sk Matthew E. Raiff ’91, PhD, what he appreciates most about his experiences in the All-College Honors Program and he doesn’t hesitate: “Peter Cashel-Cordo, Donald I. Bosshardt, PhD, Mark P. Zaporowski, PhD, Paul M. Dowling, PhD, Peter J. Galie, PhD and Robert J. Butler, PhD.” These are just a few of the Canisius honors professors whom Raiff says set him on a trajectory toward the success he experiences today. And to think, Raiff almost never attended college. Distraught by the untimely death of his older sister, Raiff put off applying to colleges. But his father, Edward ’51, encouraged him to consider Canisius and when he did, Raiff’s future began to take shape. “My professors encouraged me to stop by their offices and talk,” recalls Raiff. “Not just about school but life. They saw my potential and encouraged me to reach it.”
DONOR SPOTLIGHT Matthew E. Raiff ’91 Helps Honors Students Achieve Excellence
The friendships Raiff developed in the All-College Honors Program - with his peers and his professors helped him heal from the loss of his sister and focus on his future. Economics came naturally to him and faculty in the Economics Department encouraged him to pursue graduate studies. Raiff went on to earn a master’s degree and PhD in economics from Duke University.
A lot changed about All-College Honors in 50 years. Still, the hallmarks of the program remain the same. “The intellectual rigor of the coursework, the interdisciplinary learning, and the camaraderie among students and the faculty whom mentored them – these are the noteworthy qualities of the program that continue to influence students,” says Peter J. Galie, PhD, professor of political science and a 35-year educator in the Honors Program. “They provide students with a wonderful balance between the academic and social aspects of college life.” Academics in the Honors Program are accelerated and students delve deep into highly interdisciplinary subjects. Coursework integrates history, political science, literature and art into one larger framework so that students consider connections between disciplines. “Exploring how all those subjects tied together was fascinating,” says Lawrence J. Vilardo ’77, a partner in the law firm of Connors & Vilardo LLP. “It still helps my appreciation and understanding, every time I walk into an art museum or hear a symphony.”
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Today, Raiff is a founding partner of Bates White LLC. With offices in Washington, D.C. and San Diego, the consulting firm provides economic, finance and business strategies to law firms, Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. Global Competition Review, an international journal, recently named Bates White one of the world’s leading competition economics firms. “Canisius sets All-College Honors students up to achieve excellence because it gives them superb and supportive faculty, and creative course design,” says Raiff. “Honors graduates can help further the program’s success by giving back. It’s a two-way street.” In appreciation of his honors experiences and in recognition of the program’s 50th anniversary, Raiff made a significant monetary commitment to the All-College Honors Program as a challenge to inspire fellow honors alumni to support the program. This additional funding will help expand the All-College Honors Travel and Learn Program; improve communication with honors students, alumni, faculty and prospective students; and fund Canisius College membership and participation in the National Collegiate Honors Program.
The quality of the Honors Program continues to be dependent on the extent to which students choose to be engaged. The prime goal is to move students from a structured learning environment to an independent, student-driven environment. “We knew the program was special when we came into it,” recalls Molly A. McCarthy ’89, PhD, a visiting scholar in the History Department at the University of California Berkeley. “We always felt obligated to do our homework, come prepared to class and to make it the best experience for everyone involved.” Some of the most insightful experiences occur in students’ small seminar courses. Professors pose provocative questions on such subjects as religion and science, biotechnology and society, or the individual and the community. Honors students are all but required to think and discuss freely. “I remember Dr. Marianne Djuth’s philosophy 215 course on social justice,” says Stacey L. Budzinski ’06, an attorney at Damon & Morey LLP and a member of the All-College Honors 50th Reunion Committee. “The class sat on ideological lines and we would have full hours of debates. Occasionally, you could convince someone to switch sides.”
CANISIUS COLLEGE MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2010
Such dialogues do more than stimulate the academic environment of the honors classrooms. They are exercises in effective expression, independent reasoning and intellectual honesty. “Dr. Dierenfield’s class on the Civil Rights Movement awakened me to the idea of race relations and its implications in a city like Buffalo,” recalls McCarthy. “I began to think, politically and socially, about how I could make a change and be mindful of my responsibility as a citizen.” “Those seminars gave me the confidence that I could compete at a more advanced level and against students at Ivy League schools,” adds Schoenl. The professor of history at Michigan State University went on to earn his PhD from Columbia University. The academic rigor of the All-College Honors Program culminates senior year in a comprehensive independent research project and thesis. Students tailor their works to topics of particular interest to them and their studies. Very often, these impressive pieces of scholarship pave the way for master’s, doctoral or professional pursuits. “It was my Canisius honors thesis on the Progressive Era that opened the door for me at Brandeis University,” says McCarthy, who spent 10 years