Soft Skills and Tech Smarts Key to Alumni Success in Technology Sector
The Centennial Class of 2019 Welcoming Our Newest Students
THE CLASS OF 2019 IS A HISTORIC ONE, GRADUATING IN THE YEAR OF OUR CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION. HERE’S A CLOSE-UP LOOK AT THIS INCOMING CLASS.
870
First-year and transfer students
24%
Self-identified as African American, American Indian, Hispanic, Asian, or multiracial; or are international students
43
Have a parent who graduated from Western New England
Students represent states and
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92
Have expressed an interest in our 3+3 Law Program
foreign countries
66 Separate majors or concentrations have been selected
215 Students are pursuing a major in Engineering
COVER STORY SOFT SKILLS AND TECH SMARTS KEY TO ALUMNI SUCCESS IN TECHNOLOGY SECTOR
THE COMMUNICATOR WINTER 2016
CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY
In an industry where change is a constant, for our alumni working in the tech sector it is the foundational lessons in problem solving, teamwork, and communication acquired at Western New England University that have led them to find success.
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President’s Message
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Student Spotlight: Psychology major Jasmine Chee
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New Initiatives Inspire the Mindset of an Entrepreneur
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Graduate Studies: International Students Engineer Futures Through Advanced Degrees
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Management Institute: A Valuable Resource for Businesses
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Alumni News
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Sports Update
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Class Notes
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Marriages
37
New Arrivals
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In Memoriam
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Remember When: Suprenant Field Dedication, Hanging Out in 2005, WNEK Back in the Day
In this Issue
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ALUMNI FOCUS Richard R. Veronesi ’61 Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering Richard Veronesi ’61 is well known for his consummate devotion to the University, engineering, and nontraditional students.
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HOMECOMING 2015 Falling back to where their future began: alumni, family, and friends reunite at homecoming.
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ALUMNI ASSOCIATION MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the Alumni Association of Western New England University is to communicate with and bring value to the alumni body and to support actively and financially the goals of the University as detailed in its Mission Statement.
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FACULTY FOCUS Dr. Doug Battema Chair of the Department of Communication Dr. Doug Battema challenges students to question media messaging beyond its face value.
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
IT IS ALWAYS AN UPLIFTING AND INVIGORATING TIME when students and faculty return to campus to begin the academic year. The Class of 2019, selected from one of the largest applicant pools in the history of the University, numbers 870 first-year and transfer students, and their credentials are impressive. Their SAT scores are significantly above the national average, and more than a quarter of them have already completed college courses while still in high school or have college credits through Advancement Placement courses. They also come from a diverse background: 24 percent of them are African American, American Indian, Hispanic, Asian, or multiracial—or are international students from 15 foreign countries. Indeed, for the past five years we have been actively encouraging more international students to study at our University. At present, there are 147 international students on campus, including 90 returning students and 57 new students who enrich the educational experience of our academic community and provide valuable cross-cultural interactions. Internationalization is one of the priorities outlined in our Strategic Plan, which calls for providing our students with a more global perspective through study abroad, academic offerings, and an increased enrollment of international students. We have been advancing our internationalization initiatives for some time to develop innovative approaches to prepare the institution and all our students for success in a global economy. With increased opportunities to study abroad, more students are broadening their worldview with life-changing experiences. Last summer, our Engineering students participated in an academic and cultural program at Shandong University of Science and Technology in Shandong, China. Other students recently studied with University faculty in Peru, France, England, Ireland, Israel, and China. The students in our Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program just returned from their weeklong winter residency in Dublin. In the spring and summer, travel and study seminars led by Western New England faculty will bring students to Guatemala, Nicaragua, Iceland, England, Ireland, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Botswana, the Czech Republic, and Poland. And our Center for International Sport Business continues to sponsor seminar trips, including one to the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Our participation in the recent U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition in Irvine, CA, is another example
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of the University’s international reach. The Western New England University student team collaborated with students from Universidad Tecnólogica de Panamá and Universidad Tecnólogica Centroamericana in Honduras to design and build a solar-powered house that tied for first place in the Affordability category and came in second place in the Energy Balance contest. In December, our Civil Engineering students on the team went on to join students from Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá in building another award-winning solar home at the Solar Decathlon Latin America & Caribbean competition in Cali, Colombia. In a further exciting development, Western New England University will be one of three universities in the U.S. to establish a BridgePathways Intensive English Center, which provides international students with the linguistic, academic, and intercultural skills they need to succeed while studying in the U.S. The first cohort of students, to be enrolled this month, will receive conditional admission to the University, allowing them to enroll in one of the University’s 70-plus academic programs upon successful completion of the BridgePathways curriculum. Now, more than ever, we are a University on the move, thanks to the dedication and hard work of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends—and to the generosity of donors. Your gifts help us continue to attract and retain the high quality and diverse students essential for a vibrant University community—and to prepare them to be even more competitive in an ever-changing international marketplace. Sincerely,
Anthony S. Caprio President
WINTER 2016
The Communicator is published for the alumni, parents, and friends of Western New England University. PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY
Anthony S. Caprio VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT
Beverly J. Dwight VICE PRESIDENT FOR MARKETING AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Barbara A. Moffat DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS
Katherine M. Pappas G’98 ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT COMMUNICATIONS
Brian Fitzgerald EDITOR
Mary McLean Orszulak G’10 SPORTS UPDATE EDITOR
Ken Cerino CAMPUS UPDATE EDITOR
Judy Curran WRITERS
The Fund for Western New England University
A gift every year makes a difference every day. The Fund for Western New England University supports the University’s most urgent priorities. When you make a gift, you join thousands of alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends who support the University annually. The Fund helps the University deliver the highest quality educational experience in the most cost effective way possible.
You can make a gift online at www.wne.edu/thefund, by calling 1-800-325-1122, ext. 1335, or send a check, payable to: Western New England University Advancement Division 1215 Wilbraham Road Springfield, MA 01119-2684
Judy Curran Brian Fitzgerald Pat Gagnon Alex Lyman ’12 Mary McLean Orszulak G’10 CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Deborah Chappell DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
MacKenzie Design PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
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The Communicator, Office of Marketing and External Affairs, Western New England University, 1215 Wilbraham Road, Springfield, MA 01119-2684 Telephone: 413-782-1561 Fax: 413-782-1779 Address and email changes should be sent to the Office of Alumni Relations at alumwne@wne.edu. Every effort has been made to contact copyright holders of any material reprinted in this magazine. Any omissions will be corrected in subsequent issues if notice is given to the Office of Marketing and External Affairs, Western New England University. The University reserves the right to make editorial changes prior to publication.
Western New England University is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in education and employment. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, creed, national origin, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, genetics or disability in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies: Assistant Vice President and Director of Human Resources, Western New England University, 1215 Wilbraham Road, Springfield, MA 01119-2684. Inquiries concerning the application of nondiscrimination policies may also be referred to the Regional Director, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, J.W. McCormack P.O.C.H., Room 222, Boston, MA 02109-4557.
SOFT SKILLS AND TECH SMARTS KEY TO ALUMNI SUCCESS IN TECHNOLOGY SECTOR BY MARY McLEAN ORSZULAK G’10
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Melissa Labrie ’07 (Industrial Engineering) North America Logistics Manager within the Retail Operations Google
Transferable Skills Support Leap from Pratt & Whitney to Amazon and Google
“Keeping up with the evolving nature of technology is a marathon,” says Bart Haskell ’07, the leader of a development team for Progeny Systems, a small, privately held high-tech company. Even for those like Bart who work in the tech sector, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the pace of emerging technology. While the specifics of the hardware and software their companies develop may change, for our alumni working in the tech sector it is the foundational lessons in problem solving, teamwork, and communication learned at Western New England University that have led them to find success in companies both large and small.
After starting her career at Pratt & Whitney and moving to Amazon, today Melissa Labrie is the North America Logistics Manager within the Retail Operations group for Google. One of several alumni who work there, she manages three North America warehouses for both B2C (Business to Consumer) and B2B (Business to Business) operations for Google’s hardware (i.e., Chromecast, Chromebooks, phones, tablets, watches, accessories, and more). Melissa graduated with a degree in Industrial Engineering, which to those outside her field sounds like she would spend her career in manufacturing. But as our Industrial Engineering faculty are always eager to point out—industrial engineers are needed everywhere. “What I love about the field of industrial engineering is that it does not bind you to one industry,” says Melissa. “Everywhere you look, there’s opportunity to make something work better, faster, safer and/or more efficient. In all three companies I have worked at since graduating, I was able to accomplish one or many of these things. “ Melissa felt ready to make such contributions through her education at the College of Engineering and the inspiration of Industrial Engineering faculty mentors such as Dr. Eric Haffner and Dr. Thomas Keyser. “Engineering is a tough field and my four years at Western New England challenged me every step of the way,” she says. “They made me realize that there were no limitations and I could take my career wherever I wanted it to go.” Looking to enhance her business acumen, Melissa pursued an MBA at the Tep-
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per School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University. There she was recruited by Amazon for its Pathways Leadership Development Program. “One of the questions I asked during my interview at Amazon was whether it would be difficult to go from Aerospace to Operations and the immediate answer was ‘no.’ As a new company, Amazon loved to have employees with diverse backgrounds. I was thrilled when I received a call the next day with an offer,” she says. The best part of Melissa’s transition to Amazon was learning how to be a manager. “At Pratt & Whitney, I was an individual contributor,” she says. “During my first six months at Amazon, I was the manager of a couple hundred associates, and soon after that I was managing other managers. It was tough, but I am forever grateful for what I learned during my time at Amazon.” With Google continuing to expand and avoid definitions, Melissa feels inspired to take on the opportunities to apply her industrial engineering education to solve new challenges. “One thing that Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have been saying since the beginning is that ‘Google is not a conventional company. We do not intend to become one,’” she explains. “This is something that never gets old to hear. I think the most exciting thing about Google/Alphabet is that our leaders are not scared to think/execute outside the box. What this allows its employees to do is to also think/execute outside the box. No ‘moonshot’ idea is ever a dumb idea at Google/Alphabet!”
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Softs Skills Play Powerful Role in Software Development
Bart Haskell ’07 (Computer Information Systems) Integration Development Lead Progeny Systems
“I always comment that ‘Software is a team sport.’ It’s how you build, integrate and deliver products for your customer, drawing on the various strengths and skills of your team. This requires both communication and cooperation by all team members, especially when working with various sites.”
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Hired by Progeny Systems directly after college, Bart Haskell is responsible for developing, maintaining, and supporting software tools and utilities for the company’s various software application suites. In the Computer Information Systems program (the precursor to today’s Computer Science and Information Technology majors), Bart gained exposure to many areas of system engineering and design that made him a strong candidate for Progeny. “I could speak about a variety of technology areas and software techniques, and the ability to articulate my thoughts both written and verbally was an important factor as well,” he recalls. Bart says this environment demands strong listening and extrapolation skills from its technical members, as well as “the ability to form and convey your ideas so that your colleagues are able to follow your design. Requirements are at the heart of software development and being able to accurately write a customer’s need so that a developer can build it and a test can verify it is crucial.” He attributes his abilities in this area to his history classes with Professor Jonathan Beagle. “His rigor and standards of clear, concise arguments based on supporting material and reasoning have helped shape my current technical writing abilities,” asserts Bart. While the technology has evolved dramatically since his college days, Bart insists that the core approaches to problem solving learned at Western New England continue to guide him.
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“The Systems Analysis and Design class is still part of my process when I approach building a new product or upgrading a legacy one,” he explains. “I have the entire SDLC (Software Development Lifecycle) to think about and that really helped me to understand all the moving parts that are involved.” Two faculty members whose advice also still resonates with him were Dr. Peter Daboul and Dr. David Russell. “I found Professor Daboul’s insights regarding long-term technology planning and implementation strategies most valuable,” he recalls. “It’s difficult to see where the industry is headed, but it’s something that requires constant attention and thought for aligning technology with your customers’ needs. While some might equate this as ‘reading the tea leaves,’ it’s more along the line of multifaceted planning. As the software architect and engineer, you have to meet your clients’ needs today, as well as being able to extend and scale to their future needs.” Professor Russell was a driving force behind Bart’s focus and expertise in databases and data design. “He shattered my rather inexperienced views, reminding me that ‘Data is Dirty’ and that you should be prepared to anticipate the unexpected with respect to data. His thoughts on data design and management have helped shape my perspectives on data migration and the importance of data integrity to this day,” he says. While Bart’s academic major was highly technical, he is a prime example of how programs at the College of Arts and Sciences provide students with a liberal arts mindset that can help them succeed in so many professions. “A key aspect of my career is the ability to troubleshoot issues and provide support, which requires critical thinking and problem solving skills,” says Bart. “Engineers must be able to approach problems, devise strategies for root cause analysis, resolve issues, and confirm fixes. In this case, it’s not so much about the specific technology you’re supporting, but your ability to apply logic and reason when trying to understand why something doesn’t work.” In an industry where change is a constant, Bart feels well prepared to handle whatever comes down the technology pipeline. “The ability to grow and learn throughout your career is crucial to an engineer’s success in technology.” n
What’s Trending in High Tech? Our Experts Weigh In. “Big Data analytics are driving the business world today. The adoption rate is slow, but the trends are moving in the right direction,” observes Dr. Anil Gulati, chair of the Department of Business Information Systems. “We offer all College of Business students the opportunity to get trained with the use of analytics techniques, such as Data Mining, Predictive Analytics, Visual Analytics, to name a few. We strongly believe that in the near future, Data Analytics skills will be required of all business school graduates.”
According to Dr. Stoney Jackson, chair of the Department of Computer Science and Information Technology: “The ubiquity of computing has raised the importance of cyber security and Big Data. Cyber security is about protecting our privacy, property, and safety. Big Data is about gathering, storing, and analyzing large data for information. Its application ranges from law enforcement, to business and marketing, to understanding human behavior. The impacts of these fields on individuals and society are likely to be broad and significant. “Our IT program requires students to complete an internship before graduating. This extra dimension of learning and real-world experience gives our students a leg up as they begin their careers in IT. “Our CS program has recently been revised based on input from members of our Industrial Advisory Board and the ACM Curriculum Guidelines. As part of this revision, we have added two new courses: Software Design and Software Development to better prepare students for a career in software development.”
In the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) fields, Dr. Neeraj Magotra, chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering says, “There are a myriad of emerging trends—from new semiconductor devices, the impact of photonics at the circuit level to the Internet of Things (IOT) at the consumer, ‘everyday impact on our lives’ level.” “Our resulting technologies/devices/advances impact the medical field (personal monitoring devices, diagnostic imaging, prosthetics, cochlear implants, artificial retina etc.), defense and security arena (better sensing devices, drone technology etc.), and energy and power (smart grid, better, more energy efficient lighting systems, etc.). Medical, Defense, Energy, and Communications are a few examples of areas where ECE emerging trends continue to make a big difference. “Our Electrical and Computer Engineering programs provide our graduates with a broad base in the field along with the opportunity to focus on targeted areas that are in high growth mode—Embedded systems, RF/Wireless Systems, Artificial Intelligence/Controls/Robotics, and Power. In a relatively small program, compared to bigger schools, the faculty gets to know individual students and that allows us to ‘custom tailor’ our graduates and help them highlight their skills when they are looking to begin their careers post-graduation—jobs or graduate school. A favorite analogy of mine is that we are like a microbrewery where we custom-craft our ‘product.’”
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ALUMNI FOCUS
BY BRIAN FITZGERALD
ENGINEERING A REMARKABLE CAREER Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering Richard R. Veronesi ’61, a former assistant dean and the 1998 Teaching Excellence Award recipient, is well known for his consummate devotion to the University, engineering, and nontraditional students.
THE NEWSPAPER PHOTO IS MORE THAN 60 YEARS OLD, but it seems like yesterday to Dick Veronesi: there he is, smiling, next to his award-winning science fair project at Springfield’s Cathedral High School in 1955. He and his display, showing various types of TV antennas and how they work, were even featured on the Channel 22 show Western Massachusetts Highlights. “Yes, I was a TV star,” he says with a laugh. Behind that smile in the picture was a very busy high school senior, fascinated with all things mechanical, pondering a career in engineering, and graduating with high honors—while also running his father’s family business. The previous year, his dad, a mason contractor, fell off a roof and was seriously injured. An only child, Dick was now the family’s sole means of support. In the fall of 1955 he enrolled part-time at Western New England and continued to work full-time—an experience that gave him a special
affinity with the nontraditional students that he would help later in his career. In 1958, he enrolled full-time while continuing to work part-time and he graduated at the top of his class in 1961. Dick began teaching at the University in 1961, while earning his master’s in engineering mechanics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute— also part-time—and proceeded to make an indelible mark on his alma mater over the years. He was the College of Engineering’s assistant dean from 1971 to 1976 (placed in charge of the University’s graduate program at Hanscom Air Force Base in 1975), and then served as director of Off-Campus Programs, a position he held through the rapid expansion of the University’s off-campus offerings. He served two terms as the chair of the Faculty Senate. Dick’s contributions to the University run the gamut. He chaired numerous committees, was an advisor to several student clubs and organi-
A FAMILY’S LEGACY: GIVING BACK TO WESTERN NEW ENGLAND UNIVERSITY Dick didn’t know it then, but in 1955, when he began his studies at Western New England University, he was beginning a family legacy on campus. His daughter, Mara Veronesi ’85, graduated with a degree in Psychology. His late wife, M. Rainé Veronesi ’86, was a nontraditional student who graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Liberal Studies. Dick is very proud of the education that Mara received at the University. Her studies provided her with the foundation to become an effective teacher at Cathedral High School for a number of years and continue to help her as a successful psychotherapist with James Levine & Associates in South Hadley, MA, today. Richard Veronesi ’61 and his daughter, Mara Veronesi ’85
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Pioneering Outer Space and Rail Projects
Richard Veronesi, PE (who received his Professional Engineer license in 1971) is pictured at the Wellen G. Davison Mechanical Engineering Laboratory dedication with Wellen’s daughter, Deborah Antinori.
zations, authored the College of Engineering Lab Manual, and developed several engineering and applied mathematics courses. In 1992, he became director of Non-Traditional Program Development. Dick is proud of the fact that he himself is the product of a nontraditional educational track. “I think that going to college part-time gave me an appreciation for what students and their families go through while working full-time,” he says. “I never forgot that.” Dick returned to teaching fulltime in 1993. A self-described “taskmaster” in the classroom, he had a tough-but-fair reputation that brought him enough respect and admiration from students to receive the Student Association Outstanding
Dick and M. Rainé Veronesi ’86
Faculty Award in 1972 and the University’s prestigious Teaching Excellence Award in 1998. He retired in 2002 and was awarded emeritus status. The University has continued to benefit immeasurably from his loyal and continuing engagement in the life of the institution. Dick’s greatest joy, aside from his family and visiting Italy—he speaks fluent Italian—is hearing about the success of his former students. “I love being told by graduates that I made a difference in their lives and their careers,” he says. “It is so gratifying to hear them say that the rigor and challenges that they experienced in my classes and the labs enabled them to become true professionals.” n
Mara and Dick established two endowed scholarships at the University: the M. Rainé Veronesi Endowed Memorial Scholarship, and the Richard R. Veronesi Endowed Mechanical Engineering Merit Scholarship. Mara is actively involved in the scholarship initiatives and is prepared to continue the family legacy of support into the future. Dick has remained connected to Sigma Beta Tau, the Engineering
Alumni Honor Society of Western New England University: he has been its executive secretary since 1960. He continues to be involved in the ongoing operations of the organization and is proud to financially support the Society’s two merit scholarships. He also spearheaded the establishment of Sleith Hall’s Wellen G. Davison Mechanical Engineering Laboratory initiative, named for the late Professor who was an
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In 1966, Dick took a three-year leave of absence because he felt that he could be an even more effective teacher with more hands-on work experience. He was hired by United Aircraft (now United Technologies), to develop and generate the trajectory equations for NASA’s planned Jupiter flyby missions. This project helped pave the way for the Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 spacecrafts to obtain the first-ever close-up images of the planet in 1973 and 1974. He was also the senior project engineer for United’s $60 million high-speed Turbo Train© project in Cranston, RI. In 1967, one train reached 170.8 mph on existing track, which remains the world record for gas turbine-powered rail vehicles. In addition, Dick served as an engineering consultant on various private industry projects throughout his career, including the vibration and structural analysis of atomic fuel elevators subjected to earthquake environments.
exemplary and visionary educator and scholar, and a member of the College of Engineering Hall of Fame. “Were it not for Wellen, the College of Engineering would not have been able to provide the practical, hands-on engineering experience for which it has become known,” says Dick. “It was an honor to support this initiative.”
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
BY ALEX LYMAN ’12
SENIOR JASMINE CHEE USES PSYCHOLOGY AND MENTORING EXPERTISE TO ENRICH THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE FOR HERSELF AND OTHERS Jasmine Chee has spent much of her time on campus as a mentor in a variety of capacities, including participating in the Office of Diversity Programs and Services Connections Mentoring program, working as a First Year Seminar Assistant, and as a student mentor in the Office of Student Disabilities Services. Jasmine thrived in these roles because she felt she was cultivating meaningful connections and creating impactful change. As she discovered her calling in helping others through mentorship, Jasmine changed her major from Criminal Justice to Psychology because it would give her the skills and expertise to counsel others through their personal life challenges. She also added a minor in Education, as she sees it as a vital bridge to potentially working in a school setting. As a Psychology major, Jasmine focused her interests on a research course for the psychology poster session at the end of the spring 2015 semester. Her research centered on Applied Behavior Analysis at an area preschool. She worked with the children on a variety of activities to observe their reactions to different types of rewards when they successfully completed a task. In addition to creating the poster for the final presentation, Jasmine had to prepare for questions viewers might ask and be able to explain why the research was relevant and applicable to other situations or environments. “This opportunity has helped me really understand what goes on before research is published,” Jasmine explained. “There are so many regulations and rules to be followed. I learned all the ins and outs about research and publishing, and honed my presentation skills. Being able to answer the questions at the poster presentation showed that I actually understood the work I was doing and its importance.” Jasmine learned so much from her poster presentation that she decided to enroll in the second part of the research course. She also took on a new project, something her professors felt she had the aptitude for.
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“Jasmine’s success in the area of research is due to her ability to combine academic, leadership, and professional skills,” said Jasmine’s academic advisor, Dr. Ava Kleinmann. “She is definitely a role model for other students in our program. She is social, works well with others, and exudes confidence and professionalism.” Experiential learning enriched her perspective in both psychology and education. Jasmine interned at an alternative high school in East Hartford, CT, that helps at-risk youth earn their high school diplomas. She spent much of her time assisting in English classes, as English was a second language for some of he students, and they needed extra attention and guidance. For her second internship, Jasmine worked at Hillcrest Educational Centers Inc., a nonprofit residential treatment program. She spent time in Human Resources, and was also a direct care worker, responsible for multiple children diagnosed on the autism spectrum. She worked one-on-one with them on schoolwork and art and music projects. She also aided them with hygiene and assisted with meals. Jasmine was faced with giving constant supervision to children who had specific needs, as well as very aggres-
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sive, self-injurious behavior. Before starting her internship, she participated in a therapeutic crisis intervention program developed by Cornell University, so she could react appropriately to aggressive behaviors she encountered. “It was a very hard job,” she said. “But the children had so many more good days than bad days, and I got to see them make progress in just a short three months. Only eight hours of my day helped them reach milestones in their lives.” Jasmine was recently rewarded for her hard work and dedication to her education with the Who’s Who Among American Colleges and Universities award. She says her time at the University has been critical to her success. “Western New England University has offered so much to me. I had amazing job opportunities as an undergraduate, and I cannot wait to see how these experiences will shape me as a graduate student,” she said. After graduation, Jasmine plans to pursue graduate school, and later, a Ph.D. in clinical or counseling psychology. Her goal is to become a licensed psychologist, and later work in higher education or as a college professor. n
“Jasmine’s success in the area of research is due to her ability to combine academic, leadership, and professional skills. She is definitely a role model for other students in our program. She is social, works well with others, and exudes confidence and professionalism.” —DR. AVA KLEINMANN Associate Professor of Psychology
TRUSTED COUNSELOR www.wne.edu/alumni
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BY BRIAN FITZGERALD
D
espite the rain, Homecoming held on October 3, 2015 turned out to be an event not to miss. It was a great day to reconnect with old friends, as well as catching performances from the Cheerleading Team, Dance Team, and Improv on the Rocks—these were some of the festivities that were moved to the Alumni Healthful Living Center because of the weather. Fans also witnessed victories by the football, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s tennis teams.
Homecoming 2015
Falling back to where their future began: alumni, family, and friends reunite at Homecoming 2015.
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Homecoming Weekend featured Open House events at the University’s academics buildings, a comedy performance by Matthew Broussard, children’s activities, tours of campus, horse-drawn wagon rides, and food trucks. Various reunions included women’s lacrosse, women’s basketball, women’s swimming, and men’s soccer, along with the 40th and 50th anniversary celebration of the men’s soccer teams from 1975 and 1965. The U&ME/MGA Reunion Dinner Dance was held Saturday night.
It was a
great day
to reconnect with old friends
Volunteers Tom Florence ’82/G’87 and Kurt Moore G’94
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2. Fans at the football game
3. President Anthony S. Caprio, Robert Carvalho ’14, and Tim Korzinski ’15
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4 4. The horse-drawn wagon was a big hit.
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View a video of Homecoming, as well as more photos of the festivities. Look for The Communicator’s “Web Extras” at wne.edu/alumni.
1 1. Women’s Lacrosse alumni game 2. Football! 3. Josh Goldberg ’11/G’14, Lindsey Steward ’11, Amanda Chung ’14, Beth Lally ’13, Stephen Rizzo ’13, Elizabeth Wininger ’13, and Katelyn Ryan ’13 4. Matt Gigliello ’06 and Nick DiOrio ’06 5. Sgt. Tim Simmons takes the ROTC pull-up challenge. 6. The kid’s inflatables were a big hit. 7. Softball Coach Lori Mayhew ’95, Cassandra (Gaze) Girard ’95, Joy (Clark) Sieklucki ’95, Maria Ruiz-Roman ’95, and Kim (Coia) Mulligan ’95
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Events on Friday included the Golden Grads Luncheon celebrating the 50plus-year reunion for alumni, and the Career Development Center Walk-in, where alumni had the opportunity to meet with career advisors, have their résumés reviewed, and talk about career strategies. On Friday evening, athletes were inducted into the Downes Hall of Fame at a dinner celebration (see page 28). On Saturday, participants who registered for Homecoming online took advantage of the chance to ‘spin the wheel’ for prizes. “It was great getting back together with my classmates to see all the changes on the campus,” said Susan Canning ’85, who was part of a 30th mini-reunion. “All the new buildings show how far the school has come.”
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Events on Sunday included the men’s soccer alumni game and the Brandon Turbet Memorial Homecoming 5K to honor the memory of the 2006 graduate and to raise money for the Brandon Filip Turbet Memorial Fund.
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FACULTY PROFILE
BY ALEX LYMAN ’12
PROFESSOR DOUG BATTEMA CHALLENGES STUDENTS TO QUESTION MEDIA MESSAGING When Professor Doug Battema was offered a position at Western New England University in 2002, he saw a valuable opportunity to take what had been the Communication concentration within the Department of English and help build it into a full-fledged major and stand-alone department. Prior to his arrival, Communication courses were part of a “one-size-fits-all” curriculum. Professor Battema and his colleagues reshaped the program to create two specialized concentrations: Interpersonal Communication and Mass Media. Further down the road, two more concentrations in Public Relations and Journalism joined the roster. These expanded opportunities for students are a point of pride for him.
“We’ve got a nice core curriculum that cuts across all concentrations and ensures that no matter what a student specializes in, when they leave here, they’ve got a wide array of skills and a working knowledge of many aspects of the field of communication,” he explained. Yet the expansion of offerings didn’t stop there. In 2012, the Department of Communication introduced its first master’s program in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations. This fully-online format allows graduate students to learn and interact with peers from around the world in digital time, as a public relations professional might. “And in a rapidly changing media environment and social environment, in which much more of our interactions are online and much more of our public relations is online, teaching students in that environment is really appropriate,” said Professor Battema.
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With a growing student interest in the health field, plans are also in the works to add a fifth undergraduate concentration in Health Communication, which would be the only one of its kind in New England. The recent Ebola crisis and measles outbreak in Disneyland, among other epidemics, have demonstrated the need for clear and timely communication during public health crises. “I think this new concentration is going be increasingly necessary because if you look at, for instance, the Affordable Health Care Act, there’s a lot of anxiety about how to negotiate it and how to communicate about it,” he said. “We want to educate students to be able to communicate with the public about health policy.” For students in other majors, a minor in Communication complements their course load by building a solid foundation in the so-called “soft skills” employers look for. Courses in
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“What I try to focus on in my classes is to get students to think for themselves. I ask questions that challenge them. Not because I necessarily think they have the answer, or that they’ll ever have the answer, but because they need to ask those questions.”
public speaking are relevant to engineering students who look to pitch their inventions to venture capitalists, and to business students who may have to report that month’s finances to company administration. Marketing students will benefit from television production courses, and psychology majors will observe parallels to their own research in interpersonal communication classes. Communication expertise paves the way for any career path a student chooses to take. As Communication has become an increasingly timely and flexible major, Professor Battema has also remained vigilant in keeping his courses current. Known for his fast-paced and thoughtprovoking lectures, he strives to change the way his students observe the world around them. “What I try to focus on in my classes is to get students to think for themselves,” he said. “I ask questions that challenge them. Not because I necessarily think they have the answer, or that they’ll ever have the answer, but because they need to ask those questions.” The appeal of Professor Battema’s courses is that much of the content is parallel to today’s current issues. From the Black Lives Matter movement, and the ills and benefits of social media, to the evolving television industry, he uses
relevant contexts to illustrate concepts and help students consider far-reaching implications of these trending topics. “I say this at the beginning of the semester every time I teach the Race, Gender and Ethnicity in Media class: if I don’t mess up your understanding of the way the world works, I’m not doing my job right. I really want to shake the foundations of what and how people think. For me, the real rewards of teaching critical thinking, and helping students not just to accept what they’re told, sometimes don’t come for years,” he says. But the rewards do come. Professor Battema says that former students report becoming much more aware of incomplete information or a lack of context in news stories after taking his classes. Others cancel Facebook accounts, or more closely monitor their usage. Some students have even admitted to ordering bizarre Netflix offerings to impact how the company’s analytics may be skewed. And while new technologies are continuously hitting the market, from live broadcasting on Periscope to using Snapchat as a marketing tool, discussions of these technologies will simply become part of current classes, rather than added as official course listings. This keeps the current curriculum rel-
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evant without making offerings too exotic and ultimately obsolete. Professor Battema sees the benefit of a Communication major or minor not just in a student’s academic success or a rewarding career, but also because it allows students to pursue their passion in their personal life as well. “In my opinion, it is the most flexible major around,” he says. “And it’s one that allows students to do whatever they want with their lives, not just their careers, after they graduate. That’s why I keep teaching it.” n
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Students Roll Up Their Sleeves for Active Learning Competitions BY MARY McLEAN ORSZULAK G’10, BRIAN ZELASKO, AND JUNIOR NATASHA MERCADO-SANTANA
Western New England University students are thinking outside the book to create, plan, and innovate across campus. Here are some of the exciting active learning competitions that have captured the imaginations of our burgeoning entrepreneurs.
SOLAR DECATHLON HOUSE SHINES AT NATIONAL COMPETITION More than 100 students from across campus spent 15 months dedicated to the Western New England University College of Engineering Solar Decathlon House project. Vying against many prestigious institutions, our team was tasked with constructing a full-size, net-zero solar-powered house. Once completed, the house, students, and faculty headed to Irvine, CA to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon held October 8-18, 2015. The house took first and second place wins in two major categories. It tied for first place in the Affordability contest, and came in second in the Energy Balance contest. It then returned to campus to serve as an educational tool. “I am absolutely thrilled that our students performed so well as they did,” said Dr. Kenneth Lee, chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “These awards reit-
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erate that our student-designed house is not only affordable, but also has optimal energy production with maximum efficiency.” Dr. Lee led the contingent of students that traveled with the house cross-country. They were joined by Dr. Moochul Shin, assistant professor of Civil Engineering, and faculty and students from La Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, who collaborated on the project along with teammates from Universidad Tecnólogica Centroamericana in Honduras who assembled the house at Orange County Great Park. “I want to take this opportunity to thank the faculty and student members of the team, and especially many thanks to Dr. Ken Lee for his leadership, persistence, and hard work, which made this big and very complicated project a reality,” said College of Engineering Dean S. Hossein Cher-
THE COMMUNICATOR
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aghi. “This is truly a very important achievement by our faculty and students and the universities involved.” Achieving net-zero energy usage, the house is based on a modular design for a family of four, with affordability for first-time buyers as the top priority. The design of the two-bedroom, one bath, 680 square-foot model significantly reduces construction costs, allowing for emphasis on solar and space savings. Alumni grants helped support the project. Western New England University and Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá also teamed up for the inaugural Solar Decathlon Latin America & Caribbean competition held in Colombia in December, winning First place in Energy Efficiency and Third Place for Energy Balance.
BAJA TEAM GEARING UP FOR NEXT COMPETITION
EXTREME 3-DAY START UP TURNS NEW BUSINESS IDEAS INTO ACTIONABLE PLANS Western New England University recently hosted a 3-Day Startup, an extreme 72-hour learning-bydoing campus workshop that teaches entrepreneurial skills. Held October 16-18, the weekend program was organized and run by Professor of Biomedical Engineering Robert Gettens, who hopes this exciting entrepreneurship and mentorship opportunity becomes an annual University event. 3DS is an organization that helps campuses organize entrepreneurial workshops to give their students experience in creating a start-up company. Undergraduate and graduate students in all majors were invited to participate. Friday evening was spent forming teams and developing business ideas. On Saturday and Sunday, the teams focused on gathering information from consumers, solving problems, and fine-tuning the feasibility of the business ideas. Sunday evening was dedicated to presenting ideas to a panel of investors. Local entrepreneurs with successful businesses mentored the students throughout the event under the direction of a 3DS facilitator. The students formed their pro-
posals based on subjects they were passionate about. Senior Electrical Engineering major Yuri Kopytyuk and his team proposed a new product they called the Lighter Than Air-Craft. The team members wanted to create a product that would be useful for the aeronautics industry as well as civilians. The Lighter Than AirCraft is a helium blimp-powered drone that would aid in search and rescue missions. Several of the student teams are moving forward with the businesses started in the event, including AnyCafe a portable hot beverage maker; and M.E.D. Case, a product that combines a cell phone case with an EpiPen. “I absolutely loved this experience. It gave me the opportunity to explore one of my ideas all the way through,” said junior Biomedical Engineering major Logan Carlson. “Coming from an engineering background, I learned a significant amount about how business concepts and legal information all come together into creating a successful startup. This was an amazing experience that I look forward to participating in again.”
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Buoyed by a strong showing in the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) four-day Mini-Baja competition in Maryland last May, the Golden Bear Baja Racing Team is already back in the lab to develop a leaner, meaner vehicle to compete in 2016. Western New England’s first ever performance was truly outstanding. Most notable results were: 18th place in the endurance race, 10th place in the sales presentation, and 30th place overall from an international field of 97 teams. As further testament to the students’ design and construction skills, the Golden Bear entry was one of a few vehicles requiring no repairs during the fourhour endurance race. The team members toiled for two years to raise support, design, build, test, promote, and race a vehicle that meets Baja SAE® design specifications. The vehicle was designed and built in the labs of Sleith Hall with test drives held on the grounds of the Big E, one of the project’s sponsors. Following the SAE competition, the vehicle was featured in last fall’s Big E parade. Fundraising continues with outreach for donations of money or materials from individuals or local companies. Grants from the Alumni Association have supported the project. The team will hold its second annual appreciation dinner for donors this spring. For team leader David Greenslade ’14/G’15, currently pursuing his PhD in Engineering Management, the Club provides a unique hands-on learning experience, teaching valuable lessons about project management, teamwork, fundraising, budgeting, engineering, and construction techniques. Dave’s vision for the growth of the club includes identifying and mentoring future leaders. “What students learn in the process ties directly to their success in the classroom,” said Dave. “Students have recently expressed to me that the learning associated with the Baja program has given them an edge in the classroom because they are learning ahead of other students and the topics are often analyzed in more depth. To me, that is the best reward for championing this project.”
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GRADUATE STUDIES
BY ALEX LYMAN ’12
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ENGINEER THEIR FUTURES THROUGH ADVANCED STUDY International students in the graduate and doctoral programs in the College of Engineering come to the University for a rigorous education and advanced technological knowledge that will set them apart in their respective industries or lead to careers in higher education. They are attracted by our reputation for individualized attention, student support, and our welcoming community of scholars. With a master’s degree in Engineering Management, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering; or a doctoral degree in Engineering Management, students are educated straight from the leading edge of American technological advances and entrepreneurial strategies. For the U.S. economy to remain competitive, employers need more candidates with STEM expertise. International students who relocate to the U.S. not only help fill those gaps, but provide different perspectives that help U.S. companies reach more global markets. Western New England University has demonstrated that international students enrich our learning community, as well as foster cultural awareness and global understanding for domestic students. Internationalization is a priority in the University’s Strategic Plan, including attracting high quality candidates to its graduate and doctoral programs.
Engineering Management Prepares Karthik Murali for Next Big Opportunity IT and Software Engineering have always been lifelong passions for Karthik Murali G’13 who was named the Outstanding Graduate Student in the Master of Science in Engineering Management program in 2013. Currently, he serves as a Solutions Integration Architect at Cisco Systems, Inc., in Austin, TX, “Some people call Austin the budding Silicon Valley,” says Karthik. For Karthik, who comes from Mumbai, India, the program provided a perfect blend of technology and management skills to prepare him for new career opportunities. “I had both management experience and a strong IT background and this program was a great platform to bring both aspects together and churn out the best output possible. The final results were very rewarding,” he says. “It is really helping me a lot in my current job, where I am working with multiple business units and also leading customer interfacing sessions.” He appreciated the program’s focus on key aspects in en-
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gineering, such as “Quality and Statistical Analysis, which can also be termed as Data Analytics, Supply Chain Engineering, etc. I would definitely recommend this program to all those prospective candidates who are looking to incorporate their prior background and boost their career,” he says. “This program will not only provide them with the knowledge they need, but it will also enrich their skills on Engineering Management principles and best practices.” Karthik chose to pursue the program’s thesis option. “I was so glad that my mentor was Dr. Julie Drzymalski whose guidance was a very evident motivator for me to complete my thesis, and make it to the International IIE Conference 2013 in San Juan, Puerto Rico,” he says. “I was honored to present the thesis in front of other great peers who were experts in their respective fields of research.” The program’s faculty members (along with New England’s beautiful four seasons) were key in Karthik’s decision to attend Western New England. “I was lucky to have classes with some of the best teachers I’ve ever experienced, and it was a fantastic journey with them!” he says. “The faculty is really warm and welcoming to all international students, and they leave no stone unturned when it comes to offering any academic help during the master’s program.”
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Dual Degrees Set Joseph Chilala G’14 Apart from Competitors Joseph came to Western New England from Zambia looking for an education that would give him a competitive edge. Having majored in Chemical Engineering for his undergraduate degree, Joseph sought a master’s program that would give him a higher knowledge of both engineering and business expertise to complement his extensive work history. Pursuing a Master of Science in Engineering Management/MBA combined degree fit the bill. Especially valuable to Joseph were the classroom discussions in his MBA courses, which he feels were equally as enriching as the textbooks. He says another asset of those discussions was that they blended online and in-class sessions that allowed him to interact with classmates from other countries, and learn from their perspectives. “We had classmates from Ghana, France, and all across the United States, participating in real time,” he says. “I don’t think many other schools can offer that type of experience. I have met students who have changed my ways of thinking, to look at life from a positive point of view. I have learned about other cultures and things that are very different from what I am used to.” While enjoying the global participation aspects of his classes, Joseph also felt welcomed here as part of the Western New England family. At his undergraduate institution, he recalled visiting a professor during office hours and having to provide his student identification card so the professor could verify that Joseph was enrolled in the class. Because of this, Joseph has an appreciation for the professors at Western New England, who know his name and offer personalized career advice. Joseph said he would recommend the University to other international students, not just for the academics, but also because of the different professional backgrounds of fellow students. “The school is also becoming more and more diverse, so international students and domestic students with different backgrounds should be able to fit in well. So many people from faculty to fellow students are willing to help you with anything,” he says.
Dean S. Hossein Cheraghi and Outstanding Student Award Winner Joseph Chilala
Wanying Shi Relishes Advanced Study in the United States A doctoral candidate in the growing PhD in Engineering Management program, Wanying Shi sees herself as a problem solver. After completing both undergraduate and master’s degrees in logistics management in her native China, she decided to delve deeper into supply chain engineering and management. Right away, Wanying noticed the high level of academic quality at Western New England. She says that in her experience, the average faculty qualifications are better in the United States, and there is a much greater access to computers, libraries, and experimental equipment. “One obvious difference is that U.S. higher education places more requirements on students, which assures program quality. Professors here assign meaningful projects that are necessary for students to apply theory to practice, and understand the actual application,” she says. She feels the evolving doctoral program has been an excellent experience for her. The program has provided the funding to make it possible for Wanying to study at Western New England, and has made available various research opportunities. The flexibility of the program has created a collegial environment for students to exchange ideas and learn from each other, with faculty support. After the completion of her doctorate, Wanying plans to gain industry experience in a supply chain and logistics. She also sees herself returning to the classroom as a professor to share her professional knowledge with students.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GRADUATE AND ADVANCED STUDIES AT WESTERN NEW ENGLAND UNIVERSITY, VISIT WNE.EDU/GRAD
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CAMPUS UPDATE
BY JUDY CURRAN
UNIVERSITY NAMED AMONG THE TOP 30 MOST BEAUTIFUL COLLEGE CAMPUSES TO VISIT IN THE FALL! Western New England University was recognized by onlineschoolcenter.com. We ranked No. 11 nationwide!
Western New England University Ranks Near Top of “Best Value” Colleges Western New England University is ranked in the top 3 percent of colleges and universities among the top 1,275 public and private institutions reviewed in the United States by The Economist magazine. The rankings analyzed which institutions offered the “best value” for the education received. This new ranking formula utilizes data from the national College Scorecard released by the U.S. Department of Education in September 2015, and factors in how much college students are projected to earn after graduating versus what they actually earn. The Economist’s results showed a predicted salary for undergraduates from Western New England University of $47,947 while the reported salary 10 years after enrolling was $55,100. Western New England University over-performed by $7,153 in predicted annual salary. The data in The Economist ranking is also consistent with findings recently published by the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, a larger and broader study, in which Western New England University is ranked in the top 17 percent of nearly 8,000 college and universities in the United States. There are 114 colleges and universities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Economist report placed six institutions from Massachusetts in the top 3 percent of “best value” universities, including Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Western New England University.
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Monson School Superintendent Cheryl Clarke and President Anthony S. Caprio.
Partnership with Monson Public Schools Prepares Students for College Western New England University has entered into a unique partnership with Granite Valley Middle School in Monson, MA. The partnership is designed to create opportunities to familiarize and motivate students to prepare for college much earlier, and help them set appropriate goals for high school. “Students often wait until junior or senior year in high school to begin thinking about college, and that can be too late,” explained Bryan Gross, Western New England University vice president for enrollment management. “Through this partnership, we will be helping more students reach their full potential by the time they graduate from high school.”
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President Anthony S. Caprio and Trustee Michael J. Flynn ’82/G’83 lead the ribbon cutting festivities.
Dual Degree Pre-optometry Program Launched with New England College of Optometry Western New England University is joining forces with New England College of Optometry (NECO) to establish a Doctor of Optometry dualdegree program.
The Flynn Family Pavilion is Open for Athletics Family Western New England University held a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the new Flynn Family Golden Bear Pavilion on September 29. The new building features men’s and women’s locker, sport medicine, training, and equipment rooms for lacrosse, football, softball, baseball, soccer, and field hockey teams. A concession stand and restrooms will also provide added convenience to the fans on game days.
The Pre-optometry program is a 3 + 4 Affiliation Program offered through an agreement with New England College of Optometry (NECO). In this program, students spend three years taking Pre-optometry coursework at Western New England University. Upon successful completion of the program and fulfillment of its requirements, in their thirdyear (junior) students will receive early admissions status to NECO’s OD04 program.
The Pavilion is named for University Trustee Michael J. Flynn ’82/G’83, CEO of Hampden Engineering Corporation, and his family, who are longtime supporters of education and athletics in western Massachusetts— including the University’s Golden Bear Club, and the University’s College of Engineering.
FOR MORE UNIVERSITY NEWS, VISIT WWW.WNE.EDU/NEWS
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Businesses can now tap into a valuable resource:
The Management Institute at Western New England University BY BRIAN FITZGERALD MANAGEMENT TRAINING IS IMPORTANT FOR managers at every level because it helps them lead successfully in their organizations. As these individuals advance in the workplace and their responsibilities grow, they may require new skillsets, which are crucial in today’s ever-changing business environment. The Management Institute, operated by the Department of Management—one of five academic units in the Western New England University College of Business—offers superb leadership development programs that focus on building within any organization the requisite skills, knowledge, and abilities that contribute to its longterm success. Drawing on the expertise of the Department of Management faculty members, the Management Institute uses a three-step process to develop a customized leadership development program for staff leaders. These steps include a needs assessment and program design, program delivery, and program evaluation and follow-up. Barton Associates, an Enfield, CT staffing firm that places healthcare professionals on temporary assignments across the U.S., used the Management Institute’s services twice—once for its entry-level managers, and most recently for its senior management team. The company has been growing at an extremely rapid pace—60 percent each year for the past three years—and had been experiencing growing pains. “We needed to meet the challenges that come with fast growth and get some outside training in management areas where we were deficient,” said Jonathan Retchin, director of talent acquisition at Barton Associates. “Some of our staff had never led teams.” Retchin said he chose the Management Institute because an alumna in the comRead more about the Management pany, as well as others, spoke highly of the Management Institute’s faculty. He was Institute in The Communicator’s “Web Extras on the Alumni Website: also pleased with the flexibility of the program—it can be held on-site in a variety of time frames. “I looked into two other large universities that offer executive trainwne.edu/alumni. ing, but we went with Western New England, and I’m glad we did. Our people were able to apply what they learned right away.” Management Institute faculty, led by Dr. Jeanie Forray, a professor of management and director of the Management Institute, are full-time members of the department who possess diverse corporate, nonprofit, consulting, and business ownership experience across a variety of industries and managerial functions. Other Institute faculty members include Professor Lynn Bowes-Sperry, Assistant Professor Stacie Chappell, Assistant Professor Joe Gerard, Executive-in-Residence Jack Greeley, Associate Professor Melissa Knott, and Associate Professor Lynn Walter. n
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ALUMNI NEWS
BY BRIAN FITZGERALD
MENTORING A NEW GENERATION OF ENGINEERS Sponsored by the Alumni Association, the 15th annual Engineering Mentoring Program’s Kick-off Dinner on October 8 afforded 180 first-year students an opportunity to network with 55 alumni mentors and ask questions about what to expect in their studies over the next four years and the various engineering careers available to them afterward.
“I mentor every year because of the positive experience I had as a student,” said Don Army ’84. “My son was a graduate and he was involved in the mentoring program. I enjoy talking to the freshmen, hearing what their dreams are, and helping them.” Dena Navarroli ’15 became a mentor to “give back to Western New England because the University has given me so much. Also, I care about the engineering field and I like to give the students going into it a hand.”
Students Brendan Allard and Mohammed Alqadasi with mentor Don Army ’84
Contact College of Engineering Assistant Dean Richard Grabiec at richard.grabiec@wne.edu or 413-782-1271 to learn more about becoming a mentor.
THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SKOOKUM AWARD WINNERS: The “Best and Brightest” The word “Skookum” in the Chinook language means “excellence,” and awards were presented to 15 seniors who have demonstrated this quality in academics, cocurricular activities, athletics, volunteer work, and community service. Bobby Caruso (not pictured), a communication major currently studying abroad, was presented with this year’s Grand Skookum Award. He is a member of several national honorary societies, including Lambda Pi Eta (communication), Mortar Board (seniors), and Omicron Delta Kappa (leadership). The former executive board member of the Stageless Players theater troupe has been involved with the University’s media outlets, including GBTV and the radio station WNEK. He has held internships at VH1, The Huffington Post, the Springfield Republican newspaper, BlueLink Marketing, and with State Senator Eric Lesser. Alexander DeFelice and Lyndsey St. Jean received Royal Skookum Awards, the second-highest accolade.
(L-R) Bottom row: Alexandria Dean (Arts and Entertainment Management), Jessica Barnet (Pharmacy), Gretchen Pancak (Marketing, Communication/ Advertising), Hailey Greenhalgh (Political Science), Timothy Rapszynski (Electrical Engineering), and Melissa Ferris (Psychology). Second row: Julie Cokotis (Finance), Troy Sanders (Chemistry), Pegah Shakeraneh (Doctor of Pharmacy), Melissa Emmons (Chemistry), and Lyndsey St. Jean (Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management). Back row: Andres Otero (Civil Engineering), President Caprio, Alex DeFelice (Psychology), and Matthew LaCoille (Sport Management).
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ALUMNI NEWS
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PRESIDENT CAPRIO REACHES OUT TO ALUMNI AND FRIENDS IN WASHINGTON, DC Extending a big Golden Bear welcome in our nation’s capital, alumni and friends took advantage of the opportunity to meet President Anthony S. Caprio, reconnect with some old friends, and make some new ones. The President’s Alumni Reception in Washington, DC, on October 15, 2015 was hosted by Eli Farrah L’78, and took place at the Dupont Circle Hotel. The atmosphere was upbeat and lively as guests mingled and enjoyed a particularly beautiful sunset behind the city skyline. They heard firsthand about the latest news at the University, including the recently built Golden Bear Pavilion on our outdoor sports complex. President Caprio invited those gathered at the event to come back to campus—if they haven’t recently—and see the many changes that have taken place over the past few years.
Clockwise from top left) President Anthony S. Caprio, Everett Ladd ’63, Antigone Ladd, Marny Gilluly, and former Trustee C.W. Gilluly Barbara Juszcyk, Robert Juszcyk ’72, Tapleigh (Fallon) Niethamer ’00, and Jason Niethamer Jamel Lattimore ’12 and Jakia Kane Corinne Porter ’07 and Ryan Taugher
Attendees included School of Law Dean Eric Gouvin, Vice President for Advancement Beverly S. Dwight, Law Professors Fred Royal and Barbara Noah, Professor of Legal Research and Writing Jeanne Kaiser, and Clinical Professor of Law Tina Cafaro. Eli Farrah, who credited the University for his success, pointed out that scholarship support is one of the University’s top priorities. He added that without financial aid, many deserving students would be unable to attend our University, and he invited alumni and friends to be part of the team that advances the institution through scholarship aid.
Chicago Bears scout Chris Prescott ’01/G’07 was the guest speaker at the University’s Center for International Sports Business “For the Love of the Games” series on October 5, 2015. The event was sponsored by the University’s Alumni Association. Pictured are (L-R) Association Secretary Scott Davis ’76, Chris, Association Member-at-Large Tim Conrod ’11/G’12, and Director of Alumni Relations Kathy Pappas G’98.
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For information on upcoming events, visit wne.edu/alumni
FUN IS PAR FOR THE COURSE THE 48TH ANNUAL ALUMNI GOLF TOURNAMENT COMING MAY 27 For more information, contact Kristina Oleksak at kristina.oleksak@wne.edu or 413-782-1557.
JOHN BRENNAN ’71 AND ASHLEY SKEETE ’10/G’12 HONORED FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS Trustee John Brennan ’71, a successful entrepreneur who has given back extensively to his alma mater in both talent and treasure, was presented with the Alumnus of the Year award at the President’s Society Reception. Ashley Skeete ’10/G’12, who has distinguished herself both in the University community and in the aerospace industry, received the Young Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award at a September 20, 2015 ceremony that also honored the Alumni Association Skookum Award winners. JOHN, WHO GRADUATED FROM WESTERN NEW ENGLAND in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, has spent much of his career as an entrepreneur. He is president of Summit Company, a privately held investment company with interests in Franklin Valve and Brendford Environmental Systems. John also serves as a consultant for Presedo LLC, a startup company developing a process to reduce the energy used in the production of ethanol. From 1997 to 2007, John was the owner and president of Valve Systems and Controls, a distributor of valves to the chemical and paper industries. Prior to buying Valve Systems, he held positions with Crane Valves, Limitorque Corp., and Curtiss-Wright. John currently serves as chair of the Development Committee on the Board of Trustees and is a member of the Board’s Executive Committee. He also serves his alma mater as a member of the College of Engineering’s Advisory Board. In 2004, he was inducted into the University’s Engineering Hall of Fame. John’s support for the University includes making a lead gift for the recent Sleith Hall expansion and renovation project. He also established the Brennan Family Endowed Scholarship and supports our athletics program through gifts to the Golden Bear Club and makes important gifts to the University’s annual fund. MAJORING IN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING, ASHLEY graduated magna cum laude and received the award for Outstanding Senior in Industrial Engineering. At Boeing, she worked as a functional analyst, systems integrator, and programming analyst on projects for several airplanes, including the Boeing 787 and the C17 Globemaster III, a large military transport aircraft.
Pictured at last year’s tournament: (L-R) Scott Smith ’11, Craig Bedigian ’11, John Jasiewicz ’11, and Chris Fontaine ’11
When Ashley earned her MBA at the University online, she joined GE Aviation, as a program integrator for the CT7 helicopter engine, and then as the evaluations engineer for the GE38-1B helicopter engine. At GE, her positions focused on project management, with her proudest accomplishment being the hard-fought FAA certification of the CT7-2E1 engine maintenance and overhaul manuals.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS OF SOME OF THESE EVENTS IN THE COMMUNICATOR’S “WEB EXTRAS” AT WNE.EDU/ALUMNI.
Ashley has since left GE to join the Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management as a PhD fellow with a goal of becoming a tenured professor. The multicultural student organization United and Mutually Equal (U&ME) was like a “second home” for Ashley when she was an undergraduate, and she still participates in this group’s activities.
www.wne.edu/alumni
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SPORTS UPDATE
Hear us
BY KEN CERINO
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SHARON
DOWNES ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME Six outstanding athletes were inducted into the University’s Downes Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, October 2, 2015 during Homecoming Weekend. The distinguished group included (L to R) Above: Jon Godbout ’06 (men’s basketball), Kristin Thornton Hensinger ’07 (women’s soccer), Don Barsalou ’85 (men’s soccer). Below: Paul Winkler ’03 (men’s golf), Kevin Bennison ’03 (men’s golf), and Ashley O’Keefe Hemler ’08 (women’s volleyball).
MARY CLARE SNEDIKER | FIELD HOCKEY Mary Clare Snediker enjoyed considerable success as a player. Now she is bringing that winning attitude and strong work ethic as she took on her first season as the new coach at Western New England. Snediker was an assistant with Golden Bears field hockey and women’s lacrosse squads last season. Prior to Western New England, Snediker served four years as an assistant coach for both field hockey and lacrosse at Williams College. Snediker was an offensive star with the field hockey team and a defensive standout for women’s lacrosse from 2005 to 2009 at Colby College in Waterville, ME. She was a three-time All-New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) field hockey player, finishing her career with 29 goals and serving as one of the team’s captains. She also helped women’s lacrosse to a pair of back-to-back conference championships. Snediker also earned NESCAC Fall and Spring All-Academic honors and academic accolades from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) and the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA). She was chosen to play in the 2009 IWLCA Senior All-Star Classic. The New Canaan, CT native graduated from Colby College in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Business.
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Roar!
THREE NEW COACHES HAVE TAKEN THE HELM of Western New England University varsity teams and they are eager to make their mark on our rising athletic programs. They join Men’s Soccer Coach Devin O’Neill, who was profiled in our last issue.
COLIN TABB | MEN’S BASKETBALL MIKE SUGERMEYER | WRESTLING Mike Sugermeyer became the new head coach after serving as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with the Golden Bears the past two seasons. A native of Hampden, MA, Sugermeyer previously coached numerous All-American, All-State, and All-New England wrestlers while coaching at Northeast Elite and Bay State Wrestling Club of West Springfield. Sugermeyer wrestled for Rhode Island College in Providence, RI. He was a senior captain for the Anchormen, achieving All-NCAA Northeast Region and All-New England honors, as well as being named a First-Team Pilgrim League All-Star. He graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Business Management. Prior to Rhode Island College, Mike wrestled for Minnechaug Regional High School in Wilbraham, MA. He was a both three-time All-State place winner and sectional champion and All-New England performer. Sugermeyer is currently working toward a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership at the University. He is the son of former Golden Bears captain Steve Sugermeyer ‘78, who was inducted into the University’s Downes Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014.
Colin Tabb, one of the top names in New England basketball during his undergraduate career at Trinity College, took the helm for the Golden Bears, who are celebrating their 50th Anniversary season during the 2015-16 campaign. Tabb, a former All-America player at Trinity, replaces Mike Theulen, who coached Western New England during two stints from 2005-08 and 2012-15. Theulen will remain the University’s athletics director. He was the boys’ basketball coach this past season at Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, CT. He also is the president and owner of the popular BasketBull, LLC, which is a basketball event-management company and an official licensee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Tabb has prior coaching experience on the Division III coaching level, serving as an assistant on the staffs at Brandeis (2006-08) and Rhode Island College (2004). A two-time captain at Trinity (2000-02), Tabb graduated as the program’s sixth all-time leading scorer with 1,367 points. He led the Bantams to a 51-20 overall record, a 2002 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship appearance, and a pair of New England Small School Athletic Conference (NESCAC) tournament runner-up finishes. He became the first Trinity player selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-America First Team. He also was both the ECAC New England and NESCAC Player of the Year. Tabb was inducted to the 2015 New England Basketball Hall of Fame class this past August.
www.wne.edu/alumni
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CLASS NOTES
Winter 2016
1984 SCOTT R. CHADWICK (government) was elected to judge of probate for the town of East Hartford, CT. Prior to that he worked as an attorney at the law firm Chadwick and Stone, LLP.
1985
NICOLE ’85
MARC NICOLE (government) was named deputy secretary of the Maryland Department of Budget and Management. He previously served as the department’s executive director of the Office of Budget Analysis.
1986 This past summer, a group that includes six alumni celebrated their 25th vacation at Virginia Beach. They call themselves the MASHH crew for each of their last names: “M”: Dave Marini ’78 and Liz Marini, “A”: Paul and Terry Anderson, “S”: Bob Stein ’79 and Elaine (Goff) Stein ’81, “H”: Larry Harvazinski ’78, Mary (Laymond) Harvazinski ’79, Carolyn (Stravinskas) Hwang ’79, and Dale Hwang.
1975 RICHARD THEROUX (law enforcement) retired after more than 30 years of service as the city clerk of Agawam, MA. He recently assumed a government relations position with the Angelides Law Firm in Longmeadow, MA.
1978 ALBERT F. KASPER (accounting) was awarded the 2015 Distinguished Citizen Award from the Western Massachusetts Council of the Boy Scouts of America this past April. He is currently the president and CEO of Westfield, MA based firearms manufacturer Savage Arms. He also teaches entrepreneurship at East Longmeadow (MA) High School.
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KATHLEEN D’AMARIO (MBA) was appointed senior vice president and chief technology officer at Medicision in Pennsylvania. She has been working at the company since 2009.
1988 GINA GOLASH KOS (business administration/G’95 MBA) has been appointed to the board of directors of Dress for Success. She is currently the CEO of Sunshine Village in Chicopee, MA.
BLAIR ’90
1990 MARY BLAIR (accounting/G’95 MBA) was hired as director ETO of IT operations for the MassMutual Financial Group. Prior to that she was chief operating officer at Court Square Group in Springfield.
1981
1992
JOEL LOURAINE (finance) was appointed vice president and commercial loan officer at Summit State Bank in Santa Rosa, CA. He was previously vice president and commercial loan officer for Bank of Marin in California.
AMY BADAL (communication) was named dean of students at Bucknell University. She joined the university in 2001 as the assistant dean of students and student affairs class dean for the first year class.
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D’AMARIO ’86
BADAL ’92
GORDON ’96
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1994 BRIAN KING (history) was named Pembroke (MA) High School’s football coach. He was formerly the head football coach at Hanover (MA) High School. JEFF SOCHA (mechanical engineering) joined Block Engineering in Marlborough, MA, as the vice president of engineering. Prior to that he was the R&D product development manager for gas analysis systems at Thermo Fisher Scientific in Agawam, MA.
DAVID TUROCY (G’94 public administration) was named commissioner of public services for the city of Pittsfield, MA. He is the former public works commissioner in Newton, MA.
1996 KRISTEN GORDON (management) is the director of annual fund and alumni relations at Watkinson School in Hartford, CT. She was most recently associate director, alumni relations, at Trinity College.
1997 KEVIN CODEY (management) was hired as an NFL line judge official this past April. He has been with the American Athletic Conference for the past two years and he is the only NFL official to come out of the AAC. Kevin currently teaches physical education at Herberg Middle School in Pittsfield, MA.
1999 LOUIS J. FUSARO JR. (MS criminal justice administration) was named chief of police
in Groton, CT. Most recently, he served as director of Connecticut’s Office of Counterterrorism, Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. He is a 21-year veteran of the Connecticut State Police.
2001 MATTHEW McGINTY (management leadership/G’05 MBA) was hired as COO at GTxcel in Boston. He was previously the vice president of sales strategy and client operations for RAMP Holding, Inc. in Boston.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? How did you get your start as an NFL Scout? “I had previously completed internships with the Bridgeport Bluefish and Madison Square Garden. But I really got my start with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a scouting intern, because it turned into a job opportunity as a scouting assistant. I became a pro scout in 2006, where I was responsible for scouting current NFL teams and free agents on other teams. I later became an area scout for the Jaguars and was responsible for the Northeast, and eventually, the southeast area. In 2013, I moved to the New York Jets, and currently scout for the Chicago Bears.”
Chris Prescott ’01/G’07 SPORT MANAGEMENT/MBA NFL Scout Chicago Bears Newton, MA
What does the day-to-day job entail? “A typical day for me is visiting college campuses and evaluating college players that will be eligible for the NFL draft in 2016. I usually go to the school in the morning and watch the game tape of their previous games. I will meet with coaches and find out about what type of player we are looking at from a personal standpoint. I have to take notes from all the people that I meet with. Plus, I take notes on the player’s ability from the game footage. I go to the team’s practice in the afternoon to see the player in person. Then I drive to the next city, and check into another hotel. That’s when I begin writing my reports from my notes that day. Then I repeat the same process for the next school. I stay in a hotel room about 180 nights per year.”
Do the different teams you’ve worked for look for different qualities in players? “Most teams are looking for the same things. They all want good football players. But different teams have different offensive and defensive philosophies, so certain players may fit the scheme better than other players would. But ultimately everybody wants good players because you can lose with talent, but you can’t win without it.” What lessons did you learn at Western New England that have helped you in your career? “I had a several different experiences at Western New England that really prepared me for my job. We worked in groups a lot in my classes, which is a lot of what I do now. We have about seven scouts that cover the country and see different players. We must come together to make the best decision for the Chicago Bears. We have to trust each other and the work that each of us has done. Football is the ultimate team sport, because we need everybody in order to be successful. I also learned about negotiations in classes. I use my skills to negotiate with agents and against other teams as we try and sign free agents after the draft concludes.”
2001
Mike Beck ’09 (marketing) was appointed communications coordinator at the Utica Zoo in Utica, NY. He was most recently an operations administrator at FedEx Ground in Marcy, NY.
THOMAS DUFFY (MS criminal justice administration) was promoted to Burlington Police Department’s first-ever deputy chief. Prior to that he was a captain on the force.
2002 JAMES RUSSELL (English literature) is now a bookseller at Bauman Rare Books in Las Vegas. He was previously a senior lecturer in the University’s Department of Humanities. GARY RYAN (MBA) was appointed the fire chief of Chelmsford, MA. He has been with the department since 1993 and has risen through the ranks from firefighter to EMT, and then his most recent role as deputy chief.
2003 RICHARD MacLEAN (MS criminal justice administration) was promoted to sergeant in the Amherst (MA) Police Department. Prior to that he was a detective on the force.
2004 ANTHONY FONTAINE (marketing) joined Florence Bank in Northampton, MA, as senior vice president, director of retail banking. He was previously senior vice president, retail regional manager at Citizens Bank in Ludlow, MA. All these years after graduation, this group of alumni and friends still get together at a beach house in Avon, NC. Pictured this past August with Flat Golden Bear are Mike St. Laurent Jr. ’09, Nick Formica ’09, Eric Robalino ’09, Bobby Bielsky ’09, Megan McNatt ’10, Ricky Adams ’09, Samantha Carney ’09, Jenna Robalino, and Nicole DaGasta ’09.
JOHN MAZERALL (MS criminal justice administration) was promoted to captain of the Lexington (MA) Police Department this past May. He was most recently a lieutenant at the department.
2005 ERVING MARSHALL JR. (law enforcement) has retired as police chief from the Townsend (MA) Police Department. He 32
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had served in the police force for 38 years.
2006 SEAN O’LEARY (law enforcement) was promoted to detective/school resource officer for the North Reading (MA) Police Department. He was previously a patrolman. In 2006, Sean received the George L. Hanna Memorial award for Bravery and earned the Boston Marathon Bombings Response award after the 2013 terrorist attack.
2007 STACY BURGESS (MEd elementary education) was named elementary principal in the Southern Berkshire Regional School District. Previously she was assistant principal at West Street Elementary School in Southbridge, MA, and the assistant principal at the Quarry Hill Community School in Monson, MA, where she was named “Best Teacher in the Pioneer Valley” by the Masslive/Springfield Republican news outlet. DANIELLE CIRILLO (general business) was promoted to project manager at United Personnel in Springfield. She was most recently a staffing consultant at the company. Danielle is also a member of the Young Professionals Society of Greater Springfield. ASHLEY COTE (marketing) is a mortgage loan processor at Berkshire Bank in Springfield. She was previously a loan intake specialist at Hampden Bank in Springfield. MARTIN McEVOY (MA English for teachers) was named principal of Lanesborough (MA) Elementary School. He was the vice principal for curriculum and instruction at Hoosac Valley Middle and High School in Cheshire, MA.
2009 STEPHEN TOOMY (accounting) was hired as an assistant lacrosse coach at Boston University. Prior to that he spent two seasons at Colgate University, where he was the defensive coordinator and goalie coach.
2010 KATIE MANNING (English literature) was hired as the assistant director of graduate admissions for programs in education at Bay Path University. MEGAN McNATT (political science) was promoted to contracts coordinator in the associate services department of Weichert Realtors in New Jersey. She was most recently a referral associate.
TOOMY ’09
POLASKI ’11
JORDYN PECK (mathematical sciences) joined FTI consulting as a senior consultant in the office of the CFO Solutions Practice in Boston. She was previously stress testing lead analyst at GE Capital in Norwalk, CT.
2011 CHRISTOPHER FONTAINE (accounting) is now a regulatory operations consultant at MassMutual Financial Group. He was previously senior con-
DICKINSON ’12
sultant at Orchid Advisors in Hartford, CT. CHRISTINA (PIZZELLA) POLASKI (communication) was one of two recipients of the inaugural Department of Communication Alumni of the Year award for her contributions to the department. She was nominated by Professor Mindy Chang for her success as a Content and Social Media Manager at Carbonite, as well as her support and mentorship of current students.
DANIELLE REMIGIO (psychology) was appointed residence director at Suffolk University. She was also named to the board of advisors for the new non-profit Brighter Boston.
2012 BRYAN DICKINSON (history) was hired as an eighth grade math teacher at South Valley Academy in Albuquerque, NM.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? As a manager of sales channel planning and development, what are your primary responsibilities? “Our team is responsible for making sure that we are utilizing sales and marketing spending in the most efficient and effective manner. We make sure that we are incentivizing behaviors that support the overall strategy for the company.” What is it like to work at Disney and help create magic for other people? “It is always a good feeling to remember that there are people here every single day because they love and believe in what we are doing. It is humbling to work for such a trusted company and to be a piece of creating that magic for people.” How did Western New England prepare you to work for one of the most popular brands in the world?
Erin Seifert ’10
“Western New England University set me up for success in that it taught me to be a good learner. One of the most attractive skills to employers is not being afraid of something new. I am not afraid to learn new tools and am able to pick them up quickly. That is thanks to Western New England, which introduced me to a range of tools. Even if they are not the exact same tools I use in my job now, being exposed to a varying range of skills gave me the confidence to tackle anything that has been thrown at me since working for Disney.”
INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING
What is your favorite Disney attraction and why?
Manager, Sales Channel Planning and Development Disney World® Orlando, FL
“My favorite ride is the Haunted Mansion. I love the history that surrounds the ride and the fact that it is spooky and silly all at the same time. I was also always afraid of the Haunted Mansion when I was younger, and I now love it, so it serves as a reminder that even if something seems scary at first (like moving a thousand miles away from family and friends), it may be worth it in the end to pursue your dream.” www.wne.edu/alumni
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LYMAN ’12
ALEXANDRA LYMAN (communication) was one of two recipients of the inaugural Department of Communication Alumni of the Year award. She was nominated by Professional Educator of Communication Brenda Garton for her success as a copywriter in the Office of Marketing and External Affairs at Western New England University, as well as her ongoing support for the department and its students. MONIKA (RUTANA) MOCCIO (marketing) was named associate customer marketing manager at Yankee Candle in South Deerfield, MA.
NAM ’12
WIGGETT ’12
MATTHEW L. NAM (integrated liberal studies) was hired as the neuroscience area manager for Avanir Pharmaceuticals in New York City. MICHELLE WIGGETT (criminal justice) was named the first nursing academic advisor for the Master of Science in the Nursing Program at Southern New Hampshire University. She was previously assistant brand manager at Newell Rubbermaid.
2013 EMILY M. HAZEN (accounting/ G’14 accounting) graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, TX. She is now an Air Force Air National Guard Airman. HAZEN ’13
MATTHEW MANGANELLI (MS accounting) joined Westfield (MA) Bank as vice president, retail-lending manager. Prior to that he was a senior loan officer at NE Moves Mortgage, LLC, in Longmeadow, MA.
MIKE MURRAY (history) was named assistant to the director of athletics at Western New England University. He has been working with the coaching staff at the University since he graduated, most recently as the men’s lacrosse recruiting coordinator.
2014 RACHAEL GOTTA (social work) joined Baystate Medical Center in Springfield as an inpatient social worker. TYLER UNWIN (communication) joined WPRI Eyewitness news in Providence, RI, as a TV news photographer and satellite truck operator.
2015
UNWIN ’14
DAVID BOHL (communication) was appointed digital marketing assistant–platforms at Garvey Communication Associates in Springfield. He previously worked in communications at Baystate Health. MICHAEL CAMILLE (marketing) was named coordinator and assistant project manager in the software division at Belcan Engineering Group in Windsor, CT. PETER SPOTTS (communication) was appointed digital marketing assistant—content and conduct PR research at Garvey Communication Associates in Springfield. He is also a freelance reporter and has had his stories published in publications such as The Republican, Masslive.com, and The Reminder.
MURRAY ’13
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GOTTA ’14
BOHL ’15
CAMILLE ’15
SPOTTS ’15
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Stay Connected! Send your class note to:
Office of Alumni Relations Western New England University 1215 Wilbraham Road Springfield, MA 01119-2684 Fax: 413-796-2219 Email: alumwne@wne.edu
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? You started your career in baseball. How did your career develop over the years? “I worked at recreation levels and umpired baseball at a very high level. I refereed basketball and soccer on a low level. But in baseball I worked major league Spring Training, and the Cape Cod Baseball League for 30 years. I also worked a full NCAA schedule from Maine to Miami, and umpired two seasons of winter ball in Venezuela. Later, I was the umpire coordinator for the ’96 Olympics in Atlanta. “I got to work the Olympics because I could umpire, I had international experience, and I spoke Spanish. I consider that my career highlight. Another highlight was umpiring home plate at the then longest-ever NCAA game that ran five-and-a-half hours. It set the NCAA record for strikeouts, which was 51. That record will never be broken.” How did Western New England foster your love and passion for sports?
Jim Rondeau ’69 MANAGEMENT Head Teaching Professional Highland Links and Chatham Seaside Links South Dennis, MA, and Deerfield Beach, FL
“I always had a love for sports, which grew at Western New England. In fact in a Labor Relations class, I will always remember a particular lesson where myself and a few others play-acted the NFL Players Union negotiating with the NFL itself, as a class project. I also spent a lot of time in the Department of Athletics working with the referees for intramural football. I just wanted to work in athletics, and the University is where I got my experience.”
www.wne.edu/alumni
You recently ended your baseball career and starting working in golf. What was that transition like? “As I was winding down my baseball career, I started going to golf school and worked for The First Tee program both in Florida and Massachusetts. I became a high school golf coach on the Cape because it’s a fall sport and didn’t interfere with my spring baseball schedule. “I am now the head teaching professional at two courses on Massachusetts. I do all the teaching for all of the members who need lessons. I also spend six months of the year in Florida, where I manage a golf course down there. I like to stay busy. “I spend a lot of time volunteering as a PGA Tour announcer and starter for the Deutsche Bank, Honda Classic, and Doral Championships. I also work with the Orange Bowl and Basketball Classic as the head of media distribution.” What’s your advice to students who want to get into working in baseball or golf? “They have to network and they have to intern. As in anything, it’s who you know, not what you know. Granted you have to know something, otherwise you can’t maintain. But to get in, you have to know somebody. In baseball, managers and coaches get fired and turn up somewhere else. They all hire their friends. Also, you have to always ask questions and know you’re never too old or too smart to learn.”
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Marriages ASHLEY ARPINO ’11 and CHARLES DRAGO ’12, June 13, 2015 in Springfield, MA
Kelly Sullivan and ALEX MAZZAFERRO ’09, August 22, 2015, in Holyoke, MA
Carole A. Boylan and DAVID A. ARCARI ’07, June 19, 2015, in Stonington, CT
ALICIA G. CUSHING ’11 and SEAN SLOMAN ’13, May 30, 2015, in South Hadley, MA
CHRISTINA LONGTO ’10/G’11 and STEVE BORDEN ’10, October 18, 2014, in Lake George, NY CHRISTINA PIZZELLA ’11 and JON POLASKI ’11, October 18, 2014, in Portland, CT.
KARA WHITE ’09 and MIKE ORMSBY ’09, July 11, 2015, in Granville, MA
ARPINO ’11 AND DRAGO ’12 (L-R) Front row: Jeremy Walker ’12, Jeffrey Wagner ’12, Christopher Nuhfer ’11, and Jenna Carson ’12. Middle row: Kevin Joslyn ’12, Amanda Wagner ’12, Carey Reed ’11, Charles Drago ’12, and Ashley Drago ’11. Back row: Associate Professor of Sport Management Curt Hamakawa L’84, Kelly Adamshick, Steve Adamshick ’10, Brittany Mills ’11, Ashley Quiterio ’11, and Justin Martins ’11.
BORDEN ’10 AND LONGTO ’10/G’11
WHITE ’09 AND ORMSBY ’09 (L-R) Front row: Meg McNatt ’10, Kara White ’09, and Nicole DaGasta ’09 Back row: Pete DiNardo ’09, Ricky Adams ’09, Mike Ormsby ’09, Bobby Bielsky ’09, and Mike Melucci ’09
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THE COMMUNICATOR
MAZZAFERRO ’09 (L-R) Mary McLean Orszulak G'10, Alex Mazzaferro '09, Kelly (Sullivan) Mazzaferro, and senior Derek Mazzaferro
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PIZZELLA ’11 AND POLASKI ’11 (L-R) Front row: Jessie Succoso ’12, Christina Pizzella ’11, Jon Polaski ’11, and Eric Smith ’11. Back row: Kayla Cihal ’12, Todd Binger ’11, Ryan Dalidowitz ’11, Eric Hennig ’11, Michael Wolf ’11, and Neil Von Flatern ’11
CUSHING ’11 AND SLOMAN ’13 (L-R) Paul D. Smith ’13, Nathan R. Morin ’12, Kelci E. Keene ’13, Spencer D. Bracco ’13, Alicia Sloman ’11, Sean Sloman ’13, Karen L. Petrie ’04/G’10, Heather L. Kulesza ’11, and Abigail N. Frasier ’15
Baby Golden Bears
Grace Catherine Ingersoll, July 15, 2015, to EMILY (PECK) INGERSOLL ’09 and Kyle Ingersoll
Landon Van Allsburg, April 12, 2015, to RYAN VAN ALLSBURG ’06 and Kimberly Van Allsburg
Brody Elias Fallon, August 14, 2015, to EDWARD FALLON ’10 and Jena Fallon
Travis Christopher LeBeau, December 18, 2014, to CHRISTOPHER LEBEAU ’02 and DIANE LEBEAU ’02
www.wne.edu/alumni
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In Memoriam
JOHN MOFFETTE ’53 (engineering and business), Longmeadow, MA; December 20, 2014. He was a WWII Army Air Corps veteran. John is survived by his wife, Eileen; and a daughter. DANIEL FRIEDMAN ’54 (management), Boca Raton, FL; August 19, 2015. The WWII Navy veteran was a civilian employee for the Department of Defense. He was predeceased by his wife, Sheila. He is survived by two sons and a daughter. FLORIAN J. TROJANOWSKI ’54 (accounting), Chicopee, MA; August 3, 2015. He was a WWII Army veteran and served in North Africa and Italy. He is survived by his wife, Jennie; and two sons. ROBERT A. JOSEFEK ’58 (engineering and business), Garden City, SC; March 30, 2015. The Korean War veteran was an electrical engineer at Package Machinery Company. He is survived by his wife, Rosemary; and two sons. JOHN R. DUDA ’61 (mechanical engineering) Brookfield, CT; June 2, 2015. He is survived by his wife, Judy; two sons; and four daughters. JOSEPH T. MCGRANAGHAN G’61 (MBA), Wilbraham, MA; July 15, 2015. He served in the Army’s 11th Airborne during the Korean War. Joseph worked at Springfield Wire, Inc., where he was president,
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CEO, and chairman of the board. He is survived by his wife, Patricia; a son; and three daughters. JAMES S. TEIXEIRA ’61 (mechanical engineering), West Palm Beach, FL; May 22, 2015. He was a general manager Ludlow (MA) Industrial Realities and property manager at Springfield Industrial Park. James was predeceased by his wife, Lorraine; and his daughter. He is survived by his son. ERNEST J. GELINAS ’63 (management), East Longmeadow, MA; December 15, 2014. He retired after working for the state of Connecticut for his entire career. He founded the Education Council of the Connecticut State Employees, and served as president. He is survived by his wife, Judy; a daughter; and four sons. ROBERT P. KILEY G’63 (MBA), Damariscotta, ME; May 30, 2015. The Army veteran was the executive vice president of the international division at Tampax Corporation. He is survived by his wife, Pat; and three sons. WALLACE H. KOUNTZE ’63 (management), West Medford, MA; August 13, 2015. The Army Korean War veteran worked in public service for more than 40 years. He is survived by his wife, Claretta; two daughters; and a stepdaughter.
THE COMMUNICATOR
JOHN JACK A. GETCHELL ’65 (mechanical engineering), Springfield, MA; June 29, 2014. The Korean War Navy veteran was retired from the former New England Telephone Co. He is survived by his wife, Beatrice; two sons; and two daughters.
STANLEY BELDING BUSS ’68 (accounting), Chicopee, MA; May 5, 2015. He was an accountant at the Monarch Life Insurance Company in Springfield. Stanley is survived by his wife, Mary; a son; and a daughter.
GLORIA DRISCOLL ’66 (accounting), Westminster, MD; March 3, 2015. She worked at Farm Credit Bank in Springfield. She was predeceased by her husband, Richard. She is survived by a son.
JAMES McEWAN ’72 (marketing/L’77), Hampden, MA; July 26, 2015. The attorney was a sole practitioner in Hampden. He is survived by his wife, Debra; a son; and two daughters.
CLARK R. SHEA ’66/G’69 (mechanical engineering/MBA), East Longmeadow, MA; June 3, 2015. The Army veteran worked at Pratt & Whitney & Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation, retiring as vice president of manufacturing. He is survived by his wife, Harlean; and a son.
ROBERT F. STAMANT ’72 (management), Naples, FL; March 31, 2015. He was managing director in the real estate investment division of MassMutual. Robert is survived by his wife, Jeanne.
RAYMOND WILLIAM JOHN CAMPBELL G’67 (MBA), De Leon Springs, FL; January 13, 2015. The WWII veteran served in the Royal Canadian Air Force and the U.S. Army. He founded R.W.J. Campbell associates of Amherst, Inc. Raymond was predeceased by a daughter. He is survived by his wife, Lillian; a son; and three daughters. DONALD E. BULLARD ’68 (general business), Rye, NH; May 4, 2015. He was a vice president in heavy hydraulic equipment sales. He is survived by a daughter and three sons.
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ROBERT E. ARIETI ’73 (management), Springfield, MA; March 24, 2015. He worked for the City of Springfield for 33 years, including 28 years as an administrative aide to the Springfield City Council. JOHN S. CHMURA ’75 (law enforcement), East Longmeadow, MA; June 30, 2015. The Korean War Army veteran was a sergeant in the Chicopee (MA) Police Department. He was predeceased by his wife, Christine. He is survived by four daughters, and two sons.
LLOYD A. DEARDEN ’75 (MBA) Stafford Springs, CT; January 13, 2015. The decorated Vietnam War Marine veteran was a special agent of the Department of the Treasury assigned to the DEA Criminal Investigation Unit. He is survived by his wife, Patricia; a daughter; and two sons. EDWARD T. NOONAN ’75 (mechanical engineering), Springfield, MA; March 6, 2015. He was employed for 25 years by Smith & Wesson. MICHAEL A. WOODSON ’75 (MBA), Enfield, CT; May 7, 2015. He was an Air Force captain in the Vietnam War and was a Connecticut State Police captain. He is survived by his wife, Beverly; a son; and two daughters. GEORGE COLLINS ’76 (accounting), Wilbraham, MA; June 13, 2015. He was a clinician and owner of the Crossroads Agency and CEO/director of Experience Wellness Centers. George is survived by his wife, Mary; a son; and a daughter. JOHN M. LAWRENCE G’76 (MBA), Monson, MA; September 7, 2015. The Army veteran was a production manager for Spalding Sports Worldwide in Chicopee, MA. He is survived by a daughter and a son.
DEBORAH MCKINLEY BARRETT ’77 (government), Cape Elizabeth, ME; July 25, 2015. She worked for the Cumberland County Judge of Probate and she later was deputy register of probate. She is survived by her husband, Daniel; a son; and a daughter. ROBERT N. COHEN G’77 (MBA), Worcester, MA; April 23, 2015. He was the controller of Acura of Auburn (MA). Robert was predeceased by a daughter. He is survived by his wife, Deborah; and a daughter. RUSSELL E. WILSON ’77/G’80 (engineering and management/ MBA), Pittsfield, MA; March 31, 2015. Worked at General Electric for 38 years. He was predeceased by his wife, Shirley; and a daughter. He is survived by a daughter and three sons. ELIZABETH (RODIER) MOKRZECKI ’78 (MS accounting), Pelham, MA; May 27, 2015. She was the director of facilities and operations finance department at Westfield State College. Elizabeth is survived by her husband, Stanley; and a daughter. JOHN WILLIAM ANDERSON ’79 (MBA), Springfield, MA; August 3, 2015. The Army veteran was president and CEO of Temp-Tech and coowner of Sonridge Food Services. He is survived by his wife, Gail.
www.wne.edu/alumni
RICHARD ’72 AND JULIANNE VILARDO It is with great sorrow that we report the tragic loss of 65-year-old Richard Louis “Dick” Vilardo ’72, and his wife, Julianne “Jody” Humphreys Vilardo, who were killed in a double homicide on May 10, 2015 at their home in Rockville, MD. A suspect has been charged with first-degree murder and burglary. Dick was a generous supporter of students at Western New England University through scholarship funding and a significant gift to the Transformations campaign. Born January 13, 1950 in Brooklyn, NY, he graduated from Sanford H. Calhoun High School on Long Island in 1967. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering in 1972 from Western New England and his master’s degree in Finance from Pace University. Dick and Jody met while working for the accounting firm Harris Kerr Foster, Inc. Soon after getting married in 1976, they moved to Maryland, where Dick was offered a job with Marriott International at the headquarters in Washington, DC. After learning the ropes, Dick decided to go into business for himself in real estate investment and hotel management. Jody built a successful career developing and growing the audit division of DeLeon & Stang CPAs, where she became partner before retiring in 2007. They are survived by a son and a daughter.
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In Memoriam
ROBERT F. BOUDREAU G’79 (information systems), Waltham, MA; June 7, 2015. The Vietnam Army Reserves veteran was a systems analyst for ARCON Corporation in Waltham. He is survived by a son and a daughter.
FRANCIS G. HARRINGTON G’83 (MBA), Fitchburg, MA; May 22, 2015. He was a production-planning manager at Solo Cup Company in North Andover, MA. Francis is survived by his wife, Patricia; and two sons.
EDWARD J. BAKER ’80 (law enforcement), Wilbraham, MA; July 5, 2015. He served as a Navy seaman from 19621964 and was a sergeant for the Wilbraham Police Department. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn; a son, and a daughter.
JANE G. DOYLE ’84 (MS health care administration), Lunenberg, MA; March 31, 2015. She was most recently a professor of Nursing at Mount Wachusett Community College.
WILLIAM J. DALO ’82/G’92 (technical business/MBA), Lake Elsinore, CA; June 28, 2015. He established his own business, Advanced Integration Inc. in Santa Ana, CA. William is survived by his wife, Carol.
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GLEN W. DUDEK ’84 (marketing), Chicopee, MA; June 13, 2015. He was a real estate broker for Real Living. ARTHUR T. DEYOUNG ’93/’00 (law enforcement/criminal justice administration), Acton, MA; July 8, 2015. He was a police lieutenant for the State of Massachusetts, serving in multiple units, including the motorcycle and mounted units. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; a son, and a daughter.
THE COMMUNICATOR
EDWARD J. MONTAGUE ’95 (law enforcement), Methuen, MA; March 28, 2015. The Navy veteran was a police officer for 31 years, retiring as a lieutenant in 2003. He also cofounded the Massachusetts State Police Museum and Learning Center in Grafton, MA. He is survived by his wife, Maxine; four daughters, and two sons. SCOTT D. BRYSON ’98/G’06 (management studies/MBA), Waxhaw, NC; April 25, 2015. He was a senior manager at McGladry, LLP. Scott is survived by his wife, Kimberlee; a son, and two daughters. CHARLES R. QUINN ’98 (criminal justice administration), Hudson, MA; April 29, 2015. He was a police officer for the Sudbury (MA) Police Department (MA), and an instructor in Criminal Justice at Massachusetts Bay Community College. He is survived by his wife, Christine; and four sons.
WINTER 2016
DONALD B. CULBERT ’04 (law enforcement), Keaau, HI; August 31, 2015. He was on active duty with the Army from 1988-1991. He served on the Haverhill (MA) Police Department from 1992-2005 and received the Policeman of the Year award in 2001. He is survived by his wife, Carmen; and three stepdaughters. ROBERT A. CASINI ’05 (computer information systems), Columbus, GA; July 12, 2015. He served as a sergeant in the Marine Corps during Operation Enduring Freedom. Robert was employed as a program analyst for TSYS in Georgia. He is survived by his son. ANTHONY GALLERANI ’14 (general business), South Hadley, MA; July 1, 2015. He was a specialist in the Army from 2005-2012, serving in Iraq. Anthony was a helicopter instructor for Precision Aviation in Newberg, OR.
REMEMBER WHEN
BY BRIAN FITZGERALD
ON THE AIR WITH WNEK BACK IN THE DAY Mike Netkovick ’80 plays music for radio listeners. Did you know that while WNEK has gone off the airwaves, it’s now streaming 24/7 broadcasts online? This change improves the ease of access to students, who can now listen to the station on their laptops, and for alumni, who can tune in from anywhere in the world.
Keep connected at www1.wne.edu/wnekstreaming.
HANGING OUT
IN 2005
SUPRENANT FIELD DEDICATION Please help us identify the nameless students. After all, 2005 isn’t that long ago! We can name Andrew Jayson ’10 on the left, but who is next to him? Shivaun (Wheeler) Miano ’09 is the woman on the left. Who is the woman next to her? Behind the mystery woman is Dave McAlear ’09, but the man in the red next to him is unidentified. On the right is Jenn Mahekeya ’06. Fill in the blanks by emailing us at alumwne@wne.edu.
Former Trustee D.J. St. Germain was instrumental in acquiring and developing Suprenant Field. Pictured at the 1979 dedication of the field in honor of his grandmother, Harriet Suprenant, are (L-R) Wrestling Coach Robert Skelton, Women’s Basketball Coach Patricia Best, Men’s Basketball Coach Eric Geldart Jr., Dorothy St. Germain, D.J. St. Germain, Athletics Department Office Manager Joanne Bovat, Baseball Coach Pat Ricci, Football Coach Hank Bazan, and Football Offensive Coordinator Roy White.
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage
PAID 1215 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA Permit No. 896
Springfield, MA 01119-2684
www.wne.edu
Upcoming Events JANUARY
APRIL
23 Alumni and Friends Great Wolf Lodge Water Park Getaway
16 8th Annual Coach Burns Bowling Scholarship Tournament 16 Softball Reunion
FEBRUARY 25 President’s Alumni Reception in Boston MARCH 3
President’s Alumni Reception in Hartford, CT
28 Mark Coffey Memorial Golf Outing MAY 5
President’s Alumni Reception in Providence, RI
21 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony
15 President’s Alumni Dinner in St. Petersburg, FL
22 Law, Pharmacy, PhD, and Master’s Commencement Ceremonies
16 President’s Alumni Dinner in Delray Beach, FL
27 48th Annual Alumni Golf Tournament
Visit: www.wne.edu/alumni For details on alumni events, contact Kristina Oleksak at kristina.oleksak@wne.edu or 413-782-1557.