Canisius College Magazine Winter/Spring 2012

president’sperspective

John J. Hurley

Canisius College Magazine WINTER/SPRING 2012 VOLUME 13, ISSUE 1

President John J. Hurley

As we approach the end of the academic year, Canisius looks forward to celebrating the achievements of its graduating students, and embraces the vibrancy and renewal that the spring season brings.

Just as this season energizes us, I am reminded of what invigorates Canisius. For nearly 142 years Canisius has been animated by the principles of its Catholic faith and Jesuit mission. Today that identity is challenged by the decline in the number of Jesuits at the nation’s 28 Jesuit universities. Determining ways to maintain and strengthen our mission and identity is a central priority for many institutions now. I can report that Canisius has made positive strides in this area.

In December, the Board of Trustees approved a Statement of Shared Purpose, a document developed in coordination with the New York Province of the Society of Jesus and the Canisius Jesuit Community that defines our commitment to preserve and enhance Canisius’ Catholic, Jesuit identity in the years ahead.

Last summer, the college established a new Office of Mission and Identity and appointed Rev. Michael F. Tunney, S.J., as director. Father Tunney is responsible for a broad array of initiatives designed to enhance knowledge, appreciation and engagement with our Catholic, Jesuit mission among Canisius’ faculty, staff, alumni and boards.

The service of faith and promotion of justice, important traits of our mission, are not limited to Canisius’ work in Buffalo. In January, I had the privilege of traveling with a diverse group of faculty to the Philippines as part of a seminar, sponsored by the Institute for the Global Study of Religion, entitled Faith, Justice, Teaching and Learning in the Context of Globalization. The experience of the seminar will manifest itself in new courses and new learning opportunities for students at Canisius. I was grateful to be invited to participate in this memorable experience and I look forward to watching its impact unfold on our campus and beyond.

One final note about Erik L. Brady’s ’76 tribute to his dad, the legendary Charles A. Brady ’33, HON ’87, on the occasion of what would have been his 100th birthday (page 6). Ask any alumnus who studied English at Canisius over the four decades of Brady’s service and I think they will agree that he and his English Department colleague, Leslie Warren, PhD, did for Canisius what Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig did for the New York Yankees. Brady’s poor health prevented him from teaching his upper level English courses when I was a student in the late 70s. But, I wrote an English honors thesis on T.S. Eliot in the spring of 1978 and a few weeks later, was invited to visit with Brady on the porch of his Kenmore home about that paper. It was somewhat like being invited to talk to Ted Williams about hitting. At the end of our meeting, he urged me to continue my work on Eliot and to develop the paper into something that could be published. Life took me in other directions and I did not pursue the work on Eliot further, but I will never forget that moment of encouragement from a man I deeply admired.

Associate Vice President for Public Relations & Executive Editor Debra S. Park MS ’06 Managing Editor Audrey R. Browka Director of Creative Services & Layout Editor Andalyn Courtney Contributing Designers Shaun M. Maciejewski MS ’11 Contributing Writers Elizabeth M. Bohen ’74, MS ’76 Molly C. Cohen ’06 Kristin E. Etu ’91 Rachel Flammer Martin J. Haumesser Eileen C. Herbert ’04 Marion A. Jagodzinski Laura Marek ’06 Photography Eric Frick Shaun Maciejewski MS ’11 Tom Wolf ’86 To Contact Us We are eager to hear your comments about Canisius College Magazine.

Please send correspondence to: Canisius College Magazine 2001 Main Street, Lyons Hall Room 209, Buffalo, NY 14208 Phone 716-888-2790 Fax 716-888-2778

Canisius College Magazine is published four times a year (winter, spring, summer, fall) by Canisius College at: 2001 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14208 USPS 908-760 Periodical postage paid at Buffalo, NY and additional offices Postmaster send change of address to: Canisius College, 2001 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14208

winter/spring 2012

16 | Cover Story

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Reading the Future The digital age rewrites the story of the book.

6 | Added Feature Titanic Influence Charles A. Brady ’33, HON ’87, professor and Canisius chronicler, was born in Buffalo 100 years ago.

8 | Student Profile Street SmartS Canisius students get a lesson on life in the ‘hood.’

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32 departments

12 | Faculty Profile

32 | Alumni Profile

Economic indicators George M. Palumbo, PhD and Mark P. Zaporowski, PhD, try to understand the present to be prepared for the future.

Medical Missionary Paula R. Dhanda ’79, MD, saves lives and improves healthcare for impoverished women around the world.

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BLUE & GOLD BRIEFS

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faculty notes

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a legacy of leadership

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C A MPUS NE WS A ND NOTE S

facult y NE WS A ND update s

C A mpa ig n ne ws a nd update s C ANISIUS CONNECTIONs A LUMNI NE WS A ND NOTE S

Peace Activist, Public Broadcasting Advocate Share Messages with Class of 2012 Sr. Margaret “Peggy” O’Neill, S.C., will bring her inspirational message of peace, justice and education to the Class of 2012 on Saturday, May 19, when she serves as commencement speaker during undergraduate ceremonies.

In the mid-1980s, Sister Peggy left a teaching position at Iona College for El Salvador in the midst of its brutal civil war. She worked alongside the country’s displaced refugees to help farm their land, care for the sick and injured, and provide young chil- Sr. Margaret “Peggy” O’Neill, S.C. dren with an education in faith. Sister Peggy’s works of mercy threatened El Salvador’s government and army.

She endured violence and attacks but continued her calling as a Sister of Charity to respond to the cries of the poor and marginalized, and walk in solidarity with the people she serves.

Today, Sister Peggy is director of the Art Center for Peace in Suchitoto, El Salvador, which she founded in response to escalating human rights abuses, threats to democracy and lack of economic opportunity in the nation. The center promotes a culture of peace through the arts, creativity, imagination and cultural exchange.

Donald K. Boswell

Boswell is president and chief executive officer of the Western New York Public Broadcasting Association, which operates WNED television, AM and FM radio, and WBFO. Under his leadership, WNED has become a significant community partner. Its sophisticated facilities are equipped to bring the best quality entertainment to audiences and produce top-quality productions that promote the Western New York region. WNED also provides a platform for the community to hear balanced presentations about local initiatives and issues.

The station maintains a strong institutional commitment to education, as well. It services 200,000 young people through in-school programs, and provides thousands of local teachers with learning materials and workshops on the use of technology in the classroom.

Don Boswell and Sister Peggy will both receive honorary degrees during commencement ceremonies. Honorary degrees will also be conferred upon: Peter C. and Joan K. Andrews, long-time friends of Canisius College and patrons of the arts and education; Robert T. Brady, chairman of Moog Inc.; Brian Concannon Jr., director of Donald K. Boswell will address the graduate Class of 2012 during the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti; and Rick Jeanneret, commencement ceremonies on Wednesday, May 16. broadcaster for the Buffalo Sabres.

Canisius Names Baron New Basketball Coach Canisius College introduced Jim Baron as its 23rd head coach in men’s basketball history. A Division I head coach for the past 25 years, Baron is a winner of 390 career games, which include eight 20-win seasons, two NCAA Tournament berths and 11 post-season appearances.

“In naming Jim to this position, we have hired a man who has a proven track record of building successful basketball programs and developing young men,” says Bill Maher ’89, director of athletics. “He comes to us as a highly-respected coach, having led three different institutions to post-season success. Our goal is to win the MAAC Championship and I look forward to working with Jim to accomplish this goal.”

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“I have a great affinity for Canisius College. I’ve played against them.

I’ve coached against them. This is a special opportunity for me and I look forward to it.”

Baron comes to Canisius from the University of Rhode Island, where he spent 11 seasons. In his tenure, Baron won 184 games, made six post-season appearances and improved the Ram’s win total from six to 26 victories, over six straight seasons. Baron also guided the program to the 2010 NIT Final Four, the team’s first appearance in the NIT semifinal round since 1946. He previously spent nine years coaching at St. Bonaventure.

- Jim Baron, the new head coach of the men’s basketball program, pictured with Canisius President John J. Hurley and Bill Maher ’89, director of athletics.

Baron signed a five-year contract with the Golden Griffins. He replaces Tom Parrotta, who was not retained after six seasons as head coach.

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National Spotlight Shines on Zoo Symposium Visionaries from leading zoological parks, conservation societies and architecture firms, from around the world, converged on the Canisius campus in February for a two-day symposium on the ‘Future of Zoos.’ The symposium focused on animal welfare and conservation.

“Future zoos will have an ever-increasing role in conveying respect for nature, the promotion of human-animal connectedness and animal welfare,” says Michael Noonan, PhD, director of Canisius’ Institute for the Study of Human-Animal Relations. Rapidly growing technological advances in robotics and cloning may also play key roles in the future of zoos, and potentially re-create such extinct animals as the Woolly mammoth and the Dodo bird using wellpreserved DNA samples.

The innovative predictions at the symposium garnered national media attention from USA Today, MSNBC, FOX News and Discovery News, and generated nearly one million ‘tweets.’

blue&goldbriefs Students Give Canisius an “A” Canisius students give the college “As” in the areas of academic excellence, campus support and career planning, according to the latest National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).

The annual student survey examines the prevalence of effective educational practices at participating colleges and universities.

At Canisius, 92 percent of first-year students indicated that the college has high expectations for academic excellence and student performance. First-year students also reported that Canisius emphasizes the ability to analyze, apply theories or concepts, and to make judgments about the value of information.

Ninety-three percent of freshman students denoted a “favorable image” of Canisius. Nearly the same number said Canisius demonstrates a “substantial commitment to students’ academic and social successes.” Eighty-five percent (85%) of seniors indicated they would choose Canisius College again, if they started their college career over.

“Students perform better and are more satisfied when they feel their institution supports them academically and socially,” says Richard A. Wall, PhD, interim vice president for academic affairs. “Canisius College offers students a wide variety of curricular and co-curricular opportunities to make learning more useful and the university experience more meaningful to its students.”

The NSSE surveyed 370 randomly-selected Canisius College students.

Accounting for Success!

Online Program Gets High Marks from U.S. News & World Report The Canisius College Online Graduate Program in Education earned high marks in U.S. News & World Report’s first-ever ranking of top online education degree programs.

Canisius ranked 25 out of 156 participating schools in the category of “Teaching Practices and Student Engagement.” U.S. News recognized Canisius for having quality education degree programs that promote student participation in classes, allow students to readily interact with their instructors and classmates, and prepare them for career roles in group settings.

In the category of “Student Services and Technology,” Canisius ranked 46 among 151 schools. U.S. News distinguished Canisius for its diverse online learning technologies, which provide greater flexibility for students to take classes by the methods of their choosing at the times of their choosing. U.S. News also recognized students’ ability to have courses centralized into a single student information system.

The numbers tell the story of Canisius’ accounting program, which continues to lead New York State in the percentage of graduates who pass parts of the CPA exam.

Alumni who earned their bachelor’s degree in accounting and sat for the 2010 CPA exam tied for the highest pass rate percentage (70 percent) on the audit portion of the exam and scored the second-highest pass rate percentage (69.6 percent) on the financial accounting and reporting section. Overall, this same group ranked third in the state, with a 70 percent pass rate.

Canisius alumni who hold bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting also scored well on the 2010 CPA exam. This group scored the second highest pass rate (72.4 percent) on the financial accounting and reporting portion of the exam; the third highest (65.5 percent) on the auditing portion; and ranked third, overall, with a 69.5 percent pass rate.

All results are based on schools that had 20 or more candidates sit for the first time for the sections of the exam.

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Titanic Inf lu ence Photo BY: Gregg R. Borland

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The rest of the world thinks of April 15, 1912, as the day the Titanic sank. Here at Canisius, we remember it for more.

bY E rik B rady ’ 76

Charles A. Brady ’33, HON ’87 — late professor and poet, novelist and essayist, caricaturist and critic — was born at the very hour that the great boat went under. As he would write one day: “It would be Horatian, if not precisely flattering, to say that a whale groaned in mid-Atlantic and, on the American side of Lake Erie, a minnow was born.”

Brady grew into a big fish in Canisius annals. Add it all up and his influence on alma mater is nothing short of, well, titanic.

His erudition as a student led to graduate school at Harvard, and his talent for tennis to the college’s Athletics Hall of Fame.

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He was a much-loved professor of English for 42 years, teaching

˚ an ever-changing array of courses and disciplines.

He even wrote the book on Canisius, 1970’s centennial history.

˚ As if that weren’t enough, Brady coaxed the Griffin to campus ˚ from the prow of LaSalle’s doomed ship and that high-flying

beast remains our golden totem. (Le Griffon, as it happens, sank 233 years before the unsinkable Titanic.)

Brady’s minnow line appears in an autobiographical sketch for his entry in the Book of Catholic Authors, published in 1960. He always quibbled with the designation, preferring to say he was an author who happened to be Catholic. “Scratch an Irishman,” he’d add, “and you have a Bronze Age savage.”

His father emigrated from Ireland and Brady writes in that sketch: “I grew up thinking that ants were called ‘pismires’ and that ‘michers’ was the normal term for troublemaking boys.” His mind and will “received what discipline they could” from the Jesuits at Canisius — high school and college — but his imagination was set ablaze first This literary caricature of C.S. Lewis is one of hundreds sketched by Charles Brady to accompany his book reviews in The Buffalo News.

by a doting mother who gave him “the great hero-tales, always in splendid editions.”

His interest in the Norse hero-tales deepened with his marriage to Mary Eileen Larson, now nearing 98. They had six children, including the late Kristin More Brady ’70, who followed him into academe, as a world authority on Thomas Hardy. The award for best thesis in the Canisius Honors Program is named for her.

She was born as her father was writing Stage of Fools, his novel of St. Thomas More, a best-seller still easily found on Amazon in its hardcover and paperback iterations. Four of Brady’s books for young readers are newly returned to print, including St. Thomas More of London Town just this year.

Brady’s name turns up frequently on the Internet he never knew.

When The Atlantic wrote of novelist John Marquand in 2004, it credited its headline “Martini-Age Victorian” to “the critic Charles Brady.” The definition for bravura on Dictionary.com offers an example of Brady usage from a 1960 New York Times book review of Evelyn Waugh’s Monsignor Ronald Knox.

When G. K. Chesterton arrived for a Canisius-sponsored lecture in the 1930s, it was Brady who picked him up at a Buffalo train station. When the Marx Brothers crashed a Canisius dance at the Statler (they had appeared at Shea’s), Groucho cut in on him, a tale that brought down the house when Brady spoke at a DiGamma dinner in the same ballroom in 1975. And when C.S. Lewis sent Brady a letter in 1944, he described Brady as his most perceptive critic. Oxford’s Bodleian Library owns the original.

The Depression wiped out a fortune from his late father’s former North Tonawanda lumber business and so the Jesuits made Brady a bargain: They would help pay his way to Harvard if he agreed to return to teach at the college for seven years. He completed that term six times over.

Brady’s love for the written word did not end until he did. From his deathbed at Sisters Hospital in 1995 he could see the house on Humboldt Parkway where he grew up and the golden dome of the college to which he would devote his life.

Brady’s colleagues sent a letter suggesting 1976’s Azuwur yearbook be dedicated to him. “His imprint,” they wrote, “is lastingly upon the best elements in Canisius and in Buffalo.”

The letter recounted Brady’s career as teacher and writer: “All of this leaves out the most important fact about him, which is that his is one of the richest human spirits of our place and time.”

Not bad for a baby born in Buffalo 100 years ago as a pinkeen. As his father could have told you, that’s Irish for minnow.

* Erik Brady ’76 is a sports reporter for USA Today and fifth of the six children of Charles and Eileen Brady.

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Student Profile - gangs

Story by Audrey R. Browka

Street Smarts

It’s a long way from

Canisius College to the graffiti-laden gangland

of East Los Angeles.

Home to 450 active gangs and more than 45,000 gang members, this part of the city is known as the nation’s Ground Zero of gang culture. It’s a place ripe with violence, poverty and low-performing schools. But ‘life in the hood’ is exactly what a group of All-College Honors students sought when they traveled to East L.A. They put fears and prejudices aside to gain new perspectives on the turbulent history of gang life and modern-day efforts to help keep the peace.

“America is a diverse land with different cultures that are as diverse and complex as the white culture,” says Andrew M. Genco ’14, a special education/childhood education major. “The only way to learn about that diversity is to test and challenge ourselves.

It is not enough to stay in our comfort zone.”

That is why students visited some of East L.A.’s grittiest pockets. They toured Compton, birthplace of the Bloods and Crips, and saw the mark of street gangs along L.A.’s

concrete riverbed, which is a popular target for graffiti taggers. Students witnessed the squalor and the homeless at the Dolores Mission, where they served and shared lunch with illegal immigrants and day laborers.

“In speaking with them, you realize that we’re all in the same boat just maybe to a different degree,” recalls Rachael B. Farley ’14, a biochemistry major.

Alfred Lomas provided students’ safe passage through much of the city’s gang turf.

Covered in tattoos from his neck down, Lomas is a former member of the Florencia 13 gang who later became a hired gun for L.A.’s top gang leaders. He changed his ways at age 40 and now dedicates his life to creating awareness about gang life, which he says is “both romanticized and demonized by music and media.” Lomas’ approach is unconventional.

He founded L.A. Gang Tours. It’s a different kind of drive-by; one that provides tourists with a firsthand look at high-profile gang areas and inner-city lifestyles. Photography and video taping are not allowed on the tours, nor can anyone speak with the locals.

Instead, “the educational experience is on the bus,” where Lomas and his crew of reformed gang members explain the social and economic conditions that allowed gangs to flourish.

“Gang life is no longer something that you’re jumped into,” Lomas tells students during their four-hour tour. “It’s something you’re born into. It’s generational, four and five times over.”

Gang life in East L.A. gets its roots from racial segregation and poverty.

Prior to the Civil Rights Movement, young minority men were prohibited from joining social clubs and organizations, so they formed their own. By the 1970s, East L.A. fell victim to the nation’s industrial collapse.

Warehouses closed. Rail yards emptied.

Jobs were eliminated and family structures fell apart. As desperation set in, groups of young men turned to robbery, larceny and extortion to help put food on their families’ tables. The proliferation of the drug trade in the 1980s later fueled the growth and organization of gangs and subsequently gang violence.

Bloods and Crips

are two of the most well-known Los Angeles gangs

“Unfortunately, gangs provide everything that we, as a society, have failed to provide: economic opportunities, access to the American market, protection,” says Lomas.

“Gangs also provide a family structure that is not often found in these communities.”

Critics of L.A. Gang Tours say the project exploits an already tense situation. But Lomas keeps an early promise he made to the community. He funnels tour proceeds back into the community via micro-loans for inner-city entrepreneurs.

PHOTO: Not all graffiti art is negative. This image (left), near Pico Union, portrays a message of peace, love, hope and freedom. It shows the Virgin Mary holding three paint brushes in the colors of the Mexican flag. A flower with a peace symbol on the inside represents her heart. The words ‘free humanity’ reinforce the artist’s visual message.

It’s a way for people to safely and creatively express themselves, and validate who they are, where they are going and what they want.”

“There’s a perception out there that people can’t change,” says Lomas. “But ours is really a story of redemption. It’s a story that says we –collectively as a community - can move forward.”

Tagging is how gang members ‘mark their turf.’

Change became evident at several locations the students visited.

The Pico Union Graffiti Lab is an urban sanctuary for kids who want to avoid gang life. It’s a public space where budding artists can practice their world-famous graffiti and aerosol art, legally.

“Graffiti is often viewed as something negative but it can also be about beautifying areas through self-expression,” says Richard D. Reitsma, PhD, assistant professor of modern languages. Reitsma coordinated and supervised the East L.A. trip for the 19 students in his course Latinos in the U.S. The course uses literature to explore the Latino struggle of belonging to America’s melting pot and to dispel the stereotypes often affiliated with the culture. “Much of the Latino community believes that the creation and development of positive art and artists, in all formats writing, music, graffiti- is part of the solution.

Students saw this renewed sense of community on display at Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural, a bookstore, café, art gallery and performance space located in Northeast San Fernando Valley, the second largest Mexican community after East L.A. Co-founded by Luis Rodriguez, the center is another success story in a community working to empower itself.

“Tia Chucha’s is a place where people of all ages can come to talk, share ideas and become skilled in the various arts,” says Rodriguez, who explains that the area was previously void of the cultural arts.

A veteran gang member by age 12, Rodriguez avoided a six-year prison sentence at age 18 and now works with young gang and non-gang men. He is a renowned gang intervention specialist, the founder of Youth Struggling for Survival and the author of Always Running, a memoir which Rodriguez wrote as a cautionary tale for his then 15-year old son who joined a gang.

“By opening up young people to their own creative reservoirs and imaginations, they begin to learn that there are many ways to go, not just the way that ends up hurting themselves or others,” says Rodriguez. “At Tia Chucha’s people are surrounded by the healing power of art and words; creativity is brought fully to bear and the quality of our individual lives and the lives of our diverse community are positively transformed.”

Students spoke one-on-one with Rodriguez, whose book they read in class. They also met with families and reformed gang members at Tia Chucha’s. Their conversations with these individuals and those at the homeless shelter, “brought to life the people and places we read about in class,” within the context of race, class, ethnicity and gender, says Caitlyn M. Fennell ’14, an international relations major. “It was certainly an experience to see often dangerous areas with former rival gang members who today, sit together, joke and tell stories about why they stay on the streets but for different reasons.”

The gang initiation

Jumped In requires new members to be beaten by current gang members.

It is then that hearts are touched, prejudices are put aside and the silent triggers of segregation, isolation and poverty are realized.

“The stories we read in class seemed foreign to students at first but once they met members of the East L.A. community, it became clear to them that we all share basic human emotions,” says Reitsma. “My hope now is that the trip stays with them throughout the rest of their college years and beyond, and that they continue to feel it, think about it, and respond to it.”

PHOTO: Alfred Lomas, founder of L.A. Gang Tours, takes Canisius students through East L.A. Pictured (l-r) are Alfred Lomas, (behind Lomas) Andrew Genco ’14, Caitlyn Fennell ’14, Stephanie Petrie ’13, Rebecca Reed ’13, Macy Madden ’14, Kristin Hill, ’14, Alexander Breeser ‘14, Rachel Farley ’14 and Micah Puscheck ’13.

Canisius Loses Leavitt-Noble Canisius College lost a dear colleague on February 12, when Kimberly A. Leavitt-Noble, PhD, assistant professor of education, passed away following her battle with cancer. She was 40 years old.

Leavitt-Noble joined the Education Department in 2004 and quickly became a valued educator and colleague.

She taught undergraduate and graduate courses in special education, and used technology and student book clubs to further engage her students. LeavittNoble played an important role in the school’s NCATE accreditation, and as coordinator of Graduate Special Education, she refined the program to meet the needs of students, as well as Kimberly A. Leavitt-Noble, PhD the special education community.

facultynotes Faculty Seminar Culminates in Philippines Canisius professors from various disciplines, along with President John J. Hurley, traveled to Manila to explore issues of faith and justice, firsthand. The trip marked the culmination of a semester-long faculty seminar sponsored by the Institute for the Global Study of Religion (IGSOR) and hosted by IGSOR Director Timothy H. Wadkins, PhD. The seminar examined the multi-dimensional aspects of faith and justice, in the context of global poverty, religion, race, information technology and politics, and the ways in which these issues affect faculty as scholars, teachers and learners.

Leavitt-Noble earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in special education from Buffalo State College. She held a doctorate degree in special education from the University at Buffalo.

Leavitt-Noble leaves behind her husband, Matt, and many family members.

Read All About it The expertise of faculty is showcased in two, recently released books. Dennis C. Duling, PhD, emeritus professor of religious studies, delivers a social-scientific criticism of the Gospel of Matthew in A Marginal Scribe. His Biblical scholarship examines social modeling, marginality, ethnicity, social ranking and literacy, as it relates to Judaism, the GrecoRoman World, and the New Testament – specifically, the Gospel of Matthew.

Duling is annotator of the Gospel of Matthew in the HarperCollins Study Bible, and author of Jesus Christ Through History and The New Testament: History, Literature and Social Context.

Professor of Graduate Education and Leadership Mary E. Shea MSEd ’87, PhD, outlines the essential ingredients for early language learning in her new book Parallel Learning of Reading and Writing in Early Childhood. Written for pre- and in-service early childhood education teachers, the book details why it’s important to provide a balanced language learning environment for young children, and offers approaches for children to practice and explore language through reading and writing.

Tim Wadkins, PhD and Patricia Coward, PhD, meet with villagers outside a rural dwelling in a remote gold mining area near Baguio City, five hours north of Manila.

“The seminars made for a rich and challenging environment,” says Paola C. Fajardo Heyward, PhD, assistant professor of political science.

“They provided real opportunities for me to consider the issues I discuss in my classes, in a multidisciplinary way.”

The Manila trip “enabled faculty to experience the very problems we studied in the seminar,” adds Philip A. Reed, PhD, assistant professor of philosophy. “It put a human face on what could mistakenly be viewed as theoretical issues, and renewed my commitment to encourage students to live out the Jesuit call to be men and women for others.”

Devonia Havis, PhD, assistant professor of philosophy; Tanya Loughead, PhD, associate professor of philosophy; Michael J. Gent, PhD, professor of management and organizational studies; Rev. Frank LaRocca, S.J., assistant professor of management; and Richard A. Bailey, PhD, assistant professor of history, all participated in the seminar. Seminar leaders included Wadkins, Patricia Christian, PhD, associate professor of sociology, and Patricia A. Coward, PhD, director of the Center for Teaching Excellence.

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Economic& Mark P. Zaporowski, PhD,

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Indicators &

George M. Palumbo, PhD Story by audrey r. browka | photography BY Eric Frick

Conversely, Palumbo’s scholarly interests are closer to home. He examines urban and regional economics: Why do people live and work where they do? What products are produced in particular regions and why?

How many people earn a living producing those goods and services? Palumbo also examines state and local finance. “I like to use economic tools to help evaluate the impact that public projects have on communities.”

With more than six decades of experience between them, Palumbo and Zaporowski analyze everything from the traditional ebbs and flows of the economy to its more discernible events, such as the double-dip recession of 1980 and 19811982. The downturn marked the beginningof-the-end for the region’s historically strong steel, auto and chemical industries. It was an economic punch from which “Western New York never fully recovered,” says Palumbo, director of the One-Year MBA Program.

hese headlines tell the economic story of the Buffalo Niagara region which, for the first time since 2007, is beginning to see signs of a potential turnaround. This bright economic forecast is the latest to come from George M. Palumbo, PhD and Mark P. Zaporowski, PhD, veteran professors and scholars of economics at Canisius College.

From their posts, the duo analyzes economic trends throughout the Buffalo Niagara metropolitan area, and contrasts these trends with those in New York State and around the nation. They publish their conclusions in Western New York Economic News, a quarterly newsletter which is a valuable resource for financial and corporate institutions, and media outlets worldwide.

“The economy is at the root of so many issues,” says David Robinson, deputy business editor of The Buffalo News. “George and Mark provide a reasoned, non-political approach to the state of the economy. They are straight shooters who back up what they say with solid numbers and data, and are rarely wrong in their assessments.”

Zaporowski and Palumbo share economics as a discipline but their concentrations differ.

Zaporowski is the big-picture person. He is a macroeconomist who “likes to work with data and make it speak” to better understand growth, inflation and unemployment, and determine how the economy, as a whole, is functioning. According to the chair of the Economics/Finance Department, the national recovery from the 2008-2009 recession “seems to have taken root, albeit at an extremely slow pace.” Consumer expenditures grew at a very moderate pace.

Payroll employment saw sluggish growth and remains six million jobs below its pre-recession peak. The flat housing market also continues to be “a major impediment to faster economic growth, nationally.”

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Prior to this double-dip recession, durable goods workers earned almost 20 percent more than the national average. But the slow purge of the region’s high-paying durable goods jobs “destroyed a good chunk of our economic base and left lower-paying service sector jobs in its wake,” says Palumbo, who notes that 50 percent of local durable goods jobs have been lost since 1990. “No one knew then but the deterioration of Buffalo’s durable goods sector may be a preamble for today’s national economic woes.”

Over the past 30 years, new technology and cheaper offshore production slashed eight million U.S. manufacturing jobs. More than a third of those jobs were eliminated in just the last five years. The ripple effect continues.

“The decline in economic activity as a result of the Great Recession of 2008-2009 has led to a reduction in tax revenues at all levels of government, and a decline in government employment and service provisions,” explains Zaporowski.

Today’s economic issues make for ideal case studies in the professors’ classrooms. Both are popular instructors who emphasize that students be able to link what they learn from textbook assignments to what they read in The Wall Street Journal and other topical business-related stories and academic articles.

“Students are expected to understand what is being reported, determine possible solutions to problems, and think about potential consequences,” explains Palumbo.

If students need additional assistance, he and Zaporowski make themselves available after class, at night and even on weekends. Katie List Sullivan ’08 recalls “all the extra hours they devoted” to help hone her senior honors thesis on factors that affect credit ratings of municipal bonds. The thesis won first place in a national essay competition.

Business Research Consortium Journal of Business recently published a modified version of the essay, which List Sullivan co-authored with Zaporowski and Palumbo.

“I’m convinced that Canisius, and particularly the mentorship I received There are, however, untruths about who or what stimulates an economy, from Drs. Zaporowski and Palumbo, are the reasons I am where I am according to the professors. today,” says List Sullivan, a senior associate in the audit practice of New retail stores do not rejuvenate an economy, says Palumbo. “They PriceWaterHouseCoopers. simply redistribute economic activity.” Publically funded sports stadiums Mark Huson ’87, PhD, concurs. The Pocklington Professor of Private rarely spur economic activity. “They’re nice but they generally have a Enterprise in the Alberta School of Business at Alberta University credits limited economic impact on a whole region,” adds Palumbo. Economic Zaporowski for helping him get into graduate school at the University development agencies can not make a region grow, nor can political decisions or politicians. of Rochester.

“He gave me this list of things that I needed to know and do, just to apply to graduate school,” says Huson. “Then he met with me each week to review my work and make sure I stayed on task. Dr. Zaporowski influenced my own teaching style because of his genuine interest in seeing students learn and grow.”

“To what extent do the skills required to obtain public office or political power mirror the skills needed to create engines of economic growth,” asks Palumbo, referencing the possibility of the Buffalo region receiving $1 billion in aid from New York State. “Anytime government gets involved and says it is going to pick one business idea over another, it’s saying that it knows something that no one can really know.” He continues, “What makes a market system work are individuals who see a need, figure out how to deliver that need and do it at a price that people are willing to pay. If that need brings people into a region or keeps people from going someplace else, then that’s a positive; it’s growth.”

When considering this set of truths, Palumbo and Zaporowski point to a few potential bright spots in Western New York’s economic future.

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) is becoming a magnet for emergent life science companies, as well as top-notch medical, health and academic professionals. The consortium employs 12,000 people, hosts nearly 1 million patient visits annually, and accounts for approximately $1.5 billion in economic impact each year.

Buffalo’s banking and financial industry is a close second to the BNMC. The region is a nucleus for back-office operations, as corporate leaders move their data, debt collection and call centers away from major money markets to more bargain-friendly cities.

“Unemployment and earnings-per-worker are key gauges of the economy’s health.”

George M. Palumbo, PhD

“As is the GDP.” Mark P. Zaporowski, PhD

Whether students pursue degrees in the field or not, Zaporowski and Palumbo expect them to walk away with a solid grasp of some key economic indicators.

“Unemployment and earnings-per-worker are key gauges of the economy’s health,” explains Palumbo. “As is the gross domestic product (GDP),” adds Zaporowski. The GDP represents the market value of all the goods and services produced in the U.S. economy during a quarter, expressed on an annual basis. The U.S. economy generally grows by three percent per year. If growth is below this level, “it is difficult to reduce the unemployment rate,” notes Zaporowski. In the past four quarters of 2011, real GDP growth averaged only 1.58 percent. “The numbers don’t lie.”

“The bottom line is that it costs companies less to do business and to grow their businesses here because of Buffalo’s low housing values, low cost of living and favorable labor costs,” says Palumbo.

This news bodes well for Buffalo’s best asset – its human capital. Each spring, the Western New York region graduates a large pool (approximately 25,000) of well-trained, college-educated young people ready to enter the workforce. Many of those students come from Palumbo’s and Zaporowski’s classrooms, and are highly-recruited and regarded.

“We are confident in the Canisius graduates we hire because they come to us with a broad knowledge of financial structures, and how those structures work,” says Judy A. Bassanello ’83, senior vice president at Citigroup. Bassanello regularly reaches out to her former professors to recruit young graduates to the bank. “Canisius graduates have a strong analytical foundation and the problem-solving skills needed in today’s financial environment.”

Bridging the gap between theory and practice is the underlying educational goal for Zaporowski and Palumbo. Majors and non-majors, alike, graduate from their classes with an education and appreciation for a subject matter that will influence the pocketbook issues they’ll inevitably encounter, as employees, consumers, savers, investors and voters – whether the economic forecast calls for sun or clouds.

STORY BY AUDREY R. BROWKA | PHOTOS BY ERIC FRICK

Something

REvOlUTIONaRY

e-volutionary

is afoot in our

schools, libraries and homes.

Tablets, e-readers and iPads are digitally rewriting the centuries-old narrative for the paper volumes we call books.

These electronic gadgets are the contemporary homes for an infinite number of literary works, as well as newspapers and magazines, all of which can be downloaded onto a palm-sized piece of hardware faster than you can turn the page of your favorite John Grisham thriller.

Some suggest this new technology threatens the very fate of the beloved book. Others say it’s simply the latest chapter in its history.

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A NOVEL CONCEPT

Cookbooks, romance, thrillers and serious fiction are all migrating well into the electronic form, and publishers who concentrate their marketing efforts in these digital genres realize great success. Amazon reported sales of its e-books exceeded sales of print books for the first time in spring 2011.

Digital texts and tablets are likely the greatest innovation to hit the printed word since the 1400s, when Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of movable type enabled the mass production of books on a scale previously unknown. But the book, in the form we know it, dates back to first century A.D., “The commercial trend is certainly an indicator of what’s and was as revolutionary in its time as its digital counterparts to come in the world of scholarly publishing,” says Sisler. are today.

Harvard University Press has a 100-year old print “The form of the book most of us use is called the codex,” tradition and publishes upwards of 220 explains Thomas M. Banchich, PhD, chair and professor of quality non-fiction titles in the humanities, classics. “Its immediate ancestor was sets of wax-covered social sciences and the sciences, each year. wooden tablets, used mainly to prepare drafts of what Under Sisler’s leadership, however, the eventually would be copied into papyrus rolls.” prestigious press instituted a secondary publishing model; one that markets scholarly books with popular appeal in the virtual world.

“The Canisius library will always be a place for students to come and do their work.”

The codex transformed the reading experience. It was “compact, portable, durable, and able to store and disseminate significant amounts of information to a degree that the roll could not,” says Banchich. People could easily navigate through text with the literal turn of a page. The codex also lent itself well to paragraphs, chapters, page numbers, tables of contents and indexes. By the second century, “it seems to have become a particularly popular vehicle for the Christian Gospels,” adds Banchich.

“To succeed in the new world of e-books, university publishers must get their books exposed online by optimizing online search engines, using keyword-friendly titles, and utilizing social media, such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter,” says Sisler. “The idea is to create a community of readers who can converse with authors or other like-minded readers.”

Sales of e-books make a minimal impression on the bottom-line at Harvard University Press and account for only two percent of HUP’s $20 million budget. Still, its digital library is comprised of about 1,000 titles, including recent releases as well as backlist treasures. That number increases weekly, says Sisler.

“The publishing industry has been ‘in crisis’ since I started in the business 30 years ago but we’re still here and we’ll Today’s technology shares virtually the same traits as the survive this latest evolution,” says Sisler. “Right now, the market for scholarly e-books is small but it’s expected to codex– and more. grow steadily and HUP is preparing so that it may continue It’s never been easier to buy books, read about books you to bring quality works to a world-wide community of readers, might want to buy or share your favorite reads with friends. in a full range of formats.”

What’s more, e-books cost significantly less than their printed counterparts, since paper and ink aren’t involved. No wonder THE PLOT THICKENS sales of digital books are soaring – but at what expense?

Surely, the ways in which people consume content shifted, seismically, in the past 20 PRESSED FOR CHANGE years. The Internet is now a go-to resource for E-readers are more cost-effective to consumers. But brick-and- both amateur and scholarly research. If Google mortar stores, slow to adapt to a new business model, are on gets its way, every book ever published will shaky ground. Publishers risk the same fate. be digitized by the next decade and available “The way people of this generation read, what they read in a universal online collection, accessible to and the devices on which they read all affect the future of anyone, anywhere. publishing,” says William P. Sisler ’69, PhD, director of Harvard This catchall of information may seal the University Press (HUP). “These are the issues that keep fate of your neighborhood library, which publishers awake at night.” has endured financial cuts during troubling economic times. But not so fast, says the American

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Library Association, which reports that library visitation and circulation are on the rise, nationwide. Canisius College’s Bouwhuis Library is included in that trend. It experienced a 40 percent increase in attendance over the past five years.

“In many ways, libraries are more relevant today than ever,” says Joel A. Cohen, PhD, associate vice president for library and information services. He explains that libraries – academic or otherwise – ensure equal access to information, entertainment and cultural materials, and they do it free-of-charge. Libraries provide professional, non-biased reference services for patrons, and expert assistance with informational materials and formats. At educational institutions, in particular, “libraries play an increasingly central role in the academic and social environments,” adds Cohen.

What that role looks like, however, is very different than when you were a student 20, 10 or even five years ago.

The quiet building once devoted solely to reading and research, “is now a relaxed collegial learning environment,” says Cohen. Computer clusters replace the card catalogs. Shared work areas take the place of solitary study corrals. And a coffee shop helps to provide what no Internet search engine can: face-to-face connections, communication, collaborations and caffeine.

“The sharing of ideas and information between students and faculty is not prohibited in modern libraries. Rather it’s the entire point; to stimulate the intellectual life of campus,” says Cohen.

Gone are the days when providing books were a library’s standalone function.

Students check out laptops, headphones, microphones and video cameras. They use these digital tools to create multimedia class presentations, and practice those presentations in areas of the library outfitted with state-of-the-art hardware and software.

“The Canisius library will always be a place for students to come and do their work, so long as we continue to provide them the tools and the space with which they want to study and learn,” says Kristin Kasbohm, associate director for access services.

“We are in the next chapter of the history of books but it is a chapter filled with both old forms and new ones.”

The Bouwhuis Library continues to renovate its space through support from restricted gifts to the Canisius Fund. A Tim Horton’s coffee shop, extended hours and added safety for late-night studying are some of the early changes, already completed.

Also in place is one central location for circulation, reference and technology services.

This lessened the footprint of the print collection and made more room for what will ultimately be a technology-based learning commons within the library.

“Academic libraries must work particularly hard to ensure they remain flexible and vital resource centers,” adds Cohen. “Even if there are fewer books lining the shelves 10 or 20 years from now, there will still be a need and a demand for informational resources and space in what we call a library.”

That said, it’s difficult to imagine a time when books become entirely extinct.

They are time-tested technology: No instructions are required; no learning curve necessary; and no Internet connection needed. Books stimulate the senses. There is C ANISIUS COLLEGE M AGA ZINE • WINTER/SPRING 2012 |

19

something nostalgic about their texture, the smell of ink on paper, contemplation. Other professionals believe technology provides new, and the way the spine cracks the first time a book is opened. These are affordable and accessible avenues to learning and literacy. characteristics that even today’s digital natives appreciate.

“The pervasive nature of technology means that traditional literacy “We’re not seeing a great demand among students for electronic access methods must adapt and work alongside these popular mediums, not against them because they’re not going anywhere,” says Mary E. Shea to books – academic or otherwise – at least not yet,” says Cohen.

MSEd ’87, PhD, director of graduate literacy programs at Canisius and Scholarly publishers fist offered electronic versions of their books the author of the new book Parallel Learning of Reading and Writing in several years ago. Apple Inc. now sells electronic versions of some Early Childhood (page 11). standard high school books. But PCs are too cumbersome to be considered good e-book readers for students. Smaller electronic Books and technology are collective learning tools in the college’s tablets, similar to the iPad, are the ideal but “the hardware is not to Literacy Center. The center trains literacy specialists and provides the point where it’s suitable for formatting, page manipulation and literacy education to struggling young readers and writers in the searching,” explains Cohen. Then there are issues related to cost and community; many of whom do not have access to computer technology.

One recent exercise required a group of eighth grade girls from intellectual property.

NativityMiguel Middle School to produce a video on the Fine Arts Still, Cohen predicts that the market will force resolution of these Department. issues. When that happens, students will use electronic tablets to store digital textbooks and scholarly works; record their professors’ lectures; “Everything in this lesson was literacy-related,” explains Rosemary take notes in class; and write their papers. Essentially, students will K. Murray, PhD, chair and associate professor of graduate education and leadership and director of the Literacy Center. “It involved reading, manage all their academic needs from the palms of their hands. writing, listening and visualizing. Students then used technology to Even the most conventional of educators agree that both traditional communicate what they learned.” print and modern technology are needed to pursue truthful scholarship.

Such digital creations are an example of how multimedia is on its way to “We are in the next chapter of the history of books but it is a chapter becoming an educational requirement rather than an elective. If used filled with both old forms and new ones,” says Banchich, who edits and effectively, the technology provides yet another way for educators to translates ancient – oftentimes fragmented – manuscripts of Greek teach and students to learn comprehension and communication skills. and Latin authors and historians. “I can’t do the work I do without the technology made available through the computer,” adds Banchich. “I “Today’s children grow up alongside technology,” says Shea. “It’s where also can’t do my research without having five or six books open and in their enthusiasm lies so if we capitalize on that, perhaps we can motivate more children to read, and that’s what is most important.” front of me at the same time.”

WHITHER THE WRITTEN WORD?

READING THE FUTURE

Perhaps the question isn’t which format people prefer but whether So while no one can read the future, a few things are somewhat predictable. The printed book will likely hold a special place in society they read at all. for generations to come. (Live theater continues to thrive well after The book was a common form of entertainment, well before radio and the advent of cinema. The radio endures alongside the iPod.) And the television came on the scene. Even after, books continued to be a source exercise of reading will always remain a quiet, solitary engagement of enjoyment for millions of Americans. But the dawn of computers between you and the text, whether that text is printed on paper or triggered a passionate debate about what it means to read and write appears on a screen. In the end, a good story can transport you to in the digital age. Some research suggests that new technologies chip another time and place. When that happens, the physical object in our away at children’s literacy, and their capacity for concentration and hands doesn’t seem to matter so much now does it?

“The way people of this generation read, what they read and the devices on which they read all affect the future of publishing.”

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Joseph G. ’55 and William F. Brown Jr. ’44

H o n o r i n g t h e Pa s t and

Securing the F uture William F. Brown Jr. ’44 always wanted a Canisius education. He never imagined it would be financially possible, however, until his uncle, the late Rev. T. Joseph Brown ’14, S.J., professor of chemistry, hired him to work as a secretary in the department.

Brown always remembered his uncle’s support. The former owner of The Farrell Co. established the Rev. T. Joseph Brown ’14, S.J., Memorial Scholarship via a life insurance policy. Brown’s brother, Joseph G. ’55, helps grow the fund through a bequest and annual gifts.

Together the Brown brothers now honor their past while they help to secure students’ futures.

Rev. T. Joseph

.

Brown ’14, S.J

To make Canisius College part of your legacy through a planned gift to A Legacy of Leadership: The Campaign for Canisius College, contact Dianna Civello, associate vice president for institutional advancement, at 716-888-8220.

Canisius Presents Penfolds with Distinguished Citizen Achievement Award Canisius College will present Richard C. ’68 and Karen E. Penfold with its Distinguished Citizen Achievement Award at the 46th annual Regents Scholarship Ball on Saturday, May 5, at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo. The Penfolds will be honored for their outstanding contributions to the economic, civic and cultural welfare of the Western New York region. Independent Health is the presenting sponsor of the event.

Buffalo, particularly its healthcare and educational institutions. St. Mary’s High School, Kenmore Mercy Hospital and Canisius College are among the organizations that have benefited from the Penfolds’ generosity.

The Regents Ball is the principal fundraiser for the Canisius College Board of Regents Scholarship Fund. Proceeds provide vital financial support to promising young students, who otherwise would not be able to take The Penfolds owned and operated the former advantage of a Canisius education. waste management companies C.I.D. Refuse For tickets or to learn about sponsorships, Service Inc., C.I.D. Landfill Inc. and The contact Lainey Kempton ’08, assistant director C.I.D. Group Inc. The company was at the of events and stewardship, at 716-888-8228, forefront of efforts to modernize recycling or visit canisius.edu/regentsball. methods and consistently earned a top spot on Business First’s list of the Top 100 Private Companies in Western New York.

The Penfolds sold C.I.D. in 1998 and established the Richard C. & Karen E. Penfold Family Foundation Inc. The foundation is a primary supporter of the Roman Catholic Diocese of

The Scomas Continuing a literary tradition Brothers Donald J. ’62, MS ’78 and Andrew J. ’65 Scoma, MD, are committed to a literary tradition established by their late parents at Canisius College.

Andrew J. and Mary Scoma created the Scoma Endowment Fund in 2002 to ensure continued support for the Contemporary Writers Series. In memory of their parents, the Scoma brothers now support the endowment, which funds the costs to bring national fiction writers and poets to Canisius.

Andrew J. and Mary Scoma

22

Richard C. ’68 and Karen E. Penfold

Their parents’ influence paralleled the Catholic, Jesuit education the Scoma brothers received at Canisius. And though they pursued different careers, both credit their Canisius educations for their successes.

Don spent 30 years as a devoted science teacher in the Lockport School District.

Andrew went to medical school and practices endocrinology in Winter Park, FL.

“We learned critical thinking at Canisius; how to separate the wheat from the chaff, and that is priceless in any occupation,” “My dad and mom believed the Writers relates Andrew. “Of all the schools I Series was worthwhile, as do my brother attended, I enjoyed Canisius the most.” and I,” summarizes Don Scoma.

The Scomas now provide similar enjoyment Andrew Scoma Sr. was a pharmacist. He to literary enthusiasts, who have been and Mary Scoma owned and operated introduced to such authors as William Satterlee Drugs, located in Buffalo’s Riverside Kennedy, Garrison Keillor, Connie Porter section and Cheektowaga. Growing up, and Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Russo. the Scoma brothers helped in the family “It is a good example of how any investment business, where they learned lessons of in Canisius College can result in many hard work and the value of giving back. wonderful returns,” concludes Andrew.

| C ANISIUS COLLEGE M AGA ZINE • WINTER/SPRING 2012

John ’61 and Jeanne Marszalek Help to make Bouwhuis Library the heart of all learning John F. Marszalek ’61, PhD, and his wife, will serve as a place for student-faculty Jeanne, believe a library is at the heart of interactions and will further stimulate the learning for any educational institution. intellectual life on campus.

John is a distinguished professor emeritus of history at Mississippi University. He is also the author of several books, which line library shelves, including Sherman: A Passion for Order, a history of Civil War General William T. Sherman. Jeanne is a former teacher and research assistant for her husband’s publications.

“You can tell the quality of an academic institution by the quality of its library system,” says John. “It is wonderful to see that Canisius College recognizes the library as a major part of its campus and is committed to making it a true center of learning.” He points to his Canisius education as one of the most helpful chapters in his life. “Whatever success I gained, I can look back at the people who taught Needless to say, the Marszaleks spend a lot me at Canisius and know that they helped of time in libraries and value the resources inspire me to do the kind of work that I have libraries provide. So much so that in 2004, done. It is only right that I give back.” the Marszaleks established the John F. ’61 and Jeanne A. Marszalek Library Fund. Their The Marszaleks hope the library fund they support will help Canisius move forward with established will inspire others to support the a new technology-based Learning Commons Library Learning Commons. within the Bouwhuis Library. The commons To join Dr. John ’61 and Jeanne Marszalek, contact Jeanmarie Cieslica, director of the Canisius Fund, at (716) 888-2711, cieslicj@canisius.edu, or make a gift canisius.edu/gift.

Campaign Update As of March 26, Canisius College has secured $87.9 million in commitments toward its $90 million goal for A Legacy of Leadership: The Campaign for Canisius College. To learn more about our campaign, visit canisius.edu/campaign.

Phase One August 2012 Take a virtual tour at canisius.edu/sciencehall

A L U M N I

Michael S. Taheri ‘82 On a mission of mercy

M

ichael S. Taheri ’82 may be a well-known criminal defense attorney but it is the civic case he took on a few years ago that distinguishes him in the greater Buffalo community.

A founding partner of Taheri & Todoro Law Firm, he spent more than 25 years representing clients from all walks of life. Things changed, however, when a local priest who provides Taheri with spiritual guidance, counseled him to visit St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy on Buffalo’s East Side.

“On July 17, 2009, my wife and I toured St. Luke’s and it changed our lives,” says Taheri. Co-founded by Norman Paolini ’69, HON ’09 and Amy Betros HON ’09 (Canisius Magazine, fall 2006), the Roman Catholic mission serves the region’s poorest families. “We were at a point where we could buy any car or take any trip we wanted,” adds Taheri. “Yet, just 10 miles from where we live, we saw such extreme poverty. That really bothered us and we knew we had to be involved.”

Taheri scaled back his workload, retired from a part-time teaching job, and began to volunteer at St. Luke’s, along with his wife, Josette, and later his daughter, Joanne, and son, Erik ’14.

Taheri helped serve meals to the 500 people who visit the mission daily. He also taught Confirmation classes. Taheri’s commitment to St. Luke’s grew with each new involvement.

Today, he is an associate missionary at St. Luke’s and president of Our Lady of Hope Services, the educational arm for children’s services. It includes a school with pre-K through eighth grade classes where the emphasis is on preparing students to transition into Catholic high schools.

Taheri notes that education played an important role in his own life journey.

“My Canisius education was a foundation for my law career. It helped me compete with the best students at the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law in California.” he says.

“Subsequently, my success as a lawyer led me to St. Luke’s and allowed me to help the mission.”

It also led Taheri back to alma mater. He works with Canisius volunteers, who help teach the children at Our Lady of Hope Services.

Taheri also helped organize an alumni dinner at St. Luke’s last fall, which was well-attended by Canisius students, alumni and faculty.

“It was a deeply enriching experience,” Taheri concludes. “Canisius College shows that it believes in the mission of St. Luke’s through the school’s leadership, alumni and students.”

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S P O T L I G H T

canisiusconnections

Canisius Inducts Newest Hall of Famers The best women’s basketball team in Canisius history now holds a well-deserved place in the college’s Sports Hall of Fame. The 1982-1983 team was formally inducted during halftime of the Canisius-Rider women’s basketball game on January 29. It is the first female team to join the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame.

Under the direction of Head Coach Sister Maria Pares (a 2002 Sports Hall of Fame inductee), the women’s basketball team scored 28 victories in the 1982-1983 season (the most wins in a single-season) and earned Canisius’ very first berth to the NCAA Tournament (Canisius Magazine, fall 2011).

Pictured (above, l-r): Lori Potter ’86, April Siejka, Mary Jane Bouley ’84, former Head Coach Sr. Maria Pares, Kara Haun-Rehbaum ’84, Debbie Laux ’85 (row 2, l-r): Former Assistant Coach Mike Rappl ’77, MS ’80, Carolyn Gilbride Schaus ’83, Kellie Mastrodonato ’84, Mary Achramovitch ’84, Molly Quattrone ’85, Karen Freeman ’83.

(Not pictured: Gina Castelli ’86 and Bridgett Passauer ’86) Also inducted to the Sports Hall of Fame (below, l-r): Jim Foley ’51, MS ’60 (cross country/track), P. Glen Gast ’97 (golf), Brian Hennessy ’97 (baseball), Kevin Rozo ’99, MS ’04 (lacrosse) and Jennifer Silata ’98 (soccer/softball).

The Canisius Sports Hall of Fame originated in 1963 and now boasts 171 individual members and three teams, with the addition of this latest class.

C ANISIUS COLLEGE M AGA ZINE • WINTER/SPRING 2012 |

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canisiusconnections

Old Main turns 100 next academic year and Canisius alumni are invited to join in the commemoration.

Email your favorite memories of faculty, friends and tomfoolery that transpired under the Golden Dome to ccmag@canisius.edu.

Submissions will be used in a future issue of Canisius Magazine, and appear on the college’s web and social media sites.

SAVE THE DATE STAT Graduates of the college’s pre-medical programs should consider themselves “On Call” for Alumni Weekend 2012 (June 1-2), when Canisius hosts a series of grand rounds for this distinguished group of graduates. Visit canisius.edu/alumni for the latest information.

1

2012

Celebrate Old Main’s Centennial

canisiusconnections Two Alumni Among Most Influential Accountants James C. Metzler ’72 and Mark J. Koziel ’91 are among the top 10 most influential accountants in the United States, according to Accounting Today magazine. They both work for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the world’s largest association that represents the accounting profession.

Metzler is vice president of small firm interests. He leads initiatives to help serve the needs of practitioners, and the institute’s specialized communities and accreditations. Metzler also advocates for small firms on standard setting, legislative matters and practice issues, and is a liaison between the AICPA and its member firms.

As vice president of the AICPA’s firm services and global alliances, Koziel oversees the development, ongoing improvement and delivery of services to members in the Private Companies Practice Section/Firm Practice Management. He also manages international relations with various CPA-related groups. Koziel is the youngest person to appear on this year’s Top 10 list.

He and Metzler were nominated for the Accounting Today award by their industry peers.

Photo: James C. Metzler ’72 and Mark J. Koziel ’91

Nine Inducted to Digamma The prestigious DiGamma Honor Society welcomed nine new members on March 9, during ceremonies at The Buffalo Club. The society is comprised of alumni, students, faculty and administrators who distinguish themselves as “men and women for others” in their work for the college and on behalf of students.

The new members (pictured l-r) are: Ed Carey ’69, Dianna Civello, Michael Ervolina ’79, (row 2) Tim Blewett ’67, George Palumbo, Jack Wujcik Jr. ’70, (row 3) Dennis Misko ’67, Bill Maggio ’84, MBA ’92, Tom Kingston ’71

C ANISIUS COLLEGE M AGA ZINE • WINTER/SPRING 2012 |

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class notes

1940s ’43 BS Leonard E. Amborski, PhD, retired research associate at DuPont Chemical, was named Am-Pol Eagle Citizen of the Year in the science category.

1960s ’60 BS Peter X. Bellanti, senior tax manager at Amato, Fox and Company, presented the Federal Tax Update at the 58th Annual Institute on Taxation, offered by the University at Buffalo School of Management. ’60 BA, MS ’67 Vincent F. Saele, senior counsel at Changing Our World Inc., was named a trustee on the National Board of Perinatal ComfortCare Inc., headquartered in Charlotte, NC. ’64 BA, HON ’04 Carl J. Montante, president and managing director of Uniland Development Company, was named Man of the Year by the Boys and Girls Town of Italy, Western New York Chapter.

a podcast that addressed the future of anesthesiology. The podcast was distributed to over 52 radio stations by the American Society of Anesthesiologists. ’72 BA Catherine M. (Lindquist) Burzik, president and chief executive officer of Kinetic Concepts Inc., was appointed to the Allscripts Board of Directors. ’72 BS James C. Metzler, vice president of small firm interests for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, was named one of the top 10 most influential accountants in the United States in Accounting Today. ’75 BA Arthur M. Michalek, PhD, senior vice president and dean of Roswell Park Cancer Institute’s Graduate Division, was a distinguished honoree at the Western New York Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals National Philanthropy Day Luncheon.

’65 BS Frank E. Swiatek, president of Frank Swiatek and Associates, presented a seminar, entitled “Eight Steps to a Lot More Sales: The Hidden Marketing Assets Seminar,” sponsored by the Greater East Aurora Chamber of Commerce.

’76 BA Joseph A. Sciandra, DPM, a podiatrist who practices in Buffalo and North Tonawanda, was named treasurer of the New York State Podiatric Medical Association Board of Trustees. He was also elected to serve a two-year term as president of the New York State Foundation for Podiatric Medicine Board of Directors.

’68 BA Earl L. Jann Jr., a retired pharmaceutical representative, was appointed commissioner of the Erie County Water Authority by the Erie County Legislature.

’76 BA Maria B. Scrivani, author of several books and articles about Buffalo’s history and architecture, was named to the Park School of Buffalo Board of Trustees.

’68 BA Brian E. Keating is the new managing director at Dopkins Wealth Management LLC. He previously served as regional president of HSBC Bank USA NA, until his retirement in 2007.

’78 BS, MBA ’82 Daniel J. Jaszka Jr. founded D. Jaszka Energy Consulting.

The company provides energy conservation and procurement services.

’69 BA Ronald J. Pilozzi, a retired member of management at the Tonawanda General Motors Engine Plant, was named to the New York State Veterans Hall of Fame in recognition of his service in the United States Army. ’69 BA Joanne M. Schwartzott, retired manager of corporate employee relations for National Grid, was a distinguished honoree at the Western New York Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals National Philanthropy Day Luncheon.

1970s ’71 BS Kurt C. Bingeman, owner and president of Russell Bond and Company Inc., was re-elected to serve a three-year term on the Derek Hughes/NAPSLO Educational Foundation Board of Directors. ’71 BA Mark J. Lema, MD, PhD, chair of the Division of Anesthesiology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and professor and chair of Anesthesiology at the University at Buffalo, received the Distinguished Service Award from the American Society of Anesthesiologists. He was also the featured speaker in

’78 BS William J. Schwab Jr., account executive at Procter and Gamble Distributing Company, received the Top Sales Achiever Award at the company’s national meeting. ’78 BA, MBA ’85 Nancy (Wutz) Ware, president and founder of EduKids Inc., was a distinguished honoree at the Western New York Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals National Philanthropy Day Luncheon. ’79 BS Michael A. Ervolina Jr., president of Valu Home Centers Inc., accepted the Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation Award at the Western New York Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals National Philanthropy Day Luncheon, on behalf of Valu Home Centers. ’79 BA David G. Hicks, MD, director of surgical pathology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, received the Excellence in Teaching Award from the College of American Pathologists for his efforts to improve the diagnosis of breast cancer. ’79 BA Kerry M. Langan, independent writer and editor, co-edited the non-fiction anthology entitled Shifting Balance Sheets: Women’s

Stories of Naturalization and Cultural Attachment, published by Wishing Up Press. ’79 MA Phoebe M. Nicely, contributing writer for the East Aurora Advertiser and retired teacher of the arts, received the Mary and Gil Stott Award. The award honors local artists, writers and musicians. ’79 BS Michael Osika, vice president of finance and operations at Ethan Allen Home Interiors, was a distinguished honoree at the Western New York Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals National Philanthropy Day Luncheon. ’79 MS Father Michael P. Zuffoletto was appointed to a six-year term as pastor of St. Peter Parish in Lewiston

by Bishop Edward U. Kmiec.

1980s ’80 BS, MBA ’85 Mary J. (Heubusch) Bartels, controller for the Greater Niagara Frontier Council Inc. Boy Scouts of America, received the Financial Executive of the Year Award in the nonprofits category by Buffalo’s Business First. ’80 BS, MBA ’90 Kenneth P. Houseknecht is the new executive director of the Mental Health Association of Erie County. He previously served as senior vice president at Kei Advisors. ’80 BS Rocco Lucente II, managing partner at Cohen and Lombardo PC, was elected first vice president of the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo Inc. Board of Directors. ’80 BA Joseph L. Zawicki, PhD, associate professor of earth sciences and science education at Buffalo State College, received the President’s Award for Excellence in Academic Advisement from Buffalo State College. ’81 BS William A. Battle, information technology program administrator, community outreach coordinator and adjunct professor at Bryant and Stratton College, received the President’s Award from the Minority Bar Association of Western New York. ’81 BA Jamie E. DePeau is the new corporate chief marketing officer at Lincoln Financial Group. She previously served as senior vice president of marketing at TIAA-CREF. ’81 BA Alan W. Meholick, MD, a cardiologist with Buffalo Heart Group, is the new invasive and clinical cardiologist at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center. ’81 BS Mark R. Szafranski was promoted to vice president of finance at Cornerstone Community Federal Credit Union. He previously served as accounting manager. ’81 BA Jean M. Wactawski-Wende, professor and associate chair of the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine in the School of Public Health and Health Professionals, professor in the Department of GynecologyObstetrics in the School of Medicine

and Biomedical Sciences, and vice provost for Strategic Initiatives at the University at Buffalo, received the Distinguished Biomedical Alumna Award from the University at Buffalo. ’81 BS, MBA ’90 Mark E. Wood, vice president of M&T Bank Corporation, was elected president of the Buffalo chapter of Financial Executives International. ’82 BS Gregory P. Rustowicz is the new chief financial officer for Columbus McKinnon Corporation.

He previously served as vice president of finance for Momentive Performance Materials. ’83 BA Eileen L. Hudson is the new director of major gifts at Our Lady of Victory Homes of Charity. She previously served as director of alumni relations at Canisius College. ’83 BA John J. Jenkins, partner in the Securities and Capital Market group at Calfee, Halter and Griswold LLP, was named “Lawyer of the Year” in his practice group for 2012

by Best Lawyers, a peer-reviewed publication in the legal profession. ’83 BS David R. Lombardo was promoted to classified advertising manager of The Buffalo News. He previously served as automotive and non-local sales manager. ’84 BS Col.Kevin K. Baggott, director of inspections for the Marine Corps in Washington, DC, was awarded the Bronze Star for combat operations in Regional Command (South), Kandahar, Afghanistan. ’84 BA Alan P. Pietruszewski, ’84 BA, CDR U.S. Navy (retired), an actor, co-starred on the TV series The Mentalist, in October 2011. He also played a reporter on CSI: NY, in November 2011 and portrayed a poker player on the new HBO series Luck, which debuted in February 2012. He is also the voice on a new campaign of eight commercials for Microsoft. ’85 BA James D. Lynch is the new media director at the Martin Group.

He previously served as marketing manager at the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority. ’86 BS John R. Ahrens, president of Ahrens Financial Group in Amherst, was honored for his 25 years of service to Mass Mutual Financial Group. ’86 MBA Barbara A. Bellanti, president and chief executive officer of Battenfeld Grease and Oil Corporation, received the Dr. Bernard L. Martin award from the Canisius College Masters Business Alumni Association for her professional achievement and extraordinary service to the community. ’86 BA James P. Hayes is the new investment professional at Ayco Company LP, a Goldman Sachs Company. He previously represented District 148 in the New York State Assembly and served as the ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee. ’86 BA Laura A. (Montante) Zaepfel, vice president of corporate relations

at Uniland Development Company, received the Buffalo Business First Women of Influence Award in the corporate executive category. ’87 BA Michael J. Cleary is the new business banking relationship manager for the Western New York District of KeyBank.

He previously served as vice president of First National Recovery Solutions Inc. ’87 BS Mary Anne (Connolly) Jaquay was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer of Nelson Levine de Luca and Horst. She previously served as chief operating officer. ’87 BA Jon P. Yormick, managing attorney at Yormick and Associates, was named to a two-year term as chair of the International Law Section at the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. He is also serving as the Buffalo and Cleveland coordinator for the Export Legal Assistance Network. ’88 BA, MS ’05 Sheila M. O’Brien, executive director of SABAH, received the Buffalo Business First Women of Influence Award in the non-profit leadership category. ’89 BA Tracy A. O’Grady, executive chef and co-owner of Willow Restaurant, received the New York State Society’s 2011 Charging Buffalo Award at Buffalo Nite in Washington, DC. ’89 BA Michelle M. (Wynne) Parker, partner at the Buffalo office of Anspach Meeks Ellenberger LLP and part-time town prosecutor in Evans, was included in the 2011 New York Super Lawyers – Upstate Edition. ’89 BA Lisa M. (Campieri) Pugliese was promoted to director of the Buffalo office of public housing within the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. She previously served as supervisory project manager for multifamily housing.

1990s ’90 BA Shawn P. Hanlon is the new vice president of the Benefits Consulting Division at Brown & Brown of Florida.

He previously served as the senior health benefit consultant for BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York. ’91 BA Kristin (Griesmann) Etu was promoted to assistant director of public relations at Canisius College. She previously served as public relations specialist. ’91 BS Mark J. Koziel, vice president of firm services and global alliances for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, was named one of the top 10 most influential accountants in the United States in Accounting Today. ’92 BA Michael J. DeGeorge was appointed director of communications and intergovernmental relations for the city of Buffalo.

He previously served as interim spokesman for Mayor Byron W. Brown.

earned the designation of Personal Financial Specialist. ’94 BA Thomas C. Bamrick was promoted to executive director of East and global sales at Ingram Micro. He previously served as senior director of global sales. ’94 BS Todd N. Ellis is the new chief information officer for Vaspian LLC. He previously served as the consultant for Arsenal Security Group. ’94 BA Maurice McNab, attorney at his own firm, was appointed section editor on the National Bar Association Magazine Committee. ’94 BS Henry W.J. McWilliams, director of finance at UB Associates Inc., was named to the 2011 Buffalo Business First “40 Under Forty” list. ’94 BA Scott L. Sroka, assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, published an article, entitled “Revisionist Theory: The Historical Reality of Eliot Ness and the Untouchables” in the Chicago Tribune about his grandfather, Joe Lesson, who was one of Eliot Ness’ agents. ’95 BS Anthony B. Habib, president of Petri Baking Products, was a distinguished honoree at the Western New York Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals National Philanthropy Day Luncheon. ’95 BS Brian M. Murphy, partner at Lawley Benefits Group LLC, was named to the 2011 Buffalo Business First “40 Under Forty” list. ’95 BS Mark B. Ryczek was promoted to senior vice president of the application operational support problem management team at Bank of America Home Loans and Legacy Assets Technologies. He previously served as vice president of Level 2 Application Operational Support. ’95 BA Amy J. Strychasz, a clinical social worker, authored the novel Buffalo Gals, which was published by the Blue Buffalo Publishing Company. ’96 MSED Deborah T. Curtis, director of the Hospitality Training and Research Center at Niagara University, received the National Statler Center’s Leadership Toward Excellence Award. ’96 BS, MBA ’97 Ronald J. Soluri Jr. was promoted to director at Freed Maxick and Battaglia PC. He previously served as senior manager. ’97 BA Vincent D. Clark is the new executive director for the Ellicott-Masten YMCA. He previously served as director of the Office of Community Relations for the University at Buffalo. ’97 BA Gregory A. Coogan is the new director of youth, young adult and campus ministries for the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey. He previously served as the young adult ministry coordinator for the Diocese of Buffalo.

’93 BA Eric Roman Filipink is a new associate in the Banking, Finance and Major Projects Practice Group in the New York office of the international law firm of Baker and McKenzie LLP. He previously served as an advisor in Afghanistan, developing projects on land reform and local government reform.

’97 BS, MBA ’02, MS ’05 Jamel C. Perkins, vice president of information technologies at Delaware North Companies and an adjunct professor in the graduate business program at Canisius College, was named to the 2011 Buffalo Business First “40 Under Forty” list.

’93 BS Michelle M. (Czerniejewski) Wyckoff, certified public accountant,

’97 BA John S. Prizner III was promoted to senior director of development for the

School of Management at the University at Buffalo. He previously served as director of development of the School of Management. ’97 BS Jeffrey T. Zawada was promoted to director in the tax practice of Freed Maxick and Battaglia PC. He previously served as senior manager.

student-athlete welfare at East Tennessee State University. ’02 BA Melinda J. Gullo is the new associate for the law office of Harvey F. Siegel. She previously served as executive director of the city of Buffalo Housing Court.

’98 BS Joseph M. Aquino was promoted to director at Freed Maxick and Battaglia PC. He previously served as senior manager.

’02 BA, MSED ’05, MS ’07 Michael R. Irizarry is the new assistant principal at Pioneer High School. He previously served as a math teacher at Maryvale Middle School.

’98 MS Jennifer J. (Arndt) Conley, school counselor at Sanderson High School, was featured in an article in North Carolina Catholics magazine, entitled “We Never Stopped Trusting.”

’02 MBA Pamela S. Menard, vice president of health promotion and care management at Independent Health, received the Buffalo Business First Women of Influence Award, in the corporate executive category.

’98 BA Gigi C. DeGaine-Roland was promoted to area manager of human resources solutions, covering South Carolina and Western North Carolina, at Paychex. She previously served as a senior human resources generalist.

’02 BS, MBA ’07 Justin M. Nicholas is the new manager of business and strategic analytics in the Health Economics Division at UPMC Health Plan, a division of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

He previously served as a finance manager for BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York.

’98 BS Jeremy M. Laubacker, project manager at Independent Health, was named to the 2011 Buffalo Business First “40 Under Forty” list. ’98 BS Dawn M. (Gartz) Masternick, DPM, a podiatrist at Tipton and Unroe Foot and Ankle Care, was board certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery. ’98 MS, MS ’09 Christina M. (DeNisco) Sullivan, teacher at Frontier High School, was named to the 2011 Buffalo Business First “40 Under Forty” list. ’99 BS Brian K. Laible, managing partner of Landmark Wealth Management, was named to the 2011 Buffalo Business First “40 Under Forty” list.

2000s ’00 BA, MBA ’06 Rocco P. Lueck, managing director of HR Benefit Advisors Ltd., is a new member of the Upstate New York Turnaround Management Association. ’00 BS, MS ’02 William J. Morris is the new athletics director at Daemen College.

He previously served as the associate athletics director for compliance and administration at Niagara University. ’01 BA, MS ’08 Mollie A. (Strasser) Ballaro was promoted to director of undergraduate admissions at Canisius College. She previously served as associate director of admissions. ’01 BS Kari A. Brossard obtained her PhD in microbiology and immunology from the State University of New York at Buffalo. ’01 BS, MBA ’11 Joseph M. Domagala is the new entry-level field examiner in the Buffalo ABL Group at Freed Maxick and Battaglia PC. He previously served as a marketing representative for Group Health Inc. ’01 MBA Catherine (Minkiewicz) Howard is a new member of the Quality Assurance Department at Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, a Johnson and Johnson Company. She previously served as the quality systems manager at CPL, formerly Bristol MyersSquibb Company. ’02 MS Kirsten E. Clark is the new senior associate director and senior women’s administrator at The College of New Jersey.

She previously served as the assistant athletics director for compliance and

’02 BA Jeffrey L. Nowak was ordained a transitional deacon in Christ the King Seminary in the St. John Vianney Chapel

by Bishop Edward U. Kmiec of the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. ’02 BA Molly S. Short, executive director of Journey’s End Refugee Services, was named to the 2011 Buffalo Business First “40 Under Forty” list. ’02 BA Andrew P. Szalay was promoted to director of state government affairs at Mortgage Bankers Association. He previously served as associate director of public policy and recently earned the designation of Accredited Mortgage Professional. ’03 BS, ’05 MS Joellen M. Kogut was promoted to dean of students at King Center Charter School. She previously served as a special education teacher. ’03 MBA Julianne M. (Mooney) Senulis is the new vice president of investor relations and director of rating agency relations at Casteel Schoenborn. She previously served as senior account manager for investor relations at Travers Collins. ’04 BS Ryan E. Caster is the new healthcare manager in the Buffalo office of Freed Maxick and Battaglia PC. He previously served as manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers. ’04 BS Jessica C. (Hesse) Fronczak is the new product and support manager for Campus Labs. She previously served as a product support specialist for Academic Management Systems. ’04 BS Susan A. O’Sullivan was promoted to executive director of VAR sales in the Commercial Markets Division at Ingram Micro. She previously served as sales director. ’04 BA Julia R. (Cimino) Walsh was promoted to assistant principal at Germantown Elementary School in Annapolis, MD. She opened a new state-of-the-art school building for 580 students in August 2011. ’05 BA Adair Luhr is the new sales representative for Pro Benefits Administrators. She previously served as business development associate at Be Relevant Group. ’06 BA David J. Covert, professor at the University of Missouri, obtained his PhD

C ANISIUS COLLEGE M AGA ZINE • WINTER/SPRING 2012 |

29

class notes

in mathematics from the University of Missouri. ’07 BS, MBA ’08 John J. Gagne was promoted to senior accountant at Freed Maxick and Battaglia PC. He previously served as staff accountant. ’07 BS Paul D. Insalaco is the new athletic trainer for men’s basketball, men’s soccer and synchronized swimming at Canisius College. He previously served as the head athletic trainer at Medaille College. ’07 BA Daniel P. Puccio, coordinator for campus programs at the University of New Orleans received the 2011 Outstanding New Professional Award from the National Association for Campus Activities. ’07 BA Katie L. Rampino, senior account executive for public relations at Eric Mower and Associates, was elected to serve a two-year term as chair of public relations on the Advertising Club of Buffalo Board of Directors.

’08 BS Mizue Iwamoto is the new assistant athletic trainer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

She previously served as the trainer of the women’s soccer, women’s hockey and men’s lacrosse teams at Plattsburgh State University. ’08 MSED, MS ’11 Scott C. Kapperman is the new principal at St. Aloysius Regional School.

He previously served as assistant principal at Our Lady of Pompeii School. ’09 BS Katherine E. (Bailey) Hokenson, senior accountant for Brock, Schechter and Polakoff LLP, earned the designation of Certified Public Accountant. ’09 BS Vanessa S. Zarcone was promoted to senior accountant at Freed Maxick and Battaglia PC. She previously served as staff accountant.

2010s ’10 BS, ’11 MBA Peter J. DeSabio is a new staff accountant at

Lumsden and McCormick LLP. He previously served as a licensed insurance representative at Primerica Financial Services. ’10 BS Keeley A. O’Mealia is a new special education teacher at Health Sciences Charter School. She previously served as a substitute teacher. ’10 BS, MBA ’11 Matthew J. Sprague is a new staff accountant at Dopkins and Company LLP. ’10 BS, MS ’11 Matthew J. Tower is a new staff accountant at Lumsden & McCormick LLP. He previously served as a tax intern at Meritain Health. ’11 MBA Jonathan R. Augustyn is a new admissions counselor at Medaille College. He previously served as the clinical administrative coordinator at United Healthcare. ’11 BS Daniel J. Coates is a new lacrosse player for the National Lacrosse League’s Colorado Mammoth.

’11 MBA Adam M. Desmond is a new relationship manager for First Niagara Financial Group, responsible for the growth and management of the commercial loan portfolio for the bank’s Western New York Business Banking Group. ’11 BS, MBA ’11 Patrick J. Hanavan is a new staff accountant at Lumsden and McCormick LLP. He previously served as a manager for Tops Markets. ’11 BS Adam D. Jones is a new lacrosse player for the National Lacrosse League’s Colorado Mammoth. ’11 BS Philip T. Rauch is a new player for the East Coast Hockey League’s Toledo Walleye. ’11 BA Luke F. Seymour is the new goaltenders’ coach for men’s and women’s soccer at St. Lawrence University. ’11 BS Kori E. Walek is the new accounting/media clerk for SKM Group in Buffalo.

To see what alumni events are happening in your area, visit the alumni calendar of events at canisius.edu/alumni.

I n M emoriam Hon. H. Buswell Roberts ’38 July 19, 2011

William J. Cleary ’50 September 11, 2011

Joseph J. Nasternak ’54 September 21, 2011

John A. Splett ’68, PhD October 29, 2011

James P. Smith ’80 August 20, 2011

Col. John C. Mattina ’39 September 7, 2011

Richard B. Good ’50 November 25, 2011

S. William Savarino ’55 October 22, 2011

Robert E. Dawson MS ’70 July 27, 2011

Jon A. Cooke MBA ’82 August 25, 2011

Neil W. Frank ’41 September 15, 2011

Francis J. Krebs ’50, MS ’65 November 4, 2011

Elizabeth H. (Grzebinski) Zuba MS ’58 | October 26, 2011

Veronica A. Astrello MS ’71 August 12, 2011

Mary C. Kersten MSED ’82 November 25, 2011

Capt. Frederick A. Keller ’41 October 6, 2011

Henry R. Swierat ’50 September 4, 2011

Frank J. Rizzo ’58, MS ’60 August 8, 2011

Dennis J. Hausler ’72 September 26, 2011

Charles J. Arrigo ’83 September 28, 2011

Casimir F. Pietraszek ’41, MD November 14, 2011

Daniel F. Torrell ’50 August 18, 2011

Thomas P. Farrell ’59 May 13, 2011

Thomas M. Nolan ’73 August 5, 2011

Judith M. (Martin) Marchant ’83 August 20, 2011

Arthur J. Maloney ’42 November 16, 2011

Eugene E. Bartholomew ’51 October 27, 2011

Sylvester Kuligowski MS ’59 August 17, 2011

Gerard A. Stranz ’73 October 22, 2011

Francis X. Downey ’95 November 12, 2011

James J. Redmond Jr. ’42 October 25, 2011

Richard T. Campana ’51 November 9, 2011

Lt. Col. Anthony E. Bisantz ’60 October 13, 2011

Freda (Lacinski) Antos ’96 October 5, 2011

Jerome A. Mruk ’43 November 16, 2011

Arthur F. Koch ’51 August 30, 2011

Jerome J. Phillips ’60 November 7, 2011

Camille (Massaro) Caulfield MS ’75 November 11, 2011

Arthur F. Musarra ’43 November 6, 2011

Herbert L. Ratajczak ’51 September 4, 2011

Irene A. Koubek MS ’62 July 29, 2011

Robert J. Pickenpack ’43 August 1, 2011

Leo M. Townsell ’51 August 23, 2011

Keith F. Meegan ’62 August 24, 2011

Richard J. Milholland ’47, DDS September 5, 2011

James G. Dixon MS ’52 October 1, 2011

Mary S. (Steckow) Dicky MS ’63 August 8, 2011

Conrad D. Muller ’48 November 11, 2011

James J. Higgins ’52 September 6, 2011

John A. Costello ’64 October 6, 2011

Bernard M. Reen ’48, MD November 9, 2011

Edward F. Norton ’52 September 14, 2011

Paul T. Hartnett ’64 July 22, 2011

Theodore D. Giza ’49 September 12, 2011

Arthur S. Anderson Sr. ’54 October 5, 2011

Jack A. Kiefer ’66 October 1, 2011

Sister M. Celine Fitzgerald ’54 July 9, 2011

Stephen E. Brower ’67 June 12, 2011

Hon. William J. Ostrowski ’49 September 13, 2011

30

| C ANISIUS COLLEGE M AGA ZINE • WINTER/SPRING 2012

Mario J. Cipollone ’75 August 6, 2011 Richard Samuel ’75 November 20, 2011 John E. Boland ’76 July 25, 2011 Josephine L. (LaBruna) Slacer MS ’76 | November 17, 2011 Pauline E. Hrycik MS ’77 November 17, 2011 Henry R. Even Jr. MS ’78 July 27, 2011 Anne P. (Kuhn) Lawrence MA ’79 November 8, 2011

Ronald P. Kolenko MSED ’99 November 14, 2011 Christy L. McKenna ’99 October 25, 2011 Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth HON ’05 October 5, 2011 Wilson Greatbatch HON ’06 September 27, 2011 Herbert A. Hauptman HON ’08, PhD | October 23, 2011

Sarah E. (Miga) Bogan ’98 and Evan Bogan, a son, Daniel Adam, born March 22, 2011

Renee L. (Soroka) Roland ’04, DDS and James N. Roland ’04, DDS, a son, Carter James, born July 7, 2011

Edward C. Conroy ’90, Esq and Rebecca M. Conroy, a son, Thomas Patrick, born June 9, 2011

Amanda E. (Miller) Schlegel ’02 and Bill Schlegel, twin daughters, Rose Amanda and Kate Charlotte, born September 30, 2011

Suzanne (Piske) Gracie ’01, MBA ’08 and Matthew D. Gracie ’99, ’08, a son, Owen Peter, born June 2, 2011 Nicole C. (Kuss) Halladay MS ’04 and Jeffrey Halladay, a son, Owen Paul, born August 18, 2011 Erin (Herlihy) Hartnett MS ’11 and Dennis P. Hartnett ’96, a son, Brendan John, born September 10, 2011 Stacy (Choczynski) Johnson ’04, DVM and Cesare P. Johnson, a daughter, Alessandra Rose, born August 18, 2011 Kenneth R. Kraus ’02 and Alyssa (Truelove) Kraus, a daughter, Madelyn Truelove, born July 1, 2011 Bianca A. (Fragomeni) Macanga ’03 and Eric Macanga, a son, Mason, born April 22, 2011 Sarah E. (Royer) McCabe ’02, MSED ’07 and Shawn McCabe, a son, Gavin, born June 24, 2011 Glenn R. Mogavero ’89, MSED ’92, MS ’98 and Kelly L. Mogavero, a son, Michael Paul, adopted December 14, 2010

T H I S I S S U E ’ S F E AT U R E D B A B Y G R I F F

James H. Pawlaw ’92, PhD and Anne Cameron Church, PhD, a daughter, Adele Katharine, born April 7, 2011

Sean McAndrew born to Bridget A. (Quinlan) MSED ’06 and Andrew L. Spitler ’05, MS ’08, on July 5, 2011

Keep Up with

Nora E. Eberl Plizga ’92 and Matthew Plizga, a son, Edward Robert, born May 1, 2011

Dawn M. Agee ’02 and Joseph S. Ferguson ’02, PhD on December 30, 2010 Teresa A. Bordonaro ’03, MBA ’10 and David Hammer on May 21, 2011 *Stacey L. Budzinski ’06 and Daniel B. Moar ’04 on September 10, 2011

Friend us on Facebook: facebook.com/canisiuscollegealumni

*Kara M. Campbell ’07, MSED ’09 and Thomas Heine on October 15, 2011 *Lauren E. Daniel ’10 and Steven Lawson on October 22, 2011 *Nicholas F. DeWitt ’06 and Danielle Pietrocarlo on September 3, 2011

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/CanisiusCollege

Join us on Linkedin: linkedin.com/groups?gid=76807 New job? Newly married?

New arrival?

Simply email your news and notes to alumnote@canisius.edu. The editors will share your accomplishments in a future issue of Canisius College Magazine. Just remember to indicate Alumni Note, Alumni Wedding or Baby Griff in the subject field of your email.

*Jason R. Dipasquale ’04 and Helene Cali on September 10, 2011

Nicole A. (Guadagna) Schmidt ’01 and Mathew R. Schmidt ’98, a daughter, Gianna Elizabeth, born February 25, 2011 Claire D. (Daigler) Siemens ’03 and Joshua Siemens, a son, Henry, born August 10, 2011 Janet A. (Doyle) Staub ’02 and Christopher J. Staub ’00, a daughter, Teagan Doyle, born March 9, 2011 Andrew P. Szalay ’02 and Natalie (Stern) Szalay, a daughter, Katarina Sophie, born August 16, 2011 Angela (Gilona) Szwed ’91, MS ’99 and Jason M. Szwed, a son, Jacob Alan, born July 17, 2011

Think your baby ought to be in pictures?

Send us a photo of your newborn with his/her name and date of birth. Each issue, we will draw from the entries.

If your child’s picture is chosen, he/she will be featured as the next “Baby Griff.” Send photos to: Canisius College Magazine Baby Pictures; 2001 Main Street, Lyons Hall 209; Buffalo, NY 14208 or email a high resolution photo to alumnote@canisius.edu. ALL Baby Griff photos submitted can be viewed on the college’s alumni site at canisius.edu/alumni/wedding_births.asp. Photos will be returned if a self- addressed, stamped envelope is provided.

Allison M. Dombek ’07, MS ’09 and Jack A. Bartels ’09 on September 9, 2011

Julianne M. Mooney MBA ’03 and Jeffrey C. Senulis on October 1, 2011

Benjamin M. Fantaske ’07 and Courtney O’Hara on May 28, 2011

*Josephine G. Ossei-Anto ’10, MBA ’11 and Daniel E. Theal ’08 on November 11, 2011

Allison R. Fitchlee ’02, MSED ’07 and Michael James on July 9, 2011 *Erin E. Garner ’05 and Jerry Fasolino III on November 5, 2011 Laura M. Gellin ’04 and Scott Luter on August 12, 2011 *Jessica L. Greco ’08 and Jeremy Giglia on September 17, 2011 Caitlin L. Hamric ’09, MBA ’10 and Aaron T. Bakewell ’08 on July 2, 2011 Scott E. Hiemenz ’05 and Lynn M. Miske on August 27, 2011 *Ellen S. Leutze ’08 and Christopher M. Musialowski ’09, MBA ’10 on September 24, 2011

Lainey C. Pate ’08 and Nicholas C. Kempton on August 27, 2011 Miquel P. Piernik ’06 and Paul Budd on May 21, 2011 Ann M. Popadick ’98 and Keith Schottman on June 17, 2011 Alexis C. Preston ’10 and Shaun A. James ’09, MS ’10 on July 1, 2011 Richard R. Russell II ’07 and Colleen Pickens on May 14, 2011 *Katherine M. Seyler ’03 and Nicholas E. Leonardis ’05 on September 3, 2011 *Joseph H. Shaw MS ’07 and Jacquelyn LoVullo on September 17, 2011

*Megan D. Lyte ’07 and Philip D. Riggi ’07, MSED ’09 on October 1, 2011

*Doreen H. Skowron MS ’00 and Joe Mota on September 24, 2011

Amanda N. Marts ’07 and Michael C. Golisano on August 20, 2011

*Jennifer M. Terryberry ’06 and Timothy Hoerner on October 1, 2011

*Melissa M. Meetze ’01 and Daniel Marangola on October 29, 2011

Shawn C. Tierney ’97 and Tracy M. Hamed on August 6, 2011 *Aimee Wisbaum MSED ’09 and Craig Bova on October 15, 2011 Vanessa S. Zarcone ’09 and Paul Hinderliter on August 13, 2011

*Indicates married at Christ the King Chapel

E. Etu ’91 Story by Kristen

Paula R. Dhanda ’79, MD, saves lives and improves healthcare for impoverished women around the world.

Paula R. Dhanda ’79, MD, knows the secret to happiness.

“It’s not in what you have but in what you can give away,” she says.

Dual certified in obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN) and surgery, Dhanda is renowned for revolutionizing women’s healthcare in poverty-stricken Northern California. She now heads up a global initiative to do the same. Through her mission, Worldwide Healing Hands, Dhanda helps save lives and improve healthcare for impoverished women around the world.

“Something happens to you, when you leave your family, friends and comforts behind to care for strangers,” she adds. “You discover the opportunity to touch lives in a lasting way.”

Dhanda’s philosophy is part of a family legacy.

As a young girl in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, she watched her surgeon father attentively serve the city’s large indigent population.

“There was and still is a lot of poverty there,” recalls Dhanda.

“He provided free care to many people who could not afford to pay.” In 1990, she decided to follow in her father’s footsteps. She left her practice in affluent Beverly Hills, where “there was an abundance of physicians,” and relocated to rural Lake County, CA. “People don’t usually associate California with poverty,” says Dhanda. “I live and work in one of the most beautiful areas in California but the beauty cannot hide the fact that it is one of the

sought to change this when she established a comprehensive obstetrics program in one of the county’s hospitals.

She later founded the Specialty Care and Surgery Center in Kelseyville, CA, with her husband, John Clarke, a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). The ambulatory surgery center (ASC) provides comprehensive healthcare to women of all

poorest counties in the United States.”

ages and stature.

The county’s indigent population (a mix of Native Americans and

“Many people in this area are uninsured but don’t qualify for

Hispanics) lacked access to even the most basic care. Women, in

medical benefits so they come to the surgery center, where we can

particular, were without comprehensive gynecologic and pre-natal

do things at a much lower cost than in a regular hospital, because

care, which resulted in a high number of still-born babies. Dhanda

of our fully accredited ASC status,” says Dhanda.

C ANISIUS COLLEGE M AGA ZINE • WINTER/SPRING 2012 |

33

“ I love taking care of women, I have delivered thousands of babies and still find the birth process miraculous.”

Paula R. Dhanda ’79, MD She introduced Lake County to laparoscopic and laser

Dhanda’s medical training enables her to save lives. Her

surgeries. Although these surgical procedures were

bedside manner brings dignity to patients, adds Appel.

commonplace in wealthier areas of the state, they

“Her smile, demeanor and doctor-patient interactions

were virtually absent from healthcare facilities in Lake

speak volumes about her.”

County. The surgeries are less invasive and patients’ recoveries are much faster.

the poverty, malnutrition and poor medical care she

“Dr. Dhanda brought a breath of fresh air to the

witnessed in Chad. But Dhanda knew she found her

operating room,” says Perla Lovejoy, a former

passion.

registered nurse and Dhanda colleague. “Before she arrived, doctors here were not current with the latest technology. Dr. Dhanda really moved us forward.”

“I went there to give but the people gave me more,” says Dhanda. “When I saw the women without access to medical care and having to endure daily hardships and struggle to live with dignity, I realized that I could

She now leads a global initiative to do

take the models that I developed in Chad and apply

the same.

them in other places.”

Dhanda began to make international

To help support her medical missions, (which cost an

rounds in 2009, when a fellow surgeon

average of $25,000 each) Dhanda launched a personal

invited her to participate in a medical

skincare line (Dr. Paula’s Skincare). One hundred percent

mission in Chad, Africa. Dhanda hoped

of the profits go to Worldwide Healing Hands, the

to help a few women and children in need

non-profit foundation Dhanda also established to help

of medical attention, and perhaps educate

fund her mission trips.

Chad’s health professionals. Instead, she and

The foundation will help Dhanda and her team travel

her surgical team performed 50 surgeries

to Nepal this year. Her last two trips have been to

and delivered several high-risk babies

Haiti. In fact, Dhanda dedicated her 2011 trip to Haiti

during their two-weeks at Béré Adventist

as a “Gift of Community Service,” a service initiative

Hospital.

launched by Canisius College in honor of President

“The hospital is understaffed, the buildings

34

It took Dhanda time to recover, emotionally, from

John J. Hurley’s inauguration.

are run-down and only basic lab equipment is available

“Canisius gave me a good start in my career to become

for diagnosis,” says James Appel, MD, Béré’s only full-

a doctor and reinforced the altruistic value system that

time physician. “Despite these obstacles, Dr. Dhanda

was instilled in me as a child,” says Dhanda, whose

jumped right in and collaborated with us to take care

highly-structured education in India enabled her to

of our patients in the best way possible.”

begin bio-chemistry studies at Canisius at age 16. “A

| C ANISIUS COLLEGE M AGA ZINE • WINTER/SPRING 2012

Paula Dhanda ’79, MD, established Worldwide Healing Hands, a non-profit foundation that helps fund her and her team’s medical missions to Third World countries.

Dhanda also donates 100 percent of the profits from the personal skincare line (Dr. Paula’s Skincare) she developed, to further support Worldwide Healing Hands.

big part of my mission is to teach. I don’t like to go anywhere where I am not able to leave something behind.”

Like her father, Dhanda now teaches her own children, John Paul, 12, and Jasmin, 10, the importance of giving back. Both make bracelets, which they sell internationally via the Internet. The children donate 50 percent of their profits to Worldwide Healing Hands.

“You realize how fortunate American children are when you see the children in Africa who are so happy with so little,” says Dhanda, who is also aware of her own good fortune. Dhanda delivered and later adopted John Paul and Jasmin. “My husband did the anesthesia, so he was in the room for their deliveries,” recalls Dhanda. “Now he is always concerned that I might bring another one home!”

It’s been 20 years since Dhanda first began to provide high-standard healthcare to indigent populations. Her efforts to alleviate suffering and promote wellness received recognition in 2010 when the faithbased, non-profit healthcare system Adventist Health presented Dhanda with its Physician of the Year Award.

Although honored to be recognized by her peers, it’s Dhanda’s patients who keep her resolute in her medical mission.

“The need is great and at times I have an overwhelming sense of inadequacy in the face of such monumental suffering,” she says. “But I only have to recall the face of one child or woman whose life I have saved to renew my belief in what we humans are able to accomplish when we all work together for a common purpose.” She adds, “Everyone has talents to share and I encourage people to find their passion.”

Dhanda did, and she touched the lives of countless women and children in lasting ways.