R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y M A G A Z I N E > W I N T E R 2 0 1 4

Foundations

Boutique on WheelsSAM LUGO ‘07 & HER

FASHION TRUCK … P. 12

3 ALUMS WHO LEAD PITTSBURGH’S PLANNING ... P. 18

D E A R A L U M N I A N D F R I E N D S ,

This fall at Robert Morris University has been one for the recordbooks. We welcomed the largest freshman class in our history.More students than ever are living on campus. What’s more,applications to Robert Morris are way up, and our applicants’SAT scores and GPA are climbing.

You can dive into the details on page 17 of this edition of Foundations. Suffice it to say there is plenty of credit to go around: campus life and studentengagement activities, new and upgraded facilities, athletics success, aconsistently high placement rate, relentless focus on academic quality. Everyone in the RMU family played a part.

That includes you. After all, the best commercial for any college or university is its alumni – what theyachieve and what they have to say about their alma mater. Maybe you know nothing about a particularuniversity except that the best summer intern your company ever hired goes to school there. (Or perhapsyour son wants to apply to your boss’s alma mater, but when you ask her about it, she says, “You know, if I had to do it all over, I’d have gone somewhere else.”)

RMU invests a lot of time, energy, and resources into telling its story – through our web site, through social media, through advertising, through the news media. But no message is as powerful as a legacy,when a son or daughter follows in the footsteps of a Robert Morris graduate, like Diane Leonard Pearson ‘85 and her two boys, whom you will read about on page 16. Even simple gestures of loyaltymatter, like when you head out to the mall or to do the yard work sporting that new Colonials sweatshirt you bought at Homecoming.

Homecoming – that’s what made me think of all this. Absent a freak October blizzard, the weathercouldn’t have been much worse this year. It was cold. It was rainy. It was so windy we had to grab on to the tents in Tailgate Alley to keep them from soaring off into Joe Walton Stadium.

And yet, there you were: grilling hot dogs and hamburgers, mingling at the Class Reunions, huddlingunder ponchos and blankets at the football game. Some of our faculty and staff thought it was the bestHomecoming ever. No doubt you could have spent a fall Saturday warmer, dryer, and more comfortable,but the fact that you spent it with us in the wind and rain sends a message too, one we like to hear.

Yes, it’s been a good year at RMU, though we’re not taking our success for granted. These are grim timesfor many of our peers, who in the face of dropping enrollments are laying off faculty and eliminatingwhole departments. We can’t afford complacency, and we still need your support.

But take just one moment, as you read this, to savor your success. Well done, and thank you.

Sincerely,

G R E G O R Y G . D E L L ’ O M O , P H . D .P R E S I D E N T

CREDITS

EDITORMark Houser

CONTRIBUTORS Valentine J. Brkich, Alan Buehler ‘13, Kimberly Burger Capozzi, Jonathan Potts M’11,Matt Sober

ART DIRECTORAmy Joy

PHOTOGRAPHY/ILLUSTRATIONS Front Cover: Michael Will ‘08Back Cover: Jodi Vasalani ‘92Other Photos/Illustrations: Joe Appel, Christopher Bell Photography, Jason Cohn, Glory Days Photography, Denny Harsh, James Knox, iStockphoto, Mitch Kramer ‘08,Brock Switzer, Michael Will ‘08

PRINTING Heeter Direct

FOUNDATIONS ONLINE RMU.EDU/FOUNDATIONSScot Rutledge ‘09

Foundations (ISSN 1934-5690) is published threetimes a year by the Office of Public Relations and Marketing in conjunction with the Office ofInstitutional Advancement and mailed free ofcharge to alumni, donors, trustees, faculty, staff,and friends of Robert Morris University. Theopinions expressed in the magazine do notnecessarily reflect the official policies of Robert Morris University.

Contributions to Class Notes and addresschanges may be sent to:Office of Alumni RelationsRobert Morris University6001 University BoulevardMoon Township, PA 15108-1189Phone: (412) 397-6464 Fax: (412) 397-5871Email: rmualum@rmu.edu

It is the policy of Robert Morris University to provideequal opportunity in all educational programs andactivities, admission of students, and conditions ofemployment for all qualified individuals regardlessof race, color, sex, religion, age, disability, nationalorigin, and/or sexual preference.

WINTER}14 Foundations

FOUNDATIONS ONLINEVIDEO EXCLUSIVES

Taking America’s Pulse . . . . . . 6Results are in from the first surveys from the new Robert MorrisUniversity Polling Institute Powered by Trib Total Media. See whatpeople across America are saying about football concussions,Obamacare, and fracking.

Homegrown Leader . . . . . . . . 18As president of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce,Dewitt Peart ‘81 has a bird’s-eye view of the region’s economy. So dothe two chairmen he works with most — at the chamber and theAllegheny Conference — who by the way are RMU alums too.

Springboard to Success. . . . . . 14An overeager phone interview got Keith Kuhn ‘03 into a job that he thought was a bit over his head. But instead of panicking, he dug in, and made a risky proposition pay off.

10 Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . 32It was as an adult, non-traditional student that GloriaPeplow ‘93 got her college diploma. Her globe-trottingretirement with the “senior Peace Corps” also has beenanything but traditional.

Building a Legacy ... p. 16Two roomies from the Class of 1985 are happy their kids chose RMU too.

Man in Motion. . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Roaring down the highway on a Harley-Davidson is how David Lancia ‘79 M’86 likes to see the world. The way he keeps his eye on the horizon for the Board of Trustees has earned him the 2013 Heritage Award.

Public relations students volunteeredin October at Savoring Sewickley, a major fundraising event for the Sewickley Public Librarycoordinated by the Friends ofthe Sewickley Public Library.Local food establishmentsserved delicacies during theevent, which raised more than $20,000.

The National Association of StudentPersonnel Administrators named RMU to

the Lead Initiative on Civic Learningand Democratic Engagement, anetwork of 73 colleges anduniversities dedicated to civicengagement. The association willprovide resources to support and

publicize civic engagement initiativesfor the university.

The National Fraternity of KappaDelta Rho presented its GeorgeE. Kimball Award foroutstanding communityservice to the Eta Alphachapter at RMU. Theaward is given to thechapter that demonstratesthe strongest and mostconsistent commitment to community serviceover the previous academic year.

2 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS

> Savoring Student Engagement

> Stop, You’re Embarrassing UsRobert Morris University has been named to the 2014 Military FriendlySchools list by Victory Media, rating it among the top 20 percent ofcolleges and universities in the country that welcome military veterans.RMU has been recognized as a military friendly school since 2009.

The online bachelor’s program in psychology has been ranked in the top 20nationally by TheBestSchools.org. The organization cited academics, studentsatisfaction, and opportunities for professional experience. Course offeringsand return on investment were also factors in the selection process.

SuperScholar, an online education and career information website, has rankedRobert Morris University one of the 25 Best Online Colleges and Universities2014. SuperScholar also ranked RMU No. 6 in its Top 10 Smart Choice Schoolsfor Online Master’s Degrees 2013. RMU also earned Top 25 rankings fromAccreditedOnlineColleges.com for several of its online degree programs.

CAMPUS REPORT

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 3

> Expanding Access to CareThe School of Nursing and Health Sciences has received a $923,000 grantto educate family psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners who cancare for patients of all ages with chronic mental health conditions. The

grant, from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration,will expand the university’s Doctor of Nursing Practice

program for psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners,who are authorized to prescribe medications and providepsychotherapy. Grant funds also will be used to purchasedistance-learning technology to reach students in rural areas.

The School of Nursing and Health Sciences is oneof only 72 nursing schools nationwide to offer aspecialty in child/adolescent or family mentalhealth. The grant aims for RMU to expandenrollment in that program from 23students at present to 72 by 2016.

>Ten Years and Growing

Colonial Theatre celebrated the 10th anniversary of itsrebirth at Robert Morris during Homecoming with a

special concert version of “Rent,” the show that made a name for ColonialTheatre in 2010 when RMU’s production of the Tony Award-winningmusical was one of eight finalists in the Kennedy Center College Theater

Festival for the Mid-Atlantic region. The anniversary production featured alumni who participated in the original show along

with current students.

>High SchoolJunior, CollegeFreshman?RMU professors are teaching collegecourses at local high schools to qualifiedstudents under the First Semester Collegein High School Program. The program is the brainchild of Vice Provost Lawrence Tomei, Ed.D., and was launched at MoonArea and Montour high schools in the fall,with South Fayette andWest Allegheny expectedto start in the spring.

Students selectedfor the programtake one introductory-level class each semester,including the summer, in their junior andsenior years. Robert Morris gives a 70percent tuition discount, saving those who take all five courses more than$8,000. The courses — communicationskills, mathematics, psychology, sociology, and environmental science — are designed to transfer easily to another institution should thestudents choose not to enroll at RMU.

> SEE TH

IS M

AGAZIN

E AND EX

TRA FEA

TURES

AT R

MU.ED

U/FO

UNDATIO

NS.

Eight students in the RMU History Club volunteered at theI’ve Got Your Six 6K andMemorial Mile Race in Pittsburgh,raising more than $3,000 forhomelessveterans.

The BEST Club (Bridging Education,Service and Teaching), RMU’s student armof the Council for Exceptional Children,raised $500 at the Walk Now for AutismSpeaks event. The club also sponsored asummer car show fundraiser on campus

that raised $2,000 for the DownSyndrome Association of

Pittsburgh.

recycle this magazineGive it to a neighbor who’s in high schooland help spread the word about RMU.

>The Winners AreThe department of computer andinformation systems won the Outstanding ResearchAchievement Award at the Conference for theInternational Association for Computer InformationSystems in recognition of exceptional universityresearch and scholarlycontributions. ProfessorsPaul Kovacs, Ph.D., John Scarpino, D.Sc., and Wenli Wang, Ph.D., received anhonorable mention in pedagogy for their journal article “A Framework for an Interactive Web-based Application Course.”

At the Biennial Conference of theAssociation for Canadian Studies in theUnited States, the Rufus Z. Smith Prize forbest paper went to Soren Fanning, Ph.D.,assistant professor of history, for “Forginga Frontier: Social Capital and Canada’sMounted Police, 1867-1914.”

Beth Dolinar Kusbit and GinaCatanzarite-Shapiro, adjunct professors in the School of Communications and

Information Systems, wereamong the producers sharinga Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award

for “Hunger: Our HiddenCrisis,” which aired on WQED-TV. Dolinar Kusbit also won for producing andwriting “Rose’s Garden,” a half-

hour documentary for WQEDabout an artist who fills abandoned

lots with plants and art dealing with thetopic of mental illness.

> Viva MexicoLuis Monterrubio, Ph.D., assistant professor of engineering,

has been named to the Mexican National Council of Science and Technology. His term on the council begins in January

and runs through 2016.

Page:RMU AlumniURL:facebook.com/ RMUalumni

> > FIND US ON FACEBOOK

> Research ReportThe industrial boom around Marcellus Shale has prompted calls for a switchto cars that run on natural gas, both to boost the local economy and cutdependence on foreign oil. But with only five natural gas fueling stationsin the entire Pittsburgh region, drivers would have a hard time filling up.

Three professors in the School of Engineering, Mathematics, and Sciencehave developed a mathematical model that determines the best locations for natural gas fueling stations in Pittsburgh. The paper, by Tony Kerzmann,Ph.D., assistant professor of mechanical engineering; Gavin Buxton,associate professor of physics; and Jonathan Preisser, Ph.D., assistantprofessor of mathematics, is in the journal Sustainable Energy Technology and Assessments. The authors note that natural gas vehicles are used far more extensively outside the United States, and that they benefit theenvironment because they create less pollution.

4> MONTERRUBIO

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 5

> This Program HasUnexpectedly Shut DownThe National Science Foundation has awarded RMU a $186,000 grant to develop learning modules andcourse materials to help software students andpractitioners develop reliable computer programs.Sushil Acharya, Dr.Eng., an associate professor ofsoftware engineering, will direct the grant along withPeter Wu, Ph.D., associate professor of computerand information systems, and PriyadarshanManohar, Ph.D., associate professor ofengineering. Working with colleagues inthe mathematics and English departments, aswell as four industry partners and seven othereducational institutions, the RMU faculty plan to develop andtest a standardized set of materials for software validation andverification. (Read more on page 22.)

>NewAppointments

Valerie M. Howard, Ed.D., hasbeen named acting dean of theSchool of Nursing and HealthSciences. Howard is formerassistant dean for external

affairs of the nursing school,director of development for the

school, and director of the RegionalResearch and Innovation in SimulationEducation (RISE) Center. She has helpedto raise more than $6 million for theschool, including funds for construction ofa new building. The school’s foundingdean, Lynda Davidson, Ph.D., hasdecided to return to the faculty.

Lois D. Bryan, D.Sc., has beennamed senior associate deanfor academic excellence for theSchool of Business. In thisnewly created position, Bryan

will be responsible for issuespertaining to the school’s AACSB-

International accreditation, graduateprograms, and faculty promotion,research, merit, and development.

>Actuary NewsThe North American Actuarial Journalaccepted a paper co-authored by Chris Groendyke, Ph.D., an assistantprofessor of actuarial science, titled“Model Selection and Averaging inFinancial Risk Management.” Writtenwith Brian M. Hartman of theUniversity of Connecticut, the papertests a more accurate predictivemodel for simulated asset returns.

> The Newest Rising StarAt the President’s Council dinner in December, President GregoryDell’Omo, Ph.D., presented the 2013 Rising Star Award to GabriellaGasparich. The award is given to a graduating senior who demonstratesacademic success, individuality, determination, passion, and potential in her field of study. Gasparich is an honors student and communicationsmajor focusing on public relations, who plans to work in internationalpublic relations. She has interned with Chemistry Communications, TenThousand Villages Pittsburgh, Forum-Nexus Study Abroad, and DimensionX Advertising and Marketing, and is a Colonial Ambassador and memberof Delta Phi Epsilon. Gasparich also has volunteered for Ronald McDonaldHouse Charities and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Last but not least, shewas crowned Homecoming Queen this fall.

Go to Foundations Online to see Gasparich’s acceptance speech.

> FOLLO

W US ON TW

ITTER @

RMU FO

R TH

E MOST U

P-TO

-DATE N

EWS.

6 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS

49%HAVE AN

UNFAVORABLEOPINION OF THE

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

TAKING AMERICA’S PULSE

OBAMACAREWhat people think of Obamacare comes down to politics: 68% of Democrats like it, versus 29% of independents and 13%of Republicans. Far more people think their costs will go up (43%) rather than down (9%). But majorities still don’t think the newhealth care rules will force them to find a new doctor, or changeinsurance plans, or have to shop around for cheaper coverage.Almost one in five said they had put off seeing a doctor in the last year because of money.

41%SUPPORT A

BAN ON YOUTHCONTACT

FOOTBALL UNTILHIGH SCHOOL

FOOTBALL CONCUSSIONSWith rising concerns about the potentially serious effects of concussions, more people are judging footballunsafe for children. Almost half of respondents support a banuntil middle school, and 54% of those whose own kids playedcontact football before high school now think other kidsshould wait. Opinions are split over whether football, likeboxing, will decline in popularity in the years ahead —46% say it will, 40% say it won’t.

42%SUPPORT DRILLINGFOR NATURAL GAS

THROUGH HYDRAULICFRACTURING, OR

“FRACKING”

GOING UNDERGROUNDA third of respondents oppose the widespread drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation and elsewhere in the country,while 25% have not made up their mind one way or the other.Solid majorities say fracking can help the U.S. economy (63%) andcan move the country toward energy independence (58%). Butalmost half of respondents also say the environmental impactof gas drilling outweighs any resulting reduced energy costsor energy independence.

Highlights of the first nationwide survey by the new Robert MorrisUniversity Polling Institute Powered by Trib Total Media:

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 7

The new polling institute conducts

national and regional opinion polls on

current affairs in areas of interest and

expertise to RMU faculty. It does not

focus on electoral politics, but provides

nonpartisan polling on a range of

issues, including health care policy,

the environment, health and wellness,

economic policy, higher education,

and gender equity. The institute works

under the direction of the faculty

through an advisory board including

representatives from each of the

five academic schools.

The first national poll, conducted

using an online survey instrument,

sampled the opinions of 1,003 adults

approximately proportional to state

population and was conducted

October 23 to November 1. The poll has

a +/- 3.0 percent margin of error at a 95

percent confidence level on a composite

basis. All percentages shown here are

rounded to the nearest whole number.

To see all the survey questions and learn

more about the Robert Morris University

Polling Institute Powered by Trib Total

Media, go to Foundations Online.

ABOUT THE ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITYPOLLING INSTITUTE POWERED BY TRIB TOTAL MEDIA

MAKING IT COUNT

8 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS

Just as he’d done for much of his life, Karvel Andersonadapted quickly upon arrival at Robert Morris University. A transfer from Glen Oaks Community College inCentreville, Mich., the 6-foot-2 shooting guard averaged12.5 points per game last season as the Colonials piled up 24victories, captured the Northeast Conference regular seasontitle, and — most memorably — defeated defending NCAAchampion Kentucky before a national television audience inthe first round of the National Invitation Tournament.

But long before elevating his game at the Division I level,Anderson was struggling to rise from the depths of atumultuous adolescence. With no father present and amother who would serve time in prison for drug trafficking,his was a chaotic existence that, at one point, found himsleeping under a bridge in his hometown of Elkhart, Ind.“My senior year in high school probably was the hardest forme, when you have senior night, prom, graduation. And tonot have my own parent there for those occurrences, thatwas when I realized that I was by myself. I got down fromthat,” Anderson says.

With guidance from mentors and his own sheerdetermination, Anderson has persevered. And with everystep of the turbulent journey that brought him to RobertMorris — a journey that included stops at two juniorcolleges even before landing at Glen Oaks — Anderson hasdistanced himself from the past and inched closer to thepromise of a successful future. In the classroom, the senioris on track to graduate with a degree in communication. On the basketball floor, he’s provided not just a deft scoringtouch, but also toughness and leadership for coach AndyToole’s team. “When we recruited him, we thought we were getting a really good player,” Toole says. “What Ididn’t realize was the amount of character we were gettingthe minute he set foot on campus. He is coachable. Heworks extremely hard. He does everything you ask of aplayer. He’s had such a dramatic impact not only in thelocker room, but on the individuals on our team.”

Anderson is grateful to have found a home at RobertMorris, and not simply for the opportunity to playbasketball. He’s also thankful to have formed meaningfulrelationships with Toole and assistant coaches MichaelByrnes and Joe Gallo. “It’s been very positive,” Andersonsays. “You have people here who want to help you, and I’msomeone who wants to be helped. It’s like a family to me.The stability of it is amazing for me.” Toole has been

particularly impressed by Anderson’s willingness to acceptresponsibility and grow from mistakes. “The thing that’sremarkable is that his story is up there with some of themost difficult challenges you’ve seen from anybody, but ifyou met him on the street, you’d never know it,” Toole says.“He never uses it as a crutch. He knows that if he does whathe’s supposed to do, he can change his circumstances. It’s acredit to his character.” That very same character explainswhy Anderson, the Colonials’ leading returning scorer, hasassumed a role as one of the team captains. “That speaksvolumes,” Toole says. “He’s a guy who would do anythinghe could for his teammates.”

This season, Anderson and his teammates are looking to defend their Northeast Conference regular seasonchampionship and make their first appearance in theNCAA Tournament since Toole became head coach. If theycan get to the Big Dance, it’ll be just another triumph forAnderson to savor — not unlike that stunning 59-57 victoryover Kentucky in front of a raucous sold-out crowd at the Sewell Center. “To do something most peopledidn’t think we were going to do, and to haveeveryone storm the court, it was crazy,” he says. “You usually just see that stuff on TV.”

Anderson is a talented shooter, and his 36-pointgame Jan. 9 against Sacred Heart is among thehighest-scoring games in the team's history. He alsotakes pride in creating opportunities for teammates.“I love making plays for other people. I love seeingmy teammates excited when they score,” he says. And while his college career will end in a few months,Anderson has no intention of giving up the game that has brought him so far. “I’d love to play overseas,”he says with typical enthusiasm. “I’ve never really been anywhere.”

Whatever the future may hold, Anderson believes in hisability to make the best of it. “There’s a point when yourealize, ‘I’m not the person I used to be.’ When I finallyrealized that, it gave me confidence,” he says. “I told myself that if I could succeed from my childhood, I coulddo anything.”

WRITTEN BYMATT SOBER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BROCK SWITZER

ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY KARVEL ANDERSON

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 9

The rematch of last year’s championship comes in the middle of a monthdesigned to test the Colonials’ mettle as never before, with the team traveling to play powerhouses Maryland, Notre Dame, and Michigan.

BIGGAM

ETHE

BASKETBALL

DOUBLEHEADERSAT., FEB. 15

WOMEN VS.CENTRALCONNECTICUT STATE1 P.M

MEN VS.MOUNT ST. MARY’S4 P.M.

HOCKEYWOMEN VS.PENN STATEFRI., FEB. 21, 3 P.M.SAT., FEB. 22, 3 P.M.

MEN VS. MERCYHURSTSAT., MARCH 1, 7 P.M.

SOFTBALLDOUBLEHEADERSUN., APRIL 19

WOMEN VS.CENTRALCONNECTICUT STATENOON AND 2 P.M.

We pick some of the mostexciting weekend homegames this season. Markyour calendar now, and make a trip back to youralma mater. Let ‘em hearyour Colonials cheer!

LACROSSE

WOMEN VS.LIBERTYSAT., MARCH 22, NOON

MEN VS. BRYANTSAT., APRIL 19, 1 P.M.

1 0

WOMEN’S BASKETBALLThe Colonials are favorites to win the NEC title this year, according to the preseasoncoaches poll. It will be exciting to see what All-American Greek Artemis Spanou has instore for her senior year, after leading the nation in rebounding and her conference inscoring last season on the way to being named NEC Player of the Year. Joining her againwill be NEC Rookie of the Year Ashley Ravelli of Italy, whose 70 three-pointers put heramong the conference’s elite.

Spanou had the most rebounds per game of any player in NCAA Div. Ibasketball last year. (The men’s leader had 11.4 rebounds/game.)

JENSEN, UTAH VALLEY ....................14.1PARKER, HIGH POINT........................13.2ANKOMA-MENSA, BRYANT .............13.0OGWUMIKE, STANFORD ..................12.9

REBOUNDS/GAMEPLAYER, TEAM

ALL-AMERICAN GREEK

15.6THE BIG GAMEFEB. 15 VS. CENTRAL

CONNECTICUT STATEThe Blue Devils have three starters back from last year’sNEC Tournament team, but justone of the Babe sisters. Jessica isthe team’s clear leader now thatbig sister Jaclyn is no longersharing the court.

SOFTBALLThe defending regular season champions look to continuetheir success with a roster that includes two-time NEC Pitcherof the Year Nicole Sleith, two-time Golden Glove winnerSamantha Santillo, and Rookie of the Year Ashley Gerhart.

THE BIG GAMEAPRIL 19 DOUBLEHEADER VS.

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE

MEN’S LACROSSEAfter coming up short in last year’s conference championship game at Bryant, the Colonials are looking

to take the next step. Their opportunistic defense, led by NEC Defensive Player of the Year Sean Meagher, led the nation last year in caused turnovers per game. After leading the team in scoring his freshman year,

Eric Rankel will be back on the field with big brother Tyler, another talented turnover artist.

THE BIG GAMEAPRIL 19 VS. BRYANT

STARS TO WATCH

#24 REBECCA VINTWOMEN’S HOCKEYOf the five CollegeHockey America playerslast year who scored atleast a point per game,Vint was the only one notplaying for Mercyhurst.

#51 SEAN MEAGHERMEN’S LACROSSEHis 2.53 caused turnoversper game average wassecond in the NCAA —and perhaps of moreinterest in the Meagherhousehold, pushed Sean past his brother,Mike, in the Colonialsrecord books.

#23 NICOLE SLEITHSOFTBALLWith a 1.64 ERA and morethan 200 strikeouts in eachof her first two seasonswith the Colonials, it’s nowonder the NEC hasnamed Sleith the league’sbest pitcher twice.

WOMEN’S HOCKEYThe Colonials have pierced the national Top 10 rankings for the first time, thanks to a blistering start in the fall.Three-time College Hockey America Player of the MonthRebecca Vint had 10 points in November. Freshman Jessica Dodds has been the CHA’s best goaltender thisseason, continuing a strong tradition in net for the Colonialsthat includes two-time Olympian Brianne McLaughlin.

In just their second season of Div. I hockey, the Nittany Lions will be the upstarts when they visit the Colonials for a two-game stand at the RMU Island Sports Center.

THE BIG GAMEFEB. 21–22 VS. PENN STATE

MEN’S HOCKEYA 20-win season left the Colonials just barely

frozen out of what would have been their firstNCAA tournament. The team hopes for moremagic from the stick of Cody Wydo, whose 21

goals last year led the Atlantic HockeyAssociation. He’s off to a good start: In

November Wydo scored seven goals in a pair ofgames against Penn State and conference

champion Canisius.

THE BIG GAME MARCH 1 VS. MERCYHURST

> CHECK RMUCOLONIALS.COM FO

R THE LA

TEST ON GAME TIMES, VENUES, AND SCORES.

NAVY ......................................10.00DETROIT.................................10.00CORNELL ............................... 9.94

The Colonials stole the ball on average nearly a dozen times each game, the best

record for takeaways in the country.

CAUSED TURNOVERS/GAMETEAM

PITTSBURGH’SSTEALERS

11.27

The Colonials finish their season, and hopefully launch a strongtournament push, with a matchup against the class of the AHA.

1 1

To see where Lugo will be next, visit

brokelittlerichgirl.com or follow her on Twitter: @BLRGInc.

Go to Foundations Online to see a video

of Lugo and her bOUTIQUE on wheels.

Taking a cue from the food truck craze that’s taken hold in big cities across the country and rolled intoPittsburgh over the past few years, Broke Little Rich Girl is a renovated 21-foot bread truck outfitted with hardwood

floors and a dressing room and packed with women’s fashionsand accessories.

“At first I wanted to do a brick and mortar store,” says Lugo, a cum laudegraduate of RMU’s corporate communication program. “But then I came across a boutique truck during a trip to New York City,and I fell in love with it. I said, ‘This is amazing – I want to bring this to Pittsburgh!’”

While her studies mainly focused on marketing and advertising at Robert Morris, Lugo never let go of her lifelong infatuationwith style. “I think it’s an inherited trait,” she says. “I come from a family predominately made up of women who all have theirown unique style and fashion sense.” When she was a girl, Lugo’s grandmother would babysit her and her sister and wouldgive them access to her clothes, shoes, and makeup. “We were always putting on plays and fashion shows and whatnot,” shesays. “Plus, I have some really fashionable aunts who don’t follow the trends and tend to do their own thing. They taught me to be myself and find my own style.”

During her junior and senior years, she interned with GlaxoSmithKline and Kolbrener Inc. “Each taught me a lot about how to build a brand and leverage marketing communications, which has really helped me in my business,” she says.

The Broke Little Rich Girl operation is something of a family affair. Lugo’s sister designed the truck’s black, white, and pinkexterior, as well as some of the jewelry she sells. Her husband, Manuel, an auditor with FedEx, helps her with events and thefinance side of things. The clothing is a mix of originals she buys from local designers along with some labels, too. “The wholething’s been an ongoing learning experience,” says Lugo, who says she’s so busy she has to replenish her inventory just aboutevery week. “I don’t have a background in merchandising, so I just try to gauge it on sales. I can pack it in pretty good in there.”

Most weekends you can usually find the Broke Little Rich Girl truck parked in the Strip District on 23rd and Penn Avenue. Lugo also does private parties and partners with local business at area events. “I do ladies nights, bridal showers, birthdayparties, fashion parties, and any event where a group of women want to get together and shop.”

Lugo says she definitely wants to continue to grow and expand the Broke Little Rich Girl brand. “I’d love to have a fleet of my fashion trucks in every state. That’s my long term-goal.”

WRITTEN BY VALENTINE J. BRKICH | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL WILL ‘08

She’s the superhero of fashion. By day she’sSamantha Lugo ‘07, marketing specialist for PNC

Bank’s corporate office in downtownPittsburgh. But by night (and weekend) she’sBroke Little Rich Girl – fashion maven andowner of a boutique on wheels.

ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY FOUNDATIONS • 13

FashionDrives Her

Landing an internship his junior year wasn’tan easy proposition for Keith Kuhn ‘03.After his first few interviews didn’t pan out,he found himself overpromising in a phonecall with Mosso’s Medical Supply, a Latrobecompany looking for an applicationdeveloper. “I just said ‘yes’ to everythingthey asked,” he says.

The meeting he had with Scott Dinning, CFO and part ownerof the company, was “probably the worst interview I everhad,” says Kuhn, who majored in information systemsmanagement. “I was pretty nervous, and I wasn’t reallyqualified.” So you can imagine how surprised he was whenDinning told him he was hired. “I was dumbfounded,” hesays, “but I was excited, too.” It wasn’t until years later that hefound out why he’d been offered the job: Dinning mistakenlythought Kuhn was the CEO’s nephew.

From his first day on the job at Mosso’s, Kuhn knew he had his work cut out. “The stuff they were asking me to do was alittle more technical than what I was used to. Like developingan inventory system in its entirety. But I knew I just had tofigure it out.” So he dug in and started studying andresearching, and after a while he ended up getting really good at I.T. management.

It wasn’t long before the internship turned into something likea full-time job. It was tough because he was still taking classes

1 4 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS

and had to travel back and forth from Latrobe. “I ended upcomputerizing all of their affiliate offices,” he says. “I becametheir main I.T. person. Sometimes I’d even get help desk callswhen I was sitting in class. Luckily my teachers were prettygood about it.”

Kuhn and his I.T. team ended up designinga complete customer datamanagement system for Mosso’s,enabling them to integratemarketing, operations, andreimbursement. Mosso’s made theInc. 500 list of the fastest growingcompanies in America in 2003,and after Kuhn graduated, hetook a full-time job there.One day Kuhn was down in thewarehouse asking how theykept track of their medicalequipment. “They pull outthis index box,” he says. “Ithought it was the stupidestthing I’d ever seen. So I turnedto one of the guys and said,‘Who makes these decisions?Who runs this company?’” It turned out that one of theguys he was talking to wasthe CEO himself, JoeMosso. “He wasn’t mad,though. Joe’s one of the

SPRINGBOARDTO SUCCESS

nicest guys you’ll ever meet. He told me to go ahead and create a new program to replace the card system.” When Kuhn was finished with the project, Mossoloved it and Keith got a raise.

“Keith took an old-fashioned, family-owned company and quickly transformed it to acutting edge technology and data-driven company,” says Dinning. “He created a dynamicand highly responsive I.T. team that was well trained and extremely efficient.” In 2006Kuhn decided to do something different. So he and Lilian Shoupe, Mosso’s reimbursementmanager, founded Medbill, a medical equipment billing company, in Lake Wylie, S.C. Guesswho his first client was? His old boss, Scott Dinning, who, like Kuhn, went off on his own toform Hometown Oxygen in Charlotte, N.C. “I learned a lot about business from Scott,” saysKuhn. “It was cool to see how far we both had come.”

Kuhn actually began his undergraduate studies at Clarion University but left after just half asemester. “I realized I wasn’t ready for college yet,” he says, “so I just went back home and got ajob until I felt it was time.” After that he bounced around for a while, detailing cars and working inlandscaping and construction. Finally, in 1999 he applied to Robert Morris. “I visited a lot of schools,but I really liked RMU’s size, the small classes. It just felt more comfortable, more homey.” Kuhn wasa legacy — his father, Gerald Kuhn ‘88, earned his accounting degree from Robert Morris.

When it comes to serendipity, Kuhn’s definitely a believer. As he was setting up some I.T. infrastructureat Hometown Oxygen, a medical device representative walked in the door. “She was looking for a place to

watch the World Cup, so I recommended this one pub in town. Well, one of the company’s owners told meto take a break and show her where it was. Now Caroline and I have been married for three years.”

As for the bizarre circumstances in getting his job with Mosso’s, Kuhn believes a higher power was in play. “God works in amazing ways,” he says. “I mean, how many people in the world bust their

you-know-what for a small company, and that ends up serving as a springboard into doing what they love? It just can’t be a coincidence.”

WRITTEN BY VALENTINE J. BRKICH | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER BELL PHOTOGRAPHY

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 1 5

in the field where Sewall Center now stands.“But probably my favorite memory,” Dee Ann says, “was coming

back early in the morning after a night out with all oursuitemates, and I would make ultimate PB&J sandwiches

that we would pass around in a circle and eat.”

They were bridesmaids in each other’s weddings, went on to successful careers in their fields, and remained close

friends as they raised families. Diane is a wealth management advisor and a co-founder of Legend Financial Advisors in

McCandless, while Dee Ann is chief financial officer of

Former roommates Diane Leonard Pearson ’85 and Dee Ann Loveridge

Johnson ’85 have made personalcontributions to RMU’s record

enrollment numbers — their kids.

Years ago, the two business majors shared a room with theirpet hamster, Felicia, and played in co-ed mud football games

1 6 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS

BUILDING

A LEGACY

ARE YOU A LEGACY? Come to our

Legacy Reception on Saturday, Feb. 22,and stay for thebasketball game —

our treat!

Details atrmu.edu/foundations.

specialty steelmaker Ampco-Pittsburgh. Now their kids,sophomores Haley Johnson, a nursing major, and AlexPearson, a double major in accounting and finance major,along with freshman marketing major David Pearson, arelegacies on the same campus their moms once called home.

Hockey is what first got Robert Morris on the boys’ radar. The Pearsons are avid fans, and the boys watched theColonials play at the RMU Island Sports Center and at ConsolEnergy Center. Alex came to campus for a tour, and wasimpressed with the School of Business; his brother equally so.“It’s comforting that they’re this close to home, yet they’ve gottheir own sense of independence,” Diane says. “Robert Morrisis so completely different from when I was here, so it’s hard tocompare what I went through to what they’re going through

because there are just so many opportunities now thatweren’t there when I was here.”

Dee Ann says she wanted to steer Haley towardher alma mater. “I was excited, and the funny story about thatis I suggested Robert Morris to her, but sometimes you wantto find your own way. Something about going to the same

school as your parents.” Haley looked as far as Louisiana, butin the end she decided her mom was

right, and chose RMU.

So to the delight of the two old friends,sending their children off to college

turned into a reunion. “We moved them intogether at RMU, and then we all went to Primanti’s and

had lunch. Then we came back and dropped them off,” Dianesays. “We watched the two of them walk off, and it was like,OK. So we both high-fived and went home.”

WRITTEN BY MARK HOUSER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES KNOX

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 1 7

Robert Morris this year admitted the biggestfreshman class in its history: 980 first-yearstudents from 26 states and 19 countries.Residence halls are filled to capacity, includingYorktown Hall, now completely converted from a former hotel.

With a full-time traditional undergraduateenrollment of 3,766, and a total enrollment of5,440 including part-time and graduate students,finding a parking spot on campus is getting tricky.

More students are applying to the university eachyear. In 2008, RMU received applications from4,257 prospective students. Five years later, morethan 7,800 students applied. The higher numberof applicants has not come at the expense ofquality; this year’s crop of applicants had anaverage high school grade point average of 3.47and an average combined reading and math SATscore of 1042, both up from five years ago.

The university’s online degree offerings also areexpanding rapidly. Students enrolled in 4,171 totalcredit hours of graduate and undergraduateclasses this fall, up 20 percent from the previousyear. The international student population hasincreased dramatically in recent years and nowexceeds 400, or almost 8 percent of RMU’s totalstudent population.

President Gregory G. Dell’Omo, Ph.D., saysRMU is increasingly becoming what he calls a“university of choice” for prospective students inthe Pittsburgh area and beyond. “It’s not goodenough just to say we have a beautiful campus,”Dell’Omo says. “Students and their parentsevaluate a college’s value proposition.”

That includes not simply tuition cost, he says,but program quality and reputation, student life,the way faculty and staff treat people, excitingathletics, a safe and secure campus environment,and strong outcomes, like RMU’s placement rateof 93 percent for graduates.

BUILDING

A LEGACY

BIGGER & BETTER EVERY YEAR

From the 17th floor offices of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Dewitt Peart ‘81 has the stunning view

of Pittsburgh you’d expect of a mover and shaker in the city’s economic developmentscene. The city and its three rivers look like they are part of a miniature

railroad display, where someone might rearrange the pieces to create the landscape they envision.

1 8 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS

HOMEGROWNLEADER

As president of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce,the business advocacy group within the Allegheny Conference,

Dewitt Peart ‘81 has emerged as a leader in the real-liferebuilding of Pittsburgh’s economy. Through 25 years of workin real estate development and marketing the region to new

businesses, Peart has helped replace shuttered steel mills withnew job generators like university-based technology projects,

advanced manufacturing, and riverfront development.

Peart is one of a trio of RMU alumsworking closely on economic

development and regional planning.Morgan O’Brien ‘82 M’85, president andCEO of People’s Natural Gas, is chairman

of the Allegheny Conference, andRichard Harshman ‘78, CEO, president,and chairman of Allegheny TechnologiesInc., is chairman of the chamber. “What

the three of us have in common is anintent to make our region the best it can

be,” says Peart. “Evidently, the RMUexperience embeds community

attachment, commitment, and service.”

Raised in the McKees Rocks area, Peartalways intended to remain in the region.“I think every Pittsburgher’s like that; if

it’s in you, it’s part of you,” he says.When he graduated from Robert Morriswith an accounting degree, he landed in

Philadelphia for his first job as an internalauditor for J.C. Penney. But he managed

to return within a few years for a positionwith a real estate developer. It was the

late 1980s, and Pittsburgh was justcoming to terms with the reality that thesteel industry wasn’t coming back. Peartbecame involved in pioneering projects

that cleaned up and reused formerindustrial sites, a practice now known as

brownfield development.

“At first, it was a little sad in a way,” he says, describing how inone project, the cranes from a once-thriving shipbuilding

yard were dismantled and sent out of the country, sealing thefate of the business. “The creative side of it is, you look at these

sites and you say, OK, now what can it be? How can we redevelop this and really make a difference?”

Working with communities and governments on brownfieldremediation led Peart to volunteer for the chamber of

commerce on brownfield legislation and other business issues.In the middle of his career, he headed back to school for a

master’s degree in public management from Carnegie MellonUniversity. A staff position with the chamber was not far

behind. Today, Peart’s titles also include executive vicepresident for economic development for the AlleghenyConference and president of the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance,which markets the region to attract new business.

Minutes into an hour-long interview, Peart begins shifting inhis chair, as if he’s thinking of something that desperatelyneeds doing and has to restrain himself from jumping up to doit. He admits it’s difficult to sit still and talk. There is plenty on

Peart’s to-do list: Pushing for adequatestate funds for regional transportationand transit projects, advancinginfrastructure improvements to prepareland for development, and growing aquality workforce are just some of the bigissues on his agenda. Peart also travelsabroad, taking advantage of Pittsburgh’senhanced international profile since theG-20 summit of world economic leadersin 2009. He accompanied the PittsburghSteelers to London in September, spoke at UPMC’s Beacon Hospital in Dublin,and has traveled with the PittsburghSymphony Orchestra to take advantageof opportunities to market Pittsburgh tobusiness leaders abroad.

O’Brien calls Peart “a careful thinker”who engages people and articulates the region’s strengths, whether it be howthe universities feed the workforce, oraccess points for manufacturing and the region’s natural resources. “There’s a lot of substance to him. He’s not justsomeone who’s able to talk the talk, but truly understands the issues and the root causes around issues,” O’Briensays. “He’s not quick to reach conclusions and he’s someone who really tries to understand. Folks respect that about him.”

Pittsburgh’s growth is about a lot of individual projects, Peart says, and he is proud of how the region repeatedly beats out bigger cities like Philadelphia and Boston for newdevelopment. But one project of a personal nature eludes him: Peart lives with his wife Jane in the south suburbs ofPittsburgh, not far from where he grew up, but his two grownsons are in Chicago, for school and work. “They are trying tofigure out how to come back,” Peart says. If he has anything todo with it — and he does — Pittsburgh will be the kind ofplace everyone wants to return to. Just as he did.

WRITTEN BY KIMBERLY BURGER CAPOZZI

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL WILL ‘08

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 1 9

LEADER

“HE’S NOTQUICK TO

REACHCONCLUSIONS

AND HE’SSOMEONE

WHO REALLYTRIES TO

UNDERSTAND.FOLKS

RESPECTTHAT ABOUT

HIM.”

For David Lancia ‘79 M’86, the most rewarding part about his career

as a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers is not about numbers. It’s about the people, especially the

less experienced professionals Lancia has the opportunity to mentor.

“When I think about what gets me the most energized, these days it’sdeveloping other people,” says Lancia, a partner and tax market leader inthe firm’s Pittsburgh office. “The impact you can have as you go throughyour career on those coming up behind you is significant. Being able to

help people progress in their careers, and seeing them flourish and

>>Go to Foundations Online to see a video about Lancia and his Heritage Award acceptance speech.

2 0 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS

Man in Motion

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 2 1

>>Go to Foundations Online to see a video about Lancia and his Heritage Award acceptance speech.

succeed, is a reward that’s priceless. So it matters a great dealto you when you’re able to do that for someone, and helpthem and coach them and bring them along in their career,and allow them to have the kind of success that you’reenjoying — and hopefully more success.”

For his successful career at PricewaterhouseCoopers and his exemplary service as a member of the Robert Morris

University Board of Trustees, Lancia wasgiven RMU’s 2013 Heritage Award at theannual President’s Council dinner at Heinz Field in December. The university’shighest award is given for distinguishedachievement that brings honor upon thealumnus and his alma mater.

RMU Chairman Gary Claus ‘74 says Lancia’s favorite day atwork is when new candidates make partner. That’s becausehe has been instrumental in their rise, Claus says. “He wouldsay they don’t owe him anything, but they would disagree.”

Claus and Lancia first met under tricky circumstances. Each headed the Pittsburgh tax practices of what had beentwo fiercely competitive major accounting firms — Lancia at Coopers and Lybrand, Claus at Price Waterhouse — whichin 1998 merged into one. “It didn’t take very long for us torealize we were pretty much birds of a common feather,”Claus says. “We both have strong appreciation of family, we have great appreciation for client matters, and we bothhappen to be Robert Morris alums.” Years later, when herecommended Lancia as a candidate to join the Board ofTrustees, Claus says his motives were “somewhat self-serving… I really want the best possible talent in the room to make decisions for the university. Having him on the board has been every bit as fulfilling as I thought it was going to be.”

Growing up in Baldwin, Lancia played drums in the highschool jazz band and with a neighborhood group, Ashwood,

Man in Motion

whichspecialized inthe brassyearly ‘70srock of Chicago and Earth,Wind & Fire. After a couple years at Clarion StateCollege and some summers working at the coke ovens inHazelwood, he decided he needed to change his focus to a professional career, and switched to Robert Morris.

It was a fortuitous choice for Lancia. Besides the accountingdegree he earned taking classes Downtown, his friendsAntonio Lodovico ‘82 and Paula Lodovico Fisher ‘83introduced him to their younger sister, Annamarie, then ajunior at St. Anselm High School in Swissvale. David andAnnamarie have been married 32 years now and have three children. Lauren Lancia ‘09, the oldest, chose herfather’s alma mater for her undergraduate studies and now works for a leading ad agency; Alivia and David went to other schools but picked the same public accounting careerpath as their father.

Lancia, who also earned a master’s degree in taxation fromthe university, says RMU is on a “steep upward trajectory”thanks to its management, its faculty, and its students.

“You can see President Dell’Omo’s vision for the universitycoming to life through what’s going on right now. And thevision that he has put forth for management and the board toconsider is just as exciting going forward, so it’s just been atremendous transition. You hear about it all the time fromalumni — you can feel the excitement. Because a lot of thealumni that I’m connected to most effectively from when Iwas going to school were Downtown. So to see what’s goingon at the campus now, and to see that transition, it’s veryexciting. It makes you very proud.”

WRITTEN BY MARK HOUSER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE APPEL

1 8 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS

When he learned that nearly 2,500 Nepalese refugees from Bhutan werebeing settled in the Pittsburgh area, software engineering professorSushil Acharya, Dr.Eng., decided to lend a helping hand. The Nepalnative is the faculty advisor of the Association of Computing Machineryclub, whose student members recycle computers and donate them tothe needy. Acharya made sure his students gave the refugees some ofthe refurbished machines.

Acharya worked in the software industry in Nepal, Thailand, Dallas,and Pittsburgh for 18 years before becoming a professor, and heunderstands how hard it is for students to keep up with the industry.“Software changes so fast that, by the time textbooks are printed, theirinformation is outdated,” he says. Student success is what motivateshim. “Students need experience to get work, and work to getexperience, so how is a fresh graduate to get it?” he says. “I want togive my students real experiences in the classroom so they can besuccessful when they leave here.”

Acharya has received a $186,000 grantfrom the National Science Foundation to create a software engineering course.Seven other schools have alreadycommitted to using his course,which will teach students how toproperly build the right softwareproduct for a customer. “We reallywant to show off Robert MorrisUniversity and show businesses thatthis is what has come out of a smallwestern Pennsylvaniauniversity dedicated toeducation,” he says.

FACULTY PROFILESushil Acharya

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 1 923

When he was 16 and working with the Lower Kiski Ambulance Service, Mychal Ross had to perform CPR on a patient who had suffered a cardiac arrest. “The feeling you have the first time you go from your knowledge andwhat you learned to actually doing it to a person was phenomenal and is one of those things that has never left me,” says Ross.

The senior nursing major is now a lab assistant for RMU’s nursing department, where he tutors students in nursing practices such as taking blood pressure and putting in a catheter. “I understand that not every student can get by on their own, and I wouldn’t be where I’m at if it wasn’t for the help of my mom, my peers, and the faculty,” says Ross. He is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the nursing honor fraternity, and is a Colonial Ambassador and a Global Ambassador, helping international students assimilate. He has also been both a resident assistant and a member of Mosaic, the cultural diversity club, for three years.

Ross plans to work in the medical ICUin a high trauma center for a few years aftergraduation, thenreturn to school tobecome a nursepractitioner andeventually a collegeprofessor. “I found outthat I have been blessedenough to have the gift ofteaching and wanting tohelp others, so I would liketo go into teaching someday,” he says.

STUDENT PROFILE Mychal Ross

rmu .edu/foundationsUP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

2 4 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS

CLASS NOTES1960sJERRY FRIEDMAN ‘67 was

named a Top 25 Consultant

by Consulting for 2013. He

is the director of strategic

initiatives for Accenture’s

human services practice.

In 2011 he was given a lifetime

achievement award by the

American Public Human Services

Association after a 40-year career

in public health and human

services. He and his wife,

Jeanette, live in Austin, Texas.

1970sRICHARD A. BARCELONA ‘71,

president and CEO of Bailey

Engineers, was reelected for

another three-year term to the

board of Mon-Vale Health

Resources, the parent company

of Monongahela Valley Hospital.

He lives in Canonsburg.

DAN BECK ‘72 was chosen as the

trustee of the Music Performance

Trust Fund, a nonprofit

organization created by the main

recording labels and musicians

union that organizes thousands

of free live concerts and music

events each year at schools,

hospitals, and community events.

He has worked in the music

industry for 20 years and lives

in New York City.

JOHN BROWN ‘75 received a

Melvin Jones Fellowship

recognizing his contributions to

the Lions Clubs International

Foundation. He is retired after 31

years as an audit supervisor for

the Pennsylvania auditor general.

ALBERT BOLEA ‘76 was elected

to the board of the Alaska

Gasline Development

Corporation. He has worked

in the oil and gas industry

for nearly 40 years and is a

distinguished adjunct professor

of leadership at the University

of Alaska College of Business

and Public Policy.

PAUL J. KWIECINKSKI ‘77 was

named vice president of student

affairs for the Pittsburgh Chapter

of APICS, the leading professional

organization for supply chain

and operations management.

1980sROBERT GROSSMAN ‘84 received

the Thomas R. Porter Lifetime

Achievement Award from

the National Association of

Certified Valuators and Analysts.

Robert is a founding partner of

Pittsburgh accounting firm

Grossman, Yanak & Ford.

WHAT YOUMISSEDHere’s a look at a few of the alumni events we’ve featured since the last Foundations.

These are just some of the highlights of what has been a very busyAlumni Events calendar in recent months. We see more and more of you each time, but plenty of alumni still haven’t experienced all the fellowship and fun.

Make sure you don’t miss the next big thing. Stay tuned to the alumni events calendar at RMU.EDU/ALUMNI.

PRAGUE AND BUDAPEST TRIPOur intrepid travelers pause for a portrait.

KENTUCKY GAME PARTYA big crowd saw the rematch at Latitude 40.

FALL WINE TASTINGRegina Tarquinio '77 gets a glassful.

> LAWRENCE ZAHN ‘80

was elected to the board

of Habitat for Humanity

in Beaver County. He is a

shareholder and tax specialist

for the Wexford public

accounting firm Cottrill,

Arbutina & Associates.

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 2 5

CLASS NOTESMARK LABBY ‘85 retired as

senior database administrator

after more than 20 years with

PHEAA. IBM has named him

a Champion for Information

Management; he is president

of the international users group

and a member of the customer

advisory councils for the

company’s DB2 product.

Mark lives in Harrisburg.

DIANE PEARSON ‘85, financial

advisor and shareholder of

Legend Financial Advisors

in McCandless, was named

a Five Star Wealth Manager.

She and her husband, Alex,

have two sons, ALEX and

> JIM LUCHINI ‘83 came to

Robert Morris as a Baldwin

High School graduate in the

fall of 1979, and joined the

men’s basketball team as a

walk-on guard as a freshman.

He was a member and

president of the Alpha Chi

Rho chapter, made the

Dean’s list, and earned a

B.S.B.A. in marketing. Jim

married his AXP little sister,

Jean Collins, in 1984. They

are the proud parents of two

sons, Jamie, a student at

Lehigh University, and Josh,

a student at North Allegheny.

Jim is vice president and part

owner of Kirk Trucking

Service in Delmont and has

been with the company for

25 years. The Luchini family

lives in Wexford.

> KATHERINE CAMPBELL

BAKER ‘84 is the Keystone

regional director of operations

for Comcast Business. She

and her husband, Keith,

live in Beaver County and

spend their time traveling

and renovating their house

in the West Virginia

panhandle, where they

plan to eventually retire.

DAVID, who are current RMU

students. Read more about this

legacy family on page 16.

DAVID GRECCO ‘88 is counsel in

the energy practice in the

Pittsburgh office of global law

firm Jones Day. He formerly was

general counsel of Linn Energy

and vice president, legal, of

Phillips Resources.

CHERYL VIERHEILIG ‘88

is vice president of human

resources and executive

business development at

Piezos Technology in

Pittsburgh.

1990sMARY JANE OLSAVSKY ‘90 is

estate and guardian group

manager for PNC Wealth

Management and is on the

board of the Estate Planning

Council of Pittsburgh.

ROBERT P. SPENCE ‘91 is

treasurer of the Pittsburgh

Metropolitan Area Hispanic

Chamber of Commerce.

LANEE MICHELLE BENTON ‘92 is

senior supplier diversity project

manager at Highmark Health

Services in Pittsburgh,

responsible for managing the

supplier diversity program.

CHRIS LANGE ‘93 M’99 waspromoted to director of marketing for Europe, MiddleEast, Africa, and the Americas

at Industrial Scientific, thePittsburgh maker of gas detectors.He joined the company as amarketing assistant the year heearned his bachelor’s degree.

BETH LYNCH ‘94 has been named aFive Star Wealth Manager for thesecond time. She is an investmentrelationship manager withSchneider Downs in Pittsburgh.

BE PART OF SOMETHING YOU CAN BELIEVE INFor just $84 a month, President’s Council members are part of something important. They give the gift of opportunity to RMU students. They invest in thefuture prosperity and growth of our region.

They change lives.

To find out more about joining the President’s Council, visit please contact JEN YOUNGat 412-397-5452 or youngj@rmu.edu.

RMU.EDU/JOINPC

“I made a lot of personal and professional connections at Robert Morris,

and they’ve enhanced my career opportunities.Considering what I received, I am pleased to return

something to the university each year.”– TOM MARCHLEN M’08

3175-29_Found Winter14__ 1/21/14 3:28 PM Page 28

CLASS NOTESUniversity, where she was alsoassistant athletic director. Sarawas a catcher for the Colonialsand was named ECAC FemaleAthlete of the Year as a senior.She lives in Oneonta, N.Y.

ERIC POND ‘99 is virtualizationpractice manager at E-Safe

MARK FERRANTE ‘97 and SarahWarner were married in May. Heis executive director of sales atWynit Distribution. Mark andSarah live in Syracuse, N.Y.

RONDA CURTIS AURAND ‘99 was recognized as one ofProgressive Grocer magazine’s Top Women in Grocery for heroutstanding leadership andinfluence in the industry. Ronda is west regional vicepresident for Atkins Nutritionalsand lives in Andover, Kan.

SARA HEADLEY ‘99 was hired as the softball coach at SUNY Oneonta after coaching10 seasons at Mercyhurst

DENISE J. BUTLER ‘95 wasnamed to the board of PittsburghPublic Theater. She is chieffinancial officer and treasurer of Neville Chemical.

LOIS SARAKA TUCKER ‘95 has been in the sales business for over 20 years, working withcompanies such as Prudential and Telstart. She was married to RON TUCKER ‘85, who passed away in 1995.

STEVEN SHIVAK M’96 wasappointed to the board of theSpina Bifida Association ofWestern Pennsylvania. He ispresident of SMC BusinessCouncils and SMC Insurance.

2 6 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS

Technologies. He was formerlya systems engineer in RMU’s IT department and lives in Moon Township.

2000sLOIS BRYAN M’00 D’06, a professor of accounting at RMU,was named senior associate dean for academic excellence for theSchool of Business.

JOSEPH SLEZAK ‘00 is chairman of the future corporate leadership board of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Association for CorporateGrowth. Joe is a marketingprofessional for the Pittsburgh accounting firmKatz Ferraro McMurtry.

BRYAN WHITTINGTON ‘00, sales associate and expert trainer at Sandler Training by Peak PerformanceManagement, received the Gold Award during SandlerTraining’s international

> MATT MILLET ‘99 and

his wife, Kelly, are the proud

parents of a daughter,

Elizabeth, born July 18.

Elizabeth joins big sisters

Lily and Molly. Matt is the

director of university

sponsorships and athletic

fundraising at RMU.

The Millet family lives

in Sewickley.

> GARTH WHITE ‘99 and

CYNTHIA VIVEIROS WHITE ‘00

are the proud parents of

Taylor Marie, born August 6.

The White family lives in

Upper Marlboro, Md.

> KATIE SCHMIDT

BREWDA ‘02 and her

husband, Michael, welcomed

a son, Carter Kalman, to the

family on June 21. He joins

big brother Cooper. The

Brewda family lives in

Mississauga, Ontario.

IN COLLEGE SPORTSBEST LINEUP THE

RMU.EDU/COACH

HOCKEYCOACH SCHOOLEY

BASKETBALLCOACH TOOLE

DON’T MISS RMU’S LIVE COACH’S SHOWS

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 2 7

CLASS NOTESconference for his contributionsin developing revenue for the training center in Green Tree. Bryan is a retired Air Force captain who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

JENNIFER BURY ‘01 was

named to Virginia Governor

Bob McDonnell’s teacher

cabinet. She teaches Spanish

at Lee High School in

Fairfax County, Va.

RANDY EAGAN ‘01 M’04 and

his wife, Kimberly, welcomed

daughter Amelia Grace to their

family on July 8. The Eagan

family lives in North Fayette.

RYAN RECKER ‘01 is the

WTAE-TV morning sports

HOMECOMINGALUMNI CAME OUT IN DROVES TO

REUNITE WITH OLD FRIENDS AND CHEER ON THE COLONIALS AGAINST CROSS-TOWN

RIVAL DUQUESNE. THE TEAM MAY HAVE FALLEN SHORT OF VICTORY AFTER AN EXCITING 21-20 GAME, AND THE WEATHER WAS WET AND WINDY, BUT HOMECOMING WEEKEND ONCE AGAIN EXCEEDED ALL EXPECTATIONS

THANKS TO OUR GREAT ALUMNI.

SEE PHOTOS ONLINE AND MAKE PLANS FOR 2014.

RMU.EDU/HOMECOMING

> ROMO’S FAVORITE FROYOJAMIE ‘08 and HEIDI FERRY ‘07 KOWNACKI opened Topping

Town, a frozen yogurt shop in the Moon Plaza shopping center,

right across the street from RMU. Jamie is senior systems

engineer at Dicks Sporting Goods and Heidi oversees the yogurt

shop. Opening Topping Town is a realization of a dream for this

Colonial Couple, who first met at RMU. Jamie, Heidi, and

children Max and Maci live in Monaca, Pa.

anchor and reporter. He had

been sports director at KVOA-TV

in Tucson, Ariz., for six years

before coming back to Pittsburgh

to join WTAE.

LAURA J. ROSSI ‘01 is

supervising senior with the

Pittsburgh accounting firm

Katz Ferraro McMurtry.

BRICE FRITTS ‘02 M’04 is a

physical education teacher

at Henrico County Public

Schools in Richmond, Va.,

and an offensive line coach

for Douglas Freeman High

School. He previously was a

teacher, athletic director, and

head football coach at Blessed

Sacrament-Huguenot Catholic(cont.)

2 8 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS

CLASS NOTESAARON DEHAVEN ‘06 married

Dana Brown on April 27. Aaron

is director of loss-sensitive

accounting at AIG Property

and Casualty.

AMANDA HIDECK ‘06 M’13 is a

high school mathematics teacher

at Buckeye Online School for

Success in East Liverpool, Ohio.

IVAN USERO ‘06 of the

Daniel Carinci Nationwide

Insurance Agency is

chairman of the membership

committee for the Pittsburgh

Metropolitan Area Hispanic

Chamber of Commerce.

RACHEL CIBULAS ‘07 is head coach

of the new women’s lacrosse

program at Muskingum

University in New Concord,

Ohio. She was formerly head

coach at Adrian College in

Michigan, where the team won

league championships in both of

her seasons there. Rachel was

captain of the Colonials lacrosse

team for two seasons.

SAMANTHA ELIAS LUGO ‘07

owns Broke Little Rich Girl,

School, leading the team to

the 2012 state championship

and garnering sever al

coach-of-the-year awards.

LISA SOVAK M’03 earned

her doctorate of business

administration with a focus

on marketing from Argosy

University. She lives in Pittsburgh.

JEFF BLASKO ‘05 is tight ends

coach for the University of

Kansas Jayhawks football team

under head coach Charlie Weis.

He was formerly quality control

coach for offense for the Florida

Gators under Weis, then

quarterbacks coach for Florida’s

Gator Bowl win over Ohio State.

Locally, he coached at Steel Valley

and Bethel Park high schools.

> JENNA BURKETT ‘07

is the assistant women’s

basketball coach at High

Point University in High

Point, N.C. She was formerly

assistant coach at Stetson

University in DeLand, Fla.

> TAMAIRA BINION ‘05

M’11 is the assistant to the

vice president for public

relations and marketing at

RMU. She previously worked

as production coordinator

at Ebony Holdings.

> FAST TRACKERSThe Pittsburgh Business Times named two alumni to its list

of 2013 Fast Trackers, which recognizes people under the age

of 40 who have successfully grown a business or nonprofit.

SAM MASTOVICH ‘95 M’98 is general manager of Keystone

Compliance, a New Castle product safety testing laboratory

that was named one of the country’s fastest-growing

engineering firms by Inc. magazine, and president of Mastovich

Innovative Business Solutions. Sam and his wife, Kerry, live

in Cranberry Township. NICOLE ROSE M’09 is a member and

former VP of operations of the Pittsburgh chapter of the

National Black MBA Association, where her organizational

and networking skills significantly boosted opportunities

for the organization. She is a benefits analyst for United States

Steel and Carnegie Pension Fund.

> AMANDA KVORTEK

WILLIAMS ‘06 and her

husband, Brett, welcomed

their first child, Colton

Robert, to the family on

August 27. The Williams

family lives in Hoboken, N.J.

> KURT BRANAGAN ‘06

and ASHLEY HARFF ‘08 were

married on August 17. Kurt

is a merchandise planner at

the corporate office of Dick’s

Sporting Goods, and Ashley

is an audit process manager

for PNC.

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 2 9

CLASS NOTESa boutique on wheels, in

Pittsburgh. She renovated

a 21-foot bread truck and

outfitted the interior with

hardwood floors, shelves,

and a dressing room, from

which she sells women’s

clothing and accessories.

Read about Broke Little Rich

Girl on page 12.

AMANDA REA ‘07 is digital

project manager at Brunner in

Pittsburgh. She was previously

with the Smith Brothers

advertising agency.

NICOLE RIFFLE-MCCOMBIE ‘07 is

an HR service representative at

MetLife. She lives in Johnstown.

ANDREW WATT ‘08 joined the

Buffalo Bandits of the National

Lacrosse League. Previously he

was a transition player with the

Minnesota Swarm.

STEVE BEUTER ‘09 was

named manager of Carnegie

borough in August. He was

previously an administrative

assistant for the borough.

Steve lives in Scott Township.

NICOLE CARTER ‘09 is a

mathematics teacher at

Mars High School. She

and her husband, Leigh

Easson, live in Pittsburgh.

AUTUMN PRIDDY ‘09 is an

associate programmer

analyst at RMU. Before

coming to RMU she was

a computer operator at EFI.

WILLIAM WHITAKER M’09 is an

application developer in FIS

technical services at the

University of Pittsburgh.

2010sROBIN SANDERS D’10,

international affairs advisor

for Africare, visited the Nigerian

Stock Exchange in June and had

the honor of ringing its closing

bell. Robin is a member of the

RMU Board of Trustees. She

lives in Alexandria, Va.

Support our student-athletes and join today!

OUR BEST BOOSTERS GET THE BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE.

RMU.EDU/1921CLUB

> SCOT RUTLEDGE ‘09

joined RMU as web

designer/digital media

specialist. He was the

graphic specialist at

Community College of

Beaver County. Scot and his

wife, SAMANTHA BYNUM ‘09,

live in Beaver Falls.

3 0 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS

CLASS NOTES

He was accepted into George

Washington University

master of science in

government contracts degree

program. He lives in Bristow, Va.

SARA MEIER ‘11 M’13 is a

retail sales merchandiser at

Advantage Sales and Marketing.

She previously worked as the

graduate assistant for PR and

marketing at RMU.

STEPHANIE SEELEY ‘11 is

assistant athletic director for

Louisville Collegiate School

in Louisville, Ky., where she

formerly was event manager.

KEVIN WILLIAMS ‘11 is a content

producer at WRC-TV, the NBC

station in Washington, D.C.

> BRIAN WAGENHOFER ‘13

andMONICA COLE ‘13 are

engaged and are planning a

May 2015 wedding. The

couple started dating their

sophomore year at RMU.

> SARA BOEHM

SHANAHAN ‘00 and

her husband, Daniel, are

the proud parents of

daughter Eden Anne, born

on July 18. Sara is a social

media and marketing

specialist at Colliers

International in Pittsburgh,

and Daniel works in safety

and security for the

Allegheny Airport Authority.

> MICHAEL

JANDRASITS ‘09 and Casey

Martin were married on July

13. Mike is the Panther

Club financial operations

coordinator inside the

University of Pittsburgh

department of athletics.

Casey is a staff nurse at

UPMC Presbyterian working

in their trauma ICU

department.

JOSIAH WHITEHEAD ‘10 was

named Rookie of the Year for

the Bloomington Flex in the

Premier Basketball League; the

Flex also won the minor league

championship last season.

Josiah played forward for the

Colonials men’s basketball team.

BRAD BARBER ‘11 is men’s lacrosse

coach at Hood College in

Frederick, Md., making him the

youngest men’s lacrosse head

coach in NCAA Division III.

EMILY BIELEWICZ ‘11 is a

part-time police officer for

Heidelberg. After graduating

from RMU, she completed

the Allegheny County

Police Academy.

RICK CANTER M’11 is assistant

director of strength and

conditioning at Longwood

University in rural Virginia. He

was an assistant strength and

conditioning coach at RMU.

TAYLOR DURHAM ‘11 is CEO

and founder of Dark Horizon

Studios, an audio and video

production company. He also

produces

local cable

programming

for the City of Pittsburgh.

KUNTA FOSSETT ‘11 is operations

administrator at the Software

Engineering Institute CERT

division in Washington, D.C.

> MORE GOLD FOR BRIANNELOGAN BITTLE ‘08 and BRIANNE MCLAUGHLIN ‘11 were married

on July 13. Logan is assistant coach for the RMU women’s ice

hockey team and Brianne is competing in her second Olympic

Games on Team USA this winter. They live in Moon Township.

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y M A G A Z I N E > W I N T E R 2 0 1 0

Foundations

RMU goaliegoes for gold

Thanks to an illustrious career with the Colonials in

which she stopped an NCAA Division I record 3,809

shots, Brianne was selected for the U.S. OlympicTeam.

The team meets its first opponent, China, at 3 p.m. on

Sunday, February 14.

Brianne McLaughlinGoalie | Robert Morris University

Hometown Sheffield Village, OhioBirthday June 20, 1987

YEAR GAMES SHOTS SAVES GOALS SV% GAA

Freshman 31 1,206 1,088 118 .902 4.0

Sophomore 27 910 826 84 .908 3.29

Junior 32 1,014 926 88 .913 2.82

Senior 30 1,058 969 89 .916 3.14

CAREER 120 4,188 3,809 379 .910 3.31

> JARED THOMAS ‘08 and

his wife, Jenna, are the proud

parents of daughter Ruby

Grace, born on September 23.

They live in Freedom.

Class Notes would love to hear from you. Email us at rmualum@rmu.edu.

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 3 1

CLASS NOTES

HANK FRALEY ‘12 is the

offensive line coach at San Jose

State, after holding the same

position at the University of San

Diego. He had an 11-year NFL

career after playing for the

Colonials.

BRAD PERCIAVALE ‘12 is an avid

Civil War reenactor and

participated in the Battle of

Gettysburg reenactment in July.

He plays the fife for the RMU

drum and fife group.

DELAYNE BRIAN ‘13 joined Team

Alberta of the Canadian Women’s

Hockey League. She was a

goaltender for the RMU

women’s ice hockey team.

MATTHEW CATANZARITE ‘13 is

a piping support engineer at

System One Holdings.

In Memoriam JOAN FEDORA ‘55 of Ambridge

died July 15.

NANCY YOUNG ‘56 of Ligonier

died July 8 at the age of 77.

BRAD PENDELL, retired RMU

admissions counselor, died

September 1 at the age of 72.

REX CRAWLEY MEMORIAL FUND

The entire Robert Morris University community mourned the passing Nov. 25, 2013, of Professor Rex Crawley, assistant dean of the

School of Communications and Information Systems and endowed chair and executive director of the Uzuri Think Tank. He was a beloved

husband, father, son, brother, colleague, and mentor.

Donations can be made to the Rex Crawley Memorial Fund at RMU, online at RMU.EDU/CRAWLEYFUND, by phone at 412-397-5452 or by mail to Robert Morris University, c/o Jennifer Young,

6001 University Blvd., Moon Township, PA 15108.

You may also choose to give to a fund that will support Dr. Crawley’s two sons, Xavier and Vaughan. Checks should be made to the Dr. Rex L. Crawley Memorial Fund,

and you can give at any PNC Bank branch or mail checks to Dr. Rex L. CrawleyMemorial Fund, PNC Bank, 2101 Park Manor Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15205.

> REX CRAWLEY, PH.D.,assistant dean of the School of Communications andInformation Systems and a respected teacher at both the undergraduate andgraduate levels, died fromcomplications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma onNovember 25 at the age of 49.Crawley was a key member of the doctoral faculty, guiding over a dozen students'dissertation projects. His major research interest wasidentifying and developingmodels of success for youngblack men.

u. Email us at rmualum@rmu.edu.

3175-29_Found Winter14__ 1/22/14 11:33 AM Page 34

32

When did you firstfall in love with

travel? Afterhigh school,my goodfriend and Idrove acrossthe country in a ChevroletCorvair Monza convertible. We spentthree weeks on the road, drove on the

original Route 66, and saw NativeAmerican reservations, the Painted Desert,and the Grand Canyon. We even went toMexico for the bullfights.

Why did you decide to give back financially toRMU? The management courses I took heretaught me to how to determine my short-termand long-term goals and how to work toward

them. It really helped me in my life and career. Ialways knew I wanted to help other female students in the same way, so that they too could accomplish their goals.

You went to Jordan just after9/11. What was that like?We ended up working withPalestinians and Jordanians inAmman. It was a wonderful experience.They were just as shocked and appalled bythe tragic event as we were, andthey told us how sorry theywere about it.

Can you tell us about your travelsas a volunteer with InternationalExecutive Service Corps? I call themthe senior Peace Corps. My husband,Malcolm, is a retired management and

HR consultant. He and I went to Egyptin 1998 after I retired, where he gaveseminars and worked with companieswhile I assisted him and also read tostudents at the University of AlexandriaSchool for the Blind and visited patients inthe children’s ward at the National CancerInstitute in Cairo. We also spent time inUkraine, Jordan, Thailand, and Bulgaria.

How did you end up atRobert Morris? I got anassociate’s degree in

business administrationfrom CCAC in 1983, but I

always wanted to comeback for my bachelor’s. Afriend of mine suggested

Robert Morris, since it had such a strongreputation for business. I learned a lothere and it really helped me in my job asa manager, where I was responsible forinterviewing and hiring people.

What’s been the most rewardingthing about your travels?

Meeting other people andlearning their culture. I’ve foundthat most people just want thebasic things in life. They’reconcerned about providing for

their families. Different beliefs,maybe, but family is still the most

important thing.

Why do you think it’s important for studentsto travel and study abroad? You get to seehow people live in other countries and meetthem on an everyday level. When you come

home, you really appreciate the UnitedStates. Travel broadens your horizons — you

just need a good sense of humor.

What’s been the most challengingthing? The living conditions weren’t

always great. Our apartment in Bulgaria,for example, was cramped and extremelyhot and humid. The bathroom was tiled andthere was just a hand shower on the wall.You had to close the door when youshowered, and the water went everywhere. Istarted calling my husband “the mop man.”

3

4 62

Worldly might be a good way to describe Gloria Peplow. The Carnegieresident, a retired senior operations engineer for U.S. Airways, has

traveled all around the globe, from the Taj Mahal to Kenya’s savannah to the Galapagos Islands. Peplow was well into her career when she earned her B.S. in business administration as a non-traditional student. We caught up with her recently, during her first visit to campus in 20 years.

Gloria Peplow ‘93

10

Visiting campus after being away for a longtime, what did you think? I was so impressedwith RMU’s transformation over the past 20years. The additions, new buildings, andadvances in academic opportunities are trulyamazing — the School of Business, especially. I recognized

the library and Hale, but that’s about it.

9

What was the strangest thing you saw duringyour years abroad? In Bulgaria I was waiting for

the trolley, and I felt something brush up againstme. I turned around and it was a huge brownbear! A gypsy was walking it on a leash! 7

1

58

Written By Valentine J. Brkich

10Questionswith

3175-29_Found Winter14__ 1/21/14 3:30 PM Page 35

Upcoming Events

FOR MORE INFORMATION on these and other upcoming events, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at (412) 397-6464 or rmualum@rmu.edu.

15 Basketball Alumni Doubleheader,Sewall Center Arena, 1 p.m.

22 Alumni Volunteer Opportunity at Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Duquesne9 a.m.–1 p.m.

Legacy ReceptionSewall Center, 2 p.m.

26 Olympia Snowe, former US Senator, Pittsburgh Speakers Series, Heinz Hall, 8 p.m.

> JANUARY29 Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, Pittsburgh Speakers Series,Heinz Hall, 8 p.m.

> FEBRUARY1 Alumni Association Council Meeting, Sewall Center, 2 p.m.

Young Alumni Night at Colonials Basketball, vs. Central Connecticut State,Sewall Center Arena, 4 p.m.

7 Crawley Celebration,Sewall Center Arena, 4 p.m.

> MARCH26 Dan Rather,legendary news anchor,Pittsburgh Speakers SeriesHeinz Hall, 8 p.m.

> APRIL8 Spring Career Fair, Sewall Center Arena, Noon

23 Doris Kearns Goodwin,author and Pulitzer winner,Pittsburgh Speakers SeriesHeinz Hall, 8 p.m.

24 Women of RMU Lunch, Omni William Penn, Pittsburgh, Noon6

JOIN RMU’S NEW ONLINE ALUMNI COMMUNITY

RMU.EDU/COMMUNITY

NETWORK WITH FELLOW ALUMS

GIVE TO YOURFAVORITE FUND

UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION

STAY CONNECTED WITH RMU

ACCESS THE ALUMNI DIRECTORY

REGISTER FOR EVENTS

Robert Morris University6001 University BoulevardMoon Township, PA 15108-1189

RMU.EDU

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPittsburgh, PAPermit No. 280

ALUMNI TOURSee photos from Prague

(pictured here) and Budapest,

where 16 RMU alumni

and family spent a week

touring landmarks, eateries,

museums, and galleries.

Go to rmu.edu/alumnitour

for more.