforce preparedness. After accounting for employers’ opinions on how well the college experience prepares students for careers, AAC&U revealed that the top skills employers would like colleges to cultivate are critical thinking, oral communication, adaptability and flexibility, and complex problem solving.
These skills align with several competencies identified by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) in
Within the Center for Career and Professional Development at Allegheny, we recently incorporated a new framework for career services built on a supportive ecosystem of alumni, employers, faculty, staff, and students. Plans are underway for the center to lead efforts that demonstrate the dynamic nature and relevance of a liberal arts education, including how Allegheny specifically develops and prepares students for meaningful lives and careers.
Given the societal debates over the value of college degrees and whether colleges are setting students up for success, we hope that the Allegheny faithful will play an active role in the career and professional development of our students and alumni. We are confident that our rigorous liberal arts traditions will continue to impress employers and that the career competencies of our graduates will continue to align with the skills employers value most. However, we ask for your help in ensuring that Allegheny continues to facilitate exceptional opportunities for our students and graduates.
If you or your employer offers internships or jobs, join our Handshake network. If you are willing to serve as an industry connection for our students, create or revise an account in Gator2Gator. If your philanthropic interests include the career and professional development of Allegheny students, connect with us at career@ allegheny.edu to learn more about how your gift can make an immediate and lasting impact on our students’ career readiness.
Thank you for supporting our past, present, and future Gators!
I shall, when the time comes, try to do right, in view of all the lights then before me.Abraham Lincoln Shared by Brian Collingwood
Allegheny Magazine
Meadville, PA 16335
Whether you’re a student or alum at Allegheny College, the Center for Career & Professional Development is here to support you. Our mission is to prepare students for meaningful lives and support alumni experiencing career transitions. We do this by cultivating job search skills through programs, events, and one-on-one career coaching. We’re committed to ensuring our students have the professional confidence, impressive experience, and powerful networks needed to get a jump-start on a meaningful career. The connections you make here with your fellow students, faculty, staff – and the entire Gator community – will empower you every step of the way.
If you or your employer offers internships or jobs, join our Handshake network. If you are willing to serve as an industry connection for our students, create or revise an account in Gator2Gator. If your philanthropic interests include the career and professional development of Allegheny students, connect with us at career@allegheny.edu to learn more about how your gift can make an immediate and lasting impact on our students’ career readiness.
