Manhattan Magazine Spring 2011 by Manhattan College

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A Day in the Life of the College

M A N H AT TA N CO L L EG E S PR I N G 2 0 1 1 VO LUM E 37 • N UM B E R 1

ON CAMPUS The school of engineering begins a beautiful partnership with L’Oréal USA, students demonstrate SAFE water treatments, Lasallian Look, news, lectures and more.

SPORTS The College has an all-star in its head baseball coach, plus news and recaps of the fall and winter seasons.

22 A DAY IN THE LIFE What’s it like to be a Jasper now? Get a glimpse of college life through the lens EDITORIAL Lydia Gray, Director of College Relations Kristen Cuppek, Editor Annie Chambliss, Assistant Editor

of a camera and see what’s happening on campus on a not-so-random day.

32 STUDENTS ON THE VERGE With graduation not far behind and

CONTRIBUTORS Patrice Athanasidy Joe Clifford Liz Connolly Amy Coppe Stephen Dombroski Amanda Ferrarotto Dylan Horowitz Molly Pekarik PHOTOGRAPHERS Ben Asen Joshua Cuppek Marty Heitner Ethan Hill Landon Nordeman DESIGN Charles Hess, chess design Published by the office of college relations, a division of college advancement, Manhattan College, Riverdale, NY 10471

an insecure economy ahead of them, a few seniors look toward the future and share their hopes and fears.

ADVANCEMENT Energy chairman receives the De La Salle Medal, another peek at the new Student Commons, and scholarships.

ALUMNI Hall of Fame inducts new honorees, NYC Club tracks the Second Avenue Subway, alumnotes and Jasper profiles.

OBITS In Memoriam, John Horan, Auxiliary Bishop Patrick Ahern, William Reilly Jr., Charles O’Melia

PARTING SHOT

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A Legacy Lives On

Junius Kellogg ’53 and former men’s basketball head coach Kenneth Norton, standing on the steps of the Administrative Building (now Memorial Hall), hold a press conference to break the basketball game-fixing scandal on January 17, 1951.

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HEN IT COMES TO Manhattan College athletics, the question is often asked, what is a Jasper? Sixty years ago, a freshman center basketball player proved a Jasper is a student-athlete with integrity, dignity and grace. Junius Kellogg ’53 was the first African-American basketball player to play for the College. When asked to fix a game against DePaul University by a Manhattan alumnus who had previously co-captained the team, Kellogg went to his coach rather than accepting the $1,000 bribe. The star center broke open one of the most storied gambling rings in college history on January 17, 1951. By the time it was over, seven national teams were

implicated with 32 players accused of shaving points. They had fixed 86 games from 1947-1950. Kellogg went on to play for the Harlem Globetrotters until an accident while traveling injured him and caused paralysis from the waist down. He did not let it stop him and became one of the leaders of wheelchair basketball, both as a player and a coach. He is still the winningest coach in the history of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association. “Junius and I became lifetime friends,” says Robert Otten ’53, classmate, friend and, later, guardian. “I am a lifetime admirer of this man. He saved college sports in the New York metropolitan area.”

30 Years and Marching CELEBRATING ITS 30TH anniversary, Manhattan College’s Pipes & Drums is still marching strong. Formed in 1981 under the guidance of Brother Kenneth Fitzgerald, FSC, and the musical training of Captain Robert Hogan ’82 of the Pipes & Drums of the New York City Police Department Emerald Society, the band uniquely consists of current students, alumni, faculty and Brothers. A fixture in the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade, where it leads the College’s contingent up Fifth Avenue, Pipes & Drums also makes regular appearances at a number of parades and social events in the metropolitan area, as well as outside the region, including the Bunker Hill Day Parade in Boston and St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Naples, Fla. Not limited to parades, Pipes & Drums has also

opened for the Mighty Mighty Bostones at Roseland Ballroom in New York City, played the Holiday Express Benefit Concert Christmas Spectacular at Continental Airlines Arena, and performed for consecutive years in Frank Patterson’s annual show held at Carnegie Hall. Fielding a complement of 30 to 40 pipers and drummers, members are trained in the fundamentals of bagpiping, drumming and marching. Under the musical guidance of Pipe Major Thomas McCarthy ’06 and Director Michael Hogan ’91, the band currently draws its musical repertoire from the traditional airs and marches of Ireland, as well as from contemporary and traditional American selections. Throughout the years, Pipes & Drums has garnered quite a few distinctions under its sporran belt, but it

is especially proud of being one of the few Americanbased organizations to participate in the 1995 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland, and winning first place for college bands and for college pipe bands in the subsequent years of the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Manhattan College’s Pipes & Drums in March 1998 on campus.

Laboring Under a New Major

S OF JANUARY, the College now offers a new undergraduate labor studies major and minor in the school of arts. The labor studies program will teach critical intellectual skills enabling students to analyze social policy questions and prepare for graduate studies and/or careers in government, labor law, union organization, human resources or teaching. The labor studies curriculum was developed by an interdisciplinary program committee to educate students on the rapidly

changing workplace in a global economic climate, including the rights of workers and the place of workers’ associations in an international context. Students majoring in the new program are required to complete 30 credits with nine critical labor studies credits consisting of an introductory course, Labor Studies Colloquium, fieldwork and a senior seminar. The additional 21 credits are derived from the humanities, social sciences, business and education disciplines. Within the minor, students must take Labor Studies Collo-

quium and 12 credits of electives. Both Labor Studies Colloquium and U.S. Labor Patterns and Movements are two new courses developed as part of the program. U.S. Labor Patterns and Movements, a labor history course, will analyze the ways that people have made history on the job from the rise of the corporate economy in the late 19th century to today’s global corporate era. In addition, these courses will utilize New York City sites significant to the story of the U.S. workforce and labor organizing.

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Because We’re Worth It!

’ORÉAL, THE WORLD leader in cosmetics, is synonymous with beauty, innovation and scientific excellence in more than 130 countries. Manhattan College’s school of engineering, especially its chemical engineering department, is known for its nationally ranked program, challenging curriculum and renowned alumni. So it’s no wonder that L’Oréal’s USA

group and the College found a winning formula in their recent partnership. Representatives from L’Oréal USA visited Manhattan’s campus in February to meet with chemical engineering faculty and administration to host an information session for students, and to formally announce the joint partnership. Ann Marie Flynn, Ph.D., associate professor and chair

of the chemical engineering department, was instrumental in forging the relationship with L’Oréal USA earlier this year. The College also is working closely with L’Oréal USA while it develops a new concentration in cosmetic engineering for the master’s program, which is set to launch in fall 2011 (see sidebar below). Nearly 120 Manhattan students comprised of fresh-

COLLEGE LAUNCHES FIRST COSMETIC ENGINEERING CONCENTRATION IN THE COUNTRY As part of Manhattan College’s Master of Science in chemical engineering program, the school of engineering is offering a concentration in cosmetic engineering this fall. While only a few colleges and universities offer cosmetic science programs, Manhattan’s new concentration in cosmetic engineering is the first of its kind. Ann Marie Flynn, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of Manhattan’s chemical engineering department, started researching the idea for a new concentration in cosmetic engineering in 2010 and with the help of alumni, Flynn was put in contact with engineers from Revlon and Avon. Flynn also met with engineers at L’Oréal USA and gathered a wish list from all three makeup companies on the skills that a master’s graduate should attain. Every engineer Flynn spoke with recommended teaching a course on Emulsion Technology because it is a skill that takes new engineers 18 to 24 months to grasp. As a result, the four classes for the new concentration include: Emulsion Technology (liquid/solid

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suspension found in products ranging from blush to slow-release medicines and nutriceuticals); Advanced Process Theory (the flow of non-waterbased liquids, complex liquids or solid/liquid mixtures); Advanced Processing Techniques (advanced mixing, atomization, pumping and drying); and Industrial Regulation and Quality (this course will provide students with an understanding of regulations, regulating agencies and some of the modern practices in quality control). “We have designed four specialty courses that meet the need of today’s student going out into specialty chemical industries and the cosmetics industry, like the pharmaceutical and food industries, needs to know about emulsions, complex flow and regulations,” says Thomas Twardowski, Ph.D., a visiting professor hired to help design the curriculum for the new concentration in cosmetic engineering. “These four courses should give our graduates a real advantage in the modern, complex cosmetics industry, as well as in other consumer product, food and drug manufacturing marketplaces.”

men, sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate chemical engineering and chemistry majors attended the information session, as well as 15 high school students from IN-Tech Academy, a technology magnet school near the College. Flynn welcomed Diana Amaya, director of human resources for L’Oréal USA’s manufacturing facility in Franklin, N.J., to the floor to introduce her team. Amaya then presented the six other leaders from L’Oréal USA, including Nicole Zukowski, plant manager for Franklin manufacturing, both the youngest and first female plant manager in North America, who said, “At L’Oréal, everything is possible.” The overall goal of the information session was for students to learn more about L’Oréal USA’s brands, operations and the role of creativity and innovation at the company. Chris Kay, a 2004 engineering graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and senior manager of performance improvement for Franklin Manufacturing, described his career with L’Oréal USA to the students. Starting as an intern and then joining the management development program, he completed his M.B.A. while working at L’Oréal USA and went on to become a project engineer.

Chris Kay, senior manager of performance improvement at L’Oréal USA’s Franklin manufacturing, demonstrated, through his own success at the company, how L’Oréal USA promotes each employee’s career development. Terri Dedinsky (left), manager of human resources, and Susan Navojosky (right), planner of the management development program at Franklin manufacturing, oversee and evaluate a case study that senior and graduate students were challenged to solve. Armed with lipstick, paper and pens, students set out to review a case study and then offer solutions — demonstrating their analytical prowess to the L’Oréal reps.

“What is fun about L’Oréal USA is that they give you many opportunities to continue to grow as an individual, learn new things and continue your career,” Kay said. A key message discussed throughout the information session was L’Oréal USA’s commitment to the community and sustainability. One day a year, all of its U.S. plants organize a volunteer day on company time, which encourages all employees to give back to the communities in which they live and work. The cosmetics giant wants to be viewed as an exemplary corporate citizen and, in 2009, made contributions of more than 27 million euros to charitable organizations around the world. L’Oréal USA’s commitment to service is similar to Manhattan’s own mission, which helped the College stand out among potential partners. “We were impressed to learn about Manhattan’s Lasallian Catholic roots that incorporate great integrity, character, humility, commitment and especially giving back to the community,” Amaya said. The day concluded with senior and graduate students breaking into groups to evaluate a case study presented by the L’Oréal USA team. The students had

30 minutes to formulate a solution and then were asked to present their findings. During this phase, the L’Oréal USA representatives circulated around the room to evaluate the students’ initial analyses and eventually their final solutions. As part of the new partnership, 60 Manhattan engineering, business and science students, Flynn, Salwa Ammar, Ph.D., dean of the school of business, and John Wasacz, Ph.D., interim dean of the school of science, visited L’Oréal USA’s Somerset, N.J., facility in April for a roundtable discussion with two senior vice presidents to discuss the qualities that Manhattan students offer and the character necessary for future leaders at L’Oréal. And these qualities offered must have met the needed character traits, as the company has since made nine job offers to rising graduates, as well as conducted interviews with juniors for summer internships. L’Oréal USA and Manhattan are in the process of planning networking opportunities, information sessions and interviews for the coming academic term and further facilitating future job prospects for Jaspers at L’Oréal USA.

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COURSE SPOTLIGHT

Animal Behavior (BIOL 326) STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL OF SCIENCE had the chance to take a new course this semester with a professor who hails from another storied Bronx institution, the Bronx Zoo. Course Description: Animal Behavior studies the fundamental aspects of animal behavior from an evolutionary biology perspective. The course looks at the underlying ecological mechanisms and evolutionary causes of behavior, and examines the value of utilizing evolutionary theory to unify the different behavioral disciplines. Lab experiments will emphasize the use of the scientific method to document various aspects of animal behavior, with a focus on designing and performing experiments that test hypotheses about the qualitative and quantitative aspects of behavior.

Lisa Toscano ’79, associate professor of physical education, Beth Barnett, honoree, William Merriman, dean of the school of education, and Shawn Ladda, acting chair of the physical education department, at the Phi Epsilon Kappa induction ceremony.

PEK Welcomes Back Distinguished Dean AT ITS ANNUAL INDUCTION ceremony in February for the honor society Phi Epsilon Kappa, the physical education department honored an influential and well-respected former colleague. Beth Barnett, Ed.D., received the Distinguished Service Award for the years she dedicated to Manhattan College, both as the first female faculty member in the department and then as dean of the school of education. Barnett began at the College as a specialist in motor development in 1979. She taught a variety of classes throughout the years and served as dean from 1993-1997. Barnett is currently the provost/vice president for academic affairs at Ramapo College in New Jersey. In addition, MS/PS 279 was an honoree of the award, which recognized three alumni — Mike Otero ’05, Cliff Jean ’99 and Mike Rosario ’98 — who have elevated the physical education program at the South Bronx school. The physical education department is also celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. 6  2011

Text: Animal Behavior: An Evolutionary Approach, 9th edition, by John Alcock Lectures: Mondays, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Labs: Thursdays, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Professor: Patrick R. Thomas, Ph.D., adjunct professor About the Professor: Currently serving as general curator, Patrick Thomas, Ph.D., has been with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Bronx Zoo since 1979. He is responsible for supervising the care and management of more than 4,000 animals from nearly 500 species, and manages a staff of more than 130 people. He also helps with design, graphics development and animal acclimation for zoo exhibits. Notably, he was involved with the design of the Zoo’s African Wild Dog and Tiger Mountain exhibits, which received the American Zoo and Aquarium Association’s (AZA) Exhibit Award in 2003. An active member of the zoo community at large, Thomas participates in numerous AZA conservation programs. He is the chair of its Bison and Wild Cattle Taxon Advisory Group, and sits on the steering committees of numerous AZA conservation programs. Among his other professional affiliations, Thomas is a member of the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, American Society of Mammalogists, Society for Conservation Biology, and Animal Behavior Society. He has worked on field projects throughout the world, including, most recently, in South Africa, where he developed techniques to non-invasively collect hair samples from lions, leopards and cheetahs for DNA analyses, and in Argentina, where he has been working to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of live-shearing guanacos for their wool. Thomas has also led a team to bring back an orphaned snow leopard cub from the Himalayas of northern Pakistan and consulted with the Kenya Wildlife Service and Uganda Wildlife Education Center on the redesign of their captive animal facilities in Nairobi and Entebbe. After receiving his B.S. in ecology from Ramapo College of New Jersey in 1980, Thomas earned his Ph.D. in biology from Fordham University in 1996.

Autumn Honors

ORE THAN 130 STUDENTS from all five schools of the College were inducted into Manhattan’s most prestigious honor society, Epsilon Sigma Pi, during the Fall Honors Convocation held in the Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers on Sunday, October 17. During the ceremony, the College awarded an honorary degree to esteemed alumna Marybeth McCall ’74, M.D., who serves as chief medical officer for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. “Dr. McCall is too humble to put much emphasis on this, but you should know that she enjoys a kind of legendary status at Manhattan College,” President Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D., said. “As one of the first women to earn an undergraduate degree from Manhattan’s engineering school, the first woman to be inducted into Pen and Sword, and the first woman to be inducted into this honor society, she is a trailblazer.” Her accolades while at Manhattan were just the beginning. She went on to attend medical school at Georgetown University,

complete a residency at the University of Pittsburgh, serve as a major in the Air Force Reserves, and fulfill a research fellowship at Creighton University. McCall shared several anecdotes about the challenges she’s faced throughout her life and encouraged the students to learn from every opportunity. “You never know when you will need that knowledge,” McCall said. “Share your talents with your community. Be optimistic. You and the community will both be richer for it. You may be graduating soon but never stop learning.” O’Donnell echoed those sentiments in his remarks to the students. “In accepting induction into Epsilon Sigma Pi, then, you accept a challenge as well as an honor — a challenge to ‘walk in wisdom,’ to continue to uphold the high ideals of scholarship, integrity and hard work that you’ve pursued here during your undergraduate years,” he said. “You have been given great talents, and you have been taught to use them well.”

Jasper Joins Board of Trustees KENNETH ORCE ’65, senior counsel at Cahill Gordon & Reindel, LLP, has been elected to Manhattan College’s board of trustees. Orce, a successful and experienced corporate and securities partner for more than 35 years at Cahill Gordon & Reindel, represents a wide range of leading domestic and foreign entities, including insurance, financial service and investment companies. Graduating cum laude from Manhattan College with a bachelor’s degree in political science, he went on to graduate from Harvard Law School as an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Orce soon joined Cahill Gordon & Reindel and became partner in 1976. He was also a member of the firm’s executive committee from 1991 until his retirement as partner at the end of 2010.

President Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D., congratulates Malin Marmbrandt ’11, a marketing major in the school of business, during the induction ceremony for Epsilon Sigma Pi. Marybeth McCall ’74, M.D., who received an honorary degree at the Fall Honors Convocation in October, encouraged seniors to continue to learn from every opportunity that comes their way.

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LASALLIANLOOK

More L.O.V.E. Than Ever

HE LASALLIAN Outreach Volunteer Experience (L.O.V.E.) program has a big presence on campus. It promotes social justice by sponsoring student trips around the world that combine the Lasallian mission of service with the core beliefs of promoting self-growth through experience. The expectations for 2011 were no different, with five trips planned for the semester, four of which occurred over the winter intercession. With an increasing level of interest among students, the program has embarked on another year of valued service-learning excursions for the student community. One of the greatest attributes of Manhattan’s L.O.V.E. program is that it allows students to choose their experience by offering various types of outreach based on the destination. In January, students traveled to Kenya, Ecuador, New Orleans and West Virginia to give back to the world based on their preferences. 8  2011

A popular trip among students, L.O.V.E.’s visit to Kenya included multiple immersion experiences, such as going to an orphanage, the Nyumbani Children’s Home and the Child Discovery Centre, for four days, as well as a clinic in the Nazareth Hospital. To enhance their reflective experience, students took a trip to Kiberia, the largest African slum to date. Such excursions conveyed to the students the struggles that the Kenyan people face every day and gave them a new sense of appreciation for what they have back home. “Even though we read and hear about the extreme poverty and social injustices that nations such as Kenya endure, by immersing ourselves into their society, we were able to have an all-encompassing experience that incorporated varying levels of the socioeconomic standards by which people live,” says Christopher Shemanski ’11. The two-week immersion trip to Ecuador had similar goals, with students gaining a

new understanding for the simple lifestyle that many in the world endure. Students stayed in the impoverished community of Arbolito, where they interacted with the local community, particularly in an after-school program for the children. The Jaspers had similar experiences in the final immersion trip of the semester to the Dominican Republic during spring break. “The thing that struck me the most about this trip was that, even though the people were so poor by our country’s standards, they were the richest people I have ever met,” says Brittany Lee Ellis ’11, who went to Ecuador. “They may not have had much money or material possessions, but they had more compassion, respect and dignity than anyone else I have ever met.” The L.O.V.E. program also includes opportunities to serve within the United States and annually offers student favorites — trips to New Orleans and West Virginia. L.O.V.E.

Exploring M.A.R.S.

From left to right: Duran, Ecuador: The Jaspers visit with children at one of the after-school programs, run by the program Rostro De Cristo, in the impoverished area of Arbolito, Ecuador. Nairobi, Kenya: L.O.V.E. participants meet with students from Christ The Teacher Institute of Education (CTIE), a teachers college at Tangaza College in Nairobi, Kenya, that is run by the De La Salle Christian Brothers. New Orleans, Louisiana: Joseph Pokorny ’13 and Maxwell Lyons ’13 (on the scaffold) and Thomas Elbrecht ’13 (on the ladder) work with Operation Helping Hands on home repairs and restoration in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

traveled to New Orleans for the fifth year in a row and continues to commit to the city by assisting with overcoming Hurricane Katrina’s devastating aftermath. The trip to West Virginia helped students understand the cycle of poverty by sending them to a farm where they were put to work without any technological or modern machinery assisting them. “Being part of the Lasallian Outreach Volunteer Experience was a life-changing experience,” says Erin LeRoy ’11. “I was able to travel with a group of my peers to New Orleans, Louisiana, in order to give aid through service and labor. I learned skills and finished projects that I never dreamed that I would be doing.”

The L.O.V.E. program’s funding stems solely from the fundraising efforts of the students throughout the year and donations made by members of the College community. As a Lasallian institution, the Manhattan community is always willing to help the program thrive, which benefits the students’ education in ways that activities in a classroom are incapable of doing. Trips planned to Texas, New Mexico and Louisiana for the summer are already in progress, with L.O.V.E. ready to use values such as prayer, simplicity and service to enable students to gain a new perspective of the world around them and how they can make a difference not only for two weeks but also in the future.

EVER PICK UP A BOOK and find yourself asking questions that you wish the author could simply answer right then and there? Well, the good news is that this year all a Jasper had to do was ask. In the fall, the Manhattan College English department and the school of arts launched a new program called the Major Authors Reading Series (M.A.R.S.), in which acclaimed writers of a variety of works were invited to campus to give readings followed by discussions, book signings and receptions to encourage students to engage in this interactive experience and expand their literary knowledge. The first esteemed author of the semester was acclaimed poet Marie Howe, author of The Kingdom of Ordinary Time, The Good Thief and What the Living Do. In November, Frank Bures, an award-winning travel and nonfiction writer visited the College and gave a different style of writing a presence in the program. Bures’ work has been featured in such publications as Harper’s, Esquire, Outside, Washington Post Magazine, L.A. Times and the Travel Channel’s WorldHum.com. The semester came to a close as M.A.R.S. welcomed celebrated novelist Jennifer Egan, author of A Visit from the Good Squad, The Keep, Look at Me, Emerald City and Other Stories, and The Invisible Circus. The authors offered insider excerpts from their latest works and discussed their future writing endeavors. In the spring, the program began with Rick Moody, award-winning novelist and memoirist, whose books include The Ice Storm, Garden State, The Four Fingers of Death and The Black Veil: A Memoir With Digressions. Tina Chang, the Poet Laureate of Brooklyn and author of Half-Lit Houses followed and presented her latest work to students at the end of April. The first two semesters were successful for the M.A.R.S. program, as it has brought writings to life through presentation, discussion and analysis, and is on its way to becoming a vital part of the campus culture.

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Clean Water Acts

INE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING students are assisting in the fight to bring clean water to people around the world by developing a water filtration system. In March, they presented the effectiveness of the Sustainable Aqua Filtration Equipment (SAFE) project in March to Peter Kimeu, regional technical director for partnership, solidarity and justice for Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in East Africa. With CRS having a presence in more than 90 countries, the SAFE project could bring clean water and improve the sanitation and health of people around the world. “We can provide underdeveloped countries with drinkable water, and that is something that everyone deserves to have,” said Alex Bertuccio, a senior chemical engineering major, as he and Anna-Maria Montalto, a junior chemical engineering major, demonstrated SAFE to Kimeu. The SAFE system, which runs on gravity, removes 99.99 percent of dirt and germs and is a collaboration of research conducted by James Patrick Abulencia, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemical engineering, and Gennaro J. Maffia, Ph.D., professor of chemical engineering. Maffia has used collagen nanofibrils for years in biomedical engineering applications, as well as to trap contaminants in water. The collagen comes from the dermis of livestock and is processed into nanofibrils. The system was beta-tested in the Iloilo province in the Philippines and received glowing reviews from the locals. In addition, Abulencia developed a way to work with coconut shells as a viable alternative for granulated activated carbon (GAC), which is also used to adsorb contaminants from water and eliminate any residual undesirable odors and color from the purified water. By combining their efforts, the SAFE project evolved naturally in the College’s chemical engineering department. “I am going to be very proactive in making sure that this technology ends up in Kenya, and we see how we can make what you have discovered here a reality back home for the good of the people,” Kimeu said to the chemical engineering students (Bertuccio; Montalto; Natalie Lapp ’12; David Moretti ’12; Shannon O’Brien, a chemical engineering graduate student; Justin Sierpinski ’12; Enrique Sola, a chemical engineering graduate student who graduated in December; Michael Sullivan ’12; and Karen Tschinkel ’11). “I think the demonstration of this water filtration system is one of the most inspiring demonstrations I have seen in along time,” added Sister Arlene Flaherty, OP, justice and peace partnership liaison for CRS NE Mid Atlantic Region, who accompanied Kimeu during his trip. “Students in engineering actually bringing their skills and their care about people in developing countries together into a way that creates a system that will really make a difference in people’s lives.” The students analyzing and testing the SAFE system also exhibited the unit at the Waste-Management Education & Research Consortium (WERC) competition, an international students’ competition, in New Mexico in April. 10  2011

(Clockwise): David Moretti ’12, Gennaro J. Maffia, Ph.D., professor of chemical engineering, Natalie Lapp ’12 and Justin Sierpinski ’12 demonstrate the Sustainable Aqua Filtration Equipment (SAFE) project on campus in March.

CRS and the College: Partners in Service Created in 1943, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international humanitarian agency in the U.S. Catholic community. CRS works in more than 100 countries around the world to provide lifesaving relief in the wake of natural and man-made disasters and to help the poor and vulnerable to improve their lives. The Manhattan College partnership with CRS began in 2006, when Lois Harr, director of campus ministry and social action, crossed paths with Sister Arlene Flaherty OP, CRS university regional representative. This relationship grew over time as the campus became involved with CRS issues, such as fair trade and various programs on L.O.V.E. trips. Manhattan has been established as a “collaborating college,” and is represented at various conferences around the country today.

LECTURE CIRCUIT

Horan Lecture Explores Intersection of Business and Faith Robert Catell, former CEO of KeySpan Energy Corporation (right), and Kenny Moore, a business consultant and former Catholic priest, discussed their book, The CEO and the Monk, at the John J. Horan Lecture in November.

ROBERT CATELL, an energy executive, and Kenny Moore, a business consultant and former Catholic priest, delivered a presentation focusing on business ethics at the 38th John J. Horan Lecture held Nov. 10 at the University Club. Catell and Moore’s presentation was based on the book they co-authored, The CEO and the Monk, which tells the story of how Catell, the former CEO of KeySpan Energy Corporation, and Moore, a former KeySpan executive, implemented a business strategy based on Moore’s creed, “What’s good for the spirit is good for the company.” During the course of Catell and Moore’s experience working together at KeySpan, the company and the entire utility industry was undergoing

great change due to laws that created deregulation and resulted in numerous business mergers. It was a difficult time of transition across the industry, and Catell wanted to ensure that KeySpan successfully navigated this change and avoided mistakes made by other energy companies, such as Enron. The company tapped Moore to work as an ombudsman who would serve as a link between the C-suite and the employees at large. “So here I was trying to change a company that was 100 years old, and Kenny was coming from a church that was 2,000 years old,” Catell said. “So I realized that we really could benefit from working together, and there were a lot of lessons that he learned in the

priesthood that I thought could be applied to some of the things we were trying to do.” Moore was not intimidated by working directly with the CEO of a Fortune 500 company and said, “Once you’re used to working with God, working with a CEO is no big deal.” During the presentation, Moore talked about how leaders in business often face complex predicaments that don’t necessarily have answers. “The deeper issues for leaders are not tactical, they are philosophical,” Moore said. “Who am I? Who are we? What are we about? What are we trying to do here? Our best leaders have thought deeply about these questions.”

PRESIDENT GETS A NEW COMMISSION BRENNAN O’DONNELL, PH.D., president of Manhattan College, was elected to serve as a 2011-2012 board member for the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU) on March 8, 2011. O’Donnell will sit on the finance and administrative committee of CICU’s board, and the newly elected board met in April. CICU is committed to representing New York’s 100 plus

independent (private, not-for-profit) colleges and universities on issues of higher education public policy. With its members’ campuses enrolling more than 477,000 students, including nearly 300,000 New York state residents, board members play a crucial role in advocating every region in the state and in highlighting the diversity of institution type and size within the independent sector.

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LECTURE CIRCUIT

Rwandan Genocide Survivor Shares Story of Hope MORE THAN 600 attendees crowded Smith Auditorium in February, when Immaculée Ilibagiza, author of The New York Times best-seller Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust and Rwandan Genocide survivor, presented A Story of Hope, Faith and Courage. The event was sponsored by the College’s local chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, the International Honor Society of Education. The program opened with a candle-lighting ceremony, in which eight candles were lit by members of the Manhattan College community to honor the 800,000 victims of the Rwandan Genocide. After an introductory video and welcome speech by Brother Raymond Meagher, FSC, assistant professor of education, Ilibagiza began her presentation. Ilibagiza lost most of her family during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, which was sparked by the death of the president of Rwanda and resulted in a three-month slaughter of more than 700,000 Tutsis. By hiding in a Hutu pastor’s tiny bathroom with seven other starving women for 91 terrifying days, Ilibagiza survived and is able to tell her story today. She shared her experiences with friends and co-workers, eventually released her autobiography, Left to Tell, and now travels the world as a motivational speaker. In addition to receiving the 2007 Mahatma Gandhi International Award for

reconciliation and peace, she also was featured by several media outlets, including 60 Minutes and The New York Times. Ilibagiza discussed the struggle she faced in learning to understand forgiveness, which she said liberated her and allowed her to let go of the past and move toward a new chapter of her life. Ilibagiza remarked that she is often asked why she would share her story with others and continue reliving such a difficult time in her life. She responded by saying that God’s grace touched her heart while she was in hiding, transforming her relationship with Him, and she is meant to share her story to inspire others to learn the power of forgiveness. Ilibagiza left the audience with inspiring words regarding her transition into forgiveness. She reminded everyone to hold on to what is right and to always choose to be kind above all else. “If I can forgive, anyone can forgive,” she explained. “I’m not stronger than anyone, and if you are willing in your heart, the grace will come.”

Rwandan Genocide survivor and author Immaculée Ilibagiza shared her experiences and struggles at a lecture in February.

THERE’S SOME SPRING TO OUR STEPS After a long harsh winter in New York City, spring finally arrives on campus in early May. The blossoms on the cherry and dogwood trees behind the statue of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, and in front of Chrysostom Hall, offer a picturesque view from the Quad and an alluring awning above the stairs leading up to Walsh Plaza.

12  2011

LECTURE CIRCUIT

Holocaust Historian Speaks of Survival and Portrayal

HRISTOPHER R. BROWNING, Ph.D., Frank Porter Graham professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a prominent Holocaust historian, presented Holocaust History and Survivor Testimony: The Case of the Starachowice Factory Slave Labor Camps in February to the Manhattan College community. Remembering Survival: Inside a Nazi Slave Labor Camp is Browning’s most recent work and was the basis for his presentation at the College. The evening began with a candle lighting honoring all victims of the Holocaust. Jeff Horn, Ph.D., professor and chair of the history department and director of the Holocaust Resource Center then recalled the story of Paul Cymerman, a survivor from the Starachowice labor camp, whose kindness directly impacted the Riverdale

was the depiction of the factory slave community. Cymerman was quoted several times in Browning’s latest book labor camp, a type, which he noted was “hitherto neglected in Holocaust history and is best remembered by Riverdale writing.” Starachowice was historically residents as the caretaker of what was then the Henry Hudson Park. His volun- unique. At the time of the camp’s creation, the liquidation of the ghettos had teer work helped transform the park just begun, and their residents were into a haven for local children, and being sent to labor camps. However, as in 2003, residents renamed the park is typical of a war economy, there was a Paul’s Park to honor his legacy. “A historical event and the memory of shortage of industrial workers. The solution to these issues was to create the that event are not the same,” Browning factory slave labor camp, where ghetto said, as he commenced the lecture and residents were interned and forced to explained the importance and difficulwork for the military economy. ties involved in gathering and sorting “We cannot read through the history survivor testimony. of the camp if we want to read stories He discussed the various types of memory survivors had and the instabili- that have a feel-good ending, if we want stories that end with some kind ties in each different type. Browning of redemption, that in the ends say, oh, posed that using survivor testimony, and checking it in the best ways one can, it will all work out,” Browning concluded. “The Holocaust was not redempwill provide an effective way to docutive; it was simply one of the greatest ment events. crimes in our history.” The second aspect he focused on

A Room With A Better View TWO CLASSROOMS were the beneficiaries of a technological makeover this January. The first steps in a classroom renewal project that will upgrade teaching spaces throughout the campus, room 207 in both De La Salle Hall and in Miguel Hall were remodeled during intersession. The renovation included the installation of better electronic equipment, including sound systems, improved lighting, whiteboards, new furniture, and a general spruce-up. Charles Geisst, Ph.D., professor of economics and finance, tests out the new technology room in De La Salle Hall this semester for his Multinational Finance course.

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SPORTS

T JUST 31 YEARS OF AGE, Manhattan College head baseball coach Kevin Leighton has become one of the hottest young coaches in NCAA Division I. His accomplishments speak volumes. Leighton recorded 166 wins in his first five seasons since taking over the reigns, and he ranks second alltime in career victories in Manhattan’s most historic athletic program, which is 144 years old. From day one, he began guiding the Jaspers to unprecedented heights. In his initial year at the helm, Leighton led the program to its first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship in 2006 and first NCAA Tournament berth in 49 years. During his tutelage, Manhattan has won three MAAC Regular-Season Championships and advanced to the MAAC Tournament each year. Leighton has mentored 49 All-MAAC selections, three MAAC Pitchers of the Year, two MAAC Rookies of the Year and one MAAC Player of the Year. Eight of his student-athletes have gone on to play professionally, and two have made it onto a Major League roster. Most notably, Leighton has not compromised his beliefs in academic excellence for success on the diamond, which is evident with his long list of MAAC All-Academic Team selections, 48 to date. The successes have not come easy in Riverdale, but his work ethic,

Kevin Leighton

14  2011

ability to identity and develop talent and vast coaching knowledge has put Manhattan College on the map as one of the top baseball programs in the Northeast corridor. “Our progress over the years has hinged on our ability to recruit the right student-athletes to our program,” Leighton says. “Studentathletes who are the complete package, who get the job done in the classroom and on the playing field. Many of our achievements can also be attributed to our emphasis on recruiting student-athletes who come from winning high school programs, and who have previously experienced success in their careers. It gives them an edge over other talented players who reach this level.” The 2001 Seton Hall graduate, who earned a master’s degree in administration and leadership in education at Manhattan, credits much of his success as a head coach to his experience as an accomplished student-athlete in South Orange, N.J. He helped lead the Pirates to back-to-back NCAA Regional appearances (2000 and 2001) and the program’s first Big East Championship (2001) in 15 years. Mentored by long-time Pirates’ head coach Mike Sheppard, the winningest coach in Seton Hall baseball history (998 wins, 31 years), Leighton learned firsthand from one of the best to grace collegiate baseball. “Coach Sheppard prepared us for life,” Leighton says. “Not only did he teach us baseball, but, more impor-

MANHATTAN COLLEGE ATHLETICS

Leighton’s Leadership is a Homerun for Jaspers

tantly, he equipped us for the real world. He always emphasized dedication and hard work, which are two characteristics that can lead to success in any walk of life. I have always held onto these values and have been adamant about implementing them into my coaching style.” Supported by a strong staff of current and former assistants, Manhattan has been well-prepared to compete with some of the top teams in the country. In the past five years, the Jaspers have defeated four nationally ranked opponents, including one of the biggest victories in program history when they upset No. 6 Nebraska in 2006 to advance to the NCAA Regional Final. In addition, the team has five wins over Big East opponents in the last three seasons. “It all starts from practice,” he says and credits for the Jaspers’ success against stiff competition. “We work the guys hard from day one, so when it comes to game day with a big-time opponent, we are well-prepared and in a good mental state.” Leighton has not only had success developing his players but also his assistant coaches. Despite his short tenure as a head coach, the Brewster, N.Y., native has a track record of prepping multiple assistants who have later landed head coaching and top assistant positions at NCAA Division I programs. “Our current and former assistants have worked extremely hard to help build the program to the level it is at,” Leighton explains. “When you are part of a winning program, opportunities present themselves. They deserve as much recognition for our accomplishments as anyone associated with the program.” His staff currently consists of top assistant Ryan Darcy ’03 and fellow former Jasper standout Rene Ruiz ’07, who spent two seasons playing professionally in the Continental Baseball League before returning to his alma mater to begin his coaching career. Darcy, a four-year letter-win-

ner who graduated as the program’s all-time pitching leader in wins (23) and complete games (17), has been an integral part of the Jaspers’ success by serving as an assistant for the past six years. Darcy has witnessed firsthand the transformation of the Manhattan baseball program, which earned its first MAAC Tournament berth his senior season in 2003. “During my time as a player, our goal was to turn around a program, and we got the ball rolling,” Darcy says. “Now that the program has evolved, the goal is to continue the winning tradition.” Leighton believes that Manhattan baseball is still on the rise. He is eager to further build upon the Jaspers’ tradition of success. “We would like maintain our status as a top program in our region, and of course get Manhattan back to the NCAA Tournament,” Leighton says. “Manhattan College baseball is on the map and recognized more now than ever. Winning has attracted talented players who value a complete academic and athletic collegiate experience, which is something we are all very proud of.”

SINCE LEIGHTON BEGAN COACHING AT MANHATTAN, THE JASPERS HAVE EARNED... 48 MAAC All-Academic Selections 29 First Team All-MAAC Selections 16 Second Team All-MAAC Selections 17 MAAC All-Tournament Selections 3 MAAC Pitchers of the Year 1 MAAC Player of the Year 2 MAAC Rookies of the Year 1 MAAC Relief Pitcher of the Year 1 MAAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player 7 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-Americans 6 Players Selected in MLB Draft 3 ECAC All-Stars 2 All-Gotham Selections 2 Louisville Slugger All-Americans 1 NCBWA District II Player of the Year 5 ABCA All-Northeast Team Selections 3 ABCA All-Americans 4 NCAA Regional All-Tournament Selections 2 All-Ping! Honorable Mentions 1 All-Ping! Freshman Second Team 4 Wins over Ranked Opponents

KEVIN LEIGHTON’S CAREER COACHING RECORD Through 2010 Season Year

Overall

MAAC

Accomplishments

2010

31-20

15-9

MAAC Tournament

2009

35-18

18-6

MAAC Regular-Season Championship; MAAC Tournament

2008

31-20-1

19-5

MAAC Regular-Season Championship; MAAC Tournament

2007

35-19

21-5

MAAC Finals

2006

34-23

17-9

MAAC Championship; NCAA Regional Finals

TOTALS

166-100-1

90-34

. 15

SPORTS

FUNFACTS 68

blocked shots recorded in 2010-2011 by men’s basketball freshman Rhamel Brown, who set the program’s freshman

single-season record for this category and was the second alltime behind Arturo Dubois (74 blocks, 2005-2006 season).

Shot of the Season MANHATTAN COLLEGE FRESHMAN point guard Michael Alvarado buried the shot heard around the sports world on January 30 and defeated Marist with a 65-foot buzzer beater to send the Jaspers off with a 60-59 victory in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. With only two seconds on the clock, and the Jaspers inbounding the ball on the Red Foxes’ baseline, trailing 59-57, Alvarado got a step on his defender, as he took two dribbles and banked in the walk-off game-winning basket. His shot instantly became a highlight reel sensation. After airing live on MSG Network and ESPN3.com, the play reaired continuously on national television, from ABC’s Good Morning America to CNN, and, in less than three days, it garnered more than 1.5 million hits on YouTube. The highlight first reaired on CBS at halftime of the Duke vs. St. John’s contest from Madison Square Garden. It made SportsCenter’s top 10 list as the No. 1 play the following Monday, while ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi noted on his Twitter page (@ESPNLunardi) that Alvarado’s clutch basket may be the play of the year this college basketball season. Alvarado received vast national and local media attention for his heroics on the Hudson. The Bronx native was invited to ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn., for a live interview on ESPN’s First Take with correspondent Michael Smith. Alvarado also received a tour of the SportsCenter set, crossed paths with ESPN personality Kenny Mayne, and ate lunch at the world famous ESPN cafeteria.

Sophomore swimmer Robert Varieur’s finish in the 100-yard freestyle event (46.45) at the 2011 ECAC

Championships. The top-10 spot in the prestigious competition was the first in the program’s 75-year history.

women’s lacrosse players have reached the 100-goal plateau after Chrissy Gutenberger ’12 became the first Lady Jasper since Alicia Psillos ’08 to hit the century mark in a game vs. Central Connecticut State on March 10.

2003

Year of Manhattan’s last postseason berth in women’s basketball prior to this season’s Women’s Basketball Invitational appearance

Number of 1,000-point scorers in Manhattan women’s basketball history. Abby Wentworth ’11 and Lindsey Loutsenhizer ’12 became the latest

members of the club in the 2010-2011 season.

Number of wins for the women’s basketball team in 2010-11, breaking the old school record of 20 set in 1986-87 and 2002-03

6.24

Distance (in meters) of Malin Olsson’s ’14 school-record long jump on Feb. 9, making her the first Manhattan woman ever to clear 20 feet indoors (20’5¾)

Consecutive MAAC Indoor Championships for the men’s

track & field team, a streak that continued in 2011 Current National Championships held by former track & field star Jake Freeman ’04 (2010 outdoor

11.7

hammer throw, 2011 indoor weight throw)

The volleyball team’s MAAC record in 2010, establishing a

new record for conference wins

Michael Alvarado ’14, the athlete behind college basketball’s play of the year, appears on ESPN with former head coach Barry Rohrssen.

16  2011

Manhattan volleyball players with 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs. Diane Strutner ’11 joined Amy O’Dorisio ’03, Kim Frederick ’01 and Paige Carson ’96 in that club on Nov. 20.

SPORTSSHORTS STUDENT-ATHLETES SHINE IN THE CLASSROOM One hundred and four Manhattan College student-athletes were named to the Dean’s List at the conclusion of the fall semester, highlighting their academic excellence, according to the College’s Athletic Academic Advisement report. The Dean’s List figure represents 30.1 percent of the Jaspers’ entire student-athlete population. As a whole, the College’s 346 student-athletes carry an impressive 3.04 cumulative GPA, to date. During the fall 2010 semester, 59.8 percent of Manhattan’s student-athletes earned a 3.0 grade point average or higher. Additionally, 56.9 percent carry a cumulative grade point index of 3.0 or higher. In total, 10 Manhattan studentathletes earned a perfect 4.0 grade point index during the fall. The College has also placed 59 student-athletes on the MAAC All-Academic Team for their respective sport. Since 1997-98, at least 52 percent of Manhattan’s student-athletes have carried a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better per academic year. During this 14-year span, student-athletes have been named to the Manhattan College Dean’s List more than 3,000 times.

also hosted their annual Pink Zone game on Feb. 14 and knocked off Iona, 63-47. In addition, the team manned a water station at the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in September. That event, one of the largest single-day breast cancer awareness fundraisers in the nation, drew more than 25,000 runners to Central Park West.

KEVIN LAUE FEATURED ON ESPN Manhattan College sophomore men’s basketball center Kevin Laue was featured on ESPN’s College GameDay in January, which aired live from Lawrenceville, Kan., the site of the national television program’s game of the week between Big 12 powers Kansas and Kansas State. Laue, a 6-foot-11-inch sophomore from Pleasanton, Calif., who is believed to be the first one-handed student-athlete to earn a Division I men’s basketball scholarship, appeared in 22 games last season, starting in three and averaging 5.0 minutes per contest. The GameDay feature portrayed Laue’s journey to Manhattan College and his role as an inspiration to people around the world. After airing on the jumbo-tron in Kansas’ historic Allen Fieldhouse, the piece garnered a loud round of applause by the thousands of fans in attendance.

LADY JASPERS RAISE MONEY FOR AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

RIZZOTTI ADDED TO PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES 40-MAN ROSTER

The women’s basketball team raised more than $1,300 for cancer research this season, which was donated to the American Cancer Society’s Coaches vs. Cancer program. Manhattan hosted Hoops for Cancer Night against Rider on Jan. 24. The Lady Jaspers asked family, friends and fans to make either a flat donation or pledge a certain amount per basket or per three-pointer at the game. They sank 22 field goals and 10 treys in the 63-47 victory. Hoops for Cancer Night was just one of the Lady Jaspers’ breast cancer awareness initiatives this season. They

Former Jasper Matt Rizzotti received an invite to 2011 spring training after the Philadelphia Phillies added the 24-year-old first baseman to the organization’s 40-man roster in November. Rizzotti led the entire Phillies organization with a .343 batting average, while hitting 17 home runs in the minors during the 2010 season, and finishing in Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

NEW FACES IN ATHLETICS Victoria Latino ’08 is the new head women’s lacrosse coach. Latino, who enjoyed an outstanding four-year playing career for the Lady Jaspers, returned

to Riverdale after serving as a head coach and camps and clinics director in 2009 and 2010 at the Tri-State Lacrosse Club in Highstown, N.J. Fellow alumna and former teammate Alicia Psillos ’08 also returned to the program to serve as an assistant coach on the Lady Jaspers’ staff. Psillos enjoyed a decorated playing career at Manhattan and still ranks as one of the top offensive players in program history. The three-time All-MAAC honoree, ranks second alltime in points (187 and goals (119). Former Jasper baseball standout Rene Ruiz ’07 returned to Manhattan to serve as an assistant coach on Kevin Leighton’s staff. Ruiz was an All-MAAC shortstop during his playing career in Riverdale and helped the Jaspers win the program’s first MAAC title and advance to the NCAA Regional Finals in 2006. The Miami native spent the last two years playing professionally with the majority of his work in the Continental Baseball League. The men’s lacrosse program added former player Kyle Ochwat ’10 as an assistant coach on the staff for the 2011 campaign. Ochwat was a four-year letter winner at Manhattan and graduated as one of the top defenders in the College’s history. He helped guide Manhattan to three MAAC playoff teams and was named to the 2010 MAAC AllTournament Team. Ariel Pesante was appointed Manhattan athletics compliance coordinator in January after former coordinator Lindsay Darcy filled the department’s academic advisor position.

STAY TUNED Steve Masiello has been named men’s basketball head coach. Check out the fall issue for a feature on the new coach and the upcoming season. CORRECTION The softball team played in the NCAA Tournament in 1999 and was mistakenly left off the Fun Facts list in the fall issue. This brings the total to eight Manhattan teams that have played in the tournament. We apologize for the error.

. 17

Diane Strutner ’11

SPORTS

Volleyball LED BY MAAC COACH OF THE YEAR Mark Jones, the volleyball team posted a 20-14 record in 2010, its first 20-win season in seven years. The Lady Jaspers also went 11-7 in MAAC play and set a school record for conference victories. Beginning the season, they took on perennial power UC Santa Barbara and eventual NCAA runner-up California. Manhattan started its MAAC schedule with a dramatic 3-2 win at Rider, then beat Saint Peter’s in its home opener the next day. Overall, the Lady Jaspers finished with an impressive 7-3 record at Draddy Gymnasium. Once the MAAC season got underway, the team posted a number of victories. On Oct. 9, Manhattan won at Siena for the first time since 2003 and beat the Saints in five sets on Oct. 31 to complete the first season sweep of Siena in program history. They then snapped an 11-match losing streak against Fairfield, 3-0. Manhattan came back from 2-1 down to beat Iona on Oct. 17, and posted a

pair of five-set wins over Loyola. They finished tied for third place in the MAAC and entered the MAAC Tournament as the No. 4 seed. The Lady Jaspers lost their quarterfinal match against Fairfield; snapping a seven-match winning streak but rebounded with a thrilling five-set victory over Rider in the consolation round. Manhattan dropped the first two sets against the Broncs before rallying for the win, its fifth straight in a five-setter. The team posted a 6-2 record in five-set matches in 2010. In the final match of the season, the Lady Jaspers notched a 3-0 victory over Marist to secure fifth place in the tournament. Senior Diane Strutner slammed her 1,000th career kill in that match to become the fourth player in program history with 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. She finished her career with 1,427 digs and 1,014 kills, and earned a place on the All-MAAC Second Team after averaging 3.55 kills and 3.19 digs per set. Sophomore Julie Bies also had a solid sea-

son and tallied 583 digs, one shy of the single-season school record. Senior Jaci Rahey averaged 2.90 kills per set, and junior middle blocker LaKell Havens led with 91 blocks. In addition, six were named to the MAAC All-Academic Team. Strutner was recognized for the third-straight year and joined by sophomores Bies, Jamie Collareta, Maddie Heck, Kelsey Huntoon and Alexa Lampasona.

Cross Country THE MANHATTAN MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS had another successful campaign in 2010. The season started with a third-place finish for the men at the Stony Brook Invitational and culminated with a 13th place showing at the IC4A Championships. The Jaspers also finished fifth at the MAAC Championships. Leading the way was junior Tobias Lundgren. Lundgren finished 20th at the extremely competitive Iona Meet of Champions on Sept. 18. The following weekend, he finished first at the Fr. Victor Leeber Invitational and earned MAAC Performer of the Week honors for that effort. After taking 14th place at the MAAC Championships, he capped his season by finishing second in the University Division at the IC4A Championships. For the women’s team, junior Maria Jangsten was Manhattan’s top finisher at every meet this season. Jangsten opened the season with a third-place finish at the Stony Brook Invitational, and captured fifth place at the Fr. Victor Leeber Invitational. She also placed an impressive 15th at the Metropolitan Championships and came home in 19th place at the MAAC Championships. Jangsten was 19th at the season-ending ECAC Championships. The Lady Jaspers placed third in the team standings at the season-opening Stony Brook Invitational and took fourth at the Fr. Victor Leeber Invitational. Manhattan also posted an impressive seventh place showing at the Metropolitan Championships before capturing eighth place at the MAAC Championships. After the season, both teams were recognized for their success in the classroom with U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team selections. Individually, three men and four women earned places on the MAAC All-Academic Team.

4  2010

Tobias Lundgren ’12

Women’s Soccer UNDER FIRST-YEAR head coach Brendan Lawler, who stepped to the helm last June, the women’s soccer team took strides. Lawler, the fourth head coach in Manhattan women’s soccer history, guided the Lady Jaspers to five wins in his debut, including three victories on a competitive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference slate. Facing a tall task of replacing five starters from a year ago, Lawler relied on the senior leadership of defensive specialist Kara Bucci and the prolific scoring of senior forward Caroline Morse. Bucci started all 19 games in the back for the Lady Jaspers and anchored a defensive unit that recorded three shutouts during the campaign. Morse received All-MAAC recognition earning First Team honors after leading Manhattan in scoring for the third time in her four years with the program, and posted a team-high 12 points and five goals. A Lebanon, N.J., native, she finished her career

at Manhattan tied for fourth alltime in goals (21), tied for third in assists (15) and fourth in points (57). Manhattan started the season strong by picking up the first win in the season opener at Gaelic Park and defeating Fairleigh Dickinson in a thrilling 2-1 victory. Sophomore forward Allison Pfeiffer delivered the game winning goal in the 63rd minute to send the Lady Jaspers past the Knights. After experiencing some early season struggles, Manhattan got back on track on Sept. 24 when the team took down Bryant 2-0 in Riverdale with Morse recording the ninth game-winning goal of her career. The Lady Jaspers played their best soccer in the final month of the season and picked up all three conference victories against Iona (2-1), Saint Peter’s (2-1) and a season finale triumph at Niagara (1-0). Junior forward Megan Lavecchia scored the game-winning goal in Manhattan’s last win over the Purple Eagles to finish the season ranked second on the team in points (6). Sophomore goalkeeper Kara Davis followed up her All-MAAC Rookie Team campaign with three shutouts in 16 appearances. The Redding, Conn., native ranked third in the MAAC with 96 saves and was fourth in the conference with a .828 save percentage. Manhattan was represented well on the MAAC All-Academic Team as six women’s soccer players were recognized for their hard work in the classroom: seniors Bucci, Morse, Kristin Spiros, junior Lavecchia, sophomores Davis and Nicole Landes.

Christopher Lands ’14

Men’s Soccer THE MEN’S SOCCER TEAM acquired a newfound respect for the term “learning experience” in 2010. Under the tutelage of first-year coach Ashley Hammond and a slew of new players, the Jaspers took their share of bumps early but grew into a team of promise by season’s end. Despite finishing the year without a victory, Manhattan proved they could hang with superior competition and match up against top NCAA opponents, such as Connecticut, Stetson, Jacksonville and Saint Peter’s. A squad filled with veterans and newcomers alike, the Jaspers lineup featured a bevy of fourth-year and first-year players. On the attack, seniors Jake Ostrov and Sean Russell led the way with 51 combined shots, including a goal and an assist. Sophomore Jose Armas and freshman Derek Donowick also chipped in offensively, adding six and four shots, respectively. In the middle, Manhattan saw great progress from several new additions to the roster. Starting from day one, freshmen Stefano Carlacci, Daniel Festa, Jake Donowick and Carlo Giachino made the most of their opportunities and established themselves as a unit to be reckoned with in future years. Staples of longevity, Festa and Donowick started all 16 games they appeared in and recorded 29 shots and an assist. A future goal scorer, Giachino netted his first tally at Jacksonville University on Sept. 19. The Jaspers’ defense was led by senior captain Joshua Renner, who started eight games before injury and recorded a goal at Stetson University on Sept. 17. In his absence, a mixture of freshmen and sophomores stepped up to fill the void. On the back line, second-year member sophomore C.J. Dragovich and newcomers Erick Montinard and Samuel Howard proved to be ready for collegiate action and started 33 combined games on the season. In the season opener on Sept. 1, Montinard recorded his first career goal to give Manhattan the first lead of the 2010 season. Between the pipes, the Jaspers found a future star in AllMAAC freshman goalkeeper Christopher Lands. The former St. Benedict’s Prep stalwart started 14 of the 15 games he appeared in and made 80 total saves for the green and white.

Caroline Morse ’11

. 19

SPORTS George Beamon ’13

Men’s Basketball THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM showed promise for years to come with a talented core of underclassmen who accounted for the bulk of the Jaspers’ production at both ends of the court. Sophomore guard George Beamon emerged as one of the top players in the conference and earned Third Team All-MAAC honors after ranking third in the league with a 16.4 scoring average. The high-energy performer from Roslyn, N.Y., led Manhattan in scoring 18 times and delivered 28 double-digit scoring performances in 31 games. Freshmen Michael Alvarado and Rhamel Brown were key contributors during their first season in Riverdale. Alvarado, a 6-foot-2-inch point guard from

the Bronx, was selected to the MAAC All-Rookie Team for averaging 11.2 points per game and ranking in the top 10 of the league in assists (3.2 apg) and free-throw shooting percentage (73.9 percent). Brown, a 6-foot-6inch forward was one of the top defensive players in the MAAC and led the conference with 68 blocked shots, which goes into the record book as the most for a Jasper freshman and the second most in program history. Manhattan got off to a strong start opening the season with back-to-back wins over NJIT and Penn, before traveling to the 2010 Old Spice Classic during Thanksgiving weekend in Orlando, where the Jaspers battled with three of the top

teams in the nation at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. They were matched up with 2011 NCAA Tournament participants Wisconsin, Texas A&M and Georgia. The team played its best contest of the tournament against Southeast Conference power Georgia as the Jaspers held a five-point lead with less than 10 minutes remaining but came up short, falling 61-58. The Jaspers most thrilling victory came in a MSG Network televised contest at Marist when Alvarado buried a 65-foot game winning buzzer beater to take down the Red Foxes 60-59 in Poughkeepsie (see page 16). Manhattan played some of its best basketball in February; earning an 84-81 victory over

Siena and an exciting overtime win at Stony Brook (64-63). Junior guard Kidani Brutus anchored the offensive effort in both victories and averaged 22.5 points per game with 12 three-pointers. The Jaspers gave a hardfought effort with Siena in the MAAC Tournament Opening Round but fell in overtime to the Saints, 68-66.

Women’s Basketball THE 2010-11 CAMPAIGN was one of the best seasons in Manhattan women’s basketball history. The Lady Jaspers won a school-record 24 games and appeared in the postseason for the first time since 2003, advancing to the semifinals of the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI). After posting a solid 8-3 record during nonconference play, they won seven consecutive MAAC games from Jan. 24-Feb. 14. Included in that span was John Olenowski’s 100th victory as a collegiate head coach. Manhattan tied the school record with its 20th win against Fairfield on Feb. 25, and then established a new mark with a victory over Iona in the regular season finale two days later. Manhattan posted a 13-5 record in MAAC play and earned the No. 3 seed for the MAAC Tournament. After knocking off Iona, 5947, in the quarterfinals, the Lady Jaspers dropped a heartbreaker, 50-47, to secondseeded Loyola in the semifinals. The season continued when Manhattan was one of 16 teams selected to participate Abby Wentworth ’11

20  2011

in the WBI. The Lady Jaspers hosted Sacred Heart in the first round and notched a 52-48 victory, their first postseason win since 1983. Manhattan then traveled to Wright State for the quarterfinals and pulled out a hardfought 75-73 win. However, the 2010-11 campaign came to an end in the semifinals, when the Lady Jaspers dropped a 62-43 decision to University of Alabama at Draddy Gymnasium. Manhattan was led by senior Abby Wentworth, who was named to the All-MAAC First Team and MAAC All-Tournament Team. She also became the first Lady Jasper named First Team All-Metropolitan since 2004. Wentworth scored her 1,000th career point against Iona on Feb. 27. Junior Lindsey Loutsenhizer earned a place on the All-MAAC Third Team, her third career all-conference selection. She reached the 1,000-point mark in the final game of the season and was named to the WBI AllTournament Team. Also earning All-MAAC recognition was freshman Monica Roeder, who was selected to the All-Rookie Team.

Indoor Track & Field THE MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & field team won its 15th consecutive MAAC Championship in 2011. The Jaspers held off Rider by a narrow fivepoint margin to once again claim the team title. Junior Colin Quirke was named the Most Outstanding Performer for Field Events at the meet after winning the shot put and placing second in the weight throw. Junior Roman Ewald took first in the weight throw and finished third in the shot put, while junior Felix SiljebackLarsen contributed points in four different events. Siljeback-Larsen later won the silver medal in the heptathlon at the IC4A Championships. Junior Tobias Lundgren set a meet record to claim the gold medal in the 5,000

meters at the MAAC Championships. Junior Brian McGovern broke his own school record to win the MAAC in the pole vault. Two weeks later at the season-ending IC4A Championships, McGovern shattered the mark again to become IC4A champion in the event. In addition, junior Albert Johnson III won the conference title in the triple jump and freshman Mikael Rojeras advanced to the final of the 1,000 meters at the IC4A Championships. On the women’s side, Manhattan finished second at the MAAC Championships and fell to Saint Peter’s by just 13 points. Freshman Malin Olsson was the Most Outstanding Performer for Field Events at the MAAC Championships

after establishing a new championship record in the long jump and winning the triple jump. She broke the school record in the long jump earlier in the season. Olsson ended with a silver medal in the long jump at the ECAC Championships. The 4x400-meter relay squad of sophomore Cara Rostant, junior Heidy Palacios, sophomore Ashley Bowman and senior Jackie Hargrove broke the old championship record by more than two seconds to win the MAAC title. Palacios qualified in both the 400 meters and 500 meters, while Hargrove qualified in the 500, at the ECAC Championships. Rostant tied the championship record to win the MAAC title in the 200 meters.

Malin Olsson ’14

Men’s and Women’s Swimming POSSIBLY THE MOST SUCCESSFUL SEASON in program history, the men’s and women’s swimming season was one for the record books. The two squads picked up significant team and individual victories on their way to hitting the illustrious 500-win plateau and shattering several previously held alltime marks along the way. “We made a lot of history, and I can’t say enough about the efforts of both our men’s and women’s swimmers and the coaching staff,” says coach Walter Olsewski. On the men’s side, the Jaspers used a blend of youth and veterans to put together a remarkable 2010-11 campaign. At 10-7, the unit more than doubled their previous victory total and picked up noted wins against Pace, St. Francis, Baruch and NJIT. For the Lady Jaspers, a senior-laden squad with an infusion of local talent led the way to a successful 7-9 season. With victories against Hunter, Baruch, Saint Peter’s

and Mount St. Vincent, Manhattan continued its success in the tri-state area. In postseason competition, the Jaspers followed up a tremendous regular season by setting 25 new school records at the 2011 MAAC Championships. Manhattan picked up nine more records at the 2011 ECAC Championships. In the event, sophomore Robert Varieur provided a watershed moment when he became the first Jasper swimmer to medal in the competition with a fifth-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle event (46.45). Ushering in a new era, the two teams shattered numerous previous marks in short, long and relay competition. After the 2010 campaign, only one current men’s record is held by a previous Jasper swimmer. Robert Varieur (3), sophomore Cullen Balcanoff (3) and freshman Dennis Daly (4) each set several new sprint marks in the freestyle, breaststroke and medley. Bursting onto the scene in distance events, newcomer PJ Robert Varieur ’13

Sweeney set four new records. In relay competition, the Jaspers achieved all-time bests in five freestyle and medley relay events. Impressing with stellar marks, the women’s team came up big late in the season and picked up top times in several events. Junior Bridget Latino set records in the 100yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly events while the 400-yard freestyle relay combo of Latino, sophomore Nadine Maher and freshmen Melanie Tam and Vanessa L’Heureux shattered the previous record with a 3:47.28.

IN THE CLASSROOM

A Day in the Life WE'VE ALL HEARD THE QUESTION, What's a Jasper? And while we all the know the answer to that query, we decided to take a look at what a Jasper does, through the lens of a camera. From morning to night, we watched and wandered, looked around and behind, joined and stayed in the shadows, to get a glimpse of campus life today. And it wasn't just some random day we chose either. It was one of the most important days to the College, April 7, De La Salle Day, which honors the life, work and legacy of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, patron saint of educators and founder of the De La Salle Christian Brothers. As we celebrated the founder, we also celebrated all that makes Manhattan, well, Manhattan. So while the photos represent just a fraction of a typical day, they are infused with the Lasallian spirit and sense of community that is evident everyday of the week.

PHOTOS BY LANDON NORDEMAN

SEEING THE LIGHT: As an educator preparing students to become teachers and counselors, Brother Ray Meagher, FSC, assistant professor of education, believes it is critical that they understand the importance of giving affirmation to young people. In his Child and Adolescent Development course, he has the students use “ACES” exercises to lift up and affirm each other. As the most powerful playing card, ACES is all about looking for the good in people, finding it, and then sharing it. Peter Boothe, Ph.D., assistant professor of mathematics and computer science, shows Jessica Remenyi '12 how to break down the error message, with Joelle Montalvo '12 looking on, while discussing how to debug her program. In Computer Science 360, students learn how to do object-oriented software design using the Java programming language.

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OUT OF THE CLASSROOM

THE WRITING'S ON THE WALLS: A sneak peek through a door window gives a glimpse of a moment in the life of Leo Hall. Kathryn Weld, Ph.D., associate professor of mathematics and computer science, talks and walks with students after her Calculus for the Life Sciences class. Created by a 14-year-old Indian student, a depiction of Mother Teresa of Calcutta adorns one of the walls in Cornerstone. The Rev. George Hill, college chaplain, received it as a gift from the Rev. Raju Anthony, who worked at St. Gabriel's in Riverdale. With its more intimate and welcoming space, Cornerstone is sometimes used as a classroom.

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STUDY, STUDY, STUDY

HITTING THE BOOKS: Vincent Tulino '11 sits by the stacks and does some research for his senior Computer Aided Design course, in which he designed and modeled the landing gear for an aircraft. Just one of the options students have for computing on campus, the South Computer Study Room on the second floor of the O'Malley Library provides a quiet place in which to work. THE ART OF EXPRESSION: The Music Ministry ensemble performs at every Sunday Mass and other solemnities, including the Founder's Day Mass. The group rehearses each Sunday evening before Mass. William Mulligan, coordinator of performing arts, works one-on-one with Patrick Boyle '11 during an early afternoon voice lesson. Mulligan has Boyle use the mirror, so the bass singer can watch his face and mouth expressions, as well as body position, during vocalizations. Boyle is practicing an aria from Mozart's opera The Magic Flute. Emily Peleti '11, who will graduate in December, operates the camera in Advanced Television Production class, in which students perform every task in rotation, including directing, producing, scriptwriting and performing. With each student producing a segment, the course culminates in the production of an hour-long TV program.

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MUSIC AND MEDIA

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SCENE AROUND CAMPUS

COMINGS, GOINGS & STAYINGS: (Clockwise from top left) Usually congregating near Founders Bridge and by the entrance to Thomas Hall, students make their way to and from class or to lunch around noon. One Jasper couple steals a kiss before parting. At the De La Salle Day barbecue at 5 p.m., students gather on the Quad to relax and grab a burger. With the music pumping, the barbecue sizzling and the crowd growing, Jaspers take time from their busy April schedules to enjoy the event. Earlier in the day, Conrad Orta '11 and Tim Spooner '11 get Smith Auditorium ready for the annual fashion show on Friday night by carrying in the truss for lights. (Opposite page) Even athletes need a break, as one leaves a pair of sneakers in a poetic placement on a flower bed. Marcelino Mazorra from Sodexo Campus Services serves up some laughter with his burgers. The comfy chairs beside the first floor window in O'Malley Library offer a peaceful respite for reading or people-watching, as other students head down the path in front of Hayden Hall.

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SCENE AROUND CAMPUS

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SPIRITUAL LIFE

LASALLIAN LIFE: The Rev. George Hill, college chaplain, prepares for the afternoon Founder's Day Mass. The chasuble he wears, white for a feast day of someone who is not a martyr, was made for the College and the Feast of Saint John Baptist de La Salle and shows the saint as a teacher of poor children. During the Mass, Brother James Wallace, FSC, vice president for mission, gives the homily centered on the theme Living in the Presence of God. Rob Henry ’12 (in the forefront) and Greg Babino ’12 of the College's Pipes and Drums get ready to lead the procession up the stairs and into the Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

GOING THE DISTANCE: Lauren Pribetich '14 and her teammates on the women's lacrosse team carry out passing drills to work on catching and throwing with both hands while on the move at their evening practice in Gaelic Park. They also do a three vs. two drill, which puts the defensive team at a disadvantage, to help with communication and movement. Sarah Gilbert '14 hits the fitness center for an early morning workout, part of her daily routine.

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DORM LIFE

OVERLOOKING RES LIFE: Louis Perry '11, resident adviser for the fifth floor of Overlook, an apartment-style residence hall, and Sean Butler '11 review one of Butler's homework assignments in room 5K. Meanwhile, Olivia Gabriel '12 and Jacqueline Aqel '12 break out the Uno cards for an improptu game in 5H. On this more relaxed Thursday night, Matthew Liteplo '12 and Grace Zawol '12 share some time with the iPad and catch a movie on TV in the living room. Mark Wagner '12, with Krystal Contrata '13, breaks the evening silence with a few blasts on a vuvuzela from his balcony overlooking 238th Street.

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NETWORKING

MAKING CONNECTIONS: Behind a glass partition in the first-floor lab of the Research and Learning Center, sits the College's computer server room in all of its multicolor glory. The new room, which was designed to run more efficiently, houses 18 servers dedicated to administrative software and more than 130 servers dedicated to the academic and networking side, including the Internet, labs and specialized software. The wiring is done above the floor and is color coordinated, so computer services staff can quickly identify which is fiber-optic or copper cable, and which subnet or data trunk is being serviced. A trip down to the bowels of Thomas Hall reveals the boiler room, where two hot water storage tanks service the busy building. One tank, in which the water temperature is 120 degrees, makes domestic hot water for hand-washing and cooking, and the other tank, a steamy 180 degrees, makes industrial hot water for dish-washing.

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STUDENTS

On the eve of graduation, five seniors share their plans, hopes and concerns for the future. Brimming with ideas and ambitions, but facing an uncertain economy, they contemplate their goals and life after Manhattan College. By Kristen Cuppek â&#x20AC;˘ Photos by Ethan Hill

SOPHIA HIRAKIS has her eyes set on the prize — the Nobel Prize. The biochemistry major has a schedule busting at the seams and shows no sign of slowing down. Sophia started interning in emergency medicine research at North Shore University Hospital when she was a freshman and continued to devote much time to working in hospitals, including internships in transplant surgery and surgical pathology at Montefiore Medical Center, throughout her college years. Two summers ago, the Long Island native went to Johns Hopkins University with the intent of volunteering while visiting her grandparents. But she landed an amazing opportunity at the medical center doing research in surgery and wound healing after graduation. She is the first full-time bachelor’s student in the department of surgery research and starts her one-year, unpaid position in September. While at Hopkins, Sophia is also trying to establish a program that allows other undergraduate students, who come from small schools, to work full-time for a year or two in this department, something typically reserved for doctors and fellows. After her stint at Hopkins is up, she’s going to graduate school — definitely a Ph.D. in chemical biology and possibly an M.D., focusing on medical research. And she knows where she’d like to go, too: the Tri-Institutional Training Program with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Rockefeller University and Weill Cornell Medical College. But research isn’t the only item on her list of goals. Sophia, who is passionate about chemistry, ultimately wants to teach, something she has been doing since the third grade and even has her own tutoring business. “I do eventually want to teach, whether its at an undergraduate or graduate level, I just want to teach at a small school,” she says. With few concerns, except getting into a good program, she’s ready to make a difference. “My goal is to just help people,” she says. “I can help people in medicine if I make a scientific discovery. I can help students learn how to learn. My ultimate goal is to just change one person’s life.”

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“Ideally, I want to go into design engineering and design systems for buildings throughout the city and maybe projects overseas.”

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While STEVEN MONTONI has several options, he’s not sure what his next move will be just yet. The mechanical engineering major has been accepted in the College’s seamless five-year master’s program but also has applied to positions with design-based engineering firms in New York City. The Floral Park, N.Y., native would rather start working now and preparing for his professional engineer (P.E.) license. “There are a few companies I interviewed with that I would be really excited to work for,” he says. “So if I found a position with them, I would take that right away because while the master’s degree in design engineering looks good, it’s the P.E. that is more important for the field.” He took the Fundamentals of Engineering exam in April, which is the first step of the licensing process, and should receive the results in a few months. Once he passes, he becomes an engineer-in-training. Steven is leaning toward accepting a recent offer from Syska Hennessy to intern this summer in its mechanical engineering department. If no job offers are extended afterward, then he will likely return to the College in the fall. Either way, he is sure about his career path. His father, with whom he credits for influencing his career choice, works in construction. When he was younger, Steven recalls going to work with his dad and sitting in an office studying blueprints. He’s wanted to be an engineer ever since. In 10 years from now, he’d love to be heading up a group at a firm and working his way up the company ladder — and have some tangible projects in which he can take pride. “Ideally, I want to go into design engineering and design systems for buildings throughout the city and maybe projects overseas.” But he is concerned about the job market and his immediate prospects. “A lot of companies are not hiring as many engineers as they were,” he says. “There are a lot of engineers graduating and not a lot of positions. That’s something I’ve been concerned about for a long time.”

IVANA BAEZ, a double major in psychology and communication, has been focused on her education ever since she was a child. When her parents immigrated to New York City from the Dominican Republic, their difficulty in finding work resulted in an emphasis on their children’s education. For Ivana, this emphasis translated into a serious drive to accomplish her goals. “The fact that I’m graduating college is a big deal to my family,” she says. A student in the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), an academic support program, Ivana found the resources and assistance she needed — an important factor for the daughter of a single mom — to realize her dreams. The future psychologist, and she always knew she wanted to pursue psychology, has been accepted into three master’s programs for mental health counseling (Manhattan College, Mercy College and Long Island University) for the fall. To gain more experience, Ivana also started interning in the psychosocial and oncology research department at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in February, which she will continue through graduate school, as it also meets the requirements for her fieldwork. “In the long run, I want to get my doctorate in psychology,” she says. “So I’m not going to stop until then.” Perhaps she’ll take a year off to work in between her master’s and Ph.D., but Ivana hopes to eventually have her own practice and specialize in treating oncology patients. While Ivana has firm goals and the motivation to achieve them, she still has a few concerns about the future, mainly financing her advanced degrees and the recovering economy. “The economy does worry me, but I think it will get better, and I’m doing my part,” Ivana says.

“In the long run, I want to get my doctorate in psychology. So I’m not going to stop until then.”

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“I’ve been applying everywhere to hospitals and clinics. A lot of clinics are opening up, so it’s getting better, but it’s still kind of in a standstill.”

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DIANA ROSSETTI has so many thoughts about her future. She always wanted to go into the medical field and found her fit in the Radiation Therapy Program at Manhattan College. The Brooklynite plans to take the New York State boards for licensure, which she needs to be a registered technologist in therapy, this summer. A cousin had suggested she consider the field and the College, but when her aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent radiation therapy treatments, Diana discovered a side of science she could really pursue. She would like to work in a hospital or clinic. She likes the environment of a clinic more but recognizes the benefits of working in a hospital. As part of the program, Diana interned for two years at Beth Israel Medical Center, Columbia Presbyterian and Flushing Radiation Oncology, a private clinic, which consists of working five days a week for eight hours a day. She took classes at night, and even managed to be on the swim team. In 10 years, Diana hopes to be a supervisor or senior therapist, or even in X-rays — another interest — or possibly becoming a physician assistant. She’d like to get a master’s possibly in public health or an M.B.A. at some point, too. She has lots of ideas about what she wants to do and is still working them all out. With many ideas come some concerns. For one, there is some danger of exposure when working in radiation. But also, and quite prominently, there aren’t many jobs open, and Diana has been finding that most places are not hiring. “Right now, hospitals aren’t really hiring, but I’ve been applying everywhere to hospitals and clinics,” she says. “A lot of clinics are opening up, so it’s getting better, but it’s still kind of in a standstill.” One option she’s considering is volunteering at a hospital. It’s unpaid, but it can help Diana get her foot in the door.

MARTIN HIGGINS may not have known exactly where he was headed when he came to the College, but he knows now. Martin, who comes from Kildare, Ireland, chose the school of business because he was interested in that field, but it was through his studies that he became passionate about finance. Intent on finding a job, he sent out hundreds of résumés starting last summer. He contacted Ernst & Young in Dublin, who had expressed interest in him earlier, and flew home to nab a last-minute spot in the company’s final week of interviews during Thanksgiving break. After three days of interviews, a partner offered him an asset management audit position. Martin starts on Sept. 1 and will be working with hedge funds and insurance companies. The majority of the company’s clients are in Switzerland and London, so there will be some travel involved, which definitely appeals to the international senior. “I honestly was applying everywhere, all over the world from the Middle East to Eastern Europe, to Ireland to London, to the West Coast to New York,” he says. “I was more concerned with a) having a job and b) the type of company I was working with, and then after that, I knew that with a worldwide company like Ernst & Young, there will always be the opportunity to travel, to go back home maybe.” The position lasts for three years, and afterward, Martin will take the Chartered Accountants exam. With this designation, he can stay at Ernst & Young and hopes to rise through the ranks to partner, or he can alternatively move on to an investment analyst role. And along the way, he would like to get his M.B.A. “My ultimate goal is to be a hedge fund manager,” he says. “It’s kind of a cool idea to be in Dublin because it’s not that common there, though obviously the main financial centers are London, New York, Hong Kong. But I’d love to be in a small office attracting talent and capital to Dublin.” Although his field puts him at the epicenter of the shaky economy — not to mention in a country that was hit especially hard by the downturn — Martin is optimistic about his career growth and the recovery.

“My ultimate goal is to be a hedge fund manager. It’s kind of a cool idea to be in Dublin because it’s not that common there.”

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ADVANCEMENT

De La Salle Medal Dinner Breaks Fundraising Record

(Top) The College honors Bill Klesse, chairman, CEO and president of Valero Energy, with the De La Salle Medal at its annual dinner in January. (Bottom) Board of Trustees Chairman Thomas O’Malley ’63 and President Brennan O’Donnell present New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly ’63 with a framed rendering of the future Student Commons building, which will be named in his honor.

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ANHATTAN COLLEGE RAISED approximately $1.5 million at this year’s De La Salle Medal Dinner — the largest amount ever raised in the dinner’s 34-year history. Chaired by Manhattan College Board of Trustees Chairman Thomas O’Malley ’63, the dinner was held on January 19 at the Pierre Hotel and honored Bill Klesse, who heads up Valero Energy, as the company’s chairman, CEO and president. More than 600 guests packed the ballroom at the Pierre to pay tribute to Klesse, who, in addition to his role at Valero, is involved in a number of philanthropic projects, including the San Antonio Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity and the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Ana Avila ’11, a recipient of scholarships funded in part by proceeds raised from past De La Salle Medal dinners, shared her story with the crowd. Born in Honduras, Avila is the first person from her family to attend college and will graduate this May with a degree in chemical engineering. “Manhattan’s Lasallian tradition has taught me, not to just be an engineer, but a well-rounded individual,” Avila said. “Each person has been here to help me succeed and become a better person. It goes back to being a family, and the Manhattan College community is my family that will always be there for me.” Later in the evening, renowned Manhattan alumnus and New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly ’63 made a special appearance at the dinner in recognition of the Student Commons being named in his honor. The groundbreaking for the Raymond W. Kelly ’63 Student Commons is planned for late 2012. “I have always been proud of my association with Manhattan,” Kelly said. “Like so many of you here, I’ve received degrees from other institutions, but none mean more to me than Manhattan. I’m a Jasper first and always.” The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the De La Salle Medal to Klesse, who, while not a Jasper, is a product of Catholic higher education, having graduated from the University of Dayton. “His life and life’s work clearly exemplify the best of what Catholic higher education stands for — the cultivation of knowledge and wisdom in a spirit of faith, hope and love, and in service to those in need,” said President Brennan O’Donnell. Klesse thanked O’Donnell for the honor and thanked all of the guests for their role in “helping students get an education, not only in skills but also reinforcing values in their faith.”

Behind the Renderings: Creating the Student Commons THE BUILDING OF A NEW Student Commons is the critical next step for Manhattan College, as it addresses the needs of its predominantly residential community. It will be the hub for enhanced student services and programs that are consistent with the College’s mission. The current state of progress would not be possible without the due diligence and groundwork that led up to President Brennan O’Donnell’s announcement at the President’s Dinner last September. During the past two years, the College has formally engaged students, faculty, administration and trustees in the planning process for the Student Commons. In fall 2009, the College dispatched Manhattan student life professionals and students, along with architects from Perkins Eastman, to area universities to observe the best practices and challeng-

es of student centers at peer institutions. Subsequent brainstorming sessions to evaluate the College’s goals and greatest areas of need informed the earliest programming objectives for the Student Commons. This spring, the behindthe-scenes work by Manhattan College faculty, students and administration has continued, with a team of engineering faculty and students led by Powell Draper, Ph.D., civil and environmental engineering professor, and Robert Mahan, vice president for facilities management, who have been meeting with architects from Perkins Eastman and Edward I. Mills, engineers from Mueser Rutledge, EME Group, Langan Engineering & Environmental Services and Syska Hennessy Group, and consultants from Community Environmental Center to discuss plans for how the new five-story,

67,400 square-foot Student Commons will reach a minimum of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certification. Preliminary goals for the facility consist of plans to feature several sustainable concepts, including a green roof, using non-toxic materials and local products during construction, innovative systems and recycling 90 percent of the run-off water. “With the new Student Commons project qualifying for a LEED gold rating, the Manhattan College campus community has engaged in true collaboration with the design team, and they’ll end up with a distinctive, really innovative new building that demonstrates their commitment to making everyone’s lives better, now and in the future,” says Cyrus Izzo ’87, co-president of Syska Hennessy Group, Inc.

A tentative plan for the third floor of the new Student Commons building.

Q & A WITH JOHN MAGLIANO ’66, College trustee and member of the Student Commons Oversight Committee, talks about the importance of sustainability Q: Why is it important for the College to construct a sustainable green building? A: Manhattan College is known as a premier engineering school and has a nationally respected environmental engineering program. In order to retain leadership in any field, one must not only set the standards for that field but also exemplify these criteria. If Manhattan wishes to command respect in the engineering education arena and attract the best students, it must demonstrate that it is such a leader. Regardless of one’s political persuasion, it is obvious that the earth contains finite resources; therefore, building sustainable buildings conserves those resources and reduces the carbon footprint of the structure. Engineers design buildings — designing a sustainable building demonstrates a commitment to a high level of engineering expertise and environmental stewardship. Q: What is the significance of achieving LEED certification? A: The U.S. Green Building Council created the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification program. While not perfect, it is the most commonly used standard by which a building’s sustainability is measured. The three levels, silver, gold and platinum, represent, in ascending order, the degree to which a building meets the quantified sustainability criteria and, therefore, is a visible demonstration of the College’s commitment to sustainability. Q: What will this new green building mean for the College (our campus, our future)? A: The Student Commons will be the flagship of the campus and is intended to help attract the best and brightest students. It will be a statement to visitors, potential students and the current student body of the College’s commitment to leadership in state-of-the-art facilities. One important part of that statement must be its commitment to environmental stewardship. Achieving a high level of LEED certification will demonstrate that commitment.

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ADVANCEMENT

Alumni Fund Scholarships

T’S NO SECRET THAT A COLLEGE education is becoming more expensive and that this expense is becoming a bigger part of a family’s budget than ever before. Although state and federal governments have programs that offset the cost to help make education more affordable, often they aren’t enough. “Scholarships help Manhattan College assist families in bridging the gap between financial aid and family affordability,” says Mary Ellen Malone, director of planned giving. “Scholarships also help to reduce the amount of indebtedness graduates build up

DANIELLE DESIR (James Patterson Minority Scholarship) When Danielle Desir ’12 began her college search four years ago, she knew she wanted a school with a good pre-med program that wouldn’t take her too far from her mother in Rockland County. “When I first came to Manhattan, it was a rainy day, and I wasn’t too sure,” she says, though she liked the pre-med program. “When I came the second time, it was spring, and everyone was on the Quad. I loved the community spirit.” And her mind was made-up. But coming from a single parent household and facing tough economic times, Desir wasn’t sure if she could afford it. She credits James Patterson ’69 with making it possible for her to attend the College. A recipient of the James Patterson Minority Scholarship, Desir says that she is inspired to be assisted financially by the famous author. “I work hard to try to surpass his requirements,” she says. Now a junior and a finance major with a chemistry minor, Desir is deeply involved in campus life as president of the MC Steppers, an admissions tour guide, and a mentee in the mentoring program. She is currently being mentored by an ophthalmologist and remains intent on her dream to become a doctor. “I want to open my own practice, so it’s good to know the business side,” she explains. “I am so grateful to be so honored with the James Patterson Scholarship.”

40  2010

during their four years.” What’s more, scholarships can be tailored to promote donorspecific priorities. For instance, the James Patterson Scholarship, funded by alumnus and best-selling author, promotes diversity on campus by providing support to minority students. In the end, each student has his or her own story — and own dreams that these generous donors are helping to make become a reality. For more information on funding a scholarship, please call Malone at (718) 862-7976.

JOE PORTARO (Joseph Van Etten ’57 Memorial Civil Engineering Scholarship) “Manhattan College wasn’t on my list,” admits Joe Portaro ’13, a civil engineering student. But his parents had read articles about the College’s highly regarded engineering school, so the family came to visit. During his visit, Portaro went on a tour and sat in on some engineering classes. And the Poughkeepsie native was sold. “I loved the ambience and being in New York City,” he says. “The engineering program is so well-known, it clarified my decision even more.” Next year, Portaro will be the first recipient of the Joseph Van Etten ’57 Memorial Civil Engineering Scholarship, a scholarship that was recently endowed. Founded in 1997 by Joseph Van Etten to support an award to an upper-level civil engineering student, funding is generated through an annual Construction Industry Golf outing. Today, Milo Riverso ’81 and Mike McHugh ’80 and a group of engineering alumni chair the outing, which brings civil engineering and construction alumni and friends together at a networking event. Portaro plans to pursue a career in construction engineering, on the design side. “I love buildings,” he says. “That’s why I love being in New York City.” In expressing his gratitude, Portaro says, “I am glad that people want to help fulfill the dreams and career choices of students.” MARY KATE BOYLAN (DeFeo Family Scholarship) Mary Kate Boylan ’12, who hails from Philadelphia, couldn’t see herself going to a college in the middle of the countryside or a small town. “I wanted to be near the city, and Manhattan College seemed to have a good community,” she says. “I knew I definitely wanted to come here.” A communications major, Boylan wants to pursue a career in journalism. She is currently the arts and entertainment editor for The Quadrangle, and last semester she interned at Women’s eNews. In addition, Boylan is involved with the campus community and serves as a resident advisor, orientation leader and admissions tour guide. She also works in the communications academic department, and is thankful to her benefactor, Neil DeFeo ’68, who, she says, makes her campus involvement possible. Boylan receives the DeFeo Family Scholarship, a scholarship reserved for select students who demonstrate the capacity for and practice of leadership. “I’m grateful, the scholarship has given me an opportunity to be more involved on campus, in leadership and in activities,” she says. Most of all, Boylan is grateful that she has the opportunity to be a part of the Manhattan community she admired as a prospective student.

Memorial Scholarships Continue Students’ Legacies Stephen N. LePorisz ’06 A mechanical engineer, amateur photographer and motorsports enthusiast, Stephen N. LePorisz ’06 (M.E.) lived life to the fullest. He loved engineering and socializing with friends and family. “Stephen was a brilliant student who loved a good joke,” says Zella Kahn-Jetter, Ph.D., former professor of mechanical engineering. “He made everyone, faculty and students alike, laugh. He had a wonderful sense of humor.” LePorisz had a serious side, too. After graduating with honors, he worked for Turner Construction and Collado Engineering. His leadership and zeal for his profes-

Kate Anne McNeil

sion were recognized by colleagues at the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), a national professional association, where he was the presidentelect of the bi-state chapter. His sudden death on March 15, 2010 in an accident came as a tragic shock to family, friends and colleagues, who resolved to commemorate his all-too-short life with a memorial scholarship. Close friends and family attended a dinner at Rory Dolan’s in Yonkers to help fund the scholarship, which, when fully endowed, will benefit students in the school of engineering.

in 2010, McNeil lost her life when crossing a busy intersection in Kate Anne McNeil, a marketing Baldwin, N.Y. A car struck McNeil; major in the class of 2011, is reher brother, Bryan; and friend membered by friends and faculty as a warm-hearted, young woman, and classmate Samantha Koch ’11. Bryan and Koch survived with who loved Manhattan College. serious injuries. “She was so welcoming, kind, In establishing the Kate sweet, always with a smile on her Anne McNeil Memorial Scholarface, she made me feel right at home,” says friend Emily Kemp ’11. ship, family and friends hope to celebrate her spirit by extending “She was like an angel to me then, an opportunity to take part in and will always be an angel to me. one of her favorite experiences at She’s changed my life forever.” Manhattan — study abroad. She “Kate was an absolute pleahad spent the previous semessure to have in class,” says Alfred ter in London with the program, Manduley, assistant professor and, by all accounts, loved it. The of marketing. “She was active, scholarship will provide funds perceptive and insightful. She for selected Manhattan College got along famously with her students who are participating in classmates, as well as with her study abroad programs. professor. She was someone you Katherine Kerbstat ’11 was wanted to clone.” the first recipient of the scholarTragically, on St. Patrick’s Day

At the dinner, which was themed “A Celebration of Life,” friends remembered how his positive qualities affected their lives. Erica Ross ’00 (M.E.) said: “Stephen could light up a room just by walking into it. He was a vibrant spirit, a wonderful friend and a devoted son and grandson.” Giovanni Cerini added, “Stephen will be missed by all who were fortunate enough to have known him.” LePorisz’s dad, Stephen LePorisz, said the purpose of the scholarship is “to keep Stephen’s memory alive and to encourage other young engineers to take on the world, just as Stephen did.”

ship. In a letter expressing her appreciation, she wrote: “The endowment gave me financial access to amazing experiences in England that I would not have had otherwise. However, it was really the memory of Kate that really pushed me to explore and enjoy Europe to the fullest.”

Contributions can be made to the Stephen N. LePorisz ’06 Scholarship or the Kate Anne McNeil Memorial Scholarship at Manhattan College. If you would like to make a contribution, please note the scholarship designation and mail a check to Manhattan College, office of planned giving, 4513 Manhattan College Parkway, Riverdale, NY 10471 or call (718) 862-7976 for more information. . 41

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Hall of Fame Inducts Jaspers

ANHATTAN COLLEGE inducted eight new members and two teams at its 32nd annual Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony on Nov. 13. The honored inductees were: Brenton Birmingham ’95, men’s basketball; Roger Freda ’67, football; Joseph Hayes ’36, swimming (posthumously); George Kiefer ’36, baseball (posthumously); James McHugh, track and field coach 1962-1969; Steven Quagliano ’78, crew; Brother Thomas Scanlan, FSC, president 1987-2009; and Sophia TaskerSterling ’97, track. In addition, the 1930-1931 basketball team and the 1965-1968 football team were honored. BRENTON BIRMINGHAM ’95 Brenton Birmingham made an incredible impression on the men’s basketball team immediately. During his first game against Hofstra, he shot eight of nine from the floor and scored a team-high 26 points. He also set a school record by sinking six of seven from three-point land. Birmingham continued shooting more than 50 percent from the field throughout his collegiate career. He played both the small forward and shooting guard positions and kept the Jaspers from losing a game at home (the only season that ever happened). He was the high scorer when the Jaspers played their first NCAA Tournament game in 35 years. Many honors were bestowed upon the 6-foot-5-inch baller who sunk 57 three-pointers and scored 805 points in just two years as a Jasper. He was named First Team All-Metropolitan, Academic All-American District 1-First Team, MAAC All-Tournament Team, MAAC All-Academic Team and All-MAAC Second Team.

42  2011

ROGER FREDA ’67 A successful track athlete at Mount Saint Michael Academy, Roger Freda brought his desire to play football to the Jasper gridiron. Manhattan had not had a football squad since the 1940s, when the College suspended the sport during World War II. With no scholarship players, not much was expected of the Jaspers that first season. Freda had a stat for catching passes in every contest he played during his injuryshortened 1965 season. In fact, his first touchdown contributed to the win over NYU with a score of 20-14. He had a perfect completed catch in every game record in 1966, resulting in 10 touchdowns. As a wingback (now known as a wide receiver), Freda was known for making thrilling catches that changed the pace of many games. He was often double-covered by the middle of the season, but the pigskin would still safely land in his hands. JOSEPH A. HAYES ’36 The swimming program began only one year before Joseph Hayes started at the College. He came to the team after a successful high school swim career at Theodore Roosevelt High School. By Hayes’ junior year, the swim team became an official varsity team, and he was elected captain his senior year. Dubbed “the Iron Man,” Hayes was undefeated as a freshman. He practically owned the 220- and 440-yard freestyle races throughout college, but was known to surprise other teams in unfamiliar events under coach Gus Mauch. In his junior year, Hayes set the record for the 50-yard freestyle, a very different race for the long distance swimmer. He also served as anchor on many relay squads.

GEORGE W. KIEFER ’36 Recruited on a scholarship after lettering in football and baseball at Purdue University, George Kiefer played baseball at Manhattan College under coach Burt Daniels. A Metropolitan AllStar shortstop, Kiefer was known for his ability with the bat and glove. As a freshman, he led the team in batting. He was named to the All-New York College Baseball Team. In a game against rival Seton Hall, Kiefer slammed two homers as part of his three hits of the day to give the Jaspers an 11-2 victory. With offers from the Yankees, Giants and Elmira, Kiefer continued to play baseball for two seasons with the Boston Red Sox organization after graduating with honors. This was his second stint with the pros since he had played semipro ball while a junior and senior in high school. JAMES MCHUGH, COACH After graduating from St. Francis College, McHugh taught history and English and coached track at St. Francis Prep. While at Prep from 1955 to 1958, McHugh became a legend winning 29 consecutive meet titles, nine City Championships, five Penn Relay Championship of America titles, and two national records in the mile and two-mile relays. George Eastment handpicked McHugh to be the next head track coach at Manhattan. During what may be considered a short tenure, McHugh won nine Metropolitan Intercollegiate Championships (two cross country, four indoors and three outdoors). When the 1968 track year concluded, his athletes held 17 of the 26 Manhattan College track records. He also has 11 Jaspers in the Athletic Hall of Fame.

(From left to right) President Brennan O’Donnell; Brother Thomas Scanlan; Brenton Birmingham ’95; Patrick Affholter, who accepted the honor for his father, Joseph Hayes ’36; Roger Freda ’67; James McHugh; Steven Quagliano ’78; Sophia Tasker-Sterling ’97; G. Richard Kiefer, who accepted for his father, George Kiefer ’36; and Lisa Toscano ’79, chair of the Athletic Hall of Fame Committee, at the induction ceremony in November.

STEVEN QUAGLIANO ’78 As a freshman, Steven Quagliano was the coxswain for the Freshman 8 and 4+. His wins that year included firstplace finishes in the Freshman 4+ and second-place finishes in the Freshman 8 at the Grimaldi Cup Regatta and the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Rowing Championships (MIRA). He reached the semis or finals all four years of his collegiate career at this national level. When the team needed a coach, Quagliano gave up coxswain. Under his leadership, they had victories at the Grimaldi Cup and MIRA Championship. The Freshman Lightweight 8 stroked their way to a third-place finish at the Dad Vail Regatta, which was the best finish since World War II. He went back to coxswain, at the close of his collegiate career. After finishing in the top half of the Head of the Connecticut, Head of the Charles and the Head of the Schuylkill, he took first-place finishes in the Grimaldi Cup Regatta and MIRA. As a senior, the team took the Metro Championships. BR. THOMAS SCANLAN, PRESIDENT Brother Thomas Scanlan brought

Jasper athletics to a new level during his tenure (1987-2009) and created a program that was balanced for both men and women. He brought three new programs to campus — women’s soccer, men’s lacrosse and women’s lacrosse — and worked to make scholarships available for all 19 Division I athletic teams. His strong support led to 72 MAAC Post-Season Championships and 18 MAAC Regular-Season Championships during his 66 seasons on campus, yet Br. Thomas made sure that academics were not compromised. One of the strongest signs of change was the rebirth of the men’s basketball team, which reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in decades and reached the round of 32 twice. In 1995, Manhattan became the only MAAC team to have received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in the league’s history. Track also began a renaissance under Br. Thomas with several national championships and new Olympians. Rounding out the athletic awards are two MAAC Commissioner’s Cups for the success of the entire Division I program in the 2002–2003 and 2003–2004 seasons.

SOPHIA TASKER STERLING ’97 Sophia Tasker Sterling ’97 still holds five school records more than a decade after graduation. Sterling contributed early to the Lady Jaspers with an Indoor ECAC Championship race and school record at the Penn Relays during her freshman year. As a junior, she ran three consecutive marks of 6.98 in the 55-meter dash and ran an NCAA B of 6.93 to take the George Mason Invitational with the school record at the time, a record she would break by 100th of a second. The indoor records that still stand include: the 55-meter dash in 6.92 at the ECAC Championships and the 60-meter dash in 7.49 at the George Mason Invitational, both in 1997. Her unbroken outdoor records are: the 4x400-meter relay in 45.76 at the ECAC Championships in 1996; the 4x200meter relay in 1:38.25 at the Penn Relays in 1997; and the Sprint Medley in 3:57.21 at the Penn Relays in 1995. She was All-East five times, one of the highest totals for a Lady Jasper. Sterling still holds a MAAC Championship Record of 7.09. She also owns three Mets victories. . 43

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From the Alumni Society THIS IS MY SECOND AND FINAL YEAR as president of the Alumni Society, and it’s been a lot of work but very rewarding. I’ve had the chance to meet many Jaspers at events and even on the boardwalk here in Spring Lake at the Jersey Shore, where I live. Hearing people’s stories and reminiscing about the old days at the College is always a lot of fun. It’s also wonderful to return to the campus and to get to know some of the students. They are both enjoyable to be with and inspiring. They give me hope for the future. I wish you could share these experiences with me. You can, of course, do this by taking advantage of what the Alumni Society has to offer. I encourage you to attend alumni events and get involved with the Society. A group of some 25 alumni in the metropolitan area meets regularly at the College to plan for alumni events, along with the alumni relations office. Their work, and that of the active members of the Jasper clubs throughout the country, is the key to the success of the Alumni Society. One of the strengths of Manhattan College is, as it always has been, its strong network of Jaspers. That’s why I’m involved and encourage you to do the same. One event we were involved in this fall was the Career Fair. This is an annual event that is coordinated by the College to connect current students with prospective employers. Ken Kelly ’54 and Joe Dillon ’62, their teams of alumni volunteers and the alumni relations office put in a tremendous

amount of time and effort in recruiting companies. And it’s a big event. This year, we had 80 companies in attendance, and 800 students who came in to speak with representatives. I attended and enjoyed meeting the students and hearing about their hopes and concerns. I have come to believe that one of the most important things the Alumni Society can do is to help our students and alumni reach their career goals. Another fall event worth mentioning is the College’s Open House for prospective students. As part of that event, we organize a Mass and breakfast for alumni parents and grandparents and their children. It provides an opportunity to meet other alumni and to discuss Manhattan and the overall college selection process. Alumni lend an important element to parents’ perceptions by sharing insights and experiences. The annual reunion weekend is in June. It’s a wonderful time for alumni of every year to return to campus, but especially for those celebrating their 25th and 50th anniversaries. If you have not been back recently, I encourage you to do so. Ask for a tour — you will be both surprised and pleased by the many changes that have taken place and by the students that you encounter on your journey back “home.” Once again, I encourage you to be involved in the Alumni Society’s events. Please feel free to give me your thoughts and feedback at harkinsw@aol.com. Thanks and go Jaspers! —Bill Harkins ’67

GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN JOIN YOUR FELLOW JASPERS at the alumni men’s retreat, Sept. 16-18. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the annual reality retreat. Now based at the Bishop Molloy Retreat House in Jamaica, N.Y., the retreat spans from 6 p.m. on Friday until noon on Sunday. The founding purpose of these retreats is to bring together alumni and friends of the College for 36 hours to listen to speakers and hear presentations based on a theme. Every year, the theme provides the inspiration and a canvas upon which the speakers can cast their messages to guide the attendees long after the weekend. The retreat also

44  2011

provides an opportunity for those attending to discuss possible solutions to the difficulties and obstacles faced in trying to live successful and spiritually fulfilling lives. There are private rooms for each person, delicious meals and a placid environment that lends itself to contemplation, discussion and personal renewal. Please visit www.manhattancollegeretreat.info or contact the following retreat team leaders for more information: Ed McEneney ’59 at Ed@manhattancollegeretreat.info or (914) 962-2700; and Kevin Muller ’82 at Kevin@manhattancollegeretreat.info.

Jaspers Speeding the Way for the Second Avenue Subway

HE SECOND AVENUE SUBWAY is one of the most high-profile infrastructure projects currently being built in New York City, and many Manhattan alumni are playing key roles in its construction. Several of these key players took part in a panel discussion hosted by the Alumni Society and the New York City Club at the Con Edison auditorium on Nov. 4. Chase DeRose ’79, vice president at AECOM, moderated the panel comprised of three engineering alumni — Balbir Sood ’94, design manager at MTA Capital Construction, Richard Paupst ’80, vice president and project manager at AECOM, and Michael McHugh ’80, vice president at Moretrench American Corporation. The Second Avenue subway project is the first major expansion of the subway system to be built in more than 50 years. When completed in 2016, the line will add 8.5 miles of track and 16 stations to what is already the

world’s largest mass transit system. The presentation focused on phase one of the project, which includes tunnels from 105th Street and Second Avenue to 63rd Street and Third Avenue, with new stations along Second Avenue at 96th, 86th and 72nd Streets, and new entrances to the existing Lexington Ave./63 Street Station at 63rd Street and Third Avenue. The panelists represented the whole gamut of civil engineering disciplines across the project spectrum from design to contractors to client. They discussed the various aspects of the construction, including the tunnel boring machine and the cut and cover excavation method. “In addition to the people who were on the panel, there are many, many more Manhattan alumni working on this project,” DeRose says. “In New York, Manhattan College civil engineers are one of the most prominent groups of engineers who are

working on infrastructure projects to build this great city.” Following the panel discussion, attendees gathered for a reception. The event was co-chaired by Bill Chandler ’70, managing director of Spectrum Consulting Partners, LLC, and Nancy Maksomski ’98, recruiting manager at AXA Equitable. The NYC Club hosts networking receptions each fall and spring, which gives alumni the opportunity to reconnect and mingle. The next event will be held this fall, and is open to all alumni, including those outside of New York City.

(From left to right) Chase DeRose ’79, Balbir Sood ’94, Richard Paubst ’80 and Michael McHugh ’80 discuss the Second Avenue subway project at the New York City Club reception.

. 45

ALUMNI

ALUMNOTES 1942

RAY KEYES celebrated his 90th birthday on March 28. He retired in 1995 from Raymond Keyes Associates, the civil and traffic engineering firm he founded in 1958, and currently resides in Naples, Fla.

1951

EDMUND GEHAN is professor emeritus of biostatistics at Georgetown University and is looking forward to his 60th class reunion.

1957

JOHN MURPHY became Rockland County’s longest serving elected government official when he began his 40th year in December 2010 as a member of the county’s legislature. Murphy was also inducted into the county’s Human Rights Hall of Fame that same month.

1958

JOHN C. CLEGG sends this humorous update on the college status of his 19 grandchildren. “Two out, three in, fourteen to go! Help!” LEO BARRON notes that he is quite busy with his 19 grandchildren. The oldest, Tom Knudsen, graduates high school this May. Tom’s parents (Jeanne Barron Knudsen ’84 and Paul Knudsen ’83) are also Jaspers.

1962

RFF & Associates, Inc., a construction, insurance and surety brokerage firm, has announced that VINCENT A. WALSH has joined the firm as senior vice president in its Garden City, N.Y., office. He will be responsible for new business development and account service. PAUL MARIANI has been working with actor James Franco to produce the film The Broken Tower, based on his 1999 biography of Hart Crane. The film initially will be shown on April 15 at Boston College. Mariani even has a small role in the film as photographer Alfred Stieglitz.

46  2011

1963

THOMAS DAMES is working as an adjunct history professor at Mount St. Mary’s College in Newburgh, N.Y. DAVID DANAHAR will be retiring as president of Southwestern Minnesota State University in June 2011, where he has served for 10 years. Prior to his term there, he was provost and vice president for academic affairs at Loyola University in New Orleans, the dean of arts and sciences at Fairfield University, and a professor, director of general education, and associate dean of arts at the State University of New York at Oswego.

1964

In September 2010, PETER DENNING published The Innovator’s Way with Bob Dunham. The book serves as an instruction manual on how to unravel one of the mysteries of innovation; how to move a novel idea across the finish line into adoption. WILLIAM MURPHY, P.E., was appointed manager of the New England regional office in Hartford, Conn., by Urban Engineers. Murphy has more than 30 years of professional experience and is a member of: the American Society of Civil Engineers, Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers, International Society of Soil Mechanics and Foundations Engineers, American Public Works Association and American Water Works Association.

1965

EDWARD T. HOWLEY is a contributing author to Exercise Physiology: Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance. The text, written particularly for exercise science and physical education students, provides a solid foundation in both theory and application to increase understanding and help students apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to real life. THOMAS W. SCHNATZ notes he is currently living in New Orleans, La., and works with wife, Darlene, on the city’s recovery. They have four children and 10 grandchildren.

1966

ROBERT PORTO, M.D., has been retired from OB-GYN practice for the past three years. He travels with his wife, Eva, and divides his time between Brooklyn, N.Y., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Castel del Rio, Italy. MICHAEL P. WALSH was recently awarded the Friendship Award by the government of China. This is the highest award for foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to China’s economic and social progress.

1967

JOSEPH HAGGERTY is involved in embedded systems programming at Advanced Power Technologies in Randolph, N.J.

1968

JAMES P. MALONE was appointed chief nuclear fuel development officer at Lightsbridge Corporation. He will develop strategies for the company’s fuel development and commercialization, and serve as the lead contact to fuel vendors and utilities. Malone brings more than 40 years of experience to the position.

1970

CHARLES BONNICI has completed his first book, Creating a Leadership Style: Principles of Personal Strategic Planning. It will be available April 2011, published by Rowman and Littleman. Bonnici served at the High School of Fashion Industries in Manhattan first as assistant principal, then principal until his retirement in 2002. He is currently the director of school partnerships for Pace University (NYC campus). Eastern Long Island Hospital appointed JOSEPH PUFAHL to its board of trustees. Pufahl also is part of the executive leadership team at Adchem Corporation in Riverhead. SR. PATRICIA ANN REILLY, OP, completed 50 years of service at St. Thomas Aquinas College as professor, chair of multiple committees, and interim president. HARRY ROGER WILLIAMS III has been

elected the new library director for the Quincy, Mass., Library System. He is a selfproclaimed shameless promoter of libraries and loves his work. He also paid homage to Brother Justin Brennan, FSC, in his blog, and congratulates Manhattan College for its new labor studies program in tribute to Br. Justin. Bruce Venter has recently started a new company, America’s History, LLC. It is dedicated to offering exceptional American history tours and conferences for history enthusiasts seeking unique tours of the Revolutionary and Civil wars and other historic moments.

LOVE IN THE TIME OF FACEBOOK John “Jack” Kennedy ’62 married Kathy Nolan Taylor on June 19, 2010. It’s a seemingly typical announcement at first glance. But what makes the story so remarkable is that Kennedy had met Taylor 50 years ago. They dated while he was a freshman at Manhattan College in 1959. They then went their separate ways and did not talk or see each other for 49 years, until the two reconnected through Facebook. Becoming friends on Facebook was followed by e-mails, then phone calls, and finally, Kennedy and Taylor met in person in August of 2009. “It was like we had dated the previous week,” he says. They got engaged and married the following June in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where the couple now lives.

1971

JOSEPH MEEHAN presented a photography seminar at the Lena Morton Gallery at the Thomaston Town Hall, Conn. WILLIAM MOONEY JR. has been a member of the Debt Resolve board of directors since April 2003. He is currently president of the Westchester County Association and serves as senior vice president at Independence Community Bank. He has been involved in the banking sector at the executive level for more than 30 years.

1972

KEIRAN BERGIN retired from Boeing in 2009. He is currently helping Habitat for Humanity build homes on a project in Orange County, Calif., more than 100 days out of the year. PAUL LENCI is proud to announce the arrival of his first grandchild, Henry Richard, on July 4. Lenci will also celebrate his 40th wedding anniversary in May. He currently works for the National Park service as a part-time ranger guide at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt National Historic Site in Hyde Park, N.Y. GENNARO J. MAFFIA has returned to the Manhattan College engineering department as a professor of chemical engineering. VINCENT MASUCCI has been welcomed into Stanford Who’s Who, a forum dedicated to networking, consulting, exposure and credibility to broaden its members future success. Masucci, a contract engineer for the New York Power Authority, is a certified New York State building official and a New York State code enforcement officer. He is a member of the New York State building officials conference. Chemical Engineering (CE) magazine recognized THOMAS MCGOWAN for his expertise in the fields of alternative energy and green chemistry. He was given CE’s Personal

Achievement Award at a ceremony in October.

1973

JOHN M. FAHEY has been named the new president of the National Geographic Society, ending a tradition of 122 years of Grosvenor family leadership. He was the first president of National Geographic Ventures, started the National Geographic cable channel, inaugurated the company’s tour business, launched a Web channel, started a school publishing business and expanded the magazine itself into other countries and languages. STEPHEN CERRATO announced his candidacy for the Yonkers City Council, 5th District. The elections will be held Nov. 8, 2011. “We need officials to lead by example,” he says. “They must make sacrifices in City Hall in order to reduce waste and start saving money.”

1974

KEVIN M. KEARNEY presided as the honorary grand marshal at this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City.

1975

ROBERT HOGAN was one of five candidates who ran for the position of Port Washington, N.Y., Police Commissioner. JAMES LAURIA, vice president of marketing and business development for Amiad Filtration Systems, has been added to the Flow Control Magazine’s editorial advisory board. He also writes a blog for the Huffington Post discussing water management issues.

1976

EDWARD BUCH, M.D., was elected vice president of Somerset Medical Center’s medical

and dental staff. He maintains his own private practice, too. JOHN “JAKE” FARRELL, a civilian captain working for the U.S. Navy in Newport, R.I., recently received a letter of commendation from the Dept. of the Navy Commander in Norfolk, Va., for “outstanding ship-handling work, involving offshore nighttime maneuvers with a Virginia-Class submarine.” Farrell has also been honored for other professional work by the Rhode Island governor’s office, Newport City Council, University of Rhode Island, the Seaman’s Church Institute, and Rhode Island Harbormaster’s Association. He also received the Newport County Ambassadors Award. CHARLES TRAVAGLIATO, D.D.S., was recently named president of the Eighth District Dental Society’s executive council. He previously served as an officer of the society. He owns and operates a general dental practice with his wife, Donna. THOMAS WELDIN retired from Unilever after working for the company for 31 years and started his own consulting business. Welding specializes in third-party consumer goods sales.

1977

KEVIN KREWELL has joined the Linley Group as a senior analyst. He has more than 25 years of experience in the processor market. He will also be senior editor of Microprocessor Report. PAUL FONDACARO, one of the founders of Dr Park Ave, Cosmetic Services, is the president and CEO of its new board of directors. He is a faculty member of the National Society of Cosmetic Physicians. HOWARD ROSE ran for the Teaneck, N.J., . 47

ALUMNI

JASPER BOOKSHELF board of education held on April 27 and won. “I am running because I can have an impact based on my background and experience,” he said.

1979

LOUIS LAMATINA ran for re-election as mayor in Emerson N.J. The Democrat says, “I am running for re-election to continue the progress which I began when first elected to the job of mayor in 2006 ... I have the experience, qualifications and drive to insure that the revitalization of our downtown continues.” He was not, however, elected for the position.

1980

JIM AVERY was central in coordinating a joint venture with San Diego Gas & Electric, the city of San Diego, Concentrix Solar and Tenaska Solar Ventures. The project, a 150-megawatt power purchase agreement to buy electricity produced from solar power, will create and maintain approximately 1,000 jobs in the San Diego area. GERALD GALLUP will receive the Delores Knutsen award for dedication and volunteerism at the United Way of Montgomery County, N.Y., annual dinner and awards ceremony. MICHAEL F. MCENENY has been named deputy general counsel for MasterCard Worldwide. His new position will allow him to lead the global public policy, regulatory advocacy, litigation and the product and advisors legal teams. He will split his time between Purchase, N.Y., and Washington, D.C.

1981

MICHAEL MCGUIRE ran as the Republican Conservative and Independent candidate for the position of Sullivan County Court Judge. He won the election and is taking the seat of retiring Judge Burt Ledina.

1982

RICHARD BACH is the newly installed chairman of the Downtown San Diego Partnership. He plans to increase the company’s presence and political influence despite pressures to scale back the redevelopment project. The Downtown San Diego Partnership promotes

48  2011

Julianne E. Soviero ’02 has written her first novel, Between Worlds, published in February. Between Worlds is about a girl who, on her 13th birthday, inherits the ability to travel between unseen worlds, which allows her to embark onto a path to self-discovery that she will never forget. Crafted for young adults, it is available on both the Kindle and Nook. Since graduating as valedictorian in 2002, an English major and student athlete, Soviero has been freelance writing and owns a business that helps girls better their softball skills. After retiring from his career as executive vice president of Southwest Research Institute, Richard Curtin ’61 has published his first book, Artifacts of Death, this past February. The plot surrounds a present-day killing of a ranch hand in Moab, Utah, which stems from events that took place in 1938. This murder mystery novel takes place in Utah’s Canyon County, where Curtin lived for a time in his life. He currently is writing February’s Files, a sequel to his first work. Joseph Alexander ’62 published his first novel, Faded Acts of Love, in January. He worked in marketing and advertising for several years before studying creative writing at the University of North Carolina. A tale of love and loss that probes the intricacies of two intertwined relationships that span twenty years and two continents, the novel’s main character faces an uncertain future dictated by one careless act.

the downtown area and also lobbies for and sponsors community development projects. PIA RIVERSO is a partner at Rivkin Radler LLP. For more than 25 years, she has litigated complex civil matters, such as commercial and bankruptcy litigation, intellectual property and construction disputes, insurance defense and the defense and prosecution of mechanics’ lien foreclosure actions. HARRY WEBER ran as the Republican candidate for the Ramsey, N.J., Borough Council. He has resided in Ramsey for 14 years and is an active member of the Ramsey Baseball Softball Association, as well as the Knights of Columbus. He is the softball league president, co-director of travel softball, and has had experience coaching youth basketball and soccer in the past. He did not secure the position. MICHAEL PASCAZI was admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. Its territory includes New York, Vermont and Connecticut. He is one of a very limited number of attorneys admitted to prosecute and defend appeals brought before the 2nd Circuit.

1983

ANDREW J. BURKE is the newly appointed chief financial officer of Bunge Limited and continues in his role as the company’s

global operational excellence officer. He had served as interim chief financial officer since September 2010. In August, LISA LYNCH celebrated the fourth anniversary of her family and cosmetic dentistry practice in Midland Park. She has watched her practice grow by offering a welcoming environment and providing a conservative and comprehensive dental experience catered to each patient’s individual needs.

1984

PATRICK MICHEL has been named the new superintendent for the Hamilton-FultonMontgomery Board of Cooperative Educational Services. Michel has previously serves as the Monticello Central School District superintendent in Sullivan County, N.Y.

1985

JEAN E. SPENCE and her husband, Robert, have funded a new position at Clarkson University. The Jean and Robert Spence Professorship in Sustainable Environmental Systems was created to advise the university on sustainability matters, integrate sustainability principles into scholarship, teaching and service, and to provide a focal point for the exchange of ideas with other institutions worldwide.

1986

YOUSSEF DAOU has joined MicroSun Technologies, LLC as its advanced product development manager. He has had a distinguished career in consumer, medical and energy storage industries before joining MicroSun, and brings expertise in many critical areas, such as better development and architecture, power and safety management and risk/reward management. RAYMOND J. DOWD is a partner at Dunnington, Bartholow & Miller LLP in New York, working in the corporate, intellectual property, litigation and arbitration, and art and art law practice groups. He was also appointed general counsel of the Federal Bar Association last month.

1987

JEANETTE BROWN has been named executive director of the Water Environment Federation (WEF). “During my tenure as president, I plan to continue to place WEF and our members in a leadership role for solving the water challenges of this century,” she says. Brown is also an adjunct professor of environmental engineering at Manhattan College. THOMAS L. MERTENS has been named associate broker by Omni Development Company, Inc. He has more than 15 years of industry experience and has achieved membership into the prestigious Century 21 Centurion Honor Society.

1989

ANDREW DESTEFANO has been promoted to captain of the 46th precinct, New York City Police Dept. MARYANN MCCARRA-FITZPATRICK’S poems appear in OBSOLETE! Magazine #3 and Contemporary Literature Horizon Jan.-Feb. 2011. She has performed at Lola’s Teahouse in Pelham, N.Y.,

and the Blue Door Gallery in Yonkers, N.Y. Aleris International Inc. named STEPHEN STONE vice president of sales and marketing of its rolled products North America business. ALEXANDER TERGIS has been appointed the new commissioner of public works by New Rochelle City Manager Charles B. Strome III. He brings extensive municipal experience to the position, having managed multiple divisions in Stamford, Conn., during the last four years. Prior to that, he was the superintendent of highways for the city of Norwalk, Conn.

1990

CARLOS RODRIGUEZ ran as this year’s Libertarian candidate for the California House of Representatives. Although he did not win the election, he felt he learned a lot, and says of the experience of running, “I was very fortunate that I was able to participate in various candidate forums and one debate, and that I am a fast learner! You can’t call yourself a politician (in a good way) until you’ve done at least one of those!”

GLEN BERAM has always been passionate about exercise and has created a not-forprofit program, Work2Workout, to bring his passion to high school students. The program, which allows kids to earn gym memberships for academic excellence, now has three gyms and two school districts in Westchester County, N.Y., participating in the program.

1994

MATTHEW P. GROSSO has been promoted to executive vice president of the Data Storage Corportation unit. In his new position, he will be held responsible for business development and expanding the DSC Partnership Program, and also continuing to hold operational, data center and product development responsibilities. WILLIAM MCAULIFFE has announced his engagement to Elizabeth Earl, and a wedding is planned for April 2012.

1997

MICHELLE PÉREZ has been hired as associate vice president for student affairs at Millersville University, Pa. She has previously worked at the University of Arizona’s center for student involvement and leadership.

Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP promoted Christopher Rizzo to counsel. Rizzo serves as a member of the litigation department and the environmental practice group. He also is adjunct professor at Pace University Law School, co-chair of the New York State Bar Association’s parks and historic preservation committee and a “Green associate” of the U.S. Green Building Council.

1993

1998

1992

Marjama Muldoon Blasiak & Sullivan LLP has elected DENIS J. SULLIVAN a managing partner of the firm. Sullivan is a registered patent attorney and a New York State licensed professional engineer. Prior to attending law school, he was an electrical engineer and project manager in the aviation-design division of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.

CHRISTOPHER BORELLO has been elected partner of Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper and Scinto.

1999

DAN SCOTT ran for the position of mayor in Sleepy Hollow in the March election. However, he was unable to secure the majority vote.

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME Tom Muldoon ’62, former president of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PCVB), was honored for his 25 years of service and dedication to Philadelphia, its hospitality industry and the PCVB at the bureau’s annual luncheon in November. In addition to a video tribute, Mayor Michael Nutter presented him with the Philadelphia Bowl, the city’s highest honor. Looking for a gift that befitted the avid baseball fan, the staff of the PCVB also surprised their outgoing president with his very own “Field of

Dreams.” The name, Muldoon’s Field of Dreams, will adorn a ballpark in Francisville, Pa., near his home, and will be used by the Francisville A’s youth baseball team. A “fun-raiser” was held in January to help pay for the renovation and maintenance of the field, which was scheduled to open this spring. Muldoon, who stepped down at the end of December, is credited with the expansion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, among many other contributions.

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2000

TANYA EASTMAN, business manager of Green & Siefter, Attorneys PLLC, has been elected to the board of directors for the Near Westside Initiative. She has also served as vice president with Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc.

2002

Track & field alumni GARY GENTLES and ADENIYI OMISORE ’04 won Best Soul Site award from Centric TV and Soul Train in November for their online magazine www.singersroom. com. Singersroom.com has become a robust communication portal between artists and their fans, educating and providing readers with critical news and information to improve their perception and desire of their favorite artists. CHRISTINE MURRAY served as one of the eight aides to the Grand Marshal Roy McLaughlin for the 2011 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Yonkers.

2003

GAVIN T. COSGROVE ran for the position of trustee on the Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District school board, in the Kingston and Frontenac Islands, N.Y., ward. He is currently a practicing lawyer in the City of Kingston, N.Y. STEPHEN DEVITO announced his engagement to Allison Mainmona. DeVito is currently a reserve captain in the Air Force and plans to attend medical school. STEPHEN HERNON will be the assistant principle at Notre Dame Academy High School in Staten Island, N.Y.

2005

ELIZABETH DOWD has announced her engagement to Keith L. Basile. Dowd works as the editor for Dance Retailer News. Their May 2011 wedding was held at the New Haven Lawn Club in New Haven, Conn. CHRISTOPHER HOLODAK has been promoted to human resources communications manager at BASF. CAITLIN REILLY led a group of nearly two dozen Sea Grant communicators and scholars in a habitat restoration planting effort in New Orlean’s City Park. Last month she visited the Sea Grant staff at Stony Brook University and spoke on her experiences 50  2011

with the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and Hurricane Katrina, and with on-the-ground issues of coastal land loss.

2006

TONY AZIOS is currently a graduate student at American University in Washington, D.C., and is pursuing a M.F.A. in documentary film production. He is working as an intern with the Investigative Reporting Workshop, and is also producing a documentary about North Korean refugees adapting to their new lives in the United States. DEVIN FLOOD was sworn in as an officer of the Cheshire, Conn., Police Force. He has been working for the Wallingford Police Department since 2008. CHRISTOPHER BELL has announced his engagement to Dana Franchavilla. He is currently employed by ITT Geospatial Systems in Clifton, N.J.

2007

DANIEL DEMAGISTRIS, vice president of account management for Universal Survey, has been recognized by Cambridge Who’s Who for demonstrating dedication, leadership and excellence in business management.

2008

APRIL MARSLAND received the 2010 Diamond Recruiter of the Year award from the Securian Financial Network. She worked as a recruiting director for Ibis Financial Group since 2008, and has previously received the Bronze Recruiting Specialist award in 2009 and 2010 from GAMA International. SEAN OROHO has announced his engagement to Kaitlin Lynch. Childhood sweethearts, the couple attended the same elementary school, Immaculate Conception School in Franklin, N.J. KIMBERLY PIERCE is presenting her paper “Hong Kong and Feng Shui: A Symbiotic Relationship” at the American Sociological Association’s Annual Conference in Las Vegas this year. The paper explores the links between Hong Kong’s architecture, feng shui and the city’s success in the global market.

2009

MARC BALASCO was one of 18 paramedics who graduated from the New York City Fire Department’s Paramedic Academy in March.

2010

BRANDON AMLUNG was appointed to the position of police officer in the City of Rye, N.Y., and he was sworn in at City Hall on January 7. SHANE HENDRY has been working at La Salle Institute in Troy, N.Y., as the assistant director of institutional advancement. The Rosso family will be inducted into the St. Catherine Academy’s Hall of Fame. The family, including Jaspers MELISSA ROSSO, JENNIFER ROSSO ’06, and ALESSANDRA ROSSO ’14, was incredibly involved in the high school’s sport community. Jennifer, Melissa and Alessandra all coached volleyball at the school and helped lead the team to a state championship. Their parents have assisted with fundraising, parents clubs and sports videotaping for more than 13 years.

BIRTHS Stephanie & MATTHEW BONNEY ’83, son, John Matthew, 9/21/09 Mark & LISA POTENZA ’95, daughter, Jillian Summer, 6/28/10 Shannon & JASON MANNING ’96, son, Zachary Michael, 2/25/10 MARRIAGES

2001

Lisa Quinn & RYAN JOHNSTON, 9/29/09

2003

Breamond Ostrander & ANTHONY J. SCALA III, 2/19/11

2005

Renee Mello & CASEY DOYLE, 8/21/10 VICTORIA FARLEY & CHRISTOPHER PRUNTY, 8/29/09

2008

BETH POZNER & TODD FISHER ’06, 9/18/10 ADVANCED DEGREES JEANNE SCANLON ’09 has completed a master’s in public administration from Pace University.

ROOMS & RECOGNITIONS Nicholas Bartilucci ’54 is presented with the plaque that now adorns a conference room in Leo Hall by Tim Ward, dean of the school of engineering, at a dinner held in his honor.

A Room of His Own: Honoring Nicholas Bartilucci ’54

ICHOLAS BARTILUCCI ’54, former president and chairman of Dvirka & Bartilucci Consulting Engineers, headquartered in Woodbury, N.Y., was honored by the College’s school of engineering, among others, at a recognition dinner held at the Fox Hollow Inn in Woodbury. The September event was attended by 150 of Bartilucci’s colleagues, friends and family and celebrated his achievements during a career in civil and environmental engineering that spanned more than 50 years. His long leadership of Dvirka & Bartilucci positioned the firm, which provides environmental consulting services to industries and local governments in Long Island, in strong standing. It was recently recognized by the Engineering News-Record as one of the top 200 environmental engineering firms — and one of the top 500 design firms — in the nation. Yet Bartilucci’s achievements were not confined to the private sector. He is perhaps

best known on Long Island as commissioner of the Jericho Water District, an elective office that he has held for more than 40 years, or for his involvement in many public and charitable causes. Beyond active involvement in his church, St. Edward the Confessor in Syosset, he serves as first vice president for the Center for the Developmentally Disabled, vice president for the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum, a member of the board of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Association, and a trustee of the village of Laurel Hollow. A generous benefactor, his longtime support of Manhattan College includes serving on the Civil Engineering Consultors Committee for countless years, meeting with evaluators from the accrediting agency, and donating to the College and engineering programs. “Nick has always been available to Manhattan,” says Kevin Farley, Ph.D., professor

of civil and environmental engineering. “He goes out of his way to help.” During the dinner, Bartilucci received tributes from family, friends and associates; proclamations from state and local legislators and executives; and was presented with a plaque by Tim Ward, Ph.D., dean of Manhattan’s school of engineering, that designates a conference room in Leo Hall to be named the Nicholas J. Bartilucci ’54 Conference Room. In the spirit of honoring Bartilucci, his firm, which organized the event, donated $10,000 to the College to establish the conference room, which was dedicated in his honor last semester. “Nick Bartilucci is a well-respected pioneer in the industry,” says Ward. “He has been a great long-term friend to Manhattan College, specifically the school of engineering. When we saw the opportunity to honor Nick, we knew it was the right thing to do — and the least we could do.” . 51

ALUMNI

Serving the Underserved

Harold DeRienzo ’75 speaks at an open house ceremony in 2005 for Logan Gardens in Harlem, a distressed senior housing project that HUD foreclosed. At that time, he was president of Community Assisted Tenant Controlled Housing, Inc., which took over the property, renovated it and now oversees its operation as a senior and disabled facility, with restored HUD rental subsidies.

52  2011

UST A FEW MILES southwest of Manhattan’s bucolic Riverdale campus are some of the city’s most impoverished communities and the poorest congressional district in the country. The neighborhoods in the south Bronx have struggled with poverty since the 1970s when nearly all but the poorest residents moved out of the area. Today, the nation’s continuing economic struggles have hit this area particularly hard. Building on its Lasallian mission of serving the poor, Manhattan College has organized countless volunteer groups to work in these communities throughout the years. In the early 1970s, Harold DeRienzo ’75 started volunteering with the College’s social action group. Nearly 40 years later, DeRienzo is still dedicated to social action. “Without the volunteer opportunities available to me at Manhattan College, I would not be where I am today,” he says. He is now president and CEO of Banana Kelly, a community development organization serving the south Bronx, and is also the general counsel for the Parodneck Foundation, which focuses on housing and community development throughout New York City. During the course of his career, he has worked to provide a better life for thousands

of underprivileged New Yorkers. DeRienzo helped to found Banana Kelly in 1976 shortly after graduating from Manhattan. The organization, affectionately named after the curved section of Kelly Street in the south Bronx, worked to rehabilitate buildings that had been abandoned. The group began with the renovation of three buildings on Kelly Street and eventually grew to become one of the most successful community development corporations in the country. “At its height, we had 125 employees, four offices and functioned as a multiservice community development and human services organization,” DeRienzo says. He left Banana Kelly in the 1980s to attend law school and joined the Parodneck Foundation. This organization began in the 1930s as a cooperative that sought to provide low-cost milk to New Yorkers in effort to combat the high milk prices that were an impediment to the health of inner city youth. By the 1960s, lack of milk was no longer an issue, so the organization transitioned into focusing on housing, but its mission of serving low-income New Yorkers remained. “When I took over, the foundation was in transition, and I was able to develop programs that were unique

and allowed the organization to play a leading role in many aspects of New York City housing and community development,” he says. Among the initiatives DeRienzo implemented at the Parodneck Foundation was the development of the city’s only home improvement program targeted exclusively to senior citizen homeowners. He also worked to create a program for remediation of predatory loans in conjunction with Fannie Mae, which became a model that Fannie Mae would eventually employ in 17 other cities. In 2002, DeRienzo was asked to return to Banana Kelly after the organization had been driven to the brink of collapse due to deficient leadership. He has since made the organization viable again and is in the process of expanding it. He now splits his time between Banana Kelly and the Parodneck Foundation and finds that the services provided by these organizations are needed more than ever due to the ongoing recession. “This recession has hit our residents particularly hard,” DeRienzo says. “At Banana Kelly, we have a program that works with disabled and homeless people and families. It works like a Section 8 program, with support services mostly geared toward assisting participants to secure jobs. From the period Nov. 1, 2009 through Oct. 31, 2010 the average income of our participants declined by 46 percent due mostly to loss of jobs.” As much as DeRienzo has accomplished throughout his career, he believes the most important work remains to be done. “As bad as things were when I began in this field, even though the physical environment has been rebuilt, the social fabric and the economic realities of the inner city are more tentative now than at any time I have personally experienced,” DeRienzo says.

Alumna Fights SMA One Step at a Time MANY PEOPLE RUN to stay in shape and achieve a personal best time, but Lauren Lundy O’Connor ’02 is running for a cause. Since 2008, O’Connor and her SMA (spinal muscular atrophy) Asics have been hitting the pavement to raise funds to support the research of SMA and to find a cure. SMA is the No. 1 genetic killer of infants and young children and results in the loss of nerves in the spinal cord and the weakness of the muscles connected with those nerves. When O’Connor’s nephew Owen was diagnosed with SMA in 2008 at just two months and passed away three months later, she was motivated to start running for a cause, and founded teamrun4owen. com, a website that features information about SMA, Owen’s story, details on upcoming races, donation opportunities and more. In October 2008, O’Connor ran the Dublin marathon and raised $6,000 for SMA, and all of the proceeds were donated to Columbia University’s Spinal Muscular Atrophy Clinical Research Center. Two years later, Michael Van De Loo ’94 connected with O’Connor through her website after he found out his daughter Ciara had SMA. O’Connor was moved by Van De

Loo’s story and that he was a fellow Jasper, and decided to run the New York City Marathon Tune-up 18-mile run last September in honor of Ciara. Two months later, O’Connor prepared for another race for the cause — the New York City marathon and dedicated all of the Brooklyn miles to Ciara. A few days before the marathon, Van De Loo sent a mass e-mail to all of his Manhattan College contacts, and as a result, O’Connor raised an additional $5,000 for SMA research from the Jasper community. Like Van De Loo, O’Connor has met several families fighting SMA, including the Strong family. Gwendolyn Strong is now three and a half years old and was not expected to live past two, according to the SMA life expectancy. She is beating the odds, and her parents have formed the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation to document Gwendolyn’s battle and make others aware of SMA, resources available and how people can get involved in finding a cure for SMA. “Gwendolyn’s parents, Bill and Victoria, have become really good friends, and they are dedicated to helping other families that are going through what they are going through,” says O’Connor. “I have raised more than $9,000 for their foundation since May of 2010.”

With the 2011 marathon season in full swing, O’Connor and Van De Loo are teaming up to raise even more money for SMA. In late March, Van De Loo and his wife, Kate, ran the New York City half marathon, and O’Connor ran the New Bedford, Mass., half marathon. In addition, O’Connor will run the Newport, R.I., marathon and the Santa Barbara marathon with Gwendolyn’s father this fall. The fellow Jaspers will also pair up again in November 2011 to run the New York City marathon, which will benefit Team Run 4 Owen for the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation. “Seeing right now that there are no treatments or cures for this disease, raising money for research is absolutely critical for the children and the families, and the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation also provides information and support for families like myself who are dealing with a young child with a terminal disease,” Van De Loo says.

Lauren Lundy O’Connor ’02 and Michael Van De Loo ’94, with his wife, Kate, and daughter, Ciara, after finishing the 5K Lindsey Run at Purchase College last October.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Since this story was written, we were sad to learn of Ciara’s passing on April 26. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family. . 53

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Taking the Helm at the Port Authority ANYONE WHO HAS EVER flown into New York City, driven from Manhattan to New Jersey or taken the PATH train has benefited from the work of Peter Zipf ’79, chief engineer at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). Zipf oversees a team of more than 1,000 employees and engineering consultants who ensure the structural integrity and construction management of the Port Authority’s design, bridges and tunnels, rail, ports and aviation projects. Zipf, a long-time veteran of the PANYNJ who began his career as a project manager with the agency in 1985, was appointed chief engineer last November when his predecessor, Frank Lombardi, retired. Lombardi, who was the Commencement speaker and honorary degree recipient at the College’s 2007 Spring Commencement, has served as a consultant to the civil engineering department and was recently a recipient of the Distinguished Mentor Award for his work with the College’s mentor program. “One of my key roles is the overall delivery of design and construction for a significant portion of the capital and operating programs at the Port Authority,” Zipf says. “We typically oversee about $700 million of construction work a year.” The Port Authority is the nation’s largest infrastructure agency, overseeing an area of approximately 1,500 square miles surrounding New York Harbor. The agency conceives, builds, operates and maintains infrastructure critical to the New York/New Jersey region, where more than 17 million people live. Facilities under PANYNJ’s jurisdiction include America’s busiest airport system, marine terminals and ports, the PATH rail transit system, six tunnels and bridges between New York and New Jersey, the Port Authority Bus Terminal and the World Trade Center. 54  2011

Among the long-term projects Zipf and his team are currently working on is the raising of the Bayonne Bridge, which will raise the bridge deck up 65 feet to accommodate the future larger container ships. He is also working on the replacement of the Goethals Bridge, the rebuilding of the roadways entering the Lincoln Tunnel from the New Jersey side, the planning of rebuilding the Central Terminal at LaGuardia Airport, and the planning for the rebuilding of Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport. During the course of his 25 years with the Port Authority, Zipf has worked on numerous projects, but the redevelopment of Newark Liberty International Airport in the 1980s stands out as particularly noteworthy. This project included the construction of parking structures, a monorail system and roadway network. “It was a challenging planning, design and construction program that I got involved with at the very beginning,” he says. “So it

was great experience to see the vast array of what it means to be an engineer.” In addition to his instrumental role at PANYNJ, Zipf is also doing his part to lead the next generation of engineers. He’s been a part of Manhattan’s mentor program since 2006 and also mentors students at Polytechnic Institute of New York, where he earned his master’s degree. He has long been ingrained in the Manhattan College community. Zipf hails from a Jasper family — his father is a class of 1940 engineering alumnus and his brother graduated in 1970 from the education school. In 2007, Zipf was inducted into the College’s Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the championship 1978 swim team. He currently holds the Manhattan diving record for the 1-meter and 3-meter dives, a record previously held by his brother. Zipf was an outstanding student at Manhattan, graduating first in his civil engineering class with a G.P.A. of 3.96. His ascension in his career is a testament to his talent and work ethic, but he also praises Manhattan for the strong foundation he received at the College. “Manhattan College is known for its pragmatic approach to engineering, and it clearly stands out,” Zipf says. “But what I liked about Manhattan is that it gives you the broader sense of the person, too. Taking theology classes and other non-technical classes that you don’t get at a pure technical institute really balances you, which is important for engineers today.”

Peter Zipf ’79 takes the lead as chief engineer at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

PHOTO BY ANDREW BISDALE

A Spectrum of Inspirations WHEN CHRISTOPHER GORMAN ’05 graduated from Manhattan, he didn’t plan on working at a museum. His goal was to work in writing or journalism. The former features editor of the Quadrangle, who also wrote poetry and fiction, landed a job at Harper Collins Publishing, as the assistant to the art director, but he didn’t think he wanted to stay in publishing. Gorman then saw an ad in The New York Times for a security officer at Metropolitan Museum of Art and thought it would be an interesting place to work. At the very least, he would get a change of scenery and the chance to be around wonderful works of art while contemplating his next move. “When I became a guard, I wouldn’t call it love at first sight, but it was as close to it as possible,” he says. “I loved being around the artwork and watching people’s reactions to it, helping visitors get around, listening to the docents and the people who gave tours and the interesting and wonderful things they would say about the artwork. It was within a matter of weeks that I realized if I could find a way to stay at the museum, it could be a great place for me, and I could learn a great deal, and it could be an exciting place to have a career.” And it has proven to be so. After seven months of serving as a security officer, Gorman was hired as assistant for special exhibitions, gallery installations, and design. In 2009, he was asked to be part of a newly formed committee, too, called Spectrum, which he has been co-chairing since last August. The mission of Spectrum is to shed fresh perspectives on the museum, its collections and exhibitions through seasonal events that focus on contemporary artists, musicians and new media. Some of its previous events have featured Ringo Starr, Ben Harper, Guster, Jon Sarkin, Duke Special and Jonathan Ames. Gorman and the committee try to do four events in a year, maybe two large and two small events, but it’s not a hard-fast schedule yet. With an emphasis on collaboration, sometimes he and his co-chair come up with the ideas, and other times they cultivate ideas from their fellow committee members. One idea, in particular, that he can take credit for was a December event, An Evening with Katrin Sigurdardottir, who is an Icelandic artist and had a recent exhibition. “Her exhibition is based on works that are in another part of the museum, from an older period of art history,” he says. “Our mission is to share fresh perspectives of the museum, and here is this artist who has done that very thing with artwork, so I felt it would be a good fit.” In February, Spectrum hosted an event with rock band Guster. At the start of the event, two curators talked about works in the museum’s collection that showed the historical relationship between art and music. They were joined on stage by Guster and Jon Sarkin, a folk artist who did the artwork for the band’s 2010 album East Wonderful. Then, Guster

performed an acoustic set, while Sarkin created a work of art. “After the conversation, the audience got to see the collaboration between an artist and a group of musicians play out before their eyes,” he says. “In terms of an unique experience for our audience, this event turned into a particularly beautiful one.” Since working at the museum, Gorman has been inspired to draw and paint. He doesn’t have any formal training in studio art but has managed to have a few exhibitions during the past few years, a couple in the New York City and one in Rockland County, where he grew up. He likes to use ink on paper, pastel on paper, and does a lot of landscapes in black ink and white acrylic. “I believe that painting on my own betters my form of understanding of how great artists are able to create great works of art,” says Gorman, who often carries a sketchbook on the subway. “Writing about the art and thinking about the art, all of this is informed by what I do at the museum, and all that I do away from the museum informs my work here, so it’s a nice relationship.” Gorman also continues to write and recently started as an arts columnist for a website called Popten.net, which specializes in music, pop culture and movies. And he’s very happy about how it all turned out. “I have to say, as a New Yorker, as a person who went to school in the Bronx, now lives in Brooklyn, and works in Manhattan, I’m proud of the work I’m doing here, and I’m proud to be a part of a great New York institution, as I was proud to be a part of another great New York institution, Manhattan College,” he says. “That’s just something that I can’t say enough.” Christopher Gorman ’05 (left) and folk artist Jon Sarkin (right) set the stage for Spectrum Presents: An Evening with Guster and Jon Sarkin at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in February. Sarkin actually painted on stage, while Guster performed during the event.

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OBITS

INMEMORIAM

Manhattan College records with sorrow the deaths of the following alumni: 1935 Malcolm Ward, 10/24/10

1938

Anthony V. Amoruso, 8/8/10

1939

Robert L. Conkling, 12/22/10

1940

John J. Horan, 1/22/11

1941

Deacon Wesley J. Brush, 11/5/10 James F. Kelly, 8/1/10

1942

William M. Crane Sr., 1/11/11 Roosevelt S. Hedemark, 1/29/11 John T. McGuire, 2/25/10

Bill Rafferty, 3/17/11 William F. Reilly Jr., 3/6/11 Philip W. Sheridan Jr., 2/21/11

1950

Thomas V. Callahan, 2/3/10 F. Hap Kimma, 1/26/11 George F. Murphy, 1/30/11 Francis W. Wessbecher, 4/5/11

1951

Christopher L. Henriksen, 3/10/11 Joseph P. McMahon, 3/7/11 Thomas D. Purtell, 2/5/11 John F. Travers, 1/14/11 John A. Wilkinson, 1/9/11

1943

1952

Joseph A. Grassi, 12/9/10 Eric F. Olson, 10/30/10 Robert V. Walsh, 12/14/10

1953

1944

Gabriel J. Glasheen, 4/1/10

1947

Gerald L. Fitzgerald, 11/18/10 Henry J. Wall, 3/3/11

1948

Charles Bolz, 10/21/10 Thomas J. Carey, 1/27/11 Cornelius P. Dennehy, 11/16/10 Peter F. Dugandzic, 12/6/10 Daniel J. Molloy, 10/20/10

1949

Robert W. Gaynor, 12/17/10 John J. Harrington, 10/14/10 John F. Havey, 9/28/10 Edward J. Maloney, 9/6/10

56  2011

Michael P. Newcomb, 10/21/10 Terrence W. McGarvey, 5/29/10 Adolph Musante, 2/11/11 William F. Reilly, 3/7/10 Br. James Roth, CSC, 11/12/10

John A. Santorelli, 12/22/10 John C. Wilt, 1/26/11

Robert T. Kawamoto, 12/14/10

William P. Biggins Sr., 11/29/10 Barrie K. Driscoll, 1/28/11 Joseph E. Van Etten, 10/12/10

Br. Thomas J. Jensen, CFC, 2/7/11

1957

1958

Alfred J. Bannan, 3/28/11

1959

John R. Filmore, 9/13/09 Frank M. Galotta, 3/20/10 Joseph F. Urich, 12/7/10

1960

1968

1969

John M. Battista, 7/29/10 Br. Timothy Bray, CFC, 11/5/10 James A. Butler, 2/23/11 Peter F. Dolan, 1/2/11

1970

Joseph S. Pecorino, 10/9/10 Lillian T. Younker, 1/5/11

Robert O. Myers, 10/15/10 Arthur P. Shea, 12/21/10 Charles Sullivan, 10/27/10

1973

Peter H. Fitzgerald, 12/9/10

1977

1961

1962

William J. Burnham III, 1/20/11 Thomas N. King, 3/17/11

1963

Theodore A. DiBlasi, 1/24/11 Sr. Mary Fidelis Ruwart, SSND, 10/27/10 Sr. Eileen M. Finnegan, SC, 2/6/11 Keith E. Kissee, 1/10/11

1978

Irvin Richardson, 12/30/11

Philip A. Lane, 10/17/10 Edward L. Perrin, 1/20/11

1979

Joseph M. Alexander, 4/20/11 John B. Benedetto, 4/1/09 Ralph J. Lewis, 2/15/10 Leonard M. McEvoy, 3/14/11

Anthony J. Huszcza, 1/1/11 Matthew P. Schimmenti, 3/19/11 Richard Witkowski, 1/20/11

Thomas L. Crotty, 10/22/10

Charles R. O’Melia, 12/16/10 Br. Michael J. O’Neill, FSC, 10/21/10

Thomas J. Daly, 12/18/10 Paul R. Wolkenberg, 4/14/11

1996

Frank Gratzer, 10/24/10

Cornelius J. Lyons, 1/2/11

Gerald T. Daria, 1/27/10

Harold M. Grant, 2/14/11

1954

1955

1956

Richard F. Beston Sr., 1/12/11 George J. O’Connor, 1/27/11

1964

1965

1966 1967

John M. Donnelly, 2/24/10

1980 1982

Sean M. O’Connell, 4/1/11

1985

Edward F. Devine, 2/11/11 William T. Colston, 1/20/11

1999

2001

John J. Horan ’40

OHN J. HORAN '40, former chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Merck and Co., Inc. and dedicated alumnus, died on Jan. 22. He was 90. A resident of Sea Girt, N.J., Horan received an A.B. from Manhattan College in 1940 and earned a law degree from Columbia University Law School in 1946. He always remained loyal to his college roots and established the Horan Family Scholarship, for students in need of financial aid, and the John J. Horan Endowed Lecture Series, which encourages faculty development through enhanced involvement in research. He is one of only a few alumni to have buildings dedicated in his honor on and off campus. The East Hill student residence was renamed Horan Hall in 2000 to recognize his and his wife Julie’s dedication to the College and its values. The John J. Horan Research Building in Rahway, N.J., was dedicated in his honor to recognize the level of research Horan brought to Merck. The College also recognized Horan’s accomplishments and business leadership with an honorary Doctor of Science at its Commencement in 1978 and with the De La Salle Medal, which honors an executive who exemplifies the principles of excellence and corporate leadership in 1985, when he retired from Merck. Horan was greatly respected for balancing business with ethics throughout his career. By the time he retired from Merck, the company had become the largest pharmaceutical company in the world. It has also since been recognized by Fortune magazine as the most admired company in America; having appeared at the top of the magazine’s well-known list for several consecutive years, the first time toppling corporate giant IBM. “We often say that our best hope is that our graduates will go out and

make the world a better place. Mr. Horan did just that,” says Brennan O’Donnell, president of Manhattan College. "He was a man of great accomplishment, integrity and compassion.” An officer in the U.S. Navy’s Amphibious Forces during World War II, Horan saw heavy action in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and Normandy. Under Admiral John Wilkes, he was also one of the officers delivering orders that led to the launch of the Normandy invasion. While at Merck, he held positions in a variety of departments, beginning in the law department and including president and chief operating officer. Horan became chairman and chief executive officer in 1976. Even after retiring from Merck, he continued to serve on the board of directors and as its vice chairman until 1993. According to his obituary in The New York Times: “Horan was instrumental in supporting the Merck research that led to the development of a medicine to help prevent and treat the devastating tropical disease known as river blindness, and a long running partnership with the Carter Center, which has been a pioneering model for governmental and business cooperation in humanitarian efforts in developing nations.” He was honored many times throughout his career for his leadership and concern for humanity. In addition to the De La Salle Medal, he also received Dr. Leon Sullivan’s Opportunities Industrialization Center of America’s The George Champion Award and the United Negro Fund’s Distinguished Service Award, among others. Brother Thomas Scanlan, FSC, president of the College at the time Horan Hall was dedicated, says: “For most of the almost 25 years, I think of him first as a friend, which was a great gift to me. He was a wise and valued counselor who gave me excellent advice …

He was indeed a great alum, who was dedicated and involved in a large number of activities.” Horan served on the board of directors of many professional and business associations, including General Motor Corporation, NCR Corporation, J.P. Morgan & Co. Inc., Atrix Laboratories, Inc. and Myriad Genetics, Inc. He also served as a member of many organizations, including the Business Council, Business Roundtable and Economic Club of New York. The former chairman of the board of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, Horan served on the national board of the United Negro College Fund and as a trustee for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He is survived by his beloved wife of 66 years, Julia; his four children, daughter Mary Alice Ryan and husband John Ryan, son Thomas and wife Katharine Jacobs, son John Jr. ’73 and wife Patricia, son David ’74 and wife Michele; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; sisters, Mary Smith, and Florence and husband Tom Keating; and brother, Eugene Horan.

. 57

Auxiliary Bishop Patrick V. Ahern

UXILIARY BISHOP PATRICK V. AHERN, a retired archdiocesan pastor and administrator, who attended Manhattan College from 1936-37 before going on to Cathedral College and St. Joseph’s Seminary, died on March 19 at Mary Manning Walsh Home in New York City. He was 92. Bishop Ahern held key posts throughout the archdiocese for many years and was the founder of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition. He served as secretary to Cardinal Francis Spellman and as the first vicar for development. He was also the episcopal vicar for Staten Island and the Bronx and later the Northwest Bronx, when the vicariate was divided. His ministry included serving as pastor of Our Lady of Angels in the Bronx and Blessed Sacrament on Staten Island and as a parochial vicar at St. Helena’s in the Bronx and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Named a monsignor in 1958, he received the title of prelate in 1960 and protonotary apostolic in 1964, before being

appointed bishop in 1970. Bishop Ahern also was appointed to the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission in 1964 and named a diocesan consultor three years later. Retiring in 1994, he had served as a priest for 66 years and died on the 41st anniversary of his ordination as a bishop. The College awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws at its Fall Honors Ceremony in 1973. Known for his advocacy for specialneeds children and their families, Bishop Ahern founded the Seton Foundation for Learning on Staten Island. This group of schools educates developmentally disabled children from nursery school through high school and beyond. The schools, which include some 125 students from Staten Island and Brooklyn, are: Bishop Patrick V. Ahern High School; Mother Franceska Elementary School; Joan Ann Kennedy Memorial Preschool; and Therese Program for those with autistic spectrum disorders. He was devoted to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux throughout his priesthood. In 1998, he

wrote a book Maurice and Thérèse: The Story of a Love, which told of the correspondence and spiritual friendship between the cloistered St. Thérèse and French missionary the Rev. Maurice Bellière. Bishop Ahern was known for starting a round of applause at the end of a person’s funeral to celebrate his or her life and entrance into heaven. During his funeral Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which was celebrated by Archbishop Timothy Dolan, the congregation burst into a spontaneous round of applause as it ended to give him the same sendoff he had given so many.

William F. Reilly Jr. ’49

ILLIAM F. REILLY JR., PH.D., associate professor emeritus of philosophy, died on March 6, 2011. He was 85 years old. Reilly graduated from Manhattan College in 1949 with honors, and earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from Fordham University. He taught at his alma mater Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School from 1949 to 1950, and then became an instructor at Manhattan College, where he spent the rest of his career until retiring in 1994. Rentaro Hashimoto, Ph.D., associate professor emeritus of philosophy and former chair of the department, remembers Reilly as very “conscientious about meeting his classes” and that he liked to teach the re-

58  2011

quired core courses of philosophy throughout his career. Hashimoto remembered him as kind, traditional and serious. During his tenure at the College, Reilly served the College in a variety of ways. He was the moderator of the St. Thomas Philosophy Club and a member of the Religious Activities Club. He worked with students as the moderator of the Interracial Justice Society and was a member of the Christian Life Council. A member of campus ministry, he was a regular contributor to Viewpoint. Reilly also was assistant to the dean of arts and sciences and provided guidance to freshmen and sophomores. On the faculty level, he was a member of the Faculty Council and a member of the Senate Sub-Commit-

Brother Thomas Scanlan, FSC, former College president, and Charles O'Melia '55 (right) at the dedication ceremony of the William J. Scala Academy Room in 2000.

Charles O’Melia ’55

tee on Academic Affairs. In addition, Reilly was also dedicated to serving his community of Levittown. He was appointed to membership in Catholic-Jewish Dialogue and the Conciliation Board for the Diocese of Rockville Centre. He also taught as an adjunct at Molloy College in Rockville Centre and as a part-time associate professor of philosophy at Nassau Community College in Garden City. A resident of Levittown, he is survived by his wife Patricia; his children, William J., Helen Anne McDonnell, and George; his sister, Kathleen Riccio; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Athalie Richardson Irvine Clarke Prize, one HARLES O'MELIA '55, one of the of the most prestigious honors in the field of world’s preeminent water treatment researchers and recipient of water-related research and technology. The Clarke prize included a $50,000 cash reward, many prestigious awards, died on Dec. 16 which O’Melia used in part to fund an endowat age 76. ment at Manhattan College that honors DonBorn and raised in the Bronx and Brooklyn, O’Melia was a second-generation Jasper, ald J. O’Connor, the professor who introduced him to environmental engineering. following in his father’s footsteps. He chose In an interview about winning the Clarke to study civil engineering at Manhattan beprize, he said: “Most people have a special cause he was fascinated by New York City’s place in their heart for their undergraduate expansive system of bridges and tunnels. institution. It sounds a little corny, but my felFollowing his graduation from the College, low undergraduates and the faculty at ManO’Melia went on to earn his master’s degree hattan College were the ones who introduced and Ph.D. in environmental engineering me to the idea of having a dream in life, of from the University of Michigan. thinking about the possibilities of the future.” After working briefly as a consultant One of his fellow undergraduates was for a New York City-based engineering John Lawler ’55, former Manhattan College firm, O’Melia decided to pursue a career in board of trustees chairman. Lawler fondly academia. He taught at Georgia Tech, did remembers O’Melia’s academic prowess. research at Harvard, served on the faculty “Just before the Thanksgiving break in of the University of North Carolina at Chapel 1953, when we were juniors, our soil mechanHill, and was a professor in the engineerics teacher was handing back exams, the ing school at Johns Hopkins University for grades on which were abysmal,” Lawler says. nearly three decades. “When he reached Charlie’s (Charlie merited During the course of his lengthy career, an 82, the rest of us hardly broke 50), he exO’Melia earned many accolades. In 1989, he claimed ‘O’Melia, you’re a shining light in a was elected to the National Academy of world of chaos!’ Little did any of us realize at Engineering (NAE), the highest professional the time how prophetic was this remark.” distinction an engineer can earn. In conO’Melia is survived by his wife of 54 junction with his election to NAE, O’Melia years, Mary O’Melia; his children, Kathleen was honored by Manhattan College with a plaque in the William J. Scala Academy Room, O’Melia, Mary Margaret O’Melia, Anne Maa state-of-the-art auditorium in Leo Hall that rie O’Melia, Charles O’Melia, John O’Melia and Michael O’Melia; his sister, Anne Franalso honors the 16 other Manhattan alumni ces; and 11 grandchildren. who have been elected to NAE. In 2000, he was named the recipient of the . 59

PA R TING SHOT

Headline for Parting Shot

Goalkeeper Julia DiBernardo ’13 prepares for another day of lacrosse practice.

4  2010

LANDON NORDEMAN

WHAT IS GREEN? While O’Donnell is the first layperson to serve as president in the history of Manhattan College, he was also the first to serve as dean in the 165-year history of Fordham College. Although heading up a college continuously presided over by Christian Brothers may seem like a formidable challenge to a layperson — and a break in tradition — O’Donnell’s experience, dedication and faith .

A LASALLIAN CATHOLIC COLLEGE SINCE 1853 Published by the Office of College Relations Manhattan College 4513 Manhattan College Parkway Riverdale, NY 10471

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