SUMMER 2022
Women at the Mount Celebrating 50 Years
Mount Magazine
Summer 2022 PRESIDENT Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D.
VP UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT Robert J. Brennan, C’85 VP ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Jack Chielli EDITOR Donna Klinger ASSOCIATE EDITOR Katherine Stohlman, C'19 COPY EDITOR Joe Paciella, C’03, MBA’11 WRITERS Nathaniel Bald, C'21 Peter Dorsey, Ph.D. Donna Klinger Katherine Stohlman, C'19 ALUMNI NEWS TEAM Kim Johnson, MBA’18 Emily Myers, C’13, MBA’15 PHOTOGRAPHY Isabella Laurel Tom Lesser Mike Miller, Ph.D. Paige Roberts, C'21 DESIGN Laura C. Moyer SPECIAL THANK YOU Jessica J. Boyer, Ph.D., C'16 Jeff Simmons, Ph.D. PRINTING HBP Inc. STAY CONNECTED Mount Magazine Mount St. Mary’s University 16300 Old Emmitsburg Road Emmitsburg, MD 21727 301-447-5366 themagazine@msmary.edu msmary.edu/magazine Change of address? Email advancementservices@msmary.edu
The Office of University Marketing & Communications publishes Mount Magazine two times a year for alumni, parents and friends of Mount St. Mary’s University. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the author and do not specifically represent opinions of the magazine staff or the university. Reader responses and alumni contributions are welcome. The Mount reserves the right to refuse or revise comments or contributions for style and length.
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“The Mount provides the gear to climb the mountain but it's up to each and every individual to take advantage of this opportunity to transcend beyond books, grades, and averages and grasp the full meaning of the Mount.“ A FEMALE POINT OF VIEW 1973 PRIDWIN YEARBOOK
Dear Alumni, Parents & Friends, THIS YEAR WE ARE CELEBRATING the golden anniversary of
the Mount becoming fully coed in the fall of 1972 when 95 women moved into Pangborn Hall, following St. Joseph College's decision to close. The number of women students nearly doubled between 1972 and 1973, and women now represent 51% of the traditional undergraduate population. As pointed out by male students and faculty in the 1970s, women ushered in a calmer, “less rowdy,“ and more friendly campus climate. These pioneers, like our students today, quickly got involved, and many improved the Mount through their founding of clubs and advocating for changes. As you read the profiles of women who represent each decade since the 1970s, beginning on page 12, you will easily see the love that these Daughters of the Mount have for their alma mater. I look forward to continuing to celebrate this important anniversary throughout 2022-23 and to seeing women return to their mountain home for their Golden Mountaineer reunion in the coming years. I commend you to read Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Peter Dorsey’s excellent article honoring the Rev. James Donohue, known to everyone as Fr. Jim (go to page 20). Pete perfectly captured what Fr. Jim has meant to the Mount in his 26 years as a theology professor and so much more. I wish Fr. Jim Godspeed as he returns to Tanzania to help his order, the Congregation of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to build up the Church. Fr. Jim left part of his heart in Tanzania when he returned from a year-long sabbatical there in 2019-20. He won’t have to leave the Mount entirely behind in his new role. We are honoring Fr. Jim by establishing a service learning opportunity for students in Tanzania. If Fr. Jim influenced your life, I encourage you to give to efforts to commemorate his service to the Mount. Turn to page 24 to get the scoop on the three Mount alumni who collectively won three Emmys in three years. Erin Newsome, C’00, and Sarah Murphy Lavoie, C’03, worked together on a six-part National Geographic
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miniseries of short films and won a Primetime Emmy. Peter Kelly, C’16, has won two regional Emmys for his audio work on videos for his employer, the Philadelphia Eagles. All three Emmy awardees share how their experiences at the Mount helped them develop the knowledge and skills that led to their recognition. Our athletes and coaches, as well as fans, can’t wait for the fall season as we join the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. We’re excited to compete against some of the finest Catholic colleges and universities in the Northeast. Go to page 26 for details. Finally, Nathaniel Bald, C’21, has spent the past year as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Madagascar. As part of the first Fulbright cohort in that country, he has had interesting experiences, which he shares, starting on page 28. Nathaniel has most enjoyed training teachers because it reminds him of what he learned at the Mount. In his words: “I can see the profound effects and immense benefits my education is now producing as I invest in other educators.“ I’m proud of Nathaniel’s work and know that he will continue to spread the Mount’s goodness as he lives a life of significance in service to God and others. Go Mount!
TIMOTHY E. TRAINOR, PH.D. President
Cover Story FIFTY YEARS OF WOMEN AT THE MOUNT page 12
Contents Features FIFTY YEARS OF WOMEN AT THE MOUNT Golden Anniversary CHARISM ON ICE Honoring Fr. Jim AND THE EMMY GOES TO... Three Mounties in Three Years
Mount Magazine MOUNT NEWS 6 Seminary to Introduce a Propaedeutic Year 7 Business School Expands Experiential Learning Opportunities 8 MHEC Approves Graduate-Level Physicial Assistant Program 9 Landmark Statue to Return This Summer 10 Frederick Campus: Name Change Seeks to Eliminate Confusion 10 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Honors 11 Ribbon Cuttings on the Horizon
MOUNT UP TO THE MAAC Onward and Upward
ALUMNI NEWS
TEACHING IN MADAGASCAR Fulbright Awardee's Experience
CLASS NOTES
IN MEMORIAM
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Mount News St. Joseph House
on helping students “unplug“ from the busyness of the world and develop a spiritual life before the demands of major seminary. Classes will focus mostly on teachings related to various methods of prayer and what to expect in seminary. Participants will attend Mass together, pray together, eat and live together—all with minimal technology, to better help them understand their vocation and adjust to a new way of life.
Seminary to Introduce a Propaedeutic Stage FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES of Pope Francis and the Bishops of the United States, Mount St. Mary’s Seminary recently announced plans to start a new program, a propaedeutic stage, for incoming seminarians. The propaedeutic stage will become the first year of seminary. Men in this program will live in a renovated wing of St. Joseph House, on the Daughters of Charity’s Emmitsburg campus. “Propaedeutic“ (pronounced pro-pa-DO-tic) refers to a period of introduction or preliminary study before entering further studies. In the context of a seminary, the propaedeutic stage will provide men considering diocesan priesthood the chance to live in a community of faith, adjust to the rhythms of seminary life, and discern more deeply if this is truly their calling. The sixth edition of the Program of Priestly Formation, a document released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, outlined reasons for promoting, and general guidelines for, a propaedeutic stage in American seminaries. Mount St. Mary’s Seminary hopes to begin welcoming men for a propaedeutic stage in the fall of 2023. Since there are so few of these programs available in the country, not all men will stay in Emmitsburg for major seminary. Some might merely come here for the initial year before attending the seminary that men from their diocese would typically attend. The seminary’s plan includes housing the men together in a part of St. Joseph House. The wing will be renamed Rother House, after Blessed Stanley Rother, S’63, the first American-born martyr. The program will focus primarily 6
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The goal of the propaedeutic stage is not to provide more academic instruction, but to form priests who are more confident in their faith and convictions, more prayerful, and overall humanly prepared for their calling. “The program is not an academic year but an opportunity… for new seminarians to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ, come to a greater knowledge of the Catholic faith, and grow in character and virtue,“ noted Vice President and Seminary Rector Msgr. Andrew R. Baker, S.T.D. To that end, the sixth edition of the Program of Priestly Formation also addresses issues like pornography, addictions, family of origin issues and psychological problems. All of these can and do affect seminarians and priests, and another aim of the propaedeutic year is to screen potential seminarians for such hidden issues. Through the propaedeutic stage, men interested in priesthood will have the chance to “pray together, work together, and grow together as brothers as they begin their journey of priestly formation,“ observed Baker. They can begin the process of discerning a call to the priesthood and having the Holy Spirit form their hearts to be future shepherds.
Big Project in Need of Big Hearts The Seminary asks for support for this big project, which will help form better seminarians and priest. Generous prayers and contributions will be necessary from beginning to end of the project: seminary.msmary.edu/support
Rendering of the Saxbys student-run café
Business School Expands Experiential Learning Opportunities THE RICHARD J. BOLTE, SR. SCHOOL OF BUSINESS has introduced several high-profile partnerships with organizations in Maryland and around the world that open up numerous experiential learning opportunities for students. Under an agreement with the Washington Commanders, university students will have the opportunity to work directly with the NFL team through semester-long internships and experiential learning projects. Commanders’ employees will benefit from leadership training from Mount faculty and discounted access to undergraduate and graduate business courses through the university’s Division of Continuing Studies. The two organizations will collaborate to develop a service program focused on providing resources to communities in the Washington metropolitan area. University administrators are working with the Washington Commanders Charitable Foundation to plan an initiative. “Working alongside a university with a legacy like the Mount’s means that our team just got stronger,“ said Washington Commanders President Jason Wright. “Our sport management students will work on direct marketing, operations and logistics projects with Washington Commanders personnel and Mount faculty,“ explained John Nauright, Ph.D., dean of the Richard J. Bolte, Sr. School of Business. “Further experiential learning opportunities for sport management students will be available within the course curriculum.“ The Mount also has partnered with Saxbys, a Certified B Corp, to open an exclusively student-run café in the Knott Academic Center starting in the fall. Through the Saxbys Experiential Learning Platform, students will be empowered to attain real-life business experience, in addition to earning college credits and a salary.
Senior Chloe Knill will be the inaugural student café executive officer (SCEO), running and managing all aspects of the café, from team development and community leadership to managing the entire profit and loss statement. In its prime location, the cafe is expected to be a busy cornerstone of campus life, providing the student leaders with a dynamic business that presents real-world challenges and opportunities. “The Saxbys partnership will enable students to put what they learn in classrooms into practice, honing their business, entrepreneurial and teambuilding skills,“ said Mount St. Mary’s President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. “This experiential learning opportunity will complement existing leadership development programs on campus and our robust internship program to help ensure that students are well set up for life after graduation.“
Other Bolte School partners include Envestnet, which offers finance students training and opportunities with BlackRock and Fidelity; M&T and Woodsboro Banks, which provide experiential learning and internship-to-job pathways; Wolverhampton Wanderers of the Premier League in England, which allows students to work directly with club personnel on projects; and more.
Hands-on Educational Experienceslearn mor Learn more about business school opportunities at msmary.edu/bolteschoolpartnerships
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Mary (Lueben) Jackson, MMS, PA-C, CAQ-EM, C'05
providers, which makes these professionals especially important in mitigation of a projected physician shortage over the next decade. Maryland is forecasted to require a 23% increase in primary care providers to maintain current healthcare services by 2033. Maryland currently has four operational PA programs and one in development. Combining average annual growth and replacement needs, the state is projected to have 340 annual PA job openings. The current programs will graduate 166 students per year, leaving an unmet need of 174 vacancies.
MHEC Approves Graduate-Level Physician Assistant Program
The Mount plans to address critical workforce shortages while creating new ways to live out the university’s mission, by graduating healthcare providers who possess the desire to provide care to all while maintaining joy and compassion. Mount St. Mary's also hopes to attract talented undergraduates on a pre-PA track, ultimately providing the opportunity to transition to the graduate program. Qualified Mount undergraduate students who meet eligibility criteria will be given preferential consideration in application to the PA graduate program.
MARY (LUEBEN) JACKSON, MMS, PA-C, CAQ-EM, C'05, has taught nutrition and medical terminology undergraduate courses at the Mount as an adjunct professor for the past eight years. As she began teaching, she recalls telling David Bushman, Ph.D., then dean of the School of Natural Science and Mathematics, that she would like to start a physician assistant (PA) program someday. That day has arrived.
At the core of the PA curriculum developed by Jackson are two unique elements that are central to the School of Health Professions: the Center for Holistic Wellness and the Care for America program. The Center for Holistic Wellness will aid program graduates in combatting burnout by providing them with wellness tools, coping strategies, meditation techniques and more. “Our graduates will be especially desirable to employers because they will be resilient, adaptable and mindful providers who are better able to thrive in challenging environments,“ Jackson said. Program graduates also will be able to share these wellness tools with their patients.
The Maryland Higher Education Commission approved Mount St. Mary’s University’s proposal for a comprehensive two-year graduate PA program that would help close the healthcare provider deficit in Maryland. “The master’s in physician assistant studies program will deliver on the Mount’s mission to live significantly through a curriculum that emphasizes faith and values-based education in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition,“ said President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. “As they study medicine, students will develop their stance as future healthcare leaders with experiences in medical ethics, contemplative practice, volunteer events and clinical experiences in underserved communities.“ The university, which has begun the application process for provisional accreditation through the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, hopes to seat cohorts of 40 students, potentially beginning in the fall of 2024. This program, along with a master’s in applied behavior analysis which began in August 2021, are foundational graduate degree programs within the Mount’s planned School of Health Professions. The demand for PAs is on the rise. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national job outlook for physician assistants is highly favorable, with projected 31% growth between 2019-29—the seventh-fastest growing profession in the country. Additional programs currently in conceptual development include master’s degrees in specialty nursing fields. PAs diagnose illnesses, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and serve as principal healthcare 8
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“We seek to educate students to be not only knowledgeable scholars, but also ethical leaders who live lives of significance in service to God and others,“ explained Jackson. “…Our commitment to our mission and our Catholic identity is what calls us to train the healthcare leaders of tomorrow. With a focus on equitable and compassionate care, respecting the dignity of each patient, we will strive to graduate physician assistants ready to serve all patients.“ In partnership with the Daughters of Charity, Care for America will inculcate openness to care for underserved patients by incorporating a focus on awareness, service and volunteerism in the curriculum. Students will participate in volunteer events, have a minimum number of clinical rotations caring for underserved patients and develop a skill set to maximize resourcing, funding, advocacy and adaptability. The Care for America model will provide a number of full tuition scholarships, through the Daughters of Charity and other supporting donors and organizations, to improve access to graduate education for students with financial barriers who commit to working with underserved patients following graduation. The Daughters also have pledged to provide an in-kind donation to locate the School of Health Professions in a facility on the campus of the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, approximately two miles from the Mount’s Emmitsburg campus. Renovations to create a state-of-the-art facility to support health profession education are anticipated to begin in 2023.
Landmark Statue to Return This Summer BY SUMMER’S END, the iconic statue of Our Blessed Mother is expected to be fully restored so that she can return to her mountain home, where she will shine brightly for decades to come. The 26-foot gold-leafed statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary served as a brightly shining beacon of faith and hope to the university community for 57 years before she was taken down last summer for refurbishment. One year later, she will return to her perch atop the Pangborn Memorial Campanile at the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. Originally commissioned in 1964 from the noted Italian sculptor Marcello Tommasi, the sculpture was cast from a full-size plaster model in Pietresanta, Italy, and was transported to Baltimore by boat and then to Emmitsburg by truck. At the time of the dedication of the Pangborn Memorial Campanile on May 1, 1964, the statue was believed to be the largest ever imported to the United States in a single piece. The De Ranieri Studios of Detroit supervised the work in Italy and in the U.S. The Pangborn Foundation and its chairman, Thomas W. Pangborn, of Hagerstown, Maryland, an industrialist and philanthropist, donated the statue. In 2021, when contractors put scaffolding in place to regild the iconic statue, they discovered that many years of exposure to rain, wind and sun had resulted in corrosion that had eaten away at the statue’s interior steel support system. In July 2021, the statue was removed for repair by Big Hook Crane of Union Bridge, Maryland, and transported to a facility in Fairfax, Virginia, owned by ADTEK Engineers of Frederick. While the work on the statue is being completed in Virginia, contractors in Emmitsburg are repairing the mortar base for the statue’s homecoming. The statue’s yearlong refurbishment is nearly complete. The new stainless-steel armature, the support inside Our Blessed Mother’s iconic statue, has been put in place and soon the much-anticipated regilding process will begin. A festival is being planned for the beloved statue’s return.
Support the Restoration Pray for this project, learn more and give at msmary.edu/restoremary
Big Hook Crane staff gently removed the statue last July.
The new stainless steel armature is in place.
VP for University Advancement Bob Brennan and Grotto Director Dawn Walsh on a visit to the Virginia facility.
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Mount Alumni and Student Receive
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Honors Frederick Campus: Name Changes Seeks to Eliminate Confusion THE DIVISION OF Graduate, Professional and Continuing Education receives questions on a nearly daily basis from people who are confused about the division’s offerings and role. The division’s Associate Provost Jennifer Staiger, Ph.D., has led faculty, administrators, staff, students and others in discussions designed to clarify the division’s name. Starting in July, the unit’s new name will be the Division of Continuing Studies, and it will house the Graduate School at the Mount, Center for Accelerated and Adult Undergraduate Education, and Center for Lifelong Learning. Within the Graduate School at the Mount are graduate programs in biotechnology, business administration, health administration, sport management, education, teaching and applied behavior analysis. In 2024, the university hopes to begin offering a graduate physician assistant program (see page 8). The Center for Adult and Accelerated Undergraduate Education will include accelerated undergraduate degree programs in business, accounting, communication, history, entrepreneurship, criminal justice and human services as well as adult learning programs in special education and education.
NICHOL AS STARVAGGI, C’21, a Ph.D. student at Texas A&M University, recently became the third alumnus in four years to receive the highly competitive and prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. He joins Dylan Holden, C’18, and Sarah Bonson Krueger, C’17, as fellowship recipients. The NSF fellowship recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions. The fellowship includes three years of research stipends and tuition reimbursements totaling $138,000. Previous fellows include 42 Nobel laureates and more than 450 members of the National Academy of Sciences. “This level of success is only possible through the ongoing, substantial efforts of the faculty to mentor students both day-to-day in the laboratories and through these intensive application processes,“ said Dean of the School of Natural Science and Mathematics Christine McCauslin, Ph.D. “It’s a labor of love and speaks to the kind of investment Mount students get from their faculty to promote their personal and professional success.“ As part of the Pentzer Group at Texas A&M, Starvaggi is focusing on the development and modification of colloidal particles for the stabilization of fluid-fluid interfaces. The Pentzer Group uses fundamental organic synthesis to develop carbon-based materials with tailored, novel properties for specific applications in the areas of energy harvesting and storage. Krueger’s fellowship in 2018 allowed her to complete her Ph.D. at University of Illinois, where she worked to develop molecular therapeutics for Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 (DM1), a form of muscular dystrophy. In the group of Steven C. Zimmerman, Ph.D., she synthesized and tested novel nucleic acid-targeting agents for the treatment of this disease. She is returning to the Mount in the fall to join the science faculty. At Purdue, Holden, a 2021 fellow, conducts groundbreaking research in the Aston Laboratories for Mass Spectrometry under principal investigator R. Graham Cooks. The Mount’s Associate Professor of Chemistry Garth Patterson, Ph.D., also worked in Cooks’ lab as a doctoral student at Purdue. Mount senior Mary Yenca, C’22, and alumna Julia Baer, C’21, received honorable mention awards in 2022. Yenca will be pursuing a Ph.D. at Texas A&M University in organic chemistry, focusing on sustainable polymer synthesis. Baer is in the process of earning a doctorate in ocean sciences at the University of California Santa Cruz.
The Center for Lifelong Learning will be the umbrella for both credit and noncredit programs. Credit programs include certificate and high school dual enrollment programs, and noncredit programs encompass professional development, college preparation, mindfulness, Catholic education and certification offerings. Most of these programs are located both online and at the university’s Frederick campus, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2019.
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Nicholas Starvaggi, C’21
Dylan Holden, C’18
Sarah Bonson Krueger, C’17
Emmitsburg Frederick Health urgent care facility
Ribbon Cuttings on the Horizon THE REV. MARTIN MORAN, university chaplain, will be busy blessing new and expanded buildings in August and September as the university holds multiple ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
The urgent care center will open in mid-August
The nearly completed addition to Knott Academic Center
The new Emmitsburg Frederick Health urgent care facility, open to the public and operated by Frederick Health, will also serve as the university’s new student health center. Beginning operation in midAugust, the center will bring cutting-edge, award-winning healthcare to campus. Expansion and renovation of the Knott Academic Center will be completed this summer, offering technologically advanced collaborative spaces and a Bloomberg Classroom Laboratory as well as more classrooms and faculty offices. A centerpiece of the building is the studentrun Saxbys café, which will celebrate its grand opening on August 23, the second day of classes. The AC ribbon-cutting event is being planned for the fall.
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Women in Pangborn, 1973
Glee Club, 1976
Women at the Mount
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Friends in dorm room, 1975
Field hockey, 1976
Celebrating 50 Years Bradley Hall residents, 1975
Snowy campus, 1974
Class, 1975
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Honoring the Past and Igniting the Future By Donna Klinger and Katherine Stohlman FOR 150 YEARS, students at the Catholic colleges founded by the Rev. John Dubois and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, located within a few miles of each other in Emmitsburg, got to know each other by participating in social and academic activities and events at their sister institution. Countless dates and ultimately marriages resulted between Mount St. Mary’s College and St. Joseph College students, as alluded to in the poster created when St. Joseph announced its plan to close and the Mount opened its doors to St. Joe’s women as commuter students in academic year 1971-72: Going steady 150 years, finally engaged. The marriage between the two institutions occurred in the fall of 1972 as the Mount opened up to 95 female residential students who moved into Pangborn Hall. Both men and women quickly settled into life on a coed campus, but there were a few minor adjustments. Some male students grumbled that they had to get fully dressed to grab a soda from a vending machine, female students adopted a buddy system in the dining hall, and faculty who were accustomed to taking attendance in an all-male classroom occasionally referred to female students with the title of “Mr.“ In an interview with Mount Magazine in 2012, Andrea Novotny Foley, C’76, shared that she graduated “quite confident for a girl coming from a small town“ because she never felt intimated by men in any situation after “having been surrounded by so many men, particularly in classes.“ Perhaps inspired by the then-hit song “I Am Woman,“ women quickly sought opportunities to get involved, with at least two freshmen hosting a campus radio show and others jumping in to work on the Pridwin yearbook and Mountain Echo newspaper and joining the Glee and Sock and Buskin clubs. In the 1973 Pridwin, an anonymous male student shared his view of the Mount going coed: “…There was a discernible new mood on
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Classroom, 1973
campus. Things seemed a little more calm, a little less rowdy.“ The Rev. James Delaney, C’57, S’66, who had returned to the Mount as a faculty member, wrote that the arrival of women on campus helped usher in a more relaxed, open and friendly environment. While women only represented 8% of the student body in 1972, today 51%, or 1,000, of the university’s students are female. The daughters of the Mount who began their journey to a purpose-driven life over the past 50 years often showed early signs of the impact they would have on their community, region, state and nation through their service to the university. For example, Fran Becker, C’75, who capped off a multi-faceted career by leading Northern Virginia’s largest homelessness program, made the case, along with her future husband Rich, for the Ratskeller bar to be built on campus to cut down on drunk driving and resulting accidents. Tamika Tremaglio, C’92, executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, started a dance squad and rallied for a Business Law II course. Christine Gelles, C’92, senior vice president for operations at Longenecker & Associates, founded the university’s first environmental club, LIFE. Lyndsey Saunders, C’20, program manager at Pathways to College in West Palm Beach, Florida, cofounded The V.O.I.C.E., a student organization that advocated for equity and inclusion on campus. Daughters of the Mount are healthcare providers, educators, corporate and nonprofit leaders, scientists, attorneys and judges, authors, artists, forensic accountants, cybersecurity experts and more. On the pages that follow, we profile women representing each of the six decades in which women have been welcomed. Their paths have led them in different directions, but they still all call Mount St. Mary’s their mountain home. EXPLORE EACH DECADE
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Fran Becker, C'75 WHY DID YOU ATTEND THE MOUNT? Being from a Catholic family whose parents went to Marquette, I decided on the Mount because it was a small, Catholic, close-to-home (we lived in Baltimore), liberal arts college. I graduated from a small all-girls prep school in 1972, the same year that the Mount went coed. WHAT WAS THE MOUNT LIKE FOR WOMEN IN THE 1970S? It was very exciting. In 1972, colleges and universities were dealing with the effects of the tumultuous 60s; Title IX was passed, and the Mount went coed. St. Joseph College in Emmitsburg shuttered its doors and some women transferred to the Mount—mostly sophomores and juniors. These women provided a lot of support to the 100 freshman women. There were 100 women, versus 1200 men! We all lived in three female-only floors in Pangborn Hall. The Mount hired a woman as the associate dean so we ladies would feel more comfortable. I was one of two women who were the first women to enter as a freshman and graduate from the Mount (without transferring). The late Dr. Christine Cummerford (see page 45) and I finished our required courses in three years. WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES OF THE MOUNT?
"There were 100 women, versus 1200 men! We all lived in three female-only floors in Pangborn Hall." Fran Becker, C'75
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My good friend Kevin Robinson, Jr. likes to tell people that my husband Rich (whom I met at the Mount), and I were responsible for getting the Ratskeller built on campus— a bar that used to be in Lower McGowan. The legal drinking age was 18 at the time and several terrible accidents had occurred off campus. We lobbied the administration, convincing them that building the Rat would save lives. We even helped hire workers and chose the furniture. It was packed every night! WHAT DID YOU DO AFTER YOU GRADUATED? After a very short stint with the FBI, I worked as a paralegal. I later started a PR company that morphed into a classical arts management firm. I then switch gears and went back to school for a master’s in public administration, with a nonprofit concentration. God was guiding me to make a difference in the lives of those with so little. For more than 12 years, I was the executive director of Carpenter’s Shelter, Northern Virginia’s largest homelessness program.
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Maggie Deegan, C’81 WHY DID YOU ATTEND THE MOUNT? I was from Boston, and one day when I was a child we were driving down to Florida. We stopped at the Mount’s campus to visit the National Shrine Grotto, and from then on, I knew I wanted to go there. My dad told me women couldn’t attend the Mount, and I even toured St. Joseph—but I only wanted to go to the Mount. When they began admitting women in 1972, I knew it’s where I would go to college. I had several older (male) relatives who were alumni as well, and two of my daughters are Mounties. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF ATTENDING THE MOUNT? The Mount was a big part of my childhood. It felt so right to attend the Mount. I met my husband, Bob Deegan, while a student. Every year, the school would publish a booklet with the pictures and names of incoming freshmen, so they would know who each other is. I was living with a random roommate at the time, and we were just flipping through the book. We made a bet that we’d choose random guys from it, and whoever got that guy to ask them on a date first, the other had to buy her a pitcher of beer. I just happened to choose Bob. Well, I got the date first, so I got the beer. And four years later, we got married at the Mount. WHAT WAS THE MOUNT LIKE FOR WOMEN IN THE 1980S? You wouldn’t think it was any different than going to a coed high school. The Mount was so small at the time, my class was smaller than my high school. They were clearly happy to have the girls there. Now, I did notice being a woman in law school—that made a difference, there. WHAT DID YOU STUDY? WHAT DID YOU PL AN TO DO WITH YOUR DEGREE? I majored in political science, and I was close to double majoring in history and getting a minor in philosophy. I didn’t have any real plan, so after graduation I went to law school. I ended up working as an editor for a food and drug law journal and got into publishing. I even worked from home after I had my first daughter, before that was a common option. All my paperwork had to be mailed to me, everything had to be conducted over the phone. Later in life, I worked as a photographer for Victor O’Neill Studios.
"The Mount was a big part of my childhood. It felt so right to attend the Mount. I met my husband, Bob Deegan, while a student." Maggie Deegan, C'81
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Aimie Zinzi, C’97 WHY DID YOU ATTEND THE MOUNT? My twin sister, Sarah, and I knew that we wanted a small school that we could attend together. We were the first girls in our family to attend a four-year college, so we had little to no assistance in the college search. We lived outside of Philadelphia, and our father suggested Mount St. Mary's because it wasn't too far from home, but far enough to feel like we were “away“ at school. He drove us down one day during spring break, and we took our own abbreviated tour. Nothing was open, and the campus was a ghost town, but Sarah and I just had a feeling that it was our “place.“ WHAT DID YOU STUDY AND WHAT DID YOU PL AN TO DO WITH YOUR DEGREE? By my sophomore year, I had declared my major as elementary education, and from there it was my main focus. I had never been surer of something in my life. The program itself and the courses I took were top-notch, and I felt extremely prepared to go off into the workforce after graduation. I taught for the Archdiocese of Baltimore for six years before my husband, Mike, and I had our first child. I stayed home for a full decade to raise our kids before I went back to work. I stumbled into a job teaching preschool in 2012, to “dip my toe“ back into teaching, and have never looked back. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF ATTENDING THE MOUNT? My favorite part was growing up and learning how to “adult“ with some of the most outstanding people to ever cross my path. For four years, we worked together, supported each other, got into trouble, bailed each other out of trouble, bonded, partied, and LAUGHED! Most of the people I spent my time with at the Mount are still in my life. We shared an experience that is pretty unique to other typical college experiences...it's hard to describe, but if you went to the Mount you know exactly what I'm talking about.
"I felt extremely prepared to go off into the workforce after graduation." Aimie Zinzi, C'97
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ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT YOUR TIME AT THE MOUNT? I was lucky enough to meet my husband during my time there. We were engaged on Echo Field and married in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception 22 years ago. Our daughter, Abby, has had it in her mind since she was six years old that she would attend the Mount, and she just completed her freshman year. It's funny how life puts you in a place in what felt almost like an accident, and that place turns out to be the focal point of the most impactful and memorable experiences in your life.
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Jenna Rose, C’02 WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO ATTEND THE MOUNT? My dad went to school here, and I visited several times as a kid and applied at the Mount and three other colleges… the Mount was not the top contender! But I decided to visit again, as a prospective student. I came up to campus that day and literally fell back in love with it. Now, my dad and I are happy to share the experience of attending the Mount with some other younger family members. My dad was a student during the transition from being all-male to coed, and he said it only got better when the women came. The more inclusive the Mount has gotten, the better it has gotten. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF ATTENDING THE MOUNT? That’s easy—the people, the friendships that I made. I knew I was getting a great education, and I loved experiencing small classes. That certainly served me well down the line. But I loved the friendships, and about 10 of my core friends and I are still in touch and close. WHAT IS LIFE LIKE FOR YOU NOW? I’m the senior vice president of Fulton Bank. I initially wanted to study pre-med and attend medical school, but I decided to change my major between my freshman and sophomore year. I ended up graduating with a degree in business, with concentrations in finance and international economics. Immediately after, I accepted a position at BB&T, now Truist, and have worked in commercial banking ever since. I left BB&T and began at Fulton Bank in March 2020. I’ve gotten to move around a lot with this career and experience different places, and now I’m living in Philadelphia. HOW HAS ATTENDING THE MOUNT MADE YOU A BETTER WOMAN? Again, the friendships. I formed so many core memories with my friends at the Mount. Additionally, it gave me an amazing career. If I had gone to a bigger school, I know I wouldn’t have had the confidence to change majors. But the setting at the Mount was great and so supportive of my decision. Also, thanks to the solid liberal arts education, I was equipped to perform such a variety of tasks in my field. I interview a lot of kids with finance degrees, but no knowhow in terms of communicating. It’s true what they say about liberal arts being so useful in the long run!
"If I had gone to a bigger school, I know I wouldn’t have had the confidence to change majors. But the setting at the Mount was great and so supportive of my decision." Jenna Rose, C'02 SUMMER 2022 FEATURE
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Giselle Obiakor, C’19 WHAT WAS YOUR TIME AS A STUDENT LIKE? I chose Mount St. Mary’s because I wanted to go to a school that was close to home with smaller class sizes, and one-on-one teacher and student relationships! I originally majored in computer science, and then transitioned to cybersecurity, which is under the same umbrella as computer science. I wanted to work in information technology but ended up landing great opportunities that I didn't expect. My professors constantly gave me advice and would sit with me (sometimes for hours, thank you Dr. Heinold!) going over things I did not understand, and that made me the confident engineer I am today. WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? I am truly blessed! I was recently promoted, and I am now a principal cyber information assurance engineer. I got to travel for work and ended up living in Florida for a year. I got to watch space launches from the beach, meet new people and explore! My family has always been so supportive and helpful with my post-college endeavors. I was also lucky to meet the love of my life and can now say that I am happily engaged! His name is Andrew, and he has taught me many new things, especially geology. I am now living in Virginia and would like to get back in to teaching at Girls Who Code, which is a program for young women to learn computer science principles and learn how to code. I am happy to be closer to family and friends in the DMV area, and I am looking forward to wedding planning. I hope to visit the Mount soon now that I am back. HOW DID ATTENDING THE MOUNT MAKE YOU A BETTER PERSON?
"What the Mount taught me was to be who I am and be that well...I learned how to public speak, fall in love with theater, be confident, and be a leader." Giselle Obiakor, C'19
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Honestly before coming to the Mount, I was nervous. There were about 10 people from my high school also attending, so it was nice to have familiar faces. But what the Mount taught me was to “be who I am and be that well,“ as Saint Francis De Sales stated. I learned how to public speak, fall in love with theater, be confident, and be a leader. I was the only female graduating in the Cybersecurity and Computer Science Department in the Class of 2019. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO NEW MOUNT STUDENTS? Be involved. The Mount has hidden gems all over, with special connections, and wonderful networking opportunities. You will meet some of the greatest friends. Take advantage of what the Mount has to offer! If there is something that is not offered for you, use you voice and see how some things can be implemented on campus. I will leave you with what we decided as our class quote, “Ad Maiora“ which means “Toward greater things.“ Just know that at the Mount, if you take full advantage of what is offered, you will 100% be headed toward great things.
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Jenna Lewaren, C’22 WHY DID YOU ATTEND THE MOUNT? I chose the Mount for many reasons. One of the main reasons was for the rugby program. I wanted to be a part of a program that was building a great legacy for many years to follow, and Mount women’s rugby was in its very first year. I envisioned the Mount being a great place for my rugby career as well as my academic career. I was going back and forth on whether or not I wanted to major in German. When I found out the Mount had German, it seemed like a great fit. WHY DID YOU CHOSE YOUR MA JOR? I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be a teacher. I strongly believe that every kid deserves to have a superhero and I wanted to be that for my future students. I wanted to be the reason my students loved coming to school and were excited to go back to school when summer ended instead of dreading it. I often ask myself why I decided to major in both elementary education and German, however, and my answer isn’t as straightforward. I started learning German in kindergarten, and every year we had the option to either drop out of foreign language or switch to Spanish, I would always say, “I’ve already come this far, what’s one more year“ and that pattern continued. I believe everything happens for a reason and there is a reason the Mount had a German major and I also followed through with “one more year.“ WHAT ACTIVITIES WERE YOU INVOLVED IN? I played rugby all four years, I came to play with a scholarship, but I also played all four years for my friends. I couldn’t have imagined leaving them. I was also involved in SAAC, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. We worked together as an athletic community to advocate for things such as longer dining hall hours to accommodate practice times. WHERE IS THE MOUNT TAKING YOU? I received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award to be an English teaching assistant in Germany in 2022-23. My second education internship (in which interns take over the classroom and become the teacher) prepared me for the Fulbright experience. It was there that I gained all of my confidence and tools to be the current teacher that I am. It was also here that I was able to confirm that I chose the right career path for me. I was able to come into the classroom every day and do what I love.
With Professor of German Susann Samples, Ph.D.
"I wanted to be part of a program that was building a great legacy for many years to follow, and Mount women's rugby was in its very first year." Jenna Lewaren, C'22 SUMMER 2022 FEATURE
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Coach Donohue with the 2018 ice hockey team
Greeting Pope Francis
With a seminarian in Tanzania
Charism on Ice The Resurrectionist Spirit of Rev. James Donohue, C.R., Ph.D. By Peter Dorsey, Ph.D.
EACH AUGUST, PROFESSORS AND STUDENTS across the nation perform a late-summer ritual of introducing themselves to each other and sharing some personal information. When the Rev. James Michael Donohue, C.R., Ph.D., affectionately known as Fr. Jim, reviewed the roll in his First-Year Symposium class last fall, few present would have expected Lisa Kreke to proclaim “You baptized me!“ More seasoned members of the Mount St. Mary’s community, however, would have grinned in understanding. Lisa’s mother, Patricia Kreke, Ph.D., is a Mount chemistry professor, and Fr. Jim has long played a central role in the spiritual life of the university. 20
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In Tanzania
A gifted homilist
Fr. Jim has shepherded many Mounties in the classroom, on the hockey ice and in their faith journey. He has lifted us up, calmed us down and consoled us in our grief. An extraordinary, compassionate problem-solver, he has made our community more cooperative, peaceful and caring. Having occupied a unique position at our university for 26 years, Fr. Jim recently announced his retirement as a professor in the Department of Theology so that he can support his order’s building up the Church in Tanzania. Born and raised in the Canadian province of Ontario, Fr. Jim belongs to the Congregation of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, an international religious community founded in Paris by Polish nationals. The order was formally established in Rome in 1842, when seven founding brothers emerged from the catacombs to the sound of Easter bells, inspired to announce and give witness to the Paschal mystery. Although Emmitsburg has been Fr. Jim’s base of operations since 1996, he is a highly valued member of his order and has travelled the globe in its service. He has been a member of many of its committees, including 20 years on the Provincial Council. He served for six years as Vicar-Provincial and hosted one of its candidates for the priesthood at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary. He is his province’s most prolific blogger, and, since 2010, he has published over 200 installments of its “Celebrating the Word“ guides and “Sunday Reflections.“ The Congregation’s charism is hope and affirms, “in his love the Father calls us . . . to personal resurrection in union with Jesus,“ a relationship the order joins with a call “to work together for the resurrection of society.“ Fr. Jim’s long-time friend and Theology Department colleague, William Portier, Ph.D., observes, “He really radiates that spirit of resurrection“ and
implements it in his pastoral and educational work. Sr. Mary Kate Birge, S.S.J., Ph.D., another friend and colleague, explains that he brings Jesus’ life and love to all he encounters: “He’s hope,“ she says. “He lives the Ignatian presupposition, interpreting everything in the most favorable sense.“ To count the blessings of Fr. Jim’s work is to calculate large sums! He has served on 80 committees and task forces at the Mount, many of them multi-year commitments. His leadership roles include being faculty chair (2006-07), a member of the Tenure, Rank and Awards Committee (2004-10), co-chair of Middle States Accreditation (2012-15), and interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts (2015-16). Even in 2021-22, his final year, he co-chaired the Middle States Committee devoted to student learning. Fr. Jim led three successful study-abroad semesters in Prague, and he also accompanied Diana Rodriguez-Lozano, Ph.D., on two of her service-learning trips to Peru. For an astonishing 15 years, he served as one of the Mount’s most creative and reliable department chairs, applying his generous pastoral and problem-solving skills to the formation of theology faculty members. As chair, he led efforts to revise core and major programs and conducted program review and assessment. He introduced a pastoralministry education program to the theology major in 2000 and continued to direct it. Contributing to his effective leadership is what Birge calls Fr. Jim’s “wicked sense of humor.“ Because he maintains “a straight face“ while pulling innocent pranks,
Birge instructs, “you learn to look for the twinkle in his eyes.“ Professor of Biology Dana Pirone Ward, C'97, appreciates that her life has been enriched not only through her companionship with Fr. Jim but also through lessons that Fr. Jim has passed down from his parents and siblings to Mount students and friends. “One of the nice things about Fr. Jim is that if you’ve spent any time around him, you feel like you know not only him, but also his entire family through all the life lessons as told through Fr. Jim’s homilies,“ Ward shares. She will miss the sound of Fr. Jim's laughter in Patriot Hall. “You always know if Fr. Jim is at a table near you in the cafeteria because you hear his laughter carrying across the room,“ she says. “He’s joyful, and his joy is contagious.“ Given his generous habit of offering more courses than required—including summer courses and courses at the Frederick campus—Fr. Jim has probably taught more Mount students than any current professor, always with compassion for the troubled and those in less fortunate circumstances. Alumna Elizabeth Origenes, C’15, reflects, “Father Jim transforms classrooms into spaces of reverence for the mystery of God's love. Filled with stories, wit, and the very most care, his classes inspire students to authentically engage in the questions of theology.“ Friend and colleague William Collinge, Ph.D., admires Fr. Jim’s “rigorous academic standards,“ but also how he “reaches out to [students] with understanding and
Receiving an honorary doctorate of humane letters at the 2022 commencement from Board Chair Gracelyn McDermott, C'92, and President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D.
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Honoring Fr. Jim’s Service to the Mount Following discussions with Fr. Jim about his distinguished service to the Mount, the university would like to commemorate his retirement in two ways: HONORARY CLASSROOM NAMED A permanent legacy will be established by naming a classroom after him in the addition to the Coad Science Building. Fr. Jim is delighted by the idea because he has enjoyed teaching many science majors over the years and sees the intersection of faith and science as a key component of this theological teaching. “Most people assume that one must either think or believe,“ he says. “Theology refuses to settle for these preconceived notions. It allows students to see that faith is built upon reasonable assertions, that scientific methods support and assist biblical and theological studies, and that God designs creation to unfold itself as history.“ SERVICE-LEARNING OPPORTUNITY IN TANZANIA The Mount also will honor Fr. Jim by establishing a service-learning opportunity in Tanzania. Fr. Jim experienced the joys and challenges of the Resurrectionists’ 20-year-old mission there during his 2019-20 sabbatical year and rejoins this community this summer. The Polish province of Resurrectionists already sponsors young people from their country to visit the mission, and Fr. Jim’s work there would allow him to continue helping Mount students while also serving the Congregation. As Mount students share their Englishlanguage skills with young Tanzanians, they will better understand inequities in our world, learn about challenges facing countries in East Africa, and unite in solidarity with the poor. Their experiences will inspire them to join Fr. Jim in working for the resurrection of society and altering unjust structures that continue to diminish people today. Please commemorate Fr. Jim’s service to the Mount and invest in his future service so he is rightly remembered as one of the Mount’s legendary faculty priests. To honor the Rev. James Michael Donohue is to affirm the hope inseparable from the Mount’s rich history. Spes Nostra.
consistent good humor.“ Portier calls him simply “the greatest natural teacher I’ve ever seen.“ Fr. Jim won the university’s most prestigious teaching prize, the John Richards Award for Teaching Excellence, early in his Mount career and was nominated for the Carnegie Foundation’s U.S. Professor of the Year Award in 2005. Fr. Jim has also been a productive scholar. He holds master’s degrees in theology and divinity and a doctorate in systematics from the Catholic University of America, with special expertise on the sacrament of Penance and Catholic rites for the seriously ill and dying. He has published 25 scholarly articles and book chapters and numerous book reviews. With fellow theologian and Associate Provost David McCarthy, Ph.D., he is the author of Moral Vision: Seeing the World with Love and Justice (2018). Characteristically, Fr. Jim is even more prolific as a “pastoral“ scholar, having given more than 225 presentations and workshops to parishes, high schools, alumni groups, seminaries, dioceses, and Catholic grade schools. He and McCarthy also produced podcast series on the Gospel of Mark and on salvation history. With so many classes to prepare and teach, grading, office conferences, committee work, research, and responsibilities to his order, those who know Fr. Jim might ask, “Where does the hockey fit in?“ For almost 25 years, the answer was in Frederick at 10:30 p.m., the time his teams practiced! Fr. Jim organized the Mount’s club hockey team shortly after he arrived in 1996 and went on to win three coach-of-the-year awards. As the program grew, it became another way he could guide and form students. “I wanted people to love the game,“ he explains, “just as I wanted people to love theology.“
In the locker room with the 2006 hockey team
Enjoying a discussion with students
Fr. Jim and David McCarthy with their book, published in 2018.
Hockey alumnus Ryan Cleary, M.D., C’06, describes Fr. Jim as having “an exuberance that provides those around him with a glimpse into the heart of Jesus.“ Finding him “welcoming and warm and jovial,“ Cleary states, he “truly invites outsiders in—making them feel like insiders.“ Another hockey alumnus Jonathan Franciose, C’00, says Fr. Jim led with faith, humor, kindness and a remarkable lack of “chirping.“ “As a coach, he was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and always knew the right thing to say to motivate players,“ Franciose recalls. He guided his team through moments of joy, grief and “times when you’ve just got to put the puck deep in the other team’s zone and grind.“ Over the years, Fr. Jim has married many Mount students and baptized their children, but former hockey players loom especially large in that ministry. “His leadership has helped me lead and build my own home teams, whether it be two beautiful daughters and a loving wife or my work as an insurance sales manager,“ Francoise observes. David McCarthy often began his core theology classes with the joke, “I guess you couldn’t get into Fr. Jim’s class.“ Instead of laughing, McCarthy reports, the students glumly replied, “Yeah, I got closed out.“ Happily, however, even those who didn’t play hockey and never had Fr. Jim as a professor had many opportunities to see him preach because he was a frequent celebrant at daily, Sunday and special-occasion Masses. Grants Manager Kathy Criasia found it “a blessing to have Fr. Jim offer Mass at noon every week. His faith is obvious, his knowledge of scripture is deep, his humility inspires me, and his sense of humor is refreshing.“ Birge calls him “the best homilist I’ve ever heard“ who gleans “incredible insights“ from scripture and “always leaves the congregation with things to think about.“
“You always know if Fr. Jim is at a table near you in the cafeteria because you hear his laughter carrying across the room.“ Dana Pirone Ward, Ph.D., C'97
In addition to celebrating Masses at the Mount, for almost 30 years Fr. Jim travelled to and generously served two Maryland Catholic parishes, St. John’s in Columbia and St. Bernadette’s in Severn, where he developed many friendships. Fr. Jim plays many roles, but several observers detect an underlying unity. McCarthy notices an “unrelenting focus to teach us how we can be better disciples and how we can love God and our neighbor more.“ Birge finds that “his primary goal is to make God come alive for students.“ Collinge sees a “seamless unity between Jim’s identity as priest and teacher.“ English Professor Sean Lewis, Ph.D., sees a person who imitates Christ while “radiating God’s love and mercy in his many roles.“ Seemingly tireless in his many ministries, Fr. Jim lives the undying spirit of Christ’s resurrection. Many Mounties are struggling to contemplate campus life without his generous, pastoral care, but he will forever remain an astonishing model of what it means to serve under Mary’s guidance.
More information Pray for Fr. Jim’s work in Tanzania, learn more and give in his honor at msmary.edu/egift (select Academics and then Father Jim Donohue Legacy Fund)
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And the Emmy Goes to... Three Mounties in Three Years
Erin Newsome, C'00
Sarah Murphy Lavoie, C'03
By Katherine Stohlman
IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, three Mounties have won a total of three Emmy Awards, for various projects they’ve done in the course of their careers. Erin Newsome, C’00, and Sarah Murphy Lavoie, C’03, won a Primetime Emmy Award for a project they both worked on as members of National Geographic’s marketing team. Peter Kelly, C’16, won two Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards as an audio engineer and sound designer for the NFL team, the Philadelphia Eagles. Different as their work is, all three credit the Mount with being a source of support as they developed their passions and talents. ERIN NEWSOME, C'00 AND SARAH MURPHY LAVOIE, C'03 Newsome and Lavoie share stories of opportunities they had as Mount students—experiences that gave them the knowledge and skills to eventually produce an Emmy-winning miniseries. Although they never got to know each other during their time at the Mount, their journeys are strikingly similar. Both studied rhetoric and communication. Both worked on Mount TV, Newsome as a founding member and Lavoie as a later member working to keep it alive. Both cite the Art of Persuasion class they took, as well as the encouraging influence of a former professor, Joe Osment, on their goals. Lavoie even recalls Professor Osment praising Newsome for the job at Discover’s Travel Channel she landed out of college. Newsome now is vice president of creative marketing at Disney Branded Television and National Geographic. Eventually, Lavoie found herself also working at Discover, and later on the marketing team at National Geographic as senior writer producer, alongside Newsome for the first time. The project for which they and their coworkers won a 2020 Primetime Emmy was called “Creating Cosmos.“ It was a six-part miniseries of short films that showed the behind-the-scenes 24
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Peter Kelly, C'16
“Dr. Carlson and Dr. Rosenfeld in the VPA Department were instrumental (pun definitely intended) in laying the building blocks for the sound designer I am today. Their guidance provided me the tools to pursue the musical styles and ideas that I use every day.“ Peter Kelly, C’16
effort that went into the 2020 installment of the beloved documentary series Cosmos. The original Cosmos series, Comos: A Personal Voyage, aired in 1980 and was presented by Carl Sagan. The 2014 follow-up, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, was the effort of many, including Carl Sagan’s widow Ann Druyan and Seth MacFarlane, and was presented by Neil deGrasse Tyson. The same group helped with the 2020 installment, Cosmos: Possible Worlds, which was the focus of “Creating Cosmos.“ Naturally, developing “Creating Cosmos“ was challenging at times. It was Lavoie’s first project after returning from maternity leave, and she notes that working on such a big project while often sleep-deprived was a learning curve. Newsome recalls the difficulties of accommodating a variety of visions while creating one series, finding that the Cosmos series had a deeply personal meaning to most of the people working on it (such as Sagan’s widow), and noting the rewards that come from such collaboration. Newsome and Lavoie both remark how special it was to have “supported a series of such nostalgic proportions,“ as Newsome put it. Lavoie excitedly recalled her mother loving the original Cosmos and watching it as a child. They also note what a big deal it is for a marketing team to win a Primetime Emmy and what an honor it is to have been a part of this project. Looking back, the women easily see the ways their time at the Mount helped them achieve such impressive careers. Neither began their freshman year thinking they would end up where they are now, but the Mount was “preparing us for something we didn’t know we wanted,“ says Lavoie. Being able to work closely with professors, and on a variety of campus efforts such as the Mountain Echo newspaper and Mount TV, helped them uncover their true talents and abilities. They developed their love of storytelling, and the influence that language and communication have on a story. They had the chance to question, and to fail, and come out stronger each time. They learned to work hard and stay open to the opportunities that came their way. “I chased my passion, rather than a career,“ states Newsome. And their work on the series that earned them an Emmy wouldn’t have been possible without that willingness to explore and take chances that the Mount fostered in them.
PETER KELLY, C'16 Peter Kelly’s first Emmy came in 2019, from his contribution to the Eagles’ playoff hype video, titled, “Now Is All We Need.“ After an initial meeting of the marketing team on how to approach the video, he immediately made a sample of possible audio effects—sound effects, cues, voiceover and the like—to include. Impressed, his teammates went on to design the visual elements of the video based on his audio proposal. He exclaims that the video was “a really special project because normally my work is fairly reactive, meaning I am given a video or animation and am tasked with generating and creating audio for the picture. This video however, started with the audio, and the video was shot around it.“ He even composed the music featured in “Now Is All We Need.“ Kelly’s original audio content earned him the admiration of his teammates, the enthrallment of his audience—and his first regional Emmy. He won his second Mid-Atlantic Emmy, along with his coworkers, the following year, for their production of a video on the Eagles’ nominee for the Walter Peyton Man of the Year Award. For this video, he and his coworkers filmed a surprised Rodney McLeod, being informed by Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie that he was their nominee. Between production complications arising from COVID-19 and extra steps that had to be taken to surprise McLeod, Kelly notes that completing the video was “quite a live production feat,“ and they were all proud to have been awarded an Emmy for it. Reflecting on it all, Kelly acknowledges that his time at the Mount as a music student, particularly the professors he encountered there, shaped the audio engineer that he is today. He was always intrigued by the influence sound has on a video, citing movies with epic scores like Indiana Jones and Star Wars as examples. Coming to the Mount, receiving the guidance and recognition that a small, close-knit campus provides, he could develop his passions into a career path. “Dr. Carlson and Dr. Rosenfeld in the VPA Department were instrumental (pun definitely intended) in laying the building blocks for the sound designer I am today,“ he shares. “Their guidance…provided me the tools to pursue the musical styles and ideas that I use every day.“ SUMMER 2022 FEATURE
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Mount up to the MAAC Mount St. Mary’s Joins the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference By Donna Klinger MEN’S L ACROSSE HEAD COACH TOM GRAVANTE has a leg up on his Mount coaching colleagues for the 2022-23 athletic season, which will be the university’s first year as a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). The men’s lacrosse team, which Gravante has led since 1995, played as an affiliate member of the MAAC from 1997 to 2010. During that time, the team went 91-28 and captured the MAAC Championship in 2003 and 2010. Gravante was named MAAC Coach of the Year in 1997, 1999, 2003 and 2010. Josh Warfield, C’03, who was the 2001 MAAC Tournament Most Valuable Player and was named to the First Team All-MAAC in 2002 and 2003, is in the Mount’s Athletic Hall of Fame, as is Matt Warner, C’06, who was First-Team All-MAAC in 2005 and 2006 and was named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team in 2003 and 2005. Andrew Scalley, C’13, was MAAC Tournament MVP in 2010. “My staff and I are excited about returning to the MAAC as a full member and a new beginning to compete for a conference 26
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championship and trip to the NCAA tournament,“ Gravante exclaims. “The MAAC teams are very similar in university size, athletic support, and Catholic Identity, which helps our recruiting efforts. We are also very excited about our MAAC relationship with ESPN, that will carry our game coverage and help market our university and program. The future is bright!“ Effective July 1, 2022, the Mount will compete in the MAAC for men's and women's soccer, cross country, golf, tennis, swimming & diving, basketball, track & field, and lacrosse, as well as softball, baseball and woman's water polo. Men's water polo (Mid-Atlantic Water Polo) and women's rugby (NIRA) retain their current membership in their conferences. Bowling is not sponsored by the MAAC, and an announcement on a conference realignment for that sport is forthcoming. “In joining the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, the Mount gains the opportunity to compete with some of the finest Catholic colleges in the Northeast, elevating the university's brand as well as the level of competition for our nearly 600 student-athletes and coaches,“ says President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. “I expect basketball games on the Jim Phelan Court to draw even larger crowds and be louder than ever as we face off against excellent competition.“ “The MAAC membership has sought to maintain a brand that stresses excellence in academics and athletics and Mount St. Mary's fully meets those criteria,“ says MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor. “I want to thank Dr. Timothy Trainor, president of
“We are honored to join this group of outstanding universities who all have strong traditions and proven commitment to academic excellence and student-athlete success.“ Director of Athletics Lynne Robinson, C’79, MBA’83 Mount St. Mary's, and Director of Athletics Lynne Robinson, for their interest in the MAAC and hard work throughout the process. I also want to welcome the Mountaineers coaches, student-athletes and staff to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.“ “I'm especially happy that the move to the MAAC puts us with universities that are aligned with our mission, values, and academic standing,“ shares Mount St. Mary's Board Chair Gracelyn McDermott, C'92. “The MAAC, like Mount St. Mary's, is bound by the principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics.“ “We are honored to join this group of outstanding universities who all have strong traditions and proven commitment to academic excellence and student-athlete success,“ says
Director of Athletics Lynne Robinson, C’79, MBA’83. “Joining the MAAC will no doubt energize the entire Mount community and enhance the experience of our studentathletes. We are eager to build upon our strong foundation of academic and athletic success, as we begin this new chapter for Mount Athletics.“ The transition also marks the conclusion of a successful run for the Mount as members of the Northeast Conference. Along the journey of a 33-year partnership with the NEC were 50 championship teams, including seven from women's tennis, six from men's cross country and men's basketball, five from women's basketball and women's outdoor track & field, and four from women’s lacrosse. “As a proud member of the Northeast Conference for many years, we are grateful for the growth the NEC helped facilitate in our athletic programs,“ President Trainor remarks. “We thank Commissioner Noreen Morris and the NEC board for their leadership.“ The MAAC was founded in 1980 by six charter members: the U.S. Military Academy, Fairfield University, Fordham University, Iona College, Manhattan College, and Saint Peter's College. Competition officially began the next year, in the sports of men's cross country and men's soccer. Schools encompassing the MAAC hail from three states— New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Teams reside in and around the New York, Philadelphia and Buffalo metro areas with a pair of teams in the Hudson River Valley. There are a host of associate members as well, mostly for women's water polo, men's lacrosse and rowing. As of July 1, conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary's University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter's University, and Siena College.
Sports announcer Adam Pohl, at right, interviews basketball alumni Tony Hayden, C'99, at left, and Koki Adasi, C'04, for the ESPN3 announcement show. SUMMER 2022 FEATURE
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Carrying the Mount to
Madagascar By Nathaniel Bald, C’21
AS PART OF THE FIRST Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) cohort in Madagascar, my colleagues and I often get invited to special events and clubs as guest speakers on topics ranging from American culture and regional accents to strange idioms and whether they’re pronouncing words correctly. Nonetheless, what most Malagasy English teachers are interested in is my role as a Fulbright ETA and any differences I have found between education in the United States and Madagascar. In fact, those are also the most popular questions I receive from friends and family back in the States. So let me share my most useful insight. My primary job as a Fulbright ETA is to teach 19 different classes at Lycée Jean Joseph RABEARIVELO (LJJR), a high school located in the very center of Madagascar’s capital city, Antananarivo. I only see each class for an hour a week, plus any of the students that attend the weekly English club during Tuesday’s lunch period. I focus the classes on speaking and listening, something which Malagasy English teachers are desperate to have. High school in Madagascar is 10th through 12th grade, the names of which, in order, are seconde, première and terminal. These grades are optional, as Malagasy students who complete the ninth grade exiting exam are not required to continue their education and finish high school by passing the baccalaureate, an extremely long and stressful exam that lasts a week in July every year. My 19 classes are spread across the three grades, but I usually teach the same lesson for each class, adjusting the difficulty as necessary. I have observed many differences between education in the United States and Madagascar, but here I will focus on one major dissimilarity: the classroom itself. In the United States, teachers typically receive their own rooms where they hopefully invest time and resources in making it a welcoming,
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useful and open learning environment. If done properly, a classroom in the United States is as much as a teaching tool as are handouts and homework. Walls are filled with conjugation charts, mathematic formulas, historic timelines, quirky comics, and all other visual aids that just scream, “this is a place of learning!“ More importantly, it suggests that there is an ongoing pedagogical shift from a teacher-centered approach to a student-centered approach in the United States. That’s not the case in Madagascar where classrooms are large (or sometimes small), consisting of a single large (or small) and sometimes shattered blackboard, a small wooden stage in front of the blackboard, a teacher’s desk and chair at the front of the room, and row after row of heavy, clunky, barely functioning desks only big enough to hold two students but very often carrying three. Students are packed in like sardines in a tin can while the teacher, who moves from classroom to classroom because students don’t move from their assigned room, writes on the board, distributes handouts, and lectures indefinitely. It has not been uncommon for me to show up to class to find the teacher before me had decided his or her class would last another hour, meaning it’s back to the teachers’ room for me to practice my Malagasy. In contrast to the American classroom, which is moving toward a student-centered methodology, Malagasy classrooms are literally designed for teacher-centered approaches. Everything about the room and the teachers points toward a structured and rigid approach where the teacher is the provider of knowledge and students are to receive that knowledge and then repeat it when commanded. What about applying that knowledge in a form of critical thinking? What?! Are you crazy? That’s not how we do things here.
“I can see the profound effects and immense benefits my education is now producing as I invest in other educators.“ Nathaniel Bald, C'21
This leads me to the second part of my role as a Fulbright ETA: that of building the education capital of English teaching in Madagascar by investing in Malagasy English teachers. One of the goals of the U.S. Embassy is to create a network of English teachers and English teaching trainers across the country, which, if I might add, is nearly impossible to navigate with the lack of infrastructure. The Embassy does this by training English teachers, Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) facilitators, and English club moderators. They bring teachers and trainers from all over Madagascar to the capital where they host conferences, workshops and training programs. These newly certified educators go back to their regions to begin implementing the new TESOL student-centered teaching methodologies amongst their English teaching peers—and hopefully inspire educators in other fields to do the same. Thus, the second, and my favorite aspect of my role is to aid and assist in this training process. One of the reasons I absolutely love this part of my job is because it vividly reminds me of what I learned at the Mount, and I can see the profound effects and immense benefits my education is now producing as I invest in other educators. I’m passionate about education, human formation and applying my knowledge of economics and languages to those fields. In Mount CARiTAS, the Mount looks at ways that we can serve those who serve. How do we empower, enable, and support others who work directly with students and in the community to make them more effective, efficient and motivated educators? Likewise, I love visiting MOOC camps, English clubs and all other kinds of conferences and workshops. By doing so, we are investing in people and educators who will go on to make a bigger difference than I ever could as a solo teacher in a classroom of 40-50 Malagasy students scared out of their minds as I dynamically move around the classroom and have
them do group work, something totally foreign to them because they have only ever experienced teacher-centered approaches. This kind of experience is uplifting and generates a lot of hope. Teachers and trainers recently instructed in student-centered TESOL methodologies leave the capital energized and empowered, ready to conquer all the challenges they face. More importantly in my opinion, they know that they are not alone. They are part of a national community of English educators all dedicated to the goal of educating their students and passing on knowledge, wisdom and critical-thinking skills that will be used in creating a brighter future for Madagascar and the Malagasy people. So in short, when I’m asked what I’m doing in Madagascar, I like to summarize it as, “well, I teach English because I’m an educator in the faith, serving those who serve that we may be better educators together.“ Or in the paraphrased words of St. Francis de Sales, I am being who I am meant to be, and doing it well that I may bring honor to the Master Craftsman whose handiwork I am. And what is more touching to me is that I get to bring along all the lessons I learned from my mountain home. Lessons which, I have learned, fill others with hope, Spes Nostra.
Interested in Reading More? Nathaniel Bald has documented his year in Madagascar on his blog, A Time of Silence With the Ancestors, at nfbald.wixsite.com
SUMMER 2022 MOUNT MAGAZINE
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Alumni News NAA President’s Letter GREETINGS FELLOW MOUNTIES, I hope you are having a good summer, and that the past year has been a safe and healthy one. As I enter my second year as president of the Mount's National Alumni Association (NAA), I could not be prouder of our alma mater. The Mount’s efforts to ensure that students could not only safely remain on campus but thrive—despite living amid a pandemic—have been nothing short of amazing. On behalf of the Alumni Association, I extend a huge congratulations to President Trainor and everyone who worked so hard to make this happen. This past year, we were fortunate to host events both on campus and in the chapters. This spring, I had the pleasure of inducting six deserving former athletes into the Athletic Hall of Fame and awarding two outstanding Mount alumni the Bruté Medal. Learn more about our honorees on the next page. We originally postponed Winter Homecoming because of COVID concerns, but we were finally able to celebrate homecoming and our Athletic Hall of Fame recipients in April during One Mount One Weekend. June 3 to 5 marked a return to normal as we celebrated the classes whose years ended in 2 and 7 at Reunion Weekend 2022. As President Trainor mentioned during his annual Mount Briefing at Reunion, there are many exciting changes occurring at the Mount–everything from the renovation of the Knott Academic Center to a higher level of competition for our Division I athletes with the move to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Association, to the restoration of the statue of our Blessed Mother. These much needed enhancements are not possible without the generous support of our
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alumni. I ask that you join me in this tradition of giving and make your gift to the Mount Annual Fund or the National Shrine Grotto to ensure the Mount continues to innovate while taking care of its historical campus. As I mentioned in the previous edition of the magazine, one of the goals of the NAA is to strengthen the connection between our alumni and the Mount. We are here to serve you. With 18,000+ undergraduate alumni, our goal is to help connect you with each other and with the Mount. Each month, a list of upcoming alumni events is distributed via email. Make sure you’re on the distribution list by updating your contact information at msmary.edu/contact. I look forward to seeing many of you at future Mount events— in the chapters or back on campus. As always, please support the Mount in any way you can with your time, talents, or treasures. This is your alma mater, and the Mount needs your help to continue to be the great institution that it is. Spes Nostra.
SUSAN JANOWIAK, C’81 National Alumni Association President
Alumni Awards Congratulations to the recipients! Simon Bruté Medal The Simon Bruté Medal is the highest honor presented by the National Alumni Association. It is conferred upon alumni who have brought honor to Mount St. Mary’s by distinguishing themselves through their career and commitment to the community and to the university or in service to their fellow citizens. RECIPIENTS: ROBERT A. HERB, C’78 MARY D. KANE, C’84
Academic Circle of Excellence
The prestigious Academic Circle of Excellence honor recognizes distinguished alumni who are leaders in their communities or professions, have actively supported the Mount since graduation and who are ethical leaders, inspired by a passion for learning and leading lives of significance in service to God and others. Congratulations to the 2020-22 inductees, who were honored at a dinner on March 5, 2022: Alison R. Banziger, C'92; Rev. Msgr. James Paul Farmer, S'80; Hugh E. Giorgio, C'91; Robert E. Lohfeld, Jr., C'93; Siobhan Kelly Madison, C'97; Christine M. Gelles, C'92; Ashley M. DeCruise, Ed.D., C'11; Kristy M. Galante, C'00; Dan Fowler, C'05; and State Rep. Francis “Frank“ X. Ryan, Col. USMCR (ret) C'73. Not pictured are David D. Ginty, Ph.D., C'84, and the Rev. Ricardo F. Hernandez, S'00. SUMMER 2022 MOUNT MAGAZINE
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Athletic Hall of Fame Established by the National Alumni Association, the Mount St. Mary’s University Athletic Hall of Fame recognizes former student-athletes who exhibited outstanding athletic prowess in an intercollegiate sport. Six individuals were inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame on April 23, 2022 during the One Mount One Weekend festivities.
Left to right: GEORGE KNIPFING, C’63 TRACK & FIELD JEREMY GOODE, C’10 MEN’S BASKETBALL HAROLD “CHAPPY“ MENNINGER, 1995-2007 ATHLETIC DIRECTOR ANNA LEBO-DUNN, C’08 WOMEN’S SOCCER DAVID HINTON, C’05 TRACK & FIELD DEVIN BARRY, C’06 TRACK & FIELD
The Rev. Carl J. Fives Alumni Scholarship AUTUMN BURNS Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
CYNTHIA SEN BASSI Clarksburg, Maryland
EMMA WEINHEIMER Lititz, Pennsylvania
The National Alumni Association established the Rev. Carl J. Fives Scholarship in memory of longtime Alumni Chaplain Rev. Carl J. Fives, C’38, S’42, H’99. The scholarship is awarded to rising university seniors and two fourth-year seminarians based on academic excellence, financial aid and service to the Mount community. Since 1989, the National Alumni Association has awarded 190 scholarships, totaling $644,925. Six students from the Class of 2022 received scholarships.
MAURA HERRON Ridgewood, New Jersey
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ALUMNI NEWS SUMMER 2022
OLIVIA EBY Westminster, Maryland (legacy recipient)
SARA CHEPKOIT Damascus, Maryland
In addition, two fourth-year seminarians received scholarships in the fall of 2021.
Open Doors by Giving to the Mount
Your gift to Mount St. Mary’s Annual Fund goes to work right away, opening doors for the next generation of students.
WHEN YOU GIVE TO THE ANNUAL FUND, your donation provides immediate financial resources for the Mount to Improve financial aid packages for current students so they can continue to pursue their degree without interruption.
Gaming in Purcell Hall New residential cottage
Help ensure that the university’s infrastructure meets student needs. Annual fund gifts contributed to the building of a two-story residential cottage in 2021, revamping Purcell Hall for the esports team and recreational gaming in 2019, and repurposing space as the admissions welcome center in 2022. Attract top-notch faculty. Last year the Mount welcomed eight new faculty with an incredible amount of talent and diverse backgrounds and experiences. They earned their doctorates at Harvard University, the University of California at Berkeley, the College of William and Mary, American University and other well-regarded universities. YOUR GIFT TO THE ANNUAL FUND ALLOWS THE MOUNT TO Respond to today's most pressing needs and emerging opportunities Maintain our commitment to academic excellence and service to God and others Every year we count on annual donors for a critical and consistent stream of support. Can we count on you this year?
Give today and open doors to future students.
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msmary.edu/ plannedgiving 33
REUNION RECAP!
Reunion Weekend 2022 The first June reunion since 2019 featured sunny skies and bright smiles. Thank you to all who came to celebrate! REUNION 2022 OFFERED A COMPLETE WEEKEND of activities, designed to make it easy and fun for friends to reconnect and to celebrate each class’s milestone reunion, as well as get up to speed about what is happening at the Mount. In addition to President Tim Trainor’s Mount Briefing, alumni enjoyed the Mount brew tasting, featuring beer brewed by Mount Brew Club alumni, while mingling with deans and faculty members. Friday night’s BYOB kick-off party at the apartment quad featured Deep Six, a band led by alumnus Doug Peterson, C’92. Flying Ivories Dueling Pianos entertained at Saturday night’s quad party, which also had a food truck. The weekend concluded with the Alumni Memorial Mass and National Alumni Association Meeting. 34
ALUMNI NEWS SUMMER 2022
FESTIVAL AT THE PALMIERI ACTIVITIES CENTER The Reunion Festival included a cornhole tournament, cold beer, Emmit's Street Eats food truck and entertainment from Two of the Four with Barb Purcell, C'78.
ALUMNI BANQUET & GOLDEN MOUNTAINEER MASS Alumni celebrated the Bruté Medal recipients and the 50th anniversary Class of 1972. Pictured above are the current and former Bruté Medal recipients in attendance. At right are Golden Mountaineers.
46TH ANNUAL ALUMNI GOLF TOURNAMENT Golfers enjoyed perfect weather for a day at Waynesboro Country Club. All proceeds benefitted the Rev. Carl J. Fives Alumni Scholarship.
THERE'S MORE TO SEE!
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Thank you for coming to Reunion 2022!
CLASS OF 1972 CELEBRATING 50 YEARS! (including widows)
See more photos at: msmary.edu/reunionphotos
CLASS OF 1977
CLASS OF 2012
CLASS OF 2002
CLASS OF 1982
CLASS OF 1957
CLASS OF 1997
CLASS OF 1952 CLASS OF 1967
CLASS OF 1987
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CLASS OF 2017
Mount Proud
#OneMountOneWeekend
$435.10 Average Gift
April 21-23, 2022 One Mount. One Weekend. Your Legacy. Our Future. Thank you to everyone who made a gift, took part in the campus festivities or cheered on our student athletes during this unforgettable weekend.
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Class Notes Published book by Jim Talone, C'66, titled There It Is: A Helicopter Ride and a Purple Heart
Find out what your fellow alumni are doing. Stories are listed by class year, in ascending order to most recent and alphabetically by last name.
Accomplishments JIM TALONE, C’66 Jim Talone, C'66, published a book, There It Is: A Helicopter Ride and a Purple Heart. Jim was awarded a Silver Star for his actions in combat as a Marine lieutenant in Vietnam. The book, available on Amazon, is a chronological series of reminiscences filled with insight, reflection, humor and pathos.
Frank Barnes, C’83, and Mike Chrepta, C’83
FRANK BARNES, C’83, AND MIKE CHREPTA, C’83 Frank Barnes, C’83, and Mike Chrepta, C’83, Sir Knights in the Long Valley, New Jersey Council of the Knights of Columbus, participated in the council’s annual Thanksgiving Food Drive at the ShopRite in Chester, New Jersey. At this year’s food drive, the Knights collected more than 150 turkeys, 546 bags of groceries—equating to 6,200 pounds—and $1,500 in cash and gift card donations. The Long Valley council delivered all donations to the Diocese of Patterson Food Bank, Morris County food banks and retirement centers. DAVE FITZSIMMONS, C’84 Dave Fitzsimmons, C’84, was honored as the 2021 Association CFO of the Year by Association TRENDS Magazine. He is the senior vice president of finance and administration for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and has been with the association for 25 years. VINCENT CHESNEY, MS, FAAIDD, C’97 Vincent Chesney, MS, FAAIDD, C’97, has been named to the board of directors of the American Association of Intellectual and Development Disabilities. A member of AAIDD since 1998, he recently completed a term as chair of the AAIDD Psychology Division. He is a psychological services specialist for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Vincent Chesney, MS, FAAIDD, C’97 38
CLASS NOTES SUMMER 2022
AMANDA KERN, C'07 Amanda Kern, C'07, graduated with a Master of Social Work from the University of Texas at San Antonio in December 2021. After years of serving individuals with disabilities and medical conditions in various capacities across San Antonio, Amanda began her work as a licensed social worker in Maryland starting in January 2022. MARY VEROXIE HEATER, C’09 Mary Veroxie Heater, C’09, a teacher in Montgomery County (MD) Public Schools for the past 13 years, recently wrote a children’s picture book about dealing with the loss of a loved one titled When You See a Bluebird. MICHAEL SULLIVAN, C’16 Michael Sullivan, C’16, earned a Master of Science degree in cybersecurity technology from the University of Maryland Global Campus. KELLY CORBI, MBA'04 Kelly Corbi, MBA'04, has been named president of MelroseWakefield Hospital and Lawrence Memorial Hospital of Medford, Massachusetts. She will also serve as an executive vice president of Tufts Medicine. As president, she will lead the local organizations of MelroseWakefield Hospital, Lawrence Memorial Hospital of Medford, and their many community-based services, in serving the healthcare needs of north suburban Boston as members of Tufts Medicine. She is an accomplished and progressive healthcare executive with broad experience across the continuum of healthcare, including community and academic medicine, ambulatory services, skilled nursing and home healthcare, and managed care.
Amanda Kern, C'07
Kelly Corbi, MBA'04
Births
COLEEN (YAZURLO) BEDDICK, C'10, AND CORY BEDDICK Coleen (Yazurlo) Beddick, C'10, and Cory Beddick welcomed Nolan Connor Beddick on January 7, 2022.
DANIELLE (GRACE) NICKAS, C’14, MBA’16, AND TIM NICKAS, C’12 Danielle (Grace) Nickas, C’14, MBA’16, and Tim Nickas, C’12, welcomed Nora Grace Nickas on October 6, 2021. SUMMER 2022 CLASS NOTES
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Weddings
ALLISON (FENNINGTON) STACK, C’12, AND CHRIS STACK, C’02 Allison (Fennington) Stack, C’12, married Chris Stack, C’02, on September 4, 2021. Celebrating with them were Alexis Burns, C’09, TJ Burns, C’03, Jeff Ormiston, C’07, Marty Stitler, C’01, Kenny Sheridan, C’02, Sean McMullen, C’02, Pete English, C’02, Tom Gosselin, C’91, Jackie Fennington, C’10, Sean Fennington, C’10, Chris Stack, C’02, Allison Stack, C’12, Laura Zrake, C’12, and Keyla Santoyo, C’19. Not pictured were Brian Wright, C’02, and John Lutz, C’04.
SARAH (CRUE) LOONEY, C’15, AND JOHN LOONEY, C’15 Sarah (Crue) Looney, C’15, and John Looney, C’15, were married in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at the Mount on October 30, 2021. More than 30 Mounties were in attendance. Back Row: Chris Phillips, C’15; Peter Sherwin, C’15; Matt Hrisko; Tom Healy, C’12, MBA’13; Craig Sakowski, C’15; Jules (Mastromatteo) Hershey, C’16, MEd’18; Todd Hershey, C’14, MBA’16; Mike Micklos, C’13; Jamie Gibilisco, C’14, MBA’16; Helena (Leyrer) Gibilisco, C’16; Nirup Puppala, C’15; Rob Samuels, C’15; John Bosse, C’15; Joe Barbato, C’15, Heather Juhring, C’15, MHA’18, Paul Conti, C’14, Danielle Cummings, C’15, Nick Cline, C’15; Ryan Wilburn, C’18. Front Row: Stephanie Bosse; Rosie Bolte, C’17; Kayla (Bishop) Sakowski, C’14, MBA’19; Colleen (Crann) Healy, C’15; Sara Fuss, C’15; John Looney, C’15; Sarah (Crue) Looney, C’15; Joey Barvir, C’14, MEd’16; Abigayle (Ward) Bean, C’17; Chris Viers, C’15; Levi Bean, C’15, MSSM’17; Elisabeth Levi, C’18; Ali Donahue, C’15.
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KRIS HINES, C’17, AND KAITLYN (SWEENEY) HINES, C’17, MSABA’23 Kris Hines, C’17, and Kaitlyn (Sweeney) Hines, C’17, MSABA’23, were married at the Mount on June 25, 2021.
LAUREN (SPRANKLE) MADURA, C’17, AND MICHAEL MADURA, C’18 Lauren (Sprankle) Madura, C’17, and Michael Madura, C’18, were married on October 30, 2021. More than 20 Mount alumni attended the wedding including bridesmaids Meghan (Sprankle) Doyle, C’14, Megumi Madura, C’16, Molly Siaurusaitis, C’17, and Jenna Moseman, C’17 as well as groomsmen Martin Grenchik, C’17, John O’Connor, C’18, Connor Burne, C'17, and Peter Kelly, C’16. ALLISON IVCIC, C’17, AND MICHAEL SPATACCO Allison Ivcic, C’17, MBA’19, and Michael Spatacco were married on January 22, 2022, at St. Matthias Catholic Church in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.
Submit
your news! Share your news with the alumni community by sending it to :
themagazine@msmary.edu ALEX CARHART, C’17, AND DAVID TIELLE, C’17 Alex Carhart, C’17, married David Tielle, C’17, on October 9, 2021. The couple met during their junior year at the Mount and have been together ever since.
The Mount reserves the right to refuse or revise submissions for style and length. Information about future events is not included. SUMMER 2022 CLASS NOTES
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In Memoriam THROUGH JUNE 15, 2022
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace, Amen. May their souls and all the souls of the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Thomas D. Ryan, C’63 October 9, 1941 - November 13, 2021 42
CLASS NOTES SUMMER 2022
THOMAS RYAN, C'63, EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF BUSINESS AND MATHEMATICS, passed away at home in Emmitsburg, Maryland, on November 13. He retired twice from Mount St. Mary’s, in 2011 after 47 years as a professor and again in 2021 after six years as an adjunct professor. He began his career as a fulltime faculty member in mathematics for 17 years before beginning to teach in the Richard J. Bolte, Sr. School of Business in the early 1980s. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he was among a small group of mathematics faculty who partnered with St. Joseph College to obtain a National Science Foundation grant for computer equipment and computer science education on behalf of the Mount. As a result of the grant, he spent 10 summers with the National Bureau of Standards (now NIST) applying
computer methods to solving problems in federal government agencies. He not only taught generations of Mounties but also was head baseball coach for 10 years and assistant basketball coach for 12 years under legendary head coach Jim Phelan. In 1997, he was inducted into the Mount’s Athletic Hall of Fame. He received a Bicentennial Medal in 2008 and was honored with the naming of a classroom in the Knott Academic Center. In 2011, he was named Professor Emeritus in recognition of his dedication and conscientious service to the university. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Rebecca Ann “Becky“ Ryan, and their three children, Matthew, Jennifer and Daniel Ryan, as well as seven grandchildren, three siblings and a number of nieces and nephews.
Deceased listed in order by class year.
Paul M. Little, C’61 November 12, 2021
John C. Gill, C’71 March 20, 2017
Charles J. Shimkus, C’61 October 22, 2021
Joseph D. Cottone, C’72 December 30, 2021
Harold M. Farrell, Ph.D., C’62 March 27, 2022
John P. Gilboy, C’72 July 26, 2021
Gene Napoliello, C’62 April 5, 2022
Dennis Markey Jordan, C’72 March 21, 2022
Col. Bernard L. Talley Jr., C’62 February 21, 2022
Scott J. Newkam, C'72 May 28, 2022
Martin Donato, C'63 May 16, 2022
James R. McGowan, C’73 February 19, 2022
John P. Hogan, Esq., C’63 March 22, 2022
Richard A. Polino, C’73, MBA’82 February 10, 2022
Thomas D. Ryan, C’63 November 13, 2021
Dr. Christine Commerford, C’75 February 2, 2022
Dr. Edwin G. Fernand, C’53 June 5, 2021
James “Jack“ Campbell, Ph.D., C’64 October 24, 2021
Melinda Ingram Colferai, C’77 November 14, 2021
Dr. George W. Greco, C’54 March 20, 2022
Paul J. Summers, C’65 December 31, 2021
Dr. Robert M. Wood, C’54 December 11, 2020
Paul M. Betz, C'66 May 14, 2022
Dr. Ronald “Skip“ Wayne Niklaus, C’55 January 30, 2022
Daniel P. Mahoney Jr., C’66 September 25, 2021
Dr. James P. Stanton, C'49 March 21, 2022 John Toner, C’50 December 14, 2021 William B. Finn, C’51 February 11, 2021 George J. Petrilla, C’51 July 29, 2021 Robert “Bob“ Cahill, C’52 March 16, 2022 William D. Conroy, C’53 February 7, 2019 Norbert Fenwick, C’53 August 12, 2021
Robert William "Bill" Farrand, C'56 April 26, 2022
Henry “Doc“ J. Miller, C’66 December 17, 2021 John F. Sincock, C’66 October 17, 2021
Albert Mrowka, C’56 July 5, 2018
Donald W. Baubles, C’67 December 19, 2021
Mark D. Baden, C’57 August 25, 2020
Peter Frentz, C’67 March 31, 2020
Francis Gerald Kane, C'57 January 24, 2022
Olin A. Malone Jr., C’67 January 16, 2022
Robert E. Ludicke, C’57 November 3, 2021
Robert F. Cannon, C’68 December 7, 2021
Kenneth E. Phillips, C’59 October 29, 2021
John J. Kealy, C'69 February 13, 2020
Frank Walter Scribbick, C’59 January 16, 2019
Joseph J. Ackler, C'70 April 16, 2022
Luke J. Fannon, III, C’61 January 9, 2022
Peter Benninger, C'70 May 4, 2022
Eugene A. Harcsar, C’61 October 11, 2021
Mr. Michael J. Luttrell, C’70 January 19, 2022
William L. “Bill“ Kelty, C’61 April 8, 2022
Michael F. Rodgers, C’70 February 13, 2022
L. Michael Kenyon, C’61 February 22, 2022
John J. Connolly, C’71 January 16, 2022
Joseph G. Bathon, C’79 February 3, 2022 Charles Jeffrey "Jeff" Luttrell, C'79 June 8, 2022 Margaret Mary Purcell Miller, C'79 May 17, 2022 Annie M. Huston, C’80 August 27, 2019 Thomas Zorzi, C’80 March 8, 2021 Glenn Springer, C’81 December 16, 2021 Kathleen McCarthy Joyce, C'82 June 6, 2022 Brian P. Mannion, C’82 February 10, 2022 Robert D. Black, C’86 February 20, 2022 Jill Lynch Lattanzio, C’94 November 13, 2021 Diana Wheeler Duney, C'97 August 15, 2020 Lamar Trice. C'12 May 29, 2022
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Jack Campbell, Ph.D., C'64
Scott Joseph Newkam
December 7, 1941 - October 24, 2021
SCOTT JOSEPH NEWKAM, C’72, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, May 28, 2022.
JOHN W. “JACK“ CAMPBELL, PH.D., C’64, passed away Sunday, October 24, after a lengthy illness. A son of the Mount, he served the university for nearly 30 years as dean of the college (1978-82), vice president for academic affairs (1982-1990), provost (1990-95), acting president (1993), education professor (1995-2010) and adjunct professor (2011). As a center on the 1962 men’s basketball team that won the NCAA College Division National Championship, Campbell, along with his teammates, was inducted into the Mount St. Mary’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1978. Earlier in 1978, Coach Jim Phelan had suggested that Campbell, then associate professor and education department chair at University of Nevada-Reno, apply for a position as chair of the Mount’s Department of Education. Instead, he was offered the job of college provost. “It was pretty remarkable to be back at the Mount; it almost felt like something that was meant to be,“ he told the New Jersey Herald in 2007. After graduating from the Mount as an English major, Campbell taught English and coached basketball at Holy Cross High School in Delaware while pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Delaware. He earned his doctorate in special education at Penn State. He was the author of the books Individual Instruction and Student Discipline and Classroom Management. He was a recipient of the University’s John Richards Award for Teaching Excellence and the Friends of Catholic Education Lifetime Achievement Award. Campbell often offered encouragement and congratulations to students, staff and colleagues by saying the words “Good on you“ that conveyed his genuine concern for others and happiness for their successes. He was a dignified, caring and compassionate man who lived life fully. Campbell is survived by his wife, Jackie, C’84, son John W. Jr., C'86, and daughters Colleen, Cathy, C'88, and Kristen, as well as 10 grandchildren, including Rita Anoh, C’23, and 13 great-grandchildren. 44
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December 16, 1950 - May 28, 2022
He was born December 16, 1950, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, son of the late Charles Robert and Gloria Ann (Caracciolo) Newkam. His parents raised Scott, his sister Charm and brother Keith in a home that instilled a strong work ethic and desire to serve others. Newkam attended Valley Forge Military Academy, and was a graduate of Trinity High School, Mount St. Mary's College, and Amos Tuck School of Dartmouth College. He retired from Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company in 2006, where he served as president and CEO. During his 25-year career at Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, Newkam was a servant leader, always ensuring the mission of HE&R supported the financial stability, growth and development of Hershey, as a destination for all to enjoy. He cared deeply for each employee and that was demonstrated through his genuine interactions. After retirement, Newkam continued his professional career, most recently serving on the boards of High Companies, Millers Mutual Group and Mount St. Mary's University. He served on the Mount's board from 2007-2017 and then rejoined the board in 2021. He was treasurer in 2016 and served on the Advancement, Audit, Executive, Land Use, Finance, Strategic Planning, and most recently the Governance Committee. As Newkam slowed down in his professional life, he focused on the things he valued most: spending time with his family and friends, traveling with his loving wife, hunting with family and friends and his passion for classic cars. Newkam is survived by his wife, Susan Joy (Knisley) Newkam; son, Justin Charles Newkam and his wife, Danielle Budash Newkam; daughter, Tara Newkam Valoczki and her husband, Stephen Tyler Valoczki; grandchildren, Tucker Stephen Valoczki, Taylor Anne Valoczki, Nicholas Scott Newkam and Taryn Newkam Valoczki; his sister Charmaine Morrissey, her husband Kevin and son Keith; and his brother Keith, his wife Eli and twins Jennifer and Kyle.
where he received his doctorate in philosophy in 1980.
John Donovan, Ph.D. November 5, 1942 - March 26, 2022
At the Mount he served as chair of the faculty (1999), department chair (spring 2004, 2005–08), director of the Honors Program and George Henry Miles Honor Society (1995–2003), chair of the Faculty Governance Committee (1996), codirector or co-chair of two Lilly Seminars (2000 and 2006), and as chair, vicechair, director and coordinator of many other committees and organizations, authoring position papers, leading discussion groups and serving in a wide variety of capacities as a faculty leader. In 2003 he was selected to be the Delaplaine Professor of the Humanities, leading a group of faculty in a three-year investigation of a theme close to his heart: “The Twentieth Century: the Search for Community.“
JOHN FRANCIS DONOVAN, PH.D., a much-loved professor of philosophy who Donovan’s scholarly work and interests was deeply devoted to the university and its revolved around the thinking of the mission, passed away Saturday, March 26. German Idealist philosopher G. W. F. Hegel, on whose theory of the relation Donovan was educated at Mater Christi Seminary College and St. Mary’s Seminary between church and state he wrote his dissertation at Georgetown. At the College, where he received degrees in Mount, and before that at Georgetown, classical languages, philosophy and George Washington University and theology; at Fordham University, where Catholic University, he taught a wide he was awarded a Master of Arts in philosophy; and at Georgetown University, variety of courses, with a focus on
physician, passed away surrounded by her loved ones at the age of 66.
Dr. Christine Commerford February 8, 1955 - February 2, 2022 ON FEBRUARY 2, 2022, Dr. Christine Commerford, caring wife, mother, and
Commerford completed her bachelor's degree at Mount St. Mary's and became the first woman from the college to go on to enter medical school. It was also at Mount St. Mary's that she met her love, Harry Neiderer, to whom she was married for 43 years. She completed her residency in family medicine, and went on to open a private practice with her partner, Dr. Damian Birchess. She worked at their practice for 39 years and is remembered as a dedicated physician with great warmth, empathy and kindness. Commerford also demonstrated her love in one of her proudest roles as a mom and best friend to her three daughters, Beth, Eileen and Karen.
topics in modern and contemporary philosophy, philosophy of religion, Marxism, and Existentialism. In addition to his book Doing & Don’ting: A Workbook in Moral Identity, which appeared in 1994, Donovan published articles, book chapters and book reviews on a range of both philosophical and pedagogical topics, exhibiting a particular interest in the unique role of Catholic institutions of higher learning in the contemporary educational context. He also published translations of a number of articles, from both German and French. In 2015, the Meredith Lecture, an annual event organized by the Honors Program and aimed at highlighting the overlap and convergence between the natural sciences and the humanities, was renamed the Meredith-Donovan Lecture in honor of Donovan’s friendship with the Department of Science's Bill Meredith, Ph.D. The two scholars shared many interests and once co-taught a course. Donovan’s gentle manner and softly wry sense of humor exercised an ennobling influence on all those with whom he came in contact. He is remembered with the utmost fondness by all who knew him, most especially his wife Marilyn and sons Brian and Steven.
having dinner on the back porch with her family, taking walks through the neighborhood, gardening, and playing games with her four granddaughters. She fought a courageous battle with brain cancer, and though her story ended way too early, her legacy of compassion and making those around her feel cared for and loved will live on in her friends and family. Commerford is survived by her husband, Harry; three daughters Beth, Eileen, and Karen, and four granddaughters; sisters Gail Callahan, Barbara Riegel, and Karen Cullen, and brother Leon Commerford Jr. as well as many brother and sister-in-laws, cousins, nephews and nieces.
The simplest pleasures in life brought great joy to Commerford. She loved SUMMER 2022 CLASS NOTES
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Mount Love Story Morgan Cawley, C’15, and Kevin Selby, C’14 “Kevin and I met in August 2013 in the hallways of the AC as we waited for the class Historical Methods: The French Revolution to begin. We had never met before, even though we both started as freshmen in 2011 and had many mutual friends. After getting to know each other during that fall semester, we dated long distance for seven years between Maryland and Pennsylvania. We recently tied the knot at the IC Chapel on July 3, 2021, which was celebrated by my cheerleading chaplain Father Cole Daily. We are so grateful for our time spent at the Mount and the blessings of a beautiful wedding day at our alma mater!“
Share the love! Email your photo and love story to themagazine@msmary.edu for a chance to be featured! 46
CLASS NOTES SUMMER 2022
Support Mount students with a Gift that Pays ARE YOU LOOKING FOR a way to support the Mount but still ensure you have dependable income in future years? Consider a charitable gift annuity (CGA).
How it Works
This popular planned gift can provide you or those you designate with secure, fixed, lifetime payments and ensure support of our beloved mountain home. Annuities can be funded with cash or long-term appreciated stock, and annuitants must be at least 65 years old. A portion of your annual fixed-annuity payments are tax-free throughout your life expectancy, and you qualify for a partial income tax charitable deduction. Your annual fixed-annuity payments depend on your age and the number of annuitants (one or two). Generally, older annuitants receive higher payments. Like most of the other organizations that offer CGAs, the Mount follows the suggested maximum rates set by the American Council on Gift Annuities. These rates have been revised upward as of July 2022. For donors 65 and older who can fund the annuity at $10,000 or more, annuities can be more attractive than ever. Mount St. Mary’s University works with PNC Bank to administer the program, which has been in existences since the 1980s. Here’s how it works: 1. You transfer cash, securities or other property to Mount St. Mary’s. 2. You receive an income tax deduction. If you give appreciated assets, you may save capital gains tax.
GIVE ASSETS Transfer cash, securities or other property to the Mount
DONOR It all starts with you!
CTA Charitable Gift Annuity
DONOR BENEFITS Income tax deduction Reduced tax on capital gain Fixed payments
YOUR GIFT Remainder to Mount St. Mary's to support future Mount Students
Learn more If you are interested in learning more about CGAs or deferred gift annuities, please contact Executive Director of Development Kim Johnson at: kjohnson@msmary.edu or 301-447-5361
3. Mount St. Mary’s pays a fixed amount each year to you or to anyone you name for life. Typically, a portion of these payments is tax-free. 4. When the gift annuity ends, its remaining principal passes to Mount St. Mary’s. If you are between the ages of 55 and 65, we welcome the opportunity to speak with you regarding a deferred gift annuity.
Please note: This information is not intended as legal or tax advice. We advise you to work with your financial, tax or legal advisor to determine a charitable giving strategy that fits your situation.
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Save the Date! Reunion Weekend 2023! June 2-4
We're excited to welcome all classes and to celebrate milestones ending in '03 and '08!