President Frank D. Sánchez, PhD
seniOr COMMUniCAtiOns OFFiCer
Cara Cea
direCtOr OF ALUMni reLAtiOns
Michelle Pings-Gaines ’12
AssistAnt direCtOr OF ALUMni reLAtiOns
Pete Schober ’18
MAnhAttAnviLLe MAgAzine 2024
CreAtive direCtOr And editOriAL MAnAgeMent
S. Kloos Communications Inc.
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Stephanie Kloos Donoghue ’82
AssistAnt editOrs
Marilyn Lewis
Elizabeth Schultz Rimkunas ’82
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Kaya Noon-Phillips
PhOtOgrAPher
Welcome to the 2024 edition of Manhattanville Magazine. I am thrilled to share with you some of our community’s extraordinary accomplishments of the past year.
Topping our list: We are now Manhattanville University! The University Launch was part of Inauguration Week—five days of festivities that included a day of service, lectures, the unveiling of a new mural, and more. The week ended with my installation ceremony as Manhattanville’s 15th president as well as an unforgettable fundraising Gala held in the O’Byrne Chapel. If you were here during Inauguration Week, you could not help but feel the excitement among students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Thanks to your generosity, we raised over $650,000 for the institution. (See pages 16-19.)
I am particularly thrilled about other news in this issue:
u Manhattanville has received several new grants totaling over $1.3 million, with an additional $10 million pending, that will be used to support faculty and students (page 8).
u We are welcoming Wells College students to campus after their campus closure in Aurora, NY. As a teach-out partner, Manhattanville will be leading the “Wells in Florence” study abroad program in Florence, Italy (page 10).
u Manhattanville just finished a stellar year in athletics with four conference championships; the most single year conference championships in two decades (pages 27-29).
“I discovered the extraordinary power of the Manhattanville degree and how much this institution means to its alumni.”
During this past year, I met hundreds of alumni at numerous on-campus events as well as get-togethers in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Colorado. Virtual meet-and-greets helped me reach an even wider geographic audience. Through our conversations, I discovered the extraordinary power of the Manhattanville degree and how much this institution means to its alumni. I hope the conversations continue as we expand our outreach starting this fall and provide new opportunities for you to engage with Manhattanville.
I also want to thank our Honor Roll of Donors for fiscal year 2024 (July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024). Your generosity helps us continue to provide an unparalleled educational experience and deliver on our mission to educate socially responsible leaders through innovative programs designed for the next-generation learner. (See the list starting on page 41.)
We look forward to another year of exciting news and events. Keep in touch by attending an upcoming event, clicking on alumni.mville.edu, reading the monthly alumni e-newsletter, and/or sending us an email at alumni@mville.edu. I look forward to seeing you soon.
Always Forward. Always Valiant.
Frank D. Sánchez, PhD President, Manhattanville University
the name change from Manhattanville College to Manhattanville University. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni joined in the festivities, which included a countdown clock, a student dance routine, and the official unveiling of the new seal and branding. Nearly everyone in the energetic crowd donned black t-shirts with the new Manhattanville University logo in white.
“Our new university name, seal, logo, and brand signal a path of both evolution and elevation,” said President Sánchez. “Consistent with our record of ingenious and influential action, today Manhattanville is an institution with a progressive spirit, a strong ethos of continuous improvement, and a proud Valiant identity.”
The name change recognizes the breadth and depth of Manhattanville’s undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. “It’s important that we are using naming conventions that people in the rest of the world use,” explained Christine Dehne, provost and executive vice
This timeline highlights Manhattanville’s evolution from a Catholic academy for girls in New York City’s upper East side to a university with more than 55 undergraduate programs, 70 graduate programs, and a doctoral program.
Historical information was provided by Lauren Ziarko, archivist and special collections librarian.
1841
The Academy of the Sacred Heart founded at 412 Houston St. in New York City. The Academy was both a boarding and day school with a six-year curriculum and was led by the Society of the Sacred Heart.
1917
Provisional Charter granted to award undergraduate degrees. The newly formed institution was named the College of the Sacred Heart.
president. “In much of the country, when you use the word ‘college,’ it denotes a two-year school that is only giving associate degrees. And in much of the rest of the world, it denotes an institution that’s a high school.”
Manhattanville currently serves more than 1,400 undergraduate and nearly 900 graduate students from more than fifty nations and more than forty states. The University offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Bachelor of Science degrees. Additionally, the University offers Master of Education, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Professional Studies, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Science, and Doctor of Education degrees.
1918
The first bachelor’s degree graduation was held with two graduates: Madeleine Smith and Claire Brassil. Fifty years later, in 1968 both women returned and received honorary degrees.
students celebrated in Kennedy Gymnasium during Manhattanville’s official announcement of becoming Manhattanville University.
The transformation to university status was made possible, in part, because of an update in 2022 to the New York State Board of Regents’ definition of a university. Manhattanville’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously for the name change at their board meeting in February 2023. While university status became official in September 2023, President Sánchez and the Board of Trustees wanted to combine the University Launch with the presidential Inauguration and installation in the spring to allow time for thoughtful planning and execution as well as to boost participation in and visibility of the celebrations.
The name change prompted a complete rebrand that included a redesigned institutional seal and new logo. Every constituency group was involved in the process of redesigning the seal—students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The aim was to preserve elements of the previous seal—the sun, stars, book, and the “M.” Those icons, along with the Castle, are “a nod to our history, which will always be part of us,” said President Sánchez. The Castle remained part of the logo, as students and faculty regard the Manhattanville landmark as a symbol of strength, protection, and hope for the future.
New signage and banners around campus feature a “U” visual filled with silhouetted student photos. The
1938
1917–1967 These seals were adapted from the emblems of the Society of the Sacred Heart. They have two hearts encircled by a wreath with the words “Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart” around them.
1967–March 2024 In 1966, Manhattanville dropped “of the Sacred Heart” from its official name. This change was the catalyst for a new seal created by faculty member and artist John Ross, which was put in use in 1967. This seal represents the four core values of Manhattanville’s rich tradition: academic excellence (book); enlightenment and development of the whole person (sun); the quest to build a nurturing, caring community (star); and the challenge to make the world a better place (the M-shaped mountain).
1917–1966
1967–March 2024
april 2024–present The latest seal was designed with the help of fine arts faculty member Alka Mukerji, PhD, who intertwined elements from the previous seal (book, sun, star) with a contemporary design that incorporated Reid Castle. The result: A seal that bridges the gap between tradition and progress, symbolizing Manhattanville’s commitment to academic excellence, evolution, and social responsibility.
April 2024–present
campaign tagline, chosen through Manhattanville community meetings and focus groups, speaks to a central theme tied to the school mascot: “Always Forward. Always Valiant.”
“A name change is one of the most significant inflection points of any institution,” said President Sánchez. “This tremendous milestone elevates our academic excellence and allows us to tell the Manhattanville story to a broader audience.” l
1952 After the City of New York took title to Manhattanville’s New York City campus, Manhattanville moved to the newly acquired estate of Whitelaw and Elisabeth Mills Reid in Purchase, NY.
1960 President Grace Dammann, RSCJ, delivered her “Principles Versus Prejudices” speech defending the admission of the first African American student. This watershed moment established Manhattanville’s reputation as an advocate for integration and social action.
Manhattanville named the Social Action Secretariat of the National Federation of Catholic College Students. Over the next decade, Manhattanville’s student body engaged actively in the issues of racial equality, poverty, apartheid in South Africa, and substance abuse.
1966 The Board of Trustees approved changing the name of Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart to Manhattanville College. This and other changes over the next several years resulted in the College becoming non-denominational.
Manhattanville University’s curriculum is going through an evolution of sorts—a reimagining of many programs to help capture a wide range of student interests while preparing students for meaningful careers. Spearheading these efforts is Christine Dehne, provost and executive vice president. She has been working with faculty to develop new majors and revamp existing ones with the focus on engaging current and future students.
“Every program has to be mission-driven,” she said. “If it’s not mission-driven, we’re not even thinking about it. Then, how do we move forward with this new generation of students? What’s going to attract them, meet their needs, and be exciting to them?”
InTerdIsCIPlInary Majors
The Interdisciplinary Studies Initiative (ISI) aims to reimagine how the humanities are taught through academic programs that share three courses focused on important skills for the workplace including data and information literacy, storytelling, problem-solving, and ethical decision-making. Two initial ISI majors in the School of Arts and Sciences are criminal and social justice and global justice and human rights. Future ISI majors include health advocacy and justice and environmental justice.
Students start with a general liberal arts core then add classes on basic literacy in data and artificial intelligence (AI) as well as how to evaluate and manipulate materials. “Students are learning that you can tell many different stories with the same information,” said Dehne. “Learning storytelling alongside data and information literacy is crucial for students as it enhances their ability to communicate complex information effectively, making it more engaging and memorable. It also fosters critical
1969
1969 The College Charter was changed to include the education of both men and women.
Eighteen African American students occupied Brownson Hall for six days protesting a lack of inclusion and support for African American students. The protest came to an end when President Elizabeth McCormack vowed to take a closer look at such issues and promised no participants would face penalties.
thinking, empathy, and problem-solving skills, enabling students to create meaningful narratives that provide context and influence decisions across various fields.”
She said ethical conversations emerge, and answers may not be clear cut. But it’s the process of analysis and storytelling that can guide students toward solutions. “No matter what industries students go into, having a functional use of data—a literacy—and knowing how to work with it and tell stories with it are going to be essential skills,” said Dehne.
The third component of the ISI is experiential learning. Each class works together on a larger project, providing a fully immersive experience. Dehne said that the interdisciplinary majors have been embraced by some faculty as they view the students’ education more broadly and see how different disciplines tie together. “There are opportunities for faculty in these programs to team teach, so they can actually learn from each other,” she said.
Dehne added that students are looking to harness skills that they can bring back to their home towns. “Many students care deeply about the communities where they live. They might not have defined their career yet, but they want to have a career where they are making a difference…where the work they do matters.”
Manhattanville is expanding the option of obtaining both an undergraduate and graduate degree in five years. Called 4+1, these pathways allow students to take some graduate courses during their first four years as credit toward both their undergraduate and graduate degrees. Dehne explained that some majors have a direct 4+1 path—such as finance majors obtaining their Bachelor of Science (BS) and Master of Science (MS)
1971
The first coeducational first-year class entered Manhattanville.
1973
With funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Manhattanville developed a new undergraduate curriculum. This included the Preceptorial, now the First Year Program, and the Portfolio System, a guided self-assessment.
in five years—while other students can choose from a variety of undergraduate-graduate combinations. “Take criminal and social justice, for example,” explained Dehne. “Students in those majors could decide they want to work in human resources, so they could get an MS in human resource management. Or they may decide to focus on writing and enter our MFA program, or teach and get their master’s in teaching.”
Attaining a graduate degree in less time can quicken the trajectory toward a bigger title and paycheck, added Dehne.
concentration, such as social and behavioral studies, natural science, or English and writing. Dehne added that the new BS makes Manhattanville more competitive among colleges that provide teacher education.
In the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Dehne said that a big “success story” is the family nurse practitioner program. “All the coursework is fully online,” she said. “This is important because these students are working professionals who are often in hospitals and high-stress environments, and they need that flexibility.”
Technology-related courses have been added as well. A new BS in cybersecurity and MS in computer science have been developed in response to marketplace and student demand.
BA Criminal and social Justice
BA Global Justice and Human rights
BFA Commercial Dance
Bs Art
Bs Cybersecurity
Bs Education with concentrations
Bs Imaging Leadership
Manhattanville has introduced a BS in education, which Dehne called “an exciting change” in the School of Education. “Previously, undergraduate students who wanted to major in education at Manhattanville were required to double major,” she explained. “We found that undergraduate students who want to teach want a straightforward major in education.” The Manhattanville curriculum was revamped to ensure that it followed state requirements and that students could finish their degree in four years. Besides taking courses in their major, education majors take at least 30 credits in a chosen
MPs Literacy specialist (PreK-Gr12)
Ms Computer science
Ms Public Health
In fact, AI is being incorporated across much of Manhattanville’s curriculum, as faculty from a variety of programs participated in a learning community focused on teaching with AI tools. In addition to these developments in the curriculum, the University has partnered with AI EdMyst, which is an AI tool that helps users to develop their interview skills. EdMyst is providing access to its tool for six months for all recent undergraduate alumni from Manhattanville in the hopes that the tool will help them with their job search process. These alumni will receive a message to their Manhattanville email account explaining this opportunity. “As the University looks to the future, curricular updates will continue to incorporate technology as well as ethical implications of its usage, empowering our students to become innovative leaders poised to shape a brighter future for our University and the world,” said Dehne. l
1980
The first Quad Jam, a student-created event, was hosted on the Dammann and Tenney quad. In 1982, Quad Jam was officially recognized by the College. The event was planned and run by the student Quad Jam committee.
1991
Manhattanville College celebrated its sesquicentennial with a year of programming that celebrated the history of social justice at Manhattanville and distinguished female leaders.
1991
The College underwent a campus-wide renovation that included the construction of faculty and staff housing and the Pub and College Store in Benziger.
2008
The Richard A. Berman Student Center completed. It received a “Gold Rating” from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System.
While Manhattanville University’s curriculum continues to evolve to
meet the changing needs of students and the workplace, the liberal arts remain at the core of the University degree. At Manhattanville, students are empowered to cultivate their intellectual curiosity, sharpen their critical thinking skills, and strive for a more just world. All of these attributes are as vital for student success today as they have ever been, according to President Frank D. Sánchez, PhD. “I feel strongly that we have to ensure a highquality foundation in the liberal arts,” he said. “If we want to educate ethical and socially responsible leaders in a global community, they have to
have an understanding of the world around them. The liberal arts allow us to do that.”
How that looks may be different than decades ago, he continued. “The liberal arts have to be balanced now with some of the professional degrees as well. But they are not mutually exclusive. You just can’t have technical courses in isolation at Manhattanville. A nursing graduate or a teaching graduate must also have a foundation in the liberal arts. It’s a strength of our institution—and something that’s going to enable us to deliver our mission going forward.”
Christine Dehne, provost and executive vice president, said that
the new interdisciplinary programs are a great example of how the liberal arts are being reimagined at Manhattanville. “The interdisciplinary programs are set up around what are called ‘wicked problems,’” she explained. “These are problems that don’t have easy solutions—such as global justice and human rights. Students look at these problems through multiple lenses to understand the pros and cons that come along with every solution. We’re preparing students to grapple with hard decisions that sometimes mean that they are choosing between two different, not quite perfect, solutions. But that is the reality of the workplace in which students are entering.” l
Experiential learning has become one of the signature elements in every student’s educational journey at Manhattanville University, according to Christopher Thunberg, director of the Center for Career Development (CCD). “Activities such as internships, service learning, study abroad, and project- and worked-based learning activities all provide students with professional experiences that help them connect their classroom learning to real-world environments, build skills that will make them competitive in the workforce, and develop professional connections and networks that lead to professional opportunities beyond college,” he said.
While only one experience is required at Manhattanville, a number of students take two or more internships as a way of continuing to build their professional skill set and identify and clarify their career pathway
2010 The School of Education added its first doctoral program with the Doctorate in Educational Leadership (EdD). The first doctoral students graduated in May 2013.
opportunities, said Thunberg. “As a rule, we encourage students to try out multiple experiences, with the understanding that each one will provide valuable learning opportunities and professional growth.”
students navigate a variety of pathways toward internship experiences, explained Cassie robbins, CCD associate director. “Many pursue roles in finance, marketing, or entertainment at employers in New york City, stamford, or, during the summer, in cities across the country. Our nearby not-for-profit community partners let students put their skills, knowledge, and compassion to work as programming and operations interns right in our own backyard. On campus, Manhattanville itself is a hive of internship opportunities with more than 25 positions available each term that deliver professional experiences and also contribute to the institution’s rhythms, operations, and Valiant spirit.”
The Duchesne Center for Religion and Social Ophir Field opened, including a seasonal 90,000-square-foot bubble for winter months.
Beginning its fifth year of coursework in september, the Center for Design Thinking has embedded its problem-solving principles across multiple disciplines, offering students liberal arts-based experiences that translate into real-world problem-solving.
“Design thinking is a learning process emphasizing critical thinking, empathy and perspective-taking, collaboration and teamwork.”
“At its core, like a liberal arts education, design thinking is a learning process emphasizing critical thinking, empathy and perspective-taking, collaboration and teamwork, and communication skills,” said Alison Carson, PhD, associate provost and director of the Center for Design Thinking. students can take courses that include Designing for Change, Introduction to Making, and Designing with Community Partners. The Center also offers a six-course certificate that includes those three core courses, two electives from across a variety of disciplines, and an internship emphasizing the application of the design thinking process and principles in a real-world context.
students presented their Designing for Change concepts and solutions during the Day of Design challenge this past spring.
the projects that our students undertake,” Dr. Carson explained.
“For example, our student Health and Counseling Center, recognizing that its services are underutilized by students of color, worked with design thinking students to expand its reach and reduce the stigma often associated with seeking counseling. students have also worked with Manhattanville’s Campus safety around perceived issues of racial profiling and the use of preferred names and pronouns.” she noted that working with on-campus clients also develops professional skills critical to success in the workplace.
“Design thinking education at Manhattanville is responsive to the diversity of students and helps them recognize and enhance their own capacity to become agents of change,” said Dr. Carson.
york City, the tower of the main building was used as the focal point of the school logo. When Manhattanville moved to Purchase, Ny, in 1952, the Castle became the central image and remains the focus today. Here are some of the logos, including today’s at the endpoint of the Manhattanville timeline below.
Manhattanville University has recently been selected to receive several grants to support program development and enhance community partnerships.
u A grant of $997,439 from the New York State Office of Strategic Workforce Development and the State University of New York will fund the proposal, “Teaching Assistant to Teacher of Record: Investing in Our Local Workforce,” as part of the Education Workforce Investment Alternative Teacher Certification Program, over a fouryear period beginning in summer 2024.
The project, a collaboration between Manhattanville’s School of Education, Rockland Teachers’ Center Institute, and Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES, aims to enhance the delivery of teacher preparation programs and ultimately improve K-12 education in Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam counties. Central to the proposed project is the development and approval by the New York State Education Department of five alternative teacher preparation programs leading to a Transitional B teaching certificate. These include pathways for those looking to go into early childhood/ childhood and special education, mathematics and special education, science and special education, and teaching English as a second language. All those admitted into this program will have 100% of tuition and fees covered.
aims to explore the multifaceted social, political, historical, and cultural aspects of sport within Latinx communities. This award was one of five given as part of the NEH’s 2023 Humanities Initiatives at HispanicServing Institutions competition.
The project seeks to address gaps in the field of sport studies, making stronger connections with the broader fields of Latinx and American studies. By focusing on the impact of Latinx athletes and the role of sport in Latinx communities, the project aims to rectify the underrepresentation in this vital area of study.
At the core of this initiative is a speaker-in-residence series featuring renowned scholars in sport and Latinx studies. The speakers will be in short residencies at Manhattanville over the course of the next three years, working with students, faculty, and members of the wider community through a series of lectures and interdisciplinary learning clusters, building upon the strong collaborative nature of the sport studies major. Furthering sport studies’ work with organizations that center on Latinx populations is another key aspect of the project. The work will be preserved online and in the University’s archives, available for broad future use.
u Manhattanville has also been awarded a $60,000 grant from the NEH for “Reinvigorating the Humanities: Developing and Piloting Curriculum for the Interdisciplinary Studies Initiative.”
u The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has awarded Manhattanville University’s Sport Studies program a $149,994 grant. The proposal, “Sport Studies in the 21st Century: Amplifying the Latinx Experience in Curricula, Conversation, and Community,” presents a groundbreaking initiative that
The funds from this NEH grant will assist faculty in developing and piloting the following interdisciplinary courses: (1) College in the 21st Century: Ways of Knowing; (2) Thinking Well: Information, Literacy, Inquiry, and Data Interpretation Skills; and (3) 21st Century Storytelling: Narratives Across Media. The
project will culminate with Manhattanville hosting a conference in spring 2026 that will bring together Manhattanville faculty, staff, and students with attendees and speakers from other institutions to share the successes and challenges involved in building a robust interdisciplinary curriculum.
This work is part of Manhattanville University’s larger Interdisciplinary Studies Initiative.
u Manhattanville has also recently received renewed support from the Sara Little Turnbull Foundation. The Foundation’s two-year grant ($25,000 per year) is in response to a proposal aimed at strengthening Manhattanville’s design thinking program.
At the heart of this proposal is faculty professional development and co-teaching: two instructors working together as full partners and teaching a course as equal instructors to model collaboration, communication, listening, and the value of the diversity of perspectives and areas of expertise. The proposal also focuses on building external relationships to (1) grow Manhattanville’s Center for Design Thinking and promote public awareness of the work being done there, and (2) expand Manhattanville’s reach in exposing students to design thinking principles and help students
for three years in a row (2022, 2023, 2024), Manhattanville has been ranked the top performer among private, non-profit institutions in new york for social mobility by u.s. news & World report, regional universities north category.
(and faculty) to understand the ways in which design thinking is being practiced in the world of work.
u In addition to these competitive grants, Manhattanville received $18,512 from the New York State Education Department as part of its 2022-24 Enhancing Supports & Services for Students with Disabilities for Postsecondary Success funding cycle. The funds from this grant have been used to increase Manhattanville’s accommodations coordinator’s hours, hire two students to serve as pre-orientation leaders, send student accessibility staff to the Annual Postsecondary Disability Training Institute for professional development, and more. l
“Sport Studies in the 21st Century” and “Reinvigorating the Humanities” have been made possible in part by major grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The first speaker in residence for “sport studies in the 21st Century: Amplifying the Latinx Experience in Curricula, Conversation, and Community” is Adrian Burgos, Jr., PhD. He will be in residence in October 2024, with his marquee public lecture taking place on campus on October 21.
Dr. Burgos, professor of history and chair of the Department of History at the University of Illinois, specializes in Us Latino history, sport history, and urban history. His teaching, writings, and public engagement focus on Latino migrations in terms of racialization, urbanization, and labor in the Us. He is the author of the award-winning Playing America’s Game: Baseball, Latinos, and the Color Line (2007) as well as Cuban star: How One Negro League Owner Changed the Face of Baseball (2011). The subject of a 2016 Big Ten Network documentary “Playing America’s Game,” Dr. Burgos has appeared on EsPN, MLB Network, and NPr, as well as national and local programs discussing Latinos, baseball, and race.
Manhattanville University has been named as a teach-out partner for Wells College, a small liberal arts college in Aurora, NY, that recently closed its doors. A teach-out partner allows students who are enrolled at a closing institution to transfer all of their credits to another institution and maintain the tuition, fees, and level of financial aid support they had at their original institution, so that they can complete their degree on the same timeline they would have if their original institution had not closed. In the past several years, Manhattanville has also been a teach-out partner to the College of New Rochelle and Concordia College New York.
Manhattanville plans to create a “Wells Student Advisory Board” that will further develop pathways for former Wells students to provide feedback and input directly to the President, key administrators, and campus leaders.
A special section on the Manhattanville University website provides Wells College students with information on admission and financial aid; course-by-course equivalencies; direct connections with key staff in admissions and athletics; and a Quick Facts section, which answers frequently asked questions.
Manhattanville has also become the school of record for Wells in Florence, a nationally renowned study abroad program. Participants reside and study in one of Italy’s most dynamic cultural centers just a few blocks away from Ponte Vecchio, the Uffizi Gallery, the Galileo Museum, Medici Chapel, San Lorenzo Market, and some of Europe’s most famous outdoor spaces. Manhattanville is considering expanding its new global program to include cities in Spain and Portugal. l
n recognition of its 33,000 hours of volunteer service this past academic year, the Sister Mary T. Clark, RSCJ Center for Religion and Social Justice at Manhattanville University was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award. One thousand students volunteered on campus, virtu ally, and off campus—including participating in spring break service trips. Led by Clark Center Director Craig Sevilla Donnelly, Jr., MS ’20, the Clark Center has grown its network of community partners to more than 200. “The Clark Center is honored to have so many community partners to expose our students to during their time at Manhattanville University,” said Donnelly. Over the past academic year, top choices for volunteering have included Midnight Run, The ARC Westchester, Coachman Family Center, Habitat for Humanity, Rescue Right animal shelter, and the Westchester Parks
Foundation. Inauguration Week in April featured a day of service during which students, faculty, staff, and alumni created get well cards for Blythedale Children’s Hospital and packaged toiletries for Midnight Run. Recently, the Clark Center added new partnerships, including the United Nations: Westchester Chapter, and the Human Rights Commission.
The Clark Center collaborated with student organizations, academic departments, administrative offices, and community groups to provide programming that explored and celebrated the cultural, ethical, religious, and gender aspects of the human experience. Programs and activities are closely aligned with the academic curricula, ensuring that students are building the intellectual framework and acquiring the skills needed for effective leadership in a global community. l
Manhattanville University has been recognized by Colleges of Distinction for the fifth year in a row. This recognition as a College of Distinction honors Manhattanville’s exceptional undergraduate education, including its dedication to hands-on learning, robust student-faculty relationships, an active campus community, and outstanding student outcomes. Colleges of Distinction also honored Manhattanville as a Business College of Distinction, an Education College of Distinction, a Career Development College of Distinction, and an Equity and Inclusion College of Distinction.
Manhattanville University recently announced a new organizational alignment of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) operations with Academic and Student Affairs. This reorganization allows the University to leverage the bulk of its institutional resources to support its DEI efforts and provide expanded support for disadvantaged populations. “By combining the Center for Inclusion with Student Affairs, I am confident we can amplify our diverse student supports while enhancing the campus coordination of our diverse student programming,” said President Sánchez. “Similarly, our Manhattanville Achievement Program, Mville First, and international student programming will now be under the auspices of Academic Affairs, where significant resources are already designed to support student success, retention, and graduation.” He added that Title IX will now be housed with Seann Kalagher, chief of staff, “who has significant experience in this area.”
President Sánchez currently is meeting with students, faculty, staff, and alumni to address questions, provide clarification, and receive feedback on the reorganization.
“As we work toward excellence in serving our extraordinarily diverse students,” said President Sánchez, “Manhattanville University is poised to elevate this priority as a central tenet of our mission.” l
Earth-shaking event celebrates the installation of Frank D. Sánchez, PhD
President sánchez’s inaugural address focused on the strengths that stem from Manhattanville’s legacy.
students.
Frank D. Sánchez, PhD, was officially installed as Manhattanville University’s 15th president and the institution’s first Latino president in its 183-year history on April 5. The Inauguration ceremony, held in O’Byrne Chapel, attracted more than 350 guests and included a formal procession, invocation, musical interludes, and salutations. Dignitaries including U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, New York State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa, and State University of New York Chancellor John B. King, Jr., shared congratulatory remarks via video. Representatives from the office of New York State Governor Kathy Hochul attended as well.
Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, Chancellor for the City University of New York (CUNY) and a former colleague of President Sánchez, introduced him and served as the installation ceremony speaker. Matos Rodríguez recounted President Sánchez’s hands-on leadership and dedication to first-generation students when the president was vice chancellor for Student Affairs at CUNY. As the speaker related the shared missions and legacies of Manhattanville and CUNY, an earthquake shook the chapel. Matos Rodríguez quipped that the shaking was replicating the effect of a subway—a nod to Manhattanville’s early days in Manhattan. “We both have roots dating back to the 1840s and long histories dedicated to access, opportunity, and social progress…. Today, we both serve diverse student populations and have wellearned reputations as champions of
To commemorate its transition from college to university, Manhattanville launched three signature fundraising initiatives during Inauguration Week.
Castle Conservation Fund—reid Hall, known as “the Castle,” is on the National register of Historic Places and is enjoyed by hundreds of visitors each year. The Castle Conservation Fund ensures that this iconic building is maintained and preserved for the enjoyment and education of our campus community and the public for decades to come.
ALiCe initiative (Amplifying Leadership with innovation, Courage, and excellence)—Inspired by the visionary women who founded Manhattanville, the ALICE Initiative brings together faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners to advance women’s leadership. The ALICE Initiative supports interdisciplinary research, mentorship, and internship opportunities, as well as the development of resources that empower women to assume leadership roles across professions and industries. the valiant innovation Fund—The Valiant Innovation Fund supports faculty development and curricular innovation, as well as experiential learning opportunities that meet the evolving needs of the next generation student learner. This competitive grant program will identify priorities that reinforce Manhattanville’s strategic Plan, help improve the student learning experience, inspire new ways of teaching and using technology, and prepare students for a lifetime of leadership and service.
Besides the University Launch, Inauguration, and Inaugural Gala, Inauguration Week featured the following festivities:
inclusiveness, engines of social and economic mobility, and institutions that stand in service of the public good,” said Matos Rodríguez.
“Now, you begin a new era as a university, with an extraordinary, innovative, hard-working, valiant new president leading you forward.”
President Sánchez’s inaugural address also focused on the strengths that stem from Manhattanville’s legacy. “For over eighteen decades, the Manhattanville institutional saga has unfolded with a one-of-a-kind pioneering spirit of innovation, of forward-thinking, and, in particular, of social reform,” he said. He spoke of Manhattanville’s history of defending human rights in the 1930s and President Grace Dammann’s speech, “Principles Versus Prejudices.”
dAy OF serviCe: The entire Manhattanville community was invited to participate in the University’s day of service, which included a campuswide cleanup and prepping Midnight un toiletry kits.
u distingUished LeCtUrer series: The school of Education Distinguished Lecturer series presented Elizabeth Green, CEO and Founder of Chalkbeat.
“Manhattanville has always held close a powerful and compelling mission intended not just to transform and elevate lives, but to transform and elevate humanity,” he said.
“We will call on the action and prowess of our students, the powerful intellect of our faculty, the work ethic of our staff, and the passion of our alumni, trustees, and friends to forge an unparalleled education with unmatched quality and value. This is our moment in time to transcend the artificial boundaries of today’s higher education model and, in a unified way, differentiate ourselves with boundless possibilities.
“Let us now, together, lead a valiant vision and embrace, drive, and realize a more prosperous, modern, and next-generation university. We are strong. We are bold. And we are always and forever Valiant.” l
u the ArthUr M. Berger LeCtUre: This year’s Arthur M. Berger lecture featured internationally renowned and widely collected American artist, Chakaia Booker, known for her monumental, abstract public space and gallery works.
AL UnveiLing: Manhattanville’s newest large-scale, student-created public art was unveiled.
t vALiAnt visiOnAries: This expo highlighted innovative programs, scholarship, research, and creative achievements across the Manhattanville community.
Throughout his three-decade career across a handful of academic institutions, Frank D. Sánchez, PhD, Manhattanville University’s 15th president, has proven to be a resilient leader with a laser focus on community building and student success. Using his inclusive, collaborative style and sharp listening skills, he builds bridges between all of the University’s stakeholders—faculty, staff, alumni, and especially students. Now at the helm for just over a year, he is launching Manhattanville into an era of academic innovation, partnerships, and fiscal refinement that will generate new opportunities and enhance the future of the University for Manhattanville and its students.
President Sánchez’s upbringing shaped the values he embodies as a leader. He was born in Gunnison, Colorado, located in a valley of the Rocky Mountains and known for its cold winters. His family later moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, another area with an extreme winter climate. The son of a migrant Mexican mother, Alice, and a Mexican American father, Gil Sr., President Sánchez grew up listening to their stories about overcoming adversity and having to cope with anti-Mexican sentiments. “My parents were extraordinary. My mother was one of nine children; my dad is one of six; neither of their parents had a formal education beyond the sixth grade. As they struggled with the basics— like finding shelter and putting food
on the table—they taught me a lot about perspective, about what really matters, and the importance of education.”
Gil Sr., a second-generation Wyoming resident and a Marine, went on to earn his GED, a bachelor’s degree, and two master’s degrees, becoming principal of an alternative high school in Cheyenne. Alice grew up in Colorado and received an associate’s degree. His sister Susan earned a degree
While completing his master’s degree, President Sánchez focused his research on how to create college environments to serve first-generation, low-income, and under-represented students. He tried to determine if specially designed programs would improve retention. “The answer was yes,” he discovered, which was a finding that influenced his thinking throughout his career.
in electrical engineering, while his brothers Jim and Gil Jr. received advanced degrees in educational leadership. “My parents valued education and encouraged and supported us to do the best we could,” he said.
President Sánchez received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Nebraska Lincoln and a master’s in student affairs and higher education from Colorado State University. He went on to earn a PhD in higher education administration with a concentration in learning, cognition, and instruction from Indiana University Bloomington.
During his PhD program, he examined systemic changes needed in higher education. His dissertation focused on learning community cohorts for students with deficiencies in math, English, and/or reading, discovering that these cohorts could help students—even those with two or more deficiencies— succeed. “How do we create learning experiences where students can realize their strengths, talents, and passions—and dramatically change their lives and the world as a result?”
With an eye on modernizing academic policies, programs, and resource services to support students, President Sánchez started his executive leadership career at Adams State University (formerly college) and then University of Colorado Denver in senior student affairs roles. He later served as vice chancellor for Student Affairs at the City University of New York, the nation’s largest urban public university. He was later named president of Rhode Island College in 2016, where he grew annual giving 200% and increased the
“How do we create learning experiences where students can realize their strengths, talents, and
passions— and dramatically change their lives and the world as a result?”
college endowment 65% to $43 million. He also championed a significant increase in the diverse composition of the student body and the college’s senior leadership team.
Now at Manhattanville, he said he continues to learn. “Today’s institutions need situational leadership,” he explained. “You can come to a new role with innovative, creative, and different ways of doing things. But you’ve got to tailor everything to the needs of the institution. Just because it is a ‘best practice’ doesn’t mean it’s right for Manhattanville.” During his time here, he has reduced administrative costs and has begun increasing efficiencies and leveraging resources to provide students with the tools they need to be happy, engaged, and successful learners.
“I believe Manhattanville can achieve excellence, but it will be one student at a time,” he explained. “Every interaction is an institutional moment of truth for us. Whether students are talking to faculty, staff, administrators, or alumni, those interactions make all the difference in the success of our students and, ultimately, in the success of our institution.” l
Q What personal strengths have you brought to the role of president?
A As the youngest of four kids, I’ve always had to listen well. I’m also fairly empathetic—a skill my mom gave me—and have been fortunate to have a good emotional intelligence and compassion for others. Also, I’ve always been curious about the world around me. I want to understand and ask questions about how things run and how they work.
Q When you were young, did you envision becoming a university president?
ANo. In college, I was a resident assistant and then got involved in student government and a variety of clubs and organizations. As a student, I thought the administration should be listening more to students and providing better policies and resources. The students at the time put together a five-point agenda with the administration with the intention to better support a growing diverse body of students. Through that process, I thought, how did administrators get those jobs? I discovered that you can actually get paid for improving colleges and universities and helping students succeed.
Q
Astudents and interests. I see students stepping outside of their comfort zones and trying new things.
Q Please tell us more about your family.
A I have three sons. Lawrence, 29, graduated with a BA in art history and anthropology and an MA in art history and works at an auction house in New York City. Dante, 28, graduated with a BS in physics and math and teaches at a high school in Springfield, MA. My youngest,
Q What do you do for fun?
What surprised you most when you first moved to Manhattanville?
I noticed early on that there’s a deep commitment to supporting students. Faculty and staff excel at guiding, mentoring, and coaching students. And it’s not just the students of today; I’ve talked to alumni who were here in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s, and consistently I hear, “If it hadn’t been for a particular professor, I don’t know where I’d be.” Faculty and staff truly touch lives by inspiring, educating, and expanding how students see the world around them. The sense of community is palpable here.
Qyou are seen on campus often talking to students. What are you learning about them?
AThere is a student culture here of wanting to make a difference in the world. I see that in their commitment to service like our Midnight Runs. Their attendance at athletics events, clubs, organizations, and theatre shows me their desire to learn about different
A I enjoy all kinds of music, in particular, live music. I’m pretty eclectic in my music tastes—from R&B to classic ’80s rock to today’s top 40. A few years ago, I bought a ’68 Mustang convertible, which I take out to enjoy the spring, summer, and fall weather. I am active with biking and weights as well as trout fishing. In fact, I go back to Wyoming every summer where my family and I fish and enjoy the outdoors together.
Q If you had a crystal ball and could look five years into the future of Manhattanville University, what would you see?
A Manhattanville continuing to lead regionally—and even nationally—in terms of return on investment, quality and social mobility of its graduates. Americans want to know they’re getting their dollars’ worth with a high-quality degree. Manhattanville provides not just a solid return on investment but a return on experience. That’s where we excel and differentiate ourselves against any of our peers. l
FOUNDERS
$50,000
Linda Pistecchia Kirkpatrick ’99
Alice Leahey ’69
Christopher N. Lewis, ’97, JD
PLATINUM VALIANTS
$25,000
John ’94 & Ana Calvao Family & Arrow Global
Mary O’Gorman Fay
Allan ’67 & Jim Allan
Michael Dunn ’77
Cathleen Collins ’69
GOLD VALIANTS
$10,000
Don Callahan ’78 & Lisa Callahan
Sheila Finnerty ’87 & Tim Finnerty
William H. Humphreys
Marcia DeWitt ’69 & Henry DeWitt
Dwight R. Hilson
MAW ’09, H ’23
President Frank D. Sánchez, PhD & Family
SILVER VALIANTS
$5,000
Joseph Machicote ’86
June Lue Wang ’67
Amy Yun Zhang ’93
Alyson Albert
Christopher Allan
James Allan
Barbara Allen-Lyall
Michael J. Amicucci ’04
Claudia Marin Andrade ’02 & Christian P. Andrade ’01
Lynn Angelson
Gerald Ardito
Anxhena Azo ’10, MS ’18
Amy Bass
Lisa Ghiozzi Bayrasli ’98
Ryan R. Beaudry ’08
Stefany Bello ’09
Jeanne Berardino Berdik ’67
Berit Odderstol Bizjak ’81
Paul I. Blejec ’10
Melissa Brinley Boston ’00, PhD
Sara Thompson Bott ’70
Anne Ruessmann
Bouchenoire ’71
Susan Boyd
Katharin Reilly Brink ’68
Grace E. Butler, RSCJ ’64, MA ’69
Brian V. Carolan
Alison S. Carson
Christina Caughlin ’96
Julene Fisher Caulfield, MAT ’11
Cara Cea
Magalie Chapoteau ’81
Loren Ciardullo
Gregory P. Cimino II ’92
Rhonda L. Clements
Troy Cogburn
William M. Cohee ’95
Caroline Conzatti ’99
Deborah Costello ’72
Joel Daunic
Thank
Patricia Pacheco de Baez ’01
Christine L. Dehne
Steven Dioguardi
Stephanie Kloos Donoghue ’82 & Michael Donoghue
Catharine-Mary Donovan ’55
Dorothy Dunn
Stephen C. Dunn ’77
Ellucian Company LP
Michael C. Fanelli ’78
Andrea Fearneyhough
Louise H. Feroe
Donna Ferrara-Sherry ’68, MAT ’73
Judith & Rachel Flamm ’21
Karina Frayter ’01
Catherine C. French ’68
Joseph Gaines ’12, MAT ’13 & Michelle Pings-Gaines ’12
Darlene D’Alliessi Gandolfi ’98
Gustavo Gimenez ’09
Andrew Gold, MS ’09
Anne J. Gold
Camille Goodwin
Marsha Gordon
Christa Hartch & Gregory Hartch
Aline Linehan Haynes ’66
J&R Tours
Frances Leahey Johnson ’77
Marion C. Jordan ’70
Alexander S. Juma ’21
Charlene Pepe Kelemen ’73
Sarah Kelly
Michael C. Kendrick ’06
Mary Angela Bellew Kennedy ’70
Jacqueline Kerner ’17
Ani Tutunjian Khachian ’86
Amanda E. Kis-Murthy ’07
Mary Ellen Kleinhenz ’71
Nicholas Kourides
Arianna Kreush ’17
Colonel (Ret.) Francisco Leija
Karen Burris Lennon ’79
Sarah Lindman
Joan Lucariello ’76
Joan A. Magnetti, RSCJ ’65
Veronica McCaffrey ’75
Wendy J. McFarlane
Vinay Mehra
Timothy Millhiser
Rosanne Morello ’00
Baneesha Mukherjee ’20, MS ’22
Joseph B. Narus ’86
Josefina Cruz Natori ’68
Nancy E. O’Connell ’74
Ophir Field, LLC
Christopher Pappas
Heather Perretta
PKF O’Connor Davies
Cindy Porter
Blend Qatipi
James Ramirez
Betty P. Rauch
Mark D. Risk, P.C.
Cassie Robbins
Yijing Robertson
Sally J. Rogers ’72
Jeff H. Rosedale
Sagrario Rudecindo-O’Neill, EdD ’22
Michael Sack
Sawsan A. Samara ’04
Gilbert Sánchez
Gilbert Sánchez Jr.
Victor N. Scipioni ’92
Debra Simons
Elizabeth Adams Smith ’81
Ronald G. Smith ’13
Society of the Sacred Heart, Bedford NY
Spark451
Paul Squire
Patricia McCaffrey Stack ’67
Diana Walker Steers ’79
Mitchel Stern
Virginia G. Stetter ’67
Anne Haffner Sullivan ’92
Eileen Langan Sullivan ’65
Gregory Swedberg
Teresa Sweeney ’81
Cynthia Swift ’87
Christian Templeman
Elizabeth Thompson
John Thompson ’99
Thompson & Bender
TIAA
Junnko Tozaki ’68
Kaitlin Triano ’11
Jessica Holt Tully, MEd ’17
Anne Driesse Villanova ’81
Steven E. Waldinger ’85
Barbara S. Walsh
Regina D’Alessandro Warren ’68
Mark Wells
Danuta Karpinski Wenzel ’76 & Arthur S. Wenzel ’76, MAT ’04
Anna K. Yeung-Cheung Anonymous
(1) Internationally acclaimed tenor juan del Bosco was accompanied by pianist judith lynn stillman. (2) and (3) attendees enthusiastically raised their “paddles” to support the university and its initiatives. Bobby ehlert of star Benefit auction kept the action lively. (4) Musical theatre major Quinlyn Kessler ’25 sang for attendees during the cocktail hour. (5) o’Byrne Chapel was transformed into a magnificent dining and entertainment venue.
scan this code to see more gala photos!
aela Mansmann ’26 is deeply committed to activism and advocacy, shaped by an upbringing where leadership was a fundamental value. “Activism is like a religion in my household,” she said. “I remember from a young age my mom saying, ‘We are the leaders,’ and I took that to heart.”
Mansmann’s initial spark for activism was ignited when she was finishing middle school and became involved with safeBAE, a student-led national organization that works to prevent sexual assault among teens. In the eight years she has been involved, Mansmann has organized numerous events, testified on behalf of Consent Education Legislation in Maine and rhode Island, developed grass-roots campaigns, and fundraised. Her time at safeBAE has allowed her to acquire training and certifications that have honed her skills as an effective leader working toward sustainable change.
During her first year at Manhattanville in 2022-23, Mansmann felt there was no productive forum for students to share their concerns about the University. It wasn’t until Dean of students susan Boyd reached out to the student body in April 2023 to gauge interest in reinstating the student Government Association (sGA) that Mansmann first considered joining. COVID had impacted so many of Manhattanville’s offerings, student government included. Mansmann said that she felt that rebuilding the sGA was the forum and advocacy organization the community needed.
Within a matter of weeks, Mansmann, alongside founding members, crafted a new constitution and began recruiting. In fall 2023, members underwent training provided by Dean Boyd, former sGA members, and Mansmann herself in order to assess strengths and weaknesses, identify opportunities for improvement, and anticipate challenges. subsequently, members engaged with department leaders and other decision-makers to align visions and understand differing perspectives. The
Mansmann assumed the role of student body president for the past two semesters. The s initial objective was to raise awareness about its mission: “to represent the diverse interests of the student body through socially responsible advocacy, leadership, and programming.” Through initiatives such as distributing flyers, creating a logo, and collaborating with other campus groups to organize events like the student holiday party, the sGA successfully asserted its presence.
During her time at Manhattanville, Mansmann has observed a general lack of political engagement among the student body. “This is largely why I wanted to be involved in student government,” she said. “My goal is for students to be engaged and feel adequately represented and excited by this mock government so they feel empowered to engage in real government.” Mansmann shared an example of increased student engagement. A recent case of institutional restructuring by the University administration caused a reaction from students. About fifty students co-authored an email sharing their thoughts. They asked for an opportunity to ask questions and be involved in further implementation of the restructuring. “I was incredibly moved by their passion and ability to organize themselves behind a common concern. I’m not sure this would have happened a year ago. Bridges of communication have been built.”
Mansmann was elected to continue as the student body president for the upcoming term. “I feel proud of this joint
At the far left, Aela Mansmann helps display the new studentcentered branding during the University Launch in April.
In August 2022, suzi doyle ’27 was playing tennis and helping out at a Dutchess County country club run by family friends when Manhattanville Head Tennis Coach Alex sandri took notice and, on the spot, invited her to join the tennis team. sandri used to work at the club and just happened to be visiting. Doyle, from Devon, England, just happened to be looking for a college in the states. Following a gap year of travel and work, Doyle started her freshman year at Manhattanville in fall 2023. “I don’t play at a high level,” she said humbly. “My mom was a very good tennis player when she was younger and was in the top ten in England in the under 16 category. so I had a very good teacher.” Doyle’s parents met at a tennis club, yet she and her sister were encouraged to play a variety of sports as youth. “I wasn’t scared to move continents. I was most worried about not winning any of my matches for the team.”
tennis team, which went 0-10 last year, finished the season with an 8-3 record and ultimately won the conference title for the first time in seventeen years. Doyle was selected for the All-Conference Team and was named Female rookie of the year at the Manhattanville Athletics Awards banquet.
Doyle experiences the typical student-athlete juggling act. During the season, from August to November, the team spends two hours six to seven days a week practicing. In addition, they lift weights one hour, three times a week. Because the team made regionals, the schedule continued during the spring semester, just not as rigorous until mid-February. “This kept me fit and sane,” said Doyle. A challenge was missing classes when competing. she recalled when four matches were rescheduled in the same week. “It can be slightly chaotic when fourteen-page essays are due,” she said. “Lots of cram sessions until early in the a.m.” Despite concerns, the economics major maintains a high grade point average and is a Clark scholar.
When Doyle joined the team, she was relieved. “The standard was high, but I felt comfortable and confident I could also bring something to the team.” In fact, Doyle won all her #2 and #3 rank singles matches during the season. The women’s
Kyia raiford ’26 took an alternative path to Manhattanville. When she was a high school senior in Morrisville, NC, she applied to a few schools in New york, an opportunity to return to her child hood home in Westchester County. attended an event on campus for prospective students. However, raiford decided to defer college until she could afford to attend. variety of jobs, including an inspiring stint in Los Angeles. “My favorite thing about LA is that everyone and anyone is welcome. It draws the most fearless and creative people in the world all to one place with one purpose: to chase their dreams.”
During COVID, raiford moved to White Plains to be with her grandmother. she decided to reapply to Manhattanville, and, at 25 years old, raiford began her undergraduate program. At first, she envisioned herself as a commuter student who attended classes and then returned home. But then she started seeing flyers for clubs. “I’m finally here,” she remembered thinking. “What’s the harm in joining a club? I’ve always wanted to do a cappella! I’ve got to get out of my comfort zone.” shortly after, raiford decided to reside on campus. raiford started out as a computer science major, but after a course in personal finance selected by her advisor, changed her major to finance. valuable not to be the focus of my academic studies,” she said. “I want to provide this valuable information to other people.”
she said that her most positive experience at Manhattanville has been the friends she has made—particularly her teammates. “I found my best friends forever. We are all working toward the same goal, juggling school and practice.”
she found her financial acumen valuable on campus as well. One evening, some of raiford’s neighbors invited her to a meeting of the Black student Association (BsA), which had dissolved during COVID but was being reinstated. she learned that the overarching goal of the group was to “make a space on campus for Black students.” she left that first meeting as treasurer—due to her finance major—and in time became president. “I never pictured myself as a leader of the BsA,” she said. she wasn’t sure if she had the requisite background experiences to lead this group. she said she now understands that, “We come in all shapes and sizes. Our unique perspectives combined with what we have in common come together in a beautiful way. There is no stereotypical Black student.”
After only three semesters, the association grew to approximately 100 members. raiford, an orientation leader, shares the mission of the group with incoming students and expects to welcome many new members in the fall. BsA goals include fundraising and getting involved in the local community. raiford’s grandmother has been a model of community service, and raiford has followed suit as a Clark scholar volunteering with job placement, clothing drives, and soup kitchens for the unhoused.
raiford is also an active member of the student Government Association, serving as vice president of Code of Conduct and Policy. “My purpose is to equip students with knowledge and confidence to hold the administration accountable,” she said. “It’s important that the institution’s inner workings serve the students’ best interests.”
As a student ambassador, leading tours for prospective students, gavin dawson ’25 became intimately acquainted with Manhattanville’s campus. This allowed him to determine where and how he wished to contribute. And contribute, he has. Dawson, an honor student with a digital media production and business management double major, is a resident assistant, the station manager for radio station WMVL, and a social media associate in the communications and marketing department.
Envisioning his final year at Manhattanville, Dawson said, “I look forward to being able to DJ for Quad Jam next spring and help with the planning and organizing of the event.” This desire to share music with the community led Dawson and three friends to re-open WMVL in 2022. There are now 12 consistent radio shows with an eclectic blend of music running 24 hours a day during the school year. Dawson’s show, called “Blairing,” features two of his favorite genres of music, ’90s shoegaze and skramz. Dawson has spearheaded innovative musical events, including one called “silent Disco” in recognition of Autism Acceptance Month. students danced to music played by the station as they listened on their own headphones. “I want to create spaces where we can be a community,” said Dawson. The Texas native first laid eyes on Manhattanville on move-in day. “This was a chance to experience a whole different place.”
Dawson said he was excited about the opportunity to build a portfolio through the design aspects of his major. Manhattanville accepted the dual credit courses he accrued in high school, allowing him to jump-start digital media courses. Declaring business management as a second major “opened up more ideas of what I could do with social media,” he said. “Everything needs marketing.” Accounting proved to be one of Dawson’s most difficult classes, and he credits Professor Angelo Maiello for making it understandable and for being available to support him. “I don’t think I could have had a better experience with accounting,” Dawson said.
Manhattanville also provided Dawson with the opportunity to do something he has always wanted to do, write a script. While enrolled in an honors course titled, “Thinking Overthinking,” Dawson crafted an adaptation of David Foster Wallace’s short story, “Good Old Neon.” Despite the challenge presented by Wallace’s work, the script was highly praised by Professor Patrick redding of the English department. “He told me this was one of the best projects he has ever received and wished someone could make this into a short film.”
With his senior year starting, Dawson reflected on his Manhattanville experience. “The community is so small, providing the opportunity to interact with everybody like you know them,” he said. “I’m so grateful and very happy to be a part of all of this. It’s a beautiful time of my life. I’ll never forget it.”
Karla desoto ’25, a business management major, has amassed an impressive academic and professional résumé during her three years at Manhattanville. A Castle scholar, she enjoys her honors courses due to the small class size, the depth of reading required, and how the courses are designed for discussion, encouraging student interaction. Last semester, Desoto was one the recipients of the rindlaub Award presented to the junior in the business and economics departments with the highest grade point average. Desoto is also a Clark cholar, clocking in a minimum of sixty hours a year of volunteer work; she is coordinator of the Dream Catchers Program that invites special needs students who graduated from high school and are not going on to college to attend college-related activities on campus.
In 2023, Desoto began a work study position in the communications and marketing department as a social media and content creator promoting Manhattanville on Instagram and TikTok.
“I did a funny dance post with the Valiant mascot and some students to introduce the University Launch that received close to 230,000 views on TikTok,” said Desoto. she also works in the Admissions Office as a student ambassador, leading campus tours and communicating with incoming and prospective students. In summer 2024, Desoto remained on campus working also for
reid Castle Events, facilitating special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, and reunions.
Desoto is from santo Domingo in the Dominican republic and first learned about Manhattanville from her sister who met admissions representatives at a recruitment fair in their area. Desoto sought a small school with a strong business program. she is a business major and added a double minor in marketing with communications and media due to an interest in social media and marketing that one of her professors helped her discover.
Desoto is president of Latin Fusion, a student-run dance club that performs to music that combines the different rhythms of Latin music and hip-hop. she is also a member of the Latin American student Organization (LAsO), which has approximately 80 members. LAsO sponsors heritage-based activities on campus, including a series of events during Hispanic Heritage Month that includes salsa classes and Hispanic food tasting arranged with the dining hall.
“Manhattanville is a small, close-knit community where you’re not just another number,” she said. “I never imagined myself in one of those big lecture halls you see in the movies. Here, I have developed many skills that align with my goals, and I have all the resources and opportunities to succeed after graduation.”
Jimmy Ascencio ‘23, Ms ’25, is assistant coach of the Manhattanville men’s and women’s cross country and track and field teams, a graduate assistantship role he happily assumes while pursuing his master’s degree in sport business management at the University. Ascencio was a member of the cross country and track teams for four years prior to the coaching assignment. Ascencio decided to pursue the degree immediately following graduation because he wishes to enter the workforce with this distinction. He will be the first in his family to get a master’s degree.
Ascencio reflected on the unique experience of coaching former teammates. “When I was an upperclassman, I was a mentor to the younger guys. I saw potential in the athletes, took them under my wing, and served as a role model. so, I just continued that as a coach. In my new role, they believed in me, trusted my knowledge, and accepted that I would make mistakes.”
Ascencio’s philosophy of coaching is to nurture the athlete as a whole. “This is what I want to share. It’s cool to win, but what are you doing outside of being an athlete?” While pursuing his undergraduate degree, the Bronx native was a Clark scholar, volunteering for organizations such as Boys to Men and Casting Kids. He was a member of the student Athlete
Advisory Committee and worked with the Athletic Department’s sports Medicine staff as a first responder assisting with pre- and post-game safety measures and attending to emergency situations. He served as a resident assistant for three years in Dammann and Tenney Halls. During his senior year, Ascencio, a sport studies undergraduate major, was inducted into the Chi sigma Alpha Honor society for Manhattanville athletes.
Ascencio’s magnanimous approach to coaching and mentorship was fostered by family as well as a special high school youth minister, George Janvier. “My mentor taught me a lot. He showed me how to be selfless, to always try to help in the community.”
Ascencio’s professional goals will always include coaching. “Track and field really changed my life; I will always want to be a part of this sport.” Looking ahead, Ascencio plans to apply his advanced degree to a career as an athletic director at a high school or college.
Ashley Cruz, edd ’25, the decision to pursue a doctorate in educational leadership at Manhattanville University was personal, academic, and professional. “It has been an intellectual challenge, and when I finish, [it will be] a personal achievement,” she said. This degree will enable Cruz to achieve her goal of becoming a building administrator.
Cruz praised the professors who have encouraged and he chose Manhattanville because of the small cohort model. “Together, we are thriving; we help each ou are not just a number in this program; Manhattanville professors work with you to ensure your success.” In 2021, Manhattanville was designated as a Hispanic serving Institution by the Us Department of Education. “As a woman who identifies as Hispanic, I think that is so cool.”
Cruz has a decade of experience as an early childhood educator, teaching general and special education students. she currently serves as a first grade teacher with a large population of students who are learning English as a
new language. As a member of the restorative Justice Committee, she and colleagues promote conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion with awareness of implicit and explicit biases when teaching a diverse study body. Currently, Cruz serves as chairperson for the Committee on special Education for the Elmsford, Ny, Union Free school District.
Planning to complete her doctoral degree in May 2025, Cruz successfully defended her dissertation proposal on the experiences of Black students attending predominantly white suburban high schools, using Critical race Theory as a theoretical framework. she said she hopes her research findings will highlight the many ways educators can continue to support minority students. “Understanding what they experience through their stories will give educators a view of what is happening…a view that we may not otherwise hear or see.”
As the 2024 recipient of Manhattanville’s Judith Johnson Memorial Award, Cruz said that she hopes “to continue to live up to Johnson’s legacy through continued commitment to education, supporting racially minoritized populations, and pushing for equity in policies and practices.”
Here are some notable faculty publications and announcements from September 2023 through May 2024.
Professor Leif Albright authored “The Process of Scientific Writing: Developing a Research Question, Conducting a Literature Review, and Creating an Outline” in Disseminating Behavioral Research.
Professor gerald Ardito, associate dean of the School of Education, was co-author of “The Emergence of Autonomy in Intertwingled Learning Environments: A Model of Teaching and Learning” published in Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education. He was also author of “Cooperative Freedoms and Practical Inquiry in an Online Course for Teachers” in Humanizing Online Teaching and Learning in Higher Education by IGI Global.
Professor Amy Bass published many pieces over the past year; highlights include:
u “Listen to Athletes for a Change: From Raised Fists to Bended Knee” in Athletic Activism: Global Perspectives on Social Transformation, a collection that examines athletic activism with a transnational perspective in order to better address issues of race, violence, gender, sexuality, sustainability, identity, and community development.
u “It’ll Take More than a New Barbie to Quiet Male Voices in Sport,” one of her many editorials for CNN. This piece focused on Mattel’s “Women in Sports” Barbie lineup, unpacking the contradictions embedded in the message of the dolls in the wake of headlines surrounding the World Cup champion Spanish soccer team.
u “Lewiston Is a Community Fighting for Its Light,” also for CNN, gave Bass a chance to contextualize the tragic shooting in Lewiston, ME, the city at the center of her bestselling book One Goal (2018).
u “Caitlin Clark Is the GOAT, but She’s Not the Only One,” one of many of Bass’s editorials on the so-called Clark effect in basketball, the growth of the WNBA, and the impact on women’s sport writ large that Bass scribed this spring that went viral and national, picked up on the wires for publication across the country.
u “A Thrilling Super Bowl that was also about Something More,” another editorial for CNN, about the impact of Taylor Swift on football...and just about everything else.
Professor victoria Fantozzi’s “Connecting in Context: Using Digital Portfolios to Foster Reciprocal Relationships with Families” was published in Young Children.
Professor robert Feirsen authored or co-authored several articles, including “Conflict-Competent Leadership” in Kappan and “From Conflict to Collaboration” in Principal
Professor JoAnne Ferrara, now retired, coauthored A Practical Guide to Exemplary Professional Development Schools (Information Age Publishing).
Continued on page 26
Professor Pamela Lawton had several exhibitions of her work this past academic year, including “The Mirror Blue Night” at the Undercroft Gallery in New York, NY; “Text” at the Joyce Goldstein Gallery in Chatham, NY; and “In It for the Long Haul,” curated by Robert Curcio, at the Lichtundfire Gallery in New York, NY.
Professor Alka Mukerji’s art (at left) was featured in a solo exhibition “Art in Society” at Byram Shubert Art Gallery in Greenwich, CT. Her art is also part of the Venice Biennial Art Exhibition 2024 “Personal Structure” in Venice, Italy (at right).
Professor Orhan hakli co-authored “A Text Mining and Network Analysis of Topics and Trends in Major Nursing Research Journals” in Nursing Open.
Professor Chris hanley co-authored “Shedding Pounds, Weighing Risks: Semaglutide for Weight Loss in American Nurse Journal.
A book of poetry from Professor Jared harél entitled Let Our Bodies Change the Subject was published by University of Nebraska Press.
Professor Crista hartch authored “Effect of a Medication Adherence Mobile Phone App on Medically Underserved Patients with Chronic Illness: Preliminary Efficacy Study” in Journal of Medical Internet Research: Formative Research.
Professor Amanda Mohammad Mirzaei coauthored “Using Teacher and Student Noticing to Understand Engagement in Secondary Mathematics Lessons” in School Science and Mathematics.
Professor Ken Mitchell authored the following articles in AASA, The School Superintendent’s Association, Journal of Scholarship & Practice: “Adaptive Leadership for Complex Decision-making in Extraordinary Times,” “Behavioral Change for Environmental Sustainability,” and “America’s Public Schools—Public Goods or Monopolies?”
Professor nirupama narayanan co-authored “Evaluation of Plant Essential Oils as Natural Alternatives for Alcohol-based Mouthwashes: Spotlight—Lemongrass and Citronella Java” in the European Journal of General Dentistry.
Professor Mark nowak published a chapbook about the January 6 assault at the US Capitol titled
WINTER. One poem from the book was featured as “Poem of the Week” by the Just Buffalo Literary Center, and five others appeared in Three Fold. Also, his poem “From…Again” was featured in The New York Times Magazine.
iain haley Pollock, director of the MFA program, received the Bin Ramke Poetry Prize from Denver Quarterly for his poem “Romanticized Portrait of My Self-Loathing as the Poleman in Eakin’s Rail Shooting on the Delaware, Also Known as Will Schuster & Blackman Going Shooting (1876).”
Professor seth tannenbaum’s article, “How Major League Baseball Parks Reveal the White MiddleClass’s Views on Cities,” was published in Journal of Sport History.
Professor Matthew tucker’s article “Consequences Don’t Change Behaviors, Relationships Do, However...” was published in the National Association of Special Education ejournal.
Professor Alexis romero Walker authored “Digital Discussions Among Women Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: Vulnerability in Private Facebook Groups Grounded in Motherhood.” It was published in the Journal of Religion, Media and Digital Culture. Professor Walker also received the 2023 Distinguished Educator Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.
Professor shelley Wepner co-authored “A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Presidential Longevity” for the Journal of Research on the College President.
Mercedes Oritz ’27 on the All-Conference Team. Doyle was later recognized as Female Rookie of the Year at the 2024 Manhattanville Athletics Awards banquet.
u Men’s soCCer: The Valiants’ twenty-four-year title drought came to an end as the team earned the
3.33
DEPArTMENT GPA
41
sTUDENT-ATHLETEs WITH A PerFeCt 4.0 gPA
241
sTUDENT-ATHLETEs WITH A 3.0 gPA Or Better
147
sTUDENT-ATHLETEs WITH A 3.5 gPA Or Better
22 TEAMs POsTED A 3.0 gPA Or Better Continued
Michael Mezzina ’23, MA ’25; Trevor Henderson ’23, MA ’25; Joey Kresse ’25; and Luis Granado ’24 were All-Conference selections.
u WoMen’s volleyBall: The Valiants did not drop a set against a conference opponent in 2024, repeating as Skyline champions for the fourth title in program history. Setter Vianca Vital ’23, MA ’24, was named Skyline Player of the Year. Head Coach Tyler Blank was selected as Conference Coach of the Year, while Vital was joined by Loren Hernandez ’26, Grace Ballagas ’25, and Meghan Wildes ’24 as AllConference Team selections.
u Men’s and WoMen’s Cross CounTry: For the first time in program history, both cross country teams posted top-five finishes at the Conference Championship meet. Rae Sawyer ’26, Joey DeMilio ’27, and Orquidea Briceno ’27 each medaled at the championship meet. For his work leading the women’s program, Head Coach Michael Cameron was named Skyline Conference Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year.
u WoMen’s fIeld hoCKey, WoMen’s soCCer, Men’s golf: The Manhattanville field hockey team sent four student-athletes—Sabina Cosmo ’27, Florence Harrison ’25, Julia Huertas ’27, and Cat Morgan ’24—to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division III National Academic Squad, with Huertas further recognized as an NFHCA Scholar of Distinction for earning a 4.0 GPA in fall 2023. Jennifer Xiong ’23, MA ’25, and Caitlin Ward ’25 were selected to the Skyline Women’s Soccer
All-Conference team. The men’s golf team took sixth place at the Skyline Conference Championship.
u Men’s BasKeTBall: The men’s team went 12–2 on their home court. The Valiants secured a first-round home contest for the Skyline Conference Championship Tournament as the No. 3 seed and later accepted an invitation to the ECAC Championship Tournament for a third-straight year. Tommy Lotito ’23, MA ’25, wrapped up his collegiate career with selections to the AllConference First Team, D3hoops.com All-Region, and Met Basketball Writers Association All-Met Third Team.
u WoMen’s BasKeTBall: The Valiants tied the program record for wins in a season with 23. They finished the year second in Division III in both field goal percentage defense and three-point percentage defense. This defensive prowess secured the team’s first No. 1 seed in the postseason since 2011 and advanced the women to the Skyline Conference Championship Finals for the second straight year. Julianna Kascic ’24 was named an All-Conference First Team selection and All-Met Second Team honoree.
u Men’s and WoMen’s hoCKey: The men’s hockey team won nine games in conference play to earn the No. 5 seed and secure the 24th postseason appearance in program history. Defenseman Justin Fernet ’27 earned conference recognition, selected to the UCHC All-Rookie Team. The women’s hockey team came to life in the second half of the season, climbing up the UCHC standings to earn the No. 3 seed. Gabrielle Cox ’23, MA ’25, and Grace Genest ’24 were named UCHC Player and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively. Cox was also named a Laura Hurd Division III Player of the Year Finalist, USCHO Division III Third Team selection, and a CCM Hockey/ AHCA All-American throughout March. Cox became the 14th All-American in program history as she ranked
third in the nation in goals per game. She was named Manhattanville’s Female Athlete of the Year for a second consecutive year, while Genest was recognized as Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
u Men’s volleyBall: In their debut season, the men’s volleyball team racked up 13 wins and earned a berth in the Skyline Conference Championship Tournament. Emil Morban Medrano ’27 was one of the team’s leading playmakers and was named Manhattanville’s Male Rookie Athlete of the Year.
u Men’s laCrosse: The men’s lacrosse team won eight games and advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2018 as the Valiants earned the final berth in the Skyline Conference Championship Tournament. Attacker Nick Cornelia ’23, MA ’25, had one of the best individual seasons in program history, making his second-straight All-Conference First Team with 94 points on 66 goals and 28 assists and was named the department’s Male Athlete of the Year. Sean Larkin ’24 was recognized as Manhattanville’s Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was awarded the Eleanor O’Byrne Award at Commencement as he earned a 4.0 GPA.
u BaseBall: The Valiants made the postseason for the 22nd time in program history. The Skyline Conference First Round featured a home run by Chris Goohs ’26 in the seventh inning and a pair of shutdown relief appearances by Gregory Esposito, MA ’25, and Ryan McCann ’26. McCann represented the Valiants on the All-Conference Team.
u Men’s TennIs: The men’s tennis team made a fourth-straight run to the Conference Championship finals. The Valiants finished the year 10–5 overall and went 5–1 against conference opponents to earn the No. 2 seed. A back-and-forth battle during the semifinals ultimately resulted in a 5–3 Valiants victory with Weston Goodwin ’24 earning the match-winning point. Both Goodwin and James Hourihan ’24 were named All-Conference selections.
u WoMen’s laCrosse: Colleen MacNeil ’24 set new single-season program records in draw controls, ground balls, and caused turnovers while also leading the team in scoring with 75 points on 48 goals and 27 assists. MacNeil was named the program’s first AllECAC selection since 2018 and was an All-Conference selection with teammate Meghan DeBellis ’27.
u Men’s and WoMen’s TraCK and fIeld: The track and field teams shattered program records throughout the year. In total, the Valiants earned 15 medals at the Skyline Championships. Shai Graham ’26 set a new program benchmark in the indoor 60-meter and outdoor 100-meter dash, while Gabby Billetz ’27 and Tevaughn Stewart ’27 broke the women’s shot put record and men’s weight throw, respectively. Joey DeMilio ’27 set a new top time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. A five-year-old record in the 4x100 relay fell as Graham, Curtis Staie ’27, Jaivan Burgos ’26, and Courtney Brown ’27 set a new top time, while Zach Garrant ’25 placed himself atop the record book in the 110-meter hurdles. Billetz demolished the women’s outdoor discus throw record, while Stewart found himself atop the all-time hammer throws and Matthew Boggi ’27 recorded the program’s top discus throw.
u sofTBall: For the second-consecutive year and the 13th time in program history, the Manhattanville University softball team became Skyline Conference champions. The team had seven All-Conference selections, highlighted by Sarah Harker ’23, MA ’25, and Charli Shinstine ’23, MA ’25, repeating as the Skyline’s Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively. The duo was joined by Amaya Esparza ’24, Samantha Walsh ’25, Isabella Tansey ’26, Rachel Coleman ’25, and Samantha Reyer ’26 on the All-Conference Team. Harker, Walsh, Esparza, and Shinstine earned AllRegion accolades from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, with Harker named the fifth NFCA AllAmerican in program history. l
Information was provided by John Ewen, director of athletic communications.
Manhattanville University awarded 644 degrees this past May at two Commencement ceremonies, with 340 graduate and 304 undergraduate degrees conferred, including those completed in August. Twenty-five doctor of education degrees were conferred, the largest number of doctorates awarded at a single ceremony in Manhattanville history. Graduates celebrated with family and friends at the ceremonies held on the quad in front of Reid Castle.
During the graduate ceremony, held on May 9, Commencement speaker Gina Hemphill-Strachan spoke of “playing to win,” as opposed to “playing not to lose.” In addressing the graduating students in attendance, the veteran media industry executive explained that “playing to win not only means giving 100% as often as you can, which is never easy…but it’s taking risks, shaking yourself out of your comfort
The winner of Manhattanville University’s 2024 President’s Prize was edelawit Fikru yishak ’24. A computer science major hailing from Ethiopia, yishak distinguished herself as a Clark scholar and held many on-campus roles, including serving as a student ambassador in admissions and a resident advisor.
In presenting the prize at the undergraduate Commencement in May, President Frank D. sánchez said, “This year, we recognize an exceptional international student whose academic achievements and dedication to computer science and innovation have set a new standard of excellence.”
For her senior project, yishak leveraged large-language-model artificial intelligence, creating an app to simplify the application process for prospective international students by offering them a comprehensive resource for accessing university information. Under the guidance of Professor Jonathan Munson, her project showcased her innovation and commitment to empowering others through technology.
zone….When you’re playing to win, you’re alive, you’re fully engaged, you’re living your purpose.”
Award-winning author Megan Abbott was the Commencement speaker at the undergraduate ceremony on May 11. “The world will have its way with you,” she said. “Life will. But the good news is this: there are things deep inside you, things you may keep hidden that are mysterious, inexplicable, odd, beautiful, and could maybe even change the world but—at the very least—will change you.”
During the undergraduate ceremony, the President’s Prize was awarded to Edelawit Fikru Yishak ’24 (see below). Other awardees included Gianluca Gonzalez ’24, recipient of the Grace Cowardin Dammann Award; Sean Larkin ’24, who received the Eleanor O’Byrne Award; and Gabriela Torres ’24, recipient of the Provost’s Prize. l
Edelawit Fikru yishak ’24 received the 2024 President’s Prize.
streamlined operations and enhanced the organization’s impact by enabling real-time updates on new opportunities.
This fall, yishak joins Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, MI, as a software engineer.
Collaborating with a fellow student, yishak also developed an app for the Women’s Mentoring Network, revolutionizing how it connects with and supports its clients. yishak’s app has
“receiving the President’s Prize is an immense honor and a testament to the work and dedication I’ve put into my studies and contributions at Manhattanville,” said yishak. “This recognition not only validates my efforts but also inspires me to strive for even greater achievements in the future.”
gina hemphill-strachan has built a reputation as one of the top talent producers and storytellers in sports and entertainment and has won 14 Emmy awards. With over 25 years of network and cable experience, Hemphill-strachan has worked as a feature pro ducer for the coverage of nine Olympic games, the NBA and WNBA, two World series, and the Daytime Emmy Awards. she is the granddaughter of Olympic champion Jesse Owens and has a deep and mean ingful understanding of the challenges and adversity faced by athletes, and how their stories can impact a nation.
Megan abbott is the Edgar Award-winning author of eleven crime novels, including you Will Know Me; Give Me your Hand; and The New york Times bestseller The Turnout the winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. she received her PhD in English and American Literature from New york University, and her writing has appeared in The New york Times, the Guardian, The Paris review, and the Wall street Journal Dare Me, the series she adapted from her own novel, is now streaming on Netflix.
xciting changes are happening at our newly minted Manhattanville University! The Board of Trustees has been working closely with President Frank D. Sánchez to refine and implement a winning strategy for our University’s long-term success. We are thrilled to have his leadership and wealth of experience in transforming higher education institutions, along with his commitment to excellence and dedication to student-centered education. Together, we are charting a future for our students that aligns with Manhattanville’s mission: to educate ethical and socially responsible leaders in a global community.
At the core of this mission is preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s world. What programs will ready students to be future leaders? How do we allocate resources to grow Manhattanville? What should the University’s focus be over the next three to five to ten years?
These questions are more important than ever as we witness the closing of small liberal arts colleges and universities across the country. In order to come out on the winning side and thrive, Manhattanville has to evolve—and we’re already on that path. We have streamlined our administration and made significant improvements to our courses. Our Board of Trustees is actively engaged, and we have a new president capable and determined to turn our vision and strategy into reality.
We are also expanding our student base. Unlike many small liberal arts institutions, Manhattanville has seen year-over-year enrollment increases since the pandemic. This fall, as a teach-out partner for the closing Wells College, we will be welcoming their students into our community. Wells College’s heritage and mission closely align with ours, and we are excited to open our doors to a new group of students. We’re striving to preserve as much of Wells’ heritage as possible. Additionally, we’ve taken over leadership of the “Wells in Florence” program, a popular study-abroad program that attracts college students from across the country.
“If you are interested in helping us shape the future with your ideas and financial support, please reach out.”
As we move forward, effective governance is more important for Manhattanville than ever. We need trustees who are passionate and willing to dig in and contribute. Fortunately, we currently have an exceptionally talented and diverse Board of Trustees, many of whom are alumni. However, there is still much work to be done. And your financial support is vital as well, to boost our endowment to support academic programs and maintain Manhattanville’s enormous campus infrastructure that includes our beloved Reid Castle.
If you’re interested in helping us shape the future with your ideas and financial support, please reach out. Together, we can build a brighter future for Manhattanville University and the next generation of students.
Sincerely,
Michael C. Dunn ’77 Chair, Manhattanville University Board of Trustees
Michael.Chair.Mville@gmail.com
Mary o’gorman fay allan ’67
grace Butler, rsCj ’64, Ma ’69
Teacher (retired), Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart
john silva Calvao ’94 Fund Principal, Arrow Global
Cathleen Collins ’69
Managing Partner (Retired), Kinsella, Boesch, Fujikawa and Towle, LLP
stephanie Kloos donoghue ’82 Alumni Board President President, S. Kloos Communications Inc.
Michael C. dunn ’77, Chair Senior Vice President–Chief Marketing Officer (Retired), Georgia Pacific CEO, James Gate Group
sheila falvey finnerty ’87, vice Chair
Executive Managing Director (Retired), Liberty Mutual Investments
Karina frayter ’01
Head of Corporate Communications and PR, North America, Flix
William h. humphreys, vice Chair
Business Director and Senior Vice President (Retired), Stolt-Nielsen USA, Inc.
linda Pistecchia Kirkpatrick ’99 President, North America, Mastercard
alice d. leahey ’69
Christopher n. lewis ’97, jd General Counsel (Retired), Edward Jones
Cathy allman, MaW ’01
Author Matt anderson President and CEO, The Osborn
ryan Beaudry ’08
Leader/Analyst, Investor Relations, Mastercard
jo-una spadafora ’69
Attorney (Retired)
Cathy french ’68
President, Catherine French Group
gretchel hathaway ’79
Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Franklin and Marshall College
Peter lorenz CEO, Unirac Inc.
h. joseph Machicote ’86
Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Premier, Inc.
joseph B. narus ’86
Senior Director, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
austin Purves, Phd Software Engineer, Rockstar Games
frank d. sánchez, Phd President, Manhattanville University
john M. Tolomer President, Westchester Market, Valley National Bankcorp
june r. Wang ’67
Program Manager (Retired), Raytheon
amy y. Zhang ’93
Executive Vice President, Portfolio Manager, Fred Alger Management, Inc.
eMerITus TrusTees
d.h. (don) Callahan ’78
Head of Operations and Technology, Citigroup Inc. (Retired)
Marcia Pearce deWitt ’69 President and CEO, GuilfordPare Ltd.
dwight r. hilson, MaW ’09
Managing Director, Greenwich Media Management, LLC
Marion C. jordan ’70
Vice President, Verizon Communications, Inc. (Retired)
rosemary B. james ’91
Supervisory Attorney Advisor, Intellectual Property, Department of Homeland Security
donna johnson, Ms ’12 Diversity Consultant, JAW LLC
Karen Burris lennon ’79 President, Karen B. Lennon Consulting LLC
erica a. Meloe ’83 Director/Owner, Velocity Physiotherapy
Patsy o'grady ’61 President, POG Information Systems
elizabeth adams smith ’81
Senior Associate Dean for Administration, SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Maria stolfi ’15, Ms ’19 Chief People Officer, HMTX Industries
Katy Tucci, Ms ’05
Vice President, Wealth Manager, BNY Mellon Wealth Management
nicole Wadsworth do ’91
Campus Dean, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
steven Waldinger ’85 Partner, Shapiro, Gettinger, Waldinger and Monteleone, LLP
stephanie Kloos Donoghue ’82
aluMnI assoCIaTIon Board of dIreCTors
stephanie Kloos donoghue ’82 President
Michael Panella ’08, Ms ’10 vice President
deborah Costello ’72 secretary
Claudia Marin andrade ’02
Katharin reilly Brink ’68
angelica dardon ’20, MaT ’22
Michael horgan ’10, Ms ’14
frances leahey johnson ’77
amanda e. Kis-Murthy ’07
Barbara Perez Marquez ’13, Mfa ’15
daryl Mundis ’88
justyn richardson ’13
jason rivera ’97
Inger stapleton ’05
danuta Karpinski Wenzel ’76
Dear Manhattanville University alumni and friends,
On behalf of the Manhattanville University Alumni Association Board of Directors, I want to welcome you to the 2024 edition of Manhattanville Magazine. It highlights the Inauguration of Manhattanville’s 15th President, Frank D. Sánchez, PhD, the rebrand as Manhattanville University, and so much more.
The excitement during Inauguration Week in April was palpable and contagious, especially during the University Launch festivities and the amazing Inaugural Gala. I want to thank all of the alumni who attended the week’s events—especially those who contributed to the $650,000+ in total Gala donations. Those funds will play a vital role in supporting Manhattanville students and the University’s initiatives.
Let’s keep the momentum going! Your time, talents and treasure have never been more important. Share your time and talents by coming back to campus for an in-person event and/or attending one being held near you; participating in virtual events; sharing your expertise with students; offering an internship; and/or joining one of the Alumni Board’s committees. We’re open to other ideas you may have to get involved, so let us know!
Your treasure is vital to the future of the University. Our identity as Valiants inspires us to be of service where it is needed most. With this in mind, I hope you will join me in giving to Manhattanville. For the greatest impact, make your gift to the Greatest Need Fund. This allows the University to use your funds where they are most needed.
Alumni communications will be a key focus over the next year so that all 23,000+ alumni feel connected and informed. The monthly alumni e-newsletter provides you with timely alumni news and includes a letter from President Sánchez called “Frankly Speaking,” which updates alumni on Manhattanville’s latest happenings. The e-newsletter also has a portal for submitting your personal news; an Alumni Business Directory, which showcases alumni-owned businesses; alumni spotlights; flashback photos; reunion information; and more. You can also stay connected via social media.
On behalf of all of us on the Alumni Board, we look forward to seeing you at upcoming events—both in-person and virtually—and hearing your suggestions and ideas to build a brighter future for Manhattanville University alumni.
scan this code to learn how you can get involved!
With warmest regards,
Stephanie Kloos Donoghue ’82 President, Manhattanville University Alumni Board
Alumni Reunion 2024 welcomed home Manhattanville classes of 2019, 2014, 2009, 2004, 1999, 1994, 1989, 1984, 1979, 1974, 1969, 1964, 1959, and 1954 from June 7–9. More than 200 alumni, family, and friends were in attendance at 25 events. Time-honored Manhattanville traditions like the Reunion Luncheon, the Reunion Mass, and the planting of the 50th Reunion Memorial Tree were joined by newer events including a Welcome Back Party with karaoke, the State of the University Address with President Frank Sánchez, a picnic on the quad, and a themed party for everyone (the 25th reunion class encouraged everyone to “Party Like It’s 1999”). l
Members and guests of the Classes of 2014 and 2019 had an impressive backdrop of clouds as they posed on the Castle Terrace during the All Class Kick Off reception.
At the annual meeting of Manhattanville University’s Alumni Association held on June 8, three alumni were recognized by their peers for their service to the University, their communities, and the world.
(l-r) Mary Elizabeth Falk de Losada ’64 received the Distinguished Alumna Award from stephanie Kloos Donoghue ’82.
Mary elizabeth Falk de Losada ’64, received the Distinguished Alumna Award, the highest form of recognition given to an alum. she was recognized for her lifetime of work in, and contributions toward, enriching the field of mathematics and math education in Latin America, spain, and Portugal. she was one of the cofounders of the Universidad Antonio Nariño in 1976, a private university in Colombia with campuses in more than 20 cities. The mission of the university is to provide opportunity and access to quality higher education to the wider Columbian population. In addition, de Losada helped co-found the Colombian Mathematics Olympiad, the IberoAmerican Mathematics Olympiad, and the World Federation of Mathematics Competition. she has been the recipient of several international mathematics awards and prizes.
“It was unexpected and especially thrilling to be named Distinguished Alumna of 2024,” said de Losada. “Working closely with dedicated colleagues who share values such as those that permeate Manhattanville, I have striven to construct academic communities of excellence in mathematics and mathematics education in Colombia and in Latin and IberoAmerica. receiving recognition from Manhattanville for this work has been particularly significant for me.”
d’Oniece shaw dillard ’74 was awarded the Outstanding Alumna service Award. Dillard served on the Alumni Board for nine years, twice to fill unexpired terms of others and two three-year terms of her own. A steadfast volunteer, she
has provided outreach to encourage alumni participation at reunions; represented Manhattanville at college fairs and other events; and worked with the Manhattanville Club of DC, fostering membership in the Washington, DC, area. Her nominator, Benjamin Bradburn ’91, wrote that she is “an exemplar of Manhattanville’s mission of service and leadership.”
“I’m honored to be among the alumni who have received this award,” said Dillard. “I value the education I received and the friendships I made at Manhattanville.”
Mary Foley Cooper ’69 received a Outstanding Alumna service Award posthumously. Cooper was a member of the Board of Trustees and steadfast friend and supporter of Manhattanville. she was chair of the Institutional Advancement Committee and co-chaired the student Advisory Committee. As a chair of the 45th and 50th reunions for her class, Cooper mobilized her classmates to raise more than $400,000 to support the next generation of Manhattanville students. In addition, Cooper was deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and worked to create a campus community where diversity is embraced, inclusiveness is practiced, and equity is sought.
1950 s
JAnet COOney ChArK ’51 has lived in Rye, NY, for 58 years, the last four of those at The Osborn senior living facility. She said she is having a delightful time with “a thriving group of senior citizens who still enjoy life and one another. There are so many interesting activities in which to participate that sometimes it is hard to choose among them.” She sent wishes to her classmates that they all are living a life as exciting as hers.
diAnA LOPez JUdith ’54 wrote to congratulate the recent graduates of Manhattanville University and of how proud she is to share that lifelong connection with them. In addition, she said she recently welcomed her classmate AnitA WALters BeCKer ’54 to her home in Naples, FL. The two had gathered often when they both were living in New Jersey after graduation; “this recent event was the closing of a forty-year gap and a great encounter, to say the least.” Judith and Becker said they feel blessed by their educations and grateful for their experiences at Manhattanville that made memories and friendships to last a lifetime.
AngeLitA CArMeLO ’61 has written many books under the pen name Anji Carmelo in Spanish to help people in mourning and on the non-existence of “death.” The titles include Déjame Llorar, Estás en mi Corazón, ¿Existe la Muerte?, and El Buen Duelo. She also founded the first mourning center in Barcelona, Spain, with Adela Torras around 2002.
tory to consider and be grateful for a wonderful life,” she said. She is now living in Bedford, NY, in an RSCJ community with two other Manhattanville alumnae, grACe B ’64, MA ’69, recently named to the Board of Trustees, and JOAn MAgnetti, rsCJ ’65
tinA sLOAn MCPhersOn ’65 retired after 36 years as a television, film, and theatre actress to begin writing books. She has published Changing Shoes, as well as The Cleopatra Chronicles, a trilogy of thrilling novels: Chasing Cleopatra, Chasing Othello, and Chasing Czars; the latter was released in July. She also entertains her 53,000 followers on Instagram and 19,000 on TikTok with her “funny and very helpful” #Agingtips as @tinasloan.
vALerie MOOre O’KeeFFe ’65 received the 2023 Golden Heart Award at the Child of Peace Awards, presented by Catholic Guardian Services.
1970 s
dAisy Ortiz ’73 has been twice-honored for her contributions to the community as a volunteer. She received the Mary Hotte award,
Continued on page 38
significance of his newly discovered lineage to both himself and to history.
e ’85, Phd, is now a member of National Cancer Institute’s (NCI’s) Experimental Therapeutics Chemical Biology Consortium (CBC) Steering Committee. Members of the consortium contribute their expertise in high-throughput screening, structural biology, medicinal chemistry, compound profiling, cancer cell biology, and animal models for oncology to advance early-stage drug discovery projects and selection of clinical candidates. Through the CBC, and with the interactions among the various participants, the NCI’s drug discovery and development pipeline is active from target identification through proof-of-concept clinical trials. He also provides consultancy services through Charles River to various biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
OLM ’85, Phd, announced that her co-edited book, Between Us: Healing Ourselves and Healing the World Through has been published by the University of Chicago Press.
seniors from the Class of 2024 were all smiles as they wore their new Alumni Association pins after the senior Pinning on May 7. Continued on page
y, MAt ’00, galleried her work in a one-woman show at the University of South Carolina
textile work. In Lasky’s artist’s statement for the show, she said, “I gather scraps intuitively. The pieces…become meaningful as they find their places in the composition. I map the relationships among the pieces into a narrative that represents the nature of memory. It is often blurred or obscured with glimmers of color and clarity.”
PhyLLis CAritO, MA ’01, MFA ’13, announced the publication of her novel More Than Making Ends Meet by Bedazzled Ink Publishers of Fairfield, CA, a women-owned and -focused publishing house. It is the story of Viviana and Kathleen, who originally meet through their different jobs and come to spend time together. Embedded in the novel are six short stories, told by Viviana, based on the people she meets as a cleaning lady. Find more information at https://www. bedazzledink.com/more-than-makingends-meet.html or Carito’s website phylliscarito.weebly.com.
dAvid d. inigO ’02 was selected as 2023-2024 Governors Educational Specialist of the Year at his high school.
JenniFer BAUer-COnLey ’04 was recently awarded the Tommy Tune Award for Outstanding Choreographer
for the city of Houston, TX, where she now resides with her husband and two daughters. Bauer-Conley is the director of fine arts for The Emery/Weiner School. This is her second win in this category.
JOsePh r. deLAMAter ’04 recently began working at Purdue University as the senior associate director for Equal Access and Equal Opportunity.
FArid A. JOhnsOn ’04, MPs ’07, principal at Siwanoy Elementary School in the Pelham Union Free School District, has been selected as the 2024 New York State Elementary Principal of the Year by the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS). This award is given to a SAANYS member who is committed to excellence, has programs designed to meet the academic and social needs of all students, and has firm ties to parents and the community.
tinA M. rOOde ’13, MAt ’14, will be assuming the vice principal position next school year at the middle school where she is currently completing her tenth year teaching and third year as dean. Roode also got engaged to Thomas Solazzo in Turks and Caicos in February.
niCOLetA PennACChiA ’17 has embarked on an extraordinary journey in the maritime industry. Making history as the first female Harbor Master at Larchmont Yacht Club in 143 years, Pennacchia has leveraged her legal expertise to found Trident Yacht Management, a premier company serving New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Trident is dedicated to providing top-tier services, ensuring unparalleled yachting experiences for clients across the tri-state area. She said
she has received and is excited to continue making waves in the maritime world.
MAKsiM vAsiLevsKy, edd ’18, helped secure a grant from Home Depot to rejuvenate the gardens and natural wildlife habitat on the campus of Kenneth Clark Academy in Dobbs Ferry, NY. Dr. Vasilevsky is a science teacher at the Academy and a member of Greenburgh-North Castle United Teachers. “We’re really trying to look at our kids as individual people and what their strengths are,” Vasilevsky said. “Project-based learning gives them that opportunity to find a love of something. It’s about giving them real-world experience so they can take that outside of here and be active members of society.”
heAther hendershOt, edd ’22, was recently nominated and appointed by the Board of Directors of the New York Council of Administrators of Special Education (NYCASE) as a board member. NYCASE is a subdivision of the Council for Exceptional Children, which is an international professional organization that provides leadership to advance the field of special education through professional learning, policy, and advocacy. Dr. Hendershot is an educator with 27 years of experience and currently serves as the director of Pupil Personnel Services for the Goshen Central School District. l
Andrew Deacon ’08, ryan Beaudry ’08, and Lindsey Keller Eisenstein ’08, MAT ’08, celebrated the holidays at the Annual Alumni Holiday Party at riverside yacht Club on December 7, 2023.
Friends from the class of 1986 celebrated their 60th birthdays in sag Harbor, Ny see more Class notes and submit your latest news!
anna Mcgough Mahon ’48
Patricia duffy doyle ’49, sister of Susanne Duffy Lauer ’38 (RIP)
annette garvey Pringle ’49, aunt of Kathleen Ford Stebbins ’65
jeanne Boland steinborn ’50
Patricia holland elichalt ’51, mother of Patrice Elichalt Pierce ’78
Phyllis a grady ’51
frances P. fraher Minno ’51
Catherine Morrow viscardi ’51, sister of Mary Morrow Kiley ’49 and mother of Catherine Viscardi Johnston ’75
sally gorman grierson ’52
yen liu lee ’52
joan regan Mcgivern ’52
Barbara sommer shea ’52, daughter of Frances Kliegl Sommer ’23 (RIP), niece of Anne Kliegl Byrne ’30 (RIP), and cousin of Anne F. Byrne, RSCJ ’60, MA ’66 (RIP)
juliane Bing Biro ’53
violeta Bosch davis ’53
Patricia Murphy Brown ’54
editha nassen limbach ’54
esther Christmas Cassidy ’55
ann skakel McCooey ’55, mother of Annie S. McCooey ’89, sister of Patricia Skakel Cuffe ’46 (RIP) and Ethel Skakel Kennedy ’49, and sister-in-law of Anne Reynolds Skakel ’54 (RIP)
ann howard Impett ’56
frances asam ’58
Barbara lloyd Ballard ’58
Mary Benedict howard ’58
jane stokes McMillan ’58, sister of Anne Stokes McAlaine ’61 and cousin of Patricia Sheehan Dulles ’54 (RIP)
Marilyn Conley Quinn ’58
Teresa Benedetto shamsher ’58
debbora Buck ’59, sister of Rosamond Buck Vernon ’52 (RIP)
alice Buckley Caldwell ’59
Marcia Tangney harol ’59, cousin of Brenda Tangney Brown ’67
eileen hayden Kirrane ’59
Paula graham Murphy ’59, sister of Edith Graham Grandy ’68, niece of Virginia Graham Hughes ’42, and cousin of Nancy Hughes ’70 and Ellen Hughes Quinn Meagher ’71
deborah doyle faust ’60
linda evans franklin ’60
Martha Welch Myer ’60
dolores schiraldi yvars ’60
Mary vaughan Connolly ’61
victoria galotta daiker ’61
elizabeth Mcloughlin ’62, daughter of Lucille O’Malley McLoughlin ’29 (RIP), sister of Lucille McLoughlin Hornby ’60, niece of Celeste O’Malley Wilhelmy ’40 (RIP), and cousin of Ellen Wilhelmy Gustin ’71 and Elizabeth Fusz Brownrigg ’30 (RIP)
harriet davenport odlum ’62, sister of Annelissa Davenport ’70 (RIP)
dolores Cox agnew ’63
joan dierickx Bartos ’64
joanne e. Broderick ’64, cousin of Catherine Kneip Minnock ’41 (RIP) and Margery Kneip Shinkle ’38 (RIP)
Catherine hohenlohe jacobus ’64
deirdre Cavanagh ’65, cousin of Elizabeth Cavanagh, RSCJ ’36 (RIP), and Elizabeth Cavanagh ’67
Margaret judith doran ’65
rosaleen Mazur ’65
eileen Cavanaugh shanly ’65, niece of Ann Bayly ’30 (RIP) and cousin of Ann Sheila Bayly Cook ’60
Mary jane sheehan Kroon ’66, MaT ’67, daughter of Mary Fleming Sheehan ’41 (RIP) and niece of Joan Fleming Sexton ’47 (RIP)
susan sweetser-Brenninkmeyer ’66, daughter of Ruth Considine Sweetser ’38 (RIP) and sister of Sarah Sweetser Theis ’72
anne howley Meistrell ’67, sister of Marian T. Howley ’71
Karolen linderman Muhlke ’67
eleanor nace ’67
Mary louise Terenzio shafer ’67, sister of Joanne Terenzio Blakemore ’70 and cousin of MaryJo Giovine McKleroy ’71
Margaret finn Zeuschner ’67
linda sullivan Powers ’69
Marcia Waterman ’69
Marcia l. anderson ’70
lucinda hutcheson goldman ’70
Patricia Taylor Mosier ’70, cousin of Mary Jane Horan Clerkin ’58, MAT ’83, MA ’88
susan Maguire Teifert ’71
Mary Checco gawlicki ’72, former trustee
Isabel villar ’72
ellen shields smith, MaT ’73
rosemary Kelly Corwin, MaT ’74
Mary Morrissy, MaT ’74
dorothee delventhal schriever, MaT ’74
Clarck Behrmann ’75, father of Tatiana Behrmann ’00
harriet swift holdsworth, MaT ’75, mother of Ariel Holdsworth ’75
lois schwartz Zenkel ’75, former trustee
William d. Mcgillicuddy ’76
Mark douglas ’77
Bernice jacobs jones ’79
roger P. dunphy ’80
rosanne Kaplan lancia ’81
diana harvey, Ma ’84
elizabeth graham latainer ’85
damaris diaz rosa ’85
gina v. vuolo Brewer ’87
s lawrence Brotmann, Ma ’89
janice horrigan Quinlan ’89
aida Pisani, Ma ’90
ruth grossman, Ma ’91
ellen albanese Mcnamara, MPs ’97
jonathan r. Peczka ’03
francine decicco, MaT ’07
jessica leichtweisz ’08, MPs ’09
Kevin M. higgins, MPs ’13
Connie M. savage-frokic, Ms ’15
vincente “vinny” garcia ’25
Condolences are offered on the death of the husbands of:
Elizabeth Shriver ’67
Condolences are offered on the death of the mothers/fathers of:
Mother of Gregory Holch ’74
Father of Elizabeth Ryan ’86
Father of Leonard G. Shokum ’89
Condolences are offered on the death of faculty, staff, friends, and Board of Trustees members:
james Browne, staff, father of Valerie M. Browne Brunow ’08, MSEd ’13; April Browne O’Niell ’11, MAT ’13; James Browne ’12, MAT ’17; and Julianna Browne Escaravage ’18, MAT ’20
Martha Curry rsCj, former trustee
joyce french, staff
Bruno Ponterio, faculty
uriel reid, staff, father of Lauren Reid ’93, MPS ’98
Karen “dolly” Malmquist russell, staff
This list acknowledges gifts to Manhattanville University received between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.
Stephanie Abramson ’24
Thomas Accetta ’24
Elva Adams, MPS ’99
Christopher & Gena Agostino
Barbara E. Aiello ’69
Kathy Murphy Aisenberg ’73
Frank J. Albano ’08 & Brianne
Previti Albano ’07
Alyson Albert
Brendan Alberto
Elyse Alberto
Leif Albright
Michele Aldrich
Jack Alesi*
Sofia Alesi
Elizabeth & Philippe Alexis*
Anthony Alfieri
Christopher Allan
Mary O’Gorman Fay Allan ’67 & Jim Allan*
James Allan
Peggy Ann Allen
Barbara Allen-Lyall
John Altmeyer
Michael J. Amicucci ’04*
Dorothy & Bob Amoruso
Cecile Amyotte
Cory Anderson ’19
Christian P. Andrade ’01 & Claudia Marín Andrade ’02
Philip & Laura Andriola
Kathryn Anema
Lynn Angelson*
Joseph Anselmi ’16
Susan Antilla ’76
Kathleen Antonelli
Charles & Veronia Archul
Gerald Ardito
Barbara Bebenek Argy ’67#
Barbra Arnold ’77*
Gary Aronsen
Yanick & Michel Arteaga
Sandra Arteaga
Denise Stevens Arturi ’79
Jimmy Ascencio ’23
Gordon A. Assing ’79
Paula Sweeney Austel ’84
Jessica Austin
Vance Austin
SJ Avery ’68#
Paul Ayres*
Anxhena Azo ’10, MS ’18
John Bacchiocchi
Margot Leary Badenhausen ’60*
Maureen Baehr ’72*
Amit Bagga ’93
Joselyn Bailey ’52
Therese Rasmusson Baird ’84
Diana Bajraktari ’19
Philip Baldessarre
Jennifer Balzarini ’22
Amelia Manley Banino ’68, MAT ’88*
Mary Ann McCaughan Baralt ’63
Andrea Barbalato
Michael Barfield
Elena LaSala Barnabei ’71*
Mason Barney
Maritza Lliguipuma Barragan ’24
Mark A. Barrar ’06, MS ’08
Mary Beth Williams Barritt ’70
Cassie Bartholomew
Amy Bass
Jennifer Bauer-Conley ’04
Margaret Bauman MAT ’73
Erika Mandy Baumgartner ’61
Christine Bavetta ’89
Lisa Ghiozzi Bayrasli ’98
Ryan R. Beaudry ’08*
Nancy R. Beiter ’68
Jane Golden Belford ’73
Jim Bell
Christina E. Carpanzano Bellantoni ’14
Stefany Bello ’09 & Eddie F. Butterman ’09*
Ann Duffy Bellows ’71†
Annette Benedetto ’61
Maria Parino Bennett ’82*
Maryanne DiGregorio
Bennett ’61
Jessie Benoit
Paula Berch
Alice M. Berdan ’66*
Jeanne Berardino Berdik ’67
Myra Hultzer Berghane ’76
Bruce Beron
Mary Miller Bers ’67
Marianne Bez ’76
Susan Hansell Bianchi ’59
Anne D. Biermann ’73
Nicole Bifulco ’11
Ann Billetz
Barbara Shea Bispham ’69
Carolyn Bisulca ’75
Michael Bixon ’86
Berit Odderstol Bizjak ’81
Marjorie A. Blackwell ’84
Nicholas Blanco
Paul I. Blejec ’10
Jerrold S. Blitefield ’80
Dana Blumer
Ernest Boateng ’24
Joan Bocina ’81
Florence Wasserman Bodden ’99
Joyce Bodenrader*
Lenora Boehlert
Ryder G. Bohlander, MS ’18
Patricia Casey Bollinger ’63*
Josephine Booth
Catherine Boozang-Hill ’19
Mary Ellen Pohl Bork ’63
Melissa Brinley Boston ’00 & Aaron J. Boston ’02
Sara Thompson Bott ’70*
Paul Bottari*
Anne Ruessmann Bouchenoire ’71
Barbara Goltz Bovin ’74
Emily M. Bowden ’66
Ellen Martin Bowen ’73
Sheryl Hamilton Bowen ’73
Elizabeth Bowler, MPS ’94
Lawson Bowling*
Susan Boyd
Jeanne-Marie Boylan ’71
Elizabeth Bozzuto ’85
Marilyn Ross Bradford ’70
Jay Bradna ’24
Lola Torras Braisted ’59
Janie Brannen
Jonathan Braverman
Erin O. Brawley ’09, MAT ’11
Anne Gendreau Brecher ’76
Aaron Breining ’24
Christine Brearton Breitenfeld ’71
Gina V. Vuolo Brewer ’87†
Mary Bricker-Jenkins ’63
Mary Simon Bright ’73
Katharin Reilly Brink ’68*#
Susan J. Britt ’71
Baird Broderick
Steven Bromberg
Susan W. Broner ’80
Ellen Brooks*
Rachel Brotman
Robert Brown
Signe Ahmuty Brown ’68
James Browne ’12, MAT ’17
Maria Riccio Bryce ’72
Teresa Buchauer ’24
Joey Downey Buck ’72*
Nancy McLaughlin Buckman ’67*
Ann Daly Bullock ’68
Jayme & Mike Bundy
Kathleen Bauer Burke ’67*
Mary Burlingame, MAT ’99
Anne de Geofroy Burns ’69
Mary P. Burns ’78
Jessica Burrello ’10, MPS ’11
Timothy Burroughs
Grace E. Butler, RSCJ ’64, MA ’69
Continued on page 42
Rita Buttermilch
Catherine A. Byrne ’70, PhD
James J. Byrne ’81
Deborah Ritner Cacchione ’85
Joanne Harris Cadieux ’98
Matthew Cahill
Patricia Boleman Caldwell ’67
Mary Ann Callahan ’73*
Don Callahan ’78 & Lisa Callahan*
John Calvao ’94 & Ana Calvao*
Michael Cameron
Hector Camilo ’04*
Colin P. Campbell ’15
Pamela Propst Campbell ’69
Dominick L. Cangiano ’83
Caitlin Greiner Cannavaro ’10
Helen M. Cannistraci ’68*
Chantal Cannart Cannon ’59
Kevin Canty
Peter Capozzi
Freddie Cardel
Alexandre “Sandy” Byrne Carew ’62
Jess Carey, MAT ’24
Matt Carlo
Mary Jean Caro ’17
Brian Carolan
Glenn Carr
Kerry Carr ’23
Gladys Carro ’71
Edward Carroll
Victoria Carroll ’20, MAT ’23
Alison Carson
James Carson
Barbara Higgins Carter ’58#
Joan Pellegrino Carter ’69
Mary Ryan Carter ’53
Elizabeth Conwell Carty ’63
Catherine Gilbane Cary ’58
Alyssa C. Casino ’15, MS ’17
Barbara Sullivan Castrataro ’61
Christina Caughlin ’96
Julene Fisher Caulfield, MAT ’11 & Jeff Caulfield
Sally Cavada, EdD ’24
Cara Cea
JoAnne Ceccarelli-Egan ’74
Virginia Burns Cenedella ’59
The Leadership Circle recognizes alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends of Manhattanville University who generously support the University with a gift of $1,000 or more in a fiscal year. Support from Leadership Circle members is an investment in Manhattanville’s high-quality liberal arts education and a robust student experience that prepares students for a successful future.
Benefits of the leadership Circle include:
u Bi-annual updates from President Sánchez
u Invitations to Leadership Circle events
u Recognition at alumni events
To join the Leadership Circle, make a donation at www.mville.edu/donate or scan this QR code.
For additional information about the Leadership Circle, please visit the Ways to Give page.
Kathryn Tedesco Cesare ’64
Joseph Chan
Magalie Chapoteau ’81
Natalie & Haily Chatrasuk
Alberto Chehebar ’91
Robert D. Chehebar ’92
Hickson Chen ’99
Susan Wyn Groom Cherco ’75
Annette Chevres
Elizabeth Wong Chin ’71*
Jean & Eddie Chinetti
Jade Ching
Belinda Barnes Christie ’99, MAT ’01
Karen Chu
Lowell Chu
Lili Chueng-Lee ’04*
Heeja Hahn Chung, MA ’77
Susan Francis Ciaccio ’65, MAT ’66
Loren Ciardullo
Gregory P. Cimino II ’92*
Elisabetta Cioffi*
Albert Ciuffetelli ’22
Maryann Clara
Sheila Watson Clark ’67
Trina Ramsdell Clark ’08
Mary R. Clarke ’64*
Jean Kosinski Cleary ’63
Rhonda Clements
Chris M. Clifford ’88
Alice Smolka Close ’68
Diane Mulcahy Coffey ’64
Christine Cofone
Jonathan Cogan ’24
Troy Cogburn
William M. Cohee ’95
Daniel Cohen
Barbara Hunt Coleman ’73
Eileen Coleman ’93
Catherine Collins ’69
Cathleen M. Collins ’69*
Constance J. Collins ’76
Vincent Collins ’14
Tammy McGurk Comstock ’97
Kathleen Conan, RSCJ ’68
Paul & Karen Condefer
Emilia Conde-Santana ’08
Deanna Conheeny ’72
Christopher Conklin ’17, MPS ’21
Judy Whalen Conley ’58
James M. Connolly ’83
John S. Conte ’92
Jose Contreras ’24
Daniel R. Conway ’13
Caroline Conzatti ’99
Barbara Ann McGuire Cook ’68*
Ben Cooper*
James Cooper*
Kenneth P. Cooper ’80
Kimberly Cooper ’11
Marcia Coleman Cooper ’63
Thomas Cooper*
Lourdes C. Corman ’66*
Margaret Curtis Cornely ’75
Marguerite Corona
Nicole Correia
Janet McManus Corvini ’76*
Catherine M. Costa ’72
Karen Costa
Deborah Costello ’72*
Lorraine Sahm Costello ’66
Mary E. Cotter ’64
Raymond K. Covington ’77
Kathleen Burns Cowan ’79
Agnes Cox
Dawn Enterlein Crainer, MAT ’94
Alycia Crane
Lucia Lahiff Crane ’71
Sam Crawford ’11
J. Elizabeth Cremens ’69
Anthony Crocco ’22
Mamie Ballard Crockett MAT ’66
James C. Cronin ’76
Craig Cropsey ’22, MPS ’24
Laurence Crowley
Barry G. Croy ’81
Jose Cruz ’75
Amber Whitney Cullen, MAT ’17
Sheryl Cullen
Margo Mulvehill Culley ’64
Diane Cassens Cummins ’63*
Randy J. Curato ’81*
Bernard Curry
Cornelia Curry
Lela Lienhard Curtis ’71
Ellen Dugan Czuchlewski ’66
Christine McCoy D’Agostino ’74
Marion M. Dale ’59
Sandra Dalphond
Jane McLaughlin Dalton ’61*
Michael Damore
Beth Dauer
Chris & Eileen Dauer
Doreen Dauer
Emily Dauer
Joel Daunic
Sheila G. Davaney-Graham ’71
Beth Ridgeway Davenport ’69
Evelyn E. David ’69
Barbara Quinn Davidson ’75
Karin Nelson Davis ’66*
Kendall Davis ’22
Eileen Fitzgerald Dean ’64
Patricia Pacheco de Baez ’01*
Kelly DeBrocky
Mary Ann Lawrence Decker ’62
Nicole LeBlanc Decker ’79
Sheila Flynn DeCosse ’57
Erika M. Deetjen ’15
Nancy Dunn DeGroff ’81
Christine Dehne & John Proctor*
Brittany Deieso ’17
Joseph R. Delamater ’04 & Kiamesha-Sylvia Colom ’02
Michelle Anne Titanic Delaney ’87
Lynne Castellano DeLaurentis ’74
Chris Delguidice*
Olha Dyhdalevych della Cava ’59
Matthew Della Croce ’91
Lucas Dellaporta ’20
Stephen Dellaporta
Ernesta Ferrara Del Negro, MPS ’83
Carla Demarsh
Violetta Veras Demas ’74
Mel Demeo
Jennifer DeMilio
Jenna Marvin Denning ’09, MPS ’11
Deborah A. Dennis-Young ’75
Diana Chen de Sanchez ’70
April Dessereau, MA ’92
Fiona B. Deveaux ’14, MPS ’16
James Devers
Jimmy Devers
Margaret Thomas Deviney ’07
Katharine Cramer DeWitt ’65
Marcia DeWitt ’69 & Henry DeWitt*#
Eileen “Lynn” Sullivan Dickinson ’71*
Geraldine DiCostanzo ’59
Bill Didden
Karen Diefenbach
Dolores Diemicke ’17, MS ’18
Marian Diez ’69
D’Oniece Shaw Dillard ’74
Steven Dioguardi
Sheila Dirickson
Jean Divney, MAT ’88
Donna Muserlian Dixon ’71*
Denisa DoCabeco ’24
Charlie Doherty ’21
Gertrude Doherty
Kevin Donaghy
Carole Sanders DonlonMcAuliffe ’65*
Stephanie Kloos Donoghue ’82*
Mairead Kearney Donohue ’73
Catharine-Mary Donovan ’55*
Maureen Donovan ’70
Carita Dornfeld
Todd & Amanda Dougherty
Frances Orsenigo Dowling ’64
Anne K. Downey ’73
Roberta Donaldson Downing MAT ’73*
Christine M. Doyle ’74*
Kathleen Orme Doyle ’74
Diane Duffey Driscoll ’73#
Sonya Dehon Driscoll ’59
Eric Dronzek
Carrie Dugan
Elizabeth M. Dugan ’77
Mary Jadatz Dujmich, MPS ’00
Dorothy Dunn*
Jake Dunn ’22
Jeff D. Dunn ’07
Michael Dunn ’77*#
Stephen C. Dunn ’77 & Cassandra Fischer Dunn ’75
Marisol Duran
Linda C. Durkee ’69
Barbara H. Dwyer ’65*
Frances E. Dwyer ’66*
Kathleen Dwyer, MAT ’99
Priscilla Archambault Dysart ’61
James M. Eagen ’92*
Francesca M. Eastman ’72*
Donald Eaton
Richard Edwards
Wanda Edwards
Margot M. Ellis ’78
Therese Nicholson Ellsworth ’67
Mason Emoff ’23
Anne Eppig, RSCJ ’68, MAT ’75
Mary Beth Erb-Savage ’72
Mary Anne Ernst ’72
Renee Ertischek, MPS ’87
Cristal A. Espejo ’13
Rich & Jennifer Esposito
Joan Scott Ewing ’69*
Judith Fabozzi
Maureen Griffith Fagan ’64
The O’Byrne Society, named after Manhattanville’s fifth President, Mother Eleanor O’Byrne, RSCJ, honors those who have created a living legacy by designating Manhattanville as the beneficiary of a bequest, trust, charitable gift annuity, life insurance policy, or retirement plan, or who have made other estate provisions for the University.
If you have designated Manhattanville as a beneficiary of your estate, please let us know so that we can recognize you as a member of the Mother O’Byrne Society. Scan this QR code to learn more.
Rosemary Schultz Fahey ’75
Eleanor Swantko Fairclough ’68*
Ileana M. Fajardo ’69*#
Lily Fan*
John J. Fanelli ’17
Michael C. Fanelli ’78
Mary Alice Reilly Farrell ’71
Patricia & John Fasce
August Fazzino
Andrea Fearneyhough
Emalie Platt Feerick ’60*
Anne Feldhaus ’71, PhD
Anna Felice
Anthony Felice
Thomas Fenster
Cynthia Jones Ferguson ’79
Harry Ferguson-Brey
Louise Feroe*
Joanne Ferrara
Melissa Ferrara
Donna Ferrara-Sherry ’68, MAT ’73*
Michael Fierro ’81
Marta Figueroa ’92
Silvestro Filancia
Barbara DiPalma Finegan ’67
Mary Lenore Fines ’72
Brian Fink, MS ’05
Leslie Fink
Rick Finlayson
Tim & Sheila Finnerty ’87*
Elizabeth Baldini Fiore ’09
Heather Scanlon Fiore ’96 & Michael H. Fiore ’96
Pia Fiorelli ’02
Daniel Fiorito ’12, MAT ’16
Kathleen Fisher
Mary-Christy Fisher ’74*
Martin M. Fitzgerald, EdD ’17
Joan Fitzgibbon ’73
Mary Leonard Fitzpatrick ’62
Peggy King FitzPatrick ’60
Doris E. Flaherty ’69
Judith Flamm
Rachel Flamm ’21
Lynn Wansley Flanagan ’73
David Flannery
Judith Row Fledderjohn ’72
Mary Alice Florio ’83
Ann Marie Flynn ’73
Faythe Flynn ’24
Jaclyn Flynn ’02
Ellen Macken Foley ’63
Russell S. Foley, MS ’11
Tom Foley
Wendie M. Force ’75
Virginia Ford
Carol Perangelo Francis ’64
Diamond Franklin
Brooke Franson ’21
Jane O’Connor Frantz ’70
Denise Frasca, MA ’96, MPS ’10, MFA ’13
Patricia A. Fraser ’70
Karina Frayter ’01*
Patricia K. Freebern, MAT ’66
Femke Freiberg
Catherine C. French ’68*
Debora Taylor French ’77
Robert Frese*
Margot Friedlander
Yolande Foisy Frommer ’60*
Jessica Taub Fudge, EdD ’24*
Angelina Fuentes ’24
Kimberly Fuerst
Frances V. Fumia ’60
Frank E. Furbacher ’09
Lori Gage, MS ’02
John L. Galgano ’00 & Laura
Meade Galgano ’99
Mary Fitzpatrick Galiette ’69
Chris Galiotti ’09 & Janine
Fortunato-Galiotti ’06, MS ’08
Alan Gallantar
Agostino T. Galluzzo, MA ’01
Marianne Galvin ’71
Lawrence Gamblin*
Darlene D’Alliessi Gandolfi ’98
Mary Lou Fucito Gantert ’61#
Ofelia Garcia ’69*#
Alex Gardner ’19, MS ’20
Susan Horan Garlinghouse ’64
Ann Marie Kelchburg
Garnett ’75
David M. Garrison ’12
Christine Gaty
Patricia Lee Gauch, MAT ’69
Shana Gaughran ’03
Catherine M. Geary ’84
Mary Anne Dudac Geertsma ’70
Anne Genest
Steve H. Gentile ’87
Jon Gerardi
Ashley Gerhart, MS ’19
Mary Masterson Germain ’63#
Patricia Treacy Gessner ’53
Rosemarie Gift, MA ’99
Virginia Toomey Gignoux ’68
William Gill
Marijo Gillen ’70*
Barbara Filkins Gillespie ’77, MPS ’03
Margaret M. Gilligan ’75
Kathleen Lombard Gillooly ’84
Frances M. Gimber, RSCJ ’55, MA ’64
Gustavo Gimenez ’09*
Benjamin Ginsberg
Jeanette Gioia ’74
James Giordano
Nancy Gazzola Girald ’74
Tom & Meredith Girard
Diana Gisolfi ’62
Eric E. Gisolfi ’92 & Jennifer Castles-Gisolfi ’93
Maria Tymoski Glaser ’66
Claudia Goicochea ’01
Andrew Gold, MS ’09
Anne Gold
Edythe A. Goldenberg, MAT ’76
Ashley Goldstein
Myron Goldstein
Ryan Goldstein
Melissa Goncalves ’13
Raymond Gonzalez, EdD ’19
Susan Luick Good ’69*
Camille Goodwin
Weston Goodwin ’24
Marsha Gordon
Morein Gordon, MAT ’89
Michele Martin Gough, MPS ’97
James J. Gowen ’91
Norman A. Grabowski ’84
Lisette Osborne Grado ’03
Ann McGlinchy Grady ’64
Mary E. Grady ’94
Kristin Gragnano
Kathryn Graham ’69
Martha Beattie Graham ’69
Edith Graham Grandy ’68*
Joanne Jordan Granger ’72
Stephanie Green
Bruce Greenwald
Meghna Greenwald
Kristine Tedesco Grieco ’83
Eleni Grigoriadis
Ipakoi Grigoriadis
Paula E. Grimm ’74*
Eileen Fitzpatrick Grishman ’66*
Suzanne Ekberg Grosby ’76
Patricia Cochran Grubb ’62*
Kate Guinan
Caitlyn Conklin Gunderman ’08
David W. Gundlach ’89
William Gunn ’85
Claire Budd Gurfein ’75*
Stockton Hall ’91
Taylor Ham ’21
Frederick Hamlin
Julie Hamlin
Frank Hamsher
Lynda Hanley
Theresa Donini Hannah ’67
Gillian Hannum
Gillian Hanson
Mary Jill Hanson ’67#
Kenny Harker*
Christa Hartch
Gale B. Hartch, MAT ’94
Gregory Hartch
Thomas Hartch
Aarin Hartenstein ’19
Ann-Marie Fassl Hartline ’72
Betty Loehfelm Hartman ’71
Teiko Tanabe Hasegawa ’64*
Gretchel L. Hathaway ’79*
Tim Haviland
Aline Linehan Haynes ’66
Kathleen Pletcher Healy ’72
Jane LaBreche Hebert ’66
Patricia Webster Heffern ’69
Shreya Hegde
Donald Henderson
Erin Heinemann Hennessey ’64*
Kimberly Henschel
Mark Herceg
Mirjana Herceg
Leslie Fennelly Hergert ’66
Adrena A. Daw Hernandez ’17
Enrique & Monica Hernandez
Vanessa Hernandez ’24
Carol Herndon ’69
Mary Lou Herr, MPS ’97
Elizabeth Bergin Hess ’71
Leila Metz Hewitt ’82
Patricia Hewitt ’69
Christina M. Hickey ’76
Maria Bernadette Hickey ’81
Mary Page Fuger Hickey ’58
Eric Hicks
Alexandra S. Higgins ’09
Judy O. Higgins, MAT ’88*
Sandra Hill
Dwight R. Hilson, MAW ’09, H ’23*
James Hirschberg
Gwendolyn H. Hoeffel, RSCJ ’64
Louise Sinkler Hoffman ’76
Rita Hoffmeister ’24
Anita Buck Hogan ’53
Greg J. Holch ’74*
Denyce Holgate
Anne Obidinski Holley ’84
Laurie A. Holmes ’84
Jennifer Holowach
Marina Homar-Gelabert
Katya Hoogerhuis
Thomas Hopkins ’20
Verna Hopkins, MPS ’99
Michael C. Horgan ’10, MS ’14
Lucille McLoughlin Hornby ’60
Andrew Horton
Claire Hourihan
James Hourihan ’24
Judith DuLyn Howe ’66
Julie Hoye
Susan Mooney Hughes ’64
Lindsey Hulse
William H. Humphreys*
Elaine Lancia Hurst ’66
Travis J. Hyatt ’05
Edward G. Hynes ’83
Norma Fortier Ingram ’69
Brian Irwin
Shaun Irwin
Samantha Isbell
Susan Iverson
Martha Moraghan Jablow ’66
Gregory Jack
Cindy Jacob
Nancy Gilbride Conforti Jacobsen ’69
Amy Hennessey James ’92
Linda Jamison
Lew Janavey
Thomas Javery ’03
Gabriel Jefferies ’23
Shirley Ferguson Jenks ’75
Anthony Jennings ’22
Frank Jennings*
Mary Alice Dias Jerome ’75
Frances Leahey Johnson ’77
Latonya Johnson
Christine Stevens Johnston ‘71*#
Eamon Johnston
Jayjay Johnston
Lynn Johnston
Lisa Jones, MS ’01
Marion C. Jordan ’70*
Christine Joyce
Diana Lopez Judith ’54
Alexander Juma ’21
Eric Kahn
Anne Kaier ’67
Mary A. Kane ’59*#
Lauragene Lyons Katz ’75
Geraldine Kavanagh ’71
Ginny McTigue Kavanaugh ’63
Kelly T. Keane ’13
Stacey Kearney
Bunny Keaveney
Robert Keegan
Monica Keel ’19
Linda Chandler Keeler ’69
Carolyn Pember Keith ’71#
Charlene Pepe Kelemen ’73*
Elisabeth Keller*
Sarah Kelly & Lorcan O’Connor
Susan Corkum Kelly ’69
Michael C. Kendrick ’06
Kristin T. Kennedy ’74
Mary Angela Bellew
Kennedy ’70
Jacqueline Kerner ’17
Pamela Snite Kerr ’70*#
Steve Ketchabaw
Ani Tutunjian Khachian ’86
Pamela Kiernan
Casey Killard ’07, MAT ’11
Shane Kimball ’21
Suzanne King
Joanne Kinjo
Linda Pistecchia Kirkpatrick ’99*
Amanda E. Kis-Murthy ’07
Lawrence Klein
Mary Ellen Kleinhenz ’71*
Joan Vining Klima ’62
Mary Knott
Zachary Knowles ’25
Carol Johnson Kobak ’67*
Ana Kocovic
Mary Murphy Koegel ’74
Joanne Koleszar
Ann McGrail Koletsky ’61
Metodija A. Koloski ’05
Nancy Wright Konta ’67
Michiko Kosaka ’72
Patricia McGrath
Kosarowich ’69
Joan Bates Kotwica ’73
Nicholas Kourides*
Karen McNally Kovach ’71*
Judith Kravitz
Arianna Kreush ’17
“I give to Manhattanville because I have seen what a difference a scholarship made in our mother’s life. she had employment and educational opportunities because of her degree from Manhattanville that sustained our family through adversity. I know that my degrees from Manhattanville gave me the foundation for a wonderful, stimulating, and fulfilling career in education.
fake list fPo
“I’ve always made donations to charitable causes even when money was tight. Because of my lifestyle, I have been able to make a commitment to sustained giving to Manhattanville to allow for the University’s growth and success over a long period of time. sustained giving is at the core of philanthropy. My lottery dream is to establish a foundation. I’m not a millionaire. Few of us are Andrew Carnegie or Warren Buffett. However, many of us can emulate their philosophy. I will continue to support Manhattanville’s goals and growth with annual giving. I hope you will join me.”
simone Pelzman Lutz ’73, MAT ’75
Simone Pelzman Lutz is part of a Manhattanville legacy family that includes her mother, Titsa Fotopulos Pelzman ’49, and sister, Frances Pelzman ’75. Titsa attended the Aloysia Hardey School of Nursing, which Manhattanville created in response to the shortage of nurses during World War II. (It awarded degrees until 1949.) In 2020, Lutz established The Titsa Fotopulos Pelzman ’49 Endowed Scholarship in Nursing. It is a need-based scholarship with the goal of supporting Manhattanville undergraduate students from underserved communities who are preparing for a career in nursing. In addition, Lutz supports Manhattanville’s Greatest Need Fund, which allows the University to direct resources to where they can have the greatest impact.
For more information on ways to support Manhattanville, contact Katherine Matuszek ’19, Manager of Annual Giving, at Katherine.Matuszek@mville.edu.
Sarah Krissoff
Karen Kristiansson
Marguerite DeBonis Krom ’74
Robert Kruger
Scott Kuhn
Deidre Cashman Kulevich ’67
Barbara Catoggio Kullen ’63
Mary Grace Kunda
Mary Greene Kyle ’81
Christina Labella
Germaine LaBerge ’70
Herbeson Bastos Lacerda
Rebecca Lafleur
William E. Lahart ’81 & Judith
Byrne Lahart ’81
Margaret M. LaManna ’72*
Maureen Landers
Susan Landino ’82
Marguerite Feind Landry ’73
Catherine & Jeff Lang
Debbie Langevin
Bianny Lara ’20
Peter Larkin
Mark Lasar
Robert P. Lasbury ’96 & Amy
Clisham Lasbury ’94
Christopher Lattarulo ’16
Jeffrey Laurenti
Joseph Lazur*
Tanya Lazur
Alice Leahey ’69*
Marguerite B. Lee ’14*
Heather Egan Leeds ’84
Francisco Leija*
Heather Dooling Lena ’99
Sarah Kinsley Lenihan ’07, MPS ’11
Karen Burris Lennon ’79*
Patricia LePage
Angelo Les ’22
Matt & Erin Leser
Sheryl Lesser*
Susana Torruella Leval ’66
Abeba Leveille ’16
Cathy Lengyel Lewis ’57
Christopher Lewis ’97, JD*
Geoffrey Lewis
Jenny Xing-Zhen Liao ’94
Joni Liberatore
Linda Liberatore
Sarah Lindman
Sasha Butler Lindsey ’89
Kate Laffey Lobdell ’72*
Brian M. Lobel ’16
Carla Lobel
Heidi Lockwood
Jacquelyn Carr Lonian ’70
Mary Adams Loomba, MA ’81
Mino Lora ’04
Mary Falk Losada ’64
Mary Louie
Jean Louis
Arthur LoVetere
Johnny Lo Vetere ’13 & Michele
M. Meggiolaro Lo Vetere ’15
Joan Lucariello ’76*
Joseph Lucia
Mario Lugones ’03
Donald Lundholm ’75 & Mary
Jane Pember Lundholm ’73
Simone Pelzman Lutz ’73*
Ann Marie Blades Lynch ’64*
Matthew Lynch ’20
Robert Lynch ’17, MS ’20
Nancy Horvath Lyons ’74
Ben MacAskill
Elizabeth MacAskill
Kevin MacAskill
Dale Negro MacCutcheon ’66
Anita LaFiandra MacDonald ’68
Charlotte Roberson
MacDonald ’57
Cathy M. MacFarlane ’76
Joseph Machicote ’86*
Jonathan MacKinnon*
Rosemary MacKinnon
Finbarr Mackle
David MacKnight
Patricia Stymacks
MacNaughton ’71*
Katharine Maglione
Joan A. Magnetti, RSCJ ’65
Cara Magrane ’93
John Maguire
Vijay Maharaj ’04
Debby Maio
Alexander J. Malikian ’12, MS ’15
Vivien Goodman Malloy, MA ’81
Justin Malone MS ’12
Kelly Malone
Mark Malone
Michael Malone
Molly Malone
Katherine Maloney ’71
Micheline S. Malow
Giorgio Mancini ’21
Nora Kanze Manuele ’84
Elena Anne Corie Marchisotto ’67
Amy Marcus
Leigh Marcus
Dominique DiMaio Marder ’01
Stephen Marecellino*
Freddie Marinaccio
Armand Marini ’12 & Natalie
Green Marini ’12
Dank Marletto
Tracy Marrero
Jane Monagan Marrone ’73, MAT ’93*
Frank & Virginia Marsella
Tim Marshall
Tia Martignetti ’22
Clare Martin
Karen A. Martin ’84
Susan Buckley Martineau ’69
Nelson Martinez ’01
Victoria McTavey Marwell ’71
Gena Massey
Deborah A. Masucci ’73
Karen Finnerty Mathien ’73
Laura Copela Maturo ’97
Katherine Matuszek ’19
Jacqueline Matuza ’03
Carol Kowalcyk Maurer ’64, MAT ’66
Junetta Maxfield ’94
Susan Tracy May ’66*
Gregory J. Mayer ’84 & Sheila Maher Mayer ’83
Mohamed Mbodj
Anne Stokes McAlaine ’61*
Veronica McCaffrey ’75*#
Margaret Shea McCarthy ’61
Janet McCarty ’71
Sheila M. McCauley ’59
Sarah Walsh McClanahan ’59
Mary Louise Duffy McClure ’73
Mary McCombe
Angela Torre McConnell ’85
Hugh McCormack ’79
Anne S. McDermott ’69
James McDonald
Mary Eagen McDonald ’52*
Wendy McFarlane
Mary E. McGann, RSCJ ’65
Sean McGee ’22
Meghan McGivney
Kathryn E. McGoldrick ’67
Regina Warren McGrath ’65
Mary Orthwein McGraw ’71*
Meredith McGurk
Mary Therese McHugh ’73
Joan Ellen McInerney ’72
Bettina A. McKee ’71*
April McKenna
Amanda Buonomo McLarnon ’07
Debbie McLaughlin
Mary Rittling McLaughlin ’56
William M. McLean ’82 & Jeanmarie Fioretti McLean ’84
Alice M. McMahon ’57*
Michele McMahon
Ellen Moylan McMillin ’78*
Mary Reilly McNeill ’59
Sarah Ryan McNulty ’89*
Catherine Medeot
Lauri-Ann Medwid
Vinay Mehra
Cheryl Mele, MS ’96
Ryan Melendez
Angelo Melillo
K.J. Marshak Meline ’70
Mary Lauinger Melvin ’61*
Christine Meny
Philip Meredith
Erica Thormann Merrill ’76, MAT ’81
Mark Merritt
Jeffrey Meyerson
Pamela Meyerson
Jo Ann Chaski Middleton ’67
Sandra Bauer Miklave ’81
Norman Milefsky
Karissa Miles
Betsy Salmon Miller ’70
Eileen Miller ’71*
Kerry Flanagan Miller ’88*
Kyle Miller ’22
Reed Miller
Timothy Millhiser*
John Millicker ’23
Renee Perigard Milstein ’93, MPS ’97
Sharon L. Minck ’74
Margaret Mirabile, MS ’99
Angela Giardina Miranda, MPS ’00
Margaret M. Mitchell ’78
Kasey Molito ’22
Janice Paolino Molloy ’81
Brendan Monaghan
Marita Green Monroe ’73
Aileen Mooney
Margaret Muserlian
Mooney ’68*
Michael J. Mooney ’09
Alexis R. Moore ’14
Denise Moore ’72
Gail Chase Moorstein ’74
Daphne Chin Moo-Young ’67*
Diana Gay Moo Young ’72
Rocco Moraglia
Rocco Moraglia Sr
Juan Morales
Nora Moralez
Maryanne Morawski
Rosanne Morello ’00
John Morgan
Sheila Connolly Morgan ’60
Bremner Morris
Eileen Morris*
Lucille List Morris ’56*
Suzanne Newman Morris ’65
Enid Wien Morse ’81
Margaret Halleron Morton ’75
Richard Mott
Sarah & Joe Mottoshiski
Nora Moynihan
Kelly Mueller
Baneesha Mukherjee ’20, MS ’22
Brian Muldoon
Shauna A. Mulkerin ’14, MS ’15
Katherine Muller
John Mullin
Maureen Doyle Mulvihill ’69
Daryl A. Mundis ’88
Carrie Munson
Matthew Murillo
Elizabeth R. Murphy ’69
James D’Alton Murphy ’75
Mary Anne Murphy ’70*
Melissa Murphy
Moira McBride Murphy ’60*
Cecilia Sullivan Murray ’60
Elizabeth Casey Murray ’67
Kevin Murray ’10, MAT ’12
Susan McLaughlin
Mustacato ’86
Randi J. Mustello ’91*
Sally Sanchez Myers ’60
Gary P. Naegel ’73
David Nakashima ’22
Cherri Nanninga
Erika Napoletano
Christopher Napolitano
Claudia Fortunato Napolitano ’04, MA ’09
Aya Narui ’04
Joseph B. Narus ’86*
Donna Natale, MPS ’02
Lisa Natale
Josefina Cruz Natori ’68*
Ann Neary, MAT ’06
Daniel A. Needleman ’08 & Cory
Alcorn Needleman ’08
Susanne Neise
Andrea Nelson
Peter Nelson
Jennifer Newcomb-Fernandez ’94, PhD
Charlotte Smith Newman ’67*
Matthew A. Nigro ’10 & Kristyna Russo Nigro ’10
Maureen Werner Nikolich ’67
Yvonne Nomizu
Molly H. Noonan ’69*
Victor Nordenson ’11
Margaret Young Nordgren ’76
Patricia Buckley Norris ’70*
Andrew Nourafshan
Jordanis Nunez ’16
Nolan Nye ’21, MS ’23
Daniel O’Brien ’90
Deirdre O’Brien ’24
Diane O’Brien
Jim O’Brien
Joyce Mannion O’Brien ’67*
Kathleen M. O’Brien ’74
Mary Eileen Janet O’Brien
Matt O’Brien
Michael O’Brien
Thomas O’Brien
Thommy O’Brien
Nancy E. O’Connell ’74*
Susan Newell O’Connell ’73
Mary Ellen O’Connor MA ’08*
Jean O’Conor ’67
Jennifer K. Odell ’93 & Robert Nossa ’91
Esther Kando Odescalchi ’60
Dan E. O’Donnell ’88 & Dina
Siciliano ’87
Maura Gilson O’Donnell ’95
Afua Ofosu-Barko
Antonio S. Ogando ’18
Kerri Ogorman
Margaret Farrell O’Keefe ’69*
Melanie Johnson Oldeman ’87
Natasha Oliveira ’18*
Mary Pat O’Malley ’75
Catherine Swoyer Oneglia ’69*
Barbara A. O’Neil ’67
Margaret Mangan O’Neill ’82
Monica Saint Onge ’72
Tim Oniell
Helen M. O’Regan, RSCJ ’63, MAT ’67
Brian Orf
Alexis Ortiz
Daisy Ortiz ’73#
Louis Osso
Thomas G. O’Sullivan ’83
Debra Carroll Packard ’63
Curt M. Pader, MAT ’97
John Pagli*
Dorothy Palladino
Luke Palladino
Mark Palladino
Nicole Palladino
Rudolph J. Pallas ’05
Paula Maksim Palmer ’74
Christine Sonntag Pandolfe ’65
Michael F. Panella ’08, MS ’10
Christopher Pappas#
Joseph J. Paradise ll ’91
Denise Parent ’85
Beatrice A. Parker ’65
Sophia Parker
Gordon Parkes
Martha-Louise Parmalee ’68*
Steven L. Parry ’12
Marie Zachmann Pastor ’81
Kirk Pastre
Maria A. Paul ’73
Michelle Brito Paulino ’24
Bruce Pauls
Stephanie Cooper Payson ’60
Lauren Pedley
Katherine Hargas Pellini ’69
Andrew J. Pelosi ’86
Hope Duchak Pepe ’59
Helene A. Pepper ’68
Jenna Peragallo
Stephen Peragallo ’25
Inelda Perez
Barbara Perez-Marquez ’13, MFA ’15
William Perkins
Jane Messing Perla ’71
Anthony Pernice ’99
Heather Perretta
Melissa Perrone
Carmen Guarino Perugini ’78
Clare Petrich ’65
Michele Castellano Pezzillo ’89
Evelyn Backman Phillips ’71
Mary-Theresa Ferris
Phillips ’90
Carol G. Phillips-Taylor, MPS ’13
Laurie J. Pichnarcik ’75*#
Kathleen I. Piedici ’71#
Patrice Elichalt Pierce ’78
Aileen Weber Piffard ’67
Franklin Pineda
Michelle Pings-Gaines ’12 & Joseph Gaines ’12, MAT ’13
Georgene Pisa
Dominick Pitasi ’12
Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk ’72
Julia Plaza
Jack E. Polak ’15
Robert Polito
Cindy Porter
Andrew B. Predun ’10 & Audrey Predun ’06
Anthony Pressimone ’24
Bernadette Buchanan Price ’92
Kevin Price
Jennifer Pritchard ’89
Justin Proteau ’20
Eric Provost
Kira Purcell
Blend Qatipi
Timothy J. Quinn ’09, MAT ’13 & Kate E. Hockman Quinn ’09, MPS ’11
Mary Lee Friday Rafferty ’62
Angel L. Ramirez ’08
James Ramirez
Brian Ranaghan
Angela Ranellone
Betty Rauch
Ann Sheehy Raymond ’64
Mary Katherine Johnson Reed ’55
Juanin Reid ’70
Kenny Reilly
Mimi Burns Reisert ’80
Patricia Sullivan Reisert ’59*
Matthew Reyer
Traci Reyes
Marybeth Riley ACKNOWLEDGING
Margot Murray O’Mara ’58
Kecia O’Neal
John Peters
Alexandra Petricca ’22
Roberta A. Reynes ’66
Margaret Kyte Richards ’67*
Justyn Richardson ’13
Jean Marie Ricketts ’78
Mary Pacent Riley ’67
Continued on page
Catherine Venturella Tardive ’09
Myrna Tashik
Rebecca Taub
Mary Anne Glennon Taufen ’65
Alex Tavis ’94
John E. Taylor
Isabella Massa Tcheyan ’76
Luke Tebolt ’20
Christian Templeman
Michael Tesoro
Stephan Testa
Judith Jannino Thomas ’65
Patricia A. Thomas ’74
Anne Jennings Thompson ’66
Brian Thompson
Corky Treacy Thompson ’61
Elizabeth Thompson
John Thompson ’99*
Ruth Thompson ’83
Claire Castellini Thornton Wilger ’50
Tucker Thorpe
Cathleen Titus ’71*
Yarely Tlatelpa ’24
Mary Miller Todd ’69
John Tolomer*
Patricia McCarthy Tomassi ’61
Christine Stolz Torres ’00, MPS ’02
Joan Tosh, MPS ’91
Junnko Tozaki ’68
Lilli M. Tragos ’83
Nate Y. Trashansky ’15, MAT ’17
Jeanne Treanor
Kaitlin Triano ’11
Erin Wade Trombley ’93
Carolyn Truman
Dave Tucker
Neil M. Tucker ’88*
Jessica Holt Tully, M.Ed. ’17
Janice Tumbleson
Jane Tuohy ’69*
Dan Turco
Heather Turner ’23
John Turner
Kumari Turner
Sarah B. Uhle MA ’83
Michelle Ulzheimer
Carole Fisher Umscheid ’61
Samara Ungar
Erek Urban
Betty Urgiles
Stefanie Urgiles ’22
Chris Vajtay
Cristina Sanz Valas ’87 &
Rory A. Valas ’88
Mary McNally Valder ’67
Paul Valenti
Jessica Vargas-Mandio ’99
Monique Varsames ’21
Damon & Molly Vasilkioti
Alexis R. Ventarola ’18, MS ’19
Daniel Ventarola
Kara Vicinelli, MAT ’11
Anne Driesse Villanova ’81
Kyle Vinski ’24
Miranda Vinski ’24
Anne O’Donnell Vinson ’79
Nancy G. Visocki ’74*
Marina Vital
Stephanie Volkell
Lac A. Vuong ’87*
Diane Wade
Thomas C. Wafer ’77 & Rebecca Baxter Wafer ’76*
Marc C. Wagner ’83
Steven E. Waldinger ’85
Dorothy Doyle Walker ’60
Janet Smith Walker, MA ’92
Charlene Yap Wall ’65
Ann Maher Walsh ’66*
Barbara Walsh
Bonita A. Walsh ’74*
Christine Walsh ’05
Karen Walsh
Mark Walsh
June Lue Wang ’67*
Stephanie L. Wanzer ’91
Samuel & Jennifer Ward
Dorian Waring, MS ’16
Janet L. Warmbir, MAT ’73
Charles M. Warner ’16
D. Paul Warren ’74
Regina D’Alessandro Warren ’68#
Christine Warrington MA ’01
Julie Watson
P. J. Wax ’93
James Wazolek
Keith A. Webb ’04, MS ’13 & Oneika G. Griffin Webb, MS ’05
Peter Webb
Ann Webre ’66
Martin Weinraub
Stephen Weisbeck
Vivien Eu Wei-Ying U ’71*
Mark Wells
Beatrice Wilkinson Welters ’74 & Anthony Welters ’74
Arthur S. Wenzel ’76, MAT ’04 & Danuta Karpinski Wenzel ’76
Shelly Wepner
Susan Wertz
Louise Blumenauer
Weschler ’69*
William Wesson ’99 & Joanna Wasiutynski Wesson ’96
Diane Wexler
Carmela Whaley
Kendra White ’12
Rebecca White
Gladys Domenech Whitehouse ’65
Kathleen H. Wilber ’70
Suzanne Dale Wilcox ’59, MA ’66*#
Sally N. Wildgen ’65
Greg Wilkendorf
Carla Williams ’88
Carmen Myrie Williams ’70*
Mary Wilson Williams ’64
Rosemary Cullen Williams ’59
Rob Willoughby
Alissa Wilson
Joan W. Wilson ’66*
Sean Wilson
Jean Margolis Wine ’69
Carol Ann Kappelmier Winkler ’71
Patricia Houlihan Winter ’78
Will Winterhamlin
Carol Lewis Wise ’84
Judy Lyons Wolf ’64
Stephen C. Wolf ’84
Charles Wood
Patricia Powers Woodlock ’69
Barbara Jones Wood-Prince ’58#
Bob Woods
Robin Brown Woods ’92
Kathleen Herrmann Wright ’72
Dana Wu
Cynthia Ferritto Wynn ’77
Yang Yang ’13
Pamela Hughes Yannoni ’84
Eric Yesline
Anna Yeung-Cheung
Mary Yostpille
Maureen Yostpille
Carol Lombardi Young ’63
Ann Marie Carlson Yulman ’09
Leah Yusi ’22
Igor Zaritskiy
Jill Zayac
Lindsay Zekus ’11, MAT ’13
Haley Zemek
Margaret Finn Zeuschner ’67†*
Amy Y. Zhang ’93*
Martha Flanders Zimmer ’64
Betty C. Zimmerman MA ’80
Joan Leahey Zink ’72
Martha Zipf, MAT ’73
Deborah Joyce Zucconi ’72
Antonio Zumbo
Carolyn Taylor Zwicker ’71
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Bond Schoeneck & King
Cohen Edderai LLP
Dumbarton Foundation
EdMyst
Ellucian Company LP
Genevieve G. Mchale Charitable Lead Trust
Give Lively Foundation
J&R Tours
Keio Academy of New York
Lavelle Fund for the Blind, Inc.
Lostand Foundation, Inc.
Mark Risk, P.C.*
Mastercard
Michael Lewis Fallacaro Scholarship Fund
National Endowment for the Humanities
New Yolk Egg Farm
New York State Education Department
ONS Orthopedics
Ophir Field, LLC
Philadelphia Hockey Academy
PKF O’Connor Davies
RPW Group, Inc.
Sara Little Turnbull Foundation
Selvaggio Family Fidelity Charitable Fund
Society of the Sacred Heart, Bedford NY
Sodexo, Inc.
Spark451
Team Moljo
The Research Foundation for The State University of New York
Thompson & Bender
TIAA
UHG
United States Tennis Association, Inc.
Valley National Bank
Verizon Foundation
Anonymous
val·iant | \ ‘val-yǝnt \ noun
At Manhattanville University, Valiant is a noun.
Valiant represents our community of socially responsible leaders. It means courageous, those possessing or acting with bravery or boldness and determination. It means heroic.
Today, Manhattanville students, faculty, and staff strongly resonate with the Valiant identity. The qualities and characteristics associated with Valiant at Manhattanville are uncommon courage, determination, and resilience. These descriptors are what we expect of, and see in, our students and our graduates.
The valiant identity calls on us to be courageous and bold and to be of service where it is needed most.
gifts to the greatest need fund allow the university to direct resources to where they can have the greatest impact. Make your gift today at www.mville.edu/donate or scan this Qr code.
for questions or to discuss your support, contact Katherine
Matuszek ’19, Manager
of annual giving, at Katherine.Matuszek@mville.edu. scan here to learn
