southern alumni magazine spring 2013

ALUMNI MAGAZINE | Spring | 13a publication for alum

ni and friends of Southern Connecticut State University

2012 CHARITABLE GIVING REPORT

FEATURED INSIDE:

Dear Southern Alumni,

By necessity, education in the 21st century is an

ongoing process, since the quick pace of change in our modern

world demands a flexible workforce and visionary leaders. As a

public university, therefore, it is imperative that we engage in

both workforce development and liberal education — because

while workforce development prepares our students for their

first jobs, it is a liberal education that prepares them to face and

accommodate the inevitable change that is more and more

characterizing our world.

Never has there been a more crucial time for public

higher education to stand up and deliver on these promises.

Along with several legislative leaders, I was recently part of a

Connecticut delegation to attend a national conference on

retention and graduation, and an analysis of our state’s public

higher education record made sobering reading.

By the year 2020, 67 percent of all jobs in this state will

require a career certificate or college degree — yet just 46

percent of Connecticut adults currently have an associate’s

degree or higher. And while statewide access to higher

education has improved dramatically, retention rates are

dropping year by year. For too many students, the path through

college ends with no degree — and often a mountain of debt.

While these trends suggest an urgency, there is a path

forward if we have the will to face the issues directly, learn from

some of the work being done by our colleagues across the

country, and make tough choices. We are doing just that at

Southern. In recent months I have charged campus taskforces

to examine our undergraduate retention and graduation rates,

the delivery and convenience of our graduate-level offerings,

and the transition process for transfer students. All of this is

being done with a view to enhancing accessibility and ensuring

that each and every student who enters Southern has a defined

and supported path to earning his or her degree.

These efforts are crucial, because Southern has a

special mission as a public institution to connect actively with

its community. We are pursuing this course with new offerings

in in-demand fields, more accelerated programs that meet the

practical needs of non-traditional learners, and our ongoing

commitment to access and affordability. Responding to a

statewide need for more trained graduates in science and

technology, for example, we will begin construction this fall on

a new science laboratory building, allowing us to enhance the

ongoing expansion of our science programs and our capacity

to educate more students in those fields. The new building will

be home to cutting-edge programs such as nanotechnology,

applied physics, and a professional science track for students

seeking advanced training in both chemistry and business.

With these developments in mind — and considering

the fact that more than 85 percent of Southern graduates

remain in the state to live and work and build a career — it is

clear that an investment in public higher education is an

investment in Connecticut’s future.

I believe that with a common vision, and the continued

support of our alumni, friends, and community partners, we

can build on the successes of the past and ensure an even more

exciting and rewarding future for us all.

Sincerely,

Mary A. Papazian, Ph.D.

President

LETTER PresidentFROM

THE

Ethiopia is home to the oldest and

some of the most significant

archaeological sites in the world. This

year, Michael J. Rogers, professor of

anthropology, traveled to this storied

land with three Southern

undergraduate students — and

captured their remarkable journey in photos.

features

Spring | 13Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE

From the President inside cover

Campus News 2True Blue 8

Nostalgia 24Alumni News 26

Alumni Notes 30Southern Events 36

departments

The Secret of their Success 16Armed with passion, determination, and one or more

Southern degrees, six alumni make their marks in the

community and the professional arena.

Homecoming 2013 22Welcome to fabulous Southern! Alumni and friends enjoyed

trying their luck at an action-packed celebration with a

Vegas theme.

Cover: From the classroom to Ethiopia, Professor of Anthropology MichaelRogers and three Southern seniors joined an expedition at the GonaPalaeoanthropological Research Project in February and March. At the heartof the search — fossils, artifacts, and clues to mankind’s evolutionary history.

COVER PHOTO: Mohamed Sahnouni

2012 Charitable Giving Report

Southern ConnectionsSaluting the Past. Supporting the Future.

The Big Dig 10

2012 CharitableGiving Report 37

Saluting the Past.

Honoring the Future.

2 | SouthernALUMNI MAGAZINE

NEWSCampus

housands of years ago, parts of Mexico and

Central America that are barren today were home

to flourishing civilizations. Despite the challenging climate

and poor soil conditions that make modern-day farming

seem nearly impossible, the ancient Maya prospered.

Ezgi Akpinar Ferrand, assistant professor of geogra-

phy, thinks the secret lies in a relatively low-tech method of

collecting and conserving rainwater, and believes these

primitive techniques could help people in developing

nations today.

In June, Akpinar

Ferrand will join a team of

researchers in Pich, Mexico,

to reconstruct an ancient

Mayan pond-and-canal irriga-

tion system, which she

hopes will help struggling

farmers now living in the vil-

lage. If successful, the team

SouthernLaunchesRedesignedWebsite Southern’s website

has a whole new look! Go to

SouthernCT.edu to view the

updated layout and expand-

ed capabilities — all imple-

mented to make it easier to

navigate the site and quickly

find the information you

need about Southern.

n Water Works: Embracing Ancient Irrigation Techniques

[RIGHT] Assistant Professor of Geography Ezgi Akpinar Ferrand

Southern| ALUMNI MAGAZINE

| VOL 11 • NO 1

Dr. Mary A. Papazian, President

STAFF

Patrick Dilger,Director of Public Affairs

Villia Struyk, Editor

Mary Pat Caputo, Associate Editor

Michael Kobylanski, Sports Editor

Marylou Conley, ’83, Art Director

Isabel Chenoweth, Photographer

Alisha Martindale, ’10, Assistant Photographer

Nancy Ronne, Development Editor

Charlie Davison,Alumni Notes Editor

OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS

Michelle R. Johnston, Director of Alumni Relations

(203) 392-6500

EDITORIAL OFFICE

Southern Connecticut State UniversityOffice of Public Affairs/

Southern Alumni Magazine501 Crescent StreetNew Haven, CT 06515-1355

Telephone (203) 392-6591; fax (203) 392-6597E-mail address: [email protected] website: SouthernCT.edu

Printed by The Lane Press, Inc.

Southern Alumni Magazine is published by the university in cooperation with the SCSU AlumniAssociation two times a year and distributed free of charge to alumni and friends of the university.Opinions expressed in Southern Alumni Magazine do

not necessarily reflect those of theuniversity or of the SCSU AlumniAssociation. Although the editorshave made every reasonable effort to be factually accurate, noresponsibility is assumed for errors.

Postage paid at Burlington, Vt.

Southern Connecticut State University, in compliancewith federal laws and regulations, does notdiscriminate on the basis of race, color, nationalorigin, sex, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation,or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices,or procedures. This includes, but is not limited to,admissions, employment, financial aid, andeducational services.

— which includes ethnographer Betty Faust

and archaeologist Armando Anaya — hopes

to teach the village of 2,000 people how to

grow indigenous crops organically.

The Maya lived in southern Mexico,

Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and parts of

El Salvador from around 1,000 B.C. until

1,000 A.D. Akpinar Ferrand began studying

their water-management system while

researching her doctoral dissertation. But it

was while working as an intern at the U.N.

Environment Programme — studying cli-

mate change — that she began thinking

about the possibility of using her research

to solve present-day problems such as

hunger and drought.

The ancient Maya used a series of

natural and manmade ponds called

aguadas to collect and store rainwater.

They lined the ponds with natural materials

such as clay, stone, and plaster and built

silting tanks at their entrances to filter the

water. By building berms — or ledges —

and dredging, they were able to maximize

the ponds’ capacity.

“This reconstruction of old technolo-

gy is not something that’s been tried,

Akpinar Ferrand says. “If it works, maybe it

can be a model that would ultimately

make sense for policy makers and local

governments.”

In a related project, Akpinar Ferrand

has teamed with Southern sophomore

geography major Fatima Cecunjanin to

research how rainwater harvesting can

help vulnerable regions of the world deal

with climate change. Cecunjanin presented

a poster highlighting their work at the

Association of American Geographers

Annual Meeting in Los Angeles in April.

n Seeing Stars . . . and Pluto

“This was a fantasticopportunity to bringDSSI to Gemini Norththis past July,” said

Elliott Horch, associateprofessor of physics.“In just a little over

half an hour of Plutoobservations,

collecting light withthe Gemini mirror, we

obtained the bestresolution ever withthe DSSI instrument.

It was stunning!”

continues

PLUTO hasn’t been considered a true planet since 2006. But the newly designated

dwarf planet has never looked so good, thanks to Associate Professor of Physics Elliott

Horch, who invented a cutting-edge telescopic attachment that allows astronomers to see

stars and other celestial objects with more clarity than ever before.

It’s like putting “eyeglasses on a telescope,” says Horch of the device, called a

Differential Speckle Survey Instrument (DSSI). Last summer, DSSI was used to capture the

sharpest ground-based images ever obtained of Pluto and its largest moon, Charon. The

Spring 2013 | 3

groundbreaking photos

were taken at the Gemini

Observatory in Hilo,

Hawaii, where Horch

worked with a small team

of researchers after tem-

porarily installing the DSSI

on the Gemini telescope.

“You can’t normally

differentiate Pluto from

Charon even with powerful

telescopes,” Horch says.

“But we were able to do

so with the DSSI.”

The device, which

was made possible by a

grant from the National

Science Foundation, was

designed to enhance

astronomers’ knowledge of

binary stars — a system

usually made up of two

stars that orbit around one

center of mass. The study

of these systems can offer

new insights into the for-

mation of our own solar

system. DSSI has already

been used to forward

NASA’s Kepler Mission,

which seeks to identify

possible Earth-like planets

in the Milky Way Galaxy.

Based on the suc-

cess of the device to date,

Horch says it might be

used to explore other

celestial objects. “We might

be able to study the shape

of asteroids, which hasn’t

really been done from

ground-based telescopes,”

says Horch. “People often

think of them as rocks in

space, but some of them

actually have more compli-

cated shapes and more

complicated histories. It

would be interesting to

look further to get a closer

look . . .”

n Applause!Applause!Several faculty

members recently were

recognized for exceptional

teaching, scholarship, and

contributions to their fields.

Professor of

Nursing Barbara Aronson

is the 2012 recipient of the

Connecticut Nurses

Association’s Virginia A.

Henderson Award, one of

her profession’s highest

honors in the state.

Aronson is the coordinator

of the new Ed.D. in nursing

education program, a joint

venture with Western

Connecticut State

University that is designed

to address the state and

national shortage of nurs-

ing faculty.

Professor of Social

Work Elizabeth Keenan

has been named Social

Worker of the Year by the

4 | SouthernALUMNI MAGAZINE

NEWSCampus

Southern students planted trees with members of Yale’s Urban ResourcesInitiative and Treehaven employees. These trees will beautify an area just offcampus on Fitch Street.

Professor of Nursing Barbara Aronson

n Planting RootsA tree grows in New Haven — aided by a dedicated group of

Southern students who took part in Treehaven 10k, a citywide effort

to plant 10,000 trees during a five-year period ending in 2014.

A partnership between the City of New Haven and Yale

University’s Urban Resources Initiative, the program will plant trees

on public and private land, contributing trees to city residents who

agree to care for them. This fall, Southern students enrolled in a class

on sustainability taught by Suzanne Huminski, instructor of science

education and environmental studies, did their part to forward the

initiative. The students walked door-to-door inviting campus neigh-

bors to adopt trees and then assisted with the planting.

In addition to beautifying the city, the program has economic

advantages. Trees planted on New Haven’s streets reduce storm-

water runoff, improve air quality and public health, and lower energy

bills, saving the city about $4 million dollars a year, according to the

Urban Resources Initiative.

Connecticut chapter of the

National Association of

Social Workers. Keenan,

coordinator of Southern’s

B.S.W. program, is a found-

ing leader of CONECT

(Congregations Organized

for a New Connecticut), a

multi-faith organization

committed to social and

economic justice.

Originally built as a

women’s dormitory,

Seabury Hall later transi-

tioned into a home for the

School of Business and the

departments of sociology,

political science, history,

and anthropology. Long

considered inadequate for

housing administrative

offices, the woefully out-

dated building is generally

viewed as either a decrepit

campus eyesore or an

aging relic of fondly

remembered times gone

by. With the building in the

process of being demol-

ished as this issue went to

press, several faculty and

staff members who spent

much of their Southern

careers in Seabury, reflect-

ed on its imminent depar-

ture from the Southern

landscape. For more

insights on Seabury go to

the online version of

Southern Life, the campus

newspaper at

SouthernCT.edu/southern-

life/. The remembrances

are on page three of the

November 2012 issue.

It was a marvelous dormi-

tory and the very first one

on campus. It opened in

1958, and I was the first

occupant of Room 309.

Life in Seabury was very

pleasant. There were no

telephones or televisions

in our rooms — no hook-

up capabilities either . . .

but the cinderblock build-

ing had its own charm . . .

always enough heat and

lots of sun streaming in

our windows.

“In 1959, the

College Memorial Union,

known as the Student

Union opened its doors —

More than 3,000 prospective students and

family members attended Southern’s undergraduate

open house program on Oct. 21. The program provided

information on the university’s 69 undergraduate

programs as well as various services for students.

In 2011, Southern reduced electricity use by 9%(approximately 3 million kWh) compared to the previous

year — saving enough energy to power 270 U.S. homes for

an entire year. Looking forward, the goal is to reduce the

use of electricity an additional 6 percent below 2010 levels

by June 2013.

The university has about 82,000 alumni

who hold more than 92,000 degrees.

Southern student-athletes have won numerous national

championships over the years, claiming 10 team titles

and 76 individual titles.

During the spring semester, a new

1,200-space parking garage is

slated to open next to Moore Fieldhouse.

Professor of Social WorkElizabeth Keenan

Spring 2013 | 5

n Farewell to Seabury

NEWSCampus

large eating facility on the first floor rear and the new Boy’s

Dormitory on the second floor. We had some softball games

together. That is how I met my future husband. In fact, our

marriage was the first marriage of a girl from Seabury Hall

and a boy from the College Memorial Union.”

— NANCY VIA, ’61, AND FORMER SCSU LIBRARIAN

6 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE

ONTHE

Web

n Talking PoliticsOn Oct. 24 — with the 2012 presidential and congres-

sional elections then less than two weeks away -— Southern

put the spotlight on the political process with an informative

forum: Politics and Apple Pie. Erin McPike, a reporter then cov-

ering the presi-

dential race for

the online politi-

cal news publi-

cation Real Clear

Politics, deliv-

ered the keynote

speech to an

enthusiastic

audience that

included numer-

ous college and

high school stu-

dents. “Every

election, some-

one always tells

you that it is the

most important

one of your lifetime,” McPike told the audience. “But the truth

is, they’re all important in different ways, and they all build on

each other.” McPike recently joined CNN as a general assign-

ment correspondent. The event also featured a panel discus-

sion and a question-and-answer session.

Political reporter Erin McPike drew an enthusiasticcrowd to campus weeks before the presidentialelection.

+ View the university’s completely redesigned website at: SouthernCT.edu.

+ Additions to SCSU on iTunes U include the inauguration ofPresident Mary A. Papazian, located in the “About Southern”collection, and a tour of the new science building, foundunder “Campus Highlights.” Go to SouthernCT.edu/ itunesu/and click on the large link.

+ Browse through Southern’s photo galleries atfacebook.com/southernct/photos_albums. Highlightsinclude the latest Crescent Players’ theater productions,commencement, and seasonal views of campus.

+Wise Words is a blog that offers tips, insight, andperspectives about topics of general interest — withexpertise provided by Southern’s faculty and staff. Past postshave covered everything from “helicopter parents” to tips onwriting a college admissions essay to romance in colonialAmerica. Check it out at scsuwisewords.wordpress.com.

I grew up and grew old with Seabury. I’m glad to see it go

before I do!”

— EUGENE FAPPIANO, PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF SOCIOLOGY, WHO CAME TO SOUTHERN AS A 25-YEAR-OLD ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR IN 1967 AND LEFT SEABURY WHEN HE RETIRED IN 2003 — BUT NOT BEFORE MEETING HIS FUTURE WIFE THERE.

I moved into my office on

the fourth floor of Seabury

Hall in August of 1975,

and remained here for

two years. On my first day,

I spun around on my desk

chair to face the window

and, having misjudged the

distance, accidently put

my shoe through a piece

of rotten plywood that

was part of a patchwork

wall underneath my win-

dow. After a short while in

a building that seemed to

groan under its own inad-

equacy, I wondered which

of us would outlast the

other: Seabury Hall or me.

The long wait for that

answer is over, and I

guess I get the last word:

“Hasta la vista,

Seabury!”

— BILL FARACLAS, CHAIRMAN OF THEDEPARTMENT OFPUBLIC HEALTH

Tops in the State: Namedthe 2012 CarnegieFoundation for theAdvancement ofTeaching ConnecticutProfessor of the Year.Carroll is the onlyprofessor to receive theaward in the state— and one of only 30educators to be sohonored throughoutthe nation.

Other Honors: The 2011recipient of SouthernConnecticut StateUniversity’s J. PhilipSmith OutstandingTeaching Award. Alsohonored as the 2012university-level recipientof the Board ofRegents/ConnecticutState UniversityTeaching Award.

Giving Thanks: Carrollcredits her late mother,RoseMarie Carroll, withhelping to shape hercareer. “She valuededucationtremendously andinstilled in me aburning desire forlearning and all thingseducation,” says Carroll.“I consider myself to bea lifelong learner andhope I can inspireothers to be the same.”

Professor of Psychology Deborah Carroll

Spring 2013 | 7


n Alumni Champions• Alumnus Mike Petke, a former Owl All-American

soccer player, has been named head coach of the

New York Red Bulls. Petke helped the Owls win

the 1995 national championship and went on to a

distinguished professional career with Major

League Soccer. Drafted by New York in 1998, he

played for numerous other teams,

including D.C. United.

• The Philadelphia Eagles recently

welcomed Jeff Stoutland, ’84, M.S.

’86, as the team’s new offensive line

coach. Stoutland previously held the

same position at the University of

Alabama, where he helped the team

win two consecutive Bowl

Championship Series (BCS)

championship games.

• Donna Lopiano, ’68, received one of the NCAA’s top

honors, the President Gerald R. Ford Award for

leadership in intercollegiate athletics. Lopiano, the

former chief executive officer of the Women’s Sports

Foundation, has devoted more than four decades

advocating for equality in college athletics, particularly

in support of increased opportunities for women.

On October 11, she will be a special guest at a

university event marking the 40th anniversary of the

enactment of Title IX, a groundbreaking law making

gender discrimination illegal in federally funded

education. Others participating in the event include

U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, and

Bernice Sandler, the women’s rights activist who

was instrumental in the creation of Title IX.

True blue From the pool to the playing field, a look at Southern athletics.

Smart MovesSouthern’s student-athletes scored big in the

classroom during the fall 2012 semester, achieving a

record level of academic success. As a group, the Owls’

395 student-athletes had a combined grade point aver-

age (GPA) of 3.057 — an all-time high. The women’s

cross country team had the most impressive overall

academic record for the semester, with members earn-

ing a team GPA of 3.84. The men’s basketball team’s

3.11 GPA was tops among the men’s squads in the fall.

Many student-athletes stood out for their indi-

vidual academic achievements as well. An impressive

104 student-athletes received a GPA of 3.5 or higher for

the semester, and nine students earned a perfect 4.0

GPA — an “A+” average.

n Owl Club Newsletter Lands OnlineDid you know that the Owls’ softball team competed in the College World Series for the

first time in 2012? Or that the men’s track and field team won its 20th straight Northeast-10

Conference Championship last year?

For these and other athletics highlights, turn to the

“Owl Connection” newsletter — now available exclusively

online. View current and past issues on the web. Or

subscribe to the free newsletter by providing your email

address on the subscription form found at

SouthernCTowls.com; click on the “Owl Club” heading.

The Owl Club recognizes donors

who support Southern’s athletics

program with a gift of $50 or more.

To make a gift, go to

SouthernCT.edu/giving.

Join theteam

behindthe

team!

For more sports news, visitSouthernCTOwls.com.

n Southern’s Swimming ChampionCongratulations to

senior Amanda Thomas who

recently won her fourth NCAA

Division II national swimming

championship. Turn to the

back cover for more on her

spectacular victory!

Meet Southern’sStudent-Athlete

n Hall of Fame Inductees HonoredSouthern inducted two graduates into the Hall of

Fame in 2012: Sandra Gunnarsson Thielz, ’68, who was

recognized for her contributions to the sport of gymnastics,

and K. Patrick Tully, ’90, who was honored for diving.

Thielz, who competed for Southern from 1965-68,

was a two-time Eastern intercollegiate champion on the

bars and a key member of the 1968 team that placed third

at the National Collegiate Women’s Gymnastics

Championships. She went on to a highly successful

teaching and coaching career, serving as a faculty member

at West Chester University of

Pennsylvania and the head

coach of the women’s

gymnastics team. At West

Chester, she led her team to

five National Collegiate

Athletic Association (NCAA)

championship appearances

and one NCAA regional

championship. She also

worked internationally as a

coach and judge, and was

instrumental in establishing

the Muriel Davis Grossfeld

Endowed Gymnastics

Scholarship at Southern,

which honors the university’s

legendary coach.

Fellow honoree, K.

Patrick Tully, ’90, won four

NCAA Division II national

championships while

competing for the Owls

— claiming victory in both the

one- and three-meter boards in 1987 and 1988. He was an

NCAA Division II record holder on both boards when he

graduated. In all, Tully was a five-time All-American and a

six-time New England champion. He went on to compete in

the Nike World Masters Games and was a world champion

on both boards in the 35-and-under classification. He later

earned a master’s degree in hospitality management from

Florida International University.

Tylon Smith

Sophomore

Men’s Basketball Team, Point Guard

Major: Recreation and Leisure Studies with a concentration in sports management

Hometown: Manchester, Conn.

Claims to fame: As a freshman, named to the Northeast-10

Conference All-Rookie Team and the league’s honor roll for aca-

demic achievement. Finished the 2011-12 season in first place

for the Owls in assists (78) and tied for first in steals (41).

A baby story: “My parents told me that when I was a baby, I would

sleep with my hand in the [basketball] shooting position.”

Pregame ritual: “I’ve had the same ritual since I was in high

school. I listen to a playlist that features popular R&B and rap

stars but also Disney soundtracks. It’s a big surprise because

most people wouldn’t think that I listen to Disney.”

Guilty pleasure: “I love watching cartoons. My favorite movies are

‘The Lion King,’ ‘Space Jam,’ and ‘Tarzan.’ I’m a kid at heart.”

Embarrassing story: “I was a freshman doing some conditioning

tests, and I had to do the shuttle drill. I fell in front of the girls’

basketball team and coach. I took the jokes like a man, but

when I repeated the drill I did it faster and better.”

Career dreams: “I would like to play professional basketball. It

would be nice to go back to my roots and play for the Italian

national team.”

On being a student-athlete: “Athletes are a symbol on campus.

We really have to represent our team, school, coaches, and the

alumni. It feels good to know that you stand for so much more

than just yourself.”

Aspirations: “I wanted to be a history teacher because I had a

great one in high school. But I’m not ready to throw sports life

away. I could become a coach. It would be interesting to be

behind the scenes instead of being a player on the field.”

By Jasmine Wilborne

Senior English major

Sandra Gunnarsson Thielz, ’68

K. Patrick Tully, ’90

Spring 2013 | 9

Ethiopia is home to the oldest and some of the most

significant archaeological sites in the world. This year,

Michael J. Rogers, professor of anthropology, traveled to this

storied land with three Southern undergraduate students —

and captured their remarkable journey in photos.


The scientists and crew included: [BACK ROW] Mikal Datto; Demrew Dagne; Gezahegne;Southern student Jeff Banks; Monya Anderson, a graduate student at the University ofOregon; Southern student Patrick Whitney; Amole; Dr. Steve Frost, University of Oregon;Dr. Mohamed Sahnouni; Hajji; Southern student Travis Rohrer; Dr. Sileshi Semaw,director of the Gona Palaeoanthropological Research Project and a scientist with theSpanish National Research Centre for Human Evolution (CENIEH); Asahamed Humet;Dr. Dietrich Stout; Dr. Mathieu Duval; Ibrahim; Samla; and Southern Professor ofAnthropology Michael Rogers. [FRONT ROW] Mohamed; Hussein; Awoke; Tadesse; Mohamud; Omar; Yassin; Ali Ma’anda; and Walainu.


Artifacts from the expedition.

Mathieu Duval, a geologist from the SpanishNational Research Centre for Human Evolution(CENIEH), makes the climb.

student of anthropology would be

hard pressed to find a better class-

room than Ethiopia. On Jan. 30,

Professor of Anthropology Michael

Rogers and three Southern seniors — Jeff

Banks, Travis Rohrer, and Patrick Whitney

— traveled to the Afar region of the coun-

try to join a scientific expedition at the

Gona Palaeoanthropological Research

Project. At the heart of their quest

— uncovering fossils, artifacts, and clues

to mankind’s evolutionary history.

Rogers has been bringing under-

graduate students to Gona since 2007,

working alongside his friend and colleague

Sileshi Semaw, a scientist at the Spanish

National Research Centre for Human

Evolution (CENIEH), who directs the proj-

ect. Rogers brings extensive experience to

the task, having conducting fieldwork in

East Africa since 1990 and working specifi-

cally at the Gona Project since 1999.

Many noteworthy discoveries have

been made in Gona, including the oldest

excavated stone tools in the world dated to

2.6 million years ago, and the fossilized

bones of numerous animals, including

hominins, our immediate ancestors. In

2006, for example, Rogers was part of an

expedition that uncovered a human-like

Southern students Jeff Banks and Patrick Whitney.

skull — a nearly intact cranium that is

believed to come from a creature that exist-

ed sometime between the earlier Homo

erectus and the later Homo sapiens, other-

wise known as modern man.

This year’s expedition focused on

the period between 2.1 – 1.6 million years

ago — a time that was marked by signifi-

cant changes in both the fossil and archae-

ological records. Rogers explains: “The fos-

sil record shows the emergence of a taller,

bigger-brained Homo erectus compared to

the preceding Homo habilis. The archaeo-

logical record documents a technological

transition from a basic Oldowan stone tool

technology (stone hitting stone to produce

sharp chips or flakes that were used as

knives) to a more complex Acheulian tech-

nology — the first purposefully shaped

stone tools, such as handaxes or picks.”

Working through

early March, the group exca-

vated a site called Busidima

North 70 (BSN-70), which had been discov-

ered in 2012 and dated to about 1.8 – 1.7

million years ago. Artifacts found on the

surface of the site seem to be transitional

— representing technology that emerged

between the Oldowan and Acheulian. “We’re

interested in documenting this transition,”

notes Rogers, “and trying to explain why it

happened.” n

Spring 2013 | 13

The archaeological fieldwork was co-directed by Michael Rogers,

professor of anthropology at Southern.

One of the many uncovered artifacts.

[FROM LEFT] Southern students Patrick Whitney and JeffBanks; Dr. Mohamed Sahnouni, an archaeologist fromCENIEH; Dr. Dietrich Stout, an archaeologist from EmoryUniversity; and Southern student Travis Rohrer.

The AfarRegion ofEthiopia

©2013 Google-Contributed by CNR, SJC, Balu and others

In search of hidden treasure,Hamadu Humet works withSouthern student Patrick Whitney.

continues

How was the trip?

“You never know what you are going to find in an

excavation — that’s the fun part about it! We were lucky to

find several interesting artifacts and a few fossil bones of

extinct antelopes in the excavation at BSN-70 [Busidima

North 70], thereby confirming the age of the materials and

their depositional environment.

“We also revisited several other sites of different

ages and collected artifacts that had eroded out of the hills

since the last time we were there.”

You’ve been bringing advancedSouthern undergraduates on theseexpeditions since 2007, which Iunderstand is rare.

“The usual undergraduate archaeological experience

is to go to a local summer field school. Those are great,

and there are several around Connecticut and New

England. There are a couple of paleoanthropology field

schools in Africa, but they are expensive. I don’t know of

any other research project in East Africa that incorporates

undergraduates to this extent. Usually, graduate students

are lucky to be able to work at one of these famous

paleoanthropological sites.”

What’s camp like? What are some ofthe challenges the students face?

“I never know how a student will react to the heat,

dust, rustic conditions (tent camping, no bathrooms, no

electricity, “bag” showers), remoteness, etc. until they actually

get there. But all the Southern students who have gone with

me over the years adjusted well, and perhaps learned a bit

about themselves and what they are capable of.”

How did they handle the transition?

“They did great. All three students had taken my

archaeological methods class (a field class over at the West

Rock Nature Center), so I knew their level of interest and

excavation ability.”

notes: from Professor Rogers

continues on page 35


Scenes from camp, including amoment of relaxation forSouthern students Jeff Banks,Patrick Whitney, and Travis Rohrer.

Spring 2013 | 15

Natives of the Afar region anda few wildlife scenes.

Goat herders are a common sight.

[FROM LEFT] Dr. Mohamed Sahnouni, CENIEH; Dr. Sileshi Semaw, CENIEH;Dr. Michael Rogers, SCSU; Demrew Dagne (kneeling), Ethiopia’s Authorityfor Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage; Dr. Mathieu Duval,CENIEH; and Dr. Dietrich Stout, Emory University.


the

Secretof

their

successArmed with passion,

determination, and one or

more Southern degrees, six

alumni make their marks in

the community and the

professional arena.

outhern has over 82,000 alumni who hold more than 92,000 degrees — and each of these

graduates has a story to tell. In the following pages, we share the accomplishments of six of

these talented men and women, the recipients of the 2012 Distinguished and Outstanding Alumni

Awards, who were honored on October 12.

The Distinguished Alumnus Award, the most prestigious honor bestowed on a Southern graduate

by the university was presented to two alumni: Clifford R. Nordquist Jr., ’90, and James J. O’Connell IV, ’90,

former classmates who founded Just Bagels in 1992. In two decades, the company has become an interna-

tional success, producing a staggering 300,000 bagels a day for clients in all 50 states as well as overseas.

In addition, four alumni — one graduate from each of the university’s four undergraduate schools

— received Outstanding Alumnus/a Awards. The honorees included Clifford G. Smith, ’73, an accom-

plished artist, educator, and coach (School of Arts and Sciences); George D. Bakes, ’83, a successful entrepre-

neur and commercial real estate broker and developer (School of Business); Imma Canelli, ’78, M.S. ’82,

6th Yr. ’99, a committed educator with 34 years of experience with New Haven Public Schools (School of

Education); and Rhonda A. Thomas, M.S. ’95, a celebrated vocalist and speech pathologist (School of

Health and Human Services). By Joan Wells

Spring 2013 | 17

Distinguished Alumni*Clifford r. Nordquist Jr., ’90,

and James J. o’CoNNell iV, ’90

clifford Nordquist Jr., ’90, says he could be in a room with

a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, and a convict — and still

get all the attention. “Everyone wants to talk to the bagel guy,”

says Nordquist, president and cofounder of Just Bagels — a

Bronx-based company that has been recognized as one of New

York’s Top Entrepreneurs by Crain’s Communications.

“Everybody’s got a bagel story. . . . It’s a happy food,”

Nordquist says, of what many view as the ultimate comfort

nosh. “When the economy does terrible, we do better.”

He started the company in 1992 at the invitation of a

co-worker at a construction job. He knew nothing about bagels

and not much about the co-worker. But feeling the entrepre-

neurial spirit, Nordquist borrowed money from his mother, and

he and the new partner opened a bagel-making operation in

New York City.

Shortly into the venture, Nordquist and the partner sep-

arated over differences. That’s when current business partner

and fellow Southern alumnus, James “Jimmy”O’Connell, ’90,

entered the picture. The two met and became friends through a

fraternity at Southern. Both were student-athletes: O’Connell

was captain of the wrestling team and Nordquist played foot-

ball his first year, having arrived on a sports scholarship.

It was a leap of faith for the friends who knew nothing

about bagels, except for a brief tutorial from Nordquist’s godfa-

ther. But they were willing to learn, working 16-hour days,

packaging bagels for retail, and handling sales.

“I was baking. He was delivering. It was exciting,” says

O’Connell. “For some reason, we knew we would succeed even

though the business wasn’t doing well at first.”

Eventually, there were lines around the block, with cus-

tomers clamoring for the company’s old-fashioned-style bagels,

which are boiled in a traditional water bath.

“We don’t make a cookie-cutter bagel,” says Nordquist.

“They’re like snowflakes. No two are alike.”

As the business became popular, they opened numerous

locations in the city. But the partners ultimately decided to base

the operation under one roof in the Bronx. A third partner,

continues on page 35


When Clifford Smith, ’73, paints a nature scene, the image

on the canvas appears to be moving.

A leaf is blowing, a cloud is rolling by, and ocean waves

are always traveling somewhere.

“It’s not a still life. Nature’s breathing. Nature’s mov-

ing,” says Smith, a successful artist who exhibits nationally. His

work can be found in many public collections, including the

American Stock Exchange, Yale University, and numerous cor-

porations and universities.

Smith taught art for 11 years at the high school and col-

lege levels. He notes, in turn, that talented teachers had a

tremendous impact on his development as an artist, including

Mitchell Roe Skop, his advanced drawing teacher at SCSU.

“We celebrated the individual,” says Smith, recalling

classes devoted to figure drawing with live models. “It wasn’t

anyone. It was someone.”

His praise of Skop continues: “Because he was a sculp-

tor, he also taught us to see three dimensionally. . . . That goes

beyond just drawing. That works an argument.”

In support of Southern students, Smith went on to

establish the Clifford G. Smith Annual Art Scholarship Fund at

the university. Hailing from New Jersey, he came to Southern

on a football scholarship and later ran track as well. He was, as

he recalls, virtually the only “jock” in the arts program. He

went on to earn a master of fine arts degree from Pratt

Institute in New York.

Today, Smith lives in New Hampshire and has two

grown daughters.

His father, now 91, worked as a commercial artist

before settling into an unrelated field. Smith was 16, and it

was the summer before junior year when he realized his rela-

tionship with nature. “I felt a oneness,” he says.

The allure remains strong. Smith takes the ferry to

places like Martha’s Vineyard and Orient Point and takes pic-

tures — constantly studying the water.

“I think about the energy, the smell, the action, “ he

says. “The waves come from the horizon and are going else-

where. . . . I understand the relationship of all that.”

There are other inspirations as well.

Smith, who gets up 5:30 a.m. and paints every day, is

working on a piece based on a picture he took of a man eating

a sandwich in front of the outlets in Freeport, Maine. The back-

drop caught his eye.

He’s also working on a piece he calls, “Cool Ride,” of

a man and woman on a motorcycle, the wind in their hair.

“I look for beauty or even something interesting,”

he says.

Outstanding Alumnus*School of artS and ScienceS

Clifford G. smith, ’73

Spring 2013 | 19

George D. Bakes, ’83, is starting phase two of his entre-

preneurial real estate career, and it’s likely going to look

a lot like phase one, perhaps with a few twists. But one thing’s

for sure — the weather will be much nicer.

Bakes, a longtime commercial real estate broker and

developer with Coldwell Banker in New Canaan, Conn., and his

wife, Jean Plude Bakes, ’84, are moving to San Diego. George is

already there, working at a Coldwell Banker in the area and the

family will join him soon.

A firm believer in the importance of education, Bakes

earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at

Southern. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to do for a

career, but as the son of real estate entrepreneurs, Bakes knew

he wanted to shape his own destiny. “It was always my intention

to do something on my own in an entrepreneurial way,” he says.

Bakes continued his studies, focusing on law and earn-

ing advanced degrees from the Quinnipiac University School of

Law and Boston University School of Law. He went on to

become a lawyer, but didn’t practice long before feeling the

entrepreneurial pull.

Today he relishes the challenges and opportunities of

his chosen field. The commercial real estate brokerage busi-

ness is anything but stable, according to Bakes. But he says he

enjoys scouting out the best properties for clients.

“A lot of the time, it’s like finding a needle in a

haystack,” he says. “I like working with individuals and busi-

nesses and helping them accomplish their goals.”

In Connecticut, Bakes found success buying, develop-

ing, and leasing commercial properties. He’s looking to do the

same in California.

“It’s fun, but it’s extremely challenging. You can’t afford

to make mistakes,” he says. “We’ve made a lot more money,

than we’ve lost.”

He and Jean formed Capital Commercial Group in

Connecticut. Before relocating, they sold two major properties

in Monroe and Stamford.

He said in addition to real estate, he and Jean will try

various other business ventures. “My wife wants to create

products,” he says.

The hope is that their three children, two of whom are

college students, will become involved in their businesses

someday.

Meanwhile, Bakes continues to lead by example. “I

absolutely always knew I would go into business for myself,”

he says.

Outstanding Alumnus*School of buSineSS

GeorGe d. Bakes, ’83

When it comes to education, Imma Canelli, ’78, M.S. ’82,

6th Yr. ’99, is a firm believer in the power of partner-

ships — committed to building bridges between her alma

mater and the New Haven Public School System that benefit

all involved.

Canelli received her first teaching degree from Southern

in 1978 — and, as she sees it, she’s never really left. Yes, she’s

had a successful 34-year career with New Haven Public

Schools, where she is currently assistant superintendent for

curriculum and instruction. But Canelli returned to Southern for

two more advanced degrees — a master’s degree in 1982 and a

sixth-year in 1999.

Since 2004, Canelli has also been an adjunct professor

at the university where she’s involved with several initiatives,

including a program to provide education majors with an urban

teaching experience. In addition, Canelli is part of a team work-

ing toward the development of a proposed elementary school

on Southern’s campus, and oversees a Gear Up grant through

which Southern students provide tutoring and mentoring for

New Haven school-age students. “I live at Southern,” she says.

“I never went far from home.”

Canelli began her career as a seventh and fourth grade

teacher, specializing in reading, and has since held many adminis-

trative positions. During an exciting period when New Haven is in

the midst of initiating major school reforms, she is in charge of

curriculum, instruction, grants, budgets, and the district improve-

ment plan. She also is director of a number of “turnaround”

schools, with a goal of significantly improving performance.

“It’s big, but it’s exciting,” says Canelli, who admits to

bringing home work every night. “When you’re in urban educa-

tion, the passion comes from seeing students become success-

ful. . . . I knew through curriculum we could make a difference.”

Canelli, who wanted to be a teacher since she was a lit-

tle girl, was the first in her family to graduate from college. As

a new teacher back in 1978, she felt she had been well pre-

pared at Southern — and feels the same about the teachers

who graduate from the university today.

She and her husband, Bob Canelli, whom she met at

Southern as a student, share a passion for education. He

recently retired from the New Haven School System after 35

years, 28 of them spent as an administrator. They have two

grown children, a son who is an anesthesiologist, and a daugh-

ter who is a teacher.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Regional Mayo had high

praise for Canelli’s contributions: “Imma is a true champion for

our children and a driving force in our efforts to improve every

school in New Haven. . . . She is an exemplary leader with a big

heart and a creative mind. She deserves this honor.”

Outstanding Alumna*School of education

imma CaNelli, ’78, m.s. ’82, 6th Yr. ’99


Spring 2013 | 21

rhonda Thomas, M.S. ’95, toured the world for 11 years

as a backup singer for Isaac Hayes and has performed

with Luther Vandross, Roy Ayers, Sam Moore of the legendary

duo Sam and Dave, and Incognito.

Her sultry, soulful voice has earned Thomas numerous

awards, and she has three CDs and a live concert DVD to her

credit.

But singing is only one of her careers.

Thomas, who has a master’s degree from Southern in

communication disorders, is also a speech pathologist who

runs a private practice, Communikids, in Georgia, and also

works at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Working through her private practice, she travels to

homes in impoverished areas where many would be reluctant

to venture, because she wants to make a difference in chil-

dren’s lives.

“I know I’m supposed to be in this field and give back

to my community,” Thomas says.

And lest anyone thinks the stage is more exciting than

helping kids with articulation and voice issues, swallowing dis-

orders, and autism, Thomas is quick to say: “I have the best of

both worlds. I like the normalcy of coming back to my house,

and I love the children. It’s just great to have these two careers

I love.”

“I had to interview speech pathologists as part of an

assignment in high school, and that stayed with me,” says

Thomas of one of her earliest introductions to the field.

Her love of music came much earlier.

Her dad managed a rhythm and blues group called

New York Soul Syndicate when Thomas was growing up, and

they rehearsed in the basement. Her mom is a jazz lover who

encouraged Thomas to sing. To get Rhonda to work her

diaphragm, her mother had her sing while walking to the

opposite end of the house — and would repeatedly say, “I can’t

hear you,” to get her to sing louder.

At age 7, Thomas sang, “Somewhere Over the

Rainbow,” in the school talent show, and the audience went

wild. She continued singing for a while, but in elementary

school developed an interest in dance and eventually began

performing with an acclaimed children’s group.

Then voice reentered her life.

Thomas studied at Hampton University, majoring in

music. But after realizing she could only teach with that degree,

she switched gears and attended Southern on a minority grant,

coming to cherish the fellowship of classmates.

Today, Thomas is known for often using music in her

speech lessons. Word in the field is, “If your child likes music,

you need to see Rhonda,” she says.

Outstanding Alumna*School of health and human ServiceS

rhoNda a. thomas, m.s. ’95


W E L C O M E

H

O

M

e

C

O

M

I

N

G

Alumni and frie

nds enjoyed tryin

g

their luck at an

action-packed

celebration with

a Vegastheme.

Elvis had left the building . . .

and taken a starring role in Southern’s 2012

Homecoming celebration. Held under sunny skies on

October 13, the event featured a “Very Vegas” theme

that lent a playful spirit to the day — and brought out

a host of Elvis impersonators. The parade of floats and

banner competition paid tribute to all that is wild and

wonderful about the city, including the world-famous

Vegas strip, the infamous drive-by wedding chapels,

and top-notch entertainers. Congratulations go out to

Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority for its first-place parade

entry, while Beta Mu Sigma was chosen from 21

entries as the victor of the banner competition.

The party continued at the alumni tent, which

offered great food and entertainment for all ages

— including a towering stilt walker. The day’s high-

lights also included the 5K Robert Corda Road Race,

the Homecoming football game, and the President’s

Donor Recognition Breakfast, which honors alumni

and friends for their leadership-level support of

Southern and its students.

Spring 2013 | 23

24 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE 24 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE 24 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE

IT MAY HAVE BEEN BASIC, but the

New Haven State Teachers College bus

[PICTURED ABOVE] served its purpose, shut-

tling students from here to there. Today,

catching the bus is a whole new ball

game. Southern’s shuttle system

— affectionately dubbed the Hoot Route

— uses a state-of-the-art Web-based

Global Positioning System (GPS) to let

students track each vehicle’s location on

a computer, smart phone, or tablet.

The system includes seven new

handicapped-accessible

shuttles that make daily

runs throughout campus

and to and from New

Haven’s Union Station.

(Commuting to campus by

train is a long-held Southern

tradition as shown by the

photo at right taken in 1941.)

For those who commute by car,

Southern is slated to open a 1,200-

space parking garage located next to

Moore Fieldhouse this

spring. In keeping with

Southern’s focus on environmental

responsibility, the garage includes three

charging stations for electric/battery-

operated cars.

•NOSTA LG I A

Helping students

A small bus operated by New Haven State Teachers College — Southern’s predecessor — offers a welcome ride.

PHOTO COURTESY OF David A. Cohen

In the spring of 1941,commuters from Stamfordarrive at the New Haventrain station. [FROM LEFT]Mary Cavanaugh, IreneMayes, Eileen Gallagher,and Marienne Healy.

Going P laces

Spring 2013 | 25

Zipcar, a self-service, car-sharing rental program.

U-Pass, which provides Southern students with free use of

Connecticut Transit local buses during the semester.

CTRides/NuRide, an online network that gives participants

rewards for making greener transportation choices, such as

carpooling, biking, or using public transportation.

get from point A to point B in comfort and safety.

A GPS system that trackseach shuttle’s route makes iteasier for students to catchtheir rides. The shuttles runthroughout campus and tothe New Haven train stationand, on the weekend, to alocal shopping mall. FirstTransit Group beganoperating the shuttle duringthe 2012-13 academic year.

The new parking garage

Source: “Southern Connecticut State University: A Centennial History” by Thomas J. Farnham

The university offers a number of other

transportation options as well, including:

Alumni NEWS


Remembering the Heroes of

�andy �ook ĒlementaryThe Southern community came together December 18 in remembrance

of the students and educators who died as a result of the tragic shootings

at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Included among

the victims were several educators who had ties to the university:

MPrincipal Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, M.S. ’97, 6th Yr. ’98

Teacher Anne Marie Murphy, M.S. ’08

School Counselor Mary J. Sherlach, M.S. ’90, 6th Yr. ‘92

Teacher and master’s degree student Victoria Soto.

Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, M.S. ’97, 6th Yr. ’98June 28, 1965 – December 14, 2012

Praised for her exceptional leadership skills, Dawn

Lafferty Hochsprung, 47, the principal of Sandy Hook

Elementary School, also was known for inspiring her

students with a healthy dose of fun. In a memorial feature,

People magazine includes a story of her donning a crown

and a sparkling dress to transform into the Sandy Hook Book

Fairy to encourage the school’s younger students to read.

Having graduated from Naugatuck High School in

1983, Hochsprung earned a bachelor’s degree in special

education from Central Connecticut State University. She

went on to earn two degrees from Southern — a master’s

degree in special education in 1997 and a sixth-year

certificate in educational leadership in 1998. She was

pursuing her Ph.D. at Russell Sage College.

Anne Marie Murphy, M.S. ’08 July 25, 1960 – December 14, 2012

A 14-year resident of Sandy Hook,

Conn., Anne Marie Murphy, 52, was

formerly of Katonah, N.Y. She graduated

from St. Mary’s School in Katonah and

John F. Kennedy High School in Somers,

N.Y. She went on to graduate from Southern

in 2008 and was a teacher at Sandy Hook

Elementary School.

Murphy’s obituary cited her love of the arts

and the outdoors, and, above all, her devotion to her

family. She was memorialized throughout the

nation for her final act of heroism, with Newsday

and numerous other media outlets recounting her

attempt to shield the children from the gunman.

Spring 2013 | 27

“The care and compassion shown by these educators demonstrates their strength of character, their total dedication to their students, andalso their high moral fiber,” said President Mary A. Papazian. “Certainly they represent the best virtues which characterize our campus. Westrive to prepare our teachers — and indeed, all of our students — to be engaged citizens, to have a high sense of responsibility, high moralvalues, and to be willing to act on behalf of others. Indeed Dawn, Mary, Anne Marie, and Victoria showed themselves to be true heroes, fortheir last actions were attempts to protect the children in their care without concern for their personal well-being. And so we honor theirmemory; we mourn their loss; and we continue to hold all who were impacted by these terrible events in our hearts and prayers.”

Mary J. Sherlach, M.S. ’90, 6th Yr. ’92February 11, 1956 – December 14, 2012

A school psychologist at Sandy Hook

Elementary School, Mary J. Sherlach, 56, received

a bachelor’s degree in psychology from SUNY

Cortland. At Southern Connecticut State

University, she went on to earn a master’s

degree in school psychology in 1990 and a 6th

year degree in 1992.

She began her career working

in psychiatric facilities in New York,

before switching to school settings,

initially serving in North Haven and

Redding, Conn. She began working at

Sandy Hook Elementary in 1994,

according to her obituary, “doing what

she termed ‘God’s work’ by helping

children who needed her the most.”

Victoria “Vicki” Leigh Soto November 4, 1985 – December 14, 2012

A lifelong resident of Stratford, Conn., Victoria Soto,

27, was a graduate of Stratford High School’s Class of 2003,

and Eastern Connecticut State University, where she

graduated with high honors, earning degrees in education

and history. She went on to enroll at Southern and was in

the process of earning her master’s degree. “From the start,

I could tell Vicki was a compassionate young woman,” said

Professor of Special Education Louise Spear-Swerling, who

was Soto’s advisor and teacher.

Soto — who reportedly dreamed of becoming an

educator since she was three years old — was in her fifth

year of teaching at Sandy Hook Elementary School,

according to her obituary. The media described her final

efforts to shield the children in her care by standing

between them and the gunman. “She was incredibly

selfless and courageous,” said Spear-Swerling, speaking

at Southern’s memorial ceremony.

&in ourhearts

prayers


Alumni NEWS

n Southern knows how to throw a party! Congratulations to the Office of Alumni Relations, which won gold and silver

Excellence Awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education District I for

two alumni events — “A Beautiful Evening Under the Stars,” which included a wine tasting

and planetarium show, and “The World Goes Round,” a Broadway-

style performance showcasing alumni talent.

Looking forward, many alumni gatherings are being planned.

Please join us at one or more of the following, or check back at

SouthernCT.edu/alumni/upcoming-events.html/ for more happenings.

Connect SouthernWITHON

�+ The Web at SouthernCT.edu andSouthernCTOwls.com for athletics

�+ Twitter at twitter.com/scsutweet

�+ Facebook at facebook.com/southernct

�+ ITunes at SouthernCT.edu/itunesu/

SCSU, Office of Alumni Relations, 501 Crescent Street,New Haven, CT 06515-1355, (203) 392-6500

Web

SaveTHEDates

The World Goes Round A Beautiful Evening Under the Stars

Owl Golf ClassicMay 21 | NoonThe North Course at Lake ofIsles at Foxwoods Resortand Casino

Support Southern’s athleticsprogram while enjoying aspectacular day of golf. $375for an individual golfer and$1,500 for a foursome.Sponsorship opportunitiesavailable. (203) 392-8824

Outer Island TourJune 1Enjoy a boat ride, islandtour, and boxed lunch. More details to come.

(203) 392-6500

First Day of Summer Bash!June 21 | 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.Join us for a beer tastingand night of networking atBar in New Haven. More details to come.

(203) 392-6500

[FROM RIGHT] Michelle R.Johnston, director ofalumni relations, andDoreen Cammarata-Gilhuly, ’89, assistant tothe director, look forwardto welcoming alumni.

n With ThanksThe 2012 Alumni Association

Appreciation Award was presented to

Lynn R. Fusco, president and chief

executive officer of Fusco Corporation

and the Fusco Management Company

in New Haven, Conn.

Founded in 1924, the third-

generation company has built many

New Haven landmarks, including the

Shubert Theater and the Connecticut

Tennis Center. More recently, it has played a major role in

the dramatic transformation of campus, constructing the

Michael J. Adanti Student Center, West Campus Residence

Hall, and several major parking garages.

Fusco has shared her time and talents with numer-

ous organizations, including Paul Newman’s Hole in the

Wall Gang, Special Olympics, CPTV, the Eugene O’Neill

Theater Center, and the SCSU Foundation Board of

Directors. In 2010 she was the first recipient of the Women

of Accomplishment Award from the Connecticut chapter of

the Professional Women in Construction.

Fusco said her grandparents, the late Mary and Louis

Fusco, “had an affinity for Southern, because her grandfa-

ther built houses in the area and her grandmother was a

teacher there.” Named in their honor, the Mary and Louis

Fusco Distinguished Lecture Series annually brings leading

public figures and newsmakers to campus, attracting audi-

ences of up to 1,500.

Fellow honoree, Raymond W.

De Francesco, ’53, was the recipient of

the Charlene Hill Riccardi Alumni

Association Service Award in recogni-

tion of his contributions to Southern,

its athletics program, and the Alumni

Association.

After graduating, De Francesco

served as a naval officer during the

Korean War. He went on to teach in

East Haven, Conn., earning a master’s

degree and an advanced sixth year certificate from Fairfield

University. He returned to Southern in 1956 as the Owl’s

first freshman football coach and held numerous coaching

positions before being named athletics director in 1974 —

a position he held until his retirement in 1992 as director

emeritus of intercollegiate athletics.

He was inducted into Southern’s Athletic Hall of

Fame and the Branford Sports Hall of Fame, and has

been honored by numerous New Haven athletics

organizations.

An extremely active member of the Alumni

Association, he served as vice president and ultimately

president of the organization. A native of New Haven, De

Francesco resides in Branford, Conn., with his wife of 56

years, Joan, also a Southern graduate.

Spring 2013 | 29

Teresa Sirico, ’79, M.S. ’73, PresidentRobert D. Parker, ’76, Vice PresidentDonald G. Mitchell, ’57, M.S. ’61, TreasurerMarybeth Heyward Fede, ’79, M.S. ’87, SecretaryHugh S. Cafferty, ’69, M.S. ’70, 6th Yr. ’76, Past President

James H. Booth, ’97Phoebe Donehoo Browning, ’04, M.B.A. ’05Nancy Charest, ’71, M.S. ’75, 6th Yr. ’80Kathy Glinka Coyle, ’74, M.S. ’77, 6th Yr. ’81Susan Love D’Agostino, ’79Nancy Dudchik, ’88Jerry Katona, ’74, M.S. ’88Edwin A. Klinkhammer II, ’71, M.S. ’76, 6th Yr. ’92Stephen Koestner, ’69Mary Martinik, ’76, M.S. ’86, 6th Yr. ’99John Mastrianni, ’66, M.S. ’73 Judit Vasmatics Paolini, ’73, M.S. ’79, 6th Yr. ’93Jeffrey M. Reilly, ’58Mary Vaughn, ’80, M.S. ’84Deborah Cedar Vincent, ’82

SCSU • Office of Alumni Relations501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT 06515 • (203) 392-6500Director Michelle R. Johnston, [email protected]

SCSU Alumni Association Board of Directors

Raymond W. De Francesco, ’53

Lynn R. Fusco

alumni notes


’50sTEMMA PISTRANG, ’53, who is80 years old, is substituteteaching in Lake Forest Park,Wash. She writes that she hastraveled to Poland, Lithuania,Kenya, and Costa Rica.

’60sLORRAINE BARKER, ’66, andhusband, ERNIE, �’68, haveopened an art gallery inBantam called The Artists’Path. Their combined artistictalents were also displayed atthe Newsroom Café inTorrington, Conn. They residein Goshen, Conn.

BERNARD“BING” BARTICK,’66, M.A. ’72, 6th Yr. ’84, wasinducted into the GrotonConnecticut Educators Hallof Fame in 2012. He is semi-retired after working 43 yearsin education and lives inNorth Stonington with wife,CAROL, ’66.

DR. JOHN FITZGERALD, M.S.’67, has been inducted intothe East Haven High SchoolAlumni Association Hall ofFame, representing the Classof 1957. He was the formerprincipal of Greenwich Juniorand Senior High in New York.

WINIFRED HAMILTON, ’69,was appointed superintend-ent of Stamford PublicSchools.

MARCA. RABINOFF, ’69,retired from MetropolitanState University of Denverafter 35 years. He resides inLittleton, Colo., with his wife,Diana.

GREG L. SPECK, ’69, has takenup bicycling and completed15,000 miles in the last sixyears. His wife, ANGELASPECK, ’69, has a new careerin interior design. They livein Branford, Conn.

’70sOLIVE GIANAKOS, �’71, M.S.�’74, has retired after teachingmiddle school since 1971.

She lives in Simsbury, Conn.

ANTHONY FUSCO, M.S. ’72, 6thYr. ’77, was inducted into theMark T. Sheehan Hall ofFame. Fusco came to SheehanHigh School in 1979 as anassistant principal and is nowretired and living in NorthHaven, Conn.

JANET“JAN” DOYLE, ’73, 6thYr. ’04, has retired after 37years as a teacher in WestHaven. She hosts a Branfordcommunity television pro-gram called “ClassroomConnections.”

JOSEPH GIULIETTI, ’74, com-pleted a road race for hisrecent 60th birthday. He andwife, REBECCA KRONKGIULIETTI, ’74, M.F.T. ’90,reside in Coral Springs, Fla.

WALTER SCHENCK, M.S. ’74,and wife, GAY, ’76, moved toHamden in 2012. They hadpreviously retired in 2002 toCape Cod.

MICHAEL J. FREDA, ’75, wasinducted in the Greater NewHaven Diamond ClubBaseball Hall of Fame and theNotre Dame High School ofWest Haven Knights ofHonor. Freda lives in NorthHaven, Conn.

HEIDI ROGOL, ’76, works forEdison-MetuchenOrthopaedic Group in EastBrunswick, N.J. She and hus-band, Chuck, celebrated their36th wedding anniversary.

SUSANMINER SELVIDIO-STANLEY, ’77, has retiredafter 35 years withCanterbury Public Schools.She lives in Norwich, Conn.

DOROTHY SHUGRUE, M.S. ’77,was named the executivedirector of HopeWorks, amental health and addictionservice in West Hartford,Conn.

MARY SKOWRONSKI, M.S. ’77,6th Yr. ’98, is the interimassistant principal ofRedding Elementary School.She served as a reading andlanguage arts teacher withWilton Public Schools for 34years before her retirement in2006.

FRANK“SID” MAIETTO, ’79,will be the master of cere-monies at the 2013International Association ofFacilitators annual conven-tion in Orlando, Fla.

’80sTONY SCAFARIELLO, ’80, is thebranch manager of theNaugatuck Savings Bank inWallingford, Conn.

JANE SIMAO, ’82, a fourthgrade teacher at PutnamElementary School, wasnamed the district’s 2013Teacher of the Year. Shelives in Tolland, Conn.

ROBERTAWEZENSKI, ’83,M.S. ’96, 6th Yr. ’00, direc-tor of pupil services withEast Haven Public Schools,is a Killingworth residentand enjoys gardening,working out at the gym,and kayaking.

JOHNB. (JACK) ZIBLUK, ’83,M.S. ’84, is a full time pro-fessor and the chair of theDepartment of Mass Media

at Southeast Missouri StateUniversity. He oversees twelvefull-time faculty and staff, anddegree programs in four areas:broadcasting and film, massmedia journalism, advertising,and public relations. Ziblukalso supervises the studentnewspaper, the student radiostation, and the annual statestudent film festival.

JEAN PLUDE BAKES, ’84, is amath and business teacher atWeston High School. She isalso a board member andtreasurer of the Bakes FamilyFoundation, whose mission isto provide financial assis-tance for medical and educa-tional needs ofGreek/American youth.

PAUL BERNETSKY, ’85, is thechief development officer forthe Westport Weston FamilyY. Paul resides in Oxford,Conn., with his family.

LORIA. CHARETTE, ’85, is themanager of Yale PathologyTissue Services.

KIMBERLEYW. DOTSON, M.S.’85, doctor of audiology,received the Charles HollandAward for Excellence forsuperior performance atSonus Westside in King City,Ore.

GEORGE SINKO, ’87, a lieu-tenant in the Newtown PoliceDepartment, attended a ten-week executive leadershiptraining program at the FBINational Academy inQuantico, Va.

MARY ELLEN BOLTON, M.S.’88, principal of Jane RyanSchool, joined the board ofdirectors of Trumbull-basedSt. Vincent’s Special NeedsServices. Bolton resides inStratford, Conn.

MARY B. COLLINS, ’88, hasbeen named the director ofreligious education at theUnitarian Church inWestport, Conn.

JENNIFER LAW, 6th Yr. ’88, isthe interim principal of LeeH. Kellogg School in FallsVillage, Conn. She lives in thesame town with her husband,Alan Lovejoy, and they havetwo adult daughters, Hannahand Molly.

’90sJAMES C. MCGEORGE, ’91,works at the Microsoft Storein Danbury and lives in NewMilford, Conn.

Reunion News

• The Class of 1963 will celebrate its 50th reunion at several events. Members of the class will be recognizedat the undergraduate commencement ceremony on May 17,2013. A Class of 1963 reunion will be held on campus onOct. 13, 2013, the day after Homecoming.

For more information or if you would like to organize a reunion for your class, please contact AlumniRelations at (203) 392-6500.

In Print ANDOn Screen

NEWS ON BOOK, TELEVISION,AND FILM RELEASES FROMSOUTHERN ALUMNI

Howard L. Gleichenhaus, ’65, announces thathis first novel, “Whisper in the Pines,” is being publishedby Brighton Publishing. Gleichenhaus resides in DelrayBeach, Fla.

Janet Maher, ’76, an associate professor at LoyolaUniversity Maryland, has written a book entitled, “From theOld Sod to the Naugatuck Valley: Early Irish Catholics inNew Haven County, Connecticut.” Maher resides inBaltimore, Md.

Spring 2013 | 31

Even by the Peace Corps’ unique standards, Stephanie Bergado,’11, would not have an easy commute. The new volunteer wasstationed in The Republic of Vanuatu, an archipelago made up of

more than 80 small islands in the South Pacific, about 65 of which areinhabited. Thanks to spectacular diving and snorkeling, the remotenation of islands is growing in popularity as a tourism destination. Butwhile there are 31 airports on Vanuatu, only three of them are paved,and it can be very difficult to reach the more isolated areas of thecountry.

Bergado, a newly minted Peace Corps (PC) volunteer, was not tobe deterred. She arrived in Vanuatu on Oct. 7, 2011 and completedtwo months of training to prepare for her work on theextremely remote island of Makira. Since Makira does nothave an airport or roads, she planned to fly into a

neighboring island airport. “My plane was canceled because no one inthat particular village and island where the airport is located wantedto cut the grass runway for the plane to land,” writes Bergado, whowas interviewed by email during a working visit to Vanuatu’s capital.

She ultimately slept seven hours on the floor of a cargo ship toreach her destination. Measuring about two-square kilometers, Makirais home to one village, consisting of 30 households, with a total of 126people. Bergado lives on a white beach in a limestone house with athatched roof made from wild cane. There is no running water orelectricity. Drinking water comes from a rain-water collection tank, anda host family shares food from their garden in the bush. “Most of thepeople of Vanuatu — Melanesians — live off their own gardens and/ordive for food out of the ocean,” writes Bergado. “We eat a lot of taroroot, cassava, nuts, different types of cabbage, rice, coconut, crab,lobster, and most of it is always boiled in coconut milk. There areplenty of mangoes, pineapples — you can even eat the core — guavas,and bananas.”

Bergado became intrigued by the Peace Corps after readingvolunteers’ journals and blogs, and talking with a recruiter who visitedSouthern. Testing the waters, in 2011 she traveled to Arequipa, Peru, aspart of volunteer effort organized by her employer at the time, WholeFoods Market in New York City. She was stationed in Peru for onemonth, helping construct water tanks in an arid section of the country.

In Vanuatu, her goals include helping the community to installsolar panels at the health center, which relies solely on kerosenelamps and flashlights for lighting. Bergado saw the need soon afterarriving. A man walking to the toilet at night, fell and cut his hand very

deeply. He was rushed to the center where Bergado held aflashlight as a health care worker cleaned and dressed thewound. “The community relies heavily on the health centerfor all of its services, day and night, but many community

members are reluctant to seek medical care when itsdark,” says Bergado, who graduated from Southern witha degree in liberal studies with concentrations inpsychology, sociology, and public health. “This can causeserious health complications and in some cases long-

term problems. The island is very isolated, and it can be extremelyhard to receive batteries for flashlights or kerosene for lamps.”Bergado has successfully raised the $925 needed for the villagers to goforward with the project.

Meanwhile, the island’s isolation remains both a challenge and ablessing. “The only way on or off is by a small seven-meter fiberglassboat across the raging South Pacific Ocean,” notes Bergado. This sameisolation may have contributed to the sense of kinship that quicklydeveloped between Bergado and the local community.

“People come to my house, sit down, and talk with me as if theyhave known me for years,” notes Bergado, who will be serving inVanuatu until November 2013. “Getting to know people makes it easyfor them to open up about health concerns . . . especially the womanand young girls who are very timid and shy about certain topics thattarget them the most.”n

By Villia Struyk

LightingTHENight

[ABOVE] Children on the island of Efate in Vanuatu perform a custom dance. “My house is in the vil-lage. I eat their food, work in the gardens, help the children after school, and really get a feel ofwhat it is like to live in Vanuatu,” writes Peace Corps volunteer Stephanie Bergado, ’11. “I do notjust come in when I want to teach or tell them something. I am here 24/7 to serve them whenthey need me.”

Bergado [THIRDFROM LEFT] andtwo friends drinktheir first shell ofkava on theisland of Ambae.Made from alocal root, thebeverage hassedating powersand is drunk bymany villagersto relax or while

discussing business.Women are notallowed to drink kavain some areas ofVanuatu.

Bergado and a villagehealth worker attenda training camp onHIV and AIDS.


ROBIN LYNN TONI, ’91, worksat Sikorsky Aircraft inResearch and EngineeringBrand Communication and isthe public affairs manager.She resides in North Haven,Conn., with her children,Josephine and Caroline.

ANDREA SANGREYALDRICH,’92, M.S. ’00, is the programmanager of Grant ResearchAffairs for the Yale MedicalSchool Cancer Center andserves as the new voter serv-ices chair for the Hamden-North Haven League ofWomen Voters. She previous-ly was the town/urban plan-ner for Darien andBridgeport in Connecticut.

CHARLES L. YOUNG, ’92, M.S.’10, is providing a teacher’straining program atKyungnam University inSouth Korea.

GINA BERNSDORFAMARANTE, ’93, is a certi-fied public accountant inHamden, Conn.

ENZAMACRI, ’93, M.S. ’98, 6thYr. ’00, is the associate super-intendent of MiddletownPublic Schools inConnecticut. She is currentlyenrolled in Southern’s doctor-al program.

DAKIBUMULÉY, ’93, M.S. ’96,M.S.W. ’08, has been promot-ed to the position of directorof integrated services withthe Department of SocialServices. He resides inHamden, Conn.

LINDAVASILE, ’93, M.S. ’95,doctor of audiology, practicesat Hearing Health & WellnessCenter in Plantsville, Conn.

NANCY BEAN, ’95, M.S. ’99, isthe principal at GlastonburyHigh School, as reported bythe Hartford Courant.

BRIAN E. CASSIDY, ’95, is areference and instructionalservices librarian at the WestVirginia State Law Library.He lives in Charleston, W.Va.

MATTMIKLUS, ’95, a lifelongShelton resident and a musicinstructor at the SheltonCommunity Center, celebrat-ed the release of his band’snew CD. The band, called

ianca Shinn-Desras,M.S. ’08, M.S. ’10,

M.P.H. ’11, clearly recallsmarching across theBrooklyn Bridge with100,000 Haitians toprotest a U.S. Food andDrug Administration planto exclude Haitianimmigrants fromdonating blood becausethey were said to bemore at risk for HIV.

She was only 10.“Some [children]

went to summer camp. Iwrote letters to senators . . . congressmen,” shesays. “It was alwaysadvocacy in my house.”

That passion stilldrives Shinn-Desras whowent on to earn three master’s degrees from Southern— in urban studies, school health, and public health —and today holds a dream job as a United Nations(U.N.) diplomat for Haiti.

Shinn-Desras, who works in New York City andtravels to Haiti at least once a month, forwards U.N.resolutions that benefit the small Island nation whereher parents emigrated from in the late 1970s in pursuitof higher education. Both parents dedicated their livesto advocating on behalf of the Haitian community.

The nation is rife with poverty. Shinn-Desrasnotes that unemployment is astronomical at 60-80percent, malnutrition is widespread, and there is alack of free education for children.

The devastating effects of Hurricane Sandyaggravated the situation in Haiti, which is stillrecovering from the 2010 earthquake, a prolongeddrought, and Tropical Storm Isaac. The Haitiangovernment estimates that the country has lost a thirdof its annual agricultural production as a result ofthese combined disasters, according to the UnitedNations.

“The poverty is indescribable,” says Shinn-Desras.“I’ll never pretend to understand what it’s like to gohungry, not have an education, or be raped.”

But she’s working tirelessly to become part ofthe solution.

She is currently assigned to two committees atthe U.N.: 1) arms and trades and 2) socialhumanitarian affairs and culture, the latter devoted toa wide variety of critical issues, including youth, family,advancement of women, and HIV/AIDS.

“Some people think I’m too optimistic,” she says.“But if you’re not optimistic, you’re not part of thesocial change. That’s why I take my job so seriously.I’m ethically obligated to be a voice for others who arevoiceless.”

Married to a Haitian politician whom she met ata political fundraising event, Shinn-Desras is active inthe government’s efforts to reduce chronicmalnutrition and launch a national free schoolprogram with a goal of educating 1 million children.

“It keeps me driven [thinking that] someday achild could go to school . . . sit at a desk withouthaving to endure child labor,” she says.

One of Shinn-Desras’ goals is to create anonprofit organization geared toward preparing morewomen to become politicians in Haiti. She said manyHaitian women feel a lack of empowerment in themale-dominated society. She is also on theCommission on the Status of Women, in hopes ofreducing gender bias.

“It drives me when I encounter the youngchildren and women of Haiti,” she says. “Even with nohope, they always have the light of optimism. So Ihave to continue to burn that light . . . to keep aflicker.”

As part of the master’s in public health programat Southern, she did a project on an HIV/AIDScurriculum, and she still turns to it in her work.

“Each professor has contributed to my successand ability to be confident,” she says. “I carry mySouthern degrees with pride.”

By Joan Wells

Bianca Shinn-Desras, M.S. ’08, M.S. ’10, M.P.H. ’11

Spring 2013 | 33

The Nameless Trio, performsoccasionally at the TwistedVine in Derby, Conn.

DEBRA L. PONTE, ’95, M.S. �’00,is the principal of HopevilleElementary School inWaterbury, Conn. She is theformer principal of TinkerElementary School.

SUE SELK, M.L.S. ’95, 6th Yr.’06, uses her storytellingexpertise to bring to life thehistorical figure, HannahCranna, the witch of oldMonroe, at the BeardsleyHomestead historical site inMonroe, Conn.

IVY KATE DAVIS-TOMCZUK,M.S. ’96, recently marriedMark Davis-Tomczuk and isthe principal of PrestonPlains Middle School inNorwich, Conn.

JEFF NICHOLS, ’96, has beennamed president and chief

executive officer of ThomasJefferson’s Poplar Forest inVirginia. He was previouslythe executive director of theMark Twain House andMuseum in Hartford, Conn.

STEPHEN SIRICO, ’96, has beennamed chief financial officerof the law offices of CarterMario Injury Lawyers. Siricolives in Milford, Conn., withhis wife.

STEPHEN CRAVINHO, M.S. ’97,is the interim athletic direc-tor at New London HighSchool.

MEG EVANS, M.S. ’97, 6th Yr.’98, is the principal ofSquadron Line School inSimsbury, Conn.

ELAINE GRATRIX, M.S. ’97, is aguidance counselor at BrienMcMahon High School andthe head softball coach atNorwalk High School. She

was inducted into the FastPitch Wing of theConnecticut Amateur SoftballAssociation Hall of Fame.

GLENN GRUBE, M.L.S. ’97, isthe director of the Avon FreePublic Library.

FLORENCE BUDGE, 6th Yr. ’98,is the principal at Kent CenterSchool. She is a formermathematics specialist forDanbury Public Schools.

SARAA. NEMEROV, ’98, seniorvice president of consumerproducts and brand licensingat Warner Music Group, hasbeen elected to the Board ofDirectors of L.I.M.A.(International LicensingIndustry Merchandisers’Association).

JACK ZAMARY, 6th Yr. ’98,Ed.D. ’12, is the director oftechnology and operationsfor Monroe Public Schools in

Connecticut. He is the formerprincipal of MiddleburyElementary School.

’00sTHOMAS GIARD III, M.S. ’00,is the assistant superintend-ent for personnel and staffdevelopment for the MeridenSchool System, having previ-ously served as school districtpersonnel director for twoyears. Giard is a Griswoldnative and resident of Clinton.

MAUREENHEHER, M.L.S. ’00,president of the Friends of theEssex Library, was instrumen-tal in raising $4,000 to improvethe library’s landscaping.

STORM SNAITH, M.L.S. ’00, hasbeen named the 2013 Teacherof the Year by the WestonSchool District, where she hasserved for 13 years.

ANN DONNERY, M.S. ’01, is theprincipal of Darcey School inCheshire, Conn. Donnery alsoenjoys both sweep and scullrowing with the New HavenRowing Club.

MARGARET B. BROWN, M.L.S.’02, of Redding, Conn., isretiring from the C. H. BoothLibrary as the young-adultlibrarian after ten years.

MANDI SCALA KUSTER, ’02,M.S. ’06, has married and isliving in Dudley, Mass.

REBECCA ROY, ’03, M.S. ’05, isthe assistant principal at theDr. Robert H. Brown MiddleSchool in Madison, Conn.

PETER BIZIER, 6th Yr. ’05, afifth-grade social studiesteacher at Brown MiddleSchool, has received theTeacher of the Year Awardfrom the Madison Board of

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Planned gifts — also called deferred or estate gifts

— can help you meet your long-term financial goals,

while providing critically needed support for Southern’s

talented and deserving students.

The university’s Development Office can supply

information on a variety of planned gifts that help

Southern maintain a climate of excellence — from

bequests that extend your generosity beyond your

lifetime to charitable gift annuities and trusts, which can

provide fixed-income payments and several tax benefits.

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Connecticut State University Foundation in your will,

please let us know so that we can acknowledge your

generosity by enrolling you in the Heritage Society.

If not, please consider leaving a legacy by making

a planned gift to the Southern Connecticut State

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For more information, contact the Development Office.

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Education. Bizier lives inTrumbull, Conn.

JOSEPHVAN GILDER, ’05, hasbeen named assistant crosscountry/track and field coachat Southern.

ALISON J. GILCREAST, M.P.H.’11, was recognized by theHartford Business Journal asa recipient of a “40 Under 40”award. She is an operationsmanager for AetnaAccountable Care Solutions.

MATTHURST, ’06, M.S. ’11, theassistant coach for Southern’smen’s and women’s swimmingand diving programs, has beennamed to the USA SwimmingNational Junior Team CoachesList for 2012-13.

ADRIENNE HOFMANN, ’07, hasdesigned an online toddlers’clothing store called TheChirp Shop.

DAVEARCONTI, ’08, was elect-ed to represent northeastDanbury in the 109th DistrictGeneral Assembly.

GRETA ROBERTS BRONEILL,M.P.H. ’09, who has workedfor the Stratford HealthDepartment for five years,was appointed the assistantpreparedness coordinator.She has volunteered at theStratford-Trumbull-MonroeMedical Reserve Corps asunit leader, with a goal ofmaking the community saferand better prepared for apotential public health emer-gency, as reported in theStratford Star.

DIANAMORALES, ’09, is abilingual teacher at ForbesSchool, as reported in theLitchfield County edition ofthe Republican-Americannewspaper.

’10sJOHN S. MASON III, 6th Yr.’10, was selected Teacher ofthe Year for 2012-13 by AvonPublic Schools. He was recog-nized in “Who’s Who AmongAmerica’s Teachers” in 1998and was a ConnecticutAssociation of Schools’ sci-ence teacher of the year nom-inee in 2007.

CANDACE BREAKELL, ’11, waschosen to create an eight-panel painted mural to repre-sent the 100th anniversary ofthe Goshen Fair. Breakell willbe teaching children in Koreafor the next year.

STARSHEEMAR BYRUM, M.A.’11, is the coordinator ofEastern Connecticut StateUniversity’s Women’s Center.She resides in Norwich,Conn.

DANELLE FEELEY, ’11, is theclerk for the Town Council inEast Haven and the adminis-trative assistant to MayorJoseph Maturo Jr.

KERRY IACOMINI, ’11, is theassistant coach for both thesoftball and volleyball pro-grams at Southern.

CHRISTINA NUNES, M.S. ’11, isa guidance counselor at theHousatonic Valley RegionalHigh School.

THOMAS RAGUSA, M.S. ’11, isenrolled in the sixth year pro-gram at Sacred HeartUniversity. He is a specialeducation teacher withWeston Middle School.

CHRISTOPHER SHPAK, ’11, isteaching mathematics atWilton High School.

ASHLEY E. SEARS, M.S.W. ’12,of North Branford, is an inpa-tient therapist at a residentialfacility in the greater NewHaven area, and plans to pur-sue a Ph.D. in social work.

MarriagesARON BOXER, ’03, M.S. ’12, andAshleigh Singer, May 13,2012.

JESSICA LYN GIORDANO, ’05,and Jeremiah J. Fedorich,Sept. 1, 2012.

MARIA PESCE, ’05, M.S. ’09,and Stanley Stasaitis III, July20, 2012.

JENNIFER CARANGELO, ’06,and James Flynn, Oct. 7,2011.

JOANNEMOZDZER, ’06, andDARIUSZ GIL, ’09, Sept. 29,2012.

KRISTA S. KONTULIS, ’08, andBrian J. Trentacosta, July 2,2012.

JACQUELINE SAAD, ’08, andGary Sherrick Jr., March 24,2012.

KARLAMARIE SPENCER, ’12,and Scott Sypek, June 16,2012.

IN MEMORIAMALICE BATROW, ’33, Nov. 28,2012, Branford, Conn.

JAMES GLEASON, ’42, M.S. ’53,Dec. 12, 2012, Ansonia, Conn.

MARY DESMONDMAJESKI,’43, Aug. 7, 2012, Wallingford,Conn.

BONNIE BELSHE, ’46, Feb. 17,2011, St. Louis, Mo.

ELIZABETHA. CASHMAN, ’50,Nov. 7, 2012, Bridgeport,Conn.

ANTHONY“TUT” DE FRANCESCO, ’50, Nov.13, 2012, Branford, Conn.

BEATRICE NUCERA, ’50, Aug.30, 2012, Branford, Conn.

CARLW. PAIGHT, ’50, Sept. 16,2012, Palm Harbor, Fla.

DOROTHY D. SISSON, ’50, Nov.10, 2012, Bristol, Conn.

JACQUELINE D. WENTZEL, ’51,Aug. 9, 2012, Stamford, Conn.

DOLORES MAGI CARUSO, ’52,Aug. 19, 2012, Shelton, Conn.

ROSE SANDRA DELUCACHIKLA, ’52, M.S. ’68, 6th Yr.’76, Jan. 13, 2013, New Haven,Conn.

ELDEN H. DUSTIN, M.A. ’52,Aug. 6, 2012, Concord, N.H.

RICHARDA. SALERNO, ’52,Jan. 20, 2013, Milford, Conn.

C. ROBERTA HANLONADZIMA, ’54, Oct. 14, 2012,West Haven, Conn.

BARBARA CULMO, ’54, Oct. 29,2012, Danbury, Conn.

ANNMARIE GAETANO, ’54,Aug. 9, 2012, Hamden, Conn.

JOHN J. HOGAN, ’54, M.S. ’69,Sept. 7, 2012, Stamford, Conn.

WILLIAM E. MORANN JR., ’54,July 17, 2012, East Haven, Conn.

CHARLESAVALLONE, ’55, Aug.28, 2012, Seabrook, Texas

JOSEPH TATTAR, ’57, Sept. 4,2012, Darien, Conn.

ANNE B. ZIMMER, ’57, Oct. 20,2012, Lantana, Fla.

VINCENT F. DISTASIO, ’58,Oct. 1, 2012, Branford, Conn.

FLORENCE OLSON CANFIELDSWETT, M.S. ’59, July 19,2012, Fairfield, Conn.

PAUL S. SWORDS, ’59, Sept. 22,2012, Stratford, Conn.

JOHN G. CUMMINGS, ’60, July14, 2012, Clinton, Conn.

FRANKA. PACIFIC, ’61, Aug.24, 2012, Trumbull, Conn.

JANE E. LUBY, ’63, Nov. 10,2012, Meriden, Conn.

JUNE C. BILETZ, ’64, Oct. 26,2012, Naugatuck, Conn.

JOANMARY BALSAMOSTANISLAWSKI, ’64, M.S. ’74,Jan. 28, 2013, Milford, Conn.

JUDITH HOLDER, ’65, M.S. ’71,Sept. 23, 2012, New Britain,Conn.

JANEMONELL POMERANTZNEWMAN, ’66, July 9, 2012,Stamford, Conn.

JANE BAXTER CLANCY, ’68,M.S. ’71, Aug. 4, 2012,Torrington, Conn.

PETRINAMARIE BELMONTE“TRINA” GUTFINSKI, ’68,Nov. 18, 2012, Pittson, Maine

JOANNEMARINO-MURRAY,’68, M.S. ’78, Dec. 14, 2012,Westbrook, Conn.

BARBARAWOOD SANDERS,M.S. ’68, Dec. 4, 2012, DobbsFerry, N.Y.

JOHN GUIDO JR., ’69, M.S. ’73,6th Yr. ’80, Dec. 20, 2012,North Haven, Conn.

PETER HALFPENNY, M.S. ’69,Oct. 31, 2012, Shelton, Conn.

LINDA L. FESMIER HOLDEN,M.S. ’69, Aug. 14, 2012, GreatFalls, Va.

CARLA. NASTRI, M.S. �’69,Oct. 11, 2012, Branford, Conn.

REBECCAA. WARD, ’69, M.S.’77, Nov. 24, 2012, NorthHaven, Conn.

EDMUND F. WOJCICKI JR., ’69,Aug. 12, 2012, SaratogaSprings, N.Y.

MARK E. BIRCH, ’70, M.S. ’78,Nov. 23, 2012, Haddam, Conn.

VILMA JOSEPHINE PETRONIOCONNOR, ’70, M.S. ’74, Sept.7, 2012, Pueblo West, Colo.

From buildings lauded for eco-friendly design

to a reinvigorated, campuswide

recycling program, the university is

committed to keeping it green.

That’s why Southern is a proud signatory

of the American College & University

Presidents’ Climate Commitment.

Please supportSouthern and itsstudents bycontributing tothe CampusGreening Fund.Donations maybe made onlineat giving.SouthernCT.edu. Or call (203)392-6515.

JOSEPH R. KASHMANN, M.S.’70, Jan. 6, 2013, Stamford, Vt.

MARIAMINERVINI PETERS,’70, M.S. ’74, Aug. 18, 2012,Windsor, Conn.

JAMES R. SULLIVAN, ’70, M.S.’75, Oct. 11, 2012, Waterford,Conn.

JANE C. BOVE, M.S. ’71, Nov. 25,2012, Hamden, Conn.

MARY ELLEN CHALLENGER,M.L.S. ’71, Jan. 23, 2013,Trumbull, Conn.

MARTHA J. GLASENER CROFT,M.L.S. ’71, Jan. 9, 2013,Newburyport, Mass.

RICHARD T. ILLINGWORTH,’71, Oct. 29, 2012, Sparta, N.J.

JANICE C. MESSINA, ’71, Oct. 18,2012, Dunmore, Pa.

CHRISTINA R. STEIN, ’73, M.S. ’80, Sept. 9, 2012, NorthHaven, Conn.

JEANMARGARETWHITE,M.S. ’73, Aug. 15, 2012,Hamden, Conn.

GLENNDORAN, M.S. ’74, Sept. 14,2012, Wilmington, N.C.

NANCY ELLEN HAGUEMARKIEWICZ, ’74, M.S. ’81,Aug. 21, 2012, Walpole, N.H.

CHARLESH. WINN IV, ’74,Oct. 8, 2012, New Haven, Conn.

MARTI (MARILYN)CATHERINE ZAK, ’74, M.S. ’86, Sept. 10, 2012, Los Angeles, Calif.

RUSSELL G. BROCHINSKY, ’76,Oct. 15, 2012, Wallingford,Conn.

NANCY ELLEN CROSSIN, ’77,M.S. ’81, Nov. 23, 2012,Raleigh, N.C.

PATRICIAWALSH BELLINI, 6thYr. ’78, Sept. 25, 2012,Thomaston, Conn.

ROBERT E. BLUM, ’78, M.S.W.’88, Sept. 13, 2012,Thomaston, Conn.

RICHARD R. RIVARD, M.S. ’78,Nov. 25, 2012, Milford, N.H.

NANCYL. PERONA, ’79, M.S. ’86,Jan. 13, 2013, Hamden, Conn.

JOHNF. REGAN JR., M.S. ’79,July 28, 2012, Waterbury, Conn.

FOREST“WOODY” BELVAL,M.S. ’80, 6th Yr. ’85, Dec. 5,2012, Waterbury, Conn.

MARY CLAGETTMAGRUDERCOLLINSON, M.S. ’80, Aug.12, 2012, New Haven, Conn.

EDWARDW. STANKIEWICZ,M.S. ’80, Jan. 14, 2013, OldLyme, Conn.

MARTHA L. AUER, M.L.S. ’82,Sept. 30, 2012, Milton, Vt.

SUSAN ROWLANDBECKWITH, ’82, Nov. 21,2012, Wethersfield, Conn.

DAVID SHAWN BLITZ, ’82, Jan.12, 2013, Branford, Conn.

DAVID P. ADAIR, 6th Yr. ’83,Aug. 12, 2012, New Milford,Conn.

MARY ZEBROWSKICAVAGNUOLO, M.S. ’84, Sept.10, 2012, Ansonia, Conn.

MARYELLEN STOPONAITISMARQUES, ’85, July 21, 2012,Naugatuck, Conn.

HONORAMCCULLOUGH, M.S.’87, Aug. 31, 2012, Weston,Conn.

VERA KAYMOORE, ’88, July28, 2012, North Haven, Conn.

MARY J. SHERLACH, M.S. ’90,6th Yr. ’92, Dec. 14, 2012,Trumbull, Conn.

DONALD J. MCCARTHY JR.,’91, July 29, 2012, Peoria, Ariz.

ELENE D’ORSI CATINAZZO,M.S. ’92, Dec. 18, 2012,Glastonbury, Conn.

PATRICIA L. CIARDIELLO, ’92,Aug. 12, 2012, Cheshire, Conn.

ALICE CLARK SAUNDERS,M.L.S. ’94, Jan. 5, 2013,Middletown, Conn.

MARGARET B. LEARY, M.L.S.’96, Jan. 22, 2013, NorthStonington, Conn.

DAWN LAFFERTYHOCHSPRUNG, M.S. ’97, 6thYr. ’98, Dec. 14, 2012,Woodbury, Conn.

FRANK J. LABARBERA, ’02, Jan. 14, 2013, Brookfield, Conn.

KIMBERLY OUTLAW, ’05, M.S. ’07, Dec. 27, 2012,Oxford, Conn.

DANIELLE MEZZANOTTE, ’08,July 21, 2012, Meriden, Conn.

ANNEMARIE MURPHY, M.S. ’08, Dec. 14, 2012, Sandy Hook, Conn.

VICTORIA SOTO, M.S. ’13 (posthumous), Dec. 14, 2012,Stratford, Conn.

FAYA. MILLER, Dean Emeritusof the former School ofNursing and ProfessionalStudies, Dec. 10, 2012,Hamden, Conn.

NICHOLAS ORSINI, ProfessorEmeritus of Art, Sept. 29,2012, Middletown, Conn.

PAUL E. RUTHMAN, ProfessorEmeritus of Reading, Nov. 24,2012, Hamden, Conn.

Spring 2013 | 35

Distinguished and Outstanding Alumnicontinued from page 17

Charlie Contreras, came on board and business continued

to boom.

Today, Just Bagels is housed in a 60,000-square-

foot building and employs about 130 people. The compa-

ny makes 300,000 bagels a day in 22 varieties — distribut-

ing throughout the United States and in seven countries,

including Japan, Ireland, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. Clients

include popular retail outlets and restaurants, among

them, Whole Foods, Starbucks, and Barnes and Noble.

O’Connell is vice president of production — or, as

Nordquist puts it: “He’s in charge of every bagel made.”

As president, the exuberant Nordquist is the face

behind the company and handles sales. He notes that

not much “selling” is involved since people want their

bagels. “We’re good guys with scruples,” says Nordquist,

“and it means something.”

When did you become interested in archaeology?

“I was curious about a lot of different subjects in high school and college,

but when I took a course on human origins as a sophomore in college, I was

hooked on the mind-boggling story that is our evolutionary past.

“I wasn’t one of those kids who ‘always wanted to be an archaeologist,’

but I suppose there were warning signs early on, as I liked to roam around my

neighborhood in the suburbs of Minneapolis collecting old beer cans.”

Photos courtesy of Michael Rogers, professor of anthropology and Travis Rohrer

Field research conducted at the Gona Project in 2013 was funded by grants from Marie Curie Actions toDr. S. Semaw and the Leakey Foundation to Dr. M. Rogers.

The Big Digcontinued from page 15

Class notes are compiled fromsubmissions from alumni as wellas announcements made innewspapers and magazines.


GraduateCommencement

May 16 Lyman Center for the Performing Arts

Southern will hold two commencementceremonies for students receivingmaster’s degrees, sixth year professionaldiplomas, and doctoral degrees.

The ceremony for graduates of the School of Arts andSciences, School of Business, and School of Health andHuman Services begins at 2 p.m.

The ceremony for graduates of the School ofEducation begins at 7 p.m. 1 (800) 448-0661 or (203) 392-5240;SouthernCT.edu/commencement/.

UndergraduateCommencement

May 17Webster Bank Arena 600 Main Street, Bridgeport, Conn.

The academic processional begins at 10:15 a.m. Please arrive early. (203) 392-6586;SouthernCT.edu/commencement/

First Day of Summer Bash!

June 21 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.Bar 254 Crown Street, New Haven, Conn.

TGIF! Enjoy an evening of networking,pizza, and a beer tasting.

Watch for further details. (203) 392-6500

Will DowningJune 29 8 p.m.Fresh off the release of his 16th album,“Silver,” Downing commemorates his 25-year music career. Join the “Princeof Sophisticated Soul,” for an evening ofclassics and new releases.

$33 forgeneraladmission;$30 forSouthern activealumni, faculty,staff, students,and studentguests. (203) 392-6154

*All events held in John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts unless otherwise noted. Southern students must have valid identification to receive their ticket discounts and are limitedto purchasing one student ticket and two student guest tickets per event. For tickets and additional information and listings, visit Southern’s website at Lyman.SouthernCT.edu.

Southern EVENTS

Owl Golf ClassicMay 21 NoonLake of Isles at Foxwoods Resort and Casino

Support Southern’s athletics program while enjoying a spectacular day of golf. (203) 392-8824

Lee RitenourMay 31 8 p.m.The Grammy-award-winning guitarist joinskeyboardist Patrice Rushenfor an unforgettable eveningof contemporary jazz.

$30 for general admission; $25 forSouthern active alumni, faculty, staff, andstudent guests; and $15 for Southernstudents. (203) 392-6154

Tour of Outer Island in the Thimble IslandsJune 1 Branford, Conn.

Enjoy a boat trip through the picturesque Thimble Islands, capped off by a tour of OuterIsland led by Vincent Breslin, professor of science education and environmental studies.

Boxed lunches served on board. Call for ticket information. (203) 392-6500

PHOTO: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

2012 Charitable Giving Report

Southern ConnectionsSaluting the Past. Supporting the Future.

Dear Friends,Welcome to the 2012 SCSU Foundation Annual Report. As

I noted in a letter to donors that accompanied their 2012

endowment reports, the past year was marked by both change

AND continuity, much of which has been very positive for the

Foundation and its work on behalf of the university.

The most significant change was last spring’s appointment

of Dr. Mary Papazian to the presidency. The galvanizing effects

of having a dynamic leader chart a progressive course for

Southern have been felt in all areas of campus life, including

philanthropy, with the Foundation’s overall support to the

university rising to $1.2 million, the strongest showing since

2009. Scholarship support accounted for $463,000 of that total,

more than twice the 2011 level. Similarly, program support

increased to $754,000 — $223,000 more than the previous

year, a 42 percent increase. These are very promising trends

that bode well as we resume laying the groundwork for an

eventual endowment campaign.

With the theme of continuity in mind, the stories

highlighted in this report illustrate how beneficial continuous

ties are to our graduates, the university, and current and future

generations of Southern students. The three featured alumni

have established relationships with their alma mater that

extend over many decades and have been formalized through

the establishment of endowed funds to support Southern

students. Carl Paight, ’50, earned his bachelor’s degree in

physical education and was a captain and offensive lineman for

the Owls. Nancy Palmieri, ’68, M.S. ’75, achieved her lifelong

dream of becoming a teacher after earning her degrees in

education at Southern. And Mike Katz, ’66, 6th Yr. ’76, credits

the sixth-year certificate in supervision and administration

that he earned at Southern for his success in the business

world. These are inspiring stories of achievement, connection,

and continuity that we hope you will enjoy.

However, not all continuity is positive. A report issued in

March by the nonprofit State Higher Education Executive

Officers Association describes a “new normal” — the result of

several continuing trends: dramatically decreasing state

support for higher education — yielding ever-higher tuitions

— and declining family incomes. Together, these trends are

driving student borrowing to unprecedented levels. According

to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, student loan debt has

risen from less than $400 billion in 2004 to almost $1 trillion

today, and counting. In Connecticut, education statistics

mirror these findings — and 77 percent of Southern students

now receive some form of financial aid to meet tuition and

other education-related expenses. For all of these reasons,

individual philanthropy has become critical to ensuring

ongoing accessibility to higher education — a key component

of Southern Connecticut State University’s mission.

Therefore, on behalf of my Foundation board colleagues,

please accept our sincere thanks for your continuing

generosity.

Robin M. SauerteigChair, SCSU Foundation

Very truly yours,

38 | Charitable Giving Report

Fundraising and Financial Highlights

U.S. economic growth pulled back in thesecond quarter of 2012 as consumer spendingslowed. However, the U.S. jobs market reportwas better than expected, and by July thefinancial markets rallied. At the close of the Foundation’s fiscal year on June 30,fundraising results significantly exceeded our estimates, ending at $1.52 million. The Foundation’s net assets remained in line with the prior year at over $17 million,as did the market value of the endowments,which totaled $13.7 million.

Looking Ahead

The forecasts for 2013, including the S&P 500 and emerging markets, are generallyoptimistic. Prospects of another recessionseem slim as the U.S. economy continues to expand, albeit at a moderate pace. Globaleconomic data points toward modestcontinued growth in the world economy.

Timothy Hopper, chief economist, TIAA-CREF, New York, states he is “. . . positive oncorporate earnings in 2013 and we think theeffect of growth at the consumer level . . . will provide that fundamental underpinningfor earnings growth . . . and for stock priceappreciation.” The biggest risks facinginvestors appears to be from the “Europeansovereign debt crisis . . .”

As always, the Foundation’s objectives are to increase the resources available forscholarships and programmatic initiatives. The combination of investment portfolioearnings in a generally positive economicenvironment and Southern constituents’generous gifts should provide strong support for the university in 2013.

Year in Review 2012

Sources of Support for New Gifts and CommitmentsFiscal Year 2012$1,549,479

Distribution of New Gifts and CommitmentsFiscal Year 2012$1,549,479

Spring 2013 | 39

’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12

Total Net Assets as of Fiscal Year End(June 30, 2012) in Millions

Dollars Raised by Fiscal Year (July 1 - June 30) in Millions

$13.5$11.7

$14.4

$17.4 $17.2

$1.45 $1.52$1.66

$2.74

$1.50

Endowment28%

$436,549

University Support9%

$141,872

Foundations22%

$339,204

Programmatic63%

$971,058

Alumni23%

$361,118

Corporations26%

$396,228Friends25%

$390,208Faculty/Staff

4%$62,721


LifeCoach

An inspirational family man and coach is memorialized through a scholarship that supports student-athletes.

By Natalie Missakian

Spring 2013 | 41

ndy Paight was 6 years old the first timeshe saw her father’s coaching skills inaction. Bundled up in snowsuits, gloves,and hats, Andy and her siblings weretrying to learn how to ice skate for the

first time when their father set a folding chair down onthe frozen pond.

“My Dad taught us to push the chair around on theice, and when you were tired, sit,” she recalls. Andy says itis a perfect example of the coaching style Carl W. Paight,’50, brought to the football field during his long career as ahigh school coach.

“This was my Dad’s teaching and coaching philosophythroughout his career — always finding a way to makekids more successful regardless of their natural abilities,”she says.

Paight, a former captain and offensive lineman for thefighting Owls under head coach Jess Dow, is theinspiration behind the Carl W. Paight Endowed AthleticFund for Men & Women at Southern. Each recipient mustbe a full-time undergraduate and a member of an NCAA-sanctioned team.

Paight’s wife of 58 years, Audrey, established thescholarship to honor Carl last summer and presented it tohim on Father’s Day, while he was surrounded by hischildren, grandchildren, and great-grandson. Paight passedaway in September in Palm Harbor, Fla. Originally fromStamford, Conn., he had retired in Crystal Beach, Fla.

“He was a consummate educator,” recalls Paight’s son,Joseph. “He was a very dedicated dad and a very dedicatedcoach. And he really enjoyed every aspect of athletics.”

As part of the scholarship, the family encourages pastrecipients who are established in their careers tocontribute to the fund to support future Southern athletes.

While at Southern, Paight earned his bachelor’s inphysical education from the School of Education, andapplied his love of learning to his teaching career. Beforecollege, he served in the Coast Guard during World War II.

He began his four-decade coaching career at MasukHigh School in Monroe, Conn., and went on to teach atNorwalk High School in Norwalk, Conn. In addition, hecoached football at Western Connecticut State College,Fordham University, and Weston High School in hishometown of Weston, Conn., where he also served asrecreational director. He also coached girls’ track atNorwalk High.

Bob Jones of Westport, Conn., who was captain of theNorwalk High School football team in 1968, remembersPaight as an old-school coach who would push players totheir limits to teach them how much they couldaccomplish.

“We all loved him because we knew that he was tryingto toughen us up to play better football,” says Jones. “Hereally cared about his players.”

Paight would close every end-of-game speech with thesame words: “He would always say, ‘God bless you. I loveyou,’ ” Jones remembers. “It would give you chills.”

Jones says Paight also spent lots of time lobbyingvarious colleges and universities on behalf of his players,helping them to get their foot in the door forconsideration for athletics scholarships. He said many ofPaight’s former players went on to have great success intheir careers and lives.

“I would say that the work ethic that he had and heinstilled in us was critical to a lot of our success,” Jonessays. “He did work very long hours as a coach and thatinspired us to work year-round to be better players.”

If Paight’s players felt devoted to their coach, thefeeling was mutual, say his children. They remember theirfather spending hours at the kitchen table reviewingfootball games and scouting tapes on 8mm film. “Hewould take notes, draw up new schemes and plays. Alllooked like hieroglyphs to us,” says Andy.

His youngest son, David, recalls one Halloween whenhis father’s team members covered their front porch withhundreds of pumpkins. “That made him laugh,” Andyremembers.

His children also describe their father as a history buff,master of trivia, and a prolific reader who could oftenrecite poetry by heart. He also loved the ocean and passedhis love on to his children by teaching them to swim andsail a sunfish sailboat around Long Island Sound.

Paight always held his children to the same highstandards as his athletes, but if they ever disappointedhim, he never let it show, they say. “Dad taught us all notto be quitters,” says his daughter, Mindy. “Once you startsomething, you follow through with it, which meant a lotto me through the years.”

A “He was a very dedicated dad

and a very dedicated coach.

And he really enjoyed every

aspect of athletics.”

– Joseph Paight


A Gift for TeachingSisters celebrate their mother’s passion for teaching by establishing a memorial scholarship that supports tomorrow’s educators. By Natalie Missakian

aura Palmieri remembers hearing abouther mother’s first day of work at her veryfirst teaching job. The way the story goes,she went home that afternoon andexcitedly told her mother: “I can’t believe

they pay me to do this!” “That was my mother’s lifelong dream — to be a

teacher,” Laura says. “She absolutely loved it.”So when Laura and her sister, Donna, established the

Nancy B. Palmieri Memorial Scholarship in their latemother’s memory, there was no doubt in their mindsabout which students they wanted to help the most.

The scholarship is awarded annually to a Southernstudent studying to become a teacher, a nod to theirmother’s beloved profession and her alma mater, whichprepares the largest number of teacher educationgraduates in Connecticut.

“I know she enjoyed her experience at Southern verymuch,” Donna Palmieri, ’92, says of her mother. “I knowshe met a lot of lifelong friends, and I know she felt shegot a great education to prepare her for teaching.”

It was Nancy Palmieri, ’68, M.S. ’75, who firstdreamed up the idea for the scholarship after she andDonna went to visit an elderly cousin. The cousin had toldthem about a scholarship she started in memory of herdeceased son.

On the drive home, Nancy confided to Donna that shewanted to endow a scholarship of her own at Southernsomeday, saying how wonderful it would be to helpstudents with their tuition while paying tribute to a lovedone.

“I thought it was a wonderful idea, since we had bothbeen supporters of SCSU since we graduated,” Donnarecalls.

But Nancy would not live long enough to see her wishcome to fruition. Two years after that trip, she diedunexpectedly at age 59 of complications from kneesurgery. So Donna approached her sister, and togetherthey decided to honor their mother’s memory by carryingout her plan themselves.

“My mom loved Southern. She was such an avidsupporter,” Donna says. “This was something she wantedto do and never had the opportunity.”

Nancy enrolled at Southern after graduating fromSacred Heart Academy in Hamden. She earned herbachelor’s and master’s degrees in early childhoodeducation and started her career teaching pre-K andkindergarten in East Haven, Conn.

After taking a break from the classroom to raise herfamily, she found it difficult to re-enter the teaching field.

So she took a job at Southern New England Telephone,where she worked for 16 years before retiring in 2000.

But she never forgot her first love. When she learnedabout a job teaching pre-K at New Haven’s JackieRobinson School, located next to Southern, Nancy cameout of retirement and reached for the opportunity. “It waslike she never left,” recalls Laura. “She just fell right backinto it. She loved all the children like they were her own.”

Nancy also took pride in her Italian heritage, Donnasays, and served as a board member for the ItalianAmerican Historical Society of Connecticut and was amember of POINT (Pursuing Our Italian Names Together).She traveled to Italy to study her family’s ancestry.

Donna says both of her parents were supportive ofhigher education and passed on those values to theirchildren. While at Southern, Donna also benefited froman Alumni Association scholarship, which helped withtuition costs, so she feels good about providing the sameopportunity to other students.

She says it has been incredibly rewarding to meet thescholarship recipients each year at the scholarship banquetand learn more about who they are, while sharingmemories of her mother with them.

She adds that she is fortunate to work for an employerthat matches her contributions to the scholarship, so everyyear during Southern’s Annual Giving Campaign, sheearmarks her donation to fund the Nancy B. PalmieriMemorial Scholarship.

“I would encourage anyone who supports highereducation to consider endowing a scholarship atSouthern,” Donna says. “It’s a wonderful way to helpstudents achieve their education goals and to go on to dogreat things in their communities.”

Spring 2013 | 43

L

Left: Laura and Donna Palmieri, ’92

“My mom loved Southern.

She was such an avid supporter.

This was something she

wanted to do and never

had the opportunity.”

– Donna Palmieri, ’92


StrongManHaving made his mark as aninternationally recognized bodybuilder,professional football player, dedicatededucator, and highly successfulbusinessman, Mike Katz, ’66, 6th Yr. ’76,establishes a scholarship to help otherssucceed.

By Natalie Missakian

Spring 2013 | 45

ike Katz,’66, 6th Yr. ’76, achieved fameas a bodybuilder and former Mr.America who costarred with ArnoldSchwarzenegger in the 1977documentary “Pumping Iron.” He also

played football with the New York Jets and spent threedecades as a teacher, a job he describes as his “calling from God.”

But it was his foray into the world of business — as owner of five Planet Fitness gyms in the New Havenregion — that gave him the financial wherewithal toestablish a scholarship at Southern, Katz says. And hecredits Southern for equipping him with the business sensehe needed to become so successful.

Ironically, the degree that prepared him for thebusiness world had nothing to do with business. It was a sixth-year certificate in supervision and administration of schools, which he pursued with the thought of movinginto a principal’s job. That never happened (by his choice — Katz realized he would miss the kids too much),but the degree did not go to waste.

“It was sort of like an MBA for me,” Katz says. Hecredits the program with teaching him how to run aschool, which he says is much like running a business. “I took that information and used those skills to try to be more successful in the business field.”

Katz established the Mike Katz Endowed FootballScholarship at Southern in 2004 to assist student-athleteson the varsity football team, where Katz honed his ownathletics skills as a fullback under the late head coach Jess Dow.

At the time, he says, coaches didn’t understand weightlifting and discouraged it, fearing the extra bulk wouldslow athletes down. Katz proved it wouldn’t. He was one ofthe team’s fastest players, even though he was so muscularhe needed custom-made shoulder pads.

“And when I went to the Jets, Southern let me borrowmy shoulder pads from college because they didn’t have bigenough pads for me,” he says.

He says he turned to weight training as a preteen tocope with bullying; kids often teased him because he was Jewish, overweight, and wore glasses. “They used tocall me porky,” he recalls. He started lifting weights in his parents’ basement, and as he grew stronger, the teasing stopped.

“It obviously gave me more self-esteem as I got strongerand bigger and became a better athlete,” he explains. “Thepicking on was over at that point.”

He went on to become a football star at Hamden High

School in Connecticut. After graduating in 1962, Katzenrolled at Southern, where he studied to become a healtheducation teacher — his dream since seventh grade. Katzsays he was inspired by his own health education teacher,an ex-marine who gave him “no-nonsense direction” whenhe needed it most.

“He did that for me. I wanted to do that for other kids,”he says. “As corny as it may sound, my calling from Godwas to be a teacher. That’s what I do best.”

After college, Katz spent two years with the New YorkJets but a knee injury ended his career at the beginning ofthe 1968-69 season. The Jets went on to win the SuperBowl that year, while Katz turned his attention to teaching.He took a job as a junior high gym teacher in the publicschool system in Hamden, Conn., where he worked for 33years. He retired in 1999.

Outside of school, Katz continued to train and competein bodybuilding, winning the Mr. America title from theInternational Federation of Body Building in 1970 and twoyears later, Mr. World. He also qualified for the 1976 Mr.Olympia, placing second in the heavyweight division.

Through his friendship with Schwarzenegger, histraining partner, he got a bit part in Sally Field’s breakout movie “Stay Hungry.” But he is most famous for his starring role alongside Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno in the hit bodybuilding documentary “Pumping Iron,” which highlighted Katz’s quest for the1975 Mr. Universe title.

In 1979, he opened the East Coast’s first World Gym in Hamden with his friend and business partner, JerryMastrangelo. They switched to a Planet Fitness franchise in2004, which they run along with Katz’s son, Mike Jr.

Unlike World Gym, Planet Fitness caters more tofamilies and novice gym members. “We call it thejudgement-free zone,” Katz says. He says they made thechange because they thought Planet Fitness had a betterbusiness model.

Katz said he has enjoyed reading letters fromscholarship recipients over the years thanking him forhelping them attend college. He has continued to add tothe scholarship fund balance each year and stronglybelieves alumni should show their gratitude by giving back,especially those who have enjoyed financial success.

“I heard a quote recently: ‘He who dies with the mostmoney is the biggest loser.’ There’s a lot of sense to that,”Katz says. “You don’t have to die broke, but what are youkeeping your hundreds of thousands or millions for whenyou ought to give back to a place that helped to make thatall possible?”

M

President’s Club Patrons$10,000+AT&TBarnes & Noble CollegeBookstores Inc.David BuleyMichael ChambrelloClear ChannelBroadcasting Inc. New HavenComerica Wealth &Institutional ManagementCompass Group USA Inc.William CosbyExxon Mobil FoundationFidelity Charitable Gift FundFusco CorporationWilliam Caspar GrausteinMemorial FundAnne GundersenHaskins LaboratoriesPaul L. Jones FundCandace JungDouglas JungJohn MaranoShannon & David McHaleSharon MisasiNew Haven RegisterThe Oaklawn FoundationFrances Poloshian*Christine & John PowderlyRichard Tripodi & Jane McKinneyRichard F. Tripodi TrustAnita & Joseph SabatinoDorothy Schrader*SCSU Alumni AssociationSCSU StudentGovernmentSidney SkolnickWalter StutzmanStutzman FamilyFoundationMargaret & John SullivanWerth Family FoundationH.W. Wilson Foundation Inc.WSHU Public RadioGroup

President's Club$5,000 - $9,999John BrownJill & Jacques CesaireMarjy EhmerHoward K. Hill FuneralServices LLC

Stephen KoestnerKoskoff, Koskoff & Bieder PCEdward MackThomas MadiganNewman’s OwnFoundationRoche/454 Life SciencesSage Family TrustGladys & John SotoVictor TrioloWiggin & Dana LLPWYBC–FM

Blue & White Club$1,000 - $4,999Kristen Adanti-Pedersen& Jon PedersenAbbey Tent & Party Rentals Inc.Frederick AfragolaMichael AnnatoneAnthem Blue Cross BlueShield of ConnecticutPaula ArmbrusterJaye BaileyRegina BarbaresiRalph BarbieriKatherine BarrettRichard BassettBeacon WealthManagement

BL Companies Inc.Corinne BlackmerJames BlakeBarbara & Peter BoppertWilliam BurnsBVH Integrated ServicesBarbara & Peter CairneyGene Casey New HavenCounty Chapter of theNational Football FoundationCitizens Bank Coca-Cola RefreshmentsMaureen & George CollinsCommunity Foundationfor Greater New HavenConnecticut MagazineConnecticut Women’sHall of FameGary CrakesHolly CrawfordRose CretellaKimberly & Lewis CroneCumulus BroadcastingInc.D’Camm Ltd.The Daughters of 1853Michael DeansReno DepreyDominion FoundationSylvia DrexlerDrexler Foundation

Jerry DunkleeEllen DurninNicholas EdgingtonRobert EldridgeFantini Baking CompanyInc.Diane ForniGeraldine FrankelAnne FrauloDonnaJean FredeenPhilip GaboriaultGarrett Homes LLCCarlene GaudetteGaylord HospitalMark GermainTim Greer InsuranceAgency Inc.Sandra HagueFrank HarrisRenee & GeoffreyHartmanHB Communications Inc.Higher OneKathryn HughesChris HutchinsonPhilip HuttIKEA N.A. Services LLCJanice & Richard*IllingworthING Life Insurance & AnnuityMichelle Johnston

Journal of theExperimental Analysis of BehaviorMichael KatzMarianne KennedyRobert KirschLeir Retreat Center Inc.The Lexington Group Inc.Liberty Mutual Group Inc.Romaine MacombMarcum LLPJames MazurMcBride Wayside Carpet & Furniture Co. Inc.Joan McGuireLawrence McHughKathleen McLeodElaine MikkFay Miller*Mary Ann & Donald MitchellEileen MoriartyLetitia NastriJoseph NatarelliMarc NivetNortheast Utilities ServiceCompanyNosal Builders Inc.Mary O'Connell KozikSharon OrtBarbara OrtolevaRichard Paige

Giving to SouthernHonor Roll of Donors


Our Honor Rolls recognize gifts made between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, however,errors and omissions may have occurred. Please accept our apologies for any inaccuracies. If you find an error, please contact Betsy Galian at (203) 392-5598.

Donna PalmieriGregory PavezaPeople’s United BankPeople’s UnitedCommunity FoundationChristine PettoEdward PirnerWilliam PrattTimothy QuillGail ReenRichards Metal ProductsInc.Nicole RinehardtTeresa RoweMichael SampsonRobin SauerteigThe Savitt CompanySC Football Camp, LLCPauline Schwartz TrustFundSCSU AAUPSCSU Programs CouncilSCSU Women’s AssociationAmy Shepherd WeinbergAl SokaitisSouthern ConnecticutChinese School Inc.Southern Connecticut State UniversitySouthern Gymnastics LLCSpace-CraftManufacturing Inc.William StempelHarlan StevensonMary TallbergSandra ThielzTonelli Sports LLCTri-State Brick ofConnecticutPeter TroianoUBS Matching GiftProgramUnited Way of Central &NortheasternConnecticutCarolyn VanacoreAnthony VerlezzaVisiting Nurse Associationof South CentralConnecticutConrad WalasWepawaug-Flagg Federal Credit UnionDiane Wishnafski

Associates Club$250 - $999Antonio AcetoJodi AdolfAetna Foundation Inc.Linda & Gary AltieriTimothy AndersonCharles AndrioleAon Foundation Inc.Edward Aston

AT&T Foundation HigherEducation Matching GiftProgramKathleen BagleyJames BairMaxine BalabanWilliam BallDoris & James BarberChristine BarrettStanley BattleChristina BaumKimberly BeanMichael Ben-AvieDenise Bentley-Drobish &Robert DrobishLawrence BerlinRose BlackwellBrian BodtAnjuli BodykJoan BonviciniKathleen BonviciniJames Booth Christopher BorajkiewiczViolet BornemannDonna BrennanChristine BroadbridgeSara BrownDian Brown-AlbertEllen BudrisSteven BuecheleEdward BurkeTerrell BynumFay & Hugh CaffertyJosephine & George CaffreyConrad CalandraJudith & Walter CampMary Pat CaputoAmy CarlsonRichard CarneyMark Ceneviva

Centerbrook Architects and PlannersPatricia & Clifford ChieffoSherryl ChinAnn ChristmannCatherine ChristyLori CiccomascoloArlene CliffordComcast FoundationMarylou ConleyConnecticut CommunityFoundationConnecticut Sports MediaLaura CookAnthony CorvinoShirley CostelloThe Course at YaleClaudia CraftsBrad CrerarGregg CrerarJessica CruzConnecticut Boiler Repair& Mfg. Co. Inc.Karen CummingsJosephine & Martin CurrySusan D'AgostinoEvelyn DahmScott DanaJohn DaPonteDarter Specialties Inc.Diane Daskal RubenGerald DavisJames DawesPamela DayDC Hall Rental ServiceLLCDeary’s GymnasticsSupply Inc.Nicholas DeFeliceJoan & RaymondDeFrancesco

Elizabeth deLucia*Amanda & Robert DeMezzoDavid DeninoEllen DepreyJohn DeptulskiPatricia & Michael D'ErricoHeather DeWittKevin DonnellyMichael DonnellyMike Donnelly BasketballAcademy LLCJoseph DooleyLisa DurkeeDeborah EdwardsLaura ElsenbossEnterprise HoldingsFoundationMarguerite FaddenDeborah FlynnRosemary ForniRobert FrewJoseph FrielloDonald FritzTimothy FureyVincent GagliardiElvin GarciaHenry GatesCarole GaugerRobert GelbachGeneral ReinsuranceCorporationLillian GerhardtJessica GilliamAdam GoldbergBruce GrahamSusan GrayAaron GrossHope GruntJames Haggett

Irene HallerHanBone’s Barbecue LLCThe Hartford Steam BoilerInspection and Insurance Co.Edward HaydonLars HelgesonJoan & William HolleyDeborah HolmanNancy & Vincent IngleseKurt JagielowMarilyn & Warren JaquaGordon JonesBetty JungRenee JustJerry KatonaFrank KeeneyJeffrey KeeneyLafayette KeeneyJames KellyTonja & Jeffrey KellyRobin KenefickJudy Kiely & Philip RiethRoberta KieronskiLeland KimballNancy KohlKohler Ronan LLCPhilanthi KoslowskiErnest KrajcikMeghan KueblerLillie KumarDaniela & Frank LaDoreVictoria LafortuneLakin Tire East Inc.Richard LarsonLaurel Beach ConsultantsLLCCheryl LeeDonald LemieuxAnne & Eugene LeoneJames LettsYi-Chun LinPeter LynchRaymond MackowskiPatricia & James MadiganSean MahonAnthony MalteseDoris MarinoRosalind MarottoliDorothy MartinoMary MascolaJ. Masucci & CompanyLLCMichael McGrathKevin McNamaraCarmen McPhersonEstate of Thomas F.MellettDora MetrelisCynthia MeyersD & S Milikowsky FamilyFoundationEllen MillerStephanie & William MillerHarriett MilnesMilone & MacBroom

Spring 2013 | 47

James MitchellKathleen & Scott MiticGiacomo MordenteEdward MorganDiane MorgenthalerGary MorinCynthia & Frank NappiNationwide FoundationVara NeverowNew Haven Roadrace Inc.Deborah NewtonPatricia NicolEleanor & Anthero NicolauOmni HotelKevin O'ReillyKathleen OstbergOxford IndustriesSadiann OzmentChristopher PalmerJudit & George PaoliniRobert ParkerSteven ParksTimothy ParrishKoren PaulBelinda PearmanFrancis PentinoAnthony PerusoPhilip PessinaKathleen PetersPfizer FoundationRobert PinterChristopher PiscitelliMarilyn PriceSean RaffileJeffrey RainesRaise The BarJody RajculaJaak RakfeldtWilliam RepassSalvatore RizzaKaren RodiaWiltraud RozeSahin Holding LLCPhyllis & Richard* SalernoLorraine SamelaMargaret SamelaFrank SantinoSchwab Charitable FundStanley SeligaLauren SepulvedaMichael SheaRobert SheeleyMargaret ShepardBarbara ShortellPeter SieviecEric SimmsMichael SjovallMarcia SmithDiane Smith DruggeJoan SpecterSally SpiegelDawn Stanton-HolmesKenneth SteinerBridget Stepeck-HoltMichele Stewart-CopesBrigitte Stiles

Suburban WorldwideTravel Agency LLCBrendyn SullivanStephanie SulzbachJean SutherlandDaniel SwartzBrent TaylorThree Brothers DinerAngela TodaroLawrence TomascakLenora TomporowskiMichael TucciaroneCynthia & Richard TuchmanEdward TyburskiTyco Printing & Copying Inc.Up in SmokeJeffrey UpchurchRonald WalkerCarol WallaceElizabeth WalshJan WangMark WatersRichard WatsonWEBPAJE.COM Inc.Ted WeissKatherine & Richard WellnerPatricia WhelanJay WhelanAnnaleila WilliamsMarvin WilsonTimothy WiseJon WormleyJane WrightTommy ZekoPatricia & Kevin ZiblukJill Zitnay

Century Club$100 - $249Access Audio-Visual Systems Inc.

John AdamovichMichael AdamskiLinda AdantiDeborah AhernEileen AinsworthEdna AklinAlbrecht's Auto RepairInc.Norma AllegriCatherine AllenRichard AllisonAllstate FoundationAmgen FoundationJohn AmoreCarol AndersonDonna AndersonLauren AndersonLois AndersonLouis AndreDavid AndrewsMichael AngeliniLori AnricoRonald ArbitelleAndrea ArellanoArena Gymnastics Inc.Barbara ArensMichael AshwoodDiana AvinoHarry AzanoB&B Grocery & DeliDavid BakJoanne BaldaufJoseph BandieraMary-Beth BanthamWilliam BarkerAndré BarnesEllen BauerCurtis BeanNancy BennettMarise BensonMatthew BerberichBetsy BergenDorothy BergerChristopher Berglund

Marion BerkmanBetsy BernLois & Thomas BernardiVal BernardoniFlorence BerrienJan BershteinElizabeth BertierRosemary BertonStephen BetzFred BialkaMarcia BiaseBarbara BilodeauMartin BohanBarbara BohnKathleen & Leonard BonnLaura Bower-PhippsPamela BrackettThomas BradyVincent BreslinGary BrownJoan BrownJoseph BrownWilliam BruckerClayton BrunemanPatricia BrunoMichelle BudwitzSandra BulmerDolores ButcherRobert CaciopoliDoreen Cammarata-Gilhuly & Daniel GilhulyWilliam CampbellFrank CaparuloLinda CaplanLisa Cappiali MaglioccoKathleen CaprioMaureen CareyVictoria CareyWayne CarlsonJoseph CarolanDonna & Andrew Carrano

Ralph CarranoLauren Casalveri

Casey CharitableMatching Programs

James CashavellyMark CavalieriThomas CelentanoRose CeloneCristin ChabotNancy CharestCharles River Country ClubCharli's Cupcake FactoryTeresa Cherry-CruzDavid ChevanAlbert ChiappettaLaurie ChurchillJoseph CifferelliLawrence CiottiRosemary & Thomas ClarieConstance ClearyLaura ClementsenMary CofrancescoJohn CogginsWilliam CohanePhyllis CohenJoseph ColacinoSuzanne ColasantoKenneth ColemanFrances CollaCollegiate TrackConferenceKevin CollesanoStephen ComkowyczMichael ConnairConnecticut Public HealthAssociation FoundationLaVerle & Robert ConnellyConoco PhillipsWilliam ConwayJerome CookLinda CoppolaJames CorbiereSusan CorneilleFrancine CossCarolyn CourtStephen CourtneyLizanne CoxKathleen CoyleNancy CrandallSusannah Crego ViolinoJanice CrosslandDorothy CsabaPatricia & Thomas CummingsDora CupoElizabeth CurtisCecilia DalzellDonna D’AngioJimmy DavilaNorm DavisRuth Ann DavisScott DavisDiana & Jack DavisonLois DayBetty DeatleyRichard DeCesare


Christopher DeckerRosemarie & Anthony* DeFrancescoHeidi DegreeSarah & John DekutowskiRaymond DelehantRonald DeLucaGeorge DeMaioPaul DepreyRussell DesrocherMichael DeVitoGladys DeYoungeWilliam DiffleyPatrick DilgerClaudette DimariaJoanne DiNovoCharles DiSapioTimothy DiScipioJulia DohertyVeronica DoneskiAnn DonohueMildred DoodyThomas DorrKim DorseyShawn DoughertyRichard DowneyJohn DoyleMarian & Robert DrobishBarbara DrummondDun & Bradstreet Co.FoundationElisabeth DursoKathleen DutneyJoy DuvaAlan EckstrandPasquale EliaJames EllisChristine EngelMarty ErnstoffLouis EsparoAgatha EspositoJune Estep FiorelliMarian EvansAnna-Margaret FabisiakPatricia FalkWilliam FaraclasBonnie Farley-LucasJane FarringtonJoseph FazzinoMarybeth FedeMary FeigeChristiane FenningerLois FioreRobin FitchDeborah & Richard FitzsimmonsNorbert FlammiaMargaret FogartyVicki FoldenJames FoleyClare FordFrame Advisors LLCDominic FranceseEllen FrankKelley FrassinelliJudith FreedmanJoanne Frenkel

Alan FriedlanderNina FriedmanJanina FusaroValentina GageRosemary GagliardiJohn GallagherPatrick GallagherCharlotte GallucciPeggy GallupSharon GalvinMarguerite GarbienLinda GarfinkelRobert GearingTerese GemmeCarol GennetteMargaret GhiroliPatricia GianniniAnn GibranNancy GillRoss GingrichBeverly GinterBetty GobeilleCharles GoldRaymond GombosMiriam GonzalezGoodspeed MusicalsCharles GoodwinVirginia GoreCharles GormanPatrick GormanNancy GotwaltMary GraziosoRuth & Thomas GreenGreen Bay PackersSylia GreeneMichael GreenwoodThomas GriggsGary GrockowskiRoberta GrossmanMarcia GruceLaurie GuentherRobert GulasPamela GunnesonRonald GuralnickDeborah GwiazdowskiValerie HaberlJoan HackneyJohn HajusWinifred HamiltonAshley HamptonJames HanceAudrey HancockJames HanleyMichael HanlonHarvey HarknessKim HarrisTerry & Hugo HartHarvey HubbellFoundationKenneth HawkinsJeannette HawranJocelyn HayesMary HeadDeborah HebertPaul HebertE. Michael HeffernanEvelyn Heffernan

Karen HellandRaymond HellerNancy HendrixMarie HerbstRonald HerronPatricia HeslinBarbara HigginsDenise HindingerAnnette HirdThe E.R. HitchcockCompany Inc.Bonnie Hittleman-LewisAdele HodgesMable Hoffler-PageEddis HoffmanHubert HofmannStephen HogyeJerome HojnackiShirin HollisSheryl HollydayHarriett HookHoover & Wells Inc.Harry HowellJennifer HudsonDonald Hughes

Rita HughesThomas HylinskiPatsy IaquintaDavid IfkovicInsurance Services Office Inc.Eric InzeroCaroline JacobsHarold JacobsonKendra JemmottLinda JensenRobyn JohnsonYvonne JohnsonJonthan JuddDiane JulianRichard KaminskiValerie KaneConstance Kapral

Steven KarjanisKarjanis & Sons MotorsLLCBrenda & Francis KarsmarskiCindy KeeganMary Jane KeelerElizabeth KeenanCarol KellerRaymond KelloggAllene KellyJames KellyPatricia & Timothy KennedyLinda KingPhyllis KingsburyMiles KirschnerPaul KobasaKenneth KochVeronica KoenigLynn KohrnKPMG FoundationJohn KryzanowskiLeo KuczynskiGerard Kunkel

James KusackPhilip LagattutaDavid LakeLisa LancorJean LandriganSusan LanghansPhyllis LangsnerRaymond LapinskiAnne LattanzioArthur LauJohn LauriaMichelle LawlerJudith LegezaMargaret LeggettRoberta LeonardPaul LevatinoRichard LewisKelly L’Heureux

Live NationMaria LoiewskiTimothy LoneySusie LongLong Wharf TheatreRebeca LopezKen LoreyMary LottSharon LouchenMary Rose LovelloMaureen LucasCarla LukasKathryn LuriaGlenn MacknoKaren MacVeighMichele MadonickAnthony MaduMonica MaiaAlison MajeauAnn MakiRobert MalchiodiMaureen MaloneDorothy & Patrick ManleySharon ManleyMichelle Mann

Anne MapolskiDawn MarcarelliEdward MarczyszakLucille MarottoliMarianne MarpleMichael MarrettJoan MarshallEleanor MartinMary & Jeffrey MartinikCarmella MastrogiovanniAnn MaxhamRonald MaynardReginald MayoJeffrey McElrayBryan McGinnisBarbara & George McGuiganDiane McGuire

Spring 2013 | 49

Hollis MckennaPaul MckenzieJames McKiernanMcKiernan Chiropractic &Sports Injury Center PCBonnie McNairKathleen McNeillE. Marie McPaddenKenneth MeadJean MeisenheimerWilliam MellettRachel MervaEdward MessinaAnna MicciLawrence MillerMary MillerMihaela MillerFrank MiloneMargaret MirtoRichard MitchellStephen MontgomeryCatherina MordecaiMorgan StanleySara MorgattoDebra MoriartyKathleen MorinJohn MoronitiGerald MossMehdi MostaghimiEvelyn MoultonJohn MurphyWilliam MurrayRichard MyersEleanor NaceMichele NanchoffEva NaplesRonald NappiMary NavinNicholas NeeleyGerard NelsonDavid NetinhoPamela NetinhoNetwork for GoodBarbara NeufeldNew Balance BostonNew Haven Open at YaleMargaret NewtonRoy NirschelRyan NobregaDonald NorcrossNortheast UtilitiesFoundationNorthwest Designs InkCheryl NortonNYS DDP DirectorsAssociationEleanor O’BrienSally O’BrienJohn O’DeaLinda OlsonRocco OrlandoJames OsborneEric OttTracey OwersThe P&G FundGatin PaganoAudrey & Carl* Paight

Beverly PajerJoan PalenJeannett PalluzziPhilip PalmaJoseph PalmerJiongDong PangRobert PannozzoDorothy PappasDavid ParentMichael ParisiStephen ParkosewichWalda PassaroMarcia PatrickLynda PedersenAlbert PedroliniJames PegolottiJane PellegrinoRichard PepePerfetto HomeConstruction LLCArthur PerschinoEleanor PesanelliPaul PetrieRuth PetroneBarbara PezzulloWalter PiechotaKarl PieperEdward PierceJune PierceJoanne & Frank PintoJohn PintoChristopher PolakowskiDaniel PompaLisa PotanovichAnn PratsonSusan PrentisPaul PreteGeraldine PrinceEmma ProtoPrudential FoundationDonna PruettRaymond PuglieseLori PujdaQuebec LabradorFoundationMonica RaffoneDiane RaschLisa RebeschiLillian ReederTricia ReganGeorge ReissSusan RenehanResource VideoStacey & Richard RiccardiElizabeth RichardsonScott RichnavskyMarguerite RinaldiDebra RisiskyDonna RisoloAnna Rivera-AlfaroLinda RobinsonJohn RochetteMichael RogersPeter RonaiNancy RonneHeather RoweBrenda Rowser

Paul RubinoPaul RustConcetta SaccoElizabeth SahlinMichael SalvinMark SandilloKimm SantoraDonald SbaboChristine ScariceCarol ScarrozzoJoseph ScascitelliIrene SchraggerJanice SchuckSalvatrice SchultzeWayne SchwartzMarjorie ScoreyLinda & Martin ScullyDeborah SeibertHelen ShecoraFatu SheriffShubert New HavenKathy SieglerRuth SilverAnita SilvestroLinda SimonCindy SimoneauMary SkorvanekSorrentinoRobert SlieMichael SloadClifford SmithDavid SmithEllen SmithForrest SmithKeith SmithM. Roberta SpannErin SpauldingLouise Spear-SwerlingKenneth SpelkeSports ManagementResources LLCStaples AdvantageSean Stearley

Steelcase FoundationSterling Forms &Computer SuppliesRussell StevensPatricia StichDale StorzCarly StrazzaCynthia StretchCarolyn StroutMing SuenConstance SullivanEdward SullivanMartha SullivanMary SullivanCynthia SwainbankEdmund SwartzJohn SwitchenkoJill & James TallbergFrank TavaresJudith TerrillNancy TippingLois TollesRobert ToothakerBarbara TorcelliniToby TowsonLaurie TracyRudolph TrankovichTravelers ChampionshipLouis TremblayCarol TrippLauren TuppenyMitchell UrdaDavid VanceMichele VancourWilliam VarnumMary VaughnNancy ViaDeborah VincentCharles ViscardiLillian & Robert VishnoCathy-Beth VitelliRobert VittiVanessa Volpe

Peter VonEulerRita VozzoJulie WachtmannMark WalasAnn WaldmanRosemary WaldronDonald WalkerMarlon WalkerCornelia WallinKevin WaltonChristopher WardRebecca Ward*Charles WargoLeslie Warner-MaloneyAaron WashingtonLibor WaszczakSuzanne WeberE. Suzanne WeisseThomas WellingtonWendy WellsWells Fargo CommunitySupport CampaignWells Fargo FoundationAnn WengloskiMary & Edward WeselcouchTodd WheelerStephanie & Darin WilborneShirley WillcoxMary WilliamsonMary WillmottCarole WilsonLucia WilsonRosemary & William WilsonSamantha WilsonPatricia WolfGary WolffMaureen WoodScott WoodburnRoger WoznickKathy Yalof


Mary & James YanosyCarol YoungJohn YoungStephen ZakurCharles ZaremskasAndrew ZbikowskiWilliam ZenkoJoyce & Brian ZukauskasJanet Zukowski

GrantsDavis EducationalFoundationHogeschool UtrechtLeakey FoundationRobert Wood JohnsonSonoma State University

Faculty and StaffHonor RollAntonio AcetoCarolyn AllingRobert AxtellJaye BaileyJames BarberChristine BarrettRichard BassettChristina BaumBetsy BeacomJudith BehlerMichael Ben-AvieTherese BennettDenise Bentley-DrobishJohn BergevinCorinne BlackmerJames BlakePeter BoppertLaura Bower-PhippsSharon BradfordVincent BreslinChristine BroadbridgeDian Brown-AlbertAnthony BrunettiSandra BulmerRondell ButlerJudith BuzzellTerrell BynumGeorge CaffreyConrad CalandraEdward CalandroDoreen Cammarata- GilhulyMary Pat CaputoSuzanne CarrollVincenzo CassellaShirley CavanaghThomas CelentanoXiao ChengDavid ChevanSherryl ChinKaren ChristianCatherine ChristyNancy ChuctaShawna ClearyWilliam CohaneMarylou ConleyNicholas Constantinople

Gary CrakesBrad CrerarGregg CrerarKimberly CroneKaren CummingsThomas CummingsGiovanni D'OnofrioDiana DahlmanJohn DaPonteMargaret DasPamela DayRichard DeCesareRobert DeMezzoEmmett DennisDeborah DeSistoWilliam DiffleyPatrick DilgerGaetano DimiccoJulia DohertyMichael DonnellyJoseph DooleyThomas DorrRobert DrobishSuzanne DukeJerry DunkleeEllen DurninNicholas EdgingtonRobert EldridgeScott EllisRobin EspositoMarian EvansWilliam FaraclasBonnie Farley-LucasMarybeth FedeVincent FerrieJanelle FinchNicole FluhrDeborah FlynnEllen FrankKelley FrassinelliDonnaJean FredeenBetsy GalianTerese GemmeRoss GingrichAdam GoldbergFloyd GollnickCarolyn HarrisFrank HarrisMartin HartogJohn HillWilliam HochmanShirin HollisMargaret HudaJennifer HudsonPercy Huggins Jr.Denise HunterKurt JagielowMichelle JohnstonJordan JonesRenee JustBarbara KaganElizabeth KeenanRaymond KelloggRobin KenefickMarianne KennedyPaula KennedyHak Joon Kim

Robert KirschMichael KobylanskiPhilanthi KoslowskiKlay KruczekJames KusackFrank LaDoreDavid LakeLisa LancorCassandra LangSusan LarsonMichelle LawlerSusan LawrenceGloria LeeYi-Chun Lin

Samuel LopesChristopher LynnAnthony MalteseMichelle MannPhilip MarcheseDoris MarinoKatherine MarslandJames MazurRobert McEachernHollis MckennaPaul MckenzieKevin McNamaraSharon MisasiJoyce MooreGiacomo MordenteWinnifred MorganDiane MorgenthalerGary MorinMehdi MostaghimiBennie MurphyJoseph MusanteJames MuttsErvin NelsonGerard NelsonVara NeverowDianne NewmanDeborah NewtonPatricia NicolLinda Olson

Wanda OutingTracey OwersJiongDong PangTimothy ParrishCynthia PattersonJacqueline PattonGregory PavezaBelinda PearmanDarnelle PerryPhilip PessinaKlaus PetersPaul PetrieLaura PettieCarolynn Pettit

Christine PettoJohn PintoChristopher PiscitelliGeraldine PrinceSharon ProberSusan QuagliaroliTimothy QuillMonica RaffoneJaak RakfeldtTina Marie ReLisa RebeschiTricia ReganRichard RiccardiLystra RichardsonAnna Rivera-AlfaroSalvatore RizzaLinda RobinsonMary RobinsonJohn RochetteMichael RogersNancy RonneHeather RoweJennifer RuggieroTheresa SandiferJanet SchneiderJessica ScibekStanley SeligaJoseph SelvaggioMichael Shea

Cynthia Shea-LuzikRobert SheeleyBarbara ShillerWinnie ShyamEric SimmsCindy SimoneauJudith Sizensky-SearlesLouise Spear-SwerlingKenneth SpelkeDawn Stanton-HolmesBridget Stepeck-HoltBrigitte StilesCynthia StretchVillia Struyk

Daniel SwartzFrank TavaresAngela TodaroLawrence TomascakJaime TothPeter TroianoDavid VanceMichele VancourMerryalis VazquezDonald WalkerCarol WallaceJan WangAaron WashingtonMark WatersCarlton WatsonDeborah WeissColby WhelanPatricia WhelanMarvin WilsonTimothy WiseRobert WorkmanKathy YalofPhyllis YoungKevin ZiblukPatricia Zibluk

* Deceased

Spring 2013 | 51


Southern Connecticut State University Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors

CONTACT US

For additional information, please contact:Southern Connecticut State University Foundation, Inc. Telephone: (203) 392-6900

Gifts may be made online at:SouthernCT.edu/givingor you may contact the Development Office.Telephone: (203) 392-5598

OFFICERSRobin Sauerteig • Chair

David R. McHale • Vice ChairmanExecutive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Northeast Utilities System

Michael R. Chambrello • TreasurerChief Executive Officer — Asia Pacific Region,Scientific Games Corporation

Richard F. Tripodi • SecretaryPresident, RFTS, Inc.

BOARD MEMBERSPaula ArmbrusterAssociate Clinical Professor, Yale University (retired)

Mary O’Connell KozikSenior Chemist, AECOM Corporation

Thomas J. MadiganVice President, Investments,UBS Financial Services Inc.

Joseph NatarelliPartner-in-Charge, Marcum LLP

Marc A. Nivet, Ed.D.Chief Diversity Officer,Association of American Medical Colleges

William H. Pratt, Esq., PartnerFinnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

Anthony F. VerlezzaAssociate PartnerEquus Group LLC

EMERITI DIRECTORSLucille W. Alderman, Community Activist

Frederick R. Afragola, Chairman, Frame Advisors

Frank D. Antin, Senior Vice President, The Bank of New York Mellon (retired)

Mackey Barron, President, HB Communications Inc.

Lynn Fusco, President, Fusco Corporation

John Soto, President, Space-Craft Manufacturing, Inc.

Diane L. WishnafskiExecutive Vice President, NewAlliance Bank (retired)

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERSJames E. BlakeExecutive Vice President for Finance and Administration,Southern Connecticut State University

Katherine Marsland, Ph.D.Associate Professor of PsychologySouthern Connecticut State University

Erin McGuckinStudent Representative,Southern Connecticut State University

Mary A. Papazian, Ph.D.PresidentSouthern Connecticut State University

Richard Riccardi, Ph.D.Alumni Association RepresentativeSouthern Connecticut State University

Teresa SiricoAlumni Association RepresentativeTeresa Sirico Realtor LLC

• Tuition is at an all-timehigh with a 5.25%increase for next year.

• 77% of our students arereceiving some form offinancial aid.

• The percentage offreshmen now workingoff campus has increasedfrom 38% to 43% in one year.

• 27% of seniors continueto work more than 30hours per week.

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Spring | 13Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE

FPO - Lane to swopcorrect, hi-res finallogo, check position

Senior swimming sensationAmanda Thomas has doneit again — winning the

NCAA Division II national champi-onship in the 200–yard individualmedley for the third year in a row.The victory helped Thomas nab thecoveted Swimmer of the Year titlefrom the College SwimmingCoaches of America for the secondconsecutive time.

Clearly, it’s been a spectac-ular run for Thomas, who ends hercollege career an 18-time AllAmerican with four NCAA national

championship wins to her name.(She also won the 400-yard indi-vidual medley in 2012.)

This year’s championshipwas particularly poignant forThomas, who is graduating in Maywith a degree in exercise scienceand plans to attend graduateschool in the fall. “I kept thinkingabout how this was my last yearcompeting . . . about the numerousraces I have done in the past —and how I only had four left in mycareer,” she says.

Making thechampionship a truefamily affair, Amanda’stwin sister and fellowOwl, Ashley Thomas,

took part in thewomen’s three-meter board div-ing qualifier at theevent, along withseveral team-mates.

“I have lit-erally revolved mylife around swim-ming since I was about 6 yearsold,” says Amanda. “I’ve alsolearned a lot from it. For example,time management, commitment,hard work, sacrifice . . . I know Iwill carry all those things with methrough life.”

Thomas is also likely tostay in the pool. She is currently

interning with the SoNoCo SwimClub, and her career aspirationsinclude possibly becoming a swimcoach, ideally at the college level.Meanwhile, triathlons are the nextchallenge on the horizon. “I lovecompeting,” says Thomas, “so Ithink this would be good becauseit will keep swimming in my life.”

She’s Once, Twice . . .

Four Timesa Champion!

Twin sisters andfellow members of the women’sswimming anddiving team,Amanda (left) andAshley Thomas.

National championAmanda Thomas hits the pool.

southern alumni magazine spring 2013

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