Fall 2014 - Kaleidoscope

Fall 2014
New academic
building opens
(page 4)
An aerial view of Bob Boozer Field
at Eunice Kennedy Shriver Stadium
taken during the Courage Bowl on
September 20, 2014. The football game
featuring Brockport vs. St. John Fisher
drew a school-record 9,316 fans.
(Photo provided by Bob Cushman)
From the President........................................2
Campaign for Brockport Update..................3
New Liberal Arts Building.............................4
Leadership Development Program..............6
An Inside Look at BASC................................8
Bill Steele ’62...............................................12
Checking in with the Class of 1936............14
A Unique Research Opportunity................16
Alumni News................................................18
Spanning the Nation....................................24
Class Notes..................................................26
First Person..................................................28
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PresidentHalstead
Kaleidoscope
Volume 27, No. 2, Fall 2014
Circulation – 75,000
A Special Journey
At the conclusion of my annual State of the College
Address during our Faculty-Staff Convocation on
August 19, I announced my retirement, effective
the end of August 2015. Should you wish to review
my remarks, they are available online at www.
brockport.edu/president/stmts/conv-14facstaff.html. This year culminates a 45-year career
in higher education, with Brockport at the pinnacle.
Kathy and I look back at our “capstone decade” at
Brockport with fondness, and we look ahead with
great anticipation to our final year at the College.
Providing students with a quality, multi-dimensional
education that prepares them to be productive and
successful members of their communities is at the core of our institution. It’s a
practice that has been woven into the fabric of our mission since the College first
opened its doors as the Brockport Collegiate Institute in 1835. At every turn, our
faculty and staff work to create the best possible experience for our students, both
in and out of the classroom. Whether the focus is on academic programs, athletics,
recreation, co-curricular activities or first-class facilities, the effort and pride put forth
to make sure we offer the very best is evident. Each day the changes in our living
and learning environment are palpable. We hear about it from students, faculty, staff,
alumni and visitors.
I am exceedingly proud of all that has been accomplished on behalf of student
success during our tenure. In the following pages, you’ll see examples of those sources
of pride. Stories include the completion of our new Liberal Arts Building, which is
home to five academic departments. The Campaign for Brockport, Pursue Something
Greater, continues to provide more and more opportunities for our students, and
you’ll get an inside look at our award-winning Leadership Development Program
– a priority in the College’s latest strategic plan.
These examples serve as a testament to some of the special qualities of our
College, including our unwavering commitment to student success. We are fortunate,
indeed, to be part of this journey.
PUBLISHER
Roxanne Johnston
EXECUTIVE EDITORIAL TEAM
Kerry Gotham
Darby Knox
David Mihalyov ‘87/’03
MANAGING EDITOR
John McMahon
LAYOUT AND DESIGN
Sam Nicolosi
PHOTOGRAPHY
Richard W. Black
Matt Yeoman
CONTRIBUTORS
Charlie Cowling
COVER PHOTO BY
Matt Yeoman, Manager, Brockport
Photographic Services
SEND CORRECTIONS OR CHANGES OF
ADDRESS TO:
Division of Advancement
350 New Campus Drive
Brockport, NY 14420
(585) 395-2451
[email protected]
BROCKPORT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Best wishes,
Warren Kozireski ’82/’95 (President)
Elaine Leshnower ’61/’98 (Vice President)
Carl O’Connor ’07 (Treasurer)
Allyn Hammel ’86 (Secretary)
John R. Halstead, PhD
President
President Halstead presents Cullen Wegman ’14
with the President’s Citation Award at April’s
Honors and Awards Ceremony.
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Catherine Appleby ’75/’83/’01, Marisa
Ballara ’07, Jon Bell ’67/’69, Nick
Catanzaro ’06, Joe Chesebro ’94, Kimberly
Della Porta ’08, Joan Fenton ’79, Becky
Gillette ’03, David Harris ’90, Glenn Johnson
’85, Lauren Kelly ’03, Ron Milon ’87, Donald
Murray ’69, Betty Jane Nasca ’52, Karen
Owen ’87/’91, Monique Rew-Bigelow
’09/’10, Harriet Sisson ’85, Adam Standish
’98/’00, Daniel Stinebiser ’76, Gary Sullivan
’80, Karen Webber ’09/’10
CAMPAIGNFORBROCKPORT
As we move closer to our overall goal of $25 million, the
College continues to be overwhelmed by the outpouring
of support it has received through the Campaign for
Brockport, Pursue Something Greater. As of September 30,
2014, alumni, emeriti, faculty and staff, students and friends
of Brockport have given more than $22.3 million. That’s
more than 89% of our goal less than two years from our
target date of June 2016!
PROGRESS
$25,000,000
(by June 2016)
$22,304,359
(as of Sept. 30)
CAMPAIGNPRIORITIES
We established the following priority areas for campaign along with
corresponding dollar goals. Our progress to date is noted for each area
(as of 9/30/14).
PRIORITY
Goal Raised
%
Student Support
$12 million
$14.4 million
120%
Faculty, Schools
and Programs
$9 million
$5.2 million
58%
Campus and
Facilities Enhancements
$2 million
$683,894
34%
The Fund for Brockport
$2 million
$1.97 million
99%
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ATTENTION TO DETAIL
Trees cleared from the construction site
are providing the wood for hand-crafted
benches; a bird-friendly design has been
applied to the two-story windows which
flood the interior with natural light but
deter birds from hitting the glass; sunshading blinds on the outside of the
building aid in energy-conservation and
climate control; and a wildlife-friendly
bio-retention pond just off the back of the
building contributes to the natural sweep
of the landscape.
And those are just a few of the finishing
touches.
The Liberal Arts Building, the first new
academic building on The College at
Brockport campus in 40 years, serves as the
new home for the Departments of English,
History, Modern Languages and Cultures,
Philosophy, and Women and Gender
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Studies — all programs in the School of
The Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
It will also house the offices of the school’s
dean and faculty.
“The attention to detail that went into
the planning of this building is remarkable,”
says Dean Darwin Prioleau. “Associate
Dean Ginnie Bachelor and the planning
committee played an integral role in
September’s grand opening of the
Liberal Arts Building featured the
dedication of the following named
spaces as the result of generous gifts
from Diane ’77 and Jerry McCue as well
as Glenn Goldberg ’80 and Kim Burke.
• McCue Auditorium
shaping a space that is visually stunning,
welcomes collaboration, and is alive with
creativity. This new building takes us a
giant step forward in achieving our goal of
bringing students and faculty together for
meaningful interaction.”
A special gallery has been installed for
the collection of E.E. Cummings paintings
donated to the College several years ago.
The restored paintings are displayed in
cases that allow them to be enjoyed while
protecting their fragile state. New works
of art by various artists, chosen by the
College’s Public Art Committee, grace
other areas of the building providing a
visually stimulating environment for all.
An array of classrooms and conference
rooms, which includes a 200-seat
auditorium that may be divided for
smaller groups, are all replete with stateof-the-art technology to enhance teaching
and learning. Two gathering places
on the second floor are furnished with
comfortable couches and chairs that invite
students to meet for group projects, study
or chat with friends. Second- and thirdfloor overlooks provide open air seating on
temperate days.
Brockport President John R. Halstead,
PhD, says it’s no coincidence that the
College’s first new academic building in
years houses the liberal arts.
“The Liberal Arts are the foundation
of a Brockport education,” said Halstead.
“They are the building blocks that
provide the critical thinking skills to help
our students succeed, so it is more than
appropriate that this beautiful facility is
home to these vital programs.”
Three-stories tall and 61,000 squarefeet, the Liberal Arts Building is east of
Brockport’s Drake Memorial Library
and attached to it by a second-story
connector, bringing these two hubs of
learning even closer together. The $29.3
million facility was funded through the
SUNY Construction Fund. The building
has earned a Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) Gold
certification.
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• Diane ’77 and Jerry McCue
E.E. Cummings Gallery
• Glenn Goldberg ’80 and Family
Balcony I and II
• Glenn Goldberg ’80 and Family
Liberal Arts Plaza
For more information on naming a
space in the Liberal Arts Building, visit
www.campaignforbrockport.com/
naming or call (585) 395-2451.
The rapid rise to national prominence of Brockport’s
Leadership Development Program is as impressive as the
number of volunteers who come together to make it one of the
College’s true success stories. It’s one of the many ways the
College provides its students with an enriching and meaningful
education. In the end, the benefit to students is immeasurable.
Leadership education is not new at
Brockport. It wasn’t until 2009, though,
that the College revamped the way it
provided those resources to students, and
the Leadership Development Program
was born. Kim Piatt is the program’s
director and in her fifth year overseeing the
burgeoning operation. From 199 students
in that pilot year of 2009-10, more than
450 students took part in 2013-14.
“We take students who have this
untapped potential, and we work with
them throughout their time at Brockport
to help them reach and exceed what they
think is possible,” says Piatt.
The program is designed to enable
students to develop their leadership
skills and potential through a series of
sequential levels. Components of the
initial Green level include taking part
in interactive workshops, attending
campus events that challenge students
to think critically about diversity, and
participation in community service. Gold
activities focus on group values, which
require weekend seminars, a group project
focusing on a social action plan and
presentation of the project at Brockport’s
annual Scholars Day.
Once students earn Green
and Gold certificates, they
move on to the Presidential
level where they are required
to take a semester-long
Leadership and Society
course as well as an
internship in a chosen career
field. The final “Capstone”
level includes serving as a
mentor, group advisor or
workshop presenter. It also
involves taking an active
Amisail Perez ’14
role in planning the LDP’s
annual Student Leadership Conference.
The focus on these specific levels
of leadership growth is particularly
important when analyzing the program’s
success. Piatt says recent research
suggests that, unlike previous models of
leadership education, engaging students
sequentially instead of simultaneously, is
more effective. It’s a method Brockport
instituted before the research validated it.
“Joining the Leadership Development
Program helped me become more focused
on my goals and what I wanted for my
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future,” says Amisail
Perez ’14, who is among
the first group of students
to complete all levels of
the program. “Without
that experience, I would
have been less determined
and not had the drive to
push my limits and take
myself out of my comfort
zone.”
With so many students
taking part in the
program, how does Piatt
make it work so well? She
says she couldn’t possibly do it without the
faculty, staff and alumni.
“Because Brockport is this incredibly
special place where people fully support the
idea of student development, we end up
with all of these faculty and staff members
who are willing to donate and volunteer
their time to help students grow,” she says.
“That’s phenomenal to me.”
Almost 200 such volunteers took part
in 2013-14. Responsibilities include
mentoring students on an individual basis,
serving on a variety of committees and
presenting at the program’s
annual conference.
“One of my mentors
helped me discover my
love of higher education,
student affairs and my
future career,” says Alyssa
Mitchell ’14, who interned
over the summer at Loyola
Marymount University
through the Center for
Talented Youth of Johns
Hopkins University. This
Alyssa Mitchell ’14
fall, she began a position
as an admissions assistant
at Brockport.
Piatt gets calls from schools around the
country seeking help and guidance when
setting up their programs. Invariably, most
marvel at how many faculty, staff and
alumni volunteers are a part of it.
“The model we use has the potential
to influence one of those trends that
ends up revolutionizing the way we do
student leadership development,” says
Piatt. “I think we are on the cusp of
helping to change the face of leadership
development at higher education
institutions.”
As the College developed
its 2011-16 Strategic
Plan, the Leadership
Development Program was
one of its priorities. Three
years later, its success
has been recognized well
beyond the Brockport
campus. In April, it
received one of the most
prestigious honors from
the nation’s leading student
affairs association. The
Grand Bronze designation
from NASPA means the
program is considered the third best
student affairs program in the country.
“To have our program be something
other schools look to as a model and as a
best practice in the field is just amazing,”
says Piatt. “It was a banner year for us.
We not only received the overall
excellence award, but we also received
the spotlight leadership program of the
year from NASPA’s leadership program
knowledge community.”
The pride Piatt feels with the
Leadership Development Program still
comes down to the impact it has on the
A History of Excellence
In just its fifth year of existence, the Leadership Development Program
is recognized as one of the best student affairs programs in the nation.
In spring 2014, it was named the Grand Bronze winner of the NASPA
Excellence Awards. That means it was distinguished as the third-best
program among a handful of Excellence Awards winners.
•2
013-14 NASPA Excellence Awards
Gold Award: Student Union, Student Activities, Greek Life,
Leadership and related category
Grand Bronze: T
hird-place among all Gold recipients in
the Excellence Awards
•A
dditional Awards
2013 Program of the Year by the NASPA Student Leadership
Programs Knowledge Community Spotlight
010 ACUI (Association of College Unions International) Region II
2
Outstanding Community Building Program Award
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students.
“It’s a privilege to watch them grow and
develop into the type of leader they didn’t
realize they had the potential to become.”
Become a Volunteer
The Leadership Development
Program relies heavily on
volunteers to maintain its awardwinning excellence. As a member
of our alumni community, there
are a variety of opportunities
ranging from being a mentor or
advisor to a committee member
or even a workshop presenter. If
interested in becoming an LDP
volunteer, please contact Kim
Piatt at [email protected] or
(585) 395-2987. You may also
visit www.brockport.edu/
leadership/volunteer.
Did you know?
Not Your Father’s Cafeteria
j Dining Services provides more than
For some, a college meal plan might
conjure up memories of mystery meat
in brown gravy, instant mashed potatoes,
and rubbery red Jell-O. However, at The
College at Brockport, Dining Services and
Garnishes Catering, part of the Brockport
Auxiliary Service Corporation (BASC),
offer calorie-conscious, healthy dining
options alongside old friends like pizza
and French fries — all with an emphasis
on quality and value. BASC bakers arrive
on campus every morning at 3 am to make
sure there are enough cookies, brownies,
cakes, pies, muffins, rolls and fresh-made
pizza dough to get through the day. Chefs
sit down weekly to review feedback from
students and others and adjust menus
5,000 meals per day across campus
venues during the academic year.
j Brockport diners consume 80,000
hand-made pizzas per year.
j Dining Services employs more than
325 students — the largest student
employer on campus.
j Garnishes caters more than 1,000
events per year, from coffee deliveries
to the President’s Celebration of
Philanthropy.
j Dining Services employs five full-
time chefs: Executive Chef Richard
Reynolds and Chefs Cody Butlin, Sean
Foley, Tricia Miller and Tyler Wallace.
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accordingly. Recipes are documented with
care to ensure those with food allergies
and sensitivities can make the right choices
for their individual needs. There is even a
nutrition consultant on staff to ensure that
menus are healthy and balanced. “Our
customers expect value as well as greater
culinary diversity. More and more they think
about where their food comes from, how it
got here and how it’s prepared,” says BASC
Executive Director Dana Weiss.
With nine different venues to choose
from including two full-service dining
halls (Brockway and Harrison) and Union
Square, with its wide variety of “grab
and go” and made-to-order options, it’s
very hard to go hungry at Brockport. In
fact, Union Square was revamped in time
for this fall and has been renamed The
Square. “Each venue has its own unique
feel and followers. Hours, menus and
atmospheres vary,” says Executive Chef
Richard Reynolds. “By a campus survey,
Jitterbugs, the coffee shop tucked into the
Union, is the most popular, but TRAX is
the busiest, offering late-night pizza, wings
and milkshakes.”
community and the student experience
in unexpected ways. With the addition of
their new tagline, “Serving You Best by
Knowing You First,” BASC has made it
a mission to create a “people-first” culture.
“One of the key ways we provide
a positive experience is by delivering
extraordinary customer service by
connecting with our customers during our
various interactions throughout the day,”
says Assistant Executive Director Anna
Hintz. “In many cases we serve the same
customers two, three, four, or more times
a day. By taking the time to get to know
our customers, we not only build positive
relationships, but we also understand their
needs and wants and are able serve them in
the best possible way.”
This frequent and personal contact
makes it possible for BASC employees
to get to know their customers — their
names, their favorite foods, even the
classes they are taking. In some cases, close
relationships blossom. Lisa DiClemente,
an employee in the Brockway Dining
Hall, discovered that she and a student
were both from Long Island. This
common bond became a foundation for
friendship, and when the student’s parents
were unable to attend an awards dinner
where the student was to be honored, she
invited DiClemente. Another Brockway
employee, Diane Staub, baked cookies for
the football team before every home game
unbeknownst to her supervisors. At the end
of the season, the football players surprised
Diane by presenting her with flowers, a
card and a team photo.
With so many moving parts, BASC’s
impact goes well beyond satisfying a
morning caffeine fix or quick bite between
classes. Through its dedicated staff and
hundreds of student workers, it has
become a part of the campus culture.
Whether it’s a chef, a caterer, a student
working his or her first job or one of the
thousands it serves, BASC’s reach leaves
a lasting impression on both sides of the
counter.
Serving You Best
by Knowing You First
There is more to Dining Services than
meets the eye — and the palate. BASC
employees contribute to the campus
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What is BASC?
The Brockport Auxiliary Service
Corporation (BASC) is a non-profit,
501c(3) corporation located on the
campus of the State University of
New York College at Brockport.
BASC is contracted by The
College at Brockport to provide
and manage dining services, the
bookstore, catering services,
laundry services, parking and
transportation services, vending
services, ATMs, events and
conferences, campus ID services,
and a debit card program
Joelle Clark ’15
Garnishes Student Manager
Joelle Clark is poised and articulate, exuding a
quiet confidence. A nursing major with a dance
minor, she is unabashed about pursuing her
interests and taking advantage of what Brockport
has to offer. Clark also just completed her second
semester as a student manager for Garnishes
Catering. She began working at Garnishes in
the spring of 2012, learning how to balance the
demands of nursing classes, dance rehearsals, work,
and “me” time. “BASC is very supportive and
flexible. I’ve learned how to manage my time and
stay on track,” says Clark. Another unexpected
benefit of working in catering is that she is more
comfortable with people. “Food service has been
good for my bedside manner. Guests can make
unusual requests. Catering has taught me how
to be flexible and professional — and be nice all
the time.” Asked about her favorite events, Clark
is quick to mention Writer’s Forum, an intimate
event with students in the Writer’s Forum class and
a visiting author, but she goes on to say that this
year’s Celebration of Philanthropy “pulled out all
the stops. The ballroom was unrecognizable!”
Anri Ebihara ’14
Originally from Kanagawa, Japan,
Anri Ebihara called Brockport her
home away from home after transferring here from Alfred State to pursue
a degree in marketing. In her native
Japan, she enrolled in a special high
school to learn English and prepare for
college in America. Her favorite thing
about Brockport is the people, especially
in Brockway, one of two student dining
halls on campus where she worked for
three semesters. “I feel like people know
me and care about me here.”
“Brockway is crazy busy,” she says,
“and communication is critical on the
food line but people are kind and open
to diversity.” She has also found that
the managers are passionate about
food and open to new ideas. In fact, she
proposed several favorite tofu recipes
from her native Japan, and now new
tofu dishes are a regular occurrence on
the Brockway menu.
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Kelly Pratt
Customer Connection Specialist
With her wide-open smile and a kind word for
everyone, Kelly Pratt has a gift for making people feel
like they matter and embodies BASC’s mission of
“Serving you best by knowing you first.”
“What can I do when I see someone having a bad
day?” she says. “That’s how I think about it.” Kelly
has made a family out of her regular Aerie Café
customers and the Café’s student employees. “It’s
bittersweet,” she says about the graduating seniors. “I
know they are fulfilling their dreams, but I miss them
when they’re gone.”
The Aerie Café is a retail kiosk located in Drake
Memorial Library. With glass walls on two sides, it lives
up to its name. Students stop in for coffee on their way
to study, colleagues meet for lunch, and some students,
it seems, stop in to chat with Kelly, who inevitably
keeps up on their comings and goings. “I love the
College and the campus,” says Pratt. “I look forward to
coming to work every day.” Never without her camera,
Kelly documented the construction of the Liberal Arts
Building, even putting together a photo book of the
project to go along with other cheerful photo collages
in the Café.
Andy Fogg
Food Preparation Specialist
Andy Fogg is a familiar face at the
Union Grille at The Square. Seldom
without a smile, Fogg has worked for
BASC since 2002. He describes his
managers as “excellent,” his co-workers
as “well-connected and fun,” Executive
Chef Richard Reynolds as “innovative
and involved,” and many of the
customers as “regulars” with whom
he has built a great rapport. “We are
like a big family,” says Fogg. “We rely
on each other and work as a team.”
Student employees are also a big part
of the Union Grille operation. “We
get to train and mentor students and
work with them side by side. Some of
them stay for all four years. They work
hard and the staff appreciates that.”
It is clear Fogg enjoys his position with
BASC. “I’m proud of the work we do
and to have the opportunity to serve
the College.”
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His Ticket to Success
Bill Steele ’62
You could say the past two years
have been a whirlwind for Bill Steele
’62 when it comes to his Alma Mater.
In September 2012, he joined his
former classmates for their 50th class
reunion. However, the significance of
that experience went well beyond the
typical reunion. It was the first time
he had been back to campus since
graduating all those years earlier. A
year after returning to campus, Steele
was inducted into the Brockport
Athletics Hall of Fame. This spring,
the student-athlete weight room was
named in his honor as the result of his
generous gift to the College.
The son of first-generation
Bill Steele ’62
12
Americans, Steele grew up in Queens,
NY. His father spent his entire career
working as a conductor for the Long
Island Railroad. When he was a
senior in high school, Steele recalls
his father telling him that he could get
him a job working with him on the
railroad.
“This is before I even thought about
college,” says Steele. “I hesitated and
I said ‘Dad, you’re not going to like
what I’m going to tell you. I don’t
know what I want to do in life, but I
know I don’t want to do that.’ ”
Steele earned an elementary
education degree from Brockport
and also starred on the basketball
team. He set freshman records for
points scored as well as most points
in a game. He went on to score 1,006
points in his varsity career, joining
fellow teammate Dick Kraft as the
only other Golden Eagle to surpass
1,000 career points up to that point.
He was still carving his path in life
after graduating from Brockport and
signed up for the Air Force Officer
Training School. Steele would spend
the next four years in the military. His
initial orders sent him to Bergstrom
Air Force Base in Austin, TX. His last
assignment was at Incirlik Air Base in
Adana, Turkey.
When he left the military, Steele
returned to Long Island and took
a job with what was then called the
Grumman Aircraft Engineering
Corporation. His next stop was
with the American Courier Corp.,
a division of Purolator, where he
was instrumental in overhauling its
operations. Shortly thereafter, at the
age of 33, Steele became president of
Purolator’s newly acquired armored
truck company.
“I realized I had a knack for
knowing how to turn companies
around,” he says. “I was able to find
their weaknesses and build upon their
strengths.”
Steele worked for several other
transportation companies until taking
the position of president of Carolina
Trailways. He was just the fifth
president in the company’s history and
worked there 15 years before retiring
in 2000.
At that point, he was still more than
a decade away from reconnecting
with his Alma Mater. Then, in
August 2012, he received a call from
Hannelore “Hanny” Heyen ’62
asking him to come to their 50th class
reunion. Steele said yes and traveled
to Brockport the following month with
fellow classmate Bill Spring ’62.
In 2013, Steele was back on campus
being inducted into the Athletics Hall
of Fame in honor of his accomplishments on the basketball and tennis
courts.
“That was a big day for me,” he
says. “It still is.”
When Steele looks back on his time
at Brockport, his appreciation for his
Alma Mater is stronger than ever.
He says his degree prepared him for
virtually any situation he came across
in the business world.
“Seeing all of my old friends who
I went to school with was really good
for me, and I’ve been thankful for
that,” says Steele. “I’ve also been
thankful to stay close to the College.
I’ve realized what Brockport gave me
was what I call ‘the ticket’ and it’s the
ticket that allowed me to compete in
today’s world.”
In April 2014, he was on hand when
the Bill C. Steele ’62 Student-Athlete
Above: Bill Steele is joined by President Halstead (left) and Director of Athletics, Erick Hart (right)
at April’s dedication of the Bill Steele ’62 Student-Athlete Weight Room.
Below: Head football coach Jason Mangone talks to Steele in the newly named facility.
Weight Room was formally dedicated
in the Tuttle Athletic Complex. It was
the result of Steele’s gift to the College
to support equipment upgrades, the
basketball program and the Endowment
for Innovation.
“I’m very appreciative of the ‘ticket,’
the college degree, and what it’s
done for me and how well I’ve been
treated coming back to Brockport,”
Steele says. “I got letters from some of
the student-athletes thanking me for
the improvements that are going to
happen in that building.”
It’s been nearly 60 years since
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Steele told his father he was going a
different direction in life, and it was
a decision that led to a lifetime of
accomplishment.
“The idea of turning down that job
my father recommended was a very
good decision for me,” he says. “I sent
home sports clippings and things of
that sort from Brockport, and he was
very proud of me. He talked to his
commuters every day about how I was
doing so it turned out great.”
A
A Lifetime of
ppreciation
The year was 1933, and the Brockport State Normal School was welcoming its incoming freshman class of approximately 135
students. It was also one of the most challenging periods in American history. Four years earlier, “Black Tuesday” ushered in the
start of the Great Depression. In Europe, Hitler was setting in motion a series of events that would ultimately lead to World War II.
Many of those freshmen went on to become part of the Brockport Class of 1936. Among those are Bernadine Beyer Whalen, Fern
Poelma Pellett and Betty DeLano Vary. It’s been 81 years since they took their first class at Brockport, but they still share many of
the same memories and fondness for their Alma Mater. All three enjoyed careers in education before retiring in the early ’70s.
A Classroom in a Firehouse
“I am so grateful for my education
at Brockport. It gave me a lifetime of
enjoyment,” says Fern Pellett. “We got a
wonderful education at no cost at all. When
we left there, we knew how to teach. I loved
teaching.”
Pellett started her career at Kendall
Central School where she was hired to teach
fifth grade. The newly centralized district
had yet to finish its new building in time for
classes to begin in the
fall of 1936.
“I was in the
firehouse,”
recalls Pellett.
“They backed
the fire engines
out and put my
45 desks in the
firehouse. That
was fine until
December came. Firehouses aren’t built for
warmth. They’re built for fire trucks.”
Pellett stayed at Kendall for five years
before moving on to the Webster Central
School District where she taught for 25
years. She retired in 1973.
“I’ve been retired for 41 years, and I
worked 30,” she says. “How do you like that?”
From One-Room School House
to Central School
Building the School of
Her Dreams
Upon graduating from Brockport,
Bernadine Whalen began her career
in the Victor Central School District. Like
Pellett, her district had also just centralized
with children coming from one-room
schools to a centralized location for the first
time.
“I had gone to a one-room school myself
and understood the problems of getting the
new students acclimated and up to grade
level,” says Whalen. “Working with those
students was one of the most challenging
but rewarding tasks of my entire career.”
Whalen taught eight years at Victor and,
after marrying and raising three children,
returned to teach 14 years in the Rochester
City Schools before retiring in 1972. For
over six decades, she stayed in touch on a
regular basis with her Brockport classmates.
“We gathered for lunch at various
locations along Routes 5 and 20 at least
once a year,” she says. “My last trip to
campus was several years ago for a family
reunion near Brockport. I am proud of
the way my Alma Mater has grown and
changed over the past 81 years.”
“My grandson graduated from Brockport,”
says Whalen. “I want the next generations to
have the same quality education available for
them as I had for me.”
Betty Vary’s career began as a teacher
at Seneca and Iroquois Schools in West
Irondequoit. She
then went on to
Hilton Central
School where
she served as
the first female
principal and
a curriculum
coordinator.
When the time
came for the
district to build a new school, the superintendent leaned on her diverse educational
background and asked her to list all of the
things she would like to see in a “dream
school.”
“Northwood Elementary School that
opened in 1967 was the result of that list,
and I consider it a living example of what I
learned at Brockport,” says Vary. “It was my
third child. Three of my family members
have since taught at Northwood, and now I
have two great-nephews who attend there.”
Vary was honored with the Brockport
Alumni Association’s Hall of Heritage
Award in 1991. Recipients are selected
based on their contributions to the association,
the College and/or the community.
14
It was a different world, indeed,
when Bernadine Beyer Whalen, Fern Poelma Pellet and Betty DeLano Vary
attended what was then the Brockport State Normal School from 1933-36.
Here is just a sampling of some of the “current” events of the day.
1933
• Work on Golden Gate Bridge begins
• Franklin D. Roosevelt is inaugurated as 32nd president
• Pittsburgh Steelers (known as the Pirates until 1940) play their first game
• The 21st Amendment is ratified to repeal the 18th Amendment (Prohibition)
• Albert Einstein arrives in the U.S. as a refugee from Nazi Germany
•A five-year old Shirley Temple lands her first studio contract and appears
in first movie the following year in Stand Up and Cheer
1934
One of her proudest memories of
Brockport was when she served as
the Alumni Association president from
1965-67. She is also proud of the fact her
daughter and daughter-in-law are both
Brockport alumni.
“We worked so hard to make the Alumni
Association a viable part of the college, and
of course it has now become that because
of all of the wonderful things that have
happened since,” she says. “We achieved
our purpose in making it a real live part of
the College.”
While it’s been 78 years since the trio
graduated from the Brockport Normal
School, they haven’t stopped their commitment to supporting today’s Brockport
students.
“I can’t tell you how grateful I am for my
association with Brockport since 1933,” says
Vary. “There isn’t a breath I take that isn’t
somehow connected to Brockport. It’s just
incredible. And now, even though I can’t get
there anymore, I’m happy to support the
College.”
• Alcatraz officially becomes a federal prison
• “Cocktails for Two” by Duke Ellington hits #1
• Donald Duck created by Walt Disney
•Bruno Hauptmann is charged with the 1932 kidnapping
of Charles Lindbergh, Jr. He’s convicted of murder in
1934 and executed in 1936.
1935
• Babe Ruth plays his final game and retires from baseball
• The board game Monopoly goes on sale for the first time
• World’s first parking meter installed in Oklahoma City
• Social Security Act becomes law
• Porgy and Bess premieres in New York
1936
• Hoover Dam (then known as Boulder Dam) is completed
•Germany hosts both the winter and summer Olympic games.
Three years later, WWII would begin when Germany invaded Poland.
•First players elected to Baseball Hall of Fame. Later that spring,
Joe DiMaggio makes his major league debut.
15
A new and unique
program at Brockport
Robert Gold ’69/’71
One of the most valuable experiences
for any undergraduate is the opportunity
to take part in research. Not only does it
give a student a more comprehensive and
meaningful understanding of his or her field
of study, but it also becomes an important
part of their resume when it’s time to
consider graduate schools.
A new and unique program at Brockport
not only provides an undergraduate
research experience, but it takes it a step
further by sending a student to a major
research university. The Golden Eagle
Summer Scholars program was founded
by Jane Clark ’68 and Robert Gold
’69/’71 and provides an innovative
research experience for a student majoring
in Health Science or Kinesiology, Sport
Studies, and Physical Education – both of
which are programs in the School of Health
and Human Performance.
Clark is currently the dean of the
University of Maryland’s School of Public
Health, a post she has held since 2012.
After graduating from Brockport, she went
on to earn a master’s at the University of
Washington before obtaining her doctorate
at the University of Wisconsin. In 2008, she
received the Brockport Alumni Association’s
Hall of Heritage Award. She says the
Golden Eagle Summer Scholars program is
an opportunity to find the next generation
of scholars.
“This program opens up a door to
students. It’s like study abroad, but in this
case they’re studying science someplace
else,” says Clark. “I wish this had been
available to me. Public universities are a
wonderful asset in the United States, and
I’m the product of public institutions and
have also worked at several. The students
who attend a public institution should have
the opportunity to find out about more than
just what goes on at their campus.”
Gold is a nationally recognized expert
in the application of technology in health
education and health promotion. He
became the dean of Maryland’s College of
Health and Human Performance in 2002
before leading its transformation into the
School of Public Health in 2007. He was
the new school’s founding dean before Clark
was appointed to the post in 2012. Gold is
currently the chair of the Department of
Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
“One of the things I have learned
personally is the importance of early
exposure to excellence in research,” says
Gold. “Here at Maryland, we have had
a number of very successful programs in
which we’ve introduced undergraduates to
new and exciting research opportunities.
When Jane and I talked about doing
something at Brockport that would
represent an opportunity to give back, it was
a natural for us to want to create a model
program in which talented undergraduates
may be able to be exposed to exciting new
arenas in which to work.”
Kyle Netherton ’15, a health science
major concentrating in health care
administration, received the inaugural
award this past summer and conducted
research at the University of Maryland.
“The opportunity was invaluable. To
be able to work with colleagues from
similar health care backgrounds has been
something I never thought I’d be able to
do,” says Netherton. “The experience of
being able to work as a student researcher
16
has broadened my knowledge of issues
relating to cancer prevention, well water
quality, and various ethical issues in
conducting research with human subjects.
The program at the University of Maryland
is typically something that you only think
of as available to graduate students, so the
ability to participate in such an intensive
program was an honor.”
Frank Short, dean of Brockport’s School
of Health and Human Performance, played
a critical role in facilitating the launch of the
Golden Eagle Summer Scholars program.
“Brockport is increasingly valuing
undergraduate research,” says Short.
“If you go back 15 to 20 years, it wasn’t
something you saw commonly on this
campus. Increasingly we’re seeing it
as a really important factor in student
engagement, for the students to really roll
up their sleeves and get involved with a topic
that might help change their direction in
terms of the kinds of things they want to
study.”
Gold is confident the program will have a
lasting impact on each student.
“I firmly believe the students who
participate in this program will have their
future altered in a
positive way,” he says.
“They may not
know how their
futures were
affected until
many years
later, but I’m
convinced they
will be.”
Jane Clark ’68
In His Own Words
Kyle Netherton ’15 reflects back on his experience of being the inaugural Golden Eagle Summer Scholar.
“How would you
feel about going to
Maryland for the
summer?” These
words took me by
surprise, as I had
no idea what Dr.
Patti Follansbee,
was talking about
at the time. During
my first foray
into applying
for scholarships, I found that I had
inadvertently signed up for something
called the Golden Eagle Summer Scholars
program and was being considered for the
scholarship. I was convinced mostly by my
wonderful mentors Dr. Cynthia “Sam”
Booth and Dr. Briana Jegier, that I would
find this to be a fantastic opportunity and it
would provide me with a new, possibly life
changing experience. I hadn’t had much
experience in public health research and
thought that having the ability to utilize
the resources of a large research school
would allow me to garner the much needed
experience graduate schools and employers
are looking for. Who knew that something
so wonderful would derive from a mistake
I would repeat over and over if I could?
In no less than a month, I was being
whisked away to the University of
Maryland to represent The College at
Brockport in a program called UM STAR,
a summer research internship designed to
give students the experience of conducting
research in the field of public health. As a
Health Science major with a concentration
in Health Care Administration, I
was strongly encouraged to seek out
laboratories which gave experience of
project development and management
while advancing public health research.
I was able to settle into the area of
Community and Behavioral Health, where
I assisted in current research projects.
The main task in the lab was to conduct
educational interventions in African
American communities in regards to
breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer
screenings. Literature that the research is
based upon states that African Americans
have the highest mortality rate for cancers,
yet consistently have the lowest screening
rates. It was Dr. Cheryl Holt’s idea that
going into the communities and presenting
information on how/when/why to get
screened would increase the numbers by
which African Americans get screened.
Thus far, the research has shown an
impact has been made, but it is very early
in the data gathering process to make a
definite conclusion. Working with Dr. Holt
and being able to provide assistance in
increasing chances of survival of cancers is
something that I’ll never forget.
Throughout the course of the summer,
I was exposed to various research
opportunities not just in one lab but in
many others as well. I’ll be the first to
admit that I’m not a biologist, but I took
a great interest in helping a fellow cohort
review data for well water quality within
the surrounding counties in the greater
Washington, D.C., area. Other projects
included the effects of sounds on cognitive
load in subjects and increases in various
stimuli within the body during and after
exercise. Exposure to these research
projects was incredible, and being able to
offer support to other labs made me feel
that I was truly making a difference.
Outside of research, the program offered
a plethora of new and exciting adventures
that I never thought I would be able to
experience. I was able to attend my first
Major League Baseball game (I’m now
a die-hard Washington Nationals fan.). I
attended the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) and the Library of Medicine (where
I was offered a shadowing opportunity)
and visited all of the major memorials
in Washington. Perhaps one of the most
important experiences was the ability to
tour the US Capitol building with the
assistance of Congresswoman Louise
Slaughter’s office and attend a Senate
hearing on the funding of public health
research at the NIH. Seeing public health
being discussed on the floor of the Senate
gave me hope that regardless of party
affiliation, disease prevention will be
discussed by lawmakers as a whole and
will hopefully lead to increased support of
public health issues facing our country.
As a result of this experience, I have
fully dedicated myself to resolving
issues of public health and fully intend
on continuing my education as well as
convincing as many people as I can to
continue the support of this program. The
opportunities the program has given me
are something that I’ll cherish for the rest
of my life, and I’ll never be able to repay
Brockport back fully for what they’ve done.
I can only hope to take this chance and
make a difference in the world that will
impact generations to come.
In a visit to the UM STAR program, Dean of the School of Health and Human Performance Frank Short
(left) visited Jane Clark, Bob Gold and Golden Eagle Summer Scholar Kyle Netherton (right).
17
U
E
N
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O
T
N
A
W
K
E
C
E
A
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B
END
K
O
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201
L
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4
The Hartwell Society Luncheon featured the induction of the Class of 1964. Jeanette
D’Agostino Banker ’53, the class advisor, received a bracelet from her class to match
the pearls they gave her at graduation in 1964.
Michael Cavalcanti ’64 (right), who headed up the Class of 1964 gift committee,
presents President Halstead with a check for $52,000 toward the Class of ’64
Scholarship. To date, the class has raised more than $54,000. If you’re interested in
contributing to the scholarship, please contact Mike at [email protected].
Rosemary Fontaine ’63 (right) received a surprise from Alumni Relations staff
members Betsy Standish and Tiffany Jewell. Fontaine, who was joined by her
husband Andre, a member of the Class of ’64, was served specially prepared
Zweigle’s hot dogs at the Alumni Dinner. The local favorite, which is not available near
their Virginia home, is one of Rosemary’s fondest memories of attending Brockport.
18
Members of the Classes of 1964 and 2014 joined President Halstead for the
ceremonial tree planting along Alumni Walk.
Norman Jeche snaps a photo of Class of ’64 members (l-r) Patricia Sincock
Mesolella, Sandi Forno Eichhorn, Pat Donohue Vinette, Sylvia Duffy
Connolly and Patricia Schindler Jeffe (Norman’s wife).
Mary Brei Merle ’64 shares a moment with Joey Jackson ’88 prior to his
induction into the Alumni Association’s Hall of Heritage.
Kay VanNostrand ’64 (left) and Susan Orr (right), associate professor in
the Department of Political Science and International Studies, prior to the
Alumni Awards Dinner. VanNostrand was one of three alumni inducted into
the Hall of Heritage.
David ’64 and Diane Robak Keller ’64
Ike Eichhorn ’63 (left) with President Halstead.
19
The Class of 1964 was the latest to be inducted into the Hartwell Society.
(L-R) Bill and Nicolette Ferguson ’94 with Don ’64 and Denise ’89 Bartalo
Ralph Bell ’64, Ruth VanCise Rath ’64 and Jeanette D’Agostino Banker ’53
recite the alma mater at the Hartwell Society Luncheon.
At the sneak preview of the Liberal Arts Building, students (l-r) Alexander Howland, Janes Ives and Kevin Plinzke donned the Avenue Q puppets.
20
READY FOR REUNION
WEEKEND?
June 12-14, 2015
REUNION WEEKEND IS NOT THAT FAR AWAY! HAVE YOU
MADE YOUR TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS YET? WHAT ARE YOU
WAITING FOR?
Reunion Weekend 2015, June 12-14, provides a great opportunity to rediscover what made
Brockport “home” for you and to renew your lifelong connection to this special place. All
members of the classes of 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and
2010, as well as all Hartwell Society members including those milestones from 1960, 1955,
1950 and so on, are invited back to campus for a giant-sized celebration of friendships, fond
memories, and fun. Classmates and friends from other classes are also welcome to join in on
the festivities…the more the merrier!
THE SLATE OF ACTIVITIES WE HAVE PLANNED FOR THE
WEEKEND INCLUDES:
•
Golf outing
•
Hartwell Society Luncheon, including induction
of the Class of 1965
•
Class parties to reconnect and reminisce
•
Alumni Institutes to get you back in the classroom
•
Reunion picnic (family friendly)
•
Alumni Awards presentation
•
Special deals/coupons from the merchants
of the Village of Brockport
•
Campus tours
•
And more…
DID YOU KNOW? You can stay overnight right on
campus in our suites and residence halls.
If you have any questions regarding the weekend,
please contact the alumni office at (585) 395-2068 or
email [email protected].
21
AlumniNews
Dear Brockport Alumni,
I am honored to once again be
serving as your alumni association
president for the upcoming year.
I have been so impressed with the
dedication of our board members who
represent a wide variety of decades…
yet all share the same passion for this
place that means so much to them.
They give their time, effort and
energy, bring different ranges of life
experiences, a little humor, and an
overall positive attitude to help you
stay connected. I am encouraged
to take on this role because I’m
surrounded by such dedicated alumni.
My overall goal as a leader in this
organization is to promote the alumni
association, raise the profile of the
College, and keep you, our alumni,
engaged. We all love the college. For
that reason, I choose to stay informed
and involved. Since graduation, my
pride in the college has only grown.
I am excited about the new facilities
and programs, but most importantly,
the continued support for students
from so many caring faculty and staff.
Like a fine wine, the college keeps
getting better with age.
I enjoy making connections with
alumni from other generations and
sharing stories about what we value
from our Brockport experiences.
Each of us on the alumni board is
energized about another great year
and all the opportunities it presents.
We look forward to continuing to
collaborate with departments oncampus, as well as alumni to continue
to look for ways to support the
mission of the College and tap into
the power of those alumni stories and
experiences. We will also continue to
create relationships with our current
students, the next generation of
alumni, who will soon join our ranks.
We would love to hear your
feedback and ideas. Better yet, we
would encourage you to become a
member of our board, a member
of a committee, a connection in our
career network, a regional volunteer,
and more! Please contact the Office
of Alumni Relations if you have an
interest in being more involved in the
life of the College.
Forever a Golden Eagle,
Warren R. Kozireski
President, Brockport Alumni
Association
Are you looking for an opportunity to give back to your alma mater?
Now’s the time!
Brockport Alumni Association
The Brockport Alumni Association (BAA) works to
promote lifelong relationships between our alumni
and their alma mater. The Association is dedicated
to serving and representing the alumni and friends
of the College and seeks to partner with the College
in activities that support the mission and goals of
the College.
How can I get involved?
Alumni Board
The BAA leadership group, Board of Directors, is
always looking for new membership to help guide
the direction of the association.
22
Our Committees
•The Alumni House and
Heritage Committee oversees
the maintenance of the Alumni
House, plans and implements
Alumni House programming,
maintains responsibility for the
accession of non-monetary
donations to the Alumni House,
and archival materials.
•The Campus Liaison
Committee provides
opportunities for alumni to
volunteer in the life of the College,
develops programs for alumni and
student interaction, and assists
with planning and coordinating of
multiple alumni events to increase
overall alumni connectedness.
President Halstead was on hand in May for the Senior Toast, which is organized by the Liaison Committee.
•The Nominations/
Recruitment Committee is
responsible for soliciting alumni
candidates for membership on the
Board of Directors. The committee
assists in recruitment of volunteers
for all BAA committees.
•The Recognition Committee
plans and organizes a recognition
program that includes
solicitation of nominations and
determination of recipients for
Alumni Association awards and
collaborates with the Office of
Alumni Relations to plan the
Hartwell Society Luncheon and
the Alumni Awards presentation.
The Scholarship Committee handles all facets of the student alumni scholarship process.
•The Scholarship Committee
directs the announcement,
application procedures, review
and selection of recipients for
student alumni scholarships.
Please reach out to us. Give us a call
at (585) 395-2068, email us at alumni@
brockport.edu, or visit our website and
complete the volunteer interest form at
alumni.brockport.edu. It is a great
time to be involved!
The Recognition Committee oversees the selection of the annual Alumni Awards.
23
Brockport’s Alumni Chapters:
The Complete Story
Much like a novel whose individual chapters unite
to form a complete story, Brockport’s alumni
chapters combine to form a great representation
of the alumni narrative. And similar to the chapters
of a book whose significant content warrant its
own section, each of B-Port’s alumni chapters
also merits its own attention. The alumni office
is working to build stronger and more connected
groups in our regional efforts, and we need your
help to make it happen!
• Seattle
•Portland
San Francisco
•
•Sacramento
Be a part of the story – get connected and
get involved today!
•
Denver
Las Vegas
•
How do I become a member of the chapter?
•Quite simply, almost nothing! Upon graduating
Los Angeles
•
from Brockport, all alumni automatically become
members of the Alumni Association and if you’re
living in or around any of the chapter cities (Albany,
Boston, Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse,
Washington DC), then you are in the mix. Visit the
alumni site for more details and to join your chapter
Facebook group.
Phoenix
San Diego
•
•
•
Albuquerque
Tucson
•
What do the chapters do for Brockport?
•Alumni participation in the chapters supports
the work of the College by providing social
and educational programs; career networking;
encouraging prospective students; promoting
financial support; and enhancing the reputation
of The College at Brockport through added
visibility in the community
How do I get involved in a chapter?
•Contact your chapter alumni volunteers or the
alumni office. We are always looking to increase
our volunteer base.
What if I’m not near a chapter?
•Although the chapters are in specific areas, the
BROCK PORT
alumni office still wants to provide opportunities for
alumni in other areas. Are you interested in helping
to connect alumni in your area? Please contact the
alumni office at [email protected]
alumni.brockport.edu
24
Where have you gone?
Albany
(3,927)
Syracuse
(4,006)
Rochester
Buffalo (31,369)
(6,352)
•
•
Minneapolis/
St. Paul
•
Detroit
Chicago•
•
•
Cleveland
•
• BinghamtonBoston•
•
• Pittsburgh • •
•
•
Raleigh
•
• Charlotte
•Atlanta
Dallas
Austin
•
•
Houston
•
Tampa/
St. Petersburg
• Jacksonville
• Daytona Beach
• • Orlando
• Sarasota
• • Miami/Fort
Lauderdale
Naples/
Fort Myers
ALUMNI BY CITY
• Up to 250
• 251-500
• 501-1,000
• Over 1,000
(Chapter Cities)
25
New York City
(7,068)
Philadelphia
Orlando
St. Louis
•
Baltimore
Washington, D.C.
(1,707)
ClassNotes
1960s
Larry Mosher ’68 was the recipient of
the Emeritus Award, one of the highest
honors from the Association of College
Unions International…Don Murray ’69
was inducted into the Nassau Community
College Athletic Hall of Fame as a
member of the fifth class of inductees…
Ralph Spezio ’69 was honored by the
Environmental Protection Agency for his
work on reducing lead.
1970s
Jonathan Raymon ’70 retired after 36 years as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor at
Harlem Hospital Center in New York City and White Plains Hospital Center in White
Plains, NY… Carl Wahlstrom ’71/’77 retired after teaching full-time for 37 years. He
continued to teach as an adjunct at both Genesee Community College and SUNY
Geneseo and also co-authored several college textbooks throughout his career and
most recently co-founded a higher education consulting group… Bruce Jacobs ’72 was
the recipient of the Emeritus Award, one of the highest honors from the Association of
College Unions International… Robert Bunnell ’73 has been named Dean of Continuing
Adult and Professional Studies at Neumann University in Caston, PA… Joe Doody ’74,
formerly President of Staples North American Commercial,
was named Vice Chairman of Staples. In May, he delivered
the undergraduate commencement address at Brockport…
Frederick Stoss ’74 was selected as the inaugural Friends
of the National Library of Aruba Award recipient… Daniel
F. Korn ’76 was recently selected as a Claes Nobel Educator
of Distinction by the National Society of High School
Scholars… Sean McCrossan ’77 is the new Vice President
of the Chair-Nominating Committee at the Greater Buffalo
Sports Hall of Fame… Rodger Friedman ’78 joined the
Washington, D.C., office for Steward Partners Global
Advisory LLC.
1980s
Mark Craft ’80 received appointment by the New York
State Board of Chiropractic… Stan Van Gundy ’81 was
named the new head basketball coach of the NBA’s
Detroit Pistons… Phil West ’81 was selected as the new
chairman of the Washington-based law firm, Steptoe &
Johnson… Robert Luke Lewis ’86 was named president
of the board of directors for The Faxton St. Luke’s
Healthcare Foundation… Liz Banner ’89 was selected
for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2014 Music
Educator Award for her work as a music teacher and
choral director at Brockport High School… Pete Rogers ’89 served on the support
staff for the USA Men’s Hockey Team at the 2014 Winter Olympics. He is the fulltime equipment manager for the Nashville Predators… Mark M. Stier ’89 earned his
PhD in higher education from the University of South Florida.
26
1990s
Sean Murphy ’94 recently graduated from
the University of Illinois-Chicago with
an MSN in the Psychiatric Mental Health
Nurse Practitioner program… Lesli E.
McCollum Gooch ’95 finished third in the
June primary for the 31st Congressional
District of California. She came within 209
votes of advancing to November’s general
election… Dan Connelly ’96 was promoted
to Director of Branding and Programming
for WSUN-97X at Cox Media Group in
Tampa, FL… Corinda Crossdale ’96 was
nominated by Governor Cuomo to be
Director of the State Office for the Aging…
Lloyd Matt Landers ’99 was selected as
the Assistant County Manager for Genesee
County in New York… Joe Scalise ’99 is
the new Director of Physical Education
and Athletics at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake
School district.
2000s
Jeff Commaroto ’02/’03 was selected as
the Ad Operations and IT Manager at
Tipping Point Communications… Amy
Zieziula ’05 was selected as Assistant
Dean of Student Integrity at Armstrong
State University in Savannah, GA…
Marisa Ballaro ’07 choreographed
Barefoot From Buffalo that was
performed at The Riverside Theatre in
New York City on June 26 and 27…
Jamie Caldwell ’07 joined Goldberg
Segalla in its Rochester office as a
member of
the Workers’
Compensation
Practice Group.
Marriages
Nicholas Lind ’13 and Elissa
Mesler Lind ’13 were married
on April 5, 2014.
John W. Fingar ’10 and Sarah
Fannis Fingar ’09 were
married on August 17, 2013.
Dr. Michelle Mauro ’71 and
Edward Meara were married
on May 17, 2014.
Joseph Seroski ’10 and Diana
Daniel were married on
October 26, 2013.
Kyle Amendola ’09 and
Lindsay Geyer ’09 were
married on May 31, 2014.
In Memoriam
Alumni
2010s
Emily Marullo ’11/’13 is the recipient of the Association of Fundraising
Professionals of Genesee Valley’s 2014 scholarship to the annual
regional conference… Melissa Carlson ’12 was promoted to service
account executive with the Memphis Grizzlies… Elissa Rowley ’12 is
this year’s recipient of the “Young Person on the Move” award from
the National MS Society: Upstate New York chapter… Maria Sgro ’12
has joined Cooper/Haims Advisors LLC, a Rochester-based wealth
management and tax consultation firm, as a client services assistant…
Matt Stone ’13 joined the audit department of EFP Rotenberg LLP in
Rochester.
27
Rachel Audi ’89
Betty Bohrer ’60
Keith Buttles ’59
Louise Callard ’38
Doris Carson ’57
Marcia Cleary ’59
Robert Cramer, Jr. ’75
Cindy D’Amico ’82
James Dash ’51
Ronald Davis ’55
Anthony DeStefano ’90
Alexander DiPasquale ’72
Anthony Drago ’52
Raymond Flint ’67
Darcy Frisina ’02
Rose Hathorne ’54
Ruth Hutton ’78
George Jurik ’49
June Karassik ’01
Walter Kennedy ’50
Paul Klch ’51
Michael Kohut ’62
Vernon Lown ’62
Ruth Lucey ’60
Albert Maerz ’73
Richard McNulty ’81
Dorothy Muldoon ’73
Ann M. Ott ’70
Craig Porter ’64
Michael Pratt ’87
Sally Roberts ’54
Monica Scanlan ’46
James Schupner ’77
Shannon Scott ’86
Doris Miller Sullivan ’42
Jacquelyn Trobia ’62
Donald Van Lare ’66
Keith Welch ’83
Robert Woolston ’65
Gary Young ’62
Mary Anne Zawada ’77
Emeriti
& Retirees
Barbara Ames
Donna Bellamy
Joan Benati
Stephen Chan
Marguerite Fellows
Margaret Hafner
Norma Lawrence
Peter Marchant
Thomas Nugent
Stefan Pribil
Calvin Rich
William F. Stier, Jr.
John Szyikowski
Marilyn Tucker
Do You Remember?
We had an overwhelming response to our
inaugural “Do You Remember?” section
in our Spring issue.
Congratulations to Tom Sylvester ’74,
who submitted one of the 120 correct
responses. The apartment style living
complex depicted in the photo on the
right was Stage XVI. It opened in the fall
of 1973 and closed in the spring of 1991.
Thank you to everyone who e-mailed us
with their memories of Stage XVI. We’ll
be sending Tom a special gift from the
Alumni Relations office.
?
Do you remember these two individuals
in the photo to the left?
They should be a pair of familiar faces to a great
number of our alumni community. All you have to do
is name at least one of the individuals in the photo to
be entered into our drawing. If you name both, you’ll
be entered twice! Only responses from Brockport
alumni will be considered.
If you know who they are, e-mail us at
[email protected].
Be sure to include your name and class year.
We’ll announce the winner in our next issue.
(Photos provided by Charlie Cowling, The Rose Archives)
28
FirstPerson
A Special Place
Psychologist John Money coined the
term “love map” to explain why individuals
fell in love with their life partners. He
posited that there is something about our
genetic makeup, combined with our earliest
experiences that shape the characteristics
we look for in an ideal mate and with
whom we gel. If there are love maps,
there must be “place maps” – places with
characteristics that support our deepest,
almost secret wishes for what the life of our
dreams could be. The College at Brockport
does that for me. It accepts who I am
with all my quirks (and I have A LOT of
quirks!); it surrounds me with stimulating,
brilliant, interesting, humorous people
(some of whom are faculty) who share
my goal of helping students achieve their
dreams, and the College provides me with
opportunities to grow both personally and
professionally. It is the ethos of the College
to do this for everyone: student, staff,
faculty, alike. Note that students always
come first at The College at Brockport. It is
in our mission statement: Student Success
is our Highest Priority.
It takes a very long time to walk
anywhere on campus because the campus
is sticky. Wherever I walk are friends and
students who want to stop and chat. The
campus is very welcoming, very friendly,
very appreciative and desirous of being
a true university in the sense of having
a diverse community. We have students
and faculty from around the globe. One
summer, I was amazed that in a class
of 16, I had not one but two students
from the former USSR. The College at
Brockport is all about access, a welcoming
campus for first-generation college
students, for non-traditional students, and
for underrepresented groups. A myriad
of services and groups exist to provide
the right academic and social support for
success: the Equal Opportunity Program,
the Student Learning Center, the Office of
Students with Disabilities, the CStep and
McNair Program, Association of Latino
American Students, Caribbean Student
Association, Organization for Students of
African Descent, and Sexual Orientations
United for Liberation.
Prior to Brockport, my entire academic
career had been spent at sprawling land
grant universities – The University of
Illinois, Indiana University and Penn
State University. Brockport seemed tiny in
comparison. I quickly learned there were
advantages with small. First is the sense of
community, which is the foundation of the
College’s culture. We are a mid-size college
with a small-college feel. We consistently
work together to cut through red tape to
make things happen for the good of the
student and college community as a whole.
People at Brockport work as a team to
remove any roadblocks that might appear
and make things happen for the students.
Melissa M. Brown, PhD
Assistant Professor, Psychology
There is a critical mass of people at the
College who share the perception and
work to maintain the reality Brockport is a
special place that launches student careers
and nurtures those of its faculty and staff.
The College has provided me
with countless opportunities to grow
professionally. I lived in McFarlane Hall as
a faculty in residence and participated in
the social life of the residence hall, which
not only opened my eyes to the out-of-class
joys and stresses of college students, but
introduced me to how student affairs and
enrollment management professionals are
the architects of much of what makes The
College at Brockport special. The Center
for Excellence in Learning and Teaching
supports/encourages faculty to improve
their pedagogical skills and practices. Most
recently, my department has invested in a
new program of research I launched this
fall with lab space, software and new laptop
computers.
Just as the College supports its
employees’ growth, we provide students
a wide variety of opportunities for
engagement. Psychology students
collaborate on faculty research, resulting in
authorships on professional presentations
and/or publications. Our study abroad
program is among the largest in the
SUNY system with students either taking
classes or placed in internships in over
100 programs on all seven continents.
Student jobs across campus become
precursors to professional positions, here
and away. Resident assistants from my
years in McFarlane now hold professional
appointments in Admissions and Health
Promotions. We have an award-winning
student leadership development program.
Students can further hone their leadership
skills as well as make lifelong friends
through participation in Brockport
Student Government and its 60-plus
clubs. Students who do not find something
that interests them are encouraged to
start new organizations, such as Swing
Dance Society, Dumbledore’s Army
and the Humans versus Zombies Club
(one can never be too prepared for the
Zombie apocalypse). A student was
recently the driving force behind the
reconstitution of the Brockport Symphony
Orchestra, providing performance
opportunities for students, faculty, staff
and community members. This year, the
orchestra performed Carmina Burana in
collaboration with the Community Choir.
Essentially, Brockport is special because
we are a community of dreamers who help
one another achieve their heart’s desire.
Melissa Brown is in her 22nd year as a
member of Brockport’s Department of
Psychology faculty.
Division of Advancement
350 New Campus Drive
Brockport NY 14420
Change Service Requested
Parents: If this issue is addressed to a son
or daughter who no longer maintains an
address at your home, please send a current
address to us at [email protected].
2015
June 12-14
Reunion 2015 will be here before you know it. Plan
now for the weekend of festivities and rediscover what
made Brockport “home” for you while renewing lifelong
connections to this special place.
Alumni and friends from all classes are welcome to join
us. We’ll provide more details on Reunion 2015 as we get
closer. If you have any questions, please contact Alumni
Relations at (585) 395-2068 or [email protected]
alumni.brockport.edu/reunion