From Canadian roots to his forever home on the Hilltop, the journey of Abbot Isaac Murphy, O.S.B., to becoming the sixth abbot of Saint Anselm has been impressive, impactful, and filled with devotion.
By Paul J. Pronovost ’91
20 LOOK TO THE HELPERS
By making the safety of others their life’s mission, these four alumni epitomize what it means to be an Anselmian.
By Bridget (Martin) Lazzara ’11
30
THE ART OF POSSIBILITY
As a corporate art consultant, Amanda (McGowan) Lacasse ’07 thrives on connecting people with art.
By Laurie D. Morrissey
32 TALKING SHOP
Chris Tinsley ’13 is growing a billion-dollar affiliate marketing platform—and helping Saint Anselm students along the way.
By Matthew Broderick ’96
36
THE END OF AN ERA
Eleven longtime faculty and staff members share some of their favorite memories (and a fun fact or two) from their combined 300-plus years on the Hilltop.
By Kate Grip Denon
On the Hilltop
On the cover:
Abbot Isaac Murphy, O.S.B., who made history when he became the sixth abbot of Saint Anselm College, shares how his path led him to the college, and why there’s no place he’d rather be.
Photo by Kevin Harkins
Inside cover:
The springtime vibes were easy to find this semester on the Hilltop.
Photo by Jason Kolnos
This page:
This collection of medals is a visual testament to the impressive career Jim McDonnell ’81, chief of police for the L.A.P.D., has had serving others.
Photo by Jeff Newton
Visit the website at www.anselm.edu/portraits
Portraits is published two times a year for the alumni, college community, and friends of Saint Anselm College. The magazine is produced by the Office of College Communications and Marketing (603-641-7240) and published by Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, N.H. 03102-1310. Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and (except for editorials) do not necessarily reflect the position of the college or the editors. Email: magazine@anselm.edu
Portraits
THE MAGAZINE OF SAINT ANSELM COLLEGE
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Paul J. Pronovost ’91
EDITOR
Kate Grip Denon
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Annee Newton Giard
DESIGNER
Melanie deForest-Malloy
COPY EDITOR
Barbara Coles
CONTRIBUTORS:
Katelyn Arnold ’23
Anna Brennan-Curry
Matthew Broderick ’96
Kim Casey
David Driver
Samantha Jette ’20
Bridget (Martin) Lazzara ’11
Laurie D. Morrissey
Laura (Rossi) Lemire ’06
Maya Pontes ’26
MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD:
Dr. Gary Bouchard
Faculty Representative
Keith P. Chevalier
College Archivist, Head of Special Collections
Joseph Emmons ’04
Assistant Vice President of Alumni Relations and Engagement
James F. Flanagan
Senior Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer
Fr. Augustine G. Kelly, O.S.B. ’83
Monastery Representative
Bridget (Martin) Lazzara ’11
Alumni At-Large Representative
Dr. Tauna Sisco
Faculty Representative
Letters!
The Fall/Winter 2025 edition of Portraits beautifully presented 50 Stories from 50 Years of inspiring Anselmian women, many of whom were familiar and fondly remembered. I sadly missed seeing Sister Christopher Weber, O.S.B. (1928-2013), formerly of the education department, who ministered on the Hilltop alongside Sister Nivelle Berning, O.S.B. (and many other Benedictine sisters) from 1972-2008.
Across her tenure at Saint Anselm, she periodically chaired the college’s education department in addition to teaching courses on human development, but she was perhaps best known for structuring and guiding students through the Sophomore Early Field Experience (SEFE)—a crucial, non-credit observational program that helped students discern a career in teaching.
“Sister Chris” as we called her (among ourselves) was a “nononsense” educator with high expectations for her students and she kept a dedicated eye on what was best for each learner. I have thought of her often in my own classroom. She is missed by many.
—Jeffrey W. Aubuchon ’02, Librarian, Legislative Reference Bureau, Honolulu, Hawaii
ALUMNI EVENTS
SEPTEMBER 5
Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Grappone Hall Ribbon Cutting, Blessing, and Building Dedication
SEPTEMBER 27
Family Weekend
NOVEMBER 1–2
Homecoming Weekend
NOVEMBER 2
Alumni Awards Brunch
alumni.anselm.edu
COLLEGE EVENTS
Alva de Mars Megan Chapel Art Center
SEPTEMBER 25
The Chapel Art Center will exhibit for the first time, all at once, its complete collection of Corita Kent prints, with an opening reception from 6-8. Please join us!
For more information, visit: anselm.edu/arts/chapel-art-center
Dana Center for the Performing Arts
SEPTEMBER 20
Taste of Ireland
SEPTEMBER 27
Family Weekend Show
OCTOBER 11
Saeyoon Chon
NOVEMBER 14
Mac McAnally
NOVEMBER 23
ATIOD Dance Now!
DECEMBER 5
Country Christmas
DECEMBER 11
Cherish the Ladies
DECEMBER 19-21
Nutcracker-Ballet Misha
JANUARY 10
ATIOD Winter Intensive JANUARY 18 1964
JANUARY 29-31
Universal Ballet Competition
www.anselm.edu/dana-center-humanities
CLARIFICATION In the Fall/Winter 2025 issue of Portraits, the Abbey Church’s stained glass and statues were attributed to Sylvia Nicolas. In fact, the artwork in the church was a family commission. Her father, Joep, designed the stained glass windows and her mother, Suzanne, created the statues. Sylvia’s mosaics are in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.
Email your letter to: magazine@anselm.edu or post to: Editor, Portraits | Saint Anselm College | 100 Saint Anselm Drive | Manchester, NH 03102-1310
Dear Friends,
The poet Maya Angelou famously said, “If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you are going.” As we have been preparing our next strategic plan, Vision 2030: Ascent to the Hilltop, I have reflected quite a bit on the accomplishments of Vision 2025, which concluded this summer.
We have much to celebrate with Vision 2025: the establishment of the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences; the opening of the Gregory J. Grappone Humanities Institute; the creation of graduate programs in criminal justice, special education, nursing leadership, and public policy; the addition of track and field and other athletic programs; and so much more. We launched Vision 2025 during the uncertainty of a global pandemic and, five years later, we begin
Ascent to the Hilltop with considerable momentum and excitement.
I look forward to sharing details about the new plan in the months ahead as we endeavor to provide an exceptional student experience and grow our institutional capacity to serve students long into the future. My deepest gratitude to the Saint Anselm community for their unwavering support!
This issue of Portraits magazine is a showcase of those whose influence extends from our campus to every corner of society. Abbot Isaac, who made history as the first non-ordained abbot in modern history, shares his journey from the province of Quebec to the Saint Anselm Abbey. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell ’81 and other service leaders offer expert insight into crisis response. And you will meet alumni
such as Taylor Cox ’01, who founded Amplified Nation; Amanda (McGowan) Lacasse ’07, a corporate art consultant; and Chris Tinsley ’13, who is building a consumer community through his digital marketing platform ShopMy.
Indeed, the Saint Anselm community contributes to the betterment of our world in so many ways. As I begin my final year as president of the college, I am mindful of the responsibility entrusted to me to see our beloved Hilltop into the next chapter of Saint Anselm’s rich history, and I look forward to handing the baton to the next leader to continue the journey.
Sincerely,
Joseph A. Favazza, Ph.D. President
President Favazza gathers with members of the Class of 2020 during their special return to campus for Reunion Weekend 2025.
CLASS OF 2025 ENCOURAGED TO GO OUT AND MAKE THE WORLD BETTER
Saint Anselm College’s 132nd Commencement was held on Saturday, May 17, celebrating 459 students who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees. During the ceremony, graduates were encouraged to use the values and lessons from their time on the Hilltop to better understand and, ultimately, change the world.
College President Joseph A. Favazza, Ph.D., counseled graduates to understand, through forbearance, that everyone is shaped by their experiences, and that people look at issues from a particular place with a particular lens,
that no one possesses the entire truth.
“As you commence from this Hilltop, I want to remind you that knowing and learning stuff is simply not enough. To live authentically in relationship with others, you must understand how you know and how others know, and allow that understanding to create some space for empathy especially for those who claim truths quite different from your own,” advised Favazza, Ph.D.
“If you can do this, success will find you and you will leave the world, just as you leave this Hilltop today, better than how you found it,” concluded Favazza.
“Congratulations, Class of 2025. Go make the world better.”
The Commencement Exercises were held on the Alumni Quadrangle. Despite the weather forecast, there was a large and festive crowd of family and friends cheering for the graduands as their names were read by Dean Mark Cronin, Ph.D.; Dean Diane Uzarski, D.N.P., M.P.H., R.N., and Professor Laura Wasielewski, Ed.D.
Four individuals who have distinguished themselves as nurses, journalists, community leaders, entrepreneurs, and humanitarians
Overcast skies didn't dampen the spirit or enthusiasm of the Class of 2025 on their commencement day.
Photos by Kim Casey, Leah LaRiccia, and Gil Talbot
received honorary degrees during the ceremonies.
Pulitzer-prize winning writer Carlos Lozada delivered the commencement address, “How to Read Like a Human,” and received an Honorary Doctorate in journalism.
“When we can feel our own fears— and our joys—in the lives of others who seem unlike us, we are touching something universal,” said Lozada. “If your reading leads you to ask, ‘I wonder what it would be like,’ then you’re doing it right. You’re reading like a human.”
Presenting his citation, Fr. Jerome Day, O.S.B. ’75 remarked that Lozada “is a truth-seeker in an age of misinformation and disinformation—an erudite whose work exemplifies the careful discernment, humility, and moral clarity that lie at the heart of a liberal arts education.”
Lozada has served as an opinion columnist at The New York Times since 2022. He previously was a senior editor and book critic at The Washington Post, where he was awarded the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. His approach to both roles was clear in his address.
“Don’t read to affirm who you are; read to discover who you are, as a person, as a friend, as a citizen,” said Lozada, where he made the case for the importance of reading.
Lozada was born in Lima, Peru, and migrated to California with his family as a child. Lozada joined the University of Notre Dame faculty in 2009 as an adjunct professor for the Washington Program and taught a seminar on American political journalism.
“Treat your books like your friends. Bond with them and fight with them. Look for difference, not sameness. Make memories out of your books, visit with them again and again and again,” concluded Lozada. “After today, you’ll always be a Hawk. But a life of reading will make you fully human, too.”
Other honorary degree recipients included Dan Forbes ’81; Jim Masiello; and
Students-turned-alumni gathered in celebration after the ceremony.
The excitement was contagious for every graduate receiving their diploma.
Women’s field hockey starting right midfielder, Abby Breznyak ’25, wears the 2023 NE10 Championship ring and the 2024 National Championship ring.
Capt. (Ret.) Monique V. Petrofsky ’83
As the founding director of the Meelia Center for Community Engagement, Forbes remains a cornerstone of the college’s service work, having dedicated his life to empowering students and transforming lives both on and off the Hilltop. During his more than three decades, Forbes inspired countless Anselmians to embrace the values of compassion, service, and leadership, leaving an indelible mark on the college, the Manchester community, and beyond.
A visionary entrepreneur, philanthropist and community leader, the late Jim Masiello left a lasting imprint on the world. Masiello was a dedicated public servant with a track record of founding and leading multiple successful businesses. He deeply believed in supporting others and service to society. His son, Chris Masiello, received the H.D. for his father.
Capt. Petrofsky was recognized for her dedication to improving public health in some of the most challenging environments in the world. A nurse epidemiologist and Captain in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), Petrofsky’s work in various countries throughout Africa has alleviated suffering, strengthened communities, and advanced the mission of global health.
The student speaker, Lindsey Dunn ’25, a nursing major from Milton, Mass., graduated Summa Cum Laude spoke about the ways they have changed over
Pulitzer-prize-winning writer Carlos Lozada delivered the commencement address and received an Honorary Doctorate in journalism.
Retiring English professor, Ann Holbrook, Ph.D. (center), received the 2025 Distinguished Faculty Award.
The college’s Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice graduated 15 students, while four students received their Master of Education in Special Education (below left).
Three graduates were presented the Chancellor’s Award for their 4.0 grade point averages. From left: Abbot Isaac, O.S.B., Megan Wozniak, Roman Gugliemo, Christine Landry, and President Favazza.
Lindsey Dunn, a nursing major from Milton, Mass., graduated Summa Cum Laude, and was the student speaker for the Class of 2025.
the past few years and encouraged them to never lose touch with the values they learned during their time at Saint Anselm.
“No matter how far away you travel from this quaint Benedictine college, bring your good life, your Anselmian values, with you,” concluded Dunn. “Involve yourself in your new communities. Radiate kindness. Show up for others. Hold the door for the person behind you.”
Abbot Isaac Murphy, O.S.B., the chancellor of the college, then presented three students, Roman Gugliemo, a marketing major from Hampton, N.H., Christine Landry, a French and environmental studies major in the honors program from Plymouth, Mass., and Megan Wozniak, a biochemistry and molecular biology major in the honors program from Melrose, Mass., with Chancellor’s Awards, each with gradepoint averages of 4.0. This is the first time three students have shared the honor.
During the ceremonies, Professor Kevin Doran, Ph.D., presented the 2025 Distinguished Faculty Award to retiring English Professor Ann Holbrook, Ph.D., on behalf of the college’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). Doran cited, “What
stands out the most when you talk to students, alumni, and faculty about [her] is that [she is] an amazing educator. As one student puts it: ‘She wants every student to succeed and grow, and she will push her students to make sure that happens.’”
Hooding ceremonies for the college’s Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice and Master of Education in Special Education programs took place on the morning of commencement, with 15 criminal justice and four
education students conferred degrees.
On the day prior to commencement, the Senior Honors Convocation celebrated the academic achievement of the class of 2025, with 16 awards going to individuals, along with the recognition of seniors inducted into 16 honor societies.
The Convocation was followed by the Baccalaureate Mass, with Fr. John Fortin, O.S.B. ’71, delivering the Homily.
“There are times when that way forward for us will not be completely clear, when we will realize that to be truly fulfilled, we will have to make some mid-course corrections, however difficult they may be,” said Fr. Fortin. “May your way forward bring you a life well-lived, a life of good choices, a life filled with the love and grace that come from Jesus Christ.”
Following the Baccalaureate Mass, a graduation celebration was held for six senior members of the men’s lacrosse team, who left campus prior to Commencement to compete in the semi-finals of the NCAA Div. II national championship.
To read the full remarks of the commencement speakers, view photos and the simulcast of the event, go to anselm.edu/commencement.
Ella Gordon was one of the 459 graduates from the Class of 2025, earning her degree in business administration and marketing.
A graduation celebration was held for six senior members of the men’s lacrosse team, who left campus prior to Commencement to compete in the semi-finals of the NCAA Div. II national championship.
RECENT SAINT ANSELM GRADUATE AWARDED FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIP
Diego Benites ’25 was named a Fulbright recipient for the academic year 2025-2026. Out of a large pool of accomplished applicants (more than 900 this year), Benites stood out for his leadership and academic ability and was chosen for one of the 189 English Teaching Assistant (ETA) awards granted.
“[Benites’] motivation for the ETA runs deep, starting from his own experience and hurdles as a young learner with multiple disabilities, to later, not just overcoming those, but distinguishing himself on every level amongst his peers,
deeply admired and regarded by faculty and students alike,” said Kimberly Kersey-Asbury, associate professor of fine arts and the Fulbright program advisor. “[He] is profoundly committed to helping others access education despite language or learning difference through a future career developing educational programing in public history.”
Benites first learned about the Fulbright program from his father, who knew about the globally recognized scholarship opportunity from growing up in Peru. When Benites was forming his post-graduate plans, his father mentioned it as a potential path.
“I thought it would be a great way for me to improve my Spanish while gaining and refining my pedagogical skills for a career in public history,” he said. “On a personal note, my family is Peruvian and Spanish, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to reconnect with my cultural roots.”
As a childhood cancer survivor, this accomplishment takes on a deeper meaning for Benites, as the odds were stacked against him from the early years of his life.
“I often still think of myself as the kid that was told he would never learn how to speak or read, so I was truly dumbstruck when I received that letter,” he said.
Following the completion of his Fulbright program, he will begin pursuing his master’s degree at the University of Massachusetts Amherst with the goal of achieving a Ph.D. in history or American studies.
GRADUATE EDUCATION TUITION DISCOUNTS AND POST-GRADUATE PARTNERSHIPS
A new alumni benefit was rolled out this spring: Alumni can now receive a 20 percent tuition discount on graduate education at Saint Anselm. With the addition of a Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Innovation (M.S.N.) program, the college now offers four graduate programs. The programs include criminal justice (M.A.), special education (M.Ed.), public policy (M.P.P.), and now nursing (M.S.N. and P.M.C.). Additional discounts include 20 percent for teachers or those
working in law enforcement, as well as 20 percent for children of alumni.
The college also continues to grow post-graduate partnerships to support student growth and development. Recently, the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences announced a second partnership with Tufts University’s School of Medicine so Anselmians interested in continuing their education in physical therapy can apply and attend Tufts University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) program. Tufts will prioritize applicants
from Saint Anselm who meet the program requirements. Anselmians may consider applying for any of the three locations: Boston, Phoenix, or Seattle.
The physics department worked with the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) to establish an accelerated pathway for physics majors to earn a master’s degree. The 4+1 Master of Science Program in Physics is a streamlined pathway for students to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in just five years. Through the partnership, students may complete up to six graduate credits at UML during their undergraduate studies at Saint Anselm, helping them fast-track their master’s degree and gain a competitive edge in the job market.
Photo by Kevin Harkins
COLLEGE HOSTS SIXTH AMERICAN ELECTIONS ACADEMIC SYMPOSIUM
This spring, Saint Anselm College, in partnership with the New Hampshire Institute of Politics (NHIOP), hosted the sixth biannual American Elections Academic Symposium. The conference, titled “Politics in Uncertain Times,” brought together 32 authors and coauthors from 25 institutions and provided a platform for scholars to discuss the latest research on the 2024 election cycle.
Event organizers included Prof. Kevin Doran, chair, sociology and social work; Prof. Tauna Sisco, chair, psychology; and politics professors Christopher Galdieri and Jennifer Lucas. Opening remarks were made by Abbot Isaac Murphy, O.S.B., who offered reflections on the recent abbatial elections in the monastery and made comparisons to a secular election process.
“The American Elections Conference is consistently one of the most engaging and collegial conferences I’ve attended, so I was excited to be able to contribute as a co-organizer this year,” said Doran. “We had a thoughtful dialogue about the research that the participants shared with those in attendance.”
The symposium featured multiple panel discussions, covering election administration, voter behavior, and party realignment. A keynote address was
delivered by Dannagal Young, Ph.D., from the University of Delaware, who provided insights into the evolving political landscape in the wake of the 2024 elections.
Lucas expressed enthusiasm about the symposium’s success, highlighting the importance of bringing together some of the nation’s leading election scholars. “The symposium style allows for conversation among election scholars as they update scholarly theories about campaigns and elections based on the results of the 2024 elections,” she said. “The papers covered topics ranging from election administration to explaining why Harris lost and Trump won, and included fascinating questions like, ‘How does climate change impact elections?’ and ‘How do politics intersect with perceptions of Taylor Swift?’”
FROM CAPITOL HILL TO THE CLASSROOM
Former N.H. congressman and senator, John E. Sununu, took on the role of lecturer on campus this spring. The class, Congressional Power, was held at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics (NHIOP). John E. Sununu is the son of John H. Sununu, a former N.H. governor and White House chief of staff. He’s also the brother of former N.H. governor Chris Sununu. Senator Sununu represented N.H. as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997-2003 as well as the U.S. Senate from 2003 through 2009.
The class provided students with the chance to learn from a former politician who brings knowledge from the Capitol itself. Politics major Conor Beswick ’26 shared an insight into having Sununu as an instructor: “The senator created an atmosphere that [was] challenging but also inviting for students to participate and take risks.”
From left: Prof. Kevin Doran, chair, sociology and social work; Prof. Tauna Sisco, chair, psychology; and politics professors Christopher Galdieri and Jennifer Lucas.
Photo by Kim Casey
Photo by Maya Pontes '26
GORDON SUMMER RESEARCH FELLOWS
Each year, the academic advisory committee for the New Hampshire Institute of Politics (NHIOP) selects students to be granted the Gordon Summer Research Fellowship. This fellowship enables highly motivated students to pursue undergraduate research in the areas of their choice. This year, the committee named Taisiia Illichevska ’26 and Brianna Moran ’26 as the 2025 Gordon Scholars.
Illichevska, a data science and analytics major from Kyiv, Ukraine, is studying how political polarization is perpetuated by certain voting systems, and why options such as Instant Runoff Voting (IRV), sometimes referred to as Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), can be more effective in the election of a moderate candidate.
“I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity to be a Summer 2025 Gordon Fellow,” Illichevska says. “This fellowship empowers me to pursue meaningful research, challenge myself intellectually, and contribute to a field I'm passionate about.”
Moran, a politics major with minors in campaign management and history is from Hudson, Mass., and is studying “Experiencing Hegemony: Masculinity in The Joe Rogan Experience.”
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with Professor Lucas on this project, which I will build upon next semester for my senior thesis,” she says. “I am immensely grateful to the Institute of Politics for this opportunity.”
BR. JOSEPH WENCIS ENTERS THE NOVITIATE
On Thursday, March 20, Mr. Nicholas Wencis was received into the novitiate and clothed in the monastic habit. Abbot Isaac Murphy, O.S.B. gave him his religious name, Br. Joseph.
Br. Joseph’s patron is Saint Joseph, earthly father of Jesus and patron of the Universal Church. Br. Joseph is a native of Atkinson, N.H. Fr. Bernard Disco, O.S.B. will serve as his Novice Master. Please pray for Br. Joseph as he begins this year of formation. Please continue to pray that our community will be blessed with new vocations.
NOAH MANUEL ’23 RECEIVED AS A POSTULANT
On Monday, June 2, Noah Manuel ’23 was received into the community as a postulant by Abbot Isaac Murphy, O.S.B. He is a native of Newport, R.I. Please pray for Noah as he begins his monastic life with us.
Photos by Fr. Francis McCarty, O.S.B. ’10
Taisiia Illichevska ’26
Brianna Moran ’26
Photos by Kim Casey
NEILA CHAMPS AGAIN FOR MEN’S LACROSSE
Drew Bourdeau ’18 named Coach of the Year, nine Hawks earn All-New England honors.
For a fifth consecutive season, the Saint Anselm College men’s lacrosse team has finished as the top Division II team in the season-ending rankings from the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA). The Hawks solidified their spot atop the New England rankings with their fourth victory this season over Bentley in the NCAA First Round.
Helping Saint Anselm to this milestone were nine student-athletes who earned spots on the NEILA First and Second Teams. Additionally, the Hawks were led by a NEILA Coach of the Year—head coach Drew Bourdeau ’18, who claimed the prestigious honor.
This marks Bourdeau’s second coaching accolade of the season, having already been named NE10 Co-Coach of the Year. A former three-time NEILA
honoree as a player, Bourdeau becomes just the third coach in Saint Anselm history to earn NEILA Coach of the Year.
Under his leadership, the Hawks secured a program-record 14 wins and advanced to the NCAA Semifinals for the second time in team history—both trips coming
in the past two seasons.
Among the season’s milestones were the program’s first-ever victory over Adelphi (a 9–6 win) and its highest national ranking to date, reaching No. 3 in the USILA national poll.
NEILA First Team picks for the Hawks include Will Andrews ’25, Colby Goodchild ’26, Finn Granara ’27, Matt Lemay ’28, and Johnny Lucas ’28.
NEILA Second Team picks include Joe Lombardi ’25, Colin Mulvey ’25, Chris Claflin ’26, and Quinn Gannon ’26. With a deep roster, rising and returning talent, and a coach of the year at the helm, men’s lacrosse is not only celebrating the end of a special season—they’re building toward an even brighter one.
Photos courtesy of Saint Anselm Athletics
Men's lacrosse head coach Drew Bourdeau ’18 was named Coach of the Year.
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1: The Saint Anselm College nursing community gathered in the Abbey Church to honor the 84 graduating members of the nursing Class of 2025 at the annual Nurse Pinning Ceremony. 2: Dean Diane Uzarski, D.N.P., M.P.H., R.N., welcomed alumnae Julie Bond ’24 and Caroline Coyle ’24 to join the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences Community and Public Health Experiential Learning Class, where they discussed how their Saint Anselm educations helped them transition to their new careers. 3: The first annual Spring Arts Showcase included performances in dance, music, and theater arts, with work from graphic design and studio arts majors also highlighted. 4: April showers extended into May, and beyond, but seasonal blooms still found a way to shine bright. 5: Edible art, like these whimsical chocolate-covered strawberries, were just one of the many memorable moments from this year’s senior formal. 6: The New Hampshire Institute of Politics (NHIOP) hosted a sold-out conversation with author Heather Cox Richardson, professor of history at Boston College, about her most recent book, Democracy Awakening (Viking, 2023). The conversation was moderated by politics professor Peter B. Josephson. 7: Elizabeth Driscoll ’25 made Saint Anselm history twice this year. The first Hawk to be named a First-Team All-American by the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA), the senior also was named the 2025 IWLCA Division II Goalkeeper of the Year. 8: The Abbey Players brought 1950s New York City to life in their spring musical performance of Guys and Dolls. 9: The Center for Ethics in Society hosted a thought-provoking discussion titled The Good Life at Stake: Democracy vs. Authoritarianism, led by Henry Thomson, Ph.D., of Arizona State University. 10: Fr. Iain MacLellan, O.S.B. ’78, director of the Chapel Art Center, takes a moment with treasured senior gallery attendants at this spring’s end-of-year celebration. These very capable and devoted students will be sorely missed, as they move on to great careers in a whole variety of disciplines. 11: Fr. Stephen Lawson, O.S.B. ’10, talked with students during an ice cream social held in celebration of the Feast of Saint Anselm.
Photos by Kim Casey, Kevin Harkins, Jason Kolnos, Tara Nichols, Saint Anselm Athletics, Jim Stankiewicz, Gil Talbot.
In April 2024, Abbot Isaac Murphy, O.S.B., was elected the sixth major superior of the Saint
Abbey. In the process, he made history as the first non-ordained abbot in the world since Saint
Anselm
Benedict (480-547) himself.
A Humble, Historic Path
From Canadian roots to his forever home on the Hilltop, the journey of Abbot Isaac Murphy, O.S.B., to becoming the sixth abbot of Saint Anselm has been impressive, impactful, and filled with devotion.
BY PAUL J. PRONOVOST ’91
KEVIN HARKINS
It was March of 1990 when Thomas Shannon Murphy first visited Saint Anselm, arriving on Palm Sunday weekend as he contemplated entering monastic life.
“Before I entered the church, I walked around the quad, and even though I was a total stranger, several students said hello to me as I was walking around,” he recalls. “So it struck me that it was a very friendly place.”
Quickly, Saint Anselm began to feel like home. And he realized it was a place where he could devote himself to his monastic calling and his vocation for teaching.
Abbot Isaac Murphy, O.S.B., had considered monastic life closer to home in Canada, at the Benedictine Priory of Montreal, and had grown up not far from the Saint Benoit du Lac abbey in Quebec.
“They’re both more contemplative houses,” he says. “So there was a tension because I wanted to do two things. I wanted to teach, that was an instinct that I had, and I wanted to be a monk, and until I came to Saint Anselm that very afternoon, I didn’t realize I could do both.”
For the next three decades, Abbot Isaac experienced nearly every aspect of the college, first as a student and novice monk, and then as a faculty member and prior of the Abbey. Those were followed by administrative positions, including the vice president for academic affairs and executive vice president.
PHOTOS BY
A Humble, Historic Path
Then, in April 2024, Abbot Mark Cooper, O.S.B., ’71, H.D. ’04 was required to submit his resignation for his 75th birthday, Abbot Isaac was elected the sixth major superior of the Saint Anselm Abbey. In the process, he made history as the first non-ordained abbot in the world since Saint Benedict (480547) himself.
While he could not imagine his life’s journey would include a trail-blazing path within the Church, in many ways Abbot Isaac, a quiet and humble Benedictine monk, is the ideal candidate to be the first non-ordained leader of a monastic community in the U.S.
“I'm happy and proud to be the abbot,” he told the National Catholic Reporter, which reported on the significance of the election last summer.
GROWING UP IN CANADA
Abbot Isaac was born in Montreal in 1963 and raised in the city of Sherbrooke, located in southern Quebec. His father, Douglas, was a physics teacher, and his mother, Rachel, was a credit officer. He was raised with his brother, Eric. Later, following his parents’ divorce, his father married Johane, and he has a halfbrother, Shane.
When it came time to attend college, Abbot Isaac chose St. Francis Xavier University, his father’s alma mater, a primarily undergraduate residential college in Nova Scotia. He graduated at the age of 20 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.
He enrolled at Queen’s University in Ontario to pursue his master’s degree, but at the same time, he was contemplating monastic life. A chaplain at Queens told him about a retreat at the Benedictine Priory in Montreal, which he attended—and then stayed for a year. However, he was not ready to enter
the monastery full time and instead decided to leave the Priory and work in Ontario.
When he was ready to return to monastic life after three years in Ontario, the Benedictine Priory had closed. Then a friend told him about Saint Anselm Abbey in New Hampshire.
“And I fell in love,” he remembers. “That first afternoon walking around the quad, I said, ‘This is where I want to be.’”
JOINING THE SAINT ANSELM FAMILY
Abbot Isaac returned that fall on a student visa. He took the name Isaac as a novice in 1992, and he professed simple vows as a monk of Saint Anselm Abbey in 1993, and then solemn vows in 1996.
He earned his master’s in political science from the University of Chicago in 1998, and his Ph.D. in political science 10 years later. He has lectured in the Saint Anselm politics department and the humanities program (both Portraits of Human Greatness and Conversatio) since
2001, only now taking a pause because of his new role and unpredictable schedule. While not inclined to a theatrical teaching style, Abbot Isaac is nonetheless passionate about the study of politics, a field that is a large part
The community gathered for the Abbatial Blessing of Abbot Isaac, which was held on September 27, 2024.
Abbot Isaac stands with his parents, Douglas and Rachel, and Abbot Matthew K. Leavy, O.S.B., during the professing of his solemn vows on July 6, 1996.
of the college’s fabric. He has helped educate students from Gen X to Gen Z—often with a quick wit and deadpan delivery that can surprise those who do not know him well.
“I used to give the opening lecture for (first year) Conversatio, and it’s their first few days of class,” he recalls. “And I would make these jokes in the lecture. But there’s no drum roll. Three or four times, I would make jokes, and they’re all just looking at you. But then I made a joke about the monastic vows. I said, ‘Yeah, no Rolex or girlfriend for me,’ and that was finally a joke that they got. ‘Oh, this is a joke. This is funny.’”
With a comedian’s timing and a Canadian’s sense of etiquette, Abbot Isaac is remarkably disarming, a quality that makes him well-suited for this historic role.
THE ABBATIAL ELECTION
In the winter of 2024, Abbot Mark announced that he would resign for his 75th birthday, rather than seek an additional term. The abbatial election was set for April 29-30, with all monks in solemn vows for seven years and at least 30 years of age eligible to be elected. All monks in solemn vows in good standing were allowed to vote in the election.
The process of choosing an abbot is similar to the selection of a pope; rather than the College of Cardinals, it is members of the Chapter of Saint Anselm Abbey (“capitulars”) who nominate and vote on qualified candidates, with a twothirds majority required to be elected to the high office, at least for the first three rounds of voting.
Between Abbot Mark’s election in 2012 and his resignation 12 years later, there had been a significant change: Pope Francis announced that non-ordained brothers could lead religious communities
Photo by Jared Morneau
What you may not know about Abbot Isaac …
chevron-circle-right Named Thomas Shannon Murphy at birth by his parents, Douglas Murphy and the late Rachel Dionne, he followed the tradition in his father’s family by using his middle name as his given name, so he was known as Shannon throughout his young life. He took the name Isaac when entering the Saint Anselm Abbey. And when he became a U.S. citizen in 1993, he legally changed his name to Isaac Shannon Murphy.
chevron-circle-right Born in Montreal, and raised in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Abbot Isaac is a native French speaker, fluently bilingual, having spoken English and French since he was a boy. He is a hockey fan and, sorry, Bruins fans, his team is the Canadiens.
chevron-circle-right In his 35 years on the Hilltop, he has held eight distinct roles at the college. Prior to being elected abbot, then-Br. Isaac was a Saint Anselm student, a faculty member, the Abbey prior (second-in-command), the vice president of academic affairs, the executive vice president, and member of the board of trustees. In his role as abbot, he also is chancellor of the college and chair of the member monks of the Saint Anselm College Corporation.
chevron-circle-right Before choosing to enter monastic life, he was drawn to studying politics. He holds a bachelor’s in political science from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, where he graduated at the age of 20, and a master’s and a doctorate in political science from the University of Chicago.
chevron-circle-right Abbot Isaac maintains a longstanding blog (brotherisaac.wordpress. com), where he shares reviews and insights of the Saint Anselm Abbey’s evening table reading and other interesting stories from the monastery. Evening supper in the monastery is received in contemplative silence, while a reader shares the latest chapters of the selected reading, which can range from religious works such as Jesus of Nazareth, Volume 2, to nonfiction such as Endurance: Shackelton’s Incredible Journey.
A Humble, Historic Path
with Vatican permission. In the pope’s rescript from the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, published in 2022, it was stated that the approval for appointing or electing a brother would be given “discretionally and in individual cases.”
Two years later, it was the Benedictine monks of Saint Anselm who made history by choosing Br. Isaac Murphy. The election was suspended while a formal approval was sought from the Vatican. The abbatial election was concluded in June 2024 after permission was received from the Holy See, the supreme body of government for the Catholic Church.
Still, there have been plenty of canonical and liturgical details to “puzzle out,” as Abbot Isaac puts it.
“It appears that Pope Francis was willing to say ‘Avante,’ go ahead, without having figured everything out,” Abbot Isaac says. “And some of the puzzles are actually head-scratchers, you don’t ultimately know what the answer will be, but this was an instance where the Church said, ‘Let’s learn by doing’.”
The monks also are working through how best to handle special liturgies like Christmas Mass or Holy Week services, which traditionally are presided over by the abbot. For such occasions, Abbot Isaac has presided over the service, while an ordained priest has celebrated the mass, similar to Pope Francis when his health made it difficult to stand for long periods of time, or when a bishop is “in choir.”
At Saint Anselm in the early 1970s, Abbot Gerald F. McCarthy, O.S.B. ’36 would on occasion preside over the service while the prior, the thenFr. Joseph J. Gerry ’50, celebrated important masses.
The Saint Anselm Abbey is part of the American Cassinese Congregation, a group of Benedictine monasteries
The ballot box and ballots used by the Abbey community to elect their next abbot.
Understanding Rescript
In Canon Law for a thousand years, it had been required for a men’s religious order that has both ordained and non-ordained members that the major superiors be priests. However, in 2022, at the request of the Benedictines and the Franciscans and several other religious orders, Pope Francis issued a rescript that allowed for an exception to be made to Canon Law on this requirement, so long as a twothirds vote was achieved and that individual permission was sought from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
While Br. Isaac attained the two-thirds threshold in voting on April 30, 2024, the abbey had to wait for confirmation of the election until approval was given from Rome six weeks later.
In the two years since the rescript was issued, major superiors in other religious orders such as the Franciscans and the Congregation of Holy Cross have been elected and confirmed, but Abbot Isaac is the first abbot of any monastic order to be elected and confirmed.
While no major problems have arisen for the non-ordained major superiors, many puzzling questions do arise. In addition to making a distinction between celebrating and presiding at Mass, here are some unresolved puzzles:
chevron-circle-right What is the formal title for a non-ordained abbot: Right Reverend or Right Venerable?
chevron-circle-right Is a non-ordained abbot an ordinary and/or a prelate or neither?
chevron-circle-right Can a non-ordained abbot confer priestly faculties, or issue dimissorial letters, or letters of suitability for a priest?
chevron-circle-right Can a non-ordained abbot wear a miter?
With the rescript, Pope Francis was willing to allow for these topics to be addressed as they are confronted by the non-ordained major superiors.
Famously, Saint Benedict himself was a non-ordained abbot.
Photo by Leah LaRiccia
primarily located in the United States. In addition to being the sponsoring order of Saint Anselm College and Saint Raphael Parish in Manchester, N.H., the Abbey also sponsors Woodside Priory School, a college preparatory school in California, which currently has three members of the Saint Anselm monastic community in residence.
Following the momentous vote, the Abbey community stood for a photo in the Old Choir Chapel where moments earlier they had chosen their brother, Isaac. However, because there was still the need to consult with Rome on the decision, the new abbot could not be revealed.
Abbot Isaac, appearing three rows deep in the middle of the photo (below), does not stand out from his confreres.
“I don’t believe you can tell from the photo, taken in the Old Choir Chapel, the site of the Election Chapter, that I was the secret abbot,” he wrote in his blog.
It was a fitting “introduction” for someone who eschews the fanfare that could come with the office, while at the same time quietly assuming the mantle.
As the spiritual leader of the community, and father of the monastery, Abbot Isaac has only grown in his reverence for the role he has been given.
“There’s an irony to being abbot,
because you’re a monk for 30 years, and you never think you’re going to be the abbot, and you realize the extraordinary legitimacy of the role of the abbot in a monastery, especially in our house,” he reflects. “And then, unexpectedly, you find yourself the occupant of that role. So I find that ironic.”
“People ask me if I like being the abbot, and that’s not the right question,” he continues. “There are things I like about being the abbot. There are things I'm less crazy about being the abbot, but I love being a monk. And I happen to be the one that was elected—I still love being a monk.”
This photo was taken moments after the Abbey community had chosen their brother, Isaac, to be the next abbot. No one outside of this group would learn the news until Rome was consulted on the decision.
LOOK TO THE HELPERS
By making the safety of others their life’s mission, these four alumni epitomize what it means to be an Anselmian.
Initially, St. Benedict may seem to have little in common with the leaders we look to in an emergency. But spend time with four alumni who have led their communities through a crisis—and supported communities in preparing for a crisis—and the similarities emerge. Whether civil servants or advisors to them, these alumni chose careers that are defined by service to others and the greater good. Collectively, their
BY BRIDGET (MARTIN) LAZZARA ’11
experience stretches from coast to coast and spans municipal, state, and federal levels. They have worked in dense cities and rural towns, responded to shootings, negotiated in standoffs, and devised regional shelter plans for mass evacuations. But the throughline of their experience, much like the Benedictines, is a deep commitment to community. And their work can best be described as a vocation.
Photo by Jeff Newton
JIM MCDONNELL ’81
CHIEF OF POLICE, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT, LOS ANGELES, CALIF.
Jim McDonnell ’81 was sworn in as chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (L.A.P.D.) in November 2024. Barely two months later, wildfires raged through Los Angeles County, destroying thousands of acres of neighborhoods in L.A.’s Pacific Palisades and Altadena communities. As Los Angeles encountered the most destructive fires in California’s history, McDonnell oversaw L.A.P.D.’s emergency response, evacuating community members, maintaining safe transportation routes, overseeing traffic control, and supporting the Los Angeles Fire Department.
“Tragically, lives were lost during the fires, but without the amazing effort of our officers, firefighters, emergency responders, and many others, casualties would have been much higher,” says McDonnell. L.A.P.D.’s emergency response continued after the fires stopped burning. “The rain that helped extinguish the flames brought life-threatening mudslides to the hills surrounding many of the impacted neighborhoods,” he explains. “We facilitated more evacuations, which were happening in parallel with political protests in the city, so we had to plan around compromised traffic routes.” Officers also focused on crime suppression. “In the aftermath of any disaster, we see an uptick in crime as people travel to an impacted community to exploit victims during their most vulnerable days.”
Unprecedented wildfires, dangerous mudslides, and heightened crime. “The first quarter of 2025 was tremendously
challenging,” McDonnell acknowledges. “But I couldn’t be more proud of L.A.P.D. and the City of Los Angeles.” And, as the first person to serve in senior leadership roles in the three largest policing agencies in Los Angeles County, McDonnell was prepared to handle it.
McDonnell grew up in Boston, where he attended Catholic schools. He knew by his senior year of high school that he wanted to go into law enforcement. “I wanted a career where I would be challenged, meet all different types of people, and be able to help someone every day,” he says.
He applied to Saint Anselm because of its highly regarded criminal justice program, and his freshman year in 1977 coincided with the first year of the humanities program. “The humanities curriculum gave me perspective that I wouldn’t have had otherwise,” he says. “Throughout my career and to this day, I do my research, question my assumptions, and approach problem solving from different points of view.”
While in college, McDonnell interned with the Boston Police Department and hoped to work for his hometown force. But when he graduated in 1981, Boston and many police departments had a hiring freeze. L.A.P.D. was hiring, and although he “didn’t know a soul outside New England,” he took a chance and moved across the country to start police academy training.
With more than 4 million residents, Los Angeles is the second-most populous city in the U.S. and one of the most ethnically diverse. In the first of two stints of his 29-year tenure with the L.A.P.D., McDonnell worked in many units, including organized crime and homicide, and served as first assistant chief under former L.A.P.D. chief William Bratton. While his roles changed over the years, his commitment to community policing was unwavering. “It’s important
to respect the dignity of everyone we encounter and remain compassionate,” says McDonnell. “As police officers, we won’t remember everybody that we interact with, but they will remember us. We are all ambassadors for our profession.”
In 2010, McDonnell became chief of police of Long Beach, Calif., a major metropolitan area south of L.A. After almost five years, he was elected as the 32nd sheriff of Los Angeles County, overseeing 4,700 square miles, 11 million residents, and the largest jail system in the nation. As sheriff, McDonnell instituted reforms in the county jail system to improve inmates’ access to mental health and medical care.
Following his term as sheriff, he became director of the University of Southern California’s Safe Communities Institute, an academic think tank that advances public safety solutions on a national scale. When L.A.P.D. announced their search for a new chief, he felt called to “return to the field.” He became L.A.’s 59th chief of police last fall and assumed leadership of the third largest police force in the country, with more than 8,750 sworn officers and close to 3,000 civilian employees.
As chief, McDonnell is strengthening connections within the department by building morale, streamlining internal processes, and improving access to wellness programs. He also emphasizes the need for officers to connect with the community members they serve. “We often talk about community in broad terms, but there are so many perspectives, priorities, and sensitivities under the umbrella of community,” he says. “We have to be cognizant that people don’t see the world through the same lens as we do. It’s the responsibility of police officers to bridge that gap and work together with community members.” Continued
McDonnell also is playing a critical role in public safety planning as L.A. prepares to host the FIFA World Cup in 2026 and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028. This involves close collaboration with partners at local, state, and federal levels. “L.A.P.D. will be focused on safety, security, and transportation logistics for these major events,” says McDonnell. “We are also running through exercises to anticipate physical threats and cyberattacks. Our response strategies to potential threats are continuously evolving.”
McDonnell’s career spans a range of responsibilities, but honoring humanity has been at the core of every role. “Law enforcement is and always will be a people business,” he says. “It’s an eye-toeye and heart-to-heart experience.”
DAVID ST. PIERRE ’91
CHIEF OF POLICE, LEWISTON, MAINE
“I was very young when I felt the calling to be a police officer,” says David St. Pierre ’91, tracing his interest in law enforcement back to his middle school years. The calling was reinforced as a teenager, when he formed a close bond with his high school’s resource officer.
St. Pierre has lived in Lewiston, Maine, a tight-knit community of about 38,000 people, for nearly his entire life. One of the two times he briefly moved away was to attend Saint Anselm, where he majored in criminal justice. Professor Elaine Rizzo’s courses and an internship with the Manchester Police Department furthered his interest in law enforcement.
After graduating with an associate’s degree in 1991, his high school mentor encouraged him to apply to the Lewiston Police Department. St. Pierre worked as a full-time patrol officer for five years
before transitioning to a state drug enforcement agent, where he focused on drug crimes and surveillance. Over the next several decades, he rose in the ranks to detective, sergeant, and lieutenant. As sergeant, he oversaw the department’s selective enforcement team, supervised patrol shifts, and was sergeant of detectives. As lieutenant, he managed various patrol shifts and served as the department’s public information officer.
In 2021, St. Pierre was sworn in as Lewiston’s chief of police, a position that oversees 86 police officers at full staff and 15 civilian employees. “It is a huge honor to serve as police chief in the same community where I grew up,” he says, noting that personal errands off duty can take a long time as he often bumps into familiar faces. “Lewiston has changed over the years, but it will always be home.”
St. Pierre’s favorite part of being chief is utilizing the communication and people skills that the job requires. “Whether you are helping a confused elderly person or de-escalating someone having suicidal thoughts, we use our interpersonal skills every day,” he says. “Oftentimes, when people see the blue lights [of police cruisers], it’s on the worst day of their life, and we need to approach situations with respect for everyone involved.”
For St. Pierre and many Lewiston residents, one of the worst days of their life is a shared experience. On October 25, 2023, a gunman opened fire at a local bowling alley and a bar and grille, killing 18 people, wounding 13 others, and traumatizing the entire community. St. Pierre was one of the first responders to the shootings. He led the Lewiston Police Department, in coordination with State Police, the Maine Sheriff’s Department, and many other law enforcement agencies in a multifaceted emergency response to secure the crime scenes, get victims urgent medical attention, locate the gunman, and prioritize public safety.
As police officers, we get to see all sides of humanity. You see more in your career than most will see in their lifetime."
While many in Lewiston continue to cope with the immense tragedy of that day, St. Pierre emphasizes the resilience he has witnessed. “The way that we have come together as a community within Lewiston and outside of it has been amazing,” he says, citing the law enforcement agencies from across New England and beyond that dedicated resources during the emergency response and the local restaurants that donated food to victims, volunteers, and first responders.
St. Pierre says his work as chief is defined by “getting people the resources they need and protecting the community.” Currently, Lewiston officers are especially focused on supporting people experiencing homelessness, mental illness, and substance abuse. His leadership style reflects the strong values that were instilled by his lifelong Catholic education and sharpened by his liberal arts studies at Saint Anselm. “Throughout my career, I’ve never asked someone who ranks below me to do something I wouldn’t be willing to do myself,” he says. “It’s important that, within the hierarchy of our department, we are continuing to build community.”
Community is the cornerstone of St. Pierre’s motivation to protect and serve. “As police officers, we get to see all sides of humanity. You see more in your career than most will see in their lifetime,” he says. “I often describe it as having a ringside seat to the best show in the world.”
Photo by Jared Morneau
Photo by Leah LaRiccia
JENIFER WALLITSCH ’21
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS SPECIALIST, BOSTON, MASS.
For Jenifer Wallitsch ’21, her career is defined by helping communities prepare for the worst. As an emergency preparedness specialist at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), the regional planning agency of Greater Boston, she partners with municipalities, healthcare providers, and community-based organizations to plan for public safety, public health, and climate-related emergencies.
Wallitsch has always been drawn to civics. She entered college as a politics major and soon decided to double major in criminal justice. “Criminal justice offers a lens to understand power structures in government,” she says. She also gained valuable experience in civic engagement while student chair of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics (NHIOP) for two years. But it was living through a global pandemic that crystallized her career path.
“I was a junior on campus when the Covid-19 outbreak began and students were sent home to finish their second semester virtually,” she says. Despite the uncertainty, Wallitsch recognized a unique opportunity. “I was interested in emergency management and reached out to Dean [Alicia] Finn to ask if I could be involved,” says Wallitsch. Dean Finn (Dean of Students from 2005-2024) was encouraging, and Wallitsch became the student representative for the college’s Covid-19 response, joining Zoom calls with leadership to discuss protocols and planning that aligned with public health guidance.
Soon after graduation, Wallitsch moved to Germany to pursue a master’s degree in international organizations and crisis management at Friedrich Schiller University. Her experience living and studying in Orvieto, Italy, through the college’s Orvieto Program influenced her decision to apply to the selective international program. “I was also drawn to the university for its in-person program model and diverse student population,” Wallitsch says. “A big piece of emergency management is understanding diverse populations.”
Wallitsch kept in touch with Criminal Justice Department Chair Peter Cordella, and he served as one of her master’s thesis advisors. After graduate school, she completed an internship with the Region 1 Office of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which oversees New England and Tribal Nation states. She worked directly with leaders of Tribal Nations to understand how FEMA responders can best coordinate with their communities in times of crisis. Wallitsch also interned with San Francisco’s Federal Executive Board, where her work focused on wildfire and earthquake preparedness, developing communications strategies to follow if natural disasters struck the region.
“Preparedness is all-encompassing and scalable,” she explains. “It can be as large as creating regional mass care and emergency sheltering plans or as small scale as hosting an
event at a town’s Council on Aging to help older adults confirm their emergency contacts.”
In her current role at MAPC, she develops and implements preparedness plans for cities and towns in Massachusetts. Preparedness plans outline leadership roles, operations, communications, and resource management during crisis situations. She also serves as the 24/7 duty officer for all Region 3 Health and Medical Coordinating Coalition (HMCC) stakeholders and coordinates emergency preparedness efforts for the Region 3D Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coalition.
“My work takes a regional approach that brings municipalities and agencies together,” she explains. She appreciates the interdisciplinary nature of the work and the opportunity to connect people, including mayors, town administrators, emergency management directors, and public safety officials. “We focus on a collaborative approach and bring people together who do not often have a chance to work with each other.”
Wallitsch values the fact that her work makes a difference in people’s lives. “It is a government’s duty to support the entire community—especially community members who are most vulnerable. We proactively support communities in making connections, having a plan, and preparing for the unknown,” she says. “In preparing for the worst, we are also building community.”
It is a government’s duty to support the entire community— especially community members who are most vulnerable."
STEPHEN MONIER ’74
U.S. MARSHAL, DISTRICT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE (RETIRED), GOFFSTOWN, N.H.
In January 2007, Ed and Elaine Brown stopped appearing in federal court during their trial for tax evasion. The Browns barricaded themselves in their compound in Plainfield, N.H., where Ed continued to organize an armed militia. The couple made clear that if any government official entered their property, they would respond with violence. The Browns posed a serious threat to public safety. And it was the responsibility of U.S. Marshal Stephen Monier ’74 to take them into federal custody.
“The U.S. Marshals Service is the oldest federal law enforcement agency in the U.S., created by the country’s first Congress to help run the federal court system,” Monier explains. This includes taking charge of federal prisoners until they are sentenced, protecting judges and jurors, finding missing and exploited children, and running fugitive task forces. “Each year, the marshals arrest more fugitives and serve more warrants than all other federal agencies combined,” he says.
In the standoff with the Browns, community safety was Monier’s top priority. He and his chief deputy developed a strategy focused on clear communication and tactical negotiations as the standoff stretched into nine months and gained national attention. Ultimately, it was his team’s planning, patience, and creative problem solving that led to a safe resolution. “This was one of the first major cases where the world wide web played a major role,”
says Monier. “Several of the Browns’ supporters used the internet to publicize updates and invite acolytes to visit the compound, and we decided to use that to our advantage.”
Monier and his team sent four federal agents undercover, posing as militia sympathizers, to the compound. After earning the Browns’ trust, the deputy marshals arrested the couple and ended the longest armed standoff in U.S. Marshals history. “There was an immense sense of relief when the Browns were arrested without any violence, while keeping the community safe throughout the entire operation,” says Monier.
Before becoming a U.S. Marshal, Monier made a career of keeping his community safe while an officer, and later chief, of the Goffstown Police Department. Monier moved to Goffstown as a child when his father, Robert Monier, accepted a teaching position at Saint Anselm. During his senior year of high school, he began working part time as a dispatcher for the Goffstown Police Department, a job he continued when he enrolled in Saint Anselm as a sociology major. “I was always interested in how people interact in groups,” he says. His interest grew as he learned about the field’s intersection with criminology through lectures from former sociology department chair Michael Dupre ’66
Monier took on a full-time patrol position while finishing his last two years of college and continued working as a police officer after graduating. He served with the Goffstown Police Department for 30 years and was the department’s chief from 1984-1999. As chief, he oversaw significant growth in the department and the transition to a new police station. Under his leadership, Goffstown Police Department became the first town agency in New Hampshire to achieve national accreditation. Monier
also maintained a strong relationship with Saint Anselm, establishing a student internship at the department.
“The philosophy I instilled in officers was that we have a responsibility to enforce the law, but that we should do it with compassion—even for those we are arresting,” says Monier. “It was a special experience to police the community where I grew up and have personal contact with the people I served.”
Monier retired from the force in 1999, and was replaced as chief of police by fellow Saint Anselm alumni, Michael T. French ’90. In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed him as New Hampshire’s 40th U.S. Marshal, and he served until 2009. He then worked as a senior special assistant to then-U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (now governor of New Hampshire). In 2017, he fully retired and turned to writing. His book No One Has to Die (Genius Book Publishing, 2024) chronicles the standoff with the Browns.
In reflecting on his career, Monier draws parallels between the values that guided his approach to law enforcement and those fostered by the Hilltop’s Benedictine community. “The core values of ethical service with honor and integrity, while protecting life, have always been my North Star during my career,” he says.
It was a special experience to police the community where I grew up and have personal contact with the people I served."
Photo by Kevin Harkins
The
on April 10
National Champion Saint Anselm field hockey team was recognized
at the Boston Red Sox game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Coach Carolyn King-Robitaille threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Photo by Maddie Malhotra, Boston Red Sox, Getty Images
alongside art she helped curate for her client,
ART THE
OF POSSIBILITY
As a corporate art consultant, Amanda (McGowan) Lacasse ’07 thrives on connecting people with art.
BY LAURIE D. MORRISSEY | PHOTOS BY LORI PEDRICK
Amanda (McGowan) Lacasse ’07 stands
Concord Hospital, in Concord, N.H.
Corporate consulting wasn’t what Amanda (McGowan) Lacasse ’07 had in mind when she chose sociology as her major—but a job at the college’s art gallery set her on a path that she could not be happier about.
“What really catapulted me into the art field is my time with Father Iain at the Chapel Art Center,” she says. “I worked there all four years and it was the best gig ever. It helped pay my tuition and I fell in love with the process of connecting people with art.”
She has been making that connection ever since—and the results can be seen on the walls of hospitals, medical clinics, legal offices, banks, retirement communities, country clubs, and other establishments. Lacasse’s business, McGowan Fine Art, is one of very few corporate art consulting companies north of the Boston area. She advises businesses on integrating art into the workplace, helping them acquire, arrange, and maintain their art collections in a way that suits their space, their budget, and their culture.
“I remember watching Father Iain’s meticulous vision for an exhibit come together—I painted over many walls because the color was not right—and
What really catapulted me into the art field is my time with Father Iain at the Chapel Art Center. I worked there all four years... I fell in love with the process of connecting people with art.”
—AMANDA (MCGOWAN) LACASSE ’07
then I saw the way people enjoyed the show,” Lacasse says. “He made each show interesting and welcoming. I hope I channel some of that in my work.”
With four years of experience at the Chapel Art Center, Lacasse was ready to work in a commercial art gallery. She was hired at McGowan Fine Art in Concord, N.H. The match with her maiden name— McGowan—was a coincidence; nearly every visitor assumed she was related to one of the owners. The establishment blended a gallery, full-service frame shop, and corporate consulting under one roof. Lacasse’s role was as a consultant helping companies plan their art collections. “I liked gallery work, but I was fascinated to go out and meet people, get to know their company’s ‘business personality’ and what they were trying to create for an environment, and give them an art program that worked for them,” she says.
When McGowan Fine Art closed its gallery in 2017, Lacasse acquired the business name and started out on her own. It was a whole new adventure, she says—especially when combined with raising two children. Her client list is varied, and every project is different.
A memorable job at the New Hampshire attorney general’s office involved working with a collection of historic photos and memorabilia rather than paintings and fine art prints. At a country club, she blended golf imagery with painterly New Hampshire scenes. For an OB-GYN clinic, Lacasse wanted art that was bright and cheerful, yet not too feminine. A mental healthcare setting should make people feel safe and comfortable. It may take several trips
to get the space just right. “Art is very important in a healthcare setting,” she says.
Lacasse’s workweek might involve driving to a medical center in Vermont with a stack of custom-framed photos; brainstorming ideas for a unique space; working with architects, interior designers, and framers; installing artwork; and emailing clients and getting quotes. She uses original art whenever possible, so she researches and meets with artists whose work might be perfect for a particular room or corridor.
“I love it when a client allows me to push the boundaries, incorporating some really thoughtful abstract pieces,” Lacasse says. “Finding things that complement the space, helping people tell a story with their space: That’s my art form.”
Talking
Chris Tinsley ’13 is growing a billion-dollar affiliate marketing platform— and helping Saint Anselm students along the way.
BY MATTHEW BRODERICK ’96
SHOP
Community matters to Chris Tinsley ’13. It’s what attracted him to Saint Anselm in the fall of 2009, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Sean Tinsley ’11. “My dad espoused the values of a Catholic liberal arts education,” Tinsley says, “and growing up in a tight-knit family, I really liked the [sense of] community the college provides.”
PHOTOS BY LEAH LARICCIA
ShopMy, an affiliate marketing platform, was co-founded by Chris TInsley '13, along with two friends and classmates he met while earning his M.B.A. at MIT.
Today, Tinsley, who graduated with a B.S. in finance, is building a different type of community—and providing unique experiential learning opportunities for Saint Anselm students—as he continues to grow the affiliate marketing platform, ShopMy. The company, which he cofounded, was launched in 2020, and connects major retail brands in the beauty and fashion industries with social media influencers who are playing an increasingly consequential role in consumer purchasing decisions, particularly among younger generations.
“Ninety-seven percent of Generation Z [born 1997-2012] cites social media as their primary source of shopping inspiration,” Tinsley says. According to Statista, a market research firm, the global affiliate marketing industry is expected to grow by 10 percent annually to more than $27 billion by 2027.
Those shifts in consumer trends and market projections inspired Tinsley— and his co-founders Harry Rein and Tiffany Lopinsky, whom he met while earning an M.B.A. at MIT—to create the ShopMy platform to make it easier for social media creators to collaborate with brands and monetize their product recommendations. “For companies, ShopMy has made it more efficient to build out their brand ambassador programs.” Tinsley says. “Affiliate marketing has been around for a long time, but we put a new spin on it, built specifically for social media.”
Under ShopMy’s revenue model, influencers earn commissions when followers purchase items via their specific ShopMy links, while the platform tracks sales data that each influencer generates, with ShopMy getting a cut of each sale. For Tinsley, the opportunity to work with influencers was a big attraction. “I admire the commitment and creativity it takes for creators to build their audience and a sustainable business,” Tinsley says.
And ShopMy’s model is working. Over the past five years, the platform has grown from 50 creators and no brand partners to more than 200,000 influencers and 800 subscribed brand partners, including retail giants like Nike
and lululemon. During that time, ShopMy has attracted more than $77.5 million in venture capital and grown the company’s valuation from $80 million in March 2024 to more than $1 billion today.
Building up Saint Anselm Students
Tinsley’s business success does not surprise Luke Miller, Ph.D., associate professor of finance at Saint Anselm, who has worked as a consultant for both startups and large multinational companies. “I first met Chris his sophomore year and I could just tell he was motivated to be an entrepreneur,” Miller says. Since Tinsley’s graduation, Miller has served as a mentor to Tinsley, helping him strategize and problemsolve, connecting him to venture capital firms for funding to start and grow his venture, and investing in ShopMy directly. “Professor Miller has been an invaluable sounding board,” Tinsley says.
And Miller and Tinsley’s professional relationship has also created opportunities for current Saint Anselm students through the college’s Professional Development Initiative
(PDI), a program launched in 2017 that provides supplemental payments up to $1,500 a semester for otherwise unpaid internships. The program has been funded through a five-year, $500,000 investment from the Flatley Foundation, established by former Saint Anselm trustee, Daniel T. Flatley P ’18
Since 2020, more than 40 Saint Anselm students (typically five per semester) have participated in remote internships with ShopMy. In fact, because of funding provided by the PDI—a unique funding mechanism within higher education—ShopMy’s internship program nearly exclusively benefits Saint Anselm students. “Having the PDI providing [financial support] makes offering internships more palatable for our company,” Tinsley says.
Through ShopMy’s 12-week rotational internship program, students gain exposure to operations, sales, marketing, and client relations. “Interns might be helping a brand develop a campaign or help with data analytics from our customer relationship management [CRM] system for our sales team,” Tinsley says.
Julia McIntyre ’26, a communications
Daniel Scolaro ’25 and Julia McIntyre ’26, both participated in ShopMy’s internship program as part of the college’s Professional Development Initiative (PDI). Photo by Kim Casey
major and graphic design minor from Stoneham, Mass., aspires to a career in marketing, and was drawn to her ShopMy internship to gain more understanding and experience with data analytics. As a creator success intern, she helped identify and research companies and influences that would be a good fit for ShopMy’s focus industries. “I was assigned to [certain] influencers, and my job was to update their personal ShopMy page and monitor their pages and posts, including linking to products they were endorsing,” McIntyre says. She credits her internship experience with supplementing her classroom learning. “I learned a lot of things I’m not necessarily taking classes for on campus,” McIntyre says, “and it’s been very insightful.”
That real-world experience has been one of the primary benefits of the PDI, Miller says, and created unique opportunities for students to approach companies that are of interest to them. Nearly 100 percent of the funds directly supports students and covers a wide range of expenses,
“I first met Chris his sophomore year and I could just tell he was motivated to be an entrepreneur.”
—LUKE MILLER, PH.D., ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF FINANCE AT SAINT ANSELM
including gas, professional clothing, and supplies. Miller estimates that nearly one-third of the 90 students placed in internships as PDI fellows in Spring 2025 generated their own opportunities. “PDI funding helps foster an entrepreneurial spirit among our students,” Miller says.
The Professional Development Initiative also requires supported students to attend networking events. That’s where Daniel Scolaro ’25, a business and finance major from Quincy, Mass., had an opportunity to meet Tinsley. Scolaro says the ability to network with Saint A’s alumni and draw inspiration from them was important. “It was really cool that Chris [given his success] went to Saint A’s and it was interesting to have the opportunity to
intern with ShopMy,” Scolaro says. While Scolaro has accepted a position with Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, a subsidiary of General Dynamics Electric Boat, he has an interest in entrepreneurship as well. “Being able to work for yourself makes every dollar you earn that much more valuable,” Scolaro says.
Guided by Benedictine Values
Tinsley credits his time at Saint Anselm with fostering a leadership style that has guided how he leads his team, treats partners, and make decisions. “The Benedictine values of integrity, humility, and servant leadership have helped me build a well-rounded perspective and skill set,” Tinsley says. He continues to stay involved as a volunteer with Saint Anselm, including service on the Economics and Business Advisory Council, the Anselmian Council, Alumni Council, and Reunion volunteer, and guest speaking in Professor Miller’s business classes. “It’s a way for me to stay rooted in those values and pass them forward,” Tinsley says. He and his business partners continue to move ShopMy forward too. The company plans to expand its product verticals to include hospitality, sports, fitness, and wellness. It also plans to expand its geographic presence with a new office in the United Kingdom. “There is ample appetite and demand for our business and approach,” says Tinsley.
Despite his entrepreneurial success, and the massive online community he’s helped to create, Tinsley points to a much smaller community as his greatest accomplishment. “My wife, Kate (Dowd) Tinsley ’13, has been my biggest supporter and source of confidence on this journey,” Tinsley says. “The life I’ve built with her and our three children—Edmond, Annie, and William—is what I’m most proud of.”
Chris Tinsley ’13 at home with his wife, Kate (Dowd) Tinsley ’13, and their three children, Edmond, Annie, and William.
THE END OF AN ERA
ELEVEN LONGTIME FACULTY AND STAFF MEMBERS SHARE SOME OF THEIR FAVORITE MEMORIES (AND A FUN FACT OR TWO) FROM THEIR COMBINED 300-PLUS YEARS ON THE HILLTOP.
BY KATE GRIP DENON I PHOTOS BY KEVIN HARKINS
Montague Brown, Ph.D.
Philosophy, 39 Years
When thinking about favorite memories of Saint Anselm College, it is the Eucharistic liturgy that stands out. Of course, I remember and treasure the many students with their searching questions and colleagues with their profound insights, but it is the treasury of the faith—the memorial of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection— that has centered my life at the college. There were the many years attending the feasts of Christmas and Easter with my wife and children. There were the opening day Masses shared with monks, students, and colleagues (especially well attended this last fall). There were the many daily Masses that I was able to attend from time to time. Each and every Mass was conducted with serious joy and with near-perfect timing and elegance—a great tribute to the transcendent beauty of the Eucharistic Christ and the warmth and welcome of the monastic community.
continued...
As for fun, what a delight to meet up and play jazz with such friends as Dick Hechtl (piano player and psychology professor) and Ed Gleason (saxophone player and English professor). I learned so much from them and enjoyed the many times we engaged the muse together. How fortunate I have been to be allowed to focus on philosophy and faith while playing music at such a high level with such good friends and the professionals they knew and recruited for our campus pub dates and concerts. For both the blessing of liturgical celebration and the fun of musical invention I am most grateful.
Holly Hamel
Operations Assistant, Office of Admission, 15 Years My favorite part of the job by far has been my interactions with the students in our office, and throughout the college. It has been my pleasure to have been even a small part of their lives during their time on the Hilltop. I have made long-lasting connections with a lot of them and this I will truly miss. We have shared many of
HOLLY HAMEL 15 YEARS
life’s events and I would like to tell them all ‘Thank you’ for taking me on their ride here at Saint Anselm College. I have also been so fortunate to have worked in an office environment that supported me both in and out of the office. I am the coach for the Manchester Special Olympic Ski/Snowboard/ Snowshoe team. We practice every Sunday throughout the winter at McIntyre Ski Area in Manchester, and I have been lucky enough to have help with the program from many alums, current students, as well as my current co-workers. This year, we had 12 volunteers from our office (staff and students) helping with the program. Thank you to everyone for your help! My fondest memory of my time at the Hilltop would have to be the time I was able to share in my son’s journey here at Saint Anselm College (Jacob Hamel ’16) and for that, I am grateful.
My favorite part of the job by far has been my interactions with the students in our office, and throughout the college. ”
—HOLLY HAMEL
Ann Holbrook, Ph.D.
English, 31 Years
Shakespeare Day was the annual ritual I loved most. My two daughters began reading sonnets by second grade, and I spent as much time listening on those April 23rds as I could, eating birthday cake and enjoying colleagues, students, and alumni. I can’t name a ‘favorite’ memory, but I relish having acted on Shakespeare Day 2013 in a 10-minute Hamlet parody with Gary Bouchard, Royce Burney, and various students. I played Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude, in The Tragical History of Prince Hamnut, where the prince suffers unjustly from the universal human existential predicament, peanut allergies and a family full of buggers, and who just maybe overthinks things on his way to the grave that is pretty full of other bodies by the time he finally gets there. But who are we to judge? Complete with all essential clichés and bold thematic moments. It was wild, farcical, and decidedly unrehearsed, and the audience loved it.
THE END OF AN ERA
Michael McGuinness, M.B.A.
’78
Economics and Business, 23 Years
My favorite memory of the Hilltop will always be the many good friends I made while attending school here and the many good students I have had the pleasure of teaching over the years. I find the Saint A’s connection everywhere. It is a rare time when I go to a Bruins game and don’t run into a former student. I run into former students on the golf course. When hiking, I always wear a Saint A’s shirt and have frequently run into Saint A’s students on various mountains. I have also had the pleasure of meeting the children of former students and hearing about their families and successes.
The funniest class, perhaps ever at Saint Anselm College, happened back in 2010. I finished teaching a cost accounting class, walked out of the classroom, and walked right into Matt Szulik ’78 with his wife and daughter. Matt has been a friend and classmate of mine and, in another Saint A’s success story, had been CEO of Red Hat. I invited Matt and his family in to talk to the next cost accounting class. I told him I was embarrassed as I had the names of the 20 Kentucky Derby horses on the board. It turns out Matt was an investor in a prior Derby horse, and besides giving the students great career advice, told them the economics of horse racing with the real value of the horse being in its breeding success. Matt told them a story of what sometimes happens with the breeding of a champion horse that I am certain has been repeated many times since that class.
It has been my pleasure to have taught here with the dedicated faculty and staff, the support personnel, and, most of all, the students.
Photo by Jeff Dachowski
Carol Traynor, Sc.D.
Computer Science, 27 Years
I don’t think that I could pick out just one favorite memory from the last 27 years. Definitely seeing students grow and successfully complete their four years at the college has been a highlight of my time here. Mentoring and helping students navigate their journey has been very rewarding.
One memory that stands out is a field trip to Francestown, N.H. Profs. Barry Wicklow (biology), Rajesh Prasad (computer science), and I ran the first STEM course for the Access Academy (biodiversity and GIS) alongside a group of SAC students. Throughout the semester, the high school students learned about biodiversity in our surrounding area and used GIS to map features. The field trip enabled students to explore and record firsthand what they learned in class. Seeing their excitement and enthusiasm was second to none. The faculty and SAC student volunteers worked together to organize the field trip, a true team effort.
Fun Fact: When I came to the college in 1998 and for the first few years I was here, students did not have email addresses or internet access in their dorms. Coursework was saved on floppy disks, and the first question I asked in the digital literacy course (then computer applications) was, ‘How many of you have used a computer before?’ Typically, over 50 percent of the class had not!
Keith Morse
Manager, Print Shop, 42 years
As I reflect on my time at Saint Anselm College, I cherish the many fond memories created on the Hilltop. One highlight was enjoying lunch at the old coffee shop beneath Alumni Hall, where administration, faculty, and staff gathered around a long table to share meals and conversation. I also fondly remember participating in the Noon Time League Basketball games alongside esteemed colleagues such as Arthur Kenison ’63 and Paul Kenison ’62, Bill Farrell, Joe Catanese ’70, Todd Emmons ’75, Bill Andrea, Drew Litz ’78, Ed Cannon, James Mahoney, Greg Buck, Mark Cronin, and many others. However, the proudest memory for me is the sense of family that permeates our community. I began my journey here in April 1983, and later that year, my son, Rory, was born with a birth defect. The support from the college was invaluable;
The proudest memory for me is the sense of family that permeates our community.”
—KEITH MORSE
I was able to take time off, and the community rallied to help us with raising money to travel to Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield, Mass. This support was crucial during a challenging time, and it reinforced the notion that the college community truly became our extended family.
While new faces may come and go on campus, the sense of community and belonging has remained constant. I must also express my deep gratitude to my wife, Sharry, whose unwavering support and encouragement have been instrumental in making my career a
successful one. Her belief in me and her kindness have enriched my journey at Saint Anselm. I also take pride in the fact that both of my sons, Rory and Shawn, worked here and attended several sports camps at the college during their high school years. It was always amusing when Rory would answer the office phone and people would mistake him for me, while Shawn made quite a name for himself working in the Coffee Shop.
Retiring feels surreal, yet the memories and connections I’ve made will always hold a special place in my heart as I move forward, especially for the CCM team.
Philip
Pajakowski, Ph.D.
History, 36 Years
A fun memory was when Prof. Matt Masur got me to sing “Guantanamera” with a bunch of street musicians in Havana on out first trip to Cuba in 2014.
Fun Fact: The water cooler in Joseph Hall was once named for me (it’s gone now). It was named for me by Prof. Hugh Dubrulle. I arranged with Fr. Augustine (academic dean at the time) to have the cooler installed on our floor. Hugh said that was my most significant achievement as department chair.
Photo by Jason Kolnos
THE END OF AN ERA
Carmen Sullivan, M.A.T. Modern Languages, 27 Years
I have many wonderful memories of the Hilltop. Over the years, I have seen many changes and met many wonderful people, including my students. My favorite memories at Saint Anselm College from over the years are with Fr. Peter Guerin, who first hired me for a Spanish parttime position in 1995. After a year, my family and I moved away, and I was rehired in 1999. Fr. Peter and I had a special bond because his sister-in-law was also from my native Nicaragua. After he retired, we shared a special tradition of enjoying my homemade tres leches cake. Fr. Peter helped me go through some very hard times in my life, and I will always be grateful for him.
Fun Fact: I was once mistaken for a ghost in Alumni Hall! One hot summer day, I decided to remodel my office on the fourth floor. I was moving bookshelves and furniture around and making a lot of noise, assuming that there was no one else in the vicinity. Unbeknownst to me, there were men doing repairs in the bell tower; all spooked out by loud noises in the building that is rumored to be haunted. One man came up to my office to investigate, quietly, and we ended up both screaming at the sight of each other!
Arlene Thompson Office and Program Coordinator, Student Engagement and Leadership, 27 Years
My favorite memory will always be seeing each student fulfill their dream when they have successfully completed their personal goals and accomplishments as they walk across the stage at commencement.
Fun Fact: Never would I have ever expected to form so many strong bonds with so many young adults. I consider myself so fortunate to have been a part of this wonderful community. Thank you, Saint Anselm College, for this incredible ride!
My favorite memory will always be seeing each student fulfill their dream.”
—ARLENE THOMPSON
Kevin A. McMahon, Ph.D.
Theology, 41 Years
I arrived at Saint Anselm College right out of graduate school in August of 1984. My brother, Sean, had graduated from Saint Anselm that May. Our father, John A. McMahon, graduated in 1947, having spent only two years at the college. The bombing of Pearl Harbor happened in December of his freshman year, and like just about every other student, he enlisted in the military. The next two years were spent in officer training school, for which he ultimately received college credit. Then followed two years on destroyers in the South Pacific. So when he received his discharge and returned to Saint Anselm, it was as a college senior. His diploma, still bright white, has hung on the wall of every office I have had over the years, dwarfing my yellowed Ph.D. from Marquette.
I was married in the Abbey Church on October 4, 1986, to Mary Margaret Meehan. Her brother, Tim, had also graduated from Saint Anselm and had spent several years as a member of the monastic community. It was his closest friend in the monastery, Fr. Jude Gray, who celebrated our marriage. Her father, Timothy F. Meehan, had been a member of the college’s board of trustees. Her brother, Dennis, was another graduate— though his matriculation, like my father’s, was interrupted by war. This time, the Vietnam War. I can remember as if it were yesterday my son, John Timothy, named
KEVIN A. MCMAHON, PH.D. 41 YEARS
Kevin Staley, Ph.D. Philosophy, 39 Years
My most memorable moment on campus: May 10, 1994, at 2:11 p.m. I was sitting in the abandoned grotto behind Gadbois Hall during a near total eclipse of the sun (95 percent). The tree canopy was just beginning to bud. I suppose one would call it a holy moment.
for his two grandfathers, watching Jim Mazzone, now a priest of the diocese of Worcester, using a jackhammer to cut away the rock underneath the Carr Center to make room for new basement locker rooms. He had made a deal—brute labor in exchange for summer Spanish classes.
And then there was the student I’d never met before who, just after my daughter, Kara Elizabeth, had been born, came up to me to say that Kara Elizabeth was her name too. Such a touching thing
to do. Forty years, teaching theology, has made it abundantly clear to me that the students are Saint Anselm’s greatest treasure, and it has been my great privilege to know them, in their personal triumphs and in their tragedies. Having spent the whole of my 20s in one library or another, reading and studying, it was my wife, herself a theology teacher, who finally taught me that, more to the point, in everything we do, is life. And the point of life is Christ.
KEVIN DORAN, PH.D. Sociology and Social Work
BY KATE GRIP DENON
“This
major gives students the ability to take the position of the other. To understand all the things that led to that person existing the way they exist, and how that shapes the way they view the world, and therefore how they act.”
When did you become interested in sociology?
I’m a first-generation college student, and I didn’t know what sociology was until I took a class in college called Wealth and Power. That class helped me see structures or processes in place where people have someone helping them understand what to expect. My dad was a train engineer, largely for the coal industry, and my mom did many things, including a job in parking enforcement, and when it came to knowing what to expect in a college setting, I had to figure out a lot on my own. But the way my parents talked to me about their work experiences or things happening in the world, I didn’t know at the time, was what C. Wright Mills calls ‘sociological imagination’—breaking down the link of this big structural process and how that explains a smaller thing. I was already looking at the world through that lens, and then I got to college and there was this thing called sociology, and it was doing what I’d already been trained to do. I became a sociology and a PPE (politics, philosophy, and economics) major, and I enjoyed all of it, but I felt my heart was really with sociology.
Do you have a favorite class to teach?
Sociological Theory. My favorite part is looking at identity and what’s going on underneath the surface of people. The class ends with a project where students pick a piece of art, a song, TV show, anything, and then use six theoretical perspectives of their choosing that we discussed in class to analyze it. One student, a fine arts minor, really impressed me. He took six paintings and talked about the individual brushstrokes and the emotion they conveyed, and then connected that to things such as group conflict and personal identity. How he used the skills he learned in fine arts and combined it with the skills he learned in sociology, that was really fun.
Why should students major in sociology?
This major gives students the ability to take the position of the other. To understand all the things that led to that person existing the way they exist, and how that shapes the way they view the world, and therefore how they act. As an extreme example, if you want to stop terrorism, you must understand why a person thinks terrorism is the correct
Kevin Doran, Ph.D. Associate Professor and Chair, Sociology and Social Work
B.A. University of Pittsburgh
M.A. Indiana University
Ph.D. Indiana University
Photo by Kevin Harkins
action. You don’t have to agree with it, but you have to understand what gets a person to that point of view. We hear from so many of our alumni that this is not only invaluable in their careers, but in helping them be better human beings. Sociology also pairs so well with many other majors, including criminal justice, politics, public health, social work, peace and justice, economics and business, and psychology.
Can you talk about the new B.S.W. program?
We’re in the second year of a three-year process for an accredited bachelor’s in social work (B.S.W.) and expect to be accredited by fall 2026. We are Council on Social Work Education (C.S.W.E.) candidates, which means that students admitted to the program now are eligible for an accredited B.S.W. This would be acknowledged retroactively if we were not accredited before they graduated. Many master’s programs grant advanced standing to students with an accredited B.S.W., allowing them to move directly into second-year courses in their M.S.W. program.
What are people surprised to learn about you?
I see a few jaws drop when I mention I used to play bass in a punk band. But also, people can’t believe I’ve only seen one of the Star Wars movies—growing up we had a VHS tape recording of Return of the Jedi, and that’s the only one I’ve seen.
SUPPORTING SAINT ANSELM NURSES
Saint Anselm College has received a transformational donation of $1.8M from the Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF. This generous contribution supports the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences with scholarships, staffing resources, and funds for student educational success.
The Bedford Falls Foundation was founded by philanthropists Bill Conway, Jr. and his late wife, Joanne Barkett Conway, to remove barriers to a high-quality nursing education and address the critical nursing workforce shortage. The couple have committed to helping educate 20,000 nurses in the United States. Support from Bill and Joanne Conway has helped graduate more than 7,000 nurses to date.
“When Joanne and I began discussing areas that were meaningful to us to support, we talked about nurses and the impact they had made in our lives,” Conway said. “We believed that by investing in nursing education, we are not only helping to meet the everpresent, growing demand but also enabling the future generation of nurses to lead lives of service and purpose while also providing for themselves and their families.”
Dr. Diane Uzarski, the inaugural dean of the Jean School, said the college was grateful for the support of the Bedford Falls Foundation.
“We are building on our rich legacy of healthcare education excellence and quality nursing practice,” she said. “As we look to our bright future, we are implementing our strategic plan to position us to provide students with the best possible academic experience at Saint Anselm College.”
With this gift, the college has established the Joanne and William
BY PAUL J. PRONOVOST ’91
Conway Nursing Scholarship to provide renewable scholarship awards of $5,000, $7,000, or $10,000 to students with highdemonstrated need, first-generation college students with demonstrated need, and residents of New Hampshire with demonstrated need.
“When Joanne and I began discussing areas that were meaningful to us to support, we talked about nurses and the impact they had made in our lives.”
—Bill Conway, Jr.
The Bedford Falls Foundation donation also is supporting an academic support and retention specialist who will provide student advisement, academic coaching and related programming. This position will play a pivotal role in enhancing the academic success of undergraduate and graduate Jean School nursing students through targeted support and partnership with the Academic Resource Center; with the goal to significantly increase the number of nurses who successfully complete the school’s nursing programs.
In addition, a one-time contribution of $100K is being used toward the Joanne Barkett Conway Dean’s Discretionary Fund. These funds are being used for
purposes that meet both the Bedford Falls Foundation mission to support nursing education and educational success for students in need, consistent with the Jean School’s strategic plan goal to support student access and success by enriching the student experience for all.
“We are deeply thankful to the Bedford Falls Foundation for this investment in our mission and the belief in the power of education to change lives,” said Saint Anselm President Joseph A. Favazza. “This gift will help ensure that our students and faculty have the resources they need to thrive and make meaningful contributions to the world.”
For Conway, the importance of supporting the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences is significant. “We are proud to partner with the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences to further its mission of shaping compassionate leaders in healthcare, especially among first-generation college students,” Conway said. “At Bedford Falls Foundation, our principal mission is to facilitate greater access to high-quality nursing education while removing the financial barrier, so students can focus on entering the nursing workforce with less stress.”
The college is opening a new home for the Jean School, with a ribboncutting planned for September 5. At 45,000 square feet, Grappone Hall will provide nursing, community and public health, and health science students with the learning environment and experiences to become the next generation of healthcare leaders.
The Bedford Falls Foundation was founded by philanthropists Bill Conway, Jr. and his late wife, Joanne Barkett Conway.
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ALUMNI PLAY IN PROS ABROAD
Within the last few years, several Hawks have taken their talents to the European and Australian pros.
The men’s and women’s basketball programs have been steady standouts among Hawks athletics. For the men, 10 Northeast-10 championships (the most of any team in league history), and for the women, recently advancing to the NCAA postseason for the second time in five years. In addition to racking up championships and winning seasons, both teams also have seen several of its alumni move on to play professionally abroad over the last few years.
“It’s great to have so many former players achieving their dreams of playing at the professional level,” says Chris Santo ’15, head coach for the men’s basketball team. Santo, a former Hawks standout, was named the 11th head coach in program history in April 2024. “The men’s basketball program here at Saint Anselm has always competed at the highest level of
Division II, and having players graduate and go on to play professionally is one of the most gratifying pieces of being a college coach.”
The following alumni are actively playing in professional leagues abroad.
Tim Guers ’19 has signed a professional contract to play for Sporting CP in Portugal. The team competes in the Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol (LPB), the country’s top men’s basketball league. Guers was a member of the Saint Anselm men’s basketball program for four years from 2015 to 2019. During his four seasons, he started in all 122 games he appeared in, which is the second-most in program history. He led the Hawks to 91 wins compared to just 32 losses during his career (.739 winning percentage) and finished as the program’s all-time scoring leader
with 2,327 career points. Over that time, Guers led Saint Anselm to a Northeast-10 Conference Championship in 2016-17 as well as four straight trips to the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball tournament. Across his four seasons, Guers was a two-time NE10 Player of the Year in 2017-18 and 2018-19, the league’s Rookie of the Year in 2015-16, and a four-time NE10 All-Conference selection, including three times as a member of the First Team.
Danny Evans ’20 played for Union Rennes Basket 35 in French NM1 last year. Evans played for two seasons on the Hilltop, and started in all 61 games, averaging 11.2 points per game and scoring just shy of 700 points. Averaging exactly five rebounds per tilt, Evans also had 2.6 assists per contest and helped his team to a 47-14 overall record.
Tim Guers ’19 PORTUGAL
Danny Evans ’20 FRANCE
Shannon Ryan ’20 AUSTRALIA
Shannon Ryan ’20 has joined the Sunshine Coast Phoenix playing in Australian NBL One East. Previously playing for Baden in the Swiss Basketball League, Ryan was a standout Hawks player, appearing in all 28 games as a senior, leading all of NCAA Division II in double-doubles (26), defensive rebounds per game (26) and field goals made (271), and averaging 23 points per game, ranking seventh in the country.
Chris Paul ’22 has signed a professional contract to play for BBG Herford in Germany. He previously played professionally in Luxembourg and Finland. Paul helped the Hawks win a Northeast-10 (NE10) Championship and earn four NCAA Division II Tournament berths during his tenure on the Hilltop. During the 2018-19 campaign, Paul led Saint Anselm to an NCAA Division II East Region title and helped the team reach the Final Four. he was a four-time All-NE10 selection (two-time First Team pick), a two-time NABC All-District First Team selection, and a two-time D2CCA All-East Region Second Team selection.
Gustav Suhr-Jessen ’22 plays for Hottur in Icelandic Subway League. During his four years at Saint Anselm, he played and started in all games. In his senior year he averaged 10.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game for Saint Anselm, and shot 44.7 percent from the floor (102-for-228).
Owen McGlashan ’23 signed his first ever contract with BK Iskra Svit, a professional basketball club based in Slovakia. McGlashan played two full seasons with the Hawks after transferring in from NCAA Division I University of Denver in Denver, Colo. While on the Hilltop, he helped the team win the Northeast-10 (NE10) Championship in 2022-23, and helped the team reach a pair of NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Tournaments.
Miles Tention ’23 signed a professional deal with Tigers Tübingen in Germany. This marks the second professional contract for Tention, who played professionally last year in Cyprus. Tention helped the Hawks win two NE10 Championships and earn four NCAA Tournament berths. He was a three-
time NE10 All-Conference selection and helped Saint Anselm win 86 games, compared to just 33 losses, from 2018-2023.
Tyler Arbuckle ’24 plays for Iverioni in Georgian Superleague. He was previously playing with HKK Mostar, a professional club that plays in the Basketball Championship of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Balkan nation’s top league. Arbuckle helped the Hawks win two Northeast-10 (NE10) Championships and earn three NCAA Tournament berths during his tenure on the Hilltop. He was a three-time All-NE10 selection, a two-time All-Region selection, a one-time NABC All-American, and helped Saint Anselm win 76 games compared to just 42 losses during his career.
Chris Paul ’22 GERMANY
Gustav Suhr-Jessen ’22 ICELAND
Owen McGlashan ’23 SLOVAKIA
Miles Tention ’23 GERMANY
Tyler Arbuckle ’24 BOSNIA/HERZEGOVINA
Photos courtesy of Saint Anselm Athletics
’66
Steve McKeon was recognized as one of the Wisconsin Cheesemaker Association’s (WCMA) 2025 Cheese Industry Champions. McKeon led Roth Kase Ltd., now known as Emmi Roth USA, in Monroe, Wisc., as president, chief operating officer, and an owner from 1991-2009. In 2011, the company was sold to Emmi, a Swiss dairy cooperative, and McKeon stayed on as CEO for a year before retiring. He remained on the Emmi Roth USA Board through 2013. McKeon is part owner of Family Fresh Pack, Monroe, Wisc., and currently consults for companies on business, finance, and marketing.
’84
C.J. Connon, Esq., has accepted a position as director reinsurance/ insurance for SiriusPoint Ltd., in New York, N.Y.
Mark E. Davis, Esq. , has joined DMI, a provider of digital services to customers in the public and private sectors, as senior vice president of legal. Before DMI, he served as an assistant general counsel at General Dynamics Information Technology for more than 16 years. Earlier in his career, he was general counsel to TranTech, Enterprise Information Management, and Tri-COR Industries, and was counsel at Raytheon. He received his J.D. from The Catholic
University of America, Columbus School of Law.
’89
Tim Stearns has been promoted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas to vice president in the banking supervision department with responsibility for all large and regional banking organizations in the Eleventh Federal Reserve District. Previously, he was assistant vice president. He earned a B.A. in English from Saint Anselm College, which included a year abroad at Oxford University, and is a graduate of the University of Colorado’s Graduate School of Banking.
’90
Richard Rosato, D.M.D., has been elected president of the American Dental Association. A Concord, N.H., oral surgeon with practices in the Hanover and Peterborough areas, he served as 1st District trustee, chair of the ADA Council on Ethics, Bylaws and Judicial Affairs, and president of the New Hampshire Dental Association. He received his dental degree from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.
’91
Paul J. Pronovost, chief communications and marketing officer for Saint Anselm College, was inducted into the New England Newspaper and Press Association’s Hall of Fame for his leadership at the Cape Cod Times
Pronovost, who was in journalism for 29 years before joining Saint Anselm College, was with the Cape Cod Times for 19 years, most recently serving as executive editor and general manager of the Cape Cod Media Group. He received his master’s in public administration from Suffolk University in Boston.
’96
Sean J. Ryan has been appointed the 12th president of Anna Maria College in Paxton, Mass. He was most recently the senior vice president of Bellarmine University in Louisville, Ky., where he worked since 2007 in roles such as vice president for enrollment management and dean of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. He received his graduate degree from Regis College in Weston, Mass., and he holds a doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania.
’97
Sarah Neal has been appointed as vice president, human resources at UFP Technologies in Boston. She most recently served as vice president of learning and development at PTC, and before that was senior director, HRBP, supporting HR operations and leadership. Prior to PTC, she worked at Takeda as a senior director. She received her master’s in management from Cambridge College.
’98
Brian Flaherty was elected as moderator for the town of Dracut, Mass. The moderator presides at town meetings and appoints residents to serve on various town committees. He also is serving his second term as a member of the Dracut Library board of trustees, currently as the chair.
Skip Stabile was elected to a sixth four-year term on the North Plainfield Borough Council in North Plainfield, N.J. He also was selected by council colleagues to serve as council president.
’00
John. J. O’Leary IV presented his research on one of the untold stories from WWII, the AKTION P program and the story of the MercedesBenz 540K ‘AKTION P’ (chassis #408377), at the International History Conference on WWII hosted by Dominican University in May in Orangeburg, N.Y.
’01
Tim Paradis has been promoted to partner at Crestwood Advisors, a boutique investment advisory and wealth management firm with offices in Connecticut and Rhode Island. He joined Crestwood in 2023 as a wealth manager, bringing with him nearly two decades of experience, including significant time at Fidelity Investments. He is a certified
AMPING IT UP: TAYLOR COX ’01
When Taylor Cox ’01 graduated from Saint Anselm, he never imagined he’d be lucky enough to turn his passion for music into a career. But in 2009, the sociology major-turned-business owner did just that.
Cox’s Amplified Nation specializes in high-quality custom amplifiers for music legends and new artists, including guitarists of famed bands such as Zac Brown Band and Pearl Jam. Today, the brand offers a catalog of seven bespoke amplifiers, each carefully handcrafted in their Hudson, Mass., shop.
What started as a business to create custom cabinetry to house speakers for amplifiers soon evolved into creating the amps themselves. After gaining insight into the industry and connecting with other musicians who shared his passion for sound, Cox knew the business had the potential to be something bigger.
With the help of his wife Alyson, Cox launched Amplified Nation out of their one-bedroom apartment. By 2015, they had a full line of boutique guitar amplifiers available for purchase. It started as a side business while they worked corporate jobs. The pair combined their business acumen with their passion for music to continue to grow the business. Alyson specializes in marketing and communications, and handles everything from website creation to brand storytelling, while Taylor leverages his sales background to identify new opportunities for the business and build relationships with customers.
Word of their product began to spread through the industry, and sales boomed. Cox credits quality craftsmanship for the amplifiers’ popularity. “At Amplified Nation, we pride ourselves on providing a true custom-shop experience for every customer,” says Cox.
The entire building process— from populating the circuit boards to fitting the amplifier into its personal enclosure—is geared to the customer’s unique style and preferences for an unparalleled musical experience.
“Our amplifiers are designed to create a deeply organic connection between the player, the guitar, and the amp. When you plug in, you’ll feel as though the amplifier becomes an extension of your instrument, responding intuitively to every nuance of your playing,” says Cox.
Within the catalog of seven core models, there is something for every style of player, cementing Amplified Nation as a key player in the industry, as well as the music community. “We’ve built a loyal following among musicians who value the unmatched tone and reliability of our products,” says Cox.
Cox reflects fondly on his time at Saint Anselm. He was president of the King Edward Society during his senior year, and the Hilltop fostered his love
of playing guitar—he often performed at campus talent shows, as well as the coffee shop and pub. Beyond landing some of his first gigs at the college, Cox also learned valuable skills—namely, consumer behavior and influence—in his sociology and psychology classes, which helped shape his sales strategies.
The future looks bright for Amplified Nation. To keep up with the growing demand for the product, the business recently expanded the production team and doubled the size of the warehouse, and the shop has several custom products on the horizon that they plan to launch throughout the rest of this year.
“It’s a particularly exciting time for live music, with artists and audiences connecting on stages around the world,” says Cox. “We’re proud to be part of this industry, providing the tools that inspire creativity and elevate performance.”
PEDRICK
SAMANTHA JETTE ’20
PHOTO BY LORI
Alyson Cox and Taylor Cox ’01
Alumni News
financial planner (CFP) practitioner and received a certificate in financial planning from Merrimack College.
’02
Jeffrey W. Aubuchon recently completed a ninemonth assignment with the Peace Corps Response program in Nepal, where he coached secondary school teachers to improve classroom instruction and student performance. He previously served as a health volunteer with Peace Corps/ Morocco (2007-2008). In May, he returned home to Hawaii and was appointed librarian for the legislature in Honolulu.
Jon Blanchard is the new program director of hunger and relief services for Catholic Charities Maine. Blanchard has been a member of the Catholic Charities Maine team since September 2022, previously serving as assistant director of the program. He received his M.B.A. with a concentration in institutional leadership from Husson University in Bangor, Maine.
Vincent Gaccione recently completed his Ph.D. in literacy at St. John’s University, Queens, N.Y. He teaches history and political science at St. Joseph High School in Trumbull, Conn.
’03
Kathleen Davidson has been elevated to partner at the law firm Pastori Krans in Concord, N.H. Davidson focuses her practice on family law, employment law, and investigations, and has been with the firm for three years.
’07
Gary Senecal is the new football coach for St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury, Mass. Senecal, a Worcester native, spent last season as the head football coach at St. Paul Diocesan Junior/ Senior High School in Worcester. He received his master’s from the Katholieke Universiteit of Leuven in Belgium, and doctorate from the University of West Georgia, and has been a member of the U.S. Army Reserves since 2013.
’09
Daniel P. (Scholfield) Belfield, Esq., has been appointed vice president general counsel of AmeriCU Credit Union, the first person in the credit union’s 75-year history to hold the position. Headquartered in Rome, N.Y., AmeriCU was originally chartered to serve members of the U.S. Air Force stationed at Griffiss Air Force Base. Today AmeriCU serves members of all branches of the U.S. military and their families, as well as the residents of 24 counties in Upstate New York, comprising approximately
170,000 individuals with nearly $3 billion in assets.
’10
Ben Bradley has been included in the Union Leader’s 40 Under 40 Bradley, vice president of state government relations for the New Hampshire Hospital Association, received his B.A. in politics from Saint Anselm, and lives in Barrington, N.H.
Eric John Ricci, D.M.D., was appointed by the State Senate to serve on the Health Services Council at the Rhode Island Department of Health. He and his wife, Alison (Hammond) ’10, live in Smithfield, R.I., and have two children.
’11
Richard Frizzell, C.P.A., M.S.A., has been elected a partner in the Transaction Advisory Services practice for Gray, Gray & Gray, LLP, a business consulting and accounting firm based in Canton, Mass. He holds a master’s degree in accounting from Northeastern University, and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Massachusetts Society of CPAs.
Leah Serafin Maroney is a public health professional in Worcester, Mass. Currently serving as the strategic initiatives and projects manager for the
City of Worcester, she has worked directly with the commissioner of Health and Human Services to advance public health initiatives focused on topics such as homelessness, youth violence prevention, substance use, mental health, and reentry. She holds a Master of Arts in Community Development and Planning from Clark University in Worcester, and is an Americorps VISTA alumni, and member of the Worcester Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Worcester Class of 2025. She also serves as a board member for Elder Services of Worcester Area.
Maura (Haverty) Mooney was recently promoted to administrative department manager for both the Adult Psychosocial Oncology division and the Pediatric Psychosocial Oncology division within the Supportive Oncology Department at DanaFarber Cancer Institute in Boston. She oversees the administrative specialist teams in both divisions and provides oversight of scheduling and administrative matters for the medical providers and staff in both divisions.
’18
Lt. Brigid Horan of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps graduated with her Master of Science in Nursing and became a board certified family nurse practitioner.
PITCH PERFECT: RYAN FECTEAU ’05
Ryan Fecteau ’05 was not a highly recruited baseball pitcher coming out of high school despite an overall mark of 23-1. He attracted interest from some Division III schools throughout New England, and visited a Division I program in Connecticut, but the right-hander from Gilford High School chose to stay in state to pitch for the Hawks.
“Ken Harring was the head coach at the time, and he recruited me really hard,” says Fecteau. “I really liked him, and I liked his vision, and I liked the appeal of staying close to home. My parents were able to come and watch me quite a bit, and it was a good academic school.”
These days, Fecteau is competing in a different way. Since the 2018 season, he has been the associate head coach, pitching, for Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. The Division I Hokies advanced to the Super Regional for the first time in 2022 and were ranked nationally early in the 2024 season.
Prior to the 2025 season, Fecteau had watched 24 of his pitchers get drafted by Major League teams, including 12 from Virginia Tech. Two of his students made it to the Majors— Virginia Tech product Zach Brzykcy of the Washington Nationals, and James Karinchak, who last pitched for Cleveland in 2023 and played for Fecteau at Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I. When asked about his approach as the pitching coach under head coach John Szefc at Virginia Tech, Fecteau says it’s all about letting the players be themselves. “We try to identify guys who have some sort of uniqueness to them,”
he says. “Letting their personality show daily is a big thing for me— the relationship aspect, that is what I value a lot. I enjoy watching them grow.”
This same approach played out in his four seasons with the Hawks. Saint Anselm was 9-35 in baseball in the spring of 2001 under Harring, the year before Fecteau took the mound at the college level. But a core group of players helped turn the program into a winner. The Hawks were 17-31 in Fecteau’s freshman season of 2002, improved to 23-20 the next season, and in 2004 were nationally ranked in Division II, won 12 straight games in one stretch, and finished the season 30-22.
Among the other players who aided in the improvement was lefty pitcher and Keene, N.H., native Parrish Castor ’06, who was drafted by the Marlins in 2004 and reached the Single-A level, and former outfielder Keith Beauregard ’05, now the hitting coach for the Detroit Tigers.
Fecteau received his bachelor’s degree in business in 2005, and then
went on to Saint Lawrence University where he received his master’s degree in education in 2007. The college pitcher began to consider coaching as a career during his junior season when he realized just how many good college players there were, and to be drafted would be a challenge.
His first jobs were as a graduate assistant at Saint Lawrence, and then an assistant coach at Southern Utah and South Carolina Upstate, before returning to Saint Lawrence as an assistant coach. He was the assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Bryant from 2011-16. Szefc hired him to be the assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at the University of Maryland in 2017, and the next year they both moved to Virginia Tech. Fecteau was an assistant coach from 2018-22, then promoted to associate head coach, pitching, in 2022.
Fecteau has become one of the top young pitching coaches in the country. “Our pitching operation has dramatically improved under his tutelage, especially considering the draft picks that have come out of here and our constant presence at the top of the ACC,” says Szefc. “Our success on the mound is attributed to his hard work with our staff [and] his recruitment of our pitching staff has also been top-notch.”
BY DAVID DRIVER PHOTO COURTESY OF VIRGINIA
Editor’s Note: As Portraits went to press, we learned Ryan Fecteau ‘05 has become the pitching coach for Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif.
Alumni News
’19
Liberty Gendron is in her final year of medical school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pa. She was recently matched with her top choice program, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center for Emergency Medicine Residency in the Class of 2028.
’22
Kyle Machado graduated with his master’s in classical archaeology from Florida State University (FSU), where he will be continuing his Ph.D. studies this fall. In addition to his studies, he will be teaching an ancient mythology class at FSU, and he recently participated in an archaeological excavation at an ancient Etruscan site, Montereggi, near Florence, Italy.
’23
Kathryn Monahan is the communications assistant for Rep. Ro Khanna, U.S. House of Representatives (D-CA).
Mitchell Whorff was sworn in as a new officer for the Bath Police Department in Bath, Maine, in April 2024. In August, he attended the Maine Criminal Justice Academy’s 18-week program, graduating December 20, 2024, in the 46th Basic Law Enforcement Training Program (BLETP).
’24
Jacob Akey is a junior fellow at First Things magazine in New York, N.Y. The magazine is published by The Institute of Religion and Public Life, an educational institute aiming to advance a religiously informed public philosophy.
Luke Chadwick is a J.D. candidate and public interest law fellow at UMass Law School at UMass Dartmouth.
Amani Clemons is a digital marketing specialist with The Ivy Group, Ltd., in Charlottesville, Va.
Alexandra Costa is an associate at Chamber Hill Strategies, a certified woman-owned consulting and lobbying group in Washington, D.C.
Caroline Kiley is an outreach specialist at Pine Street Inn in Boston, Mass. The Pine Street
Inn is the largest homeless shelter in New England.
Riley McIntyre is a marketing administrative assistant at Avid, a software development company in Burlington, Mass.
Kathryn Williams has joined DEKA Research & Development in Manchester, N.H., as executive assistant to the president, Dean Kamen.
remembering
John A. “Jack” Humphrey, Ph.D. ’66, Professor, Criminal Justice
John A. “Jack” Humphrey, Ph.D. ’66, born in 1944 in Norwich, Conn., passed away on June 1, 2025, at his home. He was a loving husband, father, friend, and educator who touched many lives with his kindness and wisdom.
John was the son of Frank and Anna Mae Humphrey and was predeceased by them and his brother, Tom Humphrey. He is survived by his wife, Karen (McGee) Humphrey, his son, Gabriel Humphrey ’22, and extended family including his niece, Marie (Humphrey) Rice, in-laws, cousins, and his lifelong friend, Marc Marcussen.
Jack earned his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of New Hampshire and went on to teach for nearly five decades, most recently as a professor of criminal justice at Saint Anselm College. John authored or co-authored several influential books, including Deviant Behavior (Sage Publications, Inc., 2020) and Wrongly Convicted (Rutgers University Press, 2001), and secured multiple national grants to advance research in community justice, violence prevention, and juvenile rehabilitation. He also served as co-director of the Consortium on Justice and Society at Saint Anselm’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics (NHIOP). He also volunteered with organizations like the Knights of Columbus and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
John was a devoted fan of the Boston Red Sox, loved the serenity of the ocean, and he enjoyed fruitcake during the Christmas season. His beloved pug, Obi Wan Kenobi, was a treasured companion who brought him much happiness.
A memorial mass was held in John’s honor on June 24th at St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish in Somersworth, N.H. He was laid to rest at St. Joseph Cemetery in Norwich, Conn.
FROM THE HILLTOP TO INDIA: EMMA GOULET ’23
Soon after graduating from Saint Anselm College, Emma Goulet ’23, a physics and psychology double major, received a job offer she couldn’t refuse: to teach quantum physics to Buddhist monks and nuns in India for four months as part of the Science for Monks & Nuns program.
The opportunity came from physics professor Ian Durham. It was something Durham himself had participated in several times. Without hesitation, she packed her bags for a trip that would change her life forever.
In retrospect, Goulet’s journey to India began taking shape the day she met Durham, which was as a prospective student at an early admitted open house. She and her family spent the day talking with him about his research on free will, and by the end of their conversation, he offered her a position to conduct research alongside him if she came to the college. In the years since, he has become her mentor.
“Professor Durham is probably the most influential person in my life,” she says. “He’s the reason why I went to Saint A’s—he’s just incredible [and] has so many wild connections and has such a sharp intellect.”
During Goulet’s time at Saint Anselm, Durham consistently supported her academic growth in and out of the classroom. Whether through conferences, extra exam prep, or connecting her with experts in the physics field, Durham was dedicated to Goulet’s success as a student, and it was Goulet who immediately came to mind when the teaching opportunity for Science for Monks & Nuns arose.
“The biggest thing that stuck out for me about Emma was her curiosity—she really wanted to understand things,” says Durham.
“On top of that, of course, she was an exceptional student, was the winner of our Goulet Award in 2023, and was very methodical and studious— all of these traits are what made her particularly good for the opportunity in India.”
The Science for Monks & Nuns program, established in 1999 by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, was launched to bridge the gap between traditional Buddhist thought and Western science. The Dalai Lama emphasized the importance of learning Western sciences to help strengthen practitioners’ logical reasoning, while staying up to date with the world. He required five sciences to be taught, quantum physics being one of them. The program invites Western scientists such as Durham and Goulet to teach and provide valuable insight to the Buddhist monks and nuns.
A typical day at the monastery for Goulet included attending Durham’s classes, eating meals with the monks and nuns, hiking and exploring the local culture, and learning Nepali and
Goulet also traveled to Dharamsala, India, to teach a three-month physics distancelearning course to approximately 60 virtual participants, and five in-person attendees ranging in age from 26 to 69. She covered topics such as particle physics, quantum physics, mathematics, and the scientific method.
For Goulet, it was a life-changing experience. “I really want to keep the culture of the Buddhist communities with me, specifically the ideas of what’s important in life [such as] generosity and community-based culture,” she says.
Looking ahead, Durham and Goulet are co-writing a textbook for future courses, which will be translated into Tibetan. The two also returned to India this past April for the 25th anniversary of the Science for Monks & Nuns program.
BY KATELYN ARNOLD ’23
Hindi words from the monks.
PHOTO COURTESY EMMA GOULET ’23
Emma Goulet ’23, second from left
ETERNAL LIFE
Loretta Coffey ’50 (Mount Saint Mary), Nashua, N.H., June 16, 2022.
Joan Tobin ’50 (Mount Saint Mary), Richmond Hill, Ga., August 25, 2020.
Helen Conley Wray ’50 (Mount Saint Mary), Melvin Village, N.H., January 8, 2020.
R. Earl McLoud, M.D., ’53, Lantana, Fla., May 5, 2024.
Robert W. Lavallee, D.D.S., ’54, Nashua, N.H., March 22, 2025.
George Biron, D.D.S., ’55, Manchester, N.H., May 6, 2025.
Faith Hanley Bailey ’57, Dresden, Maine, January 3, 2025.
Mary E. (Shea) Deslauriers ’57 (Mount Saint Mary), Westfield, Mass., July 28, 2022.
Edward C. Gagnon ’57, Friendship, Maine, March 20, 2025.
George E. Boucher ’58, Nashua, N.H., November 18, 2024.
Clifford Carmel ’58, Pittsfield, Mass., February 18, 2025.
William John McCarthy ’58, North Hampton, N.H., April 7, 2025.
Raymond Joseph Morin ’58, Yarmouth, Maine, April 3, 2025.
Ernest Schneevogl ’58, Holmes Beach, Fla., April 12, 2023.
Richard H. Smith, Sr. ’58, Old Orchard Beach, Maine, January 6, 2025.
Ralph E. Stevens, Jr. ’58, Merrimack, N.H., December 16, 2024.
Louis Bellaud ’59, Holderness, N.H., February 8, 2025.
Leon P. Gaulin ’59, Ogunquit, Maine, December 29, 2022.
Sandra Yacopucci ’59, San Rafael, Calif., January 29, 2025.
Francis E. Brissette ’60, Greenfield, Mass., February 25, 2023.
Theresa Marie Townshend ’60 (Mount Saint Mary), Lowell, Mass., April 20, 2020.
Sharon Folster ’61 (Mount Saint Mary), Tacoma, Wash., August 14, 2024.
Joseph F. Petrie ’61, Norwood, Mass., January 4, 2025.
Rev. Exarch Joseph S. Haggar ’62, Providence, R.I., March 23, 2025.
Brian O’Rourke ’62, North Falmouth, Mass., May 26, 2025.
Thomas Joseph Hammond ’63, Osprey, Fla., April 2, 2025.
Robert Michael “Bob” O’Toole ’63, Alexandria, Va., May 10, 2025.
Lawrence Bernard Roberts ’63, Westfield, Mass., February 10, 2025.
Richard “Dick” Rubino ’63, Farmington, Conn., May 2, 2025.
Nancy Tessier ’63 (Mount Saint Mary), Manchester, N.H., December 27, 2021.
Peter H. Cyr ’64, Portland, Conn., May 12, 2025.
Joan M. Duffy ’64 (Mount Saint Mary), Braintree, Mass., February 16, 2025.
William “Bill” R. McGuire IV ’64, Marion, Ind., December 25, 2024.
Michael Quinn ’64, Spring Hill, Fla., August 28, 2020.
Frederick James Boss ’65, Chelmsford, Mass., December 30, 2024.
Ruth “Brenda” Brown ’65 (Mount Saint Mary), Daniel Island, S.C., April 3, 2024.
Daniel A. Duval ’65, Summerfield, Fla., May 20, 2025.
Eugene Gilbert ’65, Sagamore Hills, Ohio, January 2, 2022.
Michel George Méthot ’65, Plainville, Mass., February 21, 2025.
Mary Begley ’66 (Mount Saint Mary), Glastonbury, Conn., April 8, 2025.
Ann Marie Corcoran ’66, Greensboro, N.C., May 25, 2025.
James Francis Dias ’66, Rochester, N.H., February 23, 2025.
George L. Goulet, Jr. ’66, Manchester, N.H., February 18, 2025.
Paul G. Guay ’67, Manchester, N.H., March 28, 2025.
Valerie Ann McKeon ’67, The Villages, Fla., January 9, 2025.
Richard Dennis Burpee ’68, Nashua, N.H., January 4, 2020.
Michael Angus “Mickey” Danello ’68, Milford, Mass., April 6, 2025.
Edward Kevin McGarry ’68, Morris, Conn., March 11, 2025.
Mary Jo O’Dwyer Majors ’69, Cambridge, Mass., March 19, 2025.
Br. John T. Haney III ’70, Portsmouth, N.H., March 3, 2023.
Steven Francis Hennessey ’70, Dayton, Maine, February 16, 2025.
Paul Carl Tomasini ’70, Santee, Calif., January 16, 2025.
Catherine Connolly Eitel ’71, Las Vegas, Nev., April 10, 2025.
George “Russ” S. Moran ’71, Andover, Mass., December 15, 2024.
William Edward Crounse ’72, Bethlehem, N.H., April 23, 2025.
Robert A. Long, Jr., J.D., ’72, Revere, Mass., January 3, 2025.
Richard M. McGinnis ’72, Lancaster, N.H., January 6, 2025.
Vincent N. Prestileo ’73, South Windsor, Conn., February 8, 2025.
Thomas “Tom” Forrestall ’74, Bradford, Mass., April 9, 2025.
Christopher J. Golba ’74, Agawam, Mass., December 11, 2024.
Milestones
David Thomas Wargo ’74, Collinsville, Conn., April 14, 2025.
William Amsden Barnard III ’75, Loudon, N.H., February 27, 2022.
David S. Griffith ’75, Stockton, N.J., December 14, 2022.
Paul W. Gowen ’76, Rochester, N.H., April 9, 2025.
Roland P. Lamy, Sr. ’78, Loudon, N.H., February 23, 2025.
Thomas Frenette ’80, Atchison, Kan., July 13, 2021.
David Edmund Levesque ’81, Concord, N.H., February 14, 2025.
James R. Norris, Sr. ’81, Center Barnstead, N.H., February 5, 2020.
Elizabeth Anne Guaglianone ’92, Monroe, Conn., January 1, 2024.
Michael J. O’Brien ’93, Westminster, Mass., February 20, 2025.
Deborah E. Matson-Champagne ’94, Laconia, N.H., August 29, 2022.
Ginna Dix ’00, Sidney, Maine, February 1, 2025.
Brian K. McInerney ’00, Lowell, Mass., November 14, 2024.
Nicole Corinne Culter ’13, Andover, Mass., April 20, 2025.
FRIENDS
William F. Barry, April 17, 2021.
Danielle Blais, former faculty, June 4, 2025.
Gregory Buck, former faculty, April 7, 2025.
Normand Campeau, April 8, 2025.
Lawrence S. Cunningham, Ph.D., H.D. ’09, February 20, 2025.
Victor Dahar, December 16, 2024.
Dominic “Paul” DiMaggio, Jr., February 15, 2025.
Several Anselmians gathered July 13, 2024 in Stowe, Vt., for the wedding of Katherine Peters ’19 and Mark Ferguson ’19, including: Sharon (Anniballi) Cotnam ’87, Kristine (Armstrong) Grimm ’87, Kathleen (Ratte) Lavelle ’87, Anne (Sabourin) Ferguson ’87, Tracey (Zenick) VanHoof ’87, Riley Grussing ’18, Danielle Isbell ’18, Bryan Bodyk ’19, Mike Galiczewski ’19, Keith Hill ’19, Julia Keeler ’19, Maura Kieft ’19, Nathaniel Lewis ’19, Meg McCarthy ’19, John O’Donnell ’19, Emily (Thayer) Wilkey ’19, and Ryan Whalen ’19
Margaret Galligan, former employee, March 10, 2025.
John Kaneb, H.D. ’84, August 29, 2021.
Anne L. Morrison, March 24, 2024.
Anne Zachos, July 2, 2020.
LIFE TOGETHER
Mary “Terry” Gallagher ’84 and Jennifer Hartt Yi, October 23, 2022, Fairfax, Va.
Kate DeBona ’03 and Gary Kramer, March 26, 2025, Boston, Mass.
Timothy Bruneau ’06 and Mallory Belanger, October 19, 2024, Jefferson, N.H.
Caitlyn Jarvis ’14 and Kyle Bonaccorso, June 29, 2024, Osterville, Mass.
Rebecca Sirois ’15 and David Levasseur, June 29, 2024, Van Buren, Maine.
Olivia Ashburne ’16 and Anthony McGonagle, April 26, 2025, Wellesley, Mass.
Felicia Gennetti ’16 and Ed Horton ’15, January 4, 2025, Saint Anselm Abbey Church.
Grace Anderson ’17 and Jacob Halterman ’21, May 24, 2025, Saint Anselm Abbey Church.
Andrew Beliveau ’17 and Kelsey Kennedy, February 8, 2025, Saint Anselm Abbey Church.
Emma Bishop ’18 and Craig Chalifour ’18, January 25, 2025, Portsmouth, N.H.
Emily Wojtowicz ’18 and Kevin Curley ’19, January 11, 2025, Saint Anselm Abbey Church.
Gina Gagliardi ’22 and Kenneth Otis ’22, May 3, 2025, Saint Anselm Abbey Church.
Isabel Gelinas ’22 and Connor O’Brien ’21, June 28, 2025, Saint Anselm Abbey Church.
Kyle Machado ’22 and Clara Silfverswärd Dahlgren, July 12, 2025, Stockholm, Sweden.
Monique Sirois ’22 and Dalton Roy, May 31, 2025, Saint Anselm Abbey Church.
NEW LIFE
Barbara (Joslin) Galatis ’06 and Dave, a daughter, Eleanor Karen, July 18, 2024.
Eileen Lynch ’08 and Corey Duggan, a daughter, Niamh Mary, December 16, 2024.
Katharine (Meinertz) Smith ’14 and Shane Smith ’13, a daughter, Kellyn Theresa, August 30, 2024.
Annie (Sears) Kotsopoulos ’14 and Mark Kotsopoulos ’14, a son, Henry Sears, December 17, 2024.
Alexandra Ashburne ’16 and Allison, a son, Quinn Rhys, January 10, 2024.
Emily (Meinertz) Chretien ’17 and Andrew, a son, Collin Andrew, July 25, 2024.
Cecilia Murray ’17 and Nolan Murray ’17, a daughter, Grace Murray, January 11, 2025.
Hannah (Beaudry) Deignan ’21 and Brian Deignan ’22, a son, Simon Anthony, April 13, 2025.
End Note
This year, Saint Anselm College hosted more than 600 alumni from classes ending in 0s and 5s and their guests for Reunion Weekend held in June. This event included two special classes: the Class of 1975, who were inducted into the Order of Golden Anselmian, and the Class of 2020, who were finally able to complete their senior traditions— nurse pinning and the lowering of their banner.
INVEST IN STUDENTS
When you give the gift of a Saint Anselm education, your impact lasts a lifetime.
At Saint Anselm College, we are committed to shaping students who not only succeed but serve, who seek truth and act with purpose. The Saint Anselm Fund fuels this important work, opening doors for students to become the leaders our world so urgently needs, and allowing donors to designate their gifts to make a difference in the area of their choice.
• Anselmian Support—Your unrestricted gift impacts areas of the college’s highest priority. We apply donations where they will have the greatest impact.
• Anselmian Scholarships—Your gift helps the college attract and retain students with vital scholarship aid, ensuring that qualified students are able to receive a Saint Anselm education regardless of their financial means.
• Anselmian Academics—Your gift allows us to attract highly-qualified faculty, provide the latest technology and equipment, host conferences, and take every opportunity to improve the educational experience for our students.
These are just three areas the Saint Anselm Fund supports. There are many ways to show your support of Saint Anselm College, but no matter how you choose to give, we appreciate your investment in our students and our community.
