suny oswego alumni magazine

OSWEGOALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT OSWEGO n VOL. 40, NO. 3 n SUMMER 2014

Backstage StarsBroadway carpenter George Dummitt ’69 takes center stage, beside other Oswego alumni who provide behind-the-scenes support on theatrical shows

PLUSn New scholarship honors Tom Lenihan ’76n Reunion 2014: Passport to Oswegon Lois P. Frankel ’73 shares tips on workplace equality for women

SCAN THIS T

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EO INTERVIEW WITH GEORGE DUMM

ITT ’69

Never too early to start planning…Join us for Reunion 2015!June 4-7, 2015 More than 1,000 alumni returned this year

for Oswego’s Reunion. They reconnected with friends, visited favorite campus spots, toured new facilities, enjoyed good conversation over food and drink and snapped selfies in front of the best sunsets in the world.

Help us make next year’s celebration even bigger!

Everyone is welcome, but special events are planned for these milestone classes and groups:

To plan a mini-reunion for your group or organization, please let us know by Oct. 15.

Sign up to be a Reunion Class or Group Volunteer!

It’s a great opportunity to:

Network with classmates

Plan the weekend’s activities

Have fun!

Please contact the Alumni Office or sign up online by Oct. 1, 2014, to join our volunteer team.

Reunion Hotline: 315-312-5559

Email: [email protected]

Watch for registration materials in the mail this spring!

Check the website for additional groups and for the most up-to-date information: alumni.oswego.edu/reunion

75th — 1940

70th — 1945

65th — 1950

60th — 1955

55th — 1960

50th — 1965

45th — 1970

40th — 1975

25th — 1990

20th — 1994, 1995, 1996

10th — 2005

Alpha Delta Eta — 90th Anniversary

Psi Phi Gamma — 90th Anniversary

If you are interested in being part of the Reunion 2015 planning committee, please contact us at 315-312-5559 or email us at [email protected].

@ OswegoAlumni #OswegoReunion

facebook.com/oswegoalumni

Reunion 2015 Ad_SummerMag.indd 1 7/15/14 9:17 AM

S U M M E R 2 0 1 4

AlumniAssociation of the State University of New York at OswegoVol. 40, No. 3

OSWEGOOSWEGO

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Honoring Tom Lenihan ’76 19The family of the former College Foundation Investment Committee Chair Tom Lenihan ’76 carries on his Oswego legacy through an endowed scholarship in his name.

Backstage Stars 21

Taking Center Stage 22As a carpenter and stagehand for nearly three decades, George Dummitt ’69 shares a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Broadway.

P L U S :

Stagecraft Behind the Magic 27 Costumers Add the Finishing Touch 28The Right Actor in the Right Role 29The Sound of Success 30The Willing Suspension of Disbelief 31Modernization of Waterman 32

The Last Word 48Ten years after releasing her best-selling book that addresses workplace inequalities for women, Lois P. Frankel ’73 realizes there is still much work to be done, as she writes in the revised and updated, Nice Girls Still Don’t Get the Corner Office.

P L U S

Campus Currents 3Calendar 11Philanthropy in Action 15Class Notes 33Alumni Bookshelf 37Weddings 44In Memoriam 46 O N T H E C O V E R :George Dummitt ’69, head carpenter at Broadway’s Belasco Theatre in New York City. Photo illustration by Colleen Kiefer, with photos by Jennifer Weisbord and Dragan Trifunovic for iStockphoto.com.

2O SW EG O l S u m m e r 2014

Behind the scenes. The

concept conjures images of people in the shadows, amid pulleys, electrical cords and the blank sides of two-dimen-sional set pieces. Or the expression can signify an “edgy”

approach that gives audiences an “insider’s” look into the making of a movie, a play or really any kind of creation or process.

This issue features stories that portray Oswego’s “Backstage Stars”— our alumni who work as costumers, lighting and sound designers, stage managers and directors. Our cover story about Broadway stagehand and lead carpenter George Dummitt ’69 showcases an alumnus whose support of his alma mater, literally and figuratively, strengthens our “behind-the-scenes” activities to improve our public successes. His support and connections to campus exemplify the impact a single individual can have on our beloved institution.

Our more than 78,000 alumni contribute their diverse talents to their

communities worldwide in a variety of ways. You each find your own way to fulfill the charge of college founder, Edward Austin Sheldon, to apply your education “to its highest degree of useful-ness.” Some of you are center stage as teachers in the classroom or managers in your company. Others employ your academic and life lessons as active and engaged community members and as “intrapreneurial” employees, who are committed to advancing your organi-zation with the same dedication and passion as if you were the owner.

As we prepare to host the Welcoming Torchlight ceremony for our incoming students, we recognize the light our thousands of alumni emit through their work—whether it be center stage or behind the scenes. We take pride in your many accomplishments and applaud your efforts. Know that you will always have the home-crowd audience here in Oswego, ready to acknowledge your successes!

President Deborah F. Stanley

Elizabeth Locke OberstPublisherMargaret D. SpillettEditorLinda Loomis ’90 M’97Associate EditorTyler Edic ’13Associate Editor Online

MagazineJim Russell ’83Staff PhotographerKiefer CreativeGraphic DesignLisa PotterIn MemoriamMichael BielakJulie Harrison BlissertLois P. Frankel ’73

Jeff Rea ’71Contributing WritersMatt Bishop ’14C. Perkins PhotographyWallace FloresTodd GraberJack Hancock PhotographyStephanie Lamb ’07Cleane MedeirosMike MillerJennifer WeisbordContributing PhotographersRyan Haas ’15Kari L. Hively ’15Andrew Kowal ’15Sarah Turner ’16Interns

The Oswego Alumni Association, Inc. Board of DirectorsKeith Chamberlain ’87President

Lisa Marceau Schnorr ’87First Vice President

Donna Goldsmith ’82Second Vice President

Elizabeth Locke OberstExecutive DirectorEdgar Ames ’68Tim Barnhart ’02Marc Beck ’93Paul Brennan ’93Michael Byrne ’79Mike Caldwell ’70Raelynn Cooter ’77Lisa Court ’83**Kerry Casey Dorsey ’81Amy Vanderlyke

Dygert ’01Jerry Esposito ’70

La-Dana Jenkins ’94Ana Rodriguez King ’94Maureen Flynn Kratz ’04Don Levine ’78Steve Messina ’91Josh Miller ’08Dana Segall Murphy ’99 Cathleen Richards ’09Nancy Smith Salisbury ’93Mark Salmon ’93Dan Scaia ’68*Jennifer Shropshire ’86Christie Torruella

Smith ’08Jeffrey Sorensen ’92**Deborah F. StanleyKoren Vaughan ’95Rick Yacobush ’77Thomas Yates ’89* At large ** Ex officio

State University of New York at OswegoDeborah F. StanleyPresident

Lorrie Clemo Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Nicholas Lyons Vice President for Administration and Finance

Kerry Casey Dorsey ’81 Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations

Jerald Woolfolk Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management

OSWEGO Alumni Magazine

OSWEGO Alumni Magazine is printed on recycled paper with inks that are non-toxic, contain no heavy metals, and are composed of bio-derived renewable resources ranging from 25-40% (as a percentage of total ink weight).

F R O M T H E

President’s Desk

OSWEGO is published three times a year by the Oswego Alumni Association Inc., King Alumni Hall, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126. It is distributed free of charge to alumni, friends, faculty, staff and families of current students, with support from The Fund for Oswego. Printed August 2014

Office of Alumni and Parent RelationsKing Alumni Hall, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126Phone: 315-312-2258 Fax: 315-312-5570Email: [email protected]: alumni.oswego.edu

facebook.com/oswegoalumni

@oswegoalumni

Wow, what an exciting few months! Since having my inaugural issue of the magazine published in March, I have checked

off several more “firsts” on my quest to become a true Laker. In May, I attended the elegant and very moving Commence-

ment Eve Torchlight Dinner and Ceremony. The inclement weather did little to diminish the powerful symbolism carried by the Torch of Learning. In fact, the tranquil lighting design by Greg Brewster ’05 and resonant acoustics within the Marano Campus Center activity court seemed the perfect setting for the ceremony.

Brewster, the theatre department’s electronics specialist who was on the national tours of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Les Miserables, transformed the rain location into an ethereal setting with blue

gels and white stars projected throughout the court. In this issue of the magazine, we recognize our backstage stars—those like Brewster and George Dummitt ’69—who share their talents to create a seamless experience for their audience members.

In preparation for the issue, I had the pleasure of traveling to New York City to interview George, who graciously gave me the behind-the-scenes look at “his theatre,” the Belasco.

the Editor’s PenF R O M

continued on page 7

Margaret Spillett

C U R R E N T SC A M P U S

3 O SW EG O l S u m m e r 2014

College 2012-13 Annual Report Now Available OnlineThis spring, SUNY Oswego highlighted

the vitality, talent and global reach of campus members in its annual report.

“The year brought us new places for learning and engagement, an influx of funding to propel us to excellence, new academic programs to launch students on rewarding careers and impressive faculty talent to ignite students’ intellectual passions,” Oswego President Deborah F. Stanley says. “It saw our college’s international connections and their consequences for the future multiply.”

Among the facts and figures shared in the 2012-13 report was the record number of international and exchange students who studied at Oswego. A

total of 266 arrived on campus, with more than half of those coming from China and South Korea. The other 120 students represented 24 countries, led by Canada, Japan, Australia and Brazil.

The report showcases the capital enhancements, including Romney Field House, Wilber Hall, Rice Creek Field Station and the new Shineman Center for Science, Engineering and Innovation as well as the more than $25 million in support from federal Race to the Top funding, National Science Foundation, NYSUNY 20/20 Chal-lenge grant and $5 million from Dr. Barbara Palmer Shineman ’65 M’71, a professor emerita of education, and

the Richard S. Shineman Foundation. “As we align our college with what we

foresee to be future realities and work to meet new needs, our students and faculty continue to demonstrate that they have the drive and understanding to lead change and develop solutions to shared chal-lenges,” Stanley says. “I am tremendously proud of all that our college community achieved in 2012-13 and encourage you to share in our Future Ready spirit.”

The complete report is available online at www.oswego.edu/about/leadership/annual-report-2013/. l

—Public Affairs

SUNY Oswego Continues National ’Best Value’ RankingFor the third consecu-tive year, the Princeton Review and USA Today have named SUNY Oswego one of 150 “Best Value” colleges and universities in the nation.

The list of 75 public and 75 private institutions appears in the book The Best Value Colleges: The 150 Best-Buy Schools and What It Takes to Get In, pub-lished by Random House and the Princeton Review.

“SUNY Oswego is an out-standing college and value for our students, and it is particularly rewarding when a reputable source such as the Princeton Review agrees,” says Dan Griffin ’92 M’00, interim director of admissions at Oswego. “It speaks to our commitment to our students’ education, their development and the amazing variety of in-demand majors and experiences we offer. Particularly as higher education costs seem to escalate each year, to be rec-ognized as a ’Best Value’ means

a lot to our students and their families.”

Based in part on school-reported cost and other data for 2013-14 and on-campus

interviews conducted in 2012-13, the book’s report on

SUNY Oswego includes a “bottom line” section, quoting one student who said the college provides “a great education for the money” and citing the Oswego Guarantee.

In the Princeton Review’s section, titled “Why students love State University of New York-Oswego,” those surveyed reported there is a “friendly and helpful” atmosphere on a cam-pus that’s devoted to promoting multiculturalism on its “gorgeous” lakeside site.

Students say the nearly 200 clubs and organizations offer net-working, socializing, activities and involvement opportunities galore, the publication reported.

For more information, visit bestvaluecolleges.usatoday.com. l

—Public Affairs

Fulbright Enables Professor to Research, Teach in MoldovaLenuta Giukin of SUNY Oswego’s modern languages and literatures faculty won a five-month Fulbright Scholarship last fall to Moldova in Eastern Europe, where she taught and did research on the burgeoning film industry in the Romanian- and Russian-influenced nation. As a representative of the William J. Fulbright Scholar Program—the United States’ flagship academic exchange effort—Giukin also organized a roundtable at the Moldova Institute of International Relations and partici-pated in seminars and workshops sponsored by the U.S. State Department there and at two other Moldovan universities. l

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Alumni Association Welcomes Class of 2014 During Commencement Eve Torchlight Ceremony

Constance Schwartz ’90, a partner at SMAC Entertainment, delivered the

keynote address to the nearly 600 gradu-ates, family and friends who attended the Oswego Alumni Association’s annual Torchlight Eve Commencement Dinner in the Convocation Arena on May 16. The talent manager and alumna of Oswego’s marketing program charged the Class of 2014 attendees to approach life with a “not if, but when” attitude.

Following dinner, graduates processed into the Torchlight Ceremony behind the faculty, staff and alumni representing classes from 1947 to 2013.

Schwartz served as the emcee, and student speakers included Brittany Hoffmann ’14 and Molly Ross ’14. Jillian

Phipps ’14 was the torchbearer. The State Singers, under the direction of Dr. Mihoko Tsutsumi, provided music, and Professor Juan La Manna played the piano.

During one of the longest standing traditions at the college, President Deborah F. Stanley shared the flame from the Torch of Learning to alumni who then passed the flame from their candle to the graduating seniors, as they were welcomed into the Oswego Alumni Association.

“Light your fire tonight from this Torch of Learning and keep it burning brightly as you leave us to set the world aflame with your ideas,

your passion and your determina-tion,” President Stanley said.

As President Stanley carried the Torch to the alumni in the audience, Schwartz shared the Message of the Torch, written by the late Dr. Lida S. Penfield, Class of 1919 and a long-time English professor:

“This torch is the symbol of the illumination of learning lighted for us at the fair shrine of truth. We, the alumni of SUNY Oswego, dedicate its bright burning to our memories of the light transferred from our school, through us, to others. May its glory never be dimmed.” l

—Margaret Spillett

Two International Students Chosen as 2014 Outstanding SeniorsOn behalf of the Oswego Alumni Association, Shaunna Arnold-Plank M’04 (center), associ-ate director of parent and alumni relations, presented the 2014 Outstanding Senior Awards to biology major Larissa Assam ’14 from the Republic of Cameroon (left) and business administration major Hanh Huynh ’14 from Vietnam. The graduates were selected on their academic achievements and their contributions to campus. Assam, whose GPA was 3.72, plans to study medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University. Huynh, who earned a GPA of 3.92, plans to work in the business sector. l

Constance Schwartz ’90

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Register Today! [Athletic Hall of Fame Induction]

C H E E R Y O U R T E A M O N A G A I N A T T H E

Oswego Hall of Fame Join us on November 8 as we recognize the contributions of the following former student-athletes who will be inducted in the Class of 2014 Oswego Athletic Hall of Fame:

Mark Levine ’85 — BaseballNancy Lobb ’83 — Women’s Basketball and SoftballSean McLaughlin ’00 — Men’s Basketball and BaseballGreg Preston ’78 — Men's HockeyWarren Jamie Rutherford ’85 — Baseball Gerald Vredenburg ’68 — Men’s Lacrosse and Men’s SoccerEd Zorn ’63 (posthumous) — Men’s Soccer

For more information and to register, visit alumni.oswego.edu/halloffame.



Commencement 2014: Three Separate Ceremonies, Three Prestigious Alumni SpeakersAccomplished SUNY Oswego alumnus Mark Baum ’81, (top) senior vice presi-dent of industry relations and chief col-laboration officer for the Food Marketing Institute, addressed graduates of the School of Business and the School of Communication, Media and the Arts during one of three Commencement cer-emonies held on May 17. Peter Bocko ’75, chief technology officer for Corning Inc.’s Glass Technologies Group, and Linda Donovan Clement ’71, (bottom)vice president for student affairs at the University of Maryland, served as the Commencement speaker at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the School of Education ceremonies, respectively. More than 1,600 graduates were invited to walk across the stage and join the ranks of the more than 78,000 SUNY Oswego alumni.

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INDUCTION L U N C H E O N

M A R K YO U R C A L E N DA R !75th Technology Fall Conference at SUNY OswegoOctober 30-31, 2014For details, visit www.fallconference.com



Chancellor’s Award Honors Five SUNY Oswego Students

F ive SUNY Oswego seniors active in research,

volunteerism, leadership, international study and other pursuits received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence—the highest student recognition through the statewide university system.

This year’s Oswego honorees for outstanding achievements inside and outside the classroom are:

Larissa Assam ’14, of the Republic of Cameroon, a biology major;

Kyle Brayton ’14 M’15, of Fulton, N.Y., a five-year accounting-MBA major;

Lindsay King ’14, of Troy, N.Y., a dual major in global and international studies and in communica-tion and social interaction;

Nicole Leader ’14, of Baldwinsville, N.Y., a childhood education major with a concen-tration in earth science; and

Rhiannon Peshniak ’14, of Hopewell Junction, N.Y., a dual major in history and anthropology. l

Larissa Assam ’14

Kyle Brayton ’14 M’15

Lindsay King ’14

Nicole Leader ’14

Rhiannon Peshniak ’14

Debt-Free, Experience-Rich, First Possibility Scholars GraduateResearching how microbes can naturally clean up an oil spill, identifying effective ways to track mammal populations and developing an interactive online educational system are just some of the ways the first recipients of SUNY Oswego’s Possibility Scholarship are making a difference in the world.

In May, the first three students who received a Possibility Scholarship when they enrolled in Oswego four years ago graduated. They are: Nicole VanDeuson ’14, a zoology major from Syracuse; KC VerHage ’14, a biology and psychology major from Syracuse; and Sean Willson ’14, a computer science major from Syracuse.

An initiative established by President Deborah F. Stanley in 2009, the competitive schol-arship seeks to attract New York State students who otherwise would not be able to afford pursuing degrees in science and technology fields. A Possibility Scholarship provides support for tuition, room and board, and mandatory fees as well as two fully paid summer research experiences, including an international service learning project at a major research institu-tion through Oswego’s Global Laboratory.

VerHage traveled to northeast India to characterize the diversity of microbes in soil con-taminated by petroleum and how that microbial ecosystem adapts using DNA testing. “From the experience, I gained so many new techniques to add to my repertoire, new cultural expe-riences and some new friends,” VerHage says.

VanDeuson spent six weeks in summer 2012 in the endangered ecosystem of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil's Sooretama Biological Reserve recording the populations of such mammals as tapirs, capuchin monkeys, white-faced tamarins, jaguars and ocelots. In addi-tion to this global experience, she says the scholarship enabled her to be the first person in her family to graduate college.

Willson’s Possibility Scholarship took him to the National Central University of Taiwan. There, he worked with a team of researchers to create a website for teachers and students to interact. Last summer, Willson stayed in Oswego working on a robotics project with Oswego Professor Rachid Manseur.

“Being able to obtain higher education without accruing thousands of dollars of debt is something I never thought would have been possible,” Willson says. “I couldn’t be more grateful.” l


Student Scholar Earns Fulbright to IndiaJulie Lathe Schofield ’13, who earned dual bachelor’s degrees in women’s studies and English at SUNY Oswego and plans to continue with graduate school, has earned a Fulbright scholar-ship that will allow her to conduct research in India for around 10 months. Her funded project will examine how survivors of human trafficking can benefit from creative arts therapy. l

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Bruce Coville ’73 Addresses Full House as Keynote Speaker for Quest 2014

Every seat was filled in the SUNY Oswego Campus Center auditorium

April 9, when Bruce Coville ’73, key-note speaker for the 34th Quest sympo-sium, shared wisdom garnered from his life as a writer of fantasy and science fic-tion stories for children and young adults.

Many in the audience had read Coville’s books—sometimes as part of their elemen-

tary or middle school curriculum and sometimes for their individual pleasure.

E i t h e r w a y , t h e y remembered the excite-ment, the mystery and the drama of such stories as “My Teacher is an Alien,” “Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher” or “The Monster’s

Ring,” and they came to hear the author. His message, addressed to the cross-disciplinary audience, was a plea for responsible living.

“The arc of moral history is long,” he said, quoting 19th Century American Unitarian minister Theodore Parker, “but it bends toward justice.” Coville advised the audience to be aware that every action has

unintended consequences and that every-thing we do has a ripple effect that becomes a wave—positive or negative—as it moves from one person to another.

Coville filled the keynote hour with an amalgam of philosophy, history, poetry and tips for creative living. He told the crowd he treasures a folder labeled “To Look at on Bad Days,” in which he keeps letters from fans who tell their own stories about how his books have inspired them to contribute to others in positive ways.

He offered 12 tips for living, including the advice to “show your heart.”

He closed with an original parable to illustrate the idea that those who do what they love will reach heaven never knowing the difference between their lives on earth and their entrance to paradise.

“I’m a fantasy writer,” Coville said, “but I could not—not in my wildest dreams—have imagined, when I was here on campus in the early ’70s, that I would ever, ever be invited back as a speaker.” l

—Linda Loomis ’90 M’97

Author Bruce Coville ’73 talks with Kaela Schimpf ’14 while signing her book near the Campus Center Auditorium.

While in the Big Apple, I helped host my first mini-reunion for theatre alumni and met some of Oswego’s other backstage stars.

Then in June, I participated in the “biggest show” of the year for the Alumni Association—Reunion! What a treat it was to work alongside our own backstage stars like Laura Pavlus ’09, who, by all accounts, did a marvelous job “calling the show” for her first time as director of alumni relations. I met some of you over the weekend, and many of you kindly shared stories about your Oswego experi-ence, which helped deepen my institutional knowledge.

By our next issue of the magazine, I will be through many of my firsts—including my first year—and hope to have shed my “rookie” status. Until then, I am grateful to all of my Oswego family who have welcomed me into the green (and gold!) room.

Margaret Spillett, editor

Moody Honored for African-American Pop-Culture ResearchSUNY Oswego com-munication studies faculty member Dr. David Moody has received a national award for his work on African-American visual popular culture.

Moody, who has taught since 2010 in the broadcasting and mass communi-cation program, earned the Harry Shaw Award in April for outstanding contributions to the field of African-American popular-culture research at the annual conference of the Popular Culture Association/

American Culture Association in Chicago.

In 2012, Moody published Political Melodies in the Pews? The Voice of the Black Christian Rapper in the Twenty-first Century Church, and is nearing publica-

tion of a book on black identity in film and television. His Ph.D. from Bowling Green State University was in American culture studies with emphasis in critical studies in film, media and culture. l

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Dozens of Alumni Return to Campus this Semester Through AIR ProgramRebecca Oliver ’07 advised members of Alpha Sigma Eta, Oswego’s chap-ter of Sigma Tau Delta, the English honors club, to “never entertain the thought of failure.” An edi-tor for Seeking Alpha Inc., an online financial news organization, Oliver, who majored in creative writing and minored in journalism, said her Oswego experi-ences, including work in publicity for Artswego and

an internship in New York City for Jane Magazine, prepared her for a career in publishing. She held increasingly responsible positions in copy editing for Forbes Media before her current job. “Right after graduation, I bought a one-way ticket to attend the Summer Publishing Institute at New York University,” she said. “I didn’t give myself the option of failure.” Part

of a SUNY Oswego family, Rebecca is the daughter of Joy Wheeler Oliver ’70 and Albert Oliver ’70.

For a complete list of Spring 2014 Alumni-In-Residence participants and to view photos from their visits, check out alumni.oswego.edu/magazine. l

PwC Chairman Bob Moritz ’85 Shares Insights About Global Trends and Employee Success

Bob Moritz ’85, U.S. chairman and senior partner of the accounting firm

of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), shared five major global trends and the four primary qualities future employees will need to succeed during his on-campus lecture last spring.

Speaking to a full Campus Center auditorium and online viewers who tuned in to the live webcast, Moritz outlined what he described as five “megatrends”

that will soon affect people in all career fields and in all countries:• Shift in global economic power from the

United States and Europe to developing countries;

• Demographic shift as the global middle-class moves east toward Asia-Pacific and the workforce ages;

• Accelerating urbanization;• Climate change and resource scarcity;

and• Technological breakthroughs.

“These trends are happening today and are all connected,” Moritz said.

The international business leader also shared what he described are the four main characteristics employees will need to be successful in their careers. They are:• IQ, intelligence quotient; • EQ, emotional quotient; • CQ, cultural quotient; and • PQ, passion quotient.

Moritz, who joined PwC immediately after graduating with a bachelor’s in accounting from Oswego, highlighted the absolute importance of cultural understanding and social customs when doing international business, noting how his experience helped shape his global leadership.

“This world is way too small to not understand local culture,” he said. “That’s the world you’re operating in.”

After his campus presentation, Moritz fielded questions from audience members that touched on organizational ethics, personal brand creation, human resource management, global market trends and Oswego campus memories. The following day, Moritz was interviewed on WRVO and went to Syracuse to meet local economic leaders from CenterState CEO, chaired by President Stanley.

“In no way, shape or form would I have dreamed I’d be doing some of the things I’m doing,” he told the students. “Folks, you have no idea what you’ll be doing 25 years from now.” l


Bob Moritz ’85 tours WRVO with Catherine Loper, the station’s director of regional news content.

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Fourth Annual Future Oswego Leaders ConferenceDozens of SUNY Oswego students attended the fourth annual Future Oswego Leaders Conference (FOLC) in March. The confer-ence featured student and alumni present-ers who celebrated and encouraged leader-ship roles among SUNY Oswego students.

Workshops informed students about resources and opportunities available on campus, such as the Compass and the Entrepreneurial Action by University Students club. Students in campus leader-ship roles were honored at a reception.

Saturday’s segment featured five returning alumni, including keynote speaker Renee Abstender Marchak ’94, human resources generalist for Haun Welding Supply, who shared how she learned the meaning of leadership through her efforts to raise money for cancer and her mem-bership in Delta Phi Epsilon sorority at Oswego.

At alumni breakout sessions, five visit-ing alumni spoke of their success and lead-ership in their respective career fields.

In addition to Marchak, the following alumni were presenters:

• Tom Antonoff ’81, a remediation and transactions project manager, General Electric, science;

• Kristen Aust ’95, a systems man-ager of career services, Bryant & Stratton, higher education;

• Dick Farfaglia ’73, a retired political consultant, political science; and

• Jason Holder ’05, a line producer, WABC-TV, Eyewitness News at 11, com-munications.

“Knowing what I know now, I would have definitely taken advantage of events

like the Future Oswego Leaders Conference when I was a student here,” Marchak said. “Networking is an incredible tool for students. I wish I had known about some of the campus resources when I was a student.”

Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society, the Oswego Alumni Association, Auxiliary Services, the Student Association of SUNY Oswego and Leadership Development sponsored the two-day conference. l

—Sarah Turner ’16

Success in the City Events Enable Alumni to Brush Up Personal BrandThis spring, the Oswego Alumni Association hosted Success in the City events in Syracuse, Rochester and New York City. At left, Sarah Peschel Testa ’86 of Manlius, N.Y., (standing) speaks with fellow alumni at the April event at the SUNY Oswego Metro Center in Syracuse. Each professional network-ing event featured alumni established in their careers to offer advice, critique resumes and to meet other alumni in their area. Alumni swapped tips and favorite Oswego stories over hors d’oeuvres and drinks. To see more photos from the events, visit alumni.oswego.edu/magazine. l

Alumni and students network during a reception at the Fourth Annual Oswego Leaders Conference in the Campus Center’s Chu Atrium.

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A Century of Service

W ith combined SUNY Oswego teaching careers that total more than 100 years, Professor Dan Barach,

appointed in 1964, and Dr. Marilynn Smiley, appointed in 1961, were honored May 8 at the final concert to take place in Tyler Hall before renovations began this summer. Dr. Smiley, named a distinguished teaching professor in 1974, has served as department chair; is a long-time adviser to Vega, Oswego’s honor society for women; and has taught a range of music history and literature courses. Professor Barach, who has participated in and promoted chamber music, has taught applied violin and viola and specializes in history of opera and music of the Classical and Romantic

periods. Music department chair Todd Graber, thanking the retirees for their remarkable con-tributions, advised them to let the “Three R’s” become “Rest, Relaxation and Recreation.” l


Emmy-Winning Journalist and Television Host Charlie Rose to Receive Honorary DoctorateMedia icon Charlie Rose of “CBS

This Morning” and the “Charlie Rose” show on PBS will be awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters degree by the State University of New York on Thursday, Oct. 16, in conjunc-tion with the 10th Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit at SUNY Oswego.

Rose is a world-renowned journalist and media personality who has inter-viewed such dignitaries as international statesmen Nelson Mandela and Mikhail Gorbachev, Nobel laureates Toni Morrison and Seamus Heaney, and pop icons Julia Roberts and Bruce Springsteen.

“While this honorary degree recog-nizes Mr. Rose’s distinguished career in journalism, it also recognizes his definitive role at the core of the global conversa-tion,” says SUNY Oswego President Deborah F. Stanley. “He is an example for students enrolled in our broadcast jour-nalism program to follow and a role model for students in all academic programs.”

Immediately following the honorary degree presentation, Rose will be among the prestigious panelists featured in the

10th annual Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit, moderated by the award-winning writer, journalist and media critic Ken Auletta ’63, and featuring noteworthy media luminaries. The honorary degree presentation and media summit are open to the public. l


CSTEP Students Mentored for Success

A dozen students from the more than 90 par-ticipants in Oswego’s Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program presented at the 22nd annual state-wide CSTEP student conference at Lake George, N.Y., in April. Delvison Castillo ’14 took an honorable mention in oral presen-tation for technology, and Andrew Rubio ’14 won first place in the zoology, ecology and public health post-er category. Dr. Cleane Medeiros, director, says the state-funded program has been successful in serving scholars from histori-cally underrepresented and economically disadvantaged popula-tions by helping them develop action plans to keep focused—from their freshman through senior years—on their academic goals. CSTEP scholars participate in summer

research programs and internships that often take them to laboratories throughout the world. For the past three consecutive years, a student from the program has received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence: Earl Bellinger ’12, Barbara Ciceron ’13 and Larissa Assam ’14. “Our students come to college with a dream,” Medeiros says. “We work with them through motivation, mentoring, tutoring, research and summer enrichment programs to develop strategies on how to make those dreams reality. Their success is our first and most important goal.” l


Delvison Castillo ’14, left and Andrew Rubio ’14

Edina Aboagye ’14 and Anthony Aggrey ’14

Charlie Rose, of “CBS This Morning” and “Charlie Rose Show” on PBS

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SUNY Oswego to Become Tobacco-Free Jan. 1, 2015

SUNY Oswego will make the healthy choice and go tobacco free on Jan. 1, 2015,

everywhere on campus, including tobacco use in any vehicle on college premises.

The campus-wide Clean Air Committee has been meeting to discuss this issue since fall 2011 and has considered the results of a campus-wide survey, focus groups and discussions with peer schools that are among the nearly 1,200 tobacco-free campuses nationwide.

The committee has reviewed exten-sive research from the Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Surgeon General, NY Quits and American Cancer Society. One among many numbers stands out: Smokers under-stand the dangers, and nearly 70 percent report that they want to quit.

“SUNY Oswego takes this opportunity to make a dramatic but well-supported statement on behalf of all college citizens: No degree of secondhand smoke is safe,

no amount of smoking-related pollution is acceptable, and any form of tobacco use is damaging to health and is highly addictive,” says College President Deborah F. Stanley.

“In an effort to support the educational mission of the college and to provide a safe, clean and healthy working, living and learning environment, the college will provide cessation assistance and resources to members of the campus community who wish to stop smoking or using tobacco in any form,” she says. “We’ll also support exercise and nutritional changes to help all of us enjoy the vitality and freedom that a smoke- and tobacco-free lifestyle affords.”

To find helping resources online and to view the college’s complete tobacco-free rationale, the upcoming new policy on tobacco use, links to resources, research and other support to help us count down to 2015, visit oswego.edu/OzQuits. l

—Public Affairs

Jenal Joins the College Foundation BoardMatt Jenal ’78 began a three-year term on the Oswego College Foundation Board of Directors on July 1.

Jenal is principal at MAJ Finance, a consulting and directorship for alternative investments, with specializations in the financial, operational and compliance areas.

In 2010, he retired as senior advisor and director of Cadogan Management, where he was previously chief financial offi-cer, director of the Cadogan Opportunistic Alternatives Fund and director of the firm’s London office. He was responsible for the financial, administrative, regulatory, and compliance functions at the firm. Prior to joining Cadogan, he was the chief financial officer of T.C. Management in New York. Jenal has also served as controller and financial/operations principal at Sussex Asset Management, an offshore fund opera-tor, and securities broker/dealer, and spent 10 years in various financial management positions at Young & Rubicam Advertising in New York.

He is a long-time supporter of Oswego, having made gifts nearly every year since

graduating, including a naming gift for the Academic Commons in the Marano Campus Center. He serves on the President’s Campaign Cabinet and the School of Business Advisory Board.

Jenal graduated from SUNY Oswego with a degree in accounting and a minor in computer science, and earned an MBA in finance from Pace University. He resides in Edgewater, N.J. l


EventsVisit alumni.oswego.edu for complete listing.

August 28 Oswego Day at the N.Y. State Fair*

August 29 Green and Gold Day*

October 3-4 Soccer Alumni Reunion*

October 16-17 Fall Celebrations, including:

Presentation of Honorary Doctorate to Charlie Rose, Media Icon

10th Annual Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit

Schools, Alumni Association and College Foundation Board Meetings

School of Business Alumni Symposium*

October 19 Buffalo Bills Game/GOLD Welcome to the City Party in Buffalo, N.Y.*

October 25 Alumni Legacy Reception*

October 30-31 75th Technology Fall Conference, SUNY Oswego

November 8 Oswego Athletic Hall of Fame Inductions*

November 8 Reunion Planning Committee Meeting*

November 14-15 Men’s Ice Hockey 50th Anniversary Celebration*

November 21-22 Women’s Ice Hockey Reunion*

November 22 Frozen Dome Classic in Syracuse, N.Y.*

December 4 CNY Holiday Social in Syracuse, N.Y.

December 6 Basketball Alumni Game*

December 6 Reunion Planning Committee Meeting*

Mark Your Calendars Now:June 4–7, 2015 Reunion 2015*

* Alumni and Parent Relations, 315.312.2258

** University Development, 315.312.3003

alumni.oswego.edu

Matt Jenal ’78

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http://www.oswego.edu/alumni




Oswego Names New Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Dr. Adrienne McCormick began her tenure as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at SUNY Oswego on July 11.

Most recently, McCormick served as interim associate provost for curriculum, assess-ment and academic

support at SUNY Fredonia. A longtime professor of English at Fredonia, she received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Faculty Service in 2012.

At Fredonia, McCormick previ-ously served a year as interim assistant provost for special initiatives, which included oversight of the Community Engagement Task Force and a task force on implementation of online course evaluations. She chaired the English department for five years and was direc-tor of the women’s studies program for five years before that.

She joined Fredonia’s English fac-ulty as an assistant professor in 1998 after earning a doctorate in literature in English and a graduate certificate in women’s studies from the University of Maryland at College Park.

She completed her master’s degree with a creative thesis in poetry at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and earned her bachelor’s degree in English literature and dramatic arts and sciences from Queens University of Charlotte.

McCormick is the author of book chapters and articles in peer-reviewed journals on contemporary women poets, filmmakers and dramatists. She has presented at national conferences and scholarly gatherings in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Her most recent work in her dis-cipline includes writing an essay for a forthcoming book, developing an online course on poetry, teaching a study abroad course called “Women Writing London” and speaking at an interdis-ciplinary conference on “London in Literature.” l

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Annual Honors Convocation Recognizes Students’ Achievement

W ith pomp and pageantry, the 2014 SUNY Oswego Honors Convo-

cation was convened in the Campus Center arena April 11, when awards for academic achievement were presented to 121 students. Christina Lynch ’14, president of Vega, Oswego’s women’s honor society and sponsor of the ceremony, gave opening remarks.

Awards were granted by academic departments, the Oswego Alumni Associa-tion, Oswego College Foundation and Divi-sion of Extended Learning, and included the Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excel-lence and recognition of the first SUNY Oswego Possibility Scholars (see page 6). In addition to having excelled in scholarship, recipients qualified by distinguishing them-selves through research, the creative arts or volunteer service.

Keynote speaker Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham ’86, a business administra-tion graduate and an award-winning busi-nesswoman, encouraged students to find

careers that match their passions. She is founder and president of Women TIES (Together Inspiring Entrepreneurial Success), a group of more than 300 women entrepreneurs working together to forge strong economic networks and foster small business success. She said she routinely encourages people to create a personal mission statement and to make sure it unifies their personal and professional lives.

“I believe developing and being guided by a personal mission statement is about living an authentic life that brings joy, purpose and direc tion,” Higginbotham said.

Higginbotham traced her career from marketing to event planning to advocacy, urging her audience to be open to possibili-ties that develop when they follow their own principles.

“Go forth,” she concluded, “and live with purpose and a deep personal mission.” l

–Linda Loomis ’90 M’97

Oswego Wins Two National Community Service Awards

T he Oswego Intercollegiate Athletics Department won the Jostens/

National Association Division III Athletic Administrators Community Service Award in two categories: “an array of projects” and “ongoing project/activity” completed during the 2012-2013 academic year. In addition to awarding commemorative trophies for both categories, the NADIIIAA and Jostens will make a $2,000 contribution to the SUNY Oswego general scholarship fund.

Oswego was chosen as the national winner for the second straight year for “an array of projects/activities” and the overall winner for the “ongoing project/activity” out of more than 450 eligible universities.

“Earning the nod in both categories shows the commitment of the student-athletes, the athletic department and community service coordinator Dan Witmer ’82 M’87,” said Director of Athletics Sue Viscomi. “It is an incredible honor to receive two out of the top three national awards. Oswego continues to be very proud of its outstanding effort and engagement in the community.”

For the category “an array of projects,” 24 Oswego Athletic teams participated in 44 different events in 2012-13. The student-athletes supported more than 19 national and local orga-nizations and charities. Overall, 463 student-athletes contributed approxi-mately 3,042 community service hours.

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Women’s Ice Hockey

The Oswego women’s hockey team and head coach Diane Dillon finished

the season with the best mark in program history, ending 17-9-1 overall and 10-5-1 in ECAC Women’s West play. Earning the No. 3 seed in the ECAC Women’s West Champi-onship, the Lakers went on to defeat Buffalo State 3-1 before falling short to Elmira College in the semifinals.

Jocelyn St. Clair ’14 earned Second Team All-ECAC honors as she had a balanced eight-point season, scoring four goals and assisting on four others. She anchored a defense that allowed only seven power-play goals on 76 opportunities (.092).

Melissa Seamont ’14 was named Honorable Mention All-ECAC Women’s West. She is the first Laker to ever earn multiple conference honors, as she was named Second Team All-Conference last year. She led the Lakers this season with 11 goals and was second in points with 16, while breaking two program records. Her

62-point career as a Laker (27 goals and 35 assists) sets a new record in points, and 35 assists also set the new school record, breaking the former mark of 31.

Alli Ulrich ’17 garnered All-Rookie Team accolades for her efforts on defense, while playing in all but two games for Oswego.

Men’s Basketball

T he Laker men’s basketball team, under third-year head coach Jason Leone,

finished the season 17-10 overall and 10-8 in SUNYAC play. Oswego earned the No. 4 seed in the SUNYAC tournament by defeating Cortland in a thrilling overtime regular season finale. The Lakers again defeated the Red Dragons in the first round 69-57, but lost in the semifinal game against No. 1 Brockport.

Daniel Ross ’14 was named First Team All-Conference after leading the Lakers in scoring. He finished the season as a category leader in points with 500, scoring average

with 18.5 points per game, assists with 72 and steals with 59.

Brian Sortino ’17 received Third Team All-Conference Honors, pacing the Lakers with second most points per game (14.8). He led the Lakers in 3-point field-goal percentage (38.3 percent) and finished second on the squad with 47 assists.

Women’s Basketball

The women’s basketball team and head coach Tracey Bruno finished 6-19

overall and 2-16 in conference play.Jenn Robbins ’14 received All-

SUNYAC recognition as she was named Third-Team after pacing the Lakers with 17.3 points a game, ranking third in the conference while leading the team with 70 assists. She finished the season ranked 43rd in the country and third in the conference for 3-point efficiency, shooting 38.8 percent. Robbins entered the 1,000 point club, regis-tering a total of 1,315 points (758 points at Division II West Liberty College, 557 points at Oswego) in her collegiate career.

Swimming And Diving

The Oswego men’s and women’s swim-ming and diving teams, under head

coach Michael Holman ’96, posted fifth-place and eighth-place finishes, respectively, at the SUNYAC Championships. The Laker men registered 319 points and the Laker women posted 184 points.

Andrew Minnick’s ’14 performance on the championship weekend earned him Second Team All-SUNYAC honors after finishing in the top eight for all three of his individual events. He finished third overall in the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 16:39.75, fourth in the 500-yard freestyle and touched the wall at 1:45.35 in the 200-yard freestyle to give him a sixth place finish.


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NADIIIAA/Jostens co-sponsor an awards program to recognize the contributions that Division III student-athletes make to their campuses and local communities.

For the category of “ongoing project/activity,” Oswego initiated in 2007 St. Baldrick’s Night in Oswego County. Every year since then, students and community members have come together to shave their heads to raise

money for children who are affected by cancer. In 2013, 235 heads were shaved, which raised more than $93,000. The event has raised more than $266,500 for the cause since 2007. l



Men’s Ice HockeyThe Laker men’s ice hockey team, under head coach Ed Gosek ’83 M’01, became

back-to-back SUNYAC champions in the 2013-14 season. Oswego finished 22-7-2 overall and 10-5-1 in conference play while capturing its 10th SUNYAC championship after defeating No.1 Geneseo on the road. By winning the confer-ence title, Oswego earned the automatic qualifier to the NCAA Championship. The Lakers defeated Bowdoin College 4-3 at home in the first round then knocked off Babson College 4-3 in the quarterfinal to earn its fifth-straight Frozen Four appear-ance. Oswego bowed out in the semifinals to University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Despite entering the season having to replace 14 seniors from the 2012-13 national runner-up squad, Oswego’s 19 freshmen, five transfers and core of returners wrapped up the season ranking No. 3 in the country in both the D3hockey.com and USCHO final polls.

Matt Galati ’17 received SUNYAC Rookie of the Year honors and was named Second Team All-Conference. He led the team with 24 goals and 36 points. Bobby Gertsakis ’15 was named Second Team All-Conference and led the team with 26 assists, ranking second in SUNYAC. Nick Rivait ’17 garnered Second Team All-Conference honors with 20 assists, ranking him fourth overall in the conference. l

Sabia Filiaci ’15 placed fourth overall in the women’s 100-yard butterfly with a personal best time of 58.71. Katie Flood ’14 recorded at 1:08.30 in the 100-yard breast-stroke, finishing in fifth place.

Indoor Track And Field

T he Oswego State men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams finished

seventh and eighth, respectively, at the SUNYAC Championships, under new head coach Derek Rousseau.

Matt Wagenhauser ’15 ranked 21st in the nation in the 400-meter dash. He won the event with a personal best time of 49.62. The men’s second place finish in the 4x400 relay, consisting of Wagenhauser, Andrew Baldwin ’14, Brandon Comden ’15 and Nick Reinsdorf ’15, set a new school record of 3:22.31.

On the women’s side, Katie Bott ’14 M’15 took home her first SUNYAC Cham-pionship in the 800-meter race, posting a time of 2:19.29. She broke a school record with her fourth place finish in the 400-meter dash and a time of 59.08. The senior repre-sented Oswego at the NCAA Division III Championship for the first time since 2004 as she qualified and competed in the 800-meter run. She finished 17th overall in the country.

Wrestling

The Oswego State wrestling team finished 3-12 in dual meets and 16th at

the NCAA Northeast Regionals. Scott Bova ’16 won two matches at

regionals in his weight class, 184. Each match was won by fall, the first in 3:56 and the final, one second faster, in 3:55. He finished his season 23-8.

Abubakarr Sow ’16 finished the season leading the squad with the best individual record of 25-7. He won first place in his weight class (149) at the Ithaca Invitational and fourth overall at the R.I.T. Invitational.

With the graduation of Maxx Stratton ’14 and Dan Batchelder ’14, the Lakers will return most of its team in 2014-15. l

—Michael Bielak

Special Anniversary CelebrationNovember 14–15 Men’s Ice Hockey 50th Anniversaryalumni.oswego.edu/hockey50

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Fourth Annual March Matchness Raises Over $18,600SUNY Oswego’s Graduates Of the Last Decade (GOLD) not

only surpassed an initial goal of 200 donors, but also a super goal of 225 donors in the Fourth Annual March Matchness fundraising challenge.

Louis A. Borrelli Jr. ’77, an Oswego College Foundation board member and School of Communi-cation, Media and the Arts advisory board member, agreed to donate $10,000 to The Fund for Oswego if 200 Graduates Of the Last Decade made a gift during March.

After reaching the 200 donor goal with only three days left, Borrelli offered to increase his gift to $13,000 if 25 more GOLD

alumni made their gift during March Matchness. With Borrelli’s challenge gifts, March Matchness raised a total of $18,618 for The Fund for Oswego.

“I am not surprised The GOLD Gang (a.k.a. ‘younger and better looking’ alumni) met and then exceeded this challenge,” Borrelli says. “Our collective investment will be put to good use, and I hope this experience inspires them to continue their phil-anthropic support of SUNY Oswego.”

The Class of 2012 had the most participants, beating out last year’s winner, the Class of 2009, and second-place finisher, the Class of 2013, which staged an exciting late-game comeback and nearly took the lead.

“March Matchness is one of our most exciting and enter-taining initiatives,” says Joy Westerberg Knopp ’92, director of annual giving. “This year, Lou used social media to challenge young alumni to step up their game, and our Graduates Of the Last Decade responded in record numbers. We had fun while raising money to support a broad range of programs.”

March Matchness created a flurry of exchanges between classmates and between classes, as friends called, texted and posted their challenges to social media. The fundraising campaign stirred some participants to share their fondest memo-ries of Oswego in an attempt to become the Player of the Week.

“We like to give back to the place that gave us so much,” says Vanessa Vair Reitz ’06, who serves as the GOLD Leader-ship Council president.

Not only did she meet her husband, Justin Reitz ’07, at Oswego, Vanessa says a connection they made at an alumni event assisted them in buying their home in Buffalo, N.Y., and helped Justin start a new career as a realtor. “We understand the benefit of connecting with our fellow alumni,” she says.

“Many of us young alumni aren’t at a point in life where we can give a substantial amount of money to Oswego,”

she says. “But, we made a gift and, more importantly, I made an investment of my time for March Matchness. I’m proud that we were successful in reaching not only our initial goal, but the second challenge as well.”


Students Participate in Love-a-Donor DayDuring Alumni and Development’s first-ever Love-a-Donor Day, students stopped by informational tables around campus Feb. 14 to learn how donors’ gifts help support activities and programs that directly affect the quality of their educational experiences. Volunteer Chris Magill ’15, right, a wellness management major, collects one of more than 800 thank-you postcards signed by students to send to college donors. President Deborah F. Stanley also hosted a Valentine’s Day Faculty-Staff Donor Appreciation Breakfast in the Campus Center.

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Playing off of the NCAA's March Madness, Oswego bracketology sets up a fun-spirited fundraising competition between classes of Graduates Of the Last Decade.

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Gratitude Flowing Two Ways Inspires Gift From ’54 AlumnusWhen recipients of the annual Class of 1954 Scholarship sent letters of apprecia-tion to Robert Allen ’54, he recognized the extent of their gratitude. He had worked with the Reunion 2004 commit-tee to establish an anniversary class schol-arship because he knows from personal experience what it means for students to work their way through college.

“I’ll always be grateful to Oswego,” Allen says, “for providing me with a solid education at almost no cost.” He recalls mid-20th-century days when he hitch-hiked from his home in Fulton to SUNY Oswego, where he majored in education and worked at Rudy’s by the lake to earn money for food and books. “I had saved enough by my senior year that I could live in the Sigma Tau Chi house. What a wonderful feeling that was.”

Allen had a nine-year teaching career in Rome, N.Y., followed by 31 years as a director of field services for New York State United Teachers. His wife, Susan, is retired from a career as a music teacher.

In gratitude for his success, Allen made a gift to the Oswego College Foundation of appreciated stock to cre-ate the Robert Allen ’54 Presidential Scholarship, commemorating his com-mitment to learning and academic excellence. His gift supports the SUNY Oswego Presidential Scholars Program, which attracts the most accomplished high school graduates to the college. He gives regularly to The Fund For Oswego.

Allen recognizes that rising expenses and diminished state support over the years have increased the financial obliga-tion of families of current students, and he says he is gratified knowing his gift relieves some of the burden.

“Despite my lack of funds, I had a wonderful experience at Oswego, where I was able to get a great and affordable college education,” Allen says.


Expert on Education Law Establishes Faculty AwardRecalling the inspiration he received

as a student in the Oswego School of Education, Dr. Perry A. Zirkel ’66 has established the Perry A. Zirkel ’66 Education Faculty Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Teaching. He says he was especially inspired by the late Dr. Jose Ramon Perez, teacher of foreign language and the first director of international education, and is making this gift to honor him.

The award, in addition to recog-nizing a School of Education faculty member for rigorous scholarship and teaching, is also, according to its creator, an “enduring way to recognize Oswego’s institutional value.” An Oswego diploma took Zirkel to the University of Connect-icut, where he earned a Ph.D. in educa-tional administration and a juris doctor degree. He earned a master of laws degree

from Yale University. An expert on education law, with

emphasis on special education, Zirkel is the author of more than 1,300 publi-cations. He began his career as a high school teacher of foreign language. He is the former dean of the Lehigh University College of Education, where he held the Iacocca Chair for a five-year term, and where, as university professor of educa-tion and law, he continues to teach, lecture and present seminars on his research.

One recent article in Principal Lead-ership affirms the need for educators to avoid confusion and misinterpretation of law and implores them, instead, to seek authentic information. “For teachers and other school personnel, a basic under-standing of education law provides a foundation for focusing on proactive

best practices,” Zirkel explains.

Zirkel says he is grateful for his educa-tion at Oswego.

“I had competent, diligent and devoted faculty, and I enjoyed the economically diverse group of students who were generally earnest and pleasant,” Zirkel says. “I got a solid background as a teacher, and Oswego provided me with interpersonal skills that gave me confidence in facing all chal-lenges.”


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Susan and Robert ’54 Allen during Reunion 2014


Festa Assistantship Provides an Unrivaled Graduate Leadership Development Opportunity

Mix a love of hockey with an equal portion of business expertise and

a heaping measure of respect for Laker Men’s Hockey Head Coach Ed Gosek ’83 M’01, and the result is a topnotch leader-ship development opportunity for an eager graduate student at SUNY Oswego.

“What I like about hockey players is that they’re genuine,” says Fred Festa ’81, owner of the NHL’s N.Y. Rangers minor league affiliate, the Greenville (S.C.) Road Warriors hockey team, and chairman and chief executive officer of W.R. Grace & Co. “They don’t generally have an air about them. Every player has to take a hit for the team. Everyone takes shifts throughout the game. I think these traits apply to being a great leader. A great leader has to be real.”

To help cultivate leaders who will succeed on and off the ice, Festa, a 2013 Oswego Presidential Medal winner, and his wife, MaryLynn Barbero Festa ’82, created the Festa Assistantship Award for Men’s Hockey. The endowed assistant-ship provides a learning and mentoring opportunity for a graduate student whose interest includes a future in coaching.

The recipient of the first Festa Assistantship is Kyle Laughlin M’15 of Gambrills, Md., a former player with the Huntsville Havoc hockey team and the Providence College Friars and an MBA student in the School of Business.

“I wouldn’t be here without this assis-tantship,” Laughlin says. “I’m thrilled with the experience because I have gotten to learn from some of the best coaches in the country.”

Festa says his own internship experi-ence in college helped give him a jump-start on his career. He established the assistantship because he says the best way to learn about leadership is watching mentors in action—how they handle themselves in high-stress and low-stress situations, and how they treat their employees and peers in those situations.

For Laughlin, he says some of his

biggest lessons about leadership have come from Coach Gosek’s actions off the ice.

“He emphasizes the importance of strong character, integrity, being on time, and is very strict with the team all year round,” Laughlin says. “Most of the players come onto the team having been the best player on their high school team. And they quickly realize they need to adapt to a higher level of play on the ice and higher expectations off the ice.

“I couldn’t believe how much time and attention the coaching staff spends on details and on preparation,” he says. “All of it matters and plays into the success of the team.”

Gosek and his coaching staff ’s preparation and execution of their plan helped a team with 24 new members and only a handful of returning players win the 2014 SUNYAC championship title and compete in the NCAA Division III Frozen Four.

“If your team has talent, you can win a lot of games,” Gosek says. “But you

won’t win championships or advance in the postseason without talent and char-acter. Character is a huge component.”

Gosek says he is grateful and humbled by Festa’s support for the hockey program and for the “youthful enthusiasm and knowledge” that Laughlin has brought to the team. Last season, Laughlin handled scouting reports, training the players in the weight room and going over the “system breakdown between periods.”

“Kyle exemplifies the type of char-acter we want our players to have,” Gosek says. “My hope is that he gains an under-standing that coaching and leadership aren’t about the Xs and Os. It’s about communication.”

And Festa says there’s no one better at Oswego to teach those lessons than Coach Gosek.


Michael Stanley (right) welcomes (from left) Kyle Laughlin M’15, Bob Lloyd ’81 M’89, Fred Festa ’81 and men’s head hockey coach Ed Gosek ’83 M’01 to his home at Shady Shore in December 2013 for a reception honoring Festa, who received the Oswego Presidential Medal during December Commencement.

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Former Teacher Remembered Through ScholarshipThe family of Kathleen Manley

Peterson ’54 has ensured that her dedicated career in teaching and her impressive record of volunteer work will be remembered. A scholarship in her name will be awarded to an Oswego junior or senior majoring in education who maintains honor grades, has demon-strated volunteer activity and can, in an essay, articulate the reasons he or she will become a teacher.

“Education was important to Kathy,” says Edwin Peterson ’54. “When she passed away in 1999, we set up a family foundation in her name. Last year, the children and I decided to turn the funds over to SUNY Oswego so that each year a student will receive a financial award in my first wife’s name.”

Kathleen earned a degree in elemen-tary education at Oswego and a master’s from SUNY at Stony Brook; she taught 25 years. She and Edwin met at Oswego, where she was active in Alpha Delta Sorority, student council and women’s choir; Edwin was a member of Delta Kappa Kappa and student council and

was editor of The Ontarian. Their chil-dren are: Jeffrey, retired vice president, Monsanto; Karen, a chemical engineer who became a teacher; Margaret, a physi-cian; and Nancy, vice president of a Long Island hospital. Fourteen grandchildren are either college graduates, students or future students.

Commitments kept Edwin away from Oswego until he returned in 2004 for his golden anniversary reunion. He was pleased to see a photo in the next issue of OSWEGO Alumni Magazine showing him gazing into a sunset with a female classmate on each arm.

One of those women was Betsy Gris-wold Sweeting ’54, widow of Charles Sweeting, who taught industrial arts. She and Edwin began exchanging photos and news.

“After a while we decided that Oswego sunsets had worked their magic again,” Edwin says. A wedding followed, and the Petersons now divide their time between Betsy’s Minetto, N.Y., residence and the Long Island home Edwin and his family shared.

“I know that Kathy would be happy we have created a suitable memorial,” Edwin says. “Knowing her regard for education and her love of teaching, the family is confident that establishing the Kathleen A. Peterson ’54 Scholarship was the best thing we could do.”


Edwin Peterson ’54 and his late wife Katheen Manley Peterson ’54.

Communication Alumnus Supports SCMA with $30,000 Gift

As a principal at Pricewaterhouse-Coopers, or PwC, Mark Lobel ’85 is responsible for providing consult-ing services to major entertain-ment media companies on cyber security issues. Since graduating from Oswego with a broadcasting and mass communication degree, he has witnessed major changes in the media, and says that this change is not over yet.

“I think we’re going to see another major shift in the way peo-ple consume media over the next 10 years,” he says.

It’s because of this dynamic market that he recently estab-lished the Lobel Communications Fund with a gift of $30,000 that includes a match from PwC to directly support the School of Communication, Media and the Arts.

“It’s important for Oswego to constantly reinvest in the communications program to reflect changes in the current mar-ket,” he says. “The pace of change in the media industry is over-whelming. Oswego needs to stay on top of this moving target.”

Lobel says he supports his alma mater because of the value of the education he received. He said mentors like the late Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell, after whom the media summit is named, and Fritz Messere ’71 M’76, now the dean of SCMA, instilled critical thinking beyond what was already a leading technical program at the time.

“I give back because I appreciate those who’ve helped me,” Lobel says. “I was and am extremely blessed, and one way to thank Fritz, Doc and many others is to invest in the next genera-tion as they have done.”

— Tyler Edic ’13

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Family Establishes Scholarship to Honor Tom Lenihan ’76A four-year scholarship enabling a

deserving Oswego student to stay in school and concentrate on academics has been established in memory of Tom Lenihan ’76, former board member and chair of the Oswego College Foundation Investment Committee. His wife, Lynn Van Order Lenihan ’76, and children, Brian, a digital media strategist in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Colleen, director of

a federally funded program for the New Jersey State Department of Education, decided to honor him in this way.

The Tom Lenihan ’76 Memorial Scholarship will be awarded for the first time beginning in fall 2014 to a freshman with an excellent academic record and significant extracurricular involve-ment during high school. “Tom felt very strongly that education was important,” Lynn says. “He believed Oswego changed our lives for the better. That’s why the children and I wanted to do something to recognize his commitment to the college.”

One of six children, including Theresa ’79, Tom achieved high academic success in high school and had private university options. He chose, instead, to apply his New York State Regents Scholar-ship to expenses at SUNY Oswego and worked to meet other costs of earning his four-year degree in economics.

“Tom never complained about his need to work hard to get a college educa-tion,” Lynn says. “He was proud of his roots, and the fact that he had overcome

financial challenges was a major factor in his desire to give back to Oswego, espe-cially to the scholarship funds.”

Lynn says her husband was a devoted member of the Oswego College Foundation Investment Committee. “Tom worked so hard to get the message out to people that students need financial support in order to focus on their class-work and do their best academically,” she says.

Lynn and Tom met early in their freshman year at Oswego through Tom’s roommate, who had been Lynn’s class-mate at Skaneateles High School. Tom had a successful career as an executive for MetLife before retirement in 2009; he died in 2013.

“We have been very fortunate,” Lynn says. “When Brian, Colleen and I talked about Tom and what his wishes might have been, we decided to help in this way. He would have been pleased to have this scholarship be part of his legacy at Oswego.”


Scaia Scholarship Supports Future EducatorsSoccer gave Dan Scaia ’68 a “free kick” at the opportunity to attend SUNY Oswego, and his connections to Oswego soccer led to his involvement in fund-raising for a scholarship in honor of his late soccer coach Ernest B. Luongo. The satisfaction of creating a fund to support students in perpetuity spurred Scaia to establish the Dan ’68 and Linda Scaia Scholarship.

A member of the 1966 Oswego State Championship soccer team, Scaia says he wasn’t recruited to attend Oswego for his grades, which hovered around C level in high school. But his time at Oswego, he says, positioned him to be successful.

His student teaching experience in the fall semester of his senior year landed him a job offer, prior to graduation, to be a math teacher at West Genesee School District in Camillus, N.Y. He spent the next 14 years at the school teaching math and

coaching varsity soccer as well as some freshmen sports teams.

He later found great success as the owner of DFS Associates, a manufacturer’s representative firm in Skaneateles, N.Y., a company his daughter Danielle now runs. His other daughter, Lori, followed her father into his first career, and became a kindergarten teacher in Solvay, N.Y.

“I believe that our past is responsible for our future success,” says Scaia, an Oswego Alumni Association board mem-ber. “Oswego prepared me for all that I’ve accomplished in my career, and introduced me to some of my closest friends. Many of my Delta Kappa Kappa brothers get together on a regular basis, and I’m always encouraging them to support the college.”

The Scaia Scholarship will assist a School of Education student, with prefer-ence given to students “from Solvay where I attended high school, West Genesee where I taught or Skaneateles where I live,” he says. “I remember when I was a student—when tuition was only a few hundred dollars a year—every little bit of money helped. I hope our scholarship will make a difference to students long after we’re gone.”


Tom ’76 and Lynn Van Order Lenihan ’76

Linda and Dan ’68 Scaia

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Project SMART Celebrates 10 Years of Support from EntergyOver the past 10 years, Entergy has provided Project SMART (Student-centered, Multicultural, Active, Real-world Teaching) with more than $200,000 to help fund the collaborative professional development program for K-12 teachers. In June, representatives from Entergy gathered with the teacher participants who shared stories about what the funding enabled them to do in their classrooms and the impact that had on their students. From incorporat-ing iPad minis and Leap Pads to engage learners to growing vegetables in a hydroponic lab to using handheld video cameras to study waves, the teachers eagerly shared the transformative effect these extra resources had on their teaching and the students’ learning. “We’ve seen the results of Project SMART and the enthusiasm of the students and teachers,” said Jim Kelly of Entergy, who announced the company’s decision to award Project SMART a $20,000 grant for 2014-15. “This is money well invested.” Oswego Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Kerry Casey Dorsey ’81, Dr. Beyerbach, Dr. Burrell, Witmer and all the teachers thanked Entergy for its commitment to this community partnership and to the education of young minds. For details about the project, visit www.oswego.edu/prosmart/.



Scholarship Makes On-Campus Living Available to Local StudentBecause residence life meant so much to her, an alumna has established the Alice Nykaza ’65 Endowed Scholarship that will provide a scholarship, preferably for an Oswego County student who lives on campus. Alice Ericksen Nykaza ’65 says a significant portion of her education took place among other students in the “dorms” and snack bar.

“I graduated from a small high school,” Nykaza says. “I appreciated finding friends on campus who were different from every-one else I had known. I met wonderful people who ended up becoming lifelong friends. I established this scholarship to show my roommates how much they mean to me.”

She recalls long talks and card games with the late Cynthia Moulton Dean ’65, who went by Cam; Concetta Fazzi Castelluzzo ’65; Barbara Clausen ’65, a sophomore roommate, and Naomi Lane Ericksen, who married Nykaza’s brother after freshman year. After graduation, Dean and Nykaza gathered with Cathy Carroway Needham ’65 and Nancy Egerbrecht ’65 for long and boisterous

hands of pinochle.The “pinochle reunions”

stopped briefly when Dean died, but the women found a mutual college friend, Arlene Guzicki Novak ’65, to be Nykaza’s partner, and games continued. “We used to play cards a lot more. Now we do a lot of talking,” Nykaza says.

Nykaza taught school for four years before taking time off for her children. For 35 years, she and her hus-band owned and operated Eddy’s Big M grocery store in Mexico, N.Y. After her hus-band died 24 years ago, she ran the store herself. She now lives in Baldwinsville, where she enjoys doing genealogical research. She had been think-ing for a long time about providing a schol-arship at her alma mater.

“I decided the way to do it,” Nykaza says, “was to give a young person from the area the opportunity to live on campus

so he or she could enjoy the same positive benefits I had when I was a student at Oswego.”


Alice Ericksen Nykaza ’65

(Standing from left) Carol Burch ’83 M’94, Jason Webb ’01 M’06, Sue Witmer ’02, Kelly Sawyer (Entergy), Dr. Barb Beyerbach ’74, Jim Feeney (Entergy), Carol Carroll ’91 M’95, Dan Wood M’10, Brad DePoint ’04, Chris Cox ’96, Jamie Hefti M’00; (Seated) Dr. Marcia Burrell, Nicole Freebern M’04, Paula Meyers (Missing from photo: Stacy Dawson M’12)

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Makeup, costumes, lighting,

sets and sound. The combination

of these can transform a bare

stage into any time and place.

The technical and wardrobe

pro fessionals behind the scenes

create an alternate reality

that inconspicuously transports

audience members for an hour

or two into a story. These pro -

fessionals often share the same

goal—to go unnoticed,

to not draw the eye nor jar

the audience member from

the tale unfolding on stage.

The following pages are

dedicated to spotlighting some

of Oswego’s Backstage Stars.

“Don’t look at us like we are, sir.

Please… See make-up, caked, in

glowing powder pink! Imagine a

beard, full blown and blowing, like

the whiskers of a bear! And hair!

Imagine hair. In a box I’ve got all

colors, so I beg you — imagine hair!

And not these clothes. Oh no, no, no.

Dear God, not rags like any beggar

has. But see me in a doublet! . . .

Try to see it under light! I

assure you — it’s dazzling!”

—the old actor “Henry”

in The Fantasticks

Backstage stars

Backstage stars

Backstage stars


AT CURTAIN:

GEORGE DUMMITT ’69 is sitting on the hood of a cream-colored American Motors Gremlin on the set of Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Broadway’s Belasco Theatre in New York City. He is wearing a Local One union T-shirt, blue jeans, work boots. A quick-link hangs from his belt and holds his keys. A photographer snaps pictures of GEORGE.

GEORGE

[Looking out toward the audience]

Sitting where I am right now in the theatre, I can absolutely see the direct line back to Oswego.

[PHOTOGRAPHER repositions GEORGE on the car and snaps more pictures.]

There’s no question in my mind that what I do for a living—where I find all this satisfaction— goes right back to Oswego and the time that I spent in theatre there.

[Special effects begin. Scene changes from the car at Belasco Theatre today, to a car in front of the 700 Building on SUNY Oswego Campus.]

GEORGE[Looking out toward the audience]

So, I’m two years in the psychology program at Oswego, and on my 19th birthday, Michael Berkman ’69, who is a friend, gives me the keys to his Bonneville.

[GEORGE acknowledges MICHAEL, who addresses him.]

MICHAELTake it when you want it. Keep it in gas. Be careful. And let me know when you’re going to take it.

[GEORGE nods toward MICHAEL. Then turns back to the audience.]

GEORGEOne night I wanted to borrow the car so I went to find Michael at the 700 Building—the old theatre building before Waterman existed.

[GEORGE walks into the 700 Building. His jaw drops as he scans a 16-foot high Gothic arch structure, with wrought iron fastenings on oak doors, marble steps and stained glass windows. Theatre Professor John Mincher stands to the side watching GEORGE’s reaction.]

Oh wait, that’s made out of plywood, and it’s been painted, and it’s got canvas on it, and that’s some sort of gelatin for the colored glass. Well, this could be fun…

[END OF SCENE]

BY MARGARET SPILLETT

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T a k i n gC e n t e rStag e

T a k i n gC e n t e rStag eT a k i n gC e n t e rStag e

T a k i n gC e n t e r

Stag e


Stag e

T a k i n gC e n t e rStag e


Stag e


or George Dummitt ’69, that moment in the 700 Building in 1967 has driven him to a successful career as a carpenter and stagehand in the New

York City theatre world. Spanning more than 40 years, his career has enabled him to transform the three bare walls of a theatre into new scenes and time periods for a wide range of characters—a 1930s New York City boxing ring for Joe Bonaparte in Golden Boy, an Elizabethan law court for an original practice version of Twelfth Night – Richard III, an Afghan war scene for a German transgender rock-n-roller in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and a dozen other productions.

“I started to think about all the char-acters, all the events, all the situations that have happened within my space,” Dummitt says. “It all goes in and out the

same loading door. It’s amazing what I do for a living.”

However, there has been one space that hasn’t changed much for Dummitt—a Paris opera house at the Majestic Theatre in New York City—at which the Phantom of the Opera has been running for 27 years. He began loading in the show in September 1987—four months before it opened—and he continues to work as a member of the carpenter department there when he isn’t working on assign-ment to another Shubert theatre.

“We all knew it would be a good job, but we didn’t know it would be like this,” Dummitt says of Phantom, which surpassed Cats as the longest-running Broadway show. “I certainly know Phantom as well as anybody. Now, I listen for my cues, and I listen when there’s a new person or an understudy. You can’t listen every night. You’d go crazy.”

In 1997, Dummitt became head carpenter for the Shubert Organization’s Lyceum Theatre, and later transferred into the Shubert’s Belasco Theatre as head carpenter, a role he currently holds. He oversees the members of the carpenter department at the Belasco during load-ins, production runs and load-outs of a show. Then when that theatre goes dark between shows, he returns to his position at Phantom.

During load-ins, Dummitt and his crew assemble set pieces envisioned by the set designer and built at union scenic shops. If needed, the carpenter crew can be called on to build additional scenic elements on site as required by the design. They collaborate with electricians, props staff, actors and directors and develop carpenter and stagehand cues for the production. He clocks long days during this part of a show: a week’s pay stub has been known to show 92 hours worked.

FFF


Once the show has opened, his schedule lightens, dropping to 32 to 36 hours a week, or about 4.5 hours for each of the seven to eight shows a week. He memorizes his cues, responds to the slight variations that occur in live perfor-mances and ensures that set movement, curtain drops and scene changes all go smoothly.

Eventually, his least favorite part of his job arrives.

“I hate the last performance because everything you do will be for the last time,” says Dummitt, who hopes to be retired before that day comes for Phantom. “The last time you move the set, the last time you open the door, the last time you drop the curtain. There’s such a finality.”

Then, it’s load-out. Dummitt and his crew strip the stage, again leaving three bare walls—an empty space for the next production to fill with new characters, sets and situations.

AT CURTAIN:

It’s 1969. GEORGE is wearing a grad-uation cap and gown and has just graduated from SUNY Oswego. He addresses the audience, answering the question about his future plans.

GEORGE

So I started going to “work parties” on Saturday mornings at the campus theatre. We’d build the scenery for an upcoming show on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings. And I found a whole group of people who I really liked, and who liked what I was doing. It was the opening of a whole new way to go. But I still got my degree in psychology because that seemed like a good thing to do. I first thought that after graduation maybe I’ll go into the theatre. But, no. It’s way too risky a business. It won’t take care of my wife and children.

[GEORGE takes off the cap and gown, and the scene changes into a dormitory hallway at the University of Buffalo.]

Now, I’m working as a head resident advisor in Tower dorm as I earn my master’s in student personnel and counseling for higher education. I figure someday I’ll run student housing or a counseling center on a college campus. One day I’m walking down the hallway when…

[The lights flicker. GEORGE stares at the lights and freezes.]

VOICE OF REASON

George, what are you doing here? You have no wife. You have no children. What are you doing here?

GEORGE

I am on the Road to Damascus, as I like to think of it, and realize I was planning on people who didn’t exist. I am worried about providing for people who I didn’t have to care for yet. I finish my degree in counseling, because it never hurts to have a master’s in your pocket, and decide to give this theatre stuff a try.

[END OF SCENE]


The jump from a career in coun-seling to theatre wasn’t Dummitt’s

first dramatic conversion. Raised Jewish, he became a Mennonite in seventh grade after attending some workshops and recreational programs sponsored by young Mennonite men who were doing alternative service in lieu of military service during the Vietnam War. The Mennonites taught Dummitt about ham radios and, more importantly, intro-duced him to the craft of carpentry.

His skills in woodworking and repairing things landed 16-year-old Dummitt a summer job as a carpenter at Manhattan General Hospital, where his mother worked as an administrative assistant. He decided he would study industrial arts at SUNY Oswego, which he says “was the industrial arts college at the time.” But the following summer—the summer before he came to Oswego, Dummitt transitioned from being a carpenter to a job in the drug addiction detox center at the hospital. The experi-ence at the rehab center prompted him to write to Oswego and change his major from IA to psychology.

While he has never used his coun-seling and psychology degrees profes-sionally, he says he probably draws on them every day.

Perhaps his counseling background helped him secure one of his most impor-tant roles in his life—that of a husband and father of four: Joanna, 35, working on a doctorate at UC Santa Cruz; David, 33, a speechwriter for Bloomberg Inc.; and 23-year-old identical twins, Jared, a research analyst at a New York City law firm who is applying to law schools, and Morgan, a professional sculptor.

He met his wife, Susan, during an opening night party for The Rink, starring Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera. Susan, a social worker, attended the event as a guest of a good friend who worked at a fashion house that had a relationship with Minnelli.

“There’s no reason in the world we should have met—except that we were supposed to,” Dummitt says. “I said the five hardest words a man can say to a woman, ‘Would you like to dance.’ She said yes and I brought her home that night in a taxi with 50 balloons from the party trailing behind us. Three years later, we married.”

Throughout their marriage, the Dummitts have supported each other’s careers and interests. George helped raise awareness and support for AIDS—a career focus for Susan for many years—by representing Phantom in the annual AIDS Walk NY, participating in Broad-way’s Annual Easter Bonnet Competi-tion and offering backstage “Tours with George” in exchange for a donation that benefits an AIDS charity.

Susan, in turn, developed a tradition of giving George an opening night gift tailored to the show.

“She expends a certain amount of creative energy in pursuit of the opening night gift,” George says, with a smile. Among his favorites are the ruby red slippers and flying monkey T-shirt he received and wore during opening night of Over the Rainbow, a retelling of the last months of Judy Garland’s life, and a small stuffed buffalo with a one-year certificate of adoption of a wildlife buffalo for the opening of David Mamet’s American Buffalo.

AT CURTAIN:

Present day. GEORGE in his jeans and T-shirt stands on stage at Belasco, with fellow crew members, as they run through set, lighting and sound cues during pre-show. House manager STEPHANIE WALLIS approaches the stage from the house. GEORGE sees where she’s heading and calls out to her.

GEORGE

Careful, Stephanie. The stairs will be moving on the next cue.

[STEPHANIE adjusts her positioning, just as a set of stairs slides out from beneath the stage into the house.]

TECHNICAL CREW MEMBER

[To GEORGE, lightly]

So, they’re going to put you on the cover of a magazine? Wow, it must be a slow news day.

[Other crew members join in the good-natured heckling. GEORGE shakes his head and smiles.]

GEORGE

Yeah, I know, I know.

[END OF SCENE]

Within the Belasco Theatre, everyone knows Dummitt

and Dummitt knows everyone. Within the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local One, the oldest and highly respected entertainment union in the country, Dummitt is also well-known.

“I represent 3,200 members, but I know George personally,” says James Claffey Jr., president of IATSE Local One. “He’s in the front row at every union meeting, and he mentors new members and gives them our history.”

Claffey recruited Dummitt to serve on the Broadway negotiating committee because he is “credible and well-respected with union employees as well as the employers on the other side of the table.”

In 2007, a Local One strike closed down Broadway for 19 days, and Dummitt came up with the “We are One” slogan and helped keep the members’ spirits up, Claffey says.

“He is a master carpenter, a great collaborator, and his work ethic is nothing short of excellent,” Claffey says. “We’re lucky to have him.”

Faculty and alumni of the Oswego theatre department share that sentiment as well.

“I consider George to be the most important theatre alumnus Oswego has graduated,” says John Mincher, a retired technical theatre professor who helped found the department in the 1960s. “He is an amazing carpenter and a very caring person. He single-handedly established an annual breakfast reunion for technical and design alumni in New York City that evolved into the annual theatre reunion that is still held today. He set up back-stage tours of Broadway theatres for our students and faculty, and he helped open doors for Oswego alumni.”

Dummitt has also established two endowed funds at Oswego: George Dummitt ’69 Resident Assistant Fund to support resident assistants with finan-cial need and the George Dummitt ’69 Technical Theatre Fund, which enables the department to bring to campus high-profile theatre professionals to speak in classes and to purchase materials and equipment beyond what the shrinking state budget allows.

In addition to the funding, Theatre Professor Kitty Macey says Dummitt has

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contributed to the department in ways that no amount of funding could. He uses his personal connections to share his peers’ professional work with students and to help Oswego alumni get their foot in the door, which is often the hardest part of making it in New York.

“He is just an amazing man,” Macey says. “He has been instrumental in helping so many people do so many things. He is a very generous person. He goes out of his way to support his alma mater.”

Through Dummitt’s efforts, the Oswego theatre department has copies of all the blueprints and plans for the Broadway production of Big River and the costume “bible” for Golden Boy, including 2014 Tony nominated designer Catherine Zuber’s sketches, fabric swatches, photos from the fittings of each character, charts for dressers, everything that costume professionals in New York City would need to costume a show.

True to his backstage style, Dummitt is quick to redirect the attention.

“Oswego led me to this very fulfilling life,” he says. “I feel that I owe Oswego. When I’m presented with the opportu-nity, it’s my responsibility to give back.” l

AT CURTAIN:

GEORGE stands off stage as the cast takes their bows at curtain call. The lead characters turn toward the wings and beckon GEORGE onto the stage. The cast separates to clear out center stage for GEORGE. He looks out into the audience to see generations of SUNY Oswego faculty, students and alumni giving him a well-deserved standing ovation.

[CURTAIN FALLS.]

GEORGE DUMMITT

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 225 pounds

Hair: Silver gray

Eyes: Blue

Age: 66

Education: Bachelor’s in psychology, SUNY Oswego, 1969; master’s in student personnel and counseling for higher education, University of Buffalo, 1971

Role: Head carpenter

Venue: Belasco Theatre, Shubert Organization

Other Credits: SUNY Oswego Distinguished Alumnus Award, 1990; Commencement Eve Torchlight Speaker, 1992; George Dummitt ’69 Resident Assistant Fund; George Dummitt ’69 Technical Theatre Fund

Special Skills: Carpentry, collaboration, leadership, philan-thropy, mentoring

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In the technical world of stagecraft, where specialists give substance to the designer’s vision, artistic tradi-

tions meet and mingle with practical skills.

While the audience perceives enchantment, Abby Rodd ’96, produc-tion manager since 2008 of Glimmer-glass Festival in Cooperstown, N.Y., sees reality: 2,000 pounds of pig iron to coun-terbalance scenery; solidly constructed sets that won’t crash beneath the weight of actors or a goat added to props; complex electrical design to support sound and lighting, and much more.

Rodd’s schedule on a typical pre-season day includes two tech rehearsals; meetings with the artistic director, team leaders, directors and other key people; and lots of roaming. “Part of my job is to make sure all 120 people on the produc-tion team know what I know,” Rodd says. “With four shows in repertoire throughout the summer, a thousand

decisions must be made to meet the chal-lenges of logistics.”

Rodd often must speak as the voice of reason, something she learned from Jon Vermilye ’66, a great mentor and former technical coordinator and professor at Oswego, she says. “He would walk into the most chaotic situation on a set, and suddenly, there would be calm. I try to be that voice. I try hard not to say ‘no,’ and to offer solutions instead of additional problems.”

Offering solutions has also been the main goal of Bob Frame ’77 who, as immediate past president of the Theatre Association of New York State, has shared his Oswego education with more than 50 non-professional groups statewide; represented TANYS on regional and national boards and served as technical director of the national organization’s festival in 2011. His association with the group began in 1976, when he and other Oswego students performed at its annual festival competition. By the next year, he

was stage manager for the festival and now serves as its technical director.

As a “department of one” at Cayuga Community College, where he is director of theatre operations and producer/director of the student drama club, Harle-quin Productions, Frame encourages students to learn all aspects of theater. “Oswego allowed me the freedom to explore,” he says, noting that he was cast in a main stage show as a freshman even before he changed his major from computer science to theatre.

Later, when he couldn’t decide whether to accept a leading role or serve as props master, his Oswego mentor and former theatrical carpenter and professor at Oswego, Ken Stone ’68, asked him if he wanted to become an actor or a tech-nician. “His question made me evaluate who I was and what career path I would follow. I chose the props master,” Frame says, noting that the decision set him on the path to his multi-faceted career. l


Bob Frame ’77 designed the lighting for Merry-Go-Round Playhouse’s production of Little Shop of Horrors (left). Cayuga Community College’s production of Knuckles (below) included a lot of Oswego alumni talent, including costume designer Allison Fennessy ’99 M’04, director Bob Frame ’77 and actors Miranda Coll ’14 (lower left in gray sweater), Tarin Bonvino ’14 (upper left in pumpkin-colored skirt) and Brien Bianchi ’14 (far right in white blouse and white glasses).

Stagecraft Behind the MagicStagecraft Behind the Magic


Michelle Gore ’95 helps grown men transform into rhinoc-eroses eight times a week.

“Actors can pretend to be a rhino or a hyena, but the complete change into character comes when they put their costume on,” Gore says.

As a dresser for the Broadway musical Lion King, she is responsible for pre-setting the costumes, including the 100+-pound rhino; ensuring that they are sanitary for actors, maintaining the integrity of their appearance and helping the actors into and out of the costumes.

Gore is one of many Oswego alumni who have found steady, well-paying careers in costuming in New York City. These individuals help bring to life char-acters not only for audience members, but also for the actors.

Julia Kulaya ’13 had no problem landing her first job immediately after graduation as a costume and wardrobe assistant at the Two River Theater in New Jersey. She discovered the diversity of roles in costume work, which includes not only designers, but also buyers, builders, stitchers, fitters, dressers and shop managers.

Equally enjoyable are the range of characters that costumers fit. Fashion

designer Elias Gutierrez ’09 remembers making frantic phone calls to Costume Professor Kitty Macey as he searched for swatches of fabric that he didn’t recog-nize during his first job in a costume shop. She talked Gutierrez through the crisis, and he eventually found success making giant cupcake costumes with pool-noodle sprinkles and gumdrop hats for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Today, in addition to working at a high-end fashion design company, Gutierrez makes time to design costumes and gowns for drag queens.

“When people put on a costume, their whole personality and mannerisms change,” Gutierrez says. “People will act differently as a cupcake than they will in a sultry evening gown. That’s what I love about it.”

And like many profes-s ions , i t ’ s constant ly evolving—from new fiber-optic fabrics to visible quick changes in full light, as seen in Cinderella’s on-stage transformation.

“It’s amazing what you can do with strings and magnets,” Gutierrez says.

Macey says she wants her students to understand how costumes support the vision of the director as well, and how details matter—the symbolism carried by adding a white headband to Jesus in a modern telling of Godspell, for example.

“It’s amazing the level and depth that goes into costume design,” Macey says. “Costume designs have to complement the set design and not interfere with body mics, so it’s a very collaborative process. And it’s one of the final things that an actor gets to add to the character. The costume is the final piece that pulls it all together.” l


Top Kenny Eng '11, Theatre Professor Kitty Macey, Darren Logan Jordan Robinson ’13 and Costume and Wardrobe Assistant Julia Kulaya '13 recon-nect during a NYC-area Oswego theatre alumni mini-reunion in June.

Fashion designer Elias Gutierrez '09 hand sews a couture gown for a private client. Right is the original rendering he made of that dress. At right, Gutierrez, as drag queen Nina York, and Miss Fame show off the custom attire of Gutierrez.

Michelle Gore ’95

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Costumers Add the Finishing TouchCostumers Add the Finishing Touch


The Right Actor for the Right Role

K2 Casting, the multi-purpose studio of

Kevin Kennison ’82, is the logical outgrowth of his varied career.

As a theater profes-sional and a faculty member at several academic institu-tions—including his alma mater and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts— as well as through his involvement in major New York City

acting studios and the Walt Disney Company, Kennison developed skills in identi-fying and mentoring gifted actors.

“I started K2 Casting to formalize my years of experience in areas of acting instruction, nurturing new talent and procuring talent for future Broadway and national touring replacements,” Kennison says. “I’ve garnered a reputation as a professional in whom old-school training meets new-world ideas and practices.”

The casting company is designed to help connect directors and producers with the best available talent for their projects in theater, film, television and new media. Through K2 Casting, Kennison designs workshops specifically to meet the needs of clients—including corporate entities using drama for staff devel-

opment and team building—and classes for performers.

“I’ve worn many hats,” Kennison says. “I was encouraged at Oswego to explore all areas of theater. I had firsthand experi-ences in acting major roles, directing my own show, teaching workshops and partici-pating in apprenticeships. Faculty members gave me opportunities and supported my projects in and out of the classroom.” l


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A train passes by, a ship gets repaired, glass breaks, a band rocks out and an actor

whispers an aside to the audience. If all goes well, audience members won’t think about—or even be aware of—the mechanics behind the sound.

“You work so hard to not be noticed,” says two-time Tony Award-winning Broadway sound designer Brian Ronan ’84. “If I’m doing my job, the sound will be appropriate to what’s going on, and the audience will get caught up in the action on stage.

“In American Idiot, we have a kick drum driving through your chest so you can really rock out,” Ronan says. “In Cabaret, we try to make you feel like you’re in a 1929 German night club by using natural amplification. But the sound designer’s main goal is to make sure that everyone can hear everything clearly.”

While the main goal of a sound designer hasn’t changed much, the methods and audience expectations have.

When Tom Morse ’74 started sound design for Broadway shows nearly four

decades ago, the prop man would slam doors, break glass or fire dummy guns off-stage.

“Everything was done live,” Morse says. “Today, most of the sounds are taped. Technology has changed a lot.”

For example, instead of manually gauging acoustics within a theatre and relying on math and physics calculations, 21st-century sound designers have a wealth of computer programs and software to assess acoustics and map out sound within a theatre.

Morse also says audience members and theatre professionals have higher expectations about sound.

“And for $135 a ticket, I guess they should,” says Morse, who attends profes-sional development courses and manu-facturers’ workshops to stay abreast of the latest technology.

What audience members hear is only part of a sound designer’s work.

Most Broadway musicals have a closed-circuit video system with six or seven different cameras so that the stage manager can see everything and ensure safety during the elaborate scene transitions and set piece moves. Body microphones are hidden within wigs or costumes. Stagehands and crew members communicate behind the scenes on head-sets or two-way radios.

Success in sound design requires collaboration with lighting and set design, costumes and wigs, stage crew and the director.

“It all comes down to real estate within the theatre: location, location, location,” Ronan says. “We all want the same space. Can we hang a speaker there or does the lighting designer want to hang a light there? Does the set design

want to use this space?”But that’s where their

Oswego training kicks in, Morse says.

“I was taught how to approach design—all kinds of design—at Oswego,” he says. “That is something I use today and helps me work with other designers.”

And Ronan says his Oswego connections helped him thrive in New York.

“Tom Morse turned me on to sound design,” Ronan says. “He opened the door for me.”

Cue the door-opening sound. That’s the sound of success for Oswego alumni. l



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Let’s say the script calls for a moonlit tryst to end at dawn with the execution of the lovers. The

challenge is to move the audience from euphoria to grief, show the passage of night and create chaos out of tranquility all in a few moments. Teamwork kicks in, and the challenges are met through the collaboration of people with artistic concerns and those with technical skills.

“There are no soloists,” says Suzayn MacKenzie-Roy ’08, who has returned to Oswego as facilities manager following three years on tour as stage manager with Fiddler on the Roof and as star liaison for Mike Tyson’s Undisputed Truth. “Theatre is a collaborative art. We all ask ourselves, ‘How do you tell the story?’” she says.

“Once the creative team steps aside, it’s time for us technical people to make it happen,” explains Oswego Theatre Department’s electronics specialist, Greg Brewster ’05, who worked on national tours of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and the 25th anniversary production

of Les Miserables. “We need to create that magical moment for the audience members without their ever being aware of our work.”

MacKenzie-Roy mentions Oswego’s spring 2014 production of Young Fran-kenstein, in which a panel drops down and the action continues in front of it. “Nobody sees the hectic costume and prop changes, the swirl of activity going on behind that panel,” she says. MacKenzie-Roy and Brewster say they are teaching at their alma mater because they want to nurture the next genera-tion of Oswego theatre students in a program that encourages exploration and promotes teamwork and trust.

Rebekkah Meixner-Hanks ’00 also shares Oswego’s legacy. She is a professor at Indiana University Southeast, where she is chair of the theatre department and resident scenic and lighting designer. With a long list of credits for dozens of shows in key regional theaters, she says every company is different, but any

successful production calls for constant communication among artistic and tech-nical teams. She attributes her success—including a full scholarship to the University of Louisville for an MFA and her career at IU—to her undergraduate experience at Oswego.

Meixner-Hanks names a litany of mentors: Kitty Macey, Mark Cole ’73, the late Ron Medici, Jon Vermilye ’66, Bill Stark ’68 and Johan Godwaldt. “It was Johan who was hell bent on giving us a graduate-level education at an under-graduate school,” she says. “I have reaped the benefits of that philosophy, and I have modeled my program on what worked so well at Oswego.”

As for bringing the script to life on the stage? Brewster sums up the tech team’s overriding goal: “The suspension of disbelief—that’s what we work for,” he says. l


At right, retired theatre professors Bill Stark '66, Mark Cole '73 and John Mincher share some laughs during a NYC-area Oswego theatre alumni mini-reunion in June.

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Modernization of Waterman Theatre Marks First Step in Tyler Renovation

Contractors have been working since the end of spring 2014 semester on the first phase of

renovations that will make Tyler Hall a premier home for Oswego’s fine and performing arts program. The curtain has fallen on the 1968 version of Waterman Theatre and will rise in spring 2016 for the debut of an accessible facility with modern seating, lighting and media.

“The bones of the theatre are great,” says Theatre Department Professor and Chair Jessica Hester. “The upgrades to Waterman will give our technical and design students experience on the equip-ment used in professional theatres. We can’t wait to show off our fabulous new facilities.”

“The Waterman makeover sets the stage for future upgrades in the remaining sections of Tyler Hall,” says Fritz Messere ’71 M’76, dean of the Oswego School of Communication, Media and the Arts. Subsequent phases are

contingent upon the allocation of funding from New York State.

The renovations will provide a two-story music rehearsal hall that doubles as a small-performance venue, façade improvements, new entrances and elevator, expanded box office, larger art gallery, a digital media lab and recording studio, and a wide, welcoming lobby. In the interim, a theatre in the round has been set up in Hewitt Union for some performances, and events will be held in venues across campus and throughout the city.

Dr. Julie Pretzat, associate dean of SCMA, quotes the motto used by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art during renovations: “Closed for construction, but more open than ever!” to define the resourceful scheduling by campus theatre, music and art departments and by Arts-wego, which coordinates a performing arts series for campus and community.

New performance spaces could generate increased excitement and larger audi-ences, Pretzat says.

Messere expects the new facili-ties—particularly the music rehearsal hall—coupled with outstanding faculty, to attract incoming students who are as talented as alumni who preceded them and to maintain Oswego’s long-standing reputation as a premier college for arts education.

“The $22.2 million phase I project initiates what we intend to be a complete enhancement, including moving all communication studies and graphic design programs to a reimagined space in what is now Hewitt Union,” Messere says. “My goal is to combine visual communica-tion, multimedia communication and the fine and performing arts in one vibrant arts district on campus.”


An architects’ renderings depict the inside of Waterman Theatre and a new rehearsal and small recital space (below) follow-ing the planned renovation of Tyler Hall. Many other new and improved features are included in the $22.2 million rejuvenation of the 46-year-old building.

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Dr. Jerry J. Rosenberg ’55 of Sewell, N.J., is still practicing as a psy-choanalyst, and is enjoying watching the accomplishments of his children and his grandchildren. He remem-bers fondly his time as president of the Student Recreation Association and contracting with band leader Woody Herman for the 1953 Spring Gala Concert Dance. He encourages his Oswego classmates to reconnect with him.

M. Catherine Richardson ’63 was recently appointed to the advi-sory board for M&T Bank of Central New York Region.

Col. John D. Alexander ’64 is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and lives in Florida with his wife, Gail Bielby Alexander ’64. He belonged to Delta Kappa Kappa.

Joe Bena ’64 of Alplaus, N.Y., retired from 50 years coaching high school wrestling, including 35 years at Niskayuna High School and 11 years at his most recent position at Duanesburg High School. He retired from teaching industrial arts at Nis-kayuna in 2001. His coaching career included a future Olympic gold medalist, 37 state place finishers, 25 league titles, 17 sectional team titles, three team sportsmanship awards and inclusion in numerous halls of fame, including the National Wres-tling Coaches Hall of Fame in Still-water, Okla., and the Oswego Ath-letic Hall of Fame in 2008.

Mary Ann Bellamy Galandak ’64 was a member of the math club and remembers SUNY Oswego as the best four years of her life. She earned a master’s degree in math education and married Robert S. Galandak ’64. They live in West-minster, Md., and have three chil-dren and six grandchildren.

Donovan Russell ’64 published his first book, Choosing a Career in International Development: A Guide to the Professions of Interna-tional Development. He drew from his experiences working in the U.S., Canada, Africa, Asia and the Mid-dle East to provide advice on how to enjoy a meaningful and success-ful career in international develop-ment. He lives with his wife, Carol, in Moravia, N.Y.

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Call us at: 315-312-2258Email us at: [email protected] us at: 315-312-5570Visit our website at:alumni.oswego.eduClass Notes

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Communicating through Lens, Language and StoriesNever sure where life would take him, Frank Semmens ’64 M’68 found direction through travel and education. Now, he is celebrat-ing 25 years of suc-cessful business with Translation Services International in Naples, Fla., which helps com-panies translate their

documents into more than 30 languages.An Oswego native, Semmens says his

first immersion in another language was U.S. Navy service in Puerto Rico after high school. However, what “set the founda-tion” of his Spanish comprehension was a talented teacher during his undergraduate years at Oswego.

With a B.A. in psychology, Semmens spent two years in Bolivia with the Peace Corps, and briefly built rat mazes as a research assistant at the University of Toronto. Unfulfilled, he returned to Oswego for an M.A. in British and

American Literature. This exposure to great fiction inspired Semmens to write creatively.

The degree landed him a job teaching English and Spanish at Mexico Academy and Central School in Mexico, N.Y., and then English composition at Genesee Community College in Batavia, N.Y. He got his students excited about composition with an assignment to write and film their own scripts. Semmens enjoyed this so much that he took a summer filmmaking course at Syracuse University. He pursued a Ph.D. in documentary filmmaking at Temple University, but dropped it in favor of making documentaries with PBS.

“It would have been nice to get a Ph.D. for my parents’ sake, but it wouldn’t have advanced my career at all,” he says.

From 1971-73, he made 30 documen-taries, and in 1975, he formed his own film company, Image Productions.

In 1980, he made a film about Mohawk culture on the St. Regis Reservation. The documentary focused on Mary Adams, the last of the traditional

basket makers. “Mohawk Basketmaking: A Social Profile” won a CINE “Golden Eagle” Award. With cuts to arts programs in the mid-1980s and the difficulty in securing grants for documentaries, Semmens went on to produce and direct industrial films.

His next career came by coincidence. While working as a freelance video edi-tor and producer for Eastman Kodak, a manager overheard Semmens speaking Spanish with Venezuelan technicians, and asked him if he could translate. Although Semmens had never worked as a profes-sional translator, he saw an opportunity before him.

“I immediately said yes,” he recalls. That 1989 Kodak job was the begin-

ning of Translation Services International LLC (www.translationservicesinterna-tional.com). Semmens is still active in his business, and is planning a transition to writing full-time. He is working on finding the right voice for his stories; and he does have many stories to tell.

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Janet Schell Montford ’67 loved Dr. Weicha’s German class. At Oswego, she was an RA in Riggs and a member of the symphonic choir. She lives in Sackets Harbor, N.Y., with her husband, Robert Montford.

Donald Goodness ’70 of Oswego is a teacher at Mexico (N.Y.) Academy and Central School.

Dr. Martha Grout, and family live in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he serves as consulting hypnotist at the Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine.

Ronald Charney ’71 is enjoy-ing retired life in Johnstown, N.Y. He stays busy restoring and show-ing his antique class cars. He invites his SUNY Oswego friends to contact him and reconnect.

Patricia Bassen Figarola ’71 of Little Silver, N.J., is a second grade teacher. She enjoys sailing, art, pho-tography and decorating, and is planning her first cruise. She has one child with her husband, Donald Figarola.

Dave Neal ’71 and Christine Curtis Neal ’71 have both enjoyed successful careers in teaching gifted

students since moving to Florida one year after graduation. Dave coached high school football until his retirement in 2009, and also was a key contributor to two Florida Half Century (50 and older) slow pitch softball teams that won state championships. Chris teaches junior high gifted math students and was honored as Clay County Teacher of the Year. The couple has three chil-dren and two grandchildren.

Frederick Bieber ’72 was recently appointed to the first-ever National Commission on Forensic Science by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Commerce. The Har-vard University professor was fea-tured in the Winter 2014 issue of the OSWEGO Alumni Magazine for

James McCarthy ’70 is a supreme court justice for the New York State Supreme Court in Oswego County. He and his wife, Pauline, live in Oswego. They have four children and one grandchild.

Steven Swerdfeger ’70, Ph.D., owner of Star Cloud Press, paid tribute to Lewis Turco, professor emeritus and founder of the SUNY Oswego Writing Arts Program, by publishing a collection of his for-mer professor’s poetry in celebra-tion of Turco’s 80th birthday, May 2, 2014. The Familiar Stranger begins with a section of Oswego poems that explore life in the city and col-lege by Lake Ontario. Other sections are Talismans, Urban Myths and The Stranger’s Songs. Swerdfeger, his wife,

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Changing Lives and Discovering Beauty in Kenya“Why haven’t you responded?” asked a friend, who had invited Susan Feola Wain ’69 to join a 2002 humanitarian mission to Kenya.

Wain had not received the invitation, but she says something clicked, and she declared, “I’m going.”

With that, Wain made a commitment to children who live 9,340 miles from the Scottsdale, Ariz., home she shares with her husband, Leonard, and their blended

family. Wain has traveled to Kenya four times, assisting at the Nyumbani Orphanage for children with HIV; teaching at Soweto Academy and St. Vincent de Paul Nursery and Rescue Center in Kibera; clearing land and planting at a facility for children with handicapping conditions; hiking a mile and a half over rough terrain to teach science to Maasai girls and boys and—an important component—learning to love the beauty of Africa.

“We go to help,” Wain explains, “but the volunteer organization doesn’t want us to leave with only negative images.” Wain has experienced the African Safari, been up close and personal with a family of moun-tain gorillas and celebrated her 60th birth-day wading in an Indian Ocean tidal pool.

As a volunteer with the Denver-based Kenyan Children Foundation, Wain has seen progress each time she returns. More children at Nyumbani, the orphanage of her first mission, are thriving, for example, since drugs have extended the lives of those who are HIV-positive.

Wain, who retired in March as a senior vice president of claims at Scottsdale Insurance Company, is an advocate for professional advancement for women. A Spanish major at Oswego, Wain moved with a sorority sister from Pi Delta Chi

after graduation to New York City, where she was hired by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company.

“I was at the right place at the right time,” Wain says of joining what had been a male-dominated business.

Responding to her positive SUNY Oswego experiences and subsequent career success, Wain has established a scholarship for an outstanding upper division business major at Oswego. She is also part of a group raising funds for the building of a dormitory at a day school outside Nairobi.

One evening, during group reflection on her 2014 Kenyan mission, Wain said it might be her last trip. No one believed her.

“I could make it my finale,” Wain says. “But I’d like to be there for the dedication of the dormitory. And, there are students I’d like to follow up with. And … well, there is always more to be done for the children of Kenya.”

As a person who loves to travel and is hardwired to help others, Wain says she’s grateful for her friend’s follow-up invita-tion in 2002, and she’s glad that, with no hesitation and a lot of faith, she responded, “I’m going.”


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With her friend, Christy Miller, Susan Feola Wain ’69 teaches a group of Kibera children at the St. Vincent de Paul Nursery and Rescue Center outside Nairobi.

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his accomplishments in the field of genetics and forensics.

Heraldo Munoz ’72 is Chile’s minister of foreign affairs under President Michelle Bachelet. His book, Getting Away With Murder, was featured in “The Last Word” column of the spring 2014 issue of OSWEGO Alumni Magazine.

Steven Strange ’72 was selected as a corresponding member of the North American Academy of the Spanish Language. His article “A Word on Language and Transla-tion” and several of his Spanish poems have been published. Steven is the coeditor of the forthcoming first volume of the North American Academy of the Spanish Language.

Kathleen Tuohy Toms ’72 has lived and traveled in Zambia, Malawi, Swaziland, Malaysia, the U.K. and the U.S. since her gradua-tion from Oswego. She met her hus-band, Andrew Toms, in Zambia, and they now live in the U.S. They have three children and six grandchil-dren. She earned a Ph.D. at the Uni-versity of Albany. She is the founder and director of Research Works Inc. At Oswego, Kathleen was a member of Arethusa and lived in Cayuga Hall.

Michael Brody ’73 of Philadel-phia recently became chief executive officer of the Mental Health Associa-tion of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Ed Garsten ’73 is head of digi-tal media for Chrysler. He credits his time with SUNY Oswego’s on-campus radio station with putting him on the career course of com-munications. He lives with his wife, Susan Russell Garsten ’73, in West Bloomfield, Mich.

Bonnie Gorczyca Wyckoff ’73 of Lawrenceville, Ga., is retired from her position as rehabilitation coun-selor for Rome Developmental Dis-abilities Services Office.

Janice Borstelmann McGoey ’76 married Charles McGoey on Jan. 12. Their wedding took place in Florida. Janice works as an account clerk typist for the town of River-head, N.Y.

Richard Wolf ’76 is execu-tive vice president of The Switch, a sports video broadcast service. He is on the board of directors of NYC Outward Bound Schools and the Emma Bowen Foundation. He lives in Massapequa, N.Y., with his wife, Marie Latrenta Wolf ’77.

Jeff Stage ’77 wrote a mystery novel, Chasing Jenny: A Philatelic Mystery. The novel features scenes that take place in Oswego County and Syracuse.

Errol B. Taylor ’77 of Princ-eton, N.J., was elected president of the Young Scholars’ Institute Board of Trustees. Errol is a partner of Mil-bank Hadley Tweed and McCloy, a multinational law firm based in New York City. He has two sons with his wife, Paula.

Mark Wegerski ’77 owns Rhett, a 13-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding that won the 2013 Grand Prix National Dressage Champion-ship. Mark resides on his farm in Lexington, Ky.

Marco Ellman ’79 is the owner and president of Ellman Realty Advisors Inc. He lives in Larchmont, N.Y.

Abe Kleinfeld ’79 became CEO of GridGain Systems in Emerald Hills, Calif., in December 2013. He holds a bachelor’s degree in com-puter science from Oswego.

Brian Walsh ’80 recently retired from Altmar Parish William-stown (N.Y.) High School after 33 years of teaching American history and coaching varsity wrestling and golf. He works as an adjunct profes-sor and supervisor of student teach-ers at SUNY Oswego. Brian would love to hear from his fellow college friends from 1977-80.

Linda Cohn ’81, former wom-en's ice hockey student-athlete and current ESPN SportsCenter anchor, has been recognized in the NCAA III’s 40-In-40 Project, an initiative celebrating the 40th anniversary of Division III college sports by pro-filing former student-athletes who

exemplify the division's attributes: Proportion, Comprehensive Learn-ing, Passion, Responsibility, Sports-manship and Citizenship. Read the profile at www.ncaa.com. A member of the CableFAX Programming Hall of Fame and the Oswego Athletics Hall of Fame, Cohn has returned to campus often to meet with students and speak at special events, includ-ing the Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit, which she moder-ated in 2006.

Fred Festa ’81 was chosen by the Blue Ridge Council of the Boy Scouts of America as the 2014 Patron Dinner Honoree. He owns the minor league Greenville (S.C.) Road Warriors hockey team, an affil-iate of the New York Rangers.

Stephen Barone ’82 is a senior compliance manager for U.S. Bank. He studied communications at Oswego. He has one child with his wife, Lucy, in Ronkonkoma, N.Y.

Joseph Coughlin ’82 is using his research on demographics and social change to provide insight to

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William Seymour ’79 Named President of Cleveland State Community CollegeWilliam Seymour ’79 began his tenure in January as the sixth president of Cleveland State Community College in Cleveland, Tenn.

He says it is an exciting time to be leading a com-munity college and helping expand access to higher education to a diverse pool of students.

He says his Oswego experience helped him make two major decisions about his future. “I learned at Oswego that I loved the college environment, so I made it my life’s work,” he says. The second major decision about his life was to avoid a cold climate after graduation. “I have been living down south ever since,” he says.

He had previously served as vice president for institutional advancement at Jackson State Community College in Jackson, Tenn., and as president of Lambuth University in Jackson for

two years until he helped it transition into a branch campus for the University of Memphis in 2011. He also was a vice president for administrative services and dean of students dur-ing his time at Maryville (Tenn.) College and held administrative roles at Wesley College in Delaware, Austin College in Texas, and the University of Missouri-Columbia. He also taught

as an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville in 2004.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychol-ogy at Oswego, a master’s of education degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a Ph.D. in higher and adult education from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He also attended the Harvard University Institute for Educational Management.


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the current workforce. His recent article “A Survival Guide to Work-ing with Millennials” advises older generations on how to make the best of working with millennials in the workplace.

Tracey Heimburg Costanzo ’83 helped organize one of the larg-est 5K events with more than 6,100 participants in the CEA Turkey Trot in 2013. She lives in Lambert-ville, N.J., with her husband, John Costanzo ’83.

Joanne Almanzi ’84 is a teacher in Syracuse, N.Y. At Oswego, she was a member of Phi Lambda Phi Sorority.

Mar tha Asselin ’84 was appointed by the SUNY Board of Trustees to serve as acting president at Schenectady County Commu-nity College. Her appointment will be effective for one year or until a successor is selected. She is the vice president of student affairs at SCCC.

Brian Lynch ’84 lives in Kato-nah, N.Y., and is a manager of global

lotus notes deployment for IBM Corporation.

Kevin McCluskey ’84 is a soft-ware sales manager for IBM Corpo-ration in Massachusetts. During his time at Oswego, Kevin was a mem-ber of Psi Phi Gamma, WTOP-TV, Student Association and the Off Campus Association.

Stephanie Lorenz Capaccio ’85 of Avondale, Pa., was elected to the board of directors of Susan G. Koman Philadelphia. She is a certi-fied senior professional of human

resources and is director of associate relations at Wawa.

Tom Ericson ’85 of Plano, Texas, is vice president of sales for EiS Technologies Inc.

Robert E. Moritz ’85 of Thorn-wood, N.Y., was recently interviewed by Forbes on the topics of leadership and financial literacy. He is chair-man and senior partner of Pricewa-terhouseCoopers LLP.

Mar k Tr yniski ’85 w a s appointed chairman of the board at ConMed Corp. He has been CEO

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Visual Art Becomes ‘Obsession’ for Alumnus Who Was a Math MajorOswego seemed exotic to Mahmoud Hamadani ’81, who arrived from Iran in the late 1970s to study mathematics—exotic and foreboding. Dropped in front of Culkin Hall in a blizzard, he followed shadow-like figures through the snow to Cayuga Hall.

“I could not see more than a few feet ahead,” he recalls. “It took 15 minutes for a five-minute walk. But, since I had no idea how far I was going, it still feels like the

longest walk of my life.” At Oswego, Hamadani says, he matured

and became acclimated to America. “The college provided a supportive environment, not just academically, but also culturally.”

As Hamadani was learning from Americans, his colleagues were learning from him. Lisa Court ’83 says she won-dered how he and other Iranian students would react to being in a potentially hostile environment during the 1980 Iran hostage

crisis. “Mahmoud was not intimidated,” she recalls. “He wore a button that said, ‘Question Authority.’ He challenged us to think and not to simply accept what the media, the classroom and our government told us.”

Hamadani earned a master’s degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1992 and had a brief career as a political adviser with the United Nations in Afghanistan before discover-ing his passion for art. His work is in the

permanent collection of the British Museum and was exhibited at the New Museum of Contemporary Art and New York University and in private galleries. He is a recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant.

“I discovered art by acci-dent,” Hamadani says. “I start-ed drawing to give shape to

the raw images dancing in my mind. Soon, curiosity turned into interest, and interest into obsession. We never fully break from our past. My work reflects the sum of the influences in my life.”

Hamadani says his abstract drawings, paintings and sculptures reflect his search for an original, fresh image that lies outside preconceived forms. He is, in that sense, still embarked on that longest of walks he began on his first day on campus with no idea how far he was going.

— Linda Loomis ’90 M’97

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“Ode to New York,” is an eight-foot high wooden sculpture created in 2008 by New York artist Mahmoud Hamadani ’81, who began to show his art in the late 1990s.

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Alumni BookshelfWe celebrate and share the success of Oswego alumni authors, illustrators and recording artists, who may ask their publisher/distributor to send a copy of the work to the Oswego alumni office to be considered for this column and our website, where cover photos of all works in this column will be displayed.

Lee R. Clendenning ’63

Revealing the Unseen Hand: God’s Providence Documented. WestBow Press, 2013.

This autobiography describes the author’s beginnings as a humble farm boy who rises to national academic success through his faith in God’s intervention. Clendenning details how he earned a science degree from SUNY Oswego and went on to serve the fields of academics and ministry for more than 50 years.

Les Von Losberg ’69 M’70

The Box Boy Poems. Poets Union Press, 2013.

The most recent of six books and dozens of publications of poetry, this large-print collection is dedicated to a deceased friend of the author. Constructed on the conceit of a box, the 38 poems range in subject from toys to beer and in tone from humor to sorrow. The author’s introduc-tion explains the impetus for the book.

Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D. ’73

Nice Girls Still Don’t Get the Corner Office: Unconscious Mistakes Women Make that Sabotage Their Careers. Business Plus, 2013.

An updated and revised edition of Frankel’s New York Times bestseller that has served for more than a decade as a guide-line for professional women, this volume reveals behaviors women learn in girlhood that lead to actions that sabotage their careers. Frankel breaks down potential mistakes women make and offers concrete suggestions

for addressing each issue. The book is interactive, with self evaluations and quizzes to help readers identify behaviors that can undermine their success in the professional environment. (See “The Last Word,” page 48.)

Robert C. Wigton ’77

The Parties in Court: American Political Parties under the Constitution. Lexington Books, 2014.

In this nonfiction depiction of past and current politics, Wigton explores the history and sub-sequent uncertain position of political parties in constitutional law. He highlights the ambigu-ity between private and public politics and proposes methods on how to maintain a “healthy party system” for a successful democracy.

Mark Allen Baker ’79

Spies of Revolutionary Connecticut, From Benedict Arnold to Nathan Hale. History Press, 2014.

Baker’s passion for history is contagious in this nonfiction exploration of the fascinating role that spies played behind the scenes during the Revolutionary War. Baker highlights the legacy left by infamous spies such as Benedict Arnold and Nathan Hale. The book is rich with illustrations and coded mes-sages sent between spies in Connecticut that changed the tides of the Revolutionary War.

Jacquelyn D. Golden, Ph.D. ’90

Simple Truths. WestBow Press, 2011.

This guidebook to a fulfilling spir-itual life chronicles the author’s own experience in seeking and finding knowledge, or basic infor-mation as she calls it, about the abundant life found in the prac-tice of faith and praise.

Tim Mollen ’91

Lost Journal, Vol.: Confessions of a Failed Paperboy. Shilo Ruby Press, 2014.

Humorist Mollen’s collection of memories document his Catholic school boyhood and the fantastic family who supports his adven-tures, understands his aspira-tions and forgives his failures. The book is rife with icons of his era—tater tots at lunch, Orange Julius kiosks at the mall, The Muppet Movie and Apple com-puters. Learn more about this syndicated humor columnist at www.timmollen.com.

Jennifer Thompson Jackson ’94

The Punkydoos Take the Stage. Disney Publishing Worldwide, 2014.

Children will want to sing along to the original song on a CD that accompanies this story about young neighborhood musicians and the rock band they assemble as Lexi-Lou recruits them one by one to stage an outdoor concert.

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and president of Community Bank Systems Inc. since 2006, a company looking to expand after announcing plans to purchase 10 acres of land from St. Bonaventure University and build a 25,000-square-foot office and processing facility. Mark lives in

Baldwinsville, N.Y. Marc Teitelbaum ’86 is the

owner of MET Success, LLC. He lives in Middletown, N.Y.

Jeff Sawyer ’87 is promoting his seventh CD, “The Journey Home.” He has performed for President Bill

Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Al Roker ’76. He grad-uated from Oswego with a music degree and is an adjunct professor at Cayuga Community College in Auburn, N.Y.

Mark Delaney ’88 manages client services for a large market research firm. He lives with his wife, Kathy, on Long Island and enjoys annual golf outings with alumni Tom Povlok ’86 and Patrick Hogan ’88.

Monica Morselli Klein ’88, a social studies teacher at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Beth-page, N.Y., collaborated with social studies students to create a JFK Day “museum” in the school gymna-sium, highlighting President Kenne-dy’s legacy exactly 50 years after his assassination on Nov. 22, 1963. She traveled to an elementary school, also named for the late president, in Butte, Mont., serving as her school’s ambassador to celebrate JFK’s legacy with the sister school.

Anne DiNoto ’89 represented the Boston chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for the 12th Annual Suicide Preven-tion Conference.

Michael Costello ’90 lives in New Hampshire with his wife, Liz. He works as a talent management consultant.

Neil Laird ’90, associate profes-sor of geoscience at Hobart and Wil-liam Smith Colleges in Geneva, N.Y., had an article about his geoscience field studies course published in the January issue of In the Trenches.

Shelley Clum Murphy ’92 of Queensbury, N.Y., works at Dr. Ida’s Dental Office. She earned a bach-elor’s in psychology from Oswego and was a member of Alpha Delta Eta Sorority.

Marc Beck ’93 is the director of market research for Major League Baseball and lives in Glendale, N.Y.

Edward Cook Jr. ’94 was awarded the Bronze Star for his last deployment in Afghanistan as a director of logistics for special oper-ations. Since Sept. 11, 2002, he has been deployed to the Middle East

six times and has been responsible for nearly 26,000 people. He uses his logistic skills to volunteer for the annual Christmas Bureau distribu-tion at the Oncenter in Syracuse, N.Y.

Kevin St. Amour ’94 was pro-moted to technical support manager for Comsearch in Ashburn, Va. He lives with his wife, Laurie.

Marc Bertrand ’95 of Yonkers, N.Y., recently founded and now manages the Bertrand Education Group.

Jill M. Bettinger Pippin ’95 of Watertown received the 2013 Outstanding Continuing Educator Award from the Continuing Edu-cation Association of New York on Nov. 7. She is the dean of extended learning at SUNY Oswego.

Vera Santoleri Tannous ’95 is a research biologist for Integrated Nano-Technologies in Penfield, N.Y. She and her husband, Eric Tannous, have four children.

Melissa Kinsella ’96 was recently elected president of the board of directors of Right 2 Thrive, a nonprofit organization that works to provide educational opportuni-ties in Kenya. She returned to Kenya this summer to work on commu-nity development projects with its residents.

Elisabeth Dunbar-Donavon ’97 of Kankakee, Ill., is the director of annual giving at Illinois Institute of Technology.

Edward Colihan ’98 was appointed CEO and president of Metrohm USA, a leading manu-facturer of laboratory and process instruments for chemical analysis.

Michelle Tackett Spinner ’98 works as an associate director of stewardship for the SUNY Oswego Alumni Association. She lives with her husband, Brent Spinner ’97, and their children in Baldwinsville, N.Y.

Lisa Rice Page ’00 lives with her husband, Jason Page ’00 in Maine, N.Y. They have one child.

Jaclyn Secora Trzaska ’00 and her husband, Ed, are proud

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Donald E. Kelly ’87 Named a Top 100 Trial Lawyer for 2014

Donald E. Kelly ’87, a partner at Tully Rinckey PLLC in Syracuse, N.Y., was invited into the pres-tigious Top 100 Trial Lawyers organization based on his peer nominations and third-party research of his more than 18 years of experience as a criminal defense attorney.

He traces his initial interest in law school back to Dr. Stephen

Baron’s Constitutional Law class at Oswego.“That gave me the confidence that I could excel in law

school,” Kelly says. “I cannot overstate the value of Dr. Baron’s kindness and guidance in helping me develop, not only as a person but as a lawyer as well.”

In addition to nurturing his competitive spirit playing pickup football games in the lot across from Scales Hall (where he served as a resident assistant) and rooting on men’s hockey in the chilly Romney Field House, Kelly says his Oswego experience and the support of faculty, like Dr. Baron and Dr. Frances Koenigsberg, helped him obtain an intern-ship with the New York State Legislature his senior year and opened the path to his future.

“I landed my first job as a result of that experience and the contacts I made during my time in Albany, and it paved the way for my entry into law school two years later,” he says.

Since earning a J.D. at Syracuse University College of Law, Kelly has been lead counsel in several high-profile homicide and narcotics cases and has successfully secured the outright dismissal of cases for clients charged with murder and drug felonies as well as lower-level felonies and misdemeanors.

After serving as lead attorney on more than 50 jury trials in his own criminal defense practice, Kelly joined Tully Rinckey in 2012. He also served on the board of direc-tors for the Onondaga County Bar Association’s Assigned Counsel Program for six years, including three as vice presi-dent. He is also a senior hearing examiner in the Syracuse Parking Violations Bureau.


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to announce the adoption of their daughter, Maddi, from China. Maddi is 2 years old and has lived with the couple for eight months. The family lives in New Brunswick, N.J., where Jaclyn is a research project coordina-tor at Rutgers University.

Robert Whitaker Jr. ’02 was promoted to partner in the New York-based law firm of Hancock Estabrook, LLP, in the labor and employment practice. In 2013, he was selected as an Upstate New York Super Lawyer Rising Star and also received the Syracuse Vet Center Award.

Kelly Frey ’03 lives in Brooklyn and is a public relations director for Hugo Boss.

John Hirliman ’03 is an admin-istrative director for the Saratoga Springs (N.Y.) Recreation Depart-ment. John loves being involved in his community and working with kids. He also enjoys outdoor sports such as baseball and hiking with his wife, Jessica Leigh Hirliman ’03.

Ira Heimowitz ’04 of Brook-lyn is a member of SAG-AFTRA. He enjoys fishing and collecting CDs and DVDs. During his time at Oswego, he was a member of WNYO and WTOP.

Rosa Maria Bernardi Pinti ’04 is chief accounting officer for Bank-ers Healthcare Group Inc. She will be responsible for streamlining all accounting operations and collabo-rating with the CFO to develop the company’s overall financial strategy. She holds a bachelor’s in accounting and an MBA from Oswego.

Matthew Romano ’05 works as a director for NBC Universal. He lives in Astoria, N.Y.

Andrew Nasser ’05 lives in Pla-inview, N.Y., and is a school counselor for Bronx High School of Science.

Andrew Zilnik ’05 was recently promoted to field director in the Baltimore Area Council for Boy Scouts of America. The Baltimore Area Council is responsible for the supporting 10,000 adult volunteers in delivering the Boy Scout program

to nearly 25,000 youths in central Maryland.

Ryan Sprague ’06 is proud to announce the forthcoming publi-cation of his play, The Matryoshka, by Black Box Theatre Publishing. The suspenseful play will be avail-able in the fall of 2014. Ryan has also written and produced a dramatic film based on his play, Reverie Lane, which will be available in early 2015.

Bridget DeMarse ’07 of Clay-ton, N.Y., was one of 34 educators in the North Country Region to be awarded the Master Teacher Distinc-tion by NYS Gov. Andrew Cuomo. She will receive a $15,000 stipend a year for the next four years, partici-pate in peer mentoring and intensive content-oriented professional devel-opment opportunities and help fos-ter a supportive environment for the

next generation of STEM teachers. She is a math/technology teacher in La Fargeville (N.Y.) Central School District.

Judy Gough ’07 M’09 works for the Canada Revenue Agency. She lives in Guelph, Ontario.

Jim Kent ’07 of Fulton joined Peters & Associates, CPAs, P.C. He received a bachelor’s and master’s in accounting from Oswego.

Matthew Silva ’07 created a documentary about Philip John-son’s New York State Pavilion in Queens. The documentary high-lights the history and restoration efforts of the pavilion since its cre-ation in 1964. He also co-founded the organization People for the Pavilion, a group focused on the preservation of the site.

Jon Taylor ’07 of Pennellville, N.Y., is co-owner of BungoBox, a

moving box rental company. The environmentally friendly company has 20 locations in the United States and Canada, including Syracuse, N.Y.

Christopher Arthur ’08 mar-ried Catherine Lemkuil on Dec. 14, 2013. The groom is a fabrica-tor at An-Cor Industrial Plastics. The bride is a business analyst for United Healthcare. The couple lives in North Tonawanda, N.Y.

Patrick Blakley ’08 of Liver-pool, N.Y., works as a media buyer for Pinckney Hugo Group.

Julie Garone ’08 of Penfield, N.Y., is a secondary Spanish teacher for the Lyons Central School District.

Gary Sutton ’08 of Charles-ton, S.C., is an assistant registrar at the University of South Carolina Beaufort.

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Alumnus’ Aerial Photography Startup Takes FlightWhen asked which direction he sees his aerial video and photography company heading over the next couple years, Mike Ouimet ’98 responds with a laugh:

“Certainly upwards.”A public justice graduate and native of

Fulton, N.Y., Ouimet founded Aerial Captures last fall after flying model airplanes with his son Mason, 11, an aspiring pilot.

“I thought, ’how can I turn something I enjoy doing into a business?’” he says.

Ouimet and his team pilot a fleet of Radio Controlled Aerial Devices, or RCAD, to capture birds-eye perspectives of real estate, benefits, races, golf courses and “anything else our cli-ents can think of.”

The quickly expanding startup is based in Concord, N.C., where Mike lives with wife, Kim, and sons, Mason and Michael, 14.

The “tech-centric” Aerial Captures lever-ages Ouimet’s existing information technology company, Wincourse Technologies Inc., as a launching point and resource for add-ons such as the website and a mobile app, which allow clients to view and share content.

“RCADs are such a new technology that people in every industry are just starting to realize their potential,” he says. Ouimet says the unmanned camera devices, which are

considerably less expensive than airplanes or helicopters, are now used to remotely inspect otherwise difficult to view bridges, crops, roller coasters, volcanoes and more.

“One thing that Oswego did was teach me to think critically,” he says. “We identified a need in the market and Aerial Captures is try-ing to fill that need.”

—Tyler Edic ’13

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Long Island native Adam Vezer ’11 always knew he wanted to teach. He chose technology education after meeting some of the professors and visiting the

technology labs at Oswego.Now working at Old Mill

Middle South in Millersville, Md., Vezer was named Western Anne Arundel County Teacher of the Year and is described in his nomination as “a truly dedicated educator who goes above and beyond… for his students.”

1. The SUNY Advantage: When employers hear SUNY, they think ‘Oh, that’s awesome.’ In technology education specifi-cally, everyone has heard of SUNY Oswego. My Oswego education has definitely helped me open doors.

2. What did you take away from Oswego: Most of the teachers here chose Tech Ed as a second career and don’t have the background in theory and application that Oswego provided me. Tech Ed is more than bookwork; it’s product based.

3. Student clubs and events: We’ve held trips to the Baltimore Museum of Industry and the Visionary Arts Museum. Our SeaPerch underwater rover club placed 2nd and 5th at the U.S. Naval Academy last year. I run the Kinetic Sculpture

Race, seen right, and state award winning robotics clubs like Botball and the First Lego League as well at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Festival.

4. Tell us more about the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Festival: The school-wide festival will host more than 150 student presentations and a dozen guests from around the coun-ty to speak about the health of the Chesapeake Bay. It helps raise awareness about pollution in our surroundings.

5. Proudest moment: I was interviewed for a state teach-ing conference video about making an impact on indi-vidual students’ lives. [Visit

alumni.oswego.edu/magazine to see the interview and more.]

6. Early success: I was writing statewide curriculum after just a year when I was 22. That’s when the value of my time at Oswego struck me.

7. Most rewarding part of the job: The students’ expres-sions. Seeing all of the fun they are having, while learn-ing; of course.

—Tyler Edic ’13

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Writer Makes Case for Support of Cambodian ChildrenLike others who hold SUNY Oswego diplomas, Anthony Karge ’08 has soared. His 8,560-mile journey has taken him to Phnom Penh, where he is communications officer, handling social media, newslet-ters and external communications for the Cambodian Children’s Fund.

“I’m using journalism and creative writing,” Karge says, “to make concrete contributions in one of the most impov-erished areas of the globe.” An example of his teamwork is a video he publicized showing a trash-filled lot transformed into a playground. (Check out the video at alumni.oswego.edu/magazine.)

A few months after graduation, Karge began his career at The Westport News, published twice weekly in a Connecticut town outside New York City. After helping the newspaper become an online outlet, he left for Patch.com, an AOL online news network. There, he managed freelancers, established websites and learned the ethos of 24/7 news.

“Oswego gave me experience in writ-ing creatively and in writing news copy,” he says. “I got management experience on the job.”

Filled with wanderlust, Karge trav-eled as an undergraduate to Poland, the ancestral homeland of his mother, Barbara, and Thailand, where he became enamored of Asian culture. In December 2012, he left AOL to move to Cambodia. He applied for writing jobs and was already in transit when the invitation to interview came from his current employer.

“Modern media made it possible,” he says of the Skype interview that resulted in an offer, which he accepted and arrived in Cambodia with a job.

On campus in April for an Alumni-In-Residence visit with his father, James Karge, who also attended Oswego, Anthony advised students, “Stay on top of industry trends, and always keep learning after graduation.”


Anthony Karge ’08 talks with some of the beneficiaries of the Cambodian Children’s Fund, a nonprofit for which he has worked since January 2013.

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Casey Reed Button ’09 lives in North Tonawnada, N.Y., with her husband, Charles Button ’09. She works as a transfer and graduate admissions counselor for Daemen College.

Eric Gray ’09 is a construction electricity teacher at Western Suf-folk BOCES/ Wilson Technical Cen-ter in Dix Hills, N.Y.

Tamar-Tafari Greene ’09 is performing with the The Gersh-wins’ Porgy and Bess national tour. The show won the 2012 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival. He enjoys teaching piano and voice and com-posing original works.

Tyson Prince ’09 of Buffalo has been named an associate of Hiscock

Steven Abbass ’03 Becomes Youngest Current Managing Partner at Northwestern MutualOn his walk from his campus job at the Mary Walker Health Center to his second job in Cooper Dining Hall, then junior business administration major Steven Abbass ’03 swung by a career fair in the Hewitt Union ballroom and dropped off his resume with three companies. That simple act set in motion a series of events that has already led to an impres-sive career for 32-year-old Abbass.

That fortuitous resume submission launched his career with Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance and Financial Services in 2002 as a Power of 10 col-lege intern. In April 2014, he became the company’s youngest current managing partner—and one of the youngest ever—and is now leading the Long Island office in Melville, N.Y.

After graduation, Abbass became a full-time financial representative with the Central New York Group in Syracuse. He quickly achieved top new advisor awards both locally and nationally.

“I fell in love with the company during my internship,” Abbass says. “I had a great mentor in Oswego alumnus Kevin Gilman ’74, who worked at the company until he tragically passed away in 2009. I’ve always had a healthy drive to succeed and he and others helped me

build a strong career. The company has an outstanding leadership development program.”

From 2005 to 2009, Abbass was involved with the Million Dollar Round Table, an elite, internationally recognized organization that represents the standard of sales excellence in the life insurance and financial services business. He led a successful college unit director program in Syracuse before becoming the manag-ing director in Rochester, N.Y., in 2007. He quickly led that region to the distinction of being named a Top 10 district.

The husband and father of three says he is proud to be an Oswego alumnus, and he takes bragging rights for introduc-ing his younger sisters—Allison Abbass Salamone ’06 and Michelle Abbass ’14—to the college as well. A frequent guest speaker on campus, he says he hopes to help other Oswego students and young alumni on their road to success.

“I’ve leaned on what I learned at Oswego,” he says. “I asked a lot of ques-tions and opened myself up to be vulner-able by diving in head first. I want stu-dents to understand what opportunities are available to them and take advantage of them.”


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& Barclay Law.Leif Sorgule ’09 is a technol-

ogy teacher at Saranac Lake (N.Y.) High School. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Oswego.

Joseph Wegman ’09 and Rosanne Luis Wegman ’09 of Wappinger Falls, N.Y., announce the birth of their first child, Ame-lia. Joe majored in meteorology, and Rosanne majored in journal-ism and Spanish; they were active in the Newman Club. Rosanne works as a substitute teacher, and Joe is a meteorologist for Fleet Weather in Hopewell Junction.

Corey Hayes M’10 went to Malaysia from April 9-15 to judge the Third Malaysian American Rab-

bit Breeders Association National Rabbit Show. Corey is an assistant professor of agricultural business management at Morrisville State College in Morrisville, N.Y.

Emma Sayre Malinoski ’10 earned a degree in elementary educa-tion from Oswego and is in the pro-cess of obtaining a master’s degree.

Breanna McIntyre ’10 has been fundraising for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America ever since a close friend was diag-nosed with Crohn’s disease in 2009. Breanna is a member of Team Chal-lenge Triathlon, which trains partici-pants to complete a triathlon while simultaneously raising funds to find a cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcer-ative colitis.

Sean McNamara ’10 earned a bachelor of science in nursing from Pace University in December 2013.

Elliot Couch ’11 has been trav-eling the world since his gradua-tion, and also coached high school lacrosse in Denver, Colo. He is spending a year in Thailand teach-ing English and introducing the sport of lacrosse to that community.

Ryan Foley ’11 of Auburn, N.Y., started his first term on the Cayuga County Legislature. He represents District 15.

Joseph Vona III ’11 is a teacher of students with visual impairments for the Lodi Unified School District in California.

Meredith Askew ’12 recently received her designation for human

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Friends and family shared memories as they announced the establishment of the “Free and Easy Forever” fund, which seeks to raise money to create a new memorial between Seneca and Tyler halls for four alumni lost on 9/11 and Pan Am 103: Colleen Brunner ’90, Richard Caproni ’89, Michael Hannan ’89 and Lynne Hartunian ’89. Call 315-312-3003 or email [email protected] for more details.

Classmates of Patricia Russell Secrest ’64 gathered during Reunion Weekend to dedicate a memorial bench for which they raised funds that looks out over Lake Ontario between Riggs and Waterbury halls.

JIM R

USSELL ’83

Reunion 2014— Passport to OswegoMore than 1,000 alumni and guests used their “Passport to Oswego” June 5-8 to reconnect and reminisce with old friends and see all the exciting new changes on our lakeside campus. The weekend-long cel-ebration included 18 mini-reunion groups and 17 milestone anniversary classes.

A total of $892,867 was raised by all Reunion classes for The Fund for Oswego. The Reunion Giving Participation Cup was awarded to the Class of 1954, with a 33 percent participation rate. The Class of 1989 broke the record for the largest gift from a class celebrating its 25th anniver-sary by raising $164,425, beating the pre-vious record of $125,590 held by the Class of 1987.

To see more photos from 2014 Reunion Weekend, visit alumni.oswego.edu/ magazine.

JIM R

USSELL ’83

Mark your calendars for Reunion 2015—June 4–7

Sisters from Phi Lambda Phi hit the dance floor during the Greek Social Saturday night.

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A few months ago, we asked alumni how you’d like to stay connected

to SUNY Oswego and with each other. I would like to thank all of you who took the time to answer the survey—there were hundreds of responses! We are busily review-ing the data and will share the results of your feedback in our next issue.

While the current logistics of keeping our more than 78,000 alumni connected are certainly complex, the fundamental mission of the Oswego Alumni Association continues as it began in 1868:

l Inform and interest a diverse constituency in the life of the university

l Create partnerships that encourage involvement and enhance loyalty

l Serve the current and future needs of the institution and alumni

I see it every day in my dealings with Oswego alumni: Whatever brought students here to study at Oswego, it becomes a part of their being. It keeps them coming back—whether physically to our beloved lakeside campus or to alumni gatherings around the globe. These connections keep that unique Oswego spirit and pride alive, recalling where each came from and helping us to see where we are going.

The Oswego Alumni Association, with its committed Board of Directors, seeks to improve and enhance traditional opportunities for alumni connections, like Reunion Weekends and regional alumni pro-grams, while creating new opportunities for alumni to connect, such as Oswego Alumni Facebook and LinkedIn groups and our online alumni community, OsweGoConnect.

The Oswego Alumni Association has a long history, dating back to the first alumni event organized by school founder Edward Austin Sheldon in 1875—an excursion up the Saguenay River by chartered steamer. The first alumni meeting was held on July 9, 1867, and the Oswego Normal School Alumni Association was formally established in 1868 with 108 members.

We will continue to solicit your feedback and welcome your engage-ment in the current life of SUNY Oswego to help us enhance our and your passion and purpose and to encourage your support and participa-tion in events and programs that keep you connected and coming back.

We look forward to seeing you at an alumni event and to receiving your updates on your pursuits and your successes post-Oswego.

With Oswego Pride,

By Executive Director Betsy Oberst

MattersOswego

capital strategist. She works as an implementation specialist and lives in Syracuse, N.Y.

Matthew P. Berrigan ’12 M’13 and Kevin Centore M’13 were hired as staff accountants in the audit and accounting department for Firley, Moran, Freer, & Eassa, CPA, P.C. Matthew received both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Oswego. Kevin is a graduate of SUNY Gene-seo and holds a master’s degree from Oswego.

Christopher Daniel ’12 M’13 of Clay, N.Y., successfully completed and passed all four parts of the exam to become a certified public accoun-tant in New York State. He is on the tax staff for Dannible & McKee, LLP.

Connor Harrington ’12 lives in Waltham, Mass. At Oswego he stud-ied human resource management and was a member of the men’s swimming and diving team.

Michael Kraft ’12 is a sports reporter for Minot Daily News in Minot N.D., where he was hired immediately after graduation. He covers high school athletic and club hockey at Minot State University. Mike was a sports editor and man-aging editor of The Oswegonian

and helped launch The Playmaker, a campus-based sports magazine while at Oswego.

Justin Neuman ’12 combined his journalism degree from Oswego and his devotion to the Syracuse Orange to become a featured col-umnist for the Bleacher Report. He lives in Syracuse, N.Y.

David Nye ’12 of Keene, N.Y., works as a surgical sales represen-tative for Arthrex/Prodigy Surgical. He spends his time in the operating room covering sports medicine sur-geries.

Timothy Voos ’12 of Scotts-ville, N.Y., was recently promoted to consumables marketing analyst for Xerox in Rochester, N.Y., where he is launching a new market strategy for the company.

Brittney Rogers ’13 is the Vir-ginia Wildlife Center’s newest out-reach extern. The center gives people hands-on experience working with animals and teaching others how to care for Virginia’s wildlife.

Mary Yaeger ’13 is a communi-cations assistant for Emerson Col-lege Office of Development and Alumni Relations in Boston.

Find the Founder

IN THE SPRING 2014 ISSUE, the Sheldon statue can be found in the middle, left side of

the photo of Professor Juan Perdiguero on page 28. Grand prize winner of a College Store gift certificate and Sheldon Hall print is April Stokes

’00. Winning Sheldon Hall prints are Nancy Lause Middlebrook ’72, Rob Daniels ’89,

Chuck Durante ’73, Laurie Harrison Kennen ’87 and Victor Parker ’04 M’13. A tiny replica of the Sheldon statue pictured here is hidden somewhere in this issue. Find the Founder and send us a letter with the location and page number, your name, class year and address. We will draw one entry at random from all the correct answers and the winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to the College Store and a print of Sheldon Hall. The next five entries drawn will receive Sheldon Hall prints. Send your entry to Find the Founder, King Alumni Hall, 300 Washington Blvd., Oswego, NY 13126, or email to [email protected]. Entries must be postmarked by October 1. l

JIM R

USSELL ’83

JIM R

USSELL ’83

What Was Your Favorite Oswego Tradition? We’d love to hear about the Oswego traditions that existed

during your days as a student. Please take a moment to email us at [email protected] with “Oswego Tradition” in the subject

line. We’ll share those traditions in a subsequent magazine article or online.


mailto:[email protected]

]Album

W E D D I N G


Tiffany Raghunanan ’10 and Casey Battles ’10 were married on Sept. 1, 2013, at The Surf Club in New Rochelle, N.Y. From left, front

row, are Mike Allen ’10, Mike Marcinowski ’12, Patrick Bradley; back row, Kylene Barea ’13, Orlando Bridge ’11, Shannon Brown ’09, Terri Ann Mendoza ’11, Juan Beltre ’10, Brandon Farmer ’11, Jessica

Raghunanan ’11 and Mark Exantus ’10. Tiffany is a clinician at Parsons Child and Family Center, and Casey is a client service pro-

fessional with JP Morgan and recently started an MBA at Oswego. The couple resides in Albany, N.Y.

Maureen Flynn Kratz ’04 and Mark Kratz ’03 were married Oct. 19, 2013, at the Old Tappan Manor in Old Tappan, N.J. From left, front row, are Brian Duran ’04, Emma Duran, Taissha Gotay ’09, Luke Morse ’04, Mark Brescia ’03, Lindsey Heacock ’07, Andrea Donnelly Morgia ’03, Shannon Kenny Nowicky ’04, Brooke Craft Pimentel ’05; second row, Patrick Moran ’07, Luke LaReau ’11, Scott Manning, Dan Mastronardi, Eddie O’Boyle ’04, Joanne Rutkowski Kapp ’06, Ashley Williams ’07, Britni McCarthy ’06, Heather Sloven ’05, Emily Yezzo Vuocolo ’04, Nicole Caltabiano ’06, John Nowicky ’05, Jack Butts, Katie Flynn, Jennifer Flynn Robinson ’93; third row, Sarah Freyer Murphy ’08, Luke Tatusko ’04, Nick Mazzeo ’05, Rick Carlson ’04, Matthew Parry ’02, Damian Pratt ’05, Lauren Shanahan Pratt ’04, Nick Paussa, Adam Kapp ’06, Joseph Sterbank ’05, Brian McCarthy ’03, Katie McCabe ’03, Michael Bruno ’02, Allison Palmer ’03, Morgan Barry ’03, Matt Magee ’05, Nan Luma ’06, Billy Bliss ’07 and Michael Robinson ’94.

Colleen Wood ’07 and Wayne Weibel ’03 M’08 were married Oct. 5, 2013, at St. Patrick’s Church in Moravia, N.Y. Marie Peterson M’05 is to the right of the bride; from left, are Bastian Tenbergen ’08, Gilian Smith Tenbergen ’08, David Clark ’77, Theresa Capacci Clark ’78, Patty Clark, Stuart Wood Jr., Judi Gough ’07 M’09, Andrew Wright ’10 and David Carr ’05. The couple resides in Locke, N.Y.


Brian Stinson ’09 and Rachel Hannon ’09 were married on Aug. 3, 2013, at the Mountain House in Keene, N.Y. From left, with the bride and groom, are alumni Cody Netzband ’10, Paul Mirra ’08, Ryan Miller ’10, Joe Pierri ’10, Katie Denny ’09, Jacqueline Vuolo ’09, Emily Somerville ’09 and Lindsay Bevis ’08.

Jennifer Levine ’94 and Todd McWhirter were married March 1, 2014, at the Brooklyn Winery in Brooklyn, N.Y. From left, back row, are Kristen Frain Wadsworth ’95, Brien Wadsworth ’96, Catherine Jennings Salem ’95, Julie Ferber ’94, Shari Bryan ’93, Kendra Monte D’Emilia ’93, Jean Ricotta ’93, Debbie Unger Borkowski ’93, Amy Gardner Rackel ’94, Deborah Mardenfeld St. John ’93, Tara McKeever O’Sullivan ’96; second row, Jennifer Harris Wainberg ’93 and Jennifer Levine ’94; front row, Todd McWhirter and Mike Borkowski ’93.

Tyler Hoerz ’06 and Lisa Moskowitz Hoerz ’08 were married on May 18, 2013, at the Shaker Heritage

Barn in Albany, N.Y. From left, back row, Mike Babala ’74, Rob Cornell ’06, Dan Holding, Joe Zaffuts ’05, Pat Earley ’05, Aaron Cagwin ’06,

Andrew Monsour ’06, Sarah Higgins ’08; middle row, Kelsey Norberg ’10, Mary DeTraglia ’06, Lauren Skelton

Herrington ’05, Amy Gropp ’06, Sarah Alsante ’08, Theresa Ruane ’08, Kate Waseleski Bevington, Nora Rudewicz

’08, Sam Lupo ’77; front row, Nick Pisani ’07, Megan Rogers Pisani ’07,

Mike Agostinho ’05, Kris DePierro ’07 and Jared Bevington ’08. The bride is a school social worker, and the groom is

a budget examiner for New York State. The couple resides in Rotterdam, N.Y.,

with their dog, Laker.


I N M E M O R I A M

Marjorie Burns Edison ’30 of Skaneateles, N.Y., died Feb. 20, 2013, at the age of 105. She had taught in the Clinton School District and retired from Marcellus (N.Y.) Central School in 1967.

Anthony Marinaccio ’34 of Lady Lake, Fla., died Jan. 31, 2012.

Virginia Davidson Burr ’35 of Lowville, N.Y., died Nov. 19, 2013.

Dorothy Palmer Fresch ’36 of Oswego died Sept. 1, 2012.

Robert Merrill ’36 of Rodman, N.Y., died March 18, 2014. He began his teaching career in a two-room schoolhouse in Rodman, where he taught grades 4-6. He served with the U.S. Army after being drafted in 1944 at the age of 30. He retired from teaching in Adams Center, N.Y., in 1970 after 35 years of teaching. Surviving are a son, four grandchildren and nine great-grand-children.

Marietta McDevitt Place ’36 of Bradenton, Fla., died June 4, 2012.

Helen Lanphear Kline ’38 of Homer, N.Y., died Jan. 31, 2014. She was a substitute teacher for many years in the Homer Central School District. She was predeceased by her husband, Richard ’37. Surviving are two sons, two grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and one great-great grandson.

Helen Bond Griffin ’39 of Mexico, N.Y., died Jan. 15, 2014. She was a music teacher at Mexico Academy and Central School, retiring in 1976. She later worked in a halfway house for Vista in Cincinnati. She is survived by a son, a daughter, two grandchildren and a sister. She was prede-ceased by 10 siblings, including Evelyn ’27, Dora ’31, Elizabeth Rein ’30 and Bertha Emerson ’34.

George Maharay ’41 of Frederick, Md., died Dec. 8, 2013. He served in the U.S. Army Air Force. He began his career with the federal government beginning in 1946 as a personnel officer in the U.S. Military Academy, and retired in 1975 as the director of personnel of the Energy Research and Development Administration. Surviving are his wife, Jean; a daughter, two sons, two grandchil-dren and one great-granddaughter.

Elizabeth Anne Fulton Hyde ’42 of Ashe-ville, N.C., died Feb. 5, 2014. She taught elemen-tary school in Johnstown, Canajoharie, Fulton-ville, St. Johnsville and Scotia, N.Y. She is survived by her husband, Frank ’42; and a daughter and son-in-law.

Raymond Davids ’46 of Beaufort, N.C., died April 4, 2014. He served with the U.S. Navy dur-ing World War II. He was a teacher for 33 years, and held many roles in public service during his retirement. He was pre-deceased by his wife, Lil-lian Tucker ’46. Surviving are seven children, 15 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.

D. George Buso ’48 of Hyde Park, N.Y., died Nov 6, 2013. He served with the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserve. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Maryland in 1951. He taught industrial arts technology in Delhi, N.Y., for sev-

eral years. He retired from I.B.M. Corporation in 1984. He is survived by a daughter, Catherine; two sons, Donald and Steven ’74; six grandchildren; five step-grandchildren and one great-grand-daughter.

John Foster ’48 of Seneca Falls, N.Y., died Aug. 29, 2013. He served with the U.S. Navy dur-ing World War II. He taught in the Seneca Falls and Clyde school districts in New York before joining Goulds Pumps, where he worked for 31 years until his retirement in 1983. Surviving are his wife, Florence; two daughters, Susan ’75 and Carol; a son, Jackson; and two grandsons.

Warren Perkins ’49 of Fayetteville, N.Y., died Nov. 15, 2013. He is survived by four children.

William Bilasz ’50 of Oriskany, N.Y., died Jan. 17, 2014. He served with the U.S. Navy dur-ing World War II. He was a math teacher at Staley Junior High School in Rome, N.Y., for more than 30 years, retiring in 1982. He is survived by his wife, Jane Cavanaugh ’48.

Ruth Karp Lamb ’51 of Boynton Beach, Fla., died Nov. 8, 2013.

George Michiloff ’51 of Surfside Beach, S.C., died Dec. 21, 2013. He served with the U.S. Army in World War II. He was a teacher and principal in the Copiague (N.Y.) School District for 32 years. He is survived by his wife, Lillian, two daughters and four grandchildren.

Mercia Graham Palmer ’51 of Manlius, N.Y., died April 22, 2014. She taught in the Mexico and Pulaski school districts before joining the Ameri-can Red Cross. She served as field director for the U.S. Naval Regional Medical Center on Guam and later as Red Cross station manager at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. She is sur-vived by a son, James, five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

George Fernandez ’52 of Milford, Maine, died Jan. 4, 2014. He earned a master’s degree at SUNY Albany. He began his teaching career in Glens Falls, N.Y., and later served in vari-ous administrative capacities for Ulster County BOCES. He retired in 1988. During his retire-ment, he served as a student teacher supervisor for the University of Maine. He is survived by his wife, Lillian, a son, two grandsons, two step-grandsons and three step-great-grandchildren.

Rodney Johnson ’52 of Middlefield, N.Y., died Feb. 14, 2014. He taught history, English and special education for 20 years before being ordained in the United Methodist Church in 1969. For 37 years, he pastored United Methodist Churches in the Cooperstown area. He is survived by two sons, two daughters, nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Luberta Fields Mays ’52 of Jamaica, N.Y., died April 6, 2014. She earned a master’s degree from Queens College in 1964 and her doctorate from Columbia University’s Teachers College in 1970. She began her teaching career in New York City public schools in 1954, where she remained until 1968 when she moved to the Bank Street

School for Children. In 1974, she joined the fac-ulty at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, where she was an instructor, deputy chairperson of teacher education, division chairperson of teacher education, and provost and dean of academic affairs. She retired in 1992.

Margaret Atkinson Whiteside Crowley ’53 of Saranac Lake, N.Y., died March 18, 2014. She earned a master’s degree from SUNY Potsdam. She began her teaching career in the St. Regis (N.Y.) School District. Later she taught first grade at Lake Clear for 10 years until her retirement in 1995. She is survived by six children, six stepchil-dren, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Marie Torella Muccioli ’53 of Vero Beach, Fla., died Dec. 4, 2013. She was a retired teacher. Surviving are her husband, Benjamin ’53, two daughters and two granddaughters.

Malvin Greenberg ’54 of Tampa, Fla., died Dec. 10, 2013. He is survived by his wife, Ann Pet-ringa ’54; three children, Robyn, Scott and Lori Greenberg-Doty ’83; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Walter McCullor ’54 of Tucson, Ariz., died Dec. 11, 2013. He earned a master’s degree at Cor-nell University, and was a teacher in the Waterloo (N.Y.) Central School District and at local col-leges. Surviving are his wife, Donna, four children and six grandchildren.

Shirley Burns Ochs ’54 of Hotchkiss, Colo., died Jan. 4, 2014. She taught in Ilion, New York, Colorado and California. She and her husband, Don, operated a fruit farm in Hotchkiss. She is survived by her husband, two children and six grandchildren.

Rosemary Walsh Gillard ’55 of Vestal, N.Y., died March 4, 2014. She taught for 24 years in the Vestal Central School District. She was pre-deceased by her husband, Jack ’48. Surviving are her five children, 14 grandchildren and one great-grandson.

Joan Kosciow ’56 of Staten Island, N.Y., died April 14, 2014. She taught elementary school in Union, N.J., for 25 years. She is survived by two sisters.

Anne Brennan ’57 of Ocala, Fla., died April 5, 2014. She earned a master’s degree at SUNY Cortland. She taught in the East Syracuse-Minoa and Tully school districts in New York. She is sur-vived by a sister and a brother.

Anthony Pastizzo ’57 of Peru, N.Y., died Mar. 12, 2012. He earned a master’s degree at SUNY Potsdam. He was a teacher and administra-tor for 30 years in the Gouverneur (N.Y.) Central School District prior to retiring in 1986. Follow-ing his retirement, he operated Tony’s Tours for 24 years. Surviving are two daughters, two sons, a stepson, 21 grandchildren and 18 great-grand-children. He was predeceased by three sisters and a brother, Angelo ’56.

Charles Konecny ’58 of Binghamton, N.Y., died Oct. 11, 2013. He taught photography at North High School in Binghamton for 30 years.



Surviving are two daughters, six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Phillip Letiecq ’60 of Arlington, Vt., died Aug. 29, 2012. He earned a master’s degree at SUNY Cortland. He taught Industrial Arts. Sur-viving are his wife, Shirley; four children and one granddaughter.

Patricia Maloney ’60 of Brighton, N.Y., died April 12, 2013. She was a teacher in the Rush-Hen-rietta (N.Y.) Central School District for 35 years. She is survived by a son, James.

Donald Olin ’60 of Fly Creek, N.Y., died Jan. 24, 2014. He served with the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He taught industrial arts and driv-er’s education in the Albany and Cooperstown area. He owned “The Cobbler Shoppe” shoe store in Cooperstown for eight years, and in 1977, he opened Olin Realty, which he ran until he retired in 2000. He is survived by his wife, Gail, three daughters and four grandchildren.

Ronald Mapstone ’61 of Stone Ridge, N.Y., died July 24, 2013. He taught industrial arts for 29 years at Rondout Valley High School in Accord, N.Y., retiring in 1990. Surviving are his wife, Pat, a daughter, a son and five grandchildren.

Matthias Mathewson ’61 of Sebastian, Fla., died Feb. 24, 2014. He taught electronics and industrial arts at Columbia High School in Maple-wood, N.J., for 33 years. He is survived by his wife, Maureen, a daughter, a son and two grandchil-dren.

John Claus M’62 of Fuquay Varina, N.C., died Oct. 9, 2013. He served with the U.S. Army during World War II. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Syracuse University in 1950. He earned a master’s degree in 1962 and his educational administra-tion CAS in 1965 at Oswego. He was a teacher and administrator in the Baldwinsville (N.Y.) Central School District from 1960 until his retirement in 1983. He is survived by seven daughters, two sons, 27 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren.

Eleanor Becker Roth ’64 of Fulton, N.Y., died Nov. 1, 2013. Prior to her retirement, she was a reading teacher in the Fulton City School Dis-trict. She is survived by two daughters, four sons, three step-children, 38 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.

Douglas Brown ’66 of Ann Arbor, Mich., died Dec. 2, 2013.

Penelope Frank Hahn ’68 of St. Marys, Ga., died Jan. 12, 2014.

Walter Long ’68 of Jewett City, Conn., died Nov. 3, 2011.

Marvin Bartholomew ’71 of Minoa, N.Y., died Feb. 8, 2014. He worked for more than 30 years in the Syracuse City School District as a teacher and a coach. He is survived by his wife, Emily, two daughters and two grandchildren.

Charles Kraushaar ’72 of Hilton Head, S.C., died March 26, 2014. Surviving are his wife, Susan, two sons, four grandchildren and his mother, Bev-erly.

Richard McDermott ’72 of Mexico, N.Y., died March 22, 2014. He served with the U.S. Navy

from 1948 to 1970, retiring as lieutenant com-mander. He taught math at Mexico Academy and Central School until his retirement in 1989. Sur-viving are his wife, Inez, a son, three daughters, 12 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Dean Tyo ’72 of Cicero, N.Y., died April 8, 2014. He worked for Honeywell International for more than 37 years. Surviving are his wife, Elaine, two sons, a grandson, two stepchildren and two step-grandchildren.

Cynthia Sweet Wright ’73 of Macedon, N.Y., died Nov. 18, 2011. She earned a master’s degree at Rochester Institute of Technology. She taught at Penfield (N.Y.) High School for several years and worked at Eastman Kodak for five years. She is survived by her husband, James ’73.

Michael Brown ’75 of Houston died Sept. 8, 2013. He earned a master’s degree from the Uni-versity of Delaware. He was the curator of Hous-ton’s Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. Surviv-ing are three brothers.

Ronald LaMountain ’75 of Peru, N.Y., died Feb. 22, 2014. He served with the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War. He was an industrial arts/technology teacher and football coach for 30 years. He is survived by his wife, Lynda, and two children.

Lana Ireland ’76 of Syracuse, N.Y., died April 2, 2014. She is survived by her son, Justan, two grandchildren and her father.

Charles McHugh ’77 of Spring Lake, N.J., died March 12, 2014. He earned master’s degrees at Columbia and Syracuse universities. He had been employed with the National Bank of Canada. Surviving are his wife, Sara-Lynne, and two chil-dren.

Timothy Cughan ’79 of Tulsa, Okla., died March 16, 2013. He worked as a security offi-cer. He is survived by his wife, Ann, a sister, three step-children, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Kirk Handov ’81 of Hernando Beach, Fla., died March 21, 2012. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army. Surviving are his fiancée, Barbara, two sons and a grandchild.

Steven James ’82 of Marshfield, Mass., died Jan. 7, 2014. He earned a master’s degree at Indi-ana State University. He had his captain’s license and was self-employed.

Thomas Stone M’84 of Oswego died Jan. 23, 2014. He earned a bachelor’s degree at SUNY Fredonia and a master’s degree and certificate of advanced study at Oswego. He taught music in the Webster Central and Oswego City school dis-tricts. He later became an administrator in the Jordan-Elbridge Central School District. After his retirement, he was a student teacher supervisor at SUNY Oswego. Surviving are his wife, Gloria, a daughter and a granddaughter.

David Carter ’89 of Cadyville, N.Y., died March 9, 2014. He served with the U.S. Army on active duty for three years, and more than 20 years as a reservist, retiring as a sergeant major. He retired from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2001. He is sur-

vived by his wife, Judy, three sons, a daughter and two grandchildren.

Sharon Hungerford O’Neill ’92 of Newark, Del., died April 21, 2014. She was pursuing her master’s degree at Wilmington University. She had been an elementary teacher for 12 years. She is survived by a daughter, Jessica, two granddaugh-ters and five siblings, including Rhonda Hunger-ford ’91.

Randy Pike ’92 of Grant, Fla., died Aug. 1, 2013. He earned a master’s degree from Roches-ter Institute of Technology in 1996 and a master’s degree from Georgia Tech in 1999. He was the founder and president of Pike Enterprises, LLC and had previously been employed at Xerox, Har-ris Corporation and Lockheed Martin. He is sur-vived by his parents, Norm and Linda.

Robert McCarthy ’96 of Victor, N.Y., died Aug. 28, 2013. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Rochester and a Juris Doctor from St. John’s University School of Law. He was employed by Chamberlain D’Amanda in Roches-ter. Surviving are his wife, Catherine; a son, Sean; a daughter, Bridgid; his parents, Jim and Polly; and brothers, James ’95 and Daniel ’99.

Michael Roskind ’96 of Lexington, Ky., died Nov. 16, 2011. He earned a master’s degree at the University of Kentucky. He is survived by a son, his father and stepmother, five brothers, three sisters and his stepfather.

Marcia Ukleya ’96 of Hannibal, N.Y., died Feb. 19, 2014. She was an auditor with the U.S. Department of Defense. Surviving are her parents, Joseph and Loretta, a brother and a sister.

Jennifer Laquidari Miles ’04 of Baldwins-ville, N.Y., died April 24, 2014. She was a fourth grade teacher at McNamara Elementary School in Baldwinsville. She is survived by her husband, Gregory; a son, Logan; her parents, Michael and Bettyjane; and three brothers.

Lisa Husung ’12 of Medina, N.Y., died Jan. 2, 2014. She was pursuing her master’s degree at the University at Buffalo. She is survived by her par-ents, Carl ’78 and Janet, a sister, a brother and her fiancé, Kristopher Moseley ’11.

Garrick Utley, Senior Fellow and Professor of Broadcasting and Journalism, died Feb. 21, 2014. He served as director of New York in the World, an initiative of the SUNY Levin Institute that focuses on the competitiveness of New York in today’s global economy. He served as the founding presi-dent from 2003 to 2011. Before joining SUNY, he worked as a broadcast journalist on NBC, ABC and CNN, as well as in public radio and television, specializing in international affairs. He received broadcast journalism’s most respected honors, including the Overseas Press Club’s Edward R. Murrow Award and the George Foster Peabody Award. He is survived by his wife, Gertje.


T H E L A S T

Mistake 61Failing to Define Your Brand

Not too long ago I interviewed a woman with a doctorate

in organizational development for a vacancy on our coaching team. Her résumé was impressive. She seemed to have the kind of ex-perience and education I sought, but I wasn’t sure of her specialty area. Because we’re known as a firm with subject-matter experts who can provide executives with unique expertise in their areas for development, one of the first questions I posed to this woman was “Tell me about what you’re best known for.” For the next thirty-five minutes she told me all about what she had done, what her interests were, and the many ways in which she could add value. The problem was, she didn’t answer my question. Despite another twenty minutes of probing and asking the question in several different ways, I never learned what made her unique among all organizational psychologists.

Peter Montoya, whom I consider to be the guru of personal branding, wrote, “A personal brand is a promise of performance that creates expecta-tions in its audience. Done well, it clearly communicates the values,

JAC

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Lois P. Frankel ’73, Ph.D., writes in the introduction to Nice Girls Still Don’t Get the Corner Office, that she wishes she did not have to

revise her original best-seller on the 10th anniversary of its publication. She points out, however, that dismal statistics continue to show women in the workplace lag behind their male counterparts in salary, promotion and leadership and that attitudes toward female employees are largely unchanged. Frankel writes, “These statistics, comments, social changes and the women themselves make me realize my work is far from over.” The following excerpt is found on page 175:

personality, and abilities of the person behind it.” That’s what was missing from my interview with the woman who wanted to be on our coaching team—but wasn’t selected because of her inability to clearly define her brand for me.

In another scenario, I was doing a radio show on women and money when a call came in from a woman asking how she could better market her day-care business. I asked her to “tell me what makes your day-care busi-ness different from all the others in your community.” There was dead silence before she replied, “I guess I can’t.” As I told her, until you can clearly articulate what differentiates your brand from the others, you can’t successfully market it.

Coaching Tipsn Make a list of the three to five

things that bring you the most satisfaction at work. We tend to be good at what we like, so focusing first on these will help to point you in the right direc-tion. You might come up with responses such as help others, listen, problem-solve, negotiate, write technical reports, manage projects, collect data, identify obstacles, implement solutions, and more.

n Next, translate these behaviors into three key strengths you bring to your workplace. For example, “My ability to listen effectively enables me to gather data from reluctant sources. Tied in with that is my skill at writing, which allows me to report that data in an objective way. Third, once the data is collected and reported, I’ve exhibited the ability to identify and implement solutions to problems.” Practice saying these words out loud so that when

the time is right you can recite them fluently and confidently.

n Consider how these behaviors distinguish you from others. For example, the ability to gather and report data may be unique in a department or company known mainly for producing a product. Or having skill in building relationships may be unique and valuable in an organization where intellectual capital is the product.

n Finish this sentence: “There goes a woman who _______________________.” Now engage in the behaviors required to make that state-ment a reality.

Excerpted from the book Nice Girls Still Don’t Get The Corner Office, by Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D. © 2014 by Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D. Reprinted by permission of Business Plus. All rights reserved. l

1Day= 24 hours

= 1,440 minutes

= 86,400 seconds

A 24-Hour Challenge to Launch

= Countless Oswego Students’ Lives Transformed!

Join the daylong excitement:• Honorary Degree Presentation to Media

Icon Charlie Rose of CBS’ This Morning and PBS’ Charlie Rose show

• 10th Annual Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit, featuring Charlie Rose, Ken Auletta ’63, award-winning writer, journalist and media critic; and other media luminaries

• Tune in for the Live Online Campaign Launch Broadcast, hosted by President Deborah F. Stanley

and ESPN’s SportsCenter Anchor Steve Levy ’87

For the latest updates, check out alumni.oswego.edu/campaign

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L i n d a S y r e L L T y r r e L L

In 25 years marked by “changes, chal-lenges and celebrations,” Linda

Syrell Tyrrell served three divisions at SUNY Oswego. Whether in Student Affairs, Academic Services or Administra-tion, she was constant in her advocacy for students.

Arriving in 1969 to a burgeoning campus, Tyrrell spent one year as residence hall director of Lonis-Moreland-Mackin before moving to Seneca, Oswego’s first coed hall.

“Responding to students’ demands, we trained our first team of male and female resident assistants and prepared for selected students to live together,” Tyrrell says. “Despite the dire warn-ings from some community and faculty members, it turned out fine.” By 1976, two other halls welcomed men and women, and the practice was normalized.

After her appointment as assistant dean of student affairs, Tyrrell launched and directed the Oswego Student Advise-ment Center. A mid-1980’s appoint-ment as assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences required Tyrrell’s mediation skills in matters of academic standards, including student hearings.

“When I was associate dean of Arts and Sciences, Linda and I collaborated on the development of academic advising services,” says Dr. David King, who later served as acting provost and dean of graduate studies.

“We were charter members of the National Academic Advising Association. Linda

is one of the exceptional people in higher education who was

equally effective in student and academic affairs. She had an enormous positive

impact on Oswego students.”Tyrrell retired in 1994

as dean of continuing education, summer sessions

and public service, where she helped establish the evening degree program.

“It seems like standard fare now,” Tyrrell says. “But it was unusual for faculty to teach undergraduates in the evening.” Tyrrell wanted to ensure that nontraditional students engaged in rigorous coursework. “I felt strongly that access to higher education for adults was necessary and that classes should be taught by a mix of full-time and adjunct faculty,” she says.

A non-traditional student herself, with the support of her late husband, Robert, and three children, Tyrrell earned an undergraduate degree at Rochester Institute of Technology and a master’s degree at University of Rochester, where she worked as a graduate assistant. “I was raised to be a problem solver, not to make excuses,” she says. “My choice, my challenge.”

Tyrrell, owner of Harbor Towne Gifts and Souvenirs in Oswego for 39 years, is past president of the Oswego Chamber of Commerce and sits on other not-for-profit

boards, including Oswego Emeriti Association and Aurora, for which she and her husband, Frank, both volunteer. A loyal advocate of Oswego students, Tyrrell has ensured that her support will continue by establishing a schol-arship through a legacy gift in her estate plan.

Reflecting upon her career, Tyrrell, who received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service, says, “Those were exciting times at Oswego. We all worked hard to understand students and provide appropriate services. I’ll always appreciate that I had great people to work with in every position.”

Tyrrell adds, “I hope I gave all those students something valuable for their journeys. I know I treasure the affirma-tion and wisdom I received from them.”


JIM R

USSELL ’83

suny oswego alumni magazine

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