Syska Hennessy Chairman Will Receive 2009 De La Salle Medal
John V. Magliano ’66
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manhattan.edu
John V. Magliano ’66, chairman of Syska Hennessy Group, Inc. and Manhattan College trustee, will receive the 2009 De La Salle Medal at Manhattan’s annual dinner on Wednesday, Jan. 21 at The Waldorf=Astoria. Richard Anderson, president of New York Building Congress, Thomas Farrell ’83, senior managing director of Tishman Speyer, and Richard Tomasetti ’63, founding principal of Thornton Tomasetti, Inc., will serve as dinner co-chairmen. “I am both humbled and thankful at the thought of being the honoree at the Manhattan College De La Salle Dinner,” Magliano says. “Humbled because there are others who deserve this honor more than I do and thankful because I was fortunate to be able to make good use of the gift of a superb education that the College gave me in the four years I spent here.” The De La Salle Medal Dinner, which began in 1977, remains the top fundraising event for the College and has honored executives and corporations who exemplify the principles of excellence, corporate leadership and service to society. Former honorees include: Robert Reynolds, former vice chairman and chief operating officer, Fidelity Investments; Sy Sternberg, president and chief executive officer, New York Life Insurance Company; Rudolph W. Giuliani ’65, former mayor of the City of New York; and Eugene McGrath ’63, former chairman and
chief executive officer, Con Edison. Magliano, a licensed professional engineer in 12 states, joined Syska Hennessy Group, one of the country’s leading consulting, engineering, technology and construction firms, in 1970, after graduating from the College with a degree in electrical engineering and serving a four-year tour of duty in the U.S. Air Force. During his 38 years with the firm, he has served as principal-incharge of many of its high-profile clients and projects, including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, the United Nations and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A firm advocate of mentoring and team advancement, Magliano is one of the founding members of the ACE Mentor Program, a nonprofit group that provides mentoring for high school students in the fields of architecture, construction and engineering. He also established Syska’s unique Engineer in Training program, an intensive program for new engineers just out of college, among other initiatives. Proceeds from the black-tie dinner provide discretionary resources for the College and are applied to a wide variety of needs. For more information about this event and how you or your company can participate, please call Susan Bronson, director of corporate and foundation relations, at (718) 8627837 or e-mail her at susan.bronson@ manhattan.edu.
around the quad
“I am both humbled and thankful at the thought of being the honoree at the Manhattan College De La Salle Dinner ... thankful because I was fortunate to be able to make good use of the gift of a superb education that the College gave me in the four years I spent here.”
Class of 2008 Graduates to Success Four years after setting foot on Manhattan’s campus, the class of 2008 observed the pinnacle of its college career, a weeklong celebration of academic events that began with the Spring Honors Convocation and ended in the 166th Manhattan College Commencement ceremony. At the Spring Honors Convocation, the Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers was packed with 250 of Manhattan’s most ambitious students. Seniors recognized for their high grades were inducted into 31 honor societies, followed by the distribution of 48 medals and prizes by faculty members who commended students for their intellect, leadership and community service. Dr. Andrew Skotnicki, associate professor of religious studies, addressed the audience. He congratulated students for their achievements and reminded them that not only their successes but also their mistakes teach important lessons. “These lessons that are learned when we do not succeed teach us the final elements of our creed: to celebrate honors like those you receive tonight with humility and gratitude, and to make a commitment to give everyone the second chance that you undoubtedly were given along the way,” he said. After his speech, the ceremony continued with the presentation of seniors in national, international and academic honor societies. Faculty moderators read students names in areas of achievement, such as accounting, communication and radiological technology. Later on, the deans from all five of Manhattan’s schools awarded medals to outstanding students. Three days later, these students and many more gathered at the Commencement ceremony on May 18, where close to 700 students received bachelor’s degrees in all 40 majors in the schools of art, science, engineering, education and business. The day began with a Baccalaureate Mass in the morning that was well-attended by students and their families. Brunch awaited them under tents on the Quad, before they headed to Draddy Gymnasium for the graduation ceremony. This year’s honoree, William Baker, president emeritus of Educational Broadcasting Corporation (EBC), was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters at the ceremony by Brother President Thomas Scanlan. Baker addressed the audience about making a positive impact on society. “In business and in life, you don’t have to be the boss to make things happen,” he said. “Helping others to succeed is a very high calling. In public broadcasting, our big stars have been folks like Bill Moyers,
Charlie Rose, Big Bird. Helping them do their wonderful work has certainly been a very high calling for me.” Baker spoke from experience, as his career has spanned four decades in the broadcast industry. His résumé includes 10 years at Westinghouse Television, where he worked as president and chairman of cable and programming companies. In 1987, he joined EBC, which has prospered under his leadership. He created new program standards, such as Charlie Rose, City Arts and Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly, and developed Thirteen’s first cable channel, MetroArts/Thirteen. He has won six Emmys for his work as a television producer and was inducted into Broadcasting & Cable’s Hall of Fame in 2004. In addition to Baker, class valedictorian Nicholas Marricco ’08, who received a bachelor’s degree from the school of arts, addressed his peers. He encouraged them to have faith in their own power to achieve their dreams. “We have spent these past several years, on the one hand, gaining an education,” he said. “Today, we stand equipped with the tools that allow us to enjoy lives more enriched with culture and with wisdom. They are the tools that will help us achieve success in all of our endeavors.” This message and more made the Commencement ceremony a day to remember. After final congratulatory remarks from Br. Thomas, the proud graduates processed out into the day, ready for the twists and turns of the career paths that lay ahead of them. Photos and video for the 2008 Commencement ceremony are available on the College’s Web site at www.manhattan.edu/commencement. Spring Commencement photos also can be downloaded at this link.
Left: Honorary degree recipient William Baker, president emeritus of Educational Broadcasting Corporation, is hooded at the 166th Commencement ceremony on May 18 by Renato Berzolla, a member of the College’s board of trustees. Thomas O’Malley ’63 (left), chair of the board of trustees, and fellow trustee Brother Frank Byrne (right) look on from the stage. Top right: Brother President Thomas Scanlan presents Andrew Elbrecht ’08 with the Joseph J. Gunn Alumni Senior Medal, which is awarded to a graduating senior for outstanding leadership, academic achievement and service, at the Spring Honors Convocation. Bottom right: New graduates applaud each other’s accomplishments during Commencement.
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