JACKSON ARTIS ’16, STUDENT AMBASSADOR FOR MANDARIN
DR. MICHAEL NITABACH ’84 AT CAREER DAY
NEW “MODEL” FOR S.M.A.R.T. TEAM THE COMPLEXITY OF RICH FREIWALD’S POTTERY MAY 2015
MICHAEL ARROM ’13 ON GLEE PINGRY FOOTBALL, 1950 STYLE
MAY 2015
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The Pingry Athletics Landscape! A rendering of the future athletics facilities on the Basking Ridge Campus, including (left to right) the new tennis courts, The Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center, and the new track and turf field.
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THE PINGRY REVIEW
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THE PINGRY REVIEW
MAY 2015
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THE PINGRY REVIEW 24 Student Ambassador Jackson Artis ’16 Promotes Chinese Language and Culture
Jackson has been studying Mandarin at Pingry since Grade 6 and is the only non-heritage speaker to take post-AP Mandarin. He now holds another distinction: appointment as a Student Ambassador for the 100,000 Strong Foundation.
27 Dr. Morgan D’Ausilio is New “Model” for S.M.A.R.T. Team
S.M.A.R.T. (Students Modeling a Research Topic) pairs high school students with an outside scientist, but 2014-15 marked the first time that Pingry’s team has a faculty advisor who is also an expert on the topic the students are exploring.
28 More than Meets the Eye in Rich Freiwald’s Pottery
Glazing experiments? Oxygen levels? Chemicals’ melting points? These topics sound like they describe a science class, but they all influence the pottery of fine arts teacher Rich Freiwald—and the pottery that his students create by hand.
34 Lawyer-Turned-Scientist Dr. Michael Nitabach ’84 Speaks at Career Day
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Dr. Nitabach wanted to practice law and conduct neuroscience research, so he tried to pursue two careers at the same time. The serendipity of walking into a friend’s lab set him on a temporary course of balancing two jobs, but he ultimately had to make a decision.
Pingry Athletics—A New Era The School is planning for The Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center and major upgrades to existing athletics facilities that have surpassed their lifespans. Find out how the new Athletics Center will take Pingry athletics to the next level, and learn about other changes, all of which will usher in a new era for the athletics program.
36 A Gleeful Experience for Keyboardist Michael Arrom ’13
What happens when the casting director of an Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning television program contacts your university, seeking musicians for auditions? You try out! Michael, attending USC’s Thornton School of Music, discovered that anything can happen in Hollywood.
44 Pingry Football, 1950 Style
Dr. Joseph Hanaway ’51, who played on Pingry’s first undefeated football team in nearly 30 years, takes us back more than 60 years to share some history of the sport and show us how football was played at Parker Road.
On the cover: Running with the Big Blue flag is one of the ultimate demonstrations of the Pingry championship spirit. Pictured: Lauren McLaughlin ’15. Departments
From the Headmaster . . . . 3 Philanthropy . . . . . . . . 12 Scene Around Campus . . 18 Ask the Archivist . . . . . . 48 Class Notes . . . . . . . . . 49 In Memoriam . . . . . . . . 62 Closing Word . . . . . . . . 64
School News
John Hanly Lecture . . . . 22 Beinecke House in Design NJ . . . . . . . . . . 23 Chef Jay Glassberg . . . . . 25 Global Education . . . . . . 26 Siemens and Intel Competitions . . . . . . . 27
Sports
Big Blue Roundup . . . . . 29 College Student-Athletes . 32
Alumni News
Where are They Now? . . . 37 Alumni Events . . . . . . . 38 Ed Cissel ’39 Shares Memories . . . . . . . . . 46
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Opening Shot Introducing Finn, who will keep Pingry’s fields clean by chasing away geese. Editor Greg Waxberg ’96 Communications Writer
Editorial Staff Melanie P. Hoffmann P ’20, ’27 Director of Institutional Advancement Rob Schur P ’25, ’27 Associate Director of Advancement Marisa Marks Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing David M. Fahey ’99 Director of Alumni Relations and Senior Major Gifts Officer for Athletics
Design and Layout Ruby Window Creative Group, Inc. www.rubywindow.com
Photography Peter Chollick Bruce Morrison ’64 Cherilyn Reynolds Debbie Weisman
Administration, 2014-2015 Nathaniel E. Conard P ’09, ’11 Headmaster Theodore M. Corvino P ’94, ’97, ’02 Assistant Headmaster-Short Hills, Lower School Director Jonathan D. Leef P ’15, ’18 Assistant Headmaster-Basking Ridge Denise M. Brown-Allen P ’13 Upper School Director Philip Cox Middle School Director Olaf J. Weckesser P ’25 Chief Financial Officer and Director of Operations John W. Pratt Chief Operating Officer Allison C. Brunhouse ’00 Director of Admission and Enrollment Lydia B. Geacintov P ’84, ’88 Director of Studies Melanie P. Hoffmann P ’20, ’27 Director of Institutional Advancement Carter Marsh Abbott Director of Athletics Brian C. Burkhart Director of Educational and Information Technology
The Pingry Review is the official magazine of The Pingry School, with the primary purpose of disseminating alumni, school, faculty, and staff news and information. The editor tries to ensure the timeliness of each issue. Due to printing and production deadlines, this edition contains major events that happened by April 3, 2015. Occurrences after that date will be included in the next issue. Comments can be sent to the editor at The Pingry School, 131 Martinsville Road, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 or gwaxberg@pingry.org.
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THE PINGRY REVIEW
A LETTER FROM THE HEADMASTER
Lessons from the Field Dear Members of the Pingry Community Looking back on the past school year, we have much to celebrate. Signs of progress abound with the ongoing modernization of the Lower and Upper School Campuses. Come the fall, we will break ground on the long-awaited Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center—I hope you will join us for the groundbreaking ceremony on September 19! This issue’s feature article will take you on a whirlwind tour of the new athletics center and surrounding facilities, showcasing the state-of-the-art resources in store for the Pingry community. To provide a precursor to this, I’d like to take a step back and explore the essential, life-long values that a robust and well-designed athletics program will instill in our students, current and future. Not only will the new athletics center allow us to better accommodate practice and competition for multiple sports, teams, and physical education classes, but it will also enable us to reclaim classroom space for modernization. Adequate room for top-notch academics and athletics programs enables us to strike a healthy balance between the two, reinforcing Pingry’s commitment to the principle of “mens sana in corpore sano,” translated from the Latin as “a sound mind in a sound body.” The principle emerged anew as a driving force in the 1800s, around the time when Dr. John Pingry was formulating our School’s first curriculum. Nineteenth century social reformer Henry Ward Beecher, a contemporary of Dr. Pingry, expanded upon it, writing, “A man is educated who knows how to make a tool out of every faculty— how to open it, how to keep it sharp, and how to apply it to all practical purposes.” Since its founding, Pingry has encouraged students to use all of their faculties to solve a problem, whether that be an application of calculus, an exegesis of a literary passage, or a high-stakes match on the tennis court. A curriculum (and campus) composed of mutually reinforcing academics, arts, and athletics programs and spaces frees our students to create, innovate, and make new connections and discoveries—in essence, to make the best use of all faculties while maintaining a sound mind in a sound body. Increasingly today, participation in athletics teaches students the so-called “non-cognitive” skills that Paul Tough, author of How Children Succeed, considers paramount to college and work readiness. To succeed in life, students must develop and practice discipline, self-confidence, collaboration, resilience, and grit. Whereas academics often demands a level of proficiency obtained through intensive study over a period of time, athletics pushes students to problem-solve and test their boundaries—both physical and mental—on an immediate and recurring basis. Our student athletes must be conscious of their own strengths and weaknesses and those of others—they must understand when and how to lead as well as follow. They must learn from failure. They must prepare themselves to receive direct and sometimes brutally honest feedback from a coach, perhaps in the midst of a game, and take it in stride as they keep on playing. Indeed, resilience—the ability to pick oneself up after a setback—is one of the toughest traits to develop and yet one that any successful adult will tell you is critical to personal and professional growth and success. These skills develop naturally when students find themselves operating in a competitive team environment. Finally, athletics, like the arts and other co-curricular activities, demands authentic performance before a live audience. All of the preparation that has come before, in hours of practice, training, and past competition, converges in a game, where split-second adjustments and decisions demonstrate far deeper understanding of the “subject” than a static drill ever could. Much like an actor onstage responding to a line said out of turn or a Quiz Bowl participant fielding a curveball question, athletes must think instinctively, on their feet. These situations are most like real life, where we prepare as best we can, but, at a moment’s notice, we must pivot with dexterity and grace in response to whatever life brings. To embrace and conquer life’s challenges, we are required to adjust and adapt to constantly changing circumstances and surroundings. It’s when students spend time on the playing field, step onstage, and engage in other co-curricular activities that they develop the flexibility and agility critical to achieving success in higher education and future careers. With that, I hope you’ll come out often to cheer on our students in all of their pursuits, athletic or otherwise. I also hope you’ll consider making a gift, if you haven’t already, in support of the new athletics center. Through your involvement, you will help perpetuate the notion that students should strive for a sound mind in a sound body, support students as they learn from triumph as well as failure and develop skills integral to success at our School and beyond, and prepare students for the real world by helping them to be flexible and responsive in a team setting—all values that have long been underpinnings of the Pingry experience. Thank you, in advance, for playing your part. Sincerely,
Nathaniel E. Conard P ’09, ’11 MAY 2015
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As a drone moves silently across the blue sky, we are privy to a 2,000-foot view of the Basking Ridge Campus that is more than just a magnificent sight—it is filled with memories and accomplishments. We fly over the vast fields and wooded areas, which make us think of the vision of Honorary Trustee William S. Beinecke ’31, P ’61, ’64 to buy the acreage for our School. A right turn passes over the angular, modern architecture of the Hostetter Arts Center. A shift to the left brings us in full view of The Carol and Park B. Smith ’50 Middle School.
PIN G RY AT HLE T I C S
A NEW ERA Besides their impressive structures, these buildings have something far more important in common: they are symbols of the vision, perseverance, and generosity that built our School from the ground up—that have given it a reputation for unparalleled programs in academics, athletics, and the arts. Imagine the drone moving across the sky two years from now—how will the landscape change? Visually, we will see new tennis courts, a new turf football and lacrosse field, a new track, and the impressive Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center. What will the message be? Clearly and without question, Pingry’s pursuit of athletic excellence is not just a lofty goal found on the fields—rather, athletics is a highly valued, integral part of Pingry’s educational experience, and, with these improvements, the School can, and will, transform the lives of its students. 4
THE PINGRY REVIEW
Jackson Artis ’16
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“I play lacrosse, field hockey, and basketball, so conditioning is really important. We have a really good weight room, but year-round agility training is a struggle. My teammates and I do something called ‘wall ball’ to practice our stick skills, and there just isn’t a place to do it indoors...that will change with the new Athletics Center. Also, when visiting other schools that have the most beautiful facilities, you can tell the school is dedicated to athletics, and that message is passed on to students. The Center will send the message that our School believes we are true and valued athletes, and that’s a great feeling and extremely motivating.” – Annelise Kinney ’15 6
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ATHLETICS Integral to a Pingry Education Athletics has always been a valued part of Pingry’s overall educational process. In 1895, organized sports were introduced by then-headmaster William Corbin. When Pingry moved from Westminster Avenue to the new location on Parker Road, students had the luxury of using playing fields right on Pingry’s campus. Primary emphasis was given to football and track, while baseball was considered a minor sport at that time. Tennis was a fledgling club sport with a total of three courts. Today, Pingry has 80 teams for both boys and girls, representing 20 different sports, 11 fields for practice and competition, and 12 tennis courts. Over the last 150 years, we have seen two Pingry tennis players go on to play at Wimbledon, two swimmers qualify for Olympic Trials, squash players invited to play in the British Junior Open Squash Championships, and a cross country runner become Pingry’s first runner to qualify for the Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships in the race’s 34-year history. The School’s goal has always been to ensure Pingry students have a sound mind in a sound body and to instill in our student-athletes the strong work ethic and leadership skills they can carry with them into college and throughout their lives. We understand that the expectations and level of physical conditioning once reserved for college athletes now apply to those in high school as well.
CREATING THE BLUEPRINT To achieve this goal of a sound mind in a sound body, Pingry is committed to providing student-athletes with state-of-the-art facilities to help them develop their skills, reach their full potential, and support the dedicated faculty-coaches who guide and train them. Investing in the success of Pingry athletics is also an investment in institutional pride. That is why the centerpiece of Pingry’s athletics fundraising is The Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center. The Center will be a hub for athletic activities on the Basking Ridge Campus. Designing the Center has been a balancing act. “Don’t make it so small that it doesn’t serve our program, but don’t make it so big that it’s not practical,” says Director of Facilities Michael Virzi P ’18. Of course, every coach has a specific wish list, but there are three things on which everyone agrees: first, the facility needs to be used year-round; second, we need space, as much as possible so different teams from different sports can train and compete; and third, we need squash courts so that our championship teams (limited in size now) do not have to travel to Drew University to play on rented courts for short periods of time. MAY 2015
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The Sports Arena within the Athletics Center will house two contiguous gymnasiums with the capacity to allow the wrestling and fencing teams to practice concurrently in the winter. Wrestling will have a two-mat space, and fencing will have four fencing strips. The fencing team is excited by the prospect of having built-in electronic scoring equipment. The Arena will also be used as a multipurpose training space for team drills and practices yearround. Director of Athletics Carter Marsh Abbott comments, “Just as the Center will allow training during the winter months, its climate-controlled space also allows athletes who play fall sports like football, field hockey, and soccer the ability to train during the summertime, have captain practices, and continue fitness training. This is the edge we need so that we can be as ready as possible for any sport.” A new, larger Strength and Conditioning Center (4,500 square feet) is designed to accommodate more student-athletes year-round, making it “far more effective to train an entire team at the same time. This ensures every athlete has access to the same workout, which will, in turn, build a stronger team that is highly motivated,” says Strength Coach Doug Scott. Students will be able to conduct agility drills in the new open area, which is great for preseason preparation. “Better conditioning means more wins and fewer injuries,” Coach Scott says. In addition, the new Squash Annex will include six courts (possibly eight) and squash viewing areas. This will enable Pingry to create full varsity and JV boys’ and girls’ teams, provide squash as part of the Grade 6 P.E. rotation and as a winter team option for Form I and II students in the Middle School athletics program, and provide access to squash for the entire Pingry community. Many people remember the excitement in the spring of 2013 when the School hosted a full-size glass squash court in the Wilf Family Commons of The Carol and Park B. Smith ’50 Middle School. The Squash Annex in the Athletics Center will finally give us the “home court advantage”—one that other top independent schools have already and which Head Coach Ramsay Vehslage is thrilled to see come to fruition. “I’ve been so immensely proud of our kids. They will be able to hit thousands of balls every day without stepping foot off campus, which is the kind of practice they need to take squash to the next level.”
BREAKING GROUND A groundbreaking ceremony is planned for September 19, 2015, during Homecoming. We have almost all of the necessary permits to start construction; however, the fundraising for this $10 million project is not yet completed. Campaign Co-Chair Steve Newhouse ’65, P ’95, ’97, ’99 makes it very clear that more work needs to be done. “We have had great success with our Campaign Challenge Grants, particularly the Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center Challenge. We have the $8,000,000 (80% of the total fundraising goal) required to break ground on the Athletics Center this fall; we need to reach our $10 million goal as soon as possible. We have built great momentum during this Campaign, and want to see that continue. We are proud of what we have achieved thus far and are very grateful to those of you who have helped us get to this point…but we are not done, and we cannot rest on our laurels. To make this facility, which is a transformational addition to Pingry’s athletics infrastructure and a fitting tribute to Miller, a reality, we need your help. Let’s finish the job.” Please visit blueprint.pingry.org for the latest Campaign progress, donor profiles, gift options, naming opportunities, and more information. 8
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“I’m a defenseman for the lacrosse team, and teambased agility drills are important to do year-round. During the winter, we can put cones out on the turf, but not when there are two feet of snow on the ground. The Athletics Center will definitely provide the extra space we need for strength, speed, and agility training. Sprinting is an important part of our training, but, when the weather is bad, we have to use treadmills, which isn’t the greatest. The multi-use Sports Arena will have enough open space to practice sprinting any time, in any type of weather. As a senior who will be playing a college sport, I know I will be up against the best athletes from around the country. The Athletics Center will ensure that Pingry athletes can compete at the highest level.” – Jonathan Butler ’15 MAY 2015
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TRACK, TURF, TENNIS While the Athletics Center is a new building, other athletics facilities also require new construction because the current spaces have surpassed their life expectancies from when the Basking Ridge Campus opened in 1983. “The fact is, we cannot rebuild or fix what we have. We have already done that over and over again, and it cannot continue. We will completely remove what exists currently, and construct new, engineered systems. This is the smartest and most economical option for long-term usage,” Mr. Virzi says. This is why Pingry has designated $14.4 million for athletics as part of the Campaign—$10 million for the Athletics Center and $4.4 million to update these other facilities. The track ($1.3 million) will have a new base and new asphalt with a high-quality, cost-effective running surface for our athletes’ competition level. Pingry did extensive research to determine the best track design and surface for our needs now and in the future. The actual surface has yet to be chosen; however, Mr. Virzi describes the quality as consistent with other top-quality high school tracks. A new artificial turf field ($1 million), which will be Pingry’s second since The John Taylor Babbitt ’07 Memorial Field opened in 2008, will use the same system as the Babbitt Field, but with the most up-to-date technology. Intended to be the home for the football and lacrosse teams, this turf field will ensure that more games can be played in inclement weather and that our athletes can practice each day on a high-quality surface. It also will serve as a competitive venue for championship games like the Somerset County Tournament. In addition, we have a new stadium (fully funded) that includes a modern press box with Internet and sound capabilities and new bleachers to accommodate all of the students. This stadium will offer a wonderful new venue for Pingry’s sporting events. Coupled with the proposed turf, these upgrades make the field a premier venue for competition. Pingry’s tennis courts ($1.1 million) will also be top-grade and consistent with other courts that are used by high schools and colleges, and the surface will no longer have to be resurfaced annually. The base will be asphalt, and the courts will feature new walkways and fencing, new nets, and new terraces. “We’re going to re-grade and create terraces with concrete retaining walls to keep the courts more stable, which means much less cracking and maintenance,” Mr. Virzi says. Pingry has been spending thousands of dollars each year to repair the current courts to keep them playable, which is unsustainable. Pingry tennis players are growing and learning in a professionally-run, high-quality tennis program. New firstclass facilities will allow our student-athletes to strive, compete, and win at an advanced level.
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IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES... Wouldn’t it be great if soccer practice, football drills, and a field hockey scrimmage, along with strength training, could all happen at the same time? If an entire team could work out together, be in top condition, and train efficiently? If a student who never picked up a squash racquet sees others play the sport, decides to try it, and finds a new passion? If a student who is interested in becoming more physically fit can work out in the Strength and Conditioning Center, become stronger, and develop self-assurance and a lifetime of healthier habits? All of this is possible with the improvements Pingry is planning for the athletics program. Building these facilities will demonstrate, even at first glance, that athletics continues to be a highly valued, integral part of a Pingry education. More importantly, all students, whether they are serious athletes or not, will be motivated to reach their personal goals because they have the resources available to do so and to develop healthier habits and skills to last them a lifetime. Please visit blueprint.pingry.org for ways to give, naming opportunities, and more information. For a calendar of current Pingry sporting events, please click on “Athletics Events” on the homepage of www.pingry.org.
“What I feel is the most exciting part of this project is that every person on campus will have access to the facilities. No matter if you are a star athlete, a beginner, or anywhere in between— everything will be available to you. This building will encourage students to become more physically active as well as introduce them to new sports. There will be trainers and coaches willing to help each person achieve their own personal goals, no matter what they may be.” – Jesse Hutt ’20 MAY 2015
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BLUEPRINT FOR THE FUTURE
THE CAMPAIGN FOR PINGRY
A 50-YEAR FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN COACH AND STUDENT: PETER P. BLANCHARD III ’70 GIVES BACK As fourth-string goalie, Peter P. Blanchard III ’70 (“Fox” to his classmates) was far from a soccer superstar his freshman year at Pingry. But that situation changed his junior year, when Boys’ Varsity Soccer Head Coach Miller Bugliari ’52 took note of his other strengths and appointed him assistant manager of the Varsity Team. He felt valued—his particular skills identified and recognized—and, as a result, his experience on the team, and at Pingry as a whole, was that much richer. Fast-forward almost 50 years through a lasting friendship, and Mr. Blanchard, recalling how significant his athletic experience was, took advantage of last fall’s $1 Million Athletics Center Challenge by making a gift to support construction of The Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center. Giving back to a program that was so essential to his growth and development was important to him. With his gift, he hopes other students will be able to thrive in an athletics role, whether they find that role on the field or on the sidelines, the way he did. “Miller noticed that I had other qualities besides being athletic. I prepared game equipment and refreshments…I timed the games…I was always part of every aspect of pre-season and practices. He understood that managers are part of the team and its efforts, and treated us like part of the team in a very positive sense,” Mr. Blanchard says, fondly recalling his Pingry varsity letter with an “M” stitched into it, recognition that not all skills are directed toward the game itself. Notably, during his time as a manager, Mr. Blanchard observed that, while Coach Bugliari is certainly competitive and focused on winning matches, “He is very aware of the bench, the managing of the team, and other aspects. You would think that the starting offense and defense would be his focus, but he is aware of a bigger endeavor, and he has a deep personal interest in all of the students, not just those on the starting roster.” Many people know about Mr. Blanchard’s lifelong commitment to the environment—especially as a founder of Greenwood Gardens in Short Hills, New Jersey—but he chose to take his gift in a different direction. “I could have supported something having to do with sustainability, but Miller is a great teacher—they don’t come any greater—and I really love being part of a broader endeavor to carry his legacy down the road, as part of the School’s infrastructure.” As it happens, Mr. Bugliari was also his first biology teacher, inspiring Mr. Blanchard to further pursue a subject that interested him because “the study of life is contagious, and Miller was open to, and observant of, students’ talents. I chose to study bird behavior by painting watercolors and making observations, and he encouraged me.” Later in life, Mr. Blanchard spent 10 years as a biology teacher at The Chapin School in Manhattan and The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry. Looking to the future, Mr. Blanchard considers the Athletics Center to be integral to Pingry for competitive athletics: “It will give students in decades-to-come a magnificent opportunity to do their best and learn about their strengths. This is a superlative project to carry Miller’s name forward.”
“You would think that the starting offense and defense would be his focus, but he is aware of a bigger endeavor.” - Peter P. Blanchard III ’70 12
THE PINGRY REVIEW
LIFE LESSONS FROM A COACH INSPIRE GIVING FROM THE PREZIOSI FAMILY “It hit me that this person who is spending all of these hours with my son is getting through to him on a different level than a parent,” says Al Preziosi, whose son Brandon ’14 spent six years under the tutelage of Varsity Wrestling Head Coach Mark Facciani. “Somebody of that quality is invaluable, and for a student to stick with wrestling for six years and come out of it with a true appreciation of the coach as a person is pretty remarkable.” Coaches are often the source of life-changing lessons for students. Mr. Facciani was for Brandon, which is why Al and Lisa Preziosi, also parents of Nicole ’17 and Gabriela ’19, wanted to recognize him and the wrestling program with a five-year gift in support of the construction of The Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center. Their gift is a tribute not only to Pingry’s athletics program itself, but, specifically, to the quality people who make the program—dedicated coaches, trainers, and staff—with the aim of giving future students the opportunity to learn life-changing lessons themselves. Brandon first had Mr. Facciani as a teacher for Grade 6 history, and he began to wrestle in Grade 7. “Through wrestling, my son learned to become a better person, got into the college of his choice [Vanderbilt], and became the wrestling captain,” Mr. Preziosi says. “Mark taught the kids how to deal with defeat. When they won, he said it was a credit to their hard work. He brings out the best in kids. Brandon once called him a ‘maker of men.’” The other honoree in the Preziosi family gift is Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11 because of what they consider his quiet, steady leadership. “You always know where he stands on an issue. There is a very clear picture of what the School stands for and what he stands for. I don’t think you can ask for anything better than that,” Mr. Preziosi says.
Members of Pingry’s 2013-14 Varsity Wrestling Team: Assistant Coach Howard Shirley, Brandon Preziosi ‘14, Mitch Suzuki ‘14, Kevin Chow ‘16, Frankie Dillon ‘17, and Head Coach Mark Facciani.
“Brandon once called Mark Facciani a ‘maker of men.’” - Al Preziosi P ’14, ’17, ’19
ATHLETICS CENTER
GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY Saturday September 19, 2015 Homecoming Weekend For more information, please visit blueprint.pingry.org. MAY 2015
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AN ENHANCED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
FULL STEAM AHEAD On the Short Hills Campus, the revamped, larger art space is already in use, and new science labs await furniture and other finishing touches.
Springtime brings transformation of all kinds. Along with the flowers around campus, proudly showcasing the new season, the Lower School reveals itself after several months of successful renovations. If you are a parent of a Lower School student, you have probably noticed the changes now that Phases 1a and 1b of the modernization plan are complete. At every turn, you can glimpse the benefits of collaborative, visible learning in flexible physical environments. Moreover, you can see how the paradigm shift to a more integrated, interdisciplinary learning process—a STEAM approach—plays out in the rearrangement of spaces and classrooms. Kindergarten students are sprawled out in brightly-colored, softly-lit learning commons, working together on several posters laid on the ground. A third-grade student uses an interactive pen to complete an equation cast on the wall with a high-tech, BrightLink projector. A first-grade student, who likes to read near the windows, pushes a big, red cushion toward the sunlight.
A TEACHER’S PERSPECTIVE Science teacher Heather Smith-Willis P ’16 points out some of these improvements, reflected in the design features of a new lab, where she will teach K-2 science in the fall. What looks to be a ceramic floor is, in fact, made of rubber, which she says is ideal for
STEAM project representing…the skeletal system. “Felicia,” as the students named her, is made of metal, cardboard, ribbons, Styrofoam, hot glue, and duct tape.
STEAM project representing…the interdependence of the respiratory and circulatory systems. Red tubing represents arteries carrying oxygenated blood away from the heart (shown expanding in the second picture), and blue tubing represents veins carrying deoxygenated blood to the heart. Red circles in the background show red blood cells, and the clear bottle caps are white blood cells. Students added more red blood cells relative to white because the human body has more red (to carry oxygen). Rainbow-colored ribbons are the lungs. 14
THE PINGRY REVIEW
GREETINGS TO ALL
STEAM project representing…the circulatory system, with the heart (two plastic bottles covered in colored duct tape) and arteries and veins forming the major circulatory supply lines in and out of the heart. Students cut a paper plate in half to represent the lungs. An x-ray inspired this model, which students built using duct tape, hot glue, plastic sheets, balsa wood, and straws.
resisting stains, avoiding slips, and preventing falling glass from shattering. Any accidental spills collect in a floor drain for easy cleanup. She explains that, in the old science rooms, she was always worried about students tripping on power cords along the floor, and felt constrained by the stationary tables. In the new lab, power cords are retractable and affixed to the ceiling, and the tables can be moved around as needed for different projects. With these upgrades, among many to the Short Hills Campus, teachers and students alike are able to educate, learn, and grow in much more innovative and inspiring ways.
THE SCIENCE OF LEARNING Prior to the modernization, the Lower School science teachers converted classroom space into lab space. Their ingenuity and effort went a long way, but they faced limitations inherent in the layouts of the original classrooms: not enough storage space for lab supplies and equipment, too few sinks, and traditional tables and desks as opposed to lab tables. The design of the new rooms addresses these limitations and others, but it also goes beyond simple structural, technological, or aesthetic improvements to incorporate a genuine understanding of how children learn best. That level of functionality is easy to miss at first glance, but it underlies every aspect of modernization on the campus. Each design choice reflects current best practices, the thoughtful input of Lower School faculty members, and a conscious shift toward the cuttingedge science behind educational architecture and design, where learning environments are collaborative, open, and interdisciplinary.
When Ted Corvino P ’94, ’97, ’02 assumed the position of Lower School Director, he began a tradition of welcoming students each morning with a handshake. Today, that simple gesture continues to reflect Mr. Corvino’s dedication to fostering a sense of community, continuity, and familiarity on campus. In that same spirit, the Theodore M. Corvino Lower School Commons will greet visitors to the Lower School and can be used for Admissions, a mini-gallery, or a small meeting. Located inside the main doors of the Short Hills Campus, the room, as Mr. Corvino notes, sends a message: “Welcome to the Pingry community. Welcome to our campus.”
STEAM project representing…the respiratory system. At center are two lungs, covered in red and blue bulletin board trim to represent the process of gas exchange that occurs in the lungs. Horizontal rainbow ribbon (below) represents a working diaphragm. Clear bottle caps show alveoli, the microscopic air sacs at the end of bronchial tubes. The model’s mouth was constructed using an old inhaler. MAY 2015
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As part of that interdisciplinary focus, the new art space—already in use—is strategically located near the math and science rooms to facilitate cooperation among the STEAM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math). In a recent project for their unit on the human body (and inspired by a video about kinetic sculpture), fifth-grade students used materials from the art room to create complex visualizations of the circulatory, pulmonary, and skeletal systems.
WHAT LIES AHEAD While numerous improvements already benefit Lower School students, considerable work lies ahead. Phase 2, scheduled to be completed in August 2015, includes the first- and second-grade classrooms, fifth-grade wing, the dining room, the administrative wing, and—a particularly meaningful highlight—the main entrance and commons, to be named in honor of Lower School Director Ted Corvino P ’94, ’97, ’02. As Trustee Debbie Barker P’12, ’16 notes, “There is no more fitting tribute than to adorn the Lower School Commons with Mr. Corvino’s name. Generations of children have flourished because of his wisdom, kindness, and exceptional leadership.” The successful and timely implementation of Phase 1a and Phase 1b stands as a direct reflection of Pingry’s generous donors. With the final phase of work beginning, we look forward to engaging more of the Pingry community in this vital effort through naming opportunities, match challenges, and an array of flexible giving plans.
A new learning area for Kindergarten students.
The new science lab has a rubber floor, retractable power cords affixed to the ceiling, and movable tables, among other new features.
Numbers as of May 31, 2015
For more information, please visit blueprint.pingry.org. 16
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PREVIEWING THE NEW RESEARCH LAB A PEAK INSIDE THE NEXT PHASE OF UPPER SCHOOL MODERNIZATION Imagine a research lab with a sterilized cell-culture room that employs positive pressure, so air only flows out of the room. Blackout curtains are drawn, as needed, for sensitive work. Plant and animal stem cells are held in a minus-80degree freezer for research. A zebrafish vivarium (modeled after a system at the renowned Rockefeller University in Manhattan) houses hundreds of fish whose behaviors, surprisingly similar to humans, are carefully studied. If this description sounds like it applies to an advanced lab at the National Institutes of Health or the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, you would be right, but it also describes Pingry’s new research lab, soon to be completed as part of Upper School Modernization. Increasingly, courses in biology and other sciences demand more hands-on work; more complex research into real-world problems, such as cancer; and more time for in-depth experiments. All of this translates into the need for more sophisticated, sensitive equipment and greater physical space. “We are at capacity, in terms of the number of students who can conduct research at any given time, and many more students want to get involved,” says Luke De, Mentor to Independent Molecular Biology Projects. “Larger lab spaces will enable the continued growth of the program.” State-of-the-art equipment and sterile conditions that rival burn units at major hospitals are not the only upgrades being made. Safety enhancements are also of primary importance, particularly given the advanced level of research and experimentation being undertaken. The Aquatic Habitats® Z-Hab System is a vivarium Video monitoring will be added, and communication will be posfor zebrafish that self-cleans and ensures optimal sible between the science office and the three rooms within the water quality through state-of-the-art filtration. lab. With this improvement, students will be able to work inde(Photo courtesy of Pentair) pendently and, at the same time, research mentors will be able to closely monitor what is happening in all areas of the lab. Teachers can also use the video to record classes and upload videos to YouTube. Lab doors will be controlled by card access so that only students with the appropriate training for a specific room (training in cell culture, for example) will be able to enter the appropriate lab.
“If we want to teach current and relevant science, we need lab space that can accommodate those experiments,” Mr. De concludes. “We are not only interested in students demonstrating lab experiments. We want them to conduct more complicated experiments and be able to move projects forward for the following years’ students.” All of these impressive modernization efforts to the research lab will, in effect, equip students with the tools necessary to become better researchers. Better researchers tend to pose better questions, leading to more experiments and a hunger to find the answers. The architecture and infrastructure Pingry provides to make this scenario a possibility really does make a difference in our students’ lives. To see photos of lab modernization in progress, visit Project 80 on Facebook.
Pingry’s growing research program has been creating videos for YouTube, such as this Journal Club presentation by Claire Putman ’15. Soon, thanks to video monitoring in the new research lab, YouTube will house even more videos of Pingry’s research classes. MAY 2015
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Scene Around Campus
LeBow Competition The annual Dr. Robert H. LeBow ’58 Memorial Oratorical Competition took place on February 20. Katie Coyne ’16 won the event with her speech about how people can overcome dehumanization, and Henry Kraham ’17 was named runner-up for his speech that challenged people to understand aspects of life outside of their “bubble of shelter.” The competition was funded in 2005 through the generosity of the Class of 1958, led by the late William Hetfield, in memory of their classmate. Dr. LeBow was an accomplished public speaker who spoke to audiences worldwide about the need for health care reform. While working for US AID, Dr. LeBow and his wife Gail lived in numerous developing countries and provided medical services to underserved populations. Before his death, Dr. LeBow published Health Care Meltdown: Confronting the Myths and Fixing Our Failing System, a book drawn from his public speaking engagements.
Color A Smile Verizon FIOS visited Pingry to film Natalie Lucciola ’17 and Jenn Korn ’17 (pictured right, active participants in community service activities) for a video about Color A Smile, a non-profit organization with which Pingry’s Community Service program has had a long relationship. Based in Morristown, Color A Smile distributes school children’s crayon drawings to senior citizens in nursing homes, troops overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan, and anyone else who needs a smile. The organization mails thousands of drawings each month and has sent over one million drawings since the early 1980s. This video aired on the FIOS1 News channel. 18
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Front row: Finalists Henry Kraham ’17, Akshina Gupta ’17, Zayna Nassoura ’16, Katie Coyne ’16, Gabe Gever ’17, and Wesley Streicher ’17. Back row: Assistant Headmaster Jon Leef P ’15, ’18, Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11, Upper School history teacher and competition coordinator John Crowley-Delman ’97, Dr. James G. Smith ’58, Dr. LeBow’s first cousin, Dr. Richard C. Weiss ’55, and Dr. Weiss’ wife, Dr. Sandra R. Harmon-Weiss (GP ’17, ’18, ’21).
Winter Musical Pingry’s Drama and Music Departments presented The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in February. The lead cast included Jazmin Palmer ’16, Fred Chang ’15, Taylor Dillon ’15, Julia Friend ’15, Ellie Harrison ’17, Caroline Terens ’16, Jessie McLaughlin ’17, Sonali Mehta ’16, James Robertson ’17, and TanTan Wang ’16. The production team included drama teacher Stephanie Romankow (director), Music Department Chair Dr. Andrew Moore (music director), music teacher Jay Winston (vocal director), drama and dance teacher Patricia Wheeler (choreographer), drama teacher Jane Asch ’04 (set and costume designer), and Diane Giangreco ’09 (lighting designer).
Patricia Polacco
African-American Read-In Making literature a key component of Black History Month, the Lower School Library participated in this nationwide celebration of literature and art by African-American authors and illustrators. The event is hosted annually by NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) and the Black Caucus of NCTE. Students listened to Pingry parents and grandparents read books from different genres, such as biographies, poetry, music, and folktales. Pictured is Kenna Baudin P ’25, ’28.
An award-winning author and illustrator of nearly 110 children’s picture books, Ms. Polacco visited the Lower School on March 24. She comes from a family of storytellers, and many of her books were inspired by her childhood in Michigan, and by her friends, family, and teachers. During her presentations, along with talking about some of her books, she motivated the students to believe in themselves and become leaders and thinkers to change the world. Ms. Polacco also revealed her own reading, writing, and math disabilities as a young person, making the point that students should be kind to those who need assistance or encouragement. “Every single one of you is gifted, but we don’t all open our gifts at the same time,” she said. Ms. Polacco wrote on Facebook after the event: “What an absolutely gorgeous school it is…The entire staff impressed me with their passion and belief in young people.” MAY 2015
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MLK Day Celebrations
Chinese Students on Campus
Pingry honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by welcoming Majid Khaliq (violin), Wilerm Delisfort (piano), Ian Jesse (bass), and Norman Edwards, Jr. (drums) from the New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s Performance Assembly Series. They played four freedom songs from the Civil Rights Movement, including “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” The Pingry School Parents’ Association held its annual Family Community Service Day to honor Dr. King’s legacy of service, and a group of Pingry students, faculty, and staff attended a free viewing of the movie Selma. The movie is based on the 1965 Selma-toMontgomery voting rights marches that were part of the Selma Voting Rights Campaign that led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act.
During celebrations of the Lunar New Year in February, Pingry welcomed 12 students and one teacher from Quzhou No. 2 High School, Pingry’s partner school in China. This was the school’s fourth visit to Pingry in as many years. The students were hosted by Pingry families, visited Lower, Middle, and Upper School classes, participated in activities organized by the China Club, and went on sightseeing trips to New York and Washington, D.C. Pictured is a welcome ceremony in the Wilf Family Commons of The Carol and Park B. Smith ’50 Middle School.
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Middle School Science Olympiad For the first time, a Pingry Science Olympiad team of 19 Middle School students competed in the New Jersey Science Olympiad regional tournament. The event drew 54 Middle Schools from throughout the state, with teams participating in one of three regional contests (in its division, Pingry’s team competed against 17 other middle schools). Pingry’s students
made a remarkable showing in their inaugural year by medaling in six of the 12 events to earn a spot in the state tournament at Middlesex County College this past March. In that tournament, Pingry medaled in 10 out of 23 events, finishing 9th in the state out of 26 teams. With the goal of recognizing and encouraging achievement in science education, the Science Olympiad features contests that represent a range of scientific disciplines.
In Memoriam
chased away thousands of Canadian geese who were eating the grass.
January 2000-March 2015
The School’s property is ripe for attracting geese because they like to eat in open spaces that are near water and grass (Pingry’s two ponds and wetlands). For at least a decade before Jed arrived, thousands of geese were feeding on the School’s grass…one goose eats 10 pounds of grass per day! Pingry tried other methods to solve the problem, such as grape extract (making the grass inedible), reflective ribbons (supposedly a mysterious sight for geese), and driving around in golf carts to shoo them, but geese are not afraid of the carts.
Jed, Pingry’s Beloved Working Dog
Pingry was sad to learn that Jed, the working dog who retired in January after 12 years of loyal service to the School, passed away in March. The School’s fields are green and healthy thanks, in large part, to this Border Collie who
However, Border Collies are an excellent solution because geese consider them predators. Big Bend Farm in Millboro, VA, trains Border Collies for goose control. The farm gave Jed the most advanced level of training, beginning when he was three months old: two years of preparation, including not to bark. He also had a strict diet that eliminated table food and offered limited treats. Jed’s successor is Finn, a Border Collie from the same farm.
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For John Hanly Lecture on Ethics and Morality, “Pure Humanity” on 9/11
“What would you do in the last hour of your life?” This arresting question is posed by Ed Burns, narrator of an ESPN video about Welles Remy Crowther that was written by Tom Rinaldi and produced for the 10-year anniversary of September 11, 2001. An equities trader who worked for Sandler O’Neill & Partners on the 104th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center, Welles had served as a volunteer firefighter in his hometown of Nyack, New York and always kept with him a red bandanna his father gave him at a young age. Welles wore the bandanna in every high school and college lacrosse and ice hockey game, and it was ultimately this red bandanna that led his mother to discover his heroic actions on 9/11. The morning of the attack, he found working stairs and led a group of people from the 78th floor to the 61st floor, where firefighters led the group down to working elevators on the 40th floor. Welles returned upstairs to the 78th floor, determined to help as many people as he could. On March 19, 2002, Welles’ body was recovered, and he was identified by fingerprints. That May, The New York Times published an account of South Tower survivors who mentioned a “mysterious man wearing a red bandanna” and later identified Welles as the man who led them to safety. Welles became known as the “Man in the Red Bandanna” for his selfless, heroic actions that saved as many as 12 lives. 22
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Stepping onstage, Welles’ mother Alison Crowther was joined by Vernoy Paolini, Project Manager for the Red Bandanna Project and a volunteer with the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. “My first reaction to 9/11 was not revenge,” Mrs. Crowther said. “I wanted to seek justice, bring good into the world to combat evil, and teach lessons from Welles’ example. He loved sports, was a great friend, made the Honor Roll, and watched out for his family and friends. His actions were pure humanity.” Welles believed that leadership comes from knowledge, skills, training, courage, and understanding. These values lie at the core of the lectures and curriculum that Mrs. Crowther and Ms. Paolini share with students, teachers, counselors, and community leaders in the United States and around the world; according to Mrs. Crowther, the ultimate goal of the Red Bandanna Project is to “help generations around the world understand each other as brothers and sisters and learn to work together on this planet.” During the lecture, they emphasized themes of caring for others; being part of a team; the power of one person to effect real change; bridging divides and reserving judgment of others; forgiveness; directing energy toward good and not worrying oneself with trivial matters; and embracing the “carpe diem” mindset of using one’s gift of life to make the world a better place for all. After the lecture, Pingry’s Peer Leaders met with Mrs. Crowther and Ms. Paolini to talk about leadership, important character traits (honesty, manners, respect, and not judging a book by its cover), and being effective citizens (especially by staying informed about the news). Mrs. Crowther and Ms. Paolini also engaged in a lunch conversation with members of Pingry’s student-led Honor Board to discuss topics having to do with ethical and moral decision-making. Students asked Mrs. Crowther if she and her husband were surprised or angry that Welles decided to help
Alison Crowther.
people: “Not at all. It was a great relief that he was able to make his own choices, and not be trapped and suffering. He was the only trained person up there. That was his ‘job’ that day. Welles made a commitment to save lives, and he always put others first.” The Honor Board also posed the question of how fear played into Welles’ actions and how it plays into Mrs. Crowther’s activities with the Red Bandanna Project: “He was fearless. Little stopped him. For me, the fear was that he would be lost to history, and there was a fear of not knowing what to talk about. We had to find the right messages to convey. We all have to confront our fears.” Established in 1999 by a group of donors on the occasion of former headmaster John Hanly’s retirement, the John Hanly Lecture Series on Ethics and Morality celebrates Mr. Hanly’s commitment to teaching students and other members of the school community how to make tough decisions within an ethical framework. This endowed fund enables Pingry to bring a variety of speakers to campus to address the moral and ethical issues facing all of us in the 21st century.
Pingry Names Jack Brescher ’65 an Honorary Trustee involved with Pingry without having an official role. Because of their experience, leadership, and history with Pingry, the School values their ongoing counsel to the Headmaster and Board of Trustees.
John B. Brescher, Jr. ’65, P ’99, who served as a Pingry trustee for 19 years (1995-2014), including the final six years as Chair of the Board, is now an Honorary Trustee. Honorary Trustee is a distinction reserved for trustees who made an extraordinary impact on the direction of the School during their time on the board. The title recognizes their service and encourages them to stay
During Mr. Brescher’s tenure as Chair from 2008-2014, Pingry navigated the quiet phase of the $65 million Blueprint for the Future Campaign, the largest capital campaign in School history; made improvements to facilities on both the Short Hills and Basking Ridge Campuses; increased the endowment, despite the 2008 financial crisis; built Beinecke House, the LEED-certified Headmaster’s Residence; strengthened the oversight of the School’s finances; slowed the growth of tuition increases; and expanded the financial aid budget. Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11 and current trustees praised Mr. Brescher for his integrity, reliability, judgment, modesty, dedication to Pingry, and countless hours that he devoted to board discussions.
PINGRY’S HONORARY TRUSTEES Edward S. Atwater IV ’63 Fred Bartenstein, Jr. P ’68, ’70, ’72, ’75 William S. Beinecke ’31, P ’61, ’64 John P. Bent, Jr. P ’80, ’82, ’84 John B. Brescher, Jr. ’65, P ’99 Victoria Brooks P ’02, ’04 William V. Engel ’67 John W. Holman, Jr. ’55, P ’79 Henry H. Hoyt, Jr. ’45 Warren S. Kimber, Jr. ’52, P ’76, ’79, GP ’07 Park B. Smith ’50, GP ’06, ’08, ’09, ’10 Norman B. Tomlinson, Jr. ’44 F. Helmut Weymar ’54
Beinecke House Featured in Design NJ Pingry’s new residence for the Headmaster, Beinecke House, officially opened in 2012, thanks to the vision and extraordinary generosity of Honorary Trustee William S. Beinecke ’31, P ’61, ’64. Mr. Beinecke made it possible for Pingry to move from Hillside to Basking Ridge more than 30 years ago by suggesting the relocation, purchasing the land on which the campus is located, and gifting the land to Pingry. At the same time, he always believed that the Headmaster should live on the Basking Ridge Campus where so many events and activities take place. Beinecke House, the fulfillment of his vision, also embodies the School’s commitment to sustainability. Now, the residence has more visibility in the state, thanks to a feature in the February/March issue of Design NJ, a magazine that spotlights home design, landscaping, and architecture in New Jersey. The article highlights the property’s numerous green initiatives and the artistry with which they are incorporated into the design (www.designnewjersey.com/features/index. cfm?id=249). Editor Ren Miller describes the article’s evolution from idea to feature: “[Interior Designer] Laurie Finn invited me to visit her latest project, Beinecke House at The Pingry School. The staff members and alumni who accompanied me on the subsequent tour of the home shared an enthusiasm that got me excited about the possibility of featuring the project in Design NJ. Our editorial team reviewed photos and considered the story behind the
design before deciding unanimously to share the project with our readers. The design exceeded the very challenging requirement of being beautiful and comfortable for a small family, but also suitable for entertaining large groups. We also were impressed with the integration of eco-conscious design. It was a perfect example of an institution following its own mission to strive for excellence.” Thank you, Mr. Beinecke, for making this residence a reality! MAY 2015
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Student Ambassador Jackson Artis ’16 Promotes Chinese Language and Culture By Jill Brown As a sixth-grade student, Jackson Artis ’16 opted to study Mandarin at Pingry, intrigued by the fact that the language was unlike anything he had studied before. He remembers his introduction to Chinese characters, in a fifth-grade art class, when Lindsay Baydin taught a unit on Chinese calligraphy. The letters and brush-and-ink technique fascinated Jackson, inspiring him to learn more about the language. He reflects, “It was totally new to me, and I have always found it extraordinary to learn about something completely unfamiliar.” The characters, language, and culture became increasingly familiar as Jackson progressed in his studies, and his love for the subject only deepened. Now, Jackson Jackson Artis ’16 attending the 100,000 Strong Conference in Washington, D.C., where he met other Student Ambassadors and learned about programs for studying in China.
“I’d be happy to spend all day advocating for Chinese studies.”
b
Jackson Artis ’16 holds the distinction of being the only non-heritage speaker (neither parent speaks Chinese) to take post-AP Mandarin at Pingry, and he still feels a sense of discovery about the language and culture, eagerly sharing his enthusiasm to bring more students to the language. Jackson talks with Middle School students who are considering Mandarin. “Chinese has a long and rich history. Moreover, studying it allows you to see things from a perspective that is quite different from the American perspective. Chinese also offers a challenge, though not an insurmountable one, in that it is almost entirely different from English. It is a very logical and methodical language,” he says. “Lots of Middle School students see Chinese as daunting, but I’ve managed to convince some of them it isn’t nearly as scary as they think.” For Middle School students already enrolled in the 24
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language, Jackson encourages their progress by reviewing grammar with them and helping them prepare for tests. As Jackson says, “I’d be happy to spend all day advocating for Chinese studies.” Pingry’s Chinese teachers have long admired Jackson’s commitment to Chinese studies and his eagerness to promote the program. Last fall, they nominated him to be a Student Ambassador for the 100,000 Strong Foundation, an organization that advances the study of Mandarin in the United States and facilitates student travel to China. In November, the Foundation awarded Jackson the ambassadorship, entrusting him to represent Chinese language and culture. Reflecting on the nomination process, Chinese teacher WeiWei Yu, who taught Jackson in his sixth-grade year and throughout Upper School, says, “In choosing a student, we considered the level of the language learner, the effort the student puts into study of Chinese, leadership potential, enjoyment of the language, and enthusiasm for promoting the language and the culture. Jackson has all of these qualifications; he embraces and accepts the Chinese language.” Another of Jackson’s Chinese teachers, Yi
Hao P ’11, ’13, who also serves as the Chinese Program Coordinator at Pingry, offers, “Jackson not only represents someone who has devoted so much time to the language, but he is also a great representative of this culture—the Pingry community, the youth of this country.” When asked to define his responsibilities as an ambassador, Jackson says, “I am supposed to help in the effort to build a strong American-Chinese relationship by encouraging students to learn more about China. To achieve that goal, I am asked to plan and carry-out two projects that will teach people about China and the Chinese culture and, hopefully, get those same people interested in learning more about the subject.” For his 100,000 Strong project, Jackson hosted a Chinese Music and Food Appreciation Event in The Carol and Park B. Smith ’50 Middle School in April, and he is planning a larger event for this summer. After his one-year appointment as a Student Ambassador ends, Jackson intends to continue studying Chinese both at Pingry and in college, and looks forward to studying in China.
Jay Glassberg Shares His Passion for Farm-to-Table Cuisine By Jill Brown Before Pingry opens each morning, SAGE Dining Executive Chef Jay Glassberg is on site, inspecting deliveries of fish, meat, and produce, stocking the kitchen, and reviewing menus with SAGE staff. Lunch service for hundreds of people starts in a few hours, and Chef Glassberg puts a lot of effort into preparing high-quality food for Pingry students. “I really enjoy making comfort food— mac and cheese, soups, meatloaf. Whatever else I cook each day, I make fresh stocks and pasta sauces,” he says. While Chef Glassberg recognizes that students like comfort food, working at Pingry gives him flexibility to exercise his gourmet talents and create dishes of varying complexity. All of the menus are pre-scheduled, but modified based on available ingredients.
Highlights of Chef Glassberg’s Career • Executive Chef for NBC and the Ford Foundation
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Sous Chef for Time Warner
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As the private chef for GE’s former CEO Jack Welch, cooked healthy California spa cuisine with infused herb oils and blended spices
Has served meals for Bob Wright, Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, Senator Sam Nunn, Condoleezza Rice, and NASCAR and Indy car owner Roger Penske
For Chef Glassberg, the best cuisine starts with fresh and locally-sourced ingredients from regional farms, Pingry’s Upper School garden, and other suppliers. He works with Food Service Director Andrew Whitman to introduce more locally-sourced foods to Pingry. “The food tastes better, it’s healthier, and the practice supports local farmers and purveyors,” Chef Glassberg explains. This philosophy explains the fruits and vegetables that are incorporated into the menu, such as steamed vegetables served with entrées, or wraps with apple and brie. Each day’s menu offers soups, pasta, grilled items, vegetarian offerings, and
Two salads prepared by Jay Glassberg: Seafood Salad over Field Mâche (scallops, shrimp, lobster, Pingry garden herb dressing), and Hoisin-Glazed Turkey Cutlet (mizuna, crispy applewood smoked bacon, ginger soy dressing).
entrées such as chicken marsala, barbeque-marinated pork loin, or the always-sells-out grilled salmon with pineapple mango salsa. Dining options also include the salad bar, which has local produce, freshly-cut fruit, different lettuce every day (baby kale and arugula, for example), a grain salad, and house-made salad dressings. The deli bar features house-roasted meats like turkey and roast beef, as well as housemade honey mustard, horseradish, basil, and cranberry toppings. Beyond the meals he prepares for students, Chef Glassberg shares his love of farm-to-table cuisine through his involvement with Pingry’s Epicurean Society. The club, founded by Jonathan Lee ’16 last October, includes eight students who are
interested in learning more about the food and beverage industry. English teacher Nigel Paton P ’09 serves as the club’s faculty advisor, and Chef Glassberg, as co-advisor, helps arrange visits to local restaurant kitchens and regional farms. The group has met at A Toute Heure in Cranford, a restaurant specializing in local, seasonal cuisine, and visited Mini Mac Farm and Valley Shepherd Creamery, the two farms that supply artisanal cheeses for Pingry events. Reflecting on his move to Pingry, Chef Glassberg says, “Farm-to-table is the most important initiative in the food industry right now, and Pingry’s kitchen embraces it. We use fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and make the meals from scratch. It’s a great place to work.”
A Student’s Perspective in 150 Words By Jonathan Lee ’16, Founder of the Pingry Epicurean Society I founded the Pingry Epicurean Society (PES) to offer the Pingry community a way to learn more about the food and beverage industry; I am pleased to have Jay Glassberg and Nigel Paton P ’09 as our faculty advisors. Epicurean Societies (named for the philosopher Epicurus) have existed for centuries. In the past, they were also called “supper clubs,” where members dined together at fine restaurants. Epicurus propounded the theory of hedonism, which holds that pleasure is the only intrinsic value. For him, the most pleasant life is one in which we abstain from unnecessary desires and choose the pleasures of philosophical conversation with friends over the pursuit of physical pleasures such as food and drinks. PES members visit restaurants, meet chefs, listen to guest speakers about the business side of the industry, tour factories, and Strawberry macaroons were on Pingry’s participate in community outreach, such as tasting menu at Trap Rock Brewery and working with restaurants to give excess and Restaurant in Berkeley Heights. unconsumed food to food banks.
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New Directions for Global Education By Alice Roche Cody
When Jeff Jewett started as Director of Global Education at Pingry last summer, he posted a sign on his door that asks: How will you make the world a better place today? “If we’re not asking this question, what good is this awesome education?” poses Mr. Jewett, who previously taught environmental sustainability at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. “I don’t care how students answer this—by learning something that will make them a better person or by being a good friend who listened. The more you ask the question, the more you build on the expectation that you can answer it.” Mr. Jewett hopes to incorporate this same thoughtful awareness when planning travel programs. A strong learningservice component will be paramount, and trips will not be destination-driven. When teachers approach him about trips, he asks what they want to teach, not where they want to go. “It shouldn’t be a sightseeing tour. I do want students to build a sense of independence in a foreign country and to see cultures that are different. So, maybe you don’t go to Spain to learn Spanish. Maybe it’s better to go to Guatemala.” For upcoming trips, Mr. Jewett hopes to attract a wide range of faculty members to share their passions and to present students with real-world problems to solve. A trip to Brussels and London, for example, could be an excellent
Naiyah Atulomah ’18 teaching a class about Pingry sports at Quzhou No. 2 High School in China.
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Nicole Kloss ’19, Max Brotman ’19, science teacher Debra Tambor, Isabel DeVito ’19, and Abigail Berger ’19 helping to build a fence around the playground at Centro Educativo San Rafael, an elementary school in Santa Maria de Dota, Costa Rica.
opportunity for an economics teacher to expose students to international finance. Mr. Jewett is planning an excursion to the Southwest to study the Colorado River and the environmental impact of its use for energy, recreation, and agriculture. This experience would include stops at the Hoover Dam; areas irrigated by the river; and solar power installations and Joshua Tree National Park. Another idea is a possible new U.S. history course that focuses on immigration and includes a trip to the Mexican border and an excursion to Ellis Island. “There’s a rich opportunity for travel, field trips, and guest speakers, and that is what excites me,” he adds. To Mr. Jewett, global education means opening minds to the places beyond campus that can teach something valuable. Some of those places are a short drive. “We can solve problems right here, half an hour from campus,” he says. “We can engage in Newark and talk about poverty. Both global and local connections are important. Our students live close to New York City and fly all over the place, but they don’t always see the places in between.” Travel opportunities for 2014-15 included Panama, where students practiced Spanish while working with the indigenous community; Belize for marine ecology; France for language and culture; Quebec for language and culture; backpacking in the Adirondacks; and an exchange with a German preparatory school.
“Pingry People”: A Virtual Pingry Experience
How do you enable people to see what is happening on Pingry’s campus? How can alumni get a picture of what Pingry looks like today? Those questions prompted Pingry’s Admission Office to create the “Pingry People” microsite to bring the campus to life. “We want to give people the opportunity to discover, appreciate, and experience the amazing things that happen in Pingry’s hallways and classrooms, and on our fields and stages,” says Director of Admission and Enrollment Allie (Manly) Brunhouse ’00. “Using stories, videos, and photos, we want this site to be a window into the community, if you can’t be here. Our hope is that people will be inspired by what they see and visit campus.” Pingry is fortunate to have wonderful applicants, so, in this digital age, the Admission Office is increasing its online efforts to make Pingry’s values and stories accessible. Visitors to the site will also notice the tagline “Collaboration by Design,” reflecting the fact that, as Mrs. Brunhouse puts it, “You have to be collaborative in order to be productive. You can’t work in a silo, and the people at Pingry make it happen.” Access the microsite at people.pingry. org, or select “Pingry People” under the Admission menu at pingry.org.
Dr. Morgan D’Ausilio is New “Model” for S.M.A.R.T. Team By Jill Brown Pingry’s S.M.A.R.T. (Students Modeling a Research Topic) Team has unveiled its three-dimensional models of actin and formin, two proteins that serve complementary roles in regulating the movement of cells. The students presented the models and a poster at the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in March—specifically, at the undergraduate poster symposium, along with 34 other high school teams that are participating in the MSOE (Milwaukee School of Engineering) National S.M.A.R.T. Team program. S.M.A.R.T. pairs a teacher-led team of high school students with an outside research scientist, often at a university lab. Each team designs a three-dimensional model of a molecular structure, typically a protein, using J-MOL, a state-
of-the-art molecular modeling software. A highly-sophisticated three-dimensional printer at MSOE (where S.M.A.R.T. is orchestrated through the Center for Molecular Biology) translates the design parameters into colored resin models. Among this year’s teams, Pingry is unique in having a faculty advisor, biology teacher Dr. Morgan D’Ausilio, who is also an expert on the proteins the students are exploring—she is the only person to have solved the structures of these two proteins in the lab. While a graduate student in Biochemistry at Dartmouth College, Dr. D’Ausilio used X-ray crystallography, which helps scientists visualize molecular structures at the atomic level, to determine the structures of a mammalian formin bound to actin. As Dr. D’Ausilio notes, “Knowing that I solved the structures of these pro-
teins in the lab, students ask a lot of questions about how I collected and analyzed the information. They have access to the backstory, something that typically isn’t available in scientific literature. They don’t only read about the results; they learn about the process that went into solving the proteins.” In addition to Dr. D’Ausilio, the team has an outside advisor, Dartmouth chemistry professor Jon Kull, whom they met in the fall. According to Dr. D’Ausilio, “Professor Kull really enjoys working with the Pingry students. In fact, he came to Boston to see their presentation and hopes that next year’s S.M.A.R.T. Team will once again work with Dartmouth.” Pingry has been involved with S.M.A.R.T. since the program became national in 2002.
Success Continues in Siemens and Intel Competitions For the second year in a row, Abhiram Karuppur ’15 is a semifinalist in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology, the country’s most challenging and prestigious research-based high school science contest. Along with this honor, Abhiram and Peter Shim ’15 are semifinalists in the Intel Science Talent Search (STS) 2015, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious pre-college science and math competition. Last summer, Abhiram (a member of iRT) conducted research on prostate cancer cells at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick (where he has been accepted back this summer). He re-stained the cells for a specific protein called pFAK in the integrin activation pathway. “The protein is expressed when we administer a drug called PD03. At the same time, when we administered the drug, the cells didn’t move as much. This means that there is a link between PD03, pFAK, and motion,” he says. Further, Abhiram administered an antagonist to the drug, “which means it doesn’t inhibit the drug, but inhibits a different pathway. Before, there was no known link between the pathway PD03
effects and the pathway the antagonist inhibits, but, when we administered both at the same time, the antagonist had an effect on how the drug acted. There is a link between two pathways that were thought to be separate.” Abhiram was investigating why this drug makes cancer cells flatter (hindering movement) and stickier, which is important because a cell cannot detach from a tumorous mass unless it can move and is not sticky. Peter is recognized for his complex proof about chromatic numbers, having to do with an open problem in discrete geometry. “The field originated long ago when cartographers wondered how many colors were required to color a two-dimensional map such that no two adjacent countries had the same color. After over a century of work by mathematicians, it was proved that a minimum of four colors is needed to color a two-dimensional map such that no two points with distance 1 apart have the same color, but a maximum of seven are needed,” he says. Peter’s work was the application of this aforementioned problem in the 6th,
7th, 10th, and 11th dimensions. With some innovative methods, he proved a much more restrictive range of results in each of the dimensions. “His theory goes well beyond the realm of everyday math,” says Math Department Chair Brad Poprik. “Many proofs today are completed on a computer, but Peter showed the value of a theoretical proof. He creates new foundations for us to build upon, and does so with artistry and creativity.” • Siemens: Pingry has had semifinalists for six consecutive years (10 semifinalists and one regional finalist)—the only New Jersey school with this distinction. • Intel: Pingry has had four semifinalists since 2010 and three in the past two years. • Abhiram Karuppur ’15 is the second Pingry student to be a repeat semifinalist in the Siemens Competition, and the second Pingry student to become both a two-time Siemens semifinalist and an Intel semifinalist. • Peter Shim ’15 was Pingry’s first Regional Finalist in the Siemens Competition (2013).
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Arts Profile
More than Meets the Eye in Rich Freiwald’s Pottery By Alice Roche Cody
For Upper School fine arts teacher Rich Freiwald, creating pottery is akin to an intricate dance performance. “Throwing a bowl on the potter’s wheel, I can get lost in the centering; it’s spontaneous, like a dance movement,” he says. “There’s a rhythm to the spiraling throwing marks, and I’m centered in the calmness that leads to the crescendo of the flaring rim.” Inside Pingry’s spacious and bright 3-D Studio, a gift of the Johnson family, Mr. Freiwald smiles as he muses about his process. For this clay artist, inspiration comes from nature, and, while his work is influenced by current events, he employs luster glazing techniques that originated in the Middle East more than 1,200 years ago. With care, he picks up an earthen-green vase titled Bat Amphora, which displays a bat perched on the rim, its wings enveloping the vessel. This piece belongs to a genre of contemporary art pottery, a term used for one-of-a-kind pieces like those of the turn-of-the-century Arts and Crafts Movement that symbolized a rejection of mass-produced ceramics of the Industrial Revolution. The vase pays homage to the bat, a revered symbol in Japan and China. Next, he points to Hands Up, a classical piece that is finished in an ashen glaze with copper swirls. A naked male figure with raised arms rises from the top, while three revolvers decorate the base. Mr. Freiwald intended to evoke the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. “The naked man in Hands Up became a Christ-like figure, and the ash color of the base grew to symbolize the burning reaction,” he adds. Not all of his art calls attention to a cause. “There’s something nice about a thrown bowl,” he says, as he cradles a simple creation. This one, too, has more beneath its surface. It underwent a luster glaze process to create its bronze and ruby iridescent finish. With this complicated technique, the object is covered in bole paste containing copper, silver, or other metals and is reduction fired in a muffle kiln, 28
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which isolates items being heated from flames and gases. The delicate process consumes this artist. He continuously tinkers with the amount of oxygen used in the kiln as well as the elements (such as copper and silver) he adds for glazes. “I’m driven to distraction with glazing experiments,” he says, laughing. “At night, I do research. I love the chemistry of it. I know all the chemicals’ melting points and how they react together.” For the past 27 years, through pottery, he has also shared with his students the value of refined craftsmanship, a departure from the movement to use technology, such as 3-D printers, to create art. “I want students to come up with a well-thought-out design that is meticulously conceived and well crafted,” he says. “It’s important that they learn to use their hands. We’re getting back to basics.” Editor’s Note: This article is the first in a series that will profile the expertise of Pingry’s fine arts, music, and drama teachers.
Hands Up Amphora Vessel.
Sports Results
BIG BLUE ROUNDUP: Winter 2014-15
Boys’ Basketball: 9-13 Skyland Conference All-Conference/Mountain Division: Drew Gagnon (1st team), Tom Foreman, Mike Weber (2nd team), Ryan Lane (Honorable Mention) Courier News All-Area: Drew Gagnon, Tom Foreman (Honorable Mentions)
Girls’ Basketball: 13-12 Skyland Conference All-Conference/Valley Division: Cory Ransom (1st team), Libby Parsons (2nd team), Sarah Moseson (Honorable Mention)
Boys’ Fencing: 8-6 NJSIAA District #3 Qualifier: 5th place NJSIAA District #3: Brad Hong (6th, foil), Apurva Memani (7th, foil), Dillon Noone (9th, sabre) NJSIAA Individual States: Apurva Memani (15th, foil) Skyland Conference Freshman/Sophomore: Malcolm Fields (4th, sabre) Skyland Conference All-Conference: Brad Hong (2nd team, foil)
Star-Ledger All-State: Kate Northrop (1st team, foil), Katie Vella (1st team, epee) Star-Ledger Girls’ Fencing Coach of the Year: Ted Li
Boys’ Ice Hockey: 5-14-1 Skyland Conference All-Conference: Chris Browne (1st team), Jamie Smith (Honorable Mention)
Girls’ Ice Hockey: 1-15 WIHLMA All League: Abigail Ren (Honorable Mention, defense)
Boys’ Skiing: 9-70 Girls’ Skiing: 13-48 Grace Wollmuth (13 points), Lindsey Hogan (6 points), Gabby Stern (1 point)
Boys’ Squash: 10-5 US SQUASH High School Squash Team Championships: 14th place US SQUASH National Championships: Sam Scherl won the Boys’ U-17 division, finishing the season ranked 1st in the nation among boys under 17 New Jersey High School Squash Championships: Jonathan Zeitels won the Boys’ Division (his 2nd title in four years), giving Pingry four consecutive individual titles
Girls’ Squash: 11-2
NJSIAA District #3 Foil Squad Champions Aubrey Molloy ’18, Kate Northrop ’15, Maddy Shilts ’17, and Gladys Teng ’15.
Girls’ Fencing: 9-5 NJSIAA Tournament: Advanced to finals for first time in program history NJSIAA District #3 Championships: 1st place (foil), 2nd place (epee) NJSIAA District #3 Individual Championships: Kate Northrop won gold for third consecutive year NJSIAA District #3 Qualifier: 2nd place NJSIAA District #3 Individual Qualifiers: Kate Northrop (1st, foil), Aubrey Molloy (2nd place, foil), Katie Vella (1st, epee), Sarah Wang (8th, epee) NJSIAA Individual Championships: Kate Northrop (2nd, foil), Aubrey Molloy (11th, foil), Katie Vella (4th, epee) Skyland Conference All-Conference: Kate Northrop, Aubrey Molloy (1st team, foil), Katie Vella (1st team, epee) Skyland Conference Freshman/Sophomore: Rebecca Lin (2nd, epee), Jessica Li (1st, sabre), Ellen Li (4th, sabre), Maddie Shilts (4th, foil) NJ.com Girls Fencing Athlete of the Week: Katie Vella—won her first District 3 epee title New Jersey Fencing All-State Team: Kate Northrop (1st team, foil), Katie Vella (1st team, epee), Aubrey Molloy (3rd team, foil)
US SQUASH High School Squash Team Championships: 10th place—best ranking in Pingry girls’ squash history, and first time they outranked the boys’ team New Jersey High School Squash Championships: Diana Masch placed 2nd in the Girls’ Division Diana Masch was undefeated in dual matches for the season. British Junior Open Squash Championships: Sam Scherl ’17 placed 18th in a field of 64 in the U-17 Boys’ Division; Lindsay Stanley ’16 placed 20th in a field of 64 in the U-17 Girls’ Division US SQUASH High School All-Americans US SQUASH’s nationwide list of 2014-15 High School All-Americans (37 players) includes three Pingry athletes: Diana Masch ’15, Lindsay Stanley ’16 (also an All-American in 2013-14), and Sam Scherl ’17. The only other school with three All-Americans is Baldwin, who won a national championship. Sam Scherl ’17 and Lindsay Stanley ’16 won the US SQUASH U-17 Mixed Doubles National Championship. Sam also won the Boys U-17 Doubles National Championship with partner All-Americans Lindsay Stanley ’16, Sean Oen. Sam Scherl ’17, and Diana Masch ’15. MAY 2015
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Boys’ Swimming: 8-3 NJSIAA Non-Public B: State Champions (8th consecutive year)— Pingry won nine events, including a sweep of all three relays NJSIAA Meet of Champions: 50-yard freestyle (Sebastian Lutz), 200yard freestyle relay (Sebastian Lutz, Jamie Finnegan, Kamau Holston, and William Zhang—meet record), and 200-yard medley relay (Alex Wolfson, Jamie Finnegan, Sebastian Lutz, and Kamau Holston) NJISAA Prep A: 200-yard freestyle relay (Sebastian Lutz, Jamie Finnegan, Kamau Holston, and William Zhang—meet and pool records), 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle (Sebastian Lutz), 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard breaststroke (Jamie Finnegan) NJISAA Prep A Most Valuable Swimmer: Sebastian Lutz (3rd consecutive year) Somerset County Championships: Pingry set two relay records: 200-yard medley relay (Alex Wolfson, Jamie Finnegan, Sebastian Lutz, Alejandro Vollbrechthausen) and 400-yard freestyle relay (Sebastian Lutz, Kamau Holston, William Zhang, Jamie Finnegan) Somerset County Championships Individual Winners: Sebastian Lutz (50-yard freestyle), Jamie Finnegan (100-yard freestyle), Alex Wolfson (100-yard backstroke) Skyland Conference Championships: Pingry swept all three relays and set three meet records in 200-yard medley relay (Alex Wolfson, Jamie Finnegan, Sebastian Lutz, and Kamau Holston), 200-yard freestyle relay (William Zhang, Jamie Finnegan, Sebastian Lutz, and Kamau Holston) , and 400-yard freestyle relay (Matt Zeikel, William Zhang, Sebastian Lutz, and Jamie Finnegan) Skyland Conference Championships Individual Winners: Alex Wolfson (100-yard backstroke), Jamie Finnegan (50-yard freestyle) NJ.com Boys Swimming Athlete of the Week: Jamie Finnegan— part of four first-place finishes, including the three record-setting relays, in the Skyland Conference Championships New team records: 200-meter medley relay, 200-yard medley relay, 200-yard freestyle relay (also a state high school record) Skyland Conference All-Conference/Delaware Division: 200 medley relay (1st team), Sebastian Lutz (1st team, 50 free), Jamie Finnegan (1st team, 100 free), 200 free relay (1st team), Alex Wolfson (1st team, 100 back), 400 free relay (2nd team) Skyland Conference Boys Swimmer of the Year: Sebastian Lutz Star-Ledger All-State: Sebastian Lutz (1st team, 50 free), 200 medley relay (1st team), 200 free relay (1st team), Jamie Finnegan (2nd team, 100 free), 400 free relay (2nd team) YMCA National Championships: Sebastian Lutz won the 50-free and 100-free and finished 2nd in the 100 butterfly. He also teamed with Jamie Finnegan, Jackson Crewe, and David Hua of the Somerset Hills YMCA to win the 200-yard freestyle relay in a record-setting time. His sprint freestyle times were both state records for New Jersey. Sebastian Lutz broke five individual Pingry records: 50-meter freestyle (also a new independent school national record and All-American time), 100-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, 50-yard freestyle, and 100-yard freestyle. Sebastian Lutz will be swimming in the Olympic Trials next summer in Omaha
Boys’ Swimming Team Wins NJSIAA Non-Public B State Championship The team won its eighth consecutive state championship by defeating Gloucester Catholic 119-51. Pingry won nine events, including a sweep of all three relays. • Sebastian Lutz (50 freestyle and 100 butterfly) • Jamie Finnegan (100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke) • Alejandro Vollbrechthausen (200 individual medley) • Alex Wolfson (100 backstroke) • Sebastian Lutz, Jamie Finnegan, Alex Wolfson, Kamau Holston (200 medley relay) 30
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• Alejandro Vollbrechthausen, Paul Ludwig, Matt Zeikel, William Zhang (200 freestyle relay) • Sebastian Lutz, Jamie Finnegan, Kamau Holston, William Zhang (400 freestyle relay)
Girls’ Swimming: 5-6 NJSIAA Non-Public B: State Champions (2nd in a row)— won seven events, including a sweep of all three relays NJSIAA Meet of Champions: Ingrid Shu placed 2nd in 50-yard freestyle NJISAA Prep A: 2nd place. Ingrid Shu won 100 freestyle and placed 3rd in 200 freestyle. Hollie Hopf placed 3rd in 50 freestyle and 4th in 100 butterfly. 200 freestyle relay placed 2nd (Hollie Hopf, Christina Ou, Keileh Atulomah, Ingrid Shu). 400 freestyle relay placed 2nd (Christina Ou, Naiyah Atulomah, Yelena Salvador, Ingrid Shu) Somerset County Championships: 5th place. Ingrid Shu placed 2nd in 100 breaststroke, breaking team record. Pingry won 200 freestyle relay (Hollie Hopf, Christina Ou, Keileh Atulomah, Ingrid Shu). Hollie Hopf placed 4th in 100 butterfly and 5th in 50 freestyle. Lindsay Rispoli placed 5th in 100 breaststroke. 200 medley relay placed 5th (Yelena Salvador, Lindsay Rispoli, Hollie Hopf, Keileh Atulomah). 400 free relay placed 3rd (Christina Ou, Yelena Salvador, Naiyah Atulomah, Ingrid Shu) New team records: Ingrid Shu (100-meter breaststroke, 100-yard breaststroke, 50-yard free), Hollie Hopf (100-yard butterfly), Yelena Salvador, Lindsay Rispoli, Hollie Hopf, Ingrid Shu (200-yard medley relay) Skyland Conference All-Conference/Delaware Division: Ingrid Shu (1st team, 50 free) NJ.com Girls Swimming Athlete of the Week: Hollie Hopf—two wins and part of two winning relays in NJSIAA Non-Public B State Championship Star-Ledger All-State: Ingrid Shu (2nd team, 50 free)
Girls’ Swimming Team Wins NJSIAA Non-Public B State Championship The team won its second consecutive state championship by defeating Oak Knoll 100-70. Pingry won seven events, including a sweep of all three relays. • Christina Ou (200 freestyle) • Ingrid Shu (100 breaststroke) • Hollie Hopf (50 freestyle and 100 freestyle) • Hollie Hopf, Keileh Atulomah, Lindsay Rispoli, Yelena Salvador (200 medley relay)
• Hollie Hopf, Naiyah Atulomah, Ingrid Shu, Christina Ou (200 free relay) • Christina Ou, Naiyah Atulomah, Yelena Salvador, Ingrid Shu (400 free relay)
Boys’ Winter Track Garret McGregor won pole vault at NJSIAA Group Championships (13’1”) and set a school record Michael Carr placed 3rd in high jump at NJSIAA Group Championships (5’8”)
Girls’ Winter Track Julia Dannenbaum set a school record in pole vault (11’6”), also the best sophomore jump in the state. She placed 2nd at the Bishop Loughlin Games, qualifying her for the Eastern States Championships and New Balance Nationals Indoor. She placed 2nd at the Eastern States Championships. Julia also won at the Somerset County Championships and Non-Public A Group Championships, and placed 4th at the New Jersey Meet of Champions. She and Sophia Cortazzo won the Non-Public A Relay Championships, where they set a meet record. Emma Palmer placed 1st in 800 at NJSIAA Prep Championships, 2nd at NJSIAA Group Championships, and 6th in Somerset County Championships. She qualified for the Eastern States Championships. Sophia Cortazzo placed 1st in pole vault in the Armory Youth Holiday Classic (10’), 2nd in Somerset County Championships (10’6”), and 3rd in NJSIAA Group Championships (10’6”)
NJGSCA Honors Girls’ Soccer Players Lauren McLaughlin ’15, Tanika Roach ’15, and Maddie Temares ’16 were honored as being among the best players in the state. Lauren McLaughlin ’15 NSCAA Regional All-American All-State Top 20 North II Region Top 20 Sectional Recognition
Tanika Roach ’15 North II Region Top 20 Sectional Recognition Maddie Temares ’16 Sectional Recognition
Joe Forte Inducted into NJSCA Hall of Fame
Field Hockey Players on National Academic Squad
Coach Forte is the School’s eighth and newest inductee into the NJSCA Hall of Fame. He joins previous inductees Miller Bugliari ’52, Tim Grant, Judy Lee, John Magadini, Bill Reichle, Manny Tramontana, and Mike Webster. Coach Forte is in his 29th year as Head Coach of the Boys’ Varsity Golf Team, with a record of 378145-4 as of the beginning of the season. His teams have won three NJSIAA State Championships, five NJSIAA Sectional Championships, four Prep State Championships, and four conference championships, and he has been honored twice as Courier News “Coach of the Year.” The 1994 team was undefeated, 18-0. From 1981-2004, he also coached Pingry’s Varsity Wrestling Team, producing four county champions, three district champions, two regional champions, four prep state champions, and one NJSIAA State place winner. The 1992 team was undefeated, 7-0-1. Prior to Pingry, he also coached wrestling at Manchester Regional High (1974-76), where he had the honor of coaching Olympic champion Bruce Baumgartner, and at Middlesex High School (1977-80), where he produced their first and only NJSIAA State Champion.
Six players, pictured below, were named to the 2014 Keith WaldmanOptimal Performance Associates/NFHCA High School National Academic Squad: Katia Colon ’15, Caroline Freinberg ’15, Lily Graff ’15, Emery Sorvino ’15, Margaret Vreeland ’15, and Isabel Walton ’15. The program recognizes high school seniors who have achieved a minimum cumulative, unweighted GPA of 3.5 out of 4.0 or the equivalent through the first quarter of the 2014-15 school year.
NFHCA—National Field Hockey Coaches Association NJGSCA—New Jersey Girls Soccer Coaches Association NJISAA—New Jersey Independent School Athletic Association NJSCA—New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Association NJSIAA—New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association WIHLMA—Women’s Interscholastic Hockey League of the Mid-Atlantic
Wrestling: 4-13 NJSIAA District 18 Tournament: Aidan Dillon and Thomas Tarantino placed 2nd, becoming program’s first district finalists since 2007 (4th year in a row that Pingry had at least one wrestler qualify for the Region V Tournament, and two Pingry finalists for the first time since 2004) Somerset County Tournament: Thomas Tarantino and Kevin Chow placed 3rd and 4th, respectively—first time since 2004 that more than one Pingry wrestler placed in the tournament Robert Dougherty Tournament: 5th place Robert Dougherty Tournament Individual Winners: Thomas Tarantino and Ryan Boylan Skyland Conference All-Conference/Valley Division: Thomas Tarantino (1st team), Aidan Dillon (2nd team) Courier News All-Area: Kevin Chow, Aidan Dillon, Thomas Tarantino (Honorable Mentions)
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Update: Collegiate Student-Athletes
Field Hockey
Katie Ruesterholz ’13 (Columbia University), forward, was named to the AllIvy League 1st Team and NFHCA All-Mideast Region 2nd Team. She scored 10 goals for the second consecutive season—fifth on Columbia’s all-time goal list, and tied for fourth in the Ivy League. Among her goals were three game-winners, including one in overtime against Princeton, to lift Columbia to its first-ever win against the Tigers.
Men’s Soccer
Henry Flugstad-Clarke ’13 (Yale University), who led Yale in goals and points, earned All-Ivy League 2nd Team recognition. Playing defense, he anchored a unit that allowed more than one goal in a game only four times all season. Henry was one of only four players to start all seven league games, and he played 638 out of a possible 650 minutes. Overall, he started 15 games and scored two goals. 32
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Women’s Soccer
and three assists for 11 points. She started all 17 games and scored a pair of game-winners, against Penn and Harvard. Rachel Corboz ’14 (Georgetown University) is one of 28 women’s soccer players (18 are in college; 10 play for youth clubs) selected to train with the United States Under-20 Women’s National Team under Head Coach Michelle French. This age group is focusing on qualifying for the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. In her first season at Georgetown, Rachel finished third on the team in scoring with four goals and eight assists for 16 points. She earned All-BIG EAST 2nd Team and All-BIG EAST Rookie honors, and was named to the NSCAA AllNortheast Region 3rd Team. Corey DeLaney ’12 (Dartmouth College) was named to the All-Ivy League 1st Team for the third consecutive season and NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region 2nd Team. She finished second on the team with four goals
Maggie Morash ’12 (Rutgers University), a genetics major, is one of 300 undergraduate student-athletes across the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to receive the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship.
These scholarships are given to college students who plan to pursue research careers in mathematics, natural sciences, or engineering (this spring, the scholarships were awarded to students who will be juniors and seniors in the fall). The program was created to encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers in those fields, and to foster excellence in those fields. According to a Rutgers news release, Maggie credits biology teacher Luke De for sparking her interest in science and research: “I fell in love with all of it—reading papers, troubleshooting problems, getting results that answer the question you’ve been asking for months. It is what inspired me to pursue research at college.” This Goldwater Scholarship is Maggie’s most recent academic accolade as a member of the Rutgers women’s soccer team: in the fall, she was named to the Capital One Academic AllDistrict team and the All-Big Ten Academic Team. She has now received academic recognition across three conferences, including 2013-14 American Athletic Conference All-Academic and 2012-13 BIG EAST All-Academic honors.
Swimming
Nic Fink ’11 (The University of Georgia) won his fourth consecutive SEC title in the 100 breaststroke—only the ninth SEC athlete ever to win a title four times—and he NFHCA—National Field Hockey Coaches Association NSCAA—National Soccer Coaches Association of America SEC—Southeastern Conference
won the 200 breaststroke, breaking the SEC record. According to Pingry Boys’ Varsity Swimming Head Coach Steve Droste, the SEC is the most difficult conference in NCAA swimming. At the Men’s NCAA Championships, Nic won his second consecutive silver medal in the 100 breaststroke, swimming in the third-fastest time in American history. During his four years at Georgia, Nic broke five school records: both breaststrokes, both medley relays, and the 400 free relay. He set the school mark in the 100 breaststroke, ranks second in the 200 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley, and seventh in the 50 freestyle in Georgia history. Nic helped the 400 and 800 freestyle and 200 and 400 medley relays set school records. Kevin Fischer ’12 with the Shanghai Lacrosse Team. He is in the back row, fourth from left.
Kevin Fischer ’12 Showcases Lacrosse Skills in China and Singapore By Jill Brown
Last August, Kevin Fischer ’12 decided to bring along his lacrosse gear for a threemonth combined academic and internship program in Shanghai. A few weeks earlier, the Wake Forest University junior had watched televised matches of China competing in the World Lacrosse Championships, and he took note as commentators discussed lacrosse’s rapidly-growing popularity in China. On learning further that the coach for China’s national team, Mike Elefante, also runs Shanghai Lacrosse, Kevin resolved to introduce himself to Coach Elefante and to try out for the squad after he arrived in Shanghai. Kevin made his way to the field in October. He quickly discovered that the criteria for joining Shanghai Lacrosse are simple: a love of the game and a willingness to dedicate Saturday after-
noons to it. The league maintains two teams, Lawson Station and Family Mart, and the lacrosse backgrounds represented on each team are eclectic— hopefuls who are new to the game take the field with lacrosse aces, and 16-yearolds compete against 40-somethings. To this mix, Kevin brought a history with the sport that included four years playing for Pingry (two on JV and two on varsity) and two years as a midfielder for Wake Forest. On seeing Kevin’s lacrosse skills, Family Mart picked him up for the remaining six games of the fall season. Joining the lineup, Kevin had the chance to play alongside Coach Elefante. In addition to 12 intra-league games, Shanghai Lacrosse competes in an international tournament each season. Although Kevin had played
in only two games for Family Mart prior to the tournament, his talent on the field earned him a spot on the Shanghai team. In early November, Kevin traveled with the Shanghai team to compete in the 2014 Singapore Spectacular. They faced Singapore, Perth, and Hong Kong, advancing to the championship round before ultimately falling to team Singapore. Kevin plans to continue playing lacrosse at Wake Forest, where he also serves as the team’s Head of Operations. In terms of playing in Shanghai, Kevin notes, “I would like to continue with Shanghai Lacrosse in the future. I most likely won’t be back in Shanghai until I finish college, but it is a great group of guys on the team, and I still stay in touch with them.”
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Lawyer-Turned-Scientist Dr. Michael Nitabach ’84 Speaks at Career Day Is it possible for a person to pursue two careers at the same time? Earlier in his life, Dr. Michael Nitabach ’84, Associate Professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology and of Genetics at Yale University, grappled with that question, so he considered it an “awesome opportunity” to visit Pingry in January as the Keynote Speaker for Career Day. This annual event allows juniors and seniors to learn about potential careers from Pingry alumni, 50 of whom were on campus this year. Pingry’s major influence on Dr. Nitabach, which he revealed during his conversation with Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11, was to help him learn how to write effectively; he credits former English teachers Dean Sluyter P ’90, ’98 and Dr. James Handlin P ’86 with assigning many essays, editing his work a lot, and instilling in him the “intellectual rigor of structuring an argument. I was reading a lot, writing a lot, and editing a lot. It doesn’t matter how good a writer you become. You still need someone else’s eyes,” he says. To this day, Dr. Nitabach is grateful for this foundation, because science requires persuasive writing (for example, to explain the application of one’s experimental data) and because “the discipline of writing organizes your mind—it’s not just words on a page.” Dr. Nitabach began his post-Pingry journey as a Philosophy major at the University of Pennsylvania so that he would be able to make effective arguments as a lawyer; his favorite course was “Philosophy of the Mind” to understand how the mind works. However, the director of the research program told him that, to understand the mind, one needs to understand the brain, so Dr. Nitabach started to conduct neuroscience research and pursue a Ph.D. While finishing the Ph.D., he went back to law school to “learn to think, reason, and make arguments, both written and oral.” Dr. Nitabach was also fortunate to pass the New York State Bar Exam on his first try. Then, the situation became even more interesting—one of his 34
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friends started his own lab in the biology department at New York University. During what he expected to be a brief visit to the lab, Dr. Nitabach’s “heart rate accelerated” at the prospect of unpacking and testing a huge pile of equipment in the room. “I knew what my friend’s neuroscience research was about, so I knew what his lab was going to be set up to do. I thought, ‘wow, maybe I need to stick my toe in this water,’” he says. “I listened to myself,” he told the students. “My intuition was not to walk out of the lab, and I ended up working there for about four months. I had the emotional wherewithal to pull the plug on law, but I didn’t want to let it go because I loved law.” So, at that point, he wanted to work full-time in science and part-time in law, but “traditional, corporate law firms don’t do that,” he explained. With the help of a legal headhunter, Dr. Nitabach was able to find one firm that had recently started to practice intellectual property law (ownership rights evidenced by copyright, trademark, and patent) and wanted to expand its practice into biotechnology, so he spent the next five years working on post-doctoral research in his friend’s lab and practicing law. For the law firm, he conducted legal and technical research for patent litigation and patent prosecution.
Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11 in conversation with Dr. Michael Nitabach ’84.
“I loved practicing law. It was rewarding,” he says. “I liked the ‘client service’ aspect, the fact that you are helping somebody achieve their business and legal goals, and helping them navigate very complicated, sophisticated scenarios, all while dealing with interesting subjects. I found patent law quite fascinating, and the technical science stuff is also fun, to see what inventions people are creating and commercializing.” As time passed, his scientific endeavors became more successful, he and his friend published a paper about neural control of daily circadian rhythms of sleep in the competitive journal Cell (2002), and he had the opportunity to open his own lab. “When we published this paper, which attracted a lot of attention in the field, it became clear that I was going to be a credible applicant for a faculty job. I had a good chance of an institution rolling the dice and giving me lab space, $1 million for a start-up budget for the lab, and a teaching position.” Plus, the law firm was expanding to such an extent that his part-time work was no longer helpful to them. It was decision time: science or law? In the end, when Dr. Nitabach knew he was going to get
A pseudocolored fluorescent image of the response to a chemical stimulus of a chemosensory neuron in the head of a C. elegans nematode worm. This is the kind of research that takes place in Dr. Nitabach’s lab at Yale University, right.
a faculty position he wanted, he decided to retire from law about 12 years ago. Does he miss it? The question makes him hesitate as he contemplates the answer: “I look back very fondly on it. I wouldn’t go back to it, mostly because it’s been so long since I kept abreast of changes and advances in patent law. It would be a very difficult and lengthy process to get myself back up to speed. That ship has sailed.” Having said that, Dr. Nitabach is eager to emphasize that “I love Yale, my colleagues, the people in my lab. It’s a wonderful place. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else doing what I’m doing. We’re studying the fundamental cellular, molecular, and physical mechanisms of biological function. The
idea and justification for doing that— beyond the thrill, beauty, and importance of learning about our natural world—is to try to fund basic research.” Toward the end of the Career Day Keynote, Mr. Conard pointed out that high school students are often told to “have a goal” or “have a plan,” yet
serendipity and passion play large parts in people’s career paths. To this observation, Dr. Nitabach responded, “My career is not the ‘right way.’ Some people have a passion for a subject and stick with it. Some people are bored easily, so, if you are in that category, my advice is to be open to serendipity.”
Pingry thanks the additional alumni who returned for Career Day Steven Barg ’80
Andrew “Drew” Cortese ’93 Devon Graham ’99 Performing Arts
Media
Kenneth Blau ’88
Eric Davich ’02
Margaret Harjes Mulry ’94 Lee Murnick ’89 Finance
Real Estate
Mary Sarro-Waite ’01
Dr. Alexandra Braunstein ’97 Caroline Diemar ’99 Medicine
Dr. Lauren Kovacs ’00 Medicine
Katherine O’Connor ’06
Deborah Sittig ’88
Psychology
Curtis Brinkman ’89
Tracy Dungo Porges ’03
Laura (Yorke) Kulkarni ’98
Caraline Sogliuzzo ’05
Marketing
Education
Christian O’Donnell ’10
Matthew Estabrook ’89
Robert Kushen ’80
Mary Margaret O’Toole ’05 Aimee Sostowski ’97
Finance
Entrepreneurship
Technology
Michael Brody ’79 Real Estate
Dr. Constantine “Dean” Christakos ’92
Entrepreneurship
Law
Public Service
Dr. Eduardo Fernandez ’81 Alison Little ’82
Dr. Abigail Merin ’00 Psychology
Marketing
Sports Management
Craig Ramirez ’07 Applied Science Media
Non-Profit Visual Arts
Visual Arts
Non-Profit
Andrew Pasternak ’89
Gordon Sulcer ’61
Medicine
Management Consulting
Gaetano Cipriano ’74
Amy Ruth Finegold ’98
Graham Macmillan ’93
Jennifer Taylor ’95
Engineering
Entrepreneurship
Public Service
Kelly Peeler ’06
John “Josh” Connor ’92
Todd Forrest ’87
Dr. Gautam Malhotra ’92
Janine Tramontana ’85
Non-Profit
Applied Science
David Perlmutter ’80
Finance
Brooke Conti ’09
Dr. Alexa Gale ’99
Stephen McCarthy, Jr. ’77 Law
Daniel Pincus ’96
Edward “Ned” Ward ’85
Medicine
Elizabeth Garcia ’10
William McFarland ’10
John Plum ’67
Dana Zolli ’03
Entrepreneurship
Non-Profit
Performing Arts
Technology
Applied Science
Charlotte Conway ’08 Visual Arts
Education
Management Consulting Entrepreneurship Real Estate
Engineering
Sports Management Performing Arts Law
Marketing
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Credit: Glen DiCrocco
A Gleeful Experience for Keyboardist Michael Arrom ’13 Anything really can happen in Hollywood! Michael, a sophomore at USC’s Thornton School of Music, performed on the award-winning FOX television series Glee on February 6 and 13 during the series’ sixth and final season. Glee (the winner of multiple Golden Globe and Emmy Awards) is a musical comedy-drama about New Directions, a fictional high school glee club. The show features many song and dance sequences. Michael was cast as a musician in the band accompanying the musical segments, and the experience showed him the value of Glee in the television landscape. “I hope it does encourage viewers to participate in the arts. Music is such a beautiful thing to have in your life, and I love what they do on the show,” he says. His opportunity resulted from an audition last October. Glee’s casting director, Musicians/Singers Casting Director and Contractor Christine Day, sent an e-mail to USC, seeking musicians to audition for the show. Michael decided to join several of his classmates who wanted to try out as a band (their audition song was Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop”); they were among 1,000-plus musicians who auditioned individually or in bands. Only three days before filming in November, Ms. Day sent Michael a text message asking if he would be available! “Michael is extremely talented and came prepared. I put him in random sit36
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uations with other musicians, and he handled it very well. He also has stage presence and personality, which is really important. He looked very put-together, and he felt the music when he was playing it. He exuded emotion, which is important visually. On the show, he’s very professional and conscientious. He followed directions extremely well,” Ms. Day says. Glee’s band for these episodes consisted of music students from Los Angeles-area colleges, playing guitar, bass, drums, horns, strings, harp, and keyboard. Most impressive is that the music is pre-recorded, so the musicians had to do their homework to be able to mime to the playback. Filming took place at Hollywood’s Paramount Pictures Studios, about 25 minutes from USC. Michael was on set for four 10-hour days in November— days filled with multiple takes of each scene from different angles. “I reported to wardrobe to get my clothing and
headed over to the soundstage where all of the sets are constructed. Everything you see on TV is spread out across different stages,” Michael says. “Each day, I worked on a different song with members of the cast. Some days, I worked closely with one or two actors like Lea Michelle or Naya Rivera. The other days, we filmed the ensemble songs. I spent a few moments talking to Matthew Morrison, who plays Will Schuester. He walked over during a break to compliment our band!” Working on Glee reinforced Michael’s work ethic and versatility as a musician that he developed at Pingry, especially the fun of singing in the Buttondowns and preparing the group’s annual video. “I had to juggle my USC schedule a bit to make up the classes I missed, but my professors were all very supportive. Sometimes, I only received my sheet music the night before filming. I had to learn the music and be ready as early as 7:00 a.m. The discipline I learned at Pingry helped me keep my work organized and keep up with the long hours of work. I learned to be ready for anything, whether that means playing something you’re not used to, or getting dressed in something unusual.” More than anything, Michael seems amazed by his own success. “It always seemed like a hopeless dream that I could make my living with music, but it’s happening simply by working incessantly at my passion.”
Where are They Now?
Benjamin Oakes ’07 Researches Technology for Genome Therapy By Jill Brown In what he describes as “the most important transition of my life,” Benjamin Oakes ’07 came to Pingry in the fall of his junior year. While he had always been interested in math and science, prior to Pingry, he found that those disciplines focused on technical mastery and left little room for originality of thought. In his words, “Pingry is responsible for changing that perception.” Reflecting on his two years at the School, Mr. Oakes says, “Everything about the environment at Pingry encouraged you to be creative in your learning, encouraged you to explore.”
His senior year, Mr. Oakes studied AP Biology with David Maxwell and molecular biology with former science teacher Tommie Hata. “Those two courses explored the molecular side of biology, which solidified my interest in pursuing molecular biology in college and the future. Professor Hata’s class, in particular, taught the fundamentals of practical molecular biology, such as the cloning of fluorescent proteins,” Mr. Oakes says. “These are techniques which I use to this day, and learning these skills in high school profoundly impacted my later pursuit of research biology.”
Credit: Roy Kaltschmidt
At Pingry, the two subjects that most interested him were molecular biology and ceramics. An unlikely combination at first glance, for Mr. Oakes they complemented one another perfectly. Exploration in the pottery studio informed his work in the lab and viceversa—creativity and science became essential aspects of one another. “All I wanted to do was science and pottery,” he remembers. “I spent my ISP [Independent Senior Project] working with Richard Freiwald in the pottery studio. I focused on throwing porcelain and creating my own crystal glazes. It was a fantastic time, and that creativity continues to translate into the work I do as a scientist today.”
Mr. Oakes is a second-year graduate student in the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, where he works under the direction of Dr. Jennifer Doudna and Dave Savage on CRISPR/Cas9—one of the most promising technologies in the field of genome therapy. CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) refers to the way in which bacteria record snippets of DNA sequences from invading viruses. If the virus appears again, the bacterium’s Cas9 protein can cleave the viral DNA. Remarkably, this process can be replicated in mammals, and it can be targeted to any DNA sequence, not simply viruses. In nearly every organism it has been tried, Cas9 is allowing scientists to manipulate and change the genetic code in a precise and programmable fashion. Its potential in
Benjamin Oakes ’07 and Mitch O’Connell are part of the collaboration led by Dr. Jennifer Doudna.
the treatment of diseases and genetic disorders is enormous. Recently, Mr. Oakes authored a paper, published in the journal Nature, about using CRISPR/Cas9 to target RNA, the intervening messenger between DNA and the production of proteins. According to Mr. Oakes, “the ability to target RNA unlocks a whole new level of biological coding; it opens up another method for studying the cell.” He is also working on ways to make the CRISPR/Cas9 protein smaller, so that it could potentially be introduced to the human immune system on a virus, and working on ways to make its targeting mechanism more precise. For more information about The Doudna Lab, visit rna.berkeley.edu. MAY 2015
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Alumni Events
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Alumni Events [ 1 ] Turkey Bowl: Front row: Rob Oh ’03, George Zachary ’14, Peter Hiscano ’75, Matt Sheeleigh ’11, Christian Fechter ’13, Sean O’Donnell ’75, P ’05, ’10, and Brad Fechter ’05. Back row: Andrew Babbitt ’09, Brendan Burgdorf ’09, Conor Starr ’09, Brian Combias ’06, John Stamatis ’05, Tyler Smith ’10, Mael Corboz ’12, Will Stamatis ’09, Jerry Fechter P ’05, ’09, ’13, Matt Fechter ’09, Boys’ Varsity Soccer Assistant Coach David M. Fahey ’99, and Jim Stamatis P ’05, ’09. [ 2 ] Alumnae Event: Front row: Grace Lin ’08, Leslie Springmeyer ’08, psychology teacher Shelby Bartlett ’08, Averill Morash ’09, and Maya Artis ’09. Back row: Ann O’Connell ’85, Liz Wight ’03, Lynn Weisinger ’82, Stefany Wolfe ’91, and Caitlin Jennings ’06. [ 3 ] Boca Raton Reception: Front row: Bud Kreh ’44 and Honorary Trustee Bill Beinecke ’31, P ’61, ’64. Back row: Special Assistant to the Headmaster Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, Janie Lewis and Dr. Michael Lewis ’67 (hosts), Roger Hurlburt, Jr. ’67, Hank Kreh, Joan Corbet P ’77, ’78, Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11, former PAA President and former trustee Jubb Corbet, Jr. ’50, P ’77, ’78, Douglas Daft GP ’23, ’25, Steven Rothenberg ’86, Alex Bonner P ’20, ’23, ’25, Tom Clingan P ’97, ’03, Delphine Daft GP ’23, ’25, and Kathy Clingan P ’97, ’03.
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Alumni Events [ 4 ] Ice Hockey Game: Attendees included Andrew Krill ’07, Justin Gump ’13, Conor Starr ’09, Jimmy Gensch ’83, Cameron Gensch ’13, Mitch Cardone ’08, Coach Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, Brad Bonner ’93, Ben Lehrhoff ’99, Rob Malin ’86, Jake Ross ’96, Dan Ambrosia ’07, Brad Zanoni ’07, Dan Weiniger ’08, Christopher Ulz ’93, Andrew Dellapina ’13, Tim Cook, Nic Meiring ’10, Steven Palazzolo ’11, Mac Hugin ’13, William Kelly ’12, Eric Rogers ’14, Ian Braunstein ’99, Stephen Friedman ’13, Steven Brisgel ’80, Kyle Walker ’14, Boys’ Varsity Ice Hockey Head Coach John Magadini, and Michael Wu ’96. [ 5 ] Young Alumni Holiday Party: Pingry Fund Director Holland Sunyak ’02, Maureen Brady ’08, Charlotte Williams ’06, Maggie O’Toole ’05, Katie Parsels ’09, Kate Durnan ’07, Nicole Gayda ’07, Mike Koenecke ’07, Christine Malanga ’07, Hope Scott ’07, Valerie Naratil ’07, Caroline Kwon ’07, Corinne Hundt ’07, Rachel Naar ’08, Will Welt ’06, Jonathan Roberts ’05, and Amy Roberts.
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Alumni Events Back-from-College Luncheon: [ 6 ] Jeff Baum ’11, music teacher Sean McAnally, Coach Bugliari, and Ben Hamm Conard ’11. [ 7 ] Camille Vanasse ’14 and Michael Arrom ’13. [ 8 ] The luncheon in full swing. [ 9 ] Kishon Pinckney ’14, Raven Mickens ’14, and Max Dedekind ’14. [ 10 ] Special Assistant to the Headmaster Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, Freddy Elliot ’12, and Matt Chan ’12. [ 11 ] Associate Director of Advancement Rob Schur P ’25, ’27, Ryan O’Reilly ’14, Assistant Headmaster Jon Leef P ’15, ’18, Neil Holman ’14, Mitch Suzuki ’14, Thomas O’Reilly ’12, and Chris Devito ’14. [ 12 ] Stacey Chen ’14, Melanie Naratil ’14, and Osa Omoregie ’14. [ 13 ] Caleb Ho ’14, Jeremy Kwan ’14, and Jonathan Kwan ’14. [ 14 ] Drama Department Chair Al Romano and Ben Behrman ’13.
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New York City Reception: [ 15 ] Pamela Lang ’05, Julie Ann Aueron ’05, and Abigail Conger ’05. [ 16 ] Russ Filipski ’02, Peter duBusc ’00, and Elliot DeSanto ’00. [ 17 ] Brendan Bruno ’09, Dan Schuchinsky ’09, and William Weldon ’09. [ 18 ] Taylor Sankovich ’08, Jordan Shelby ’08, Andrew Cala ’08, and Grace Lin ’08. [ 19 ] Donald Tansey ’00, Dr. John Gianis ’73, P ’03, ’06, ’09, and J. Donald Tansey ’67, P ’00. [ 20 ] Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11 with Margaret Dillon and Chip Dillon (Parents ’10, ’15). [ 21 ] The O’Toole family (hosts): Terry and Polly O’Toole (Parents ’05, ’08) with Maggie O’Toole ’05 and Brian O’Toole ’08. [ 22 ] David Freedman ’84, Betsy (Lucas) Vreeland ’84, P ’11, ’12, ’15, Edie (McLaughlin) Nussbaumer ’84, P ’18, ’21, Chris Salibello ’84, and Martha (Ryan) Graff ’84, P ’15, ’17, ’20. [ 23 ] Adrienne Wesley and Larry Goldfarb ’79. [ 24 ] Eric Hynes ’08, Lindsay Holmes ’99, Ben Lehrhoff ’99, and Ryan David Saniuk ’90. [ 25 ] John Skowronski ’85, Matthew Eckman, Amanda Richardson ’02, and Evan Ennis ’02. [ 26 ] Board of Trustees Chair Jeff Edwards ’78, P ’12, ’14, ’18, PAA President Chip Korn ’89, Special Assistant to the Headmaster Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, Dr. Ezra Jennings ’89, history teacher and Director of Athletics Carter Marsh Abbott, and Christian O’Donnell ’10.
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Pingry Football, 1950 Style By Joseph Hanaway ’51, MD, CM
The author played varsity football for three years at Pingry and two years in college, and was a team physician for a St. Louis day school, MICDS, for 31 years
“In Pingry’s Halls we learned to grow…” and so did 30 or so hopefuls who showed up for varsity preseason practice on Parker Road in late August 1950. This is a brief account of football at Pingry more than 60 years ago. To begin, each player had to supply his own practice equipment, usually purchased from graduating players. We arrived with pants, jerseys, pads, shoes, and helmets, and Pingry supplied the game uniforms. We used the latest Riddell “Suspension” helmet with webbing inside to keep the head from touching the shell, but no padding (fig. 1). Shoes were high-top with one-inch hard rubber cleats, and shoulder pads were small (fig. 1). The shoes had hard soles, and hard toes could be purchased for place-kicking straight-ahead (until the Gogolak brothers at Princeton and Cornell introduced soccer-style instep kicking in the early 1960s, changing place-kicking forever). Low-running football shoes with taped ankles were just being introduced. 44
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Figure 1: Bill Burks ’51, Coach Reese Williams, and Joe Hanaway ’51. Note the unpadded inside of the helmet, high-top shoes, long cleats, and small shoulder pads. Helmets were lined with webbing, not padding; players now wear low-top shoes; long cleats prevented players from slipping on muddy or thick grass; and today’s shoulder pads are twice or three times as large.
The Navy blue game jerseys with white striped sleeves, new every year, were unique to Pingry in the county. This year, Pingry added gray pants with blue stripes down the sides and backs. The cost of our equipment, excluding the game uniforms, was about $75. The topof-the-line Xenith X2 helmet alone costs $250 today, and the Riddell 360 Varsity helmet is $390. The face mask was rarely seen in 1950 (Riddell made, on special order, a Lucite mask for the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback Otto Graham in 1953. It shattered the first time he wore it and was replaced by a single bar across the face, which evolved into what we have today, used by the NFL and NCAA). There was no penalty for striking the face and mouth (with the elbow), so players suffered injuries for years until the face mask was finally accepted as needed protection.
Conditioning was our major effort in preseason and throughout the season. We had no weight room or blocking sleds, so we ran, jumped, ran, did pushups, and ran. Coach Williams’ “revenge” was to have us run back-and-forth across the field on the 10 yard lines, starting at the goal line to mid field, before each practice. The treasonous grumblings about this daily romp are best forgotten. We started with two two-hour practice sessions each day until school opened. Thereafter, full-dress practices were at 3-5 after school. There were no trainers for injuries, which had to be cared for by general practitioners (who generally had little knowledge of sports injuries) or with advice from Coach Williams (sports medicine had not been conceived, and only colleges had trainers, so the coach was the source of information about how to handle injuries). Fortunately, we had no serious injuries during the entire season. We played on an annually-replanted grass field with poor drainage that, after a few weeks of practice and a good rain, was dirt and mud between the 30-yard lines on each side. It was a distinct homefield advantage. The time-tested “single wing” (fig. 2), a Pingry tradition for decades, was familiar to all. Thanks to the wizardry of Princeton coach Charlie Caldwell, who created plays and formations no one had ever seen— so complex that a player needed a couple of years to learn them—we also had the opportunity to see and learn about the single wing used to perfection on Saturdays at Palmer Stadium. Led by the All-Americans, tailback Richard Kazmeier and tackle Holland Donnan, the experience was spellbinding and could not have been better for us. The single wing’s strengths were double-blocking on the line and a lot of deception in the back field. Sadly, in a few years, the single wing was gradually replaced by the T-formation and its variants.
Figure 2: A cartoon of the single wing, offense and defense.
Figure 3: Bill Tatlock ’52 charging the line at Montclair.
We had the ideal backfield: running backs Roy Cowell ’51 and Bill Tatlock ’52 (fig. 3, who scored 61 points), both track stars; real horsepower in fullbacks “fearless” John Coogan ’51 and Dick Peters ’51 (who scored 33 points), and the smooth ball-handling and passing of Bill Burks ’51. Our exceptionally-large line (for the time), led by All-County Judge Landis ’51 (fig. 4), also featured “too tall” Pete Pattison ’51, “the devastator” Frank Young ’51, George “lay ‘em out” Waltzinger ’51, the author ’51, and our unforgettable ends Dave Lemal ’51 and Jim Horning ’51.
Figure 4: All-County Center, Houston “Judge” Landis ’51.
The offensive backfield for the single wing (fig. 2), the tailback, fullback, quarterback, and wingback, numbered 1 to 4, lined up behind the strong side of the line. Line gaps, starting with the center, were odd numbers left and even right. In the huddle, the quarterback would call 24 on 3, the #2 back through the #4 gap on 3. Signal-calling, which has changed in many ways since then, was 1 and 2 and 3. The hut 1, hut 2, hut 3 cadence was already used at the college level. The no-huddle offense, random signal-calling, knee-bending, and “Omaha, Omaha”
took decades to evolve. Options, now so coaching at the time at the secondary commonly used, were just being tried school level). Coaches were not allowed by coaches like Frank Lahey (and others) on the field or, technically, to shout plays at Notre Dame. A designated lineman from the sidelines (called “coaching from would call “up 2” or “down 1,” meaning the sidelines”), but the referees were the 24 play, called in the huddle, would liberal about this. Plays came in with be either 26 or 23 because the “caller” alternate backs or ends and, at times, spotted an opponent out of position. were signaled from the sidelines. Offensive blocking with the elbows out, To show off the sartorial splendor of our hands against the chest, was difficult. new game uniforms and our conditionWith practice, the elbow aimed at the ing, the team frequently stood in a tight chest could move an opponent off his circle during times-out, near the sidelines, base and out of position. Line pulling by to intimidate our opponents and get the strong side guard or inside tackle was instructions from the coach. commonly used to increase the blockers We played a seven-game schedule (fig. on end sweeps. If everyone did his job 5), as did most secondary schools at that blocking, it was hard to stop. time. The games on Friday afternoons The lighter Riddell helmet of 1950 allowed us to go to college games on wasn’t considered the weapon that the Saturday. The team of 26 players scored heavier, well-padded, helmet and face mask of today has been over the last two decades. This mistaken faith in the protective value of the helmet, recently exposed, is a concern. The Defense (fig. 2) was a standard five- or six-man line with four or three linebackers and three or two halfbacks. Linemen could use the arms extended with open hands, and the Figure 5: The original 1950 Pingry football schedule card. dictum was “never leave your feet” on the line. Blitzing was an 159 points in six games to our oppooption for the linebackers or might be nents’ 32 points. A home game with the called on a third-and-long situation. There Horace Mann School was cancelled at were no defensive plays, stunting, and the last minute because of a polio outrun-arounds, but “trash talk” between break in the school. opponents was common. Most of the The team, Pingry’s first undefeated footteam played both offense and defense. ball team since 1921, was the Group III Open field blocking below the knees and State Champion, Coach Williams was waist was legal, as was the horse collar Union County Coach of the Year, and the tackle, now a major penalty. Spearing, 1950 Team was the first football team intentionally hitting an immobilized playadmitted to the Pingry Athletics Hall of er with the helmet, rarely seen in the Fame at its inaugural dinner in May 1991. 1950s, now called “targeting,” is such a To carry on the “Big Blue” tradition, concern that the NCAA rule is expulsion for four quarters. Bill Burks ’51 was quarterback for the Princeton varsity 150-pound team There were three coaches: Head Coach (part of the Eastern 150-Pound Football Reese Williams, his Assistant Coach League) and led it to an undefeated seaVincent “Les” Lesneski P ’54, and William son in 1954, and the author played tackle Corbet ’21, who voluntarily came from on an undefeated 1953 JV team at McGill work every afternoon to help coach ends University in Montreal (Canadian football and backs. Coaching was mainly for rules: 12 men, five in the backfield, three backfield maneuvers and the plays. There downs, and goalposts on the goal line) was very little individual line coaching and on a Canadian National Champion on technique except for the plays (not Rugby team in 1955. unique to Pingry, there was very little line MAY 2015
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His Pingry Journey: Ed Cissel ’39 Shares Memories of Being a Student, Teacher, and Coach A former Pingry teacher, coach, and administrator, Ed Cissel ’39, P ’73 was involved with the School on the Parker Road and Hillside Campuses and recently shared his memories with The Pingry Review. He was a Pingry student from Grade 1 (fall 1927) through Grade 8 (spring 1935) and has fond memories of his teachers for Grades 1-6: Mildred Clayton, Mildred Clifford, Helen Gibbons, Mabel Prevost, Edith Pierson, and Harriet Budd. Miss Budd actually lived across the street from Parker Road, and Mr. Cissel visited her there on a few occasions because she was hospitable and always welcoming. “She was interested in each person and listened to you, so you could communicate easily with her. All of these teachers were bright, caring, and kind,” he says. “I respected [Headmaster] C.B. Newton right away. He was in charge of the School, and we knew that he was the ‘top dog.’” Mr. Cissel rode his bicycle to school and specifically remembers mornings at Parker Road: “We met every morning in the Harriet Budd Room. Everyone had an assigned seat. We were obedient and said a prayer. Then, we were released for our first class.” Other teachers who stand out in his memory are Otho Vars (Head of the Middle School), Albie Booth (Latin), Harvey Reed (English), and Elliot Knoke (social studies). “I was somewhat afraid of Otho Vars, but he was knowledgeable and kind, in any way. Every Friday, he put on the blackboard the names of people who were meant to come in on Saturday for extra help. Albie Booth earned high respect—he was very bright. Although he was somewhat tough, we respected his intelligence and his love for the subject matter. And we all know about his temper with the eraser! Harvey Reed knew English backward and forward. I had high respect for him.” 46
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Mr. Knoke, who ended up having two classrooms (he moved from the second floor to the first), filled his room with all sorts of ancient artifacts from other countries, such as Native American blankets, jackass bones from Africa, small elephants from India, sacred scarabs from Egypt, and cowrie shells from Polynesian islands. He also displayed maps, coins, framed military medals, postage stamps, and pictures that promoted Greek and Roman history; many of these items were given to him by parents who traveled abroad. Mr. Knoke’s room inspired students to want to travel or join the Coin Club, of which he was faculty advisor. In addition to these teachers, Mr. Cissel singles out Roy Puckey, who was in charge of woodwork in the School’s basement; students built something every week. An amusing sports memory for Mr. Cissel is that “I couldn’t sing, so, when my classmates had choir practice, we [he and other classmates who also could not sing] went outside and hit tennis balls. I thought that was fun!”
Ed Cissel ’39 and his wife Jane Cissel (Parents ’73) at Reunion 2011.
In 1935, Mr. Cissel left Pingry to attend boarding school at Hotchkiss; his brother preceded him there, and his father believed that his brother was getting a good education. Mr. Cissel points out that “Pingry was a little bit behind in mathematics at that point. At Hotchkiss, we were immersed in our subjects, with sports on the weekends. Day schools caught up later.” After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Mr. Cissel returned to Pingry in 1949; Vince Lesneski P ’54 and Reese Williams, both of whom had known Mr. Cissel at Pingry and at Camp Waganaki, recommended him to Headmaster Larry Springer. Succeeding Toni Bristol ’41, who had taught reading and math, Mr. Cissel taught the same subjects (for Grades 6 and 8, respectively), coached, and—like all other teachers—supervised a lunch table in the Dining Room, an activity that many teachers considered a nice way to help
them get to know the students. His coaching responsibilities included 3rd-team and JV football (Mr. Cissel had never played football, but he owned a book about it), tennis (a sport he knew), baseball (also a sport he knew), swimming (assistant coach and, later, head coach), and JV basketball. On that JV basketball team was none other than Miller Bugliari ’52. Since Mr. Cissel had never played basketball, he let Miller run the team. “I remember giving [Miller] the ball and saying, ‘Play ball, and listen to Miller!’” Mr. Cissel was called back into service with the army in 1951, for about a year, then returned to Pingry. In 1953, the School moved from Parker Road to Hillside; during the move, Mr. Cissel drove a station wagon, and Coach Lesneski supervised the students who loaded the station wagon. They
“I remember giving Miller the ball and saying ‘Play ball, and listen to Miller!’”
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Ed Cissel ’39 moved the whole School in about one day! Teaching Middle School at Hillside (math, English, science, and history at various times), Mr. Cissel recalls study hall duty with about 100 students when the hall was full. At one point, he also directed transportation.
Elizabeth Bugliari] as a fifth-grade social studies teacher. She was tough and strict, but had a sense of humor.” Summer School was a big operation in those days, with about 800 students. After his first year, Mr. Cissel received a letter from a trustee who congratulated him on raising $50,000. In 1964, Mr. Cissel succeeded Casmir France as Assistant Headmaster under Mr. Atwater, a man who “made you feel that you could express yourself,” and continued to direct Summer School. Mr. Cissel held these positions until 1967, when he left Pingry to become Head of John Burroughs School in St. Louis. Text from his 1958 Blue Book dedication summarizes his Pingry
The dedication to Mr. Cissel in the 1958 Blue Book.
career: “In esteem born of his unselfish dedication to the men and boys of Pingry, of his proven aptitude and ability as a teacher, coach, and friend, and because of the model and inspiration he has been to all who have known him.” Editor’s Note: The editor thanks the Knoke family and Bob Popper ’61 for their assistance with this article. Coaches Ed Cissel and Richard Weiler (2nd row) with the 1959-60 Swimming Team.
Then, in 1960, when Charlie Atwater rose from Head of Junior School (Grades 3-8) to Associate Headmaster, Mr. Cissel became Head of Junior School, Director of Admission, and Director of Summer School; Charlie Atwater succeeded Larry Springer as Headmaster in 1961, a transition that would later elevate Mr. Cissel even higher in the administration. After taking over leadership of the Junior School, Mr. Cissel “had the honor of hiring Elizabeth Budd [the future MAY 2015
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Football Team, November 1970 If you recognize any of your teammates or friends in this photo, please contact Greg Waxberg ’96 at gwaxberg@pingry.org or 908-647-5555, ext. 1296. Thanks to Morgan Smith ’57, Dick Hufnagel ’61, Dr. Jack Martin ’61, Dave Rogers ’61, Gordy Sulcer ’61, Frank Ali ’62, Tony Borden ’62, Steve Brown ’62, Jake Foley ’62, John Geddes ’62, Dr. Joel Labow ’62, Martin McLean ’62, Rich Thomas ’62, and Bob Weissman ’64 for sending in the names for the photo of the 1959-60 JV Basketball Team in the December 2014 issue. 1. Bill Bethune ’62 2. Chris Armstrong ’62 3. Jim Chalmers ’61 4. Steve Moynahan ’62 5. Tom Nye ’62 6. Don Johnston ’62 7. Gordon Steven ’62 8. John Scully ’62 9. Jim Rubin ’61 10. Bruce Evans ’61 11. Bob Lewis ’61 12. Roger Herrmann ’62
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13. Peter Mennen ’62 14. Frank Busse ’62 15. Fred Rogge ’61 16. Bob Greenberg ’61 17. Pete Hendricks ’62 18. Bruce Petrie ’62 19. Rick Bowe ’62 20. Bob Smith ’62 21. Dave Neunert ’62 22. Jack Wilson ’62 23. Frank Ali ’62
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1954
Class Notes Share all your news!
MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1954 celebrated their 60th reunion on Nantucket in September.
Contact David M. Fahey ’99, Director of Alumni Relations and Senior Major Gifts Officer for Athletics, at dfahey@pingry.org, The Pingry School, 131 Martinsville Road, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920.
Bonnie Wilbur, Warren Wilbur ’54, Bob Champlin ’54, and Mary Jo Champlin.
Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, second from right, with the other 2014 inductees into the NJSIAA Bollinger Hall of Fame: Philip Galli, accepting for his daughter Jessica (Galli) Cloy, a Paralympic Games athlete in track and field from Hillsborough High School; Gil Chapman, football player from Thomas Jefferson High School; Gil Gibbs III, accepting for his late father Gilbert J. Gibbs, Jr., lacrosse coach from Montclair High School; the sister of Bruce Taylor, football player from Perth Amboy High School, accepting for him; Rich Giallella, baseball coach from Hamilton East High School; William Billy Austin, football player from Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School; and Joseph Hartmann, baseball coach and South Jersey baseball pioneer from Eastern High School.
1952 MILLER BUGLIARI P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, Head Coach of Pingry’s Boys’ Varsity Soccer Team since 1960, was one of eight inductees into the NJSIAA (New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association) Bollinger Hall of Fame on December 1 at the Pines Manor in Edison. The NJSIAA honored Miller for his career
record as a high school soccer coach, including his 800th victory on September 16. He is also a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame, the New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and the New Jersey State High School Hall of Fame, among others. He has earned four “National Coach of the Year” and seven “New Jersey State Coach of the Year” awards.
Caroline Weymar, Dr. Win Hall ’54, Annie Hall, Amos Hostetter, Jr. ’54, Guy Leedom ’54, and Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20.
Dr. Bert Lesneski ’54, Reid Lesneski, and Rob Hall ’54, P ’79.
Steve Newhouse ’65, P ’95, ’97, ’99, Chuck Wynn ’55, Frank Randolph ’55, Bruce Morrison ’64, Bob Shippee ’56, Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, Dick Welch ’55, and Phil Burrows ’55, P ’90 enjoyed a holiday dinner on December 9 at Rod’s Steak & Seafood Grille in Morristown.
Dick Steinbrenner ’54, P ’87, ’95, Caren Leedom, Anne Steinbrenner P ’87, ’95, Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11, Mr. Bugliari, Jack Bryan ’54, and Helmut Weymar ’54.
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1955 S. ROGER WILLIAMS writes, “Just a note to say hi to one and all. My wife and I are enjoying our retirement in Elkin, North Carolina, about 90 miles due north of Charlotte. And, to my good friend MILLER BUGLIARI ’52, I say, ‘Well done. You are, indeed, the very essence of The Pingry School.’ And I’m sure my Dad would agree. While I would have loved to be there for Reunion, it was not a viable option. And so I wish good health and happiness to one and all. Would enjoy hearing from old friends— email or phone. srogerwilliams@ gmail.com or 336-421-2006.”
1960 ROB GIBBY P ’87 writes, “The car that I drove to our 50th Reunion had an exciting new chapter! Wayne Carini, from the Discovery TV show Chasing Classic Cars, and I worked together to show the car at the Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance in late February, and then we took the car to the Bonhams auction at Amelia Island in mid-March. The car sold for $28,600. Both Wayne and I have family members with autism. All of the proceeds from this sale went to Autism Speaks.
1961 GORDY SULCER P ’95, ’01 presented in the Sports Management
section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. He has more than 35 years of experience in the sports marketing industry and is Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of First Choice Marketing. Gordy volunteers as Chairman of the New Jersey Family Policy Council, as a Chairman for New Jersey Family First, and for the Williams College Fund. He is a parent of MEREDITH SULCER ’95 and RANDALL SULCER ’01.
1962 FRANK ALI writes, “JACK MARTIN ’61 is a nearby neighbor here in Sussex County, Delaware, and I stay in touch with JOHN GEDDES. Since moving to Delaware in 2012, I have gotten very involved in the restoration of Fort Miles and Battery 519 located in Cape Henlopen State Park. We are building a World War II museum in a World War II casemated bunker (www.fortmilesha.org). I am also the Vice
Rob Gibby ’60, P ’87 (right) with Wayne Carini from Chasing Classic Cars. 50
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Roger Herrmann ’62 (left) and John Geddes ’62, P ’95 (right), both of whom played soccer at Pingry, met up with Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20 on January 20 at 3 West in Basking Ridge.
President of our Baywood Homeowners Association (www. baywoodgreens.com). Our golf course is known as the ‘Augusta of the North.’ Catherine and I have also gotten involved in Delaware politics and have made new friends in the state legislature. We worked on the campaigns of our new State Treasurer Ken Simpler, Representative Ruth Briggs King, and Senators Ernie Lopez and Brian Pettyjohn. They have become dear friends. Catherine and I were appointed as Delegates-at-Large to the Delaware State Republican Convention at the end of May. I continue to work full-time as the Director of Facilities at Rehoboth Beach Country Club (www. RehobothBeachCC.com); WBOCTV’s Delmarva Life featured members of the RBCC team in January for a story about Kent-Sussex Industries, Inc., a job placement service that aims to find employ-
ment for the disabled. We are only seven miles from the Cape May Lewes Ferry and five miles from the Tanger Outlets, for all of you shoppers. Maybe a Delaware reunion?”
1967 JOHN PLUM presented in the Non-Profit section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. He is the founding partner of Emery, Kim Global Advisors, LLC, but presented on his experience of being a Board Member and Treasurer for Medecins sans Frontierers, USA (Doctors without Borders).
1972 JOHN BOFFA is serving on the bicentennial committee of Tudor Place (www.tudorplace.org), a historic estate in Georgetown, in Washington, D.C. Tudor Place is a National Historic Landmark.
John Plum ’67 and Aimee Sostowski ’97 at Career Day.
Members of the Class of 1966 celebrated their 48th reunion in September at Lake Tahoe. Front row: Dick Shepard, Bruce Schundler, and Ernie Moody. Middle row: Dr. Bill LaCorte, Fred Waggoner, Rick Hadley, Jr., and Dr. Art Vedder. Back row: Vince Scully, Gil Roessner, Gene Mancini, and Roy Sykes, Jr. Not pictured: Tom Lightburn.
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1976
GUY CIPRIANO P ’06, ’08 writes, “I was having lunch one Sunday in November at The Rye Grill & Bar with friends from Westchester and ran into GIANFRANCO TRIPICCHIO ’00, his wife Kristen, and their young son Charles. The Pingry/Princeton soccer connection has been, and remains, strong.” Guy presented in the Engineering section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. He is the President of E.I. Associates, a full-service, multi-disciplined architecture, engineering, and construction management firm. He is on the Board of Overseers of the National Urban Squash and Educational Associations, has served as the president of the Friends of Princeton Soccer, and is an active supporter of St. John’s R.C. Church in Newark.
MARK HOLTZMAN, a 1980 graduate of Lafayette College, was able to use his position as Executive Director of Non-Baseball Events for the New York Yankees to help bring “Rivalry 150” to Yankee Stadium on November 22. “Rivalry 150” was the 150th Lehigh-Lafayette football game, and the 50,000-seat stadium sold out for the event. Mark grew up in Hillside as a Yankees fan, partly because his neighbor was Phil Rizzuto, and has spent his career in sports and athletics management. He has managed athletes such as Michael Jordan and Jimmy Connors; run Reebok’s worldwide sports marketing; and worked for the NFL as Senior Vice President in charge of club marketing and consumer products. “Football’s been my life, sports have been in my life in general, and what we are doing with Lafayette and this event truly brings me full circle,” he said in an online article three days before “Rivalry 150.”
Charlie Stillitano, Jr. ’77, P ’14, ’17 (left) and Martin O’Connor ’77, P ’11, ’14 (center) met up with Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20 at the 2015 National Soccer Coaches Association of America Convention in Philadelphia in January. More recently, in March, Charlie was honored at the New York City Soccer Gala (formed by New York City’s Division I men’s soccer programs), which honors outstanding people from youth, amateur, collegiate, and professional soccer. Described on the gala web site as “one of the most influential soccer executives in the United States,” Charlie is Chairman of Relevent Sports, North America’s premier soccer marketing company. His extensive résumé also includes CEO of ChampionsWorld, Vice President and General Manager of the New York/New Jersey MetroStars of Major League Soccer, and Executive Director for the New York/New Jersey Venue at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Charlie also co-created and hosts “The Football Show,” a daily soccer show on SiriusXM. Attending the gala were Christian O’Donnell ‘10, Sean O’Donnell ‘75, P ‘05, ‘10, Mike Coughlin ‘90, and Brian O’Donnell ‘81.
1977
Guy Cipriano ’74, P ’06, ’08 with Gianfranco Tripicchio ’00 and Charles Tripicchio.
STEPHEN MCCARTHY presented in the Law section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. He has been practicing criminal law for 28 years and, for the past 17 years, has exclusively practiced Criminal Defense on both the state and federal levels in the New York area. Stephen lives with his wife and son in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
Stephen McCarthy ’77, Janine Tramontana ’85, and Matt Estabrook ’89 at Career Day. MAY 2015
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Alumni from the 1960s and 1970s met up for dinner this winter at Morris County Country Club. Front row: Sean O’Donnell ’75, P ’05, ’10, Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, Jonathan Shelby ’74, P ’08, ’11, ’19, and Frank DeLaney ’77, P ’12. Back row: Stuart Lederman ’78, Chuck Allan ’77, Doug Hiscano ’77, P ’08, ’11, Skot Koenig ’77, Guy Cipriano ’74, P ’06, ’08, Martin O’Connor ’77, P ’11, ’14, Jim Hoitsma ’75, Dr. John Boozan ’75, Peter Hiscano ’75, Tom Trynin ’79, Bruce Morrison ’64, David M. Fahey ’99, Steve Lipper ’79, P ’09, ’12, ’14, and Philip Haselton ’77, P ’12.
1980
DAVID PERLMUTTER, ROBERT KUSHEN, STEVE BARG, and DR. MARC NORMAN had dinner at stately Barg Manor and attended a David Bromberg concert at the Tarrytown Music Hall, as part of the regular meeting of the Pingry Aging Musician Appreciation Society. More recently, David presented in the Real Estate section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. He is the President of Perlmutter Properties Inc. and specializes in retail leasing and developing shopping centers in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. David is a board member for several organizations, including Chappaqua Farmers Market, Westchester UJA/Federation Business and Professional Board, and The Chappaqua Downtown Business Development Advisory Board. He lives in Chappaqua, New York with his wife Sara Kaplan and their four children.
1981
Rob Kushen ’80 and Graham Macmillan ’93 at Career Day. Michael Brody ’79 and David Perlmutter ’80 at Career Day.
1979 MICHAEL BRODY presented in the Real Estate section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. He has over 30 years of experience in commercial real estate, evenly divided between the capital markets and property sectors. Mike is a Senior Adviser with The Blackstone Group L.P., a New York Stock Exchange-listed entity, and an independent Trustee
of Granite REIT in Toronto. He is also an active investor in New Jersey office buildings via his participation in Garden State Office Properties, a partnership with the Bergman Real Estate Group. TOM TRYNIN, PHIL LOVETT, and MILLER BUGLIARI ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20 met for their annual holiday get-together. Conspicuously missing were CHRIS BARTLETT and LEIGHTON WELCH.
Tom Trynin ’79, Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, and Phil Lovett ’79. 52
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ROB KUSHEN presented in the Public Service section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. He is a Senior Advisor to the President of the Open Society Foundations, a network of charitable entities that work to build tolerant societies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people. Rob has been active in the areas of international law, human rights, and health development for 25 years.
DR. EDUARDO FERNANDEZ presented in the Medicine section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. He practices hematology and oncology in Burlington County and is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Robert Wood Johnson. Dr. Fernandez heads the Cancer Program at Lourdes,
The Class of ’79 met up for a holiday cocktail. Lots of fun had by all! Pictured are Larry Goldfarb, Jon Younghans, Tom Trynin, Genesia Perlmutter Kamen P ’11, ’13, Mike Brody, Adam Levinsohn, and Dan Kleinman. Dr. Chuck Connant was unable to attend.
David Perlmutter ’80, Dr. Marc Norman ’80, Rob Kushen ’80, and Steve Barg ’80.
works as a medical director for Compassionate Care Hospice, and has been a leader in the Boy Scouts of America in Burlington County for 14 years. Dr. Fernandez enjoyed catching up with FLAVIA CUMMINS as well.
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tical companies. Alison volunteers for First Book/KPMG Families for Literacy, and Family Promise of Union County. Alison lives in Mountainside, New Jersey with her husband and two children.
1983 JAMES GENSCH P ’83 writes, “Enjoyed first Alumni Ice Hockey Game with son CAMERON GENSCH ’13 and his classmates MAC HUGIN ’13 and JUSTIN GUMP ’13, and soccer friend TOM RUSEN ’89.”
1984
Laura Zinn Fromm ’82 with a flourless chocolate cake at Serenade in Chatham, New Jersey. She was celebrating her 50th birthday at a lunch with Allison Feman Haltmaier ’80 and other friends.
LAURA ZINN FROMM was profiled in The Item of Millburn and Short Hills (January 1). The article, “Turning one’s family troubles into truffles,” promoted her new book Sweet Survival: A Tale of Cooking and Coping, a collection of recipes related to challenges she has faced in her life. ALISON LITTLE presented in the Management Consulting section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. She is a Principal in the Advisory Services group of KPMG, where she leads the Life Sciences Transformation practice and is the lead relationship partner for two major pharmaceu-
Martin O’Connor ’77, P ’11, ’14, Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, Sir Alex Ferguson, Charlie Stillitano ’77, P ’14, ’17, and Jay Wood ’84.
JAY WOOD writes, “Greetings from Richmond, Virginia! This photo (top right) from January 17 features four Pingry soccer alumni and Sir Alex Ferguson (former manager of Manchester United): MARTIN O’CONNOR ’77, MILLER BUGLIARI ’52, Sir Alex Ferguson, CHARLIE STILLITANO ’77, and me. We were all attending the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Convention
Janine Tramontana ’85 with Stephen McCarthy ’77 at Career Day.
in Philly. As always, Miller travels in high circles—what fun to ride in on his coat-tails! I continue to teach Upper School English and coach varsity soccer at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond—my first job out of college—it’s been a great 27 years. My wife Hannah Lauck and I celebrated our 20th anniversary last summer. Our son Frost is a sophomore at St. Chris; our daughter Addie is an eighth-grade student at St. Catherine’s. Last summer, President Obama elevated Hannah
Alison Little ’82 and Andy Pasternak ’89 at Career Day.
from her position as a U.S. Magistrate Judge (nine years) to the presidential appointment as U.S. District Judge—both judgeships here in Richmond. Would love to catch up with Pingry classmates or alumni passing through Richmond.”
1985 JANINE TRAMONTANA presented in the Law section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. She is Counsel and Vice President at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where she provides legal coverage to the Financial Institution Supervision Group and the Markets Group. NED WARD presented in the Marketing section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day via a skype session! He is the owner of NW Associates and specializes in marketing, promotional partnerships, and entertainment applications to licensed products. Ned is the class secretary for Dartmouth’s Class of 1989 and volunteers as a Dartmouth College Alumni Interviewer to interview prospective students. MAY 2015
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1986 BOYCE BUGLIARI was a nominee for best writing in the “Children’s Script” category in the 2015 Writers Guild Awards. He was nominated with Jamie McLaughlin for the episode Haunted Sisters on Nickelodeon’s The Haunted Hathaways.
1987
Members of the Class of 1984 showed up at B.B. King’s in New York City on March 28 to see Dr. Anthony Clapcich’s band “The Prescriptions” and guest Lisa Loeb host a benefit for Anthony’s nephew’s charity. Pictured are Betsy (Lucas) Vreeland P ’11, ’12, ’15, Edie (McLaughlin) Nussbaumer P ’18, ’21, Dr. Mike Nitabach, Martha (Ryan) Graff P ’15, ’17, ’20, Conor Mullett, Howard Herman, Marie Deasy, Joanne Steinhardt P ’15, and Dave Jahns.
Dear Pingry Friends, I would like to thank you for the tremendous love and support that you have given my family and me over the years—and, most recently, in helping our foundation, The Michael Clapcich Fund for CblC Research, achieve its most successful benefit concert to-date. Thirty-four years ago, my family had never even heard of Pingry, so you can imagine the shock and surprise we experienced when Mr. Bugliari rang our doorbell for the first time. I was scared, skeptical, and confused, but, after consulting with my brother Bob (who was away at college) on the phone, he advised, “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, this is a no-brainer, of course you’re going to go!” Indeed, he was correct: going to Pingry was the opportunity of a lifetime. Pingry changed my life. It was, and remains, an excellent school, which gave me a strong foundation in the liberal arts, but it was the Pingry community that always served as a source of pride and friendship. We all graduated, pursued careers, started new families—but we were always able to keep in touch with our peers. And when one of our own needed help, the Big Blue Alumni came roaring in to lend a hand. This time, it wasn’t even a former alumnus who needed help—it was my brother’s son, Michael Clapcich. As many of you know, my nephew Michael was born with CblC Deficiency, a very rare disorder of cobalamin (Vitamin B12) metabolism that results in developmental delay, seizure disorders, failure to thrive, cardiovascular disease, and blindness from “salt and pepper” degeneration of the retinas. Because CblC Deficiency is so rare (fewer than 100 individuals in the U.S.), it is considered an “Orphan Disease,” and research about this illness lags far behind other major areas due to a combination of technological and funding limitations. Thus, our family started Michael’s Fund (www.michaelsfund.org) to promote research, help develop treatments, and provide support for patients diagnosed with rare inherited disorders of cobalamin metabolism. All donations are used to support highly-trained personnel for CblC-specific research in the laboratory of Dr. Charles Venditti, Head of Organic Acid Research at the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health, and one of the world’s premier authorities in CblC Deficiency. Over the years, our band The Prescriptions has raised over $75,000 for Michael’s Fund via benefit concerts. On March 28, we were set to play with Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb at the world famous B.B. King’s Blues Club in New York City—thrilling, nerve-wracking, and inspiring all at the same time. Here’s where my Pingry friends kicked into gear! RON GROSS, one of my best friends at Pingry (and fellow Ernie Shawcross devotee), immediately offered me advice, guidance, and assistance. His generosity has no bounds, and he was instrumental in assuring that Lisa Loeb and her entire family were comfortable while in New York. PROFESSOR MIKE NITABACH, busy with his own research lab at Yale, quickly joined forces and rounded up the troops. Soon, the entire Herman family (HOWARD ’84, MIKE ’87, Dr. & Mrs.), JOANNE STEINHARDT, BETSY (LUCAS) VREELAND, MARTHA (RYAN) GRAFF, EDIE (MCLAUGHLIN) NUSSBAUMER, CONOR MULLETT, DAVE JAHNS, MARIA DEASY, and the ever-present MR. BUGLIARI were there to support Michael and Dr. Venditti. MIKE PIZZI ’88 also joined the Big Blue wave of donors, and, all told, Pingry alumni were responsible for raising over $10,000 of the roughly $55,000 raised for Dr. Venditti’s lab—every dollar going toward the salary of a CblC-specific researcher. I am stunned and humbled by the generosity and support offered by my fellow Pingry alumni, and I am truly blessed to call you my friends. On behalf of my nephew Michael and the entire Clapcich family, please let me again say “THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!” - ANTHONY CLAPCICH ’84
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TODD FORREST presented in the Non-Profit Management section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. He is the Arthur Ross Vice President for Horticulture and Living Collections at The New York Botanical Garden, and leads all programs and activities of the Garden’s Horticulture division.
1988
KEN BLAU presented in the Entrepreneurship section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. He is Principal of Blau Office Furniture LLC, a company he started in 2013 after 20 years working on Wall Street. Ken is responsible for finance, administration, and infrastructure at Blau Office, and shared with students his experiences working there and at his prior firms.
Seeking Treatment for Hypophosphatasia, a Rare Bone Disease DEBORAH NETTUNE SITTIG ’88 was honored last fall as one of the “Top 25 Leading Women Entrepreneurs of New Jersey” and received the Boy Scouts of America’s “Woman of the Year Award.” An entrepreneur in her career and her service to the community, Deborah co-founded Green Room Communications, specializing in public relations and media strategy for the healthcare industry, and she is Founder and President of Soft Bones: The US Hypophosphatasia Foundation. Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a rare, inherited metabolic bone disease that affected her son Cannon at the age of 18 months and has no treatment (Cannon is now 9 years old, and Deborah also has an older daughter and a younger son). Leading Women Entrepreneurs evaluated its finalists on innovation (the ability to bring an idea to fruition and grow something that did not exist), market potential (the company’s “big picture”), advocacy for women, and community involvement. Boy Scouts of America honored Deborah for “dedication to improving the lives of others in the community.” Deborah relates that Cannon did not walk or roll over at the appropriate ages, and physical therapy did not help. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia thought he had Rickets (Vitamin D or Calcium deficiency), but lab results indicated that was not the case. Through her own research, Deborah figured out the problem, and a doctor confirmed that it was, indeed, HPP because Cannon’s body had low levels of an enzyme needed for bone mineralization.
Deborah Nettune Sittig ’88 with her family at the Boy Scouts of America’s “An Evening in Venice” at Trump National Golf Club on October 24. Back row: father Roger Nettune, fiancé Jason Fowler, and stepmother Donna Nettune. Front row: daughter Gracie Sittig and son Cannon Sittig.
Speaking about Soft Bones, launched in 2006, Deborah says she needed to start a patient community to raise awareness for HPP. She also found a group of doctors who could validate information. “Through my background in entrepreneurship and journalism, I realized that there were too many unanswered questions,” she says. As part of her work with Soft Bones, Deborah has lobbied in front of New Jersey State Representatives for education and investing. Scientists are trying to find a potential treatment for HPP, and Soft Bones gives one doctor a research grant every year.
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Day. Andy, who has nearly 20 years of management consulting experience, is a partner in Bain & Company’s Chicago Office, where he focuses on the biopharmaceutical and medical technology sectors.
CHRIS BENDER writes, “Excited to have gotten to know JEREMY TEICHER ’06 last year and get involved with Tracktown while producing Vacation in Atlanta last fall. His first film Tall as the Baobab Tree showed what an ambitious filmmaker he is, and Tracktown will combine his ability to artfully meld reality with fiction in a similar way.”
1990 and Exchange Commission, where he investigates and brings cases against individuals and companies that violate the federal securities laws. Matt enjoyed seeing many of his classmates during his visit to campus, including CHIP KORN, GRETCHEN (WEISS) OATMAN, ANDY PASTERNAK, and LEE MURNICK.
Chris Bender ’89 promoting Tracktown while on the set of Vacation.
MATT ESTABROOK presented in the Law session for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. He is Senior Counsel in the Division of Enforcement at the U.S. Securities
LEE MURNICK presented in the Real Estate section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. She is a Vice President at Murnick Property Group and, along with her brother JAY MURNICK ’93, manages the day-to-day operations of residential apartment buildings throughout New Jersey. Lee is a member of the National Young Leadership Cabinet of Jewish
Federations of North America, a member for various boards of Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, and a National Trustee of National Jewish Health.
DR. BENJAMIN J. POCOCK married James E. Schneider on October 18 in New York City. Ben is a breast cancer surgeon at Mt. Sinaiaffiliated Elmhurst Hospital. Jim, from Cincinnati, Ohio, is a stock analyst at Goldman Sachs.
ANDY PASTERNAK presented in the Management Consulting section for Pingry’s 2015 Career
Benjamin J. Pocock ’90 and James E. Schneider. MAY 2015
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home in North Bethesda, Maryland. Randy is Chair of Robotic Surgery at Holy Cross Hospital and a partner at Capital Women’s Care. He is also an Assistant Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The George Washington University. Off Season by Kevin Korn ’94—Limited edition gallery print of a south shore beach access road on Nantucket.
DEAN CHRISTAKOS presented in the Technology section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. He is Vice President for Technology Risk at Goldman Sachs, where he works in the Surveillance Analytics Group. His projects involve using artificial intelligence methods to find unusual patterns in behavior, as well as creating tools that improve security for existing data.
drive economic and social impact with clients and other key stakeholders while contributing to Citi’s broader Citizenship reporting requirements.
and represents his photography along with works by 18 painters whom she also represents. Kevin writes, “It’s a great venue for my work because my photography sits in the gallery with some very accomplished painters whom I greatly admire.” Ralph Lauren also exhibited an exclusive collection of Kevin’s photographs in their Nantucket store—18 photographs that are focused on snow-covered island landscapes. To see his gallery prints and learn more, visit www.kevinkorn.com/galleryprints.
Savannah Joy Ulz.
DR. GAUTAM MALHOTRA presented in the Applied Science section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. He works full-time in the NJ VA Healthcare system, where he is honored to serve veterans on a daily basis. Gautam is triple boardcertified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Neuromuscular medicine, and Electrodiagnostic medicine. He lives in Watchung with his wife Monica and their two daughters.
1993 GRAHAM MACMILLAN presented in the Public Service section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. He is Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Partnerships at Citi, responsible for working with Citi businesses to 56
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Mary (Moan) Swanson ’93 met up with Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse Head Coach Mike Webster P ’24, ’27 when the boys’ lacrosse team was in Florida for its annual Spring Break trip. Head Coach of the women’s golf team at Bradley University, Mary was at the same resort at the time because her team was competing in a tournament.
1994 Nantucket’s East End Gallery and the AAN (Artists Association of Nantucket) Gallery are exhibiting the photography of KEVIN KORN indefinitely. He was accepted into the AAN in the spring of 2014, which allows him to exhibit his work in their gallery and participate in their mission of fostering the growth of visual arts on Nantucket. The East End Gallery is a privately-owned art gallery on historic Old North Wharf. After Kevin met the owner in the spring of 2014, she invited him to exhibit his work in her gallery as the sole photographer, so she now exhibits
REBECCA ALDEN FROST ULZ, MICHAEL ERIC ULZ ’93, and their daughter Taylor are happy to announce the birth of Savannah Joy Ulz on November 4.
1995 DR. RANDY LIZARDO and his wife Kimberly ran their first halfmarathon in Disneyland this year. They also moved to their first
Dr. Randy Lizardo ’95 and his wife Kimberly at their first half-marathon.
Harley and Ben Margolis.
DAVID MARGOLIS and his wife Michelle are happy to announce the birth of their son Harley on December 15. He joins big brother Ben. GWYNETH K. MURRAY-NOLAN, ESQ. was promoted to Senior Counsel at the law firm of Braff, Harris, Sukoneck & Moloof. She and her husband John Forsman are greatly enjoying their toddler J.P. Forsman (born on March 15, 2013) and are expecting another boy in spring 2015. CELINA DE SOLA writes, “Over the past two or three years, I have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to speak at different conferences about my work in humanitarian aid and as one of the founders of a Central American non-profit social enterprise. I am often asked how and why I got involved in this kind of work, and my mind immediately jumps to Middle School, from 1989-1991. Reflecting on events throughout my life, and decisions I made, I can honestly say that my experiences at Pingry played a profound role in shaping who I am today and what I do. When I was in Grade 7, DONNA STONE asked my English class to read Self-Reliance and Walden. The discussions resonated with me, particularly the emphasis on trusting your instincts, doing what you know is right, and the importance of independence and self-worth. Mrs. Stone also ran the Middle School Community Service program and recruited me to volunteer and help get more students involved. AL ROMANO also left a footprint in my life by building students’ self-esteem,
over the years, he has also written features for Weatherwise magazine. The most recent article, about the National Weather Service’s new High-Resolution Rapid Refresh forecast model, was published this spring.
Clara and Will Taylor. Celina de Sola.
integrity, and honesty. When I was 13, my family decided to move back to El Salvador. After seven years at Pingry, I had a stronger sense of self and a recently-discovered passion for trying to impact the world. After finishing high school in El Salvador, I returned to the U.S. and got a B.A. and an M.S.W. (UPenn ’99, ’00), then spent six years as a humanitarian aid worker responding to natural disasters and conflict zones around the world, and returned to academia for an M.P.H. (Harvard ’06). In 2007, my husband and I decided to move to El Salvador, where we felt we could leverage our combined experiences and networks, and started Glasswing International (www.glasswing.org), an innovative non-profit organization. Glasswing addresses the root causes of poverty and violence in Central America—a region with the world’s highest rates of homicide and violence—through public education and health programs that are powered largely by volunteers, and provide youth with hope and opportunities to thrive. What started as a three-person organization in 2007 has grown into a 170-person regional non-profit with offices in six Central American countries, and projects throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Glasswing has directly impacted over half a million people, mobilizing 65,000 volunteers, providing after-school programs to over 20,000 children, and completing ‘extreme makeovers’ in over 600 public schools. Through partnerships with businesses and the public sector, over $17 million have been invested in public schools, health clinics, and communities throughout the region, consistently maintaining an overhead of less than 5%. Glasswing’s model provides long-term sustainable solutions. This year, Glasswing is proudly celebrating its acceptance as a member of the Clinton Global Initiative.”
JEN TAYLOR presented in the Performing Arts section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. She has had an extensive performing arts career, most recently performing in the Broadway revival of Elf: The Musical, Disney’s Mary Poppins, and the Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of The Apple Tree. Jen lives in Maplewood with her husband Mark and their newborn twins (Will and Clara, born on September 19). Jen volunteers her time with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and The Actors Fund.
1997 DR. ALEXANDRA BRAUNSTEIN presented in the Medicine section of Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. Alexandra is a board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in plastic, cosmetic, and reconstructive surgery of the brow, eyelids, and lacrimal system in both adults and children. She is also an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Columbia University.
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1996
AMY RUTH (BARR) FINEGOLD presented in the Entrepreneurship section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. She created Amy Ruth’s Baking
Mixes for gluten-, dairy-, and sugarfree treats, and has published two cookbooks internationally: Super Grains & Seeds: Wholesome Ways to Enjoy Super Foods Every Day and For the Love of Oats: Delicious Recipes for Healthy Breakfasts, Snacks and Drinks Using Oatmeal. Amy Ruth was recently elected to the Trustees’ Council of Penn Women.
1999 KRIS BERTSCH is a new assistant coach for the University of Louisville Men’s Soccer Team, the Louisville Cardinals. He spent five years at Xavier University, including three as Associate Head Coach, was twice named one of the top 15 Division I men’s soccer assistant coaches in the country, and was part of the 2014 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. Among the highlights of his tenure, Kris helped guide Xavier to five consecutive 10-plus win seasons, and the team won 61 matches, made four NCAA Championship appearances, and advanced to the round of 16 last year. The team was also included in the NSCAA Top 10 national rankings in 2012 and 2014, and the Top 25 from 2011-2014. Xavier Soccer earned the highest team grade point average for a private school in Division I, and the third highest over all divisions. Prior to joining Xavier, Kris was an assistant coach at Syracuse University and served as Director of Soccer Operations at the University of Connecticut.
DANIEL PINCUS presented on Engineering for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. He works with The Quantic Group as a consultant to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries on matters of product development, manufacture, and quality. He volunteers as a board director of MuslimJewish Conference and American Friends of Beit Hatfutsot, and as a board member of American Jewish Committee and Decadancetheatre all-female hip-hop dance company. GREG WAXBERG profiled internationally-renowned opera singer Sherrill Milnes in a cover story in the January issue of Classical Singer magazine. It was Greg’s fifth cover story for the magazine. Among other freelance projects
David Bugliari ’97, Bradley Cooper’s agent, met up with him, Clint Eastwood, and his father Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20 in Morocco, where Mr. Eastwood and Mr. Cooper were filming American Sniper.
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Chloe and Elodie Conlon.
FRANCESCA (LILOIA) CONLON and her husband Toby welcomed their second daughter Chloe Elizabeth on February 21, 2014. Big sister Elodie is thrilled! CAROLINE DIEMAR presented in the Psychology section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. She is the Coordinator of the South Central Child Advocacy Center and the New Haven Multidisciplinary Team, where she provides oversight of the interagency coordination in case management of child sexual and severe physical abuse cases. Caroline is the Board Chair for Girls on the Run of Greater New Haven, a transformational afterschool program. DR. ALEXA GALE presented in the Medicine section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. She is an emergency room doctor of Emergency Medicine Associates, P.A., P.C. in a small community hospital south of Washington, D.C. In March, Alexa became an attending physician with MedStar Physicians at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, a level-one trauma center in Washington, D.C. She is married to MICHAEL RENDA ’00, an Energy Trader for RTO Energy Trading. DEVON GRAHAM presented in the Media section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. She is an Executive Producer for A&E Television and
has experience in production, development, freelance, and network staff positions. While at A&E, Devon has produced several series, including the Emmy-nominated Wahlburgers. Devon volunteers her time with Student Sponsor Partners (SSP), where she mentors and sponsors one high school student in the Bronx. LINDSAY HOLMES is happy to announce the birth of her son Bowie Israel Glogower on November 23 at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. The proud parents and little Bowie are all doing great!
Bowie Israel Glogower.
ADAM SCHAYOWITZ and his wife Alexis Schayowitz are happy to announce the birth of their daughter Landyn Diane Schayowitz on October 12.
Landyn Diane Schayowitz.
2000 ELLIOT DESANTO married Erin McElhone on September 27 at The Ashford Estate in Allentown, New Jersey. They celebrated with family, friends, and fellow alumni. Elliot and Erin moved from Philadelphia, where Elliot received an M.B.A. from The Wharton School, to New York City, where they live with their puppy Bowser.
Caroline Diemar ’99 and Dr. Abigail Merin ’00 at Career Day.
Dr. Alexa Gale ’99 and Dr. Alexandra Braunstein ’97 at Career Day.
DR. LAUREN KOVACS presented in the Medicine section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. She is an OB/GYN Physician at a private practice where she enjoys all aspects of her work, especially delivering babies and performing surgeries, including laparoscopic and robotic surgeries. Lauren is an active Lehigh alumna and lives in Essex Fells with her husband. BRIAN KRAWITZ and Brooke Martin got engaged on November 25. The two are planning to marry on June 6, 2015, in Boca Raton, Florida.
Front row: Gianfranco Tripicchio ’00, Meghan DeSanto ’03, Elliot DeSanto ’00, Erin McElhone, and Keith Castaldo ’00. Back row: Scott Buell ’00, Peter duBusc ’00, Brian Neaman ’00, Brian Krawitz ’00, Gordon Hunt ’00, Jacob Wolkowitz ’00, Christian Wilkinson ’00, Richard S. Brunhouse III ’00, Allie (Manly) Brunhouse ’00, and Jeffrey Hiller ’00. 58
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DR. ABIGAIL MERIN presented in the Psychology section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. A New York Statelicensed psychologist, she has a private practice in Manhattan, primarily working with individuals and couples who are dealing with various mood management and emotion regulation difficulties, substance use problems, and interpersonal struggles.
fantastic weather. Catherine, who earned an M.P.A. at Columbia University in 2012, and Scott, who will earn an M.B.A. at Columbia Business School in 2015, live in New York City.
Elle Jordan Silverstrom.
ALLISON WEINSTEIN and DR. GARY SILVERSTROM announce the birth of their daughter Elle Jordan Silverstrom on October 3.
2001
MARY SARRO-WAITE presented in the Media section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. She is the Head of Digital Sales Planning for Entertainment Weekly, a magazine published by Time Inc. that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular culture. Mary lives in Hoboken with her husband and two children.
LAUREN NEAMAN married Mike Wilkos on November 1 at the Pleasantdale Chateau in West Orange, New Jersey. In the wedding party were BRIAN NEAMAN ’00 and ELIZABETH DONNE. They celebrated with friends and other alumni KEITH CASTALDO ’00, ALEXIS FERSHING ’01, MARISA FERSHING, and ASHLEY COHEN.
2005 DAVID ISRAEL writes, “I was named one of Hotel Management’s ‘Thirty Under 30’ in the hospitality industry.”
2003
LAUREN (ANDERSON) HOLLAND and ANDREW HOLLAND are happy to announce the birth of their daughter Ellie on December 31. She weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces.
ELIZABETH DONNE married Matthew Noumoff on January 10 in West Orange, New Jersey. In the wedding party were Elizabeth’s sister CATHERINE DONNE ’05 and EMILY NILSEN ’15. They celebrated with friends and other alumni including LAUREN NEAMAN, BRIDGET HARRISON ’15, and GABRIELLE STERN ’15.
CLARE (KELLY) PLUNKETT and her husband Steven are happy to announce the birth of their first child, Emma, on June 13 at 4:22 p.m., weighing 6 pounds, 7 ounces. Mum and dad are madly in love with their sweet baby girl and enjoying life in Toronto!
2004
GREGORY MORGANOFF and Larissa Taff got engaged on December 20. The two are planning to marry in December 2015. Gregory just finished an M.B.A. and master’s degree, while Larissa is a teacher in the Barnegat school system. CATHERINE PACK joyfully married Scott Schechter at the New York Athletic Club on May 31 in New York City. They celebrated the weekend with their loving families, wonderful friends, and the
Emma Plunkett.
Maggie O’Toole ’05 and Caraline Sogliuzzo ’05 at Career Day.
MAGGIE O’TOOLE presented in the Visual Arts section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. She is a set designer and producer for print, film, television, and web content in New York City, and her work can be seen in Glamour, Marie Claire, and Interview, and on Netflix. Maggie is a board member for Pingry’s Alumni Association, a member of the Princeton Alumni Giving Committee, and a mentor for CitySquash. WILL MUNGER attended Pingry’s New York City Reception and was looking forward to ’05’s 10-year Reunion this spring.
Lauren Neaman ’03 and Mike Wilkos.
David Kotch ’99, Ronald Pack, Jr. ’99, Robert Kao ’99, Tai DiMaio ’06, Scott Schechter (Horace Mann), Catherine Pack ’01, Emma Harvey Giamartino ’01, Elan DiMaio ’03, Pailin Nitibhon ’03, Helen Armide ’02, and Dr. Kristin Hudacek ’01.
TREVOR DARDIK married Kiley Bennett on June 14 at the Inn at Rancho Sante Fe in Rancho Santa Fe, California. JEFF RAMIREZ was profiled in Bethesda Magazine in December for his work as brewmaster at Denizens Brewing Co. in Silver Spring. He is also co-owner with two other business partners. Jeff creates Denizens’ beers with the help of two assistant brewers, working at the 15-barrell facility that can produce 2,200 barrels of beer every year. Prior to Denizens, Jeff worked for the specialty beer program at Mountain Sun in Colorado and at Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurants.
CARALINE SOGLIUZZO presented in the Visual Arts section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day alongside MAGGIE O’TOOLE. Caraline was representing arts and theater advertising, as she works for SpotCo, the leading arts agency in New York City.
2006 PETER CIPRIANO, representing the New York Racquet and Tennis Club, and his partner Christian Portz, World No. 7 representing The Queen’s Club, London, won the 113th Gold Racquets doubles racquets championship on February 15. The Gold Racquets Tournament is hosted annually by The Tuxedo Club in Tuxedo Park, New York. They defeated World No. 4 Tom Billings, also of The Queen’s Club, London, and Graham Bayley of the Chicago Racquet & Fitness Club. MAY 2015
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starving cancer cells of key nutrients. Craig volunteers as a dog handler for Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals and volunteers at animal adoption events.
2008 PATRICK TROUSDALE and BROOKE CONTI ’09 got engaged in November. The two are planning to marry in June 2016. KELLY PEELER presented in the Entrepreneurship section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. She is Founder & CEO of NextGenVest, a New York City start-up that is helping students manage their money and prepare for college with life skills. Kelly is also the Founder of Business Across Borders, a nonprofit that helps Iraqi students start their own companies.
Chris Collins ’05 and Jeremy Teicher ’06 on the set of Tracktown.
JEREMY TEICHER writes, “My movie Tall as the Baobab Tree continues to find an exciting life outside of the film festival circuit. The global television network TV5Monde featured Baobab as one of its special programs, broadcasting the film several times to 12 million households and 40,000 hotels across 48 countries. Baobab was translated into Chinese for airing on the Sundance Channel in China. The film continues to be available on DVD, Netflix, iTunes, and other online platforms across the world. Another awesome development has been the growing use of Baobab as an educational tool. From Iowa State to Georgetown to the Vancouver Public Library, educational institutions have been licensing Baobab for their collections. More recently, I’ve co-directed and co-written my second feature film, Tracktown (look for it on social media), with Baobab co-writer, fellow Dartmouth grad, and professional runner Alexi Pappas. Pingry had a strong presence on set: CHRIS BENDER ’89 is an Executive Producer, and CHRIS COLLINS ’05 was our director of photography. Tracktown blends fiction with reality—the story takes place in the world of professional distance running and was shot on location in Eugene, Oregon. We are now in post-production. It has been fun to see excitement growing about the project, as evidenced by two Runner’s World magazine articles published during production.
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Throughout it all, we’ve been very lucky to have the support of the Sundance Institute Creative Producing Fellowship and the San Francisco Film Society/KRF Producer Initiative. Another cool note about Tracktown is that Rachel Dratch (SNL) and Andy Buckley (The Office) are two of our more well-known actors!”
2009 BROOKE CONTI presented in the Applied Science section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. She is a second-year Graduate fellow pursuing a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences at Rockefeller University. Her passion lies at the intersection of basic and clinical science, where she hopes to use her knowledge of molecular and cellular sciences to create new technologies and therapeutics that may be translated to the patient’s bedside. Brooke has served as a mentor in the Summer Science Research Program at Rockefeller University, introducing high school students to research and hands-on bench work.
2010
Laura Castle and Anthony Lucas Marchigiano ’07.
ANTHONY LUCAS MARCHIGIANO married his longtime love Laura Castle on September 6 at the Allen Sheep Farm on Martha’s Vineyard. His brother JUSTIN MARCHIGIANO ’10 was Best Man.
BETH GARCIA presented in the Education section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. Beth is an eighthgrade English teacher at Uncommon Schools’ North Star Academy, a charter school in Newark. While in college, Beth was actively involved in teaching and tutoring middle school students in under-served communities. NIC MEIRING writes, “I had an awesome time playing in the Alumni Ice Hockey Game. I’m a senior at Duke.”
CHRISTIAN O’DONNELL presented in the Sports Management section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. He is an Executive Assistant and a member of Team Services at Relevant Sports, a professional soccer promotional company for all soccer matches across the United States. Christian handles the organization of professional teams’ logistics when they are in the United States.
2011 AYANA KAREEM writes, “Pingry gave me a wonderful education that I can definitely appreciate with four years of college under my belt.” ARIANA KING writes, “Finished my senior year at Mount Holyoke and applied for teaching positions. Working on a thesis on education policy in New Jersey.” HARRISON YU writes, “Here is a brief update on my last winter quarter at UChicago! MODA’s 2015 Spring Fashion Show was my lastever show. It saddens me greatly to have finished, but I am so proud to see how much my team and I have improved MODA; how much my Designer Boot Camp program has grown; and my personal growth as a designer. A history of my designs can be found at harrison-j-yu.blogspot.com. My Alumni Outreach Division for the Student Alumni Committee launched the first-ever Leadership Dinner. We invited top student leaders and paired them with the most engaged Chicago-area UChicago alumni. Our aim was to foster a philanthropic spirit among these students, as they will be the next vanguards for UChicago’s future. I am excited to announce that I will
BEN OAKES is a second-year graduate student in the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, working on one of the most promising technologies in the field of genome therapy. Read more on page 37. CRAIG RAMIREZ presented in the Applied Science section for Pingry’s 2015 Career Day. He is pursuing a Ph.D. at New York University Langone Medical Center, where he studies cancer cell metabolism with a goal of
Brooke Conti ’09 and Craig Ramirez ’07 at Career Day.
active at Babson College and pursuing an accounting concentration. Good times!” MAX GOTTLIEB, who spent two gap years after Pingry playing junior hockey in Alberta, Canada and Bloomington, Illinois, will enter Brown University in the fall of 2015 and play on their D-1 hockey team.
Harrison Yu ’11 with University of Chicago students, modeling some of his latest designs.
be working with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in their finance and strategy rotational program starting in mid-July. You may not know this, but cars have been a passion that I have loved more than anything in this world. I am very excited for my next adventure there!”
2012 CAROLINE DREYFUSS spent a semester abroad at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) and had a wonderful time. KEVIN FISCHER played in a lacrosse tournament for the Shanghai Team in Singapore. He is a junior at Wake Forest University and plays for their lacrosse team. Read more on page 33.
2013 MICHAEL ARROM performed on FOX-TV’s Glee in February (read more on page 36). He writes, “I also recently had a fun excuse to reconnect with MS. DAVLIN, my former Pingry English teacher. Her reading list for freshmen English included a short story called “Greasy Lake” by T.C. Boyle. The story was inspired by Bruce Springsteen’s song “Spirits in the Night.” Professor Boyle gave a book reading here at USC, and I was invited to play “Spirits in the Night” for him during his lecture. It was exciting to meet an author I had learned about at Pingry and to play the song which inspired his story.”
A jungle-themed mural designed by Tim Lee ’11 and other volunteers for the Kids’ Room at the Rittenhouse Hospice Center of Penn Medicine.
TIM LEE ’11 spoke at the 9th annual Night of Hopes and Dreams on March 6. The event is sponsored by Bryan’s Dream Foundation, a nonprofit established in the memory of Bryan Opremcak and devoted to providing support to children with brain tumors. Bryan’s parents invited Tim to serve as guest speaker when he reconnected with them last summer through email. At that time, Tim shared a story from an afternoon in the fall of 2005, just a few weeks before Bryan’s passing, when he and a group of friends gathered to spend the day with Bryan. On that occasion, the boys entertained Bryan by pretending to be knights in armor, battling to determine who was worthy to be his best friend. Seeing the antics, Bryan smiled “from ear to ear,” and Tim reflects, “To this day there has yet to be a more genuine smile than Bryan’s.” In addition to studying pre-med at the University of Pennsylvania, Tim works in the Child Bereavement Program and in Hospice at Penn Medicine. Recently, he led a volunteer project to re-vitalize the Kids’ Room at the Rittenhouse Hospice Center of Penn Medicine, which is a space reserved for children who have relatives in hospice care. As part of the revitalization, Tim and his team designed and implemented a jungle-themed mural. For this extensive project, Tim drew on his childhood friendship with Bryan as a source of inspiration and motivation. He offers, “What I do is inextricably connected to Bryan, and everything I have done has been informed by Bryan’s passing. He’s as much of a part of this project as any of the volunteers.” Tim also placed blankets from the Bryan’s Dream Foundation at the Kids’ Room at Penn Medicine and at other Philadelphia organizations. Tim began volunteering as a mural artist for public projects in Philadelphia two years ago because “creating art in public spaces connects me with the city of Philadelphia. It gives me a strong sense of place that provides a context for the work I do in medicine, allowing me to be more holistic in my approach and to see the whole person rather than simply the disease.” Tim learned his mural skills while working with Benjamin Volker, a prominent mural artist in Philadelphia.
ANDRAS DEAK is a rising junior at Syracuse University. CAMERON GENSCH writes, “Enjoyed the company of JUSTIN GUMP, MAC HUGIN, ANDY DELLAPINA, and STEPHEN FRIEDMAN at the Alumni Ice Hockey Game. Staying
Current Princeton students got a chance to catch up with visiting Pingry faculty in February. Pictured are Rabia Khan ’14, math and economics teacher Kelle Leonhard, Ed Xiao ’12, Math Department Chair Brad Poprik, and Upper School Director Dr. Denise Brown-Allen P ’13.
JACK MCCAFFERY was one of 100 Hamilton College students who participated in the college’s 22nd annual Alternative Spring Break, volunteering in 10 locations in the eastern and southeastern United States. The program is intended to increase students’ awareness of and concern for social issues while generating a lifelong interest in community service. Jack volunteered for a Hurricane Sandy relief program operated by The Reformed Church of Highland Park. He writes, “Since bulldozing properties can cost up to $20,000— sometimes up to 1/5 of the insurance money collected by homeowners!—the crew I worked with demolished houses and saved the material for use during reconstruction. The foundations will be destroyed and rebuilt, and the houses will be reconstructed.”
2014 TANAY GUPTA writes, “Even being all the way in the middle of the Midwest at U of I, I have found myself constantly in touch with Pingry: whether through updating myself about our soccer team, talking to Pingry ’14 grads around the country, or receiving the emails and care packages the School has sent us. I am eager to see where else I find Pingry manifest itself over the coming years!”
RABIA KHAN enjoyed seeing her former teachers at Princeton in February. She even took a “selfie” with Upper School Director DR. DENISE BROWN-ALLEN P ’13 and math and economics teacher KELLE LEONHARD. ISABEL KIM writes, “Enjoyed freshman year at UPenn. :)” MAY 2015
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In Memoriam John C. Whitehead
February 7, 2015, age 92, New York, N.Y.
Mr. Whitehead, a Pingry trustee from 1968-1979 and an Honorary Trustee since 1981, majored in Economics at Haverford College and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, commanding a landing craft at Omaha Beach on D-Day. After the war, he taught naval accounting at Harvard Business School, where he also earned an M.B.A. with distinction. Mr. Whitehead was the only person hired by Goldman Sachs in 1947 and was a member of the bond-buying team. He was named Partner in 1956 and drafted 12 business principles that emphasize professionalism, teamwork, dedication, and ethics, among other qualities. Mr. Whitehead became Co-Chairman with John L. Weinberg in 1976, and they turned Goldman into a global business. In 1985, President Reagan appointed Mr. Whitehead Deputy Secretary of State to work with Communist nations of Eastern Europe, offering trade and investment inducements in return for improvements in human rights. Mr. Whitehead received the Presidential Citizens Medal, which recognizes Americans who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens. When Mr. Whitehead was nearly 80 years old, New York Governor George E. Pataki appointed him Chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which is rebuilding the site of the World Trade Center and revitalizing downtown Manhattan. Mr. Whitehead also held leadership positions with The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Brookings Institution, Federal Reserve Bank of New York (Chairman of the Board from 19952000), Haverford College (Chairman of the Board of Managers from 1972-82), National Gallery of Art, The Nature Conservancy, New York Stock Exchange, and many other institutions. He was also Founding Chairman of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. Mr. Whitehead’s autobiography is A Life in Leadership: From D-Day to Ground Zero (2005). Survivors include his wife, the former Cynthia Matthews; daughters Anne and Sarah; son J. Gregory ’73; two granddaughters; seven stepchildren; and 18 step-grandchildren. Photo Credit: Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times
Dr. Thomas C. Wickenden ’38 January 25, 2015, age 94, Freeville, N.Y.
Dr. Wickenden graduated from Amherst College and the Columbia Presbyterian College of Physicians and Surgeons. He served in the U.S. Army, practiced anesthesiology, first in Hyde Park, New York and then at Overlook Hospital 62
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in New Jersey, and then worked at the University of Florida’s College of Medicine. He was predeceased by his wife of 68 years, Jean. Survivors include his three children, Elizabeth, Michael ’65, and Thomas ’62, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Alvan Alley ’45 June 16, 2014, age 88
He is survived by his wife Julia.
Dr. Carrington Marshall Lowe ’48 January 2, 2015, age 84, Chesterhill, Ohio
Dr. Lowe graduated from Princeton University and Princeton Seminary and received a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. He worked for the Veterans Administration and taught at Maryville College in Tennessee and University of California, Berkeley. Later in life, Dr. Lowe and his family moved to Chesterhill, where he was a crop, cattle, and tree farmer. Survivors include his wife Betty and sons David, Peter, and Stephen.
Gerald Hayes McGinley ’48
February 23, 2015, age 85, Hobe Sound, Fla.
Sigurd Field Emerson ’46 March 11, 2015, age 86, Brenham, Tex.
Mr. Emerson graduated from Rutgers University and worked at Chase Bank in New York before serving as a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force at Eglin AFB in Florida. He was associated with Dresser Industries and with Rotan Mosle as a stockbroker. Mr. Emerson was predeceased by his parents, sister Clarinda, and brother David. Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Jane; sons Sigurd, Jr., Peter, and Nelson; two grandchildren; brother John; and three sisters-in-law.
Edward L. Carey ’47 March 26, 2015, age 85, Jacksonville, Fla.
Mr. Carey attended Union Junior College, Colgate University, and Florida Southern University. He served in the U.S. Navy for eight years. Mr. Carey started his business career with New Jersey Bell and became Director of Sales for BellSouth. Survivors include his children Susan, Steven, and Jeanne; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Frederic R. Colie, Jr. ’47
September 16, 2012, age 83, Sarasota, Fla.
Mr. Colie attended Rutgers University and Syracuse University, majoring in animal husbandry and forest management. He served as a captain in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and was a decorated veteran. For most of his career, he was a regional sales manager for U.S. Borax and Chemical Company in California. Mr. Colie was formerly married to the artist Mary Spain before she succumbed to cancer. Survivors include his wife of over 27 years, Judith; daughters Caroline and Betsy; stepsons Frank, Stephen, and Joshua; two grandsons; and five step-granddaughters.
Mr. McGinley served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and received a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. While at Penn, he won the Class of 1915 Award for being the senior student-athlete who best exemplifies the spirit and tradition of Penn athletics, and he earned All-American honors in football. Mr. McGinley worked in investments, finishing his career as Senior Vice President at UBS. He served as a trustee for the New Community Foundation and Camp Tecumseh, and was a past member of the Millburn Board of Education and a former trustee of the Avon Old Farms School. Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Pat; children Pam, John, Helen, Gerald ’81, and Mark; brothers Edward and Rick; and 12 grandchildren.
Dr. Richard Allen Hartkopf ’49 January 13, 2015, age 83, Mountainside, N.J.
Dr. Hartkopf graduated from Kansas State University School of Veterinary Medicine with B.S. and D.V.M. degrees. He was a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps. In the early 1960s, he opened the Westfield Animal Hospital in Westfield, New Jersey. Dr. Hartkopf was a past president of the Metropolitan Veterinary Medical Association and the New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association and was elected to the Small Animal Hospital Veterinary Association, where he became a regional director. Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Janet; daughter Gail; son Gregory; two grandchildren; and brother David.
Peter Pattison ’51
Douglas McKay Kerr ’57
Mr. Pattison was captain of Pingry’s 1950-51 Basketball Team, served in the U.S. Army Security Agency, graduated from Yale University, and worked in real estate. He launched his own firm, Peter Pattison Associates, and innovated new models of commercial real estate representation and development. His numerous clients included Rockefeller Center, the Museum of Modern Art, the American Stock Exchange, and major law firms. His firm developed large commercial projects including Franklin Plaza Hotel and SmithKline headquarters in Philadelphia, and he developed hotels in major cities. Mr. Pattison also founded Pattison Greenwich Associates. He was inducted into Pingry’s Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the 1950 Football Team. Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Jane; children Melissa, Matthew, Ted, and Kermit; and 10 grandchildren.
Douglas died at Briarwood Healthcare Center in Denver, Colorado after renal failure and a long bout with Parkinson’s disease. Born February 8, 1939, to Dora Jean McKay Kerr and James Gordon Kerr, Douglas lived in his place of birth, Washington, D.C., moved with his family to Atlanta, Georgia for several years, and then to Short Hills, New Jersey where he grew up and attended The Pingry School from 1954 to 1957. He graduated with honors and went on to graduate with a B.A. in Psychology from Princeton University. In 1964, he graduated from Yale Law School, and the following year obtained an M.A. in Public Health, also from Yale. His earliest working years were as a corporate lawyer with IBM in San Francisco, California, but his love of the mountains ultimately drew him to Denver, Colorado in 1970. He worked as Assistant District Attorney and a courtappointed lawyer, developing a special interest in working with truant youth who had run afoul of the law and who were often without any family support. This same period saw him engaging in what would become a life-long battle with alcoholism. Becoming a devoted congregant of St. Mary’s Anglican Episcopal Church gave him much-needed support and led him to join AA in Denver where he ultimately achieved a sustained 38 years of sobriety by the time of his death. He became a national and international speaker for AA and frequent writer for AA’s The Grapevine. His struggles with his own demons gave him a remarkable empathy for the struggles of others and enabled him to encourage more than 28 equally-afflicted men and women to join AA where he mentored them to records of unbroken sobriety sustained to this very day, something of which he was very proud. The words of “Amazing Grace” (his favorite hymn) he took to be autobiographical, and the Grace that “saved” him he did his best to extend to as many others as possible in his 75 years. Doug was laid to rest in Evergreen Memorial Cemetery in Conifer, Colorado. He is survived by his older sister Judith Kerr Casey of Burlington, Vermont and his younger brother John Scott Kerr ’61 of Southport, North Carolina.
April 11, 2015, age 82, Sarasota, Fla.
Dr. Albert C. “Bert” Lesneski ’54 April 8, 2015, age 78, Concord, Mass.
Dr. Lesneski, son of Pingry’s late Director of Athletics Vince Lesneski, lettered in football, baseball, swimming, and wrestling; served as captain of the 1953-54 Swimming Team; and was inducted into Pingry’s Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the 1952 Football Team and 1954 Baseball Team. His family owned Camp Waganaki in East Waterford, Maine. Dr. Lesneski attended Princeton University and Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. After being drafted to serve in the U.S. Air Force, Dr. Lesneski joined Dr. Ernest Smith and Dr. Richard Gallagher in their practice at Emerson Hospital in Concord, and delivered more than 5,000 babies. He then taught and coached at Lincoln Sudbury High School, CCHS, and The Fenn School. Dr. Lesneski was a founding trustee for the CCPools and the Beede Center. Survivors include his wife Carol, daughters Diane and Kathryn, sons Reid and Connor, and five grandchildren.
H. Frederick Gehrlach ’57
January 24, 2015, age 76, Manasquan, N.J.
Mr. Gehrlach worked for the Monmouth County Board of Human Services and was an avid supporter of land conservation and animal rights. He is survived by his sister Audrey.
October 25, 2014, age 75, Arvada, Colo.
Douglas Petit Bates ’66 May 13, 2015, age 67, Aurora, N.Y.
Mr. Bates received a B.A. in Religion from the University of Virginia and a J.D. from the University of Denver Law School. He opened a private law practice in Auburn, and the legal
community respected him for his reasonable and practical solutions. Mr. Bates was predeceased by his twin son Ian Hooker Bates. Survivors include his wife Grace, twin son Rufus, mother Louise, brothers Carlton ’67 and William, sister Louise, and step-sisters Barbara and Nancy.
Dr. David Eisenbud ’72
February 6, 2015, age 60, Watchung, N.J.
Dr. Eisenbud received a B.A. from Yale University, an M.A. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Chicago, an M.D. from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, and an M.B.A. from New York University Stern School of Business. He was a vascular surgeon at Beth Israel Hospital in Newark, New Jersey and was the former Director of the Wound Care Center at Overlook Hospital in Summit, New Jersey. Dr. Eisenbud, former president and COO of Advanced Biohealing Incorporated and past president of the American Academy of Wound Management, was Managing Partner at Millburn Surgical Associates and Chief Medical Officer at CoDa Therapeutics Incorporated. Survivors include his sons Evan and Matthew, sister Dr. Leslie Eisenbud Quint, and mother June.
Eric S. Oplinger ’09
April 11, 2015, age 24, New York, N.Y.
Mr. Oplinger received the Stifel Award at Pingry and was a member of the Boys’ Varsity Soccer Team that won state championships in 2006 and 2008. He received a lacrosse scholarship to play at Lafayette College, where he graduated with a B.A. in Government and Law. Mr. Oplinger worked in securities for BGC Partners in New York. Survivors include his parents Stephen and Missy, brothers Justin ’06 and Matthew ’14, and sister Lauren ’04.
Sarah Wallace Murray
December 22, 2014, age 86, North River, N.Y.
Mrs. Murray taught biology at Pingry from 1982 to 1992. She graduated from Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences with a degree in zoology and later received a Master’s in Education from Rutgers University. She was predeceased by her son Douglas; father William; mother Miriam; and brothers William and Robert. Survivors include her husband Kenneth, daughters Louisa ’86 and Sarah, son Stephen ’84, two grandsons, and three granddaughters.
MAY 2015
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Closing Word
My Vision for Pingry Athletics By Carter Marsh Abbott, Director of Athletics and Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse Head Coach It is a really exciting time to be Director of Athletics at Pingry. Never before in the history of the School has Pingry made such a commitment to athletics, with the announcement of plans for a new turf field and track complex, tennis courts, softball field, and the capstone Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center. Why is athletics so instrumental to a Pingry education? Part of the answer lies in the fact that schools like Pingry are focused on the development of wit and character, or, in the Pingry parlance, “Excellence and Honor,” subscribing to the philosophy that one without the other is useless. While the classroom is well-suited to the development of knowledge, the playing field is perfectly suited to the development of character. My experience as an athlete had a tremendous impact on the person I have become. During my freshman lacrosse season at Princeton, everything came together, and we won a national championship. My sophomore year, we were fortunate enough to reach the finals once again, only to fall short to the University of Maryland. My junior year, we made the NCAA final four, only to lose in the semifinals to Maryland. My senior year, however, we barely had a .500 record, missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in five years. As devastated as I was not to succeed, my senior season shaped my character as a leader more than any other. As a captain, I learned how to rally the team after a loss, how to find success in the effort—not the result—and how to take risks, fail, and step back on the field each day, ready to work again. It is in athletics 64
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that risk-taking and failure are expected and rewarded, because it is only through risk-taking that players fail and ultimately learn. Beyond promoting the core traits of teamwork, self-confidence, perseverance, hard work, and sportsmanship, athletics provides student-athletes with the opportunity to learn resilience. My vision as Director of Athletics is to ensure, through strong programs, great coaching, excellent facilities,
communicate proactively with those student-athletes. We are also excited to announce that students can request an early read from our Admission Office, allowing Pingry to better compete with schools that require decisions before Pingry’s notification date. I am working closely with the Office of Institutional Advancement, not only to raise money for the Athletics Center, but also to spread the word about Pingry
My vision as Director of Athletics is to ensure, through strong programs, great coaching, excellent facilities, and institutional support, that Pingry student-athletes are challenged, given opportunities to recover and adapt, and ultimately rewarded for their efforts in the short and long term. and institutional support, that Pingry student-athletes are challenged, given opportunities to recover and adapt, and ultimately rewarded for their efforts in the short and long term. To ensure that athletics plays this vital role in our student-athletes’ lives, I have embarked on several initiatives. The Admission Office and I have engaged in a joint effort to attract a bigger and better pool of student-athletes. Within her office, Director of Admission and Enrollment Allie (Manly) Brunhouse ’00 introduced a new way to identify athletic talent—focusing on an athlete’s interest in and experience with a sport—and share that information with the Athletics Office, while I have created a new procedure for coaches to then
athletics successes through social media and news outlets. I am also encouraging students and teachers to attend games. During the course of the season, each team is the community’s focus for a week, through our “Game of the Week.” Captains of another team announce that game at Monday’s Morning Meeting to create a sense of community. The response to these initiatives has shown me the passion and potential for Pingry Athletics, but they are the tip of the iceberg. It is an exciting time to be a student-athlete or coach at Pingry, and I hope you share my excitement. This article is adapted from Carter Marsh Abbott’s speech at Pingry’s New York City Reception in January.
Hot Off the Presses! For eight decades, Miller has been “Mr. Pingry� for thousands of students, athletes, and colleagues. In honor of his 80th birthday and 800th victory, his story is now available for $29.95 at pingrybookstore.org. Or visit or call the bookstore at 908-647-5555, ext. 1281 MondayFriday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
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Thank You! Kindergarten students spell out their appreciation for the completion of the Lower School’s Phase 1 modernization.