QUADANGLES
ALUMNI MAGAZINE | FALL 2012
Real Life Through the Lens The Work of Award-winning Photojournalist David Goldman ’98
Fall 2012 Honors Colloquium uri.edu/hc
HEALTHCARE CHANGE? Health, Politics, & Money
Coordinators Jef Bratberg Mary Cloud Roger LeBrun Shahla Yekta
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Local, national, and international speakers will address foundational changes in the political and economic forces shaping personal, state, national, and international health. What are the facts of the Affordable Care Act? How can we provide equitable care and access to preventive services in Rhode Island and throughout the country and the world? How can we combat obesity through education and advocacy? And how are such organizations as Partners in Health and Doctors Without Borders fighting to address the medical needs of the world’s poor?
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QUADANGLES DEPARTMENTS
NEWS AND VIEWS 3
PRESS BOX 8
ALUMNI CHAPTERS 28 Upcoming events and contacts
CLASS ACTS 30 News from your classmates, photo wrap-ups, and alumni profiles
BACK PAGE 40 Paul Geremia, Still Playin’ the Blues
WEB EXTRAS
URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
CLASSPICS
MORE . . . COVER: ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO/DAVID GOLDMAN CONTENTS PHOTOS: NORA LEWIS;
ALUMNI MAGAZINE | FALL 2012 | VOLUME 20, NO.1
FEATURES 10
GETTING TECHNICAL ON CRIME By John Pantalone ‘71 URI’s Digital Forensics and Cyber Security Center is establishing the University as a leader in cyber security research and education
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14 REAL LIFE THROUGH THE LENS By Brian Pernicone After getting his start at The Good 5-Cent Cigar, David Goldman ‘98 is now an award-winning international photojournalist 20
THE BUSINESS OF DUMPSTER DIVING By Todd McLeish A recent graduate and a current senior have launched a recycling company that saves their clients hundreds of dollars a month
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A YEARNING FOR HOME By Jennifer Gaul ‘89 Brandeis faculty member Mitra Karbassi Shavarini ‘84 transcends cultural differences with a new book about her Iranian immigrant family
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AP PHOTO/DAVID GOLDMAN; COURTESY MITRA SHAVARINI
Cover: Stationed in Afghanistan, U.S. Army Sgt. Jesse Campos, 25, of Houston, Texas, said, “Prior to my last deployment, everyone was telling me that they will pray for me. I believe it helps, and deployment can be pretty lonely, so I got the tattoo so that I always remember that people are praying for me.”
24 THROW YOUR iPHONETM. WE DARE YOU. By Maria V. Caliri ‘86, M.B.A. ’92 Six URI alums hold key positions in a rapidly growing startup company whose products protect athletes and consumer electronics 26
SALUTE TO ELEANOR PORTER By Jan Wenzel ‘87 Eleanor Porter ‘51 gets national recognition for reaching out to war amputees with inspiration, support, comfort—and cookies!
QuadAngles welcomes your comments. Write to us at quadangles@uri.edu, or Alumni Center, 73 Upper College Road, Kingston, RI 02881. Or leave a comment online at uri.edu/quadangles.
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WEBVIEW
HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT VOLUNTEERING WITH YOUR ALUMNI ASSOCIATION? Fall is a great time to join one of the Alumni Association’s volunteer groups. Follow your interests, plan events, share your expertise, and connect with your fellow alumni. Which program needs you? • Alumni Admission Representatives • Alumni Golf Tournament • Alumni of Color Network • Audit • Big Chill Weekend • Finance • Funding Request • Government Relations • Homecoming • Marketing • Nominating • Rhode Island Rams Athletic Association • Women’s Council for Development • Young Alumni Council
Give Back. Have Fun. Stay Connected. advance.uri.edu/alumni/committees The ideas and opinions expressed in QUADANGLES do not necessarily reflect those of the Alumni Association, the editor, or the University. QUADANGLES is published four times a year for alumni and friends of the University of Rhode Island; standard postage paid at East Greenville, PA. QUADANGLES is printed at Brown Printing, East Greenville, PA., and is recyclable. URI is an equal opportunity employer committed to community, equity, and diversity and to the principles of affirmative action.
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QUADANGLES is a publication of the University of Rhode Island Alumni Association, 73 Upper College Road, Kingston, RI 02881. p: 401.874.2242. The URI Alumni Association informs and engages current and future alumni as committed partners of the University, its mission and traditions. Interim Executive Director, Communications and Community Relations Kerrie Bennett, M.B.A ‘06 Executive Editor Michele A. Nota ’87, M.S. ’06 Secretary, Alumni Association Director, Publications and Creative Services Russell Kolton Director, Communications and Marketing Linda A. Acciardo ’77 Editorial Committee Dave Lavallee ’79, M.P.A. ’87 Tracey A. Manni Liz Prager O'Brien ’83 Contributing Editors Barbara Caron (print & online editions) Shane Donaldson ‘99 Gigi Edwards Kate O’Malley Cindy Sabato Nicki Toler Art Director Kim Robertson Contributing Designers Johnson Ma Bo Pickard Verna Thurber Photographer Nora Lewis Alumni Relations Staff Chris DiSano, Specialist Jericka Fernandez, Program Assistant Robert Ferrell ’07, Program Assistant Michelle Fontes-Barros ’96, M.A. ’11, Assistant Director Kathleen Gianquitti ’71, M.S. ’82, Assistant Director Shana Greene ’95, M.S.’97, Assistant Director Lisa Harrison ’89, Executive Assistant Sarah Lobdell ’96, Associate Director Mary Ann Mazzone, Office Assistant Kate Serafini ’08, Specialist Gina Simonelli ’01, M.S.’03, Assistant Director Alumni Association Executive Board Joseph M. Confessore ’96, President Louise H. Thorson, M.B.A. ’85, President-elect Donald P. Sullivan ’71, Past President Susan R. Johnson, ’82, Vice President Kathleen P. O’Donnell ’90, Vice President Benjamin W. Tuthill ’04, Treasurer Councilors-at-Large Laurel L. Bowerman ’77, M.B.A. ’84 William M. Dolan III ’81 John Finan ’80 Colleen Gouveia, M.B.A.’98 Tyrene A. Jones ’10 Brina R. Masi ’01 Edwin R. Pacheco ’05 Gregory S. Perry ’88 Darran A. Simon ’98 Christos S. Xenophontos ’84, M.S. ’85 Representatives Arts and Sciences: Catherine Gagnon ’98, M.M.’03 Business Administration: Jordan Kanter ’99, M.S.’00 Feinstein College of Continuing Education: Dr. Edward Bozzi Jr. ’68 Engineering: Daniel G. Lowney ’75 Environment and Life Sciences: Catherine N. Weaver ’82, B.L.A. ’96 Human Science and Services: Christine S. Pelton ’84 Nursing: Denise A. Coppa ’72, Ph.D. ’02 Pharmacy: Henrique “Henry” Pedro ’76 Faculty Senate: Andrea L. Yates ’94, Ph.D. ’06 Student Senate: Stephanie Segal, Class of ’13 Student Alumni Association: Merita Nezaj, Class of ’13 URI Foundation: Thomas J. Silvia ’83
NEWS&VIEWS
Eating Green For the fifth year in a row, Hope Commons has been recognized by the National Association of College & University Food Services for its environmentally friendly practices. The latest sustainability effort is the sale of waste vegetable oil to Newport Biodiesel for conversion to biofuel. “We’ve recycled our oils for close to eight years, but we’ve never been sure what the vendors used it for,” said Michael McCullough, associate administrator of URI Dining Services. “Now, we hope the oil we sell to Newport Biodiesel will come full circle and end up in our gas pumps to power our vehicles.” Although the fee Newport Biodiesel pays for the oil is small, McCullough hopes that one day it will provide scholarships to students interested in alternative fuels or sustainable business operations. URI Dining Services is also buying local. Their primary produce vendor is Rhode Island’s own Roch’s Fresh Foods. Roch’s has worked with local farmers to streamline the process of acquiring local produce. More than 30 other southern New England vendors provide most other menu items. And students are growing herbs, cherry tomatoes, and salad greens on campus for use in the dining halls. Trays in the dining halls have long been a thing of the past, with some unexpected environmental benefits. “We’re not using soap and water or labor to clean them, and it’s saving on food costs and waste, because with trays, people tend to load up on food that often gets thrown away,” McCullough
PHOTOS BY JOE GIBLIN AND COURTESY OF OCEAN EXPLORATION TRUST.
said. “Going trayless is a hot-button issue in food service. So hot, in fact, Harvard called to ask how we did it. We just took them away, and people embraced the idea immediately and never asked for them back.” Dining Services is also eliminating polystyrene take-out containers, using recycled paper products, selecting vendors with sustainable business operations, and donating all perishable foods to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank at the end of each semester.
When the Turkish Government Called, URI Was There When a foreign government in the middle of a tense international conflict needs help on short notice locating military equipment at the bottom of the sea, who do they turn to? Oceanography Professor Robert Ballard, Ph.D. ’75 and his team of scientists and students, of course.
In July, Ballard’s team was preparing to depart from Istanbul aboard the ship Nautilus for a scientific mission to the Black Sea and the eastern Mediterranean, when a Turkish military jet was shot down by Syrian anti-aircraft defenses. The Turkish government asked for Ballard’s assistance to find the jet and recover the pilots’ bodies. With the approval of the U.S. State Department, Ballard—along with Associate Professor Chris Roman, ocean engineering grad student Mike Filimon ’11, Graduate School of Oceanography alumni Katy Croff Bell, Ph.D. ’11 and Mike Brennan, M.A. ’08, Ph.D. ’12 and many colleagues—went to work. Within a week, the wreckage had been found and the pilots’ bodies returned to Turkey. The effort was possible because of the scientists’ training and experience and the state-of-the-art technologies they had at their disposal, including remotely operated vehicles and side-scan sonar. The Turkish ambassador, who was aboard throughout the operation, was so impressed with the recovery effort that he offered to purchase the ship and all the equipment aboard for his country’s military operations. “I told him that it’s not the ship and the technology that he needs,” said Ballard. “He needs the expertise of our scientists, most of whom earned degrees from the Graduate School of Oceanography.” That conversation has already led to discussions about enrolling Turkish students at GSO so that the next time the government needs to search the seafloor, they’ll know how to do it themselves.
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Students Engineer a Clean, Green Solution A school in San Mateo Ixtatán, Guatemala planned to install flushing toilets for the first time. While that seems like a major step up from outhouses, workers planned to drain the toilets into a nearby river, posing a huge environmental threat. For URI engineering alumnus Marc Vigeant ’12 (above), the potential nightmare was a solvable problem. The Barrington native leads the URI chapter of Students for Global Sustainability. They’re a team of seven engineering students who’ve met weekly for nearly two years designing a wastewater treatment system for the school and surmounting challenges at every turn. The school lacks reliable electricity, so they’re using dosing siphons that harness natural energy from gravity to provide flow. There’s no existing treatment infrastructure, so they designed a sand filtration system. There are no plat maps, so they traveled to Guatemala last summer to do their own survey. And to pay for the project, the group sold plastic cups, empty ink jet cartridges, old cell phones, and broken laptops to a recy-
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cling company, and asked for financial support from the URI College of Engineering. Armed with money and plans, Vigeant and classmate Dan Waugh ’12 traveled to Guatemala in August to oversee installation of their system, which now serves as a model for the community to reproduce. “At first it seemed like an overwhelming project,” Vigeant says. “But over time, the solution became more and more palpable.” The team was guided by Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering Vinka Oyanedel-Craver, and by Stephen Andrus ’04 and Phil Virgadamo ’64, M.S. ’66, engineers at GZA GeoEnvironmental Technologies in Norwood, Mass. “I’ve been really impressed with the students,” says Andrus. “They do a great deal of work and they are very devoted to their cause.” On his way to graduate school for master’s degrees in engineering and business, Vigeant aims to open an engineering firm specializing in installing renewable energy systems.
Healthy Rhode Islanders, Healthy Savings URI is putting to work a $14 million grant to improve lives and lower healthcare costs for cognitively challenged adults with chronic diseases and those with Alzheimer’s who receive Medicare and Medicaid benefits. Entitled “Living Rite-A Disruptive Solution for Management of Chronic Care Disease,” and led by Associate Pharmacy Research Professor Elaina K. Goldstein (left), the University’s proposal was chosen for its innovative solution to managing health care challenges. The three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is projected to save the federal and state governments just over $15 million in health-care costs by preventing illness, emergency room visits, nursing home care, and hospitalization. The program will integrate the efforts of state agencies, major health systems, educational institutions, disability organizations, and service providers to lower costs and provide comprehensive care for dual-eligible adult Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. “Our goal is to create an environment where people will be able to get preventative care and chronic care management in a place where they already come on a regular basis for recreation and employment. It will be a place where their care is integrated with a team of doctors and care providers and managed using telemedicine capabilities. This way all providers can see and treat patients together, but remotely,” Goldstein said. When the grant was announced at a press conference attended by numerous Rhode Island officials (center), U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D, R.I.) said, quite simply, “This saves money.” “The federal government is spending money in order to save money. These savings come from improved performance, not
from taking things away from people. This will result in better care at a lower cost to the taxpayers. It’s a huge win-win,” he said. URI President David M. Dooley said, “We are very proud of Professor Goldstein’s work and the team she has built for this innovative project. This truly builds on our interdisciplinary leadership, taps into and expands the reach of some of our most groundbreaking behavior change research and pharmacy practice techniques.” VIDEO | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
Helping Veterans Find Peace at Home Retired Army National Guard Colonel Bill Babcock ’68, M.A. ’72, served in three wars during his decorated military career— Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. But it took a few peacetime encounters before he gave post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) a second thought. First, Babcock reconnected with a troubled URI classmate and fellow Vietnam veteran. At the same time, he was witnessing the trauma young soldiers in his unit were experiencing in Iraq. And finally, he was hearing from his sons that some of their classmates who served in Iraq were experiencing issues. “That’s when it became personal,” the colonel said.
PHOTOS BY JOE GIBLIN, COURTESY OF MARC VIGEANT, AND COURTESY OF BILL BABCOCK.
Veterans experiencing PTSD often return home unable to cope with civilian life and some run into trouble with the law as a result. Recognizing that this vulnerable population needs help, not incarceration, Babcock is volunteering to lead the new Volunteer Mentor Program in Rhode Island’s Kent County District Court. Initiated by Chief Judge Jeanne E. LaFazia, the program helps veterans facing misdemeanor criminal charges. Similar programs, first established in Buffalo, N.Y. in 2008, are being replicated across the nation. These low-cost programs seem to be working, as recidivism rates are dramatically low. The R.I. program diverts veterans and others diagnosed with trauma and servicerelated disorders into an alternative sentencing program, and places them in a 12-week treatment program followed by a minimum of six months of court reviews. Babcock will match each veteran with a volunteer veteran mentor who will serve as a buddy and resource. If the offending veteran stays out of trouble for a specified period of time, his or her criminal record may be dismissed or reduced. With the Afghanistan war scaling down and the military being trimmed, veterans are pouring back into civilian life in record numbers. “I have no doubt that the number of soldiers coming home with PTSD will increase, as will the need for these kinds of courts,” the colonel said. MORE | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
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September Is Pharmacy Month at URI September was a big month for pharmacy at URI. It was marked by a series of events in celebration of the opening of the new $75 million building for the College of Pharmacy. The programs brought attention to the college’s role in making the state, nation, and world healthier and in bringing in more than $83 million in federal and private research dollars since 2000, which has been reinvested in the Rhode Island economy. The events also highlighted the University’s successes in developing partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms and attracting high paying jobs. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new building took place on September 4. A free public symposium, Drug Therapy in the 21st Century, was held on September 14, and an international scientific conference, Frontiers in Pharmaceutical Sciences,
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featuring researchers from around the world and Nobel laureate Thomas A. Steitz was held from September 28–30. The 144,000 square-foot building is the largest academic building on the Kingston campus. In 2006, voters approved $65 million in general obligation bonds to finance the project, augmented by private donations and University funds. More than 380 Rhode Islanders were employed on the project in jobs ranging from architectural and engineering to construction. The new facility features a $6 million good manufacturing process center that will allow URI to lead in best practices training for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as well as private pharmaceutical companies. It will permit the production of a wide range of human-use pharmaceuticals up to clinical trial scale. The five-story building will also allow the college to accept more students into its six-year doctor of pharmacy program, its graduate programs, and its new four-year bachelor’s program in pharmaceutical sciences. The building will accommodate up to 820 students, a 50 percent increase from 2006 when the bond was approved.
PHOTO BY JOE GIBLIN.
Students Create Award-Winning PSAs URI assistant business professor Koray Özpolat used his experience serving refugee camps in the Near East for the United Nations to teach his students the vital role of humanitarian logistics and transportation in providing international disaster relief. He challenged students in his popular operations and supply chain management course to develop public service announcements explaining that monetary donations to proven relief organizations are the smartest way to help people affected by emergencies overseas. The PSAs were entered in a contest sponsored by the Center for International Disaster Information and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
R.I. Radio Hall of Fame Welcomes “Voice of the Rams”
Four students brought home a win. Together undergrads Ryan Pincince ’14, Richard Kalhofer ’12, Jill-Ann Hewins ’13, and Kelsey Finegan ’13 entered two distinctly different PSAs and took second and third place in the print category. Their second-prize winning entry depicted a dollar bill that stays intact when monetary donations are made and breaks down when item donations are made. The third-place winner showed a bottle of water with a price tag of $71.27, the real cost of a donated case of water bottles after shipping, handling, and storage. Entries were judged based on overall impact, originality, memorable content, delivery, and clear and concise messages. “This year’s contestants met the challenge with compelling and clever entries,” said CIDI Director Juanita M. Riling. “Explaining to the public what smart compassion involves can be a challenge, but the winners clearly articulate the difference between good intentions and maximizing public generosity to help people affected by disasters.”
Jim Norman ’57 was just a kid from Perryville who loved to see Ernie Calverley ’46 shoot a basketball in Rodman Hall on what was then the Rhode Island State College campus. But he became the voice that generations of Rams fans turned to when they couldn’t make it to Kingston to watch the games. For his 34 years behind the microphone as the voice of the Rams, Norman was inducted into the Rhode Island Radio Hall of Fame in May. “When you’re honored by your peers, that’s special,” Norman said. “You don’t do it to be inducted into a hall of fame, but it’s kind of the crowning achievement to the whole process of my career.” During his career, Norman called 1,286 consecutive football and men’s basketball games. Even now, 60 years after he called his first game as a student broadcaster, the names, accomplishments, and incredible games remain fresh in his memory.
The 77-year-old can tell you about the time in 1952 when Pat Abbruzzi ’55 rushed for 306 yards against New Hampshire. He’ll tell you about the time Tom Ehrhardt ’86 threw eight touchdown passes against Connecticut in 1985. He’ll tell you why he thinks Sly Williams was a better all-around player than Lamar Odom, and about the night Tom Garrick ’90 scored a school record 50 points. His encyclopedic knowledge of Rams athletics comes not only from his time at the microphone, but also from his 22 years as URI’s sports information director. It was Norman’s job to compile all the statistics and record all the victories in the athletic program annals, put together media guides and make sure the press had everything it needed. And when the whistle blew, listeners around the state were treated to the games through the eyes of the man who has probably seen more URI athletic contests than anyone alive.
PSAs COURTESY OF CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL DISASTER INFORMATION, WWW.CIDI.ORG. PHOTOS COURTESY OF URI ATHLETICS AND URI GRIST, 1956.
Top to bottom: Pat Abbruzzi, Tom Ehrhardt, Tom Garrick, and Jim Norman.
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PRESSBOX
Susie Penders, the Reverend Lynn Baker-Dooley, and Ellie Lemaire.
Grapes and Grain Raises Record Amount The University of Rhode Island Friends of Women’s Athletics and the Reverend Lynn Baker-Dooley raised a record amount of money at the third annual Evening of Grapes and Grain on Saturday, June 9. The event was presented by South County Hospital Orthopedics Center. “It is my joy to report that because of the generous support of all our sponsors and the hard work of scores of volunteers and staff, Friends of Women’s Athletics raised nearly $36,000 at our third annual Evening of Grapes and Grain,” Baker-Dooley said. “This event was attended by more than 250 people as a great show of support for our female student-athletes and their coaches. In three years we have raised more than $70,000, so we look forward to next year and encourage you to mark
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your calendars now for the second Saturday evening in June 2013. An Evening of Grapes and Grain was held at the home of Baker-Dooley and URI President David M. Dooley and featured a wide selection of wines, beers, and hors d’oeuvres, as well as live music provided by URI students. “Grapes and Grain was a fantastic event that showcased our women’s coaches and athletic programs,” said Marnie Dacko, coordinator for development and marketing/special projects for women’s athletics. “Along with Friends of Women’s Athletics, I am planning and looking forward to next year’s event.” All proceeds from An Evening of Grapes and Grain support URI women’s athletics.
Luebke Provided Years of Support Journalism professor Barbara Luebke retired at the end of June after nearly a quarter century at URI. She had served as the Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) since 2007. She arrived at URI in 1989 and, other than a one-year stint as the dean of undergraduate studies at Fitchburg (Mass.) State College, she has been a visible member of the URI community ever since. As URI’s FAR, she was an important liaison between athletics and academics. (The NCAA requires each of its member institutions to have a FAR.) She also spent four terms on the University’s Athletics Advisory Board, including chairing the board from 2007–10. Additionally, she served on the Athletics Hall of Fame Committee and
PHOTOS BY JOE GIBLIN AND NORA LEWIS, AND COURTESY OF URI ATHLETICS.
Foster Suits Up For Colts Former Rhode Island football player Jason Foster went to his first training camp with the Indianapolis Colts and began his first NFL season with a winning preseason game on Sunday, August 12 against the St. Louis Rams. As an undrafted free agent, nothing is guaranteed for Foster. However, after the team’s spring mini camp, Foster felt he was progressing well in his attempt to earn a spot on the final 53-man roster. “Mini camp went very well,” Foster said. “I’m doing everything the coaches say, and I’m staying after practice to work on my technique and sets. I’ve been watching a lot of film and studying my playbook a ton.” Foster’s former Rhody teammate Matt Hansen was doing well with the Atlanta Falcons, but a knee injury suffered during offseason workouts sidelined him before the start of training camp. He is working his way back to the field. numerous search committees, including the one that brought current Director of Athletics Thorr Bjorn to URI in 2007. “It has been an honor working alongside Barb Luebke for the past five years,” Bjorn said. “She has become a lifelong friend as well as a confidante who I have utilized as a sounding board on so many issues throughout my time at URI. She has done a wonderful job focusing on many different student-athlete welfare and academic issues.” Luebke—whose FAR role will be filled by Yvette Harps-Logan, an associate professor in the Department of Textiles, Fashion Merchandising, and Design—took her role beyond the confines of URI by serving on the NCAA Committee on Athletic Certification for four years, and is now a member of the NCAA Committee on Academic Performance. She has also served on committees within the Atlantic 10 Conference. “Being the Faculty Athletics Representative has allowed me to combine my academic background and commitment to our students with my love of sports,” said Luebke. “One of the primary functions of the role is to help ensure quality of experience for the student-athletes.”
Rhody Auctions Come to GoRhody.com The new Rhody Auctions feature was introduced on GoRhody.com in August, allowing Rhode Island fans to get even closer to their favorite teams by bidding on authentic and rare game-worn uniforms, Rhody team gear, unique memorabilia, and exclusive events with URI teams. Throughout the year, new items will be featured on the Rhody Auctions page, which can be found in the Fan Center section of GoRhody.com. All auction items start at just $1, allowing Rhody fans to place a bid at an affordable price. Every winning bid on Rhody Auctions will directly support the University of Rhode Island Athletics Department and student-athletes. UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 9
Getting Technical on Crime URI IS A LEADER IN CYBER SECURITY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION.
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Left: Computer Science Professor Victor Fay-Wolfe. Below: Students at URI’s Digital Forensics and Cyber Security Center.
PHOTOS: NORA LEWIS
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he technological changes happening at warp speed in the Internet Age have our heads spinning, but bad guys of one stripe or another— from hackers to terrorists—seem to know how to control the spin. That leaves experts on the right side of the law to figure out how to stay ahead of them, and several URI professors are in the forefront of that effort. Last April, URI received the distinction of being named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education, thanks mostly to the groundbreaking work of professors in computer science and electrical engineering. The citation, which comes from the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, marks URI as a leader and innovator in digital forensics and cyber security, and it opens the door for federal funding for research, education, and service. The University is one of only 114 schools so recognized. The distinction culminates what could be the first round of development at URI in the digital forensics and cyber security arenas. It all began in 2004 when the Department of Computer Science established its Digital Forensics Center, thanks to the foundational work of Professor Victor FayWolfe. Since then, URI has hosted two national cyber security symposia, attracted over $1 million in research grants, and created a growing program in cyber security instruction, including a minor in Digital Forensics and Cyber Security, as well as two graduate certificates involving four- tofive-course sequences. “It’s just the beginning for us,” says FayWolfe, a recognized expert in digital forensics. “We want to continue to grow our program. We’re developing new courses and eventually new degrees. The field is really taking off, and we are in a good position to be a leader.” The Digital Forensics and Cyber Security Center has what Fay-Wolfe calls three prongs: education, research, and service.
He and his staff have consulted for and helped train the Rhode Island State Police and, in fact, built the digital forensics computer lab where police investigate cyber evidence of crimes ranging from child pornography to financial fraud. The center does consulting work for other police departments in the state, and is involved with the state’s Cyber Disruption Team, which Fay-Wolfe says has developed a strong plan to deal with network disruption as part of the state’s Emergency Management Plan. “We’re actually ahead of the rest of the country with this,” Fay-Wolfe says. “We want to bring in more partners. This designation as a National Center for Excellence provides us with more credibility, and it will help create more opportunities for research funds. It will also help us recruit top students who are interested in this field.” The research done by Fay-Wolfe, his associate in computer science Lisa DiPippo, M.S. ’92, Ph.D. ’95, and Electrical Engineering Professors Yan Sun and Haibo He informs the educational and service functions of the Digital Forensics and Cyber Security Center. They have worked on software detection programs as well as emergency response systems, among other tasks. Part of their job, often tied to specific grants, is to come up with new detection products that they then turn over to commercial entities. “Part of what we do is help investigators learn how to acquire and analyze digital evidence,” Fay-Wolfe said. “It can be something as basic as the procedure for seizing the evidence or how to create protected passwords.”
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DiPippo, who was a student of FayWolfe’s several years ago, had worked with Yan Sun on wireless sensor networks, and after the first Cyber Security Symposium at URI in early 2011, she and Fay-Wolfe teamed up again to expand the Digital Forensics Center to broadly include cyber security. “Having Lisa on staff helped us expand into areas that address protecting computer networks,” Fay-Wolfe said. “Yan Sun and Haibo He have done a lot of work on protection of the U.S. power grid and prevention of infiltration of the grid that could disrupt power all over the country.” Soon they began to develop courses in cyber security, which they began offering last spring. DiPippo said URI’s center will provide a great benefit to the state because there is a serious need for trained computer scientists. “The jobs are out there, more jobs than there are qualified people,” she said. “There is a big need. Every day we see an article somewhere about a new kind of cyber attack, and we need smart people to help solve these problems. “A lot of what we do involves finding issues that practitioners are having and creating programs that make their job easier. Through classroom work and research, for instance, our staff and interns were able to determine that police needed assistance with entering search terms as they conducted investigations.” A relatively new area of research being pursued at URI’s center involves something called steganography, a technique of hiding messages in plain sight. Fay-Wolfe said Al Qaeda has used it extensively to send messages to terrorist cells. To avoid detection of encryption, the messages are embedded in bits inside a harmless-looking photo of a landscape, a building, or a family. Criminals will hide credit card numbers and personal identification numbers in this way, and the Department of Justice is funding research on software programs that learn the steganography so they can detect the difference between a normal photo and one that contains an embedded message.
“These are challenges, but they are critically important to security,” Fay-Wolfe said. “We want to be on the forefront of this research.” Forming the Digital Forensics and Cyber Security Center has happened in a serendipitous way, as Fay-Wolfe explains. In early 2000 he was looking for some new research areas after years of work on military computer systems. He visited a firm in Washington, D.C., owned by his cousin, where digital forensics work was taking place: “I found it interesting and I thought our students would, too,” he says. Fay-Wolfe wrote a National Science Foundation grant application to establish the center, and NSF funded it to the tune of $300,000. A year or so later, two more grants came through from the Department of Justice totaling $600,000 to research detection of child pornography. The center’s staff developed programs to measure images in minute detail to determine if the person in the image is a child. “We can scan website images and determine facial dimensions, high concentrations of skin tones, edges of limbs,” FayWolfe explained. “These are measurable ways to detect if a person in an image is a child. That work, and other research we
have done, comes from our strengths as a three-pronged program of education, research, and service. “When we were consulting for the State Police, we were able to find problems they were having in investigations and detection, and that informed our research. We went to the Department of Justice in an open solicitation bid and they funded our research and we produced a tool to help in detection.” More serendipity occurred when a URI alumnus, Dan Dickerman ’92, attended a criminal forensics lecture on campus. He had been the lead trainer at the federal Law Enforcement Training Center and had developed the digital forensics training curriculum for the FBI, Secret Service, and U.S. Customs. When Fay-Wolfe discovered Dickerman was a URI graduate and lived in nearby Charlestown, R.I., he asked him if he’d be interested in teaching a course. Dickerman not only agreed, he also helped develop the digital forensics curriculum, one of the first in the country and the only one in a department of computer science. Because of the Digital Forensics and Cyber Security Center, URI attracted the attention of Rhode Island Congressman James Langevin, who co-founded the Congressional Cyber Security Caucus. He pro-
posed that URI host national experts and leaders in the field for a symposium addressing current problems, research, and future challenges. Langevin has promoted URI in Washington; as a result, last March URI President David Dooley was named by DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano to an academic panel to address national security issues. He is one of 19 members of the Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council. “URI’s new status [as a Center of Academic Excellence]…will attract more of the best and brightest minds in the field to our state, “Langevin said, “and further demonstrates the University’s commitment to giving our next generation of workers the tools they need to succeed in the 21st century economy.” Fay-Wolfe and his staff understand the position they’re in, and they are hoping for additional support to grow the program. Staying ahead of terrorists and criminals requires trained staff and research funds. “Resources are crucial to this, and everything is running so fast that as soon you solve one problem, another one appears,” he said. “Things change all the time. We have to be able to stay on top of the changes.” By John Pantalone ’71
URI has hosted two national cyber security symposia, attracted over $1 million in research grants, and created a growing program in cyber security instruction.
PHOTO: NORA LEWIS
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 13
From wars on foreign soil to heartbreak at home, URI alumnus David Goldman shares his vision.
Real Life Through the Lens
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TOP: NORA LEWIS; BELOW: ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO/DAVID GOLDMAN
W
hen the student newspaper at the University of Rhode Island advertised for a photo editor in the winter of 1996, no one showed up initially. Until, that is, a tall, skinny sophomore from New York City walked into The Good Five-Cent Cigar offices with a roll of film from a disposable camera and no real desire to be a photographer. Sixteen years later, David Goldman ‘98 is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated photojournalist who has shot everything from the war in Afghanistan to the NFL for the Associated Press, The New York Times, The Boston Herald, and other news outlets. He recently won the 2012 World Press Photo Award in the Arts and Entertainment category for his image of a lone soldier playing the drums in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. “As a photographer, we all sort of have ambitions, like someday wouldn’t it be nice to win this award or that award,” Goldman said. “At The Cigar, I had never even heard of most of these awards. But as you come up in the industry, you learn about them and the prestige they come with, and you think ‘that would be cool if someday I could be
SOLDIER IN THE DOORWAY: DAVID GOLDMAN
a part of that.’ I entered the World Press Photo contest every year since I started at The Herald and never got anything, and I never thought I would, so it was a huge, huge surprise.” It has been quite an odyssey for a man who says he wasn’t interested in following in the footsteps of his father, Louis Goldman, who was a still photographer on movie sets in New York. “People used to ask me if I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps. Never. Not one bit,” Goldman said during a phone interview between assignments in Atlanta, where he is now based. “I wanted to be near the ocean so I could surf. I thought I’d get into marine biology.” But Goldman found the sciences weren’t for him. While he was looking for a part-time job to help get him through school, a friend suggested he try The Cigar. “I don’t think anybody else showed up for the job,” Goldman said. “I went on my first assignment and from then on I fell in love.” He didn’t take photography courses, teaching himself the functions of his camera through reading, trial and error. Instead, he majored in journalism and earned his bachelor’s degree in 1998.
Above: A soldier with the U.S. Army’s Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion 87th Infantry Regiment, in a doorway of Command Outpost Apache in Afghanistan’s Wardak province in 2009. Top left: David Goldman Bottom left: 2012 World Press Photo Award-winning image of Canadian Forces soldier Cpl. Ben Vandandaigue playing a drum kit on Forward Operating Base Sperwan Ghar overlooking the Panjwaii district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan.
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David Goldman, above right, with Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the Presidential Palace in Kabul in 2009. Previous page: Soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 1st Platoon Apache Company of 2nd Battalion 87th Infantry Regiment, part of the 3rd Combat Brigade 10th Mountain Division based out of Fort Drum, N.Y., evacuate wounded soldiers after their armored vehicle hit an IED in Afghanistan in 2009. At right: Spc. Kenneth Dykes, 20, of Greenville, Tenn., and Pfc. James Gordon, 20, of Texas, both of the U.S. Army’s Apache Company 2nd Battalion 87th Infantry Regiment, hold hands after being loaded into a medivac helicopter when their armored vehicle hit an IED in 2009.
Goldman said his studies enhanced his ability to tell a story through his lens. “Studying journalism only deepened my love for the craft,” Goldman said. “Studying print and broadcast journalism gave me a broader perspective, because in the end, it all came down to storytelling, just using different tools. And simple things like learning how to write a lead and get quotes are things that have been invaluable to me to this day.” After graduation, he caught on with the weekly newspaper, The South County Independent, freelanced in San Diego, Calif., and Connecticut and took a job as a photo technician at The Boston Herald, which he later parlayed into a staff photographer position. While at The Herald in 2005, Goldman funded his own trip to Gaza to document the Israeli Army’s removal of 9,000 Jewish settlers to hand the land over to the Palestinians. It was a transformative experience for Goldman, who had never been on an international assignment before. “It was that very first moment in my career when I was truly taking myself out of my comfort zone and facing all the fears that come with that,” Goldman said. “Of course there was the safety fear, but also, the fear of working somewhere I had never been, and the fear of working freelance without any guarantees I’d recoup my expenses. “It was a defining moment for me because I took great pride in knowing I put myself out there and realizing, ‘Okay, I can do this. It’s not so bad, it’s not so scary.’ I learned there is something exhilarating about going somewhere I didn’t feel completely comfortable and adapting. It made me
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always want to push myself beyond complacency. I felt like I was growing, not just as a photographer or as a journalist, but as a person, and I hope that continues throughout my career.” It wasn’t the last time Goldman would stick his neck out and rely on freelancing to advance his career. After moving back to his native New York to take a photo editor position with the Associated Press, he quickly realized he preferred to be shooting. He left the AP to begin freelancing again, shooting for the AP, The New York Times, Getty Images, and “pretty much anyone who would hire me.” He funded more trips to the Middle East, including the West Bank, and Afghanistan. In 2009, he did a contract assignment for the AP, embedding with the U.S. Army’s 1st Platoon Apache Company of 2nd Battalion 87th Infantry Regiment. His work was part of the AP’s Pulitzer Prize nomination for breaking news photography. It was the Army’s first major push into the Logar and Wardak provinces since the outbreak of the war in 2001. Missions were fraught with peril, particularly the threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the roadways. The uncertainty that came with every mile traversed in a Humvee was perhaps the most difficult part of the assignment. “A lot of it is time sitting around waiting to be attacked. It wasn’t like a full-out war, where there are constant offensives or advances on territory or new battlefields,” Goldman said. “It was specific missions that we’d go out on, and then typically we’d be on the receiving end of an attack and that’s how an engagement would begin. “It was nerve-racking,” he continued. “I can understand why so many of these guys come back with post-traumatic stress disorder. Unfortunately, most of these guys are getting injured with IEDs. It’s an incredible strain on your mental state, never knowing when it can happen. It’s not like a gunfight, where your body jumps into action and can compensate for stress. And, for me, I didn’t even have to be a hero. I could run, duck, and hide, while those guys had to fight.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS/DAVID GOLDMAN
His war photography has earned Goldman international acclaim, but he hesitates to call himself a war photographer. He said human-interest stories, such as one he worked on with the children of fallen soldiers, are what truly capture his interest. He values the variety of assignments he covers for the AP, rather than facing the constant specter of conflict in the Middle East. “What journalism also showed me is that I had an opportunity to see people when they were at their worst and when they were at their best and every emotion in between,” Goldman said. “When truly intimate moments would happen in their lives that they would share with you, it was so powerful it could move you to tears.”
Perhaps the biggest thrill for Goldman, though, came at the outset of his career, shortly after his first assignment at the URI student newspaper sparked his interest. His father, who died of a heart attack in 1996, was alive to see the burgeoning career that would send his son around the globe. “I was fortunate. Before dying very suddenly, my father was around during the first few months as I started to fall in love with photography,” Goldman said. “He was able to see me develop a passion for it. That he got to see the beginning before he passed away meant the world to me.” by Brian Pernicone VIDEO | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 19
The Business of Dumpster Diving “I don’t see why our society can’t attain an 80 to 90 percent recycling rate, and that is what our business is trying to achieve.” – Cory Harrigan
A recent graduate and a URI senior have launched a recycling company that is already saving local automotive companies hundreds of dollars in recycling costs each month. Dylan Gregory ’12 (right) and Cory Harrigan, class of 2013, call their Narragansett-based company Scrap Specialists Recycling. The pair invested their own money to purchase 12 dumpsters of various sizes and contracted with several vendors who pay them for the recyclables they collect. “We both had a pre-existing passion for environmental issues, and when we took a class on energy economics, we saw that there was a lot of opportunity for energy savings through recycling,” Gregory said. “Recycling is something that needs to be done, and people shouldn’t be charged to do it.”
“Recycling is a basic form of sustainability, and in my eyes it’s common sense,” added Harrigan. “I don’t see why our society can’t attain an 80 to 90 percent recycling rate, and that is what our business is trying to achieve. I find it fascinating how objects that are considered waste can be turned into entirely different goods that are totally unrecognizable from their original form and that can be reused in endless applications.” Beginning in the fall of 2011, Gregory and Harrigan tested the waters by partnering with Crown Collision, a successful auto body business with offices in three locations in Rhode Island. The students dropped off a dumpster at each location and instructed company personnel to toss in all of their recyclables—paper, boxes, plastics, auto parts, and scrap metal. When the dumpster
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is full, the pair remove, sort, and bail the materials, and the vendors haul the bails away. “Crown Collision previously had to pay a monthly fee for dumpsters as well as a tipping fee each time the dumpsters had to be emptied, but now we have our dumpsters there, empty them as needed, and don’t charge them anything,” said Gregory. “They’re saving $200 to $400 per month per location, and we make our money by selling the recyclable materials.” The success of their first efforts led them to solicit other automotive companies. “We see great potential with the automotive industry,” Gregory said. “As far as I know, we’re the only company targeting them, and the only ones handling all the recyclables in one container at no cost to them.”
The company had half-a-dozen customers last spring when their venture received some local publicity in several Rhode Island news outlets, and now their customer count has doubled. So far, all of their revenues are being invested back into the business to purchase additional dumpsters. “Once we get 30 or 40 customers, we’ll have more capital to work with and be able to pay ourselves a little something,” said Gregory. “The entire process of starting a business has been a real challenge,” noted Harrigan, “whether it’s thinking about the next step to grow the business or writing emails and answering questions from potential customers. But I found that as long as you put all that you’ve got into something, something positive will result and the road to success will come together.” Harrigan spent last spring studying abroad in New Zealand, where he found new ideas and different ways of thinking about recycling. He believes that the United States should adopt New Zealand’s recycling system, which he claims is quite simple and convenient and one that can provide an economic boost to the country. “Being away from Dylan and Scrap Specialists for the semester made me even more ambitious and hungry for success,” he said. “I’m ready to tackle some new ideas that have been floating around in my head
PHOTO: NORA LEWIS
for some time, and my time in New Zealand has only helped me focus on what is next.” The composting of food waste is one subject that Harrigan found promising in New Zealand, so Gregory has taken that idea to local farmers in Rhode Island, and together they are exploring how best to launch a local food composting initiative in the URI dining halls. The company is a labor of love for Gregory and Harrigan, and they hope it will eventually turn into full-time jobs for both of them. “I hope that through our business we can find new ways to recycle material into usable products and in turn spread this knowledge so it can be utilized,” Harrigan said of the company’s future. “I’m not one to set strict goals and try to predict the future. I simply know that the possibilities with Scrap Specialists are endless, and many more influential and exciting things will result from our passion and ambition for solving environmental problems.” Gregory put it in slightly simpler terms. “I love getting in the dumpster and sorting recyclables,” he said. “I absolutely love what I do.” By Todd McLeish
For more information, contact Gregory at 401.633.4112 or Dylan@scrapspecialists.com.
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AYearning
T
for Home
Above, Mitra Shavarini. Above right, Mitra’s mother and father, Akhtar and Reza Karbassi.
here’s no place like home,” says Dorothy at the end of The Wizard of Oz. Who among us hasn’t suffered from a little home sickness? Those moments of longing for something lost have touched me throughout my life. So when introduced to the word ghorbat, I instantly connected with it, although it is outside my cultural reference points. I came across it in the first chapter of a beautifully evocative book, Desert Roots: Journey of an Iranian Immigrant Family, by Mitra Karbassi Shavarini, who graduated from URI in 1984 with a degree in business. “Farsi is a language of subtleties,” writes Shavarini, “thus there is no exact English translation for the Persian word ghorbat; nostalgia, exile, longing for homeland, feeling yourself a stranger is close to the idea. To truly understand ghorbat, one must live the word, feel its burden. It is one of those intangibles, like heartache, or when you realize you are lost. Yearning.” A native of Iran, Shavarini moved to the United States while still a child. Her father, Reza Karbassi, was a successful bureaucrat with the National Iranian Oil Company. Karbassi had prospered under the Shah and landed a series of lucrative positions abroad. One such coveted appointment in the early 1970s led the Karbassi family to move first to New York City and later to Narragansett, R.I. Karbassi uprooted the family because he knew that an American education would place his children in high standing when they eventually returned to Iran. What he
hadn’t factored in was the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Practically overnight his country unalterably changed, leaving his eldest son trapped in Iran while the rest of the family were stranded in Rhode Island without resources or green cards. Mitra Karbassi Shavarini and I met for the first time at a coffee shop in Wellesley, Mass., on a warm, rainy afternoon in May. As we chatted, I was struck by the many parallels in our lives. Both in our 40s, we share many of the same memories of the Narragansett school system from which we both graduated—at one time Shavarini had even lived in my neighborhood. We both began attending URI in our senior year of high school. We have both had life-changing experiences with cancer as well as with family estrangements. And now we live not far from one another outside of Boston. But as we talked, I became aware that parallel experiences can hide a world of differences. As Iranians in America, Shavarini and her family experienced profound losses; they also found it prudent to hide their ethnicity. Anti-Iranian sentiment was rampant after the Shah of Iran was ousted and Ayatollah Khomeini took power; even at age 12, I was aware of the scenes on the news showing Iranians chanting “death to the Great Satan.” And then came the hostage crisis: “People were swearing at Iranians,” recalled Shavarini. “It was a very vocal time to hate Iranians. Those experiences played a role in how I became Americanized. I would always say that I was Italian or Greek
PHOTOS BY NORA LEWIS; COURTESY MITRA SHAVARINI
Using herself as but one thread in the tapestry, Shavarini has woven together the stories of her parents, grandparents, brothers, and husband. if someone asked my background. Even years later it was still very hard for me to admit I was Iranian.” Shavarini’s family experienced some truly dark times after the revolution. Her father’s assets in Iran were frozen, but he was not a legal resident of the United States so could not work. Their friends in Iran were losing their lives to the “cleansings,” and it was difficult to get news of the family’s oldest son, Keyhan Karbassi ’76. “We were so tight for money. Phone calls to Iran were very expensive so we could only make short calls and relied on letters. I couldn’t go out and be a normal American teenager,” said Shavarini. At one point, the only income that came into the house was through Shavarini’s mother, who baked breads and cakes for URI’s International Coffee House, which used to be located in Taft Hall. The café manager, Thea Etzold ’71, a native of Germany and widow of a URI math professor, would buy the cakes for $5 or $7. The hostility the family experienced wasn’t only relegated to the time of the revolution. Even before that point, Shavarini’s second brother, Kambiz Karbassi ’80, was nearly blocked from being his class valedictorian. The principal did not think it right for a foreigner to be awarded this honor (Kambiz Karbassi is the president and co-founder of Commonwealth Engineers, Inc., in Providence). Sadly, the legacy continues. Shavarini’s son, now 15, had to be home-schooled after 9/11 due to antiIslamic sentiment.
It was for her son, Neemah, and daughter, Donya, that Shavarini first started to chronicle her family, but then the project blossomed into something more: “I meet with a writing group that focuses on academic journal writing,” she said. “But when they found out what I was writing, they asked me to read it to them. They were so encouraging that I decided to seek my parents’ permission to share their story in a book.” Using herself as but one thread in the tapestry, Shavarini has woven together the stories of her parents, grandparents, brothers, and husband. The result is an unflinching portrait of an Iranian family: “There are parts that were painful to write and that family members did not want included,” noted Shavarini. She talks of her father’s anger at her for marrying an Iranian revolutionary and his resentment that she chose to return to Iran to teach in the 1990s. That trip ultimately led to her parents’ return to Iran. Shavarini’s father died there from Parkinson’s disease in August 2011, before the book was published but not before he had seen a galley proof. Desert Roots: Journey of an Iranian Immigrant Family transcends cultural differences because it is a tale of family in the fullest sense of that word. It is humanizing, compassionate, and courageous—a tribute of love. By Jennifer Gaul ’89
Mitra K. Shavarini is a lecturer in Peace, Conflict, and Coexistence Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies at Brandeis University. Her research focuses on women’s education in Muslim societies. Her work has appeared in Harvard Educational Review, Teacher’s College Record, International Journal of Middle East Studies, and Women’s Studies International Forum. She is the author of Educating Immigrants: Experiences of Second Generation Iranians (2004) and the coauthor of Women and Education in Iran and Afghanistan: An Annotated Bibliography (with Wendy R. Robison, 2005). She holds a doctorate from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 23
Left to right: Daniel Chapman, Meghan Downing, David Gentile, Sara Duphily, Ervin Hamzo.
THROW YOUR iPHONE
WE DARE YOU Going to Extremes for the Rhode Island Economy
What do pro BMX rider Lee Dennis and many iPads® have in common? G-Form protection. If that answer was not obvious, it soon will be. Based in Providence, G-Form is a rapidly growing startup company that manufactures protective padding for athletes and consumer electronics. Among the 40 employees in the company’s home office are six URI graduates: Meghan S. Downing ’04, assistant to the CEO; Daniel Chapman ’81, VP of operations;
David Gentile ’01, M.B.A. ’08, accounting manager; Ervin Hamzo ’11, buyer/planner; Sara Duphily ’11, customer service representative; and Adam Millard ’11, facilities manager. These and other jobs filled by area graduates benefit Rhode Island, particularly at a time of double-digit unemployment. As the resultant brain drain adversely affects the labor pool, Downing spreads the word
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about G-Form through a LinkedIn network of URI graduates. Founded in 2010 by cycling enthusiasts who endured their fair share of bruises, G-Form produces kneepads, crash shorts, protective compression shirts, and related products using Reactive Protective Technology—or RPT™—a blend of its own proprietary materials with PORON® XRD™ impact protection foam. Due to this unique
composite, RPT products absorb 90 percent of force upon impact. For its revolutionary technology and marketplace success, G-Form was one of ten winners (chosen from 268 nominations) to receive the Smaller Business Association of New England’s 2012 Innovation Award. Professionals and weekend warriors alike laud G-Form’s equipment for its ability to protect them without interfering with their performance. “It was really nice to have flexible [knee] pads,” says free-line skater Ryan Farrelly. “I even drove all the way home with them on—I forgot they were there.” Comments like Farrelly’s demonstrate that the company founders achieved their objective of developing products from the athlete’s point of view: “Athletes resist using protective gear because it doesn’t look cool, doesn’t work, or gets in the way,” says G-Form President Danny Warshay. “We address these concerns by creating low-profile, comfortable products that conform to your body shape. They are soft except when they’re impacted.” Out of curiosity, Warshay and his partners decided to apply this soft-yet-protective philosophy to consumer electronics: “We sandwiched an iPad between kneepads and dropped a bowling ball on it. The iPad survived unscathed.” From this experiment, the G-Form Extreme Sleeves™ for iPhones, iPads, and laptops were born. To market these products, G-Form executives recreated the bowling ball drop using a finished sleeve and filmed it for YouTube. As that video grew in popularity, the team created another, showing how a protected iPad sustained no damage after being dropped by a skydiver 1,300 feet above ground. These videos attracted close to a million views, creating world-wide attention. Now in its third year of operation, G-Form utilizes 26 international distributors, and the company’s products are available throughout Asia, Australia, Europe, and Latin America. In the United States, Best Buy and Staples began carrying the iPad and iPhone sleeves last summer. Presence in these mainstream chain retailers has helped strengthen G-Form’s brand recognition. When you join a start-up company, your career path can take you rapidly to unexpected
PHOTOS: NORA LEWIS
places. Before graduating from URI, Adam Millard joined G-Form as a sales intern. “G-Form was in its infancy and had few systems in place. We fulfilled orders from a barn,” relates Meghan Downing. “Adam has a hands-on mentality, and he … ended up jumping in and helped with packaging and shipping.” Today, as facilities manager, Millard expedites the flow of materials among factories in G-Form’s supply chain. Like Millard’s, Downing’s path to and at G-Form has been circuitous. She was working for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society when she found herself participating in a 100-mile fundraising bike ride around Lake Tahoe with G-Form executives: “I got to know CEO Dan Wyner because he was on the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society board, and I reached out to him for advice when I was contemplating a career change. “Because my background was in nonprofits, I didn’t know if I’d fit into the corporate world. Dan suggested that my skills would transfer successfully to G-Form, and I‘ve never looked back. I’ve been involved in various aspects of the business from customer service to operations to sales and marketing. I’m open to whatever needs to get done.” G-Form is doing its part to boost the regional economy. “Rhode Island is a great place to be,” says Warshay. “We’re responsible for more than 300 jobs in G-Form’s orbit. Our fabrics are sourced here and our molds are produced here. Laminates and film are made in Massachusetts. A Connecticut company makes the chemicals, and we use a factory in Fall River for cutting, sewing, and fulfillment. Experienced factory workers in Fall River were teary-eyed when they were hired; they never dreamed they’d be working in textiles again. Keeping our supply chain in close proximity is advantageous. We can produce our prototypes and products quickly and get them to market rapidly.” The company is expected to have an even greater impact on the local job market as the product line expands. “We’re focused on generic body parts—elbows, knees, shins—but we recognize that the lacrosse player is different from the cyclist,” says
The company is expected to have an even greater impact on the local job market as the product line expands. Warshay. “Our next phase is to start targeting various sports. “The military is also a growing market for us. Currently, they’re deploying standard iPads into the field using existing sleeves. They also have to protect front-line soldiers, so they have very high standards. We’re working with an R & D expert from the Naval War College to help us develop customized applications.” G-Form has grown tremendously since its humble beginnings. As it pursues these opportunities and other promising, untapped markets, its prospects for growth are extraordinary, and URI alumni are proud to be a part of it. By Maria V. Caliri ’86, M.B.A. ’92
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 25
Salute to Eleanor Porter A veteran of healing and inspiration for wounded soldiers
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After Eleanor Johnson Porter ’51 earned her biology degree, she became a lab technician for the City of Providence, testing water at the Scituate Reservoir’s Treatment Facility near her family’s home. “I quickly realized that I wanted to work with people instead of test tubes,” she says. That decision changed the direction of her life and the lives of many wounded soldiers from the Korean, Iraq, and Afghanistan wars. In fact, Eleanor married one of those soldiers.
The 82-year-old Springfield, Va., r esident was one of a dozen female veterans honored last spring by the Department of Defense 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee. The Washington Post prominently featured her in an article at that time. Eleanor joined the Women’s Medical Specialist Corps in 1952; just five months later, the Army 2nd lieutenant was stationed at Brooke Army Medical Hospital at Fort Sam Houston helping soldiers returning from the Korean War with burns, lost limbs, and traumatic head injuries. “You can’t show emotion,” she says. “Patients need someone they can depend on. Some had lost eyes, multiple limbs, had horrific burns. You have to be strong for them. You have to say to yourself: If they can stand it, so can I. Tears ran down my cheeks when I was working with Joey, a little boy with polio who was a dependent. He cried so hard when I had to stretch his muscles. The head physical therapist saw my tears and called me on it.” Eleanor found that soldiers who had lost limbs developed a special camaraderie and used humor to cope. One of them caught her eye. Lt. Tom Porter, 22 at the time, had lost both his legs in July 1952 when he led a patrol into enemy territory and ended up in a minefield. Eleanor and Tom met at Brooke in January 1953. “He was a nice-looking young man, but so fresh,” Eleanor says with a laugh. “He always made sure that I was his physical therapist. When I was bandaging his leg, he’d always try to grab my hand and hold it. I told him that he would get me in trouble.” After Tom went home to Oklahoma, Eleanor was transferred, providing physical therapy at Camp Carson in Colorado Springs, where Tom would visit her every month. Between visits the couple would talk frequently on the phone. Eleanor brought Tom home to Rhode Island for Christmas to meet her family. Her parents were worried. “How are you going to make a living?” she recalls them asking. “Worries aside, my family was smitten with him.” The couple married in March 1954.
Her parents needn’t have been concerned. The couple first moved to Oklahoma. In 1956, Tom joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture and eventually became a charter member of the Senior Executive Service and director of its Livestock, Meat, Grain, and Seed Division in the nation’s capitol. The Porters have four children and 11 grandchildren. Eleanor, whose brothers Charles Johnson ’51 and Arnold Johnson ’53 and sister-in-law Joan Gaddes Johnson ’54 also attended URI, recalls returning to Kingston for her 50th Class Reunion. “One of my Sigma Kappa sorority sisters pulled me aside after she saw Tom walk in and asked if I had a different husband,” she says with a chuckle. The woman could not believe Tom was a double amputee.
Lt. Tom Porter shakes hands with his general after receiving a medal in 1952.
Back to the Present Seven-and-a-half years ago, the Porters, inspired by a newspaper article, realized their experiences could help soldiers who lost limbs in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. They joined the Amputee Coalition of America and began visiting patients at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., (which is now closed). “The patients are amazed when they see Tom because he walks so well. You would never know he lost both legs. When they
PHOTOS: © THE WASHINGTON POST/GETTY IMAGES AND COURTESY OF ELEANOR PORTER
find out he is a double amputee, it gives them hope. They see that life goes on. They figured if that old geezer can do it, so can I.” One of the parishioners at the Porters’ church suggested making cookies for the patients. Two additional churches joined in the effort. Soon Eleanor was bringing 30 dozen homemade cookies to the patients each week. One amputee’s mother gave Eleanor an L.L. Bean bag with cookies written on it. “From then on, I was known as the cookie lady. They loved the homemade cookies. They even put in orders. One only wanted oatmeal raisin. Another wanted some fudge. ‘Remember, Todd loves fudge,’ he would call out.” Todd is a quadruple amputee. One patient, Micha, a soldier from the Democratic Republic of Georgia who had lost a leg, spoke little English and stayed by himself. “One day, I caught him looking at my cookie bag, so I offered him a small bag. He had a sweet tooth,” she laughs. “After that, we became good friends.” So far, the Porters have visited more than 1,000 amputees. They now visit patients at the new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., about twice a month. “We’re getting older and it’s more difficult getting there and parking,” she says. They have been invited to weddings— Tom served as a groomsman for another double amputee—had children named after them, and became the godparents for a Marine amputee. The couple has been mentioned in two books: One Step at a Time and Standing Tall. “We hear from a lot of the patients who have become dear friends, especially around the holidays. When The Washington Post came out, we heard from so many former patients from all across the country. And we have baby pictures. Lots and lots of baby pictures,” says Eleanor. “Whenever we are informed of a birth, I usually knit a sweater and send it off. It’s been so rewarding.” By Jan Wenzel ‘87
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 27
ALUMNICHAPTERS
advance.uri.edu/alumni/chapters
Chapter events are open to all alumni, family, and friends of the University. Contact your local chapter rep and join the fun!
CALENDAR OF EVENTS Upcoming Events September 21 The URI ROTC Alumni Golf Tournament will be held at Green Valley Country Club. A buffet dinner in the clubhouse will follow the tournament. For more information, contact Jane Stich at jstich@mail.uri.edu. September 22 The LA Rams Chapter will gather at Sonny McLean’s in Santa Monica to catch up with old friends, meet new ones, and network. For more details, contact Brett Freitas ’99 at brettfreitas@gmail.com.
The Rhode Island Blood Center Chapter took in a polo match at Newport’s International Polo Series in Portsmouth on July 14.
Chicago Chapter alumni headed to Wrigley Field on August 11 to watch the hometown Cubs battle the Cincinnati Reds.
On July 14, members of the Massachusetts Chapter spent a great Saturday afternoon sailing Boston Harbor. Following the sail, the group got together for a barbecue.
On August 14, Washington DC/Baltimore Chapter alumni took in an Orioles–Red Sox game at Camden Yards.
Rhode Island Chapter members gathered at Jillian’s Boston before heading over to Fenway for the Blue Jays–Red Sox game on July 21. On July 21, forty Sigma Pi Affinity Chapter brothers and their guests enjoyed a great evening at Spain in Narragansett.
September 22 The Northern California Chapter is holding its 17th annual clambake at Coyote Point Park. For more information, contact Sarah Lobdell at slobdell@advance.uri.edu.
Massachusetts Chapter alumni attended a reception at Jillian’s Boston before the Twins–Red Sox game at on August 4.
October 26 The Theta Chi Chapter will hold its homecoming dinner at the UClub on the Kingston Campus. For details, contact John Eastman ’62 at jeastman33@gmail.com.
On August 10, Rhode Island and Massachusetts Chapter alumni attended a performance at the Melody Tent on Cape Cod by jazz great Chris Botti and a private pre-show reception.
October 26 The Sigma Pi Chapter will honor Carl Engle at its third alumni roast. The event will be held at the Sigma Pi Fraternity house. Contact Joe D'Ambra at JVD6228@aol.com or Jim Reynolds at reyn1815@gmail.com for details. October 27 The Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter is hosting its annual clambake in Lantana to celebrate URI’s Homecoming Weekend. For more information, contact Chapter Leader David Nicolato ’98 at rhodygrad@gmail.com.
Proud Alumni The Washington DC/ Baltimore Chapter held the Rhody banner high at an Orioles–Red Sox game on August 14.
November 10 The Washington DC/Baltimore Chapter alumni are tailgating before the URI–Towson football game. For more information, contact Shana Greene at scgreene@uri.edu.
Events Gone By On June 14, the New York Metro Chapter joined the Department of Athletics at Heartland Brewery in New York City. Chapter members met with URI Men’s Basketball Coach Dan Hurley, Athletics Director Thorr Bjorn, and other coaches and Department of Athletics staff members. The Massachusetts Alumni Professionals Club, along with special guest and owner of the Matunuck Oyster Bar, Perry Raso ’02, enjoyed an evening of fine seafood, networking, and live music on June 21 in Boston. The event was held at the Rowes Wharf patio of Rubin & Rudman, thanks to Glenn Wood, Esq. ’81.
28 QUADANGLES FALL 2012 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
Networking with a View Members of the Massachusetts Alumni Professionals Club gathered for a great after-work event on Boston's Rowes Wharf on June 21.
The Northern California Chapter took in a Red Sox–A’s game in Oakland on September 1 and gathered for tailgating before the game. Members of the Theta Chi Chapter met on September 4 for their quarterly dinner. On September 8, New Jersey Chapter alumni tailgated and cheered on the Rams at the URI–Monmouth College football game in West Long Branch, New Jersey. The Rhode Island Chapter and the Rhode Island Blood Center hosted a complimentary networking breakfast and tour of the RIBC in Providence on September 13.
REGIONAL CHAPTERS Arizona Rhode Runners Julie Griffin ’99 Scottsdale, AZ p: 480.634.1950 (h) e: Julez99@aol.com California • LA Rams Brett Freitas ‘99, Santa Monica, CA p: 323.833.8011 (h) e: brettfrietas@gmail.com • Northern Greg Passant ’80, Pleasanton, CA p: 925.227.1878 Josh Feinberg ’08, Berkley, CA p: 973.945.0971 (h) 510.563.2205 (w) e: feinberg973@gmail.com • Southern Jeff Bolognese ’02, Oceanside, CA p: 760.945.4560 e: jeffbolognese@gmail.com Colorado Mile High Rams Christy L. Gallese '03 Denver, CO p: 717.856.8525 e: christygallese@gmail.com Connecticut Tara Blumenstock ’96, Wallingford, CT p: 203.294.0246 e: tarabarbara@hotmail.com Janet Sisson ’87, Middletown, CT p: 860.214.7998 e: sissonj@independentdayschool.org Florida • Southeast Robert Tingley ’66, Boca Raton, FL p: 561.961.9492 e: rtingley111@att.net • Southwest Gators Richard Boldt ’64, Naples, FL p: 239.417.0375 e: rboldt854@aol.com • The Villages Al Bateman ’59, The Villages, FL e: acbnaples@aol.com Illinois: Chicago Jimmy De La Zerda ’04, Orland Park e: jimmydlz401@gmail.com Louisiana/Mississippi Dee Canada ’62, Slidell, LA p: 985.643.8801 (h) e: delinac@charter.net Phyllis DelFiore ’68, Slidell, LA p: 985.643.1609 (h) e: feliciadf@hotmail.com Massachusetts Nicholas G. Chigas ’03, Waltham, MA p: 978.505.7161 (h) 781.672.5170 (w) e: nicholas.g.chigas@mssb.com Michigan David Diana ’84, Warren, MI p: 586.268.0048 e: dianad@flash.net Minnesota John ’92 & Kristen Turcotte ’95, Saint Louis Park, MN p: 952.285.1148 e: jfturcotte@mindspring.com keturcotte@mindspring.com
New Hampshire White Mountain Rams
INTERNATIONAL CHAPTERS
Clarissa M. Uttley ’04, M.S. ’06, Ph.D. ’08, Rumney, NH p: 603.786.5035 (h) 603.535.2915 (w) e: cmuttley@plymouth.edu New Jersey
Germany
Lauri Pietruszka ’84, West Paterson, NJ p: 973.890.1623 (h) e: lauriann_p@yahoo.com Erica Stuppler ’09, Basking Ridge, NJ p: 908-456-2737 e: estuppler@gmail.com New York • Albany Cindy Ladd Anderson ‘80, Clifton Park, NY p: 518.373.9440 (h) 518.527.4195 (c) e: rhodymom3@gmail.com • Metro John Companario ’93, New York, NY e: john.campanario@gmail.com North Carolina Ed Doughty ’93, Charlotte, NC p: 704.995.9300 (h) 704.331.2219 (w) e: eddoughty@gmail.com Ohio Tom Noyes ’67, Wooster, OH p: 330.345.6516 (h) 330.264.8722 (w) e: noyes.1@osu.edu Bill ’74 & Betty ’74 Sepe, Hudson, OH p: 330.650.6715 e: OHRhody@hotmail.com Pacific Northwest Scott Adams ’96, Seattle WA p: 206.913.9931 e: s.v.adams@gmail.com Rhode Island Allison Field ’95, Providence, RI p: 401.808.9463 e: allison@conderi.com Texas • Dallas/Ft. Worth Cortney ’01 and David Nicolato ‘98, Lantana, TX p: 401.255.5127 (c) e: rhodygrad@gmail.com • Texas Rhode Horns Jeffrey A. Ross ’75, Houston p: 713.668.3746 (h) 713.791.9521 (w) e: jross67785@aol.com Washington, D.C./ Baltimore Hank Nardone ’90, Laytonsville, MD p: 301.803.2910 (w) 301.482.1062 (h) e: henryjn@us.ibm.com Brina Masi '01, Baltimore, MD p: 401.261.5416 e: brimasi16@gmail.com
Braunschweiger Rams Robert John Ellwood ‘06 Braunschweig, Germany p: 0176-7631-1971 e: ellwood@mail.uri.edu
AFFINITY CHAPTERS Alpha Chi Omega Gamma Sigma Shanon Whitt Horridge '86 Cranston, RI p: 401.383.4657 e: shannyh40@aol.com Chi Phi Douglas Bennet ’77, Providence, RI p: 401.351.3522 (h) e: dbennet@aol.com College Student Personnel Jess Raffaele ’04, M.S. ’09, Warwick, RI e: jessraffaele@gmail.com p: 914.588.2181 (c) Community Planning Mike DeLuca ’80, M.C.P. ’88, Narragansett, RI p: 401.789.6888 (h) 401.461.1000, ext. 3137 (w) Continuing Education Joyce Dolbec ’95, Slatersville, RI p: 401.766.2209 (h) John Flaherty ’87, Slatersville, RI p: 401.766.4981 (h) 401.273.5711 x5 (w) e: john.flaherty@cox.net Graduate School of Library and Information Studies Sybil Akins '08 Wakefield, RI p: 401.783.0953 e: sma718@gmail.com Jenna Hecker '09 Providence, RI p: 518.542.7654 (h) 781.769.0200 (w) e: jennahecker@gmail.com Italian Alfred Crudale ’91, West Kingston, RI p: 401.783.3081 e: acwvmhs@rinet35.org Remo Trivelli, Kingston, RI p: 401.874.2383 Lucia Vescera ’96, Lincoln, RI e: lvescera@hotmail.com LGBTIQ2 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, and Questioning Alumni and Friends Gregory C. Waugh ‘07, North Kingstown, RI p: 401.787.3980 (h) e: Gregory.waugh@gmail.com
Lambda Chi Alpha
RIDOT
Jeffrey Hill ‘00, Shippensburg, PA p: 717.530.0188 e: firemarshal70@hotmail.com Lambda Delta Phi
Christos Xenophontos ’84, Exeter, RI e: xenophon@dot.ri.gov
Linda F. Desmond ’68, North Andover, MA p: 978.687.7443 (h) 978.794.3896 (w) e: lfdesmond@comcast.net
Charles St. Martin ’92, Coventry, RI e: cstm@cox.net; cstmartin@dot.ri.gov ROTC William MacKinlay '69 p: 781.608.7335 e: WMacKinlay@TaskForcePro.com Military Instructor Group, Kingston, RI e: urirotcalumni@cox.net www.uri.rotc.alum.org
Martha Smith Patnoad ’68, Wyoming, RI p: 401.539.2180 e: mpatnoad@uri.edu Music Department Alumni
Schmidt Labor Research Center
Allison Lacasse ’07, Boston, MA p: 508.971.3527 (h) 978.251.5177 (w) e: allisonlacasse@gmail.com
J. Richard Rose M.S. ’06 p: 401.461.2277 (h) e: rrose@mail.uri.edu Sigma Chi
Nicholas Zammarelli Jr. '97 Coventry, RI p: 401-828-5823 (h) e: nzamm1@verizon.net Phi Gamma Delta
Mark Trovato ’89, Wakefield, RI p: 401.782.0064 (h) e: mtrovato@riag.state.ri.us www.rhodysig.com Sigma Pi
Richard Kingsley ‘71, Jamestown, RI p: 401.874.6693 (w) e: kingsley@gso.uri.edu Phi Kappa Psi
George B. Smith ‘66, Venice, FL p: 941.408.9786 e: drgeorgebsmith@verizon.net Student Alumni Association
Joe Hart ’85, Kingston, RI p: 401.783.4852 e: jphart@cox.net www.ribeta.com Phi Mu Delta
Louis R. Maccarone II ’00, Cranston, RI p: 401.486.7849 e: Louis.maccarone@gmail.com
Jim DeNuccio ‘75, East Greenwich, RI p: 401.884.2993 (w) f: 401.885.2228 (w) Phi Sigma Kappa
Lindsay Redfern Lazzeri ‘04, Boynton Beach, FL p: 561.735.7811 401.474.6580 (c) e: lindsayredfern@gmail.com Stand Up Against Lyme
Kenneth Gambone ‘88, New York, NY David J. Wallace ’76, ‘92, p: 917.701.4631 Exeter, RI e: Kenneth.gambone@barclayscapital.com e: dave@teegreensod.com Political Science Theta Chi Al Killilea, Kingston, RI John Eastman ’62, p: 401.874.2183 (w) North Kingstown, RI Physical Therapy Program Alumni p: 401.295.1956 (h) e: jeastman33@gmail.com John McLinden ’93, Wakefield, RI p: 401.783.7179 (h) Mike Testa ‘63, Jamestown, RI 401.874.5001 (w) p: 401.423.8918 e: Elvis1122@aol.com e: jtown@cox.net Public Relations Society Theta Delta Chi DeAnna Lynn Englezos ’08, Brooklyn, NY p: 212.237.0048 (w) e: dlenglezos@gmail.com Kate Scozzaro ‘10, Fairfield, NJ p: 973.809.5044 (h) e: kate.scozzaro@gmail.com Rhode Island Blood Center Jennifer Siegal ’05 p: 401.480.7891 e: jsiegal@ribc.org
Courtney Entwistle '06 Mathew DeLaire ‘11, ‘12, Providence, RI p: 401.413.9368 e: Courtney.entwistle@ribc.org e: mathewdelaire@gmail.com
Eric Lalime ’95 p: 347.739.7345 (h) 347.739.7345 (cell) e: eric_lalime@ml.com URI Difference Equations Association Michael A. Radin ‘01, Rochester, NY p: 585.461.4002 (h) 585.475.7681 (w) e: michael.radin@rit.edu Writers Affinity Group Jan Wenzel '87, Tiverton, RI p: 401.714.6595 (c) 401.874.5190 (w) e: wenzel@ds.uri.edu
Let Us Hear from You! If you are interested in starting a regional or affinity chapter, have ideas for upcoming events, or want to participate in events in your area, please contact Shana Greene at scgreene@uri.edu or 401.874.2218. UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 29
CLASSACTS
Read Class Notes Online at advance.uri.edu/quadangles/classnotes Submit Class Notes Online at advance.uri.edu/eservices
Family Day at Roger Williams Park Zoo Alumni and their families got together on July 20 for URI Family Day at the Roger Williams Park Zoo, a popular new tradition. Take a look at more photos of this fun day at advance.uri.edu/alumni/family.
g up Comin r 28 e Octob antern O-L Jack- acular! Spect
30 QUADANGLES FALL 2012 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
ALUMNI DIRECTORY
STAY
CONNECTED
`71 Bob Gilstein, A&S, M.C.P ‘75, of North Dartmouth, Mass., has retired after nearly 40 years in municipal planning in Rhode Island. Among his accomplishments are the establishment of two community centers, a number of playgrounds and recreational facilities, home rehabilitation loan programs, miscellaneous neighborhood improvements, local economic development projects, and writing land use regulations and comprehensive plans.
WHAT’S YOUR SCORE?
`73 Michael R. McElroy, HS&S, of Providence, R.I., of Schacht & McElroy, has been elected president of the Rhode Island Bar Association for the organization’s 2012-13 year.
`74 Thomas R. Zorabedian, A&S, of Wakefield, R.I., has been appointed assistant dean of the URI College of Arts and Sciences and the Harrington School of Communication and Media. Tom is also a member of the Film/ Media faculty, teaching film courses through the Honors Program.
ard c e r o c S i n m u Al
t this year. n alumni even a d e d n e tt a q I have ber. s-paying mem e u d a m a I q proudly. school colors y m r a e w I q ent. ed a new stud it u cr re ve a h q I r. my alma mate to n e iv g ve a du/alumni q I h to advance.uri.e
`75 Randi Lynn Ashton-Pritting, HS&S, of Colchester, Conn., was named Connecticut’s Outstanding Librarian of the Year by the Connecticut Library Association. The award honors the career accomplishments of a librarian who has demonstrated an outstanding record of service to his or her library and to the library profession. David P. Murray, A&S, of Saint Louis, Mo., writes: “I wanted to let you know of our first children’s book on weather, Graham and Jet Get Wet: The Wonders of Weather. In the story, young Graham experiences a big thunderstorm he doesn’t understand and his friend Jet, a friendly hawk, takes him on an exploratory journey into the storm as a way to explain it and its power. This quiets Graham’s fears through understanding, enlightens him to the natural forces of weather, and ultimately shows him how people can put back together what weather tears apart. The book’s science is from Dave Murray, chief meteorologist at Fox 2 in St. Louis, and the story from his wife, Janis, who has a Master’s from Columbia University. The book is available on amazon.com and bn.com.”
`78 David A. Bergeron, A&S, of Alexandria, Va., Deputy Assistant Secretary will serve as OPE’S Acting Assistant Secretary.
PHOTOS: NORA LEWIS
Want to increase
your score? Go
`81
`83
John G. W. Kelley, A&S, of Hampstead, N.H., writes: “I received a U.S. Department of Commerce Bronze Medal Award for superior Federal Service in the implementation of the Great Lakes Operational Forecast System in NOAA’s high performance computing environment. My fellow team members and I received the award on May 11, 2012.”
Joseph T. Murphy, ENG, of Wakefield, R.I., was selected as one of three winners of this year’s Rhode Island Federal Employees of the Year Award from the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport. His contributions in the areas of professional accomplishments, technical excellence and compliance have earned him this distinguished recognition from the RI Federal Executive Council.
William Potter, A&S, of Newark, Del., writes, “Bill Potter recently did not die from cancer. After being diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma, he underwent more than 600 hours of aggressive chemotherapy and flourished. You always read about people fighting the brave battle and losing. I thought it might be nice to read about someone who won for a change.” He is currently writing a comedy about his cancer battle.
READ LISTEN WATCH
Denise Szelag, CBA, of Attleboro, Mass., was selected as one of three winners of this year’s Rhode Island Federal Employees of the Year Award from the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport. Her contributions in the area of professional accomplishments have earned her this distinguished recognition from the RI Federal Executive Council.
QUAD ANGLES ONLINE uri.edu/quadangles
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 31
CLASSPICS Share your big moments. uri.edu/quadangles
Molly C. ‘05 and Michael Stach ‘04, a son, Ryan Mason, on July 15, 2012.
Louis Calitri ‘58 of Lafayette, Ind., on July 01, 2012.
Nathan A. Jaffer ‘06 and M. Theresa (Bourgeois) Jaffer ‘05, a son, Eliot Kingston, on July 03, 2012.
Mae Kaven ‘58 of Fremont, Calif., on June 10, 2012.
John L. and Sarah B. Morin ‘05, a daughter, Grace Louise, on July 19, 2012.
IN MEMORIAM
Elizabeth Breton ‘62 of Farmington, Conn., on June 07, 2012.
Walter Doll ‘38 of Charlestown, R.I., on June 29, 2012.
Richard Cox ‘62 of East Greenwich, R.I., on June 01, 2012.
Fred La Ninfa ‘39 of Saint Augustine, Fla., on February 27, 2012.
John McCarthy ‘63 of Warwick, R.I., on July 11, 2012.
Raymond Stockard ‘39 of Port Charlotte, Fla., on July 18, 2012.
Anne Coghlan ‘65 of Milton, Mass., on June 18, 2012.
Helen Leon Matthaei ‘41 of Tacoma, Wash., on June 15, 2012.
Louis Lombardi ‘65 of Surprise, Ariz., on June 11, 2012.
Gilbert Hicks ‘42 of Westerly, R.I., on June 11, 2012.
William Woodcock ‘65 of East Providence, R.I., on June 17, 2012.
Linda A. Ciardullo ‘98 to Nathan Grimshaw ‘98, on June 02, 2012.
John Hodnett ‘42 of Minneapolis, Minn., on December 14, 2011.
Robert Steiner ‘66 of Hooksett, N.H., on June 24, 2012.
Jacqueline L. Fein ‘99 to Daniel M. Connor, on June 16, 2012.
Constance Briggs Johnson ‘42 of Severna Park, Md., on February 29, 2012.
Alan Atkinson ‘67 of Johnston, R.I., on July 15, 2012.
`07
Steven C. Zenofsky, A&S, of Attleboro, Mass., has been elected to the prestigious College of Fellows of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), one of the highest honors bestowed by the organization, in recognition of distinguished service, leadership and contributions to the profession.
Steven R. Frazier, CBA, of Wakefield, R.I., is a Financial Advisor with Stifel, Nicolaus Inc. in New London, Conn.
Michelle A. Girasole, CBA, of North Kingstown, R.I., is Senior Director for Smooth Sailing. Michelle’s role is to steer the strategy ship and serve as a bridge between creative projects and results for clients.
`96 Roger R. Allcroft, A&S, of Cumberland, R.I., is an associate at Adler Pollack & Sheehan’s Providence office focusing on product liability cases and the defense of asbestosrelated actions.
`01 Kristy Thistle Yankee, HS&S, of Plainville, Mass., has accepted the position of Senior Project Coordinator for Franklin Public Schools in Franklin, Mass. Kristy has taught in Franklin since 2001, most recently serving as Director of Foreign Languages.
`02 Bryan-Keith J. Nordan, HS&S, of Providence, R.I., a teacher at the Urban Collaborative Accelerated Program in Providence, has been awarded a James Madison Fellowship by the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation of Washington, D.C. in its 21st annual fellowship competition.
`04 Claire L. Stadtmueller, A&S, of Greenwich, Conn., a soprano, sang the title role in Puccini’s “Tosca” in New York City’s Central Park with the New York Grand Opera under the direction of Maestro Vincent La Selva on June 27. www.newyorkgrandopera.org.
Raymond Wright ‘59 of Peace Dale, R.I., on June 06, 2012.
William Lalli ‘34 of Newport, R.I., on June 11, 2012.
`90
`93
Nancy Place Moss ‘58 of South Windsor, Conn., on September 22, 2011.
Eric B. Hogberg, CBA, of Cranston, R.I., received a Juris Doctor degree from the Roger Williams University School of Law during Commencement ceremonies held on Friday, May 18, 2012. Daniel P. Silva, A&S, of Middletown, R.I., is in the scouting department of the Indianapolis Colts.
WEDDINGS
Kristina L. DiMatteo ‘06 to Chase Fields, on November 05, 2011. Heather L. Anderson ‘08 to Brandon M. Schmutzler, on June 22, 2012. Suzanne M. Groden ‘08 to David Laswell ‘09, on August 18, 2012. Genna M. Yates ‘08 to Christopher Erway ‘08, on May 27, 2012. Ross W. Replogle ‘09 to Ashley Margarida, on December 09, 2011.
BIRTHS
Christopher and Diana Mazzarella ‘99, a daughter, Ava Grace, on April 04, 2012. Raymond and Diana C. Lindquist ‘00, a son, Brice, on March 16, 2012. Nancy B. Ryan ‘00 and Tom Filocco ‘00, a son, Charlie James, on April 20, 2012. Scott and Kristy Thistle Yankee ‘01, a son, Bryce William Yankee, on April 08, 2011. Roby L. Marshall and Meghan E. (Smith) Marshall ‘02, twins, Liam Patrick and Aidan Robert, on May 04, 2012.
32 QUADANGLES FALL 2012 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
Stuart Shulman ‘46 of Palm Beach, Fla., on June 25, 2012. Paul Duchesneau ‘48 of Chagrin Fall, Ohio, on May 06, 2012. Thomas Scott ‘48 of Hope, R.I., on June 14, 2012. Alfred Johnson ‘49 of Greenville, R.I., on July 06, 2012. Robert Taylor ‘51 of Hampton, Va., on June 15, 2012. John Venditto ‘52 of Warwick, R.I., on June 13, 2012. Catherine Hadnett Stock ‘53 of East Greenwich, R.I., on March 17, 2011. Armar Strauss ‘53 of Pacific Palisades, Calif., on July 02, 2012. Everett Hopkins ‘54 of Wakefield, R.I., on June 25, 2012. Joan Demopulos Latos ‘54 of Cranston, R.I., on November 22, 2008. Donald D’Amato ‘56 of Warwick, R.I., on June 15, 2012. James Tierney ‘57 of Trenton, Mich., on June 05, 2012.
John Hascup ‘67 of Houston, Texas, on July 03, 2012. Paul Hirst ‘67 of Sterling, Mass., on July 07, 2012. James Orabone ‘67 of Narragansett, R.I., on July 16, 2012. Sandra Kanopkin Anderson ‘68 of East Greenwich, R.I., on July 14, 2012. Raymond Ortelt ‘68 of North Kingstown, R.I., on July 08, 2012. Mary Ryan Niedzwicki ‘70 of Warwick, R.I., on June 26, 2012. Richard Webb ‘71 of Westerly, R.I., on June 17, 2012. Patricia Allen Dundin ‘73 o f Coopersburg, Pa., on July 22, 2012. John Squillante ‘73 of Miami, Fla., on June 06, 2012. Donald Hawkinson ‘74 of Boulder Creek, Calif., on July 03, 2012. J. Nicholas Welchman ‘74 of Waterford, Conn., on June 28, 2012. Kathleen Clune Schaeffer ‘75 of Franklin, Mass., on July 05, 2012.
Profiles
Molly Sholes, M.L.S. ’80
Wild Maine Blueberries What happens when you infuse the sensuous spices of the East with the down home taste of the Maine wild blueberry? An amazing chutney that is exotic yet familiar. Molly Sholes is the culinary wizard who has brought together these two flavors as part of her line of wild blueberry jams and condiments. Drawing on her experiences living in India and Pakistan for 19 years, Sholes has created a business out of the rocky blueberry fields of Spruce Mountain in West Rockport, Maine. Sholes’ peripatetic life was a result of her husband’s job in the U.S. foreign service. In 1956, the couple moved to Pakistan and then to posts in India, Turkey, and eventually back in the United States. In the late 1970s, Sholes and her family moved to Newport, R.I., where her husband was posted to the Naval War College. That led to her enrolling at URI in pursuit of a library science degree. “When we were in Istanbul, Turkey,” she recalled, “I volunteered as a librarian at the Roberts College Missionary School. I thought that I would like to be a children’s librarian so decided to study library science after we moved to Rhode Island.” She completed her degree after they moved yet again to Washington, D.C. However, her life took a different turn. Sholes and her husband had bought an old Maine farmhouse with mature blueberry fields in 1971. After her divorce in 1984, Sholes put her energy into modernizing the old house. She also started her business, Spruce Mountain Blueberries. “I found an ancient North Indian recipe for plum chutney, and I worked with it using blueberries,” said Sholes. She tested it on friends in India during her visits back, and it was a hit. She expanded her repertoire and in 2005 won the Gallo Family Award for her blueberry vinegar. Today her business is mostly wholesale, but the website keeps people who have fallen in love with her products well supplied. For more information, see her website, sprucemtnblueberries.com
Carlene CapobiancoMessinger ’89
True Grit
It only took Carlene Capobianco-Messinger ’89 three hours and six minutes to swim 1.5 miles, bike 18 miles, and run 8 miles—not to mention that the swim was across San Francisco Bay in 53.9˚ water, the biking was through the hilly northern California countryside, and the run was along the sandy beaches of the Pacific Ocean. It was June 2012, and CapobiancoMessinger was participating in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, her 17th triathlon since 2009. She finished 5th in her age group. Capobianco-Messinger’s journey started when she took up jogging when her youngest daughter began kindergarten in 2006. Then she re-discovered her childhood love of swimming. Next she added biking and was training 15 to 18 hours a week. When she completed her first triathlon in 2009, she placed 21st out of 211 women. Currently, Capobianco-Messinger, who lives in Upper Saddle River, N.J., is preparing to compete in the 2012 ITU World Triathlon Series to be held in Auckland, New Zealand in October. She is one of 18 women who qualified to be part of Team USA in her age-group. The grit that carries CapobiancoMessinger through each triathlon spills over into the rest of her life. In March 2012, three months before the Alcatraz event, she was in the hospital fighting for her life against a blood infection. “I was a day away from my organs failing,” she remembers. Her recovery felt slow and difficult, but if there’s one thing a triathlete knows about, it’s perseverance. “I feel like I’m such a good role model for my children,” says Capobianco-Messinger. “When I’m in competition and feel like I can’t make it, I think about telling those three girls that their mom didn’t finish, and I realize that would be impossible for me!” Her record speaks for itself. “I just want to be the best I can be,” she says. “I’m competitive and I want to win. And I hope I can inspire others as well.”
—Jennifer Gaul ’89
—Bethany Vaccaro ’06
Danielle Bogert ’93
Saving Sight Worldwide Around the world, 80% of those who are blind should not be sightless. Of those suffering from avoidable blindness, 90% live in the developing world. As director of faculty relations and clinical services with ORBIS International, Danielle Bogert works to eradicate avoidable blindness from Southeast Asia to sub-Saharan Africa and is responsible for stewardship of a global cadre of volunteers. “We have an active cadre of about 400 anesthesiologists and other professionals from over 25 countries who dedicate their time and talent to our mission,” explains Bogert. “Our volunteers work aboard our unique Flying Eye Hospital, a DC-10 aircraft outfitted as a teaching hospital, and in our partner hospitals throughout the countries in which we work.” ORBIS emphasizes training professionals in each country it serves so they in turn can serve their own communities. When Bogert joined ORBIS in 1993, she was drawn in by the organization’s pioneering spirit and culture of dedication. Although her work is fast-paced, there have been ample opportunities for her to appreciate the difference she is making. In addition to her many duties, she also serves as the organization’s eye bank technical advisor and was instrumental in supporting the establishment of the first eye bank in Ethiopia. “It took us almost five years to build, equip, train, and advocate for the necessary legislation to create the facility and train the Ethiopian surgeons in cornea transplants,” she explains. “Almost a decade later, there are patients able to see because of this service we helped the government and eye health community create. To stand in the eye bank and meet the people we helped train and treat in Addis Ababa made all the years of administration and advocacy worth it! “As I approach my 20th year with ORBIS, I realize my job isn’t just a career but a life passion.” The key to her professional stamina, she adds, is her husband, Andrew McKay, and their seven-year-old daughter, Casey. For more information, visit orbis.org/ —Bethany Vaccaro ’06
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF MOLLY SHOLES; GEORGE B. ROSS; COURTESY OF DANIELLE BOGERT
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 33
Stuart Heath ‘77 of Springfield, Va., on June 03, 2012. Dennis Arena ‘78 of Pompano Beach, Fla., on June 08, 2012. Raymond Joubert ‘78 of Tiverton, R.I., on June 19, 2012. Mary Waldman ‘78 of Newport, R.I., on June 05, 2011. David Heitke ‘79 of Minneapolis, Minn., on June 29, 2012. T i i n a M a d i s s o - Vo i t k ‘ 8 9 o f Fayetteville, N.Y., on May 24, 2012. Sue-Ann Brown Kresinski ‘92 of North Kingstown, R.I., on July 09, 2012. Michael Morissette ‘96 of Morgantown, W.Va., on January 22, 2011. Matthew Koehler ‘01 of Lincoln, R.I., on July 03, 2012. Melissa Stark ‘10 of Wakefield, R.I., on June 13, 2012.
IN MEMORIAM FACULTY
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Henry A. Dymsza, 90, of East Greenwich, R.I., died on August 14, 2012. He was a professor of food science and nutrition from 1966 until his retirement in 1990, and served as department chair for 12 years. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran of World War II, he received his B.S. and Ph.D. from Penn State University and a M.S. from the University of Wisconsin. During his retirement he served as volunteer ombudsman for the Alliance for Better Long Term Care, and was passionate about saving the environment. He is survived by his wife Janina; four daughters, Valerie A. Dymsza ’80, Darlene V. Dymsza ’82, Andrea M. Dymsza Saccoccia ’83, and Cheryl Dymsza Lowell; and three grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, 200 Niantic Ave., Providence, RI 02907, or Save The Bay, 100 Save The Bay Dr., Providence, RI 02905. Natalie (Tally) Boymel Kampen, 68, of Wakefield, R.I., died on August 12, 2012. A pioneering feminist scholar and teacher of Roman art history and gender studies, she taught art history at the University of Rhode Island between 1969 and 1988, where she helped to found one of the first Women’s Studies programs in New England and became a lifelong patron of the Hera Gallery, a feminist artists’ collective in Wakefield. She received her B.A. and M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and her Ph.D. from Brown University. She taught at Columbia University and Barnard
College, where she held the endowed Barbara Novak chair in Art History and Women’s Studies, and became professor emerita in 2010. Most recently she was a visiting professor of Roman Art and Architecture at the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World at Brown University and co-administrator of a Getty Foundation Grant sponsoring international study of the art and architecture of the Roman provinces. An internationally known teacher and scholar, Kampen was one of the world’s most notable experts on the history of the Roman provinces. She was a research fellow at Oxford University in 2000, received the Felix Neubergh Medal at the University of Gothenburg in 2004, and was a visiting professor of Art History at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi in 2010. She was the author of Image and Status: Roman Working Women in Ostia and Family Fictions in Roman Art, editor of Sexuality in Ancient Art, and author of numerous articles and chapters in scholarly journals and books. She is survived by her sister, Susan Boymel Udin; her brother-in-law, David; and her niece and nephew, Rachel and Michael Udin. Contributions can be made in her name to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, 200 Niantic Avenue, Providence, RI 02907. Shashanka Shekhar Mitra, 78, died on August 8, 2012. He was a resident of Kingston, R.I. Born in Calcutta, he studied mathematics, chemistry, and physics at Allahabad University. He completed a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Michigan and a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Research Council in Ottawa, Canada. In 1966, he was hired as a tenured full professor at the University of Rhode Island. A prolific scholar, he was widely published. His theoretical training in physics proved a productive complement to the technical and applied skills of his electrical engineering students. Mitra was a Fellow of the American Physics Association, the American Physical Society, and the Optical Society of America, and was a Senior Member of the IEEE. He directed the NATO Advanced Study Institute at Freiburg, Germany, in 1966, and at URI in 1974. He contributed significant research as a consultant to the U. S. Army Missile Command at Huntsville, Ala. (1964–1985), to the Argonne National Laboratory (1962–1972), and to several major private corporations. He also helped to spearhead a multi-institutional research program concerning thin films, won URI’s Award for Academic Excellence in 1983, and served as president of the URI chapter of the AAUP in the early 1980s. He was Visiting Professor Laboratoire
des Hautes Pressions, in Bellevue, France, from 1972–1973, and the Indian Telephone Industries’ Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, India, from 1984–1985. Mitra was known as a creative and gracious host of parties and a defender of personal freedom, social responsibility, and economic justice. His survivors include his daughter, Nila Ottilige ’85, his son, Shaibal Mitra; Sheila Milton’78, M.A. ’84; Barbara Heise; two nephews, and two grandsons. Memorial contributions may be made in his name to the American Civil Liberties Union, the United States Treasury, or to the charity of your choice. Felix E. Okeke-Ezigbo, 76, died on June 25, 2012 in Providence. Born in Nigeria, he earned a B.A. in English magna cum laude at the University of Nigeria in 1972, and his Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York, Buffalo in 1979. He began his teaching career as a lecturer at the University of Benin, Nigeria, where he attained the rank of associate professor, served as director of general studies, and chair of the English Department. He then held an appointment as visiting professor of African and African-American literature at the University of Arizona in Tempe. Okeke-Ezigbo joined the URI English Department in 1994 as an associate professor and was promoted to full professor the following year. He regularly taught courses on African and African-American literature as well as classes on the short story, the Bible as literature, and the epic. His articles appeared in Studies in Modern Fiction, Comparative Literature Studies, IFE Studies in African Literature and the Arts, Ariel: A Review of International English Literature, The College Language Association Journal, The Journal of Popular Culture, Critique, Obsidan: Black Literature in Review, The Explicator, Notes on Contemporary Literature, and The Journal of African Studies. He is survived by his wife, Nnenna, M.B.A. ’05; four children; and two grandchildren. A committee of faculty and students have planned a celebration of his life and career to be held at URI this fall. Remo J. Trivelli, 77, of North Kingstown, R.I., died on June 15, 2012. He graduated from Brooklyn (N.Y.) Preparatory School and received his A.B. from St. Peter’s College. He attended Columbia University and earned a master’s and doctorate of modern languages from Middlebury College. He taught at URI from1969 until his retirement in 2005. He spent many years as the section head of Italian and also served as academic advisor
PHOTO: NORA LEWIS
to Gamma Kappa Alpha, the foreign language honor society. He authored several articles and presented many papers at professional conferences. He was a member of the American Association of Teachers of Italian, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, the Northeast Conference of Foreign Languages, and the National Italian American Federation. He was founder and first president of the Italian Culture Society of South County; he was a member and former president of the Rhode Island Teachers of Italian and the Rhode Island Foreign Language Association. He was a volunteer at the North Kingstown Senior Center where he taught Ital-
ian. He was an avid fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox. Survivors include his wife, Marie, and three children: Marifrances Trivelli ’89, Nicole Trivelli ’92, Peter Trivelli ’94, and a granddaughter. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Francis de Sales Church, 381 School Street, North Kingstown, RI 02852. Bruno S. Vittimberga `54, age 82, professor emeritus of chemistry, of Kingston, R.I., died on July 24, 2012. He received a B.S. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a M.S. from the University of Rhode Island, and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Illinois, followed by a post-doctoral
All in the Family
fellowship at Cornell University. As a member of the URI faculty from 1961 until his retirement in 2008, he taught courses in undergraduate and graduate organic chemistry and supervised graduate research. He presented his research to academic and professional groups in seminars around the world and spent two sabbatical leaves at the Polytechnic Institute of Milan, directing the research of post-doctoral assistants and lecturing in Italian, resulting in a continuing collaboration that brought professors from the Polytechnic to URI and other American universities. He also lectured in Portugal under the auspices of a Fulbright grant. Vittimberga was a member of pro-
d eeken W y l i Fam y Lunch Legac ctober 13 ., ay, O Saturd .–12:30 p.m 11 a.m ni Center Alum
Join the Alumni Legacy Program — and join fellow legacy alumni and their families on October 13 for a special luncheon before the Georgia State–URI football game during Family Weekend! Are you a student or alumnus/a with a parent, grandparent, or sibling who is a URI grad? If so, you are part of a special tradition. The Alumni Legacy Program recognizes families for their continued generational support, provides networking opportunities, and helps legacies stay connected through special programs and events. To join the Legacy Program, all you have to do is register. Find out more at advance.uri.edu/alumni/legacyprogram.
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 35
Submit your own class note online You can also search notes by name, class year, and college, and read them online. Log in through eServices at advance.uri.edu/eservices/login.asp fessional societies including the American Chemical Society, Society of Sigma Xi, Phi Lambda Upsilon, Alpha Chi Sigma, and the International Union of Pure and Applied
Chemistry. He served as Chemistry Department liaison to the German Department to develop a program with German chemical companies. In addition to his work at URI, he
was sought out as a professional consultant to several industries, particularly the metals industry. He consulted at Electric Boat, Sheidow Bronze Corporation, Gorham Manu-
facturing Company, and Texas Instruments, Inc. He is survived by his wife Jacklyn (Someroski) Vittimberga, his daughters, Dr. Gwenn Vittimberga ’81 and Gail Vittimberga Gay ’82, his son Anthony Vittimberga ’87, and six grandchildren. He was predeceased by his daughter Glenda Vittimberga ’88. The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the URI Chemistry Department through the URI Foundation, 79 Upper College Road, Kingston, RI 02881.
HOMECOMING WEEKEND 2012 October 26-28 advance.uri.edu/alumni/homecoming 36 QUADANGLES FALL 2012 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
Profiles
Paul Lonardo ’98
Remembering the Station When Paul Lonardo came to URI, he intended to pursue physical therapy. However, he excelled in his English classes and began writing a novel. Two years after his graduation, that book, The Apostate, was published, cementing his decision to pursue writing as a career. Today Lonardo is working with director David Bettencourt ’97 to pen a screenplay for The Station, an upcoming Internet web series and documentary film on the devastating 2003 fire at the Station Nightclub in West Warwick that claimed 100 lives. “February 20, 2013, is the tenth anniversary of the fire,” says Paul. “It will be the launch date of the first episode in a continuing weekly web series. Each week, we will post a new ‘webisode’ online that will showcase some aspect of the Station fire, whether it is an individual story of a survivor, a first responder, a family member of a victim, or a segment involving different people with a common theme.” These webisodes will pave the way for the full-length documentary film, due to be released later in 2013. For more information, visit the project’s website at thestationmovie.com The film project is not Lonardo’s first time confronting the tragedy of the Station fire. Previously, he co-wrote From the Ashes (published in 2010) with fire survivor Gina Russo. Although it was an emotional book to write, Lonardo is pleased that it will prevent the story from disappearing. “Keeping the memories alive of all the victims of the Station fire and ensuring that the lessons learned from that tragedy are not forgotten has always been important to Gina. This allows her to do it on a larger scale.” Lonardo also recently completed a biography, Life, with Cancer: the Lauren Terrazzano Story, focusing on a journalist for Newsday who wrote the weekly column “Life, with Cancer,” before her death from lung cancer in 2007. More of Lonardo’s work can be seen on his website paullonardo.com. —Bethany Vaccaro ’06
VIDEO | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
PHOTOS: JANICE LONARDO; MAAIKE BERNSTROM; NATE OAKS
Rachel Lessne ’07
Going Green Never Looked So Good Since she was a little girl, Rachel Lessne has wanted to run her own business. Long a fan of “natural” products, she learned in her Textile Science class at URI about organic cotton. Her research led her to a whole world of organic textiles and fabrics, then to recycling and recycled accessories and jewelry, and then to the realization that this was what she wanted to do as a life’s work. Lessne opened the Green Envy EcoBoutique in 2008 when she was 23 years old to “combine her love of the earth with a passion for fashion.” Today, she is helping people look good while feeling great about sustaining the planet. Her award-winning store just moved to a larger space at 8 Franklin Street in Newport (online at greenenvyshop.com). It features merchandise obtained through fair trade from international, national, and local artisans that is made of natural, organic, and recycled materials. In addition to running and expanding her store in Newport, Lessne has so far mentored five student interns from URI’s Department of Textiles, Fashion Merchandising, and Design so they can get hands-on experience in managing a profitable and environmentally sustaining business. Lessne judges fashion shows too, and is frequently a guest speaker in fashion and entrepreneurship seminars. Lessne is ethically committed to fair wages, safe working environments, health care and educational opportunities for people who make the products she sells. Her “green” commitment even extends to day-to-day housekeeping in her store—environmentally safe cleaning supplies, recycled packaging materials, CFL lightbulbs, and 100% recycled content toilet paper. Lessne believes that, collectively, small actions can help improve life on the planet. She wants eventually to create “one-stop green shopping” at Green Envy Eco-Boutique, while honoring important social and environmental commitments through everything sold and purchased at the store. —Sally Adams ’66, M.A. ‘68
Danielle Oaks and Eli Moger tell members of their congregation about their trip to La Mosca.
Danielle (Towne) Oaks ’06 and Eli Moger ’10
Called to Serve
Even though Danielle (Towne) Oaks and Eli Moger missed each other by a year at URI, their church managed to bring them together. In 2008, REUNION Christian Church in Boston partnered with Pastor Luis Vargas in the Dominican Republic. Every year since, a team of volunteers has traveled to Santa Lucia, a city in the Dominican Republic about a 30-minute bumpy ride from Santiago, to work alongside Vargas in the community known as La Mosca (The Fly) because of the flies that thrive off the surrounding dump. Flies aren’t the only challenge facing the people in La Mosca—disease, addiction, crime, and malnutrition are pervasive. The volunteers provide La Mosca’s community with such resources as a medical clinic and construction work. It’s a relationship built on a foundation of continued support even after the volunteers return home. The group checks in with Vargas every few months for updates on La Mosca and to plan the next trip. Moger first visited La Mosca last year, and he’s eager to return. “The idea of service is deeply ingrained in our church community,” he says. Oaks has been a member of the church since the partnership began and visited La Mosca for the fifth time this summer. Though they didn’t know each other at URI, Oaks and Moger have a lot in common. Both were communication studies majors and leadership studies minors, and both were involved in Greek life and served as campus tour guides. “I think we can both attest to how important it is to be involved on campus and what a wide range of experiences our involvement gave us,” Oaks says. “Those experiences were integral to how we view our world now.” She and Moger both credit courses they took in communication studies, especially a multiculturalism class with Professor Lynne Derbyshire, with expanding their worldview and helping them overcome language and cultural differences to form lasting bonds with the Dominican community. To learn more, visit REUNIONintheDR.com. — Mary Bates
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 37
Job Interview Basics You’ve landed a great job interview. You’re excited— and nervous. Now what? The best way to diffuse any interview anxiety you may feel is to prepare. • Research information about the company. • S tudy the job description to prepare talking points about your qualifications. • F ind contacts who know the company well and reach out to them through LinkedIn, your URI alumni contacts, and RhodyNet’s career mentors. So far, so good. But there is another important, and often overlooked, part of the preparation process. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking the only reason for the interview is for the employer to learn about you. The interview also gives you the opportunity to learn what you need to know about the organization and position. An important step during interview preparation is to craft questions that will give you the information you need. Make this your interview. Asking questions that focus on the organization’s needs, how it defines success, and the employee traits it values will both inform you and allow the employer to see you as interested in making a solid job choice.
For more information about Career Services for URI alumni, please contact:
Karen Rubano Alumni Career Services 228 Roosevelt Hall 90 Lower College Road Kingston, RI 02881 p. 401.874.9404 f. 401.874.5525 e. krubano@uri.edu w. advance.uri.edu/alumni/careerservices Karen Rubano
Marie Geary Alumni Career Services 228 Roosevelt Hall 90 Lower College Road Kingston, RI 02881 p. 401.874.9404 f. 401.874.5525 e. mrgeary@uri.edu w. advance.uri.edu/alumni/careerservices Marie Geary
38 QUADANGLES FALL 2012 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
Here are some sample questions you might consider asking in an interview. • T ake me through a day in this role. What activities can I expect to engage in daily? What are some curveballs I can expect to experience? • W ill I interact across the organization with other functions? What will trigger the interaction? • What traits do you most value in an employee? • D escribe your team. Who will be my key partners and what will they expect from me? • H ow would you describe success for the new hire in this role in three months, six months, and one year from now? • W hat are your top three expectations for this role? • What is your leadership style? • H ow long have you worked here and what do you value most about this organization? For additional information on interview preparation, visit the Career Services website or contact Marie or Karen to talk about the interview process.
URI Night with the PawSox Friday, August 17, 2012 McCoy Stadium Nearly 200 alumni, family, and friends of the University got together on August 17 for a pre-game barbecue and to watch the PawSox battle their rivals, the Scranton Yankees. From the start it was Rhody all the way as URI Foundation President Mike Smith threw out the ceremonial first pitch and alumnus Mark Colozzi ’80 sang the national anthem. Once again, this popular summer tradition, co-sponsored by the Alumni Association and the Department of Athletics, was a great success. See more photos at advance.uri.edu/alumni/rhodynight
NORA LEWIS PHOTOS: NORA LEWIS
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 39
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Still Playin’ the Blues “ONE OF THE FINEST BLUES ARTISTS” —Rolling Stone
“A NATIONAL TREASURE” —Elijah Wald
“ONE OF THE BEST COUNTRY BLUES FINGERPICKERS EVER” —Acoustic Guitar
VIDEO | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
40 QUADANGLES FALL 2012 | URI.EDU/QUADANGLES
In his fifty years of playing throughout America and Europe, Paul Geremia has earned a reputation as an acoustic guitar genius, music scholar, and living link to America’s early jazz and blues. When he’s not on the road, he can be found at home in Chepachet, RI with the 1930s Regal guitar he lovingly adapted to a twelve string. Unassuming and soft spoken with a glint of devilment in his smile, he’s come a long way. In 1962 as a URI freshman in the College of Agriculture, he was inspired by Pete Seeger’s performance in the basement of Edwards Hall. A 1963 Newport Folk Festival encounter with Mississippi John Hurt and others “sealed the deal” and he’s never looked back. From attending agronomy class and teaching guitar lessons out of the old Kingston Inn, to playing alongside some of America’s greatest blues legends, Geremia gives performances that ring true as the heartfelt mastery of a sincere artist and historian playing for the pure love of it. With his signature style, ten solo albums and another due out early next year, Paul Geremia continues to impress (paulgeremia.org). —Kate O’Malley
PHOTOS: NORA LEWIS
IT’S ALL THANKS TO YOU, RHODE ISLAND. • Training 50% more pharmacy graduates to fill critical Rhode Island needs • Attracting leading pharmaceutical faculty to URI and start-up biotech companies to Rhode Island • Establishing innovative partnerships with leading biomedical companies • Securing more research funding to reinvest into Rhode Island’s economy • Offering the best possible training with sophisticated labs and equipment • Leading the development of tools and solutions to lower health care costs • Creating programs to address new roles in primary health care delivery MADELEINE SUITS, PHARM. D. CLASS OF ‘15, HOMETOWN: HOPE VALLEY, RI KEVIN NORTHUP, B.S.P.S. CLASS OF ‘13, HOMETOWN: NARRAGANSETT, RI
Thanks to Rhode Island voters’ approval of a $65 million higher education bond and $10 million in private donations, URI is now opening a cutting-edge pharmacy facility that will allow us to capitalize on our growing reputation as a leader in pharmaceutical research and development, training and education, delivery system cost analyses, drug
COLLEGE OF PHARMACY
discovery, and clinical drug studies. The building project put 380 Rhode Islanders to work in architecture, engineering, and construction jobs. As a leading program at the state’s flagship university, the College of Pharmacy is proud to be a critical part of the knowledge-based economic future of the Ocean State. We may be the smallest state, but together, we accomplish very big things.
Alumni Center 73 Upper College Road Kingston, RI 02881 USA
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Weekend 2013
PHOTO: NORA LEWIS
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SAVOR THE SPIRIT IT’S ALL ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS. uri.edu/alumni/bigchill