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STU Newletter for aLUMNI AND FREINDSTRANSCRIPT
CONTACTNewsletter for AlumNi ANd frieNds
spriNg 2013 Vol. 14 N. 2
CONTACTis published by the
Office of University AdvancementSt. Thomas University
16401 NW 37th AvenueMiami Gardens, FL 33054
TEL: 305-628-6660FAX: 305-628-6703
Susan M. Smith Editor & Director of Govt. Relations
Simon L. NoelAssistant [email protected]
Janine “Gigi” Laudisio Board Development Director
& Major Gifts [email protected]
Lorena HidalgoProject [email protected]
Jacqueline HouseResearch Manager
J. Jeffrey RobisonDirector of Development
Beverly S. Bachrach Vice President University Advance-ment and Marketing & Communi-
Rev. Msgr. Franklyn M. CasalePresident
Alumni Information UpdatePlease keep us informed of any
changes in contact information by completing the form on the new portal http://alumni.stu.edu.
For Class Notes, we welcome alumni news and photos, including career changes, marriages, births,
memberships and honors.
CONTACTis also available online at:
www.stu.edu/alumni
continued on Page 4
Maintaining STU in Style
continued on Page 4
It is always a pleasure to leave the noise and fumes of the Palmetto Expressway and enter our beautiful campus. We are fortunate to work and study in such attractive surround-ings. But sometimes we take it for granted. Keeping it in such pristine condition takes a lot of organization and hard work. Heading the team that maintains STU’s buildings and grounds is Juan M. Zamora, Director of Physical Plant.
Besides buildings and grounds, Juan is responsible for overseeing the construction and renovation of new buildings; events management; risk management; environmental com-pliance; and health and safety training for his employees. He manages to do this with just 32 employees, and only three of them to maintain the landscaping of this 140 acre-campus. The only activities he outsources are those that need a special license or certification.
“After Monsignor, Juan is the most important person on campus,” states Beverly Bachrach, VP of University Ad-vancement. “He keeps everything functioning for us.”
He joined STU just in time to oversee construction of the many projects funded by the first Capital Campaign. Over the past 14 years Juan has overseen construction of five
Gregory Swienton, a member of the St. Thomas Uni-versity Board of Trustees since 2000 and Chair since 2003, is retiring from the board and from his position as Chairman and CEO of Ryder System, Inc., one of the top Fortune 500 companies in South Florida. “On behalf of the University, I would like to thank Greg-ory for his many years of service as a trustee and the invalu-able guidance he has given us as Chair for the past ten years. He has overseen enormous growth and development of STU over these years. It has been a pleasure working with him. I also appreciate his and Ryder’s generous financial support during that time,” said Rev. Monsignor Franklyn Casale. During his tenure, Gregory has attended every mile-stone of the University’s progress, beginning with the 40th Anniversary Gala in 2001, and sponsored every fundraising initiative. Together with the Ryder Foundation, his generosity
Gregory T. Swienton
Juan M. Zamora, EFP, Director of Physical Plant
facebook.com/St.ThomasUniversity
Gregory T. Swienton Retires
1970Richard E. Murray, B.A. Accounting, has been named a 2013 re-cipient of the Beacon Award presented by the Kennedy Health Sys-tem at its fundraising gala held February 23 in Atlantic City. This award is given annu-ally to extraordinary individuals in recogni-tion of their outstanding contributions to healthcare in the community. Dick was the former President and CEO of the Kennedy Health System.
1982Craig T. Chindemi, BA, Sports Adminis-tration, has been appointed Vice President and Chief Philanthropic Officer for Martin Health System, a not-for-profit, community-based health care organization in Stuart, FL, He was previously Vice President for Insti-tutional Advancement at Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y.
1983Tim Paulus, M.A. Sports Administration has been appointed to the position of director of sales at Cranwell Re-sort, Spa and Golf Club in the Berkshires region of Western Massachu-setts.
1986Gary L. Richter, B.A., Sports Administra-tion, received the 2012 Willa Jones Award as the Volunteer of the Year by the Ronald McDonald House in Cleveland, OH, “for al-ways being willing to go the extra mile and help wherever needed with a gentle, caring and easy going attitude during 11 years volunteering at the House.”
David Gettleman, B.A. Sports Management, was named General Man-ager of the Carolina Pan-thers.
1993Wayne Stofsky, M.S. Sports Administra-tion, was recently named the Head Baseball Coach at Cooper City High School in Cooper City, FL.
1994Blake James, M.S. Sports Administration, was hired as the new Director of Ath-letics at the University of Miami. He had served as interim Director of Athletics since October 2012. Blake and his wife Kelly have two children, Haley and Ryan.
Marvin Julich Jr., MS Sports Administra-tion was named the Sr. Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs for Samford Uni-versity Athletics.
Michael Kelly, M.S. Sports Administration, is the COO of the new college football playoff and national championship game at the Bowl Championship Series headquartered in Dallas, TX. He was previously Senior Associate Com-missioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
John Hayek, M.S. Sports Administration, is the Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff for Academic Affairs for the University of Texas System.
1997Matt Hagood, M.S. Sports Administration, recently accepted a job at Florida International University in Miami as the Director of Digital Media Services.
Daniel A. Rosemond, MS Management, has joined the management team at the City of Hallandale Beach. He was previously As-sistant City Manager for the City of Miami Gardens.
1998Jorge Pena, B.A. Criminal Justice and 2006, M.S. Management with a certificate in Criminal Justice, has been serving in law enforcement for the past 16 years and was recently promoted to the position of Police Lieutenant for the Department of Financial Services/Division of Insurance Fraud in its Miami office. He started in law enforcement with the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Police Department as School Resource Officer and later as Acting Sergeant.
2001Alan Hancock, M.S. Sports Administration, recently joined Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL, as a professor in the sports market-ing and media bachelor’s degree program. He is enjoying teaching and helping the next gen-eration of sports marketers.
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David Gettleman
Tim Paulus Blake James
Second GenerationJohn (Sean) Donohue,’80, B.A., Sports Administra-tion, was named Temporary Principal at Miami Beach Senior High School July 2012 and his daughter, Kerry Donohue,’09, J.D., started her own immigration law practice based out of Weston, FL, handling all types of immigration matters. She has clients nationwide and en-joys the opportunity to help others in this ever changing area of law.
Richard Murray
Class Notes
Class Notes
3
John Vassiliou, M.S. Sports Administra-tion, moved to Pennsylvania in August 2012 to accept the Dean of Student Affairs position at Montgomery County Community College.
2003Bret Tollefson, JD/M.S., is working at a law firm that specializes in white collar tax crimi-nal defense.
2004Paulette Perryman, J.D., of Ft. Lauderdale, was ad-mitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and New York in 2012. Admit-ted to Florida in 2004, she specializes in insurance liti-gation.
2005Brandon Brown, M.S. Sports Administra-tion, moved to Indianapolis to accept a job at MainGate, Inc. as an event assistant. Bran-don travels around the country to his assigned events to run the event’s merchandise sales.
Eric Smith, MBA, Sports Administra-tion, has returned to his undergraduate alma mater, West Virginia University, as Coordinator of the Wellness Program at WVU Healthcare. Eric was married to Allison Hedrick on March 22, 2012, at a cer-emony on Smathers Beach in Key West.
2006 Raimundo Lopez-Lima Levi, MAC, is managing member of Lopez-Levi, a boutique international tax and consulting firm in Coral Gables, FL. In No-vember 2012, Lopez-Levi acquired the long-standing firm of Pierce & Bowen of Homestead, FL, to better serve the firm’s growing commodities and agriculture practice.
Kevin Shea, M.B.A., recently took a new po-sition as Territory Sales Manager for North and South Carolina with siParadigm, a spe-cialty hematology/oncology diagnostic labo-ratory. He lives in Charlotte, NC.
2007Sharlin Aldao, B.A., Political Science & History, became engaged to Philip Carrillo on November 13, 2012. They met through a mutual friend in Chicago in 2009. They currently live in the Chicago northwest sub-urbs and will be married May 18, 2013 in the Pabst Mansion in Milwaukee, WI.
2008Karla Hernandez-Mats, M.S. Business Management, is an ac-tive member of the Hia-leah Church of Christ and United Teachers of Dade and serves as Activities Director at Hialeah Middle School. Karla was Hialeah Mid-dle School’s Teacher of the Year for 2010-2011. She is married to Felix Mats ’04, STU Men’s Head Soccer Coach.
2012David E. Perez, M.B.A, Sports Admin-istration, is the Special Events Coordina-tor for the National Kidney Foundation of Florida. He is responsible for events to raise awareness and funds to help fight against kidney disease, it’s causes and treatments.
STU Alumni Update FormName: ___________________________________Year Graduated: ___________Degree/Major:______________________________________Address: ___________________________________________ City: ___________________________ State: _______Home Phone: (_____)____________________Work Phone: (_____)________________________ E-mail: __________________________________________________Employer: _________________________________________________Title: ____________________________________ Work Address: _____________________________________________________________News for Contact: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Please fax to the Office of University Advancement at 305.628.6703 or e-mail Susan Smith at [email protected]
Paulette Perryman Raimundo Lopez-
Lima
Eric and Allison Smith
Karla Hernandez-Mats
4
new buildings—the Chapel of Saint Anthony, the Carnival Cruise Lines Science and Technology Building, Villanova Hall, the Fernan-dez Family Center for Leadership and Wellness, and the new Law School Center for Professional Development—plus the new entrance and perimeter fencing. In addition, he has renovated all, or part of, almost every other building on campus, including the almost total renovation of Kennedy Hall, the creation of the Archbishop Favalora Museum and the E-Portfolio Lab in the University Library, the resi-dence halls, Sullivan Hall, the cafeteria and bookstore, the pool area and the Ratskeller. The only building he has not renovated is Lewis Hall, where his own department is located.
“My favorite projects were the new entrance and the Fernandez Center,” reveals Juan. “The ones that made the most impact on at-tracting students.”
He foresees his next projects will be primarily to upgrade the athletic facilities. The softball and baseball fields have already been resurfaced, but the soccer fields, already moved to make way for the Fernandez Center parking lot, will soon need to be resurfaced again. They all need new bleachers and scoreboards, and soccer and softball need lighting. He looks forward to the most exciting project, build-ing a new tennis center.
In spite of the many challenges he faces every day, Juan man-ages to keep the campus running smoothly thanks, he says, to a loyal and competent staff who work hard to keep everyone happy, which isn’t always easy. People don’t always understand how things work and what it takes to fix a problem. And there is always the challenge of maintaining more facilities with the same resources.
Born in Cuba, Juan left at age 14 with his mother and younger brother to live in Madrid, Spain, for three years, where he worked to help the family. At 17, he came to New York alone on a student visa to attend high school. After one semester his English was good enough to by-pass the rest of high school and pass the GED. He found a job with one of the school districts on Long Island, working his way up from cleaner to head custodian, and eventually to Director of School
Facilities and Operations, over a period of 18 years. Along the way, he studied at night and got his associates degree in business administration from New York State University at Farmingdale and attended techni-cal school for construction management. Then he received his BS and MBA online from California Coast University. In addition, he is certi-fied as an Educational Facilities Professional (EFP) by the Association of Physical Plant Administrators and graduated from the Association’s Institute of Facilities Management in 2008.
In 1995 he eventually moved to Miami where his mother was then living and was hired by Miami-Dade Public Schools as Coordinator for maintenance of grounds and equipment for 80 school buildings. Four years later he joined STU. Married to his wife Magdalena since he was 19, he has two daughters and a son, and two grandchildren.
“I was lucky and blessed to have come to St. Thomas at the time of most growth,” said Juan. “Thanks to Monsignor Casale for raising money for all the new buildings and renovations, I was in the right place at the right time.”
Maintaining STU in Style, continued from Page 1
helped launch the School of Science. Among many other gifts, he named the baptismal font in the Chapel of Saint Anthony and has made a bequest to the University, matched by the Ryder Foundation.
At Ryder, he transformed its business model, turning the neg-ative cash flow into a surplus and achieving a 230% increase in stock value, increasing dividends, and completing successful ac-quisitions.
At the same time, he implemented the highest standards of corporate governance and ethical business practices. Ryder’s Prin-ciples of Business Conduct have been applied to every location where Ryder does business around the world, to every employee, officer, and manager, and to every member of the company’s Board of Directors.
Since arriving in Miami in 1999 Gregory has garnered many awards for his personal service to his church, his community and his business acumen. He was recognized by the Catholic Church,
Gregory Swienton Retires, continued from Page 1
which named him to the Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Gregory the Great, one of five orders of knighthood conferred by the Pope. He was also the first transportation industry executive to be awarded the Green Cross for Safety medal, the National Safety Council’s highest honor, in recognition of his commitment to workplace safety.
“I’ve truly enjoyed the many years that I’ve been involved with St. Thomas University. I consider it to be a very fine educational in-stitution focused on strong service to its students and the community, and delivering on its mission of “Developing Leaders for Life.” I cherish the time I’ve spent with all of those engaged in supporting the progress of the University, and I’m confident that St. Thomas has a great future ahead of it,” said Mr. Swienton.
At the May graduation ceremony, Gregory will be the com-mencement speaker and St. Thomas University will present him with an honorary doctorate degree for his service to the University and to Catholic higher education.
Recent Graduates Join Boards
Alumni News
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The Alumni Association’s mission is to connect with alumni, stu-dents, and donors to create meaningful partnerships. Free member-ship is offered to all Biscayne College and STU graduates. For a list of benefits & services, please visit: http://alumni.stu.edu/benefits. Your membership keeps you connected and updated with our events and more than 18,000 members. Join the STU Alumni Connection (http://alumni.stu.edu)––an online community just for you!
facebook.com/St.ThomasUniversity
STU Alumni Association
Rebecca Sosa, ’82, is the first Hispanic woman to chair the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners. A member of the board since 2001, she is currently a teacher-trainer for Miami-Dade County Pub-lic Schools. She also served as Mayor of West Miami 1994-2001.
Chairwoman Rebecca Sosa was sworn in January 18 by long-time friend, Florida Senator Marco Rubio
We appreciate the support of recent graduates who are already getting involved by joining STU advisory boards.
Rebecca Sosa, Class of ’82, Elected Chair of Miami Dade County
Commission
Haiti Prime Minister speaks atGlobal Entrepreneurial Week
A lively group of students from STU and local high schools, plus faculty and members of the local Haitian community, greeted Prime Minister Lamothe on the last day of the School of Business’s weeklong events for Global Entrepreneurship Week. The Prime Minister detailed the enor-mous challenges that face Haiti, but also some of the recent accomplish-ments, such as increasing from 3% to 14% the percentage of the population that pay taxes and the creation of a
public elementary education system. Haiti is grateful for the money received for emergencies, he said, but what Haiti needs is investment in the economy.
Laurent Lamonthe, Class of 1999, with J. Antonio “Tony” Villamil,
Dean School of Business
Margee Martinez ’06 Financial Professional
Planner, LINQ Financial Group
Daniel J. Nagler ’08 Attorney, Mitrani, Rynor, Adamsky &
Toland
Juancarlos (JC) Sanchez ’01
Attorney, Avila Rodriguez Hernandez Mena & Ferri
Athletics Advisory Board
School of Business Advisory Board
School of BusinessAdvisory Board
May 16 – 19, 2013The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, Hollywood, Florida
Thursday, May 166:30 - 8:00 pm — Welcome Reception at Westin Diplomat
Dinner on your own
Friday, May 17Golf, Tennis and/or Spa
6:00 - 9:00 pm — Cocktail party and Cruise on the Intercoastal Waterway (tentative)
9:00 pm — Dinner on your own (suggested restaurant Rivals)
Saturday, May 18Morning — Beach, Golf, Tennis or Spa
1:00 - 3:00 pm — Beach Barbeque5:00 pm Bus departs Westin Diplomat for
Evening on STU campus 5:30 pm Mass by Fr. James MacDougall, OSA, in Chapel of
Saint Anthony 6:15 – 7:45 pm Cocktail Reception 8:00 – 10:30 pm Reunion Banquet 10:30 pm Bus departs for Westin Diplomat
Sunday, May 19Depart Westin Diplomat according to personal schedules
For more information, please contact Bud Rafter at (954) 524-5545 or [email protected]
Upcoming Reunion of Class of 1973
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School of Science Hosts Science Fair for Elementary Students STU International Students
Present at Leadership Conference
Former Governors Speak on Future of Florida Environment
Three former Florida Governors, Bob Graham, Buddy MacKay and Charlie Crist, spoke February 19 before a standing-room only crowd in the Law School’s Moot Courtroom on various issues that will im-pact the environment of South Florida. Discussion revolved around population growth, global warming, the predicted rise in the sea level on the future of the Everglades, and the availability of fresh water.
L to R: Dean Douglas Ray, Bob Graham, Buddy MacKay, former Dean of St. Thomas Law Bob Butterworth, and Charlie Crist
Opening of Law School Center forProfessional Development
The Most Rev. Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski, Archbishop of Mi-ami, led the November 27 blessing and dedication of the law school’s newest addition, The Center for Professional Development. The 5,000 sq. foot building will house Career Development, Alumni Re-lations and Outreach, the Pro Bono Leadership Program, and a new 75-person classroom with interactive technology. This classroom will be available for use by students and alumni for professional de-velopment programs.
A group of St. Thomas University students from six different countries recently participated in the 7th Annual Florida Internation-al Leadership Con-ference in Daytona Beach, FL. They presented a session entitled Translating Diver-
sity into Success: A Kaleidoscope of Ideas to Enrich the U.S. Experi-ence. Participants included: Roberto Linares (Venezuela), Anna Wil-liams (Gambia), Jiayi Wang (China), Didem Kilic (Turkey), Cinthia Ramos (Honduras), Shantell Haynes (USA) and student advisors: Christina C. Lopez and Adriana C. Menke.
STU’s School of Science, Technology and Engineering Man-agement hosted its second annual Miami Gardens Elementary Science and Engineering Fair in December. Elementary school students from public, private and Catholic schools participated, and the winners received iPads, laptops and other gifts that will empower their studies.
One of the prize winners, Ruben Rosario of Norland Elementary
Campus News
Campus News
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From the Office of University Advancement
The School of Business has received a corporate sponsorship from AT&T to host the 2013 AT&T Distinguished Entrepreneur Lecture Series. Through these lectures, STU students have the chance to meet a business leader face-to-face. Four lectures will each reflect different aspects of business success and business philosophies.
Being a CEO/Managing Partner in a Large Corporation was the theme of the first lecture that took place February 20. (Above) The panelists were: (from left) Raul Alarcon, CEO, Spanish Broadcasting System; Carlos Blanco, VP/General Manager, AT&T of Florida; Manny de Zarraga, Executive Managing Director, Holliday Fenoglio Fowler; and Oscar Suarez, Man-aging Director for Florida, Ernst & Young. The moderator for all lectures is Dean Tony Villamil, STU School of Business (at the podium).
Upcoming lectures (in Law School Moot Courtroom):
March 26, 2013, 3:30 - 5:00 pmHow to Start Your Path to Business SuccessSpeaker: Alan Becker, Esq. Founding Co-Partner of Beck-er & Poliakoff and author of “There is Always Room at the Top”
April 16, 2013, 3:30 - 5:00 pmThe Multigenerational Family BusinessPanelists: The Capo Family (El Dorado Furniture); The Mas Family (MasTec); and several other prominent fam-ily businesses. There will be four families represented on this panel.
Open to students, staff, alumni, and the community. RSVP: Carmen Barberis [email protected] / 305.628.6674
AT&T Distinguished Entrepreneur Lecture Series
STU Highlighted at Haitian Presidential Conference
STU’s collaborative projects in Northwest Haiti were highlighted at an invitation-only meeting held in December in Miami between Hai-tian President Michel Martelly, senior administration officials of the Haitian government, and Haitian Diaspora leaders from throughout the United States. Invited by the Haitian Consulate because of the university’s long-standing relationship with Northwest Haiti and its commitment to long-term development, STU was honored to be present at the historic event. Said Krystal Douby, Intern with the STU/Haiti Center for Justice and Peace, “It was a great experience, not only to connect us to Haitian leaders, but also to expose them to the real economic possibilities of development in rural Haiti.” The STU/Haiti Global Solidarity Project is coordinated by STU’s Center for Justice and Peace.
Dear Alumni and Friends: We are reaching the end of an era for our Board of Trustees. Our Chair for 10 years, Gregory Swienton, is retiring. We will miss his wise counsel and loyal support, but wish him well in his retirement.
I would like to thank Bud Rafter for once more volunteering to put together the Reunion for the Class of 1973. He has done this for the 30th and 35th and this year will be the 40th Re-
union. We appreciate that he takes the initiative on behalf of his class. Our athletes continue to shine. For the second consecutive year, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are heading to the NAIA Division II National Tournaments, which take place March 6-12. The men’s tournament will be held in Point Lookout, MO, and the wom-en’s in Sioux City, IA. The next time you come to campus, look around you and appreci-ate the magnificent work of our Physical Plant team under its director, Juan Zamora (see the story on Page 1). Our campus has never looked better. We look forward to seeing you again at our annual Golf Tourna-ment at the Trump Doral on April 26. Remember that it is for a worthy cause. All the proceeds go to student scholarships.
Regards,Beverly S. Bachrach, Vice PresidentUniversity Advancement and Marketing & Communications
Beverly S. Bachrach
Upcoming Events
OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT16401 NW 37TH AvenueMiami Gardens, FL 33054
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Suggested ImagesContemporary Paintings
by Vicente Dopico Lerner ’76Sardiňas Gallery at the St. Thomas University Library
Cocktail Reception, Thursday, April 11, 2013, 5:00 - 7:00 pm
Using a palette of rich, jewel colors combined with the strength of black lines, Vicente creates intricate, detailed semi-abstract paintings. Born in Havana, Cuba, he has exhibited his highly com-plex paintings and drawings throughout the United States. His work has been awarded several national prizes and is in major museums internationally.
The exhibition will run until June 30
6th Annual STU Leadership Golf TournamentFriday, April 26, 2013
Trump Doral Golf Resort and Spa 7:00 am – 8:00 am Registration & Breakfast at the Champion’s Pavilion
8:00 am Shotgun Start/Scramble Format1:00 – 3:00 pm Luncheon, Silent Auction, 50/50 Raffle & Awards Ceremony at the
Champion’s Pavilion
A fun-packed golf day is planned for both pro-level players and weekend duffers where golfers will play on the Great White and the Red Course.
Exclusive sponsorship opportunities include: Breakfast Sponsor ($5,000) Luncheon Sponsor ($7,500)
Golf Cart Sponsors of Red Course ($3,000) Additional sponsorships are also available
Sponsors as of February 27: ARAMARK; Bacardi USA; The Beacon Group; Brickell Motors;
Crystal & Company; HEICO Corporation; Martin Lister & Alvarez; MMG Eq-uity Partners; Patrick L. Cordero, P.A.; Perry Ellis International; Protano’s Bakery; Sabadell United Bank; Advanced Roofing; G4S Secure Solutions; IBERIA Wealth
Advisors; Paul Garcia, P.A.; Siemens Industry; Tate EnterprisesFor additional information and registrations, please visit
http://stthomas.golfreg.com For questions contact
Lorena Hidalgo at (305) 628-6601 or [email protected]
Join us:facebook.com/St.ThomasUniversity
twitter.com/StThomasUniv
NON-PROFITORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGEPAID
PERMIT NO. 1259SOUTH FLORIDA
FACILITY
40th Reunion for Class of 1973May 16 - 19, 2013
Westin Diplomat Hotel, Hollywood, FL
For more information see page 5
Listening with Love:The Challenge of Re-Integration for Veterans and their Families
STU University LibraryFriday, March 22, 2013 8:30 am - 1:00 pm
A time to learn and grow in appreciation of Vets experience and to cel-ebrate their service. Military, Reservists, National Guard members and
their families will share their stories along with Dr. Jim Whitworth.
AT&T Distinguished Entrepreneur Lecture SeriesSchool of Law Moot Court Room
Open to students, staff, alumni, and the community.For more information see page 7