Issuu

OSWEGO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT OSWEGO n VOL. 44, NO. 1 n SPRING 2018

Conducting the Smile Train Alumna leads the worldâ€™s largest cleft repair organization

PLUS Black Student Union Celebrates 50 Years n From Athlete to Coach n

REUNION 2018 WILL BE ROCKIN’!

LIVE

June 7-10

1978

1980

1998

All class years, Greeks and groups are welcome!

H WITH SPECIAL GUESTS H

CLASSES CELEBRATING MILESTONE REUNIONS:

1943 • 1948 • 1953 • 1958 • 1963 • 1968 1973 • 1978 • 1993 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 GROUPS HOLDING SPECIAL MINI REUNIONS: Alpha Delta Eta, Alpha Sigma Chi (95th Anniversary), Arethusa Eta, Beta Tau Epsilon, Comm Studies ’97-’99 Alumni, Delta Chi Omega/Tau Kappa Epsilon, Delta Kappa Kappa, Delta Zeta, Fallbrook Residents, Fencing Alumni, Intercollegiate Athletics Alumni, Omega Delta Phi, Phi Lambda Phi, Phi Sigma Phi, Psi Phi Gamma, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Gamma, Sigma Tau Chi, Student Association and Theta Chi Rho “Rock ‘n’ Roll Is Here to Stay” but Reunion 2018 will come and go, so register now and let the good times roll!

alumni.oswego.edu/reunion Early-bird pricing ends May 18. Reunion hotline: 315-312-5559

SPRING 2018

OSWEGO

Alumni Association of the State University of New York at Oswego Vol. 44, No. 1

Grand Challenges: Fresh Water for All 12 College community draws on interdisciplinary approach to solve a complex, global problem of adequate fresh water supplies.

From Athlete to Coach 18

Alumni-athletes draw on their Laker experience as head coaches of other NCAA collegiate athletics programs.

Conducting the Smile Train 22 As CEO of the nonprofit Smile Train, Susannah Melchior Schaefer ’90 leads the world’s largest cleft repair and comprehensive care organization, and has changed the lives of more than a million children.

Ambition Intersects with Activism 26

For Spanish teacher Martha Swan ’81, studying language has sparked a lifelong spirit of activism and passion for social justice.

Black Student Union Celebrates 50 Years

In recognition of the Black Student Union’s 50th anniversary, hundreds gathered to celebrate the student organization’s contributions to the college.

PLUS

Campus Currents Class Notes Weddings In Memoriam The Last Word Faculty Hall of Fame

3 31 40 44 48 Back Cover

ON THE COVER:

Dr. Edward Wayi (left), Osawa Owiti—Smile Train’s 1 millionth patient—and Smile Train CEO Susannah Melchior Schaefer ’90 celebrate a changed life in a remote village in Tanzania, six months after Osawa underwent cleft surgery in 2014 performed by Dr. Wayi with support from Smile Train, the largest cleft repair and comprehensive care organization. (Photo provided by Smile Train.)

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OSWEGO Alumni Magazine

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pring is arriving at SUNY Oswego, and students are shaking off late-winter doldrums with Frisbee on the emerging grass and soaking up the sunshine’s warmth. Spirits are lifted and smiles abound. It’s President amazing what a smile Deborah F. Stanley can do—not just here on campus, but also in our day-to-day interactions. Smiles transcend all language barriers and can convey a range of positive feelings—kindness, gratitude, hope, understanding, joy and so many others. Our cover story highlights alumna Susannah Melchior Schaefer ’90, who leads an organization dedicated to “improving the world one smile at a time” (page 22). The largest cleft repair organization, Smile Train works with partner doctors and hospitals to provide free cleft repair surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children in more than 85 countries. Through her work, she is quite literally helping give every child a chance to smile. The organization has funded surgeries for well over 1 million children worldwide— not only giving them cosmetic facial work, but also providing critical repairs to their mouths and palates to improve speaking, eating and breathing. One of my favorite parts of the job as president of SUNY Oswego is meeting our exceptional alumni like Susannah, who are making an impact on the world through their careers and service. In this issue, we also spotlight another alumna, Martha Swan ’81, who saw a need in her community and took action to make a change (page 26). Her compassion toward the family of an inmate housed in a maximumsecurity prison near home led her to found Friends in the Adirondacks and fulfill her personal mission of making the Adirondacks “truly welcoming” to all people.

For more than 50 years, the Black Student Union on campus has had a similar mission of making all students—but especially students of color—feel welcome and valued (page 28). Throughout its long and vibrant history, the organization has helped educate the campus community about black history and culture, and has provided leadership opportunities for students who organize a robust schedule of activities every year, including collaborating with the African Student Organization, Asian Student Association, Latino Student Union and the Native American Heritage Association on the annual ALANA celebration. A key reason for this group’s success throughout its five decades is thanks to another alumnus, Howard Gordon ’74 M’78, whose contributions to this campus cannot be overstated. He has provided the college with leadership and has been a consistent voice in all college conversations about diversity and multicultural programming. Finally, this issue tells the story of some of our alumni-athlete NCAA coaches— who provide the roles of leader, mentor, teacher and rule enforcer for their teams. Their work lays the foundation for their student-athletes’ lifelong connection to competitive and team sports. These alumni coaches model the sportsmanship, teamwork and drive that students can emulate throughout their professional and personal lives. Our alumni are the embodiment of our power as an educational institution to improve the world; they demonstrate our value in contributing toward the public good. I am so proud of what all of you accomplish and how you represent us in the world beyond Oswego. You give us a lot to smile about!

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Michael Bielak Tim Nekritz M’05 Jeff Rea ’71 Wayne Westervelt Contributing Writers Robert Clark ’78 Paul Dix Autumn Goerner Dan Karp Laura Pavlus Kelly ’09 Nicole Lightfoot ’18 Smile Train Contributing Photographers Melissa Lee ’19 Kassadee Paulo ’19 Maria Pericozzi ’19 Lauren Sandford ’18 Samantha Shubert ’18 Interns

Oswego Alumni Association Inc. Board of Directors

Lisa Marceau Schnorr ’87 President Amy Vanderlyke Dygert ’01 First Vice President Kathleen Smits Evans ’84 Second Vice President Keith Chamberlain ’87 Past President Elizabeth Locke Oberst Executive Director Edgar Ames ’68 *Tim Barnhart ’02 Marc Beck ’93 Paul Brennan ’93 Kevin Bryans ’89 *Michael Byrne ’79 Mike Caldwell ’70 M’88 **Mary Gibbons Canale ’81 Karen Colucci Coia ’89 Raelynn Cooter ’77 Jerry Esposito ’70 Thaina Gonzalez ’92

Phillip Grome ’89 Lisa Sferrazza Hutchison ’77 Jennifer Warner Janes ’91 La-Dana Renee Jenkins ’94 *Maureen Flynn Kratz ’04 *Don Levine ’78 Molly Matott ’15 *Steve Messina ’91 Dana Segall Murphy ’99 Cathleen Richards ’09 Mark Salmon ’93 Dan Scaia ’68 Stefen Short ’10 Christie Torruella Smith ’08 Jeffrey Sorensen ’92 Yvonne Spicer ’84 M’85 **Deborah F. Stanley Kevin Sutherland ’05 Rick Yacobush ’77 Thomas Yates ’89 * At large ** Ex officio

Oswego College Foundation Inc. Board of Directors Mary Gibbons Canale ’81 President Michael Durney ’83 Chair Rose Cardamone Crane ’81 Vice Chair Nicholas Lyons Treasurer Doreen Mochrie ’85 Secretary Mark Baum ’81 Louis A. Borrelli Jr. ’77 Bill Burns ’83 Dianora De Marco ’14 M’15 Steve Doran ’82

Bob Garrett ’83 Kendis Gibson ’94 Jack James ’62 Matt Jenal ’78 Gordon Lenz ’58 Peter McCarthy ’82 Robert Moritz ’85 Colleen Murphy ’77 Suzanne Castrigno Sack ’84 Jennifer Shropshire ’86 William Spinelli ’84 Deborah F. Stanley Mark Tryniski ’85 Joe Yacura ’74

State University of New York at Oswego Deborah F. Stanley President Scott R. Furlong Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Nicholas Lyons Vice President for Administration and Finance

Mary Gibbons Canale ’81 Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Jerald Woolfolk Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management

Office of Alumni and Parent Relations

Deborah F. Stanley President

S AT U R DAY, O C TO B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 8

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Elizabeth Locke Oberst Publisher Margaret D. Spillett Editor Eileen Moran Crandall Associate Editor Jennifer Broderick Graphic Design Matt Cummins Online Coordinator Jim Russell ’83 Staff Photographer Lisa Potter In Memoriam

King Alumni Hall, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126 Phone: 315-312-2258 facebook.com/oswegoalumni Email: alumni@oswego.edu f @oswegoalumni Website: alumni.oswego.edu t i @oswegoalumni

OSWEGO is published three times a year by the Oswego Alumni Association Inc., King Alumni Hall, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126. It is distributed free of charge to alumni, friends, faculty, staff and families of current students, with support from The Fund for Oswego. Printed April 2018.

OSWEGO Alumni Magazine is printed on recycled paper with inks that are non-toxic, contain no heavy metals, and are composed of bio-derived renewable resources ranging from 25-40% (as a percentage of total ink weight).

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Annual NYC Career Connections Unites Alumni and Students On Jan. 11, SUNY Oswego juniors and seniors met and networked with accomplished alumni living and working in the NYC area. During the day, students could choose to visit Design Works International, hosted by Nancy Fire Breslau ’83; Fox Networks Group, hosted by Wendy McCammon Lee ’92; Kellen Communications, hosted by Stephanie Meyering Beahan ’08; or NBCUniversal, hosted by Matt Romano ’05 and Justin Dobrow ’17.

Members of the Drake-Deese family gathered outside King Alumni Hall for a photo during the Alumni Legacy Reception during Family and Friends Weekend in fall 2017.

Ilion, N.Y., studied education at Oswego and went on to become a school psychologist. The Drake family was just one of several dozen families who attended the reception and were welcomed by Laura Pavlus Kelly ’09, director of alumni relations. She encouraged them to get their family photo taken at the event by college photographer, Jim Russell ’83. “I was thrilled on two levels when Bo decided to attend Oswego,” Jennifer Drake-Deese said. “First, as a graduate, I knew he would be getting a great education, the opportunity for significant outof-class experiences, and the chance to make friendships that will last a lifetime. “On the second level, I was thrilled as a higher education professional,” she said. “My husband and I have worked in higher education our entire professional careers. We were hypercritical on every campus we visited. Since the first day Bo set foot on the Oswego campus, we have been impressed at every turn – the people, the facilities, the opportunities. From a professional standpoint we both feel that Oswego is doing it right.” l —Margaret Spillett

In the evening, students networked with established Oswego alumni from across the metro-New York City area, including Sony Pictures Entertainment Vice President of Ad Sales and Oswego Alumni Association Board Member Paul Brennan ’93 (left).

The alumni, representing a wide range of careers and employers, shared their personal experiences and expertise. The evening portion of the event was held at the SUNY Welcome Center in Manhattan, with Oswego College Foundation Board Member Steve Doran ’82 delivering the keynote address. NYC Career Connections is sponsored by the Oswego Alumni Association, in conjunction with Career Services and with support from The Fund for Oswego. l

LAURA PAVLUS KELLY ‘09

he green and gold runs deep in the Drake family, and on Oct. 21, three generations of Drakes gathered at the Alumni Legacy Reception at King Alumni Hall to flip through old yearbooks and swap stories of their Oswego days. The youngest in the Oswego line of Drakes, Bo Drake-Deese ’21, a broadcasting and mass communication major from Keene, N.H., is just beginning to create his Oswego memories, like attending the Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit and getting involved in campus organizations. “I chose SUNY Oswego because I knew I wanted a school with a good broadcasting program,” Drake-Deese said. “I also chose it because of how beautiful the campus is. My family heritage here was a big factor in me deciding to go here. I am very proud to keep this family tradition alive and well.” He follows his mother, Jennifer Drake-Deese ’90 of Keene, N.H., who now works as an academic and career advisor at Keene State, and his grandfather, Glen Drake ’57 of New Hartford, N.Y., who served in the U.S. Army and as a technology education teacher. Bo’s greatgrandfather, the late James Drake ’48 of

LAURA PAVLUS KELLY ‘09

Oswego Families Celebrate Laker Heritage at Alumni Legacy Reception

During the day, a group of students toured NBCUniversal with alumnus host, Justin Dobrow ’17, lead operations coordinator, NBCUniversal Media.

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O’Donnell Media Summit Tackles ‘Fake News’ JIM RUSSELL ’83

he 13th Annual Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit began with some ground rules about civil discourse. “We’re not all going to agree today,” said panel moderator Benita Zahn ’76, WNYT-TV news anchor in Albany, N.Y. “That’s OK. What matters is that we listen and that we attempt to understand and exchange ideas in a way that’s thoughtful and respectful, and in many ways, that is at the heart of the topic of today’s summit.” The topic—“Facts, Fiction, Politics and the News”—pulled together a panel of accomplished media professionals to discuss the increasingly volatile relationship between politicians, the press and the audiences they serve. This year’s panelists, pictured above with summit founder Louis A. Borrelli Jr. ’77 (third from left) and college President Deborah F. Stanley (center), were from left: • Steven Portnoy, CBS News radio correspondent; • Trudy Perkins ’93, deputy chief of staff and communications director for U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings (see related story on page 35); • Kristin Donnelly, supervising producer of CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper; • Zahn, panel moderator; and • Bob Lonsberry, radio host and conservative political commentator on WHAM-AM in Rochester, N.Y., and WSYR-AM in Syracuse, N.Y. OSWEGO

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After introducing the panelists and laying the ground rules, Zahn got the conversation started by asking how the country can “get to civil discourse, as the volume is so loud in every part of the conversation.” Portnoy pointed out that the United States has gone through other periods in its history when the “civil discourse has been as loud, or louder than it is today,” specifically mentioning the 1860s and 1960s. One distinguishing factor for Portnoy is that government officials are speaking up against members of their own party for their nationalist fervor and amped up rhetoric. “I think that is rather striking and that history will note it,” he said. Perkins said she sees a benefit in the volume of discourse. “People who would normally stay out of the political process—who would normally stay out of the conversation—are getting in the conversation,” she said, noting that many town hall meetings today are overflowing with constituents. The important part of any civil discourse is to “try to remember what you’re fighting for versus who you are fighting against,” she said. “When both sides come to that conclusion—that I’m not here because I’m fighting against you, I am here because this issue is important to me and this is why—I think that helps the civil dialogue.”

Lonsberry agreed with Perkins and took it a step further, saying the country was founded by passionate believers who didn’t back down and who were motivated by “love of country, not hate of others.” Donnelly pushed the question of volume back to the consumers of news— that their views, shares, comments and attention drive the news and the rhetoric. The panelists also dissected the concepts of bias and objectivity of media outlets as well as the notion of “fake news.” Several panelists said that Americans can consume news in its purest forms by watching live video streams from the White House briefing room or the floor of the U.S. Senate and interpreting the statements and discussions for themselves. Thanks to technological advancements, everyone can be the journalist, photographer and publisher of news, Portnoy said. But the panelists said, realistically, most people don’t have the time to watch all of these discussions unfold for themselves. Instead, they advised audience members to be smart consumers of news who vet their sources and seek both sides of a story from at least two news sources. Following the discussion, audience members asked questions of the panelists ranging from how do they defend themselves from attacks of being called “fake news” to how can news consumers determine if a source is credible. Zahn closed by encouraging news consumers to do what they would do at a doctor’s office. “Go and get a second opinion,” she said. “From a different practice.” The Media Summit was founded in 2005 through the generosity of media pioneer Louis A. Borrelli Jr. ’77, now chief executive officer of Digicel Group’s Home and Entertainment Division. In 2007, Al Roker ’76, weatherman and host of NBC’s Today show, provided additional funding to rename the summit in memory of longtime professor Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell, a seminal figure in the college experiences of Borrelli and Roker.

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Alumni Speakers Stress Importance of Hard Work at December Reception, Commencement

· Brady Farkas ’12, the program director and an on-air host at 101.3 ESPN Radio, which serves the Burlington, Vt. – Plattsburgh, N.Y., market; · Tom Murphy ’14, an associate project manager at Partners + Napier, an ad agency based in Rochester, N.Y.;

· Kara Vormwald ’15, the host and producer of Around the Tiers, which airs weekdays on WBNG-TV, the CBS affiliate in Binghamton, N.Y. Viewers in Greater Binghamton know Vormwald as Kara Conrad—her on-air name. l —Margaret Spillett

Watch the Media Summit and view more photos at oswego.edu/magazine.

JIM RUSSELL ’83

• Maeghan Roberts ’15, the communications coordinator for New York State Assemblyman Michael P. Kearns in Buffalo, N.Y.; and

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JIM RUSSELL ’83

In addition to the Media Summit’s distinguished panel of industry professionals, recent alumni returned to campus to speak to and network with current students at a Career Connectors event in the Hewitt Union Ballroom. The 2017 Career Connectors, pictured above with student moderators (standing from left) Taylor Ksiazek ’18 and Abigail Buttacavoli ’19, were from left:

Alumni keynote speakers congratulated and welcomed members of the SUNY Oswego December Class of 2017 into the Oswego Alumni Association during commencement events. On Dec. 16, more than 500 undergraduate and graduate students participated in the college’s December commencement exercises. The night before, the graduates and their families were invited to attend an hors d’oeuvres reception and champagne toast in Sheldon Hall, sponsored by the Oswego Alumni Association, with support from The Fund for Oswego and Commencement Eve reception speaker Auxiliary Services. Katrina Allen ’01 CAS ’11 The Commencement Eve reception featured keynote speaker Katrina Allen ’01 CAS ’11, who is the principal at Danforth Middle School in Syracuse, N.Y. A native of Syracuse, Allen began her career as a middle school science teacher; later, she transitioned into administrative roles at elementary and middle schools in the Syracuse City School District. “We all have the responsibility to do something of significance that makes our family, our community, our work or the world a different place,” Allen said. “But will you make it a better place? I believe that everyone leaves a legacy. I want you to consider how you can leave a better legacy with the importance of hard work and dedication.” Allen is a Mentor Leader Scholar and former Project BLEND Scholar with SUNY Oswego’s School of Education, and through these programs, she is helping prepare educational leaders throughout New York state. Project BLEND is a grant-funded initiative that provides research-based programs and clinical internships within the School of Education’s Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Leadership. The following day, entrepreneur Jeff Knauss ’07, co-founder of The Digital Hyve, an award-winning digital marketing agency, was the keynote speaker at the college’s commencement—exactly one decade after he crossed the same stage to receive his bachelor’s degree in public relations. Knauss started his address by approaching the podium and performing a 360-degree “selfie” on his cell phone as the Class of 2017 cheered in the background. He then shared his personal recipe for success: earned luck, hard work and other people. “Hard work doesn’t mean just working hard,” Knauss said. “Hard work means doing, ethically, what others will not in order to be December 2017 Commencement speaker successful.” l Jeff Knauss ’07 —Eileen Moran Crandall

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Endowment Shows Strong Returns, Outperforms Peers he Oswego College Foundation’s endowment continues to outperform not only peer schools, but the industry average as well, according to the survey results of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO)-Commonfund Study of Endowments. In fact, SUNY Oswego’s endowment has yielded stronger returns than the NACUBO average for the past 11 years and 14 out of 15 years. With a net rate of return at 12.4 percent, Oswego was two-tenths of a percentage point higher than the NACUBO average of 12.2 percent for 2017. Oswego’s 10-year rate of return of 6.7 percent yielded 2.1 percent more than the NACUBO average, 2.2 percent more than our peer group of colleges with endowments of $25 million to $50 million, and 1.7 percent more than our aspirational peers with endowments valued over $1 billion. This rate of return figure is significant because it is a key factor in determining how much money the Oswego College Foundation will pay out for its more than 350 privately endowed scholarships and its

dozens of endowed funds. “We are so fortunate to have a stellar group of alumni volunteers on the Oswego College Foundation Investment Committee who, in conjunction with President Deborah F. Stanley and finance director Mark Slayton, have astutely guided our endowment’s asset allocations,” said Mary Gibbons Canale ’81, vice president for development and alumni relations. “These returns enable us to maintain our significant support for students and their learning experiences that happen inside and outside of the classroom. This report signifies to our thousands of loyal donors that we are stewarding their gifts very carefully to ensure the biggest impact on our students’ experiences.” The NACUBO report is based on data gathered from 809 U.S. colleges and universities, representing $566.8 billion in endowment assets, from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017. While the size of the median endowment was approximately $127.8 million, 44 percent of study participants had endowments that were $100 million or less. This latest report perpetuates other

Oswego College Foundation, Inc. Growth in Endowment Assets (January 2018)

$36.6

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positive news about the college endowment, which, as of March 1, 2018, was valued at $36.6 million—up 8.9 percent since June 30, 2017. Increasing the endowment has been a major goal for SUNY Oswego, and much was gained through the most recent fundraising campaign, which started in 2011 with an endowment of $11.5 million. The college has more than tripled that amount in less than seven years. l —Margaret Spillett MATT CUMMINS

Find the Founder! In the fall 2017 issue, the Sheldon statue can be found in the middle right side of the photo of Chinese watercolorist and visiting artist Zhinan Jiang on page 15. Grand prize winner of a College Store gift certificate and a Sheldon Hall print is Donna Fraser Chatterton ’68. Winning Sheldon Hall prints are Gary H. Fox ’69, George Torres ’83, Jennifer Arnold Terry ’91, Brenda Ritter ’07 and Matt Slimowicz ’10. A tiny replica of the Sheldon statue, pictured here, is hidden somewhere in this issue. Find the Founder and send us a letter or email with the location and page number, your name, class year and address. We will draw one entry at random from all the correct answers and the winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to the College Store and a print of Sheldon Hall. The next five entries drawn will receive Sheldon Hall prints. Send your entry to Find the Founder, King Alumni Hall, 300 Washington Blvd., Oswego NY 13126, or email to findthefounder@oswego.edu. Entries must be postmarked or emailed by June 1. l OSWEGO

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2017 Technology Conference Showcases Innovations More than 100 different presenters gathered in SUNY Oswego’s Park and Wilber halls to reveal their latest innovations to students and educators alike at the 78th Technology Fall Conference on Oct. 27. Hosted by SUNY Oswego’s Department of Technology, the conference featured a Technology Innovation Showcase where current cutting-edge inventions, such as 3D printing machines, were put on display. Among the presenters were several SUNY Oswego alumni and current students. l 6

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Scholarships Create an Extended Family of Education

t all started when Sharon Wilcox ’74 cut the line in front of Joseph Yacura ’74 to get her SUNY Oswego freshman photo ID. “She cut in front of me, and I let her in,” Joe said, laughing. “That’s how we met.” It was the start of a relationship—and ultimately, a marriage—that has included three of their own children, plus an extended family of approximately 100 others who have received a college scholarship through their generosity. “It’s had a multiplier effect,” Joe said. “We were fortunate to have received good educations, and sharing education has become a personal passion for Sharon and me. There are so many bright individuals who deserve a good education, it would be a shame to waste their talents.” At SUNY Oswego, the Yacuras are the benefactors for the Sharon ’74 and Joseph Yacura ’74 & Family Endowed Scholarship for Software Engineering, which provides financial assistance to a first-year student entering the software engineering program; the Sharon ’74 and Joseph Yacura ’74 Endowed Scholarship for two first-year students entering the School of Business who have financial need; and the Sharon ’74 and Joseph Yacura ’74 Endowed Scholarship for the School of Communication,

Media and the Arts for a first-year student with financial need entering a SCMA program. In addition to the four annual Oswego scholarships, the Yacuras have established two Graduate School of Management scholarships at SUNY Binghamton—where Joe earned two of his three master’s degrees—as well as a scholarship for disabled veterans at Santa Rosa Junior College in California, where the couple now calls home. Each of the SUNY Oswego scholarships includes specific home counties in New York for recipients: Broome, Chemung and Schuyler; or that the recipient be an attendee of the Renaissance Youth Center in the Bronx, N.Y.—a program for inner city youth. The ties to Southern Tier communities not only reflect the Yacuras’ upbringings, but also a region where economic hardship is prevalent for many families. “Education is just so critical, and we were so fortunate,” Joe said. He earned an undergraduate degree in music in the School of Communication, Media and the Arts; subsequent degrees include two masters’ in business administration, and finance and accounting from Binghamton; and a third master’s from

Loyola University in quality management. He also graduated from the senior executive program at Stanford University. Sharon earned a degree in education from SUNY Oswego and a master’s degree in occupational therapy from Virginia Commonwealth University. Joe, who worked in information technology and the financial services industry for decades, also donates his time to his Oswego alma mater. He is an Oswego College Foundation board member, having served as head of the Audit and Finance Committee. He credits his fellow board members for their highly active and dedicated roles at the college in helping to advance the reputation of SUNY Oswego. Scholarships attract top-notch students who can then capitalize on the opportunity to reach their potential, Joe said. “Hopefully, one day, all of the recipients can pay it forward to Oswego, too,” he said. Joe’s latest project: the creation of Sonoma Coffee & Tea in California with his brother, John Yacura ’76. l —Eileen Moran Crandall

Nationwide® Named Official Insurance Partner of the Oswego Alumni Association The Oswego Alumni Association has partnered with Nationwide® to offer members special savings on insurance. This partnership means Oswego Alumni Association members will have access to a suite of products and will be eligible to receive a special discount. Plus, members will receive an additional discount when auto and home policies are bundled. “Our Oswego Alumni Association Board of Directors is always looking for ways to provide added benefits to our alumni, and this partnership with Nationwide Insurance

will give Oswego alumni discounted rates while also supporting alumni events and programs,” said Betsy Oberst, executive director of the Oswego Alumni Association. “We are excited to begin this new partnership with a highly ranked and trusted insurance provider like Nationwide, and we encourage our alumni to take advantage of the special discount pricing the company is offering.” “Nationwide Insurance is thrilled to have entered into a mutual relationship with the Oswego Alumni Association that 7

not only helps members save on Nationwide products, like auto insurance, but also helps support the Oswego Alumni Association’s mission,” said Ann Ritterspach, associate vice president of Nationwide Affinity. “We are excited about helping Oswego alumni with their insurance needs and supporting their good work.” For more information, call 1-855-5509216, go to alumni.oswego.edu/benefits, nationwide.com or visit your local agent. l

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The computer age meets the study of traditional disciplines—literature, history, philosophy and more—in digital humanities, a new minor at SUNY Oswego. Broadly defined as a multidisciplinary, collaborative academic field that applies modern computational tools and information science to the arts, linguistics, cultural studies and others, digital humanities as a minor launched in fall 2017. Computer science faculty member David Vampola developed and now coordinates the new minor, with instructional support from faculty members teaching courses in such areas as English, history, linguistics, cognitive science and more. “This is the marriage of the technical with the traditionally non-technical,” Vampola said. “This generation [of college students] grew up with computers. They are already conversant with some of the techniques used in research and the presentation of data in the digital humanities.” For years, Vampola has taught Introduction to Digital Humanities, which

Computer science faculty member David Vampola (left) helped information science major Kingsley Ibezim ’19 add the new digital humanities minor to his academic coursework.

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Award-Winning Diversity Support

UNY Oswego and its vice president for student affairs and enrollment management, Dr. Jerald Woolfolk, recently earned State University-wide awards—the first time they were ever bestowed—as the SUNY Diversity Conference recognized their yearslong commitment to fostering diversity, inclusion and social justice at the college. The institutional Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice Award recognized SUNY Oswego, under the leadership of President Deborah F. Stanley, for its innovative plan—infused through all campus sectors. “SUNY Oswego not only has a rich history and long record of celebrating and recognizing faculty, staff and students from diverse backgrounds, it has a plan to proactively, thoughtfully and with a participatory

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over time are examples of the ways digital humanities can deepen understanding. “I see digital humanities as an exciting intellectual adventure,” Vampola said. “It is an endeavor that widens the horizon for students and scholars of the humanities.” For more information, contact Vampola at david.vampola@oswego.edu. l

helps students understand how information technology, computational methods and cognitive approaches can assist in the presentation and analysis of data in the humanities. Textual analysis of Shakespeare, applying hypertext markup language to an art exhibition and comparative analysis of the ways different societies developed science

approach continue to move our efforts forward,” said President Stanley. “We know we must do more and we are committed to doing more.” Woolfolk’s individual award recognized her leadership in the sustained effort to ensure the college embraces all, including members of traditionally underrepresented groups. In fall 2017, SUNY Oswego enrolled its most culturally diverse student population ever: 28 percent self-identified as Hispanic, Asian, African American, Native American, Pacific Islander or multiethnic. That included a first-year class of nearly 35 percent on this measure of diversity—15 percent higher than in 2010. l

Jerald Woolfolk (left), vice president of student affairs and enrollment management, and Oswego history faculty member Gwen Kay, now serving as president of the SUNY-wide University Faculty Senate, show the college’s institutional Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice Award, presented at the fall SUNY Diversity Conference. Woolfolk also won an individual Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice Award.

JIM RUSSELL ’83

New Digital Humanities Minor Blends Modern, Traditional Disciplines

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Events

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Visit alumni.oswego.edu for complete listing.

Student-Created, Web-Based BusShare Tool Simplifies Transportation

tudents Peterly Jean Baptiste ’18 (left) and Theresa Personna ’18, both of whom work with SUNY Oswego’s Office of Sustainability, show the “Let us help” home page of the college’s web-based BusShare application. Award-winning brainchild of Alex Monachino ’17, who has since graduated with a degree in graphic design, BusShare provides easy-to-follow, plain-language steps for Centro ridership on campus and around Oswego County. Learn more at oswegobusshare.com. l

April 21

Field Hockey Alumnae Tournament*

April 24

24-Hour Giving Challenge**

April 26

Charlotte, N.C., Happy Hour Gathering*

April 27

Indianapolis, Ind., Happy Hour Gathering*

May 3

Washington, D.C., Alumni and Friends Event with Alice McDermott ’75*

May 3

School of Communication, Media and the Arts Alumni Event in New York City*

May 11

Commencement Eve Torchlight Ceremony*

May 18

Oswego College Foundation Board of Directors Meeting**

June 3

Theatre Alumni Reunion in New York City*

June 7-10

Reunion Weekend 2018*

June 9

Oswego Alumni Board of Directors Meeting*

July 14

Alumni Mets Game in New York City*

Aug. 13

SUNY Day at the Saratoga Races*

Oct. 12-13

Return to Oz V*

Oct. 13

2018 Homecoming*

Oct. 17

Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit**

* Alumni and Parent Relations, 315-312-2258 ** University Development, 315-312-3003

alumni.oswego.edu/events

Grant Helps Student Researchers Gain Skills Studying Skulls of Ancient Animals

JIM RUSSELL ’83

rofessor Jennifer Olori of the biological sciences faculty recently won a National Science Foundation grant for a project designed to provide undergraduates—particularly women, who remain underrepresented in sciences and math—with research experiences focused on head-first burrowing animals from as long ago as 300 million years. Thanks to the $73,165 grant from the NSF’s Division of Environmental Biology, the project promises to provide students with training and skillsets applicable to such disciplines as paleobiology, comparative anatomy, computer science, computational analysis and even robotics. Titled “Repeated evolution of limblessness and head-first burrowing in tetrapods: Testing predictions from the fossil record,” SUNY Oswego’s grant is part of a collaborative project spanning universities, research specialties, and student assistants in graduate and undergraduate programs. “Tetrapod” means “four feet,” not only referring to the fourfooted animals of today, but also to those that science has shown descended from the last common ancestor of amphibians, reptiles and mammals. Snakes, for example, are classified as tetrapods. Olori specializes in extinct tetrapods from as long as 300 million years ago, some of which evolved a different form of locomotion. Her project aims to test fossilized animals for skull shape and other characteristics that point to environmental pressures leading to the evolution of limblessness and head-first burrowing. CT scans of

Zoology major Meghan Gillen ’15 ’18 (right) studied—in hand and on the computer screen—the skull shape and structure of burrowing snakes, with biological sciences faculty member Dr. Jennifer Olori.

skulls from a group of snakes that still exists in India and Sri Lanka will help provide anatomical comparisons. “There’s a lot of opportunity for student work,” said Olori, who recently began training one of several women undergraduates who is assisting this spring. “The cool thing about this project is not only that it intersects with different biological ideas, but it combines computational skills—a bit of math skills, a bit of computer science along with biology—so it very rapidly helps them expand their STEM skills in general. That will help them be more marketable for getting into grad schools and getting jobs.” l 9

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More than 130 alumni returned to the SUNY Oswego campus during the fall 2017 semester to participate in the Oswego Alumni Association’s award-winning Alumni-In-Residence (AIR) program, with 70 alumni representing Graduates Of the Last Decade (GOLD). More than 3,000 students attended alumni classroom visits, workshops, panel discussions and other programs that provide a forum for alumni to share knowledge and career experiences with students. Here are a few words of wisdom from those presentations. l

JIM RUSSELL ’83

Lessons from Lakers

Amp up your resume…

Life is a journey…

“ Look for freelance opportunities

“ The moments that make up our lives

and project-based work, because there are not a lot of full-time jobs for students fresh out of school. Get experience and put it on your resume. Create opportunities through working as many different types of jobs and projects as you can, and always ask if you can do more.” Barry Gliner ’84 Communication studies Director of post-production, Discovery Communications Syosset, N.Y.

start with one single step … The only limits you have are the ones you place on yourself. And you’ll never know how far you can go until you live like the limit does not exist.” Sophia Elacqua ’15 Marketing Marketing manager, Manhattan Edit Workshop (Mewshop) Utica, N.Y.

NICOLE LIGHTFOOT ’18

Element-al Reflections During her keynote address at the Latino Student Union’s 40th Anniversary celebration dinner:

“ All of you have done an amazing job of finding symbolism within all four elements and correlating them with aspects of our heritage: Air, our freedom; Earth, our roots; Water, our music and dance; and Fire, our culture. It’s funny because I found my LSU Elementos at Oswego from the first day I stepped on campus until today at the 40th anniversary dinner. y Air—was being able to explore what M it meant for me to be Latina of Dominican descent through the Latino literature my Spanish major presented me.

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“ Why is it so hard to predict the

weather? There are so many different databases, observation networks, remote sensing satellites … so what gives? But we can’t know the true state of the atmosphere at all times. Not even close. We will never know the state of the atmosphere with precision.”

JIM RUSSELL ’83

JENNIFER BRODERICK

JIM RUSSELL ’83

Don’t forget your umbrella…

Hitch your wagon to a star…

“ Find someone who has your dream job and match the things you are doing with the things they have done. They are your North Star.”

Mike Coniglio ’97 Meteorology and mathematics Research meteorologist, National Severe Storms Lab, Forecast Research and Development Division Norman, Okla.

Cydni Williams ’13 Art and marketing Channel marketing manager, Facebook Newark, Calif.

My Earth—I discovered every other Monday when I attended LSU meetings.

y Water—gave birth to M Ritmo Latino when Patricia [Nuñez ’93], Astrid [Jacobo’91] and I performed for the first time at an LSU event.

Listening for opportunity to knock…

“ Being able to actually listen to other people is a skill that matters. You don’t always know whose hand you are shaking; smile and be at your best.” Anthony DeMario ’12 Broadcasting and mass communication Senior sales development representative, Terakeet; radio announcer, 107.9 FM station. Liverpool, N.Y.

My Fire—was ignited my senior year, when Patricia, Vivi [Vivianna Carriel-Rodriguez ’94], Ana [Figueroa ’93], Ana Luz [Rodriguez ’94] and I founded the first Latina Greek organization at Oswego, Sigma Lambda Upsilon/ Latinas Unidas Sorority Inc.” Thaina Gonzalez ’92 Spanish Manager of executive offices, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity Member, Oswego Alumni Association Board of Directors Bronx, N.Y.

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Faculty from all disciplines are encouraged to connect their students to the Grand Challenge topic, “Fresh Water for All,” and micro-grants will be given for creative classroom projects tied to the theme.

Grand Challenges Project Focuses On ‘Fresh Water for All’

“

on the topic, raise the awareness, explore different worldviews and values, and generate solutions. Students are a big part of these solutions. They are our future and we need their help to improve today’s challenges for the future generations in creative and innovative ways,” Howland added. Student Association President Dalton Bisson ’19, who is majoring in history and political science, said, “From my conversations with students, I think students are excited about the initiative and the outcomes it could produce. There is a general optimism and many people are glad that such an important topic was chosen to focus on!”

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JIM RUSSELL ’83

resh Water for All,” the college’s first Grand Challenges Project, launches next fall, aiming to magnify the strengths of SUNY Oswego with a cross-discipline approach that makes substantial impacts on this imperative global issue. College President Deborah F. Stanley set the tone in a campuswide announcement: “The Grand Challenges Project will give Oswego students, faculty and staff from all disciplines a unique opportunity to tackle the impact that ‘Fresh Water for All’ has across every aspect of our global community. “Grounded in shared goals, integrative skills and technologies, and an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving, the Grand Challenges Project reinforces the fact that today’s solutions need to include many stakeholders across a spectrum of scholarship, creative activity and opinion,” Stanley said. Leigh Wilson, chair of the Grand Challenges Oversight Committee and director of Interdisciplinary Programs and Activities, said the project has great potential to move the whole campus into more collaborative and interdisciplinary learning activities both in and out of the classroom. “Civic engagement and volunteer efforts will increase,” Wilson said. “Students will have more applied learning opportunities. These are best practices that hone the students’ critical thinking, their creative thinking and their interpersonal professional skills.” Jerri Howland, another member of the oversight committee, said, “As dean of students, I feel any time you can engage the students on an issue facing our country in a collaborative way, with the entire campus community, it is exciting. I’m looking forward to working with them as we approach our first challenge: Fresh Water. “By examining a challenge from multiple perspectives— Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, students and staff—we educate

Members of a hydrogeology class examined a sediment core at Rice Creek Field Station in November 2017.

The world’s fresh water crises may seem an abstract notion to many of us on the shores of one of the Great Lakes, which contain about 20 percent of the world’s surface supply of the precious resource. Yet from this position of strength, the college can make a difference for those far less fortunate. 12

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The Gift of Possibilities: Sisters Name Scholarship in Tribute to Parents

onna Osterhout Davenport ’71 was a senior living on the second floor of Hart Hall when her freshman sister, Marcia Osterhout Kees ’74, moved onto the fifth floor. “We were the first generation of college kids in our family,” Davenport said. “It was nice to know she was close by. I know my dad appreciated us being in the same place, as he In 1970, Marcia Osterhout Kees ’74 (left) would drive three hours and Donna Osterhout Davenport ’71 with to pick us up for vacations.” their parents, Marjorie and Ralph. Their father, Ralph Osterhout, a volunteer firefighter who died at the scene of a fire in 1981, and their mother, Marjorie, who celebrated her 95th birthday in 2017, have “always valued learning and education,” Davenport said. So as a tribute to their parents, the sisters—along with their spouses—have created the Osterhout Family Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to an incoming freshman student from BroadalbinPerth (N.Y.) or Galway schools, or Fulton County if criteria must be widened. The Davenports’ son, John, graduated from Broadalbin-Perth, and Jim served on the district’s board of education and taught in the Galway schools. “I know my dad would be so pleased and my mother is so proud to have a scholarship in their name,” said Davenport, who lives in Norman, Okla., and is a realtor. “They were and are very humble, gentle, loving parents.” Kees, who lives in Halfmoon, N.Y., with her husband, Charlie, retired from a 35-year career with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. She is an adjunct faculty member at the University at Albany. She sees students struggle to pay for college, she said. “I thought that this scholarship, in addition to honoring our parents, would be one way to help some students from our hometown area to, hopefully, have the same great experience that I had at Oswego,” Kees said. Davenport agreed. “I have always considered myself very fortunate to have had parents who could provide my sister and me a college education,” Davenport said. “Broadalbin schools provided us with a great start in life. We wanted to encourage people from that hometown area to seek higher education. Oswego opened us up to the world of possibilities. I have used my education every day in every way, and I am proud to say I am an Oswego graduate.” l —Eileen Moran Crandall

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“The Grand Challenges Oversight Committee will be working across disciplines to provide our campus community with a variety of multidisciplinary initiatives related to fresh water—from social justice issues to global sustainability and access, from the science of pollution to artistic interpretations of fresh water issues to media coverage of fresh water power politics,” Stanley said. Campus members will be encouraged to apply for micro-grants to support creative, interdisciplinary classroom or civic projects tied to the theme. “One real virtue of our shared grand challenge is that the considerable, manifold strengths of our SUNY Oswego campus will be united as one in advancing the common good,” Wilson said. “We’re surrounded by immensely beautiful and diverse systems of fresh water at SUNY Oswego. And it’s in trouble globally. That Oswego seeks as a community to caretake fresh water makes a lot of sense.” The Grand Challenges Project has its genesis in the college’s strategic plan, Tomorrow, which came together from months of concentrated thought and analysis by more than 250 members of the college community, alumni and other stakeholders. In defining impacts that the college has made and will continue to build on, the plan spells out Impact Five: “Our work contributes to finding solutions for the grand challenges of our time.” The Grand Challenges Oversight Committee foresees “Fresh Water for All” as the first of a two-year, overlapping cycle of projects that SUNY Oswego can focus on and, in the language of the Tomorrow plan, as “vibrant, engaged and curious faculty, staff and students delve into multidisciplinary investigation of problematic social and global issues.” For more information, contact the chair Leigh Wilson at leigh.wilson@oswego.edu and stay tuned to oswego.edu/grand-challenges. l

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Honors and Awards JIM RUSSELL ’83

Colleges of Distinction Recognizes SUNY Oswego, Cites ‘Enriching’ Experiences

olleges of Distinction recently named SUNY Oswego to its 2017-18 listing, citing such character-building opportunities at the college as undergraduate research, a wide variety of internships and co-ops, community service and alternative breaks, intensive writing courses and tutoring, interdisciplinary programs and an array of international learning options. l

JIM RUSSELL ’83

Officers Thomas Woodruff ’88 (left) and Thomas Marrone of University Police at SUNY Oswego accepted Life Saving Awards—Woodruff on his and Officer Kelly Thompson’s behalf— at the SUNY Police Chiefs Association award ceremony on Nov. 14 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

SUNY Police Chiefs Association Honors Three Officers

he State University of New York Police Chiefs Association recently honored three officers of University Police at SUNY Oswego for taking actions that saved lives. In a ceremony at its fall conference Nov. 14 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., the association presented Life Saving Awards to officers Thomas Marrone, Kelly Thompson and Thomas Woodruff ’88. Officer Marrone was recognized for saving the life of a man last May. While assisting the city of Oswego’s police on another matter, Marrone was alerted that a man was attempting to commit suicide by jumping off the Bridge Street bridge into the Oswego River. Marrone risked his own life pulling the man to safety as the man stood on the outside of the protective railing. Officers Thompson and Woodruff were recognized for saving the life of a SUNY Oswego student last fall who had collapsed and was not breathing on the west side of campus. l

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Distinguished Professor at Downstate Medical Enrolls, Thrives in Online MBA

r. Richard Rosenfeld M’18, (pictured above) distinguished professor and chair of otolaryngology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn and now a graduate student in SUNY Oswego’s online MBA program in health services administration, recently gave talks at the college sharing his expertise in health care. These opportunities to share expertise, organized by SUNY Oswego’s Division of Graduate Studies, point to Rosenfeld’s and other nontraditional students’ passion to keep growing, learning and making a significant impact on others. Rosenfeld, who already has a master’s degree in public health along with his MD, said he has thought for years about adding an MBA to support the next step in his career, toward executive leadership of a healthcare organization in the higher education or nonprofit sectors. For that, he felt he needed to turn to other experts, to “codify my, sort of, street knowledge over 25 years.” “There are people who spend their lives studying how to best understand organizational behavior, how to deal with human resource issues, how to understand the economics of health care, how to speak to your CFO in a hospital in terms they’ll understand,” he said. “I wanted to take advantage of that.” Visit oswego.edu/gradstudies or call 315-312-3152 for more information. l 14

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College Earns MilitaryFriendly Designation

UNY Oswego, celebrating the first anniversary of its Battle Buddy Center in the Veterans Lounge, recently earned a significant distinction for 2018 as a military-friendly college. Military Times—digital platforms and newsweeklies for independent news and information for service members and their families—placed SUNY Oswego among its Military Times Best: Colleges 2018, formerly Best for Vets, for the fourth consecutive year. The rankings arise from an annual survey, the most comprehensive school-by-school assessment of veteran and military student services and rates of academic achievement, according to the publisher. l

College Awards Grants to Support Better Batteries Research, Among Other Projects

Activity Committee (SCAC), which receives funding from The Fund for Oswego. Islam said he has more grant applications in progress, for significantly more money. But he said he values highly the faith that SCAC showed in his research. Scholarly and Creative Activity faculty grants of up to $3,000 are designed to provide support for high-impact research among faculty and staff seeking to be more competitive in their fields, which can lead to grants from external funding sources. SCAC also approved the following faculty projects:

JIM RUSSELL ’83

ithium-ion batteries continue to fuel millions of smartphones, electric cars, power tools and all manner of other rechargeable equipment, but SUNY Oswego physics faculty member Mohammad Islam (pictured above, right) believes great potential exists for lower cost sodium-ion batteries to make inroads. An expert in fabricating and using nanoparticles in his research on batteries, Islam recently earned a campus Scholarly and Creative Activity grant to study nanoparticles that promise to improve the life and charging efficiency of sodium-ion batteries. “Sodium is far more abundant in the earth (than lithium), and 2 percent of seawater is sodium,” Islam said. “It’s in the same column of the periodic table as lithium and shares many of its electrochemical properties. But sodium is highly reactive, so we have to tame the reactivity of sodium.” Islam and a research assistant, electrical and computer engineering major Josh Willson ’19, (pictured above, left) work in a lab on the lower level of Richard S. Shineman Center for Science, Engineering and Innovation, making battery components for their tests to fit inside the familiar coin-shaped, button cell outer cases. Their work is among several other faculty-student projects being supported by SUNY Oswego’s Scholarly and Creative

• “Mass Shootings and the Needs of Survivors,” Jaclyn Schildkraut, public justice; • “ ‘The Big Trouble Came:’ Youth and American Citizenship in the 1930s1940s,” Allison Rank, political science; • “ From Charity to Chastisement and Cruelty,” Cynthia Clabough, art; • “ Mobile Eye Tracker for Multiple Projects on Search Behavior,” Theo Rhodes, psychology; • “ Hair Cortisol Concentrations in Subjects with Tropical Mosquito-Borne Diseases,” Kestas Bendinskas, chemistry. On average, SUNY Oswego invests over $900,000 annually through a variety of grants, recognition opportunities and awards to support faculty, students and staff in their individual and collective interests in scholarly research, professional development and creative activities. l 15

Faculty Member Named Fellow in Two Prestigious Societies

chool of Business faculty member Efstathios (Stathis) Kefallonitis (pictured above) recently was named a fellow in two prestigious British royal societies: the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce and the Royal Chartered Institute of Marketing. Among other things, the honors recognize his expertise, leadership and service to the greater community. l

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ATHLETICS Oswego Collects Community Service Award of Merit The 24 Oswego State NCAA athletic programs were recognized once again for their outstanding commitment to community service, as they received the secondplace Award of Merit from the National Administrators of Division III Athletic Directors, sponsored by Jostens. This award is the 11th earned by Laker teams in the past nine years. In that time, the athletic department has received six first-place awards, two second-place honors and three honorable mentions. Highlighting the department’s activity during the 2016-17 school year were some 54 different projects and events, including annual support of the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Special Olympics events both in Fulton, N.Y., and on campus, the annual Yards for Yeardley and

Women’s Soccer, Women’s Swim and Dive Earn Academic Awards

Members of the Laker women’s ice hockey team Eryn Stewart ’20 (left) and Lauren Martel ’20 assist an Oswego area youth during the Holiday Skate in December that benefited SEFA/United Way—one of dozens of community service projects supported by Lakers student-athletes every year.

Teal Walks, fundraisers for Trinity Catholic School and Buc Boosters and many more. Approximately 37 different charities and organizations benefited from Oswego’s community service efforts. l

The Oswego State women’s soccer team has been named a Team Academic Award winner by the United Soccer Coaches. With a combined 3.13 grade point average, the Oswego team was recognized for its exemplary academic performance during the 2016-17 academic year. The team also earned the Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Gold Award for the 2017 season for exhibiting fair play and adherence to the rules of the game. The women’s swimming and diving team was named an NCAA Division III Scholar AllAmerica team by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America for earning an overall combined team GPA of 3.29 in the fall. In 18 semesters over the past nine years, the Lakers have been named a Scholar All-America team 15 times. l

Gosek Earns Historic 300th Win

Two Golfers Named to Empire 8 President’s List

Zach Hiris ’18

Sean Paul Owen ’19

The Empire 8 named golfers Zach Hiris ’18 of Bowling Green, Ohio, and Sean Paul Owen ’19 of Horseheads, N.Y., to its President’s List for the fall 2017 semester for maintaining a 3.75 GPA or higher while displaying positive conduct on and off campus. l OSWEGO

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Ameele Notches 1,000th Point in Double-Digit Wins Women’s basketball guard Courtney Ameele ’18 of Palmyra, N.Y., scored a career-high 33 points during the team’s victory at Plattsburgh on Feb. 2. With a 3-pointer Courtney Ameele ’18 in the final minute of regulation, Ameele also became the 10th member of the Oswego State 1,000point club. l

he Oswego State men’s ice hockey team defeated Cortland, 5-1, on Jan. 19 to clinch 300 career wins for Head Coach Ed Gosek ’83 M’01. At that point in the season, the win moved Gosek’s career record to 300-88-26 and the Lakers’ season record to 12-3-1. With a winning percentage of .756, Gosek has the second highest winning percentage of all current Division III coaches, trailing only Tom Coghlin of St. Norbert. Gosek is also the second highest winning Division III ice hockey coach of all time (based on win percentage) behind Coghlin. Gosek, a former Laker hockey player, has been head coach since 2003. During his tenure, Gosek has had 43 players receive 58 All-SUNYAC honors and 15 players named as All-Americans. l

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Former Laker men’s ice hockey defenseman and current internationally known artist Michael Wills ’15 returned to campus Nov. 17-18 to paint during the men’s hockey games against Buffalo State and Fredonia in the Marano Campus Center ice arena. Wills transferred to Oswego from Merrimack College and played 41 games for the Lakers while earning a BFA in graphic design. After graduating from SUNY Oswego, Wills traveled to Serbia, where he played professional hockey for over a year, retiring due to many injuries, he said. He said his forced retirement was extremely hard on him but

Michael Wills ’15

it helped him redirect his passion into painting. The paintings he created throughout the weekend were raffled off to help support the hockey team’s planned trip to Europe. l

Greenseich, McCarthy Set Records at NCAA Regional Colin Greenseich ’18 and Dylan McCarthy ’19 of the Oswego State men’s cross country team set records during the NCAA Division III Atlantic Region Cross Country Championships on Nov. 11. Greenseich placed 15th out of 290 runners with a time of 25:06.3 in the 8K. Greenseich’s time is the fastest in program history, breaking the previous record of 25:28.2 from 2016 set by teammate McCarthy. McCarthy, who finished 26th with a time of 25:24.5, also broke his 2016 record, and his 2017 time is now the second-best 8K time for the program. Both runners earned All-Region honors for their performances. Greenseich was also the first male cross country runner from Oswego to qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships in 15 years. He was inducted into the 2017 SUNYAC Cross Country Championships Hall of Fame for placing in the top five. l

T ROBERT CLARK ’78

Hockey Alumnus Returns to Campus to Paint for a Cause

All-SUNYAC Honors

he following student-athletes earned spots on All State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) teams. SECOND TEAM Emma Geyer ’18 of Liverpool, N.Y., women’s soccer Haru Kobayashi ’19 of Tokyo, Japan, women’s tennis Katie Reynolds ’19 of Pawling, N.Y., field hockey THIRD TEAM Sarah Grupp ’18 of Charlottesville, Va., women’s soccer Chloe Lonergan ’19 of Cicero, N.Y., women’s soccer Connor Lunduski ’18 of Baldwinsville, N.Y., men’s soccer

Leone Hits 200th Win; Lakers Set 3-Point Record Men’s basketball Coach Jason Leone earned his 200th victory of his career when the Oswego State men’s basketball team defeated St. Lawrence, 100-63, on Dec. 15, 2017. During the same game, Oswego buried 19 3-pointers against the Saints, breaking the old program record for the most 3-pointers in a game. Last season, the Lakers set the previous record by making 18 in their 104-69 win over SUNY Maritime on Nov. 18. l

Alumna, Softball Star, Seeks 2020 Olympic Bid The softball team for the South American nation of Colombia doesn’t wear green and gold, but its shortstop hopes to “Laker Up” during Olympic competition. “My Oswego players will know it’s for them when I do it wearing my Colombia colors,” said Morgan Nandin M’17, of the victorious “Laker Up” hand signal shared by Oswego State softball players. Nandin, who became a member of the Oswego State softball coaching staff in fall 2015 as she pursued a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, has joined the Colombian National Softball Team and is hoping to help the team advance to the 2020 Olympics.

“Like so many athletes, making it to the Olympics has always been my life dream,” said Nandin, whose father was born in Colombia and who maintains dual citizenship. “I am very proud of my Colombian heritage, and it’s been such an honor representing the country playing the sport I love.” Since joining the team, Nandin has traveled the world and met many players from different countries. “We have a lot of tough competition in front of us in order to qualify, but I know my whole team, including me, is working extremely hard in the off season to prepare for big tournaments leading up to the 17

2020 Olympics,” Nandin said. Nandin’s time at Oswego followed an exceptional undergraduate career at Syracuse University: Morgan Nandin M’17 Her record for most games played still stands in the Orange’s history books, at 227. Today, she is the varsity softball team coach for Oswego High School, where she teaches physical education. l

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JACQUELINE MICHALSKI ’10

FROM ATHLETE TO COACH: Alumni Cultivate Collegiate Athletic Programs Nationally —By Eileen Moran Crandall

“The men’s and women’s teams acted very much as one, always motivating and encouraging others to succeed, despite gender,” Michalski said. “I took this team atmosphere, which I learned from Oswego, and carried it into my daily coaching life here at EIU. The men’s and women’s teams at times have combined practices, and work together as a unit to make each other better.”

he used to beat the boys. Now she’s coaching them. “I’m on deck every day for that little girl who fell in love with the water,” said Jacqueline Michalski ’10, speaking of her own childhood as a competitive swimmer who transitioned her love of the sport into a four-year stint on the SUNY Oswego women’s swim team—helping the team win the SUNYAC Conference Championship in 2007. Today, Michalski is at the helm of NCAA Division I men’s and women’s swim programs as the head coach of Eastern Illinois University, a role she has held since August 2014. It’s a rare coaching gig: According to the NCAA, only around 3 percent of NCAA men’s teams are led by women; just 40 percent of women’s teams have a female head coach. Michalski, who is originally from Chenango Forks, N.Y., has led the Panthers to new school records, designation as a College Swimming Coaches Association of America Scholar All-American Team, and in its most recent season, 32 top-16 finishes at the Summit League Championships. “I know my four years spent in Laker Hall made me into the successful coach that I am today,” Michalski said. It wasn’t just the competition that propelled her, it was the camaraderie, great training partners and great friends, she said.

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FROM DOER TO TEACHER

n the high-scrutiny, travel-heavy, around-the-clock lifestyle of NCAA collegiate coaching, discipline and determination are key. Those are traits that former NCAA athletes have in spades; they spend their collegiate careers maintaining the focus and strength to compete at NCAA standards. In fact, Michalski is one of many former SUNY Oswego NCAA student-athletes who have leveraged lessons learned in the pool—or on the field, court and ice—to careers shaping programs and students at the elite level of play. Take Joe Jones ’87 M’89, who transitioned from the Laker Hall basketball court to a Boston University head coach job, a position he’s held since the 2011-2012 season. Before becoming head coach, he was associate head coach for the Terriers and held coaching roles at Columbia, Villanova and Hofstra.

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And one of Oswego State’s signature athletics programs—ice hockey—has had a number of student-athletes turned coaches, including T.J. Manastersky ’06, a Laker defenseman who went pro following graduation. Manastersky is now in his sixth season as the head coach of Curry College in Milton, Mass. It’s a role he has prepared for since childhood; he grew up in a coach’s office because his father was a collegiate hockey coach for York University. “I always knew that I wanted to be a coach when I finished playing,” said Manastersky, who is married to Oswego alumna Lindsay Gauthier Manastersky ’05; the couple have a son, Wesley Pierson, Oswego Class of 2039. “D3 hockey is so good, so competitive, and has so many great coaches working hard to be successful that I am fortunate to be a part of that group.” Manastersky has fond memories of the ice hockey rivalry with Plattsburgh, and the bagel and tennis ball toss— which, he said, remain a truly unique tradition in sports. But it was the people and the lessons learned on the ice that stick with him as head coach today, he said. “I learned how important it is to effectively communicate with your players,” Manastersky said. “It is a partnership.”

JAMIE DUMONT ’98

There’s also Jamie Dumont ’98, an impact player during his ice hockey career at Oswego State, who went on to assist the Laker coaching staff as a volunteer, leading Oswego into the NCAA tournament in 1998. Following his time in Oswego, he got his first taste of upperlevel head coaching experience with the Italian Professional League’s Bolzano Hockey Club and the Dutch Premier League. Dumont returned to his home state of Maine in fall 2011, and has been with the coaching staff of the Bowdoin College program ever since. He was named its head coach in 2016. Since Dumont’s return, the Polar Bears have won 83 games en route to two NESCAC Championships in a five-year span. Back in 1998 when he volunteered at Oswego, it was the high level of respon-

sibility afforded by then Head Coach George Roll and then Assistant Coach Ed Gosek ’83 M’01 that started Dumont on the path to coaching, he said. “I was so fortunate,” Dumont said. “Oswego State was so good to me, and that stays in your heart.” Dumont, who played at Romney Field House as a student, returned to campus with his Bowdoin team in 2014 as part of first round action in the NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championship that season. “The new [Marano Campus Center] rink is beautiful,” Dumont said. “That’s something that’s special about Oswego— how it feels about its program, and how the students and the town support it. It’s a great environment.” continued on page 20

PROVIDED

T.J. MANASTERSKY ’06 19

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Spring 2018

PROVIDED

LAUREN MAROIS ’13

Alumni serving as current NCAA Head Coaches* at Oswego State:

Ed Gosek ’83 M’01, men’s ice hockey

Mike Howard ’90, wrestling and men’s golf

Mike Holman ’96, men’s and women’s swimming and diving

* There are many current assistant coaches, and former coaches, who are alumni, too!

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Spring 2018

Just down the New York State Thruway—and a few hours drive east of the LeMoyne College (Syracuse) women’s lacrosse program headed by Kathy Taylor M’11—is the Sage Colleges, where the women’s lacrosse team is run by Lauren Marois ’13. Under Marois’s direction, the 2017 team enjoyed the most successful season in the program’s nine-year history that wrapped with the team garnering its first post-season appearance. Marois, who has been with the program for five years, including two years as head coach, brought her young team to compete for the first time in school history against her alma mater in March 2017. “We had Sub Shop on Bridge Street, and I got to show them Oswego—a piece of my life,” Marois said. It was a life where the lacrosse goalie—who entered Oswego as an undeclared major (“All I knew was that I wanted to play lacrosse”)—gained valuable skills that shaped her coaching style. “I learned a lot of my values at Oswego,” Marois said. “I also can tell my students: I’ve been there, too. I did it for four years; I can help you. I want them to know academics comes first; they are here for an education. I was taught that at Oswego.” In addition to her title as head coach, Marois is the Sage Colleges assistant sports information director, and plans to pursue an advanced degree in athletics administration. “Athletics has been such a huge part of my life,” said Marois, who said the

friendships she forged as an Oswego player are still her closest. “I think for a lot of us, after four years of being a college athlete, you just aren’t ready to give it up.”

STARTING NEW PROGRAMS

lumni aren’t just carrying on traditions of college team successes all over the country; they have been instrumental in starting— and restarting—programs, too. There hadn’t been a baseball game played at Bard College in Annandaleon-Hudson, N.Y., in more than 75 years, until Andy Salvatore ’11 restarted the program in 2013. The donation of a turf facility prompted Bard to bring baseball back, and Salvatore, who took on the head coach role for Bard after a few years as assistant coach at Oswego State, jumped at the opportunity. “I’m lucky to be able to call it ‘work’ everyday,” Salvatore said. “I liked the idea of recruiting nationally, which Bard definitely offers.” After going 0-20-1 in conference play in 2014—Bard’s first year in the Liberty League, the young team has begun racking up a double-digit tally’s worth of league wins. Several players have won All-Liberty League awards and the 2017 roster reached 35 players, which is on par with other teams in the league. “It has been a chance to start from the ground up, and we are well on our way to building something special,” Salvatore said.

Other collegiate program builders include golfer Steve Serling ’77, who earned 1975 NCAA Championship Honorable Mention All-America accolades for Oswego, as the Lakers finished 12th in the nation that year. Serling was part of three-straight SUNYAC golf titles on behalf of Oswego. He eventually helped launch the women’s golf program at LeMoyne College in 2010, as the Dolphins’ first head coach. In 2015, his final season at Le Moyne before retiring, Serling was named Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year. Adam Waterhouse ’84, who co-captained the Oswego State tennis team in 1983-1984, also built a collegiate program from scratch. Farmingdale State, on New York’s Long Island, hired Waterhouse in the fall of 2006 to develop both its men’s and women’s tennis programs. In their first season, he led the women to a 4-5 record and the men to a 5-7 record, with both teams making appearances in the Conference Tournament. For Waterhouse, “the transition from player to coach happened slowly over time.” PROVIDED

Athletic Coaching Minor W

hile alumni serve as collegiate coaches both at home and around the nation, the college has a minor to train coaching staff at the high school level. The athletic coaching minor is designed for students who wish to coach in New York State secondary schools (grades 7-12). Coursework extends beyond the credits required for the New York State Temporary Coaching License. These Oswego State-trained future coaches are preparing high school students to be the next athletes on the NCAA stage. Learn more about the program at oswego.edu/health-promotion-and-wellness/ athletic-coaching. l

LIFE LESSONS

ack in the pool at EIU, Michalski puts her team through timed drills. She shouts encouragement. She shares her keen knowledge and competitiveness with her team—qualities that help them take on the challenges of not just the swimming pool, but of life itself, too. “Many define a successful coach by the record board or by the win-loss column,” Michalski said. “I define a successful coach by how well the athletes do through their journey through college and beyond. I believe my job is to set the bar high in all areas: academic, athletics and life. This sets a foundation for years well beyond college.” l

SUNY OSWEGO ATHLETICS

ADAM WATERHOUSE ’84

“I initially became a part-time teaching professional and discovered that I enjoyed teaching the game to kids,” Waterhouse said. The Plainedge High School biology teacher coached high school teams for almost 20 years before the college opportunity became available; as a collegiate coach, he has earned Skyline Conference Coach of the Year honors six times. “Playing tennis at SUNY Oswego was an amazing experience,” said Waterhouse, who has three children with his wife, Denise Weimer Waterhouse ’83. “The most important lesson that I learned as an athlete was what it takes to be a respected and inspiring coach. Coach John Glinski led by example and I think of him often when I am on the courts with my own players. He treated me with kindness, respect, and was not afraid to let me know when I needed to work harder. I am the coach I am today in large part because of him.” It’s a common thread among yesterday’s athletes who are today’s coaches: Appreciation for the Oswego State coaches who taught them.

Read the full interview with EIU Head Swim Coach Jacqueline Michalski online at oswego.edu/magazine.

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Spring 2018

SMILE TRAIN

Changing the World One Smile at a Time â€”BY MARGARET SPILLETT

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Spring 2018

(Photo on left) Osawa Owiti (front)—the recipient of Smile Train’s 1 millionth cleft surgery—gathered with (from left) his father, surgeon Dr. Edward Wayi, his mother, a former Smile Train employee and Smile Train CEO Susannah Melchior Schaefer ’90 to celebrate his changed life in a remote village in Tanzania, six months after Osawa underwent cleft surgery in 2014.

“ I am often asked,

what drives me. It’s seeing Smile Train’s local programs in action. I cry every time I observe a cleft surgery on a child we’re helping. I like to think I have a small part in making that happen.” — Susannah Melchior Schaefer ’90

cleft patients throughout Tanzania and uses mobile banking to fund patient travel to the hospital. Osawa and his mother then took the 700-mile trip to the hospital with Smile Train’s support. “That’s our second challenge— patient mobilization,” Schaefer said. “We have a grant program to help hospitals support patient travel to the medical facilities.”

Schaefer had made the trip to the family’s village to celebrate the organization’s milestone surgery and to enable the doctor, Dr. Edward Wayi—one of the country’s only plastic surgeons—to see the impact his medical care has made on the children and their families’ lives. Dr. Wayi is one of 2,100 medical professionals who partner with Smile Train to provide more than 120,000 surgeries in 85 countries every year. Following the “teach-a-man-to-fish” model championed by founder Charles B. Wang, the organization focuses on training local doctors to perform cleft repair surgery in their communities. Those doctors then go on to train other doctors, creating a long-term, sustainable system. “Susie’s trip to visit the 1 millionth patient certainly stands out to me,” said her husband, William Schaefer ’91. “It validates Smile Train’s work. It was a powerful moment. I am proud of her and what’s she’s achieved. Changing children’s lives at the scale she’s been able to do is remarkable.” William said he admires his wife’s unrelenting drive and commitment throughout her career. continued on page 24

SMILE TRAIN

hen Susannah Melchior Schaefer ’90 arrived in 2014 at a remote village in Tanzania, she was greeted by the entire community with a ceremony in her honor and a feast of chicken. But more importantly, she was greeted by the smiling face of 6-year-old Osawa Owiti—the recipient of Smile Train’s 1 millionth cleft surgery. “I have the best job in the world— seeing this kind of life change,” said Schaefer, the chief executive officer of the international nonprofit that is the world’s largest cleft repair and comprehensive cleft care organization. “He is just thriving, and his parents—and the whole village—are so happy about this transformation. You could just see the absolute delight and smiles on the faces. This is what I love about Smile Train.” Cleft lip and cleft palate are much more than cosmetic issues, as they often have debilitating health impacts, including problems speaking, eating and breathing. Because incidence rates of cleft are often higher in under-developed countries with high rates of poverty and poor access to health care, children and their families are frequently ostracized in their community due to a lack of understanding and awareness of cleft, Schaefer said. “In some places, parents were hiding their children with cleft from society rather than getting them help,” Schaefer said. “Or their neighbors assumed that the parents of children with clefts were being punished for something that they had done or thought: ‘You laughed at cripples, you were not a nice person, you looked at the lunar eclipse.’ These are the things we were hearing, so we know awareness of cleft is still our No. 1 challenge.” Osawa was identified through a mobile phone recruitment program pioneered by Smile Train’s partner hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and partially funded by Smile Train. The program engages ambassadors to identify

Susannah Melchior Schaefer ’90 celebrates the recovery of Smile Train’s 1 millionth cleft surgery recipient, Osawa Owiti, with his grandfather in Tanzania in 2014.

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PROVIDED

From Board to Boss

Susannah Melchior ’90 and her future husband, William Schaefer ’91, during the couple’s last visit to campus in 1994—only a few weeks before they were married.

“I’ve never seen anyone who works as hard as she does,” William said. But the quality that drew them together is their shared desire for adventure and a willingness to try new things—in addition to older siblings who initially attracted them to SUNY Oswego (Stephen Melchior ’89 and Dr. Cynthia Schaefer Bacon ’83).

MATT CUMMINS

Leah Landry ‘11, producer of the health and wellness radio show Take Care, interviewed Susannah Melchior Schaefer ’90 at the campus-based NPR affiliate, WRVO Public Media, in November 2017, when she returned to campus as part of the Oswego Alumni Association’s Alumni-In-Residence program. She also presented a lecture, which was sponsored by the Feinberg Family Fund, established by Robert Feinberg ’78 and his wife, Robbi, to support gender equity in the workplace.

Susannah Melchior Schaefer ’90 Title: CEO, Smile Train (2013) Major: Communication studies (public relations track) Husband: William Schaefer ’91, geology major; director of special projects at Renaissance Property Associates Children: son, 15, and daughter, 11 OSWEGO

Spring 2018

Bold Career Moves A few weeks into a new job at her thenemployer Computer Associates on Long Island, she agreed to manage the launch of Techno Vision, a book written by the company’s founder, chairman and CEO, Charles Wang. He was impressed with her work and created opportunities for her to continue to market the book in Asia. Schaefer took a chance and, with the complete support of her new husband, accepted the role. Schaefer became the director of marketing in Asia for CA Technologies, where she built the organization’s presence throughout the region and hosted the first regional CA World conference in China. She later became a vice president and special assistant to Wang after serving as the company’s vice president and director of international marketing. When Wang retired from Computer Associates in 2002, he invited Schaefer to join him as his assistant in his new venture as the owner of the New York Islanders hockey club. Wang also asked Schaefer to serve on the board of a charitable organization that he founded, Smile Train. After serving as a member of the board for over 10 years, Schaefer became chief executive officer of the organization in 2013. In this role, she oversaw the rebranding of the non-profit and a revitalization of its fundraising, public relations and marketing efforts. Hear the interview and check out a slideshow online at oswego.edu/magazine.

Shari Mason, vice president of communications at Smile Train, said Schaefer took what could have been a tricky situation during the transition from board member to boss to establish an open and collaborative work environment. “Susie is very passionate about our cause, and it’s great working with someone whose whole heart is in it,” Mason said. “Through her, I’ve learned the importance of teamwork and not working in silos. She empowers people and trusts them to do their job.” Mason worked closely with Schaefer on helping the nonprofit update its modes of communication with potential donors and supporters. The company decided to rebrand itself, launch a new web site and move away from relying on direct mail to push messaging to supporters. “We wanted to have a deeper relationship with our donors,” Mason said. The organization has developed a strong social media presence and has amped up its celebrity ambassador program, corporate partnerships, eventbased fundraising and youth ambassador programs. “Celebrities are so important in helping us elevate our brand and reach wider audiences,” said Schaefer, who has worked with a wide range of celebrities, including Lucy Hale of Pretty Little Liars, reality TV star and entrepreneur Kylie Jenner and supermodel Christie Brinkley. She gave examples of how the stars partner with the charity, such as Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics, launching a special edition lip kit to raise almost half a million dollars to provide new smiles to over 1,800 children born with clefts— which landed Smile Train on Jenner’s reality TV show, Life of Kylie. Through Smile Train’s partnership with the Miss Universe Organization, Schaefer has the opportunity to work with the reigning Miss Universe, and international and state titleholders who serve as ambassadors to help raise awareness for the organization and cleft. In addition to leading an organizational rebrand, Schaefer has worked to help secure funding for hundreds of thousands of new smiles, expand cleft

BY THE NUMBERS Founded: 1999 Number of employees: 100 Surgeries per year: More than 120,000 Number of children born each year in the developing world with cleft: 170,000 Average cost per surgery: $250 Partner Hospitals: More than 1,100 Partner Doctors/Medical Professionals: More than 2,100 Number of countries: 85+ Children helped by Smile Train services: 1 million+ SMILE TRAIN

Learn more at smiletrain.org

Susannah Melchior Schaefer ’90 with Smile Train patient in Mexico in 2017.

surgical training and education programs throughout the world and establish organizational partnerships in Haiti and Rwanda. Troy Reinhart, the senior vice president of development at Smile Train, said Schaefer makes his job easier. “She has an open door policy so anyone can talk to her,” he said. “It’s great for our donors to be able to meet our CEO, and she’s so personable.” Reinhart said she also made some more pragmatic changes like allowing individual departments to put together their own budgets and identify its priorities. “She put more strategy behind our business practices,” said Reinhart, who was one of the organization’s first employees. “Because she came from our board, she’s able to advocate on our behalf. She speaks our language and can interpret that to the board.”

Service with a Smile

every patient, including a before and after photo, that in addition to being part of the system by which the organization reimburses hospitals for their Smile Train surgeries, also creates a resource for researchers and medical professionals studying cleft. Under Schaefer’s leadership, the organization has received GuideStar’s 2017 Platinum “Seal of Transparency” and is a 2017 Top-Rated Nonprofit, according to greatnonprofits.org. “I am often asked, what drives me,” she said. “It’s seeing Smile Train’s local programs in action. I cry every time I observe a cleft surgery on a child we’re helping. I like to think I have a small part in making that happen.” Her passion inspires those around her. “She is so compassionate,” Reinhart said. “When she’s speaking about waiting with the mother whose child is having cleft

In addition, Schaefer led the team in developing Smile Train’s groundbreaking Virtual Surgery Simulator, which combines voiceover, text labels and actual intraoperative surgical footage within an interactive, animated 3D context for an immersive learning experience. This multilingual cleft surgical training tool enhances the organization’s “teach-aman-to-fish” model. “As a technology entrepreneur, Charles [Wang] has encouraged us to use technology to advance the level of care and the level of training,” Schaefer said. “We also built a charity that has data to inform future growth and our understanding of cleft on a global scale.” The company developed Smile Train Express, a digital medical records database that contains a record for

surgery, you know she is empathizing with what that mother is going through. Her love for our vision to help the children is moving.” Mason recalled the moment in a staff meeting when Schaefer talked about meeting Osawa and his family. “When she was sharing the story, the whole staff could truly see how his life was changed forever,” Mason said. “We also felt proud of the work we do. I will always remember that moment— seeing her passion and conviction that every single child deserves to have a chance for a healthy and productive life.” Schaefer shares that passion with her husband and children, who support her every step of the way. “I have an amazing husband and children who love what I do,” she said. “They get it. They understand how important this work is. You have to love what you do, and I do. I am so grateful.” l

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Building a Better World:

Pivotal Moments Set Alumna’s Career Path, Passion for Social Justice

—By Eileen Moran Crandall

OSWEGO

Spring 2018

PAUL DIX

ne Saturday afternoon, Martha Swan ’81 wandered into a SUNY Oswego campus lecture that would set her life’s path. The lecture was about the importance of being bilingual, and it was presented by the late Dr. Diana Balmori, associate professor of history, an emigré from Argentina who taught at SUNY Oswego from 1974 to 1983. “It was my amazing fortune that I just happened to walk into that lecture,” Swan said. “At that point I wasn’t taking a language, but I left there determined to become bilingual.” From that moment was born a career as a Spanish teacher, as well as the spark of a lifelong spirit of activism that has spanned the Americas and come to rest most recently in the Adirondack Mountains. In addition to teaching Spanish in the tiny Adirondack district of Newcomb Central, Swan’s extensive resume as an educator and advocate for human rights includes her latest project—Friends in the Adirondacks, a derivative of her John Brown Lives! program—founded to promote social justice through the exploration of issues, social movements and historic events. Like Swan’s career and many of her projects, Friends in the Adirondacks started with a pivotal encounter; this one while heading to her car outside of the maximum security Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, N.Y., in 2016. “It was a blistering hot day, and three people—it looked like a mom and two grown children—were trying to find the visitors’ entrance, and the mom was frantic,” Swan said. Swan directed them on how to get inside the massive facility. As Swan was driving away, she saw that the family was already back outside. She stopped to ask if everything was OK. The family shared that they had traveled more than 300 miles to see a family member, but had missed visiting hours. Swan said she offered the family her home while they figured out a plan, but they declined her hospitality. Swan drove away; then regretted not offering her telephone number, just in case. She turned her car around to see if they were still there, but the family was gone. “I felt awful that I couldn’t do anything for them,” Swan said. Those three people she met that day, she said, are among the multitude of families who travel to the North Country to visit inmates every year. “The Adirondacks is ringed with prisons. It’s a complicated and delicate topic for people to pull back the curtain and take a look at how we have built our economy on

Swan in Santo Tomas del Norte, Nicaragua, in 1986. The village suffered mortar attacks in clashes between Nicaraguan soldiers and contra rebels along the border with Honduras.

mass incarceration, and really consider how the local people, the inmates and their families are impacted.” It was that roadside meeting that spurred Swan, along with co-founder of Friends in the Adirondacks Soffiyah Elijah, to build a network of individuals and families in the North Country to provide hospitality and other kinds of support for visitors. Families who are too far away to easily visit can request to have a local visitor sent into the prison to check up on a loved one. “My organization, Alliance of Families for Justice, supports families with incarcerated loved ones in a myriad of ways,” said Elijah, who is based in New York City. “Martha and I agreed that our organizations should collaborate to expand the support that could be provided.” It was an easy alliance to make, Elijah said. “Martha’s generosity of spirit, selfless commitment to justice and deeply reflective insights serve to make her a calm force with which to reckon,” Elijah said. “Her devotion to building a better world is both infectious and inspiring.” Not only is the mission of Friends in the Adirondacks part of Swan’s personal definition of a “truly welcoming Adirondacks,” it is, more instinctually, a compassion for others that she traces to Dr. Balmori and her time at SUNY Oswego, she said.

“ I wasn’t necessarily paying attention to the world, until I was a student at Oswego.” —Martha Swan ’81

PROVIDED

“I wasn’t necessarily paying attention to the world, until I was a student at Oswego,” Swan said. She choked up with emotion as she talked about the moment her ambitions first intersected with activism: Once she began studying Spanish at SUNY Oswego, she found herself volunteering for organizations, including the Syracuse Peace Council, based in her hometown. That led to helping refugees from South America, particularly those escaping violence and repression in Guatemala and El Salvador. “I was all of 20 years old,” she said. “I was so privileged to be this 20-year-old kid who knew so little, to translate for them, to tell their stories when they so desperately needed it.” Later, Swan would live in Central America. Eventually, her path took her to New York City and ultimately—the mountains of her home state, where she became development director for an Adirondack environmental organization. She continued teaching and founded the John Brown Lives! organization after a visit to Harper’s Ferry, W.V., where history captured her imagination. “John Brown was committed to supporting those who are enslaved, and ending slavery,” Swan said. “Why has he been vilified by history? I was compelled to change this. This history needs to be known.” Slavery is an issue that remains relevant today, she said, and one that has influenced her commitment to others. Swan’s organization based on Brown’s namesake has offered educational events ranging from film screenings to community readings to concerts, in addition to the annual John Brown Day—a day

Martha Swan ’81

dedicated to human rights and liberation held at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site in Lake Placid, N.Y. Just as pivotal encounters have shaped her pursuits, so have her students and her love of language. “As a teacher I believe the study of language is just the vehicle for inquiry, discovery and engagement,” she said. Her current Newcomb students have helped her to shape a new direction of activism. Swan most recently joined the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Planet Stewards Education Project, which provides educators working with elementary through college-aged students with the knowledge and resources needed to respond to environmental challenges. “We’re studying things like marine sanctuaries, in Spanish— and learning about what’s damaging our oceans,” Swan said. “It’s something the students are interested in, and it’s meaningful to me. And who knows? Maybe I’ll learn how to scuba dive. “I tell my students: Learning Spanish—any language, really—will enrich your life beyond any measure you can ever imagine in terms of the friends you’ll make, the experiences you’ll have and your understanding of the world,” Swan said. “It did exactly that, for me.” l AUTUMN GOERNER PROVIDED

Swan working with students in the Newcomb (N.Y.) Central School District

Swan (center) attending John Brown Day in 2016 in Lake Placid, N.Y. She is the founder of John Brown Lives!, an organization dedicated to social justice and education.

OSWEGO

Spring 2018

Black Student Union

1971 Ontarian

Enriches Oswego Campus for 50 Years —By Margaret Spillett Jim Gordon ’73 arrived at SUNY Oswego in fall 1969, having graduated as the only black student among a class of 36 in his rural Dutchess County (N.Y.) high school. So when he discovered his roommate was white, it didn’t come as a surprise to him. However, his roommates’ parents had a slightly different reaction.

“Once they got adjusted, they were very nice,” said Gordon, who had the same roommate for three years at Oswego. “They would bring us clams from Long Island.” Unlike most of the 100 black students entering Oswego that fall, Gordon didn’t come through the then newly-established Educational Opportunity Program, which provides additional support to make higher education possible for students who have the potential to succeed, despite poor preparation and limited financial resources. Many of the students in EOP came from mostly all-black communities in urban settings such as New York City and Rochester, so the Oswego community was a bit of a culture shock for them. But for Gordon and fellow Dutchess County native Roger Hancock ’74, their first immersion in African-American culture came from the Black Student Union at Oswego. “It was through BSU that we learned about black culture and

history,” Gordon said. “This was a tumultuous time in the country—with the Kent State shooting, Attica riots, Vietnam War protests, the Chicago seven (or really eight) and Black Power Movement. But amid this turmoil, from my perspective, Oswego was a safe haven, a place where it was safe to be black—whatever that meant to you.” Gordon said he will never forget meeting Mohammad Ali in the spring 1971, as part of the second annual Black History Week started by the Black Student Union. The meeting occurred during a BSU reception immediately following Ali’s standingroom only lecture in Hewitt Union. “He was charisma-plus!” Gordon said. “He spoke about staying true to his convictions, and you could really see the strength of his character. It was so exciting to be able to interact with him on a personal level like that—and the reception was only for BSU students. The college was great in giving BSU the funding it needed to bring in speakers who exposed Upstate New York to a broader view of the world.” That tradition of bringing in culturally rich programs and speakers, sponsored by

(Photos on left) Mohammad Ali during his spring 1971 visit to campus; photos from the BSU Show in 1970 and of the Funnelle Hall “gang,” courtesy of Roger Hancock ’74. (Photo on right) Marquel Jeffries ’19 (Left) Justin Brantley ’15 M’16 and Keonna Wren ’19 were among the hundreds who celebrated the Black Student Union’s 50th Anniversary in the Hewitt Union Ballroom on Feb. 24. 1971 Ontarian

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Spring 2018

MATT CUMMINS MATT CUMMINS

(Left) BSU members from 1971 Ontarian; (center, right) Students celebrate during BSU’s 50th Anniversary Reunion on Feb. 24 in Hewitt Union Ballroom.

BSU, has continued throughout the past 50 years. In recognition of this milestone anniversary, hundreds gathered Feb. 23-24 for a weekend of events to celebrate BSU’s contributions to the college and the thousands of campus and community members who have benefitted from the organization’s activities across five decades. The weekend served as a grand finale to the college’s Black History Month activities, which also included a concert featuring the works of black composers, Maarifa educational presentations and Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration with speaker Bakari Sellers, a CNN political analyst, lawyer and activist. For Justin Brantley ’15 M’16, returning to campus for BSU’s 50th Anniversary Reunion was a way for him to continue the mission of “Lifting As We Climb”—a motto adopted by the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs

MATT CUMMINS

in the late 1800s and a philosophy that Brantley has aspired to live by. “It takes a village to raise a child, but any one of us can be the light that directs someone who may need it most,” Brantley said during his keynote address at the BSU 50th dinner celebration on Feb. 24 in Hewitt Union Ballroom. “Mentorship, I believe, is what has kept the fire shining bright for the union. It has long been a glaring need in our community.” During his address, Brantley, who now works as an auditor at EisnerAmper LLP in Manhattan, shared some highlights from the union’s 50-year history, including bringing to campus Ali and several other high-profile speakers such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Cornel West and Louis Farrakhan. Before Brantley’s address, the Image Step dance club performed a piece that drew from the celebration’s theme, “Remember the Time.” The performance included Michael Jackson’s song of the same name, percussive stepping and a spoken word conversation that wove together important contributions by black men and women throughout American history that were not shared in most history books. Their performance was one of several throughout the night. Members of the Gospel Choir, the African Student Organization dance team, Ritmo (the Latino

Student Union’s dance club), the Caribbean Student Association’s dance group and others shared their talents and their culture through musical and dance performances, and current BSU student leaders also addressed the several hundred people gathered for the 50th celebration. “Before I talk about today, I’d like to talk about all the yesterdays I had leading up to this moment,” said BSU Vice President Marquel Jeffries ’19. “I was the first in my family to go to college. I didn’t know anyone on campus, and there weren’t many people who looked like me.” He described how as a freshman, he met Brantley at the Involvement Fair and got involved in BSU. “Justin Brantley told me, ‘You’re the future,’” Jeffries said. “I took what he said and ran with it … Thanks for introducing me to BSU and for changing my life.” Denee Scott ’94 M’98, director of school counseling at Hammond Middle School in Alexandria, Va., shared a similar sentiment about her experience with the student organization. “BSU was awesome; it was my family on campus,” said Scott, who held leadership roles with the union and was excited to be back on campus—the first time in 10 years—for the celebration. “I made lasting friendships through BSU.” One of those friends was Oswego Alumni Association Board Member La-Dana Renee Jenkins ’94, who drove from New Jersey early Saturday morning to make it in time for the alumni panel, which was co-sponsored by the SUNY Oswego chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants. continued on page 30 OSWEGO

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MATT CUMMINS

Khalil McIver ’19 (left), director of archives for BSU, moderated an alumni panel during BSU’s 50th Anniversary celebration, which included (from left): Elaine Flowers ’16, Justin Brantley ’15 M’16, Tiphanie Gonzalez ’05 M’07 and Howard Gordon ’74 M’78.

The panelists also shared tips with panel attendees on how to handle systemic and implicit bias such as off-handed remarks about “filling a quota.” “When I hear something like that about Affirmative Action, I will often say, ‘Well, thank you. Now, let me show you what I can do,’” said Gonzalez, Ph.D., who is president of the American Counseling Association of New York State and specializes in multicultural counseling. Gordon advised students not to accept being seen as a deficit. “Challenge that in a polite and diplomatic way,” he said. “Ask the question. Why do you see me that way? As filling a deficit?” Keonna I. Wren ’19, current BSU president, said she was pleased with how the 50th Anniversary Reunion turned out

“We marvel at the evolution of the campus over the years and are exceptionally proud of how Howard Gordon has played a key role in nurturing BSU while in its infancy, which now has resulted in a strong diverse student body and is part of the DNA of the Oswego campus.”

MATT CUMMINS

The panel featured Brantley; Tiphanie Gonzalez ’05 M’07, assistant professor in the counseling and psychological services department at SUNY Oswego; Howard Gordon ’74 M’78, executive assistant to the president and special assistant for social equity; and Elaine Flowers ’16, graduate student in higher education administration at SUNY College at Buffalo. The panelists shared experiences from their personal and professional life and answered questions ranging from their favorite courses and mentors to landing their first job to overcoming obstacles, including micro-aggressions and outright racism. Gordon described the early days of BSU and the frequency with which “emergency meetings” were called to discuss conflicts or acts of aggression against members of the black community. He talked about the turbulent times that paved the way for future generations, and how he strived to be a role model for his family and for other members of the black community. He counts among his proudest moments meeting his future wife and fellow Laker, Eva Evans, and the day he walked across the stage at his college commencement. “I’ll never forget that,” Gordon said. “I could hear my mother shout, ‘Thank you, Jesus!’ real loud in Romney, and my little sister’s voice saying, ‘That’s Howard!’ I knew it wasn’t just for me. It was for other people.”

—Roger Hancock ’74 Howard Gordon ’74 M’78

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and looks forward to seeing what the next 50 years hold. “A lot of students coming in don’t think our voices are heard,” she said. “But when they get here, they get to talk about issues [of race, diversity and the black experience]. That’s how I think we’ve lasted so long, because we do have a voice and we do talk about issues and students do feel heard. The Black Student Union will be around for another 50 years because of the importance it holds on this campus.” While BSU’s future has yet to be written, the first 50 years of its existence has made a difference in many lives. The anniversary prompted Jim Gordon and Hancock to reflect on their time at Oswego. “Our incredible experiences of being on the Oswego campus from 1969 to 1973 created a lifelong toolkit that we each could draw upon to navigate the challenges in both our professional and personal relationships,” Hancock said. “We are amazed on how often we reached back to the memories of our Oswego-era experiences and the brotherhood that was forged that we enjoy even more in retrospect. “We marvel at the evolution of the campus over the years and are exceptionally proud of how Howard Gordon has played a key role in nurturing BSU while in its infancy, which now has resulted in a strong diverse student body and is part of the DNA of the Oswego campus.” l

Class Notes Submissions received between Jan. 1 - April 30 generally run in our summer issue, which mails in August; between May 1-Aug. 31 in our fall issue, which mails in December; and between Sept. 1-Dec. 31 in our spring issue, which mails in April. To submit your class note, email alumni@oswego.edu, call 315312-2258 or complete the class note form online at alumni. oswego.edu. You can also mail submissions to the OSWEGO Alumni Magazine, King Alumni Hall, Oswego NY 13126.

1950s Ruth Jacoby Emers ’51 is an award-winning sculptor, painter and printmaker who lives in Pawtucket, R.I. She earned a master of arts in teaching from Brown University in 1972. Her work has been featured in more than 25 group and individual art shows throughout the northeast United States.

1953: 65th Reunion – June 7-10, 2018 1 958: 60th Reunion – June 7-10, 2018

1960s Bob LaBounty ’60 of Keeseville, N.Y., retired in 2017 from a 45-year run as a square dance caller in Northern New York. He and his wife, Helena, started square dancing in the 1970s, and

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Call us at: 315-312-2258 Email us at: alumni@oswego.edu Fax us at: 315-312-4004 Visit our website at: alumni.oswego.edu

Lifelong Educator Keeps Close Ties to Campus For Bill Lavin ’67, SUNY Oswego has been and will always be a big part of his life. “I don’t think there’s been many years where I haven’t been on campus,” Lavin said. Currently, Lavin is an adjunct professor for the Technology Education Department, supervising student teachers. Oswego was one of the first places that taught the industrial arts, Lavin said. “Oswego is known all over for its [technology] programs,” Lavin said. Lavin enjoyed working at an automobile garage part time when he attended high school. When looking through a SUNY Oswego catalog, he thought industrial arts would be a rewarding career. He said he loved the industrial arts program and sports programs. When Lavin started college, the liberal arts program was brand new. SUNY Oswego had just broadened its academic perspective to become an arts and sciences institution in 1962. “At that time, you went to Oswego for teaching,” Lavin said. “I was one of 120 industrial arts student teachers. They needed teachers then.” Lavin graduated from SUNY Oswego with a bachelor’s degree in industrial arts and immediately started working full time. He earned a master’s degree while working full time. At that time, students could be certified for principalship and supervisor instruction, which Lavin did concurrently with his master’s work. Within his first three years of finishing his undergraduate studies, Lavin had a master’s degree in teaching, and was certified to be a principal. “I certainly got a good education at Oswego,” Lavin said. Lavin spent 38 years teaching industrial arts and technology education at West Genesee Junior High, which later became

MATT CUMMINS

Please Note: Class notes included in the magazine come from a variety of sources, such as alumni submissions, news releases, social media posts and news media reports.

CLA SS

Bill Lavin ’67

West Genesee Middle School in Camillus, N.Y. “I taught in the same district, the same school, even the same room for 38 years,” Lavin said. When Lavin began teaching, he also became a baseball umpire, often traveling to SUNY Oswego to officiate college games. As an adjunct professor for the last 12 years, Lavin has had the opportunity to reconnect with department faculty, as well as connect with student teachers. “It gives me the opportunity to provide input for what’s happening up there,” Lavin said. “I share my experiences from almost 40 years of teaching in public schools with the student teachers, too.” Lavin married Cheryl Luke Lavin ’87, and lives in Syracuse. He often returns to campus for the annual Technology Education conference, sponsored every fall by the School of Education. “I’ve said many times, there’s nothing nicer than a nice day in Oswego,” Lavin said. —Maria Pericozzi ’19

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Bob became a caller and taught square dancing from beginner to advanced levels. For 30 years, he also taught woodworking, leatherworking and ceramics to grades 7 through 12 at Peru (N.Y.) Central School. Prior to his time at Oswego, from 1952 to 1956, LaBounty was a radar operator on naval destroyer USS McCaffery. Bernard Farrow ’61 Ph.D., has retired as a substance abuse counselor from Craggy Correctional Center in Woodfin, N.C. His wife, Arlene Mendelson Farrow ’61, is a homemaker and gardener. They are the parents of Scott, an attorney; and Randy,

1963: 55th Reunion – June 7-10, 2018

an audio/visual specialist. They have four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Tom Fender ’61 of Tumwater, Wash., travels in his all-original 1975 GMC recreational vehicle known as the Scooby Mobile, including a camping stay at Cape Disappointment State Park in Washington in 2017. Susan Morgan Katz ’62 of Pearl River, N.Y., and Suzanne Fortin Sand ’62 of Gansevoort, N.Y., traveled to visit Bonnie Super George ’62 at her Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., home in 2017 to reminisce about their Oswego days.

Steven Selden ’63 of Bethesda, Md., retired as a professor from the University of Maryland and now serves as a school docent for the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

1968: 50th Reunion – June 7-10, 2018 Neil Freson M’68 is retired from the automotive field and lives in Henrietta, N.Y., with his wife, Kathie. William Lilley ’69 of Newport, Ore., is a professor

of environmental science and geology at Oregon Coast Community College.

1970s Donna Haskell Lannon ’71 of Shortsville, N.Y., retired in 2007 after a 35-year career teaching mathematics at Palmyra-Macedon (N.Y.) High School. She enjoys golfing and volunteering. She and her husband, Floyd, are enjoying their first grandchild, Ryleigh. Joel Levine ’71 of Orlando, Fla., is a retired entertainment manager for Walt Disney World, dinner shows, Cirque du Soleil

Amy Hueber ’77 remembers waiting for the school bus on the west side of Syracuse—not far from Tipperary Hill—and being able to smell a polluted Onondaga Lake, more than five miles away. Her feelings about that lake were in stark contrast to those she held for Lake Ontario—the summer vacation spot for her family—including brother Jim ’79 and her four other siblings— and the site of so many happy memories swimming and exploring the wetlands. “Lake Ontario equaled perch fish fries,” she said. “Onondaga Lake—don’t even touch the water. Thankfully, that is improving through the dedicated work of many factions.” These early and vastly different experiences with water introduced her to the role pollution can play in environmental quality. “I wanted to understand better and get involved with solutions to remedy ecosystem imbalances and in turn educate myself and others on ways to be environmental stewards to maintain the balance,” said Hueber, who has spent the past 36 years working in SRC Inc.’s Environmental Hazard Assessment Division. In this role, she has completed work for the National Library of Medicine on the Hazardous Substances Databank, which gives the public a better understanding of the effects and fate of potentially hazardous chemicals on air, water, soil environments, plants, animals and people. She credits a Biology 101 research project with Dr. A.J. Nappi for laying the foundation for a master’s degree in library science at Syracuse University and, more importantly, for her life’s work as a research scientist. But she adds, “Field classes at Rice Creek were far and away my favorites, and studying with true experts in their fields really kept the sense of curiosity and problem-solving at a feverish pitch. A favorite was Dr. Don Cox’s project presentation class, where

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we applied all the ecological and environmental concepts we had been taught over the years to identify and present remedial actions for an area of your choice, such as brownfields, altered shorelines, water quality degradation due to runoff, etc. It was a very realworld experience with a lot of lively discussion/ point-counterpoint, stopping just short of a famous SNL skit.” At Oswego, she also nurtured her love for music and culture through coursework and a summer semester in Austria—“home of the Vienna waltzes, the music of Mozart, fine chocolate, and where the beer is perfect,” she said. The experience also inspired her to pick up courses in the German language. Today, Hueber continues to balance science and the arts; she is learning the harp and enjoys quilting. She fuels her passion for the outdoors through kayaking, cycling, snowshoeing, and, of course, enjoying and preserving the natural resources of Central New York. “I get out on the water with the Oswego County Soil and Water Conservation District, pulling invasive water chestnut plants, doing garbage cleanup, bird watching and just being in nature,” she said. “I think that wonder of the outdoors needs to be re-instilled in children especially … It’s how they can develop a sense of this is our home,” she said. “Take care of the earth and the earth will take care of you.” —Margaret Spillett

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Outdoor Enthusiast Dedicates Career to Environmental Protection

CLA SS Las Vegas, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

1978: 40th Reunion – June 7-10, 2018

1973: 45th Reunion – June 7-10, 2018

Richard J. Adago ’78 is a partner at Phillips Nizer LLP in New York City. He previously worked as an associate at Phillips Nizer, as well as an attorney for Hartmann Doherty Rosa Berman & Bulbulia LLC, and partner at Blank Rome LLP. In addition to his career in private practice, he served as an assistant district attorney with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. Christopher Born ’78 was named president of Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas in Austin. Previously, he was president of Texas Children’s Health Plan, which has more than 430,000 children enrolled. He also founded Texas Children’s Pediatric Associates, a pediatric primary care group with more than 250 physicians. Patty Reiche Heidelmark ’78 and husband, Francis, live in Malta, N.Y., where she enjoys gardening, bicycling and volunteering, particularly for the Democratic Party and the League of Women Voters. Linda Mahran ’78 of Palm Coast, Fla., retired as director of global strategic sourcing for ITT Inc. David Peck ’78 of Brick, N.J., is an educational paraprofessional at the elementary school level. Previously, he taught middle school science; he was a database, local area network and email administrator for 10 years before teaching. Russell Rossi ’78 of Raleigh, N.C., is a technical support specialist for the North Carolina State Board of Elections. Marco Ellman ’79 of Larchmont, N.Y., is owner and president of Ellman Realty Advisors Inc.

Denise Hart ’74 of Barrington, N.H., is a writer and producer. Eric Oberg ’74 is a classical granite sculptor in Calais, Vt. Arthur Salisch ’74 of East Windsor, N.J., is multi-market research director for Hearst Television in New York City. Frank Fish ’75, Ph.D., of Downington, Pa., is a professor of biology at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. He has two grants from the Office of Naval Research for biomimetic studies of the propulsion of dolphins and analysis of the locomotion of sea lions. He also has a grant from the National Science Foundation to study the maneuvering capabilities of whales. Joseph Kissick ’75 of Winston-Salem, N.C., is owner of Twin Dome LLC, which operates 12 hair salons. John Piper ’75 of Rochester, N.Y., is president and managing partner for Mutual Choices of Rochester. Steve Kodak ’77 of Pace, Fla., is a retired United States Marine Corps officer, having served 13 years active duty and 12 years in the reserves. He is also a retired Federal Bureau of Investigation supervisory special agent with 22 years, both in the field and based at FBI headquarters. Colleen Murphy ’77 of Naples, Fla., was named among the 2017 honorees of the annual Naples News 25 over 50 Awards in Collier and Lee counties (Fla.). The award honors those who contribute to the communities through leadership, philanthropic missions and achievements. William Smith ’77 of Port Matilda, Pa., is retired and enjoys traveling, including a trip to Nebraska to see the solar eclipse in August 2017.

1980s Michael Deshaies ’80 of Bear, Del., is vice president of development and strategic partnerships for

the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. He enjoys golf and watching the Chicago Cubs. JP Sciortino ’80 of Jeffersonville, Vt., is an executive neuroscience specialist at Acadia Pharm who says hello to fellow DKK brothers and soccer players. He and wife, Vanessa, have a daughter, Kendra, who just got married; a son, John, who is a student in Michigan; and two golden retrievers. Rita Harrington ’81 of Big Canoe, Ga., is an executive consultant for Catalyst for Advisors in Atlanta. Steven Hastings ’81 of Orlando, Fla., is senior vice president for Sedgwick. Michael McCauley ’81 of Orlando, Fla., is a volunteer at the Lake Nona Veterans Administration Hospital. Robert A. Royce ’81 has been practicing law in Alaska for over 30 years. He is a former administrative law judge and a former senior assistant attorney general for the State of Alaska, where he represented the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, the Alaska Department of Labor and the Alaska State Commission for Human Rights. Royce earned a law degree from California Western School of Law in San Diego. He clerked for Chief Judge James M. Fitzgerald, U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, after graduating from law school. Paul Kosiba ’82 of Westbury, N.Y., retired in June 2016 following 33 years of teaching at the Port Washington Public Schools; he also retired following 29 years of service to the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. David Krapf ’82 of New Orleans is editor-in-chief of WorkBoat Magazine. William Schmidt ’83 of Maple Glen, Pa., is senior vice president of Hudson Insurance Group in Fort Washington, Pa. Daniel Watson ’83 is the Greenwich (Conn.) School District’s director of school facilities.

NOTES

Charlie Giardino ’84 of Williston Park, N.Y., is a senior manager at Ernst & Young LLP in New York City. He and wife, Christine, have been married for 28 years and have two sons and a daughter, all three of whom are SUNY alumni. Giardino remembers good times in Oswego with Marc Saban ’86, Rick Drake ’86 and Pete Wasserman ’87. Jayne Van Bramer M’85 was selected to serve as chief executive officer for the Lancaster (Pa.) Behavioral Health Hospital, which is set to open in summer 2018. She has served as vice president of behavioral health for Brandywine Hospital in Coatesville, Pa., as well as senior associate commissioner for child and adult state operations for the New York State Office of Mental Health in Albany. Jamie Battles ’86 M’86 M’90 of Oswego is a high school math teacher in the Mexico (N.Y.) Central School District, and has been teaching for 32 years. Robert Ernst ’86, Ph.D., of Silver Spring, Md., is professor and vice chair of the Department of Microbial Pathogens at the University of Maryland-Baltimore. Robert Weller ’86 of Lido Beach, N.Y., is president and chief executive officer for HealthCare Renovations LLC in Point Lookout, N.Y. Cindy Schilling Driscoll ’87 is vice president of finance for Magenta Therapeutics. Previously, she served as the vice president of finance for Tokai Pharmaceuticals, as well as controller for Gloucester Pharmaceuticals and Transmolecular. Marcy Marino ’87 is chemical hygiene officer for the University of Alaska at Anchorage. Barbara Adams ’88 of Sodus Point, N.Y., is training and development manager at Reliant Community Credit Union. She has worked at Reliant for more than eight years, most recently serving as manager of the credit union’s Member Service Call Center.

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Nancy Puskuldjian ’88 of Glen Head, N.Y., is manufacturing director for Topix Media Lab in New York City. Jim Triandiflou ’88, chief executive officer for Relias Learning, is Triangle Business Journal’s Businessperson of the Year. He lives in Cary, N.C. Tina Murray ’89 of Catskill, N.Y., is the executive director of the Ulster County (N.Y.) Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

1990s Derrick Corrado ’90 of Hicksville, N.Y., is an inspector for the New York City Police Department. Marc Heller ’90 is a reporter covering agriculture policy for E&E News in Washington, D.C., predominantly for Greenwire publications. Sean Koppelman ’90 of Guttenberg, N.J., is president and chief executive officer for The Talent Magnet. Kathleen Kranze Million ’91 of Minneapolis, Minn., is vice

president and women’s league commissioner for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Previously, she was the events director for the Olympic Regional Development Authority in Lake Placid, N.Y. Andrea DeSain Petrus ’91 of Lyons, N.Y., is director of IT for Wayne County, N.Y. Aaron Birnbaum ’92 of Bow, N.H., is founder and partner of CITM in Orange Park, Fla. Jamie Vitale Cuda M’92 of Frankfort, N.Y., is director and assistant professor of health care

administration in the School of Health Professions and Education at Utica (N.Y.) College. David Jones ’92 is vice president of the Minnesota State University Office of Student Affairs in Mankato, Minn. Stephen Reider ’92 is chief executive officer for Poplar Springs Hospital in Petersburg, Va. He earned a master’s degree in business administration from Rivier University (N.H.) and a master’s in nursing administration and leadership from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine.

Need some impression wax to capture footprints in the snow? Or perhaps some fingerprint lifting tape or protective gear? Or maybe a blood splatter documentation kit or a gunshot residue collection kit? Roberta Grode Berkowitz ’84 has got you covered. As president of Prendo Forensics, Berkowitz provides a onestop shop to meet the forensics and digital-related supply and equipment needs of law enforcement agencies across the country, interfacing with everyone from purchasing clerks to homicide investigators and police chiefs to academic professors. She also supplies customized kits and life-size training mannequins, and sets up interactive mock crime scenes for forensics and criminal justice programs at colleges, secondary schools and specialty institutes. “Unfortunately, crime will always exist, so the need for these products isn’t going away,” said Berkowitz, a member of many law enforcement associations and the College Criminal Justice Advisory Board. “I am constantly researching the emerging products to share with law enforcement to keep them safe and assist them in solving crimes.” For example, Berkowitz said the recent opioid and fentanyl epidemics have created an immediate need for more and better filtration products and protective gear for law enforcement, who risk overdose by inadvertently touching or breathing in the drugs when responding to calls. Through her research on products and attendance at numerous trade shows, she connects law enforcement departments to new tools—such as DNA-free crime scene supplies and personal hazmat kits with gloves, masks, overalls and a portable glove box to test substances so law enforcement won’t be exposed to the fumes or powders. Her work draws heavily on strong interpersonal communication, research and relationship-building—skills she said she

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Alumna Flourishes as Forensics Supplier developed through her communications coursework at SUNY Oswego and her work in the admissions and alumni offices. Berkowitz is a 2018 Enterprising Women of the Year Champions Honoree, 2009 Albany-Colonie (N.Y.) Regional Chamber of Commerce Women of Excellence award recipient, 2001 Roberta Grode Berkowitz ’84 Business Review’s 40 Under Forty Business Achievement Recipient and a certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. “My livelihood depends on my communications and my ability to read my customers,” she said. “You have to be a certain kind of person to do cold calls, and I make 20 to 30 cold calls a day. Then once you have a customer, you need to build a strong relationship with them.” And she knows a little something about maintaining relationships. She initially set her sights on the “cute guy in the red hat from chemistry class” who she saw again on the Hart Hall elevator and discovered he lived directly above her room on the ninth floor. She and the red-hatted man, Ned Berkowitz ’85, have two children and are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year. —Margaret Spillett

CLA SS 1993: 25th Reunion – June 7-10, 2018

1997: 20th Reunion with 1998 and 1999 – June 7-10, 2018 Joseph Freyn ’97, a veteran of wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, has been named Command Sergeant Major of the Buffalobased 153rd Troop Command of the New York Army National Guard. As the Command Sgt. Major, Freyn is the highest ranking

From Both Sides of the Lens: Alumna Forges Career in News, Politics Not long after graduating from SUNY Oswego, Trudy Perkins ’93 was at home in Albany, N.Y., watching the Oprah Winfrey Show on TV when Oprah asked her producer to join her onstage. “I said to myself: ‘That’s what I want to do,’” Perkins said of the clipboard-wielding staff member who oversaw the success of the TV show’s episodes. It was just the starting point for the business administration major, who went on to produce news for stations in Albany, then in Baltimore, Md., for WBAL-TV—managing and supervising news crews, including anchors, reporters, photographers and production staff. “To be a news producer you have to know a little bit about a lot of things,” Perkins shared with students in her first return to the SUNY Oswego campus since 1996, when she was a featured panelist for the 2017 Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit in October. Today, Perkins has leveraged an extensive communications background into a role as the deputy chief of staff/communications director for the office of Congressman Elijah Cummings, who is the ranking member of the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Perkins has been named among the Top 100 Women of Maryland by The Daily Record newspaper. And, since making the switch to the other side of the news camera, she has served as liaison to elected officials and senior-level civic, community and corporate leaders, developing and executing national and local communications strategies. While she didn’t take public relations or communications classes during her time at Oswego, the skills Perkins learned as a member of the International Student Association (she was not an international student, but studied abroad in France), as the director of finance for the Student Association and as a member of the Program Policy Board—a role that saw her bringing musical acts to campus—prepared her for the future. “It was all real-world negotiating that I learned right here in Oswego,” she said. The skills have translated to “firsts” that have shaped her career. Perkins was the first black woman in the role of producer at WTEN10 in Albany, and her subsequent roles have had

PROVIDED

Lisa Harmer VanDeWeert ’93 of Clarksville, Mich., is chief financial officer and executive vice president for Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Mich. Previously, VanDeWeert spent 15 years providing audit services for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Grand Rapids. Bob Ike ’94 M’99, PalmyraMacedon (N.Y.) Central School District superintendent, was named the 2018 New York State School Superintendent of the Year by the New York State Council of School Superintendents. Ike has led the district since 2007. He is an adjunct professor and leadership coach at the University of Rochester’s Warner School of Education. He also works with the Superintendent Development Program at SUNY Oswego. Meredith DiPrisco Walters ’95 of Wellington, Fla., is vice president of marketing and communications for Houghton Mifflin Company/Channel One News. Jennifer Aglialoro ’96 of Taylor, Pa., is associate director, forensic interviewer and trauma therapist at Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Nicole Lawler Meisenburg ’96 of Williamsville, N.Y., is an account manager for Manzella Marketing in Bowmansville, N.Y. Michelle Boldt Walsh ’96 is director of intervention services for the West Islip (N.Y.) School District. She is also a doctoral student at Hofstra University’s learning and teaching program.

NOTES

Trudy Perkins ’93

similar significance as a woman and a person of color, she said. “I have been able to bring that perspective to the table,” said Perkins, who lives in Laurel, Md. Capitol Hill is a competitive environment, but developing positive working relationships is key to success there, she said. “People want to help others, especially if they have had a difficult road to travel,” she said. “Being able to share my experiences as a person of color and a woman, you never know how much that can impact others.” Perkins serves on a number of boards for non-profit organizations, including Women in Film and Television, Art with a Heart, the Baltimore School for the Arts and the SEED School of Maryland, which is a college-preparatory, public boarding school in Baltimore. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., which she joined while at SUNY Oswego. “There is no question that my time at Oswego prepared me for my career trajectory,” Perkins said. “Having the opportunity to take on leadership roles as a student and engage in so many diverse experiences gave me the confidence to take risks and seek positions that would be most fulfilling to me.” —Eileen Moran Crandall

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enlisted soldier in the unit. Freyn holds a master’s degree from American Public University. Tammy Moffitt Garza ’97 of Houston, Texas, is controller for Avalanche Food Group in Sugar Land, Texas. Melissa Napierkowski ’97 of East Syracuse, N.Y., is a program coordinator for the Research Foundation of SUNY in Syracuse.

1998: 20th Reunion with 1997 and 1999 – June 7-10, 2018 Michael Lyons ’98 of Ridgefield, Conn., is marketing director for Henkel in Stamford, Conn.

1999: 20th Reunion with 1997 and 1998 – June 7-10, 2018 Keith Wing ’99 of Conesus, N.Y., is the principal at Forest Elementary School in the Williamsville Central School District.

2000s Dianna Waterman Cichocki M’00 of East Aurora, N.Y., is clinical assistant professor in management science and systems at the University at Buffalo School of Management. Meir Perry ’01 of Manchester, N.H., is a prior learning assessment coordinator for Bunker Hill Community College in Boston. Rosemarie Morello Ampha ’02 is the director of secondary special education for White Plains Public Schools in White Plains, N.Y. Previously, she was a program administrator for Greenwich High School. Stephen Haryan ’02 of Syracuse, N.Y., is territory representative for Thousand Islands Winery. Heather Stoffel Gillenkirk ’03 M’05 and her husband, Todd, welcomed their second child, Ryan Merritt, on June 28, 2017. He joins older brother, Ethan Bennett. The family lives in Victor, N.Y. Tracy Underwood-Caryl ’03 of Marcellus, N.Y., is an office services coordinator for Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y. OSWEGO

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Terry Ward CAS’03 is the Cato-Meridian (N.Y.) Central School District superintendent. He has a doctorate in executive leadership from St. John Fisher College, a master of science in special education from Syracuse University, a bachelor’s in history from SUNY Cortland and an associate of applied science degree from SUNY Canton. Matt Donnelly ’04 of Linthicum Heights, Md., was named to Mass Transit publication’s 2017 Top 40 Under 40. He is the lead brand communications specialist for Amtrak. Jamie Stack Leszczynski ’04 is senior vice president of client relations at ABC Creative Group in Syracuse, N.Y. Jamie is a past president of CNY Sales & Marketing Executives and a charter member of Suicide Awareness Voices of Education. Victor Parker ’04 M’13 of Cincinnati is regional sales director for HM Insurance Group. He is active with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Junior Achievement and the CARE Humane Society. Amy Favata ’05 of Oswego is assistant vice president and controller for Generations Bank in Seneca Falls, N.Y. Ashlie Menard ’05 of Cato, N.Y., is a foreign service officer for the United States Department of State. Eric Smith ’05 of Brewerton, N.Y., is a training and client support specialist for Controltec LLC. Previously, he was a computer operator for the Central New York Regional Information Center of the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services. Rachel Stein ’05 of Nashville, Tenn., is the director of marketing for NXG Strategies. Nora Gannon-Slater ’06 of Cleveland, Ohio, is director of performance and data analytics for Breakthrough Schools. Audrey Hager ’06 of San Antonio, Texas, was awarded a National Institutes of Health National Research Service Award

from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to perform research on the neuroplasticity of dopamine neurons following repeated cocaine abuse. She is based at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Jennifer Hawley ’06 of Belleville, Ill., is a construction site assistant for Habitat for Humanity of Saint Louis. Brittany Sepp Schueckler ’06 of Pennington, N.J., is a senior contract negotiator for Lockheed Martin Corporation Foundation. Kimberly Lasher Sparkman ’06 of Baldwinsville, N.Y., is the dean of students for career and technical education at Oswego County’s Center for Instruction, Technology and Innovation (CITI). Brenda Grossi Tabolt ’06 of Raleigh, N.C., is an executive assistant in the Department of Student Affairs at the University of North Carolina. Anthony Armelino ’07 is a project manager for the inside sales and project management team at G.A. Braun Inc. He earned a master of science degree in engineering from Missouri University of Science & Technology and served for 14 years with the U.S. Army as an officer in the Corps of Engineers in a variety of leadership and staff positions. Most recently, he was a program manager for Syracuse University. Ahmad Mims ’08 of North Syracuse, N.Y., is a Syracuse police officer and member of the force’s Crime Reduction Team, which target areas with high crime rates and a heavy gang presence. Nicholas Defeo ’09 of Astoria, N.Y., is strategic account director for Movable Ink in New York City. Josh Gagnon ’09 is the Utica (N.Y.) Comets video coach. Gagnon has served as the professional ice hockey team’s video coordinator since the 2013-14 season. Erin Kline Simmons M’09 CAS’11 CAS’14 is principal of Fourth Street School in Fulton, N.Y.

Zachary Woodard ’09, CPA, of Taberg, N.Y., was promoted to manager at D’Arcangelo & Co. He has been with the firm since 2013.

2010s Austin Byrd ’10 of Fort Myers, Fla., earned a master’s degree in education in 2017 at the University at Buffalo, and he is now assistant director of alumni relations at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. Mark Gruber ’10 married Elizabeth Silverman on June 17, 2017. He is an analytics strategist at Resolute Digital. The couple lives in Orchard Park, N.Y. Jonathan Lombardo ’10 and Jill Carr ’11 were married on Aug. 19, 2017. Both are employed by Auburn (N.Y.) Community Hospital. Jacquelyn Costello Collins ’11 of Rochester, N.Y., is a project manager for First American Equipment Finance. She married Chase Collins ’11 in May 2014; the couple’s daughter, Delaney Mae, was born on June 4, 2017. Jeanne Yacono Harmor ’11 of Raleigh, N.C., is a brand manager for Baering. Rob Lippolis ’11 of Windsor, N.Y., is the Binghamton (N.Y.) Devils professional ice hockey team play-by-play broadcaster. Previously, he was the Binghamton Senators director of media and community relations. Katie Loperfido ’11 and Zachary Addison Blackwell of Tampa, Fla., were married on Aug. 4, 2017, in Auburn, N.Y. The bride is a 2015 graduate of Gonzaga University, where she earned a master’s degree. She is a senior account manager for IMGE digital advertising agency in Alexandria, Va. Scott Reynolds ’11 of Kissimmee, Fla., is a teacher and math department chair at the Osceola County School for the Arts. He is also president of the Osceola Science and Math Organization to Support and Inspire Students (OSMOSIS).

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Calculated Decisions and Dedication to Country Jing Li-Kole ’11 is an operations research analyst for the United States Department of Navy’s Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) based in Port Hueneme Division (PHD), Calif. In fall 2017, she received the Navy’s Art Diaz Award, honoring staff members who personify teamwork. Li-Kole holds a bachelor’s degree in finance with a minor in applied statistics from SUNY Oswego, and a master’s in accountancy from Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester.

Jing Li-Kole ’11

Please share your journey to becoming an award-winning staff member for the U.S. Department of Navy.

“When people ask me where I come from I say, ‘I was born in China, but Oswego is my hometown.’”

As a young girl growing up in rural China, I dreamed of the opportunity to attain higher education in the United States. I was able to achieve my dream because grants, scholarships and campus employment covered much of my educational expenses. I felt it was my duty to give back to the country that had given me so much by becoming a civil servant. While at the University of Rochester I was selected to join the FBI’s honor intern program. Working closely with the dedicated men and women of the bureau reinforced my commitment to work in the public sector. Upon graduation, I was hired by the Department of Navy at NSWC PHD. Without hesitation, my husband and I packed our car and drove across the country to start our new life in California. How did Oswego help prepare you for your job? I design and perform analytical studies using data mining, optimization, statistics and mathematical modeling to develop solutions that help the Navy operate more efficiently and cost-effectively. My applied statistics minor provided me with necessary statistical theories and methodologies to analyze complex information, simplify it then succinctly communicate results to executive management. My B.S. in finance gave me a solid foundation for understanding life-cycle cost estimate practices. These practices are the key to acquiring products and services at the most reasonable cost to the taxpayer. What are the most rewarding parts of your position? The challenge. My projects can vary from continuous efforts to improve planned maintenance onboard our vessels, annual program budgeting and department staffing optimization. Every day is a new challenge; in fact, every day is day one!

— Jing Li-Kole ’11 When you reflect on your time at SUNY Oswego, what comes to mind for you? When I think of Oswego, I think of the people. The people at the college and in the community are friendly, caring and open-minded. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have impacted my life. They have taught me about love and compassion, and continue to inspire me to be a better person. Your husband is also an Oswego alum! How did you meet? My husband and I met while working on a cruise ship. The immigration process and ship contracts kept us apart for nearly two years. Eventually, we married in New York City then relocated to Oswego to pursue our bachelor degrees. My husband (Matthew Kole ’12, B.A. Information Science) also works for the Navy, as a database administrator and software developer. I understand that you enjoy cooking. What do you like to cook? My husband is a former chef and food is an important part of Chinese culture. We love to cook together with the fresh ingredients found at our local farmer’s markets and our home garden. Nowadays, our favorite thing to prepare is baby food for our infant son, Jackson. What does the future hold for you? One of my favorite quotes from Confucius is, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I intend on remaining with NSWC PHD until retirement. My job with the Navy is challenging, rewarding and gives me the opportunity to serve my country. —Eileen Moran Crandall

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Daniel Ritch ’11 M’12 is a senior accountant for Chiampou Travis Besaw & Kershner LLP in Amherst, N.Y. Max Spitalnick ’11 of New York City is director of customer success for software platform Intelligo Group of Israel/New York. Following graduation, he moved to Israel and volunteered with Ethiopian immigrants and for a youth movement mentoring students in the Negev desert, for two years. While there, he helped start a national lacrosse program and traveled with a team for Federation of International Lacrosse-sanctioned play. Prior to his current role and following his time in Israel, he lived in San Francisco, where he worked for a SaaS technology company. Jacob Frier ’12 of Syracuse, N.Y., is an emergency medical resident for SUNY Upstate Medical University. He graduated from SUNY Upstate in 2016. Cristy Rookey King ’12 is director of Oswego County Opportunities Crisis and Development Services. King joined OCO in 2000 as the Services to Aid Families House manager and was named SAF Services coordinator in 2009. Most recently, she served as the Intervention Services coordinator, in which she oversaw SAF’s residential and non-residential domestic and sexual violence services, homeless programming for runaway homeless youth, adults and families, as well as the OCO crisis hotline that provides emergency assistance to victims of crime and the homeless. Jennifer Watson ’12 of Liverpool, N.Y., is a recruitment specialist at Cazenovia College. Brendan Culver ’13 of Rochester, N.Y., is an account manager for Transcat. Stacey J. Eger CAS’13 is the Watertown (N.Y.) City School District’s assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. She previously served the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services as its professional and program devel-

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that includes Monday Night Raw (USA Network). Elena Oldenburg ’14 of Oswego is employed by the Oswego County Office for the Aging. Olga S. Reyes ’14 is the editor of the East Meadow Herald (N.Y.) and was a reporter for the Merrick Herald Life (N.Y.). She is the recipient of the New York Press Association’s 2016 Rookie Reporter of the Year Honorable Mention Award and earned First Place In-Depth Reporting and News Series Award for the Herald Community Newspapers’ “The Changing Face of Long Island” diversity series, and Second Place in Coverage of Education Award, a series of stories that covered the East Meadow School District. Molly Ross ’14 of San Francisco is an account executive for Salesforce. Joshua Anderson ’15 of Harrisburg, Pa., is assistant manager for Sheetz in West Hanover Township, Pa. Miranda Czechowski ’15 of New York City is an account manager for ESIS/Chubb. Delia Gallmeyer ’15 of Penfield, N.Y., is a wellness education programmer for Saint John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y. Jessica Jarett ’15 of Syracuse, N.Y., is a manager for AXA Equitable. William Reese ’15 of Boston is insight executive for Kadence International. Matthew Jaronczyk ’16 of Massapequa, N.Y., is a fund accountant for GPB Capital Holdings LLC in New York City. Amanda Lieberman Kenney ’16 of Pikeville, N.C., is pursuing a master’s degree in social work at North Carolina State University. Jaclyn Shyptycki ’16 CAS’17 of Gansevoort, N.Y., is a social media strategist for SIX Marketing in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Brian Wegman ’16 of Martville, N.Y., earned his certified public accountant credentials. He is an associate at Dermody, Burke and Brown in Syracuse, N.Y.

opment supervisor from 2013 to 2016. Elissa Leathers Gibbs ’13 of West Monroe, N.Y., is program coordinator for the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University. Chris Horvatits ’13 is a reporter for Buffalo, N.Y., station WIVB-TV. Previously, he was a morning reporter and noon anchor for WHEC-TV in Rochester, N.Y., for three years; he was a reporter at WWNY-TV in Watertown, N.Y., prior to his time Rochester. Stephanie Andre Kitt ’13 M’14, U.S. Air Force National Guard Airwoman 1st Class, graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in San Antonio. Adderlyn Lora ’13 is a recruiter at Heineken USA in White Plains, N.Y. Previously, she worked in talent acquisition at Dannon. Caitlin Outen ’13 of Humble, Texas, is a recruiter for Cenergy International, as well as a remote resume writer and career coach. Jody Roth ’13 M’14, a certified public accountant with the Siegfried Group LLP in Denver, was promoted to senior associate. Christina Sakowski ’13 is an admissions and new student enrollment advisor for the University at Buffalo (N.Y.) School of Management. Brian Zambrzycki ’13 of Chester, N.Y., is a school psychologist for the Warwick Valley Central School District and is pursuing a certificate of advanced study in trauma and disaster mental health counseling at SUNY New Paltz. He is a 2016 graduate of the school psychology master’s program at Marist College. Brian Chojnacki ’14 of Jacksonville, Fla., is sports anchor and reporter for WTLV First Coast News. John Mongiello ’14 of Stamford, Conn., works for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he is a production assistant and video editor for programming

Angelmarie BambinoThomas ’17 of Mount Marion, N.Y., is an employer installation specialist for United Health Group in Kingston, N.Y. Tim Burns ’17 of Merrimack, N.H., is vice president of Sales Americas for Fusion Worldwide, an electronic component distributor. He is pursuing a master’s degree in business from the University of New Hampshire’s Paul School of Business and Economics. Emily Cole ’17 is a public affairs specialist at Gramercy Communications for the New York Capital Region. Karl Dubash CAS’17 of Rochester, N.Y., is assistant principal at Oliver Middle School in the Brockport (N.Y.) Central School District. Lindsay Karback ’17 of Farmington, N.Y., is the undergraduate housing coordinator for the University of Rochester. Rachel Long ’17 of Medford, Mass., is an admissions/recruitment advisor for CAPA The Global Education Network in Boston. Morgan Nandin M’17 of Syracuse, N.Y., is a member of the Columbian National Softball Team. She is also the Oswego High School varsity softball coach and a district physical education teacher. See page 17. Sydney Prystal ’17 of Liverpool, N.Y., is a youth development professional for Elmcrest Children’s Center in Syracuse, N.Y. Sarah Shallowhorn ’17 joined Buffalo, N.Y., NBC affiliate WGRZ-TV as a digital producer. Julia Thomas ’17 of Syracuse, N.Y., joined Pinckney Hugo Group as an assistant account manager. Evelyn Zevallos ’17 is pursuing a master’s at SUNY Oswego in the Mental Health Counseling Program.

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Oswego Matters By Executive Director Betsy Oberst

Stay on Campus for Harborfest —Special Alumni Benefits!

he Oswego Alumni Association is pleased to offer a special alumni discount for on-campus housing for alumni who wish to relive their favorite Oswego memories while attending this year’s Harborfest, July 26-29. Alumni will be housed in Waterbury Hall according to class year, with a maximum of two adults per room. Alumni may begin checking in at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 26, and must check out by 11 a.m. Sunday, July 29. There is an early-bird alumni discount special of $70 per night for those making reservations on or before July 13 at 4 p.m. Alumni reservations made after that time will be $75 per night until July 25 at 4 p.m. The special alumni discount rate will not be available after 4 p.m. July 25, and all alumni will be charged the regular “walk-in rate” of approximately $86 per night. Alumni can also rent a refrigerator and mattresses for children 16 years and younger, for an additional $15 if reservations are made by 4 p.m. July 13; or $20 if made by 4 p.m. July 25. Linens for beds and towels will be supplied. The Centro bus will run a convenient shuttle service from campus to the festival grounds. Don’t miss the opportunity to attend this exciting Oswego tradition and show your Laker pride! To make reservations, please visit alumni.oswego.edu/harborfest, or you may contact Allison Craine at allison.craine@oswego.edu or 315-312-2258 with questions.

ast summer, the Oswego Alumni Association Inc. conducted a comprehensive voluntary survey of our 84,000+ alumni to explore your views and opinions of the Oswego Alumni Association’s and SUNY Oswego’s correspondence and engagement with you, along with your feedback on the college’s image. For those of you who participated, thank you! Your feedback will assist the Oswego Alumni Association in tailoring our programs and communications and overall engagement efforts with you. Our Board of Directors specifically wanted to know: • What do you want in the form of programs, services and communications? • Where do you get your information about the college and alumni programs? • Your satisfaction with your Oswego experience—how do you view the reputation of the college, was your Oswego education an asset and would you recommend Oswego to others? Below are some of the survey results highlights: For our most recent GOLD (Graduates Of the Last Decade) alumni, 25 percent of you receive the majority of your information on social media, closely followed by the alumni magazine and emails (20 percent each). Seventy-seven percent engage on Facebook, followed by 41 percent on Instagram and 35 percent on Twitter. The majority of GOLD alumni visit our website on a mobile device, and the majority also are most interested in alumni benefits. Almost half of GOLD alumni would consider supporting Oswego “where the need is greatest,” followed by 37 percent who would support individual schools, departments or programs, and three quarters of you prefer to make your gifts online. Almost half would rate Oswego’s current reputation as high, followed by 31 percent who say it is very high. Sixty-one percent were very likely to recommend SUNY Oswego to others. For non-GOLD alumni, more than half of you still get the majority of your information from the alumni magazine, with e-newsletters next at 20 percent. Almost one third of non-GOLD alumni visit our web39

site on a mobile device. Non-GOLD alumni are most interested in alumni events and our OsweGoConnect community—to connect with other alumni. Half of you engage on Facebook, but 44 percent of you do not use any form of social media. More than half of non-GOLD alumni would support the college “where the need is greatest,” followed by 36 percent who would support scholarships. Forty-two percent of you prefer to make your gifts online. Just over half of non-GOLD alumni rate Oswego’s current reputation as high, followed by 31 percent who rate it very high. More than half of you would be very likely to recommend SUNY Oswego to others, followed by 29 percent who would be likely to recommend. Based on your feedback, the Oswego Alumni Association Inc. will continue to adjust programs, services and communications to meet your changing needs. One of our current initiatives includes launching a new alumni benefit through a partnership with Nationwide Insurance, which will offer Oswego alumni discounted rates for homeowners, auto, motorsport and pet insurance (see story on page 7). We are also making sure all of our communications are more mobile-friendly and increasing our engagement on social media to meet those of you who are engaging there. Please keep letting us know how we can best serve you! We look forward to connecting with you soon … in person or online!

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Newlyweds: Send us your Oswego wedding photo and caption! Email to alumni@oswego.edu.

4SEDAL-CLUTE—Amie Sedal ’12 and Adam Clute ’13 were

married on July 8, 2017, in Central Bridge, N.Y. In attendance were, front row: Jason Comstock ’13; second row from left: Jennifer Farrell St. Mark ’13, Shannon Brackley ’13, Halie Bloom ’13, Alex Sosias ’12. Back row, from left, are Jershon St. Mark ’11, Nicole Dwyer ’13, Heather McGovern ’14, Andrea Torres ’12, Tom Budde ’13, Amie Sedal Clute ’12, Adam Clute ’13, Stanley Francois ’11 and Tom Ferriter ’12.

HOLTZMAN-GERRITY—Samantha Holtzman ’11

and Brian Gerrity ’11 were married on June 9, 2017, at the Larkfield Manor in Northport, N.Y. In attendance were Nicole Reinhardt ’11, Nicholas Gottlieb ’10, Christina Cianciosi Sheridan ’12, Philip Sheridan ’12, Nick Liberati ’10, Marcus LaRobardiere ’11, Timothy Rinck ’11, Fred Tropeano, Daniel Connors ’11, Victoria Huestis ’10, Sarah Orser ’11, Mark Schumacher ’12, Meagan Lehman ’12, Carl Mannillo ’12, Samantha Silverman ’11, Brian Gerrity ’11, Samantha Holtzman Gerrity ’11, Nicholas DeFrancesco ’12, Kristen Beaty Connors ’11, Samantha Bradley Ericksen ’11, Amy Ray ’11, Agnes Puyraud Aitchison ’11, Michelle Kates ’12, Courtney Gadziala ’12, Lauren Beauchamp Battaglia ’11, Frank Battaglia ’10, Allison Trager ’11, Courteney Walsh ’11, Kelly Labella Fallon ’11, April Frank ’12 and Amanda Cascino Tropeano ’11.

5IRLAND-CHRISTMANN—Megan Irland and Emil Christmann ’08 were married July 8, 2017, at Pine Lake in Oneonta, N.Y. From left are Janelle Goodwin, Julie Glover ’07, Jeff Scott ’06 M’12, Caitlin Hankinson ’07 M’12, Megan Irland, Emil Christmann ’08, Erik Mosher, Tom Tiballi, Ned Hinge, Jennifer Tyrie, Josh Mumm and Andrew La Manna.

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5DAVIS-LAMM—Denise Davis ’13 and Michael Lamm ’12 were married on Oct. 6,

2017, in Riverhead, N.Y. From left are Josh Veator ’13, Lauren Muller ’13, Dan Gillam ’09 M’15, Patrick Wilson ’11 M’13, Tamara Sims ’14, Denise Davis ’13, Michael Lamm ’12, Nathan Donnelly ’10 M’12, Christa Nussbaum ’12, Kiera Collins ’13 and Phoebe Forbes ’13.

5IANNONE-WESTERDUIN—Jessica Iannone ’11 M’14 and Steven Westerduin ’12 were mar-

ried on June 17, 2017, in Cornwall-on-Hudson, N.Y. From left are Brendan Hatch, Elijah Olinsky ’10, Adam Goldfrank-Cariot ’12, Eric Westerduin, Steven Westerduin ’12, Jessica Iannone ’11 M’14, Ashley Donnelly ’11, Gabby Mucilli ’13, Amanda Iannone and Kayleigh Newell.

5HECKE-WODZICKI—Tara Hecke ’13 and

Kyle Wodzicki ’13 were married on June 25, 2016, in Buffalo, N.Y. In attendance were Ashley Poreda ’13, Casey Borchick ’14, Samantha Wessing ’13, Elise Wieczerzak ’13, James Gilbert ’13, Ryan Farrell ’13, Michael Stahlman ’13, Rob Beshures ’11, Patrick Cavlin ’13 and Michael Beshures ’13. Kyle and Tara reside in Houston, Texas, where Kyle is a Ph.D. candidate at Texas A&M University and Tara is a science teacher.

5SCALA-CZADZECK—Erin Scala ’10

and Timothy Czadzeck were married June 17, 2017, in St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Baldwinsville, N.Y.

5GUZMAN-PEPEN—Stephanie Guzman ’12

and Yasser Pepen ’09 were married Oct. 7, 2017, in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

CHAPMAN-HUIE—Melissa Chapman ’99 and Robert Huie were married April 30, 2017, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

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FARRELL-ST. MARK—Jennifer

Farrell ’13 and Jershon St. Mark ’11 were married on Sept. 3, 2017, in Fair Haven, N.Y. In attendance were: front row, Marybeth Longo ’11, Jean Yura Fedorchuk ’76, Jershon St. Mark ’11, Jennifer Farrell St. Mark ’13, Shannon Brackley ’13, Brittany Wingerter ’14 and Sharon Bingham Darrow ’89; second row, Nicole Dwyer ’13, Rebecca Brennan ’13 M’15, Sierra Nash ’13, Holly Richer ’07, Amber Archambo ’13, Amie Sedal Clute ’12 and Sarah Dorosz Hazelmyer ’12; and top row, Ryan Loucks ’14, Halie Bloom ’13, Alyssa Lambert ’12, Jordan Farrell ’15, Kristy Benicase ’15 and Adam Clute ’13.

5LIVI-FURMAN—Elizabeth Livi ’10

married Keith Furman May 28, 2017, in St. James, N.Y. From left are Mannie Wizwer ’10, Douglas Casper ’10, Jenna Wehn Pierpont ’09, Lauren Jahoda ’10, Ryan Tyrell ’09, Elizabeth Livi ’10, Ryan Forbes ’08, Hanna Forbes, Lauren Malc Evar ’10 and Rachel Ho ’10.

5 WEBSTER-LUKAJIC—Julie Webster and Mike Lukajic ’04 were married on Aug. 26, 2017, at the Waterside Inn in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Pictured (from left) are George Roll (Lakers head men’s ice hockey coach from 1997 to 2003), Glenn Sisman ’75, Sebastien Matte ’04, Joe Carrabs ’04, Tyson Gajda ’04, Lindsay Marra ’04, Scott Irwin ’06, Lisa Contreiras ’06, Tim Thomas ’04 M’05, Bryan Gent ’06, Mike Lukajic ’04, Julie Webster, Andy Rozak ’05, Katie Carbonaro ’05, Karin Skar ’05, Kevin Tracey ’06, Rob Smith ’06, Mark Strzoda ’05, Jessica Dippold ’03 and John Hirliman ’03.

CONNELL-DONOVAN—Maria Connell ’94 and Matthew

Donovan ’97 were married July 29, 2017, at St. James Church in Trumansburg, N.Y., with a reception at Taughannock Falls State Park. In attendance were: front row, from left, Erin Donovan ’94, Anna Finch-Corcoran ’92, Carol Klock ’63, Maria Connell ’94, Margery Klock Connell ’54 and Connie McCrary ’74 M’82 CAS’82; back row, from left, Martin Best, Nicholas Pemberton ’02, Matthew Donovan ’97 and Steve Klock ’90.

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Alumni Bookshelf We celebrate and share the success of Oswego alumni authors, illustrators and recording artists, who may ask their publisher/distributor to send a copy of the work to the Oswego alumni office to be considered for this column and our website, where cover photos of all works in this column will be displayed. Joseph P. Cangemi ’59, Ph.D.; Casimir Kowalski ’65, Ph.D.; and Ami Rokach, Ph.D., editors With Book Foreword by SUNY Oswego President Deborah F. Stanley Bullying: A Critical Problem in Education, Work Environments, Society XLIBRIS, 2017.

This book examines bullying and its effects on individuals and groups. The volume contains contributions from well-known authors and researchers in the United States and abroad, and highlights bullying and how it is expressed under different conditions and situations. Norma Butts Gatti ’74 The Tale of Tutu the Tooth Fairy PAGE PUBLISHING, INC., 2017.

To all the neighbors, Tutu seems like the average sweet old lady, but her secret will surprise everyone! A story about the life and magic of Tutu the Tooth Fairy.

Alice McDermott ’75

Mark Allen Baker ’79

John Gray ’85

The Ninth Hour

Images of America: Connecticut in World War II

THE TROY BOOK MAKERS, 2017.

FARRAR, STRAUS AND GIROUX, 2017.

ARCADIA PUBLISHING, 2017.

The eighth novel by National Book Award-winner and threetime PulitzerPrize finalist McDermott is a powerful story spanning the 20th century, featuring a widow, her daughter and the nuns who serve their Irish-American community in Brooklyn.

Part of the popular Images of America series, this book follows Connecticut’s transformation after the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. This is Baker’s 19th book. Mark Allen Baker ’79 The Fighting Times of Abe Attell

Al Roker ’76 Al Roker’s Extreme Weather: Tornadoes, Typhoons, and Other Weather Phenomena

MCFARLAND AND COMPANY, 2017.

In his 20th book, Baker shares the story of Abe Attell, the Hall of Fame boxer who was charged for alleged involvement in the 1919 Black Sox scandal. The charges were dropped, but the scandal changed Attell’s life.

HARPER COLLINS, 2017.

New York Times bestselling author, award-winning meteorologist, and Today show coanchor Al Roker explores extreme weather phenomena in his first book for kids. Dive deep into a world of fascinating weather with everyone’s favorite meteorologist!

Yvona Fast ’81

God Needed A Puppy With proceeds to benefit animal shelters throughout the United States, Gray shares a children’s story of forest animals that help explain the loss of a pet. Angela Di Michele Lalor ’87 Ensuring High-Quality Curriculum: How to Design, Revise or Adopt Curriculum Aligned to Student Success ASSOCIATION FOR CHRISTIANS IN STUDENT DEVELOPMENT, 2017.

Drawing from her work with teachers and administrators to facilitate curriculum development, Lalor offers targeted advice and real-life examples from elementary and secondary units of study across a variety of content areas and standards.

Different FOOTHILLS PUBLISHING, 2017.

This 24-page, hand-stitched chapbook captures the newest poetry by Fast. She resides in the northern Adirondacks, where she is a member of the Adirondack Center for Writing.

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I N

Submitting an Obituary

Alumni Bookshelf continued Paul J. MacArthur ’88, James R. Angelini, and Andrew C. Billings

John Rucynski Jr. ‘94, editor

Olympic Television: Broadcasting the Biggest Show on Earth

TESOL PRESS, 2016.

ROUTLEDGE, 2017.

An in-depth analysis on the evolution of the Olympics from an international sporting event to a sensational, unifying cultural phenomenon. Discover how and why the Olympics became one of the most watched televised broadcasts through diverse, multi-faceted approaches that focus on historical themes of race, gender, consumerism and nationalism. Brad Thomas Parsons ’91 Distillery Cats: Profiles in Courage of the World’s Most Spirited Mousers TEN SPEED PRESS, 2017.

Parsons captures a topic that doubles down on two of his passions: cats plus booze. More than 30 cats were interviewed for this book. He is also the author of Bitters and Amaro.

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M E M O R I A M

We will share the news of a SUNY Oswego college community member’s death when we receive the information from a family member, friend or another source in the form of a previously published notice, typically from a newspaper or funeral home. Please send such notices to the Office of Alumni Relations, c/o In Memoriam, SUNY Oswego, Oswego NY 13126; or email alumni@oswego.edu.

New Ways in Teaching With Humor This text explores the whole gamut of possibilities for using humor in English language teaching. These lessons provide English language learners with the linguistic and cultural knowledge they need to become more proficient users of the language. Lou Paduano ’04 The Medusa Coin ELEVEN TEN PUBLISHING, 2017.

In the third installment of the Greystone series, Paduano raises the stakes for Detective Loren who returns to the city of Portents to stop the bearer of the Medusa coin from slaughtering the city’s people. Ebony Coleman ’05 Head of Household: How I Broke the Cycle of Neglect and Took Charge of My Life CREATESPACE, 2017.

After years of suffering and devastating loss, Coleman found the strength to become her very own Head of Household. Readers will discover an understanding of the cycle of rejection and the all-encompassing Grace of God.

Joyce Smith Parsell ’39 of Watertown, N.Y., died Oct. 4, 2017. She taught in elementary schools for many years. Dominic Giambo ’41 of Watkins Glen, N.Y., died Dec. 29, 2017. Dominic served in World War II from 1942 to 1946 as an aircraft machinist. He taught industrial arts for 35 years. Surviving are his children Carol Giambo Taber ’65, Robert Giambo ’74, David Giambo and Deborah Kiteveles; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Marshall Schmitt ’41 of Springfield, Va., died June 18, 2017. He earned a master’s degree at Ohio State and a Ph.D. at Penn State. Marshall began his career at Red Creek (N.Y.) Central School teaching industrial arts. Later, he was a specialist for industrial arts for the U.S. Office of Education. Marshall is survived by his daughter, Marsha Harris. Albert Johnson ’48 of Hopewell Junction, N.Y., died Dec. 6, 2017. He served with the U.S. Army during World War II. Al earned a master’s degree at New York University. He taught from 1948 to 1969 in the Haverstraw-Stony Point (N.Y.) Central School District (now North Rockland), and retired as principal at the James A. Farley Middle School in 1983. He also taught engineering drawing for several years at Rockland Community College. Surviving are his companion, Joyce Sellers, five children, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Geraldine Scanlon Jones ’48 of Oswego died Nov. 12, 2017. She was a teacher in the Oswego City School District for many years. Gerry is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Douglas and Diane Fischer Jones ’73 and Patrick and Patricia Bach Jones ’78; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her sisters, including Eleanor Scanlon Notarpole ’43 and Martha Scanlon Devine ’44. Louis Cortese ’49 of Boynton Beach, Fla., died Nov. 14, 2017. He served with the U.S. Army and later earned a master’s degree from New York University. Louis taught industrial arts at St. Joseph’s Home Peekskill, N.Y., until his retirement. He was also chief of auxiliary police in Peekskill for several years. Louis is survived by two children, four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. John Ellis ’49 of Cortland, N.Y., died May 9, 2016. He began his teaching career in Williamsburg, Va., and returned to New York state in 1951 to teach industrial arts at Homer Central School, retiring in 1983. Surviving are his daughters, Eileen Ellis Bianchi ’77 and Evelyn Rybaltowski, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Edith Maloney Knight ’50 of Oswego died Nov. 10, 2017. She was an educator for 25 years in the Oswego City and Mexico Central school districts. Edith was a longtime member of the SUNY Oswego Alumni Board of Directors, and was a recipient of the Oswego Alumni Distinguished Service Award. She is survived by four children, Burt, Thomas, Michael and Kathleen; 10 grandchildren, including Julia Knight ’17; and four great-grandchildren. Carol Fletcher Adams ’51 of Wadsworth, Ohio, died Dec. 23, 2017. Carol taught in Monticello and Liverpool, N.Y., and Brook Park and Elyria, Ohio. She is survived by five children, 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Joanne DeLuca Russell ’51 of Norwich, N.Y., died Jan. 21, 2017. She taught for many years in Norwich City Schools. Surviving are her husband, William, two children, two granddaughters and a great-grandson. William Hardy ’52 of Wilder, Vt., died Aug. 6, 2017. He served with the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. Bill earned a master’s degree from the University at Buffalo and taught in the Rochester area for many years. He is survived by two children and five grandchildren. Bill was predeceased by his wife, Mary Ann Hansen Hardy ’52. Douglas MacIntosh ’55 of Hudson Falls, N.Y., died Nov. 2, 2017. He earned master’s degrees from the Biblical Seminary and Siena College. Doug taught industrial arts at Hudson Falls Junior High School for 32 years. He is survived by his wife, Diane Vincent MacIntosh ’70, and two foster sons. Louise Davis ’56 of Liverpool, N.Y., died Nov. 21, 2017. She earned an MBA at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and was a manager for General Electric for many years. Louise is survived by her sister, Diane DuMond, and nieces and nephews. Nancy Blodgett Trust ’56 of Pulaski, N.Y., died Aug. 30, 2017. She taught in Minetto, Orwell and Sandy Creek, retiring after 31 years. With her husband, she owned and operated Trust Nursery in Pulaski for 58 years. Nancy is survived by her husband, Charles (Dick); three children; nine grandchildren, including Brandie Edick ’16; and a great-granddaughter. John Lombardi ’57 of Forest, Va., died Nov. 7, 2016. He served with the U.S. Army during the Korean War. John taught at Longwood High School in Middle Island, N.Y.,

until his retirement in 1985. He is survived by his wife, Mildred; two children, John and Lynette; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Frank McCabe ’57 of Dalton, Mass., died Nov. 19, 2017. He earned graduate degrees in education from the City College of New York, Buffalo State College and SUNY New Paltz. Frank was an industrial arts teacher for 25 years, and later a school administrator. Surviving are his wife, Eileen Gore McCabe ’57, six children, 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Thomas Orr ’58 of Long Prairie, Minn., died July 9, 2017. Tom entered the U.S. Navy in 1958 and served for 22 years as a carrier pilot on the USS Essex, a parachutist in the Antarctic and a finance/logistics officer at several locations, retiring in 1980. Following his service with the Navy, he moved his family to their dairy and sheep farm in Long Prairie. Tom is survived by his wife, Barbara Bowne Orr ’59, five children, 15 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Joseph Singleton ’58 of Mattituck, N.Y., died Nov. 21, 2016. He earned a master’s degree at New York University and was an educator on Long Island for 35 years, serving as assistant superintendent in Syosset, Western Suffolk BOCES and other districts. Surviving are his wife, Mary Lou Keane Singleton ’57, four sons and 10 grandchildren. Annlyn Harrold Warner ’58 of Oswego died Sept. 27, 2017. She began her teaching career in the Rochester and Syracuse areas before returning to Oswego, where she taught reading at Fitzhugh Park Elementary School for the remainder of her career. Annlyn is survived by her husband, William; three children; four siblings, including Christopher ’80 and Mary Burnham Harrold ’80; and seven grandchildren. John Harmeling ’59 of Green Cove Springs, Fla., died Dec. 8, 2017. He was a teacher and guidance counselor in the North Babylon (N.Y.) School District for 35 years. John is survived by his wife, Dorothy, two sons and nine grandchildren. Joseph Farinola ’60 of Chapel Hill, N.C., died Sept. 27, 2017. He served with the U.S. Army and earned an Ed.D. at the University at Albany. He taught in the Syracuse and Jamesville-Dewitt school districts, and was a high school principal in Cobleskill, assistant superintendent of the Tompkins-Tioga-

Seneca BOCES and superintendent of schools for Lawrence Township Schools in Lawrenceville, N.J. Prior to retiring, Joe was the district superintendent of Monroe County BOCES for 15 years. In retirement, Joe was a part-time JobLink counselor for Alamance Community College. Surviving are his wife, Kathy, four daughters, two stepchildren and seven grandchildren. Nellie Garbus Mathews ’60 of Hannibal, N.Y., died Sept. 10, 2017. She taught in the Baldwinsville (N.Y.) Central School District for 30 years. Nellie is survived by her son, Richard Garbus, and her sister, Lucy Frank. Anne Godici Rapp ’60 of Columbus, Ohio, died Oct. 4, 2017. She began her teaching career in California, and after moving to Columbus, she worked as a substitute teacher while raising her family. She worked as an editor for MacMillan McGraw Hill, AT&T, Paul Werth and Rockwell International; was employed by the Secretary of State’s office; and was the operations manager for the Spirituality Network. She is survived by her husband, Wayne; five children; nine grandchildren; and five siblings, including Francis Godici ’64, James ’68 and Diane Godici Huckabee ’68, Robert ’73 and Christine Godici Holmes ’97. Donna Fry True ’62 of Port Richey, Fla., died Feb. 19, 2017. She taught in New York, California and Hawaii before moving to Florida, where she spent 15 years in New Port Richey at Anclote Elementary School. Donna retired in 1995 after 30 years in education. She is survived by her husband, Joseph; sisters, Marjorie Fry Powers ’55 and Katherine Fry Newland; and several nieces and nephews. Phyllis Fenske ’64 of Oswego died Dec. 31, 2017. She earned a master’s degree at Indiana University and taught at SUNY Cobleskill, several Christian schools and later at Oneonta (N.Y.) Elementary School. Surviving are her sister, Nancy Fenske, and nieces and nephews. Norman Remsen ’64 of Bethlehem, Conn., died Sept. 4, 2017. He earned a master’s degree at Western Connecticut State University. Norman began his teaching career in Valley Stream, N.Y., before moving to New Milford, Conn, where he taught from 1970 until his retirement in 2015. He is survived by his wife, Judith Seewald Remsen ’65; his children, Glenn and Dawn; and four grandchildren.

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William Stessen ’65 of Syracuse, N.Y., died Aug. 23, 2017. He spent 37 years as a teacher, most recently in the West Genesee Central School District. Bill is survived by his wife, Kathleen Hinchman, and two children. John Daken ’66 of North Tonawanda, N.Y., died Sept. 28, 2017. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1961 to 1968. He was a guidance counselor at Sweet Home High School in Amherst for more than 20 years. Following his retirement, he worked as a regional admissions counselor for SUNY Oswego for several years. John was a member of the Oswego Alumni Association Board of Directors from 2000-2014. He is survived by his wife, Joann; his daughters, Jennifer Daken, Susan Daken Wadosky and Colleen Klaes; and six grandchildren. Ethelyn Shaw Kern ’66 of Raymond, Maine, died Dec. 30, 2017. She began her career as a teacher then worked at the Islip (N.Y.) public library for over 10 years. Lyn is survived by her husband, Joseph, three daughters and five grandchildren. Elvira Leoniewa Bourgon ’67 of El Paso, Texas, died Feb. 3, 2015. She taught in the El Paso School District for many years. Ellie is survived by her husband, Marcel; her mother, Olga Czerepin; two children and a granddaughter. Beth Gilmore Sherman ’67 of Oswego died Oct. 5, 2017. She was a substitute teacher in the Oswego City School District, and worked at the Coffee Connection and Wayne’s Drugs. Beth was predeceased by her husband, Peter Sherman ’65. She is survived by sons, Christopher and Gregory, and a grandson. Joseph Viola ’67 of North White Plains, N.Y., died May 27, 2015. He served with the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Joseph was a retired truck driver with Local 456 in Elmsford, N.Y. Surviving are his wife, Barbara, two children and two grandsons. Edward Shattuck ’68 of Carbondale, Colo., died Dec. 29, 2016. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Cuban missile crisis and blockade. Prior to retiring and moving to Colorado, Ed worked for the Commission for the Blind in Portland, Ore. He is survived by his wife, Julie; her sons, John and Andre Mpitsos; sisters, Claudia Shattuck Szitar M’72 and Mary Shattuck Bush; and brother, John. Ed was predeceased by his parents, Edward ’41 and Mary Shattuck.

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Helen Galusha Devitt ’71 of San Antonio, Texas, died June 21, 2017. She earned a degree in library science from Syracuse University and worked as a school librarian in Fulton, N.Y., and San Antonio. Helen is survived by four daughters, 12 grandchildren, 22 greatgrandchildren and her siblings, Alfred ’57 and Donna Galusha Allen ’57 and Nancy Galusha Thomas. Alfred Fergerson ’71 of North Syracuse, N.Y., died Nov. 17, 2017. He was also a graduate of Onondaga Community College and Simmons School of Mortuary Science. He was the owner of Fergerson Funeral Home and was the deputy mayor for the Village of North Syracuse. Fred is survived by his wife, Patricia, and two children. Jacalyn Ryan ’72 of Oswego died Oct. 14, 2017. Prior to retiring in 2010, Jaci was an employee benefit specialist for Oswego County. She is survived by aunts and cousins. Carl Elliott ’73 of Centennial, Colo., died April 27, 2017. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; a son, Steven; three grandsons; his mother, Virginia Aldrich; and three brothers, Paul, David and Michael. Wayne Bardua ’74 of Palm Coast, Fla., died Oct. 29, 2017. Prior to retirement, he taught 5th grade in Highland Falls, N.Y. Wayne is survived by his wife, Patricia; his mother, Jean; and three stepchildren. Wendolyn Saunders Havey ’76 of Syracuse, N.Y., died Sept. 23, 2017. She worked at ADP for 35 years. Wendy is survived by her husband, James, and daughters, Meredith and Lauren. Angela Barone Wilking ’77 of Oswego died Aug. 14, 2017. She worked as a piano teacher, and wrote and composed music and hymns. She is survived by her husband, Brian. Charles Gerber ’79 of Camden, N.Y., died Sept. 24, 2017. He worked at Camden Wire Co. as a supervisor of accounting before returning to the family business, Camden Collision, in 1990. He retired in January 2017. Chuck is survived by four siblings, and his nieces and nephews. Joan Pynes ’79 of Tampa, Fla., died July 6, 2017. She earned a Ph.D. from Florida Atlantic University and was a professor of public administration at the University of South Florida. Joan is survived by her husband, Michael McNaughton.

Thomas Topping ’79 of Murfreesboro, Tenn., died Nov. 11, 2016. Tom served with the U.S. Navy before coming to SUNY Oswego. He is survived by his siblings, Phyllis Powers, and Alfred and Robert Topping; and his nieces and nephews. Dale Tripp ’81 of Hartsville, S.C., died Oct. 28, 2017. He had been vice president of Anderson Brass since 2001. Dale is survived by his wife, Audrey Richards Tripp ’81; sons, Joshua and Garrett; brother, Wayne; sister, Donna; and father-in-law and motherin-law, Kenvyn ’53, Professor Emeritus of Industrial Arts Technology at Oswego, and Jane Richards. Betty Cooper ’83 of Syracuse, N.Y., died Aug. 13, 2017. Prior to retiring, she taught in the Syracuse City School District for 20 years. Betty is survived by six children and several grandchildren. Mickey Boucher ’85 of Lockport, N.Y., died Dec. 20, 2017. He earned a master’s degree at the University at Buffalo. Mickey was a social worker for New Directions Youth and Family Services for 30 years. He is survived by his wife, Julie Cowe Boucher ’85; his children, Justin and Janine; his parents, Wayne and Joan Boucher; and his sister, Michelle Boucher McGriff ’89. Patricia Johnson Carlton ’86 of Delmar, N.Y., died Feb. 21, 2017. She was a teacher and an administrator, most recently serving as principal in the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District. Tricia is survived by her husband, David Caso; her children, Dylan and Melana Carlton; and stepchildren, Sam and Ben Caso. Joseph Dugandzic ’86 of Cranford, N.J., died Jan. 7, 2017. He was a high school English teacher for over 20 years. Joe is survived by his wife, Maureen, and his children, Kerry and Richie. Maureen Perkins Murphy ’87 of Fayetteville, N.Y., died Nov. 30, 2017. She is survived by her husband, Dennis, three children, two grandchildren, her parents, Ernest and RoseMarie Perkins, and her sisters. Ann Marie Satalino DelPriore ’89 M’95 of Cicero, N.Y., died Nov. 20, 2017. She worked at Park Hill Pre-K for more than 23 years. Ann Marie is survived by her husband, Dominic, and son, Domenico.

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Michele Desrosiers ’93 of Carthage, N.Y., died Sept. 21, 2017. She was a 1991 graduate of Jefferson Community College and a 1996 graduate of the University of Mississippi. Michele had recently retired from the Carthage Free Library. Surviving are two children and three grandchildren. Lois Dominy Ensby ’93 of Baldwinsville, N.Y., died Dec. 27, 2017. Lois worked at the Bonanza Restaurant in Liverpool for more than 20 years. She earned an associate’s degree at SUNY Canton and later attended SUNY Oswego. Lois is survived by her husband, Richard; sons, Michael and Stephen; daughters, Lynda Ensby Slater ’98, Machell Ensby Jones ’88 and Stephany Ensby Collins ’99; 13 grandchildren and two great-granddaughters. Timothy Sherman ’95 M’98 of Fulton, N.Y., died Nov. 16, 2017. He is survived by his parents, John ’61 and Laura Sherman; his brother and sister-in-law, Ted and Angela Sherman and their children. Beverly Breen, Bursar Emerita, died Dec. 15, 2017. She earned a bachelor’s degree at Syracuse University. Beverly is survived by six children and 11 grandchildren. William Doll, former Associate Professor of Elementary Education, died Dec. 27, 2017. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, a master’s degree from Boston University and a Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University. He taught at Oswego from 1971 until 1985. He is survived by his wife, Donna, and his children, stepchildren and grandchildren. Walter Freimanis, Professor Emeritus of Music, died June 11, 2017. He taught in Oswego’s music department for many years, retiring in 2003. Walter is survived by his wife, Edith, siblings, nieces and nephews. John Maceri, former Instructor of Public Justice, died Oct. 24, 2017. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Canisius College and a master’s degree from Syracuse University. He taught community corrections and the senior seminar at Oswego for over 25 years. John is survived by his sister-in-law, nieces and nephews.

(The Last Word continued from page 48.) After leaving Mississippi, applying for and being refused conscientious objector status, graduating from college and becoming involved with the Black Panther Party in the late 1960s, I decided to make a serious commitment to write and found two mentors in Sonia Sanchez and John Oliver Killens whose writing workshops at the Countee Cullen Library in Harlem and Columbia University provided me with an invaluably supportive group of young black writers who challenged and encouraged one another. My refusal to report for induction into the army in 1968 was never far from my mind. And in January, 1972, I was sentenced to three years in a federal penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Dostoyevsky wrote in “Notes from the House of the Dead,” that if you want to grasp the nature of any so called civilized society, you need only to look at its prisons. Even from the relative safety of my minimum security facility, I found nothing to dispute Dostoyevsky’s assessment. All of the hierarchies, ethnic and racial group hostilities and the reliance on violence as the instrument of social control were present in a more extreme form. I worked on a novel while incarcerated that had Wesley Brown ’68 nothing to do with my experience in prison. After my —1968 Ontarian release in 1973, a writer friend chastised me for not incorporating my time in prison into my autobiographical coming of age story of a young black man. Initially, I was reluctant to consider this, thinking it was still too raw in my mind to do justice to the experiences. However, after more thought, I had to acknowledge I really didn’t want to enter the emotional mine field I knew was waiting for me. I asked myself why my father had passed on to me all those terrible stories? Remembering something Toni Morrison once said provided a possible answer: Coming to terms with a deep hurt, often, requires not keeping our distance but moving closer to it. So with more than a little trepidation, I wrote my way through emotions I hadn’t allowed myself to feel while in prison and my first novel was all the better for it. In every story or novel I’ve written since then I’ve tried to remember my father’s need to repeat his stories to me. That has given me the courage to write stories I’m reluctant to tell, making it not as likely that I’ll be at the mercy of the historical and personal hurt that claims us all. —Wesley Brown ’68

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Telling Stories That Should Not Be Passed On The following is an excerpt from an essay that was included in the anthology How Dare We Write: A Multicultural Creative Writing Discourse (Modern History Press, May 2017). tell you something,” my “I could father said to me, beginning

when I was seven or eight. He not only could but he did, especially after he’d had a few drinks. He told me stories from his childhood and youth that at times were harrowing, but never ceased to hold my attention. One could argue that it was inappropriate to be told, at such a young age, that my enslaved great-grandmother’s thumb was permanently splayed out by her master using a straight razor to slice it open whenever she did something not to his liking. There was nothing I could do but listen to him who, for whatever reasons, chose to unburden himself to me with these unsettling stories from his past. The opening line of Joan Didion’s book, The White Album, “We tell ourselves stories in order to live,” crystalized how important it was for my father to tell those stories and by extension how indispensable it was for me to discover the stories I needed to tell. And I found many of them through trips to the South to visit relatives, as well as images of the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and early 1960s. My gradual move toward a more direct encounter with risk and danger arrived in June of 1965. I’d made the decision to go South to work on voter registration after two ‘Snick’ (Student

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Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) staff workers spoke at the SUNY Oswego campus where I was a student. Their visit occurred during the same period of the assassination of Malcolm X and the Selma to Montgomery march. I don’t doubt that my parents admired the courage of the young people putting themselves in harm’s way. However, they were not prepared for me being one of them. Perhaps, my father expected his stories would’ve been a warning that the world was a frighteningly unpredictable and dangerous place, and that I should not, needlessly, put myself in the way of its wrath. These were among the reasons why my parents left the South. And here I was determined to move closer to the site of the hurt and dangers they had fled. The months I spent in Mississippi were life changing, forcing me to see myself and the world I inhabited in ways I could not have imagined. I was in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, helping to register black people who had been denied the right to vote in a country that was sending young men, many of whom were black, 10,000 miles away to bring democracy to Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Nothing I read or heard in the mainstream media reported this perspective or the entrenched economic, educational and polit-

Wesley Brown ’68

ical institutions that kept rural blacks in a condition of penury not that far removed from their circumstances after the Civil War. Once I arrived at the view that the narrative emerging from my young life was one that had to involve putting myself into a movement to change the glaring disparities between what America promised and what it practiced, it became clear that I could not, in good conscience, serve in the Armed Forces of the United States. Perhaps, without knowing it, my Mississippi experiences and my determination to make common cause with others, wanting to create a story of our lives where we had a lot more to say about its direction, were the early indications that writing might be a way for me to find my own way in the world, rather than allow those embodying the diction of the powerful to do it for me. (Continued on page 47.)

Wesley Brown ’68 is a visiting faculty member in social studies and the arts at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, Mass., and a professor emeritus of English at Rutgers University, where he taught for 26 years. He is the author of three novels, as well as three produced plays. He is the co-editor of a fiction multicultural anthology Imagining America and a nonfiction multicultural anthology Visions of America, and he is editor of The Teachers & Writers Guide to Frederick Douglass.

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Dr. George Koenig rowing up in a bilingual home with his parents who had emigrated from Germany, George Koenig seamlessly moved between English and German in his conversations. Today, he continues to mix both languages into his conversations with his wife, Heike ’87, a native of Germany. “I joke that I am going to record our conversations to see what triggers us to speak in one language over the other,” said Koenig, an emeritus professor of German. For Koenig, language acquisition has come relatively easy compared to most. His high school French teacher nurtured his talent and encouraged him to apply to her alma mater, Middlebury College in Vermont, which is known for its foreign language programs. Koenig enrolled and went on to earn a bachelor’s and a master’s in German and a minor in Spanish from Middlebury, and landed a job as a civilian instructor of German at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. While teaching at the naval academy, he worked toward a Ph.D. in German at the University of Maryland and also met and married his wife. They moved to New York when Koenig decided to accept a position teaching German at SUNY Oswego—a role he kept until he retired in December 2000. During his tenure at Oswego, he also earned a master’s in Spanish from Middlebury during a summer

intensive program so he could teach that language to Lakers. “I liked the colleagues and I like the college and I liked the courses I taught,” he said. “I liked the area. I like winter. It was ideal, and after our first child [Monica] was born here, it became our home town.” They raised both of their children, Monica and Philip ’92, in Oswego. Koenig enjoyed his role as a foreign language teacher—which he said actually required a lot more hats than traditional teaching. “In teaching a new language, you have to be somewhat of an actor, a comedian, a pantomime,” he said. “It has to be entertaining in some way and interactive, because you can’t as easily communicate with students as you would in a literature, political science or chemistry class.” Koenig admits that teaching a foreign language could at times be frustrating but his favorite memories of Oswego are those when students did latch on to the language, and a whole new culture opened up to them. He also takes pride in helping many students study abroad. “Overseas travel gives students total immersion in the language,” he said. “Total immersion really is the most important component to achieve fluency in a language. It’s funny when you study another language, you somehow acquire their culture.”

MATT CUMMINS

Dr. George Koenig

If that is the case, Koenig is man of many cultures. In addition to German and English, he also is fluent in Spanish and conversational in French, and as a world traveler, he always tries to learn enough of the native tongue to get around. Although he has visited dozens of countries, he considers his home region in Oswego and Central New York to be among the most beautiful areas in the world. Much of his retirement he spends dedicated to improving and preserving it through his volunteer work with the Heritage Foundation of Oswego, Save Oswego’s Historic Sites, H. Lee White Maritime Museum and the Tree Stewards program. “This is our home of 50 years, and we’re invested in this city,” he said. “It’s been a wonderful place for us.” l —Margaret Spillett