BONAVENTURE
Cover Story
Alumnus Kevin Murphy embraces the healing power of the ocean to expand access to surf and sand to people with disabilities through his nonprofit Ocean Cure.
It Takes A Village
Evelyn Kinnah, ’97, says the happiest day of her life was when she received a letter in Ghana from St. Bonaventure University, granting her a full scholarship to study in the U.S. She’s sharing her story and paying it forward.
Steeped in Success
For 75 years, the Jandoli School of Communication has distinguished itself as a world-class program. The school’s home, the John J. Murphy Professional Building, will soon undergo a major expansion and renovation to create more flexible, accessible and modern spaces.
INSIDE
Pathway to Success 22
.27 Alumni Event Photos 28
Editor, Beth Eberth
Contributors
Susan Anderson, ’11
Danny Bush, ’13, ’15 Tom Donahue, ’76
Creating a campus where all feel they belong
I’ve been overwhelmed by how many of our alumni and students refer to this beautiful campus as “home.” I’ve come to believe strongly that this sense of belonging is truly the main ingredient in the secret sauce of Bona’s.
When I first read the position profile for the presidency of St. Bonaventure, I was pleased to see that one of the required skills was that the new president has the “ability to advance the role of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the university.” I was assured through the hiring process that this was indeed an important aspect of the university strategic plan and a reflection of our own mission statement.
Before I even started at St. Bonaventure, I began to receive communication from concerned alums with fears of what they have seen in the public discourse about the misuse of “DEI” efforts. That acronym has caused quite a stir over the past couple of years in the cultural politics of our
that all people can call their second home, my heart breaks when I hear that any student feels like they “just don’t fit” because of their background or who they are as a person.
Our commitment to the work of DEI is also about preparation for the world around us. Employers often tell me that they want graduates who are comfortable engaging with people of different backgrounds who can enter a multicultural, global world ready to succeed. A great college education is one that prepares students for a diverse world and helps the world to become more equitable and inclusive.
Too many times what’s called DEI has become politically one-sided and actually limits free speech and diversity of opinions. It’s sad to see because what started with good intentions has, at times, evolved into political agendas, leading to perceptions that our effort to be more inclusive, welcoming and accepting is all just another move toward intolerance.
I have been pleased to see that some institutions, organizations and businesses have begun including a fourth letter — a “B” for belonging. DEIB is the desire to create a sense of belonging that makes everyone in their community feel welcome and encourages people of all kinds to join that community.
Our friars have encouraged me more than anyone to move forward on DEI efforts. They passionately believe that our efforts to be more inclusive are inherent in our Franciscan miseyes, Jesus and St. Francis called us to love people of all backgrounds, espe-
So what do we mean at St. Bonaventure when we talk
I’ve talked with many students and alumni from underrepresented groups, especially those who come from nonwhite backgrounds, who have had negative experiences on campus because of the color of their skin or their ethnic background. These experiences range from horrific incidents with racist language to well-intentioned slights about who they are or
At St. Bonaventure, which prides itself on being a place
For the sake of our students’ safety and security, we need to be very intentional and even cautious about our approach to free speech on campus.
People should be able to argue, debate and engage new ideas as long as everyone is respectful of each other and treats each other with dignity.
Understanding our collective past is also an important part of our intentional efforts to be welcoming and inclusive. At times, this can be uncomfortable, but true DEIB is about helping our students understand this history, including the good and bad of our past, and reconciling this with a brighter future.
One of the highlights of our graduation weekend the last several years has been the Multicultural Stole Ceremony, which celebrates the academic achievements of historically marginalized students. The ceremony pays tribute to family, friends, faculty and staff who have helped the graduates achieve this accomplishment. Each graduate chooses an individual(s) who has played a vital role during their time at Bonaventure to present them with their stole.
It’s a truly beautiful ceremony, reminding me that this is why we do what we do in education. Our desire to create a diverse and inclusive environment is nothing more than a commitment to our Franciscan mission and values.
We are committed to DEIB not despite, but because of our Franciscan heritage. We still have much to do at St. Bonaventure in order to create the just community that the founders of our Franciscan tradition — Francis and Clare of Assisi — desired from the beginning and we continue to strive for today.
It’s incumbent upon us all to continue to strive toward a true sense of belonging here on campus. As I tell our graduates and alumni, no matter where you are or where you’re headed on your journey, we love you and you’ll always have a home at Bona’s.
Dr. Jeff Gingerich University President
The 2024 Multicultural Stole Ceremony.
Fall freshman confirmations highest in 35 years
Despite significant delays in the federal financial aid process, St. Bonaventure has 617 incoming freshmen confirmed for the fall semester.
As of July 1, 621 freshmen had committed to attend SBU this fall, the most on that date since 1989 and a 61% increase from the fall of 2015. The university’s freshman classes since 2018 have been the largest since 2009, including the two peak years of the pandemic (2020 and 2021).
The university has seen steady increases in nearly all of its primary recruitment territories, including Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and local markets in New York and Pennsylvania.
Out-of-state students come from 25 states and 11 countries, making up more
than 22 percent of the freshman confirmations.
“As has been the case the last several years, this was a collective and collaborative effort across all divisions of the university, from our faculty to our facilities crews,” said Bernie Valento, vice president for Enrollment. “But I’m especially grateful for the dedicated and tireless work of our financial aid and admissions teams in this incredibly challenging year.”
Significant changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid — better known as FAFSA — were meant to simplify the application process. But the new form wasn’t available until Jan. 1, three months later than normal, and subsequent hiccups in the launch of the
SBU launches doctorate in Educational Leadership
Beginning this fall, SBU’s School of Education will offer a doctorate in Educational Leadership. The last doctorate the university offered was biology, which was phased out in 1979.
“The world needs educational leaders who can think differently about facilitating teaching and learning in an increasingly complex world,” said Dr. Jason Margolis, the Ed.D. program director. “St. Bonaventure has designed a cutting-edge Ed.D. program so that future leaders can meet those challenges.”
The fully online program is designed to be completed in eight semesters, which includes summers. However, with approval of the program director, a student could take two electives or directed studies earlier in the program and finish in seven semesters.
“Offering the program online allows us to welcome students from around the globe who want to make a difference in educational settings of all kinds,” Margolis said.
The program includes 16 three-credit courses, which includes one dissertation course in each of the last three semesters.
“Our graduates will be well positioned for leadership positions in P-12 schools, educational agencies and higher education,” said Dr. René Hauser, dean of the School of Education.
“The profession is in need of innovative administrators who have a strong foundation in our Franciscan values and are able to do their work with wisdom, integrity and compassion,” she said.
Interested in learning more about the program? Contact Margolis at jmargolis@sbu.edu.
new application only further delayed colleges’ ability to send financial aid offers to their prospective students.
The university has seen overall enrollment (graduate and undergraduate) increase to 2,618 students as of fall 2023, an increase of more than 30% since 2015.
Initiatives such as the six-year-old DePerro School of Health Professions and the addition of 27 new academic programs since 2015 have helped fuel the success.
The university’s dual-degree Nursing program with the Cattaraugus County Campus of Jamestown Community College is now among SBU’s most enrolled programs, with 28 freshmen confirmed for the fall.
St. Bonaventure marks School of Business milestone
Community members gathered together in April to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the William E. and Ann L. Swan Business Center. During fundraising for the building, more than $15 million was raised four months ahead of schedule, marking the first time in the university’s history that an academic building was built solely on the conviction of alumni loyalty, vision and generosity. Among those joining in the celebration were (front row, from left) Pauline Kalenik, sister of Ann Swan, after whom the building is named; former University President Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., and (back row, from left), former university trustee Leslie Quick III, ’75; Tom Kalenik, Pauline’s husband; School of Business Dean Dr. Matrecia James; former Dean and Provost Dr. Michael Fischer; and former university trustee Colette Dow, ’88.
Beretta, ’87, named director of Intercollegiate Athletics
In 1984, Bob Beretta was named captain of the St. Bonaventure baseball team.
Forty years later, Beretta is being waved home, this time by the president, not the thirdbase coach.
The Le Moyne College athletics director, who navigated the Dolphins’ move from Division II to Division I last year, has been named vice president and director of Intercollegiate Athletics at St. Bonaventure.
“To have the chance to return and serve
my alma mater, the institution that transformed me academically, socially and professionally, the place that inculcated all the values I was able to take into my career, is an amazing opportunity,” said Beretta, who graduated magna cum laude from SBU in 1987 with a degree in Mass Communication.
After a distinguished 34-year career at the United States Military Academy at West Point, which saw him rise from assistant sports information director to senior executive associate AD, Beretta was named Le Moyne’s athletics director in 2021. He was promoted to assistant vice president for Athletics and Recreation in the summer of 2023.
“Bob has every characteristic we were
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRANT
Scholarships to support aspiring STEM teachers
St. Bonaventure is the recipient of a $953,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to encourage and support aspiring Adolescence Education teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The project, titled “Building Opportunities for Nurturing Aspiring STEM Teachers,” or BONASTeach, is under the direction of Dr. Kaitlyn Dykstra, assistant professor of Biology, who serves as the principal investigator of the grant, and Dr. Adam Brown, a professor of Education, co-director of the Center for Attention, Learning and Memory, and co-principal investigator.
The goal of the program is to increase the number of qualified grade 7-12 teachers with strong STEM content knowledge to teach in high-need school districts.
Recipients of the scholarship will receive up to $14,000 per year during their junior and senior years at St. Bonaventure. The program also offers research stipends and opportunities for professional development in areas such as cultural competency and place-based learning. The grant will also support the development of a STEM summer camp for local middle school students to be run by BONAS-Teach scholars.
Additionally, BONAS-Teach scholars will be paired with St. Bonaventure alumni in a long-term mentorship experience that will be facilitated in their first year as a scholar and continue through their first years as a new teacher.
seeking in an AD,” University President Dr. Jeff Gingerich said. “He’s a planner, a builder and a leader, someone who’s willing to be collaborative to build a special team through action and accountability with the student-athlete always at the center of everything. The fact that he’s an alum is simply a bonus, but having a deep appreciation of our mission and values is an asset that will prove invaluable.”
Gingerich said he is grateful to Gerry Helper, ’79, and Mary Jane Telford, ’75, who co-chaired the search committee.
Beretta and his wife, Jennifer (Johnson) Beretta, ’87, have a daughter, Julia, who is an assistant director of Athletic Communications at Penn State.
1 million+
Number of times Professor of Music
Dr. Leslie Sabina’s album “Rain and Drones” has been streamed on Spotify
Number of meals prepared at the Warming House during the 2023-2024 academic year
23,182 585
The weight (in pounds) of the Bodhisattva head on display in the Marianne Letro Laine Gallery of Quick Center for the Arts
Six inducted into Athletics Hall of Fame
Six new inductees took their places as part of the 45th induction class to the St. Bonaventure University Athletics Hall of Fame.
Above, University President Dr. Jeff Gingerich (left) and Barb Questa (right), deputy director of athletics, congratulate Michal Bogacki, ’06 (men’s swimming), Peter Carr, ’84 (men’s soccer), Stefanie Collins, ’06 (women’s basketball), Dr. James Moor (men’s ice hockey), Naveen Singh, ’94 (men’s tennis), and Rob Vartughian, ’00 (men’s soccer). The induction ceremony was held June 8 in the Quick Center for the Arts as part of Alumni Reunion Weekend.
Watch the induction ceremony www.youtube.com/@GoBonniesTV
View photos from the ceremony www.sbu.edu/Bonaflickr
Dr. Erin Sadlack begins post as new dean of the School of Arts & Sciences
1938
The oldest file found among 6,500 inactive student records recently sent to Archives for storage
78
Percentage of 2023-24 student-athletes who had a cumulative 3.00 GPA or above
Dr. Erin Sadlack began work July 1 as the university’s new dean of the School of Arts & Sciences.
“I’m thrilled that Dr. Sadlack is joining the St. Bonaventure community to lead our School of Arts & Sciences,” said Dr. David Hilmey, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “She brings both experience and knowledge to this important position, and her commitment to building relationships, supporting faculty, and providing the best educational experience for students makes her a perfect fit for SBU.”
Sadlack spent the last 19 years at Marywood University, a private Catholic university in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Since 2021,
she had served as the chair of Marywood’s Department of Communication, Language, and Literature.
A professor of English, Sadlack has also served as associate dean of Marywood’s Insalaco College of Arts & Sciences; director of the Honors Program; chair of the English Department; and director of the Women’s Studies program.
Sadlack has doctoral and master’s degrees in English Language and Literature from the University of Maryland at College Park, and a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from The College of New Jersey.
“As the landscape of higher education changes, it is all the more essential that we find new ways to articulate the value of a liberal arts education to new audiences and to meet the needs of our students,” Sadlack said. “My vision lies in creating innovative programs and developing close connections between the university and the community.”
ALUMNI ATTITUDE STUDY
Survey response rate knocks it out of the park
We asked, you answered and we couldn’t be happier with the response.
More than 1,860 SBU alumni completed the Alumni Attitude Study we conducted this spring. That’s double the response rate for college surveys of this kind, reflecting the passion of our alumni and their desire to help us understand what matters most to them.
The early returns are certainly encouraging.
More than 96% of respondents have a “good to excellent” opinion of the university today, with 71% saying excellent. That’s 29% above the national average for excellent.
Even better? 98% of our alumni had a “good to excellent” experience during their time as students at St. Bonaventure, with
Alumni Council announces new chair
After seven years of service in various alumni volunteer leadership positions, Emily L. Ciraolo, ’08, ’09, is stepping into the role of Alumni Council chair.
During her two-year term, she plans to continue the council’s work to align the alumni chapters with the university’s vision and goals through extended council outreach and communication efforts. She hopes to continue to find opportunities to strengthen student-alumni resources and connections.
Ciraolo is the communications lead for Cisco Systems, Inc.’s supply chain transformation organization.
She lives in Buffalo with her partner Dennis, stepson Dennis, and their dog Carlo and foster dog Blaze. Emily holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication and a Master of Arts in Integrated Marketing Communications from St. Bonaventure.
73% saying excellent. That’s 33% higher than the national average.
PEG Ltd., the firm that worked with our Office of Alumni Engagement to create and distribute the survey, will continue sharing detailed survey results with us. Once we’ve had an opportunity over the summer to more closely examine the results, we will provide a more comprehensive report in the winter edition of Bonaventure magazine.
On behalf of the survey committee at the university that developed and promoted the survey, I can’t thank participants enough for taking the time to complete the survey. Your feedback will be invaluable as we work toward creating a more meaningful experience for our alumni and students.
Lindsay Retchless Director, Office of Alumni Engagement
Unfurling a new brew
Good news, bad news. First the bad. The India Pale Ale in a custom Bonniesthemed can that Ellicottville Brewing Co. produced for the university for Reunion Weekend sold out at local retailers before some alumni had even arrived in town, although the beer was widely available at Reunion events and local bars for the entire weekend.
The good news? More is on the way. EBC will be brewing another batch of Bonnies IPA this summer, this time in newly designed cans featuring the new athletics logos (see right) and wordmarks the university unveiled July 16. EBC is working on plans to ship the beer to SBU alumni and friends in states that allow it, which includes New York. We’ll share details on its availability later this summer.
April 8 was fairly overcast in Western New York, but that didn’t stop the campus community from heading to the quad to celebrate the solar eclipse with celestial-inspired treats from University Ministries.
Commencement 2024
www.sbu.edu/Bonaflickr
p Above, center, Dr. Leigh Simone and Dr. Ed. Simone read the names of the candidates during the ceremony. The Simones, with a combined 50 years of teaching at SBU, are retiring this year. u Maya Henderson delivered the student speech.
Congratulations to the 400 undergraduate and 302 graduate students who were recognized during the 164th annual Commencement Exercises May 12!
p “We were not put on this earth to be takers, to be of service primarily to ourselves. We find our greatest rewards by assisting others to realize their opportunities, their potential — to be of service to them,” said keynote speaker Ed Bastian, ’79, CEO of Delta Airlines.
p Fr. Kevin Mullen, O.F.M., received an honorary doctorate from President Dr. Jeff Gingerich. The former Siena College president (2007-2014) was the provincial minister of Holy Name Province from 2014 to 2023. A trustee of SBU since 2014, his term on the board expired this spring.
Reunion 2024 Welcome home, Bonnies
Thank you to all of our Bonnies who attended Alumni Reunion Weekend on June 7-9, making it a record-breaking year for attendance. Your presence made the event truly special. For those who couldn’t join us, you were missed and remembered throughout the weekend. The reunion was filled with joy, laughter and cherished memories, highlighting the lasting bonds from St. Bonaventure. Stay connected and continue to inspire each other. Once a Bonnie, always a Bonnie!
The Class of 1974 commemorated their 50th class reunion with a photo in the chapel following a special anniversary Mass.
ABOVE, LEFT PHOTO: Mary Ann (Hickey) Glennon, ’79, Jim, ’73, and Eileen, ’74, (McGowan) Buzzard, and Chris LaPlaca, ’79, were recognized with the William P. “Stax” McCarthy Alumnus of the Year Award Reunion Weekend. ABOVE, RIGHT PHOTO: Coaches Mark Schmidt and Jim Satalin, ’69, presented an insider’s look at the factors shaking up college basketball. The panel was moderated by Tom McElroy, ’74, former Big East deputy commissioner and collegiate sports consultant.
Wave rider
Alumnus Kevin Murphy embraces the healing power of the ocean to expand access to surf and sand to people with disabilities through his nonprofit Ocean Cure
Murphy helps a child from Accessible Coastal Carolina Events, Sports, and Services (ACCESS) of Wilmington surf.
TStory By Tom Missel
Photos courtesy of Ocean Cure
hrilled with the prospect of welcoming their first child in 2003, Kelly and Brian Jacoby weren’t prepared for what they were about to hear after Kelly’s first sonogram.
“These strangers spent the day telling us everything that our son wouldn’t be able to do. That was just so crushing for parents to hear,” Kelly said.
Their unborn son had spina bifida, among other birth defects.
“We were knocked for a loop,” Kelly said. But they weren’t knocked down.
“I’m feisty. I’m from Cleveland, and no one’s going to tell us what our kid can or cannot do,” said Kelly, now a resident of Raleigh, North Carolina. “He was going to live his best life, whatever that meant.”
Tyler Jacoby had already played sled hockey and skied so when his mom saw a Facebook post 10 years ago about adaptive surfing, she was all about it. That’s when Kevin Murphy, SBU Class of 2001, walked up to the Jacobys on Carolina Beach, wearing a 5,000-watt neon yellow hat and a 10,000-watt smile.
“We became instant friends because he’s so contagious,” Kelly said. “No matter who Kevin is talking to, his light shines on them and makes them feel like the most important person in the world. There’s a fire under him that can’t be put out. He just has that kind of energy you want to be around.”
A member of the Bonnies Atlantic 10 powerhouse swim team during his time at SBU (1997-2001), Murphy grew up wakeboarding on Owasco Lake near Syracuse. When he moved to North Carolina after graduation, learning how to surf became a priority.
“It took me years to figure it out, but I loved it,” said Murphy, now a physical education teacher at Carolina Beach Elementary School after 21 years teaching science, social studies, reading and phys ed at elementary schools in the Wilmington region. “Then I applied one summer to work at a camp teaching kids how to surf and I had the time of my life.”
But a job he took working for “the Walmart of surfing lessons” didn’t feel quite right so Murphy started volunteering with other surfing charities, giving lessons to kids born with HIV, autistic children, inner-city youth and people with spinal cord injuries.
Those experiences inspired him to create Ocean Cure, a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with challenges and disabilities through surfing. In the 15 years since, Murphy and his legion of devoted volunteers have provided people who never had access to the sand and surf with indelible memories.
Murphy enjoys working with surf campers so much that he often fails to appreciate the impact Ocean Cure is having.
“My wife makes fun of me because I can’t ever make it through talking about it without getting emotional,” said Murphy, who, on cue, started choking up. “We’ve had so many families tell us it’s like their second Christmas. To equate Ocean Cure with Christmas morning just blows me away. They tell us their kids would never be on the sand if it wasn’t for us, let alone in the ocean.”
The tears always come from a place of joy, from volunteers and families to people just walking down the beach who happen upon an Ocean Cure camp.
“I had a beach maintenance worker one time come up to me, and she’s just crying and hugging me. She’s like, ‘Just miles of smiles, miles of smiles,’” Murphy said. “People will stop to give us donations on the beach because they tell us what they just saw was so magical.”
Through on-the-spot donations and organized fundraisers — the 19 Jersey Mike’s sandwich shops in the Wilmington region just donated $144,136 to Ocean Cure from its 2024 Day of Giving — Murphy has been able to purchase 40 beach wheelchairs and roughly 4,000 square feet of matting to allow people in regular or motorized wheelchairs access to the sand.
Getting permission to put the matting down permanently on Carolina Beach wasn’t easy. When politicians weren’t returning his emails in 2020, he started calling, trying to understand why they were resistant.
“Imagine,” Murphy told the legislators, “that you have never touched the sand, and you spend your life in a wheelchair. But (with the mats) you can go out there, and your family can sit next to you on the sand, or you’ve got two children who were born with cerebral palsy, and now they’re playing tag on the beach in wheelchairs, just like any two children would be.”
His message got through. “They finally started opening their eyes,” he said.
And yet?
“Sea turtles,” Murphy said.
Protecting the nesting and hatching of sea turtles on Carolina Beach was a high priority.
“Well, I’ve got a sea turtle tattoo on my arm,” he said. “I told them I’m not against sea turtles so let’s work together on this.”
He laid out his plan to locate the matting in highly populated areas where sea turtles almost never nest and to monitor the beach with a live camera.
“And then we looked at the percentages and we were talking about using less than 1% of the beach to help people with disabilities,” Murphy said. “The sea turtles get the rest of the beach.”
A dedicated teacher, Murphy did admit to dividing his attention one day to teaching on Zoom and watching North Carolina legislators debate his proposal. The matting measure passed, leading one legislator to declare: “Ocean Cure has changed the way North Car-
olina looks at handicapped accessibility. We need to be ready because other beaches are going to be asking about this soon.”
Four years later, Murphy is working with four other Carolina beaches to help them in their efforts to install beach matting.
One population that has embraced Ocean Cure, returning year after year to Murphy’s camps, is military veterans.
Joe Brazzle, a disabled Army veteran who began working with Murphy 10 years ago when he was working with Wounded Warrior Project, said Murphy’s spirit and love of the ocean is infectious.
“I’ve been pretty passionate about getting veterans in the outdoors and Kevin has an unparalleled ability to convince people that there is healing in the ocean,” said Brazzle, an author and licensed marriage and family therapist.
“In my work with veterans I often tell them that you don’t have to do anything but be willing to challenge yourself. Kevin and his team believe that, too, and we’ve had so many veterans walk away from one of his camps having a breakthrough experience. Kevin is the type of person who believes anything is possible, regardless of the obstacles.”
Many of the veterans Ocean Cure works with are disabled in a way that’s hard to see.
“You wouldn’t know some of them are injured by looking at them, but many of them have severe PTSD, dealing with atrocities they have seen that keeps them homebound for the most part,” Murphy said. “A couple years ago, Joe told me that one of the veterans who
TOP LEFT: Murphy addresses more than 500 people at a Life Rolls On event.
TOP RIGHT: Murphy and an Ocean Cure volunteer prepare to take Bryson Jackson, who has spina bifida, from his beach wheelchair into the water to surf. Bryson is pictured on the cover with Murphy.
BOTTOM RIGHT: Murphy and volunteers take a child into the ocean off Carolina Beach.
came down for an Ocean Cure camp had brought a gun and had intended to take his life at the hotel.”
But after a day of volunteering at the camp, helping children who use wheelchairs and senior citizens gain access to the beach and ride the waves, the veteran had a change of heart.
“He saw the attitude that all the volunteers had helping people with significant challenges and he said it changed his life,” Murphy recalled.
Working with others dealing with serious afflictions, often since birth, has altered the veterans’ perspective, Murphy said.
“These veterans will stay in the water until the last person is out and will stay to help me clean up and pack,” Murphy said. “They know they’ve been dealt a difficult hand, but when they work with a 5-year-old born with muscular dystrophy who will never be able to put their pants on, yet he’s smiling and laughing and splashing them in the face with water, it has an incredible impact on them.”
Murphy’s incredible impact has been honored more than once. He’s received two keys to the city of Carolina Beach, and last October was surprised with a humanitarian award from Life Rolls On at the foundation’s gala fundraiser in Los Angeles. Murphy had become good friends with Jesse Billauer, who founded Life Rolls On in 2001 after being paralyzed in a surfing accident.
“This was one of the wildest moments in my life,” Murphy said. “They were playing a video montage of my work and I got emotional (in the video) when I was talking about the impact of a community coming together. And I feel this hand on my shoulder and it’s Sean Penn. He says, ‘Man, that was the most inspiring thing I’ve ever seen.’ And I’m like, ‘You’re Sean Penn, helping to save the Ukraine and going behind borders.’ It was wild.”
What moves Murphy to tears as much as the people he’s helping is the people who’ve been inspired to help him.
“It’s been really impactful to see the power of the commu-
nity,” Murphy said. “The entire Town Council volunteers during a number of our events, which is pretty cool to see, including the mayor. The police and fire departments volunteer, too. They understand that Ocean Cure is creating volunteers in our community and teaching people to be more compassionate.” His experiences at St. Bonaventure volunteering with Coach Sean McNamee’s swim team — at places like Mt. Irenaeus, the Warming House and the Olean YMCA — helped to alter Murphy’s perspective.
“I didn’t have that kind of exposure growing up,” Murphy said. “I was like, wow! There are some people that look like me that are going through extreme challenges. It had an impact on me and I began to appreciate our Franciscan values.”
More than anything, Murphy appreciates how understanding his wife, Danielle, and 5-year-old daughter, Olivia, have been about his dedication to Ocean Cure. Summer weekdays from June through mid-August are committed to Ocean Cure, but “weekends I dedicate 100% to family,” he said. “None of this would be possible without their support. Both see the impact and believe in everything Ocean Cure does. It’s a lot of work and does take time away from them. Olivia absolutely loves delivering the chairs with me and meeting new people who are facing some difficult challenges in their life, and she always does it with a smile.”
As long as he’s lived on the Atlantic Coast, Murphy never takes for granted the power of the ocean and its ability to heal.
“The waves are energy and that energy has to go somewhere. When you’re on that wave, and you’re getting that pure, natural energy dissipating into you, it then turns into a euphoric energy when you hit the beach,” Murphy said. “And it can alter your perspective just by the sheer vastness of it, especially in the offseason when you don’t see anybody else and hear anything else. The ocean — so powerful that no one can control it — will humble you.”
(Missel is chief communications officer at St. Bonaventure.)
To learn more about Ocean Cure, visit ocean-cure.org
Women from the Liberty Senior Assisted Living Center watch Ocean Cure campers take to the surf.
Murphy with Life Rolls On founder Jesse Billauer at the event in Los Angeles last October where Murphy was honored.
“In my work with veterans I often tell them that you don’t have to do anything but be willing to challenge yourself. Kevin and his team believe that, too. Kevin is the type of person who believes anything is possible, regardless of the obstacles.”
~
Army veteran Joe Brazzle
‘I am
the poster child of what an education can do’
Evelyn Kinnah says SBU changed the trajectory of her life, allowing her to leave West Africa to study in the U.S.
Story by BETH EBERTH //// Photos by DANNY BUSH
Evelyn Kinnah, ’97, doesn’t just embrace the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child.” She’s lived it.
“For me, it took a village, with St. Bonaventure at the center of my proverbial village,” she said.
It was 30 years ago when Kinnah arrived at St. Bonaventure, her first time on campus. What little she knew about the Western New York school she had read in a brochure she’d swiped from a friend at secretarial school.
Kinnah was 5,000 miles from home and beyond grateful to the SBU admissions and financial aid staff who answered her prayers – and letters –begging for a chance to go to college in the United States.
Born in Ghana, West Africa, Kinnah was 5 when her parents and three siblings moved to Liberia. She had a typical childhood – until her senior year of high school when two momentous events changed the course of her life: Her father informed her she would attend a secretarial school instead of following her dream to continue her education at the University of Liberia, and the Liberian Civil War began.
Kinnah was sitting in class in secretarial school when she saw a classmate reading a viewbook from SBU’s Admissions Office. She borrowed it, took it home and immediately wrote a letter to
t Alumna Evelyn Kinnah visited campus in March, her first trip back in 10 years.
the university asking for admission. As she waited to hear back, the civil war crept closer to the country’s capital, Monrovia, where she lived. Her family eventually fled their home with only what they could carry, making their way to a harbor and securing a spot on the deck of a ship headed to Ghana.
After settling in Ghana, Kinnah wrote to St. Bonaventure again, sharing the violence of the war that ripped through Liberia.
“It was probably the happiest day of my life when I got a letter from Admissions telling me that I would be attending St. Bonaventure on a full scholarship with room and board,” she said.
As a student at St. Bonaventure, Kinnah didn’t tell classmates what her life was like in Liberia and Ghana.
She didn’t share the terror of soldiers threatening her family and their neighbors with execution. She didn’t share the desperation of having no food to eat, or clinging to a ship’s railing as it made its way to Ghana under pouring rain and scorching sun.
As a student at St. Bonaventure, Kinnah embraced the community. She found a strong support system with the journalism family, joined several organizations, worked multiple campus jobs, and made lifelong friends.
“Being at St. Bonaventure completely changed the trajectory of my life. I wouldn’t be where I am if they hadn’t given me that opportunity. I was so grateful in that moment. St. Bonaventure didn’t have to take a chance on me and they did. They did and look at me today,” she said.
By the time Kinnah was preparing to graduate from Bona’s with degrees in Political Science and Journalism and Mass Communication, she had developed an interest in the intersection between law and public policy. That led her to Cornell Law School and Cornell University School of Public Policy, where she obtained a joint juris doctor and Master of Public Administration.
“
One day she helped an asylum applicant who traveled through seven countries to get to the U.S.
“Sometimes I just want to say ‘I see you.’ They want someone to understand why they want to be here, why they fled their country,” Kinnah said.
That’s also why she is finding her own way to pay it forward. She has four children, including two adopted nieces from Ghana.
“They have both graduated from college and are working. I’ve changed the trajectory of their lives as well. It was always my intention to help my family,” she said.
In March, Kinnah returned to campus for the first time since 2014 to speak at the Jandoli School of Communication’s annual Woman of Promise event. She said it was comforting to be back on campus, and to finally share her story.
Lee Coppola, retired dean of the school, never had Kinnah in class, but knew her as a dedicated student who, via her smile, made many friends.
”
Every step of my journey, I have experienced the lifechanging generosity of so many people.
– Evelyn Kinnah, ’97
When she was considering law school, her Bonaventure village came through again. Faculty member Fr. Gervase White, O.F.M., gave her the money to apply to Cornell.
“Every step of my journey, I have experienced the life-changing generosity of so many people,” Kinnah said. “I am the poster child of what an education can do.”
Today Kinnah is director of the Albany County Immigration Assistance Center. She has worked for Albany County since 2012 in various roles, including commissioner for human resources and assistant deputy county attorney. Prior to that she worked for the New York State Legislature and the law department of the city of Schenectady.
The immigration assistance center is one of six in New York state that train attorneys and judges about immigration consequences for noncitizens.
Her primary client is a conflict defender or public defender who represents a noncitizen in family or criminal court. “If the noncitizen is convicted, they could face immigration consequences, including deportation. My job is to make sure the attorney understands what those consequences are and see if we can come up with something immigration-safe for the client and, worse case, we preserve some kind of relief for that person when they get to immigration court.”
She also serves as a conduit, providing an immigration referral network and resources to Albany County residents.
Kinnah often feels like her life has come full circle.
“With the current humanitarian crisis that is unfolding at the southern border and spilling over into New York state, I hear some of the most incredible stories of survival and the perilous journey to get to America to seek asylum and a better life. And I understand completely what they went through,” she said.
“Personally, I admired her and her gumption to come halfway across the world to a strange country for an education and a better life. I was not aware of the entire back story until the Woman of Prom-
Kinnah gave the keynote address at the March Woman of Promise event in Doyle Hall.
ise event, but it only increased my admiration of her,” Coppola said.
Until now, Kinnah said, she has never talked about her “amazing, crazy journey.”
“I hope that perhaps my story of sheer determination, grit, some measure of luck, and lots of support might actually inspire our students here today to never, ever give up on their dreams,” she said. “If you have a dream and a will, no matter how steep the road may seem, it is possible to make it through sheer determination. I am a living testament to that.”
(Eberth is director of university communications at St. Bonaventure.)
Students Without Borders serves hundreds on Dominican Republic medical mission
While Hanover, Massachusetts, native Taylor Crimi has always had a passion for mission trips, the St. Bonaventure Students Without Borders (SWOB) medical mission to the Dominican Republic validated that medicine is indeed her true calling.
Crimi, who earned a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies degree in May, was one of 32 students who staffed a medical clinic during spring break in the remote sugarcane village of Batey Alemán.
“The people we cared for face severe marginalization and scarce resources,” Crimi said. “Being able to help them and see a positive outcome was so rewarding.”
Accompanying the student team were three faculty members and three clinical practitioners who served as preceptors.
“Our goal was to see patients, provide service learning and expose the students to different cultural aspects of medical care,” said Jeff Szymanski, clinical assistant professor and director of didactics in
the DePerro School of Health Professions.
During the course of one week, the students provided free medicine and medical education to nearly 520 patients ranging in age from three months to 90 years old. The team worked in two shifts, taking vital signs, assessing conditions and then determining a care plan for each patient, which a preceptor then reviewed for approval.
The group brought the majority of medication with them as well as specialized dressings, splints and slings, along with lab equipment for such things as pregnancy tests, rapid strep tests and urine analysis.
Common illnesses they treated include upper respiratory infections, chronic hypertension, urinary tract infections, various types of wounds, and symptoms brought on by diabetes.
“We focused on educating the patient,” Crimi said. “For instance, a number of people presented with chronic headaches, so we discussed increasing hydration and minimizing time in the sun. For those with
t At left is some of the SBU contingent in the Dominican Republic. p Above, Taylor Crimi, with the help of an interpreter, gathers information from a local family for their visit to the clinic.
diabetes, we talked about the importance of food choices and steering clear of foods high in sugar and fat.”
Partnering with SWOB and overseeing logistics was Pathway Dominicana, a nonprofit missions organization in San Pedro de Macoris. Pathway provided transportation as well as translators familiar with medical terms. The dominant languages spoken in the area are Spanish and Haitian Creole.
“This was immersive, experiential learning,” Szymanski said. “Before heading there, the students spent time discussing cultural competence and how we must embrace the Dominican thought process and understand their expectations.”
“The recipients of our care were predominantly sugarcane workers and their families,” Crimi said. “It was important to understand their beliefs and traditions. Someone from the Dominican Republic wants you to sit with them and gain their trust before telling them to take a medication. Knowing their culture helped us provide better care.”
The medical mission was made possible by private donations from the Olean medical community and through SWOB fundraising efforts.
Follow SBU Students Without Borders:
Jandoli School of Communication Our story is steeped in success
Join us Oct. 19!
The Jandoli School of Communication’s 75th Anniversary and Hellinger Celebration will be held Oct. 19 on campus.
The festivities will include the 2024 Hellinger Award Ceremony honoring Rich Williams, ’24, and Cassidey Kavathas, ’24, and the Alumnus of the Year presentation to Lee Coppola, former dean of the school and a member of the Class of 1964.
The Oct. 19 events will begin with a symposium at 1 p.m. followed by a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Jandoli School’s facilities expansion and renovation, the celebration program and a reception and dinner.
Registration information is available at www.sbu.edu/communication.
For 75 years, the Jandoli School of Communication has distinguished itself as a world-class program. Alumni include instantly recognizable and highly regarded communications professionals, such as Pulitzer Prize-winner Dan Barry of the New York Times, bestselling author Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, Sports Business Journal’s Rachel Axon, ESPN’s Adrian “Woj” Wojnarowski, four-time New York Sportswriter of the Year Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post, and top corporate executives Deb Henretta, Tom Mosser, Chris LaPlaca and Carol Schumacher.
The Jandoli School is one of just 19 private university journalism and mass communication programs accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, which unanimously reaccredited the school’s undergraduate and master’s programs in May.
It is also one of five pillars in the university’s $125 million Bolder Bonaventure fundraising campaign, in which nearly $112 million had been raised as of the close of the university’s fiscal year (May 31).
The school’s home, the John J. Murphy Professional Building, will soon undergo a major expansion and renovation to create more flexible, accessible and modern spaces for classes and experiential learning.
The first phase of the overhaul includes the addition of a glass-enclosed communication center, which will feature a state-of-the-art broadcast production suite, digital newsroom of the future, and new homes for WSBU radio and the Bona Venture newspaper.
Cassidey Kavathas, who graduated with a degree in journalism in May and is this year’s honorable mention for the prestigious Mark Hellinger Award, recently spoke with Dean Aaron Chimbel about the planned renovations and the importance of supporting the school.
Cassidey Kavathas: This is a great year for the Jandoli School. When will renovations begin?
p A rendering of an agency setting for student organizations or classes such as American Advertising Federation.
Dean Chimbel: We’ll be breaking ground for the new addition this year, which is also the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Journalism Department, now the Jandoli School of Communication. It’s pretty nice how it all ties together. We are excited to be celebrating our history as we look to the future.
Cassidey Kavathas: What are you most enthusiastic about within the plans?
Dean Chimbel: I think the crowning piece will be the communication center addition, which will allow students and faculty from across the different media entities to work together. That’s a huge piece. The other thing that’s really exciting is for our strategic communication and advertising parts of our program to actually have an agency setting. We will have our new studio for SBU-TV as well as a virtual studio with green screen capability that will give us unlimited opportunities in the future for producing video content.
Cassidey Kavathas: How will the renovated building blend with the rest of campus?
Dean Chimbel: We wanted the design to match the modern and transparent approach that is important for the Jandoli School, but also tie into the classic style and rich traditions of the St. Bonaventure campus. From the large glass windows of the communication center to the terracotta tile roof, we’ve accomplished that. But it’s going to be more than
just a great-looking facility. When finished, we’ll have a facility that will serve our students and faculty well and prepare them for the communication, media and journalism field both now and into the future. It will be modern and adaptable, but also practical.
Cassidey Kavathas: Marking 75 years of the Jandoli School as you break ground for the transformation of the school’s home is a wonderful milestone. Is there a celebration planned?
Dean Chimbel: Yes, and the entire Bonaventure community is invited! We will host a daylong celebration on Oct. 19, which will include this year’s Hellinger Award presentation, on campus.
Cassidey Kavathas: What else would you like alumni to know?
Dean Chimbel: I first want to thank the many donors who’ve already come forward and contributed to this project. Your response has been amazing. Second, I want to invite the rest of the Bonaventure community to join in. There is a lot more to do and we need you. We’re excited to be starting this project, but we’re not “done” with it. We want to make sure the entire facility is the best that we can possibly provide for our students. We know there’s more work to do — and we can only do that work with the support and generosity of our alumni and donors.
“The Jandoli School has been the cornerstone for some of our industry’s finest journalists and communication practitioners, and we are excited about how the promise of these state-of-the-art facilities will impact St. Bonaventure University for years to come.
Amy (Carr), ’92, and Adrian, ’91, Wojnarowski
The first journalism course was taught at St. Bonaventure College in 1916 as part of the English Department.
The student newspaper appeared in 1926.
By 1931 the college offered a journalism program. Five years later the first high school Press Day was held on campus.
Following World War II, Russell J. Jandoli, an instructor in the English Department, proposed a separate major in journalism. He founded the Department of Journalism in 1949 and ran it for 34 years, devoting the rest of his life to training young journalists.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Did you know?
The program was named for Jandoli in 1992 and elevated to school status in 1995.
p This is how the new exterior of the School of Communication will look.
Meet the Advancement team
The team members listed below are integral to creating and maintaining strong relationships with SBU alumni, parents and friends, as well as business and corporate donors.
Through the Bolder Bonaventure fundraising campaign, they have helped to secure nearly $112 million* in gifts to fund major initiatives on campus, such as the Dennis R. DePerro School of Health Professions, the renovation of Plassmann Hall, and the renovation of Murphy Building, home to the Jandoli School of Communication, beginning this fall. The team has raised money for operating support, student scholarships, academic and mission-centric programs, and the unrestricted endowment to help secure the future of St. Bonaventure.
Meet the Advancement team:
J. Michael “Mike” Pressimone
Vice President for Advancement
“I was an undergraduate theatre major and have maintained a love of performing, singing and dancing (yes, dancing) ever since. It’s not unusual to hear me singing or humming show tunes down the hall or across campus.”
Janet L. Glogouski, ’10
Associate Vice President for Advancement
“During COVID, when fans weren’t able to attend Bona basketball games (what was I to do all winter?!), I decided to take up cross-country skiing. I love it – a great way to spend WNY winters!”
Territory: Western New York, New York Metro area, and Florida.
Liaison to the School of Business
Melissa DeRose
Major Gifts Officer
“Annually, I travel with 10 women who love downhill skiing as much as I do. We coordinate ski suits to take the fun up a notch.”
Territory: Connecticut, New Jersey, New York Metro area, Upstate New York, and Virginia.
Liaison to the DePerro School of Health Professions and the Quick Center for the Arts
Martin “Marty” Blind, ’94
Major Gifts Officer
“My wife, Therese, ’98, is also an SBU alum. We have three children, Charlie, Marty and Clara. My dad, Joe, ’62, and sister, Suzanne, ’90, are also alumni.”
Territory: Albany, Philadelphia, Michigan, Tennessee, North Carolina, Illinois, and the New England area.
Liaison to the Jandoli School of Communication
Joseph “Joe” Hoag
Major Gifts Officer
“I am a proud Girl Dad as a father of four daughters. That pattern of all girls in my life continues, with a granddaughter who was born in December and another who is due in August.”
Territory: Metro Washington, D.C., Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Arizona, and Colorado.
Liaison to the School of Arts & Sciences and University Ministries
David E. Brown
Major Gifts Officer
“I like all types of pizza: deep dish, thin crust, Detroit Pan, etc. As a Development Team, we’ve enjoyed sharing tips on great pizza places to frequent when we are on the road in our various territories visiting alums.”
Territory: New York Metro area, California, and Southeastern United States.
Liaison to the School of Education
Douglas O. Frank
Annual Giving Officer
Doug and Elizabeth Frank are the parents of five Bona alumni!
Angela M. Nelson, ’19 Director of Donor
Engagement
“My zodiac sign is Gemini, which is represented by twins, and in March of 1999 I gave birth to twin boys. Talk about mirroring the celestial twins!”
Angela “Ange” S. Erway, ’02 Director of Annual Giving
As this was being written, Ange was off attending the annual “Jeep Jamboree,” which demonstrates her adventurous spirit!
* Amount raised as of May 31, 2024, the end of the university’s 2024 fiscal year. www.sbu.edu/Advancement
Steven “Steve” J. Mest, ’91
Executive Sr.
Associate Athletics Director for Development
“I’m an avid golfer and my favorite golf course view is from the 5th tee at the St. Bonaventure Golf Course.”
Sean McNamee, ’86
Associate Athletics Director for Major Gifts
“I was the third McNamee to coach the men’s swim team. My father, John, started the program and coached it from the late ’40s to ’60s, and my brother Kevin coached it from the late ’70s to early ’90s. I coached from the early ’90s until 2017.”
The newest member of the Advancement team: Fr. John O’Connor, O.F.M.
Fr. John O’Connor is the special assistant to the vice president for Advancement.
He brings decades of experience serving the students and alumni of St. Bonaventure University – as a campus minister, faculty member, Board of Trustees member, wedding officiant, baptizer of babies, etc. Fr. John will work with VP Mike Pressimone and the other gift officers to open doors and sustain the connection to the friars, which is so important to our alumni and students.
Inaugural McAllister Business Scholars are awarded grants
Five students in St. Bonaventure’s School of Business are enjoying highimpact internships this summer, thanks in part to the Brian and John McAllister Business Scholars Program Endowment.
Established in the fall of 2023, the endowment pays tribute to the McAllister brothers and their combined 65 years of service to St. Bonaventure. Each taught in the School of Business and served terms as dean.
The endowment named in their honor offers business students the opportunity to apply for a summer internship grant to help cover costs associated with completing an internship. The grant can be used to pay for such things as professional business attire, temporary housing, technology, and transportation.
Grants of at least $1,250 were awarded in May to each of the inaugural McAllister Business Scholars. They include:
Anas Alami-Sounni, a senior Management major from New York City, who will intern with West Herr in Buffalo.
Jason Brooks, a senior Marketing major from Olean, who will intern with
BrandStar, a production and marketing agency in Pompano Beach, Florida.
Hayden Cook, a senior Finance major from Brockport, New York, who will intern at Leaf Trading Card Company in Carrollton, Texas.
Matheo Lorenzato, a junior Sport Management major from Boucau, France, who will organize various aspects of the Canadian Grand Prix and the Belgium Grand Prix.
Ella Smith, a senior Sports Management major from Portland, Oregon, who will intern with the Duluth Huskies in Duluth, Minnesota.
“I am proud that the Brian and John McAllister Business Scholars Program Endowment will provide support to these students as they endeavor to gain professional experience and business acumen through summer internships,” said Dr. Matrecia James, dean of the School of Business.
“Brian and John McAllister continue to impact the lives of students through this program,” she said.
Pictured with Brian McAllister (front row, from left) are Ella Smith, Matheo Lorenzato and Accounting Department Chair Mike Kasperski, and (back row, from left) Anas Alami-Sounni, Jason Brooks and Hayden Cook.
Anna Bulszewicz is proud to follow in the footsteps of a Jandoli legend
By Rebecca Schneider, ’25
“I love what we do here,” said Anna Bulszewicz, ’07, ’21.
Bulszewicz, a lecturer in St. Bonaventure’s Jandoli School of Communication and director of SBU-TV and the Summer in Sorrento work/study program, daily commits herself to helping students become confident communicators who understand the importance of broadcast journalistic integrity and authenticity.
Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Bulszewicz had only heard about St. Bonaventure through a distant relative. In the early 2000s, the aspiring future news anchor sat typing away on her “fat-back computer” as she searched for small schools with journalism programs. Bonaventure happened to be the first to pop up in her search.
“I knew I was coming here after I visited,” she said.
Her undergraduate years were spent participating in SBU-TV, volunteering through University Ministries and working a few hours each week in Friedsam Memorial Library.
After graduation, Bulszewicz headed south, where she built a career as an award-winning, weekday news anchor.
For nearly a decade, she worked for an ABC/FOX affiliate on the North Carolina coast. She not only anchored a threehour, breaking news morning show, she also served as its executive producer. Additionally, she assisted various organizations and nonprofits as a public relations practitioner, advocate and fundraiser.
With a 2:30 a.m. wakeup time, Bulszewicz packed a lot into each day. While wildly successful, she eventually felt an absence in her life of something she couldn’t quite define — until she traveled internationally.
Venturing beyond U.S. borders proved to be transformative, making her realize that she needed a change from serving at the forefront of the news business.
Though she considered other jobs in broadcasting, a different opportunity presented itself when Bulszewicz’s mentor, the late Paul Wieland, ’59, announced his retirement in 2017. A Jandoli School legend, Wieland had spent 40 years working as a director and producer of sports telecasts before returning home to Bona’s to teach broadcasting
Anna Bulszewicz (center), a lecturer in the Jandoli School, talks with an SBU-TV production team.
courses and begin producing SBU sports broadcasts. He and Bulszewicz had kept in touch through the years. One of Wieland’s phone calls changed her career path when he encouraged her to apply for his job.
She took the advice, returning to Bonaventure in 2017.
“I found my purpose,” Bulszewicz said. “Not only am I able to work in a passionate way but I’m surrounded by profound unity that also fosters that behavior — and that’s a recipe for success and for goodness.”
Today, Bulszewicz is the founding director of the Sorrento, Italy, Study Abroad Program, adviser to the Jandoli Women in Communication club and director of SBU-TV, all of which are roles she enthusiastically embraces.
She is excited for the upcoming overhaul of the John J. Murphy Professional Building. The addition of a communication center featuring a state-of-the-art broadcast production suite will allow her students to work with the latest in digital broadcast technology.
“I’m a firm believer that when we have a beautiful space, we are more inclined to feel comfortable,” she said. “The calm will then welcome an incredible learning experience.”
As she plans for the future in the refurbished Jandoli School, Bulszewicz looks forward to the many ways she will be able to continue to inspire and guide her students, just as her beloved mentor once did for her.
Julie (Franzese) Mahar, ’90, has released an audiobook titled “Life With Riley: Remember Who You Are.”
The book is a memoir and multifaceted love story written to share an example of what is possible when we embrace who we really are and love greatly. The book can be found at lifewithrileybook.com.
Greg (JG) Faherty’s latest book, “The Nightmare Man,” was released in July by LVP Publishing. It is his 20th book.
Faherty, who graduated from SBU in 1984, also has four collections and more than 90 short stories in print. “The Nightmare Man” is a frightening and thrilling tale of a multicultural boogeyman who menaces a small town.
This is Faherty’s first book published since moving from New York’s haunted Hudson Valley region to North Carolina’s equally haunted Cape Fear region.
In Mark Macedonia’s third novel, NYC Detective Parker Simms returns to his roots and uncovers a perilous labyrinth of secrets, lies, and deadly consequences where the line between fiction and reality blurs. “Beware the Shifting Sands,” set in 1928 South Dakota, was released in March.
What starts as a respite quickly transforms into a heartpounding cat-and-mouse game with a sadistic, yet cunning killer who weaves a sinister thread to the beloved children’s book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” challenging Simms to delve into the story’s hidden depths.
Macedonia is a member of the Class of 1982.
A new book by Dr. Chad Luke, associate professor of Counselor Education at St. Bonaventure, serves as a guide for professionals working to help those struggling with substance use issues.
“Substance Use and Misuse: A Helper’s Guide to Neurosciencebased Treatment” equips helping professionals with the knowledge needed to work effectively with individuals who misuse substances and also underscores the skills and attitudes necessary to be successful with clients struggling with misuse.
The book uses the lens of neuroscience to focus on the art of helping, providing professionals with rich research, practical examples, and material on the interplay of the brain, the nervous system, and substance use.
What’s the truth and what’s a lie?
some gain like money, power, or even an election.
That’s where a new book by Dr. Pauline Hoffmann, ’91, comes in. “Fake News, Witch Hunts, and Conspiracy Theories” is truth-telling through research and education to help you survive the infodemic.
Hoffmann is an associate professor in the Jandoli School of Communication. To combat disinformation and explain the infodemic, she founded the podcast and website www.datadoyenne.com as well as the LinkedIn newsletter “WTF? (What the Facts?).”
Dr. Joel Horowitz, professor emeritus of History at St. Bonaventure, examines the impact of civic associations on the culture and society of Buenos Aires and their ties to politics in the first decades of the 20th century in his new book.
“The Creation of Modern Buenos Aires: Football, Civic Associations, Barrios, and Politics, 1912-1943,” published by the University of New Mexico Press, focuses on a period that saw the emergence of the modern political system with true appeals to the voters, tremendous urban growth, and the solidification of a barrio identity.
“The book shows how civic associations helped create the social world of the city, focusing especially on the part they played in the development of the sense of barrio,” Horowitz said.
What is the difference between misinformation and disinformation? How can I tell the difference?
Looking to weaponize information, talking heads and other so-called experts use disinformation and conspiracy theories to prey on our fears and emotions. Why? It can be to get us to act and behave in a certain way. It may be done for
>>> WE LOVE MAIL!
We are happy to print brief summaries of new books, CDs and other multimedia works published by SBU alumni, faculty and staff. Send a copy of the book or CD and summary press release to magazine@sbu.edu or:
Bonaventure magazine
3261 W. State Road
P.O. Box 2509
St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure, NY 14778
All books mailed to the magazine are shared with Friedsam Memorial Library for its collection.
FACES PLACES
EVENTS
1.) Young Alumni & Student Networking Dinner, Charlotte, North Carolina – Jan. 5
2.) Florida Gulf Coast Watch Party, Bradenton, Florida – Jan. 13
3.) Atlantic 10 Tournament Pre-Game, Brooklyn, New York – March 16
4.) Alumni Launch Party for the Class of 2024, St. Bonaventure – May 3
5.) Bona Day at the Buffalo Bisons, Buffalo –May 24
www.sbu.edu/AlumniEvents
CLASS NOTES
44 SHARE YOUR CAREER NEWS WITH THE BONA NATION!
To submit professional news for the next issue of Bonaventure magazine, complete the online form at www.SBUmagazine.com or email magazine@sbu.edu. Submissions may be edited for clarity or length.
1954
Don Flanagan retired after 54 years as a partner with the law firm Chernin and Gold in Binghamton, New York.
1961
Tony Mustapich and his wife, Christine, celebrated their 62nd anniversary on March 3. “It has been quite a journey,” he writes.
1963
Nicholas Somma and his wife moved to Cambridge Village Senior Living in Apex, North Carolina, just 10 miles from their previous home and still within 10 minutes of their children and grandchildren. The facility has a lot to offer, including two restaurants, a bar, a gym, and a theater. He is looking forward to this new phase of his life and welcomes alums who are in the area to stop by for a glass of wine.
1965
Pattie (O’Brien) Pastore, who celebrated her 80th birthday this year, is a retired teacher and proud mom of three and grandmother to eight. She enjoys il dolce far niente, the sweetness of doing nothing.
1968
1972
person. During the 20 years prior to obtaining his real estate license, he was an oil and gas equity analyst and later an investment banker, raising capital for small oil and gas companies.
1974
Valerie (Wiech) Cronin serves as president of the Board of the YWCA of the Niagara Frontier and as a board member of the Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas. She stays active in Toastmasters, where she achieved the status of Distinguished Toastmaster. When she has time, she substitute teaches in the North Tonawanda school system. Summer brings golf and, as a local historian, she gives talks on the canal and history of the area.
1975
Kathy Brady is the winner of a 2023 eLit Award for her book “Francis and Clare: The Struggles of The Saints of Assisi.” She won the silver medal in the Biography category.
James Vitalone joined Brown Harris Stevens as a residential real estate sales-
Joe Gosiewski is involved in community affairs and serves on the North Myrtle Beach Planning Commission and ad hoc committees. He and his wife, Nancy, are active in outreach ministry at Our Lady Star of the Sea R.C. Church. Clare (Costello) Zelenski is happily retired and enjoying lots of beach time after 34 years of teaching. Her husband, Steve, ’76, is still busy at his business, GlassPlus.
1976
Retired Brig. Gen. Maureen Keenan-LeBoeuf, Ed.D., was inducted into the U.S. Army Women’s Foundation Hall of Fame, Class of 2024. Keenan-LeBoeuf
Marking milestones
This gang of 1995 classmates came from near and far to get together to celebrate their 50th birthdays. Pictured are Todd Lewis, David Farabaugh, Dominique (Ricciardelli) Gentile, Denise (Miele) Sullivan, Bridget (Hannon) Forth, Jacquie (Roach) Fowler, Michael Gentile, Kurt Schwetje and Mark Milne.
Birthday treks
Classmates Jayne Carney, ’66, and Frank Higbie, ’66, and their spouses got together to celebrate their upcoming birthdays at Snow Canyon Park near St. George, Utah.
spent 28 years in the U.S. Army, where she held various staff and leadership positions, as well as flew UH-1 helicopters in the continental United States and Europe. Most noteworthy was her assignment as professor and head of the Department of Physical Education at the United States Military Academy at West Point from 1997 until her retirement in 2004. Her position carried the unique title Master of the Sword. She was the first woman to chair a department at West Point since its founding in 1802. Keenan-LeBoeuf is a faculty member of the Thayer Leader Development Group and is a sought-after speaker on leadership development and wellness. She serves as the chair of the USO of North Carolina, supporting service members and their families.
1977
Monica (Gray) Mattioli is director of Leadership Giving for the Diocese of Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina.
1979
Renee Aimone Hassen retired in June 2022 after 21 years as an elementary teacher with Stafford County Public Schools, Stafford, Virginia. She particularly loved teaching kindergarten. While her husband, Paul Hassen, ’80, is still working, she enjoys being with their three grandchildren and substitute teaching.
1980
Nancy Faria is director of finance at BROC Community Action, helping to alleviate poverty in Rutland and Bennington counties in Vermont.
Welcome Baby Bonnies!
Brennan John to Pamela and Jeffrey Connors, ’02
Colin Matthew to Laura (Tucker) Hedge, ’07, and Matt Hedge
Quinn Robert to Katie (Mohagen) Daugherty, ’08, and Connor Daugherty, ’09
Madison Elizabeth to Brielynn Bell, ’13, ’20, and Robert McGlenn, ’10, ’12
Kennedy Carmen and McKinley Elizabeth to Kathryn (Jacobs) Hodge, ’14, and Derek Hodge
Lou Joseph to Micaela (Farley) Sperrazzo, ’16, and Jamie Sperrazzo, ’15
Theo Thomas to Jenna (Downing) Dubiel, ’17, and Daniel Dubiel, ’15, ’16
1981
Chris Carola was named associate state director for communications at AARP New York in January. AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. Carola was hired in November 2022 as a communications associate in the 2.2-million-member New York state organization’s office in Albany, a position that was extended through 2023. Prior to that he was a freelance writer for the Albany Times Union and other publications, and handled publicity for “Benedict Arnold: Hero Betrayed,” a 2021 documentary film narrated by Martin Sheen. Carola worked for 37 years in daily journalism, the last 31 as a reporter for The Associated Press in Albany. He lives in Saratoga Springs, New York. Tom Young and fellow Class of 1981 School of Business alumni Mark Danieli and Mike Hubsch, and Class of 1979 preengineering alum Sean Stelzer are looking forward to a two-week tour of Italy this August, which will include a stop in Assisi. Their travel group is called The Bucket-Listers and their goal is to travel to at least 10 different desti-
nations on their bucket list of places in the next 10 years.
1985
After 17 years, Rick Fox retired from his job as vice president of Professional Services for North America with Planview Inc. of Austin, Texas. He is returning to his accounting and CPA roots full time with Curae Personal Business Management, which he founded six years ago. Curae, based in Richmond, Virginia, provides daily money management and personal CFO services for seniors and high net worth individuals and families. Jim Turp was inducted into the Mercer County (N.J.) Soccer Hall of Fame, Class of 2024. He has been a member of the Hall of Fame Executive Committee for 20 years.
1987
Fr. William McIntyre, O.F.M., has joined the resident community at Mt. Irenaeus. Fr. Bill’s time in ministry during the last 30 years has been in urban, diverse parishes in Wilmington, Delaware, Durham, North Carolina, and Macon, Georgia. He is excited to get back to New York state and enter into a more contemplative ministry. Fr. Bill’s role will be much like the other community members’ –living in the community and supporting all Mountain ministries. A video about Fr. Bill is posted on the Mountain’s website, mountainonline.org.
1989
After two separate hiatuses from classroom teaching as an instructional designer for higher education, Bridget (Haraszko) O’Neill is back in the proverbial saddle as a high school and middle school English teacher at a tiny rural Catholic school, Regis St. Mary in Stayton, Oregon. She moved to the Pacific Northwest after her first grandson was born last April. Chris Reimann recently published content by the American Bankers Association and Beta News regarding GenAI being both the top 2024 risk to finan-
Vosko honored with Francis Medal
The Rev. Richard Vosko, ’65, (third from left) received The Francis Medal from the former Holy Name Province for renovating St. Mary of the Angels Chapel in the St. Bernardine of Siena Friary on the campus of Siena College in Loudonville, New York. Vosko, an internationally respected liturgical designer and honorary member of the American Institute of Architects, was the design consultant for the McGinley-Carney Center for Franciscan Ministry at Bona’s. He was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters from SBU in 2017. Standing next to Fr. Vosko are (from left) Fr. Dennis Tamburello, O.F.M., Br. Brian Belanger, O.F.M., and Fr. Mark Reamer, O.F.M., guardian of the Siena Friary.
Meeting
for maple Class of 2003 graduates Laura (Schmalzbauer) Robbins and Maria (Esposito) Hussong went on their yearly trip to Cartwright’s Maple Tree Inn in Angelica, New York. This tradition has been going on for six years. Maria and her family travel from outside Buffalo and Laura and her family travel from Rochester once a year to enjoy each other’s company and all things maple related.
’78 grads gather in the Poconos
A group of 1978 grads met at the Skytop Lodge in the Poconos for a mini-reunion. Seated from left are Dave Napier, Kevin Whalen and Scott Guilmartin, and (standing, from left) John Joyce, Hugh Garvey, Ed O’Conner, Terry Griffin, Kevin Segerson and Tom Wall.
Chesters celebrate 50th anniversary
Charles Chester, ’72, and Mary Kay (Bondi) Chester, ’73, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary July 7, 2023, with family and friends. They are pictured in front with their daughter Katie (Chester) Huntemann, Class of 2007.
Getting together with your Bona peeps? Send a high resolution image for the next edition to magazine@sbu.edu by Oct. 14, 2024.
cial institutions for increased financial crime as well as a technology solution for more effective detection/mitigation of these crimes. Reimann is a global corporate consultant with subject matter expertise in fraud and financial crime.
1990
Pamela Frohne Guarrera (also 2015) was promoted to chief of staff, marketing and communications, for Bank Street Graduate School of Education, located on the Upper West Side of New York City. Bank Street prepares teachers, educators and school leaders to transform the world in large and small ways through teaching and learning, educational leadership, and specialty areas such as infancy, child life and museum studies.
1991
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and has been a Next Gen Personal Finance Fellow since 2017. Most recently, Running was recognized by the Oregon State Treasury with this year’s Oregon Financial Empowerment Award. This summer she is serving as a visiting professor of graduate studies at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts.
1993
the world-renowned Scripps Clinic in San Diego, California, was appointed full professor of surgery at Scripps Clinic Medical Group and Scripps MD Anderson Cancer Center. This distinguished and rare promotion reflects Pacella’s exceptional commitment not only to clinical practice, but also to the advancement of medical education and specialty research. The addition of his academic achievements in the fields of facial surgery and skin cancer reconstruction continue to add value to the academic leadership at Scripps, where he hopes to contribute significantly to the institution’s ongoing pursuit of excellence in health care and medical advancements.
1997
Dom Marrone is an actor in LA who worked on the film “Nutcrackers” with Ben Stiller and director David Gordon Green. The movie is slated to be released in theaters during the 2024 holiday season. Marrone also can be seen as Neil Brunning in the film “The Snack Shack” with Gabriel LaBelle of “The Fabelmans” and opposite Jeff Daniels in an episode of “American Rust” on Amazon Prime. Joey (Carlson) Running, a business educator at West Albany (Oregon) High School, was recognized as the 2024 National Business High School Educator of the Year. Her tenure at West Albany High spans nearly two decades, during which she has focused on supporting other educators teaching personal finance. She also has advocated for changes to Oregon graduation requirements to ensure students take personal finance, higher education, and career path skills courses. Running has been active in the Oregon Business Education Association, Western Business Education Association, National Business Education Association, and the Oregon Council on Economic Education, receiving Educator of the Year awards from each of the organizations. Her contributions to financial literacy have been recognized on a national scale: She has served as a 2019 Educator Ambassador for the
Joseph Grimaldi (above, right) was one of three Canadian citizens who received the title of Ambassador of Sicily from the president of the Sicilian Region, Renato Schifani, for actively contributing to the restoration of the facade of Casa Sciascia, a stop in Racalmutese, Italy, on the Strada degli Scrittori (The Writers’ Route). The restoration work on Casa Sciascia was carried out with the contributions of the Racalmutese community of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada – where 30,000 Racalmutese live – through a fundraiser carried out through The Sicilian Society of Hamilton Inc. Dr. Matt Vogel is director of Disability Services at Grove City College. Additionally, he completed a national certification program to qualify as an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator. He has had several recent publications guiding students with disabilities as they transition to post-secondary educational settings.
1995
Dr. Salvatore Pacella, division head of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at
Dr. Marc DelMonico was named director of Education and Communications for Saint Luke Institute, an independent, international Catholic education and treatment center dedicated to healthy life and ministry for priests, deacons, and members of religious communities. The institute also offers digital resources for Catholic clergy, religious and lay ministers and leaders designed by experts in psychological and spiritual health through SLIconnect.org as well as in-person educational events. DelMonico is overseeing efforts to build on the strong educational work of the institute and promote its core outpatient clinical work.
1998
Goretti (Vianney) Benca joined Marist College’s Digital Education staff as an instructional designer in January. She is leveraging her teaching background to shift her career in a new direction and is looking forward to this new journey.
1999
Sarah (Crosby) Filipovitz (above, right) and Ellen (Savastano) Velez (left) developed a product for use in the car and stroller called FlipFort. FlipFort is a cover that attaches to the headrests in the back seat of a car and protects kids from sunlight and distractions. It also helps with carsickness, prevents fighting among siblings and acts as a travel tent. They wanted FlipFort to be multipurpose, so it attaches to a stroller and protects kids from the elements and distractions so they can rest peacefully. They currently hold a design and utility patent and have developed a website, www.flipfort.com.
2000
Health and Human Services Program teams. Kate (Lewis) Torok was inducted into the Ring of Honor by Camp Good Days and Special Times. The Ring of Honor was established as part of Camp Good Days’ 25th Anniversary Celebration in 2004 and includes those who are selected for their outstanding dedication, commitment and support of the thousands of children and families served over the years. Inductees’ names are included in the permanent Ring of Honor display at the camp’s recreational facility in Branchport, New York.
2004
Jill (Simme) Fecher began her position as national sales manager at Experiture, an omnichannel marketing technology platform, in March.
Michelle Edwards Brown is executive director of the Domestic Abuse Project of Delaware County, a nonprofit organization that is the only dedicated provider of services to victims of domestic abuse in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. Since graduating from the Jandoli School and later earning a master’s degree in nonprofit management, Edwards Brown has dedicated her career to helping others, working in various leadership roles in communications, development and operations in the nonprofit sector.
2001
Kate (Felschow) McLaughlin was promoted to senior communications officer at The Kresge Foundation in Troy, Michigan. In her role she leads strategic communications, public and media relations efforts for the foundation’s national
2005
Sarah Diorio (above) finished her first year as a lecturer of psychology and general psychology course coordinator at the University of Tennessee.
2007
Dejan Stankovic, former St. Bonaventure men’s tennis player and current Boston University men’s tennis head coach, was selected as the Patriot League Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year. This year, his 10th season as head coach, he guided the Terriers to a 21-8 overall record and a perfect 6-0 mark in Patriot League matches. Stankovic coached Boston to its first-ever Patriot League
A graduation 45 years in the making
Stephen Fiala, ’79, couldn’t attend his college graduation to receive his diploma from Fr. Mathias Doyle, O.F.M., 45 years ago due to a serious illness. Thanks to his classmates’ coordination during Alumni Reunion, Fiala was surprised with an impromptu commencement ceremony where President Jeff Gingerich presented him with his diploma.
Tournament Championship, defeating the No. 2 seed Navy in the finals to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Stankovic also coached the Patriot League’s player of the year and rookie of the year this season.
2008
Emily L. Ciraolo was promoted to communications lead for Cisco’s Supply Chain Transformation organization in April.
2009
organizations. He is also proficient in the audits of employee benefit plans, auto dealerships and other commercial entities. Torella serves as a board member with Parachute Credit Counseling, is a member of the Salvation Army of Buffalo’s Most Amazing Race Committee, and completed the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County Board Leadership Training.
2012
2017
Jeff Fasoldt is an associate attorney with Littler Mendelson, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management. He is based in their Fairport, New York, office.
2018
Jordan Steves was named the Emily and Richard Smucker Chair of Education at Chautauqua Institution. Prior to his interim appointment as the chair, Steves served Chautauqua as director of Strategic Communications from 2017 to March of 2023. He began his service at Chautauqua full time in 2009, first as the Chautauqua Lecture Series lecture associate within the Department of Education before moving to the Marketing and Communications department in 2014. His initial Chautauqua experience was in 2007 as an intern with The Chautauquan Daily. He later served as the newspaper’s editor from 2014 to 2017. Bob S. Torella, CPA, was named partner at Buffalo CPA firm Lumsden McCormick. Torella has considerable expertise in auditing and accounting for exempt organizations, specifically educational institutions and arts and entertainment
Patrick Hosken is now an arts writer at Rochester CITY magazine, which is part of WXXI Public Media. Kevin Penner, ’12, ’13, was promoted to chief financial officer of Ebenezer Railcar Services, Inc. in West Seneca, New York.
2013
Jenna (Torella) Sheehan, CPA, was promoted to audit principal at Lumsden & McCormick. She supervises the conduct of audit fieldwork for nonprofit and exempt organizations. Sheehan has expertise working in the areas of audits, single audit, reimbursement, tax and information returns, and financial reporting.
2021
Chuck Santora transitioned from U.S. Army service after five years. He spent two years in Camp Humphrey, South Korea, and three years at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and finished as a staff sergeant in the 82nd Airborne managing network communications. Santora transitioned to a job in the aerospace industry as a production support lead and works on building Atlas, Vulcan and NASA rockets.
Sean Mickey, an investigative journalist with Buffalo television station WKBW-TV, is one of 30 finalists for the 2024 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards. The award is considered the broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize, which is also administered by Columbia University. The awards honor outstanding public service audio and video reporting.
Memorable pro seasons for SBU lacrosse alums
The National Lacrosse League season wrapped up with a memorable moment for one alumnus while the Premier Lacrosse League season kicked off with another Bonaventure graduate figuring prominently in that league.
Zack Belter, ’23, captured an NLL Cup championship in his rookie season with the Buffalo Bandits. Belter’s Bandits won their second consecutive NLL title with back-to-back wins over Albany, securing the championship with a 15-13 win in front of a sold-out KeyBank Center May 18.
Belter played in all five Buffalo playoff games with nine loose balls and two caused turnovers while also blocking two shots during the Bandits’ title push. After missing the start of the season due to injury, he played in eight regular season games with 17 loose balls, six caused turnovers and three blocked shots while also adding an assist. Belter is the first Bonnies alum to win an NLL championship.
Brett Dobson, ’22, turned in a strong second NLL season in the cage for the Georgia Swarm as he ranked fifth in the league with 10 wins during the campaign.
Dobson made 555 saves and surpassed 1,000 saves for his young NLL career. He recorded a save percentage of nearly 78 percent along with a goals-against average of 10.69. The Canadian native also handed out five assists from the net.
He was a key reason for Georgia earning a playoff spot this year, but the Swarm had their season end in heartbreaking fashion at the hands of the Bandits in overtime, 10-9, in the first round. Dobson stood on his head in the net that night,
A birthday bash
Southern Tier alumni were among those who came together to celebrate the 70th birthday of former Binghamton Mayor Rich Bucci, ’76, in April. From left are Matt Minichelli, ’04, Nancy (Williams) Cahill, ’82, Peter Bucci, ’10, Rich Bucci, Terry Hanifin, ’76, Sue (Walsh) Burns and Marty Stantz, ’87.
Zack Belter, ’23, hoists the NLL Cup trophy.
however, making 49 saves.
Dobson now turns his attention to the PLL slate, which began June 1.
Sean Westley, ’22, ’23, enjoyed a strong rookie campaign with the Las Vegas Desert Dogs. Bona’s all-time leading scorer, he played in 14 games this year with 23 points – 10 goals and 13 assists. He also scooped up 32 loose balls and put 37 shots on goal. Westley ranked sixth on the Las Vegas roster in total points for the year.
Play ball!
These classmates got together in February for spring training in Ft. Myers, Florida. In front (from left) are Jim Battersby, ’74, Bill O’Brien, ’74, and Joe Costa, ’74, and (back row, from left) Bob Carr, ’75, Bob Jordan, ’74, Brian Hickey, ’74, and Tom McElroy, ’74.
Photo credit: Buffalo Bandits
Alumni Deaths
James Hamilton, ’45, Aiea, Hawaii
Mark W. Hannon, ’47, Portville, New York
Thomas C. Bailey, ’49, Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts
Fr. Joseph F. Barker, ’49, Albany, New York
Margaret (Sader) Gertner, ’49, Victor, New York
William J. Bardenett, ’50, Syracuse, New York
Earle F. Cote, ’50, Miami, Florida
Glenn R. Haggerty, ’50, Vero Beach, Florida
Ralph E. King, ’50, Fort Myers, Florida
Donald R. Clauss, ’51, Rochester, New York
Edward J. Dillon, ’51, Ringwood, New Jersey
Edward D. Flavin, ’51, Syracuse, New York
John D. Healy, ’51, Silver Spring, Maryland
James S. Hull, ’51, South Lake Tahoe, California
William C. Kelly, ’51, Loveland, Ohio
George E. Maloof, ’51, Saddle River, New Jersey
John J. Mergenhagen, ’51, South Wales, New York
Robert J. Paugh, ’51, Andover, Massachusetts
John M. Calise, ’52, Holiday, Florida
M. C. Dick, ’52, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
William E. Dunne, ’52, Northville, Michigan
Mary E. (McLaughlin) Eaton, ’52, Portville, New York
William A. Gallo, ’52, Manhasset, New York
Mary F. Grilla, ’52, Bronx, New York
J. Richard Hartigan, ’52, Vestal, New York
Thomas A. Petro, ’52, Seneca Falls, New York
James E. Pyne, ’52, Lewiston, New York
John B. Summers, ’52, Duck, North Carolina
Florian M. Brzostecki, ’53, Granby, Massachusetts
Lt. Col. (Ret.) Howard D. Deane, ’53, Auburn, Alabama
Dr. Francis J. Gilroy Jr., ’53, Endwell, New York
M. James Lenhard, ’53, Fairport, New York
Roderick B. O’Connor, ’53, Raleigh, North Carolina
Rev. James D. O’Neill, ’53, Waterford, New York
Richard J. Walls, ’53, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Paul F. Watkins, ’53, Amherst, New York
Richard J. Bauman, ’54, Eggertsville, New York
Dr. Meade E. Butler, D.D.S., ’54, Thousand Oaks, California
Rev. Patrick F. Healy, ’54, Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Giles K. Houghton, ’54, Clifton, New Jersey
Joseph O. Matthews Jr., ’54, Shepherdstown, West Virginia
James R. McKenna, ’54, Rye, New Hampshire
Peter M. Melotti, ’54, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Rev. Bernard N. Mohan, ’54, Whitehouse Station, New Jersey
Thomas J. Murphy, ’54, Buffalo, New York
Douglas Philpotts, ’54, Honolulu, Hawaii
Francis J. Ptak, ’54, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Frederick C. Berberick, ’55, West Hartford, Connecticut
Rev. James A. Gay, ’55, Milford, Connecticut
John G. Guenther, ’55, New York, New York
Rev. Thomas P. Jones, O.F.M., ’55, Annapolis, Maryland
Daniel E. Klee, ’55, Rochester, New York
Gerald J. Malloy, ’55, Buffalo, New York
George W. McDonough, ’55, Loveland, Colorado
William F. Meehan, ’55, Toms River, New Jersey
Robert L. Naccarella, ’55, Dallas, Texas
John D. O'Loughlin, ’55, San Jose, California
Rev. Jerome F. Weber, ’55, New Hartford, New York
Roger J. Wittig, ’55, Buffalo, New York
Dr. Francis D. Andres, ’56, Warrenton, Virginia
James Kreydt, ’56, Sun City Center, Florida
Richard Pyc, ’56, Grand Island, New York
Robert C. Rush Sr., ’56, Concord, Massachusetts
James A. Saville, ’56, Rockville Centre, New York
Felix J. Ambrose, ’57, Kingston, New York
Victor J. Capone, ’57, Oswego, New York
Alfred V. Eade, ’57, Olean, New York
Edward T. Madsen, ’57, Hackensack, New Jersey
Michael P. Mecanko, ’57, Lanham, Maryland
Stanley R. Pylipow, ’57, O’Fallon, Missouri
Marion F. Staniszewski, ’57, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
Anthony G. Desocio, ’58, Elmira, New York
James J. Dimitry, ’58, Limerick, Pennsylvania
Eugene A. Galandio, ’58, Waldorf, Maryland
Louis Maganzin, Ph.D., ’58, Watervliet, New York
Angelo J. Micozzi, ’58, Selkirk, New York
Donald A. Molloy, ’58, Saint Cloud, Minnesota
Bryant W. Sandburg, ’58, Ogdensburg, New York
Philip A. Arcara, ’59, Flat Rock, North Carolina
Rev. Paul R. Guido, O.F.M., ’59, Catskill, New York
Thomas V. Vigorito, ’59, Virginia Beach, Virginia
John Bargnesi, ’60, Buffalo, New York
Lt. Col. (Ret.) George W. Burkley, ’60, Hilo, Hawaii
Leonard J. Catellier, ’60, Springfield, Massachusetts
Edward N. Fuierer, ’60, Columbia, Tennessee
Anthony C. Gaeta, ’60, Raleigh, North Carolina
Mark C. Kelly, ’60, Syracuse, New York
Laurence J. Laughlin, ’60, Oak Lawn, Illinois
Douglas A. Law, ’60, Mesa, Arizona
Patrick J. Mahoney, ’60, Bronx, New York
Calvin J. Marquis, ’60, Sarasota, Florida
William F. Nick, ’60, Lakewood Ranch, Florida
The Hon. William A. O’Loughlin Jr., ’60, Buffalo, New York
Carmen E. Romei, ’60, Pompton Plains, New Jersey
Charles W. Welsh, ’60, Fort Collins, Colorado
Paul Cashimere, ’61, Olean, New York
Joseph L. Garvila, ’61, Hurley, New York
George F. Langs, ’61, Dover, New Hampshire
Sr. Bernadette C. McDuff, ’61, Oaklyn, New Jersey
Charles S. Morelli, ’61, Rosedale, New York
Leonard J. Mormando, ’61, Port Jefferson Station, New York
Karen M. Murphy, ’61, Bronx, New York
George J. Shayler, ’61, Auburn, New York
Thomas J. Chohrach, ’62, Bradford, Pennsylvania
John P. Crowley, ’62, Indianapolis, Indiana
Rev. John Kull, ’62, Chicago, Illinois
Robert E. Murphy, ’62, Park Ridge, New Jersey
Richard A. Schneible, ’62, Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania
Patrick J. Callaghan, ’63, Little Valley, New York
Richard N. Cassara, ’63, Canton, New York
Charles J. Stepnowski*, ’63, Glastonbury, Connecticut
Michael V. Beemer, ’64, Broomfield, Colorado
Kenneth E. Gray, ’64, Monterey, Tennessee
Edward P. Harris, ’64, Bradford, Pennsylvania
Roger W. Hayes, ’64, Flushing, New York
Roy M. Maier, ’64, La Plata, Maryland
Eugene D. Mascolo, ’64, Brodheadsville, Pennsylvania
Jane C. McClanaghan, ’64, Warwick, Rhode Island
Kenneth A. McKee, ’64, Horseheads, New York
Dr. Stephen W. O’Driscoll, ’64, The Woodlands, Texas
William O’Reilly, ’64, Saranac Lake, New York
Francis J. Reynolds, ’64, Honeoye Falls, New York
Damien R. Simeone, ’64, El Cajon, California
Sr. Mary N. Truax, ’64, Kenmore, New York
Robert E. Weber, ’64, Fairport, New York
John E. Braun, ’65, Carthage, New York
Charles H. Fritz, ’65, Dunwoody, Georgia
Richard A. Flannigan, ’65, Durham, North Carolina
Neal Gallagher, ’65, Ocean View, Delaware
Joseph P. Ganey, ’65, Gainesville, Virginia
*Member of Seraphim Legacy Society
James P. Giles, ’65, Chicago, Illinois
Gerald E. Hanlon, ’65, Morristown, New Jersey
Norman C. Heinle, ’65, Little Silver, New Jersey
Sr. Suzanne M. Hixson, ’65, Tampa, Florida
Raymond E. Kane, ’65, East Northport, New York
Larry P. Kardos, ’65, Olean, New York
Richard A. Legouri, M.D., ’65, Port Jefferson, New York
Peter M. Listro, ’65, Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
Sr. Mary B. Nadolski, ’65, Detroit, Michigan
Peter J. Norton, ’65, Port Saint Lucie, Florida
Mary Claire Roock, ’65, North Syracuse, New York
John P. Smallwood, ’65, Naples, Florida
Michael J. Soudant, ’65, Long Pine, Nebraska
Dale L. Thomas*, ’65, Salem, Oregon
George M. Tomcyzk, ’65, Rochester, New York
Robert N. Baker Jr., ’66, Bethesda, Maryland
Irwin R. Eyerman, ’66, Stony Brook, New York
John J. McNamee, ’66, Richmond, Virginia
James L. Schulter, CPA, ’66, Cincinnati, Ohio
Thomas M. Tobin, ’66, New York, New York
Richard M. Barone, ’67, Melbourne, Florida
Vincent L. George, ’67, Dallas, Texas
Sr. William M. Mahoney, ’67, Buffalo, New York
David J. Penczak, ’67, Hackettstown, New Jersey
Thomas R. Vogt, ’67, Richmond, Texas
Rosemary M. (Proe) Aubert*, ’68, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Rev. Robert M. Malene, ’68, West Middlesex, Pennsylvania
Edward R. Murray*, ’68, Scotia, New York
Richard A. Zilinskas, ’68, Branford, Connecticut
Robert V. Herzog, ’69, Galax, Virginia
Susan A. Little, ’69, Olean, New York
Sr. Helen Lodge, ’69, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Richard G. Mayer, ’69, Erie, Pennsylvania
Joseph S. Principe, ’69, Cranford, New Jersey
Col. (Ret.) John R. Slonina, ’69, Fairfax, Virginia
Jerald L. Weaver, ’69, Rochester, New York
Sr. Elaine M. Bane, ’70, Tampa, Florida
Maureen (Pilato) Lamb, Esq., ’70, Rochester, New York
Terence V. Mullaney, ’70, Chapin, South Carolina
Robert W. Williams*, ’70, Saint Louis, Missouri
Jeanne Geller, ’71, Hollister, California
Dr. Leonard P. Muscarella, ’71, Victor, New York
Thomas J. Sherwood, ’71, East Greenbush, New York
Gregory M. Brown, ’72, Saratoga Springs, New York
Michael S. Casazza, ’72, Denver, Colorado
Marie T. Liddy, ’72, Montville, New Jersey
Donald A. Mierzwa, ’72, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Daniel J. O'Neill, ’73, Amityville, New York
Toby L. Rohlin, ’73, Russell, Pennsylvania
William L. Foster, Esq., ’74, Auburn, New York
Darice M. Howard, ’74, Springfield Gardens, New York
Stan Madeya, ’74, Mahopac, New York
Robert E. Mann*, ’74, Boston, Massachusetts
William J. McGinley, ’74, Gibsonia, Pennsylvania
Neil L. McKeague III, ’75, Buffalo, New York
Elizabeth A. Weatherly, ’75, Lititz, Pennsylvania
Sally A. (Tellner) Loree, ’76, Pompano Beach, Florida
Nicholas C. Pircio, ’76, Olean, New York
John Berne, ’77, Crosby, Pennsylvania
Thomas J. Mudie, ’77, Ocala, Florida
Br. Paul D. Sansone, O.F.M., ’77, Little Falls, New Jersey
Vincent P. Schifano, ’77, Massapequa Park, New York
Hugh H. Higgins Jr., ’78, Rochester, New York
Dr. Thomas A. Clary, ’79, Auburn, New York
Paul M. Cruskie, ’79, Herkimer, New York
Meg (Westfall) Catanzarita, ’80, Syracuse, New York
Mark J. Hlebica, ’81, Johnson City, New York
Lauren M. Maisano, ’81, Endwell, New York
Mary K. Szczepanski, ’81, Buffalo, New York
Patrick W. Turner Esq., ’81, Chester, New Jersey
Patricia M. Prevost, ’82, Winchester, Virginia
Gregory J. Wood, ’82, Rochester, New York
David A. Szymanski, ’83, Tampa, Florida
Julie K. (Sims) Gibbons, ’84, Avon Lake, Ohio
Cynthia L. Thompson, ’84, Rockaway, New Jersey
John M. Cittadino, ’85, Clinton, New York
James R. Gaus, ’85, Roswell, Georgia
Maura A. McGowan, ’85, Ellicott City, Maryland
Gail (Anthony) Rahill, ’85, Rochester, New York
Sr. Mary M. Maloney, ’86, Charleston, West Virginia
Kevin R. Cromie, ’87, Charlotte, North Carolina
Richard J. Schneider, ’88, Pawleys Island, South Carolina
Carie A. (Stoklosa) Kay, ’89, Penfield, New York
Gregory J. Phillips, ’90, Lebanon, Tennessee
Mark T. Driscoll, ’92, Fairfield, Connecticut
Scott Carpenter, ’96, Bangor, Maine
Michael J. DeCaprio, ’02, Staten Island, New York
Ryan Realbuto, ’23, Pittsford, New York
Parents & Friends
John Aceti, Kerrville, Texas
Patricia K. Fogarty, Esq., Belmont, New York
Karl J. Grentz, West Chester, Pennsylvania
Joseph Johnson, Ashville, New York
Jean M. Rich, Jamestown, New York
John P. Beach, Freeville, New York
Jane T. Botta, Hauppauge, New York
Frank S. Jester, Olean, New York
Jayne Telford, Madison, Connecticut
In Memoriam
Retired faculty member Ralph King, ’50, passed away Feb. 20, 2024. He taught at St. Bonaventure for 35 years with a passion to share mathematics. As part of that passion, he initiated the Pre-Engineering program and was the director of the department until his retirement in 1991.
Dr. John J. Mulryan of Olean, professor emeritus of English at St. Bonaventure, passed away Saturday, March 23, 2024. Mulryan was known nationally for his expertise on John Milton as well as the mythological tradition in Renaissance literature. He began his teaching career in August 1966 at St. Bonaventure, retiring in May 2011.
N. William “Bill” W. O’Connell, who taught in the university’s School of Education from 1993 to 2002, passed away April 21, 2024. O’Connell and his wife, Mary Lee, were longtime Bonnies seasonticket holders.
Charles Osgood, a CBS News legend who served as a trustee of St. Bonaventure in the 1980s and ’90s, passed away Jan. 23, 2024. Osgood was also the university’s Commencement speaker in 1976.
Lewis E. “Lew” Snyder Sr., a former St. Bonaventure security employee, passed away May 16, 2024. Snyder, who retired from SBU in 1992, was well-known at the university for the lasting impact he made on the lives of countless students, taking the time to personally get to know each and every one.
Robert W. Williams, ’70, a member of the St. Bonaventure University Board of Trustees from 1999 to 2008, passed away Dec. 22, 2023.
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St. Bonaventure University takes pride in its alumni and joyfully shares the news of their lives and achievements.
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Alexandra Napoli, ’16, and Matthew Hoey, ’16
Elissa Wolf, ’19, ’20, and Jason Tipton, ’19
Grace Garlick, ’18, ’19, and RJ Bala, ’19
Claire Mangine, ’13, and Conor Stucki
Patti (Hurd) Carlyle, ’98 and Scott Fahy, ’97
(At left is Scott’s son Aiden Fahy, ’26)
Shannel Ortega and Christopher Banasiewicz, ’13
Caleigh Bridgeman, ’15, and David Richenberg
Rebecca Somerville and Alex Calderon, ’11
Jessica Ireland, ’16, and Andrew Chadwick, ’16
Emily Izydorczak, ’19, ’20, and Jason Caldwell, ’19, ’20
Brynn Davey, ’13, ’14, and Joe Keller, ’14
Terry Hurley, ’76
I was at the Chatham Fish Pier in Cape Cod last summer when I caught a guy out of the corner of my eye wearing a St. Bonaventure shirt. When I asked him about it, he turned to face me and I recognized him instantly and called him by his name –but he had no idea who I was. It had been about 17 years since we had last seen each other. I reminded him that we lived together for two years (sophomore year in First Dev and senior year off campus) but it still took him some time to recognize me. When he finally did, we caught up on things and agreed to meet in Brooklyn two months later to watch the Bonnies in the Legends Classic.
Chris
tian Gravius,
’19
My family was driving from Denver to Rocky Mountain National Park in the summer of 2017 when we stopped at a gas station. With archaic pumps and just one other customer, it felt completely isolated from the rest of civilization. I had a Bonnies track shirt on and as I left the store to walk back to our rental, the other customer saw what I was wearing and shouted an emphatic “Go Bonnies!”
Caught off guard, I looked back as he entered his vehicle. The last thing he said before driving off was, “I went there, too!”
Alumni Encounters
In the last edition of the magazine we asked alumni to share the most unexpected place they ran into another Bona grad. Cheers to making new friends and reconnecting with old ones.
Jim Panebianco, ’84, (left) and Fran Machina, ’82, played two years together on the Bona tennis team and hadn’t seen each other in 41 years.
They stumbled into each other at the 2023 PGA Championship in Rochester. You never know when it will happen! Many patrons, seeing Fran’s sweatshirt, greeted him with a hearty “Go Bonnies.”
Jim Van Develde, ’74
A few years ago I was walking on a jetty (pier) at a Cape Cod beach with my young kids when I saw a little kid struggling to get across one of the rocks. I stopped to help him get across only to look up and there was my friend from the Class 1974 who I had not seen in a long time (Elizabeth Johnston O’Connor). It was her son.
Not only did classmates Mary Ann (Hickey) Glennon, ’79, and Chris LaPlaca, ’79, “run into” each other at this year’s Reunion Weekend, they were named Alumni of the Year recipients. Their reunion comes 45 years after giving their senior class speech (right photo).
Fran Machina, ’82
1976 classmates Terry Hurley (left) and Mike LaCasse prior to the Bonnies-Oklahoma State game in New York.
Mary Ann (Hickey) Glennon and Chris LaPlaca
Gerard J. Monaghan, ’67
This encounter actually was with the father of a student. When I was president of the Association of Bridal Consultants (1981-2006), we were negotiating with a company to market our educational program.
After about six months of inconclusive talks, we invited our contact to our home office for lunch.
As he entered our home, he noticed my SBU license plate holder and asked, “Which of your kids?” I replied that I was a grad. At that point, he said, “That’s all I needed to hear,” noting one of his children was a student.
We signed the agreement that day.
FOR THE NEXT EDITION:
Tell us about a campus club or organization that helped you find your people at SBU.
Share your story in 100 words & share a photo if you have one: magazine@sbu.edu.
We’ll print a collection of responses in the winter 2025 issue.
Cisca (Sugiro) Peszynski, Ph.D., ’93
I had seen Megan on campus but it was not until the summer of 1992 that we became close friends in the Francis E. Kelley Oxford program.
At New College, her dorm room was above mine so we hung out together quite often. After I graduated, we went our separate ways.
After I retired from my career, I worked part time at Wegmans. In January 2024, a young man named Ian was hired in my deli
Aline Gibbons Newstead, ’97
In 2007, I was living in Okinawa, Japan. I was attending a women’s retreat and one of the priests who was brought in was a friar. I immediately had to tell him of my love of the Franciscans and needed to know his background.
When he replied with a chuckle, “a small school somewhere that you haven’t heard of,” I immediately knew the small school.
Living in Japan had been absolutely wonderful, but without the abundance of the internet and cell phones at the time, it could be isolating away from family and friends. For that evening at dinner, I was “at home” again.
department. I had the privilege of training him. One day he asked, “Where did you go to school, Cisca?” I answered, “Have you heard of St. Bonaventure?” He had. His mom – Megan Yannie – had been a student there. Out of all the 110 Wegmans stores, we connected in the smallest Wegmans in the country!
My gratitude to the Oxford program for our unique camaraderie and my appreciation to Wegmans for rekindling our friendship after close to 32 years.
Jonathan Falls, ’93
My dad, (Richard Falls, ’55) had a knack for finding a Bonnie, someone from the old neighborhood in Binghamton, or a patient whenever he traveled.
Apparently he passed it down. On a cruise, I spotted what looked like a Bona’s hat 20 people or so ahead of me and my wife Caitlin (Read) ’93, in a line for a catamaran tour at St. Lucia. Who winds up sitting right across from us? Alums Garrie, ’81, and Pat (Casey) Murphy, ’82.
By David LoTempio,
’91
Megan (left) and Cisca.
If the magazine is sent to your son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, drop us a note to magazine@sbu.edu.
