Siena News Summer 2010

SienaSIENA NEWS • A MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS • SUMMER 2010

“Don’t cry because it is over; smile because it happened ”

INSIDE:

Senior Student-Athletes Make a Lasting Mark

Lights, Camera, Siena!

c1-c2_03-27sien_sum10.indd 1 7/22/10 1:45:14 PM

from the president

SIENA 2

Message from the Editor

Thanks to the feedback from our readers who say “We want more Siena!” we have continued to strive to meet your needs. In this issue of Siena News, you will notice a couple of icons at the bottom of stories that indicate more information can be found online. This was done to shorten the stories in print so that we can include even more information about Siena College and provide a richer experience online. The icons will take you to photos and videos from two of the biggest events we hold at Siena:

Commencement – 300 plus photos on flickr

Events -- 700 plus photos on flickr and video that captures a range of activities including Reunion weekend

Enjoy,Jim Eaton

P.S. - In the next year we will offer an interactive online version of this publication. What would you like to see added to this online version? E-mail us with your ideas at [email protected].

At this year’s Commencement, I spoke to our graduates and their families about how St. Francis and St. Clare viewed education. They saw education as a way to shape men’s and women’s character and develop students who would make a difference. The pursuit of knowledge was important, but only if it went hand-in-hand with the quest to live a moral life. At Siena College, this legacy endures. Within this issue of Siena News, the examples are extensive: a senior who takes his study of the law and uses it to lead the crusade for fair-trade products on campus; the student senate employing leadership skills developed at Siena to raise funds for charity; and envi-ronmental studies majors organizing Earth Day events for the entire community. While these stories have been chosen to illustrate the Siena experience, community members giving back is something I have the privilege of witnessing on a daily basis. They are people who go above and beyond to make a difference. That’s what makes Siena, Siena.

Fraternally,

Fr. Kevin Mullen ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D., President


On Campus News | 10 Alumni Connection | 23Faculty News | 18 Alumni Class Notes | 28Saints Corner | 20

departments

cont

ents

Siena News - Summer 2010 Published by Siena College 515 Loudon Road Loudonville, NY 12211-1462 E-mail: [email protected]

• Publisher: Delcy Fox• Editor: Jim Eaton• Online Editor: Allison Maloney ’06• Contributing Editors: Mark Adam, Fr. Bill Beaudin ’76, O.F.M., Jodi Ackerman Frank, Ken Jubie ’04, Christine Maccarone ’10, Hildy Marinello ’11, Allison Maloney ’06, Fr. Kevin Mullen ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D., Jason Rich ’97, Lynn Ryan, Ally Tooulias ’11, Mackenzie Watroba ’11• Director of Art and Design: Sergio Sericolo• Alumni Class Notes Design: Jean Higgs• Alumni Class Notes Editor: Janice Goca • Photography: Athletics Office, Alumni Office, Dave Boswell ’12, Mike Hemberger, Martha Kelly ’10, Billy McHugh ’13, Fr. Ken Paulli ’82, O.F.M., Ph.D., Tony Purificato, ROTC Office, Sergio Sericolo• Printer: The Lane Press, Burlington,Vt.

SIENA 3

Ronald E. Bjorklund ’85 J. David Brown Michael Bucci ’73 Robert F. Campbell ’66 Judy Capano/Michaelson ’87 Br. F. Edward Coughlin, O.F.M., Ph.D. Robert M. Curley Robert T. Cushing ’77 Susan Law Dake Virginia L. Darrow ’83 Scott C. Donnelly Howard S. Foote ’74 Shari Golub-Schillinger ’86 Sr. Violet T. Grennan, M.F.I.C., D.Min. Robert L. Guido ’68 Rev. Kenneth R. Himes ’71, O.F.M., Ph.D. Walter T. Kicinski ’62 Pamela McCarthy Robert J. McCormick ’87 James J. Morrell ’66 Very Rev. Kevin J. Mullen ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D. John F. MurrayJohn J. Nigro Very Rev. John F. O’Connor, O.F.M. Walter A. Osterman ’87 Kenneth M. Raymond, Jr. William E. Redmond ’81 Mark S. Rose ’65 Rev. James P. Scullion ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D. David M. Stack ’73 Christine L. Standish Nimmi M. Trapasso ’98, M.D. Dennis L. Winger ’69

2010 - 2011 Board of Trustees

4 Siena Celebrates 2010 Commencement

20 Siena’s All-American

24 Lights, Camera Siena!

4 Siena Celebrates 2010

20All-American

Dan Paolini ’12

SAINTS

2010 HOME RUN RECORD


By Ken Jubie ’04

Sunshine filled the sky as smiles and flashing cameras lit up the Times Union Center in downtown Albany. The Siena College Class of 2010 crossed the stage, collected their diplomas and closed the collegiate chapter of their lives.

“Don’t cry because it is over; smile because it happened,” said Class of 2010 President Bryan Daly as he

addressed his fellow graduates. He recounted experiences they shared, such as the 2008 ice storm and storming the

basketball court after the Saints won the MAAC Tournament Championship.

Siena Celebrates 2010 Commencement

SIENA 4

COVER STORY



Siena awarded 738 bachelor’s degrees. In addition, for the first time in the college’s history, 19 students

graduated with Master of Science in Accounting degrees.

“I feel prepared for what is ahead,” said history major and Alpha Kappa Alpha Honor Society graduate Kelli

Huggins ’10, who plans to work for a year before entering graduate school.

Civil rights, political and business leader Ambassador Andrew Young, who delivered the 2010 Commencement

address, urged the graduates to strive for continued success in the future. Young, who has served as a congressman

from Georgia, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Atlanta mayor, described his experiences while encour-

aging students to take chances and try to improve the world.

“Don’t be afraid to fail, don’t be afraid to suffer … Do it with the confidence that, even if you fail, the spirit and

Siena Celebrates 2010 Commencement

SIENA 5



SIENA 6

power of God can raise you up again,” Young said. “Go in peace and share that

peace with the world.”

Young and world-renowned physician, ethicist and educator Edmund

Pellegrino, M.D., received honorary degrees. Cheryl Buff ’82, Ph.D., associate

professor of marketing and management, received the Jerome Walton Award for

Excellence in Teaching.

As she spoke, Buff reinforced for the graduates what her fellow faculty

members and their families already knew. “You are ready for the opportunities

and challenges that life will present,” Buff said. “You can and will make a

difference.”

Right: World renowned physician, ethicist and educator Edmund Pellegrino, M.D., and civil rights, political and business leader Ambassador Andrew Young received honorary degrees during the commencement ceremony this year. Also pictured are Fr. Kevin Mullen ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D. and Board of Trustee member John Murray ’79.

Below: For the first time in Siena’s history, 19 students earned Master of Science in accounting degrees during this year’s commencement weekend.


By Ken Jubie ’04

If you looked quickly through the sea of graduates, you might have missed Colonie police officer Chris Ruff. The 45-year-old detective sergeant was wearing academic regalia — a black cap and gown and a green and gold hood. But he wasn’t undercover on a secret mission. Like the rest of the Class of 2010, Ruff was graduating.

It was a moment nearly three decades in the making. Ruff started taking classes at Siena in 1983, two years before he joined the Colonie police force. The sociology major spent 27 years pursuing his degree part-time while advancing his career in law enforcement and raising a family with his wife of nearly 22 years. They have a daughter who is now in college. “My family is my rock. They have always been there for me and I could see in their faces how happy they were,” Ruff said. After nearly 30 years of studying at Siena, Ruff became used to seeing changing faces, phrases, fashions, hair styles and, of course, technologies.“I have seen the computer go from almost unusable to totally necessary. You used to have a handful of close friends. Today, students have hundreds of friends at their fingertips. There were no cell phones in

school back then. Text was what one found in a book.” Still, Ruff said the Siena students’ commitment to their careers, country, faith and families has remained constant, which is why he is encouraged by the potential of his fellow graduates.“I have my career. I may use my degree in the future to do something different, but it is my fellow graduates who will be our leaders,” Ruff said. “They are the future doctors, lawyers, scientists, politicians and, yes, police officers. Most importantly, they are future parents. They will take lessons that they have learned from their own lives and they will raise a new generation.”

The Ruff Road to Graduation

To see additional photos from commencement weekend visit www.siena.edu/news and search commencement.

SIENA 7

c1-c2_03-27x1_sien_sum10.indd 7 7/29/10 6:43:57 AM

ANNA PAPPERMAN ’10

SIENA 8

Champion for Fair Trade Mike Ellement ’10 from Buffalo, N.Y., came to Siena four years ago not knowing what to expect, but left with more than he could hope for. “Siena is a caring environment where I was encouraged to get involved and meet interesting people,” Ellement said. After learning how the coffee industry in areas of South America and Africa forces farmers to accept objectionably low prices and subjects them to slave labor, Ellement decided to do what he has always been encouraged to do – get involved. Through his dedication, along with the help of Shannon O’ Neill, Ph.D., director of the Sr. Thea Bowman Center for Women, the Sodexo food service has purchased some fair-trade products for the dining hall and catered events. The college also has established a consumer relationship with women in Guatemala for handmade items. Fair trade certifies that workers received fair wages and that child labor was not used. Even though there is no current fair-trade national certification system for U.S. colleges, Siena has been working closely with other institutions to begin drafting guidelines. Ellement hopes to continue to advocate for fair-trade sales both in his hometown and at Catholic University Law School, where he will begin graduate studies in the fall. “The Franciscan attitude of Siena has gone a long way to molding the person I am. You don’t get the average college experience here. You get an environment that promotes peace and justice and a community that cares about you.”

By Mackenzie Watroba ’11 and Allison Maloney ’06

MIKE ELLEMENT ‘10



Following the Frogs Anna Papperman ’10, environmental studies major from Waterford, N.Y., has been interested in environmental studies since she was in 8th grade. At Siena, Papperman had the opportunity to work alongside Larry Woolbright, Ph.D., professor of biology, studying wood frogs and their habitat preferences in Saratoga National Historic Park. She used a geographic information system (GIS) to create a map that analyzes where wood frog populations go after they leave their spring breeding sites. The information will help the park to preserve habitat for the wood frogs and allow them to remain a vital part of the ecology of the park. “GIS is a great way of looking at real-world problems and providing solutions to them in a whole new way. It’s an awesome tool for learning and is becoming extremely important in today’s world,” Papperman said. Papperman is pursuing her master’s degree in natural resources with a concentration in environmental education and interpretation at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. “Siena has definitely challenged me and made me work to my full potential. My coursework was integral to helpingme to get where I am today,” she said.

All-Star Accountant Renee Clavette ’10 from Danville, N.H., first set foot on the Siena campus as a high school sophomore for a field hockey tournament. Two years later and mid-way through her college search, she realized she was comparing all other colleges to Siena. “I was meant to come here,” Clavette said. Five years later, after earning a master’s degree in accounting and participating in two varsity sports --field hockey and softball, Clavette said her Siena experience surpassed her expectations. “I received more than an education in accounting and the principles behind it; I learned about myself.” Nineteen students graduated from the inaugural class of the M.S. in Accounting program this year. Clavette said the small classes allowed students to explore specific accounting interests. “Professors prepared us for the professional world while integrating students’ individual needs,” she said. Clavette is now working at Pricewaterhouse-Coopers in Boston and said her experience at Siena and in the M.S. in Accounting program have shaped the type of individual and professional she aspires to be. “I’ve received a great sense of community, the ability to get involved and a realization of what volunteerism can do in a community.”

SIENA 9

RENEE CLAVETTE ’10


c1-c2_03-27sien_sum10.indd 9 7/23/10 7:52:41 AM

ON CAMPUS NEWS

During the Celebration of Academic Excellence, the Sarazen Student Union’s Maloney Great Room became an interactive showcase for students of various majors in the schools of liberal arts, science and business to present their research and accomplishments. “It’s a good chance to share the experience of my independent study,” said Martha Kelly ’10. Kelly’s project, “The Plight of an Orphaned Child: Jamaica vs. America,” was the result of a service trip to Jamaica in January, during which she saw orphanages firsthand. Faculty members said the celebration is a valuable learning experience for students because it prepares them for professional presentations. They said it also gives professors a chance to see different sides of the students they teach. “I encounter students of mine presenting in other departments. It’s good to learn what they are doing in other classes,” said Chair of the Computer Science Department Bob Yoder, Ph.D.

study,” said Martha

Academic Excellence on Display

Above: Martha Kelly ’10 went on a service trip to Jamaica. She turned this experience into an independent study project titled “The Plight of an Orphaned Child: Jamaica vs. America.”

SIENA 10

Coming Soon - New Residence Hall This fall Siena will open a new residence hall located near the St. Francis House and Colbeth Hall. The $20 million building will house 264 beds and include a dining hall with 250 seats, television lounge, game room, fitness facility, mailroom and several meeting rooms. The Sr. Thea Bowman Women’s Center will relocate there. For more information visit www.siena.edu/newresidencehall.

c1-c2_03-27x1_sien_sum10.indd 10 7/29/10 1:36:20 PM

• Sarah Beaudin ’10 — “From Thoreau to Krakauer: An Examination of Changing Attitudes in American Environmental Writing”

• Garrett Blair ’11 — “A Comprehensive Climate Change Policy Proposal: Reducing Emissions from the United States’ Transportation Sector”

• Carolyn Bostick ’10 — “Fated by Their Nature and Free Will: Michael Corleone in The Godfather Films and Satan in Paradise Lost”

• Jordan Carroll ’10 — “If He’s Crazy What Does That Make You?” The Negative Perception of the Mentally Ill During the Twentieth Century and the Power of the Film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”

• Indira Dhandapani ’10 — “Positive Youth Development: An Analysis of MADD CT’s Youth Leadership Camp”

• Michael DiSiena ’10 — “Competing Originalisms: Contextualizing America’s Chief Executive”

• Brigitta Giulianelli ’10 — “The Best Years of Our Lives and the Re-Masculinization of Men”

• Margaret Glover ’10 — “From Nora Charles to Muriel Blandings: The Evolution of Hollywood’s ‘Perfect Wife’ in the 1930s-1940s and Its Misrepresentation of American Women”

• Kelli Huggins ’10 — “The Scientific Female Farmer: Using Science to Save the Family Farm in the Antebellum Northeast”

• Timothy Hurley ’10 — “What Is Authenticity on Facebook?”

• Danielle Hyatt ’10 — “Rethinking Addiction: Going Beyond the Diagnostic Boundaries”

• Ashlyn Krawczyk ’10 — “Variations in Perceptions of Plastic Surgery Patients by Age, Reason for Surgery and Physical Attractiveness”

• Kathleen Anneliese Logothetis ’10 — “Soldiers of the Softer Sex: Women on the Battlefields of the Revolutionary War and the Shifting Trend of Nineteenth Century Commemoration”

• Megan Lodes ’10 — “Millennials … Do You Trust Me? A Study of Brand Trust, Brand Loyalty and the Millennial Generation”

• Thomas Lopez ’10 — “Regulation of Cellular Signaling: Probing the Role of Receptor and Its Modulator”

• Stacey Mace ’10 — “An Analysis of Money Laundering Use: A Case Study of Transnational Criminal Organization Activities”

• Elizabeth Mastropolo ’10 — “The Evolution of the Cinderella Fairytale: The Truth Behind the Glass Slipper”

• Heather McDonald ’10 — “Perceptions of Psychological Abuse within Heterosexual Dating Relationships”

• Nathalie Peiris ’10 — “Is Love Always Blind? The Varying Rates of Marriage Between Japanese, Chinese and Indians with Caucasians”

• Bianca Pier ’10 — “Restoring the Moral Roundtable: Modifications for Just War Theory”

• Kevin Risolo ’10, “What Makes a Science ... Science?”

• Malorie Simons ’10 — “Green Chemistry of Polymer Synthesis: Esterification of Dicarboxylic Acids and Di-Alcohols”

• Francis Stanton ’10 — “Rediscovery: Lessons from Pre-Conservative Movement Republicans”

• Courtney Stefaniak ’10 — “Who Deserves the Right to Vote: Felon Disenfranchisement and the Eighth Amendment”

• Stacie Sueda ’10 — “Effects of Parenting Styles and Behaviors on Child Drug Abstinence”

• Rachel Tatarek ’10 — “Taste the Happy: How the Laugh Track’s Absence in Comedy Verité Programming Demands More from Audiences”

Honors Fellows’ Topics Range From Facebook to Plastic Surgery to Money LaunderingOf the 26 students who completed an honors thesis this year, 22 fulfilled all the requirements for the Honors Program as honors fellows. This is the fifth year students have earned this distinction at Siena College. “I’m very proud of the work these students produced this year, and I know they are better prepared for what their future brings having gone through this experience,” said Lois K. Daly, Ph.D., professor of religious studies and director of the Honors Program.

Student thesis topics included:

SIENA 11


From Front Lines to Front LawnBy Christine Maccarone ’10

Siena College’s History Club presented the second annual Day of Living History on the college’s front lawn on April 24. The interactive day showcased different time periods in American history. “This is a fun approach to history, but it is still academic and we maintain high standards for the material presented and discussed,” said Brittney Hunt ’10, history club president, who helped coordinate the event. Assisted by historical re-enactors and veteran Al Singleman Jr., the event kicked off with a parade and a welcome by Fr. Kevin Mullen ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D., college president and undergraduate history major. The day proceeded with firing demonstrations, spotlights on historical sites and re-enactments by local historians. “Reinforcing the importance of our history, especially during a time of war, is so meaningful to me. By being a part of this day, I am a part of history and that is something very special,” said Shireen Hassanali ’10.

Renowned Historian Visits Siena During the month of April, Siena also welcomed renowned author and historian John Ferling to campus. Ferling’s presentation, “George Washington and John Adams: A Look at Two Very Different Founders,” gave the 100-person audience a sense of what each man valued. Washington and Adams were about the same age. Both were very ambitious. However, they had little else in common, Ferling said. Washington was wealthy, but as Ferling explained, he worked to acquire that wealth. Money was not important to Adams, but recognition was. Ferling said that when the new nation was formed and Washington became the first president, Adams wanted to be vice president to position himself for the presidency. Ferling also noted that the physical appearance of Washington and Adams were as different as their priorities.

History Comes to Campus

SIENA 12


History Comes to Campus

SIENA 13

Students Critique Philosopher’s Work By Christine Maccarone ’10

Siena students presented their research on philosopher John D. Caputo’s work to the philosopher himself in an interactive forum on campus in April. The forum was part of the Siena Symposium on Living Philosophers, a year-long seminar program taught by Siena faculty and an external scholar in which students focus on the work of a major contemporary philosopher. “I read selections from over 20 books on, or by, Caputo during the last year, so it was an honor to present my work to him,” said Christopher Stein ’10. Caputo enjoyed meeting the Siena students, who critiqued his thought. “It was a great deal of fun for me to meet the students. I was very impressed by the graduate-level research being conducted at Siena College,” Caputo said. During the symposium, the students learned how to analyze studies, read a variety of excerpts from books and draw their own conclusions about the various texts. All individual research resulted in formal papers that were presented to Caputo. Caputo specializes in postmodern theory of religion. He has written many books geared toward scholars and the general public. Caputo is the Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion and Humanities at Syracuse University. Prior to his current position, he taught philosophy at Villanova University in Pennsylvania for 37 years.

Siena Hosts Golf Tournament for Sarazen Scholarship Fund This spring, Siena held a virtual golf tournament — the Media Masters — in the Sarazen Student Union to raise money for the Gene and Mary Sarazen Scholarship Fund. The event featured men’s basketball coach Mitch Buonaguro as well as sports reporters from local television stations. Andrew Catalon, WNYT News Channel 13 sports anchor, won the tournament and had $500 donated in his name to the scholarship fund. The Media Masters was the culmination of a day-long celebration of the 75th anniversary of Gene Sarazen’s “shot heard ’round the world” — a double eagle on the 15th hole of Augusta National in Georgia. The shot propelled Sarazen to win the 1935 Masters, which completed his Grand Slam. The golf legend and creator of the sand wedge received an honorary degree from Siena in 1978. In 2001, the student union was named in his honor. More than 100 students have graduated as recipients of the Sarazen Scholarship. Rounding out the eight-player field were Fox23 Sports Director Rich Becker, YNN sports reporter Marisa Jacques, CBS6 sports reporter Kelly O’Donnell, News 10 sports reporter Jamie Seh, WVCR 88.3 General Manager Darrin Scott Kibbey and Siena Student Events Board Chairperson Ryan Seber ’11.


Blue Ridge to Blue Sea

History professor Bruce Eelman, Ph.D., and English professor Dan Turner, Ph.D., taught “Blue Ridge to Blue Sea: History and Literature of the American South.” During the course, students traveled through North Carolina and South Carolina, where they visited historic sites and conversed with local authors. “The purpose was to expose students to the literary and historical diversity of the South and to try to identify major themes in the southern experience,” Eelman said. A grant from the Watson-Brown Foundation in Georgia financed the trip for the students.

Nordic Trek Students who signed up for the “Global Women” course met with government ministries and university research groups in Iceland, Sweden and Norway. The class helped 12 students and four faculty members to gain a better understanding of gender equality in Nordic countries. “Students were most surprised by the tradition of leaving babies outside on the patio or in the garden to sleep outside in all sorts of weather -- properly bundled, of course,” said Sr. Thea Bowman Center for Women Director Shannon O’Neill, Ph.D. “The Icelanders believe that it is good for the babies and their immune systems to sleep in the fresh air.”

They also learned that all three countries offer generous state-supported parental-leave policies, allowing both parents to care for newborns.

Jewish Cemetery Restoration

Siena students transformed a Jewish cemetery in Kurenets, Belarus, from an indistinguishable part of the landscape to a respected site of historic significance. School of Liberal Arts Dean Ralph Blasting, Leah Antil ’09 and Loudonville orthodontist Dr. Michael Lozman led eight Siena students on a journey to Eastern Europe where they learned about the devastation of World War II. The students worked alongside local students to install a fence around the cemetery, clear trees and remove brush from around tombstones. Senior citizens will use the felled trees for heating fuel this winter.

SIENA 14

English Blue

historic

literary

Women” met

Traveling the WorldTraveling the World


Jubilee Mass Five of the 10 living Holy Name Province friars of the ordination class of 1960 gathered in St. Mary of the Angels Chapel on May 1 for a festive eucharist. Fr. Julian Davies, O.F.M. (professor of philosophy), Fr. Capistran Hanlon, O.F.M. (professor emeritus of sociology), Fr. David Hyman, O.F.M., Fr. Hugh Hines, O.F.M. (president emeritus) and Fr. Benedict Taylor ’79 Hon., O.F.M., concelebrated the jubilee mass with Provincial Minister and Siena College Trustee Fr. John O’Connor, O.F.M.

The Man Behind Siena’s Hospitality For more than 40 years, Br. Romuald Chinetsky, O.F.M., has quietly served the Siena College community. The 80-year-old friar has dedicated his life to cultivating what many people on campus take for granted — Siena’s hospitable atmosphere. “He taught us how to welcome,” said Siena College President Fr. Kevin Mullen ’75, O.F.M., before he presented Br. Romuald with the College’s highest award, the St. Bernardine of Siena Medal. The award, like the College itself, is named after St. Bernardine of Siena, the 15th century Franciscan friar whose popular style of preaching drew vast

crowds and later earned him the title of “Patron Saint of Communications Workers.” While the normally reserved Br. Romuald does not possess St. Bernardine’s flair for the dramatic, Fr. Kevin said he exemplifies Bernardine’s commitment to serving neighbors in need. Over the years, Br. Romuald has developed a deep connection with members of Siena’s facilities staff. “They are all my brothers,” he said. Those brothers joined other members of the Siena community, including more than 20 Franciscan friars as well as family and friends, in St. Mary of the Angels Chapel to celebrate the Feast of St. Bernardine and to honor Br. Romuald.

Traveling the World

SIENA 15SIENA 15

Archeology Comes Alive in Italy

Modern languages and classics professor Linda Medwid, Ph.D. led a group of 24 students on a tour of Italy. The trip was the culmination of her course “Ancient Rome and Central Italy.” The class was introduced to Greco Roman art and archaeology. Medwid said the students were able to walk the streets of Pompeii, visit the 5th Century B.C. Greek temple known as the Temple of Poseidon and see other sites they studied throughout the semester.


Shear Madness for a Good Cause As Fr. Dennis Tamburello ’75 strummed his guitar and sang “Hair” from the musical of the same name, School of Liberal Arts Dean Ralph Blasting, Ph.D., lost his lovely brown locks. Members of the Siena College community paid more than $2,600 to see Blasting go bald during the Gaelic Society’s Shave Your Head for Cancer event on April 18. “I said I’d do it if I could get $500 in pledges, and the response was over-whelming,” Blasting said. Some may say it was shear madness, but Blasting and other members of the Siena College community were glad to have their heads shaved to raise money for children’s cancer research. “Every once in a while you have to remind yourself what is important, and hair is not important,” Blasting said. “Children and adults struggling with cancer don’t have a choice. Every once in a while we have to try and put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. This was for a great cause, and I’m really glad I did it.” Each head shaved garnered at least $50 dollars for children’s cancer research through the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Altogether, the event raised more than $5,800.

When Life Gives You LemonsBy Hildy Marinello ’11

On April 26, Siena College students came together to participate in a little girl’s cause. In 2000, Alex Scott was a 4-year-old cancer patient who started a lemonade stand to raise money to help scientists research a cure for all childhood cancer. Her dream evolved into the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. In August 2004, Alex lost her battle with cancer, but her legacy lives on through her foundation. Since her death, the foundation has raised more than $30 million. Student Senate President Stephen Archer ’11 brought Alex’s lemonade stand to Siena’s campus during his freshman year. “The Scotts are so passionate, and to see what a little girl could start is so inspiring. It made sense to get Siena’s community involved in the cause,” Archer said. Since the first Alex’s Lemonade Stand at Siena, the community has raised $6,000. Students typically set up three stands across campus. “Helping organize and run the event is just a small way we can help fulfill Alex’s dream,” said Therese Daly ’12. Archer hopes that the event will continue to grow on Siena’s campus. “I’d like this to become a staple of the Siena community,” he said. To learn more about Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation visit www.alexslemonade.org.

SIENA 16

To view video of this event visit www.siena.edu/news keyword search Mr. Clean.


Siena Goes Green During Earth Week Celebration Members of the Siena College community marked the 40th anniversary of Earth Day throughout the week of April 22 with various events on campus. The Environmental Club tie-dyed reusable bags, planted a tree and even put their use of personal electronics on hold. Laptops, MP3 players and smart phones were turned off for a day as the students experienced life without the gadgets they’ve grown up using. “It’s difficult to just drop everything, but I hope that the events and the club’s efforts to go ‘electronics free’ for 24 hours will increase people’s interest in creating a more sustainable campus,” said Environmental Club Vice President Danielle Seeley ’11. Students also welcomed outside groups, including TOMS Shoes and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, to campus. TOMS Shoes representatives spoke about providing footwear for the poor in third world countries and NYSERDA discussed ways to conserve energy and live a “greener” lifestyle. The Fourth Annual Campus Cleanup Day was also held during the week. Participants came from all areas of the college. They included Paul Stec ’79, vice president for finance and administration, and Fr. Ken Paulli ’82, chief of staff, as well as athletics staff, residence life staff, the women’s softball and soccer teams, the water polo team, the Environmental Club and members of the Student Senate.

On March 26, the Sarazen Student Union turned into a fashionable boutique, featuring more than 1,500 donated dresses. Through the leadership and organization of the Sr. Thea Bowman Center for Women, Siena has taken part in the Cinderella Project for the past several years. The nonprofit organization provides financially disadvantaged girls with prom dresses and accessories. One hundred volunteers helped run the event. High school-aged girls met with “fashion consultants,” who helped them sift through mint condition dresses to find the perfect one. After picking out their gowns, the “shoppers” tried them on in a temporary fitting room. If alterations were necessary, a seamstress was on site to accommodate. The Sr. Thea Bowman Women’s Center had been collecting dresses and accessories since January for this year’s event. “The coordination and organization that this event requires is enormous,” said Shannon O’Neill, Ph.D., director of the Women’s Center.

Students Volunteer for the Cinderella ProjectBy Ally Tooulias ’11

SIENA 17


School of Business Goes Mello Jeffrey A. Mello, Ph.D., has been named the new School of Business dean. “Dr. Mello’s record of scholarship and teaching, coupled with his strong administrative experience, makes him a great fit with the Siena community,” said Vice President for Academic Affairs Linda Richardson, Ph.D. Mello previously worked at Barry University’s Andreas School of Business in Miami Shores, Fla., where he was a professor of management. He also served as the associate dean and interim dean at the university. Before working at Barry, Mello served as department of management chair at Towson

University, Md., where he received the President’s Award for Outstanding Service and the Outstanding Scholar Award. Mello is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Mello replaced former longtime business dean James Nolan ’75, Ph.D., who stepped down at the end of the academic year. Nolan will be on sabbatical next year after which he plans to return to teaching.

FACULTY AND STAFF NEWS

Faculty Members and Administrators Honored for Their Service to the College Left to right: Award recipients at the annual year-end dinner included Leonard Cutler, Ph.D., professor of political science (Raymond C. Kennedy Excellence in Scholarship Award); Joseph Fitzgerald, assistant to the vice president of academic affairs/operations (James Knust Award for Excellence in Administration); Cheryl Buff ’82, Ph.D., associate professor of marketing and management (The Jerome Walton Excellence in Teaching Award); Edward LaRow ’59, Ph.D., professor of biology (Fr. Matthew T. Conlin, O.F.M. Distinguished Service Award). Fr. Kevin Mullen ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D. presented the awards.

Medina Earns Under-Forty Honor Alfredo Medina, Jr., assistant vice president for academic affairs/ government and foundation relations, has been ranked by The Business Review as one of the “40 Under Forty.” The list highlights 40 of the area’s most successful and talented leaders under the age of 40. “I’m glad that I’m still being recognized for being young,” the 38-year-old Medina joked, adding that he is humbled by the award, which he considers a celebration of Siena’s academic success. “This honor will help me build relationships with other honorees and the business community as a whole,” he added. Vice President for Academic Affairs Linda Richardson, Ph.D. said that, when Medina began his career as director of sponsored research, the College’s portfolio of grant activity was a mere $500,000. Thanks to Medina’s efforts, grants to the School of Science alone are worth more than $7.5 million. “He’s enabled us to really reach a higher level of research and student engagement in the School of Science,” said Allan Weatherwax, Ph.D., associate dean and professor of physics.

SIENA 18


Professor Paints Revealing Portrait of a Lady This spring Margaret Hannay, professor of English, published a book titled Mary Sidney, Lady Wroth (Ashgate). Hannay has extensively studied the life of Lady Mary Wroth, an English poet of the Renaissance who was among the first female British writers to achieve an enduring reputation. The biography reveals details about the last 30 years of Wroth’s life, including the

date of her death and new information about her two illegitimate children by her cousin William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke. The book also features family trees for the Sidneys (her father’s side of the family) and the Wroths; a map of Essex that shows where Wroth lived; a chart of family alliances as well as portraits and illustrations from her manuscripts.

Saints Invade Albany By Mackenzie Watroba ’11 Eighty members of the Siena College community laced up their sneakers and ran or walked three and a half miles through the streets of Albany during the 30th annual CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Albany. Siena’s team had the third highest number of participants in the Education Agency division. In addition, the College’s top four women runners (Kaitlyn Skelley, Alison Wade, Jolene Johnston ’04 and Elizabeth Conway) finished with a cumulative time of 1:45:55, garnering them second place in the female division.

SIENA 17


FACULTY NEWSFACULTY NEWSSAINTS CORNER

Senior Student-Athletes Make a Lasting Mark

SIENA 20

McCurty, a three-time MAAC Offensive Player of the Year, ranked second in the nation in kills per set (5.37) this past season. She rewrote the Siena volleyball record book and was an integral part of the program’s

dynasty in the MAAC. But McCurty, who graduated with a 3.36 GPA in accounting and will go for her master’s degree next year, struggled academically her freshman year. “It was a learning experience,” McCurty said. “I started out fast athletically as a freshman and matured over my four years and that showed academically. I feel like I’m a better all-around person.” After four years of dominating the MAAC volleyball league, McCurty decided to walk onto the women’s lacrosse team and helped them earn their first MAAC Tournament appearance since 2005 and the second in program history.

By Mark Adam

Siena College said goodbye to three outstanding student-athletes at

this year’s Commencement. They combined for seven NCAA Tournament

appearances across three different sports and made a lasting footprint on

Siena’s growing national reputation in athletics. Burgandy McCurty ’10 from

the volleyball team, Alex Franklin ’10 from the men’s basketball team and

Brent Herbst ’10 from the men’s lacrosse team made significant contributions

to Siena’s athletic programs. They will all leave their home of the past four

years and enter the real world that awaits them.


SIENA 21

On the basketball court, Franklin has been a superstar during the program’s most successful run and wrapped up his career as MAAC Player of the Year and Tournament MVP. He won three straight MAAC championships and, along with classmates Edwin Ubiles ’10 and Ronald Moore ’10, brought national recognition to Siena as a result of the success enjoyed in the Big Dance. Through all of the championships and the constant media attention, Franklin says he’ll miss the fans the most. “They gave us tons of support and that’s something a lot of programs don’t have,” he said. Franklin’s unique blend of power, speed and agility distinguished him from other post players around the league and created match-up problems for major conference teams. He left his mark on the record books at Siena finishing his career 5th in points (1,730), 3rd in rebounds (923) and 4th in field goal percentage (.567). He hopes to continue playing the sport he loves at the next level, either with the NBA or overseas.

Herbst, the lacrosse team’s starting goalie over the last four years, has been at the forefront of the biggest turnaround in

Siena athletics history. Before he arrived, the program’s last winning season was in 1983. He finished his career

with a 44-23 record and led the Saints to their first MAAC championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2009. “This experience has been unbelievable,” Herbst said. “I had the opportunity to help turn a program around and start a winning tradition.” Herbst is a two-time All-American Honorable Mention, a Scholar All-American and a 2010 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award finalist. He has

ranked in the top four in the country in both goals-against average and save percentage in the last three years. On June 6, Herbst became the first Siena lacrosse player ever drafted when he was

selected 22nd overall by the Long Island Lizards in the 2010 Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft.

A common theme all three Saints talk about is the Siena community. “This is a family,” McCurty said. “It feels like home, and I’m going to miss that because it’s not going to be like that everywhere you go.” “I had a great experience at Siena,” Franklin said. “It was more than I could have ever expected.” “It’s a close knit community,” Herbst said. “You have relationships with other teams and it’s very supportive. The support of the entire school has been great.”

Herbst, the lacrosseyears, has been at

Siena athleticslast winning

with a 44-23MAACappearance

“ThisHerbstprogram

HerbstMention,Lowe’s

rankedgoals-againstlast threefirst Siena

selectedthe 2010


By Jason Rich ’98

This year, Dan Paolini ’12 enjoyed one of the greatest seasons ever by a Siena student-athlete. The second baseman rocked the school’s single-season home-run record by blasting a MAAC-record 26 round-trippers in 53 games. He led the nation in home runs per game and became the first Siena student-athlete named to an All-America team in Division I, earning Second Team All-America recognition by Collegiate Baseball. Paolini was named MAAC Player of the Year with a league-best .816 slugging percentage, while setting school records with 62 runs scored and 64 RBI. However, it was the long ball that gained him national recognition. Paolini’s 26 bombs eclipsed the previous school mark by 11 (Steve Borg ’87 hit 15 in 1985), which landed him a spot in the inaugural TD AMERITRADE College Home Run Derby at Omaha’s Rosenblatt Stadium on July 7. The event aired nationally on CBS on July 11. The Stratford, Conn., native has joined the Chatham Anglers in the prestigious Cape Cod League this summer, an opportunity that should increase his ever-rising major league draft stock when he becomes eligible following his upcoming junior season.

Siena’s All-American

Woman of Excellence: Gina CastelliBy Mark Adam

Gina Castelli, head coach of the Siena women’s basketball team, was recognized as a “woman of excellence” at the 2010 Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Business Council awards ceremony on June 17.Castelli, honored for “excellence in the professions,” just finished her 20th season as head coach at Siena College. This past season, she became the third MAAC women’s coach to win 300 career games and has an overall record of 310-263. Her teams have won seven regular season MAAC championships and she guided the program to its first NCAA Tournament in 2001. Off the court, her teams have enjoyed success, too. The Siena women’s basketball team posted a 93 percent cohort graduation success rate, compared to the national average of 83 percent listed in the 2009 NCAA Graduation Success Rates Report. For the past seven years, Castelli has facilitated an active partnership between the Siena women’s basketball program and Capital Region Action Against Breast Cancer (CRAAB!). Castelli and her team raised a record $15,000 as a result of this year’s Pink Zone Game. In 2008, Castelli earned the 11th annual BMW Hero Award for her efforts in increasing the public’s awareness of breast cancer.

Dan Paolini ’12

SAINTS

2010 HOME RUN RECORD

SIENA 22


ALUMNI CONNECTION

Connecting Scholars and Donors Siena hosted 220 endowed scholarship recipients at the 19th Annual Scholarship Appreciation Dinner, which brings scholarship recipients and donors together. “The dinner is a wonderful opportunity for students to thank donors for their gift of endowed scholarships. Many students who attended are the first in their family to go to college, and they wouldn’t have been able to come to Siena without the scholarship awards,” said Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations Ruth Richards.

Siena’s All-American

SIENA 23

To view videos from the dinner visit www.siena.edu/scholarshipvideos.

New Scholarship Named for Siena Friar The Fr. Kenneth P. Paulli ’82, O.F.M., Ed.D., Scholarship, in honor of his grandparents, Alfred and Lena Albano and Paul and Josephine Paulli, was recently established by Fr. Ken’s friends, colleagues and family to commemorate his 25th anniversary as a friar and 20th anniversary as a priest. He is currently serving as Chief of Staff at Siena College. Fr. Ken chose to honor his grandparents because it was their commitment to education that inspired the same value in him, although neither of them went to school beyond the eighth grade. “In both families, our parents stressed education,” said Mary Lou Paulli, Fr. Ken’s mother. “They felt it was a gateway to a better life and to becoming a better person.” The Paullis understand the difficulty and expense of sending children to college, and that’s why they are thrilled about this opportunity to establish a scholarship. “We worked hard to give our children their educations. It was a difficult time,” said Paul Paulli. “The Fr. Kenneth P. Paulli ’82, O.F.M., Ed.D. Scholarship will help open doors to Siena’s Franciscan Catholic liberal arts education for generations of students to come. It will go to students who value a Catholic education,” said Fr. Ken. “These are the values that my grandparents taught us and that I hope my life is serving.” What would his grandparents think of this scholarship? “They’d be busting their buttons!” said Mary Lou Paulli. For more information on the scholarship or to contribute, visit www.siena.edu/frkpscholarship.


More than 800 people attended this year’s Hollywood-style Reunion Weekend. “It was a weekend full of fun and laughter, with alumni reconnecting with friends, professors and friars, sharing stories and seeing the growth of the College,” said Mary Beth Finnerty ‘85, director of alumni relations.


Distinguished Alumni Awards

Fr. Ben Kuhn Award for Service to the Siena Community - Ron ’85 and Cathy Casey Bjorklund ’85 and George Durney, ’85 Professor Joseph Buff Award for Career Achievement - Chris Baldwin ’85 Professor Egon Plager Award for Humanitarian Effort - Joseph Miller ’60

The class of 1985 had the largest attendance and raised the most amount of money ($111,886).

Alumni had the opportunity to be the first to see the inside of the learning and living spaces featured in the new residence hall on a “hard hat tour.”

A photo contest capturing Siena spirit was held in advance of Reunion Weekend. The winners included Maddalena Buffalino ’05, Mike Kieloch ’05, Mary Jayne Spellman ’85 and F. William Vozzolo ’00.

The class of 1985 of 1985 of had the

To see additional photos and video from alumni reunion weekend visit www.siena.edu/news and search reunion.

SIENA 24

Other Highlights



To see additional photos and video from alumni reunion weekend visit www.siena.edu/news and search reunion.


After graduating from Siena College, Bill Redmond ’53 earned his law degree from Albany Law School. After a two-year tour of duty with the United States Army, he embarked on a 37-year career with the state of New York. During that time, Bill and his wife Joan resided in the Capital Region and raised four children, three of whom graduated from Siena College. Redmond stayed active with Siena serving with the Alumni Association, as Chair of the Board of Associate Trustees and as a member of the Board of Trustees. The Redmonds are avid basketball fans and generous supporters of the Annual Fund as well as the creative arts at the College. They wanted to establish a legacy gift at Siena and be able to make the gift without diminishing what would be left to their children upon their deaths. They purchased a $50,000 charitable gift annuity that will pay them a fixed annual return for the rest of their lives. Additionally, they received a significant charitable income tax deduction in the year they purchased the gift annuity. The Redmonds then purchased a $100,000 life insurance policy and funded the premium using the annual pay-ment from the charitable gift annuity. Upon their deaths, the $100,000 is paid to their children, estate and income tax-free. As the Redmonds put it, “We never knew we would be able to make such a substantial gift during our lifetime to Siena College and increase the amount our children will receive upon our deaths. That’s a ‘win-win’ gift everyone should consider!”

If you are interested in learning more about gift strategies that allow you to support the College, please contact Jack Sise, Esq.’75, Director of Gift Planning, for a confidential discussion at 518-783-2315 or [email protected].

Creating a Legacy at Siena While Leaving More to Your Family

SIENA 26


Creating a Legacy at Siena While Leaving More to Your Family

SIENA 27

Mentoring the Next GenerationBy Ken Jubie ’04

Siena College’s Board of Associate Trustees (BOAT) is taking a hands-on approach to turning undergraduates into working professionals. Ten BOAT members are volunteering their time and talent to mentor 15 sophomores and juniors in the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP). The trustees connected with the students in January. Since then, the groups have been meeting for meals, spending hours at coffee shops, talking on the phone and trading e-mails. They discuss everything from internship opportunities and summer jobs to career goals and the challenges of campus life. “The relationship I have with my mentor (Jay Girvin ’78) has been a true blessing,” said aspiring attorney Melissa Infante ’11. “What I learned the most is that you must always have confidence.” “It has been life changing,” said BOAT Chair Shari Golub-Schillinger ’86, who mentors Calvin Lewis ’12 and Diana Duque ’11. “This is the most enriching experience I’ve had at Siena … I worry about these students. I care about who they are.” “It’s a great way to give back to Siena,” said associate trustee mentor Peter Mortka ’87. After signing up, Mortka wondered if he’d be able to relate to the student he was supposed to guide. “I was a little apprehensive,” Mortka said. As his relationship with Steven O’Bryon ’12 developed, though, Mortka started learning just as much as he was teaching. “Working with Steven has helped me mentor my own kid,” said Mortka, whose child is also in college. Their discussions also helped O’Bryon chart a new course of study. “I have recently decided to change my major from

Left: Associate Trustee Shari Golub-Schillinger ’86 with HEOP students Calvin Lewis ’12 and Diana Duque ’11.

Right: Associate Trustee Todd Drowlette’03 with his mentee Christopher Perry ’12.

accounting to finance, so Peter has been a great help,” O’Bryon said. “The mentors have been fantastic,” said Carol Sandoval, director of HEOP at Siena, adding that the mentoring program provides invaluable advice to students who are the first in their families to attend college. “The idea is to help students understand the professional world and how to achieve their career goals.” “It’s important to have someone in the business community to reach out to and connect with,” said associate trustee Todd Drowlette ’03. He’s been mentoring English major Christopher R. Perry ’12, a fellow Malone, N.Y., native. Perry, an aspiring teacher and poet, said participating in the program has been an excellent experience. “Todd has shown me that there are some things in life that shouldn’t be left to chance,” Perry said. “If you want something, fight for it,” he said. Drowlette expects his connection with Perry to remain strong long after his time in the mentoring program has ended. “Siena is all about building long-term relationships,” Drowlette said.


NEWSMAKER

James McGuire ’56was recently inducted into

the Sun Cities Softball Hall of Fame.

1951John [email protected] Jeseo [email protected]

1956 James McGuire, former Student Senate President and a recipient of “Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities,” was recently inducted into the Sun Cities Softball Hall of Fame. The league has been in operation 31 years and consists of two leagues, American and National, with 14 teams each. Jim is completing his 13th year this spring. He lives in Sun City West with his wife Marilyn.

1959Frank [email protected]

Well, it has been just over a year since our 50th class reunion. I have not heard from anyone since then. Has anyone retired? Some of you are still working, some are volunteering. Please let me know what you are doing so I can share your activities with the whole class. On June 10, 2010, I attended the Retired Alumni Luncheon on campus and joined fellow class-mates Mel Kelsey and Ed Smith. Fr. Kevin Mullen ’75 was the guest speaker, and provided an interest-ing update on campus activities and future plans. Send me your news!

1962 Ken [email protected]

Ken Deitcher, Class of ’62 notes coordinator, has been living in Delray Beach, Fla. for the last five years. Delray Beach is midway between West Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale. Ken is interested in starting an alumni club in this area. If anyone is interested in working with Ken and the Alumni Office on this exciting initiative, please contact the office at [email protected] or contact Ken at the above e-mail.

1965Jack Mulvey, [email protected]

1966 William H. Heidcamp, Ph.D., is retiring from his position as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, as of September 1, 2010. Bill served as dean for four years. Bill will celebrate his retirement and his 10th anniversary (July 15) with his wife Jean with a Mediterranean cruise from July 1 to 16. In the fall, they are planning a trip to the east coast and New York is on their list.

1967Rick [email protected] State StreetMalone, NY 12953518-483-3566

1968Bill [email protected]

I seem to be reporting sad news with every edition of the magazine. There’s not a person in our class who didn’t know Harry Groom and most of us watched him compete intensely on the basketball

Editors: Mary Beth Finnerty ’85, Director of Alumni Relations and Janice Goca, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations.

Please submit all of your class notes information to your class coordinator; or, if there is no coordinator listed for your class, please send all information to [email protected] for posting in the magazine.

For those of you who attended Reunion Weekend 2010, thank you for joining us, and we hope you had a great time. For those alumni who will be celebrating a milestone reunion in 2011, class years ending in 1 and 6, mark your

calendars for June 3–4, 2011 and watch for details.

class notesA L U M N I

Attention southern Florida alumni: If you are interested inhelping to form an alumni club in your area, please refer to the class of ’62 note in this issue for details.

Friends and family gathered to celebrate Father Peter Young ’53 birthday party in August 2009. Siena alumni who attended included from L to R Reddy Griffen ’56, Vince Ciota ’53, George Bruda ’50, Tony Schmitz ’55. Middle row from L to R Tom Potterburgh ’54, Bill Healey ’52, Father Peter Young ’53, Bill Hogan ’53 and Dick Terlingen ’53.

classclassclassclassclassclassclassclassclassclassclass

SIENA 28

28-34_c3sien_sum10.indd 28 7/22/10 1:56:55 PM

court where he was as competi-tive as anyone who ever wore thatSiena uniform. His wife Pat sent the news that Harry passed away June 13, 2010. All of us send our condolences to Pat and his daughters.

On a happier note, Joe Grant just can’t give up the chalk and eraser. Although retired, he still “subs” in the Reading, Mass. school district where one of his students was Brendan, great nephew of Bill Mahoney, his old wing buddy from 3N Ryan.

Class notes only works if you send your news to me at the e-mail address above. I need your help. All the best to you and yours!

1972Jack [email protected]

1973Brian [email protected]

D. Joseph Corr has been appointed North Colonie superin-tendent. Joseph has spent 29 of his 37 years in education in the dis-trict, rising from classroom teacher to social studies coordinator to his current post. He has received the Neiderberger Award for outstand-ing teaching and dedication to social studies education in the Capital Region and the New York State Council for the Social Studies Outstanding Supervisor Award.

1975Janet Gutowski [email protected]

There’s nothing like a reunion to recharge all your old feelings about Siena. We might have been celebrating 35 years, but the faces I saw were the same ones I left back in ’75. For one weekend, time trav-el seemed possible, and a do-over was probable. If you didn’t come, you should have been there. If you did, I’m going to try to mention you in this long list. If I leave you out, send me a note and I’ll add an appendix in the next issue.

I missed the Friday night celebration due to bad weather and canceled flights. However, my crack reporter Lynn Rondeau tells me that Fr. Kevin Mullen, President, was joined by Fred Carter, Bill Balduf, Joe Bond, Bob

Tolomer and Matt Brennan. Andy Shea partied with Ken Springer, Frank Gabriel, Mick Chaskey ’74, Dan Gallagher and Bill Ranagan. I also missed seeing Tony Tomaselli, Joe Paladino, Lori Lumpkin and Marcia Cappucilli. The group also included Fr. Tom Walters, Ed Civiok, Mike Dolan ’78, Jack Sise, Frank Green, Lori Gaun, John Cregg and Tony Kirby. My Facebook friends Jim Ringel, Kathy Mikula, Eleanor Carroll, Fr. Dennis Tamburello and Greg Bell were also there. Supporting us on Friday were our friends from other years, including Anita Rosanne ’77, Marianne Batemen ’77, Peggy Naughton ’76, Maureen Fairlie ’76, Bill Cain ’76, Mike Shaw ’76, Anita Brown ’76, Anne Gabriel ’74 and Dave Smith ’79. On Saturday, Lynn picked me up at the airport and we went right to the picnic on campus. We (and many others) had our pictures made into photo magnets, and mine is on the fridge as we speak. It makes me smile to look at it. Later, we started the evening with the alumni Mass at the chapel, where Fr. Dennis reminded us of the real foundation for our com-mon bond. Then we proceeded to the dinner, which we shared with the Class of ’80. Many of Friday’s visitors were there (and believe me, we clean up good), along with Ralph Pepe, Pam Weaver, Archie Evans, Din Cahill and his wife Carol Keenan Cahill ’74, Patty and Ralph Weeks, Tom Donovan, Dave Buicko, Dave Lewek, Jim Cox, Mike Skidmore, Mike Murphy, Craig Butler, Jim Nolan and Linda Benoit. My first roommates—Sue Gurran and Fran Fabiani—were there, along with Lynn’s first one, Patty Tyrrell. We missed two good friends, Barbara Geiger and Julianne Martorana, who were both under the weather. By the way, Jules can attend the next reunion with her daughter Katie, who graduated from Siena this year. I flew home to Kentucky on Sunday, wearing my Siena alum-ni pin proudly. Many of you told me what you’re up to, and I’d love to pass that info along in a future issue. So contact me and I’ll make it happen. I’m on Facebook and at [email protected]. Meanwhile, thanks again for the memories. The Alumni Office received the following note: Congratulations to Din Cahill who celebrated his 30th anniversary with Ayco in June. Ayco is one of the nation’s leading providers of comprehensive

financial counseling and education services for corporate executives and employees as well as high- net-worth individuals and families.Din joined Ayco in 1980 as a staff attorney. In 1986, he was promoted to vice president, FRS, and in 1989, to senior vice president, FRS. In 1988, Din was awarded the coveted Chairman’s Award, now known as the John Breyo Award (Siena class of 1968), in recognition of his outstanding professional qualities and for continued dedication to the goals of Ayco. In 2009, Din accept-ed the newly-created management position of senior vice president, strategic alliances.

1976 Congratulations to Sharon Casey/Duker. Sharon was recognized as the 2010 award recipient by Doane Stuart for her extraordinary service and dedica-tion to the mission of the school and to the care of the children and families they serve.

1977 Linda [email protected]

Mae D’Agostino, one of the most well-regarded attorneys and most successful courtroom practitioners in the Capital Region, was recommended by U.S. Sena-tor Chuck Schumer for a federal judgeship. If confirmed, Mae would be the first Albany woman judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. Mae is a senior partner in the Menands firm of D’Agostino, Krackeler & Maguire.

1979Sue Reilly/[email protected] Chili-Riga Town Line RoadChurchville, NY 14428585-889-2072

Usually once the latest issue of Siena News hits mailboxes, I start receiving news tidbits and scoops galore! Maybe the great spring weather (in the Northeast anyway) has everyone thinking summer, because my e-mail box has been empty right up until deadline. No excuses for next issue—I know you’ll be having lots of summer fun with family and friends, impromp-tu and scheduled meet-ups with Siena classmates and celebratory

milestones from anniversaries to graduations. So please, please, drop me a line as soon as you read this so we can keep the Class of ’79 column vibrant—it’s usually one of the longest ones, thanks to you. In the meantime, I do have one news item to pass along, concerning a well-known and much-beloved member of the Class of ’79. Some of you have already heard that Kevin McAleese was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor, quite unex-pectedly, in May. He immediately underwent surgery which removed much of the cancer, and will be con-tinuing treatment with a six-week course of chemotherapy and radia-tion this summer. As one classmate wrote me upon hearing the news, “Kevin is such a good person, try-ing to bring love and justice into all the corners of the world he encoun-ters.” So, gang, now it’s our turn to cheer Kevin on and let him know how we feel about him. I spoke to him just this morning—he’s upbeat, positive, planning get-togethers with friends and family this summer AND he very much looks forward to receiving messages of cheer, news updates, jokes, Siena reminiscing, etc. at [email protected]. So start hitting the keyboard, folks, and I’ll see you next issue.

NEWSMAKER

Mae D’Agostino ’77was recommended by U.S.

Senator Chuck Schumer for afederal judgeship

NEWSMAKER

Joseph D. Corr ’73has been appointed North

Colonie superintendent

SIENA 29

28-34_c3sien_sum10.indd 29 7/22/10 1:56:59 PM

1980Diane [email protected]

Diane DeSilva’s daughter, Alex-andra, will join the Siena communi-ty in the fall as a freshman. Diane is the happiest mom ever to continue the tradition of a Siena education.

1981 Congratulations to Tom Baldwin for his induction into the 2010 Adiron-dack Chapter of US Lacrosse.

1982 Bob [email protected]

1983Elvira [email protected] Wyatt RdGarden City, NY 11530

Hey all. Hope you are enjoy-ing your summer. I heard from a few people since the last issue. First a two-for—Tom Kinslow and Mary Mullen/Kinslow have been married 25 years. They have three sons. Tom graduated from William and Mary in 2009, Brian will be a senior at University of Virginia, and Brendan will be a sophomore at Villanova. They currently reside in Parsippany, N.J. Tom is vice president of sales at Gartner, Inc., and Mary is a nurse at Travelers Insurance. How is that empty nest, guys? We hope to see you both at the 50th birthday party. I also got a professional update from Kathy Heenan/McCarthy. Kathy was recently promoted to

vice president at Health Strate-gies & Solutions, Inc., a national health care strategy firm. Kathy leads engagements for hospitals and health systems and plays a key role in the firm’s business develop-ment activities. She is also the firm’s practice leader for the New York/New England region. Kathy has been married to Bill McCarthy for almost 25 years. Bill is a fourth grade elementary school teacher in the Albany area. Bill and Kathy have three children. Kelly is 19 and just finished her first year at SUNY Geneseo as biology major. Will is 17 and a junior in high school and is an avid skier and lacrosse player. Ted is 15 and a freshman and loves basketball. Thanks for the two-for, you guys. By the way, Bill says Zoom-Schwartz-Profigliano to all his Lakeshore friends. Shout-outs, care of Tom Kislow, go to Bill “Cheech” Grubb and John Busteed. Where are you guys and what are you up to?

1984Lisa San Fratello/[email protected] 305 The ParkwayIthaca, NY 14853

1985Catherine and Ron [email protected] Stevens LaneTabernacle, NJ 08088-9744

Our 25th (can you believe it??) reunion was held June 4-6 and the consensus was, it was the best one ever! Thanks to our own Mary Beth Sniffin/Finnerty for all her hard work organizing the entire weekend, not only for our class, but also for the College in her role as director of alumni relations. Brian Fenton and Rich Dunn traveled from London, England and Dublin, Ireland, respectively, to attend the reunion showing the ever present spirit of our class. The class of 1985, in true fashion had the largest attendance of any class and also raised the highest amount of contributions towards the class gift. We rock! This year the 2010 Siena Dis-tinguished Alumni Awards were almost a sweep for our class. The Fr. Ben Kuhn Award for Service to the Siena Community was awarded to George Durney, Ron Bjorklund and Cathy Casey/Bjorklund. The Professor Joseph Buff Award for Career Achievement was awarded to Chris Baldwin.

But we thought it appropri-ate (or not) to bestow our own “non-official” awards from the weekend ... The Didn’t Think They Still Had it in Them Award goes to the Marriott Lobby 3:00 a.m. crew, who said goodnight to the younger classes who retired as we popped the bubbly and continued reminiscing. The Wow, That Was a Close One Award goes to Jenny Fountain/MacAskill and Cathy Casey/ Bjorklund who, in true roommate form, showed up with the same dress (unplanned) for Saturday night. A last minute change avoided the disaster. The Best Plan for Prepara-tion Award goes to Anonymous (you are welcome) who stated “I have two days to lose 25 pounds; otherwise I will just wear my $50 underwear.” The Most Entertaining Award: Pat Britt told Priscilla that it was worth every penny his parents paid for him to go to Siena, if only for the entertainment value provided by Mike Cuozzo. Best Drive of the Day Award: Anne Peguillan/Durney and Sue Cronin played golf at the tournament with Doug Poetzch and Dave Carlisle. Doug sliced a drive and sent Dave diving for the ground with Anne and Sue ducking and covering their heads in the golf cart. Best Remote Inquiry Award goes to Brian Ranagan’s wife ask-ing (by phone—she wasn’t there) if Brian was the oldest looking member of our class. The Queen is in the Court Award goes to Priscilla Duffy/Armsby holding court on Friday night from her table outside the cafe. When told she needed to get up and mingle, she replied “NO—people would come to me”—and they did! In other news, the Alumni Of-fice received the following notes: Congratulations to Thomas F. Iuorno who has been named vice president and relationship manager, business banking, for the Capital Region at KeyBank. He is respon-sible for small business lending and developing and growing small business relationships. He is based at Key’s Northeast Region head-quarters. Congratulations also to Stephan Kudyba, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Manage-ment at the New Jersey Institute of Technology on the publication of his book Healthcare Informatics.

1987

Geraldine “Gerry” [email protected] Thayer StAbington, MA 02351508-335-7744

1988

Paula [email protected]

Lisa Marrello recently spoke with Dr. Leon Halpert’s interest group politics class. Lisa, a partner at the Albany-based law firm of Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker, shared her more than 15 years of experience in lobby law with Siena’s political science students. She spoke to the students about grass-roots ad-vocacy, state public affairs campaigns, and shared some of her more colorful experiences in state government. As a partner at Wilson Elser, Lisa services a wide range of clients (including healthcare providers, municipalities, energy corporations and national and international corporations). Lisa fo-cuses her practice on state government and regulatory affairs, city government relations and federal appropriations.

1989Mike [email protected] 10th StreetBethlehem, PA 18020610-737-1147

The Throwbacks (Paul Murray, Emmet Finnerty, Brian McGuiness and Rick Jones) made an encore performance at Reunion Weekend 2010. After a storied history at Siena, from band competitions at the old Rathskellar and in the Quad to Muddy’s, Spring Weekend and Senior Week farewell show in 1989, the band retired. After a 20 year hiatus, the band reunited for Reunion Weekend 2009. They were such a hit that they performed throughout the year and were back on stage again at Siena in June. Fr. Dennis Tamburello ’75 joined them for a rousing rendition of Wild Nights. Heather Connors Ford joined the band on vocals Friday night, the first time she performed with the band since 1989. Raisin’ Cane (PJ McCarthy, Chip Cleeve, Chris Repetto ’90 and Hamil-ton alum, Perry Young) also added to the Reunion festivities with their rock-ing performance during the picnic. This was Raisin’ Cane’s 287th show! The band has come a long way from their debut at the Wayward House. Reunion 2011, guys?

NEWSMAKER

Thomas F. Iuorno ’85was named vice president and relationship manager, Business Banking, for the

Capital Region at KeyBank

SIENA 30

28-34_c3sien_sum10.indd 30 7/22/10 1:57:01 PM

1990Janet Shotter/[email protected]

Maureen Dugan/Rotondi and Anthony Rotondi are proud to announce the birth of a baby boy, Michael John. He was born on June 2, 2009 and weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces. Colleen Warren and Dylan Moody are happy to an-nounce their marriage on May 16, 2009 in Oak Island, N.C. They currently reside in Raleigh, N.C. and were married on the beach in Oak Island, N.C. Brenda Sullivan/Vesey, Lynn Hennessey/Monroe, Debbie Estes/Barthe, Denise Hall and Maura Hickey as well as a 1960 alumnus, Colleen’s dad attended. The best alumni performance of Reunion Weekend 2010 goes to Chris Repetto of Raisin’ Cane. Many thanks to Chris and the band for helping to make our reunion so memorable!

1991Kevin [email protected]

Happy Summer, Class of 1991! I hope everyone is well and enjoy-ing the warm summer months. I’m looking for a little help this issue. My PC crashed recently and I have lost all the e-mails and contacts that you have sent in over the last few years. Would you all mind sending me a quick note so I can rebuild the list I had? Let’s start this issue with Bob Burke. Bob, I got your note but unfortunately lost it with the other e-mails. So, if you would be kind enough to resend it, I will get you in the next issue. BTW, I got a few notes about not publishing your nickname, but am eager to hear how you are doing. Save the date of June 2011. The reunion committee for our 20th is starting to form. If you are interested in helping out, please let me know or contact Michael Utzig at [email protected]. Keep the updates coming and for next issue let’s hear from Tim Holloway, Debbie Killeen, Val Higgins and Dan Saullo. All the best! The Alumni Office received the following note: Robert (Bob) Mack was appointed vice president, busi-ness development at Ingersoll Rand effective July 1, 2010. In this role, Bob will be responsible for leading the business development efforts for the enterprise, including the development and execution of their acquisition plans. He will also lead

the long range planning process and work collaboratively with sector and corporate leadership on growth plans.

1992 Mary Pat McLoughlin/Holler [email protected]

1993 Susan Hannon [email protected] W 252nd StreetRiverdale, NY 10471917-796-2085

Ahhh, the hot and lazy days of summer! Hope it is a good one for everyone. As an educator, I just LOVE having my summers off! For this edition, I would like to thank Gerri Hutchings/Bock for giving me all of the updates for this edition. Without her help this would have been just white space or just all about me. So here is what she reported (and I quote): Shannon Baker/Meyer lives in the Capital Region with her husband Steve and two children Sophie, 8, and Will, 5. She is currently home with them full time, but was previously employed with GE for seven years in various positions from bilingual customer service representative at GE Silicones to Oracle HR implementation leader for GE Power Systems. Kathleen Maher/Aguirre lives in Rhode Island with her husband Roberto and their children Norah, 6, and Sean, 2. She has been employed at the University of Rhode Island for over a decade, and recently took a new position in the honors program as the assistant director for national fellowships and academic opportunities. Trish Barrett/Woodham lives in Georgia with her husband, Tony, and their children Caitlin, 6, and Christian, 2. She is currently the CFO of NorthPoint Trading Partners in Alpharetta, Ga. Kellie Jones/Smirnoff has spent almost 17 years working for General Electric and currently Bank of America, spending most of her time in technology project management. Personally, she spends her free time training for endurance events and is featured with her twin sister Carrie Jones/Neveldine in a sports documentary ATHLETE that was released March 9, 2010. And lastly, Cheryl Casey/Verney lives in Connecticut with her husband Marc and their three children Alison, 7, Hayden, 5, and Gillian,

20 months. Finally, Gerri would love to challenge TH24 to contact me with an update—she’d love to know what they have been up to. Now how about some updates from the other 500 or so of you? Please don’t make me not have anything to write in the next issue!

1994Glenn [email protected] Kellogg StreetBrookfield, CT 06804

1995

Neil [email protected] Mathis & Gary, LLP100 Galleria Parkway, Suite 1600Atlanta, GA 30339770-818-1430

Jeremy M. Colvin, Esq. has been named a shareholder of Fowler White Burnett, P.A. Jeremy works in the firm’s West Palm Beach, Florida office. He represents financial institutions and individuals in general commercial litigation matters, business disputes, and securities litigation, arbitration and regulation. Jeremy also handles matters involving professional liability, foreclosures, condominium/homeowners’ association disputes, insurance defense related matters and other civil litigation.

1996 Brian [email protected]@betterbackschiropractic.com614-270-6003

This story was submitted to the Alumni Office by Barbara Kurak/Williams. In November of 2007, I joined the National Marrow Registry. I was called in December of 2007 as an initial match. In January of 2008, I was told that I was a match for a three-year-old boy with Wiscott-Aldrich Syndrome. On February 20, 2008, I donated my bone marrow. During all of those months, my own son, Rhys, was having some major medical issues of his own and almost died in January. I was given the option of not donating, but really, how could I say no. I would want someone to do that for my own son if need be. My mother traveled from Florida to help out

with my son while I donated. In March of 2009, I found out that my recipient’s name is Reece. How crazy that my son and my recipient would have the same name, just spelled differently. On the weekend of June 13, Reece and his family traveled from Iowa to Oneida, N.Y. to meet me. I am so honored that they would travel so far just to meet me. But I wanted to tell our story in Siena News to encourage more people to join the registry. In other news Michael Mc Grath and Jennifer Georgia/Mc Grath are proud to announce the birth of a baby girl, Claire Margaret. She was born on April 10, 2010 and weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces

1997 Selena [email protected][email protected]

Captain Michael S. Garrison, USMC, has been serving as an officer in the Marine Corps for the past 10 years and has recently been selected for promotion to the rank of Major. Since joining the Corps he has deployed to Iraq three times and has served during some of the most significant combat operations of that campaign. Mike’s unit is currently rotating elements into Afghanistan and has been operating there for the past year. He has been married for nearly 10 years to his wife, Alexandra. They have two children, Alexa, 7, and Aidan, 4. They live in Temecula, Calif.

1998Janine Trapp/Scotti, [email protected]

NEWSMAKER

Robert (Bob) Mack ’91was appointed vice president,

business development at Ingersoll Rand

SIENA 31

28-34_c3sien_sum10.indd 31 7/22/10 1:57:03 PM

1999Brendan [email protected]

2000Shaymus R. [email protected] Sherman Ave.Troy, NY 12180518-727-3392

2001 Maura [email protected]

Can you believe in 2011 we’ll be celebrating our 10 year reunion? I hope you’ll mark your calendars for June 3-4, to return to campus and reconnect. In 2001 news, Amanda Wright/Kenny and her husband, Matt, welcomed their third baby girl, Allison Kate, on May 13. Alli is happily keeping her two big sisters, Cameron and Madeline, on their toes. Allison Celauro/Laidlaw, and her husband, Chris, welcomed a baby girl, Callie Genevieve, on March 24. Rebekah Vreeland/Sensenig and her husband Jeff wel-comed their first son, Luke Robert, on April 11, 2010. Rebekah recently completed her infectious disease fel-lowship and is joining the infectious disease staff at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nev. MaryKate Joyce/Kraus married Kevin Kraus ’03 on April 26, 2008, in Bethpage, N.Y. The Kraus’ welcomed their first child, Emma Joyce Kraus, on September 9, 2009. Jen Gianico recently received her Ph.D. in cogni-tive psychology from UAlbany and is engaged to Matthew Relyea. Congrats, and best of luck with your upcoming wedding! Again, mark your calendars for Reunion June 3-4, 2011 and hope to hear from you soon.

2002 Christine Cinnamond [email protected] 646-942-0970

Congratulations to Jessica Marsh/Troiano and her husband Alex Troiano! Jessica, a surgical coordinator for Albany Eye Associates and Alex, a product service technician at Silhouette Optical, welcomed their first son on March 31, 2010. Welcome, Tristan Alexander Troiano!

2003Gina [email protected]

The Franciscan tradition at Siena has influenced all of us in our paths, and some have embraced it more than others by following a calling to become religious leaders. In June 2010, two members of the class of 2003 were ordained by the Catholic Church. On June 19, 2010, Brian Quinn was ordained by the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. On June 12, 2010, I had the privilege of attending the ordination of Matthew Wetsel. Matt has been pursuing this goal since freshman year at Siena and at this occasion several of his friends from our college years came together to celebrate. The ordination ceremony itself, held at the Albany cathedral, was an historic event with five candidates being ordained, the most in 28 years. Throughout the standing-room-only event, you could spot many familiar faces from Siena. This was followed by a dinner in Latham, where we all cheered “Let’s Go Saints” as our alumni picture was photographed. On Sunday, June 13, Matt delivered his first mass at Christ the King Church in Guilderland and did an excellent job. It was a weekend enjoyed by all and we are very proud of you! Matt also wanted to

announce that he graduated from St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore on May 13, 2010, with a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology and a master’s of divinity degree. He looks forward to priestly ministry and thanks everyone for their prayers and support. In addition to this wonderful news, here’s more: Mike Buhrman and his wife, Elizabeth, had their second child, Finley Elizabeth Buhrman on February 26, 2010. Congratulations!

2004Jolleen [email protected]

2005Breanne [email protected]

Greetings, Class of 2005! I hope you are all enjoying the summer so far. I would first like to thank all of the people who attended our five year reunion. We had a great turnout. It was wonderful to see many familiar faces and catch up, while reminiscing about old times. For those of you who couldn’t make it, we missed you! However, as time does fly, our next reunion will come upon us as quickly as our five year did. If you would like to check out some photos from the reunion, you can head to www.siena.edu and click on Alumni, then Alumni Relations, which brings you to photos from Reunion Weekend 2010. So many of you had great news to share about what’s going on in your lives and we would love to share it with everyone. Please don’t forget to take that next step and send me an e-mail so I can share your news with the rest of our class. I can’t believe five years have gone by so quickly, but I look forward to seeing what the next five bring for our class. Have a great summer!

2006Chris [email protected] Boland [email protected]

HELLLOOO fellow 06’ers! We hope that this edition of Siena News finds you in a decent state of mind as you navigate your way through the glorious days of sum-mer. We are very excited to bring you an action-packed update this

quarter, which once again, would not have been possible without the continued assistance of several fellow classmates. Grab a cold drink and pull up a chair, so we can “start spreading the news!” After two years of dating, Natalia Kutzer became engaged to her boyfriend John Burkart Jr., on June 15, 2010. Natalia is still work-ing at Union Graduate College as an alumni career outreach coordinator, while John works for his father’s interior commer-cial construction company, D&B Acoustical Corp. The couple cur-rently resides in Averill Park, N.Y., and is planning a September 2012 wedding. Congratulations, Natalia and John. We look forward to an update on your wedding plans soon! Natalia also sent in an update on some of the current happenings with some of the members of her old Ryan Hall “R4” gang. Nicole Connelly and her fiancé, Andrew Pickering, have just bought their first home in Clifton Park, N.Y., and are coming up quickly on their wedding date of December 31, 2010. Nikki Grau became engaged to her longtime boyfriend TJ while vacationing in Hawaii earlier this year. Katy McKeon/Green and her husband Brian welcomed their beautiful daughter, Isabelle Kathryn Green, into the world on January 9, 2010. Izzy is an absolute joy and the spitting image of her father! Kristen Kubera was recently promoted to senior account executive at Partners + Napier in Rochester, N.Y. Kristen resides in Rochester with her boyfriend Carmen and their new puppy, Koda. We would like to thank Natalia for her efforts and con-gratulate all of the “R4” members on their wonderful news. Katie Luker has completed her third year of teaching at Leonia High School in Northern New Jersey. Katie also concluded her first season as the school’s track coach, and her boys’ team reward-ed her with the League Champion-ship. Congrats, Coach Luker! Katie also informed us that Kim Witkowitch graduated from the Bank Street College of Education with a dual degree in museum education and classroom teaching in grades one through six. Katie also reported that Christina Gorman, who is now Dr. Christina Gorman, graduated

NEWSMAKER

Matthew Wetsel ’03was ordained on June 12, 2010

SIENA 32

28-34_c3x1_sien_sum10.indd 32 7/29/10 6:59:29 AM

this past June from SUNY Optom-etry. Christina was inducted into the Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometric Honor Society and received the Mr. and Mrs. Irving Unger Graduation Award for Excellence in Optometry and the Dr. William M. Eisenberg Memo-rial Award for Excellence in Ocular Disease. We send our best wishes to Kim and Christina and of course thank Katie for sending in the updates. Heather Chiofalo/Hansen is a licensed realtor and is employed by Prudential Manor Homes. Heather just received her e-PRO® designa-tion. The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) created a comprehensive technology certifica-tion course in 2000. The all new e-PRO® certification course, the only technology certification pro-gram offered by NAR, is designed to prepare real estate professionals to make the most of Internet tech-nology and to identify, evaluate and implement new Internet business models. The elite group of course graduates represents only four percent of all REALTORS® in the country. Ryan DiMaso and Lindsay Finch/DiMaso welcomed a baby girl, Chloe Rose DiMaso, into their family at 9:16 a.m. on April 11, 2010. Chloe weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces and was 19 inches long. She is a terrific baby and Ryan and Lindsay are having a great time being new parents, as Ryan recently celebrated his first father’s day. Ryan and Lindsay are already saving up to send Chloe to Siena to be a part of the class of 2031. Congratulations, DiMasos! Last but not least, one of our old marketing management and BLSU classmates, Edwin Ferreira, recently wrote in to inform us of his engagement to Yalitza Negron ’08. The couple has not yet set a wed-ding date but is living happily in Albany. Edwin earned his M.B.A. in 2009 and currently works for The College of Saint Rose as an advancement analyst, while Yalitza is currently the assistant director of the AmeriCorp VISTA Program at Siena. Congratulations, Edwin and Yalitza! We look forward to hearing from you again soon. This quarter has proven that the summer months are not necessarily a time for relaxation and laziness, as our classmates seem to be BUSY, BUSY, BUSY. Additionally, we are very excited that we have sparked some interest from several of you

over the last two issues in helping us fill this space through the receipt of large chunks of news from an entire group of friends. The inter-est in this column continues to grow and diversify as time goes on, which is something that we hope continues. Today is the perfect time to continue this trend! If you have recently contributed to our space, we ask that you either send us a new update, urge friends to share their news for the first time, or collect a pile of news from your friends and send it in yourself. Also, our five year reunion is now less than a year away. If you would like to help plan our gathering by becoming a member of the reunion committee, please e-mail your interest to Mike Utzig (Siena Annual Fund Office), at [email protected]. I (Chris) recently attended reunion weekend this past June and had a blast seeing some of our old ’05 friends, while being back on campus for some good old-fashioned green and gold fun. More information on our reunion will follow in our next edition of this column. Enjoy the rest of your summer and we will talk to you in the fall.

2007Sean [email protected] Box 11222Loudonville, NY 12211Michael [email protected]

Hey class of 2007! One big event that has occurred since the last issue of Siena News is Reunion 2010. The reunion offers a fun opportunity to get caught up with old friends and activities going on here at Siena. For the past three years, the WVCR Radio-Thon has coincided with the reunion event. Since I work at the station, I was afforded a unique vantage point to observe the event—it was fun to see the hallways filled with Siena grads dressed in their finest, talking with old friends and enjoy-ing the atmosphere. Some of the alumni took a special interest in the goings-on at the radio station and took advantage of the opportunity for a tour of the facilities. It was fun to have the opportunity to interact with alumni from many different class years this way; from those who waved from the window in our live studio to those who took the plunge and toured the inside of our studio. It was

wonderful to have the support. I’m sure many of you have stories you would like to share; please pass them along so we can share them with the rest of the class. A while back, Nicole Bourdeau shared the news that her good friend Meagan Webster had become engaged. Meagan and her fiancé, Josh, wed on June 26. Furthermore, Meagan recently contacted me with the exciting news that Nicole and her long-time boyfriend Shaun St. Hilaire became engaged. As Meagan described it, the proposal occurred on May 28 at the top of Mount Mansfield in Stowe, Vt. Nicole and Shaun were on a camping trip and when they arrived at the top of Mount Mansfield (the highest mountain in Vermont). Shaun got down on one knee and popped the question. Congratulations to both Meagan and Nicole (my former acting class pals) and their fiancés! While you’re out there enjoying and making the most of the summer, creating new memories, be sure to also find some time to pass along your news and share your memories with us. Talk to you soon!

2008Danielle GrassoPatrick [email protected]

We’d like to first send out con-gratulations to the Class of 2010— welcome to the alumni world! We got a lot of hits with news for this issue so we’re really glad. Starting off, Pat was transferred to New Jersey with his job. He is glad to be back at the shore. Amanda Crain wrote us that she just received her master’s degree in public health from Columbia University and is moving with her boyfriend Paul McQuade ’07 to Berkeley, Calif. She writes, “Paul has taken a job as regional sales manager for Heineken USA. I have taken a job as an electronic health records analyst at UCSF Medical Center. Hope all is well with the class of 08 :)” Best of luck to both of you and we hope you don’t miss the New York winters too much! We got word from Thomas Burns that his son, our fellow classmate, Daniel Burns, gradu-ated from basic school in May 2009 and can now be referred to as Marine Corps 1st Lt. Daniel F. Burns. Daniel was “ assigned as a 0203 ground intelligence officer and completed the following schools: infantry officers course, scout

sniper platoon commanders course, and most recently graduated from the ground intelligence officers course. Second Lt. Burns has been assigned to the 3rd Marine Division based in Okinawa, Japan.” Dan has been in Japan since March and is scheduled to be there for the next two years. We thank him for what he’s doing for our country and wish him much luck in Japan. Enjoy the sushi! In wedding news, on April 24, Nicole Williamson and her long-time boyfriend Christopher Birmingham got engaged. After-word, Nicole was surprised again by an engagement party thrown by Kristen Hans and Margaret Dailey at their home in Clifton Park. Close friends and fellow Siena alumni were in attendance and a good time was had by all. Congratulations to both on the engagement! We look forward to the wedding pictures. Everyone’s favorite Irish step dancer and my roommate, Ciara Greene, received her official Irish step dancing teaching certification. After a difficult week-long test in California, Ciara is officially a cer-tified Irish step dancing teacher by An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha in Dublin, Ireland. While this means she can no longer compete, she is looking forward to one day open-ing her own dance school. Another academic achieve-ment comes from Marissa Perillo. Marissa just graduated from the University of Rochester’s acceler-ated nursing program. She now has a BSN and passed her NCLEX, making her officially a registered nurse now. If anyone needs medical assistance or wants to learn how to Irish step dance, our class now has professionally licensed individuals ready to help out. Congrats to both of you! We’re all really proud of

NEWSMAKER

1st Lt. Daniel F. Burns ’08recently graduated from the ground intelligence

officers course

SIENA 33

28-34_c3sien_sum10.indd 33 7/22/10 1:57:07 PM

your accomplishments. Thanks to everyone for sharing all this great news with us for this issue. If you have something that you would like to add, please remember to e-mail [email protected]. We always save all the information we collect between issues so it will be included. Hope everyone enjoys the summer sun and we hope to see you soon. And as always, Let’s Go Saints!

2009Tiffany [email protected]

Hello Class of 2009! I hope you are all enjoying the nice sunshine and are having a great summer. It is great to hear such wonderful news from all over the country. Justine Soto moved to Georgia soon after graduation and is currently working for Ryder Corporate as an extended war-ranty coordinator heading their new national warranty department. She is building a department for coordinating certificates for sold units. “I’m helping to create a business case for expansion, so we can validate adding headcount to the department once we expand by region,” explained Justine. Jason Nurmi, after graduating last year with a bachelor’s degree in marketing & management, started working immediately for ADMI (Aspen Dental Management Inc). Most recently, he was promoted to the sales and operations manager position in the Kingston, N.Y. facility. This position places him as the senior member of manage-ment on site with responsibility over all daily operations and staff. The Kingston location is one of the newest and largest locations ADMI

has built nationwide to date. His Siena education served him well in taking on such challenges and has enabled quick promotions. “My next goal is regional management within the southern New York region,” said Jason. Christopher Auffredou joined the certified public accounting firm CMJ, LLP as associate in accounting, assurance and advisory services. Christopher will provide auditing and accounting services. Franchel Mendoza was part of the Higher Education Opportu-nity Program. At Siena College, he was involved in many initia-tives that helped him develop as a well-rounded student. He was part of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Mentoring Program, interned at the Boys & Girls Club of Albany, was a resident assistant and was honored to be recognized with the Edward “Bud” Lennon in Recog-nition of Exceptional Leadership Ability Award. “A Siena College education has well prepared me for the real world and to obtain my goals in the future. Thanks to my education, I am able to continue to pursue my goals and be the best that I can be in the future,” said Franchel. He will be attending Columbia University for his master’s degree in the fall of 2010. This Siena News issue has a few new graduates who should be congratulated. Amy McCarthy and Courtney Gomez both gradu-ated from Wheelock in Boston with a master’s degree in social work. Amy has recently begun working for The Home for Little Wanderers in Boston. Kathleen Pesci graduated with a master’s degree in social work from Syracuse University; Allyson Sweeney graduated from the University of Vermont with a master’s degree in social work and Delaney Longo graduated from Columbia with a master’s degree in social work. Congratulations all of you! I wish to end on a happy, exciting note. Clare Jednak is engaged to Robert DiNuzzo ’07. They will be married on October 10, 2010 in the Siena Chapel with Fr. Ken Paulli ’82 presiding. Clare is currently working on her master’s degree in higher education at Syracuse University and she is a resident director at LeMoyne College. Please continue to e-mail or Facebook message me with any and all types of news, big or small. It is always a pleasure to hear

from you!

2010Kelly [email protected]

Greetings, class of 2010! Even though we graduated a short time ago, I hope you are all settling in and finding success. I think it is safe to speak for all of you when I say that we are honored to join the ranks of a fantastic and extensive network of alumni. As a former editor-in-chief of The Promethean, I am glad to be able to stay involved with Siena as the new class of 2010 class notes coordinator. Before any class notes deadline, I will always contact members of the class of 2010 through Facebook, but if you want to keep the Siena community informed and updated on your accomplishments, please feel free to contact me any time at [email protected]. I look

Update us!Want to stay connected and well-informed about the goings-on at Siena? Make sure to update the Alumni Relations Office with your contact information. If you haven’t already, send your current address, phone number and e-mail to [email protected] today!

NEWSMAKER

Christopher Auffredou ’09joined the Certified Public

Accounting Firm CMJ, LLP

News and Notes Coordinators:Alumni, we need your help! We are in need of class notes coordina-tors for the classes of 1950, 1952-58, 61, 63, 64, 66, 70, 71, 74, 76, 81 and 86. Our coordinators play a vital role in helping keep us in touch with what’s happening with alumni. Our goal is to have every class represented in every issue of Siena News. The time commitment is minimal and the Alumni Relations Office will work with you as needed. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Janice Goca at [email protected].

Regional Alumni Clubs:Are you interested in getting more involved in alumni events and activities in your area? Please let us know! We are expanding club activities and welcome your ideas and input. Contact us at [email protected] to become more involved.

Saints Online Community:The Saints Online Community is live! Our online community is a great way to connect with friends, update your contact information, create a lifetime e-mail account and send class notes and photos. Registration information with your personal identification number to log in has been sent out. If you need assistance with registering or have questions please contact the Alumni Relations Office at 518-783-2430 or [email protected]. See you online!

forward to hearing from you! Congratulations to Lindsay Colford, who began her first job on June 1 at Wilen Media in Farmingdale, N.Y.! In the fall, Steve Malvaso will attend James Madison University for a master’s in college student person-nel administration. Congratulations, Steve! Congratulations to Natalie Cook, who will be pursuing her master’s degree in urban planning from the University at Buffalo. Leah Colbert landed a job with W.B. Mason in Albany as an ecommerce sales consultant. In the meantime, she continues her position as assistant planner for Inspired Occasions Event Planning in Clifton Park. She will be working a pro bono wedding in August. Congratulations, Leah! Luke Van Der Veer also landed his first job as a registered financial representa-tive at First Investors in Albany. Congratulations, Luke! Class of 2010, we had a pretty good turnout this time. Please keep the updates coming.

SIENA 34

28-34_c3sien_sum10.indd 34 7/22/10 1:57:09 PM

In Memory of:

Dean Brackley Sr. ’43

Catherine M. Grace ’45

Bernard M. Solomon ’47

Robert W. Barito ’49

Fred D. Gritmon, Jr. ’51

Leo J. McNamara ’51

Harry Lobby, Jr. ’52

Richard Cremisio ’53

Harold J. Furlan ’53

Peter D. Holohan ’54

Cyril I. Krebs ’54

Milton J. Myers ’54

Michael J. Fiorillo ’55

John J. Touhey ’55

David J. Barsalow ’56

Edward M. Petrak, Sr. ’59

Stanley J. Sufnarski ’59

Edward J. Connors, Jr. ’60

Harold Groom ’68

John M. Scarchilli ’77

Annette Nuness ’95

Amber A. Sloane ’98

Daniel J. Horgan, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Modern Languages

The Honorable James P. King, Siena College Jurist in Residence

John J. McKenna, Ph.D., Professor of Modern Languages

First Lieutenant Joseph J. Theinert. The 24-year old soldier died in Afghanistan while serving our country. Joseph was a member of the Army ROTC Mohawk Battalion here at Siena College and a 2008 UAlbany graduate.

The New York State Broadcasters Association (NYSBA) announced that Dan DiNicola ’63, an Emmy Award winner and long-time film critic and entertainment reporter with the Capital Region’s CBS-6, has been named to NYSBA’s 2010 Hall of Fame. DiNicola, who passed away in March at the age of 68

from a brain tumor, was inducted posthumously during the Tony Malara Awards Dinner at NYSBA’s 48th Executive Conference on Monday, June 28th. The dinner was held at the historic Sagamore Resort Hotel in Bolton Landing. Other inductees included Don Alhart, a longtime news anchor with WHAM-TV in Rochester; Scott Muni, an FM radio pioneer; Jim Roselle, a veteran radio broadcaster; and Percy Sutton, one of the nation’s most prominent black political and business leaders. “Dan was a unique talent because he was so well rounded,” said NYSBA President Joseph A. Reilly. “He was an excellent writer, a sea-soned journalist and was admired by viewers and colleagues alike. He is greatly missed and we are proud to honor his memory by inducting him into the 2010 Hall of Fame.”

When submitting wedding photos to the magazine please make sure they are 300 dpi. If you have any questions please contact [email protected].

Katie Murphy ’06 and Joe Gagnon ‘04 were married on October 10, 2009.

weddings

MaryKate (Joyce) ’01 and Kevin Kraus ’03 were married on April 26, 2008.

SIENA 35

28-34_c3x1_sien_sum10.indd 35 7/29/10 5:26:27 AM

We Did It!

515 Loudon Road Loudonville, NY 12211

Thank you, generous donors! You helped Siena meet the 2009 - 2010 annual fund goal of $1.85 million. Every dollar you contributed makes the Siena experience better for our students!

To view a special thank you video log on to www.siena.edu/annualfund.

10%

Cert no. SW-COC-002556

c4x1_sien_sum10.indd 1 7/29/10 6:40 AM

Siena News Summer 2010

Documents

Transcript of Siena News Summer 2010