Villanova
Magazine
SPRING 2013
Promises, Partnerships
and Possibilities
A transformational gift creates access to education
“Today, more than ever, each of us is called to embody
what Villanova stands for. When we do, we can have a
significant impact on the world around us and help to
secure the University’s future.”
—The Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD
From the president
Dear Friends,
Tradition is a potent legacy. It can trap us or transform us,
depending on how we treat it. If we so enshrine it that it
becomes static and fixed, closed to new ways of thinking,
it will cease to be relevant. Or worse, we will.
As custodians of Villanova’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition, we have a great responsibility. Our job
is to make sure this tradition lives, grows and flourishes so
that we may do the same. As the tradition challenges us,
so we challenge the tradition. As it opens our minds by
pointing us to new horizons, so we stretch its boundaries
by applying it to real situations.
That’s an exciting dynamic. Every day, our community
shows that it works. We create positive change because
our tradition fosters the freedom to think critically, act
compassionately and succeed while serving others.
The following pages offer some compelling examples.
Through a generous gift, Terry O’Toole ’80 VSB and his
wife, Polly, have created a platform for helping others to
realize their dreams. The O’Toole Family Presidential
Scholarship Program will equip high-achieving, underresourced high school students with the financial, academic, personal and career support they need to prepare
for and thrive at Villanova.
Other alumni profiled here inspire people to think, see
and act differently. From a computer scientist exploring technological frontiers to a strategist encouraging
people to own their citizenship, these Villanovans
engage the Augustinian tradition with their own gifts
and circumstances.
The same is true of our campus community. You’ll read
about the University’s centers of excellence, where
faculty and students collaborate across disciplines to
lead innovation and address global problems. You’ll
meet people who apply principles of Catholic social
teaching to promote justice and build the capacities of
those who are marginalized.
In a few weeks, we will send forth our newest graduates.
They have been grounded in Villanova’s tradition. Now
we invite them to strengthen it by how they contribute
to society.
Today, more than ever, each of us is called to embody
what Villanova stands for. When we do, we can have a
significant impact on the world around us and help to
secure the University’s future. As Augustine reminds us,
“Such as we are, such are our times.” That’s the transformative power of a tradition that is distinctive, relevant
and very much alive.
Sincerely,
The Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, ’75 LAS
President
CONTENTS
16
spring 2013
Promises, Partnerships and Possibilities
Terry ’80 VSB and Polly O’Toole have committed $10 million to fund the O’Toole Family Presidential
Scholarship Program, which will bring outstanding students to Villanova.
FEATURES
22
22
Continuum of Learning and Creativity
ICE Center and Silicon Valley alumni host students.
26
MIND over matter
Alumnus shares brain-computer interface technology.
26
28
One Spirit, One Team, One Community
Villanova student-athletes partner with Campus
Ministry to serve others.
28
30
departments
4 News
34 TRUE BLUE
42 the alumni association
12 profiles in leadership
36 rising star
14 WHAT LIES AHEAD
38 mission & ministry
48 class notes &
in memoriam
32 igniting change
40 Wildcats connect
Villanova
Magazine
volume 27, no. 2 | spring 2013
© 2013 Villanova University
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Villanova MAGAZINe
spring 2013
30
Designing the Future of Engineering
Villanova garners $500,000 grant to support its
commitment to women in engineering.
56 my villanova story
Vice President for University Communication Ann E. Diebold Editor-in-Chief Mercedes Ott
Writers Shawn Proctor, Suzanne Wentzel Design The Barnett Group
Photography Theo Anderson, Aurora Imaging Co., Ciprian Cojok, Paul Crane, David DeBalko,
Please send correspondence to:
Editor-in-Chief, Villanova Magazine, Constituent Publications
Griffin Hall, Villanova University
800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085
or call (610) 519-4591.
Mark Egeberg, David Evans, David Herrenbruck, Zach Honig, Barbara Johnston, Jim McWilliams,
Jerry Millevoi, NBC’s Today, Paola Nogueras, Jim Roese, Doug Ross, John Shetron, Stephanie Sinks,
Joe Sohm, John Todd, David Trood, Villanova University, John Welsh
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Nursing Celebrates 60 Years
Strategy for Campus
Internationalization
Interns Advance Digital Vatican
and Witness History
Villanova was one of nine institutions named to the American
Council on Education’s 2012-13
Internationalization Laboratory
Cohort. Susan Mackey-Kallis,
PhD, associate professor of
Communication and chair of
the International Leadership
Team, will head up Villanova’s
effort to develop strategies for
campus internationalization.
“Our goal is to develop a plan
for comprehensive internationalization that will help the
University strengthen its global
leadership and engagement
even further.” 
Air Products Makes
Gift to Engineering
Air Products and Chemicals
Inc. has been one of the College of Engineering’s most
dedicated and generous
industry partners. As another
example of its commitment,
the global supplier of atmospheric gases, process and
specialty gases, performance
materials, equipment and
services gave $74,000 to the
College in November, bringing
Air Products’ total donations
throughout the last six years
to approximately $400,000.
“Air Products is the foremost company in recognizing
the power of relationships in
supporting students,” says
Gary Gabriele, PhD, Drosdick
Endowed Dean of Engineering. Its gifts have supported
undergraduate research,
scholarships, lab renovations,
outreach programs and student professional chapters.
In addition, Air Products
has donated more than
$150,000 in gift-in-kind materials, equipment and services,
and alumni at Air Products
give many hours of service to
the College and University. 
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Spring 2013
As part of its 60th anniversary celebration, the College of Nursing hosted a
conference April 6 on global health. “Advancing Global Health: Educating the
Next Generation” focused on the College’s global reach and its initiatives to
promote health in various communities. The conference also explored the
ways in which the international students who study here enrich the College.
Panels of faculty, students and alumni discussed primary care and health promotion in Chulucanas, Peru; care delivery for the disenfranchised in Durban,
South Africa; environment-related health problems in North America; and the
experiences of students from around the world.
The College welcomed two keynote speakers: Louis Hugo Francescutti, MD,
PhD, MPH, FRCPC, FACPM, professor, University of Alberta, and past president
of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada; and Naeema AlGasseer, PhD, FAAN, assistant regional director for the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region and WHO representative in Egypt.
Their remarks highlighted the impact of health promotion and the positive
role nurses play in the health of the world. 
Matt Lauer of Today interviews College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences interns Danielle McMonagle ’14,
Sean Hudgins ’14 and Lauren Colegrove ’14.
Through an exclusive Vatican
internship program—part
of the Waterhouse Family
Institute—College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences students
are helping to change how
the Holy See communicates
through the Internet, multimedia technology and social
media. For example, Communication interns played a role
in the launch of a papal Twitter
account, and Computing Sciences interns have tackled
such projects as website infrastructure and mobile application development.
The program also gives
students an insider perspective on historic events. After
Pope Francis was elected,
interns were interviewed by
CNN’s Anderson Cooper and
on NBC’s Today. 
Festival Draws
Prominent Authors
Junot Díaz, Pulitzer Prize winner
and author of best-seller This Is
How You Lose Her, highlighted the
15th annual Villanova Literary Festival, hosted by the Department
of English in the College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences. Salvatore
Scibona; Diane Gilliam Fisher;
Claire Vaye Watkins; and Mary
O’Malley, the Charles A. Heimbold,
Jr. Chair in Irish Studies (see Page
6), rounded out the lineup of
noted writers who came to campus in the spring semester. 
Student Awarded
Vanguard Scholarship
Computing Sciences major Jillian
Kramer ’14 LAS received a $10,000
Vanguard Women in Information
Technology Scholarship. Kramer
was honored at a ceremony
Nov. 28. The merit-based scholarship recognizes female junior
or senior college students who
demonstrate academic excellence
in IT-related disciplines. 
PwC Interns Abroad
Trustees Assume
Leadership Roles
Villanova University’s Board of Trustees elected
Catherine Keating ’84 LAS, head of Investment
Management Americas at J.P. Morgan, as its chair,
and Paul Tufano ’83 VSB, ’86 JD, executive vice
president, general counsel and president of
Government Markets of Independence Blue
Cross, as vice chair.
“Catherine brings tremendous knowledge and
experience to the role of chair of the Board of
Trustees,” says the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA,
PhD, ’75 LAS, University president. “Her comprehensive knowledge of both the opportunities and
key issues facing the institution will be a great
asset in her new role.”
Additionally, four new members joined the Board:
the Rev. Peter Gori, OSA, JCD, ’75 LAS; Elizabeth
Mazzeo ’81 VSB; Robert McCarthy ’75 VSB; and
Patrick McMahon ’85 VSB (see Page 12). 
Theatre Wins Five
In the 2012 BroadwayWorld
Awards for the Philadelphia region,
Villanova’s Theatre Department,
housed in the College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences, garnered the
most votes in five categories:
Best Actor and Best Actress in a
Play (Ahren Potratz and Felicia
Leicht, Woman and Scarecrow);
Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress in a Musical (Jessica
O’Brien, pictured, and Jen Jaynes,
Carousel); Best Lighting Design
(Jerold Forsyth, Carousel). 
Business students will have enrichment experiences courtesy of
PricewaterhouseCoopers. Graduate Accountancy student Gregg
Bittner will shadow Amanda
Giordano ’04 VSB in Madrid. Matt
Alfano ’14 VSB will participate in
Project Belize, which promotes
financial literacy. 
Designer Shares
Industry Experience
The College of Engineering welcomed renowned entrepreneur
and designer Mike Nuttall Feb.
22. For more than three decades,
Nuttall has made a significant
impact in the world of design,
most notably by strengthening the
visual appeal of technology products. His talk on design, innovation
and entrepreneurialism was part of
the Patrick J. Cunningham Jr. and
Susan Ward ’80 Endowed Lecture
Series in Engineering. 
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Accounting Team Advances to Challenge Finals
Council Holds Inaugural Meeting
Berry Honored
New Heimbold Chair
Mary O’Malley, an award-winning poet
who has published seven volumes
of poetry, was named the Charles A.
Heimbold, Jr. Chair in Irish Studies in the
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for
spring 2013. Her works touch upon the
landscape and “erased lives and bodies
of women” in her native Galway. Created
in 2000, the Heimbold Chair is one of the
most prestigious Irish Studies positions in
the United States. 
Dean Maggitti Tweets
Patrick Maggitti, PhD, The Helen and
William O’Toole Dean of the Villanova
School of Business, is now on Twitter.
Followers of @VSB_Dean will receive
VSB news and developments, as well as
gain insights into his work. 
Law School Creates
Libertas Project
Villanova University School of Law
received a major grant from the John
Templeton Foundation to launch the
Libertas Project, an initiative exploring religious and economic freedoms
in the context of law and religion in
American public life. Conceived and
directed by Vice Dean Michael Moreland, JD, PhD, the Libertas Project
will bring leading scholars, judges
and policymakers to campus. 
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A team comprising Villanova School of Business (VSB) students
Douglas Jadis, Joseph Brady, Richard Ullrich, Nicholas LaTorre and
Christian Ludwig (pictured), all of the Class of 2015, was named
one of five national finalists in the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
Extreme Accounting (xACT) Competition. The high-level case
competition tests students’ critical thinking, decision making, collaboration, time management and presentation skills. Each team
develops and presents a solution to a real-world accounting issue.
The winning team from each participating campus is considered
to compete in the national finals in New York City, but, ultimately,
only five teams are chosen. As a finalist, the VSB team received
$10,000. “The team did an outstanding job at the xACT finals in
NYC. Many people told me how impressed they were with our
team,” says Kenneth Hiltebeitel, PhD, who, along with James Borden, PhD, associate professor, Accounting and Information
Systems, advised the team. 
Engineering Research Center Cited as Model
A 2012 report prepared for the
Industry-University Cooperative Research Center Program of
the National Science Foundation
(NSF) named the College of Engineering’s Center for Advanced
Communications (CAC) “an
excellent and rare example of how
to sustain and grow a research
operation in a smaller university.”
The report credits the CAC’s
transformation to the “productive,
forceful and, from a grantsmanship perspective, entrepreneurial”
Among the Center for Advanced
leadership of Moeness Amin, PhD,
Communications’ state-of-the-art
professor in the Department of
facilities is the Radar Imaging Lab,
directed by Research Associate
Electrical and Computer EngineerProfessor Fauzia Ahmad, PhD.
ing and, since 2002, CAC director.
The most significant change under
Dr. Amin has been the CAC’s transition from a traditional consortium model to a contract research
project approach. The change helped to significantly increase the
CAC’s annual revenue. The report also recognized that the CAC’s
state-of-the-art labs, faculty researchers, technical focus and academic integration contributed to its success. 
The Dean’s Advisory Council of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which
will work with the dean on the College’s strategic initiatives, held its inaugural
meeting in November. Front row: Scott Mackin ’79; Jean Ann Linney, PhD, dean,
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Kate Allison ’79; Dennis Shea ’75. Back row:
David Stetler ’71; Christopher Albanese ’90; JoAnn Magnatta ’81 MA; Richard
Kolman ’73; Mark Servodidio ’87, ’89 MS; Paul Scura ’73. Not pictured: Ron Cruse
’77; Michael Linn ’74; Anne Stanley ’72.
Experts Debate International Sales Law
Villanova University School of Law brought together global authorities at the 2013 Villanova Law Review Norman J. Shachoy Symposium,
“Assessing the CISG and Other International Endeavors to Unify International Contract Law,” Jan. 18. Legal experts from Australia, Austria,
China, England, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, South Africa,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United States debated
whether the United Nations should undertake a study to consider
drafting a new convention on international sales law.
In addition, officials from the US Department of State, the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) and the
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)
participated, offering a broad spectrum of viewpoints on proposed
changes to the Convention on the International Sale of Goods. 
Brian Boyle ’13, editor-in-chief, Villanova Law Review; Luca Castellani, director
of the UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific; Anna Veneziano,
deputy secretary general, UNIDROIT; John Gotanda, JD, dean and professor,
Villanova University School of Law; Norman J. Shachoy ’61; Keith Loken,
assistant legal adviser for Private International Law, US Department of State.
The Villanova community joined
the Center for Peace and Justice
Education in honoring Wendell
Berry (right), recipient of the 2012
Adela Dwyer-St. Thomas of Villanova
Peace Award Nov. 13. An author, poet,
cultural critic, conservationist and
farmer often referred to as a “21stcentury Henry David Thoreau,”
Berry teaches people about their
responsibilities for the land and for
one another. 
Bogle, Smerconish
Talk Shop at Villanova
John Bogle, founder of the Vanguard Group
Inc. (left), was the guest on Book Club With
Michael Smerconish, hosted by the Villanova
School of Business Dec. 12. Bogle discussed
his book The Clash of the Cultures: Investment
vs. Speculation with Smerconish, a nationally
syndicated radio host, newspaper columnist,
best-selling author and MSNBC contributor.
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Law Students Get
Private-Sector
Externships
Leadership Series Spotlights
Newark Mayor
Kania and Mimic Earn
Scholar-Athlete Accolades
Seniors Michael Kania, co-captain of
the golf team, and Bogdana Mimic,
women’s cross-country and track and
field star, have been named, respectively, Villanova’s 2012-13 American
Eagle Outfitters Male and Female
Institutional Scholar-Athlete of the
Year. Each award includes a $2,000
grant toward graduate studies.
Kania has averaged a 72.46
through 13 rounds for the 2012-13
season, maintains a 3.53 cumulative
GPA as a Communication major and
serves as president of Villanova’s
Student Athlete Advisory Committee. Mimic, a Chemical Engineering
major, is a six-time All-American,
four-time BIG EAST champion and
10-time All-BIG EAST performer; and
has been named twice to the BIG
EAST All-Academic Team. 
Students gain vital experience in real-practice settings
through the Villanova University School of Law’s renowned
clinics, government and nonprofit externships, and awardwinning Lawyering Together
program. The law school
ushered in the next chapter
in experiential learning this
semester with the first forprofit externship placements
in law firms and corporations.
Students now have expanded
opportunities to prepare for
diverse careers. 
Mayor Cory Booker engages with students after his keynote.
Falvey Recognized as
Top-Shelf Library
Falvey Memorial Library
received a 2013 Excellence
in Academic Libraries Award
from the Association of College and Research Libraries
(ACRL). Falvey was selected
for its continuous innovation
in serving the University’s
mission through an organizational structure built around
teams and work groups, and
collaborative philosophy.
“The ACRL Excellence
Award represents for us the
highest level of peer endorsement of our efforts to create
an innovative ‘commonscentered’ model for academic
library service and success in
the digital era,” says Joseph
Lucia, library director. 
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Doherty Picked in MLL Draft
The Hamilton Nationals
selected attackman Nicholas
Doherty ’13 LAS, the 58th
overall pick, in the 2013 Major
League Lacrosse Collegiate
Draft. After switching to
a defensive midfielder in
his junior season, Doherty
returned to attack for his final
year. At least one Wildcat has
been drafted into the MLL for
three consecutive years. 
Villanova welcomed Cory Booker, mayor of Newark, N.J., as its featured
speaker for the third annual Spotlight on Leadership event, held Feb.
18. Mayor Booker, who has been recognized in publications such as
Time and Esquire, focused his remarks on “How to Change the World
With Your Bare Hands.” 
Natalie Flinn ’14 Receives EPA Fellowship
Natalie Flinn ’14, of Miami, an Environmental
Studies major in the College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences, was awarded the Greater Research
Opportunities Fellowship in Environmental
Sciences by the US Environmental Protection
Agency. She will examine the impact of snowmelting salts on the environment and plant life.
“Natalie’s study will help us to better understand how tree species will be affected when
the applied salt eventually enters nearby natural
ecosystems,” says Lisa Rodrigues, PhD, assistant
professor in the Department of Geography and
the Environment.
A member of the President’s Environmental
Sustainability Committee at Villanova, Natalie
plans to pursue a law degree with a focus on
environmental justice. 
Team Honored and
Juhline Jersey Retired
Villanova Athletics honored the 2002-2003
women’s basketball team Jan. 26 to mark the
10th anniversary of the squad’s winning the BIG
EAST Championship and becoming the first
Philadelphia-area women’s program to advance
to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
Villanova also retired the jersey of Patricia
Juhline ’03 LAS, ’08 CON. The former Wildcat
ranks third all-time at Villanova in scoring, with
1,659 points; 11th in assists, with 385; and first
in three-point field goals made in a career,
with 275. 
host of championships
Villanova will host the BIG EAST Men’s Lacrosse
Championship May 2 and 4, and for the first time in
the event’s history, the NCAA Division I Women’s
Lacrosse Championship, May 24 and 26. In December,
the University will host the Men’s Soccer College Cup
at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. 
2012 Class Inducted Into
Varsity Club Hall of Fame
At the 37th annual Hall of Fame Awards Dinner Feb. 8, nine members
were inducted into Villanova’s Varsity Club Hall of Fame, and the Jake
Nevin Award was presented. From left: Michelle Tuppeny, daughter
of inductee the late James Tuppeny ’55 MA, men’s track and field
assistant coach; Jake Nevin Award recipient Larry Shane, former
baseball coach and Athletics administrator; Denise Dillon ’96 LAS,
women’s basketball; David Herr ’95 VSB, baseball; the Rev. Peter M.
Donohue, OSA, PhD, ’75 LAS, University president; Jason Lawson ’97
LAS, men’s basketball; Kenneth DelGatto ’84 LAS, men’s lacrosse;
Tyrone Frazier ’96 LAS, football; Amy Meisinger ’93 LAS, softball.
Not pictured: Thomas Tracey IV ’97 LAS, men’s swimming and diving;
Jennifer Rhines ’96 COE, women’s track and field.
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Civil War Diaries Revived
“To day has bin
a memorable
day and i thank
god i have been
sperd to see it.”
So begins the
Jan. 1, 1863, entry
of the Civil War diaries of Emilie Davis, a
21-year-old free black Philadelphian upon
hearing the news of President Abraham
Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
Beginning with this entry, Davis chronicled the nation’s progress, and her own,
through the remaining years of the war.
Villanova researchers rescued the
diaries from obscurity and launched the
first transcribed, annotated Emilie Davis
Diaries website, davisdiaries.villanova.
edu. Judith Giesberg, PhD, associate
professor, History, directed the research
effort, which involved collaboration
among the College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences’ History and Communication
departments, the Pennsylvania State University and the Historical Society
of Pennsylvania. 
Nursing Medallions Awarded
VSB Hosts Post-Election Event
The 60th Anniversary College of Nursing
Mass and Alumni Awards Ceremony was
held April 6 in St. Thomas of Villanova
Church. The Most Rev. Daniel Turley, OSA,
bishop of Chulucanas, Peru, gave the homily.
Connelly Endowed Dean and Professor M.
Louise Fitzpatrick, EdD, RN, FAAN, awarded
the College of Nursing 60th Anniversary
Medallion to the Connelly Foundation in recognition of its support through the Connelly
Foundation Endowment. The endowment
has made possible the Connelly-Delouvrier International Scholars
Program, faculty programs, student development and enhanced
resources for the simulation lab. Emily C. Riley, executive vice
president, accepted the medallion on the Foundation’s behalf.
Helene Moriarty Cincotta, PhD, RN, ’77 CON, of the Philadelphia
VA Medical Center, received the 60th Anniversary Medallion for
her distinguished contributions to nursing research. Additionally,
two alumnae faculty were honored for 25 years of service: assistant professors Karen McKenna, MSN, RN, ’70 CON, an expert in
diabetes, and community and home health; and Joyce Willens,
PhD, RN-BC, ’83 CON, a nationally recognized resource on pain
and its management, and editor of Pain Management Nursing. 
The Villanova School of
Business’ Center for Marketing and Public Policy
Research hosted a December symposium in Washington, D.C., on the public
policy and political impacts
of the presidential election. The event convened
industry executives, political operatives and senior
Patrick Maggitti, PhD, The Helen and William
congressional staff.
O’Toole Dean of the Villanova School of
Rep. Greg Walden, a
Business; Rep. Greg Walden; Mark Valente
senior member of the
III ’78 VSB, vice chairman of the Executive
Committee on Energy and
Board of the Center for Marketing and
Commerce and chairman
Public Policy Research’s Advisory Council.
of the Subcommittee on
Communications and Technology, delivered the keynote address.
Two panels—one focused on telecommunications, tax, commerce
and the “fiscal cliff,” and the other on what lies on the political
horizon—followed.
“Hopefully, our symposium will mark an annual tradition where
Democrats and Republicans alike can share ideas and identify pathways forward,” notes John Kozup, PhD, associate professor, Marketing
and Business Law, and the Center’s director. 
Seniors’ 50/50 Challenge
Church’s Beauty Acclaimed
John ’63 VSB and Anne Gartland have joined forces with the Class
of 2013 to motivate seniors to exceed a 50 percent participation rate in supporting the Senior Class Gift. John Gartland is the
co-chair of the 50-Year Reunion Class Committee and, along with
Anne, has established this challenge for the graduating senior class.
If more than 50 percent of seniors give back to an area of their
choice in honor of their time at Villanova before May 31, then the
Gartlands will allow the Senior Class Gift Committee to designate
half of their total $10,000 gift. The Gartlands will donate the remaining $5,000 to the Villanova Annual Fund. Students can learn more
and make their gifts at www.villanova.edu/seniorclassgift. 
Robert Caverly, PhD, Named IEEE Fellow
Robert Caverly, PhD, mentors
students in the Microwave
Electromagnetics Laboratory.
Robert Caverly, PhD, professor of
Electrical and Computer Engineering
and director of the Microwave Electromagnetics Laboratory, has been
named an Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow.
This prestigious honor recognizes Dr.
Caverly’s contributions to the modeling and design of radio frequency
switching devices. The IEEE grade
of “Fellow” is conferred on individuals with an outstanding record of
accomplishments in any of the IEEE
fields of interest. 
NOVA Dinners Forge Bonds
The online publication Best College Reviews
included St. Thomas of Villanova Church among
its picks of the world’s 30 most beautiful
college cathedrals.
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Spring 2013
Senior Class Gift Committee members Christopher Marroletti ’13 LAS, student
body president, Student Government Association; Stephen Rozman ’13 LAS,
president, Senior Class Council; and Lael Hoegen ’13 LAS, student body vice
president, Student Government Association, help to promote the 50/50
Challenge created by John ’63 VSB and Anne Gartland.
More than seven dozen students were guests of honor at dinner parties hosted by Philadelphia-area alumni in their homes or at local
venues Feb. 6-7 as part of the second annual Network of Villanova
Alumni (NOVA) Dinners. Members of the Student Alumni Association, an organization that fosters relations between students and
alumni, and promotes school spirit and traditions, attended the
dinners as liaisons between hosts and guests. Plans are underway
to expand the NOVA Dinners program to cities around the country
next year. (See Page 46 for more details.) 
Advocacy Work Lauded
Flanked by representatives from award
sponsor State Farm, Patrick Dillon ’14 LAS,
Melissa Grenier ’13 LAS, Kathleen Campbell
’13 VSB and Timothy O’Connell, associate
director, Campus Ministry, accepted on
behalf of Villanova University Habitat for
Humanity Campus Chapter the 2012 Build
Louder Award at Habitat’s Youth Leadership
Conference Nov. 3. The award recognized
the chapter’s “outstanding advocacy work”
to further Habitat’s mission of addressing
substandard housing and homelessness.
Raising the Bars
Villanova University School of Law
celebrates three alumni who have
assumed prestigious leadership roles
in bar associations:
•Rachel Branson, JD, ’06, an
associate at Schnader Harrison Segal
& Lewis LLP’s Philadelphia office, is
president of the Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia. As a law student,
she received the Arthur W. Goldberg
Scholarship and the Villanova Faculty
Service Award.
•Kathleen Wilkinson, JD, ’81, one
of the most senior female partners at
Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman &
Dicker LLP, is chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association. She was a
semifinalist in Villanova’s Reimel Moot
Court Competition and president of
the J. Willard O’Brien Inn of Court.
•Thomas Wilkinson Jr., JD, ’81, a
member of Cozen O’Connor in the
firm’s Philadelphia office, is president
of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
He was the managing editor of the
Villanova Law Review and has continued his relationship with the school
as an adjunct faculty member. 
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Profiles
in
leadership
Four distinguished new members bring
diverse knowledge, skills and experience to
Villanova University’s Board of Trustees.
By Suzanne Wentzel
The Rev. Peter G. Gori, OSA,
JCD, ’75 LAS
Elizabeth T. Mazzeo ’81 VSB
Robert J. McCarthy ’75 VSB
Patrick M. McMahon ’85 VSB
Trustee
Trustee
Trustee
Beth Mazzeo’s world revolves around
large, growing, close-knit families. She,
her husband, Lawrence ’83 VSB, and
children Alexandra ’13 VSB, Lawrence
’16 VSB and Christina gather regularly with siblings, nieces, nephews and
Mazzeo’s parents, who still live in her
childhood home in Cherry Hill, N.J.
They share meals, laughter, stories—
even vacations. “Everything we do
centers on spending time together and
helping one another.”
The chief operating officer for Bloomberg LP, Mazzeo also is an invaluable
member of her professional family. Hired
in 1986, when the nascent company had
fewer than 50 employees, Mazzeo helped
to grow Bloomberg into a leading global
provider of business and financial data,
news and analytics, with more than
15,000 employees. She was instrumental in developing Bloomberg Tradebook
and other trading applications. Today,
Mazzeo is responsible for ensuring that
Bloomberg retains its culture as it grows,
while operating as effectively as possible.
The company environment encourages innovation and bold ideas, attributes Mazzeo cultivated while living
with her third family, Villanova.
“I learned the values of hard work,
creative thinking, collaboration and
strong community. At Villanova, it’s
never about ‘me.’ It’s about ‘us.’”
Mazzeo’s sense of kinship inspires her
efforts to strengthen Bloomberg’s partnership with the University and to help
Villanova to achieve its strategic goals.
She is completing her second term on
the Dean’s Advisory Council in the
Villanova School of Business. Her new
appointment to the University’s Board
of Trustees enables her to work with
another branch of the family and the
Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD,
’75 LAS, University president. “The
vision of Father Peter and the University leadership is exceptional. Villanova
is a phenomenal place. I couldn’t be
more proud of it.”
As a college student waiting tables at
a Marriott restaurant, Bob McCarthy
was happy to be earning extra cash. He
never dreamed that in 2012 he would
become the company’s chief operations
officer. In his 37-year rise through the
ranks of Marriott International Inc.,
McCarthy remembered the lessons
that early job had taught him. He also
capitalized on what he had learned
on campus and in the classroom: the
intangibles that make for transformative leadership.
“Villanova helped me to develop
relationship skills,” says the Troy, N.Y.,
native. “Having the ability to understand the complexities and interdependencies of human interaction made me
a better leader. I could motivate people
and lead them to perform in ways they
didn’t know they were capable of.”
McCarthy refined these skills in his
management and executive roles with
Marriott, where the rapid pace of growth
expanded his opportunities for tackling new challenges. Today, McCarthy
oversees global operations spanning
3,800 hotels among 19 brands across
74 countries and employing 300,000
Marriott associates.
McCarthy uses his leadership ability
to enhance the institution that instilled
it in him. He has served on the Dean’s
Advisory Council in the Villanova
School of Business and was a panelist at the 2012 Leadership Summit.
In addition, he and his wife, Audrey,
have hosted New Student Receptions
and alumni events in their home in
McLean, Va.
In his new role as a member of
Villanova University’s Board of Trustees, McCarthy, whose youngest child,
Kevin ’12, is a VSB graduate, is excited
about contributing to Villanova’s success
as a preeminent Catholic university and
making an impact.
“It’s about giving back to the school
that has a place in my heart and was an
integral part of my development.”
Juggling the demands of being CEO
and co-chief investment officer for a
company that manages $7 billion in
capital; a board member for two philanthropies and a university; and a
devoted husband and father of two
young children is a tough act. But
Pat McMahon does it—and he does
it well. His secret: He learned to
balance at Villanova.
“Not only does Villanova give students a strong academic background,
but it also teaches them how to treat
other people and how to live with
integrity,” McMahon says. “They
learn to balance all three. When they
graduate, they are prepared to do
whatever they want.”
McMahon used this platform for success to springboard into an impressive
Wall Street career. After nine years at
Salomon Brothers, he co-founded MKP
Capital Management LLC, a diversified
alternative investment manager with
New York and London offices. MKP
was rated #21 in Bloomberg Markets
magazine’s top-performing hedge funds
for 2011.
Always ready to support causes that
serve people in need, McMahon is
treasurer for the Each One Counts
Foundation, established by freshman
roommate Brian Harrington ’85 LAS.
He also sits on the board for the Els for
Autism Foundation.
McMahon has been no less generous in sharing his time and resources
with Villanova. He contributed to the
Endowed Fund for Villanova Men’s Basketball, created The Patrick and Kristen
McMahon Endowed Scholarship, and
served on the Executive Committee of
the President’s Leadership Circle. Now
he is eager to give back as a member of
Villanova University’s Board of Trustees.
“When I think about how blessed I
have been in my life, the opportunity to
work with great individuals in shaping
Villanova’s future is an honor.” 
Trustee
When the Rev. Peter Gori was in eighth
grade, a diocesan priest in his parish
asked him where he was going to high
school. The youngster named a prep
school that the Order of St. Augustine
had recently opened.
“I bet the Augustinians get you!” the
priest said.
Four years later, that prophecy came
true. The Reading, Mass., native traveled to Villanova University in 1970
to enter the Augustinians’ formation
program. In the 34 years since he was
ordained, institutions, organizations
and faith communities have considered
themselves fortunate to “get” Father
Gori: the Archdiocese of Boston’s
Tribunal and Presbyteral Council; the
boards of directors for Holy Family
Hospital and Lazarus House Ministries;
parishes in New York and Massachusetts;
and in January, Villanova University’s
Board of Trustees.
“I’m looking forward to the adventure,” says Father Gori, who is used to
mentally having his bags packed. His
vocation has taken unexpected turns
and called upon him to serve in varied
capacities. Though he received a bachelor’s degree in Education and, in 1981,
a master’s in Systematic Theology from
the Washington Theological Union, his
future did not lie in teaching. Instead,
the Order tapped him to study canon
law. Father Gori squeezed in a course on
Italian before heading to Rome, where
he earned his doctorate in 1988.
For the past quarter century, Father
Gori, who is now pastor of St. Augustine
Parish in Andover, Mass., has dedicated
himself to parish life, provided legal
representation as a canonist and sat on
numerous boards. This diversity of assignments energizes him.
“As Catholics, we’re expected to practice our faith in many ways. Serving the
Church’s mission in higher education is
one of them. I’ve always felt at home at
Villanova, and I always will.”
Clockwise from top right: The Rev. Peter G. Gori, OSA, JCD, ’75 LAS; Elizabeth T.
Mazzeo ’81 VSB; Robert J. McCarthy ’75 VSB; Patrick M. McMahon ’85 VSB
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13
WHAT LIES AHEAD
Collective Brilliance
Villanova’s centers of excellence light up the higher-education sky
By Suzanne Wentzel
Stargazers know the value
of drawing constellations. Fascinating as
individual stars are, it is the clustering
that magnifies their brightness, creates
recognizable shapes and provides cosmic
reference points. Locate Orion’s Belt, and
other configurations pop.
Villanova, too, sees the benefit of
grouping “stars.” Campus abounds with
luminaries: faculty whose expertise covers
every field from radar imaging and childhood obesity to consumer marketing and
environmental ethics; and students whose
rigorous minds and restless hearts drive
them to pursue diverse lines of inquiry.
By clustering scholars with related
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academic strengths and interests, the
University illuminates the achievements
of interdisciplinary collaboration. It
emphasizes the contours of institutional
distinctiveness. It highlights patterns
of greatness by which others identify
Villanova. These “constellations” are the
University’s centers of excellence.
Enhancing Academic Distinction
Centers of excellence play a crucial role
in helping Villanova to realize its Augustinian vision of academic distinction, a
top strategic priority. They build upon
and, in turn, strengthen competencies
that distinguish the University.
Niches of specialized thought and collaborative activity, centers leverage faculty
expertise to spur innovation in research,
pedagogy and practice. They don’t just
respond to societal challenges and trends.
They anticipate them. Because they integrate disciplines from all colleges, they
draw from a vast reservoir of knowledge to
devise creative, responsible solutions.
The following are but a few examples of
the nearly two dozen centers that thrive
on campus. Some are young, others more
mature. All of them, guided by the principles of truth, unity and love, elevate
Villanova’s academic excellence and
advance its mission.
Business Analytics
To compete in an information-driven
world, companies must capture, analyze
and make decisions based on data. Established in 2010, the Villanova School of
Business’ Center for Business Analytics
pioneers education, practice and research
in this booming field. “Our vision is to be
recognized as a world-class analytics center,” says Matthew Liberatore, PhD, the
John F. Connelly Chair in Management
and the Center’s founding director.
The Center, which draws faculty from
all VSB departments, as well as Computing
Sciences and Mathematics and Statistics in the College of Liberal Arts
and Sciences, helped to develop a
required undergraduate course and
a minor in analytics.
Through roundtables and lectures
by such executives as the presidents
of 1-800-Flowers.com and Caesars
Entertainment, the Center apprises
students and the business community
of practices and trends. It advances
research in diverse areas, such as
managerial issues relating to the use
of business analytics, the use of various computing devices for analytical
applications and sports analytics.
the College, returned Peace Corps volunteers earn degrees and do clinical work
with underserved populations. In turn,
the College adds Fellows’ insights to its
trove of international experience.
Arab and Islamic Studies
The Center for Arab and Islamic Studies,
founded in 1983, promotes understanding of the geostrategic, socioeconomic,
religious, intellectual and cultural dimensions of the Arab and Islamic worlds. It
equips students with specialized knowledge for careers in government, industry
history; Arab film. Prestigious fellowships and grants take faculty around the
world to share expertise and strengthen
Villanova’s scholarly connections.
“We thrive on collaborative global
initiatives,” says Hibba Abugideiri, PhD,
director and associate professor, History.
“Our program enables students to nurture
their national and global identities.”
Sustainability in Engineering
Work carried out in the Villanova Center
for the Advancement of Sustainability in
Engineering (VCASE) affects the future
of the planet. Through research
on the integration of sustainability
principles in engineering practice,
VCASE seeks to protect and restore
the environment.
Unveiled in 2009, VCASE
pools the talents of faculty in all
College of Engineering disciplines
to focus on alternative and renewable energy, biomass resources and
conversion technologies, environmental engineering, sustainable
infrastructure and materials, and
stormwater management—one of
the fields for which the University
is nationally recognized.
“The work of VCASE is to
promote our chief competencies while developing areas in
which we have potential,” says
Professor Robert Traver, PhD,
PE, WRE, ’82 MS, director of
The many faculty and students affiliated with Villanova’s
VCASE and the Villanova Urban
centers of excellence include (clockwise from top) Hibba
Stormwater Partnership.
Abugideiri, PhD, director, Center for Arab and Islamic
VCASE has a ready test bed for its
Studies; Erin Dovel, graduate researcher, and Leslie
Myers McCarthy, PhD, PE, assistant professor, both in the
work. In addition to external partVillanova Center for the Advancement of Sustainability in
ners, it teams with Facilities ManEngineering; Thomas Coghlan, associate director, Center
agement, Dining Services and other
for Business Analytics; and M. Frances Keen, DNSc, RN,
offices to use campus infrastructure as
interim director, Center for Global and Public Health.
a research and learning environment.
Global and Public Health
The Center for Global and Public
Health crystallizes the College of
Nursing’s commitment to understanding populations’ health needs
and challenges. “In a world connected by travel and technology, we
can’t isolate ourselves or think we
have all the answers,” says Associate
Professor M. Frances Keen, DNSc,
RN, interim director.
Launched in 2010, the Center
was a driver in a College of Nursing,
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and School of Law collaboration
to create a graduate course on human
trafficking. With Villanova’s Career
Center and University Partnership with
Catholic Relief Services, it brought
experts to campus to discuss careers in
international relief and development.
Additionally, the Center spearheaded
the effort that led the Peace Corps to designate the College of Nursing a Paul D.
Coverdell Fellows Program site. Through
and research. Through lectures, films and
other events, it also prepares them to be
culturally competent global citizens and
promotes diversity literacy on campus.
The Center features a dynamic mix of
faculty from the College of Liberal Arts
and Sciences and beyond. A sampling of
their research interests shows the breadth
of competencies: Islamic law; US foreign policy; colonial India; Syrian art;
North African literature; Middle Eastern
Bright Future
Villanova is excited about the flourishing
of not just these four but all its centers
of excellence, and the tantalizing possibilities for creating more. By growing
its endowment—another strategic priority—it can help to fund centers and
attract, through endowed chairs and
financial aid, more of the highest-caliber
faculty and students. Such star power can
only enhance Villanova’s visibility. 
villanovA.EDU
15
T
erence (Terry) O’Toole ’80 VSB and his wife, Paula
(Polly), live just 12 miles from the city of Newark, N.J.
But as Terry points out, it’s a world away. While children of his suburban neighbors go to the best schools and want
for nothing, just minutes away, children are afraid to walk to
school and often lack basic necessities, let alone access to a firstrate education.
O’Toole, former chair of Villanova’s Board of Trustees and
himself once a recipient of a Presidential Scholarship, and
Polly, a Rosemont College alumna, have committed $10 million
to establish endowed Presidential Scholarships for outstanding
students from the Archdiocese of Newark to continue their
education at Villanova University.
“This is a unique program and one that Villanova hasn’t done
before,” says Stephen R. Merritt, dean of Enrollment Management.
“It allows us to reach out to students very early—sophomore year of
high school—and engage and educate them about how a college
education, and in particular, how an Augustinian education at
a nationally known school such as Villanova, can change their
lives. And once students are here, they engage in the life of
the community and contribute to the diversity of thought that
separates a good education from a great one.”
Promises made, promises kept
Promises,
Partnerships
and Possibilities
A transformational gift creates access to education
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Polly and Terry O’Toole meet with scholarship recipients from
St. Mary’s High School in Elizabeth, N.J., along with Brother Ralph
Darmento, FSC, deputy superintendent of schools, Archdiocese
of Newark; and Gerry O’Connor, executive director of The
Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children. “I was a beneficiary of an
academic scholarship to Villanova that certainly changed my life.
I understand the importance of it,” Terry told the students. Later,
the students told the O’Tooles all the things they love about St.
Mary’s, where their enrollment was made possible thanks, in part,
to scholarship assistance.
While a gift of this size is a major commitment, what really sets
it apart is the O’Tooles’ use of a unique scholarship called a
“promise scholarship.” Simply put, promise scholarships allow
a university to identify students very early and make long-term
commitments to them and their education.
In the O’Toole program, academically successful and motivated high school sophomores are identified as potential
Villanova students. To qualify, they must be receiving funding
from The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children (SFIC)
and attend a Newark archdiocesan high school. Along with the
SFIC scholarship, Villanova, in collaboration with their high
school, provides support services that help them to prepare for
entry into college. Upon graduation, they will then be accepted
into Villanova University as Presidential Scholars and members
of the Honors Program.
“This gift is important to us,” says Polly, “because it creates the
opportunity to change someone’s life, but more accurately, to give
them the chance to change their lives. They need to study and
get the grades and make a commitment that lasts several years.”
Partnerships are paramount
In the O’Toole program, commitment and motivation are key,
but so is becoming a partner in the educational experience. Currently, the O’Tooles provide four years of scholarship support
for up to 12 students from Newark archdiocesan high schools
By mercedes ott
villanovA.EDU
17
Right: Polly and Terry
O’Toole ’80 VSB at St.
Mary’s High School in
Elizabeth, N.J., in 2013.
The O’Toole Family Scholarship
T
Left: SFIC
scholarship
recipients at
St. Mary’s High
School in
Elizabeth, N.J.
through The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children. With
their Villanova commitment, the O’Tooles have expanded
their dedication to children attending Archdiocese of Newark
secondary schools and coupled it with their desire to strengthen
Villanova’s endowment.
“We love being a part of the Newark Archdiocese,” Terry
says. “We’ve lived here for 24 years, and we love Villanova,
too. So to us, the beauty of this is combining our dual desire to
help the students of the Newark Archdiocese and Villanova’s
endowment. It ties together everything Polly’s been doing with
the Newark Archdiocese and the scholarship fund.”
That “everything” Terry references encompasses Polly’s
ongoing work with the children of Newark. In addition to the
O’Tooles’ financial commitments, Polly tutors kindergarten
students one day a week. She serves as a Court Appointed
Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer, an independent, trained
advocate who acts as “a voice” for children in the foster care system. Additionally, Polly spends another afternoon working with
children at Streetsquash, a program that teaches urban children
squash while providing long-term, intensive, year-round support,
including homework help, mentoring and community service.
(Both of the O’Tooles’ now-grown children played squash
successfully on a competitive level, and Terry is known to frequent
the court, too.)
“I work with the kids and essentially do what I did with my
own kids—sit down at the kitchen table and do homework,”
Polly says. But it’s the partnerships, she notes, being there week
after week, coming back, that build the relationships and garner
the results. “You make the commitment, and you show up for
the kids,” Polly says.
The O’Tooles are “showing up” for these students and
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Villanova MAGAZINe
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Villanova in a big way. And Terry won’t rest until he encourages
others to do the same. “We can duplicate this model across the
country. Why not, right? If we can say, okay, we did it in Newark.
Let’s get someone to do it in Boston, let’s get someone to do it
in Philadelphia, let’s get someone to do it in Washington, and
set up this pattern. I mean, when you sit there and look at those
kids, as Polly often says, it’s giving someone the opportunity to
change their life,” Terry adds.
“The growth of the endowment is a key strategic priority,
and the success of other strategic imperatives depends on it,”
says the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, ’75 LAS, University president. “The O’Toole gift demonstrates the influence
an endowed gift can have on strengthening and sustaining our
mission and academic capabilities. We are grateful to Terry and
Polly and hope their gift will inspire others to think creatively
about how they, too, can ignite change.”
erence (Terry) O’Toole ’80 VSB and his wife, Paula M.
(Polly), have a long tradition of providing support to
both Villanova University and The Scholarship Fund
for Inner-City Children (SFIC). Together they established at
SFIC The O’Toole Family Scholarship to provide four years
of tuition assistance to 12 high school students who reside in
Newark or Irvington, N.J. Polly is an SFIC trustee and serves
as co-chair of the O’Toole Family Foundation.
An Economics major in the Villanova School of Business,
Terry was a Presidential Scholar and graduated first in his
class. For more than two decades, he has supported the University’s official student newspaper of record, The Villanovan,
giving back to the publication for which he once served as
editor. In 2007, he endowed the deanship in VSB in honor
of his parents, Helen and William O’Toole. This generous
endowment has helped to support a bold new vision for VSB
focused on international recognition as a premier business
school, built upon faculty and academic quality.
The former chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees, Terry is co-chair of Villanova’s Capital Campaign. He also
has been a member of the Campaign Organizing Group, the
Steering Committee and the Chairman’s Task Force, as well
as the Dean’s Advisory Council in VSB.
Since 2006, Terry has been a co-managing partner of Tinicum Inc., a private investment partnership based in New York
City. Prior to joining Tinicum, he spent 21 years at Goldman,
Sachs & Co., where he was a partner, member of the Investment
and Partnership committees, and the chief operating officer
of the Principal Investment Area, the private equity investing
arm of the firm, of which he was one of the founding members.
Terry and Polly live in Short Hills, N.J., and have two children, Maggie and Brian.
It takes a village
Once students are identified and later when they enroll at
Villanova, the importance of partnerships remains strong—by
design. Students will become a community of O’Toole scholars
within a community. The O’Toole Family Presidential Scholarships will provide students with annual scholarship assistance
to support not only tuition, room, board and book costs at
Villanova, but also specifically designed academic, personal and
professional support services for each recipient.
Campus leaders whose staff will lend their expertise to this
program include Stephen R. Merritt, dean of Enrollment Management; Teresa A. Nance, PhD, assistant vice president, Multicultural Affairs, and associate professor of Communication;
Left: “I was editor of
The Villanovan. In some
ways, that was the
most beneficial thing
that happened to me
in college because
it taught me how to
run a business,” Terry
says. “You’re managing
people, meeting
deadlines, dealing with
budgets, dealing with
different constituencies—
University administration,
students, faculty, etc.
We gave a gift to endow
The Villanovan, so every
year the president and
I have lunch with the
incoming and outgoing
editors, and I tell them
this story.”
Above: Terry O’Toole’s mother, Helen Scarpa
O’Toole, as a little girl (second from right). He
keeps this photo in his office to inspire him and
remind him of the value of education.
Left: Polly and Terry in 1980,
their senior year in college
villanovA.EDU
19
Instrumental in optimizing scholarship
students’ Villanova experiences are
(from left to right) Stephen R. Merritt,
dean of Enrollment Management;
Teresa A. Nance, PhD, assistant vice
president, Multicultural Affairs, and
associate professor of Communication;
Thomas W. Smith, PhD, the Anne Quinn
Welsh Endowed Chair and Director of
the Honors Program, and professor
of Political Science and Humanities;
and Nancy Dudak, director, Villanova
University Career Center.
Endowment:
The Gift That Keeps on Giving
I
n his recent role as chairman of the Villanova University
Board of Trustees, Terry O’Toole was always ready to
discuss Villanova. When fellow alumni asked him about
the biggest challenges or needs of Villanova, O’Toole
would reply, “There are three things: the endowment, the
endowment and the endowment.”
While all gifts play crucial roles in the University’s ability to thrive, it’s the endowment that enables us to plan
for and secure the future of the University. Unlike annual
fund gifts, which are used when given, endowed gifts are
invested in a fund in which the principal grows and only
the interest is used. Year after year, students and academic
programs benefit from the growth of revenue and the
strength of that fund. Additionally, a strong endowment
increases the University’s ability to attract high-achieving
students and faculty, create distinctive academic programs and secure funds for important capital projects,
such as the campus transformation.
While Villanovans are known for their loyalty and pride,
the endowment just might be the one area in which
strong devotion is lacking. Our current endowment of
$357 million as of May 31, 2012, was called “a relatively
small endowment compared to those of our peer institutions” by Standard and Poor’s, which nevertheless
bestowed an A+ rating on the University in October 2012.
We lag behind the schools we compete with for students.
The University of Notre Dame’s endowment is among the
top-10 largest in the country, at more than $6 billion; while
Boston College is among the top 50, at more than $1.6 billion; followed by Georgetown University, with $1.1 billion.
Simply put, our competitors’ larger endowments allow for
better scholarship and financial aid packages, and highly
qualified students often follow the money.
For more information about making a gift, visit
www.villanova.edu/makeagift or
call 1-800-486-5244.
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spring 2013
Thomas W. Smith, PhD, the Anne Quinn Welsh Endowed
Chair and Director of the Honors Program, and professor of
Political Science and Humanities; Nancy Dudak, director,
Villanova University Career Center; and Michael M. Gaynor,
director of University Admission.
The Center for Multicultural Affairs will provide O’Toole
scholars with cohesive and comprehensive support to help
them to fully realize the intellectual and social benefits of a Villanova education.
“The O’Toole program will give these students a lot,” says
Dr. Nance. “So I think it’s important to note that the students are giving Villanova a lot in return, too. We will be
enriching our community with their presence. So there is
a real sense in which we are looking, as we do with all students, at how their unique lived experience—their truth,
their diversity—will provide us with insights and those perspectives that we may not have currently in abundance in
our community. We look to see how they will make us better
in delivering what we consider to be the primary product of
Villanova, which is a high-quality education.”
In addition to being Presidential Scholars, O’Toole scholars will be admitted to the Honors Program, in which they
can benefit from and contribute to the rigorous and thoughtful
exchange of ideas, be mentored by distinguished faculty, participate in research and develop as students and as persons.
“We think the Honors Program is transformational,”
Dr. Smith says. “Honors is primarily an academic program
characterized by small classes and some of the best teachers
we have here, who are chosen not just because they are great
teachers but because they want to engage their students on a
deeper level. They want to have students over for dinner, and
take them to the art museum and on special trips, and engage
in extracurricular and co-curricular activities. But Honors isn’t
just an academic program. It’s a home for students in the program. We have an Honors residence hall for freshmen, and we
have special learning communities and leadership programs, as
well as leadership opportunities in Honors. So we are inviting
the O’Toole scholars into a community where they get attention that prepares them for success at Villanova and beyond,”
Dr. Smith says.
Also, the O’Toole scholars will participate in a profes-
« If we want to continue to, over the
next 10-20 years, have our University
thought of in the same class as Notre
Dame, BC and Georgetown, we
increase our
endowment. Endowment
have to
is not about buildings or fancy cafeterias.
It’s about having the financial
resources to provide
access to education ... to
academically
gifted students who
allow
fit the other criteria of the University
to attend. Our thought together was
you can put your name on an
endowed scholarship and that
will
last forever and change
tens, if not hundreds, of people’s lives. »
-Terry O’Toole ’80 VSB
sional development readiness program, which will prepare
them for summer employment, service and leadership training
while in high school. Students will receive individualized
attention in identifying preprofessional opportunities, preparing
resumes and interviewing for summer jobs, and guidance on
workplace expectations.
“For me the word is ‘dream,’” Dudak says. “They’re allowed to
have any dream they want, and the support will be here to help
them achieve it.”
“I really commend our staff here at Villanova—Steve
Merritt and his staff, as well as Terry Nance, Tom Smith,
Michael Gaynor and Nancy Dudak—for crafting the structure
of this promise scholarship program,” Terry says. “This team
really came up with the idea of identifying children in their
sophomore year and encouraging them along—that was brilliant. And if the University is willing to do that, which is a big
commitment on their part, and if we can really make this model
work, I think it’s just really powerful.”
Keeping the dream alive
The dream of education for all didn’t start with Terry and Polly
O’Toole, they acknowledge, but now it is theirs to steward.
Both of them say their parents stressed the importance of a
college education and encouraged a stellar work ethic. Terry
notes that his grandparents were Irish and Italian immigrants
who worked hard to achieve the American dream. He keeps a
photo of his mother, Helen, as a child with her family, taken on
a farm—complete with a dog named Fido—to remind him how
far he’s come and that anything is possible with hard work and
the right access.
Creating that access means making sure we have the endowment resources to allow us to achieve our strategic vision
of being one of the leading national Catholic universities,
Terry stresses. “I look at financial aid as critical. I think we at
Villanova want to make sure that we become an academically
elite school; but in doing so, we want to make sure we still create an opportunity for the best and the brightest to attend—
despite their circumstances. Father Peter frequently reminds us
that this University was started to educate Irish immigrants—
to open the door to education. We can’t forget that. We must
continue that legacy.” 
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Students representing a cross-section of colleges and disciplines traveled to the West Coast for the second annual Villanova in the
Valley program to get an inside look at the country’s high-tech heartland. At a reception at Google Jan. 8, they were joined by toplevel administrators, including Jean Ann Linney, PhD, dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (left), and Gary Gabriele, PhD, Drosdick
Endowed Dean of Engineering (right).
Continuum of Learning
and Creativity
ICE Center and Silicon Valley alumni host students
By Elizabeth Russell
F
ifteen Villanova University students representing multiple
colleges met with some of the top technology experts,
including alumni, at Facebook, Google, Twitter, Mojiva,
Genentech and more. Students traveled to Silicon Valley Jan.
6-11 for the second annual Villanova in the Valley (VinV)
program hosted by the Center for Innovation, Creativity and
Entrepreneurship (ICE Center). Additional support for the program was provided by the College of Nursing, Rocky and Bella
(founded by Charlie Poznek ’81 VSB, member of the ICE Advisory Council), and the Center for Multicultural Affairs.
VinV is a networking and educational program that connects
students to Silicon Valley, an area known for innovation and
technological excellence. Silicon Valley is home to many of
the world’s most successful technology corporations and startup
companies. The theme of this year’s program was “Innovation
and Technology: Redefining How We Work, Live and Play.”
“The trip helped students more clearly visualize the connections
among Silicon Valley companies and ventures, and understand
how leaders in the field balance working, playing and living,”
says II Luscri, director of the ICE Center.
Unprecedented Access
For six days, students interacted with industry experts—including Villanova alumni—to learn about the Valley’s unique
culture and work environment. “Students were intrigued and
excited,” says Mike Gardner ’67 LAS, an alumnus in the Bay
area who worked for IBM for 15 years and spent his career in
the high-tech industry. Gardner, a member of the ICE Center
Advisory Council, was instrumental in coordinating the VinV
program. “They heard firsthand from entrepreneurs, investors,
startups, large companies and innovators about what it takes to
thrive in Silicon Valley.”
“This is was an amazing program that money can’t buy,”
says John Igoe ’63 COE, director of Real Estate, Design and
Construction for Google, who helped to plan the program. Igoe is
a member of the Villanova University Alumni Association Board
of Directors and a leader for the North California Alumni Chapter. “Silicon Valley is cutting edge. It’s where things happen. I
think this experience gave students a better sense of the world.”
Students saw an approach to excellence that’s unlike the way
many companies are run on Wall Street, the East Coast and
other areas of the country. “There’s quite a difference in everything from philosophy to the way they dress,” says Liam Miller
’14 VSB, one of the student leaders on the trip. “Silicon Valley
is a meritocracy. Everyone is on the same playing field. People
who work hard and have creative ideas succeed.”
“Speakers talked about where they started and where they
are today,” says Martae Giometti ’13 COE, the second student
leader on the trip. “They really broadened my viewpoint and
changed my perception of what I can do as a chemical engineer.”
EAST-WEST CONNECTION
One of the highlights of the trip was a VinV reception at Google
Jan. 8. Keynote speaker John Hennessy III, PhD, ’73 COE,
president of Stanford University, talked about the innovation
and entrepreneurial ecosystem that has developed in Silicon
Valley. “Dr. Hennessy exemplifies Villanova,” Igoe says. “He’s a
graduate who has been very successful as a businessman and as
president of one of the country’s most prestigious universities.”
University President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA,
PhD, ’75 LAS introduced Dr. Hennessy. Other members of the
Villanova leadership team traveled to California for the event,
including Patrick Maggitti, PhD, The Helen and William O’Toole
Dean of the Villanova School of Business; Jean Ann Linney,
PhD, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and Gary
Gabriele, PhD, Drosdick Endowed Dean of Engineering.
About 200 people, including many California alumni,
attended the reception. “Alumni here really enjoyed getting a
chance to engage with the students and the University,” Gardner says.
“VinV energized alums and families and showed how strong
the Villanova community is here,” agrees Brandon Baker,
Left: Villanova University’s commitment to providing students with a platform for lifelong success is illustrated through the Villanova in
the Valley program, in which students experience the innovative culture of Silicon Valley’s leading companies. Pictured here at the Google
reception are some of the 200 attendees, including Patrick Maggitti, PhD, The Helen and William O’Toole Dean of the Villanova School
of Business; Mike Gardner ’67 LAS; student leaders Martae Giometti ’13 COE and Liam Miller ’14 VSB; and II Luscri, director, the Center for
Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship. Right: Mike Gardner ’67 LAS, a member of the ICE Advisory Council, speaks with students.
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Villanova’s director of Development, West Coast. “They were
impressed with the caliber of our students. And the students got
a deeper sense of pride about Villanova.”
“Our students have an incredible opportunity not only to
learn from Villanovans who are leaders in the high-tech industry
but also to connect with one of our largest alumni bases,” Father
Donohue says.
Some alumni helped to coordinate the program, while others
attended the Villanova reception at Google. Alumni support
makes it possible for Villanova to offer this type of program.
“Our students and the University have a lot to offer California,”
says Gardner. “The next step we’re working on is to help students network with alumni in California for internships and
employment opportunities.”
Visionaries in the Valley
People and sites on the itinerary included:
• Jenn Bonilla, PhD, vice president, Global Strategy and Program Management,
Genomic Health
• Mike Brown, director of International Market Development, Twitter
• Mike DeCesare ’88 LAS, co-president, McAfee
• Jon Fahrner, CEO, BumeBox
• Lissette Fernandez, director, Global Marketing Solutions, Facebook
• David Friedberg, CEO, The Climate Corp.
• Tom Furst ’65 VSB, senior vice president and chief financial officer, SRI International
• Burton Goldfield ’89 MBA, president and CEO, TriNet
• Mike Gospe, co-founder, KickStart Alliance
• Jack Hallahan ’84 LAS, global vice president, Mobile Innovations, Mojiva
• Mitchell Kertzman, partner, Hummer Winblad
• Anurag Mendhekar, CEO and president, The Modern Video Co.
• Geoffrey Moore, partner, Mohr Davidow Ventures
• Woody Rea, owner, Entrepreneurs Fund
• Anthony Reynolds, chief operating officer, Global Solutions GTM at SAP
• Mark Sliwkowski, PhD, distinguished staff scientist, and Bob Andreatta, vice president,
controller and chief accounting officer, Genentech
• Brian Thomas, chief of staff, Office of the CEO, Equinix
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LONG-TERM IMPACT
Students gained insight into a specific industry during the trip.
But the experience also reinforced the importance of developing
key traits—innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship—that
will help them throughout their careers and lives.
“We can bring these traits to any business and help make
things happen,” Miller says.
“VinV opened students’ eyes and will help shape their
thought processes,” Gardner says. “This is going to change how
they think about their careers and how they apply these skills
in their own lives.”
VinV also helps Villanova to enhance cross-college collaboration, one of the key components of the University’s strategic
plan. “The program gets students in different colleges thinking
outside their disciplines,” Igoe says. “This is an example of the wonderful job Villanova does preparing students for today’s world.”
Interest in VinV Growing
In just a year, interest in the VinV program has grown dramatically across the campus. “There was a large increase in
the number of students who applied for VinV,” Luscri says. “It’s
truly an interdisciplinary program. We received applications
from undergraduate and graduate students representing all five
schools and colleges.”
The 15 students selected for the second annual VinV program
were Douglas Allen ’14 COE, James Capurro ’14 VSB, Brandon
Clark ’13 LAS, Britney Davis ’15 COE, Charlie Dolan ’14 VSB,
Paola Gadala-Maria ’15 LAS, Molly Gilmore ’13 CON, Martae
Giometti ’13 COE, Nick Goswami ’14 VSB, Stephanie Janac
’14 VSB, Karley McBreen ’14 CON, Liam Miller ’14 VSB,
Austin Odell ’15 COE, Melissa Robles ’13 LAS and Michael
Schanne ’15 VSB.
“VinV is a great vehicle for us to get our megaphone out and
excite grads and businesses in the Valley about Villanova and
give them a chance to interact with our students,” Gardner says,
adding that about 3,000 alumni call California home.
“It was quite an experience,” Giometti says. “I think we all
felt a sense of awe visiting the sites and meeting people who
work at these high-profile companies. It was definitely one of
the most memorable experiences I’ve had at Villanova.” 
John L. Hennessy III, PhD, ’73 COE, president of Stanford
University, and Villanova President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue,
OSA, PhD, ’75 LAS talk at Villanova in the Valley, a networking
event that connects students with prestigious alumni and
other professionals based in Silicon Valley in California, an area
that is home to the University’s second-largest alumni base.
ICE Center Fosters Innovation,
Creativity and Entrepreneurship
The Villanova in the Valley program is only one of the
ways the Center for Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE Center) at Villanova University helps
students to become more well-rounded, innovative
and creative thinkers.
“We’re using a multidisciplinary approach to instill
entrepreneurial thinking more deeply into the
Villanova culture,” says II Luscri, director of the ICE
Center. “We’re helping students from all Villanova
colleges and schools develop characteristics that will
help them regardless of the career path they choose.”
To enhance student learning, the ICE Center sponsors a number of events, opportunities and programs
throughout the year, including:
• • Competitions that foster innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship
• • A Pitch Day event in which students have their
business plans and entrepreneurial work evaluated
by distinguished judges, including alumni, Villanova
University parents and community members
• • A certificate program—called ICE CaPS—for
sophomores
• • Courses in innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. Students can earn a minor in
entrepreneurship either through the Villanova
School of Business or the College of Engineering
• • ICE workshops and guest speakers
• • Mentoring and networking venues
The Center also honors select students and faculty
each year with prestigious Meyer Innovation and
Creative Excellence awards. The award program was
created and endowed in 2009 by Patrick Meyer ’74
VSB in honor of the Meyer family. Initially, the program
recognized one student and one faculty member
each year. The award program is expanding this year
to honor five students—one graduating student from
each of Villanova’s colleges and schools—and one faculty member from any discipline. Student recipients
receive a trophy and a $1,000 prize. The faculty member honored receives a trophy and a $2,500 prize.
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Mind
over
matter
Right: Steve Castellotti ’00 LAS
demonstrates the latest development at
Puzzlebox Productions.
Below: All users need to fly the
Puzzlebox Orbit are the powers of
technology and concentration.
Alumnus shares brain-computer interface technology
A
By Tom Nugent
t first glance, it’s easy to assume that the most
remarkable thing about Steve Castellotti ’00
LAS is his ability to fly a toy helicopter by
tapping directly into the electrical energy
produced by his own brain waves. Yes, he really can do that. But
look closer and you’ll see a man on a remarkable mission—using
creativity and openness to expand educational opportunities for
children and push the limits of science.
Wearing a Star Wars-like headset and squinting with fierce
concentration, the Villanova alumnus loves to dazzle onlookers
by issuing “brain commands” to his fleet of specially adapted
toy choppers, which then respond to the electricity flickering
through Castellotti’s frontal cortex by soaring skyward or settling
gently back to earth.
The founder of Puzzlebox Productions, based in San Francisco,
a “brain-computer interface” (BCI) enterprise that manufactures the mind-controlled whirlybirds and other robotic toys
(www.puzzlebox.info), Castellotti several years ago wrote the
software code used by the copters’ brain wave-linked guidance system. In December, with the help of a few colleagues,
he began manufacturing and shipping hundreds of his mindbending new toys to stores all across the United States.
A passionate entrepreneur determined to make his mindoperated helicopters the next big thing in electronic toys,
Castellotti is constantly on the lookout for new ways to combine
innovative software with robotic devices—and especially with
devices that can respond directly to human brain waves.
Sharing the Knowledge
As astonishing as Castellotti’s breakthroughs may appear to
the software layman, they probably aren’t his most remarkable
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“
achievement so far in the esoteric world of BCI. That honor surely
belongs to his strikingly original insistence that the elements in
his thrilling, new copter toy (the source code, schematics, 3-D
models, step-by-step building instructions, you name it) must be
“completely open and shared fully” with the world.
That’s right. Castellotti and his partners at Puzzlebox haven’t
hidden the engineering specs for their brain-linked chopper
behind a stack of bulletproof patents. Incredibly enough, they
want you to “hack” their brain-copter and then use their software to build your own version of the toy, while also doing your
level best to improve on their product.
Hard to believe? Not when one of Castellotti’s equally important goals is to find new ways to help all of us, and especially
schoolchildren, learn how to develop our powers of concentration so we can focus better on the problems and opportunities we
face each day.
“At Puzzlebox, we’re convinced that you can be open and show
everyone what you’re doing, and that doing so won’t impede
your ability to be profitable and useful to society. At the end
of the day, we want to show the world that you don’t have to
hide in a patent and control everyone’s access to your products,”
says Castellotti.
Describing his new high-tech approach to guiding remotecontrolled helicopters and race cars, Castellotti is careful to
point out that he and his Puzzlebox team didn’t invent the idea
of monitoring human brain waves and then linking them to
a control mechanism that would direct robotic behavior. “We
weren’t the first to learn how to control a device with brain
waves,” he readily admits. “What we did do, however, is to take
that ability and connect it to flying a helicopter and other sorts
of devices that appeal to children.
“Our toys are lots of fun, but their most important role is an
educational one. As we’ve been able to demonstrate at many
schools around the country, kids can learn how to concentrate
better by playing with a toy like our new Orbit helicopter. And
that’s huge,” he adds, while pointing out that he’s used the
device on several occasions as a volunteer in programs designed
to help children with attention deficit disorder focus better.
“Learning how to concentrate isn’t easy for many kids, and yet
it’s the key to learning.”
How did you do that?
Although building the Orbit control system is complicated,
the basic concept is easy to understand. “The human brain
runs on chemical processes that produce electricity,” explains
Castellotti. “Now, the amount of electricity is tiny. It’s emitted
in millionths of a volt. But you can still measure it, and doing
that isn’t very different from testing, say, a small, AA battery.
“So what we did was to build a headset that collects the electrical output in the frontal cortex, where thought occurs. Then
we wrote software code that connects that output to an ear clip
which contains a tiny voltmeter, and then to a guidance system
in the helicopter.”
And the result? When the person wearing the headset begins
to concentrate hard (on a math problem, let’s say), the brainwave energy increases, which triggers the propeller-control
system in the chopper. In other words, as you begin to concentrate harder, the helicopter begins to lift off the ground.
As you lower your concentration, it settles slowly back toward
terra firma.
At this stage of development, the toy chopper can go only up
or down. But it won’t be long, says the inventor—who recently
The Villanova Computing
Sciences program challenged
my creativity, and it got me
thinking about ways this
great tool can be used to help
improve public education.
—Steve Castellotti ’00 LAS
”
demonstrated the Orbit at major electrical-product shows in
Las Vegas and New York City—before additional maneuvers
become possible. “With BCI technology, the sky really is the
limit,” says Castellotti, whose device set a 2011 mark recognized
by the Guinness World Records for weightlifting by operating a
61-ton crane via human brain waves.
“I think amazing things lie ahead in this area of technology,”
says the robotics wunderkind, who jokes that he “learned how to
play an Atari 2600” before he learned to read. At Villanova, he
became “fascinated by the idea” of combining creative software
with robots while taking a course in artificial intelligence taught
by Associate Professor Frank Klassner, PhD. “That course was a
turning point for me,” Castellotti recalls. “The Villanova Computing Sciences program challenged my creativity, and it got me
thinking about ways this great tool can be used to help improve
public education.” He made the same point in November 2011,
when he showed off his BCI skills during a lecture on campus.
“I think the ‘open-source movement’ in technology is only
getting started,” he predicted, “and we’re certainly going to be
front and center with that. For me, it’s really rewarding to feel I
can contribute to society while making a living.” 
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27
Left: Patrick Williams
’15 LAS plays with
one of the children
at Episcopal
Community Services’
St. Barnabas Mission.
Right: As expert
athletes, students
such as Meredith
Mangiarotti ’14 LAS
teach the children at
St. Barnabas about
the importance
of health and
maintaining an
active lifestyle.
One Spirit, One Team,
One Community
Villanova student-athletes partner with Campus Ministry to serve others
By Shawn Proctor
At the University, the word “community” signifies
the connection of all Villanovans to one another. It also
represents the link between Villanova and the world. This
bond drives the more than 12-year relationship between the University’s student-athletes and Episcopal Community Services’
St. Barnabas Mission.
Every week they visit the women and children shelter in Philadelphia to give mothers a break by playing with the children and
developing relationships with the families. The partnership that
has been created between the Athletics Department and Campus
Ministry for the St. Barnabas trip is an invaluable opportunity for
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student-athletes to get into the community and be involved in
service with fellow Villanovans.
“The experience becomes an opportunity to put the focus on
the child rather than on the stress and confinement of the family’s
situation,” says Carly Edwards ’14 LAS, a standout volleyball player.
“As student-athletes at such a community-centered university, it is
important that we remember the foundation on which Villanova
was built and seek to be positive representations of its pillars: truth,
unity and charity.”
Allison Venella ’08 LAS, ’13 MA, coordinator of Student Services for Athletics, says the partnership has been bolstered by the
enthusiasm and commitment of the Campus Ministry leaders.
“Our student-athletes have so much to share and give to others,
but at the same time are still able to grow and learn from others.
They represent what exactly it means to ignite change.”
“It is a great opportunity for our moms who much need and
deserve a break,” says Victoria Bennett, director of Episcopal Community Services’ St. Barnabas Mission. “Even though the children
are playing games and having fun, there is a focus on teamwork
and peer support. Seeing strong, healthy student-athletes helps
motivate the children to engage in appropriate physical activity
that supports health and wellness.”
The fabric of Villanova
In his two years at college Patrick Williams ’15 LAS, a studentathlete on the football team, rarely misses an opportunity to give
back, despite a demanding schedule that leaves little free time. “I
relate to these kids living in the shelter, because I was there once.
I let them know, ‘You can make it out because I made it out,’” he
says. “I wouldn’t be in college without the service of others.”
Jordan Hunter ’15 LAS, who plays defensive line on the football team, says the feeling of connecting to people in need and
giving of yourself is why he makes sure to visit St. Barnabas
weekly. “I want those children to know that they are safe and
that someone will look after them,” he says.
Like many student-athletes, Jordan also volunteers at Special
Olympics, the St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service and the
Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation, a nonprofit organization
founded by Villanova’s football coach.
“Our players are very happy to do just about anything to
help,” says Coach Talley. He adds that in April they expect to
add 8,000 people, from Villanova and beyond, to the bone marrow registry. “I tell our student-athletes, ‘God has given you a
great talent, and you can influence students to join the donor
list in order to potentially save a life.’”
Coach Talley notes that, in addition to service, there is an
emphasis on academic performance. And it shows across all 24
varsity sports. Villanova’s student-athletes have earned an average GPA of 3.0 or greater for 18 straight semesters. A total
of 314 student-athletes were named to the BIG EAST AllAcademic Team for the 2011-12 academic year.
Fun and fitness
As expert athletes, the students teach the children at St. Barnabas
about the importance of health and maintaining an active lifestyle. Of course, fun is priority one, so that usually means endless
games of duck, duck, goose and red light, green light.
“Not only are we there to keep them moving, but we are also
there to be someone for them to learn from, and it is flattering to
know that we are considered their role models,” says Meredith
Mangiarotti ’14 LAS. “Being in a place as special as Villanova,
we are constantly reminded of how lucky we are, which leads to
taking time to share our blessings.”
“Service is part of the fabric of who we are at Villanova, part of the
Villanova experience,” says Jenna Cucco ’07 LAS, ’10 MA, associate director of Weekly Service in Campus Ministry. “When you
engage in service, the people you touch shape that experience.” 
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Designing the Future
of Engineering
Villanova garners $500,000 grant to support
its commitment to women in engineering
By Shawn Proctor
E
ngineering as a profession is in transition. Women
have become leaders and mentors to a new generation of female engineers. The Clare Boothe
Luce (CBL) Program recently recognized Villanova’s
College of Engineering as a supporter of this shift through
a $500,000 grant, the second largest in the College’s history.
This grant—which marks the first time the CBL Program has
awarded three CBL professorships to the same university in one
year—recognizes the College’s ongoing commitment to encouraging and supporting women in engineering. This commitment
has propelled Villanova’s College of Engineering beyond the
national averages for female faculty and students. Through the
support of the CBL Program, established by The Henry Luce
Foundation, three new female faculty members have been hired:
Seri Park, PhD, Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Civil
and Environmental Engineering; Nisha Kondrath, PhD, Clare
Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering;
and Verica Radisavljevic-Gajic, PhD, Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering.
“The College of Engineering has been working hard to
increase enrollment of women engineering students, and we
have been able to raise female enrollments to almost 30 percent
of our total, while also retaining female students at the same rate
as men. Increasing the number of women faculty has been a key
ingredient in that success, and the CBL award allows us to make
a significant increase in the number of women faculty,” says
Gary Gabriele, PhD, Drosdick Endowed Dean of Engineering.
Engineering global change
Since 1989, the CBL Program has funded scholarships, fellowships
and professorships for women students and professors. In fact, it
has become the single most significant source of private support
for women in science, mathematics and engineering. Thus far,
the program has supported more than 1,500 women.
The College of Engineering’s female enrollment has increased
steadily over the last 10-plus years, significantly exceeding the
national average. The percentage of women in the fall 2012
entering freshman engineering class was 31, compared to 19 in
2002. The national average for female engineering undergrads is
currently 18.2 percent.
“We’re seeing increasing numbers of women engineers
assuming leadership positions in the industry. I feel strongly
about encouraging women to consider a career in the field of
engineering and am proactive in offering encouragement,
mentoring and research opportunities to our female students,”
says Amy Fleischer, PhD, ’91 COE, ’96 MS, professor of
Mechanical Engineering.
She adds that the College has attracted prospective female
engineering students by dispelling the misconception of the
profession as solely technical. “Engineering skills can be used to
make a difference in the world. This idea of service is especially
appealing to women who seek the human relationships that are
often thought to be missing from this field.”
Additionally, the College attracts talented female students
through eight Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
(STEM) outreach initiatives, several of which focus on underrepresented groups, including women. This STEM outreach
takes many forms, from facilitation of national programs on
campus to local programs that originate from the creativity of
students and faculty. It is one of the most active higher education
promotions of STEM in the country.
Teaching, research, service
“I think that Villanova’s College of Engineering has attracted
so many women because of their culture of encouragement. We
have a strong Society of Women Engineers presence on campus,
and the College makes women feel welcome,” says Liesl Krause
’16 COE, a member of the society.
A supportive and engaging academic environment plays a key
role in the College’s success in attracting female faculty. All new
faculty hires are assigned discipline-specific mentors who guide
them in the areas of teaching, research and service. Tenured
female faculty members in each department are among those
serving as role models for new faculty, in addition to the subjectmatter mentors normally assigned to new faculty.
“A named professorship is always an honor. It clearly shows
that I have strong support for my academic success,” Dr. Park says.
The College of Engineering also has a history of nurturing
female engineers who not only have gone on to assume leadership positions in their careers, but also actively participate as
mentors and advisers to students in the College. These mentors meet and stay in contact with students to advise them on
career choices.
“One of the reasons so few young women are interested in engineering and other STEM fields is because there is still a stigma that
they are not supposed to be interested in the subject,” Liesl says.
“We can encourage women to join engineering by simply reminding them that they are capable of being an engineer.” 
Above left: The College of Engineering’s steadily increasing female enrollment well surpasses the national average. Above right (clockwise):
the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, ’75 LAS; Dean Gary Gabriele, PhD; Verica Radisavljevic-Gajic, PhD; Seri Park, PhD; Carlotta M.
Arthur, PhD, program director for the Clare Boothe Luce Program; and Nisha Kondrath, PhD.
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Igniting Change
Villanovans contributing to the community
World Religions Day. “When you brainstorm with Ryan, you can do anything,”
Overturf says. “He charges ahead, saying,
‘We can do this!’”
His catalyst thinking didn’t begin in
college. In high school in Carson City,
Nev., Costella had been a rebel with
many causes. But at Villanova, he realized that challenging the status quo was
not only “normal” but good. “Students
could express opinions, start ventures
and think outside the box. I loved that!”
Capital living
Having to choose between a Fulbright grant
and an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
to study at the prestigious University of
Cambridge, Costella opted to pursue a
master’s degree in Modern Chinese Studies at Cambridge. During a nine-month
stretch of the program, he enrolled
at Beijing University and researched
regional disparities in China’s political
and economic development.
Journeying into rural villages, Costella
spent three months interviewing locals,
including an elderly woman who had
never heard of the United States or seen
her face in a mirror. He also found time
to advise the Olympics task force preparing USA Swimming for Beijing 2008.
After he returned to Nevada in 2006,
Costella got a call from mentor and former adjunct professor Jim Brown ’73
Conversation Starter
Strategic thinker Ryan Costella ’04 LAS
knows how to tap the power of talk
By Suzanne Wentzel
People struggling to break the ice at social
events can breathe easily if Ryan Costella
’04 LAS is in the room. He has a knack
for getting folks to talk. But if they think
he’s going to chat about the weather,
they’re in for a surprise. Any discussion
Costella initiates doesn’t linger on fluff,
nor does it die with goodbyes at the door.
Like Costella himself, a distance swimmer and former Wildcats team captain, his
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conversations have staying power. They
thrive in diverse forums: Villanova events,
Washington, D.C., dinners, Nevada town
halls, Chinese villages. Whatever their
focus, they always establish common
ground, forge relationships and create
platforms for improving society.
“I’m passionate about getting people not
to be apathetic,” he says. “I look for ways
to be a catalyst, creating opportunities
LAS. Brown had been appointed chief of
staff for Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. Would
Costella come to Washington and be his
assistant? He hung up and packed.
Costella was Brown’s ideal pick.
“Besides being bright and personable,
Ryan connects with people—and he
connects them to each other. I knew that
would be a good combination for me.”
As Brown’s assistant, Costella advised
on US-Sino relations and outreach strategy. Frustrated that the people who could
contribute to this conversation operated in silos, he resolved to connect the
experts. “I wanted to break down barriers
and bring people together to talk about
important issues.” Thanks to Costella’s
initiative, the “China Hands,” comprising professionals from government,
industry, think tanks and human rights
groups, began to convene regularly.
Much as Costella treasured working on
Capitol Hill and pinch-me moments such
as Inauguration Day 2009, when he escorted
the family of the Rev. Martin Luther King
Jr., a new conversation beckoned. Convinced that his generation was not tapping
into one of its most potent assets—citizenship—Costella went home to Nevada.
Initially, he planned to run for office.
Then Costella, brainstorming with a colleague, had an epiphany. Campaigning
and serving as an elected official so that
he could have an impact was the problem,
for people to get involved and exchange
ideas respectfully.”
Table manners
Costella’s desire to ignite change blossomed
at Villanova. A Political Science and
English major with a minor in Chinese
and an Honors concentration, Costella
brought students to the table for cordial,
frank discourse on classic hot buttons:
politics and religion.
He developed forums for discussing party
perspectives, promoted voter-registration
drives and maintained lively correspondence with The Villanovan. After 9/11, he
and others saw the need to clarify misconceptions about various faith traditions.
Working with Kathy Overturf, associate
director, Campus Ministry, they formed
the Interfaith Coalition and introduced
While conducting research for his Cambridge thesis, Ryan Costella ’04 LAS meets an
80-year-old woman who has never heard of the United States, has bound feet and, courtesy
of Costella, sees a photo of herself for the first time.
“I look for ways to be
a catalyst, creating
opportunities for
people to get involved
and exchange ideas
respectfully.”
—Ryan Costella
not the solution. The two conceived a
different approach. “We wanted to create
a movement to remind voters of where
they sit on the organizational chart in this
country: the top.” Thus was born Empowerment Nevada, a political organization
that calls people to “own” their citizenship
by solving problems and generating ideas.
This grassroots effort has an exemplar in
co-founder Costella, says Jane Morris ’78
LAS, director of Villanova’s Center for
Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.
“Ryan owns his life. He has the courage to
take advantage of opportunities to uplift
what he believes in.”
Costella also addressed the issue of
workforce development. Hired in 2009 as
director of Strategic Initiatives for Click
Bond, a global manufacturer of adhesivebonded fasteners, he helped to launch
Dream It Do It Nevada, a nonprofit
engine connecting Nevadans to careers in
industry. In its story on the nation’s skills
gap in 2012, 60 Minutes interviewed Click
Bond personnel, including Costella.
Costella attributes much of his success
to his transformative educational experience. “Academically, I was barely ‘treading
water’ my first semester. When I left, I
could ‘swim’ with the best. That testifies
to how well Villanova prepares students
for the world.”
Fans such as Rick Simpson, men’s and
women’s head swimming and diving
coach, have long believed Costella is prepared for the land’s highest office. “I would
tell people, ‘Ryan is going to run for president someday, and he’ll probably win, so
you might want to get to know him now.’”
Time will tell, but the idea makes for a
winning conversation starter.
For more information on Empowerment
Nevada, visit www.empowermentnevada.
com. 
villanovA.EDU
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true blue | Christopher Maguire
Insuring the Future
Christopher Maguire ’89 LAS puts a premium on giving back
Christopher Maguire ’89 LAS competes daily
against a formidable opponent: himself. An
accomplished triathlete and entrepreneur,
Maguire brings the same discipline and innovation to the boardroom and the gym. “People
ask me, ‘What are you training for?’” says the
former Villanova lacrosse player. “I tell them,
‘For life.’”
Along with his seven siblings, Maguire inherited his father’s passion for sports and fitness.
More important, he learned an ethic of working
and living that calls for giving his best and giving
back. Through their extraordinary example,
his parents—James, founder of Philadelphia
Consolidated Holding Corp., and Frances, an
artist and nurse—taught him to value faith,
education, enterprise and philanthropy. Then
they encouraged him to pursue his dreams.
Maguire has never stopped pursuing. The former
president and chief operating officer of Philadelphia Insurance Cos., which designs, sells and
underwrites commercial property, casualty and
professional liability insurance products, Maguire
knows what he wants and how to achieve it.
“Chris is innovative, efficient and tactical
about reaching goals,” says company colleague
Jeffrey Collins ’88 COE, vice president, Commercial Lines Underwriting. “A multidimensional
thinker, he does what no one else thinks to do.”
Once, while training with Collins for an
Ironman event, Maguire raised the bar by suggesting they not only compete in the famed
triathlon but also break 80 in golf in the same
year. “This type of thinking differentiates Chris.
Those who follow his leadership excel”—an outcome Collins happily experienced on the green.
Prepared to do business
Growing up in Wyndmoor, Pa., Maguire frequented his dad’s offices, known then as
Maguire Insurance Agency, and kindled his
entrepreneurial fire. He hoped one day to work
for the agency and had definite ideas about how
to get there.
First, he chose to attend Villanova, where he
formed lasting friendships and was caught up in
the dynamic spirit that also has made Wildcats
fans of his wife, Ellen, and their three children.
Second, Maguire majored in English, believing
what his career success later confirmed: Communication is the most critical skill in business.
Maguire joined the agency in 1987, the year
it transitioned into Philadelphia Insurance Cos.
From 1993, when it went public, until 2008,
when it merged with Tokio Marine Group, the
firm grew to have 1,600 employees in 50 US
offices. In his every position, from underwriter
to executive, Maguire contributed to this boom
by living his mantra: “Take risks. Be disciplined.
Adapt to change.”
Leading by example
Since 2012, Maguire has pressed toward a new
goal: supporting cherished institutions. One of
his heart’s top claimants is Villanova. A member
of the Executive Committee of the President’s
Leadership Circle, Maguire also has directed
significant funds toward the men’s lacrosse and
basketball programs and the performing arts. “I
want to give back so that Villanova will continue
to be a special place. This is the next step my
generation needs to take.”
He also devotes his energies to being a director of the Maguire Foundation, which partners
with institutions and families in need by offering
tuition, scholarship assistance and grants for education. As part of its Maguire Scholars Program,
the nonprofit has established a scholarship fund
at Villanova.
Maguire’s zeal doesn’t surprise Thomas Panczner
’89 VSB, president, Babbidge Facilities Construction Co. Inc. He describes his former lacrosse
teammate as a “glass-half-filled guy.” While he,
Maguire and their buddies were hiking through
Europe after graduation, Maguire’s backpack
was stolen. “You know how Chris reacted? He
said, ‘Thank goodness I don’t have to carry that
around anymore!’”
Maguire’s attitude toward Villanova’s future is
just as positive. “The University has jumped to a
new level of stature and visibility. I’m excited to
help it take advantage of that prominence.” 
“I want to give
back so that
Villanova will
continue to
be a special
place. This is
the next step
my generation
needs to take.”
—Christopher
Maguire
By Suzanne
Wentzel
villanovA.EDU
35
rising star | Ariana Meltzer-Bruhn
Finding a New Level
Ariana Meltzer-Bruhn ’14 LAS elevates the meaning of community at
Villanova—and beyond
Many who become temporarily disabled, slowed
by crutches or wheelchair, relish the simple
act of walking again. When Ariana MeltzerBruhn ’14 LAS broke her foot two years ago,
it changed the very way she viewed disability.
She remembers how long it took “crutching”
from her residence hall to classes. Even more,
she remembers the last-moment decision to
complete the Walk for Water charity 5K on
crutches, and how much love and support she
received for her effort. Other disabled students
in the walk, however, received little attention,
she noticed. “It hit me at my core. I wanted to
get involved,” she says.
Ariana, who is in the Honors Program majoring in Global Interdisciplinary Studies and
Economics, went to the Office of Student
Disability Services and hoped to join a group
that educated the community about ableism,
a form of discrimination against people with
disabilities. She learned a group that would bring
disabled and able-bodied students together did
not yet exist. In that moment, the seeds of
LeVel were planted.
“Being a Villanovan means looking at something from all sides and not taking it at face
value. If it is something that is simply amazing,
I will stand back to see the beauty and reflect
on it. If it is something that should be helped,
I’m going to help it. If it is a problem, I am going
to stand up to it,” says Ariana, who carries a
3.99 GPA and speaks French and Chinese.
LeVeling the field
Throughout the next year, she and group adviser
Gregory Hannah from Student Disability
Services built LeVel’s presence on campus. She
met with students with disabilities to gain their
perspective on campus life, including what they
liked and what changes they would make. LeVel
quickly grew from an 80-student informational
meeting to a group that has logged 10,000 hours
of service during two years.
In her opinion, the group makes Villanova
even more inclusive, helping disabled students
to enjoy the Villanova experience. “As a college
student, I was able to create my own identity.
I learned to fail and then pick myself up—to
have great conversations and explore. LeVel
is able to provide that venue for students with
disabilities,” she says.
“To watch her blend the mission of the
office, her personal mission and the goals of our
students with disabilities was incredible,”
Hannah says. “‘Ari is a very motivated young
woman. I expect to see her succeed in every
way, not just through LeVel.”
In her journey since, Ariana has not broken
stride. She spoke about LeVel at TEDxVillanovaU, a local, self-organized event that
brought people together to share ideas. She was
invited to speak with Judith Heumann, special
adviser for International Disability Rights for
the US Department of State in Washington,
D.C., about disabilities.
And just before she left to study abroad in
China on a Connelly-Delouvrier International
Scholarship, Ariana learned she was selected as
a finalist in the 2013 Top Ten College Women
Readers’ Choice Contest in Glamour magazine.
“So many people congratulated me; it absolutely
blew me away,” she says.
The honor was just another opportunity to
create contacts and shine the national spotlight
on ableism, says Ariana. “It’s wonderful to help
found a group that creates community and
shifts people’s mindsets on ability.”
“Being a
Villanovan
means
looking at
something
from all sides
and not
taking it at
face value.”
—Ariana
MeltzerBruhn
By
Shawn
Proctor
For more information about LeVel, email level@
villanova.edu. 
villanovA.EDU
37
Mission
& Ministry
Shared vocabulary
Christofer Nicoletta ’13 LAS, Tyler Casteel ’13 COE, Melissa Madden ’13 LAS and Francis Cunningham ’15 CON, who campaigned for the sale
of “living wage” apparel in the University Shop, stand in front of an “icon” of Catholic activist Dorothy Day, painted by Sister Helen David
Brancato, IHM.
Reframing the Questions
Villanovans use Catholic social teaching to assess progress
>> By Suzanne Wentzel
F
rom pediatric growth charts
to 401(k) statements, progress reports fill our lives. Every
sphere of activity has criteria to help us
determine where we stand. If our team
outscores the opponent, our product
outsells the competitor’s or the good outweighs the bad, we feel confident we are
moving forward.
Substitute different criteria, however,
and that confidence may be shaken. What
if protecting the dignity of work, caring for
38
Villanova MAGAZINe
spring 2013
the earth or building peace through justice
are the benchmarks that reflect advances
in business, politics, technology and other
fields? Many of us may find we’re headed
in the wrong direction.
At Villanova, we measure human
progress in such terms. We use criteria
derived from Catholic social teaching
(CST), which is rooted in the conviction that every person, created in God’s
image, has dignity and value. CST is
developed in Church documents that
respond to signs of the times: poverty,
human rights, immigration and other
pressing issues.
Key to the University’s Catholic intellectual tradition and Augustinian mission,
CST links critical thinking and compassionate action. It helps students to become
ethical leaders. Through the efforts of the
Office for Mission and Ministry and its
vice president, Barbara Wall, PhD, CST
increasingly permeates teaching, discourse
and research on campus.
To deepen the conversation about CST
in every college, Dr. Wall offers an
annual, weeklong workshop that introduces faculty of all faith traditions to
CST. It is not unusual for participants
to experience a paradigm shift. Assistant Professor Timothy Horner, DPhil,
of the Center for Peace and Justice Education, was amazed to discover a canon
of writings whose “principles you can
apply to the real world and turn to when
you want to see how well you’re doing.”
These principles suffuse his teaching and
research on genocide.
The workshops have helped more than
140 faculty to weave CST into curricula.
Participant Barbara Ott, PhD, associate
professor in the College of Nursing, now
refers to CST to underscore classroom
discussions of how laws and public policy
impact health care delivery to marginalized
populations. “The preferential option for
the poor, a central theme in CST, affects
everything nurses do, from good care of the
dying to the rationing of scarce resources.”
Vito Punzi, PhD, professor of Chemical
Engineering, created a one-credit elective
on how engineers can view problem
solving through a CST lens. Engineers
traditionally develop solutions that will
achieve the greatest good, he says. “The bigger challenge from a social-consciousness
perspective is pursuing the common good
—obtaining solutions that minimize the
impact of a new development on society’s
most vulnerable members.”
Workshops also encourage faculty to
tackle CST-related research. Marketing
and Business Law professors Ronald Hill,
PhD, the Richard J. and Barbara Naclerio
Chair, and Michael Capella, PhD, associate
dean, Graduate and Executive Programs,
co-authored a forthcoming article for the
Journal of Business Research that examines
the impact of the US bishops’ 1986 pastoral letter, Economic Justice for All, on
marketing practice in the past 25 years.
Applying CST to the marketplace is not
only noble but sound business practice,
SEVEN KEY CST THEMES
Beginning with
Pope Leo XIII’s 1891
encyclical On the
Condition of Labor,
a succession of
Church documents
has developed the
following key
themes in Catholic
social teaching:
Life and Dignity of the Human Person
Call to Family, Community and Participation
Rights and Responsibilities
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
Solidarity
Care for God’s Creation
Dr. Hill says. “Many companies that get
into trouble don’t have a moral foundation. Social consciousness and profitability are not antithetical.”
As do all Villanova initiatives, CST
workshops build a community of learners.
They unite faculty across colleges and
enable them to share ideas and insights.
“CST gives us a common language with
which to begin new discussions and to
walk together in pedagogical and spiritual development,” says Christine Palus,
PhD, associate professor and chair, Public
Administration.
Workshops also lead to interdisciplinary
collaboration. Dr. Wall connected Professor Beth Lyon, JD, founding director
of Villanova University School of Law’s
Farmworker Legal Aid Clinic, which
provides free legal services to indigent
migrant workers, with Professor Mercedes
Juliá, PhD, chair of Romance Languages
and Literatures in the College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences. The two designed an
undergraduate internship so that bilingual
students can serve as translators and
interpreters for the clinic.
voices carry
The more CST is infused into curricula, the
more students benefit. CST guides students
as they exert their influence in the public
square, says Robert DeFina, PhD, professor
and chair, Sociology and Criminal Justice.
“Providing students with a moral, ethical
framework with which to make decisions
in the face of societal challenges is a critical
part of a Villanova education.”
In advocating for workers’ rights, Tyler
Casteel ’13 COE, Francis Cunningham
’15 CON, Melissa Madden ’13 LAS
and Christofer Nicoletta ’13 LAS show
how learning about CST empowers and
transforms students. They successfully
campaigned for the sale of “living wage”
Villanova apparel in the University Shop
and are working to organize a chapter of
United Students Against Sweatshops.
CST motivates them to press on. “We’ve
come to recognize our role as consumers
in perpetuating injustice,” says Chris. “By
taking responsibility for the decisions we
make, we hope to have a positive impact
on the world.”
The workshops are part of Mission and
Ministry’s multipronged effort to promote
awareness of CST. It also hosts conferences
and lectures that bring world-renowned
experts to campus and publishes the internationally circulated Journal of Catholic
Social Thought. These and other initiatives
strengthen Villanova’s identity as a locus
of CST scholarship and guardian of a
rich, complex tradition. “We must create
opportunities for students to talk about
the values inherent in that tradition,” says
Dr. Wall. “They are critical for building a
more just and peaceful world.” 
villanovA.EDU
39
wildcats
connect
Support a Tradition
of Success in and out
of competition
Villanova Athletic Fund reaches out to alumni, parents and friends
through “In Your City” events  By Shawn Proctor
Athletic
performance.
Academic
excellence. Service. These are the fundamental values that continue to define
Villanova’s athletic programs and make
them unique. These values have also produced student-athletes who compete on
the highest levels in their sport. At the
same time their efforts emphasize success as
much more than tallying wins and losses.
Although the sports landscape and
conferences may change over time,
Villanova’s tradition of character, integrity
and values remains as strong now as ever.
Villanova’s athletic programs continue to
excel at the very highest levels, producing
All-American honors, postseason berths
and national championships. These very
ambitious aspirations always go back to
Villanova’s fundamental values: to mentor these young men and women with a
world-class Villanova education and teach
life lessons through sports.
Exciting chapter
“This commitment to a holistic model of
intercollegiate athletics resonates across
the programs. Our student-athletes succeed without compromising intellectual development,” says Vince Nicastro,
director of Athletics. “It is a critical time
for alumni, parents and friends to be a part
of this exciting chapter in our history.”
And with the Villanova Athletic Fund
(VAF) “In Your City” events, the Univer-
Vince Nicastro, director of Athletics
40 Villanova MAGAZINe
Spring 2013
sity’s constituents are learning firsthand
about how they can support Villanova’s
athletic programs.
The 11-city regional tour, which
kicked off in Baltimore in September
and runs through the summer, includes
an opportunity to meet with coaches and
athletes, as well as a presentation about the
vision for athletics and how contributions
today will benefit the student-athletes
of tomorrow.
With the formation of the new BIG
EAST conference in March, the remaining
stops will include news and information on
the future of the conference.
“The BIG EAST brand has symbolized
excellence across the athletics spectrum
for more than three decades, and we are
excited about the opportunity to build
upon this rich heritage,” says Nicastro.
“The commitment to nationally prominent athletics programs has been a signature of Villanova’s tenure in the BIG
EAST Conference and will continue to
be in the years ahead.”
Be an ambassador
Jack St. Clair, Villanova’s head rowing
coach, is excited to share the message
with alumni and has made appearances
at several “In Your City” events. It’s an
amazing opportunity to reach supporters
as the University moves into a new era
of the VAF.
“All of the coaches are thrilled about
this effort to promote Villanova Athletics.
We have to rely on the generosity of our
alumni since we compete on a national
level against fully funded programs,”
St. Clair says. “I encourage our alumni
and other supporters to be ambassadors
for these programs. Come out, and bring
two or three people you know.”
“These are student-athletes who are
visible in the community, doing the
right things in and out of competition,”
Nicastro says. “This is about saying, ‘We
respect your commitment to your sport
and Villanova.’”
Participation counts
Villanova Athletics, as part of the University’s Strategic Plan, has identified critical
long-term projects, including upgrades to
Jack St. Clair, Villanova’s head rowing
coach, speaks at a Villanova Athletic Fund
“In Your City” event.
the Pavilion, varsity weight and locker
rooms, soccer complex on West Campus,
boathouse and various team spaces.
“Through the ‘In Your City’ events,
our goal is to share Villanova Athletics’
vision, along with the VAF’s priorities
and needs for our 24 varsity programs.
Our alumni, parents and friends have
left these events enthused about the
future, and we hope the remaining stops
bring more excitement from our loyal
supporters,” says George Kolb ’84 VSB,
assistant vice president for Athletics
Development. “We need the financial
resources to keep pace with all of the
other programs out there that are keeping
the foot on the gas.”
For more information about the
VAF and “In Your City” events, visit
SupportVillanovaAthletics.com. 
VAF “In Your City”
remaining stops:
Boston
Washington, D.C.
San Francisco
Philadelphia
Atlanta
For event dates and information,
please visit SupportVillanova
Athletics.com.
villanovA.EDU
41
The alumni
Association
Where Dreams
Come True
by suzanne wentzel
Dominating the westernmost edge of campus
is Villanova University’s own Main Line
mansion. It doesn’t matter how many
times people see it. Picotte Hall at Dundale
rivets their attention. Enchanted by the
Victorian confection of turrets and porches,
gables and bays, onlookers can almost hear
the clip-clop of horse-drawn carriages, the
strains of piano music and the burble of
laughter as guests gather on a late-19thcentury June evening in the home of
Theodore and Mary Morris.
Theodore was a son of Philadelphia
industrialist Israel Morris II. Looking for
a place for his family to summer, Israel
had purchased in 1874 the land on which
the mansion now sits. Over time he built
homes for each of his children. Designed by
renowned architect Addison Hutton, the
35-room Dundale outsized the others.
In 1978, the University bought the mansion
and the estate’s remnant 38 acres. Subsequent
renovations restored the building’s faded glory.
Today, the interior’s exquisite details—paneled ceilings, ornate banisters, tiled fireplaces,
carved mantles and charming paintings—
capture the stateliness of a bygone era.
No one has to imagine what events in
these elegant surroundings would be like,
since the University regularly hosts alumni,
donors, students, parents and other friends
in what is now known as Picotte Hall at
Dundale. The building was renamed and
dedicated in 2005 in recognition of a generous gift by the Michael B. Picotte ’69 Family
in memory of Bernard and Kathleen Picotte.
It may seem ironic that a building that
preserves the past is also headquarters to an
office that looks to the future. But University
Advancement, which engages partners in the
critical task of enhancing the Augustinian
educational experience, has a fitting home
in Picotte Hall at Dundale. At Villanova,
tradition guides the vision. Heritage backs
the promise. Legacy inspires the dream.
What lies behind and what lies ahead: Both
are part of the Villanova story. 
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Villanova MAGAZINe
spring 2013
villanovA.EDU
43
The alumni
Association
| volunteer spotlight |
To Have and to Hold Villanova
For Tyson and Kristin Reed, alumni involvement is a labor of love
By Elizabeth Russell
Tyson ’88 LAS and Kristin Reed ’88
LAS met in sociology class at Villanova
when he asked to borrow her notes. That
was the beginning of what has become a
lifelong commitment to each other, to
Villanova and to the community.
The Reeds, who live in Westwood,
Mass., are examples of how alumni can
embrace Villanova’s Augustinian spirit of
service and community and make a lasting
impact on the world around them. “We
learned lessons at Villanova about giving back, and we’re trying to do that in
several different ways,” Tyson says.
Rooted in Villanova
One of the reasons the Reeds are dedicated to helping Villanova to thrive is
the positive experiences they each had
as students. “I loved the people and what
the University represents,” Kristin says.
“Villanova shaped the next chapters of
my life. Father Peter was even at our
wedding and gave a ‘Villanova’ blessing.”
Tyson and Kristin have family members who are alumni, and their daughter,
Jacalyn, is a sophomore in the College of
Liberal Arts and Sciences. “Villanova has
always felt like family,” Kristin adds.
Welcome to the Family
Despite the distance, the Reeds have maintained their strong ties with Villanova.
Every summer for the past 10 years, they
have hosted receptions for new students
and their family members, as well as current students and alumni, at their summer
home in Rhode Island. “This may be the
first interaction new students and their
family members have with Villanova,”
Kristin says. “There often are 70 to 80
people at the reception. We’re all there
to welcome them and make sure they feel
part of the Villanova family.”
Tyson and Kristin serve on the President’s Leadership Circle, a group created
by University President the Rev. Peter
M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, ’75 LAS. It
comprises alumni who meet several times
a year to discuss University activities and
plans and to give feedback. Members also
serve on various committees. Kristin, for
example, interviews prospective students
who are candidates for scholarships.
“The Villanova mission and message
have the potential to resonate with so
many people, especially in today’s troubled
times,” Tyson says. “The University has
been making a difference for a long time.
I’m really interested in helping Villanova
harness what we have so that we can have
an even bigger influence in the future.”
In addition, the Reeds were co-chairs
of their 25th class reunion and have been
members of the Boston Alumni Chapter’s
Leadership Council for the past two years.
Touching Other Lives
The Reeds also find time to participate in activities that help their local
community. Tyson is on the Board of
Overseers at Newton-Wellesley Hospital
in Newton, Mass. Kristin is on the Board
of Trustees at St. Sebastian’s School, in
Needham, Mass., where their sons, Tyson
and Patrick, attend school. She also is on
the Board of Directors at the Boys & Girls
“The Villanova mission
and message have the
potential to resonate
with so many people.”
—Tyson Reed
Clubs of Newport County, R.I. “I’m very
passionate about educating and helping
young people,” Kristin says. “They’re the
future of our country.”
Tyson, a managing director at J.P.
Morgan Private Bank in Boston, encourages others to volunteer for activities or
organizations that they’re passionate about.
“People have to make time to give
back,” Tyson says. “When they find
something they really care about, it’s well
worth the effort.” 
villanovA.EDU
45
The alumni
Association
dent Mentoring Subgroup, a space where
current students and alumni can connect
with other alumni to discuss careerspecific topics, issues and advice.
Network of Villanova Alumni
(NOVA) Dinners
Local Villanova alumni with impressive
professional, educational, philanthropic
or personal accomplishments host
students in their homes or at local
restaurants for an evening of good food
and great conversation. The gatherings
give students the opportunity to socialize
and connect with alumni with similar
personal or professional interests.
Career Bites
Current students have the opportunity to
network with alumni on campus during
Homecoming Weekend. By participating, you can enjoy a casual lunch and
offer helpful advice to fellow Wildcats in
a variety of career fields.
Networking events
Left (clockwise from center): Shannon Rhodes ’16 COE; Judy Mulrow ’10 LAS, ’11 MA; Meredith
Ahlmeyer ’15 COE; Susan Guicheteau ’90 COE; Martae Giometti ’13 COE; John Reilly ’95 COE,
’98 MBA; Michelle Parziale ’13 COE. Above: NOVA Dinners give students the opportunity to
socialize and connect with alumni with similar personal or professional interests.
Join your local chapter at a networking event, and give advice to and
mentor alumni.
Villanova: A Place We Call Home
Microvolunteering offers alumni easy ways to give back
by Shawn Proctor
Y
ou’re probably like so many
Villanova alumni who’d love to
stay involved with the University but worry there’s not enough time in
the busy schedule to volunteer. Through
microvolunteering, alumni can help and
support students, the University and the
111,000 alumni living around the world
with options that are friendly to even the
most packed calendars.
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Villanova MAGAZINe
spring 2013
“This presents a lot of value for alumni
who want to give back by allowing folks
to do so in a way that fits into their lives.
Students are always impressed to see how
many alumni want to help. The value
of the Nova Network is that we can
put students in touch with alumni. It’s
a powerful connection,” says Josh Nay,
director of Volunteer Engagement at
Villanova University.
Take a Cat to Work
Fourteen alumni chapters hosted a reception and job-shadow experience for current
students during winter break in January.
For this unique mentoring opportunity,
students were matched with alumni on
the basis of interests and experiences.
Nova Network
LinkedIn
Use the career networking website to
connect with alumni and students
through subgroups, including the
Official University Alumni Association group (www.linkedin.com/groups/
Official-Villanova-University-AlumniAssociation-1833/about).
Membership
is open to all University graduates and students. Also join the VU Alumni and Stu-
Become a mentor on Villanova’s online
alumni community (www1.villanova.edu/
villanova/advancement/alumni/novanetwork.html).
“I have really enjoyed the online community website. In fact, I have spent a
better part of the past week reconnecting
with folks I have not talked to in 15 years!
It has been fun, and the site has been a great
catalyst!” says Ted LeClair ’91 LAS. 
Are You Up to the Chapter Challenge?
Join other alumni in this year’s Chapter Challenge, a competitive and
fun giving competition that benefits the University and allows alumni
chapters to win prizes for having the largest percentage increase,
achieving the highest overall participation rate and exceeding the
national average.
As of March, the top five chapters were Manhattan, Morris/Somerset,
Richmond, Houston and Lancaster. It’s still anybody’s race! The deadline
is May 31.
Those chapters who meet or exceed the 25 percent national average
for participation will receive a $250 special event grant. The chapter
with the highest increase from last year will receive a $500 special
event grant.
The chapter with the highest overall participation rate will receive
a $1,000 special event grant, have its chapter name engraved on the
Chapter Challenge Cup and will receive a visit from the Rev. Peter M.
Donohue, OSA, PhD, ’75 LAS, University president, at a chapter event.
Make your gift today at villanova.edu/makeagift.
villanovA.EDU
47
Class Notes
Villanova graduates share their news & updates • in memoriam • faculty • Staff
1950s
1970s
Class of 1953
60th Reunion
Class of 1973
40th Reunion
Class of 1958
55th Reunion
CLASS OF 1978
35th Reunion
The Honorable Joseph
Scancarella ’59 LAS was
appointed by Gov. Chris Christie
as a commissioner for the New
Jersey Commission on Investigation in Trenton, N.J.
Denis F. McLaughlin, Esq.,
’70 LAS, ’73 VLS spoke at the
2012 Annual Review of New
Jersey Civil Case Law. McLaughlin, a professor of Law at Seton
Hall Law School in Newark,
N.J., was named Professor of the
Year for 2012.
1960s
Class of 1968
45th Reunion
A. Roy DeCaro, Esq., ’71
LAS, ’74 VLS has been named
in the Top 100 Super Lawyers
by Philadelphia Magazine and
was named as one of the “Best
Lawyers in America.”
Dennis Corcoran ’63 LAS
published the book Induction Day
at Cooperstown: A History of the
Baseball Hall of Fame Ceremony.
Corcoran spoke about the book
on Clubhouse Confidential with
Brian Kenny on the MLB Network Jan. 2.
Francis Lentz ’71 LAS published the science fiction novel
Code Centaurus, which is about
the discovery of an ancient dig
site that holds the remains of a
futuristic machine that brings
about both unspeakable horrors
and enlightenment.
James F. O’Brien, PhD, ’63
LAS has published the book The
Scientific Sherlock Holmes. Dr.
O’Brien is a professor emeritus
at Missouri State University
in Springfield, Mo., where he
taught chemistry for 35 years.
Dr. O’Brien was the co-captain
of the 1962-63 Villanova University basketball team.
John Vannatta ’71 COE
accepted a position as president
at American Truck Historical
Society in Kansas City, Mo.
Judith Colla ’65 CON was
honored with the Clinical Star
Award from the American College of Nurse Midwifery Foundation. Colla is the elder stateswoman of Penn OB/GYN and
Midwifery Care at the Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia.
Michael Paparo ’73 COE has
retired from L-3 Communications after more than 39 years
as a design and development
engineer on government
communications systems.
Class of 1963
50th Reunion
Samuel Greenwood Jr. ’67
LAS was elected to the Boston
Intercity League Baseball Hall of
Fame in November.
48
Villanova MAGAZINe
Francis P. Devine III, Esq.,
’73 VLS has been named a
“Local Litigation Star” in the sixth
edition of Benchmark Litigation.
Devine is a partner at Pepper
Hamilton LLP in Philadelphia.
John Goodman, Esq., ’74 VLS
has been elected to his fourth
term as district attorney in Lyon
County, Kan. (county seat,
Emporia).
Vasilios J. Kalogredis, Esq.,
’74 VLS co-wrote the article
“OIG Approves Arrangements
Spring 2013
for Electronic Interface” in the
Jan. 10 issue of Legal Intelligencer.
Kalogredis is founder and shareholder of Kalogredis, Sansweet,
Dearden & Burke in Wayne, Pa.
Loretta Gallucci Quigley ’75
CON was promoted to academic
dean at Saint Joseph’s College
of Nursing in Syracuse, N.Y.
Quigley will oversee all major
academic operations of the College. Quigley is a member of the
Villanova University Alumni
Association Syracuse Chapter
Leadership Council.
Marguerite Fagella-D’Aloisio
’76 MS was the recipient of
the SUNY Chancellor’s Award
for Excellence in Professional
Service for the academic year
2011-2012. Fagella-D’Aloisio is
director of the Student Success
Center at Farmingdale State
College in Farmingdale, N.Y.
Peter Friedman, Esq., ’76
VLS and Edmund Campbell,
Esq., ’91 VLS presented on
“Land Use and Zoning Law
Litigation” at the National
Business Institute’s seminar in
Philadelphia. Friedman is a
founding shareholder at Friedman,
Schuman, Applebaum, Nemeroff
& McCaffery PC in Pennsylvania. Campbell is an attorney at
Silverang & Donohoe LLC in St.
Davids, Pa.
and hold a principal position in
a major American orchestra.
Nina M. Gussack, Esq., ’79
VLS has been named a “Local
Litigation Star” in the sixth
edition of Benchmark Litigation.
Gussack is a partner at Pepper
Hamilton LLP in Philadelphia.
Thomas J. Powell, Esq., ’79
COE and Mark J. Powell, Esq.,
’86 LAS served as instructors
for the Advanced Trial Skills
seminar sponsored by the National
Institute for Trial Advocacy at
the US District Courthouse in
Washington, D.C. Thomas Powell
is a partner at the Law Offices of
Thomas J. Powell in Fairfax, Va.
Mark Powell is a partner at Powell
Law in Scranton, Pa.
1980s
Class of 1983
30th Reunion
Class of 1988
25th Reunion
George Ardavanis, PhD, ’81
COE, ’84 MS accepted a
position as executive technical
adviser to the president at
Metrolinx in Toronto. Dr.
Ardavanis became the recipient
of the 2012 Silver Quill, Bronze
Quill, Platinum MarCom Award
and Gold MarCom Award.
E. Michael Stutzke, CMMA,
’76 LAS has been named the
High School Athletic Director of
the Year for the state of Florida.
Michael Berardi ’81 LAS
accepted a position as vice president, audit manager at Bank of
America in Charlotte, N.C.
Marc Weingarten, Esq., ’76
VLS served as chair and presented
on “Developments in U.S. Asbestos Litigation” at the International
Asbestos Forum in London.
Weingarten is a partner at Locks
Law Firm in Philadelphia.
Karen Hiznay Rizzo, MD,
’81 LAS was elected as vice
president of the Pennsylvania
Medical Society. Rizzo is the
president of the Villanova
University Alumni Association
Lancaster Chapter.
Mary Sue Welsh ’76 MA
has written the biography One
Woman in a Hundred: Edna Phillips
and the Philadelphia Orchestra,
about the first woman to join
Jean Keeler, Esq., ’81 VLS
was promoted to president and
CEO at Grand View Hospital in
Sellersville, Pa.
Kevin Nolan ’81 LAS was
appointed chairman of the board
of the Main Line Chamber of
Commerce.
Samuel Arena Jr., Esq.,
’83 VLS moderated a panel
discussion at the American Bar
Association’s Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section, Fidelity
& Surety Law Committee Fall
Fidelity Program in Hartford,
Conn. Arena is a partner at the
Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young
LLP office in Philadelphia.
Paul Melchiorre ’83 VSB
accepted a position as president
of iPipeline in Exton, Pa.
Lisa Carrick ’85 VSB married
Rob Kirk.
Paula Devlin Agosto ’85 CON
has been appointed as senior
vice president and chief nursing
officer at The Children’s Hospital
of Philadelphia.
Susan Foley Rocco ’85 LAS
has launched a new show, “Women
to Watch,” on News Talk 1180
WFYL Radio in King of Prussia,
Pa. The hour-long program highlights women in the Philadelphia
area and across the nation who
own, operate or have founded a
company or organization.
Thomas O’Keefe, Esq., ’85
VLS has been named chair of the
Western Hemisphere Area Studies
program at the US Department of
State’s Foreign Service Institute
in Washington, D.C.
Gerald Pappert, Esq., ’85 LAS
accepted the position as a member
of the Commercial Litigation
group at the Cozen O’Connor
office in Philadelphia.
Paul Romanelli ’85 VSB
married Theresa Boyle.
Barbara Bercik McConnell,
CRNP, ’86 CON received a master’s in Nursing from Duquesne
University and received her
accreditation through the
American Academy of Nurse
Practitioners in May. Bercik
McConnell is with the Palliative
Care and Hospice Department
at Jefferson Regional Medical
Center in Pleasant Hills, Pa.
Sister Susan J. Cronin, IHM,
PhD, ’86 MS was promoted to
director of the Office of Sponsored
Research at Immaculata University in Immaculata, Pa.
David Facer, PhD, ’87 VSB
received a doctorate of philosophy in Leadership Studies from
the University of San Diego.
James Shanley Jr. ’87 COE
was promoted to vice president
at Travelers Insurance in
Hartford, Conn.
Gina Wilson ’87 MS served on
a panel at the Duke University
Clinical Research Institute’s fourth
annual Wireless Technologies &
Consumer Health Care: The Next
Generation of Patient Engagement,
where she spoke on “Discovering
Patient Engagement.”
Christopher Gatti ’88 VSB
has been appointed to the
position of CEO at Nuvon Inc.
Carolyn Mirabile, Esq., ’88
LAS, ’91 VLS authored the
case note, “Father’s Polyamorous
Relationship Alone Is Not Sufficient Evidence to Overcome the
Presumption in Favor of Granting
Primary Physical Custody to
Parents Over Third Parties,” in
the December issue of the Pennsylvania Family Lawyer. Mirabile is
a partner at the Weber Gallagher
Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby
LLP office in Norristown, Pa.
Helping Kids to Thrive
James P. Cullen Jr., Esq.,
’88 VSB has been appointed to the board
of trustees for Cristo
Rey Philadelphia High
School—an independent,
Catholic high school for
boys and girls of all faiths.
The school is for students in grades 9-12 who want
a rigorous college preparatory education but cannot
afford tuition to a private school. Cristo Rey Philadelphia is the 26th school in the national Cristo Rey
network. The school’s first class of 125 freshmen
started in September 2012.
Cullen says that serving on the school’s board was
natural for him because he relates to the students.
“I went to Villanova on scholarships, grants and
financial aid and worked my way through college,”
Cullen says.
Cullen is a member at Cozen O’Connor, which is
ranked one of the top 100 law firms in the country.
“I got a strong sense of wanting to give back to
the community while I was at Villanova,” Cullen says.
been elected as chair of the Business Department at White and
Williams LLP in Philadelphia.
Vidwans is a partner in White
and Williams’ Real Estate and
Finance Practice groups.
Paul Bauer, Esq., ’89 LAS
opened a new law firm, Bauer &
Associates, Attorneys at Law, in
Pottstown, Pa. Bauer will facilitate as owner and partner.
1990s
Thomas Perez ’88 VSB
accepted a position as president at
Ballantyne Marketing Consultants
LLC located in Charlotte, N.C.
Class of 1993
20th Reunion
Susan Sheppard, Esq., ’88 VSB
was elected for a five-year term
as Cape May County’s 21st
surrogate. Sheppard is the first
female surrogate in the history of
Cape May County, N.J.
James Garner ’90 VSB
accepted a position as partner at
the SolomonEdwardsGroup LLC
office in Washington, D.C.
Maulin Vidwans ’88 LAS has
Class of 1998
15th Reunion
John McEvoy ’90 VSB
accepted the position as head
lacrosse coach at Malvern Prep
in Malvern, Pa. In 2007, McEvoy
was inducted into the Pennsylvania Lacrosse Hall of Fame and
into the Villanova Varsity Club
Hall of Fame in 2008.
Mary Mullaney, Esq., ’90
VLS was a presenter at Blank
Rome’s “Issues Affecting Development in the Marcellus and
Utica Plays” in Harrisburg, Pa.
Mullaney is a partner with Blank
Rome LLP in Philadelphia.
Peter Naccarato, PhD, ’91
LAS co-authored the book
Culinary Capital.
Christopher Valeri ’91 LAS
married Jennifer Raudenbush.
Valeri welcomed a boy.
Daniel Blaney, PE, ’92 COE
welcomed a boy.
John Lamb ’92 LAS, ’03 MS
accepted a position as director of
Engineering at ANSAR Medical
Technology in Philadelphia.
villanovA.EDU
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class notes
Esteemed Alumni Affairs Leader Ends Tenure
The Villanova community recently bid a fond
farewell to Gary Olsen ’74 LAS, ’80 MS, longtime
associate vice president for Alumni Relations and
executive director of the Alumni Association.
“My experience as a Villanova student was transformational,” says Olsen, “so it was extraordinary to
have the opportunity to return to my alma mater
and serve for two decades.”
That Olsen describes these years as “very meaningful and rewarding” is no surprise, given the
breadth of his accomplishments. Among them are
playing an important role in the development of
an integrated Advancement and Alumni Relations
program; participation in three successful capital
campaigns; and the establishment of an awardwinning Leadership Summit.
Olsen’s 35-plus years of experience will now
benefit the University of Scranton, where he has
been named vice president for Development and
Alumni Relations.
Lamb also was promoted to captain at Civil Air Patrol, US Air
Force Auxiliary, in Trenton, N.J.
John O’Malley, Esq., ’92 VLS
has been appointed co-chair of
the Philadelphia Bar Association’s
Intellectual Property Committee and is serving for a oneyear term as co-vice president.
O’Malley is an attorney at Volpe
and Koenig PC in Philadelphia.
Nicholas San Filippo IV ’92
VSB has been named to the
board of directors of the New
Jersey Chamber of Commerce.
San Filippo is a partner at
Lowenstein Sandler and co-chair
of its Corporate/Securities group
in Roseland, N.J.
Michelle Warner Hammel,
Esq., ’92 LAS, ’95 VLS accepted
a position as staff attorney at the
Delaware River and Bay Authority
in New Castle, Del.
N. Richard Reynolds, Esq., ’93
VLS has joined his wife, Karen
Purcell Reynolds, Esq., ’92 VLS at
Reynolds Family Law LLC in
Malvern, Pa.
Valentino DiGiorgio III, Esq.,
50
Villanova MAGAZINe
’94 VLS discussed the state and
national political climate at “5
Days to Inauguration: The Future
of Pennsylvania and National
Policies & Politics” at The Hub
Cira Centre in Philadelphia.
DiGiorgio is a partner at Stradley
Ronon Stevens & Young LLP in
Pennsylvania.
at Lincoln Financial Group in
Radnor, Pa.
Lawyer. DeMatteo is a partner at
Shemtob Law PC in Blue Bell, Pa.
Joyce Garczynski ’00 LAS
welcomed twin girls.
Coachable Leader: What Future
Executives Need to Know Today.
David Glass, PhD, Esq., ’96
VLS has incorporated the Glass
Family Law into Feinberg Mindel Brandt & Klein LLP in Los
Angeles and has been appointed
as an associate.
Kara Giangrasso ’98 VSB
married David Merrill.
Thomas Mastrobuoni ’00 VSB
welcomed a girl.
Christopher Winters ’02 VSB
married Janna Paciotti.
Karen Williams ’98 MPA
accepted a position as associate
attorney at the Law Office of
Christine Garner PC in Rockford, Ill.
Kelly McCormack Orlando,
PhD, ’00 LAS accepted a position as assistant professor in the
Biology Department at Immaculata University in Immaculata, Pa.
John Bassounas ’99 VSB married Mary Kishbaugh. Bassounas
has also been named a partner
at Pavone Marketing Group in
Harrisburg, Pa.
Douglas Rosenblum, Esq., ’00
VSB, ’03 VLS was recently
promoted to partner at the
Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick
& Raspanti LLP in Philadelphia.
Daniel Boland, Esq., ’03 VLS,
’03 MBA was named partner at
the Pepper Hamilton LLP office
in Philadelphia. Boland is a
member of the firm’s Commercial
Litigation Practice Group.
Jennifer Colavito Miller ’99
LAS welcomed a boy.
Kelly Bowe Flammia ’01 LAS
welcomed a girl.
Elizabeth Fogarty Cail, Esq., ’99
LAS, ’02 VLS welcomed a boy.
Lynn Carson ’01 MS accepted
a position as manager at the
Children’s Resource Center in
Harrisburg, Pa.
Maj. Daniel Huvane ’96 VSB
accepted a position as director
of Public Affairs at US Marine
Corps Forces South in Miami.
MARFORSOUTH commands
all Marine forces assigned to US
Southern Command and advises
the Commander of SOUTHCOM
on the proper employment and
support of Marine forces in South
America, Central America and
the Caribbean.
Kerry McDuffie ’96 COE and
David Yusko, PsyD, ’99 LAS
welcomed a girl.
John Schofield ’96 LAS was
promoted to a Navy public affairs
officer and the Navy Element
Commander of the Defense Information School at Fort Meade, Md.
Nezam Al-Nsair, PhD, RN,
’97 MSN was named the director
of the new BSN program at the
University of Mount Union in
Alliance, Ohio.
Claudine Homolash, Esq.,
’99 VLS appeared on the CNN
News affiliate WFMZ-TV’s
program, “Physician Payment
Sunshine Act: Ethical Necessity
or Excessive Burden?” presented
by The American Law Journal
in January. Homolash is a plaintiffs’ attorney at Sheller PC
in Philadelphia.
Joseph McGowan, PhD, ’99
LAS received a doctorate of philosophy in Clinical Psychology from
Columbia University in October.
Andrew Drechsler ’94 VSB has
been appointed as chief financial
officer at Insmed Inc. in Monmouth Junction, N.J.
Joseph Stavish ’97 COE was
promoted and is serving as a
SEABEE in the Navy Civil Engineering Corps at the Washington
Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.
Amy Pugliano O’Keefe ’99
LAS was promoted to partner in
Global Business and Transactions
at the Nixon Peabody LLP office
in Boston.
David Storm, Esq., ’94 VLS
welcomed a boy.
David Wissing ’97 COE
welcomed a boy.
Peter Shalaida ’99 VSB
married Heather Miller.
Scott Nolan ’95 LAS, ’07 MS
welcomed a girl.
Gerard Brett ’98 LAS, ’05 MS
was promoted to director of college
counseling at La Salle College
High School in Wyndmoor, Pa.
Elizabeth Somin Woods ’95
VSB accepted a position as
director of annual fund and campaign strategy at the University
of Michigan Ross School of
Business in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Christopher Barton ’96 COE
welcomed a girl.
James DelBello, Esq., ’96 VLS
has been appointed as senior
vice president and head of
business law and compliance
Spring 2013
Kathleen Bronson Dussan,
MD, ’98 CON welcomed a boy.
Christina DeMatteo, Esq.,
’98 VLS authored the case note
“Superior Court of Pennsylvania
Determines That in Loco Parentis
Standing Is Severed by Adoption
if in Loco Parentis Ends Prior to
Adoption” in the December
issue of the Pennsylvania Family
2000s
Class of 2003
10th Reunion
Class of 2008
5th Reunion
Eric Brown, Esq., ’00 LAS
married Amanda Julian.
Patrick Cavanaugh ’00 VSB
was promoted to senior vice
president of Finance at the
Yankees Entertainment Sports
Network LLC in New York.
Kelley Goodwin D’Antoni ’01
VSB welcomed a boy.
Jay Graham ’01 MTX accepted
a position as managing director
and was named a member of the
Tax Services Practice Group at
the CBIZ MHM LLC office in
New York.
Louis Mancini ’01 VSB
welcomed a girl.
Bradley O’Connor ’01 VSB
welcomed a girl.
James A.J. Revels ’01 MTX
was named one of Philadelphia’s
top accounting professionals by
the readers of business magazine,
SmartCEO. Revels is a partner
at Citron Cooperman in Philadelphia.
Nicole Gallo ’02 LAS married
Michael Sandberg.
Nikitas Moustakas ’02 MTX
was named a shareholder at the
Capehart & Scatchard office in
Mount Laurel, N.J.
Sean Stadelman, Esq., ’02
VSB, ’05 VLS was promoted to
special counsel at the Goldberg
Segalla LLP Philadelphia office.
Monica Warner ’02 LAS, ’07
MA and Susannah Cobb ’07
MA co-authored the book The
John Devine, Esq., ’03 VLS
was recently named partner at
the Philadelphia law office of
Pepper Hamilton LLP. Devine is
a member of the firm’s Corporate
and Securities Practice Group.
Allison Dunlop Hollender ’03
LAS welcomed a boy.
Ashley Ellis ’03 VSB married
Zoiner Tejada. Ellis is a volunteer
for the Villanova University
Alumni Association San Diego
Chapter.
Jamie Fray Dupras ’03 LAS
and Thomas Dupras ’03 LAS
welcomed a boy.
Michael Guyette ’03 MBA
has been named the president
and CEO at Blue Cross and Blue
Shield of Minnesota.
Stephanie McCollister ’03 LAS
married Adam Huey. McCollister
is the president of the Villanova
University Alumni Association
San Diego Chapter.
Hyung Steele, Esq., ’03 VLS
was named partner at the Pepper
Hamilton LLP office in Philadelphia. Steele is a member of the
firm’s Health Effects Litigation
Practice Group.
Michael Ciamaichelo ’04 VSB
accepted a position as a junior
associate in the Subrogation
Department at White and
Williams LLP in Philadelphia.
Susan Cossette Jamison ’04
CON welcomed a boy.
J. Jeffrey Craighead, PE, ’04
MS was elected by the National
Society of Professional Engineers
as Federal Engineer of the Year,
Agency winner for the Naval
Life Plus Four Paws
Marry something you love with the pure intention of
helping others, and your odds for success in making a difference are indisputably high. That’s what
Mark Stieber ’81 VSB, ’87 MA (center) learned as a
Villanova student and what motivated his founding
of Main Line Deputy Dog, a Wayne, Pa., based nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people with
disabilities to train their own service dogs. A “Deputy Dog” can open and close doors, pull a wheelchair,
carry the laundry and perform many other tasks that
increase quality of life and independence.
Jovially describing himself as “part dog,” Stieber
explains that an article about service dogs led
him to visit large dog-training facilities across the
country until a smaller one in Arizona stood out as
his ideal model.
“It was their hands-on approach,” he says, “and
the idea of helping people locally—of neighbor
helping neighbor.”
An inspired Stieber then teamed up with the
nationally renowned local dog trainers of What a
Good Dog in Malvern, Pa. To locate canine partners
for his students, Stieber works with nearby shelters
and animal rescues, including New Leash on Life,
whose program trains rescued dogs within the
Philadelphia prison system.
But Deputy Dog is not a one-alumnus effort.
Villanova basketball’s Harold Jensen ’87 VSB (right)
serves as its vice president and treasurer, while
local NBC news anchor Keith Jones ’07 LAS (left)
joins Stieber in promoting Deputy Dog and raising
funds to support its important mission.
Visit www.mldd.org for more information, to
volunteer or to donate.
Surface Warfare Center-Ship
Systems Engineering Center.
Annemarie Marcus ’04 LAS
married Sean Stewart.
Stephen Kettinger ’04 COE
welcomed a girl.
Matthew Mousley, Esq., ’04
VLS was named partner and mem-
villanovA.EDU
51
class notes
Zbinden-Brassard ’08 LAS.
HISPANA LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE NAMES ALUMNA
Isaura Gonzales-Matos, PsyD, ’92 LAS was one
of 22 women selected as fellows of the National
Hispana Leadership Institute’s Executive Leadership Program for 2013. The program is for Latina
women who have demonstrated leadership abilities
in the past and who show the greatest potential for
impacting the future of Latino communities.
The fellowship curriculum includes understanding
yourself and others, leadership development, public
policy and management, and the impact of public policy on communities. Fellows complete their
training at notable facilities, including the John F.
Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Massachusetts and the Center for
Creative Leadership in North Carolina.
“My professors at Villanova encouraged me to
strive for my goals and gave me a sense of conviction and determination,” Dr. Gonzales-Matos says.
ber of the Intellectual Property
Practice Group at Duane Morris
LLP law firm in Philadelphia.
Laura Farrell ’05 LAS has
accepted a position as a policy
adviser for the New York City
Business Integrity Commission
in New York.
Melissa Franzella ’05 LAS married Gregory LeFave ’05 VSB.
Robert Gordon IV ’05 LAS
accepted a position as chief digital
officer at America’s Promise
Alliance in Washington, D.C.
Margot MacKay ’05 LAS
welcomed a girl.
Stefanie Suska ’05 COE, ’07
MS married Christopher Callens.
Rachel Branson, Esq., ’06 VLS
co-wrote the article “Affinity
Bar Associations: Why Should
Young Lawyers Join?” for the
Jan. 10 issue of the Legal Intelligencer. Branson is an associate
at Schnader Harrison Segal &
Lewis in Philadelphia and is
president of the Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia.
Christopher Schacke ’06
CON has been accepted into
Louisiana State University
52
Villanova MAGAZINe
Health Sciences Center’s Certified
Registered Nurse AnesthetistDoctor of Nursing Practice
Anesthesia program.
Kathleen Tisone Orosz ’06
LAS and J. Matthew Orosz
’06 VSB welcomed a boy.
Michael Venutolo-Mantovani
’06 LAS and his band, the
Everymen, have released their
debut album, New Jersey Hardcore.
The band is touring nationally
and internationally through 2013.
Susannah Cobb ’07 MA
co-authored the book Preparing
for Your Prime Time: A Woman
Boomer’s Guide to Retirement.
Jonathan Kolodziej ’07 LAS
accepted a position as an associate
and a member of the Litigation
Practice Group at Bradley Arant
Boult Cummings LLP in
Birmingham, Ala.
Caitlin Glenn ’08 COE married
Neal Dillon ’08 COE.
John Heilmann IV ’08 VSB
married Sylwia Tyksinski.
Elizabeth Sartori, Esq., ’08
VLS married Craig Joseph
Arthur Bresnahan. Sartori is
an associate attorney in the
Litigation Practice at Bingham
McCutchen LLP in Boston.
Kyle Elliott, Esq., ’09 VLS
welcomed a boy.
Evan Fisher ’09 VSB was
promoted to senior associate
at Barons Financial Services in
Geneva, Switzerland. Fisher serves
as a specialist in international
and cross-border M&A in aerospace, defense and aviation.
Kristen O’Neill ’09 VSB
married Patrick Bickard
’09 VSB.
Jessica Plummer ’09 LAS
married Joseph Tabor.
Michael Thomson ’09 MTX
was promoted to interim principal
accounting officer at Towers
Watson & Co.
2010s
Robert Gibiser ’10 VSB was
promoted to associate in Risk
Management at Bank of America
Merrill Lynch in New York.
Kevin Lavery ’10 LAS was
promoted to account executive
of Sales at Amazon in Seattle.
Lisa Peterson ’10 VSB married
Jonathan Schlesinger.
for the Jesuit Volunteer Corps
Northwest. Bersani will be serving
at the Ecumenical Ministries of
Oregon: HIV Services in
Portland, Ore.
William Gallagher ’12 VLS
accepted a position as an associate
in the Estates and Trusts Practice
Group at the HunterMaclean
office in Savannah, Ga.
Jonathan Lombardo, Esq.,
’12 VLS is an associate in the
Electrical Group at the Volpe and
Koenig PC office in Philadelphia.
Nicole Poletto ’12 LAS has
become a full-time volunteer for
the Jesuit Volunteer Corps
Northwest. Poletto will be serving
at SOLVE in Gresham, Ore.
Monique Stenger ’12 CON
has become a full-time volunteer
for the Jesuit Volunteer Corps
Northwest. Stenger will be serving
at the Providence HR Memorial
Hospital in Hood River, Ore.
Thomas J. Burke ’49 COE,
Dec. 28, 2012.
The Rev. Charles P. Laferty,
OSA, ’50 LAS, Oct. 19, 2012.
Ralph A. Skowron, MD, ’51
LAS, Jan. 12.
Norman H. Hogg ’47 COE,
Aug. 15, 2012.
The Rev. Joseph A.
Duffey, OSA, ’49 LAS,
Nov. 16, 2012.
Irven R. Ostrander ’50 COE,
Nov. 6, 2012.
Nicholas A. Travaglini ’51
LAS, Dec. 7, 2012.
Frederick A. Price, PhD, ’50
LAS, Sept. 28, 2012.
James M. Wilson Jr. ’51 COE,
Aug. 7, 2012.
George J. Simonelli ’50 VSB,
Nov. 12, 2012.
Wilson C. Anderson ’52 VSB,
Nov. 21, 2012.
Vincent P. Dimarcantonio ’51
LAS, July 11, 2011.
James J. Brown ’52 VSB,
Dec. 28, 2012.
Laurence DiStefano Jr., Esq.,
’51 LAS, June 22, 2012.
John J. Carroll ’52 COE,
Jan. 6.
James A. Donohue ’51 VSB,
Jan. 5, 2012.
Anthony J. Marrollo ’52 LAS,
Aug. 1, 2012.
Joseph S. Howanski ’51 VSB,
Dec. 22, 2012.
Arthur W. Newberry ’52
LAS, Jan. 24.
Raymond T. Kase Sr. ’51
COE, Dec. 9, 2012.
Bruno A. Pattan ’52 COE,
Aug. 4, 2012.
The Rev. John F. Lipp, OSA,
’51 LAS, Dec. 3, 2012.
Adolph A. Bergen ’53 VSB,
Nov. 8, 2012.
Philip E. Jakeway Jr. ’47
COE, Jan. 30.
George J. McFadden ’47 VSB,
Sept. 22, 2012.
Anthony P. Coppa ’48 COE,
Oct. 8, 2012.
Joseph J. Foley Jr. ’48 VSB,
Jan. 30.
Robert J. Mills Jr. ’48 VSB,
Dec. 30, 2011.
John J. O’Donnell ’48 COE,
Oct. 26, 2011.
William B. Quinn ’48 VSB,
Jan. 17.
Domenick C. Versaggi Sr. ’48
COE, Oct. 1, 2012.
Robert G. McNamara ’49 VSB,
Nov. 1, 2012.
Richard R. Rice ’49 COE,
Jan. 10.
Edward G. Sutula ’49 VSB,
Nov. 27, 2012.
1950s
John J. Callahan ’50 VSB,
Jan. 27.
Francis P. Duffy ’50 LAS,
Sept. 24, 2012.
Thomas E. Eichman ’50 LAS,
’58 VLS, Nov. 27, 2012.
Neal P. Fahy ’50 LAS, Jan. 25.
Do you have a child applying
to the CLASS OF 2018?
In Memoriam
1930s
John J. Costello, Esq., ’39 VSB,
Oct. 18, 2012.
Fall 2013
Open House
Schedule
1940s
William Larkin ’41 LAS,
Oct. 13, 2012.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Saturday, September 7
Sunday, September 15
Vincent S. Cassaviell, DDS,
’42 LAS, Jan. 14.
Business
Saturday, September 7
Sunday, September 15
Jack Grabosky ’42 VSB,
Nov. 22, 2012.
Engineering
Saturday, September 14
Sunday, October 6
Craig Rinefierd ’10 VSB was
promoted to in-charge on the Tax
Exempt team at The Bonadio
Group office in Rochester, N.Y.
Daniel J. Haley ’42 VSB,
Jan. 20.
Amber Ruest ’07 LAS graduated from St. George’s University
Medical School in June. Ruest
is currently completing her
Emergency Medicine Residency
at Maimonides Medical Center
in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Scott Endlein, Esq., ’11 VLS
was named an associate in the
Workers’ Compensation Department at the Capehart & Scatchard
office in Mount Laurel, N.J.
Bruno J. Talvacchia ’42 COE,
Sept. 25, 2012.
Amanda Peterpaul ’11 CON
married Kevin Roger ’10 VSB.
Louis A. Masciocchi ’44 VSB,
Dec. 11, 2012.
Justine Digeronimo ’08
LAS, ’09 MA married Daniel
Alexandra Bersani ’12 LAS
has become a full-time volunteer
Francis J. O’Connor ’45 COE,
Jan. 8.
Spring 2013
Donald E. Schmitt Sr. ’45
COE, Oct. 9, 2012.
Nursing
Saturday, September 14
Sunday, October 6
William M. Lynch ’42 LAS,
Jan. 6.
Legacy Day
Sunday, October 27
John A. Surmonte, MD, ’43
LAS, Jan. 9.
Application Deadlines
Deadlines for a completed
Common Application with Villanova
University Supplement:
November 1
Early Action, Health Affiliation Programs,
and Honors Program consideration
December 1
Presidential Scholarship nomination,
Villanova Scholarship consideration
January 7
Regular Decision
Visit admission.villanova.edu to register for an
Open House or to view a general campus visit schedule.
villanovA.EDU
53
class notes
Edward D. Castellanos ’53
LAS, Oct. 31, 2012.
Joseph A. McLane ’58 VSB,
Nov. 20, 2012.
Joseph M. Delone ’63 LAS,
Oct. 20, 2012.
Paul J. Czesak ’53 LAS,
Dec. 22, 2012.
James D. McLoughlin ’58
VSB, Jan. 6.
Samuel K. Gruneisen ’63 LAS,
Sept. 28, 2012.
1970s
Paul B. Hanrahan ’54 LAS,
Nov. 26, 2012.
Eugene F. Weisser ’58 VSB,
Nov. 30, 2012.
Vincent H. Kennedy ’63 LAS,
Jan. 11.
Beatrice J. Campbell ’70 MA,
Dec. 7, 2012.
Edward J. Kerney Sr. ’54 VSB,
Nov. 28, 2012.
Angela M. Wolliard ’58 CON,
Nov. 10, 2012.
Carolyn Querry Smith ’63
CON, Dec. 4, 2012.
William H. Ewing ’70 VSB,
Dec. 20, 2012.
The Rev. Daniel J. Menihane,
OSA, ’54 LAS, Jan. 27.
Joseph A. Cacciola ’59 COE,
Nov. 22, 2012.
John L. Brennan ’64 VSB,
Oct. 8, 2012.
Victoria Inverso Lombardi
’70 MA, Nov. 4, 2012.
Michael F. Quinn ’54 VSB,
Dec. 2, 2012.
Robert J. “Bob” Cunius Sr.
’59 VSB, Oct. 25, 2012.
Patrick J. Rowan ’70 LAS,
Nov. 23, 2012.
Martin H. Rogers ’54 VSB,
Dec. 17, 2012.
Richard N. Ryan ’59 VSB,
Sept. 26, 2012.
Gordon H. Mansfield, Esq., ’64
VSB, Jan. 29. Mansfield was the
recipient of the Villanova
University Alumni Medal in 1994.
Stanley R. Sulkowski, MD,
’54 LAS, May 1, 2012.
Edward A. Stroud ’59 COE,
Oct. 17, 2012.
John F. Toland ’64 VSB,
Nov. 22, 2012.
James E. Gildea ’55 LAS,
Jan. 22.
William G. Walsh ’59 LAS,
Jan. 20.
Toni Zucconi ’64 MA,
Nov. 1, 2012.
1960s
P. Donald Ficca ’65 VSB,
Jan. 7.
Theodore F. Beck Jr. ’60 MA,
Nov. 10, 2012.
Elbert J. Harding ’65 VSB,
Dec. 23, 2011.
George D. Curran ’56 VSB,
July 24, 2012.
Louis C. Flanagan ’60 LAS,
Dec. 20, 2012.
John E. Roberts, Esq., ’65
LAS, ’68 VLS, Jan. 4.
Robert A. McCaffery ’56
LAS, Dec. 15, 2012.
Albert D. Krebel ’60 VSB,
Jan. 24.
Wayne J. Page ’66 COE,
Oct. 3, 2012.
William E. Mowatt, Esq., ’56
VSB, ’59 VLS, Dec. 28, 2012.
John P. Eliff Jr. ’61 LAS, Dec.
25, 2012.
Reginald J. Wesberry ’66 MA,
Sept. 22, 2012.
John Nagy ’56 VSB,
Nov. 30, 2012.
James A. Mulvihill ’61 VSB,
Jan. 13.
Francis J. Salerno ’67 MA,
Dec. 28, 2012.
Margaret R. Nowack Eckert
’56 CON, Nov. 11, 2012.
Thomas J. Quigley ’61 LAS,
Oct. 16, 2012.
Joseph J. Holley ’68 LAS,
June 27, 2012.
Robert A. Ryan ’56 LAS,
Dec. 8, 2011.
Thomas J. Reilly Jr. ’61 VSB,
Sept. 15, 2012.
Richard B. Benante ’69 LAS,
Nov. 5, 2012.
Albert C. Cinorre ’57 VSB,
Oct. 13, 2012.
Joseph A. Zeccardi, MD, ’61
LAS, Nov. 5, 2012.
Sean M. Keefe ’69 LAS,
Dec. 31, 2012.
Normand E. Cloutier ’58
COE, Oct. 9, 2012.
Joseph E. Dolan ’62 COE,
June 14, 2012.
John L. Krajsa Jr., Esq., ’69
LAS, Nov. 9, 2012.
Thomas J. LoBue Sr. ’58
COE, Oct. 25, 2012.
Joseph M. Clarke ’63 LAS,
June 17, 2012.
Sister Joan M. Massura ’69
MS, July 9, 2012.
John H. Gilligan Jr., MD, ’55
LAS, April 10, 2012.
Richard D.K. Wilson, DDS,
’55 LAS, Dec. 11, 2012.
J. Edward McWhorter ’69
VSB, Jan. 1.
Thomas G. Mundt ’71 VSB,
Nov. 14, 2012.
Hazelyn M. Weaver ’71 MS,
Sept. 27, 2012.
Margaretta T. Bigley, EdD,
’72 MS, Sept. 11, 2012.
Charles D. Conover Jr. ’72
COE, Jan. 17.
James J. Kiely Jr. ’72 LAS,
Nov. 26, 2012.
Col. Sidney F. “Skip” Baker
Jr., USAF (Ret.), ’76 MA,
Aug. 2, 2012.
Frederick W. Brown Jr. ’76
COE, Oct. 25, 2012.
John F. Mack Jr. ’76 VSB,
Jan. 13.
James R. Schaefer ’76 LAS,
Jan. 14.
Anthony Belcastro ’79 VSB,
Nov. 4, 2012.
1980s
Doris S. Casper, Esq., ’80 VLS,
Jan. 2.
Villanova MAGAZINe
Spring 2013
Janet M. Kelly ’92 MSN,
Oct. 30, 2012.
Faculty & Staff
Gregory J. Mizii ’83 LAS,
March 30, 2009.
Barbara Ann Curry ’96 LAS,
Nov. 22, 2012.
Donald R. Burke, PhD,
Oct. 19, 2012.
Kevin M. McEwen, Esq., ’85
LAS, ’88 VLS, Jan. 12.
Michael J. Randazzo ’97 LAS,
December 9, 2012.
James B. Singley ’85 LAS,
Oct. 10, 2012.
Kristie L. Mickle ’98 VSB,
Nov. 6, 2012.
Joseph P. Caggiano ’86 COE,
’94 MBA, Jan. 14.
2000s
Luciano Tribuiani ’86 LAS,
Oct. 20, 2012.
Nicholas F. Woronko ’05
COE, ’07 MS, June 10, 2012.
Charles P. Hutchinson ’89 MS,
Nov. 30, 2012.
Brett M. Kaprowski ’06 LAS,
Dec. 21, 2012.
Lauri D. Pierce Michaud ’80
CON, Jan. 19.
1990s
Joseph D. Leone Jr. ’81 VSB,
Nov. 8, 2012.
James J. Foy ’90 VSB,
May 29, 2012.
Donna E. Sharon ’81 MS,
July 19, 2012.
Kelly Durkin Kunzman ’91
LAS, Sept. 22, 2011.
Marguerite V. Walsh ’81 MS,
Oct. 21, 2012.
Ronald M. Baglio ’92 LAS,
Oct. 4, 2012.
Student
William “Billy” Zimmermann,
sophomore LAS student,
March 7, 2013.
Bernard J. Downey Jr., PhD,
Dec. 27, 2012.
Burton H. Lane, Jan. 13.
George T. Radan, PhD,
May 16, 2012.
Friends
Frederick N. Biesecker,
Oct. 12, 2012.
Helen V. Bolger,
Sept. 23, 2012.
Robert R. “Bobby” Domenick,
Sept. 27, 2012.
Vernice D. Ferguson,
Dec. 8, 2012.
Jeanette Roberts,
Nov. 24, 2012.
Elizabeth N. Oettinger ’72
LAS, Dec. 28, 2007.
George R. Poulin ’72 VSB,
Jan. 27.
Marybeth Landau Kramer
’73 LAS, Oct. 14, 2012.
Jeffrey R. Blum, DMD, ’74
LAS, Nov. 28, 2012.
Georgia M. Robinson ’74 MS,
July 3, 2012.
Gail A. Aweida ’75 MS,
Dec. 7, 2012.
Joseph J. Gitto, CPA, AEP,
’75 VSB, Feb. 2.
Robert G. Graves ’75 LAS,
Dec. 26, 2012.
Each fall, Villanova begins the academic year with a celebration honoring St. Thomas of Villanova,
the 16th-century Augustinian bishop of Valencia, Spain, and patron of the University.
Class Notes Publication Policy: Villanova University accepts submissions of news of professional achievements or personal milestones for
inclusion in the Class Notes section of Villanova Magazine. Concise submissions can be submitted electronically to alumni@villanova.edu,
via Nova Network (www.alumniconnections.com/villanova) or by mail to Kate Wechsler, Villanova Magazine, Alumni Office, Garey Hall,
Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085. Digital photos should be 300 dpi jpeg or tiff format, and at least 3 X 5
inches. (Please note that we are no longer accepting headshots.) Villanova University reserves complete editorial rights to all content submitted for
Class Notes, and posts and publishes listings in as timely a fashion as possible as space permits. All Class Notes may also be posted on Nova Network.
Reasonable steps are taken to verify the accuracy of the information submitted, but the University cannot guarantee the accuracy of all
submissions. Publication of achievements or milestones does not constitute endorsement by Villanova University.
54
Susan M. Myrah Kujawski
’82 COE, Oct. 23, 2012.
The 2013 St. Thomas of Villanova Celebration is scheduled for September 26-29 and includes a series of events and
activities designed to highlight the University’s Augustinian mission and ideals. A central component of each year’s
celebration is the Day of Service, which engages thousands of students, faculty, staff, alumni and families
at projects throughout Greater Philadelphia and with local alumni chapters around the country. Contact your chapter
leader or visit alumni.villanova.edu to learn how you can be involved.
Visit www.villanova.edu/stvc for more information on the St. Thomas of Villanova Celebration and the Day of Service.
villanovA.EDU
55
MyvillanovaStory
Nnenna
Lynch
Nnenna Lynch ’93 LAS, senior policy adviser on economic development to
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former Villanova track star and the
University’s first Rhodes Scholarship recipient, speaks to Villanova Magazine.
Tell us about your job in New York City Hall.
I am a part of the team that sets and implements NYC’s
economic development strategy. Our mission is to create
jobs and increase the tax base toward the end of making
sure that the city is as strong as possible economically.
Mission has been front and center in my career and
definitely connects back to my Villanova experience.
So “Ignite Change. Go Nova” must resonate
with you.
I was happy to see this embracing of the Augustinian
and Catholic tradition at Villanova. This is something
that resonated with me as a student and still does. A key
part of life is trying to make the world a better place.
How did you get into running, and what has
it taught you?
Running was something I was good at from an early age.
In first grade I could beat all of the boys in my class. Also,
I have an older sister who was fast, and she led the way
in terms of joining a team and taking it seriously.
The word that best describes what running has taught
me is “doggedness.” That captures the perseverance and
focus it cultivates. For example, I finished 182nd, 38th,
12th and third in my four trips to the NCAA crosscountry nationals. While part of that progression was
growing older and stronger, part of it was my insistence
on continually improving. Applying a similar mindset to
my other pursuits is one of my strengths.
Another lesson that I only appreciated in retrospect
is the importance of relying on others. Middle- and
long-distance runners are known as individualists, and
there’s some truth to that stereotype, but to be successful,
you have to rely on many other people: coaches, training
partners, physios, agents, friends and family.
What was it like to be Villanova’s first
Rhodes Scholar?
In college, I didn’t know what a Rhodes Scholarship was!
Someone at Villanova appreciated my talent and capability and said, “Nnenna should apply for this.” This
captures the best a university can do for its students—to
see their potential and direct them toward the best
possible means of maximizing it. It was special to be the
first and put Villanova on the map in that regard.
What advice do you have for today’s
Villanova students?
Actively pursue your passions and interests every
opportunity you get. If you have a project to do for
a class, think about how to tie it in to your interests
instead of doing what’s convenient. Seek out internships
and jobs that excite you, not simply those that pay the
most. It’s as important to eliminate options as it is to
find the things that are meaningful. A fulfilling career
will set you on a course of happiness, success and
spiritual well-being. 
56
Villanova MAGAZINe
Spring 2013
Snapshot
Since graduating, Nnenna Lynch has forged
an impressive career and dedicated herself, along
with her husband, to raising their two children.
Running
5-time NCAA champion; USA cross-country trials
winner, 1997, 1998; World University Games gold
medalist, 1997; 6th in the Goodwill Games, 1998
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
Villanova’s first Rhodes Scholar; NCAA Woman of the
Year, 1993; one of People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful
People in the World, 1994; Villanova University Varsity
Club Hall of Fame inductee, 2011; Association of
American Rhodes Scholars director
To read more of Nnenna’s interview, visit
ignitechangegonova.com.
Annual support from alumni, parents and
friends develops programs and opportunities that make
a Villanova education truly
transformational.
THE UNIVERSITY DEPENDS ON THE
ANNUAL COMMITMENT OF DONORS!
In 2011–12 the Annual Fund
in unrestricted funds.
GIFTS UNDER
$250
raised $5.9 million
23% of all undergraduate alumni made a gift to Villanova.
Our goal for this year
is 25%!
ADDED
UP TO
$1,266,922
LAST YEAR.
In 2012, more than $90 million
was allocated for financial aid.
50%
More than
of full-time
students receive support.
50
46
OPERATING BUDGET
IS DESIGNATED
FOR FINANCIAL AID.
#1 University (Regional Universities-North) U.S. News &
STATES AND
FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
OF THE TOTAL
VIEW OF VILLANOVA
VILLANOVA STUDENTS
REPRESENT
20%
VILLANOVA STUDENTS
RELY ON FINANCIAL AID
AND SCHOLARSHIPS.
World Report for nearly two decades.
#1 Great Schools, Great Prices (Regional Universities-North)
U.S. News & World Report.
220,000 hours of community service conducted by
Villanovans each year.
97% of 2012 Villanova graduates were employed or in
graduate school 6 months after matriculation.
IGNITE CHANGE. Support the Annual
Fund by making your gift by May 31.
theannualfund@villanova.edu
Make a gift online at www.villanova.edu/makeagift
(toll-free) 1-800-486-5244
800 Lancaster Avenue
Villanova, PA 19085
Electronic Service Requested
If you receive two or more magazines at your home address, or if you are a parent receiving your son or daughter’s magazine at your home,
please call the Villanova University Alumni Association at 1-800-VILLANOVA.
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Friendship Memories
Reunion University
Class Parties Top Cats
fun
Reconnecting
Picnic
Supernova
Seeing friends
ting
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rsity
Cats
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ether
Reunion Weekend is…
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back GamesLooking back GamesL
tional Catching up Emotional Catch
Visit www.villanova.edu/reunion for the Reunion schedule
Tell us what Reunion means to you on our Facebook page
at alumni.villanova.edu
Take a photo of the QR code with a smartphone to view the video.