Portraits Summer 2022

PORTRAITS Telling the Stories of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford

FOR KEEPS At the heart of Pitt-Bradford are relationships that last a lifetime

SUMMER 2022

Seniors soaking up their last days together: clockwise from bottom left, Elizabeth Morini, Taylor Samuelson, Kaitlyn Case, Bianca Gonzales and Emily Hodge

spe

RICK c i a l n e w s E NAMSECH ’83 P R ES D I S E E I DENT NSID E

president’s letter

PORTRAITS Telling the Stories of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford SENIOR EDITOR

Pat Frantz Cercone EDITOR

Kimberly Marcott Weinberg

Forward motion Some may think that summer is a slow time on our campus, when buildings and classrooms are empty of students and faculty and the day-to-day pace is leisurely.

I can assure you that nothing could be further from the truth.

While there are fewer students and faculty on campus this time of year, many members of our campus community are working diligently this summer to build upon the progress we made during the 2021-22 academic year and prepare for the next academic year – and the years after that.

We are currently putting the finishing touches on our strategic plan for 2023-28, the road map we will follow to continue to successfully recruit, retain and graduate well-prepared students who will make positive impacts in their communities. Part of that comprehensive plan includes making exciting changes to the Kessel Athletics Complex – such as a turf field – which will create enhanced opportunities for our student-athletes.

We are watching as the George B. Duke Engineering and Information Technologies Building takes shape. This new building, which will be ready for students next spring, will give them the space they need to imagine, discover and create in new and collaborative ways. We anticipate dedicating this marvelous building in the spring and hope you will join us for that celebration.

We have hired and are welcoming several new members to our campus community who will join us as we continue to work together to enhance the Pitt-Bradford experience for our students: a vice president and dean of student affairs (see story on page 8); faculty members in several disciplines, including our two new engineering technology programs; and other staff members in offices throughout campus.

We also are taking this time to plan many of our signature events for the coming year, including Alumni and Family Weekend, which will be held Sept.

23-25, to give you an opportunity to connect with your friends and mentors and see all of the exciting changes here.

We couldn’t have made all of this progress without your continuing support.

As we have seen, progress is made when a community of caring, committed people work together for a sole purpose.

I’m very proud of the work we have done together, and I look forward to our making even more progress.

COPY EDITORS

Laurie Dufford Judy Hopkins ’71-’73 Joelle Warner ART DIRECTOR

John Sizing www.jspublicationdesign.com PHOTOGRAPHERS

Steve Allen Alan Hancock ’07, ’19 Glenn Melvin ’04 PRINTER

Knepper Press Published by the Office of Communications and Marketing University of Pittsburgh at Bradford © 2021 www.upb.pitt.edu NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY STATEMENT The University of Pittsburgh, as an educational institution and as an employer, values equality of opportunity, human dignity, and racial/ethnic and cultural diversity. Accordingly, as fully explained in Policy 07-01-03, the University prohibits and will not engage in discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, disability, or status as a veteran. The University also prohibits and will not engage in retaliation against any person who makes a claim of discrimination or harassment or who provides information in such an investigation. Further, the University will continue to take affirmative steps to support and advance these values consistent with the University’s mission. This policy applies to admissions, employment, access to and treatment in University programs and activities.

This is a commitment made by the University and is in accordance with federal, state and/or local laws and regulations.

For information on University equal opportunity and affirmative action programs, please contact: University of Pittsburgh, Office of Affirmative Action, Diversity and Inclusion, Carol W. Mohamed, Director (and Title IX, 504 and ADA Coordinator), 412 Bellefield Hall, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15260 (412) 648-7860.

In compliance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, the University guarantees that students have the right to inspect all personally identifiable records maintained by the institution and may challenge the content and accuracy of those records through appropriate institutional procedures. It is further guaranteed by the University that student records containing personally identifiable information will not be released except as permitted by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. Sofia Brien Director of Human Resources and Title IX Liaison (814)362-0251, spb128@pitt.edu

Richard T. Esch ’83, president

Have a story, comment or suggestion for us? Write to us at Portraits@pitt.edu.

BEYOND EXPECTATIONS summer 2022

contents

Rick Esch, left, then-interim president, congratulates Dr. Livingston Alexander, president emeritus, after presenting Alexander with the university’s Presidential Medal of Distinction, its highest honor, during Commencement exercises in May.

features

departments

14 The Bradford Gang

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The University of Pittsburgh’s campus in Pittsburgh is big. And while big has its advantages, so does small, like making good friends and getting a firm foundation in the academic basics. For years, students who have needed to transfer in order to complete their programs have gotten the best of both worlds by taking their besties with them.

16 Forging Engineers Dr. August Freda loved to build things. That included programs in engineering, computer science and petroleum technology at Pitt-Bradford, and it included young engineers. He and his wife, Vicky, were papa bear and mama bear to Pitt-Bradford students for more than 30 years, helping build the caring culture that the campus is known for.

ALAN HANCOCK ’07

18 Formula for Success Four engineering alumnae have found their niche, succeeding in the areas of construction, project management, manufacturing and patent law, and they’re determined to bring other women up with them.

First Shot

Dr. Chuba Oyolu ’00-’02 is a Stanfordtrained bioengineer. But he’s also a self-trained artist whose work is literally larger than ever.

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The Commons

Rick Esch ’83 tapped to lead campuses; meet new vice president and dean of student affairs Michael Davila; new engineering and information technologies building will be named in honor of Zippo Manu-facturing Co. owner George Duke; Ryan Boyer ’20 pitching with Toronto Blue Jays affiliate in Vancouver, British Columbia.

22 Panther Pack Isidro Otis ’86 has made his father’s Clyde Otis Music Group his own; Rhett Kennedy ’92 receives Alumni Award of Distinction from PBAA.

Cover by Haley Kennedy ’23

summer 2022

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first shot

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summer 2022

I dissent A few months after the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the fall of 2020, a striking portrait of her — eight stories high — started rising over the city of San Jose, Calif. It is an artistic version of Sebastian Kim’s iconic photograph of her — famous dissent collar on, red lips and earrings and an Italian cotton mesh glove posed as if flashing her own erudite gang sign — justice. Its geometry is the hallmark of its artist, biomedical engineer Dr. Chuba Oyolu ’00-02, who didn’t discover he was an artist until he was a graduate student at Stanford University.

“I didn’t know I could draw until I was about 27. The stress of grad school made me look for an outlet,” he said. On the way home from soccer practice one day, he stopped in a book shop and came across a book on the Renaissance artist Michelangelo. “I was really enthralled.

I bought the book and read it front to back in about a week. Then I bought every other book on Michelangelo I could find and read them all too.” That winter break, he started

drawing. “After about a dozen intuitive nudges, I literally just picked up a pencil and started scribbling, and that’s when it dawned on me that the natural ability had lain dormant deep within me all along.” He began practicing hours each day, developing his own unique style that uses complex shapes to make up larger pictures. He calls it Geometric Symbolism.

“That’s where the engineer in me intrudes,” he said.

“The unique style of art I developed probably came from seeing so many surgeries as a grad student. I saw so many, many intricate striations under the superficial fleshy layer of the human body that I started to see them everywhere. I developed a lexicon of about 40 shapes that I can use over and over again in my work.

It just intuitively feels right.”

Oyolu’s work has progressed to the point where he spends more than half his time on his art, but still does a considerable amount of scientific work as a biomedical engineering consultant.

You can follow his work on Instagram at @chubaoyolu.

DANIEL DENTONE

summer 2022

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COMMONS THE

News from Around the Quad

Interim no more

Alumnus Rick Esch selected to lead campus as president It’s official: Rick Esch ’83, who spent the last year serving as Pitt-Bradford’s and Pitt-Titusville’s interim president, was named president, effective July 1.

“Rick has demonstrated deep commitment to Pitt-Bradford’s and PittTitusville’s students, faculty and staff,” said University of Pittsburgh Provost Ann Cudd, adding that Esch draws on his own experience as a proud PittBradford alumnus to focus on ensuring that the academic experiences at his alma mater and at Pitt-Titusville are excellent and fulfilling.

Esch said, “It has been a great privilege and honor to serve as interim president of Pitt-Bradford and Pitt-Titusville this past year. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues

through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under Esch’s leadership, construction began on the Duke Building, which continues to receive wide community support. In early October, heavy equipment for the engineering technology programs will be moved into the building and calibrated. Once that process is complete, faculty members will be trained to use the equipment to prepare for the start of classes in January.

For the past two years, Esch also led the COVID-19 mitigation efforts on both campuses and represented Pitt-Bradford and Pitt-Titusville on the Chancellor’s Resilience Steering Committee, working closely with Pitt’s COVID-19 Medical Response Office and collaborating with local, regional

“It has been a great privilege and honor to serve as interim president of Pitt-Bradford this past year. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues … to help our students succeed, ensure the viability of both campuses, and support each other in these efforts.” — Rick Esch on both campuses and throughout the entire university to help our students succeed, ensure the viability of both campuses, and support each other in these efforts.”

When Cudd announced his appointment, she noted some of Esch’s most significant contributions, including his work in championing the construction of and fundraising for the George B. Duke Engineering and Information Technologies Building and successfully guiding both campuses 4

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and state agencies.

The provost also noted that Esch, who is very active in the Bradford community, has spent many years building and strengthening relationships in the community and continues to do so.

Shortly after being named interim president, Esch prioritized enhancing existing and developing new relationships on both campuses and in their respective communities, which had been difficult due to COVID-19 restrictions.

During the past year, more in-per-

son events were held safely on campus, including Alumni and Family Weekend, Commencement, and the Donor Scholarship Luncheon.

“None of this progress would have been possible without the continuing commitment of our faculty and staff as well as the generous support we have received from our alumni and friends,” Esch said.

Cudd also noted in her announcement that the enduring community relationships Esch built over the years have been far-reaching.

Esch is very active in the region, including serving as president and charter member of the Tuna Valley Trail Association, a board member and immediate past chair of Journey Health System, a board member and managing director of the Bradford Educational Foundation, and a board member and vice president of the Bradford Economic Development Corp.

Esch, who earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Pitt-Bradford, began his career at his alma mater in 1995 as the director of auxiliary services and five years later was named chief business and administrative affairs officer. In 2003, he was promoted to vice president for business affairs. In 2012, he was named vice president for business affairs at Pitt-Titusville.

He also holds a Master of Business Administration from Pitt’s Katz School of Business Executive MBA program.

He and his wife, Lisa, live in Bradford and have three grown children. summer 2022

GLENN MELVIN ’04

summer 2022

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the commons STUDENT STANDOUTS

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Smiling again

Class of 2022 celebrates historic year

Gofacks Ohene, a biology major from Hellertown, Pa., waits for her turn to cross the stage.

Nursing graduate Alissa Miller of Berlin, N.J., receives the Excellence in Clinical Nursing Award during the nurse pinning ceremony held before commencement.

summer 2022

ALAN HANCOCK ’07

Gretchen Henneman ’24 is United States of America’s Miss Pennsylvania 2022.

The early elementary education major is using her title to speak out for her greatest passion, arts education. She conducts workshops with children discussing the fundamentals of theater, dance, photography, music and writing, organizing activities such as singalongs and acting games to quickly expose children to different creative avenues.

“The rewarding aspect of theater is that no matter what your skill level is, there are multiple opportunities to participate in a cast, crew or production team.

Theater is a community that thrives on inclusion,” she said.

In the community, she serves as a board member of Bradford Little Theatre, a group she has been involved with since middle school.

Olubumi Braimah ’22, a biology graduate from Liberal, Kan., is returning to his home state to attend the University of Kansas School of Medicine.

As a student, under the supervision of Orin James, assistant professor of biology, he completed research on “The Effects of Glycerol on Ice Recrystallization.”

Braimah excelled not only academically, but also served as a member of the Blue and Gold Society and as a resident assistant. As a student leader, his classmates elected him to be their speaker during their Graduation Celebration held by the PittBradford Alumni Association the night before graduation.

FACULTY BOOKSHELF

Graduates and their families once again filled the KOA Arena for Commencement this spring after a remote version in 2020 and a drive-through version in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The University of Pittsburgh removed masking requirements at all of its campuses in time to see graduates’ smiles.

Aekta Patel, a nursing graduate from Fairport, N.Y., poses for her family following the ceremony.

summer 2022

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GLENN MELVIN ‘04

Graduate Adam Boyer, a communications major from Bradford, poses with his cousin Amanda Perkins Priest ’14, left, and aunt Denise Perkins, right, who happens to be an administrative assistant in residence life and housing.

A new book by Dr. Shailendra Gajanan, professor of economics, will help students and practitioners perform statistical analyses in evaluating poverty and nutrition.

The book, “Food Security, Poverty and Nutrition Policy Analysis: Statistical Methods and Applications,” is a third edition.

The third edition, Gajanan said, has two-thirds more text and two new chapters. Although the second edition was published only seven years ago in 2014, Gajanan said that rapid changes in the field required including large amounts of new research and incorporating hands-on examples and case studies.

Gajanan said he added large amounts of information about Latin America, Asia and food insecurity, and obesity in the United States. He also added new research and case studies about the effect of educating women, using corn and other foods to produce biofuels, and the effects of the 2008 global economic crisis.

The third edition also incorporates policy responses to food security and global supplychain issues brought about since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

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the commons

Davila named dean of student affairs Dean believes happy students begin with happy staff Michael Davila says that his mother predicted early in his life that he would become “a teacher, a preacher or a politician.”

She wasn’t far off — he went into student affairs, ministering to the needs of students and the staff who serve them.

In April, Pitt-Bradford named Davila its new vice president and dean of student affairs following a national search. He began his new position May 31.

He is reminiscent of the role’s originator, Dr. K. James Evans – with a boyish charm, solid hair part, love of music and air of kindness. It will remain to be seen if he has as extensive a collection of fine sport coats.

“One of my main roles is to take care of the staff the best I can so they can take care of the students,” he said.

That is a welcome message in an area

that has experienced staff turnover and shortages during the pandemic.

“Emerging from the pandemic, student affairs and Pitt-Bradford are at a unique point, and I’m excited to join the team at this time and place,” Davila said. “Over the past few months, I have learned a lot about Pitt-Bradford, and I am looking forward to getting to know the people and the programs on a deeper level and supporting and empowering the student affairs team to do their best work on behalf of our students.”

Davila’s been working toward this position since high school, when he was his high school’s mascot, growing up between Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. That’s where he learned to cheer his team on and was influenced by his high school principal. “The way that he made students feel seen and welcomed was an inspiration,” Davila said.

“One of my main roles is to take care of the staff the best I can so they can take care of the students,” Davila said.

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At East Texas Baptist University, he studied religion. He also served as a resident assistant and then a residence hall director. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he worked at Starbucks.

It gave him time to think about his purpose in life and time to amass a collection of Starbucks glassware that gets students’ attention when they visit his office.

While a barista, he thought back to his time in residence life and “being an agent of change in students’ lives. Some of their growth comes from the mistakes they make, and I liked taking care of and supporting others.” He decided to pursue a career in student affairs.

Since then, he has progressed through a series of student affairs jobs while earning a Master of Education in higher education from Dallas Baptist University. This fall, he plans to defend his doctoral thesis. The topic of his dissertation is “The Emotional Labor of Student Affairs Work.”

Immediately before coming to PittBradford, he served as the associate vice chancellor and dean of students at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, which is a largely commuter campus. He wanted to work on a more residential campus and also is looking forward to having more influence on the full student experience as a member of the president’s cabinet.

When not on campus, Davila plans to entertain and spend time outdoors hiking, camping and working on a lawn and garden. His indoor pursuits include cooking and baking, and singing, playing and enjoying music.

He and his partner, Timothy, and their Italian greyhound mix named Pippin look forward to becoming a part of the Pitt-Bradford and Bradford communities. summer 2022

Dr. ‘BioDun Ogundayo will spend the 2022-23 academic year in West Africa as a Fulbright Scholar.

Ogundayo earns Fulbright

STEVE ALLEN

Professor to spend year in Burkina Faso Dr. ’BioDun Ogundayo, associate professor of French and comparative literature, has received a prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to study, teach and research in Burkina Faso, a country in West Africa.

Ogundayo, who is the director of Africana Studies and foreign languages at Pitt-Bradford, will spend the 2022-23 academic year teaching in the Department of Anglophone Studies at the Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo in Ouagadougou, the capital of the West African nation.

“I will be bringing a relevant and specifically American cultural, academic and cross-cultural input and perspective to their curriculum,” Ogundayo said. He hopes to connect his Pitt-Bradford students with his new students in Burkina Faso through the videoconferencing platform Zoom as well.

“We are like bridges,” he said of summer 2022

scholars in the Fulbright program.

“People like me are playing a tiny role to explain America to people of this region and explain these West African people to Americans.”

When not teaching, Ogundayo plans to conduct research on how the oral traditions of the country’s dominant ethnic group, the Mossi, shape Burkinabe attitudes, conversations and responses to the challenges of Islamist fundamentalism and violence facing the country.

“The Mossi of Burkina Faso have a rich spiritual tradition,” said Ogundayo, who plans to use the resources of Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo and interviews with colleagues and other local Burkinabe to increase understanding between American and African scholars.

He said he is particularly interested in how Mossi epic literature provides context for how Burkinabe think of

themselves, their spirituality and belief systems.

Ogundayo has published on African spirituality, ethics and modern African politics, the African American experience and the African diaspora and has long been interested in the myriad of cultures that are part of the African diaspora.

Ogundayo, who has taught at Pitt-Bradford since 2001, is uniquely qualified for these studies, in part because of his fluency in English, French and dialects of several West African languages. A native of Nigeria, he attended boarding school in Ghana some 100 miles south of Ouagadougou.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. Four hundred Fulbright scholars are chosen nationwide each year in collaboration with the U.S. State Department, which sees U.S. educational and academic research projects as a way to foster international cooperation between the United States and other nations.

Pitt-Bradford can boast of several Fulbright Scholars. In 2010, Kong Ho, then-associate professor of art, spent five months teaching mural painting in the fine arts department of the National Academy of Art in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The following year, Pitt-Bradford welcomed Bulgarian Fulbright Scholar and muralist Oleg Gotchev. He and his students created murals in Fisher and Swarts Halls. Dr. Adedoyin Ogunfeyimi, assistant professor of composition, was also a Nigerian Fulbright awardee prior to his joining Pitt-Bradford this academic year.

Correction An article in the Winter 2022 issue of Portraits about the retirement of associate professor of engineering Dr. Ronald Mattis incorrectly identified the title of one of his colleagues. Correctly, Klaus Wuersig is a retired associate professor of engineering.

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the commons For a brief time this May, the new George B. Duke Engineering and Information Technologies Building was purple thanks to a layer of extended exposure sheathing that went up before another layer of insulation was sprayed on the outside.

Engineering the future

Engineering and information technologies building to be named for Zippo head

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“Naming our new engineering and information technologies building in his honor is a fitting tribute to George, who has been a steadfast supporter of many campus initiatives, including technology.”

In January, Duke, who is sole owner of Zippo Manufacturing Co., pledged a $2 million gift, dedicated largely to equipping state-of-the-art engineering labs in the new building. Additionally, Zippo, at Duke’s direction, previously contributed $1 million to support the computer information systems and

technology program, which is one of the academic programs that will be housed in the new building. These commitments follow decades of philanthropic support from Duke.

In addition to his generous giving to Pitt-Bradford, Duke has served as a member of Pitt-Bradford’s Advisory Board since 2000. Since that time, the campus has seen significant growth, including the addition of new academic programs, the successful completion of two capital campaigns and the construction of new buildings. summer 2022

GLENN MELVIN ’04

Pitt-Bradford’s new building set to open this fall will be named the George B. Duke Engineering and Information Technologies Building to recognize Duke for his longtime support of and service to the campus.

The University of Pittsburgh’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved the naming at its meeting Feb. 25 in Pittsburgh.

“We are deeply grateful to George for his longtime commitment to and support of our campus,” said Rick Esch, Pitt-Bradford’s president.

SOAKING IN THE SUN

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hen the George B. Duke Engineering and Technologies Building opens, it will sport the largest solar array in the University of Pittsburgh system.

Thanks to a $230,000 grant from the Met-Ed/Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund, the green building’s rooftop array will produce a projected 113,000 kWh/year. A building dashboard will aid in community education and engagement. The building, which is now under construction, will be built to a gold level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

“The rooftop solar array and the building dashboard will provide unique educational opportunities for our students that will help them lead future sustainability efforts in our communities,” said Rick Esch, president of Pitt-Bradford.

Berks County Community Foundation and Community Foundation for the Alleghenies administer the Met-Ed/Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund.

The Met-Ed/Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund advisory committee appreciated that the project aligns

“Pitt-Bradford has played such a vital role in the Bradford community for many decades,” Duke said. “With the addition of this engineering and information technologies building, this will offer an even broader appeal to students looking to attend PittBradford.

“We look forward to the strong relationship there will be between Zippo Manufacturing Co. and the students in the development of their engineering degrees.”

The new building, adjacent to summer 2022

Hanley Library, will serve as the campus’s headquarters of innovation.

The building will house two new engineering technology majors – mechanical engineering technology and energy engineering technology – as well as existing programs, computer information systems and technology, energy science and technology, and information systems.

The university will hold a formal dedication of the George B. Duke Engineering and Information Technologies Building at a later date.

closely with the fund’s mission, Community Foundation for the Alleghenies Associate Director Angie Berzonski said.

When completed, the Pitt-Bradford engineering building will be the third LEED-certified building in McKean County, according to public LEED certification records.

“This is a high-profile project for a rural community in the northern tier of the Penelec SEF’s service territory,” Berzonski said. “The advisory committee is impressed by Pitt-Bradford’s commitment to clean energy technology and pleased to be able to support a solar installation that will serve as a conversation-starter for some and a model for others.”

“This is more than just a building project,” said Kevin Lugo, Berks County Community Foundation’s Program Officer for Energy and the Environment. “Pitt-Bradford’s new engineering technology programs, including energy engineering technology, will support a growing local and regional need for highly skilled labor by educating students locally and creating a pathway to career employment in Bradford and beyond.”

In early October, heavy equipment that will be used for the engineering technology programs will be moved into the building and calibrated, followed by training for faculty members on the equipment to prepare them for the start of classes in the building next spring.

To learn more about the new building, visit www.upb.pitt.edu/engineeringbuilding.

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SPORTS WIRE

Ryan Boyer started his summer with the Toronto Blue Jays Single A affiliate in Dunedin, Fla., before moving to Vancouver, British Columbia.

Boyer ’20 takes his talents to Canada Baseball alumnus signs professional contract with Toronto Blue Jays

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of the American Association of Professional Baseball in 2021.

Boyer began his season in the starting rotation, then moved into the bullpen where he saw success as a late-inning reliever. Once in the back end of the bullpen, Boyer made 24 appearances — allowing only five runs — which included a stretch of 15-straight appearances without allowing a run. He struck out 66 batters in 47.1 innings pitched while only walking 14 batters.

During his successful stint, major league clubs began to take notice, checking in with him throughout the season. After the season, a scout from the Blue Jays asked him for video footage. After examining his statistics, the Blue Jays offered him a minor league deal.

After Minor League Training Camp in Dunedin, Fla., Boyer stayed in Florida to begin the 2022 season with the Jays’ Single-A team, the Dunedin Blue Jays. He made five appearances for Dunedin before being promoted to the High-A Vancouver (British Columbia) Canadians.

Boyer is the third Panther to play within the Major League Baseball system. His coach, Foster ’12, was the first Panther player to sign a professional deal with a major league organization and spent six seasons playing for minor league teams affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2008-13.

The third Panther was pitcher Aaron Cressley ’15, who was drafted by the San Diego Padres organization and played in the minor leagues from 2014 to 2016 in Oregon, Indiana, Washington and California. – Matt Lovell summer 2022

MARK STEFFENS

Ryan Boyer ’20 followed in head baseball coach Zach Foster’s footsteps this spring when he became the third former Panther to sign a professional contract with a Major League Baseball affiliate.

The right-handed pitcher agreed in January to a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.

After a five-year career with the Panthers, with his final two campaigns cut short by injury and the COVID-19 pandemic, Boyer took advantage of another year of NCAA eligibility to earn his master’s degree and play for Division I Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y. Following the completion of his final collegiate season at Canisius, Boyer joined the Milwaukee Milkmen

RE AL O

PE

PL

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Moonan promoted to Director of Business Affairs Kathy Moonan, formerly accounts payable manager, has been promoted to director of business affairs.

She is the longest-serving member of Pitt-Bradford’s staff, having worked in the business office since 1978.

The work that Moonan does for the university has always gone far beyond her job title. In addition to the substantial duties of being the manager of accounts payable, she has functioned as an office manager for the Business Affairs Office for more than a decade.

When Moonan leaves the office, she does not leave campus. Outside the office, she is a sports booster who puts her time where her passion is — working in athletic fundraising or cheering on the Panthers.

She volunteers to coordinate all food concessions at the Kessel Athletic Complex for both the baseball and softball fields, donating the proceeds to the Pitt-Bradford Athletic Department.

In 2018, then-president Dr. Livingston Alexander awarded her the President’s Award for Staff Excellence.

Moonan and her husband, Dave, live in Bradford. Her son, Matthew, is a 2020 graduate of Pitt-Bradford.

summer 2022

Sandra Vars Gorman ’93-’95

Traffic engineer and children’s health advocate

S

andra Vars Gorman planned to become an engineer. She didn’t plan on becoming an advocate for her children and others who have PANDAS – pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections.

Children with PANDAS have an autoimmune reaction to infections that creates a psychiatric reaction.

That means that with every standard childhood infection, children can exhibit extreme changes in personality, including tantrums, obsessivecompulsive traits and acting out violently. Other symptoms include vocal and motor tics and cognitive losses.

“I share our story every chance I get,” Gorman said, to help other families. “The challenge with getting

recognition with this disorder is that most people are inclined to treat it psychiatrically.”

Psychiatric drugs given at such a young age can change the chemistry of growing brains. With PANDAS, the problem is inflammation in the brain, and the treatment is antibiotics, ibuprofen, behavioral therapy and plasma infusions, which aren’t always covered by insurance.

To raise awareness, Gorman is co-administrator of the Florida Parents Support Group, which connects parents with physicians, provides guidance on how to deal with schools and teaches parents, physicians and teachers about the early symptoms.

For more information on PANDAS, visit aspire.care.

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Making the big move to Pittsburgh is easier with help from friends

the

Bradford Gang B Y K I M B E R LY W E I N B E R G

NO ONE IS LONELIER THAN A FIRST-YEAR student dropped off at college.

“I was 1,000 percent alone,” said Alexis DeFilippo ’15-’17, who would spend two years at Pitt-Bradford before going to the Pittsburgh campus to finish her degree as a materials science engineer.

“Going to a small campus like Bradford forced me to make friends and reach out.”

She made friends the way many first-year students have done over the years, sitting on her stoop in the “Zoo,” a U-shaped group of townhouses with green space in the middle that’s always a popular place in the fall.

“I was sitting on the stoop looking lost, and an RA had a bunch of students sitting at a picnic table doing some sort of activity,” she said. The resident assistant, the gregarious Zachary Hadfield ’17, convinced her to take part.

“I was hell bent on sitting on that stoop, but those people at that picnic table became my best friends. I was Steve Werner ’72-’74, bottom just at one’s wedding last week.” left, and his best Pitt-Bradford Deep friendships form on a small buds gathered on campus the campus, but what happens to those year after they left. Others pictured are (clockwise from students who have to transfer to the Werner) Dr. Mitch Joseph and Pittsburgh campus to finish their Dr. Dave Robinson. The other degree, as all students did in the early two alums have been lost to time. years and a handful of majors still do 14

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today? They take a Bradford gang with them.

Steve Werner attended Pitt-Bradford from 1972 to 1974, where he met lifelong friends Mitch Joseph and Dave and Libby Robinson. He graduated from the Pittsburgh campus in 1978 with a degree in civil engineering.

“I met my best friends at orientation during the summer of 1972, and we have remained close ever since,” he said. “Our three families basically grew up together. While we settled in different parts of the state, we have gotten together every year for family outings, football games and a couple of Bradford reunions.”

Brandon Chavel ’95-’97 spent two years in Bradford before heading to Pittsburgh with fellow engineers. “We felt a little isolated from the rest of the students because we knew that we weren’t going to be there for all four years,” he said. That helped create camaraderie within the engineering class that made the leap to the Pittsburgh campus more manageable.

“I still have friendships and relationships that I know from Pitt-Bradford,” said Chavel, who went on to earn his master’s and doctoral degrees in civil engineering from Pitt as well.

William “B.J.” Wright ’88-’90 and his friends Dave Moniot ’88-’90 and Scott Wivel ’88-’90 made the leap nearly a decade before.

“I definitely developed a peer group in Bradford,” Wright said. “It didn’t prevent us from making friends down there at main campus, but it definitely was helpful. Many of the people I ended up with in my study groups were Bradford people.”

A Bradford student who was a year ahead of him, Tom Pfaff, helped him academically, and Wright was friends with the students who had been at Bradford after him, too, overlapping by just a year in the small program.

Wright, Moniot and Wivel bonded for life on the Bradford campus, not only studying engineersummer 2022

ing together, but also pledging Sigma Lambda Chi together and playing intramural floor hockey and broom hockey together.

Today they work together at Moniot’s company, Venture Engineering, where he is the president and chief executive officer. Wivell is the vice president of business development, and Wright is the vice president of projects.

DeFilippo said her Bradford friends helped her navigate the mostly male world of engineering.

“I already had the respect of the guys from Bradford when I moved to Pittsburgh,” she said. “The other guys who were there saw the Bradford guys be cool with me, so they were cool with me.”

For Austin Jadlowiec ’18-’20, having friends in summer 2022

Steve Werner ’72-’74 and his Pitt-Bradford besties, Dr. Mitch Joseph and Dr. Dave Robinson, celebrate 50 years of friendship and Pitt’s win at the ACC Championship football game this fall.

Bradford helped him make the transition during the pandemic. After staying in Bradford and attending computer engineering classes remotely during his junior year, he moved to Pittsburgh and moved in with two Pitt-Bradford friends who had made the move earlier.

“It was nice to be able to just move down here (to Pittsburgh) and hang out like I was in Bradford,” said Jadlowiec, who will graduate in August. “You can’t take the Bradford out of the boy.”

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FORGING EN B Y K I M B E R LY W E I N B E R G

Dr. August “Augie” Freda at the controls of the IBM 1130 the university purchased with McKean County in 1969.

Freda was an early promoter of computing for educational, business and government purposes.

W. FORRES STEWART COLLECTION

GINEERS

Dr. Augie Freda could have a had a career in metallurgy. Instead, he built programs that cast engineers, computer scientists and petroleum technicians.

“He made it comfortable,” Chavel said. “He encouraged us You can still draw a line from Dr. August Freda’s 32 years to work together as students. That’s what we do in the induson campus to today, specifically to the construction of the try. Unknowingly, we learned to operate as a team.”

George B. Duke Engineering and Information Technologies While his interactions with and fondness for students Building and the programs it will house. were legendary, Freda also played a crucial role in the univerFreda, known to his colleagues as “Augie” and his sity’s development. students as “Doc Freda,” laid the foundation for technological A gifted metallurgist, he came to Pitt in 1957 after earninnovation at Pitt-Bradford while contributing to the core ing his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Notre of what has always been at the heart of a Pitt-Bradford Dame University. After 10 years of teaching in Pittsburgh, he graduation, a deep bond between students and faculty. made the leap to the Bradford campus and its fledgling 2-year Students were always welcome at the Freda home, where engineering program, which gave students foundational he and his wife, Vicky, often hosted students for dinner. courses and helped them decide what kind of engineering Alumni recall meeting friends and even spouses at these they wanted to make their specialty. events.

As the go-to technical-minded professor on “Doc and Vicky made it a real family atmothe faculty of early Pitt-Bradford, he became sphere,” said Dr. Brandon Chavel ’95-’97. “He interested in early computers and became the always invited us to his house and invited you director of not only engineering but also a fledgto come in and sit down and have a chat. You ling computer science program. learned about him and Vicky. He learned about In 1969, the campus obtained an IBM 1130 you. It felt good that a professor took interest in in partnership with McKean County, which you who did not have to.” shared time on the machine with the campus.

Doc and Vicky became like parents for some Freda organized one-day computer management students. seminars for local government officials, business “Doc was great. He really did treat all of us executives and school administrators. He started like we were an extension of his family, and we a 2-year certificate for electronic data processing were like his kids,” said Sandra Vars Gorman that became the basis of all future computer ’93-’95. He and Vicky even took care of her when Freda, left, at the ground ground breaking of Fisher programming options. she became deliriously ill during her first year.

Hall (top) and in the 1990s.

“The certificate marked the first time that the “I showed up at a calc test in slippers and Bradford campus had expanded the curriculum pajamas and lost consciousness,” she said. Her in response to local priorities rather than to roommate, not knowing what to do, called Freda, a mandate from Pittsburgh,” author Sherie who coordinated care and communicated with Mershon wrote in “A History of the University her other professors. Vicky stayed with her in the of Pittsburgh at Bradford.” hospital, then Doc arranged for her to get home to When the petroleum industry requested a Florida. Gorman had been planning to get a ride program in petroleum engineering technology, home for spring break with friends.

Freda took that on as well and directed that “Doc got them out of their classes so they program. could take me home early,” she said.

Before more faculty were hired, he managed In the classroom, it was his patience that stood these programs himself and taught classes in early out to alumni. computer programming languages and surveying for petroJohn Kearney ’73-’75 said, “I didn’t feel like I was going to leum technology, not to mention astronomy, all while teaching, be left behind. Some professorsXXhave a text that they’re teachredesigning and stabilizing the engineering program. ing from, and they just want to blast through it. He didn’t Outside of teaching, he conducted research at Los have a weed-out approach. He wanted all of us to make it.”

Alamos Scientific Laboratories and consulted for companies All engineering students were considered members of the that included U.S. Steel, Westinghouse Electric Co., Dresser engineering club, took part in field trips, had guest speakManufacturing Co. and W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co., ers and went on engineering picnics to Kinzua Bridge and where he created solutions to keep sharp knife edges Kinzua Dam, all of which built a level of camaraderie among still in use today. engineering cohorts. summer 2022

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17

FORMULA FOR

SUCCESS

Four young alumnae bring their unique talents, passions and perspectives to engineering SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH FIELDS HAVE made progress in the last 50 years in terms of the number of women working in those fields. But one of those fields, engineering, is still at a workforce of just 15% women in 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Granted, that’s five times as many as in 1970, but it can still definitely feel like a boys’ club.

These young alumnae have found their places in it.

Brianna Pinckney ’10-’12 What she does: Pinckney is the director of business development for Target Building Construction Inc. located right outside of Philadelphia.

Previously, she worked at Turner Construction, one of the country’s largest general contracting firms, working on complex renovations and unique new building projects. Now her role is to capture new business for her company.

“It’s a great combination of my technical skills and business,” she said. “I really like sitting down and enjoying a lunch with a client and seeing a project go from an idea to developing an amazing infrastructure.

You’re proud of your team every time you drive by it.”

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Why engineering: As a child in South Jersey, Pinckney took dance lessons in Philadelphia. Three days a week, her parents drove across the Ben Franklin Bridge, a suspension bridge crossing the Delaware River. “I was just so amazed that the bridge was holding us up,” she said. “I was intrigued by its structure.

I was curious. I was just so curious.” Her parents sent her to engineering camps at Drexel and Temple universities in Philadelphia, where she also learned that she liked working with people and watching projects develop over time.

Her toughest challenge: “Being a Black woman in a predominantly white

male industry has been a challenge my parents prepared me for ever since I was set on becoming an engineer. It was vital that I found my voice and gained respect from my teammates, subcontractors and design team early on to ensure that I was taken seriously and had earned my right to be here just like everyone else.

As a leader on site and in the office, I have to be tough with the decisions that I have to make, and I have to make those decisions without a smile.” To navigate her world, she has leaned on advisers and mentors that she has met during her career. “I don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and ask what someone thinks to help me reach the best solution.” summer 2022

Natalie Foster ’15-’19 What she does: Foster is a third-year law student at the University of Kentucky in Lexington and a summer associate in the patent practice of the law firm Dentons Bingham Greenebaum. She studies intellectual property law – patents, trademarks and copyright. Patents protect inventors from having others make money off of their ideas. In order to sit for the bar exam in patent law, candidates must have a science or engineering background.

Her engineering passion: Pinckney is enthusiastic about mentoring young women of color, both broadly and individually, working with the National Society of Black Engineers and Brighter Horizons, an organization that focuses on exposing and preparing first-generation students to attend a four-year college or university. “A lot of minority students don’t think about being a scientist or an engineer,” she said. “I really think that’s where it starts.”

Brighter Horizons has matched her with individual high school students, and she has mentored three since joining the organization in 2019. One student just entered Thomas Jefferson University to become a nurse.

summer 2022

Why patent law: As a chemical engineering major at the Swanson School of Engineering, she went on plant tours. “I realized I didn’t want to work in a plant all of my life. I like science and engineering, but it’s not what I thought it would be.”

She explored other options and discovered patent law, which would allow her to put her technical background to use but enjoy an office environment. As a bonus, she discovered patent attorneys are in high demand not only with law firms, but also research universities and corporations that have their own in-house legal teams to secure patents for discoveries, inventions and novel processes. “I’m really looking forward to being in a firm when the first patent that I have drafted gets granted,” she said. “I think that will be very rewarding.”

Her greatest challenge: “There are not a lot of women in the intellectual property field,” she said, explaining that the gender breakdown mirrors that of engineering.

In large law firms, new attorneys are expected to produce a certain number of billable hours per year, which can be more difficult to keep that expectation and balance family life with work, she said.

Her passion projects: In her first summer at a law firm in Lexington, she worked on some pro bono projects. “It was nice being able to use my ability with the law to give people an answer to the property question that they had,” she said. “There are all sorts of questions that people need to have answered that you can’t just Google.”

In her free time, she pursues something that she did at Pitt-Bradford as well, playing hockey. “It’s a total getaway with people from all walks of life and all ages,” she said. Playing hockey at Pitt-Bradford is where she met her fiancé, Brendan Beshock ’15-’17, a chemical engineer who is joining her in Lexington to work with the biotechnology research firm Alltech. planning a wedding for next summer.

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19

FORMULA FOR SUCCESS

Michelle Underwood ’10-’12 What she does: Underwood is a project manager at Nestle Health Science plant in suburban Pittsburgh, a plant that makes vitamins and supplements. She meets with clients and pulls together a team of scientists to create products – that can mean everything from formulating and assessing a supplement with certain claims to package design and production. “You have to have a technical background to work in this role,” she said. “I have to have an understanding of each part in the process.” Her favorite part of her job? “I really like to go to the store and see a product that I worked on for so long put on the shelf.”

Her greatest challenge: Her first job as an engineer involved plugging oil wells. “I am a young, small Middle Eastern woman, and I am often the only person who looks the way I do.” In the oil fields, that could put her in a tough position. “I had to go up to 60-year-oldmen and tell them what to do. I had to insist that either we do it my way, or we’re going home.

I cried every day. It wasn’t a place for a woman.” Some colleagues and co-workers refused to talk with her or believe she was the site engineer. “I thought we were past that.” She said she is much happier now in a diverse environment, where many of her team members are women from diverse backgrounds. “The smells in the lunchroom are amazing.”

Her passion project: “I gutted my house and used all my engineering knowledge figuring out the plumbing and the HVAC myself,” she said. “It’s my real-life application. My whole team was myself and my family.”

How she mentors: Underwood also enjoys mentoring young women. She has taken over the Instagram account “Letters to a Young Scientist” in which she showed how taste-testing and formulation works and how to fix or change a product, like make it easier to chew for an elderly person. She also works with Pittsburgh City Parks, tutors children and hosts Girl Scout troops at the plant. Her parents came from a background that encouraged her to become a doctor or engineer, but she knows that’s not true for many children and likes showing them the world’s possibilities.

20 PORTRAITS

summer 2022

classes and thinking differently. You think of ceramics as something hard and brittle; they now have flexible ceramics that are used in aerospace or to insulate nuclear reactors. I had really missed being in the lab.

It was very interactive.”

Her greatest challenge: “I had it in my head that I wanted to go into research and development,” she said.

After graduating from the Swanson School of Engineering at Pitt, she got a job doing just that with glass.

“It was boring. I have too much energy to be functioning slowly.” She was laid off during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, which she said was a blessing in disguise. “I’ve found my home here now in manufacturing. It never stops. You have to think on the fly. It’s a whole different vibe – so fast paced and always moving.”

She said that atmosphere contributes to an environment of equality. “If you’re here, you’re here for a reason,” she said. “It’s because you can do the job.”

Alexis DeFelippo ’15-’17 What she does: DeFelippo works as a lab specialist with BASF at a facility in Monaca, Pa. The plant specializes in latex adhesives for things like roofing shingles, flooring and those stickers that told us to stand six feet apart during the pandemic. She runs tests to see how sticky things are, particularly under difsummer 2022

ferent conditions, and how they might be changed.

Why materials science: DeFelippo started her studies at Pitt-Bradford thinking she would study mechanical engineering. She liked robotics and was good at math and science, so it seemed like a good fit for her. Once she

got to the Pittsburgh campus and began upper-level classes in mechanical engineering, her interest waned.

One of her professors talked to her about materials science, which included more chemistry, metallurgy and ceramics. “I was like, ‘That sounds sick,’” she said. “It was cool taking ceramics

Her passion projects: No surprise, DeFelippo loves to keep busy and build things at home, too. She rebuilt a dirt bike that she rides using the mountain biking skills she developed in Bradford. And she also loves to sew and make clothes for her nieces. “I go into work and hang out with the boys all day, then I go home and sew.”

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PA N T H E R PA C K 1960s Joe Fire ’65-’67 retired from his work as an independent pharmacist consultant. He lives in Warren, Pa. Dr. Peter Waterman ’66-’68 is a retired anesthesiologist living in Tempe, Ariz.

If you have an update for Portraits magazine, visit www.upbalumni.org and click on “How to update your info” or email us at Portraits@pitt.edu.

1970s Christine Porco ’68-’70 is a retired teacher from the Norristown Area School District.

She lives in Collegeville, Pa. The Bradford branch of the American Association of University Women honored Cheryl Lutz ’69-’71 with its Outstanding Woman Award of 2022. The award recognizes Lutz’s meritorious service to the community, which includes working with the YWCA and volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Meals on Wheels, the American Red Cross, Tuna Valley Trail Association and PittBradford Alumni Association.

This spring, she and her husband, Rick, also established a new scholarship, the Debbie Dodge Memorial Nursing Scholarship in memory of Cheryl’s cousin.

1980s

1990s

Cheryl Bergen ’78-’80 is a licensed clinical social worker at Caroselli, Beachler and Coleman injury attorneys in Pittsburgh.

Dr. Chris Mackowski ’91 has co-edited a new book of essays, “The Great ‘What Ifs’ of the American Civil War.” In addition to writing the introduction, he wrote one of the essays, “What if Robert E. Lee had struck a blow at the North Anna River?” A second volume is in the works.

Michael Midlik ’83 of Greensburg, Pa., has a new job as a quality assurance manager for General Carbide Corp.

Our winter issue featured some alumni medical researchers who were about to take big new steps. Here’s what happened next to two of them.

Dr. Yvon Woappi ’11 has founded the Woappi Laboratory for Synthetic Regeneration and Systems Physiology at Columbia University, where he will be the Herbert and Florence Irving Assistant Professor of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, and Dermatology affiliated with biomedical engineering. Woappi is currently hiring his team, who will advance the understanding of wound physiology and work toward a new era of tissue regeneration.

Dr. Jonathan Josephs-Spaulding ’16 has earned his doctorate and is a postdoctoral fellow at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability hosted by the Danish Technical University in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is a computational strain designer, using computer modeling to develop both strains and microbiomes in the computer before scaling up toward microbial biofactories.

PORTRAITS

Eric Reuscher ’83-’85 has a new job as bookkeeper and assistant to the supervisor of the Town of Geneva (N.Y.) Carol Tamsen ’89 is a new associate vice provost at the University of Buffalo (N.Y.), where she oversees efforts to support high-quality program and course delivery and helps instructors promote student success.

Winter issue update

22

James Pockey ’83 of Douglas, Mass., has a new job as a mechanical, electrical and plumbing manager for Turner Construction.

Edward Curtis ’92 earned his Master of Social Work degree from Shippensburg University. He lives in Etters, Pa.

which helps individuals with cancer and their families.

Elizabeth Ploetz Bless ’96 and MSW ’05 earned a Master of Science in Nursing from Daemen College in 2018 and a postmaster’s certificate in psychiatric mental health in 2019 from D’Youville College. She is a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner at Bradford (Pa.) Regional Medical Center and lives in Ellicottville, N.Y., with her husband, Keith, and three girls, Kathryn, Kristen and Karaline.

Megan Lupton ’96 enjoys coaching Special Olympics tennis, which she has done for the past 20 years, in Endicott, N.Y. Christina Marrone ’96 was one of two recipients of the President’s Award for Staff Excellence on campus this spring. Christina has worked on campus since 1997 and served as registrar since 2015.

Annie Wolfe ’96 of Mount Jewett, Pa., is a new inpatient supervisor at Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services.

Thomas Barbera ’93 of Charlotte, N.C., has a new job as a sales manager of Radici Plastics USA. Gina Pesaresi ’93 of Alpha, N.J., is a chief administrative law judge with the Social Security Administration.

Joshua Trust ’93 of Traverse City, Mich., has a new job as the chief operations officer of Heritage Broadcasting Co. Parvathy Hughes ’94 has a new job as the marketing director and human resources manager for Universal Settlement Services of PA, LLC, a real estate title company in State College, Pa. She also volunteers with the allocations committee of the Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund,

Lt. Col. Cory Angell ’97 was inducted into the Seneca Battalion ROTC Hall of Fame at St. Bonaventure University.

Mark Weinberg ‘97 is principal technology recruiter at Intuitive Surgical. He has two teenage children, lives in Hillsborough, N.C., and volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House at the University of North Carolina Hospital.

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PA N T H E R PA C K AL U FO MN CU I

S

Mr. Everything

officials (from his time on city council), family members and longtime friends.

“This is a true honor,” Kennedy said. “I will be forever grateful to my fellow alumni, many colleagues throughout the years and the countless students I’ve had the privilege to work and learn with during my career.”

After earning his Bachelor of Arts in communications from Pitt-Bradford, Kennedy chose to pursue his passion for student affairs work by earning a Master of Arts in student affairs in higher education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

His first professional role was as residence life and judicial coordinator at West Virginia Wesleyan College, where he implemented a new student conduct system.

He then returned to PittBradford as director of residential life and housing, Rhett Kennedy ’92 speaks overseeing residence life, to those gathered to judicial affairs, housing and honor him in April. summer conference housing. It was the first of numerous leadership roles he held at PittBradford in which he supported and mentored the students and staff under his care.

After serving in that role for three years, he became assistant dean of student affairs and director of housing. The university promoted him to associate dean in 2002, when he assumed additional responsibilities for health services, dining, Greek life, the ID Center and campus ministries.

Seven years later, the university named Kennedy director of auxiliary services for both the Bradford and Titusville campuses, adding even more responsibilities to his portfolio, including the Panther Shop, Mail Center and Marilyn Horne Hall.

In 2020, after a national search, Kennedy brought his vast experiences in campus building management and his diligence to his new role as director of facilities management. Last year, he stepped down from that position for health reasons.

Rhett Kennedy ’92 honored by alumni association

GLENN MELVIN ’04

I

t feIt like old-home days in the Mukaiyama University Room when nearly 200 people gathered to honor Rhett Kennedy ’92 this spring as he received the Pitt-Bradford Alumni Association’s Alumni Award of Distinction.

Among those gathered to honor Kennedy, who resigned from his post as director of facilities management at Pitt-Bradford last year due to health reasons, were many former staff members who returned to pay him tribute, from his first boss to members of the facilities crew.

Also among those gathering were the friends he has accumulated as an active member of the Bradford community – soccer parents and Little League coaches, Rotarians and city

summer 2022

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PA N T H E R PA C K Cheryl Hoffman ’98 of Coudersport is a regional quality, compliance and support specialist for the Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging.

College in Manassas, Va.

Julie Butters ’99 has a new job as a senior accountant at Old Smoky Distillery in Maryville, Tenn.

Kimberly Schroeder ’01 has a new job as a sales associate with Zippo Manufacturing Co. in Bradford.

2000s Devon Eddy Kloss ’00 opened her own State Farm Insurance agency in the Old Post Office in Bradford. Prior to joining State Farm, she had worked 15 years with American Refining Group Inc. in Bradford, most recently as manager of logistics and marketing.

Sarah Patton ’00 is a human resources data analyst at Northern Virginia Community

Allison Kunkel ’01 is a clinical athletic trainer with WellSpan Health in York, Pa.

Krista Whitlow ’01 is a special education aid in the Bradford Area School District. She lives in Derrick City, Pa. Melissa Clayson ’02 was promoted to director of accounting for Cutco Cutlery Corp. in Olean, N.Y., where she has been an accounting manager since 2018. She has been employed in Cutco’s accounting department for 20 years.

A man for many eras

Alumni and Family Weekend regulars Greg 73-’75 and Susan ‘72-’74 Otis’s Silvestri welcome Isidro music business spans 70 years Milton Kenner ’66-’68 at the True Blue and Gold reception.

I

sidro Otis ’86 is at home in many eras, from the 1950s to the present day.

That’s because of his family business, The Clyde Otis Music Group, of which he is president.

His father, Clyde, was a pioneering African American songwriter, music producer and publisher in the 1950s through the 1990s. His first hit song, “That’s all There is to That,” was recorded by Nat King Cole in 1956 after Clyde, who was a taxicab driver, had given it to a passenger who was headed to a New York City party full of people influential in the music business.

After that hit, his son Isidro explained, “He could stop driving a cab.”

With his day job behind him, Clyde Otis could write and produce music full time, often with Brook Benton, who recorded many of his songs. Other artists Otis collaborated with included Ray Charles, Pat Boone, Aretha Franklin, the Isley Brothers, Ben E. King, Patti Page, Sarah Vaughn, Johnny Mathis, Dinah Washington, B.B. King, Brenda Lee and Wilson Pickett.

As a producer and publisher, Clyde Otis amassed a music catalogue that formed the basis for his business. But by the time Isidro Otis came to Pitt-Bradford as a student in 1982

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PORTRAITS

Canyon National Park, where she helped coordinate an international media event to remove the protective, fireresistant wrapping used to help save the General Sherman and General Grant giant sequoia trees, the two largest trees in the world.

She lives in Clearfield, Pa.

Kimberly Finnigan Kaschalk ’02 recently became qualified as both a fire effects monitor and public information officer. During the 2021 wildfire season, she used these qualifications on five 14-to 21-day fire deployments to assist in wildfire suppression efforts in California, West Virginia and Virginia. One of those deployments was to the KNP Complex in Sequoia and Kings

James Brumbaugh ’03-’05 was promoted to senior analyst at Spectrum Brands Inc., where he has worked for 17 years. He lives in the Charlotte, N.C., area.

Deanna Ragan ’03 is a registered nurse at Einstein Jefferson Health in Willow Grove, Pa. Brad Catale ’04 has a new job as a registered nurse at UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh.

Donna Risinger ’04 retired from

during the middle of a national recession, the business’s profits were slipping.

After graduating with a business management degree from Pitt-Bradford in 1986, Isidro Otis returned home to Englewood, N.J., to help out with the family business, which was still struggling. It was a song written by Clyde Otis, Belford Hendricks and Brook Benton that would lift the company from its low point.

Brook Benton had recorded the song, “It’s Just a Matter of Time,” first in 1959. It twice appeared on the country music charts before Randy Travis took the song to No. 1 in 1989.

“That was a real unexpected record,” Isidro Otis said. “We were basically broke at that time, and then the faucets were turned on. We went and signed a ton of new songwriters.”

Those hip-hop songwriters whom Isidro Ortis signed with the company’s Randy Travis windfall are still producing income for the group today.

The group’s early hip-hop success was based on its writers and producers collaborating with artists to create songs such as “Shoop” by Salt-N-Pepa, which was written and produced

by Otis Group writer Mark Spark.

Additionally, the group has also been able to capitalize on the popularity of sampling, leading to records by some of today’s popular artists. Sampling is a common practice in hiphop in which an artist uses part of an existing song in a new work. Sampling from songs in the group’s catalog continues to contribute to its bottom line.

summer 2022

PA N T H E R PA C K her job as finance supervisor of the City of Warren, Pa. Karen Kline ’05 is a certified registered psychiatric nurse practitioner at The Guidance Center in Bradford, where she focuses on patient and family education in Bradford and Kane, Pa. She lives in Bradford.

Megan Petroski ’06 has a new job as a project manager at UKG in Harrisburg.

region of New York.

Brandon Nelson ’07 successfully defended his doctoral dissertation. He is the interim director of university housing at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. Jeremy Suschak ’07 was promoted to business development officer with DBR & Co. Wealth Partners in Pittsburgh.

John Berry ’07 was promoted to partner at Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, where he focuses on insurance law.

Danielle Pearson ’08 has a new job as senior anti-money laundering compliance analyst for USAA (United Services Automobile Association).

Tina Burke ’07 is the new manager of The Panther Shop at Pitt-Bradford. Previously, she served as manager of several Rite Aid stores in the Southern Tier

Kimberly Rublee Masone ’09 was one of two recipients of the President’s Award for Staff Excellence at Pitt-Bradford this spring. Kimberly has worked as

conference services manager since 2011, when she came to Pitt-Bradford from Holiday Valley in Ellicottville, N.Y.

Romainne Kelley ’11 welcomed a second child, Elston Lawrence Kelley, who will turn 1 year old in August. She lives in Chicago.

2010s

Cameron Lanich ’12 is a physical education teacher with the Newark (N.Y.) Central School District. He lives in Phelps, N.Y.

Leanna Cameron ’10 has a new job as the director of organizational advancement for HomeCare & Hospice. She lives in Bradford.

Zachary Work ’10 welcomed his second daughter, Skyler Danielle Work, born on Valentine’s Day. He lives in Erie, Pa. Daniel Helsey ’11 purchased NY Land Quest Real Estate Brokerage, where he sells all types of real estate across New York state, specializing in land and farms. He lives in Hornell, N.Y.

Alida Leslie ’12 was promoted to e-banking team leader at CNB Bank in Clearfield, Pa. Bradley Reed ’12 has a new job as a park ranger for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

He lives in Latrobe, Pa. Max Cercone ’13 was promoted to senior performance evaluator with Adams County (Colo.)

Government.

Brittany Keck ’13 has a new

Hip-hop artists from the early ’90s represented by the Otis Music Group continue to be sampled by artists such as Drake, Christina Aguilera and, recently, by the duo Run the Jewels in their song “Ooh-la-la,” which was then featured in the Netflix show “Ozark.”

Streaming services have become another source of income for the music group, as OMG has become a go-to stop for those looking for period music from the ‘50s through the ‘90s.

Otis said that his company actively places songs in movies, commercials, TV shows and video games. “We’ve been very successful in that area,” he said.

The classic part of the catalogue also gave Isidro a most unusual childhood, although he didn’t realize it at the time.

Clyde Otis moved into Englewood in 1962 in style, building his own house. A Black man constructing a large house in the suburbs was such a novelty that Isidro said people came from Harlem just to watch the construction.

After that, Clyde Otis’s friends populated the neighborhood – Dizzy Gillespie, who would teach young Isidro how to dive, Wilson Pickett and Tony Bennett. He spent summers camping with the Isley Brothers, and “Uncle Dizzy” always bought a huge box of fireworks while on tour for the Otis family’s annual July 4 party.

“The early part of my life was fun,” Isidro said. “It seemed very normal. I didn’t realize how special it was.”

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PA N T H E R PA C K position as vice president of human resources at Futures Rehabilitation Center Inc. in Bradford.

Dr. Elizabeth Tillman ’13 received the Junior Faculty Award for Professional Excellence at St. Bonaventure University, where she teaches political science. Dr. Ibrahim Zabad, professor of political science at St. Bonaventure, said she is “a superb professor and a promising scholar; a young professor who understands the unique academic and social needs of her students.”

Sabina Vecellio ’13 was promoted to Health and Safety Professional II at American Refining Group in Bradford. She is responsible for field compliance, developing and implementing safety policies and procedures, and working to enhance workplace health and safety practices.

Brenda Brandon ’14 is the assistant to the vice president of administration, vice president of workforce development and executive director of the

Cattaraugus County (Olean, N.Y.) Campus at Jamestown Community College.

Anna Sorci ’14 is a nurse practitioner with Abington Jefferson Health in Hornell, N.Y. Kayla Wetzel ’14 earned her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling at Lock Haven University. She is teaching children diagnosed with autism and living in Lancaster, Pa., with her husband and their daughter.

Samantha Zahm ’14 has been promoted to a new position as assistant deputy director for the Bureau of Health for the City of York, Pa. Drs. Sam ’15 and Emily Fair Gardner ’16 are married and own Gardner Chiropractic in Olean, N.Y., where they both practice.

Yara Elbeshbishi ’15 has a new job as a consultant for CareFirst BlueCross/BlueShield. She lives in Montgomery Village, Md. Eric Marasco ’15 has a new job as

a base oil sales representative with Calumet Specialty Product Partners. Eric also serves on the Board of Directors for both the Bradford Hospital Foundation and the Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce. He’s also father to a toddler, Sofia.

Former Panther swimmers Jeff Cattoni ’16 and Ben Koss ’21 are coaches of the Bradford Area High School varsity swim team.

Delaney Held ’16 is a content marketing lead for Brunner, a marketing agency in Pittsburgh.

Devon Schoonover ’16 has joined Stock and Leader, Attorneys at Law, in York, Pa., as an associate in its real estate law group. He is a 2020 graduate of Duquesne University School of Law and a first lieutenant in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

Laurie Belleville ’17 has a new job as a tax preparation assistant for Intuit. She lives in Bradford.

Chris Manning ’17 has been named blending and packaging

manager at American Refining Group in Bradford, where he has been serving as continuous improvement quality engineer within blending and packaging.

Erica Sorrells ’17 was accepted into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Buffalo, N.Y., with an expected completion date of 2024.

Dr. Lia de Lyon ’18 earned her doctorate in occupational therapy from the University of Pittsburgh.

Katie Huggler ’18 graduated with a Master of Science in college counseling and student affairs from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.

Haley Ward ’18 has earned her master’s degree in pathology from The University at Buffalo (N.Y.) and is working as a pathology resource technologist at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo.

Shelley Whitman ’18 is an administrative assistant in the Division of Communication and

2022 Annual Backpack to Briefcase

Jenny Crytzer ’08 (left) leads the workshop “Interviewing Tips and Tricks” during the Pitt-Bradford Alumni Association’s annual Backpack to Briefcase held for students in January. She is a fundraising representative for the University of Pittsburgh’s Pittsburgh campus. Holly Kays ’07 (right) leads the workshop “Taking on Someone Else’s Pain: Career Defense Against Vicarious Trauma.”

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PORTRAITS

summer 2022

PA N T H E R PA C K AL U FO MN CU I

the Arts at Pitt-Bradford.

Brittany Zernick ’18 has a new job as a quality control technician at American Refining Group in Bradford.

Carly Cuthbertson ’19 is a customer success manager for AutoVitals Inc. She lives in Lewis Run, Pa. Sadie D’Angelo ’19 has a new position as a patient access coordinator and surgical scheduler at Allegheny Health Network.

Kenneth Reilly ’19 graduated with his Master of Public Administration in urban affairs from the Pitt Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and began working as a finance assistant with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

Meghan Yearwood ’19 is a junior staff accountant at Innovative Employee Solutions.

2020s Alex Andrezejewski ’20 is a police officer with Edinboro University’s Campus Police. He hopes to mix his profession and personal interests to become a K-9 officer.

Andrew Bacha ’20 is a customer service administrator for Precision AirConvey Corp. He completed his Master of Business Administration at St. Bonaventure University in December. He lives in Bear, Del. Dakoda “Cody” Dacosta ’20 is a technical support engineer with Rapid7 in Austin, Texas.

Master gamer Full circle moment for Andrew Hwang ‘10

A

ndrew Hwang ’10 is the founder and chief executive officer of Gamers Heaven, a gathering place that celebrates and builds communities around the imaginary worlds of tabletop and video games, anime and cosplay with locations in Phoenixville, Pa., and Lynnwood, Wash.

With new franchise stores set to open in South Florida, Raleigh, N.C., and Denver, Colo., he is fulfilling a vision he first had a student at PittBradford, when he had a prototype of the current Gamers Heaven, first in his residence hall room, then in several locations in downtown Bradford, where it was called LPX, or LAN Party Extreme.

“For the last seven years, I have been working on bringing the cultural experiences of the gaming, anime and comic culture from Asia to the United States,” he said. After learning from his experiences with LPX, he earned his Master of As a student at Pitt-Bradford, Andrew Hwang ’10 ran a prototype business for the Business Administration from one he owns today, Gamers Heaven.

Drexel University and worked in the finance industry before starting Gamers Heaven in 2015. to us beginning to franchise last year,” he said.

“During COVID-19 we completely overhauled “By the end of 2022, we will have at least five the business and went viral on TikTok, which led stores opened across the country.”

in accounting from California Baptist University. He is a tax associate with Baker Tilly US accounting in Philadelphia.

Tyler Hoops ’20 will begin attending the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine this fall.

Stephanie Wohlers ’20 is an environmental, health and safety coordinator for Kaeser Compressors USA in Fredericksburg, Va.

Michael Reynolds ’20 earned his Master of Business Administration

Bernice Baker ’21 has a new job as a field representative with the

summer 2022

S

U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census. She lives in Bradford.

Zachary Ensell ’21 of Olean, N.Y., has a new job as a staff accountant at Zippo Manufacturing Co. in Bradford.

Matt Hair ‘21 is teaching physical education at Eisenhower Middle/ High School in Russel, Pa.

Juliah Laemmer ’21 is a member of the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine Class of 2026.

Skylar Llewellyn ’21 will attend veterinary school at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in Knoxville, Tenn.

Alexx Tyger ’21 has a new job as the airport manager for Avis

PORTRAITS

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PA N T H E R PA C K Budget Group, working in Jackson, Miss.

Five exercise science graduates from the class of 2022 are pursuing further education. Both Katherine Anderton and Shayla Ransome are working toward a doctoral degree in occupational therapy at the University of St. Augustine School of Health Sciences in Austin, Texas; meanwhile, Karla Vela is working toward a doctorate in occupational therapy at the University of St. Augustine School of Health Sciences’ Dallas campus. Isaac Gralak is pursuing a doctorate in physical therapy at Gannon University’s Ruskin, Fla., campus.

Sydni Keesler is attending St. Bonaventure University to earn a master’s degree in occupational therapy.

David Ajiri ’22 is a medical student at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.

Cory Anastasia ’22 is pursuing a doctorate in political science at the University of Buffalo (N.Y.)

Kellen Gaither ’22 is pursuing a doctorate in occupational therapy at Xavier University in Cincinnati.

Emily Bethel ’22 is a graduate assistant athletic trainer at Salem (W.Va.) University, where she is earning a master’s degree in health and human performance.

Brianna Goodell ’22 is an insurance representative with State Farm in Olean, N.Y.

Joseph Bernazzoli ’22 is attending Penn State for a master’s degree in applied statistics.

Olubumi Braimah ’22 is a medical student at the University of Kansas School of Medicine.

Kalie Cowburn ’22 is a preschool teacher in the Northern Potter School District. She lives in Ulysses, Pa. Jarod Chaffee ’22 is entering the Master of Social Work program at Boston University with an eye toward counseling work.

Emily Hodge ’22 is an international tax associate with BDO in Philadelphia.

Shakira Jackson ’22 is pursuing a dual degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She will study for both a law degree and a Master of Arts in democracy and governance. She also earned the title Miss Steel City this spring and will compete this summer for the title of Miss Pennsylvania in the Miss America Pageant.

Matthew Kwiatkowski ’22 is a credit underwriter for Community Bank in Olean, N.Y.

Kristen Laemmer ’22 will attend Chatham University this fall to pursue a master’s degree in professional counseling.

Drayson Sanders ’22 is a full-time technology consultant with CapGemini in New York City.

Emily Treat ’22 is a prekindergarten teacher at George G. Blaisdell Elementary School in Bradford. She is also working toward a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Gannon University in Erie.

Taylor Tyczka ’22 is a nutrition data system assistant with Trouw Nutrition, a livestock food company.

Danielle Tyger ’22 is attending University of Houston-Victoria (Texas) to earn a master’s degree in forensic psychology.

In Memoriam Peter Buchheit ’92 died in his home in April after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He worked for 41 years as Pitt-Bradford’s director of facilities management, keeping campus buildings updated and operating smoothly and the grounds wellmaintained and beautiful. “Pete left his mark throughout our entire campus, overseeing the construction or renovation of every building and assisting with many building projects in the Bradford community,” said President Rick Esch, who, in his role as vice president of business affairs, worked closely with Buchheit. He especially enjoyed working with students who were part of the facilities management team – more than 300 during his career – and watching them grow and mature. He retired in July 2020, but frequently visited campus to visit with colleagues and lend his expertise and institutional knowledge.

Kara Close Hart ’06 died in February at her home in the Portland, Ore., area. After graduating and before moving West, she began her professional career working with social services in the Bradford area, including the Victims’ Resource Center, Beacon Light Behavioral Health Systems, New Directions Youth and Family Services, and the Rehabilitation Center. In Portland, she worked as a functional therapy therapist for Strengthening Foundations.

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PORTRAITS

Dr. David Schummer, who served as a visiting assistant professor of philosophy for the past 10 years, died May 1 after a brief illness. He brought to Pitt-Bradford a great interest in sustainable agriculture and extensive firsthand experience in organic farming practices, which he acquired while serving as assistant farm manager and education coordinator for Canticle Farm in Allegany, N.Y., and owning his own small family farm. As a result, he also taught courses in the environmental studies program and played a lead role in planning the semi-annual environmental studies retreat. These retreats gave students opportunities to connect deeply with nature and interact with their professors and each other in a more relaxed setting.

Tom Sheeley, who worked in camps and conferences, grounds and maintenance departments on campus for 34 years, died in May. He was a Vietnam veteran and devoted Pitt-Bradford employee with a unique sense of humor and enjoyed playing tricks and jokes on family and friends. He loved Pitt-Bradford, often wearing a Pitt-Bradford T-shirt when he and his wife, Diane, traveled the country after they retired. He loved Pitt-Bradford so much that he and Diane were married in the gazebo on campus in 2001.

summer 2022

ALUMNI & FAMILY

Weekend

SEPTEMBER 23–25, 2022

MARK YOUR CALENDARS. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Please reach out to the Office of Alumni Engagement with any questions regarding the festivities at

WWW.UPB.PITT.EDU/AFW

Office of Philanthropic and Alumni Engagement 300 Campus Drive Bradford, PA 16701 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

THANK

YOU! Pitt Day of Giving is a 24-hour annual event that lets donors give to their favorite funds and Pitt schools and campuses compete against each other for prizes. This year was Pitt-Bradford’s

BEST EVER.

FARTHEST

DAVIS CA

GIFT 2.5K MILES AWAY

DONORS WITH EARLIEST GRAD YEAR:

1964

OVER

77K

$

RAISED!

356 TOTAL DONORS

82% OF DONORS GAVE $50 OR LESS

DONORS WITH MOST RECENT GRAD YEAR:

2021

CHALLENGE FUNDS WON

#2 LARGEST DONOR INCREASE

#4

MOST DONORS

$22,000