alumni | class notes
Photo courtesy of Michael Delaney, The Providence Journal
THE 1960s
Michael Rodrigues ’80
CEO, Swan Dyeing and Printing Corporation When alum Mike Rodrigues, CEO of Swan Dyeing and Printing Corporation in Fall River, decided to pursue a textile degree at UMassD, he never imagined the impact his education would have on his career trajectory. As a student, Rodrigues commuted to campus to save money, and held a job in order to finance his education. “Even though tuition was less than $300 per semester, I struggled to pay for my education during those four years.” Although learning while working proved tough, Rodrigues realized the advantage of his decision once he entered the textile business. “In 1983, there were thousands of workers in the industry, which boasted nearly 150 mills in the region,” Rodrigues said. Yet today, his company is the sole-surviving dyer and printer business in Fall River. What happened? “Globalization began to change the industry, and required innovation for survival,” Rodrigues said. More than 35 years after graduating from UMassD, Rodrigues continues to wear his class ring at the plant. “My degree gave me the foundation and technical education to excel and advance very quickly.” From plant manager at Pioneer Finishing Company to partner at now-defunct Priority Finishing Corporation, to vice president of manufacturing at Swan, Rodrigues said the return on his investment in education has proven amazing. Since acquiring Swan in 2004, sales have swelled to $30 million from an initial $8 million. The 125-employee company services fabric converters in residential markets for a variety of national brands, including Crate and Barrel, Ethan Allen, Pottery Barn, and Wayfair. “And we’re diversifying our markets.”
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fall 2016 www.umassd.edu
Jak Beardsworth ’69 of Punta Gorda, FL, Corsair Hall of Famer ’89, has released his second book, Tennis Game Theory. His first book, More Than Just The Strokes (2005), reached Amazon’s top 10 in tennis instruction. This new work is a compilation of his magazine, newspaper, and internet writing over the past few years. It is aimed at providing players at all levels with the tools and understanding of how to dial-in their A-game. A long time USPTA Elite Professional, he was ranked #3 nationally in the organization’s senior clay court singles circuit in 2014, and has presented seminars to aspiring pros in the U.S. and in Europe. The book is available in both print and ebook versions on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. JakBeardsworthTennis.com.
THE 1970s Paul Gelinas ’72 of Naples, FL, works as an off-ice official for the Florida Everblades of the East Coast Hockey League. Since Florida was awarded an ECHL franchise, the club has helped thousands of children through a variety of educational programs, donations, special events, and fan development initiatives. John Arrington ’73 of Burlington, CT, reports that it was a great day in his life in 1973 when he was fortunate to graduate from SMU, now UMassD. But on
February 1, 2015, he and his wife Angela made a wonderful trip to Phoenix, AZ, and experienced another thrill – watching the Patriots win another exciting Super Bowl. Kathleen B. Castro ’74 of Fall River, MA, works as an adjunct instructor of English/Writing at Bristol Community College. Castro is the founder and publisher O Jornal; and serves as the host of Arts & Entertainment every Friday on WSAR radio. Her community involvement includes serving on the Board of Directors, Little Theatre of Fall River, New Bedford Festival Theatre, New Bedford Educational Foundation. Paul Robillard ’75, MBA ’82 of Mashpee, MA, has retired from the American Red Cross and is currently teaching at Bristol Community College and Johnson & Wales University. Lenore Balliro ’76 of Gloucester, MA, reports that she is the president and primary consultant at Plum Cove Consulting, which provides fresh approaches to staff and program development for nonprofit organizations. www. plumcoveconsulting.com Robin D. Wessman ’76 of Norfolk, MA, was one of eight artists to be showcased in an exhibit called 8 Visions at the Attleboro Arts Museum in August. He takes one workshop every year from artists and institutions to improve his skills. Wessman enjoys and has experimented with pastels, watercolors and acrylics, but for the past 20 years his medium of choice has been
oils. For more information, visit his website at wessmanart.com. Kathy A. Marzilli Miraglia ’77 of Dartmouth, MA, is the author of Inquiry in Action: Paradigms, Methodologies, and Perspectives in Art Education Research along with Cathy Smilan ’14. Joao Arruda ’80 of Taunton, MA, was hired as the new principal at Portsmouth Middle School. Previously an educator in Portsmouth, RI for 22 years, he spent the last four years as principal at Wilbur & McMahon School in Little Compton.
THE 1980s Pauline L. Lally ’80 of Lakeville, MA, is the owner/president of Piping Systems, Inc. in Assonet. Her community involvement includes Advisory Committee Diman Vocational School; Governor appointed Board Member, Mass. Bureau of Pipefitters, Refrigeration Technicians and Sprinklerfitters; member, Silver City Quilt Guild, Taunton. Professor Leonard Travers ’80, of Dartmouth, MA, has written a new book entitled Hodges’ Scout: A Lost Patrol of the French and Indian War, by Johns Hopkins Press, 2015. Alan G. Petersen ’81 of Las Vegas, NV, works as a crime scene analyst with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Petersen received an associate’s degree in Commercial Photography and a certificate in fire investigation from the College of Southern Nevada; and is certified as