Unearthing Green: Chelsey Hipkens ’13

2010s Jason Checkla ’10 of Queensbury, N.Y., is regional director for Cost Control Associates, overseeing New York and New England. Previously, he served as marketing coordinator and energy specialist at RISE Engineering. He also worked as a morning show host and digital media manager for the Regional Radio Group for stations in New York’s Warren, Washington and Saratoga counties. Alison Clarke ’10 of East Syracuse, N.Y., is an underwriting associate for the Hanover Insurance Group in North Syracuse, N.Y. Ryan Morrell M’10 is director of the PROSperity mental health program in Auburn, N.Y. He is responsible for direct oversight of six staff and monitoring of all operations for the agency’s Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS) program. He was previously the director of Criminal and Family Court Programs at Cayuga Counseling Services Inc. Matthew Slimowicz ’10 of Vestal, N.Y., is a senior assembler for Lockheed Martin in Owego. Katrina Antonucci ’11 of Hilliard, Ohio, is an aviation tax analyst for Satcom Direct in Upper Arlington, Ohio. Maria Martusewicz BonDurant ’11 M’15 of Syracuse, N.Y., is a project manager at Day Automation in East Syracuse, N.Y. She previously served as a project manager at Annese, a ConvergeOne company in Syracuse. She was named to CNY Business Journal’s 40 Under Forty for 2019. Alissa Theleman Clark ’11 of Rochester, N.Y., is the graduate education program director for the Greene Center for Career Education and Connections at the University of Rochester. Marc Copani ’11 M’13 CAS’15 transitioned from his assistant principalship at G. Ray Bodley High School to the new principal at Fulton (N.Y.) Junior High School. The former WWE professional wrestler also has spent time in the high school weight room helping the wrestling team. Steven DiMarzo ’11 M’15 of Clifton Park, N.Y., is the owner and clinical director for Second Nature Counseling in Schenectady. He also holds an MBA from Le Moyne College.

Unearthing Green

O S W E G O ★ ★ ★ 10 0 % O R G A N I C GREEN For many Americans, the word Ireland conjures up images of an emerald isle with grassy hillsides, four-leaf clovers, leprechauns and all things green.

“On average, they get about 285 days of rain per year, so that green color is well earned!” said Chelsey Hipkens ’13, who had the opportunity to spend some time in Ireland’s countryside during a study abroad trip and then pursuing a graduate degree in archaeological excavation from the University College Cork. “Ireland was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I enjoyed immensely,” Chelsey said. During her time in Ireland, the history major excavated several sites, including her favorite, a 19th-century house in a remote section of Ireland in Keem Bay on Achill Island. Through a very slow and deliberate process, she and her classmates unearthed centimeterby-centimeter the living area of the former home of English Capt. Charles Boycott, after whom the term boycott was named. They found all sorts of tools, broken pieces of pottery and, perhaps, the most interesting discovery, some children’s toys. “According to historical records, he was not a parent, so this means that it is likely other people stayed with him at the house,” she said. Much like her down time at Oswego which she spent along Lake Ontario, she spent her free time along the shores of Keem Bay. In addition to the green landscape, she said she admires Ireland for its green living. “They are great at recycling and reusing, and they just tend to have a lot less waste than we do,” Chelsey said. “When we excavated sites there, we were always careful to minimize our footprint on the earth.” Today, she said she tries to incorporate a similar philosophy in her day-to-day living as a legal extern/acting assistant district attorney in the Cayuga County District Attorney’s office in Auburn, N.Y. “For me, it’s the little things like walking to work or taking public transportation, recycling or reusing an empty container,” said Chelsey, who will graduate with a J.D. from Southern Illinois School of Law this year and hopes to return to Auburn to work full time as an assistant district attorney after passing the New York State Bar Exam. Looking to her future, she said she found a way to tie her passion for archaeology and law together. “There’s a field called cultural heritage law that is a combination of property, international and art law,” she said. “I spent last summer in Siena, Italy, studying it at their law school. Afterwards I worked for a firm in NYC that does work for HARP (the Holocaust Art Restoration Project), which seeks to return art to families who had their property stolen during the Holocaust.” Regardless of where her career takes her, she said she will return to Ireland again soon and throughout her life to stay connected to the people and the land that she came to love. “They’ve never met a stranger,” she said.

A group of Oswego alumni got together for a small reunion and BBQ at the Oswego home of Gabriela Santos ’15 in July 2019. In attendance were Kevin McCarthy ‘82, Zack Saccocio ‘15, Gregory Rabideau ‘15, Matthew Sheffer ‘15, Griffen Sheridan ‘15, Jake Baxter ‘16, Michael Ryan ‘15, David Russell ‘15, Gabriela Santos ‘15, Nicole Nolan ‘15, Caroline McGuire ‘15 and Julie McCarthy ‘15. (Submitted by Gabriela Santos ‘15).

Marko Nobles ’89, Hayward L. Alfred Jr. ’94, Yvette Pabon ’95 and Matt Lewis ’94 reconnected with each other during a Feb. 21 after-work happy hour, organized by Oswego Alumni Association Board Member Thaina Gonzalez ‘92 and Eli Garcia ’98, at Brown Sugar in New York City.

EVENTS

While planning for these events continues, please check the online events calendar for the most up-to-date information. June 24 Alumni Concert Series* June 29 Virtual Yoga Session* July Lifelong Learning Summer Session* 20-30 Oct. TBD Founder’s Day Celebration* Oct. 1-2 Giving Challenge** Oct. 2 Green and Gold Day* Oct. 2 Oswego Alumni Association Board of Directors Meeting* Oct. 2 Oswego College Foundation Board of Directors Meeting** Oct. 21 Election-Themed Alumni Event* Oct. 28 Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit**

* Alumni and Parent Relations, 315-312-2258 ** University Development, 315-312-3003 alumni.oswego.edu

Student • Alumni CONNECTIONS

Volunteer to connect with current and prospective students by visiting

alumni.oswego.edu/volunteer.

Tom Grover ’11 is a D.A.R.E. officer for the Oswego City Police Department and also the Oswego junior varsity boys’ lacrosse head coach and the varsity girls’ volleyball team head coach. Christine Haltof ’11 of Penfield, N.Y., is a digital marketing specialist for Monro Inc. in Rochester, N.Y. Myia Knapp Hill ’11 of Oswego is the fund development director of the Child Advocacy Center of Oswego County. She previously worked at the CNY Community Foundation in Syracuse and most recently as development manager with the Oswego Health Foundation. David Ingber ’11, Ph.D., is faculty specialist in the biology department at the University of Scranton. He previously was a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Delaware, has conducted presentations at a variety of venues and co-authored several journal publications. He earned a doctorate in entomology and wildlife ecology from the University of Delaware, and a master’s degree in entomology from Iowa State University in Ames. Melissa Ortiz ’11 is the assistant art director at the Martin Group in Rochester, N.Y. She previously worked at Wegmans, including doing package design within the Marketing Department. Christopher J. Spilka ’11 of Utica, N.Y., is retreat house director for Christ the King Retreat and Conference Center in Syracuse, N.Y. He is the first lay Retreat House director. Previously, he was an events manager at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y. Anne Walter ’11 is the branch administrator for Erie Materials in Auburn, N.Y. Ashley Grimes ’12 of Syracuse, N.Y., is a teacher in the Syracuse City School District. Audrey Ash ’13 of Fort Meade, Md., joined the U.S. Navy in August 2018. She completed the Russian basic course at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif., and received a degree in Russian language. Elizabeth Canfield ’13 of Fulton, N.Y., was appointed executive assistant to Fulton Mayor Deana Michaels. She will support the day-to-day operations of the mayor’s office by working closely with all departments within the city, providing support to the common council, attending community events and coordinating various city meetings and initiatives. Joshua M. Louis ’13 of Newport, N.Y., is an academic support center specialist in English and writing at Herkimer County Community College. He previously served in a variety of positions at the college, including peer tutor mentor, advisement specialist and adjunct instructor. He has a master’s degree in English and creative writing from Southern New Hampshire University. Colin McNamara ’13 of Amsterdam, N.Y., is a staff attorney for the American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center. Kathryne Davis ’14 of Bethlehem, Ga., is a staff writer and office manager for Brenau University in Gainesville, Ga.

Oswego Matters

Greetings, Laker family! It’s safe to say the spring of 2020 didn’t turn out how anyone, including your alma mater, thought it might. Here in the Alumni and Development Office, we made tough decisions to cancel or postpone events, reschedule alumni-student interactions and determine how to best move forward in a “new normal” of social distancing and virtual engagement. Above all, the health and well-being of our campus and alumni communities remained top of mind. Our staff continues to stand ready to assist you with whatever we can – including providing some uplifting content to read between the often anxiety-inducing news with which we’ve all been inundated. We hope you’ve found respite in the stories here of some of our green-blooded Lakers ... As you’ve read in this “Green” issue, many alumni who were on campus in 1970 remember a car being buried in front of Culkin Hall as one of the classic Oswego memories of their time. But you didn’t have to be here for the first Earth Day to have your own version of a story that sends you into an Oswego flashback – and, in my position, I am lucky enough to hear so many of those recollections. I’ve listened to alumni reminisce about Jeremy Long ’14 of Baldwinsville, N.Y., is digital associate producer for Spectrum News. Previously, he was based in Charlotte, N.C., where he was ESPNU project production assistant and an associate producer with Perform Group. Erin Molloy ’14 of Rochester, N.Y., is an associate account executive for Mirror Show Management. Erin was previously with Fidelis Care Health Insurance as a retention services advocate in Fairport, N.Y. John Mongiello ’14 of Stamford, Conn., is a production assistant for WWE. Jessica White ’14 of Meridian, N.Y., is marketing and imaging administrator for JGB Enterprises in Liverpool, N.Y. the installation of Splinter Village; groovin’ to Bruce Springsteen in Laker Hall; savoring a brew at Buckland’s on the day they closed their doors; and celebrating the last day of spring classes with the first-ever OzFest. While decades separate those who remember each event, the same Laker spirit and love shines as a unifying trait between all of the narrators. Some good news? Alumni don’t have to be green with envy of the Lakers who still have an undergrad status ahead of them. You can connect with students throughout the year to share your wisdom (and stories!)—which is a great way to give back to your alma mater through your time and talents, as these green learners begin to blossom. Volunteer for the Alumni Sharing Knowledge (ASK) program to connect and offer advice to students virtually; sign up as an Alumni-Admissions Ambassador to encourage prospective students to commit to attending Oswego; or host students for internships, co-ops or site-visits at your organization to give them some insight on your industry and a foot in the door (literally!). Of course, you also have the opportunity to compare memories with fellow alumni at events year-round...even while social-distancing! Join alumni and friends for many virtual activities and opportunities – including webinars, the new Oswego Alumni Podcast series, digital celebrations,

virtual panels and more. (We’re giving you Karl Backhaus ’15 of Troy, N.Y., is a museum scientist for The New York State Museum in Albany, N.Y. Justin Costello ’15 of Madison, Tenn., works at Eventbrite, handling sales operations for the company’s music team. Kris Gardner ’15 of Baldwinsville, N.Y., is a customer service/purchasing coordinator at Gear Motions’ Nixon Gear Division in Syracuse, N.Y. Most recently, he was a contract administrator for government contracts. He also has experience in warehouse operations management and as a machine/heavy equipment operator at Novelis in Oswego, N.Y. the green light to “un-mute” yourself and join in on our virtual conversations!) Only the future will tell what our current students will look back on as their classic Oswego memories. However, we can assuredly say that they’ll each recall the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, and how the “norm” of campus, and the surrounding world, was so drastically altered. Though, while years-worth of experiences divide all of our stories, the Laker pride and support surrounding each is, without a doubt, evergreen (and gold). #TogetherOz

Laura Pavlus Kelly ’09 Executive Director Oswego Alumni Association

Stephanie Gonzales ’15 of Syracuse, N.Y., is a manager for Catholic Charities of Onondaga County and is pursuing a master’s degree in social work at Syracuse University. Dan Gross ’15 is a music reporter and a digital content reporter at News 8 WROCTV in Rochester, N.Y. Jay Hassey ’15 M’16, CPA, is a senior associate at the Siegfried Group LLP in Boston, Mass. Previously, he was a senior assurance associate at PwC. Jonathan Krupa ’15 of Syracuse, N.Y., is a paralegal for the City of Syracuse. Jonathan holds a Graduate Certificate of Study for Paralegal Studies from Duke University.