A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E | Sp r i n g / Sum m e r 2014
Community Connections & Collaborations
PRESIDENT’S
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Message
The current issue of the alumni magazine says a great deal about the high value our graduates bring to Rhode Island. In the business world, RIC students have a positive reputation – a reputation echoed in our story about alumnisponsored internships (pp. 8-11). When seeking student assistance during a busy tax season, CPA Jeff Barba ’97 remarked, “I knew at RIC I had the best chance of getting an intern with a high work ethic.” Kyle Girgan ’10 expressed a similar sentiment when he sought social work students for the Center for Southeast Asians in Providence. “I specifically reached out to Rhode Island College for interns,” he said. High regard for RIC students and graduates is also apparent in educational circles. When alumna Fran Gallo ’71, M.Ed. ’74 sought an innovative partner for the Central Falls Public School system (pp. 12-15), she looked no further than her alma mater. “Having a viable partnership with RIC to provide wraparound programs to guide our students to success – from pre-K to college and beyond – broadens horizons for our entire community,” she said. The impressive results to date include the piloting of 19 new programs in urban education, community development and healthy communities. When RIC’s brightest musical theatre stars graduate (pp. 18-19), they, too, are known for their impressive skill set. “When they leave RIC and enter the professional world, they are what the industry calls triple threats,” said RIC Professor and Director of Musical Theatre Bill Wilson. Other artistic standouts in this issue – choreographer Kellie Ann Lynch ’03 (p. 21) and a number of studio art alumni (p. 20) – agree that RIC provided a rich training ground for personal expression. As Rhode Island looks to improve its economic picture, our state must rely on citizens not only who are well educated and able to fill critical workforce niches, but also who demonstrate those valuable intangibles – strong work ethic, community-minded thinking and a positive, can-do attitude – that raise the level of effectiveness in every business where they are employed. Much has been made of the academic brain drain, in which graduates from the state’s colleges and universities leave their home state to find employment and put their degrees to work. I am happy to share that RIC graduates buck that unsettling trend. The latest poll of RIC’s 56,000 alumni show that 70 percent continue to live here in the Ocean State, where they are reinvesting their quality education in our businesses and communities! As always, I hope you enjoy reading this issue of the alumni magazine and invite you to share your own stories illustrating the value of RIC graduates to the community at large. Best Wishes, Dr. Nancy Carriuolo President Cover: Jeff Barba ’97 of Barba and Associates in Warwick with intern Russell Lavoie ’15
SPRING/ SUMMER 2014 IN THIS
Issue The Rhode Island College Alumni Association, founded in 1887, has existed to serve and promote interest in Rhode Island College. The association assists the college with its mission through its time, talent and resources – financial and otherwise. The alumni association provides financial support to the college primarily through an annual appeal. The Rhode Island College Alumni Magazine is published twice a year by the Rhode Island College Alumni Association. Editor Laura Hart Assistant Editor Ray Ragosta Writers Gita Brown Rebecca Keister Scott Gibbons
8 Providence Performing Arts Center General Manager Alan Chille ’82 and intern Miguel Martinez Youngs ’15
Sometimes people in college think they know what they want to do, but in the real world, it could be something totally different. If you can expose them to different options, it can change their career path. – Alan Chille ’82, Providence Performing Arts Center general manager
Guest Writer Denise Perreault Designer Jennifer Twining ’92 Photographer Gene St. Pierre ’77 Editorial Assistance Kim Fiore ’96 Keith Chilcutt ’14 Correspondence to: Office of Alumni Affairs Rhode Island College 600 Mt. Pleasant Ave. Providence, RI 02908-1996 Phone: (401) 456-8086 Fax: (401) 456-8851 Email: alumni@ric.edu ©Rhode Island College 2014
x 12
16
FEATURES
DEPARTMENTS
Alumni Mentor RIC Interns
2
Message From William Fazioli
12 RIC/Central Falls Collaboration
3
Around Campus
8
16 Travis Escobar
20
20 Arts in the Community 26 Alumni Events
18 Broadway Traveling Shows
28 Class Notes
22 Alumni Athletes Take Diverse Career Paths
32 Weddings 32 In Memoriam 13
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT’S
Community Connections & Collaborations
Message
Dear Fellow Alumni, While its official nickname is the Ocean State, Rhode Island could also be called “the neighbor state.” The smallest member of the union is also the second most densely populated, which means that within our cozy borders are closeknit residents who share unique connections, needs and interests which extend several generations. Titled “Community Connections and Collaborations,” this issue of the Rhode Island College Alumni Magazine highlights some of the many stories in which RIC alumni are serving as good neighbors to their individual communities. This concept of service is epitomized by alumnus Travis Escobar ’13, profiled on page 16. As a RIC student, Travis served his college through the progressively powerful leadership roles he filled in student government. Now, as a RIC graduate, Travis is bringing his leadership skills to the Rhode Island Foundation, the state’s largest and most comprehensive philanthropic nonprofit, where he oversees scholarships and special grants. “The Foundation is a great fit for me,” he said, “because it aligns with what I am most passionate about – improving the state of Rhode Island.” Another example of collaboration is the Central Falls/Rhode Island College Innovation Lab, a holistic partnership between the entire RIC community and the entire Central Falls School District. This groundbreaking idea creates a veritable Petri dish of reciprocal services and mutual benefits. RIC student teachers step into active classrooms and school corridors to learn about urban education issues, while Central Falls High School students explore higher education opportunities in a real college campus setting. Whole families can benefit from the pilot Parent College program, a series of evening workshops that provide continuing education in such vital areas as financial literacy and ESL tutoring. RIC alumni are always finding a way to give back, most recently in thoughtful efforts to mentor existing RIC students in their respective career choices. When Providence Performing Arts Center General Manager and current Alumni Association Board Member Alan Chille ’82 took on a RIC intern, he wanted to expose the young marketing major to the full range of opportunities available in his business. “Sometimes people in college think they know what they want to do, but in the real world, it could be something totally different. If you can expose them to different options, it can change their career path,” Chille said. Across town at the Center for Southeast Asians, Channavy Chhay ’01 continues to host RIC social work interns at her nonprofit. She explained her reasoning this way: “We as businesses need to be more committed to ensuring that students have access to the world. … RIC provides the institutional knowledge. We provide the hands-on experience.” Throughout the pages of this magazine, you will find timely examples of powerful collaborations, including the college’s partnership with a local hospital to provide new nursing skills and a community forum that connects Latino elderly to social services. These stories and countless others not included in this issue prove that every day, RIC alumni are good neighbors to Rhode Islanders. Sincerely,
William Fazioli ’86 Alumni Association President 2
OFFICERS William Fazioli ’86 President Judith Spremulli ’03 Vice President Paul Hackley ’85 Treasurer Suzanna Alba ’05 Secretary Jason Anthony ’99, M.A. ’05 Past President DIRECTORS Walter Musto ’00 Mariam Boyajian ’70, Dina Pescione ’91 M.A. ’72 Alan Chille ’82 Mathies Santos ’82 Karen Schnabel ’06 Harold Devine ’65, Barbara Smith ’70 M.Ed. ’70, C.A.G.S. ’76 Judith Dorian ’82 Kathleen Swann ’79, M.Ed. ’89, Ph.D. ’01 Thomas Fitzgerald ’99 Georgia Fortunato ’81, M.Ed. ’85
New Student Alumni Association Connects Students With Alumni & Alumni With Campus Life The newly launched RIC Student Alumni Association (SAA) is designed to strengthen alumni engagement with the college by connecting its future alumni with established RIC graduates. RIC President Nancy Carriuolo has high hopes for SAA, saying, “RIC’s alumni have assumed leadership positions in a wide variety of careers in Rhode Island. Sharing their professional experiences with the next generation is quite a legacy.” Co-founded by former Student Community Government President Hillary Costa ’14, RIC Adjunct Professor Suzy Alba ’05 and Senior Vice President for Philanthropy and Governance for the Care New England Health System Karen Davie ’76, the SAA is actively recruiting students to join the organization and participate in future social, leadership and networking events. SAA members not only benefit from networking with, and learning from, alumni, but they take part in valuable leadership and professional development experiences that prepare them for careers in alumni affairs. Working with the RIC Alumni Association, SAA members assist in event planning; serve as hosts and hostesses at events, such as invitation-only presidential receptions, meetings, reunions and college recruitment gatherings; build relationships with faculty, staff and administrators; and represent fellow students on various planning committees. “SAA
members are dedicated to strengthening the college at all levels,” said Costa.
AROUND
Campus
“The hope,” Alba said, “is that members of SAA will build lifelong relationships with their alma mater.” “What excites me,” said Davie who served on the Alumni Association board and currently serves on the RIC Foundation Advisory Council, “is the idea of sharing the alumni’s passion for the college with current students. I believe there will be tremendous synergy when graduates and current students come together that will benefit all parties and most especially the college.” Any full- or part-time graduate or undergraduate student enrolled at RIC is eligible for SAA membership. There is no specific GPA requirement, but students are expected to be in good academic standing. – Gita Brown
From left, Hillary Costa ’14, former president of RIC’s Student Community Government Inc.; Suzy Alba ’05, RIC adjunct professor and Alumni Association board member; and Karen Davie ’76, senior vice president for philanthropy and governance for the Care New England Health System
Schmitty the Weather Dog Visits HBS Students Where there’s a dream, there’s a way to make it happen – even if there seems to be more clouds than rainbows along the way. Take the case of Schmitty the Weather Dog, whose story is profiled in a children’s book of the same name written by Elly McGuire. McGuire recently came to Rhode Island College, her alma mater, to read her book to Author youngsters at the Henry Elly McGuire ’76 and Schmitty Barnard Laboratory School. the Weather Dog McGuire ’76 is a former teacher and completed her student teaching education at HBS. In McGuire’s book, Schmitty is a dog that longed to educate people on the weather after finding that humans often were wrong in their sunshine or rain predictions. Naturally, Schmitty is brutally rebuffed in her first attempts to break into the weather business – after all, she is a dog. But with persistence and perseverance, Schmitty eventually makes her case and now is a famous pup delivering the weather on air with her two-legged dad, Ron (Trotta) the Meteorologist. In real life, Schmitty is McGuire and Trotta’s beloved canine companion. Trotta has developed a business around weather
broadcasting with Schmitty, and the trio lives in New York City. McGuire’s story is similar to Schmitty’s. She was a dissatisfied corporate worker until she adopted her weather-loving dog. “When I got my dog, I fell in love, and she became my passion,” McGuire told the HBS children. “When you find your passion, you end up doing the best things.” She’s now an author who tours with her book and, of course, Schmitty and Trotta. Since 2001, she and Trotta have raised funds for the Uniformed Firefighters Association Scholarship Fund, a fund for fallen firefighters and their families. They also raise money for pet charities through the Schmitty-inspired New Yorkie-line of people and pet products. McGuire’s presentation at HBS included a little science education on the weather and a little song-and-dance to the Schmitty-the-Weather-Dog jingle. McGuire told the HBS children that a dream doesn’t just come true on its own. She said it involves a lot of hard work and learning, which starts in elementary school. “When your brain learns a lot, it’s going to help you do wonderful things when you grow up,” McGuire said. “Nothing you’re going to do is going to be easy if it’s going to be great. But you can do anything you put your mind to.” – Rebecca Keister
3
AROUND
Campus
RIC nursing graduate Stephanie Resendes receives congratulations from Dean Jane Williams.
RIC School of Nursing Establishes Nurse Anesthesia Option The Rhode Island College School of Nursing, in partnership with St. Joseph Hospital School of Nurse Anesthesia, now offers a Master of Science in Nursing, nurse anesthesia option.
“This program gives the opportunity to train in Rhode Island and stay to work here,” said Anne Tierney, program director at St. Joseph Hospital School of Nurse Anesthesia.
Program graduates will be eligible to take the National Certification Examination required for licensure as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).
Tierney said her graduates have a 100 percent employment rate and that many secure positions prior to graduation.
“This program is the first of its kind in Rhode Island and is part of RIC’s ongoing efforts to support the needs of Rhode Island’s economy,” said RIC President Nancy Carriuolo. CRNAs are registered nurses with at least two years of extensive training in anesthesia. In Rhode Island, they are able to provide anesthesia in collaboration with medical doctors in any medical setting in which anesthesia is delivered.
This program gives the opportunity to train in Rhode Island and stay to work here.
To be admitted to the 30-month program, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in nursing from a nationally accredited program and a minimum of one year of critical care nursing experience. Due to clinical rotations, applicants must be licensed to practice nursing in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
– Anne Tierney, program director at St. Joseph Hospital School of Nurse Anesthesia
“This specialized program is an important achievement,” said Jane Williams, dean of the RIC School of Nursing. “The program will meet a critical need for nurse anesthetists.” According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, 58 percent of nurse anesthetists nationwide are between the ages of 55 and 64. Thirty-eight percent of nurse anesthetists, the association reports, plan to retire within five to 10 years. Through this new program, nurse anesthetist students now can complete their academic training in Rhode Island. Previously, Rhode Island students have had to go out of state for study. 4
The program begins this summer, and a maximum of 10 students will be admitted each year.
The program is under shared authority of the Associates in Anesthesia Inc. and Rhode Island College. Students will be based primarily on the RIC campus for the first two program semesters, under the supervision of RIC M.S.N. Program Director Cynthia Padula, with clinical education following. Experienced CRNAs will supervise student practicums. Program information, including the application process, is available at www.ric.edu and at www.sjhsna.com. The RIC School of Nursing offers a baccalaureate nursing program and M.S.N. programs in the following: adult/ gerontology with an acute care emphasis, nurse anesthesia and public health/community leadership. – Rebecca Keister
Portuguese Ambassador’s Visit Highlights RIC’s Outreach Efforts Enrollment in RIC’s Portuguese Studies Program has grown nearly 50 percent over the past five years.
U.S. Sen. Jack Reed (l-r), Portuguese Ambassador Nuno Brito and Senate Finance Chairman Daniel DaPonte share stories with students in RIC’s Portuguese Studies Program.
Portuguese Ambassador Nuno Brito and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed recently visited the RIC campus, underscoring the college’s ongoing efforts in support of Rhode Island’s Portuguese community. President Nancy Carriuolo hosted the ambassador, the senator and several local officials at a private luncheon and tour prior to Brito’s presenting Reed with the Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator at a State House ceremony. The senator and ambassador, joined by R.I. Senate Finance Chairman Daniel DaPonte, visited students enrolled in RIC’s Portuguese Studies Program in the Modern Languages Department, which offers classes in beginning through advanced Portuguese language and in the literature and culture of all Portuguesespeaking nations. Enrollment in the program has grown nearly 50 percent over the past five years.
practices in broadcast journalism with a special focus on radio broadcasting. Both curricula include ethical reporting, appropriate language application, interviewing practices and special audience considerations. The peace journalism certificate also covers conflict resolution and crisis reporting. The certificate programs are funded by the Pro Dignitate Foundation for Human Rights in Lisbon, Portugal. While this marked Ambassador Brito’s first visit to RIC, other notable Lusophone dignitaries have made the college a destination of choice in recent years. Among these were last fall’s visit by Jose de Almeida Cesario, secretary of state for the Portuguese Communities Abroad, and the previous year’s visit by H.E. Jorge Carlos de Almeida Fonseca, president of the Republic of Cape Verde.
Statewide efforts to support the President Carriuolo and Marie Fraley, director of the The group also visited RIC’s Institute Institute for Portuguese and Lusophone World Studies Portuguese community have also for Portuguese and Lusophone World included RIC as a key player. This Studies, a nontraditional academic center launched in 2006 spring, President Carriuolo was among the high-profile guests that fosters connections between the college and Lusophone of U.S. Rep. David Cicilline as he hosted a reception for the communities. Most recently, the institute launched a noncredit newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Portugal Robert Sherman. certificate of continuing study in civic journalism for Lusophone Other dignitaries included U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. radio journalists in Southeastern New England and a second Rep. James Langevin and the mayors of Bristol, Central Falls, certificate in peace journalism for journalists in Luso-African Cumberland and East Providence. countries such as Guinea-Bissau. The programs explore best – Laura Hart 5
25th Anniversary Celebration of Shinn Study Abroad Fund: Musical & Reception Numerous commemorative events have been held throughout the academic year in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Ridgway F. Shinn Jr. Study Abroad Fund. The Shinn fund was established during the 1987-88 school year by the late Emeritus Professor of History Ridgway Shinn Jr. through the generous support of many of his friends, colleagues and former students. Any RIC undergraduate student in good academic standing is eligible to apply for a Shinn scholarship. In the past 25 years, the Shinn Study Abroad Fund has supported 77 RIC students in 28 different countries on six continents through grants that total more than a quarter of a million dollars.
During an April fundraiser and celebration, the following ďŹ ve Shinn scholars were recognized:
NORA GARRON
Theatre performance major Nora Garron of Plainville, Mass. Garron will travel to London to study at the University of Roehampton in Spring 2015.
EMMA LAFLEUR
History and secondary education major Emma LaFleur of Portsmouth. LaFleur will travel to Wales to study at Swansea University in Fall 2014.
INGRID LOPEZ
Sociology and justice studies major Ingrid Lopez of Providence. Ingrid will travel to London to study at Kingston University in Spring 2015.
JADE LOPEZ
English major Jade Lopez, also of Providence. Jade will travel to London to study at Kingston University in Spring 2015.
ZAKARY PEREIRA
History and political science major Zakary Pereira of North Kingstown. Pereira will travel to Budapest to study at Corvinus University in Spring 2015.
In the past 25 years, the Shinn Study Abroad Fund has supported 77 RIC students in 28 different countries on six continents through grants that total more than a quarter of a million dollars.
6
Latino Elderly Discuss Access to Health & Community Services at RIC Gerontology Conference “Because of language barriers, immigration status and other factors, Latino elders and their families may be uncertain about what assistance is available to them and how to access it,” said Professor of Sociology and Coordinator of RIC’s Gerontology Program Rachel Filinson. This is one reason why the Rhode Island College Gerontology Program, together with the Department of Modern Languages, held a conference to address the unique needs of the Latino elderly. The conference focused on the most effective ways to educate this rapidly growing demographic about health and community services. The conference opened with a panel of four elders aged 65 and older – natives of Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Guatemala. RIC alumna Delia Rodriguez-Masjoan ’08, producer of the Rhode Island Spanish radio station Poder 110 and former coordinator for the Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs’ Center for Diversity, moderated the discussion. Panelist Marta Morrogh-Bernard, who lives in a high-rise for low-income elderly, most of whom are Hispanic, said, “Only two of the residents in the high-rise speak English – the maintenance man and myself – and I am the official translator. The residents ask me to help them write letters and to fill out paperwork, such as a consent form or a lease or a health insurance form. I go with them to court to interpret. I help them prepare for the citizenship interview. I go with them to the immigration office and to their doctors’ appointments.” Though Morrogh-Bernard volunteers her services free of charge, she said she is only one person serving many, which can be daunting. She said she would like to see more Spanish interpreters at local and state agencies and to see students volunteer to work with the elderly. An audience member asked if the elderly are seeking English-asa-second-language (ESL) training. The response was that ESL is not an option for many elders, because it is designed for people who can read and write in their own languages. For many Latino elderly there is the issue of illiteracy. Thus, their primary source of information about health and community services is the radio station Poder 110.
Presenters at the panel discussion included (l-r) Gertrudis Mirande, Delia Rodriguez-Masjoan ’08, Julieta Sanchez and Marta Morrogh-Bernard.
Immigrant status is another barrier for the elderly, said moderator Rodriguez-Masjoan. “The undocumented often do not feel they have a right to local and state services,” she said. To help clarify misconceptions, three informational sessions were held, following the panel discussion: 1) How to access information through the 2-1-1 resource center, led by Call Specialist Jennifer Ortega-Perez; 2) Adult day care as a resource for Latino families dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, facilitated by Program Director of the Rhode Island Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association Marge Angilly; Director of the Elmwood Adult Day Health Care Center Joanne O’Day; and two social workers from the same Elmwood center Katherine Peralta and Monica Alzate; and 3) The social isolation of Hispanic elders in Rhode Island, facilitated by Elder Outreach Coordinator of ThirdAge.com Luis Jusino. Representatives of 2-1-1 acknowledged that spreading the message about their own comprehensive information and referral service has not been very successful through print media. They intend to take the company RV to Hispanic community events and festivals to meet directly with the elderly. They would also like to become more partnership oriented, working with shelters, community action programs and neighborhood programs. – Gita Brown
7
RIC
Internships
Giving and Getting Back: RIC Alumni Mentor Students Through Internship Opportunities By Laura Hart
Providence Performing Arts Center General Manager Alan Chille ’82 and intern Miguel Martinez Youngs ’15 8
Jeff Barba ’97 of Barba and Associates in Warwick listens as his intern Russell Lavoie ’15 discusses his current work assignment.
In early spring at Barba and Associates in Warwick – the start of the busiest season for the financial services firm – the office thrummed with number-crunching energy. Jeff Barba ’97 and his intern, Russell Lavoie ’15, were reviewing a client’s latest financial statement. Lavoie’s role, as he explained it, is to enter all monthly transactions and to categorize the appropriate accounts for expensing, debiting and crediting. “If you are off by even a penny,” said Lavoie, “you have to go back through each transaction.” That sounds like a weighty responsibility for a college intern, but Lavoie sported a comfortable grin as he described his work. “It gets easier as you go along,” he said. When Barba decided to hire interns, he knew exactly where to look: Rhode Island College. “Having gone to RIC, I knew the work ethic of the students,” he said. “Students are going to school because they want to go to school. I knew at RIC I had the best chance of getting an intern with a high work ethic.” Immediately, Barba treated Lavoie as a member of his team. “They include me in everything – staff meetings, all the projects … ,” Lavoie said. “Any time there is software they get, they teach me about it. It’s a good hands-on approach.” Lavoie’s efforts also have an economic impact on the office. “My work frees up a lot of time for the other accountants [so they can] do higher-order work,” he said. Barba agreed. “By pairing interns with a seasoned, CFOlevel resource, we are able to teach interns bookkeeping while making the services affordable,” he said. Quick to compliment his intern’s progress over the past two months, Barba said with a hint of pride, “He’s confident about giving his own ideas about other parts of the business. It’s great to see him open up like that.”
When asked how he knows if he is doing a good job, Lavoie flashed that winning grin again and pointed to the totals on an open spreadsheet. “You know you are doing a good job when you are right.” A pleased Barba has already signed Lavoie up for another internship next semester. Recalling his own beginnings in business, Barba reflected on how student internship opportunities could have helped him prepare for the workplace. “When I went from college to a CPA firm, I started doing audits of companies. Because I didn’t have prior bookkeeping experience, I didn’t have an appreciation for how numbers got to a company’s financial statements. That would have been valuable experience for me.” Providing valuable work experience is a prime motivator for Barba and other RIC alumni hosting interns at their businesses. Not only do these businessmen and women contribute to RIC students’ education, but they also get a chance to groom the next generation of employees.
Miguel Martinez Youngs ’15
Barba said that his CPA colleagues agree that if they help interns gain more marketable skills, the same CPAs are more likely to hire those interns over other candidates. 9
RIC provides the institutional knowledge. We provide the hands-on experience, the direct experience. – Channavy Chhay ’01, executive director of the Center for Southeast Asians (CSEA)
Channavy Chhay ’01, executive director of the Center for Southeast Asians (CSEA), agreed, which is why she has an active RIC internship program at her Providence-based nonprofit. “We as businesses need to be more committed to ensuring that students have access to our world,” she said. “RIC provides the institutional knowledge. We provide the hands-on experience, the direct experience.” While she admitted that hosting an intern requires a lot of resources on a business’s part, that investment can yield rewards when a student gains the skills he or she needs to become a viable hire. “It’s selfish in a way,” she explained, “because we want good employees.”
The center’s current intern, Charity Williams ’14, is grateful for the RIC connection she has with her supervisor. “I think he understands more, because he knows what the professors are looking for,” she said. “He is always asking me what I want to get out of the experience and helping me get it.” At CSEA, Williams works with the elderly population and assists with the Meals on Wheels program three times a week. Because of language barriers, many of her clients are working on their English proficiency. “The elderly,” she said, “are way more capable than someone would assume because of their language issues.”
Her program associate, Kyle Girgan, himself a 2010 graduate of RIC’s Community Health and Wellness Program, understands well the value RIC students can bring to the job site. “I specifically reached out to Rhode Island College for interns,” he said. Due in part to Girgan’s recruiting, CSEA is now hosting its second of two RIC interns from the Community Health and Wellness Program.
The classroom, she explained, is very different from the workplace. “The classroom teaches you the ideal situation,” she said, adding that dealing with limited resources and other barriers are not skills you learn from a textbook. “A person has to have patience, compassion and respect for this population,” she said.
“The interns,” Girgan said, “are doing work that an entry-level employee would be doing.” Along the way, he explained, they gain important work skills, such as the value of confidentiality, the ability to multitask and their place in a larger organization.
For Williams, the classroom crossed over to the workplace when she was able to design and implement lesson plans on nutrition, healthy habits and overall wellness for the center’s older clients. “What I learned in class – about needs assessments, goals and objectives – really helped!” she said.
Channavy Chhay ’01 meets with intern Charity Williams ’14 and program associate Kyle Girgan ’10 at the Center for Southeast Asians.
10
Youngs ’15 and Chille ’82 discuss set plans during an impromptu meeting in the general manager’s office.
A classroom experience of a different kind helped Miguel Martinez Youngs ’15 make the most of his internship. Youngs enrolled in Marketing 467: Directed Internship, a RIC class specifically designed for interns to prepare for and share their work experiences. “It taught me how to interview, how to dress, and helped me through the whole process,” he said. “It helped me, too, because it was connected to school. I had more motivation because I was getting a grade.” Youngs spent a semester interning at Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) under the tutelage of PPAC General Manager Alan Chille ’82. The marketing major shadowed Chille as the seasoned professional oversaw all aspects of the event management business. Shadowing meant that Youngs was exposed to the gamut of operations – from facilities to box office, concessions to promotions.
everywhere, ropes and chains. And all along, the computer is telling the chandelier what to do.” He also learned how hard the employees work to make a stress-free experience for the 3,000 people who move through the theatre every day. “I sat with a box office clerk and learned how the tickets are sold, how the website is set up. I listened to him talk to people on the phone, the insight that he brought to every transaction.” As one of his research projects assigned to him by Chille, Youngs did a cost analysis of ticket printing – whether PPAC could reduce costs by requiring customers to print their tickets at home. He also worked on managing and improving the promotions desk, one of the first stops for visitors in the main entry.
Yes, RIC is a smaller school, but going to RIC, you can become an Alan Chille.
Chille chose special assignments like these for Youngs to help broaden his understanding of PPAC’s marketing functions. The Chille was purposeful in his approach. “It was – RIC student assignments also helped Chille, who pointed one of my goals to rotate him through different Miguel Martinez Youngs ’15 out, “I came up with three projects that I didn’t areas of the operation,” he said. “Sometimes people in have time to do.” The young man’s knowledge and college think they know what they want to do, but in the work ethic impressed Chille. “Miguel is a great asset. He real world, it could be something totally different. If you can is always on time. He is always enthusiastic.” expose them to different options, it can change their career path.” For Youngs, learning what happens backstage was at times more impressive than what happens on stage. When Phantom of the Opera rolled into Providence, he recalled, the show required 16 trucks for all the sets and props. “It’s such an operation to bring all the pieces together,” he said. Walking backstage, one person in particular caught his eye. “One of the first things I saw was a guy sitting at the computer surrounded by screens. It’s like he’s in the captain’s chair.” When it came to special effects, the man in the captain’s chair played a pivotal role. “They were working on the chandelier. There were some pyrotechnics going on. During the musical, the chandelier has to shake and sparks fly out of it. There were cords
That high praise paid off quickly for the RIC student. Since completing his internship, Youngs has been hired at PPAC to help with operations. The admiration is mutual. Youngs reflected on his internship, “I feel a lot more comfortable being in an office setting and being with the bigger bosses. I’m less intimidated by upper management. This guy [Chille] has a lot on his plate, he’s a busy guy with a lot underneath him, a lot to manage, and I got to be in the room with him.” Of the misperception that RIC does not always produce the high-powered alumni found at bigger schools in the area, he said, “Yes, RIC is a smaller school, but going to RIC, you can become an Alan Chille.” 11
RIC
Partnership
C
THE RHODE ISLAND
Achieving Together
12
ENTRAL FALLS OLLEGE Innovation Lab
Achieving Together Innovative teaching and research happening on the campuses of RIC and the Central Falls School District are changing the face of traditional education.
Achieving Together: The Central Falls/Rhode Island College Innovation Lab was developed in 2013 as a holistic, integrated and permanent partnership between the entire RIC community and the entire Central Falls School District. The mission of the lab is to develop and pilot sustainable and replicable programs in urban education, community development and healthy communities. Through Innovation Lab programs, Central Falls and RIC participants – students, teachers, administrators and parents – are learning from each other and taking part in a set of reciprocal programs designed to lift barriers to success within urban communities and to broaden the learning and teaching experience at a comprehensive, four-year college. While advancing teaching, learning and research at RIC, the Innovation Lab incubates programs that can provide a new paradigm for a K-20 educational pipeline. One of the 19-plus programs being piloted is in a secondary education course taught by Julie Horwitz, RIC Innovation Lab coordinator and associate professor of educational studies. This course takes place entirely on site at Central Falls High School. Each week, she teaches course content while she and her class travel by bus to Central Falls High School. Class time at the high school focuses on work with school administrators and teachers, including classroom observations and panels centered on issues surrounding education in an urban community. Here students learn in the field through a combination of course instruction, classroom observation and interaction with Central Falls High School students, teachers, parents and administrators. Students are participating in an early professional experience that informs their learning from the multiple perspectives of teacher, administrator, parents and, most importantly, the student. “This has been the most exciting year of my academic career,” said Horwitz. “In partnership with Central Falls, we are innovating to move both our communities forward.”
Bonnie MacDonald (pictured left), associate professor in RIC’s Communication Department, interviews Fran Gallo, Central Falls School District superintendent.
In Fall 2012, Central Falls School District Superintendent Fran Gallo ’71, M.Ed. ’74 approached the RIC vice president for academic affairs and the dean of education with the idea that a large-scale partnership between these two institutions could help Central Falls students and families navigate language, cultural and socio-economic challenges that can be roadblocks in the aspiration for long-term educational success. Based on her knowledge of RIC from the perspective of an alumna, she also believed that introducing the college’s students to the Central Falls community in an in-depth way could help to deepen their understanding of this richly diverse urban community. “Rhode Island College believes deeply in innovation and community engagement,” RIC President Nancy Carriuolo said. “Through our Innovation Lab, our students and faculty will be able to supplement and research the effectiveness of cutting-edge learning and social work programs designed to meet the diverse needs of the residents of Central Falls.” While there are many statistics that target problems at underresourced school districts, the Innovation Lab strived to build an alliance with this active community whose stories, traditions and cultures enrich all of our communities.
While Central Falls has opportunities to help our students and families, we are small and limited in what we can do on our own,” Gallo said. “Having a viable partnership with RIC to provide wraparound programs to guide our students to success – from pre-K to college and beyond – broadens horizons for our entire community.” – Fran Gallo, Central Falls School District superintendent 13
“While Central Falls has opportunities to help our students and families, we are small and limited in what we can do on our own,” Gallo said. “Having a viable partnership with RIC to provide wraparound programs to guide our students to success – from pre-K to college and beyond – broadens horizons for our entire community.”
These classes allow field learning and teaching for RIC students and faculty, and learning and engagement opportunities for Central Falls students, faculty, administrators and parents. By watching RIC students as they take an educational studies class, Cataldo said, Central Falls students get to see what a college class looks like in action. This, she said, can help students see themselves as college students.
RIC President Nancy Carriuolo agreed that the college community would benefit from the opportunity to participate in education “The RIC students are able to ask the high school students reform and community development at a microscopic about what they want in a great teacher, so it’s level through new research and teaching methods. really a back and forth,” Cataldo said. “And, as Both partners agreed that the diversity of a teacher, I walk away from each class with Central Falls presented a wealth of learning We know that a few different ideas about how I should opportunities for the RIC community. be teaching. I’m getting access to the Central Falls and RIC Learning from the students, teachers latest best practices and research that I have a shared vision of what a and families of Central Falls could wouldn’t have unless I was on a college provide meaningful experiences for healthy community looks like,” campus again.” members of the RIC community to Horwitz said. “We found that Some clinical preparation panels have look deeper than the data. included Central Falls parents, who any time a barrier came up, we “We know that Central Falls and have offered RIC students advice on RIC have a shared vision of what were talking not about why matters including building a rapport a healthy community looks like,” with teenage students and family something wouldn’t work, but Horwitz said. “We found that any engagement. how to make it work. time a barrier came up, we were talking There are many other exciting projects not about why something wouldn’t work, – Julie Horwitz, in process. Keeping parents connected to but how to make it work.” RIC Innovation Lab coordinator their students and to the Central Falls School and associate professor of Gallo sees RIC as a perfect partner in District is another focus of the Innovation Lab. professional studies innovation toward a healthy community. The Parent College is a series of evening workshops held at the high school that provide continuing education “Rhode Island College has a history about looking in areas including financial literacy and ESL tutoring. deep into issues and making a big difference in the education community in this state,” she said. This program is coordinated by Jen Giroux ’95, M.Ed. ’06, associate vice president of RIC’s professional studies and In collaboration with Kim Cataldo, a fifth-year special education continuing education, and Patricia Martinez ’86, executive director and English teacher at the high school; Joshua Laplante, principal of student and family supports for Central Falls High School. of Central Falls High School; and Gerri August Ph.D. ’09, RIC associate professor in secondary education, the Innovation Lab Parents also have been welcomed to RIC’s campus as part of teaching and learning practices are developed and put into practice. Friday Campus Visits, an Innovation Lab program designed to demonstrate to both students and their parents that college is an Horwitz’s course has become a model for other projects in the achievable goal. Innovation Lab. RIC Associate Professor of Elementary Education Martha Horn and RIC Assistant Professor of Educational Studies Friday Campus Visits have included opportunities for Central Falls Rudolf Kraus teach classes on a bus ride to Central Falls schools students to sit in on RIC classes, to conduct biology experiments and conduct on-site teaching in the district. in RIC science laboratories and to take campus tours.
Students enrolled in RIC’s Youth Development Program teach social problem-solving to Central Falls middle school students in a special program, “Comedy in the Classroom.”
14
Central Falls High School teacher David Upegui ’97 brought his AP biology students to Rhode Island College, where they performed a college-level enzyme experiment with Professor Lloyd Matsumoto (pictured).
“Our students and parents are really benefiting from the college visits,” Gallo said. “But there is something happening at every level within our school system.”
the Innovation Lab. From graphic design to shooting and editing, Galvez’s students participated in all levels of filmmaking which chronicles the daily lives of three Central Falls High School students.
The Innovation Lab’s Social Work Internship program has given RIC undergraduate and graduate students real-world experience at four Central Falls schools from PK-12. The RIC students are working with Central Falls children and families under the guidance of a Central Falls School System social worker.
“My students are getting some great life lessons through this film production and they will have this in their portfolios,” Galvez said. “Our hope is that the film will get people thinking outside the box about education and of the idea that a school system’s success takes a buy-in from an entire community.”
RIC students have increased social services accessibility for Central Falls students and families for issues including student behavior and immigration documentation.
The film is expected to be released next fall and was partially funded through a Nellie Mae Educational Foundation grant secured by the Central Falls School District; the camera equipment was provided by a private donor.
“We really wanted our students to get an idea of working in diverse communities,” said Sue Pearlmutter, dean of the RIC School of Social Work. “It strengthens their skill sets immensely. They have more ways of looking at their practice, more ways of understanding the engagement needs of their clients and more ways of engaging with their clients. They also are developing different ways of handling their stress and the kids’ stress.” Students in RIC Assistant Professor of Communication Anthony Galvez’s special topics class this spring were given the exciting experience of film production while making a documentary about
To date, the Innovation Lab has been almost entirely supported through funding and in-kind support by Rhode Island College and the Central Falls School District. RIC and Central Falls School District team members are actively seeking additional funding to support program expansion and long-term partnership sustainability. Research is being designed to measure the Innovation Lab’s success, but by all accounts – student, faculty, staff and administration participation and enthusiasm – the partnership is already a victory.
15
ALUMNI
Profile
Travis Escobar ’13, scholarships and special grants administrator for the Rhode Island Foundation
From Student Leader to Community Leader Travis Escobar ’13, former president of RIC’s Student Community Government (SCG), was as a student known for his leadership prowess. Now he has taken his gift for leadership to the Rhode Island community. At 23, he’s been named scholarships and special grants administrator for the Rhode Island Foundation, with the responsibility of matching student applicants to donor committees. Last year the Foundation gave $31 million in grants to more than 1,300 nonprofits in the state. “The Foundation is a great fit for me,” Escobar said, “because it aligns with what I’m most passionate about – improving the state of Rhode Island. I love this state, but economically we’re struggling. Financial support from the Foundation has a huge impact on our communities.” The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive philanthropic nonprofit in Rhode Island, funding agencies in health care, education, community development, the environment, arts and culture and human services. Sources of funding come from individuals, families, organizations and corporations committed to addressing the most pressing issues and needs of Rhode Island communities. Escobar himself grew up in one of the most impoverished communities of Providence – the South Side, an inner-city 16
enclave where the median family income is $23,379 and where more than one out of every three families live in poverty, according to data by The Providence Plan. He is also Puerto Rican, the youngest of three boys and a firstgeneration college student. Escobar said that when he was in high school at Times2 STEM Academy he didn’t aspire to go to college nor did any of his friends. But in his senior year, all of that changed. “My English teacher, Mr. Wynkoop, saw that my friends and I were underperforming, and he did everything he could to try and motivate us,” he said. Wynkoop required that the students engage in public speaking and taught them how to defend their ideas. Among the required reading was Machiavelli’s The Prince and The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Escobar said these books influenced his thinking and his capacity to grow as a leader. But it was Obama’s presidential win that sealed his future. “We talk a lot about how the barriers of poverty and race can stop people from reaching the American Dream,” Escobar said. “When I saw Obama win the presidency, it made me think that overcoming barriers is possible, that you really can come from nowhere and make your way to the White House.”
“RIC students have a direct impact on the state, and RIC, along with the Rhode Island Foundation, will be among the leaders who bring the state up from the bottom.” – Travis Escobar ’13 By the time Escobar enrolled at RIC, achievement was at the forefront of his mind. Toward that end, he applied himself to his studies, majoring in political science and public administration. He also developed friendships with members of Student Community Government (SCG). “I became close to Nigel Evangelista ’09, who was vice president of SCG, and Joshua Laguerre ’10, a Haitian, who would later become SCG president. I met Shawn Andrews ’10, an African American who became SCG secretary; Kervin Leonidas ’10, a Haitian who was class president; and many others who took me under their wing. We became like brothers. I’ve always sought out mentors, and I’ve always surrounded myself with people who are successful.” Laguerre would later go on to law school, Andrews would work in the area of communication for the General Assembly and Leonidas would set his sights on education administration. Escobar would also take the path of leadership. In fact, his political prowess made headlines. He rose up the ranks from class president in his freshman year at RIC, to vice president of SCG in his sophomore year, to SCG president the next two years and finally speaker of Student Parliament in his senior year; he was invited as a guest of U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse to President Obama’s State of the Union Address at the U.S. Capitol; he gave a character reference at the senate confirmation hearing of RIC President Nancy Carriuolo after she was recommended by Gov. Lincoln Chafee for the Economic Development Corporation (now Commerce RI); and he gave the keynote
at his 2013 commencement, which was written up in the Providence Journal. Reporter Linda Borg wrote, “[At RIC’s commencement] the politicians spoke, then the educators. But it was Rhode Island College Class President Travis Escobar who brought down the house.” Escobar is incredibly young to have achieved so much. When asked if he might seek public office in the future, he hesitated. “I think it’s innately in me to want to seek public office,” he said, “but I think I can be involved in public service without being an elected official.” “When I gave my graduation speech and looked out at all my peers, I saw hope and promise for the state of Rhode Island. RIC students have a direct impact on the state, and RIC, along with the Rhode Island Foundation, will be among the leaders who bring the state up from the bottom,” he said. “As far as the future, I know I would like to continue to work in the area of education and someday donate a large amount to the college and have my name on a building or a classroom,” he said. “I love this college. If it wasn’t for Times2 STEM Academy and RIC, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.”
– Gita Brown
In June 2014, President Carriuolo nominated Escobar for a position on the RIC Foundation board, a position he now holds. 17
ALUMNI
RIC Musical Theatre Artists Tour Nationally
Profile
By Gita Brown
Theatre artists Joseph Nicastro ’13, Alexander Cruz ’12 and Albert Jennings ’10 have had nothing but sta stage time since graduating from RIC and settling in New York. Recently they all have been settlin part oof national musical theatre tours, including Broadway shows. Broad Only a week after his arrival in New York, Joseph Nicastro ’13 auditioned for the Tony AwardNicas winning Broadway musical Hello, Dolly! starring winn two-time Emmy-Award winner Sally Struthers. two-t Nicastro said that the production had been all but Nica cast eexcept for four male dancers. As he lined up for aauditions, 200 other actors lined up with him, vying for one of the four roles. vyin the day he made it through round Throughout ro after round of tryouts. He said. “The first round afte was a performance of ballet, after which people were wer let go. Next, a round of jazz, and more people peo were sent home. The last round was singing. If you made it through that, you were sin asked ask to come back the following day for a callback,” Nicastro said. cal While returning to his apartment after callback, W he received a call from the company manager. “I had gotten the job. I was so frazzled after he offered me the contract that I walked into the wrong apartment building,” he said. “I know w that th a combination of everything I learned at RIC R helped me win the audition.” As A a student, Nicastro worked closely with Angelica Cardente-Vessella ’96, M.F.A. ’07, A associate professor of dance and artistic director of the RIC Dance Company. “She was an incredible mentor,” he said. He also cited William (Bill) Wilson, professor of theatre and director of RIC’s musical theatre program, as a major mentor and influence. “Angelica and Bill make a great team,” he said. According to Wilson, one of the reasons why the musical theatre program is so successful is because RIC students train in voice, dance and acting.
When they leave RIC and enter the professional world, they are what the industry calls triple threats. – Bill Wilson, RIC professor of theatre
18
“When they leave RIC and enter the professional world, they are what the industry calls triple threats,” he said. One triple threat, Alexander Cruz is not only skilled in all three performance arts but versatile enough to play more than one role in the nationwide tour of Broadway’s West Side Story. He has played both a Jet (gang member) and a Shark, mortal enemies in the play, which meant he had to learn the choreography and music for both roles. “Trading sides was a wild experience,” Cruz said, “and also a personal triumph.”
Commitment & Craftsmanship Win Tyler Bradley Indyck Theater Award & Prestigious Acting Position
The challenge of touring, Cruz said, “is learning to coexist with 33 other actors and accepting the life of a nomad, or gypsy, as we’re called in the business.”
“Do you remember when at last I stole your kiss?”
“Touring also challenges you as a performer,” he said. “You’re constantly reinventing yourself and finding ways to keep your performance fresh.” Cruz said he has evolved as a performer from being on tour. “I’m a better dancer and singer, and I’m a more honest performer.”
At President Carriuolo’s convocation of faculty and staff this spring, Tyler Bradley Indyck fixed his intense blue eyes on his audience and began the musical theatre tune, “Do You Remember,” transporting the rapt crowd back to a time of first love.
Another alumnus, Albert Jennings, sublets in New York but lives out of his suitcase. “I might be in New York for a month or two and then have to leave again to work on a musical, or a dinner theatre production or as a main stage performer on a cruise line.” When he was under contract with Disney Cruise and Oceania Cruise, Jennings traveled throughout Europe. He said he would keep in touch with friends and family by email or Skype, and he still contacts RIC mentor Professor Wilson.
Tyler Bradley Indyck ’14
The Fall River native’s delivery of this Pasek and Paul song, coupled with his moving rendition of “Proud Lady” from The Baker’s Wife, won over the judges at the 2014 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) Region I competition. They honored Indyck with the coveted 2014 Richard Maltby Jr. Award for Musical Theater Excellence for the region, which includes all of New England and New York state.
“If I have to make a major career decision, I ask Bill what I should do,” he said. “When I was offered a contract to tour nationally with Cirque Dreams and a contract with a cruise at the same time, I called Bill. He said, you’ve done cruises. He advised me to step out of my comfort zone.”
In May, Indyck graduated from RIC with a musical theatre degree – but not before serenading the commencement crowd with a duet of The Beatles’ “In My Life.” His singing partner and fellow graduate, Sarah Pothier ’14, has also been a noted musical theatre performer at RIC, winning the Maltby Award in 2013.
“You have to take risks to be successful,” Wilson explained. “As a main stage performer on a cruise line, you sign a contract for six months, which, in the industry, is quite a long time. During that time, you’re not taking acting or voice lessons nor are you auditioning. It can take you out of the game. Though being a cruise performer is very tempting because of the great lifestyle – you travel the world and make a lot of money – you can easily not go any further than that.”
“Tyler is one of the most talented, dedicated, hardworking and passionate performers I have ever met,” said Bill Wilson, professor of theatre. “He immersed himself in our program like his life depended on it, and he quickly became not only a triple-threat musical theatre performer but a leader. His future in musical theatre is extremely bright.”
Jennings took Wilson’s advice. He accepted a contract with Cirque Dreams, which is described as “the first American production company that combines the European cirque-style of performance artistry with American circus arts and Broadway theatrics.” Since coming off the Cirque Dreams tour, Jennings takes the subway almost every day to auditions. He said, “This is the first time in my career where I don’t know what comes next. I’ve never not worked since I graduated from RIC. But I’m also not worried. You may feel that things aren’t moving fast enough, but it doesn’t mean that you’re on the wrong path. My path, up to this point, has been easy. Now the path gets hard.”
A few weeks following this interview, Jennings was cast in the Broadway national tour of Mamma Mia.
Recently, the 20-year-old auditioned successfully for a paid acting position with The Municipal Theatre Association (The Muny) of St. Louis. The Muny is the oldest, largest and arguably the most prestigious outdoor musical theatre in America. Its summer season includes productions of Billy Elliot the Musical, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and Grease. “I had been waiting and waiting for the call from Muny,” he said. “That’s the challenge of being an actor – waiting for calls – calls that may not come. If they don’t come, it makes you feel rejected, so you’re constantly questioning yourself and your abilities when you really shouldn’t. Maybe you just weren’t right for that version of the show. You can’t let it get you down.” Indyck said, “Professor Wilson taught me that the people who love this business the most stick with it the longest, and things happen for them. I truly believe that. I think I’m one of those people.” – Gita Brown
19
ARTS IN THE
Community
Emily Sorlien ’14
Courtney Neves ’13
Felicia Scott ’12
Kameko Branchaud ’13
Justin Guertin ’11
Natalia Falcone ’13
Emily Mae Boucher ’13
Julian de la Garza ’13
Art Exhibit Features RIC Alumni at Artists’ Cooperative Gallery in Westerly How do you take a flavor and turn it into a color? How many of the objects you “think” you see with the naked eye are actually illusions? And how does a chicken become an artist’s muse? Answers to these questions and more were made visible at the Rhode Island College Student and Alumni Exhibit presented at the Artists’ Cooperative Gallery of Westerly this spring. Emily Mae Boucher ’13 likens her painting technique to preparing a meal. Boucher takes flavors and translates them into colors. “Much like the flavors in a recipe, I methodize my colors to enhance one another,” she said. “I pay particular attention to the intensity and temperature relationships that develop between the individual strokes.” The result of Boucher’s ingredients are sumptuous still lifes – meals for the eyes – replete with “flavor, texture, balance and joy,” she said. Muralist, metalsmith and art educator Kameko Branchaud ’13, of Chamorro and French Canadian descent, connects her art to her heritage. Her latest paintings reflect her fascination with the island of Guam’s mixed-breed dogs, particularly those who spend their lives tied to makeshift doghouses. She said, “The limited range of their chains allow them only a small area of ground on which they spend their entire lives. As all modern-day Chamorro [people] are of mixed blood, I find the mixed-breed dogs to be appropriate stand-ins for people.” 16 20
Emily Sorlien ’14 uses the most widely consumed animal on the planet – the chicken – as the subject of her latest series of paintings. She said, “These still lifes are symbolic representations of the contradictory nature of human morality. Their bound, flayed and naked bodies serve to remind us of our own flesh. The connotations of shame, humiliation and bondage that accompany them play an important role in the work.” Paintings by Courtney Neves ’13 coax the viewer into a world of illusion where two-dimensional geometric shapes appear three-dimensional. “I want the viewer to question the form and the space that surrounds the form,” she said. “By putting something flat next to something with dimension, I hope to make the viewer wonder how it all works.” Additional works by RIC alumni that were on display at the Artists’ Collaborative Gallery were by muralist and art educator Tiffany Cabral ’13, sculptor Felicia Scott ’12, painter Justin Guertin ’11, jewelry designer Julian de la Garza ’13 and painter Natalia Falcone ’13. Rhode Island College’s Department of Art is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. RIC is currently in the process of completing construction on a new $17-million art center funded by a voter-approved bond and a $1 million charitable gift to the RIC Foundation from Alex and Ani LLC. – Gita Brown
Channeling the Ocean: Choreographer Kellie Ann Lynch ’03
Growing up by the beaches in n Westerly, choreographer and dancer Kellie Ann Lynch ’03 has always ways felt a connection to the ocean. She said, “I always loved to move as a child. I loved the thrill of motion, being physical, being active.” Her personality, as well, reflects the ocean’s temperament. She said, “I have a strong personality, bold. And I am incredibly independent.” Lynch began choreographing long before she had formal training in dance. “I would get the kids in the neighborhood to perform the dances I made up. And I was really bossy. Though I loved to dance, it had to be on my terms.” As a dance major and member of RIC’s Dance Company, Lynch enjoyed the relentless tide of performances. When up-and-coming or established guest artists in the world of dance would come to RIC to perform, she had the opportunity to work with them. “And they all had different dance styles,” she said. “As students, we had to learn each of their styles and learn them quickly.” Her experiences at RIC, she said, are “a testament to the kind of practice, intensity and commitment dancers have in general.” Three years after graduation, Lynch earned an M.F.A. in choreography and performance at Smith College, and in 2008 she and her husband moved to New Haven, Conn., where she co-founded the Elm City Dance Collective with three other dancers: Lindsey Bauer, Jennifer Brubacher and Emilia VandenBroek. Lynch said they started the collective because, though New Haven was culturally rich in the arts, it didn’t have a contemporary dance community. Along with performing with the collective, Lynch works with Adele Myers and Dancers based in New Haven and with Doug Elkins Choreography, Etc., based in New York.
2014/2015
“The biggest challenge,” she said, “is just keeping up. There is a relentless nature to this thing called dance. There’s the constant challenge to create something new. You’re always seeing. You’re always creating.” Recently the Elm City Dance Collective was invited by the RIC Dance Company to perform an evening-length work conceived and directed by Lynch titled Almost Porcelain. Featuring a cast of nine dancers, Almost Porcelain is about Lynch’s personal struggles with selfimage. She said the work is “a collage of physical explorations stimulated by such concepts as distortion, avoidance, intimacy and the human desire to be seen.” Because it was the most revealing and personal work she’s ever done, the idea of putting this work out there was scary, she said. But, then again, Lynch said, dance itself can be scary. “When you’re standing on a stage performing – maybe at your best, maybe at your most mediocre or worst – you couldn’t be more vulnerable. The reality is that you’re in front of an audience revealing a side of yourself that not many people get to see. You’re revealing your life experience. Though there are dancers who can carry out the mechanics of dance without exposing their insides, a seasoned dancer reveals her life experience.” Lynch makes a point of connecting with her inner life and with her company on a daily basis. Prior to each performance, they acknowledge each other, thank each other and say, “I love you. Let’s see each other on stage tonight.” When she’s not dancing, Lynch and her husband head for the ocean to surf. Facing the sharp sea wind, her dancer’s spirit unites again with the waves – intense, powerful, fearless – all motion and sound.
– Gita Brown
FALL 2014
––––––––––––––––– Senegal St. Joseph Gospel Choir Tuesday, October 7 Laurel Canyon Folkies Monday, October 27 Tomáš Kubínek – Certified Lunatic and Master of the Impossible Wednesday, November 5 The Muir String Quartet Monday, November 17 A Seraphic Fire Christmas – Carols by Candlelight Wednesday, December 3
SPRING 2015 ––––––––––––––––––––––
The Muir String Quartet Monday, February 2 Tango Buenos Aires – Song of Eva Perón Tuesday, February 17 Cirque Alfonse – TIMBER! Wednesday, March 4 KEIGWIN + COMPANY Wednesday, March 11 The Muir String Quartet Monday, April 6
In addition, don’t miss RIC’s many wonderful student performances throughout the year.
www.ric.edu/pfa 21
INTERNATIONAL RIC
Business Athletics
JASON HARRIS ’05, assistant coach at Long Island University
Turning Amateur Athletics Into Professional Opportunities By Denise Perreault
Not every college ballplayer becomes a professional athlete. But a passion for sports can lead to a fulfilling professional life off the playing field, as several former Rhode Island College athletes have demonstrated. We spoke to five graduates of RIC who have turned their love of athletics into careers in coaching, finance, even international travel and manufacturing. While many of these alumni can connect their future careers to specific academic experiences and others benefited from professional connections made on campus, all were thankful for the life lessons they learned at RIC.
Jason Harris ’05 Reflecting on his first year playing RIC basketball, Jason Harris explained that the Anchormen had hit “rock bottom” with a dismal 1-24 record. But a favorite memory is one lone win during his freshman year. “It was one of the most special things that happened,” he said. “You lose so many close ones, and you want it (a win) so bad you can taste it.” So, when your team finally does win, “you feel like you’ve won the championship,” he said, with high-fives and grins all around. Harris continued to play for the Anchormen for four more years and served as captain. Happily by the time he was a senior, the team’s performance improved to 20-9. Today, Harris, a native of Bedford, Mass., knows a lot more about winning league championships. He is assistant coach for men’s basketball at Long Island University (LIU), a Division I school whose team has been league champs for the last three years. The Blackbirds represented the league in the NCAA tourney in 2011, 2012 and 2013. 22
Harris came to LIU, a private college located in downtown Brooklyn, after playing for RIC coach Jack Perri. “(Perri) ended up at LIU as assistant head coach, and he brought me on about six years ago,” he explained. “I’m still working with him.” Harris finds LIU a lot like his alma mater. Just as the majority of RIC students are commuters, only about 20 percent of LIU’s students live on campus, according to Harris. A further similarity is “the sense of family, the sense of community,” he said, “where everybody knows everybody, so it’s hard to fall through the cracks.” When it comes to sports, Harris puts RIC on a par with LIU, although the former is a Division III school and the latter, a part of the highest-rated Division I League. “Rhode Island College is a Division III machine when it comes to athletics,” he said. “It gets a ton of support from (RIC Athletic Director) Don Tencher and the administration. It’s run like a Division I facility.” In fact, Harris says he’s been to Division I schools “where the facilities are not half as nice as RIC’s.”
Kinsey Durgin ’08
Kristy Nix ’07
Kinsey Durgin has a job others might envy. As executive director of recruitment for the Kansas City-based American International Sports Team (AIST), Durgin arranges for student athletes to play competitively in venues around the globe – from the Dominican Republic to Europe and Australia.
The connections Kristy Nix made at Rhode Island College – and learning how to forge such ties – changed her life.
“We take college and high school athletes abroad, literally all over the world,” he said. “We put together all-star-type teams.” The trips last 10 or 12 days and usually span three or four major cities. “I’ll be spending 50 days in Italy this year,” he remarked. As a RIC student, Durgin played basketball in Italy as part of an 11-day AIST tour. Afterwards, he stayed in close touch with AIST and was offered a job about four years ago. “Always, every connection I make, I keep in touch with people willing to help out,” he says. The 28-year-old Maine native and resident was captain of the RIC basketball team in 2006-07 when it “had one of the best years Rhode Island College ever had,” he recalled. The Anchormen for the first time in school history won the Little East Tournament Championship – at which Durgin was named outstanding player – and the Division III team made it to the Elite 8 in the NCAA tourney. Named last year to the Rhode Island College Athletic Hall of Fame, Durgin was not only an avid basketball player at RIC but also a marketing major – a skill set that has come in handy as he tries to attract high school and college athletes from all over the country. “I have to find creative ways to get people’s attention,” he explained. The lessons Durgin learned in RIC Professor Stephen Ramocki’s marketing and management classes “directly translate into a lot of what we do,” Durgin said. In particular, he dreaded public speaking before he came to RIC. But in his marketing courses he was often required to give speeches before the whole class. In time, he became used to it and was anxious no longer. “You need to be able to speak in public in my job,” Durgin said, explaining how he must address groups of 50 people or more on a regular basis. “You have to get out of your comfort zone and just give that presentation,” he said. “(This lesson) is huge for me now.”
The Long Island native came to RIC after hearing about the school from her former roommate who had transferred to RIC in her sophomore year. She knew nothing about the state. “I’m always up for different adventures, and I was intrigued by the idea of Rhode Island,” she admitted. At RIC, she majored in business operations management, a course of study she was told would make her more versatile and marketable than others. “I wanted to do something with business and management,” Nix said, “and that’s how they sold it to me.” As it turned out, business operations management was the perfect major, given her employment today as assistant business manager of the athletic department at the University of Delaware, a job she’s held since September. “Anything to do with money and sports” goes through her office, she said. She monitors spending, handles audits and budgets, and generally keeps the sports department going. “We’re the ones who make it run,” she said. After college, her career in sports started not in management but in coaching – an idea, she said, that she had never considered until her mentor G. Gail Davis ’60 recommended her for a coaching job at St. Mary’s Academy Bay View in East Providence. “It was a foreign idea to me,” Nix said. The idea, however, paid off. For years afterward, she continued coaching, later earning a graduate certificate in it. She also credits RIC Associate Athletic Director Jo-Ann D’Alessandro ’88 as another strong influence. “Rhode Island College helped me with my connections,” Nix said. “The people I met at RIC were very helpful in guiding me as to my next step in starting my career.” She encouraged young people in college today to nurture such relationships. “Your connections and networking with people are always important,” she advised.
The people I met at RIC were very helpful in guiding me as to my next step in starting my career.” She encouraged young people in college today to nurture such relationships. “Your connections and networking with people are always important. Young athletes enjoy sightseeing during an AIST tour of Italy.
– Kristy Nix ’07
23
Eric Britto ’84
Arthur Pontarelli ’71, ’74
Eric Britto never intended to start a successful business. He just wanted people to have fun playing basketball.
A former Anchorman pitcher, Art Pontarelli parlayed his experience as a RIC and CCRI coach into a second career as a major league baseball scout.
At 52, he is majority owner of TrueBounce, a manufacturing company based in New Bedford that makes high-tech perforated backboards – a design he helped invent to improve the game and player performance. “One hundred and fifty percent improvement (in) the way the ball comes off,” reads one testimonial on the company website. Britto realized that putting holes in a basketball backstop would result in “a softer, more friendly bounce for the players,” he said. “No one had really thought of that before,” Britto said. He shares credit for the invention with Wayne D. Newton, a designer and builder who made the TrueBounce prototype.
In 1992, when the Colorado Rockies were starting their expansion franchise, the team’s director of scouting approached Pontarelli for a job as an area scout. With New England as his territory, Pontarelli began seeking and evaluating amateur high school and college players for many years. “You look at kids you might want to draft,” he explained. “You file reports on kids you like. Then the team decides who it wants to draft and in what order.” Pontarelli drew upon his teaching and coaching experience in his evaluations of young players’ potential. “Here’s what the player is today. With the proper teaching, can he become better?” Armed with a radar gun and a critical eye, Pontarelli, like his fellow scouts, graded the players not only on their present skills and abilities but also on their expected performance in the future. “You are trying to figure out if he has peaked already, or if there is more, and if somebody can bring it out,” he said. While spring was his busiest season as an area scout, Pontarelli said that the evaluation cycle kept him active 12 months a year, beginning with the summer leagues. “Everything you do throughout the year is to prepare for the June amateur draft,” he explained.
TrueBounce high-tech backboards are a fixture in many New Englandarea recreation facilities.
Started in 2002, the TrueBounce company today has its backboards in dozens of high schools, Boys and Girls Clubs and recreation centers, mostly in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York. In addition to TrueBounce, Britto owns a small construction company, a career track he said was greatly assisted by his RIC studies in urban development. Britto is most grateful to RIC for the life skills he acquired there. College was valuable because “it taught me how to communicate with (people in) different walks of life,” he said, adding that he learned the importance of preparing for a particular task and then committing to it until it is finished. 24
“Sometimes you can be in love with a kid and you really want to draft him, but somebody from one of the other 29 teams picks him first. Then you are out of luck,” he said. “As soon as draft is over in June, you get ready for the next draft.” After scouting for the Rockies for many years, Pontarelli moved to the New York Mets, where he now works as a professional scout, observing and rating players in the Yankees and Philly minor and major league teams. While these players are already the property of a baseball organization, it’s important that the Mets know who is a desirable player when a trade opportunity arises. Pontarelli said that while no single college course trained him for being a successful scout, his 17-year career in coaching positioned him for this kind of opportunity. Still an avid fan of RIC athletics, Pontarelli has been heavily involved with booster efforts for the Anchor Club and chairs the selection committee for the RIC Athletic Hall of Fame.
Rhode Island College Inducted Seven New Members Into Its Athletic Hall of Fame During the 2013-14 Academic Year Kristyn Alexander ’09 was an outstanding catcher on Rhode Island College’s softball team from 2004 to 2007. During her tenure, the Anchorwomen won three Little East Conference Regular Season Championships and two LEC Tournament titles. RIC won the NCAA N.E. Regional and qualified for the NCAA National Championship Round during her senior year in 2007. Alexander resides in Wareham, Mass., and is currently an elementary physical education and adapted physical education teacher for the Bourne Public School System. She is also a girls’ varsity high school hockey coach for BourneMashpee-Wareham (BMW). –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Kinsey Durgin ’08 was a two-time First Team AllLittle East Conference guard who starred for the men’s basketball program from 2003 to 2007. During his tenure, the Anchormen won the Little East Conference Regular Season Championship in 2005 and 2007, reached the Championship Game of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) N.E. Div. III Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2005 and 2006 and helped RIC capture the program’s first Little East Tournament Championship in 2007 as RIC advanced to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Div. III Men’s Basketball Tournament. At the conclusion of his career, the Greenwood, Maine, native left Rhode Island College having played in a school record 115 games, starting 98 of them. Durgin is currently the executive director of recruiting for American International Sports Teams. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Women’s lacrosse player Caitlin Gavin ’08 was a four-time First Team All-Little East Conference selection from 2004 to 2007 and was named the league’s Co-Offensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2007. Gavin was also an All-New England and All-LEC midfielder for RIC’s women’s soccer team. At the conclusion of her lacrosse career, the Portsmouth native played in 60 games, starting all of them. She is Rhode Island College’s all-time leader in career games played, started, shots (671), free position shots (135), goals (279), assists (45), points (324), ground balls (339), draw controls (292) and caused turnovers (107). Gavin was also an accomplished women’s soccer player from 2003-06 for the Anchorwomen and was the first player in program history to earn National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-New England honors (2006). Gavin is currently an adaptive physical education teacher for the Southcoast Education Collaborative.
Joan Hencler ’01 is the most prolific scorer in Rhode Island College women’s soccer history. The Warwick native starred for the Anchorwomen from 1996 to 1999, coming to the program just one year after its inception. Hencler totaled 38 career goals and 27 career assists for 103 career points. She is RIC’s all-time leader in career goals, assists and points. She reached the 100-point milestone with a five-point effort, giving RIC its first-ever win over Eastern Connecticut State University on Oct. 23, 1999. Hencler was a special education teacher in the Cumberland School Department for five years and is currently an accounting administrator for Falvey Insurance Group. She is actively involved in multiple fundraisers for leukemia and lymphoma research. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Lionel Jean ’74 starred for the Rhode Island College men’s soccer team from 1967 to 1970. The native of Coventry, Conn., closed out his career as an Anchorman with a total of 22 goals and six assists for 50 points. He ranks 11th all-time in program history in terms of career goals and is tied for 13th all-time in career points. Jean was employed as a physical education/health teacher in Connecticut. He taught at the elementary and secondary levels for nearly 30 years until his retirement in 2002, while also serving as his school district’s director of health education. He currently resides in Keene, N.H. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Brian Samson ’72 was a standout for the Rhode Island College men’s soccer team from 1967 to 1970. A native of Warwick, Samson wrapped up his career with the Anchormen, having compiled 21 goals, which ranks 12th all-time in program history. He also added eight assists for a grand total 50 career points with Rhode Island College and is tied for 13th all-time in that regard. Samson earned All-Conference honors while with the Anchormen and also served as a team captain. While at Rhode Island College, Samson served as class president from 1967 to 1969 and also served as a member of the Finance Committee. Samson taught in the Coventry School System for 32 years as a special education teacher. He also remained very active in soccer, as he joined the Rhode Island Soccer Officials Association (RISOA) and refereed high school soccer in the state for many years. He currently resides in East Greenwich. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Thomas Wikiera was the Rhode Island College women’s volleyball team’s first-ever head coach. He led the upstart Anchorwomen from 1977 to 1982 and amassed a sterling 125-60-3 record during his six-year tenure. During his last two seasons, the Woonsocket native led the program to a 47-9 record in 1981 and a 36-4 mark in 1982. Wikiera’s Anchorwomen went undefeated against divisional institutions for a span of nearly four years. In fact, his Anchorwomen held a record of 7-9 against Div. I opponents, a record of 18-20-1 against Div. II opponents and a remarkable 85-5-1 record against Div. III opponents since 1979 when divisional play was initiated. Wikiera resides in North Attleboro, Mass., and works as a financial services representative for New York Life.
25
ALUMNI
Events
Class of 1964: Alex and Ani Hall Benefits From Reunion Gift As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, the Class of 1964 raised $70,000 in donations with a pledge for an additional $5,000 in the future in order to name a meeting space within the new Alex and Ani Hall – a $17 million capital project that will house new art facilities and classrooms when it opens later this fall. “We all agreed it was a worthy cause,” said Claire Giannamore ’64 of her classmates. A deciding factor in the group’s decision, she said, was the opportunity to leverage their donation with a $70,000 matching gift from the Carter Foundation. She added that the class wanted to finance something visible on campus, so that “our grandchildren and friends could reflect and say, ‘I knew someone from the Class of ’64.’” The graduates of ’64 represented the last class to earn degrees from RIC when it was exclusively a school for future educators and industrial artists. RIC has since expanded to five schools – the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development and the Schools of Management, Nursing and Social Work. As part of their curricula, all RIC students from Giannamore’s generation were required to take art. Giannamore credits this experience with helping her develop her appreciation for art and design, as well as her interests in photography, handicrafts and other creative work. “Because we all did have to take art, and because we wanted to fund something in education, it seemed like the perfect fit to make a major donation to the Alex and Ani building,” she said.
The new Alex and Ani Hall, slated to open this fall, will include a meeting space named for the Class of 1964.
The Class of ’64 raised more than $100,000 in total donations and pledges, $10,000 of which was contributed to the Shinn Study Abroad Program.
Members of the Class of 1964 and guests gather for their 50th RIC reunion.
26
Mike Montecalvo ’84 emcees the honor roll awards.
Kelsey Fournier ’12,Young Alumni Award winner, poses with friend Mike Brown.
Wally Musto ’00, co-emcee, announces the top six alumni award winners.
Terry Hassett ’85 accepts the Charles B. Willard Professional Achievement Award.
Dr. Robert Ricci M.Ed. ’66, C.A.G.S. ’70, is congratulated by President Nancy Carriuolo and Bill Fazioli ’86, president of the RIC Alumni Association.
(l-r) Alumnus of the Year Vic Ventura ’71 celebrates with his wife Nancy, daughter-in-law Simone and her husband Greg Ventura.
27
CLASS
1981
Notes
Lisa Lepore was honored with the 2014 Distinguished Principal Award by the National Catholic Educational Association’s Elementary Schools Department. Lepore has been an educator for nearly 30 years and has served as principal of Saint Mary School in Cranston for six years.
1959 As part of the 2014 World Voyage, Brian and Marianne (Maynard) Needham traveled through the Panama Canal aboard the Queen Elizabeth, visiting Costa Rica and San Francisco. Fred and Alice (Corsair) Reinhardt traveled to Spain in April 2013 to visit their grandson at the University of Seville. They also vacationed in Portugal in October 2013.
1961 Catherine (Magill) DeCataldo is a trustee and secretary of Holy Family Parish in Woonsocket. She and her husband John live in North Smithfield and have seven children, including Christine ’88, Louis ’92 and Paul ’05.
1964 Camille Spicola is president of the Italian-American Historical Society of Rhode Island.
1971 John Silvia has been named president of the State-Wide Multiple Listing Service of Rhode Island. Silvia is founding president of New England Prime Properties and vice chair of the Rhode Island Real Estate Commission.
Karen Davie ’76
1976 Karen Davie has been named senior vice president of philanthropy and governance for Care New England Health System to oversee fundraising and staffing of governance functions. Davie most recently served in a similar position at Women & Infants Hospital. Anne-Marie Lombardo is one of the first inductees into the Griffin-Spalding County (Georgia) School System’s Educator Hall of Fame established in 2013. Lombardo taught math at Griffin High School, where she earned accolades for her dedication to teaching and learning. She was also honored twice as Teacher of the Year and served as math department chair.
1977 David Kirk has published his second novel, Cornerstones (Martin Sisters Publishing Company), about a young adult’s metaphorical journey of selfdiscovery. Kirk lives in Logansport, Ind.
1974
1979
Carl Mueller retired in 2013, after 40 years as an art teacher and administrator. For 24 of the 40 years, he worked in the Burrillville School Department. He is enjoying his retirement with his children Lily, 10, and Logan, 7. His wife Pauline Mueller (see Class 2000) teaches art in the Burrillville School Department.
Lydia (Giardina) Mattera is a preschool special education teacher at Vartan Gregorian Elementary School in Providence, where she also directs musicals for the school’s drama club. She appears regularly with local theatre companies, including Theatre Works in Woonsocket, Attleboro Community Theatre and the Mill River Dinner Theatre in Central Falls.
1975 The founder of The Valley Breeze newspaper, Thomas Ward, was presented with the Ben G. Mondor Award by the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce for his commitment to philanthropy and for his significant contributions in enhancing the lives of Rhode Islanders.
28
1982
1980 A North Providence High School teacher for 24 years, Patricia Lucciola was named Rhode Island Art Teacher of the Year and Secondary School Art Teacher of the Year by the Rhode Island Art Education Association.
When Rivers Burned: The Earth Day Story, a nonfiction children’s book by Linda Crotta Brennan (M.Ed.), won a gold medal in the environmental issues category of the 2013 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award. Her book also won a 2013 Green Book Festival Award in history. Brennan has published more than 20 books and writes for several magazines.
1983 (John) Jay Primiano co-authored a novel with John Rocco titled Swim That Rock, a coming-of-age story about growing up on Narragansett Bay. Jay worked as a shell fisherman on the bay, while studying English at Rhode Island College. He is currently director of parks and recreation for Charlestown.
1985 Mary Ellen (Dame) Casey became board certified in infection control and epidemiology. She is an infection preventionist at Women & Infants Hospital.
Michael Barnes ’88
1988 Michael Barnes of Foster-Glocester Regional Schools has been named 2014 Rhode Island Superintendent of the Year by the Rhode Island School Superintendents’ Association. He has served in Foster-Glocester since he began teaching in the district in 1988.
1988
1989
1991
Marilyn Kontrafouris-Eleftheriou was recently named course coordinator for the Pediatric Nursing Department at Chamberlain College of Nursing in Atlanta, Ga.
Shawn Reilly was hired as operations manager at R&D Technologies Inc., the North Kingstown-based reseller of Stratasys 3D printing systems. Reilly is responsible for business operations, sales, design/ prototype consulting and client services.
In February 2014, Naxos released the world-premiere recording of composer Peter Boyer’s Symphony No. 1. The recording features the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Boyer’s direction and includes four additional works by the composer.
James (Jim) Reynolds is vice president and cross-functional information technology director for State Street Trust and Banking Co. Ltd. in Japan. His responsibilities range from strategic planning and sales support to project management and business analysis services both in Japan and across the North Asia region. He was appointed to their board of directors in 2012.
Stacey Geer starred as Mrs. Lovett, business partner and accomplice of barber/serial killer Sweeney Todd, in The Community Players’ production of Sweeney Todd at the Jenks Auditorium in Pawtucket. Her husband Gregory Geer (see Class of 2001) played the lead.
Luis San Lucas ’88
Lieutenant Luis San Lucas was promoted to director of training for the Providence Police Department, where he was formerly the district commander. He recently retired from the U.S. Army Reserve as a lieutenant colonel with 23 years of service.
Ronda Warrener ’89
The Rhode Island Monthly and Five Star Professional named Ronda Warrener a 2014 Rhode Island Five Star Wealth Manager. She is a certified financial planner and a financial services representative at Barnum Financial Group, an office of MetLife and part of the MetLife Premier Client Group.
1990
Renee (Cardi) Aloisio ’89
1989 Renee (Cardi) Aloisio has been made partner and chief operating officer of the Providence financial services firm LGC+. Aloisio has been with the firm since 1989. She is a founding member of their women’s initiative Women Count and leads the firm’s Women in Business activities.
Ann Lussier-Griffin was hired as assistant headmaster of Student Life at the Saint Bernard School in Uncasville, Conn. She was previously assistant principal at Sacred Heart School in Groton, Conn. Her daughter Shannon is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in elementary education at RIC.
1991 Cinderella Spinderella, Mark Binder’s (M.A.) latest book, has been released as the first international illustrated e-book for families. It is described as “a modern twist on a classic story with a contemporary message of empowerment.”
Brian Mulhearn ’92
1992 Brian Mulhern is co-host of the Cat Country 98.1 Morning Show. He is also the traffic and sports director for the Providence-based station that won the 2013 CMA (Country Music Association) Award for large market radio station of the year. Tonianne Napolitano received her M.Ed. in administration from Providence College in 2010 and her Ed.D. in educational leadership from Johnson & Wales University in 2013.
1993 North Smithfield High School Guidance Director William Pepin has been awarded the 2013 Rhode Island Association of Admission Officers School Counselor Award for his commitment and dedication to his profession and to the students whom he serves.
29
1995
1999
2002
Christine (Turilli) Bernardo (M.A.T.) was named Rhode Island History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehman Institute of American History. Bernardo has been an educator in the Jamestown School System for over 12 years and currently teaches fifth grade at Lawn School.
Cari Anne (McDonald) Miller (M.S.W.) is a military family life counselor for the Department of Defense/Magellan Health Care at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
Kimberly Sherman-Leon announced the re-launch of Rhode Island Creative Magazine (RICM) in September. She founded RICM to generate awareness of the creative industry in Rhode Island.
2000 Christine (Cabral) Gadbois was elected board president of the Rhode Island State Nurses Association after having served 18 months as the board’s vice president. Christine is vice president of Seven Hills Rhode Island, a nonprofit organization serving adults and children with disabilities. Pauline Mueller is an art teacher in the Burrillville School Department. Her husband Carl Mueller (see Class of 1974) recently retired after a 40year career as an art teacher. Smithfield High School’s Michael Starring was named 2013 Rhode Island Technology Teacher of the Year by the Rhode Island Technology and Engineering Education Association. He taught at Lincoln High School for five years before moving to Smithfield High.
Suzanne Augenstein ’97
1997
Raina Smith has been hired as director of communications for Rhode Island Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis. She is a former Channel 12-WPRI reporter, a freelance writer and published novelist.
1998 Elizabeth Noren (M.A.T.) is communications council director on the board of directors for The Junior League of Rhode Island Inc. She teaches at Warwick Veterans Memorial High School.
30
Rebecca (Andrade) Dumont, a special education teacher at Middletown High School, has earned a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study from the University of New England. Ellen (Zyrkowski) Kingery was named Teacher of the Year by the La Mesa Spring Valley (Calif.) School District. She made it to the top 45 of 26,000 educators in San Diego County and was recognized on the televised award show A Salute to Teachers. Melissa Trevitt and her husband Sean welcomed their first son James Logan on May 14, 2013. Trevitt received her M.Ed. in special education from Rhode Island College in 2012.
2004 Matthew Bessette recently authored articles that were featured in Diffractions, the Lisbon Consortium’s graduate journal for the study of culture, and Past Tense, the University of Toronto’s graduate review of history. Michael Colardo, who teaches health and physical education in Walpole, Mass., received his M.Ed. in health education from Rhode Island College in 2013.
Suzanne Augenstein was named to the board of directors of Tockwotton on the Waterfront, an assisted living care facility. Most recently, she served as bar administrator for Rhode Island Supreme Court. Prior to that, she was grants coordinator for U.S. Congressman James Langevin. Joseph Gemma was elected vice president of the International Federation of Robotics. He has been in the robotics industry for over 25 years and is the CEO of Stäubli Corporation in Duncan, S.C.
2003
Jonathan Devolve, a health and physical education teacher in Tiverton, received his M.Ed. in administration and school leadership from the University of Phoenix in 2010. Gregory M.A. ’01 and Stacey Geer ’91
2001 Gregory Geer (M.A.) played lead in The Community Players’ production of Sweeney Todd at the Jenks Auditorium in Pawtucket. His wife Stacey Geer (see Class of 1991) played the role of Mrs. Lovett.
2002 Attorney Alicia J. Samolis was made a partner at Partridge Snow & Hahn in January 2014. She was also listed among the 2013 Rhode Island Rising Stars in Super Lawyers Magazine, a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition.
2006 Kevin Payette received an M.Ed. in educational leadership from George Mason University in 2010 and an M.Ed. in instructional technology from the University of Wyoming in 2011. He teaches physical education, health and adaptive physical education at Bradley School in Providence. Lianne (Elsner) Poisson and husband Nathan (see Class of 2008) announced the birth of their son, James Michael, on September 16, 2013.
2007 Alicia Roque Ruggieri recently published her first young-adult novel, The House of Mercy, set in post-Roman Arthurian Britain. She and her husband reside in coastal New England.
2007
2009
2013
Nada Samih-Rotondo received an M.F.A. in creative writing from Lesley University in 2012.
Ryan Marsh has returned to Rhode Island from California after a few years of working in public accounting. He is now information aide for RIC’s Counseling and Educational Leadership Program.
David Bradley is a research associate for Economic and Leadership Development at Rhode Island College.
2008 Adjunct professor and independent filmmaker Derek Dubois’ thriller Fallout was given the New England Discovery Award at the Rhode Island International Film Festival and was honored as Best Action/Suspense Film of 2013 by the Online New England Film Festival. His film Lucid won the Providence Underground Award at the Rhode Island 2013 International Horror Film Festival, and the premiere of his documentary City on the Move is scheduled for a fall release as a fundraiser for the city of Woonsocket’s 2014 Autumnfest, a celebration that the film examines. Nathan Poisson and wife Lianne (see Class of 2006) announced the birth of their son, James Michael, on September 16, 2013. John Weir has been named video coordinator of the men’s basketball team at Iona College. He was an assistant coach at Rhode Island College for the 2009-10 season and resides in Brooklyn, N.Y. Kristen York has been promoted to senior paralegal at Swarovski in Cranston, where she has been employed since 2011.
2010
Kelsie Brejcha performed last summer for Festival 56, a professional theatre event at the Grace Performing Arts Center in Princeton, Ill.
Tanya (Simeone) Bryant earned a Massachusetts salesperson real estate license in 2013. Brett Davidson joined the Providence financial services firm LGC+D as an audit associate. Kristen Walaska, a research assistant at Miriam Hospital, has co-authored the paper “Building an Evidence-Base Using Qualitative Data for mHealth Development,” which has been accepted for the 47th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.
Naysh Fox ’13
2011 Moise Bourdeau enrolled last fall in the graduate program in international health policy and management at the Heller School for Social Policy at Brandeis University.
Naysh Fox has been signed by a management agency in New York and is currently being sent to upper-tier professional auditions in New York and Los Angeles.
Accountant Edward Martin has been hired by Teknor Apex Company and is studying for the CPA exam, after spending almost three years at Summer Infant.
Raúl Iriarte has been hired as a Spanish teacher at Fairhaven High School in Massachusetts.
2012 Brittany Abbenante, who has been with Swarovski Company since 2010, has been promoted to store manager. Justin Bibee is working toward his master’s degree in peace building and conflict transformation at SIT (School for International Training) Graduate Institute. He departed for Morocco, North Africa, in January on a Peace Corps assignment as a youth asset builder. Ashley DeBiasio (M.P.Ac.) is a CPA and audit supervisor for Sansiveri, Kimball & Co. LLP. She has been with the company since 2008. Peter Jacavone ’09
Jennifer Lopez is a health mentor specialist for The Providence Center.
2009
Accountant Stephanie Lopez is an associate internal auditor for Hasbro Inc. in Pawtucket.
Peter Jacavone has been promoted to assistant vice president and construction risk specialist for the Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage firm. He was previously account executive for Canon Business Solutions.
A middle school special education inclusion teacher for Providence Public Schools, Alexandra Puleo is also enrolled in RIC’s M.Ed. in urban multicultural special education program, which will allow her to obtain ESL certification.
Daniel McCarthy ’13
Winner of the 2013 Mary Ann Hawkes Award in Justice Studies, Daniel McCarthy was a participant in the American Sociological Association Honors Program last August, where he presented the results of his RIC honors thesis. The program included a trip to the U.N. Hilary Switzer was named aquatics director for the Woonsocket YMCA, where she has been a swim instructor since 2003. She is also assistant swim coach at Mount Saint Charles Academy in Woonsocket.
31
ALUMNI
Weddings
Congratulations!
IN
Memoriam 1937 Eleanor M. (Deane) Gallup in January ’14
1938 Mildred I. (Odell) Usher in September ’13
1939 Corinne E. (Comstock) Amadon in April ’13 Doris L. (Sherman) Slavin in March ’14
1940 Blanche C. (Graichen) D’Angelo in September ’13 Helen M. (Kiernan) McCartney in November ’13 Catherine M. (Regan) Reardon in January ’14 Phyllis L. (Parker) Sasso in October ’13
1941 Jane (Place) Andrews in September ’13 Jean F. (Anderson) Benoit in September ’13 Irene E. (Gallo) Mosier in January ’14 James Russo in May ’13
1942 Beatrice (Schwartz) Levin in February ’14 William J. McKenna in October ’13
1943 Estelle R. (Goldin) Rosen in November ’13 Frank R. Saraceno in March ’14
1944 Raymond J. Beausejour ’68 (left) to William H. Eyman in August ’13
1946
1968
Velma E. (Young) Holt in March ’14 Madaline V. (Brett) King in December ’13 Ida A. (Steve) Tegovich in February ’14
Raymond J. Beausejour to William H. Eyman in August ’13
1947
2000
Eleanor C. (Connors) Gallogly in November ’13
Daniel J. Mastrostefano to Kelly E. Gallagher in June ’13
1948
2001
Irene V. (Majka) Broadmeadow in February ’14
David Barr to Meredith Kaufman ’09 in September ’12
2003
1949 Dr. Edward H. Bourque in December ’13
1950
Ellen Zyrkowski to Matt Kingery in October ’13
Jacqueline “Jackie” (Swindells) Morgan in July ’13
2006
1951
Paul P. Olson to Erin M. Canfield in June ’13
William V. Lalli in June ’12 (master’s) Marvis R. (Winterbottom) Wood-Ford in March ’14
2008
32
Florence P. (Genua) Fraumeni in February ’14
1956
Daniel Cabral to Sara Cloutier ’10 in June ’12 Amanda Mousseau to Theodolo Gallardo Jr. in October ’13
Claire L. (Rattey) Fitzgaireld in March ’14 Rae F. (Cahill) Wynne in March ’14
2010
1957
Tanya Simeone to Allen Bryant in August ’13
Rosaleen (Mantzaris) Baldwin in September ’13 Helen F. McGovern in October ’13
2011
1958
Angela Bannister to Bruno Bras in October ’12
Cornelius “Con” A. Cummiskey in September ’13 (master’s) Jacqueline M. (Nelson) Luther in February ’14
1960
1976
Catherine R. (Cullinane) Kennedy in November ’13 Joseph W. Menard in October ’13
John J. Azevedo Jr. in November ’13 (master’s) James A. Corrigan in November ’13 (master’s) Denise M. (Maciel) Walker in February ’13
1961 Ronald R. Collette in April ’13 (master’s) Betty J. (Martin) Lees in February ’14 Marilynn J. (Wrona) Schwaner in March ’14
1962 Virginia (Wood) Poulten in October ’13
1963 Gloria E. Del Papa in December ’13 (master’s) Henry “Hank” J. McDeed in February ’14 (master’s)
1964 Dr. Alice (Gentes) Boudreau in March ’13 Jane M. (Condon) Keenan in November ’13 Gerald “Jerry” J. Lima in April ’13 Shirley E. (Johnson) Nordquist in October ’13 Catherine I. Rettenmyer in November ’13
1965 Diane M. (Detoro) DeVogel in December ’12 Helen A. Gumieniak in March ’14
1966 Carol A. (Lally) Goodwin in January ’14 (master’s) Barbara A. (Niemiec) Hurley in December ’13 (master’s) Louis C. Loughery in November ’13 Jane A. (McGeary) Watson in April ’14 (master’s)
1977 Rosary T. (Ciccone) Bell in December ’13 Roberta “Robin” (Towle) Burdick in September ’13 (master’s) Cynthia A. Kittell in April ’14 Virginia “Ginny” R. (Moor) Loynds in January ’14
1979 Evelyn M. (D’Iorio) Mallozzi in April ’13 (master’s)
1980 Mary Elizabeth (McKenna) Kelly in September ’13
1981 Judith A. (Johnson) Daniel in March ’13 (master’s) Helen (Fidas) Hantzopoulos in December ’13 (master’s)
1982 Laura J. Albanese in August ’13 Edward R. Hurley in October ’13
1983 Mary A. (Harkness) LaPlante in November ’13 Philip A. Levesque in August ’13
1984 James M. Barron in December ’13
1967
1985
Edward A. McLaughlin in January ’14 (master’s) Sr. Mary Nerney in December ’13 (master’s)
Maureen Azar in January ’14
1968 Rose A. (McAndrew) Bradner in October ’13 (master’s) Dr. Carol Ann (Bjork) Paul in May ’13 (master’s) Edward C. Rossi in February ’14
1969
1987 Alicia (Marcille) Foley in May ’13 Judy (Donaldson) Nelson Herman in September ’13 (master’s)
1988 Edward E. Hanrahan Sr. in September ’13
Mary “Tommy” E. (Sargent) Baker in July ’13 Robert “Bob” S. Frueh in December ’13 Elise “Risey” L. Litterick in February ’14 Catherine A. (Finni) Ryan in September ’13
1992
1970
Caroline M. (Neri) Colozzi in September ’13
Marcia S. (Sayles) Butler in December ’13 (master’s)
1997
1971
David B. Cahoon in December ’13
Joan F. (Rec) Jalette in January ’13
1998
1972
William H. Delmonico in February ’13
Glenna M. (Viweg) Giordano in August ’13 Meryl Levinson in July ’13
2007
1973 Roger G. Allard in October ’13 (master’s) Dina Cote in October ’13 (master’s) Richard A. Daigle in January ’14 (master’s)
Lee A. (Wiglusz) Fazio in January ’14
1996
Tracy J. Pinto in June ’13
2008 Kyle C. Cerilli in April ’14
2012
1974
Gary J. Duffey in February ’14 (master’s)
Dennis M. Kane in June ’13 Anthony Masi in December ’13 (master’s)
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
1975 Geraldine E. (Robertson) Abberton in February ’14 Col. Howard F. Brown in March ’14 (master’s)
HONORARY DEGREE 1982 Marion (Faggen) Simon in December ’13
33
Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Providence, RI Permit No. 966
Rhode Island College 600 Mt. Pleasant Avenue Providence, RI 02908-1996
September
August
Alumni Association Liberty Mutual Cup Golf Tournament Monday, September 22, 2014 Cranston Country Club
Alumni Summer Gathering – Newport Polo Saturday, August 23, 2014 | 5 p.m. Newport vs. New York
Homecoming Friday and Saturday, October 17 – 18, 2014
at Rhode Island College
nion Plan a reu ing om at Homec this year! e, mni Offic lu A e h t Call - 8827. (401) 456