OBITUARIES
Peter Powers ’65 PETER J. POWERS ’65, chair and CEO of Powers Global Strategies, LLC, former first deputy mayor of New York City, and former member of the board of trustees and honorary degree recipient at Manhattan College, died on July 7. He was 72. Powers was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws in 1995 from the College during his tenure as first deputy mayor of New York City. In part, the citation read: “Mr. Powers is known to be the calm center of the swirling storm of city government. In a time that calls for far-reaching change, decisive action and political toughness, his effective management, steady hand, confidence and trust have contributed greatly to the many early accomplishments of the Giuliani administration.” After receiving his honorary degree, Powers discussed how the College influenced his life, career and friendships. “As you know, my closest friend is my Manhattan College roommate [former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani ’65]. If you asked a lot of people in this city who we are, they would say, ‘oh yes, the mayor and the first deputy mayor,’” he said. “If you asked us, we would say, ‘we are a couple of Christian Brothers’ guys who wouldn’t be where we are without the Brothers and Manhattan College.’” A Queens native, Powers graduated from Bishop Loughlin High School, Manhattan College and New York University Law School, where he earned an LL.M. in taxation. Also a Certified Public Accountant, he began his career practicing tax law in New York City. After leaving City Hall in 1998, he formed the firm Powers Global Strategies, LLC, serving as chair and CEO. Based in New York City and Washington, D.C., the firm advises numerous multinational corporations in the top tier of the Fortune 500 on a broad range of issues from public policy research and strategic planning to crisis management. During his political days, Powers’ ground game strategy was considered a key factor for the mayoral victory giving Giuliani the largest win for a Republican since Fiorello LaGuardia. Powers then brought that same leadership to City Hall as first deputy mayor, where he was responsible for running the day-to-day operations of New York City. Powers served on numerous boards, including the College’s board of trustees from 2000-2004, Fox Entertainment Group, Mutual of America Life Insurance, International Steel Group Inc., GFI Corporation, and the Partnership for New York City. He also served as chairman and director of Giuliani LLC and as chairman of the New York City Public Initiatives Corporation. He is survived by his wife and business partner, Sylvia Ng; his daughters, Heather (Scott) McBride and Krista (Jeff) Harvey; his grandchildren, Eve, Catalina, Luke and Patrick; and two older brothers, Don and Jack. 64 N fall 2016
George Prans GEORGE PRANS, PH.D., associate professor of electrical engineering at Manhattan College for more than 40 years, died on April 27. He was 73. Prans began at Manhattan College as an assistant professor in 1975 and was promoted to associate professor in 1982. During his tenure at the College, he taught everything from introduction to engineering to electrical system analysis. His main research was on the use of solar power and electricity to power cars. In recent years, he worked with Robert Mauro, Ph.D., professor of electrical engineering on curriculum and planning in the development of new material for the freshman ENGS-115 course. It included a new electrical engineering module that enabled students to build their own LED flashlights. “This past year, we upgraded the computer engineering material in this course to allow students to work with the new Lego EV3 Robotic Systems,” Mauro says. “This module is hugely popular with the students.” Prans was a dedicated member of the College community. He served on the College Senate, the promotion and tenure committee for six years, the facilities planning committee of the board of trustees, and the electrical and computer engineering consultors committee. Prans also served on the Council for Faculty Affairs, which he chaired for three years, and the Faculty Welfare Council. “George Prans was a private person, rather offbeat and unique,” says Romeo Pascone, Ph.D., professor of electrical engineering. “He had a mechanical and electrical engineering background, and, hence, was a very handy engineer who built his own house in Vermont basically from scratch.” When talking about his teaching style, Pascone says: “He carried this basic and hands-on understanding over to the classroom and was an old-fashioned and very good teacher with high standards who was generally appreciated by the students. He loved the teaching profession and was reliable and dedicated to the Electrical and Computer Engineering department. He could be funny at times with a dry sense of humor and showed a healthy interest in the world.” A graduate of Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, Prans earned his bachelor’s, three master’s degrees and doctorate there. On the graduate level, his degrees were in physics, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering with funding from NASA and the National Science Foundation. His doctorate was in electrical engineering, and he served as a visiting professor at Stevens in 1974. A lifetime member of the Institute of Electric and Electronic Engineers, he was a member of Sigma Xi, Eta Kappa Nu, and Tau Beta Pi. He is survived by his wife, Sharyn Finnegan; his daughter, Kate Finnegan-Prans; and his brother, Richard Prans.