Siena
SIENA NEWS • A MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS • WINTER 2008
Siena’s Sherlock
Dr. Margaret
Hannay
President’s Letter
We often think of the Franciscan tradition in
terms of its religious and social aspects. However, it is
also an intellectual tradition which seeks wisdom, truth
and understanding.
Excellence in scholarship is an important aspect
of the Siena College mission. Rooted in our Franciscan
and Catholic heritage, we are given a freedom to
explore that helps us become global citizens in a world
where we are being forced to answer new questions.
Anchored in our tradition, we study and seek new
ways to respond to the needs of an ever-changing
world.
Our faculty members have thrived in this
environment of communal learning, and have
developed into renowned scholars who continue to
challenge what we thought we knew about the world.
Perhaps even more importantly, they share this ability
with our students, allowing them the invaluable
opportunity to understand the impact one person can
make. Students who are exposed to scholarly inquiry
gain an understanding of not only the social, political
and ethical issues of today, but how they can use their
education to contribute in a meaningful way.
At its core, a good college engages students,
faculty and community in intellectual dialogue that
leads towards a respectful, just and peaceable world.
That is our legacy and our greatest challenge.
Fr. Kevin Mullen, O.F.M.
Siena News • 2
Siena News
Contents
Board of Trustees
Ronald E. Bjorklund ’85
Michael Bucci ’73
Robert F. Campbell ’66
Beverly A. Carroll
Robert M. Curley
Robert T. Cushing ’77
Susan Law Dake
Virginia L. Darrow ’83
John J. Dawson, Esq. ’68
Scott C. Donnelly
Howard S. Foote ’74
Robert L. Guido ’68
Rosanne M. Hall, Esq.
Douglas T. Hickey ’77
Rev. Kenneth R. Himes ’71, O.F.M., Ph.D.
Gary C. Holle ’77
Edward J. Johnson ’63
Alberto C. Mariaca ’60
Rev. Jerome J. Massimino, O.F.M.
Pamela McCarthy
Robert J. McCormick ’87
Susan M. Merritt, R.D.C., Ph.D.
Rev. Dominic V. Monti, O.F.M., Ph.D.
James J. Morrell ’66
Very Rev. Kevin J. Mullen ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D.
John F. Murray ’79
John J. Nigro
Very Rev. John F. O’Connor, O.F.M., LL.D.
Walter A. Osterman ’87
Joseph M. Pastore, Jr., Ph.D.
Kenneth M. Raymond, Jr.
Rev. Peter A. Schneible, O.F.M., Ph.D.
Michelle M. Schoulder ’99
Christine L. Standish
Br. Daniel P. Sulmasy, O.F.M., M.D., Ph.D.
Dennis L. Winger ’69
4
Dr. Margaret Hannay,
Siena’s Sherlock
FEATURES
Sociology Professor Awarded
Five VISTA Positions...........................13
Not Your Average Book Club.............14
7 Trinidad: Peace in Practice
The Science of Art.................................15
Grammy-Nominated Artist Performs
with Siena’s Music Makers ...................17
Knowledge is Power ............................18
Who is More Likley to Purchase
Counterfeit Goods ..............................20
10 The Kurdish Question
The Siena News - Winter 2008 Published by Siena
College, 515 Loudon Road, Loudonville, NY 122111462 • E-mail: sienanews@siena.edu • Publisher:
Noel Hogan • Editor: Ned Jones • Contributing
Editors: James Eaton, Allison Maloney ’06, Fr. Kevin
Mullen ’75, O.F.M. and Jason Rich ’98• Director of
Art & Design: Sergio Sericolo • Alumni Class Notes
Editor: Janice Goca, Katie Sokol ’08, Ashley Dwyer
’08 and Nate Maloney ’00• Photography: Sergio
Sericolo, Athletics Office, University of Calgary,
Jim Eaton, Janet Gianopolous, Dr. Vera EccariusKelly, Dr. Fareed Munir, Eric Scalzo ’08, Paul
Higgins ’80 • Printer: The Lane Press, Burlington,VT.
Higgins’ Credit Siena Faculty
for Family and Career Success .............22
Women’s Volleyball MAAC
Champs... Again....................................34
DEPARTMENTS
Short Takes.......................................33, 36
Planned Giving......................................32
Alumni: Winter Class Notes.........24-31
21
The Power Of A
Wonderful Mentor
Siena News • 3
Dr. Margaret Hannay,
Siena’s Sherlock
You may have heard that Dr.
Margaret Hannay, professor of English,
was recently awarded a $33,600 fellowship
from the National Endowment for the
Humanities. You may even remember
when she received the 2002 Raymond C.
Kennedy Award for Excellence in
Scholarship. What you probably do not
know is that Dr. Hannay has been playing
Sherlock Holmes for 28 years.
Like a detective, Dr. Hannay uses Lady Mary
Sidney Wroth’s writing and primary sources such as family
letters, diaries, account books, kitchen books, dedications,
parish records, wills, chancery records, and even land
grants to piece together clues about the writer’s life. “It’s
like a mosaic, with each piece adding to the whole picture,”
she explained.
Lady Mary Sydney Wroth, the
subject of Dr. Margaret Hannay’s
research grants, is arguably the
most important woman writer
of the Renaissance.
Siena News • 4
She was awarded
this NEH grant to write
a biography of Wroth,
who was the first
English woman to write
in the prose fiction,
drama and sonnet forms.
Dr. Hannay also received
a short-term fellowship
from the Folger Shakespeare
Library to fund six weeks of research in
Washington, D.C.
“Through my undergraduate and
graduate degrees, and even when I started
teaching at Siena, female writers remained absent
from the literature anthologies,” stated Hannay.
In 1980, she attended a conference at Yale on
early modern women writers and since then has
devoted her scholarship to recovering these
women’s lives, leading her to this prestigious
fellowship, the third NEH fellowship she has
been awarded.
She has visited places important to
Wroth’s life, and has even dined with Viscount
De L’Isle, a Sidney descendant, at Wroth’s 450year-old childhood home, Penshurst Place.
Her detective work has uncovered
interesting tales about Lady Mary Wroth,
arguably the most important female writer of the
17th century. She has discovered evidence
suggesting that Wroth was one of the first to hear
of Sir Walter Raleigh’s stories of the New World,
that she danced before Queen Elizabeth just three
months before the Queen’s death, and that her
illegitimate son (with her cousin, William
Herbert) became a pirate in the Caribbean. These
stories are not easy to compile; a fire in Wroth’s
residence, Loughton Hall, in the 19th century,
and bombing of the family’s chapel during World
War II destroyed many primary sources of
research.
The NEH fellowship is an indication that
the study of literature has changed since Dr.
Hannay began her research on the Sidney family
28 years ago. As one of the founders of the
Society for the Study of Early Modern Writers
and through her research, Dr. Hannay has been
a pioneer for this change. Today, in every major
English literature anthology, you will find a
plethora of female writers featured—including
Lady Mary Wroth.
Dr. Hannay is a widely-published scholar. When she
has finished her current projects, she will have
published 13 books, 29 book chapters, 22 journal
articles, and 25 reviews. She has presented 62 papers
at professional conferences, at which she often also
serves as a chairperson. Dr. Hannay has also served
as president of three professional organizations.
Below is just a sampling of her career highlights.
• Founders’ Award, Society for the Study of Early
Modern Women, 2000
• Raymond C. Kennedy Award for Excellence in
Scholarship, 2002
• Modern Language Association Divisional
Committee on Literature of the English Renaissance
• President, Society for the Study of Early
Modern Women
• President, International Sidney Society
• President, Conference on Christianity and Literature
• Council, Renaissance English Text Society
• Editorial board, Spenser Studies
• Editorial board, Sidney Journal
• Advisory board, Women Writers Project,
Brown University
Selected Books by Dr. Hannay:
• Domestic Politics and Family Absence: The
Correspondence (1588-1621) of Robert Sidney,
first Earl of Leicester, and Barbara Gamage
Sidney, Countess of Leicester. Edited with Noel J.
Kinnamon and Michael G. Brennan. Aldershot,
Hants U.K. and Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2005.
• Teaching Tudor and Stuart Women Writers.
Edited with Susanne Woods. New York: MLA Press, 2000.
• Collected Works of Mary Sidney Herbert,
Countess of Pembroke. Edited with Noel J.
Kinnamon and Michael G. Brennan. 2 vols.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
• Philip’s Phoenix: Mary Sidney, Countess of Pembroke.
New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.
• C. S. Lewis. New York: Continuum, 1981.
Siena News • 5
Trinidad: Peace in Practice
Palm trees, calypso music, sun, sand, rainforest – and
religion class?!? It might sound like an odd combination
but this January, 26 students enrolled in the religious
studies field experience, Islam in the Caribbean, closed
their books for two weeks to get up close and personal
with the religions of Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and
the Caroni Indians in Trinidad and Tobago.
Left: The
Trinidadians
welcomed the Siena
travelers with open
arms, teaching them
about the many
island cultures and
religions that
peacefully coexist
including native
Indian, Muslim,
Catholic, Hindu
and Judaism.
Siena News • 6
Above: Siena
students created
traditional
Trinidadian
pottery. Right:
Female students
donned
traditional
Muslim garments
in order to
experience a
prayer service.
The students, led by Dr.
Fareed Munir, professor of
religious studies, were welcomed
as guests of the country by its leaders. They traveled not as American tourists,
but rather as concerned citizens of the world trying to learn more about humanity,
respect and living peacefully alongside people who may be different than you.
Trinidad is an ideal place to take on this exploration; the 1.3 million
people of mixed ethnicities and religions live side-by-side in not just tolerance,
but friendship. According to the most recent census, the population is about a
quarter Roman Catholic, a quarter Protestant, a quarter Hindu and the last
quarter is made up of mainly Muslims, Jewish, Buddhist, Rastafarian and other
religious groups. “On Christmas, a Hindu will bring his Catholic neighbor a
gift. Trinidadians celebrate the different religious observations as a country,”
said Dr. Munir, who is an Islamic studies scholar. His primary focus is Islam in
America, but he also studies Islam in the West Indies. He works with his students
on the importance of religion as a medium for dialogue between people.
The Siena group heard from and interviewed not only the Muslim Imam,
Manwar Ali, and the Muslim community, but also Archbishop Edward Gilbert,
originally from New York, Dean Colin Sampson of the Anglican Church, a
Siena News • 7
Above: Dr. Fareed Munir arranged an insiders
tour of the Sewdass Sadhu Hindu temple, where
the students witnessed a traditional cremation
ceremony. Left: Students explore the tropical
environment of Trinidad.
Caroni medicine man named Adonis, and a Hindu High Priest. They bore witness to religious
ceremonies including the ritual of Hindu cremation and the Muslim Juma prayer service at the mosque,
where the female students respectfully covered themselves and sat separately from the men. “The idea
was to bring these students from secondary sources to primary sources, from passive to active learning,”
explained Dr. Munir.
The requirements of the course included keeping a journal while traveling and writing a paper
based on the interviews and their journal reactions. Jacqueline Dorosz, a senior accounting major, is
centering her paper on a direct quote from Basha G. Mohammad, a Muslim who invited the entire group
into his home for dinner: “With the racial and religious harmony amongst the peoples in Trinidad and
Tobago, it can be regarded as a model nation for the world to follow.”
Students also experienced the mesh of cultures offered by the islands. They learned about the art
of ancient Indian pottery, the Carnival festival and its costumes, steel bands, calypso dancing, local arts
and crafts, island history, and the African-Arabian-Chinese-Indian-Italian-Amerinidian-Spanish-FrenchCreole cuisine.
Even after snorkeling, hiking to waterfalls, and swimming in a clear blue ocean, Jacqueline said
that the best part of the trip was seeing equality in a way many people believe cannot exist, “We’re talking
about no prejudice. East Indian, black, white…it doesn’t matter, everyone is an equal.”
Siena News • 8
SHORT TAKES
Fr. Paulli in President’s
Office to Further Siena’s
Mission
Fr. Kenneth Paulli ’82, O.F.M., has been appointed
executive assistant to the president of Siena College with
special attention to advancing the college’s Franciscan and
Catholic traditions and mission.
“As an alumnus, a tenured faculty member, and a
former chair of the Education Department, Fr. Ken brings a
wealth of talent and commitment to this new task,” said Fr.
Kevin J. Mullen, O.F.M., president.
One of Fr. Ken’s first steps was to revisit source
materials regarding Saint Francis and Saint Clare.
“If one is going to work at a Franciscan place,” he
explained, “one should study and celebrate that. My goal is
to generate discussions on how we can advance beyond words. I hope we can experience the legacies of Francis
and Clare, which clearly compel our respect and care among the poor, the powerless and those in need of
healing.”
Fr. Ken anticipates faculty will be a critical presence in putting the mission into action. “The nice thing,”
he added, “is we have some wonderful examples already under way.”
Business students have completed marketing projects aiding human service organizations and invited
minority youth to consider studying finance and accounting. The Creative Arts Department gave children free
tickets to a theater performance. Study abroad has increased service-learning opportunities. The college core
is currently being reframed around Franciscan themes and co-curricular programs also complement the mission.
Fr. Ken will continue to teach one course in Siena’s Department of Education. The Franciscan Center
for Service and Advocacy, and the Chaplain’s Office, are also in his purview.
“In my new role,” said Fr. Ken, “I look forward to partnering with people in many more fields:
government, health and safety, legal advocacy in low-income communities, social work, and more. I believe our
mission has much to offer.”
Fr. Toal to Step Down
Fr. James Toal, O.F.M., a vice president at Siena College, is stepping down after nearly 40 years of
leadership in education.
For Siena’s spring semester he has been appointed as President Fr. Kevin Mullen’s special assistant on
projects. In addition, he will continue to play an active role with the athletic department during the spring
semester.
“I have known Jim Toal for more than 30 years, and have always counted on him as a friend and a
mentor,” said President Fr. Mullen. “He has worked long and hard for Siena College and with other
Franciscan projects. I will miss him, but I appreciate that he’s going to get a well-deserved breather.”
Fr. Toal began his Siena service in 1997. Prior to that he was president of Quincy University in
Quincy, Ill., for 14 years, executive vice president at St. Bonaventure University in New York from 1976-78
and principal of St. Francis Prep in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Siena News • 9
The Kurdish
Question
On February 4, Turkish warplanes bombed 70 Kurdish
rebel targets in northern Iraq. This is just the latest indicator of
growing tensions at the Turkey-Iraq border, which are
contributing to how Kurds are treated in Turkey itself. Dr. Vera
Eccarius-Kelly, assistant professor of political science, believes
the rights of the minority Kurds need to be fully recognized,
otherwise a host of socio-political problems, including
longstanding patterns of violence, protest movements, and civil
unrest, will continue.
Siena News • 10
Kurdistan, “the
land of Kurds”,
covers large parts
of eastern Turkey,
northern Iraq,
northwestern Iran
and smaller parts
of northern Syria,
as well as
Armenia. Tension
on the Turkish
border has
increased in recent
months.
Dr. Eccarius-Kelly is a leading scholar
on growing Kurdish nationalism in Europe,
and Kurdish minority rights in Turkey, where
expressions of Kurdish ethno-nationalism are
illegal. She will present on this topic at the
renowned Marie Curie seminars on European
protest and social movements at Charles
University in Prague this summer.
Although the term “Kurd” is often
associated in the news with the Kurdish
Workers Party (PKK), the terrorist group
ensconced in the northern mountains of Iraq,
there are millions of moderate Kurds living in
Europe. They are active in European Union
politics and are working diligently for equality
and civil rights.
According to Eccarius-Kelly’s research,
“As the war in Iraq continues to create unrest
at the borders, the Kurdish question is
becoming a European conundrum.” Kurdish
activists are beginning to voice their concerns
and interests within the structures of the
European Union. At times, they demand
controversial privileges such as state-sponsored
Siena News • 11
minority language instruction or religious education. Some activists are adamant about forming a
Kurdish homeland. As European voters, they raise questions about potential Turkish membership
in the EU, and pursue critical examinations of Turkey’s conduct toward and treatment of its
minorities.
Eccarius-Kelly’s research also points out significant implications for United States foreign
policy since the U.S. considers Turkey an ally, but at the same time, Kurds in Iraq welcomed the
American forces when the Iraq War began in 2001. Because of her extensive research, which
reaches as far back as her doctoral dissertation and includes interviews with European Kurds,
Turkish scholars recently invited her to contribute to an edited book on growing Kurdish
nationalism in Turkey and the European Union. They also asked her to contribute to a
symposium in Istanbul, Turkey on the same topic in November 2007.
The Turkish government opposes the publication of Eccarius-Kelly’s work in Turkey, but
the book will be published by Utah University Press in the U.S. The book will be titled Symbiotic
Antagonisms: Sources, Discourses and the Changing Nature of Turkish, Kurdish and Islamic
Nationalism. Eccarius-Kelly’s chapter represents a re-framed discussion of Kurdish diasporic
activities in Turkey and the rest of Europe. She outlines how the Kurds and their European-born
children participate in political activism, which will inevitably impact Turkey’s treatment of its
minority populations and in turn, its admission or non-admission into the European Union.
“My research is controversial in Turkey to say the least,” Eccarius-Kelly said. “The book
will likely receive a significant amount of attention in Turkey as well as in continental Europe.”
Eccarius-Kelly has also been asked to contribute a chapter in Migration and Activism in
Europe since 1945, edited by Wendy Pojmann, assistant professor of history. Eccarius-Kelly’s
chapter in that book will be, “The Kurdish Conundrum: Political Opportunities and
Transnational Activism.”
“As the war in Iraq
continues to create
unrest at the borders,
the Kurdish question
is becoming a European
conundrum.”
-Dr. Vera Eccarius-Kelly
Vera Eccarius-Kelly is a leading scholar on growing Kurdish nationalism in Europe and Kurdish
minority rights in Turkey, where expressions of Kurdish ethno-nationalism are illegal.
Siena News • 12
Sociology Professor Awarded
Five VISTA Positions
Siena College recently joined Columbia University as one
of two New York State universities to be granted host site
Volunteers in Service to America positions. Siena’s VISTA positions
will be assigned responsibilities ranging from placing more Siena
students in outreach programs throughout the community to
working with Siena’s Urban Scholars program.
Dr. Mathew Johnson ’93, associate professor of sociology,
was awarded a three-year, $240,000 federally-funded grant for
five VISTA positions beginning in January 2008. VISTA places
individuals with community-based agencies to help find long-term
solutions to the problems caused by urban and rural poverty.
“These VISTA positions will allow Siena to offer more
service-learning opportunities while strengthening the college’s
commitment to educate our students to become agents of social
change,” Dr. Johnson said.
“This program aligns perfectly with the mission of Siena
College and the Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy. We
hope this opportunity will assist the college in becoming a national
expert in service-learning while also getting more students involved
in working with the poor and marginalized,” Dr. Johnson said.
As an undergraduate student at Siena, Dr. Johnson’s
interest in service-learning began when he enrolled in the Peace
Studies program. As part of the program he secured an internship
with a community agency working in an elementary school.
“I was asked to teach my students conflict-resolution skills,
something that I was able to fine tune in Siena’s Peace Studies
program. I started to hear positive remarks from the parents of
my students which made me realize that I could make a difference
with my degree from Siena,” he said.
Last fall Dr. Johnson had an opportunity to come back to
Siena as a faculty member which he described as “an opportunity
of a lifetime.” While he noticed the student body had changed since
his days as an undergraduate, the mission of the college has remained
the same.
“Siena has always been about educating students to
be responsible leaders in their communities. I think the
VISTA Program will
help us advance our
mission by increasing
Siena’s capacity to do
more anti-poverty
work, something the
college has always
had an interest in,”
Johnson said.
The Siena VISTA positions
responsibilities are:
1. Bonner Program Coordinator - Nicole
Tommasini will assist the Franciscan Center
for Service and Advocacy in the development
and implementation of the Bonner Leaders
and Scholars Program at Siena. The Bonner
Program seeks to improve the lives of
individuals and communities by helping
meet the basic needs of nutrition and
educational opportunity.
2. Community Based Research Coordinator Yalitza Negron ’07 will work with Dr.
Johnson, organizing, promoting and better
articulating the variety of service-learning
opportunities. Plans include developing a
service-learning library and relationships
with community partners to explore
anti-poverty initiatives.
3. Urban Scholars Coordinator - Casonya
Young will develop a training and tracking
system for Siena’s Urban Scholars Program,
a program that provides enrichment activities
and educational opportunities to inner-city,
underprivileged students.
4. Urban Environmental Health and Justice
Program Coordinator - Richard Sheward
will assist in the development and
implementation of a new program for youth
mentoring in cooperation with the
Environmental Studies Program at Siena
and the Cooperative Extension/4-H.
5. Coordinator of Community Partnerships
- This position is responsible for
getting to know all community members in
the area who are interested in working with
Siena, functioning as a liaison between the
campus and those community agencies.
Left to right: Casonya Young, Richard Sheward, Yalitza Negron ’07 and Nicole Tommasini are serving as Coordinators of Siena’s
VISTA positions. Above: Dr. Mathew Johnson ’93, Fr. Kevin Mullen’75, O.F.M. , Donna Smith, director of the Corporation for
National and Community Service’s New York State office and the coordinators of Siena’s VISTA program.
Siena News • 13
Not Your Average Book Club
This semester, the Popular Book Series at Siena launched
into its fourth year of drawing faculty, students, alumni and local
community members together to discuss current best sellers and
the pertinent issues surrounding them.
It’s a good thing, too.
In November, the National Endowment for the Arts released
To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence, a
study that found Americans are reading less often and less well.
The analysis states that the declines in reading have civic, social,
and economic implications. “A lot of participants, including myself,
are reading books they would not have or didn’t think they had the
time for. If they aren’t reading the books, they still get superb
information out of the discussions,” said Dr. Richard Ognibene,
professor of education at Siena and the man behind PBS.
Beginning as an initiative to engage and welcome community
members and alumni to campus for an intellectual discussion, the
program, co-sponsored by Alumni Relations and the School of
Liberal Arts and funded by an anonymous donor, is now a prominent
fixture on campus. “We chose The Da Vinci Code for the inaugural
event and over 250 people showed up. We knew it was something
we had to continue,” said Ognibene.
But, it’s more than simply a book talk. Ognibene asks faculty
experts to lead an interdisciplinary discussion. Eager to share their
thoughts and the campus with the broader community, over 40
faculty members from 12 departments and all three Schools have
participated on a PBS panel.
For The Da Vinci Code, art historian Dr. Patricia TruttyCoohill, Religious Studies Professor Dr. James Dalton and Fr.
Stephen Lynch, O.F.M. joined forces to present on how religion
and art are used in the book. The panel for Al Gore’s An Inconvenient
Truth included an environmentalist, an environmental economist
and a political scientist. Barack Obama’s The Audacity of Hope,
discussed just months before his presidential candidacy
announcement, featured an education and poverty specialist, a
political scientist and an economist in order to cover the major themes
of the book.
The program always begins with an overview of the book
and a 15-minute discussion by each panelist followed by a Q&A
session. “The audience gets really involved in it. They always have
something to ask or to share. It’s quite provocative and exciting,”
remarked Ognibene.
Add these past PBS books
to your “must-read” list!
The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
What’s the Matter with Kansas?, Thomas Frank
The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic
Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten
Colony that Shaped America, Russell Shorto
The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman
Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral
Crisis, Jimmy Carter
Angela’s Ashes, ’Tis, and Teacher Man,
Frank McCourt
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community
and War, Nathaniel Philbrick
An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore
The Jamestown Project, Karen Kupperman
Jamestown: The Buried Truth, William Kelso
Pocahontas, Powhatan, Opechancanough:
Three Indian Lives Changed by Jamestown,
Helen Roundtree
The Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama
The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of
Food Life, Barbara Kingsolver
The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the
Supreme Court, Jeffrey Toobin
Boom! Voices of the Sixties, Tom Brokaw
Siena News • 14
The Science of Art
Dr. Kevin Kittredge,
associate
professor
of
chemistry and biochemistry,
has been awarded a National
Science Foundation (NSF)
CAREER Award and a
$490,000 grant to be used over
the next five years. The
CAREER Award is NSF’s
most prestigious award
and supports early career
development activities of
teacher-scholars who most
effectively integrate research
and education within the
context of the mission of their
organization.
At Siena, this award
will allow science students to
broaden their field of study
by partnering with Dr.
Kittredge in cutting-edge
interdisciplinary
research
projects.
“I’m honored that the
National Science Foundation chose my
proposal; I never expected to receive this award,”
Kittredge said. His research focuses on chemical
combinations that will keep the pigments in art from
deteriorating over time.
“I enjoy working one-on-one with
undergraduate students and Siena affords me the
opportunity to do exactly this,” he explained. “I’m
hoping to use some of the grant money to bring my
students to national meetings to discuss our research
findings. Ultimately, I hope we can find a solution to
preserving art and educate artists in Europe on our
approach.”
Last summer Taela Durst ’09 began working
with Dr. Kittredge, researching various ways to
preserve art. Taela’s responsibilities included setting
up the lab, preparing films to coat surfaces, putting
pigment in the film and monitoring the conditions.
“After monitoring the film’s conditions and
watching how light affects the film, we believe we are
getting closer to a solution,” Taela said.
Recently, Taela and a few of her classmates
learned they would be presenting their work at the
235th National American Chemical Society Meeting.
Above: Dr. Kevin Kittredge, associate professor of
chemistry and biochemistry, and Taela Durst ’09 are
researching various ways to preserve art.
“Thanks in large part to this grant, students like Taela
are getting graduate-level experiences as undergraduate
students,” Kittredge stated.
Siena News • 15
Research Projects Accepted for Presentation
The following projects have been accepted for presentation at the 235th
National American Chemical Society Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.
• “Microwave synthesis and characterization of biodiesel from used cooking oil”- *Marietje Hauprich ’09,
Sarah Amie ’10, Michael R. O’Brien ’08, Kyle McElhoney ’08, Dr. Alicia Todaro and Dr. Kevin Kittredge
• “Stability of thermally cured poly(allylamine)/poly(acrylicacid) thin films”- *Taela Durst ’09 and
Dr. Kevin Kittredge
• “Microwave-assisted reduction of carbonyl containing molecules using polymer bound borohydride”
- *Brigette M Nezami ’09 and Dr. Kevin W. Kittredge
• “Assembled nanoparticle films with crown ether derivatives as sensors for metal ions”- *Justin Malinowski ’08,
Lesley E. Russell, Dr. Michael C Leopold and Dr. Kevin Kittredge.
• “Working towards the total synthesis of liquid crystals using green chemistry principles”- *Michael R.
O’Brien ’08, Dr. Alicia B. Todaro and Dr. Kevin Kittredge (*Presenter)
Mock Trial Team Headed to
National Competition
The Moot Court/Mock Trial team excelled at the American Mock Trial Association Regional Competition
at Syracuse University Law School on February 16-17, 2008. The Siena team qualified for the national tournament
by placing fifth out of 22 competing colleges.
They also received the Spirit of AMTA Award, which goes to the team that represents the highest
professional standards of ethics and civility throughout the competition. The team is coached by Distinguished
Jurist, Hon. James King, and attorney Sonya Smelyansky ’03. Team members include co-captains Eric Scalzo
’08 and Michael Ellement ’10, Danita Williams ’08, Roman Griffith ’08, Javid Afzali ’09, Michael DiSiena ’10,
Aubrey Roman ’11, Christine Martin ’11, Julia Steciuk ’11 and Jill Wojdyla ’11.
Front row: Dr. Len Cutler, professor of political science and coach Sonya Smelyansky ’03 with
Siena’s award winning Moot Court/ Mock Trial team.
Siena News • 16
8,
Grammy-nominated Artist Performs
with Siena’s Music Makers
The Siena Chamber Orchestra, which includes 20 student members, recently performed
alongside a Grammy-nominated pianist, Max Lifchitz. The program included original pieces composed
by nine music theory students.
Lifchitz is a Mexican-born classical pianist, composer and conductor. He studied at the Juilliard
School, Harvard University, and the University of Michigan. In 2006, his recording of “Twelve
Finders” garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Solo Instrumental Performance without an
Orchestra.
The soloist attended four rehearsals with the orchestra during which he shared his expertise and
experience, providing students with a fresh perspective on interpreting Beethoven’s Piano Concerto #1.
“Working with a musician as talented and acclaimed as Max Lifchitz was as motivating as it was
inspirational. He showed me just how far music can take a person, which pushed me to work harder, to
try different things. His dedication to the music and willingness to share it with us was an excellent
example for us younger musicians,” described Christopher Little ’11, a trumpeter.
The Siena Chamber Orchestra, a creative and intellectual outlet for students, unites talented
community members who mentor our students and expose them to better playing techniques. Dr. Paul
Konye, professor of creative arts and the conductor, is known for choosing a diverse range of musical
styles including classical, non-Western and Broadway musicals. “Through exposure to different kinds
of music from a variety of sources, students and audiences are better able to appreciate the full
spectrum of what constitutes art music from a global perspective,” explained Konye.
As musicians, the students also learn the powerful outcomes of discipline and focus, expand
their repertoire, and find new ways to appreciate music as an art form.
“I enjoy making music and sharing music. Professor Konye, talented artists like Max Lifchitz
and the other members of the orchestra make it possible for me to improve my trumpet playing as a
hobby and to set and achieve new goals,” explained Christopher.
The next Siena Chamber Orchestra performance will feature a regional household name and
critically acclaimed violinist—Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz in Dvorak’s Romance for Violin and
Orchestra. It is scheduled for Thursday, April 17, 7:00 p.m. in the Beaudoin Theatre.
Grammy-nominated pianist Max Lifchitz (left)
performed with the Siena Chamber Orchestra
and Conductor Dr. Paul Konye (right) during
their winter concert.
Siena News • 17
Knowledge is Power
Michael Daly ’10 began the spring semester by putting the finishing
touches on his independent study project which examined the responsibilities
of marketers when they serve vulnerable customers. He specifically focused on
the vulnerability of consumers when purchasing an item or service in the
bereavement process.
“My findings indicate that consumer vulnerability can encompass a broad range of human
experiences and there is a relationship between consumer vulnerability, the consumer’s level of knowledge
and their emotional involvement in the buying process,” Michael said.
His research found funerals are becoming more expensive because of the increase in the price of
materials, not because funeral homes are taking advantage of vulnerable consumers; funeral directors
are passionate and serious people who will assist consumers in making arrangements, but it ultimately is
the consumer’s responsibility to seek out information regarding funeral arrangements; knowledge and
logic will outweigh a consumer’s vulnerability; and a funeral director’s role should also include educating
their consumers on the services available to them.
Michael, a marketing and management major, worked closely with Dr. Raj Devasagayam,
associate professor of marketing and management, on his independent study titled, “Serving Vulnerable
Customer Segments: Ethical Marketing Strategies.” They started the study last summer.
Siena News • 18
Michael’s project was one of
six independent study projects
that was presented to policy
makers and colleagues from
other colleges at the inaugural
Commission on Independent
Colleges and Universities
Undergraduate Research Expo
held at the Empire State Plaza
in Albany, N.Y. Below is a list
of the other students who
participated along with
their research topics:
“My recent research exploring ethical marketing
strategies to serve vulnerable customer segments led me to
be interested in the funeral services industry. I invited
Michael, with my guidance, to participate in this independent
study project,” Dr. Devasagayam said.
Michael spent numerous days working in the
PROQUEST database in the library researching scholarly
articles on vulnerability. “At first, I found numerous articles
that classified vulnerability as a status,” Michael noted. “After
meeting with Dr. Raj, I realized I was on the wrong path.”
“I needed to focus my research on work that classified
vulnerability as a condition, like what your mind set is that
particular day,” Michael said. “During this study I realized
this is what the funeral industry deals with when they are
working with their consumers.”
Although Michael admits he struggled with this
research project, he also said, “Dr. Raj kept pushing me to
achieve the goal of this project.” His next step is to prepare
a manuscript that he hopes to present at a national conference
this spring. In the meantime, he says this project “has been
the most rewarding experience I have had so far at Siena.”
Michael, who Dr. Devasagayam considers well
educated on consumer vulnerability, is honored that his
findings will be used to assist funeral service providers.
“Hopefully the funeral directors can use my findings to better
serve their consumers in a socially humane and ethical
manner,” Michael said.
As Michael can attest, the more knowledge you have,
the less of an opportunity there is to be vulnerable.
Above: Dr. Raj Devasagayam and Michael Daly ’10 used the
PROQUEST database to develop a better understanding on
vulnerability of consumers who are in the bereavement process.
“Exploring College Students’
Attitudes toward Counterfeiting: A
Beginning” Alex Walthers ’09,
Catherine Walts ’07 and Dr. Cheryl
Buff ’82, associate professor of
marketing and management
“Prejudice and Living in a Culturally
Diverse Environment” Christine
Carpenter ’08 and Dr. Dmitry
Burshteyn, associate professor
of psychology
“Credit Cards and College Students:
Status and Implications for
Marketing Strategy”
Philip Sidoti ’08 and Dr. Raj
Devasagayam, associate professor
of marketing and management
“Determining Factors that
Cause the Rise of Tuition”
Kurt DeVaney ’08, Heather McAulay
’08, Tomasz Lubas ’08, Laura Lachell
’09 and Dr. Manimoy Paul, assistant
professor of quanitative business
“Self-Organizing Maps in Scientific
Data Analysis” Jason Soohoo ’09, Dr.
Allan Weatherwax, associate
professor of physics and Dr. Darren
Lim, assistant professor of computer
science
Siena News • 19
Who is More Likely to Purchase Counterfeit Goods?
According to a study done by marketing and
management major Alex Walthers ’09, 79 percent of
college-aged women and 73 percent of college-aged
men have purchased a counterfeit product even though
they believed their actions harmed the U.S. economy.
Alex will present this and other findings to college
professors from across the nation at the Marketing and
Management Association Spring 2008 Conference in
Chicago, Ill. on April 2-4.
“He deserves this. Alex has put in a lot of
work,” said Cheryl Buff ’82, associate professor of
marketing and management, who oversaw the
independent study and co-authored the paper submitted
to the conference. Alex’s research is a continuum and
analysis of a survey of 253 college students conducted
last year by Katy Walts ’07. From a combination of
the survey data and months of background research,
Alex was able to draw significant conclusions about
college students’ attitudes toward counterfeiting.
In addition to the number of students who had
purchased a counterfeit, which was much higher than
expected, he found that there were strong differences
between those who have purchased counterfeits and
those who have not. Those who have never purchased
them tended to feel that those who have are criminals.
On the other hand, those who had bought the products
believed that the prices of designers were unfair and
that the quality of the counterfeit was the same as the
legitimate product. Both groups agree that counterfeits
hurt the U.S. economy.
Also interesting was that
females were more like to buy a
counterfeit product, but there was
little difference between the
attitudes about doing it between
men and women. Liberal arts
majors believe that counterfeits are
as good as the designer product
more so than business majors. “It
may be that a business background
helps them understand that
counterfeits are often created at a
much lower standard of quality and
out of much cheaper material,”
explained Alex.
Alex’s study unearthed
many questions, namely about how
residence (city or suburban),
income level, cultural background,
and perceived ethics impact a person’s opinions on
counterfeiting. He is in the process of launching a
second survey with a more diverse sample, from
which he hopes to gain some answers.
For now, he is ready to take on the challenge
of being an undergraduate student presenting at a
professional conference. Dr. Buff is ready to cheer
him on in the front row. “He’s presenting in a room
full of my colleagues and he’s going to be the expert.
It’s a real sense of accomplishment to watch one of
your student’s shine,” she said.
Above: Dr. Cheryl Buff served as a mentor to Alex
Walthers ’09 as he examined college students’ attitudes
toward counterfeit products. Alex will be presenting
his findings at a national conference in April.
Siena News • 20
The Power of a Wonderful Mentor
In the summer of 2002, Betsy Brookins ’04
had one of those undergraduate experiences where
things just started to click. Like many of her
classmates, she was planning to attend medical school
after graduation because that was “the logical thing
to do at the time.”
The following summer she earned an
American Heart Association summer undergraduate
fellowship that was used to provide preliminary data
for Dr. Rachel Sterne-Marr, professor of biology.
This data helped Sterne-Marr secure a $318,000
National Science Foundation grant to continue
studies of GRK2, a protein involved in cardiac
signaling or heart failure.
for her job influenced me to change my career path
from medicine to research and teaching.”
Today, Betsy is enrolled in Albany Medical
College’s Center for Cardiovascular Sciences
doctoral program and is scheduled to complete her
degree in May 2009. She has continued her research
on heart failure, thanks in part to grants from the
American Cancer Society and a National Institute
of Health pre-doctoral training grant to support her
research. She has also applied for an American Heart
Association grant.
Her current research focuses on translational
research (basic science research on determining the
mechanism of cardio protection against doxorubicin-
Dr. Rachel SterneMarr, professor of
biology, invited Betsy
Brookins’04 to
participate in an
undergraduate
research project in the
summer of 2003.
This research project
changed Betsy’s
career path.
“At the time, I thought this would be a great
opportunity for me to strengthen my resume for
medical school,” Betsy explained.
Their research investigated whether changes
to amino acids in protein would help identify a critical
interaction site. By the time Betsy graduated from
Siena, they began to identify which amino acids could
potentially help design drugs to treat heart failure.
“Betsy was one of the first students involved
in this ongoing research project,” Sterne-Marr said.
Today, she still has a box labeled with Betsy’s name
on it in her lab. “This is how I remember my students
and their contributions to our research projects over
the years.”
Little did Betsy realize back then, but this
research project would follow her into a doctoral
program, just not the one she had always thought.
“Dr. Sterne-Marr has had a huge influence on my
life and choice of career,” she noted. “Her passion
induced damage) and she plans to apply this research
to animals. “Hopefully the research will lead to
patient/clinical use,” she said. Her research allows
her to work closely with scientists and cardiologists,
something she enjoys.
“Although I may not discover some
amazing cure, I will have a direct impact on
numerous people as a teacher and researcher. I think
this is just as important,” Betsy said.
She has enjoyed the opportunity to teach
cardiovascular and respiratory physiology to RPI
biomedical engineering students as well as Albany
Medical students and hopes to continue her research
and teaching in a university setting someday.
“If it wasn’t for Dr. Sterne-Marr I wouldn’t
be where I am today. She gave me the opportunity
to find a career that I am now passionate about. I
hope I can have a similar influence on my students
as she has had on me,” Betsy said.
Siena News • 21
Higgins’ Credit Siena Faculty for
Family and Career Success
Paul ’80 and Rosemary Dowe/Higgins ’80 came to Siena looking for direction in life. They
were enrolled in the science division and first encountered each other in a physics course.
“Paul claimed he needed my help with some physics course work he was struggling with,”
Rosemary said. “I sensed otherwise, but was glad to assist him.” This interaction led to a 23-year
marriage, three children and two successful careers.
Paul and Rosemary graduated together from Siena and then Georgetown University’s School of
Medicine in 1984. Rosemary pursued a career in pediatrics and neonatology while Paul pursued family
medicine and later public health service.
Top: Paul ’80 and Rosemary Higgins’80 met at Siena as undergraduate students. Siena taught them how
to balance family life with their careers. Bottom right: Paul served as the Director of Health and Safety for
the United States Coast Guard.
Siena News • 22
“Our Siena experiences were terrific
preparation for family life, a profession in medicine
and a career in government service,” Paul explained.
Paul and Rosemary credit their former professors
including Dr. Ed LaRow, Dr. George Bazinet, Dr.
Doug Fraser, Dr. Ken Wittig, Dr. Ross Arnett, Dr.
Patricia Brown and Dr. Tom Whalen for providing
them with guidance and personal development in the
sciences.
“When Paul and I look back at our Siena
education, it was the professors who demanded
excellence from us that have had the greatest impact
on our lives,” Rosemary said.
The most influential and supportive faculty
member for Rosemary was Dr. Ed LaRow, professor
of biology. “Rosemary was an excellent student
who enjoyed being challenged in the classroom. I
believe she is one of our most published Siena
graduates,” Dr. LaRow remarked.
Today as a program scientist at the National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development,
a component of National Institutes of Health,
Rosemary participates in clinical trials and
observational studies in neonatal medicine in order
to reduce mortality and promote healthy outcomes
for infants. She has worked previously on numerous
research grants totaling in excess of $1 million. She
published 62 original papers in peer-reviewed
journals, eight books or chapters, 65 abstracts and
most importantly, has been recognized for her
excellence as a teacher.
“While I have enjoyed my research, I treasure
my teaching awards the most,” she explained. Rosemary
received the Resident Annual Teaching Award from the
University of Virginia Department of Pediatrics in 1987
and the Teacher of the Year from the New York
University Pediatrics Department in 1993-1994.
Her husband Paul retired as a rear admiral in
August 2007 and now serves as medical director for
the Navy Mutual Aid Association. His prior job was
director of health and safety for the United States Coast
Guard.
“My non-science Siena experience played a large
part in the success I have enjoyed in my career. I
received formal training in medical ethics from Fr.
Kevin Mackin, O.F.M., professor of religious studies,
which really put me on firm footing as a physician,
medical student, military leader and public servant,”
Paul said.
“I have tried to emulate those wonderful role
models by investing considerable time with my
subordinates in the public health service and Coast
Guard. I try to push that Siena spirit forward to all those
that I come in contact with.”
As Paul said, “Siena gave me enough confidence
to imagine that I could have it all. I am also thankful
that Rose is a Siena graduate because I am not certain
that a person with different life experiences would have
the patience to withstand the challenges our professions
have provided us while remaining so engaged in
supporting her family.”
The balance between family and profession can
be a difficult challenge at times. Paul and Rosemary
have managed to excel at it.
Above: Rosemary and Paul Higgins credit the faculty
members who challenged them in the classroom like (left
to right) Dr. George Bazinet, Dr. Pat Brown, Dr. Ross
Arnett and Dr. Ed LaRow for their successful careers.
Siena News • 23
ALUMNI
CLASS NOTES
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Winter Class Notes 2007 - 2008 Editors: Janice Goca, Katie Sokol ’08, Ashley Dwyer ’08 and Nate Maloney ’00
Please submit all of your class notes information to your class coordinator, or if there is no coordinator listed for your class, please
send all information to alumni@siena.edu for posting in the magazine!
1959
Frank Martin
ftmartin@earthlink.net
1961
John Moore, a retired United
States Navy captain and his wife
Peggy of Port Orchard, Wash.,
traveled to Italy and Spain from
September 19 - October 8. In
Italy they visited Milan, Lake
Como, Venice, Florence, the
beautiful city of Siena, Rome and
Barcelona.
1962
Ken Deitcher
dukaytravel@att.net
Hello from Ken Deitcher ’62,
class coordinator. Just a reminder
to please notify me with
interesting personal updates you
would like to share with the Siena
community! I look forward to
hearing from you!
1968 REUNION
Bill McGoldrick
16 Carriage Hill
Latham, NY 12110
bmcgoldrick@wash-mcg.com
40th Reunion! Remember to
mark June 6, 7 and 8, 2008 on
your calendar for our Reunion
weekend. Watch for more details
coming in future mailings to the
class.
I have sad news to report first.
Matt Halloran wrote me to talk
about Stan Harrison, who died
last August. “I think a mention
of Stan in your next class notes
would be appropriate. Stan was
a fellow 1964 graduate of
Vincentian Institute in Albany.
At least 18 of us entered Siena
together in the fall of 1964
including: Dan Sleasman, Fred
Barthelmas, Mike Bossert, Don
Brady, Jack Cadalso Jim
Coughlin, Jerry DeFrancisco,
Wally Donnelly, Ed Karl, Jim
Kerr, Paul LaVigne, Bill
Lenihan, Mike Long, Bill
Nealon, Mike Nowak and Rich
Osielski. Stan was an accounting
major, a lifetime resident of
Albany and a career employee
in New York State government.
He went through ROTC at
Siena and served a full tour in
Vietnam. He was a good person;
all of us have fond memories of
him.
Congratulations
to
Dan
Sleasman on the new Siena
Saint in the family, Cory
Patrick!
I spoke with Bill Mahoney
recently. Bill is retired and travels
extensively and volunteers
regularly with the Paul
Newman Hole in the Wall
camps for kids with serious
illnesses and life-threatening
conditions such as cancer, sickle
cell anemia, HIV/AIDS, and
many other conditions. Bill has
volunteered at camps in Lake
Luzerne, N.Y., Dublin, Ireland
and Lake Hughes, Calif. He
recently saw Al Dodd and Gene
Jannotti. Both are planning to
attend our reunion. I hope you
are too!
Drop me a line with news from
your life and we’ll share it in the
next Siena magazine!
1969
John E. Wolfgang, partner in
UHY, LLP and a member of its
management committee, has
been appointed chairman of the
global accounting and consulting
firm association of UHY
International. James S. Fry, Esq.
of
Essex
Junction Vt.
has
been
admitted to
the United
S t a t e s
Supreme
Court Bar.
James is a
James S. Fry, Esq. professor of
paralegal
studies
and
business
administration at Champlain
College. Congratulations to all!
1971
Congratulations to Paul F.
Dwyer on his recent election as
town justice in Bethlehem, N.Y.
and to Preston L. Jenkins on
his recent election as town
supervisor in Moreau, N.Y.
1973 REUNION
Brian Valentine
(202) 586-9741
bgvalentine@verizon.net
Greetings to the class of 1973,
and all Siena community and
friends!
This is my first
contribution to the class news
and notes as your class editor. I
have only one item to report –
and hope other members of
Siena Class of 1973 will be
inspired to share their
experiences with us.
I recently returned from a two
and a half year detail to the US
Embassy, in Baghdad, Iraq. My
appointment was supported by
my
employer,
the
US
Department of Energy, and I
served to contribute to Iraq’s
energy industry rehabilitation
and development.
My
contribution was to the Iraqi
petroleum refinery industry with the goal of helping Iraq to
become independent in their fuel
needs. The early part of the
detail was quite harrowing
because of the unchecked
violence, but I did witness the
security situation improve over
the course of my stay in
Baghdad. The good people in
Iraq are committed to improving
the economy and Iraqi society
welcomes the plurality of
religious belief and practices in
Iraq. The country is a truly
multi-ethnic society that has
embraced religious diversity for
many centuries. I regret that I
saw the hardship many people
faced. The United States, slowly
but surely, is helping the country
to recover. I learned Arabic
some years ago, and I met many
Iraqis who I continue to
correspond with. I also lost some
very close associates and these
losses will remain with me
always. Other news from our
class, David M. Stack has been
selected as president, chief
executive officer, and member of
the board of directors of Pacira
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Mr. Stack
is currently the CEO and
founding partner of Stack
Pharmaceuticals,
Inc.,
a
commercialization, marketing
and strategy firm serving
emerging healthcare companies.
He also is an executive
partner at MPM Capital.
Congratulations!
CORRECTION: Steve Lamy
has a new job as vice dean of the
College of Letters, Arts,
and Sciences Undergraduate
Programs at the University of
South California (not South
Carolina as previously reported).
Congratulations Steve, USC is
lucky to have you!
1975
Janet Gutowski Hall
janet.hall@wku.edu
Siena News • 24
Maureen Liccione, partner of
Jaspan Schlesinger Hoffman
LLP, was selected as one of Long
Island’s 50 Top Women named
by the Long Island Business
News. In addition, she was also
elected the director of the
Suffolk County Bar Association.
1977
Linda Fitzsimmons
lfitzsimmons@hvc.rr.com
Stephen Batza has recently
joined Mutual Trust Financial
Group as president and CEO.
Mae A. D’Agostino, Esq., a
partner in the Albany based law
firm of D’Agostino, Krackeler,
Baynes & Maguire, P.C., was
recently honored by the U.S.
District Court for the Northern
District of New York and the
Northern
District of
New York
Federal
Court Bar
Association
for
her
volunteer
service as a
member of
Mae A.
D’Agostino, Esq. the court’s
m e r i t
selection
panels. Congratulations to all!
Also, congratulations to Jon
Plaisted who has just published
a collection of short stories with
Dell Publishing, Inc. titled,
Vanished. This is Jon’s fourth
book and first collection of
fiction. He has taught at many
universities and colleges in this
country. He has been a member
of the faculty of the Writing
Program at Stony Brook
University for the past eight
years. In addition, Jon received
the Campus Life Award for
teaching excellence, 2006-2007,
and has been reappointed as
senior lecturer for another five
years at Stony Brook University.
Jon tells us it is his New Year’s
resolution to march in the St.
Patrick’s Day Parade this year
with his fellow alumni. See you
there JP!
1978 REUNION
Congratulations to Mark E.
Grimm on his recent election to
the
Town
Council
Guilderland, N.Y.
in
1979
Sue Reilly/ Hayes
CLIFTON522@aol.com
522 Chili-Riga Town Line
Road Churchville, NY 14428
(585) 889-2072
It’s 2008 and you know what that
means…just over a year until our
(gulp!) 30 th reunion. Looking
forward to seeing a huge turnout
of ’79ers back on campus in June
’09! That way I can torture you
in person for news, notes, gossip
and updates! Meanwhile, I can
always count on my 3W pals to
keep in touch and provide me
with news tidbits! The last issue
prompted an e-mail from Lisa
Calvelli Meyer. She and her
husband Jim (also a Siena alum!)
relocated to Raleigh, N.C., last
year after many, many years in
southern Florida. Too-frequent
hurricanes and college-age kids
who didn’t plan to settle in
Florida prompted the move. Lisa
and Jim have had long careers as
insurance claims professionals
with Allstate so they were able
to transfer to the company’s
Raleigh office. They’re joined in
North Carolina by their 22-yearold daughter Jessica, who
graduated from Yale in May and
is working for a clinical research
company in Chapel Hill. Their
son Paul is currently a senior at
the University of Florida.
Completing the Meyer family are
three lively Labrador retrievers!
I also heard from Patty Kelly
McKay who, after 22 years at
Schenectady ARC, has become
associate executive director for
the NYS Association of
Community and Residential
Agencies, a trade association for
about 200 member agencies who
serve people with developmental
disabilities. Congratulations on
your new post! Patty and her
husband Mark have two
daughters in college; Meghan is a
senior at Marist and Kelly is a
junior at Colgate. The “empty
nest” has given Patty and Mark
time for fitness activities—the
gym, Adirondack hiking, bike
rides, cross-country skiing and
road races. Did I mention that,
before she switched jobs, Patty
was bicycle commuting from her
home in Albany to her job in
Schenectady? Twenty-eight
miles round trip! Remind me not
to groan anymore about walking
around the block with our dog!
One last fitness note—last
September Patty ran a 5K
“Police Chase” race held in
memory of her brother Michael
Kelly and his State Police
Academy roommate Jim Kelly,
dedicated runners who each died
in the line of duty. She placed
first in the age 50-59 category
with a time of 26:46. Great job,
Patty…and you just know how
proud your brother would be!
Greg Garvin has been named
executive vice president of
Independent Distribution at AIG
VALIC in
Houston.
M o s t
recently, he
served as
president
of Security
Distributors,
a unit of
Security
Benefit Life
Greg Garvin
Insurance
Company.
Dave Smith passed along sad
news that our classmate Paul
Ruggeri, a former professor of
finance at Siena, passed away on
October 9, 2007. Our thoughts
and prayers go out to his wife
and daughters. Condolence
notes may be sent to Peggy
Ruggeri, 5420 Taylor Mill Rd,
Taylor Mill, Kentucky 41015.
My seventh-grader, Matthew,
just got one of the leads in his
middle school play. When I asked
him what the play was, he told
me it was called “Murder at the
Goon Show” and explained that
it was a spoof based on (in his
words) “some really, really old
TV show called The Gong
Show!” Brought back a lot of
memories…poor kid then had to
endure my descriptions of the
wildly hilarious Siena take-offs
on The Gong Show we put on
(and, yes, I set him straight about
the really old part too!).
In closing, any interest in
borrowing the “shout-out” idea
used by the ’83 class coordinator?
You send me the name of a
classmate you’ve lost track of,
really want to see at the reunion,
etc. and I publish a “shout-out”
in an upcoming column, asking
them to get in touch and update
us on their life. Let me know who
you’d like to hear from, and keep
those e-mails coming!
The following note was sent to
the Office of Alumni Relations
from Donald Gossin: Whenever
I receive the Alumni Newsletter
I always look forward to reading
the class notes. The first place I
go to is the class of 1979, which
of course is my class. There is
always a story relating to a
success of one of my classmates,
sometimes I know them and
sometimes the name is familiar
but I can’t place the name with a
face. But I always enjoy reading
the notes as it brings me back to
a time in my life that will always
bring a smile to my face. I never
really thought that I would write
a letter to the newsletter, but
something happened recently and
I wanted to share it with my
classmates. The year 2007 is a
major milestone for most of our
class. This is the year that a
majority of us turned 50 years
old. I turned 50 in January and
my best friend and college
roommate turned 50 in October.
One night this past November I
received a phone call late at night
and my life changed. My Siena
College roommate, my best man
at my wedding, my fellow
graduate from 1979 and my best
friend, Paul Costantino, was
gone. It’s just before Christmas
when I am writing this and I still
can’t believe he’s gone. I made a
friend at Siena that I never
thought I would lose. It’s funny,
we’d go a year or two after
graduation without talking to
one another as our lives were
getting busy, with new jobs and
starting our adult lives after
college, but whenever we’d talk
it was like we never left our dorm
room. We were friends for life. I
moved to Florida 12 years ago
but I still stayed in touch with
Junior. I would go back to our
reunions and stay at his house.
We’d call each other every New
Year’s Eve and as usual it would
be like talking after we just got
back from class or from Dap’s on
Siena News • 25
some nights. I went to Paul’s
funeral last month and took a
few minutes to visit the Siena
campus. I saw students walking
around campus just like we did
32 years ago. I can only hope
that today’s students form
lifelong friendships like Junior
and I did back in 1975 when a
guy from Utica and a guy from
Lewiston first met. I learned
something from this terrible
time – don’t take life for granted.
To my classmates I’d suggest
that you take a few moments and
get in touch with an old friend
and see how they’re doing. I
wish I could talk to Paul one
more time. I’d ask all those that
knew Paul to say a prayer for
him and his two children Nick
and Andrea whom he cherished.
1981
John P. Moskos has been
named Orlando and Central
Florida president for Bank of
America. In addition to his
responsibilities as president,
John is Central Florida market
executive for U.S. Trust Bank
of America Private Wealth
Management. John resides in
Winter Park with his family.
1982
Becky Simbari/Almstead
PO Box 496
Newtonville, NY 12128
almstead@msn.com
Paul J. Steffen, CLU, ChFC,
has been named vice president,
agencies,
in
the
office
of Northwestern Mutual
located in Milwaukee, Wis.
Congratulations! Fr. Kenneth
Paulli, O.F.M., has agreed to
serve as the executive assistant
to the president. Fr. Ken will
continue to serve on the
Department of Education
faculty. As an alumnus, a
tenured faculty member and a
former chair of the Department
of Education, Fr. Ken brings a
wealth
of
talent
and
commitment to this new task.
The Siena community welcomes
Fr. Ken into his new position.
1983 REUNION
Elvira Altimari-Jaeger
60 Wyatt Rd Garden City, NY
11530
eaj6@optonline.net
I have a few updates for the
winter edition. I heard from
Lauren Ladd-Giroux. She lives
in Damascus, Md., with her
husband Michael, and their three
children Meghan a freshman at
Villanova, Michael, a sophomore
in high school and Matthew a
fifth- grader. She is planning to
attend our 25th reunion in June. I
also received news from fellow
classmate Peggy O’NeillMcKearney. Peggy lives in
Harrisonburg, Va. with her
husband, Rob McKearney ’82.
Rob has built a successful dental
practice, and they have three
children: Ryan, Caitlin (both in
college), and Brendan (high
school). Peggy hopes to see all
of us this spring too. There was
also an e-mail from Suzanne
Carpenter/Nowak (of “Sue and
Ma” fame). She hadn’t realized
she lived so close to Tom
Bonomo (who was featured in
the last Siena News). She has
lived in Glen Allen, Va. (just
across the James River from Tom)
for six years now. She has been
married 21 years and has two
daughters – Alexandra, 16 and
Madison, 13. Both girls are soccer
players and she spends many
weekends on the sidelines. She is
a “retired” bank vice president
and is now working as an
instructional assistant in an
autism classroom in Henrico
County. In honor of hearing
from Sue Carpenter I would like
to do a shout-out to her famous
other half Maryann “Ma”
Werner. I would also like to give
a shout-out to some of the more
illustrious class members:
valedictorian, Ann Marie La
Pierre; lacrosse Hall of Famer,
Bob “Hutch” Hutchinson; and
two- time class president Mark
“Tex” Windover.
In other news, Michael Hickey
has been appointed president and
CEO of Pitney Bowes Software
after his previous company,
MapInfo was acquired last year.
Kenneth Blass, CEO of Blass
Communications was among the
new directors elected to the
Center for Economic Growth
Inc.’s board. Where have you
been and what are you up to?
Your classmates would love to
know! Watch your mail for
information on our 25th Reunion.
The committee is in the process
of making final decisions on the
details for our weekend and also
our class gift. There is still time
– if you would like to be a
member of the committee, please
e-mail me. That’s all for now,
got to go (Botox appointment).
See you in June. I’ll be the one
who can’t stop smiling.
1984
Lisa San Fratello/ McCutcheon
305 The Parkway Ithaca, New
York 1485 mclisa@twcny.rr.com
1985
Catherine & Ron Bjorklund
bjork90@comcast.net
14 Stevens Lane
Tabernacle, NJ 08088-9744
William S. Dunne has been
elected to the city council,
District 4, Troy, N.Y.
1986
Steven A. Tommasone has been
elected as town supervisor in
Rotterdam, N.Y.
Richard P. Jacobson has been
elected as Albany County
legislator, District 27, Albany,
N.Y. Joe Altieri has been
appointed CFO at RJ Valente
Gravel Inc., of Halfmoon, N.Y.
Congratulations to all!
1987
Gerry McAndrew
Geraldine.mcandrew@verizon.net
I hope everyone had a wonderful
Christmas, spending time with
family and friends. Wishing you
health, happiness and prosperity
in the New Year! Looking
forward to having you share your
exciting news with us. Paula
Sheffer Monaco has been named
director of communications and
marketing at Hudson Valley
Community College. Paula has
20 years of experience in the
communications field. She was
previously with the New York
State Office of General Services
where she had worked as a
communications officer since
2001. Kathy A. Burger/
Drapeau and her husband Bill
welcomed
their
daughter
Caroline Grace on April 26,
2007. Congratulations to all!
1988 REUNION
Paula Cacossa
Paula.gymboree@sbcglobal.net
Peter O’Malley and his wife
Celeste along with their three
boys Pierce, 7, Conor, 5, and
Aidan, 2, are now living in Hong
Kong, China. Peter is the head
of Deutsche Bank’s Natural
Resources Investment Banking
practice in Asia. They are excited
to be living in a new culture and
spend their free time traveling to
unique destinations throughout
Asia. They cordially invite any
Siena alumni to look them up
should they ever be in Hong
Kong. James G. Cavoli has been
named a partner in the firm of
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley &
McCloy, LLP., in Milbank’s
Litigation
G r o u p
New York
office.
Prior
to
joining
Milbank in
November
2 0 0 5 ,
James spent
n e a r l y
James G. Cavoli
eight years
in
the
Criminal Division of the United
States Attorney’s Office for the
Southern District of New York.
1989
Mike Carbonaro
sienanews.1989@yahoo.com
3140 10 th Street
Bethlehem, PA 18020
(610) 737-1147
1990
Stephen Leavenworth
stephen.leavenworth@cit.com
(212) 382-6975
David Desany has recently
rejoined Fiserv Credit Processing
in Lake Mary, Fla., accepting a
position as their national sales
director.
1992
Mary Pat McLoughlin/ Holler
Siena News • 26
jmpholler@optonline.net
Michael Battista and his wife
Maria were married in October
of 2004. They welcomed their
daughter Brady Cecere, on
October 16, 2006.
1993 REUNION
Susan Hannon
shannon@ryeneck.k12.ny.us
213 W. 252 nd Street
Riverdale, NY 10471
917-796-2085
Happy Winter Class of ’93!
Hope the holidays brought much
joy and peace to you and your
families. First order of business:
CLASS REUNION - June 68. It’s #15 in case you can’t count
that high! Please make a pledge
to the annual fund and the Class
of 1993 Endowed Scholarship.
You should have received a letter
asking to make a pledge to help
raise $25,000, a record for any
15th reunion class. Any amount
will help us reach our goal but
think big since it’s a reunion year.
Now on to class news. I only
received one update for this
newsletter L, but it’s a good one.
Kerry Callahan Menger wants
to let you know that she has
started a company called
NMCtoys.com. It is a website
that sells toys that are NOT made
in China. The best part is she
would like to extend a 10%
discount to the Siena community.
Just go to the website and enter
the discount code SAINTS. I’ve
checked it out and there are lots
of toys to choose from! Oh yeah,
she wants to know if you’re still
single Bill Linden – her sister is
available! Karen Finnegan/
Skelton and her husband John
welcomed the birth of their son,
Emerson Joseph on January 16,
2007. Emerson joins big sister
Dorian. Karen is working as a
personal assistant to the opera
star Jessye Norman. Karen says
her job is challenging, exciting
and enriching... and being a mom
to two young children is equally
wonderful.
Okay – one more issue before
the reunion. If you haven’t sent
any news in yet and want the
class to know before the reunion
– pass it along and I’ll get it in
the spring issue. For the next
issue, I’d like to hear from Delia
Braco, Steve Downey, Mike
Librizzi, Anita Saran, and
Kara Henrich.
1994
Glenn Hofsess
gh@endcap.com
83 Kellogg Street
Brookfield, CT 06804
Congratulations to Jennifer
Shea/Landers, who with her
husband, Thomas, is proud to
announce a new addition to their
family. John Wilson Landers was
born on July 28, 2007. They call
him Jack and big brother Tommy
is so happy that he has a little
brother. I also heard from
Heather Grindrod/Moran who
married Kevin Moran on June 19,
2004. In the process, Heather
became a stepmom to his two
children, Julianne and Troy.
They welcomed a son, Charlie,
on August 25, 2006. Heather
has put her math teaching career
on hold for now as she is staying
home to raise Charlie. It was
nice to hear from Mark Sullivan,
who is living with his wife Ericka
and their two-year-old son, Jack
in Hoboken, N.J. As a former
resident of the city that is the
birthplace of Frank Sinatra and
baseball, I can attest to the fact
that they live in a great
place. Mark is a VP of paid
programming
at
Viacom
working on the music channels
(MTV, VH1, BET etc.) Spike, and
Comedy Central. By the time
you read this, winter will be
coming to a close and the renewal
of spring should be just around
the corner. What better time
than now to shoot me a quick email and update all of us on what
you are up to?
1995
Neil Wilcove
nwilcove@fmglaw.com
Michelle Kniskern/Haney and
her husband Bob welcomed
Katherine Grace on August 16,
2007. Katherine joins big sister
Emilee.
1996
Brian Murray
murray21@hotmail.com
bmurray@betterbackschiropractic.com
Phone: (614) 270-6003
Megan Murray/Kelly and her
husband, Michael, are pleased to
announce the birth of their
daughter, Shannon Aine Kelly.
Shannon was born on November
5, 2007.
Congratulations are also in order
for Shane Garvey/Carlacci.
Shane and her husband, Michael,
welcomed their first son, Michael
Martin in July of 2006. Their
second son, Brendan Ryan was
born in July of 2007. Shane also
wrote in to tell us that Katie
McGrath/O’Sullivan,
got
married to Neil O’Sullivan in
April 2004.
This e-mail
obviously got lost in somebody’s
inbox for a few years. She is
currently teaching special
education in Greenwich, Conn.
She also had a son, Timothy, who
ironically enough was born on
the same day as Shane’s son,
Michael. Shane says that the two
boys are “best friends” even
though they don’t quite know it
yet. In other news, Kathleen
Kelly/ Maffei and her husband,
Fred, are pleased to announce the
arrival of Megan Kelly Maffei,
who joins her big sister Emily
Anne. James Mattiace checked
in as well from Morocco! He is
teaching history and geography
at the Rabat American School.
Finally, congratulations go out
to Officer Peter Connolly. Pete
recently graduated from the
police academy and is now
working in Haverstraw, N.Y. It
only took him 33 years to finally
get everything cleared from his
record. Congratulations to
Sarah Catlin/ Landers and
Christopher Landers on the
birth of their son Christopher
James Landers Jr. born January
19, 2007. I am in the process of
compiling a database of all
current e-mails for the Class of
1996. Please forward your
contact information as well as email contacts for your friends
from
’96
to
murray21@hotmail.com and I
will be sending back a database
of all current e-mails to you in
the near future.
1997
Selena Dutcher
selena.dutcher@regentcomm.com
bronx_bombers25@yahoo.com
(518) 265-2127
Congratulations to Matthew
Millea on his appointment as
acting president of NYS
Environmental Facilities
Corporation!
1998 REUNION
Carson Jean Nicklaus /Byrne
and her husband, Brian,
welcomed Hunter William
Byrne on November 8, 2007.
Hunter joins his sisters Sydney,
Cira and Regan and completes
the Byrne Clan!
Tony
Fiumefreddo and Dr. Vanessa
Troise were married in October
of 2006. They reside in
Massapequa, N.Y.
Tricia
Schillaci/Warzocha and her
husband, Brent, welcomed their
daughter Marina Louise on June
3, 2007. Congratulations to all!
1999
Brendan Fitzgerald
nyfitzgerald@yahoo.com
fitzgeb@assembly.state.ny.us
518-258-9272
First, let me apologize for the
delay in getting people’s updates
into the magazine. I have
everything sorted out now.
The other day I had my MP3 list
on shuffle. Three songs came on
in succession, all dating back to
freshman year. It’s weird how
music can take you back in that
deja vu kind of way. Suddenly it
was 10 p.m. on a snowy Saturday
night and I was losing a game of
Beirut with a pile of work
waiting the next day and no plan
to get it done. I went downstairs
and opened a Coors Light for
old time’s sake, and shook my
head at the idea that freshman
year is 12 years past.
Here’s what’s happening in the
lives of your classmates.
It’s been a busy few months for
Nancy Czarniecki and Kris
Koziol ’99. The couple got
engaged in the fall while enjoying
their last autumn in Vermont. It
was a complete surprise, and once
Nancy caught on to what was
Siena News • 27
happening (“Wait, are you doing
it? NOW?!”) she asked. The
wedding is scheduled for Saturday,
October 18, 2008 at the Crowne
Plaza in Albany, N.Y. Nancy also
has a new position working for the
National Education Association’s
state affiliate in Michigan (MEA).
She works out of Allen Park
serving six school districts’
educational employees. While her
official position is UniServ Director,
she prefers telling people she’s a
professional pain in the neck.
Needless to say, it’s the perfect job
for her. She and Kris are living in
downtown Detroit right next to
Comerica Park and Ford Field. Kris
continues to work from home for
Wellpoint. They are really enjoying
Detroit.
Lora Gurley/Owen wrote with the
good news that on May 21, 2007,
she and her husband Jason had their
second baby. This time it was a
boy! Caleb Michael Owen was
born 8 lbs. 4 oz. measuring 21 3/4
inches. Lora was thankful that
Caleb was smaller than his sibling
who was just shy of 9 lbs! Jason
made it back from his deployment
in the Middle East just in time to
see Caleb’s birth.
Gina Baccaro/Arcuri wrote to say
that she and her husband Andrew
welcomed the birth of their first
child, a daughter named Mia Rose,
on June 21, 2007.
I also heard from Johnson
Varughese who graduated August
2007 from LeMoyne College with
a master’s of science. He was happy
to inform me that he’s working as a
PA in the Emergency Department
of St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital in
Orange County, N.Y.
Speaking of medicine, Kevin
Golden wrote with news that he
graduated in June 2007 from the
University of Miami School of
Medicine and is preparing for a
pathology residency at Harvard
University
this
fall.
I have some good news of my own.
I accepted a position working for
Governor Spitzer as special
assistant to the deputy secretary for
public
finance
and
local
government. It’s been a great first
month, and I’m looking forward to
many more.
Meredith Hall married Brian Green
on August 11, 2007 in White
Plains, N.Y. surrounded by family
and friends. Beth Anne Robertson
flew across the country from Seattle
for the event and Brandy and Kyle
Perillo came in from Rochester.
Cara Nolan/Calhoun was unable
to attend as she was anxiously
awaiting the arrival of her new
baby at home! They are currently
in the process of renovating their
new house in Carmel, N.Y.
Timothy P. Minahan has joined TD
Banknorth as a vice president in
government banking in Glens Falls,
N.Y. Prior to joining TD Banknorth,
he was the first vice president at
Berkshire Bank, serving as the
director of sales and product
development.
Congratulations to everyone who
wrote in with great news! I’m
looking forward to many more
updates!
2000
Shaymus R. Schweitzer
SienaSaints2000@hotmail.com
103 Sherman Ave.
Troy, New York 12180
518-727-3392
It was great to hear from Claire
Moroney/Neumann a couple
months back. Claire married
Jonathan Neumann on May 19,
2007.
They celebrated their
nuptials at the Captain Linnell
House in Orleans, Mass. Check out
their wedding photo in this edition
of the Siena News to see what other
Saints attended. Congratulations
Claire!
Also checking in recently was
Moira
Tamburello/Gleason.
Moira and her husband Dan are
proud to announce the birth of their
daughter, Danica Brynne Gleason!
Little Danica arrived on October
15, 2007 and is the joy of both
parent’s life. If you are ever in town
Moira, my wife Kristina Turley/
Schweitzer and I have a new
playmate for Danica. We are happy
to announce the birth of our
daughter, Natalie Elizabeth
Schweitzer on November 22, 2007!
(Our little 6 pound, 12 ounce
turkey came on Thanksgiving
morning at 1:05 a.m.). Mom and
Dad were still able to score some
leftover turkey from very happy
grandparents later that day. All
three of us are doing great (on a
little less sleep), and will truly have
something to be thankful for every
Thanksgiving to come. Spring is just
around the corner… until next time,
best wishes to you all!
2001
Maura Mack
mmack@hbs.edu
Nuptials – Meghan Daley married
Mike Taptick on August 11, 2007
at Mountain Meadows Lodge in
Killington, Vt., and spent their
honeymoon in Newfoundland,
Canada. The Tapticks reside in
Rutland, Vt., where Meghan is a
school counselor and Mike is a
physical education teacher. Lindsey
Zwart married Robert Cook ’00 on
October 8, 2006 at the Dryden
United Methodist Church in
Dryden, N.Y. with the reception at
the Aurora Inn. They spent their
honeymoon in Hawaii. Lindsey
earned her master’s in English
literature from Old Dominion
University in 2003 and has been a
high school English teacher in
Yorktown, Va., for the past six
years. Robert is a contractor for
Lockheed Martin and is currently
working on his master’s in public
administration at Old Dominion
University. Steve Schroth and his
wife Katherine Finelli/Schroth
welcomed their first child, a healthy
baby girl on September 10…Lila
Kalani Schroth, 21.5 inches
long and 8 pounds, 1 oz.
Congratulations!
2002
Christine Cinnamond
christine.cinnamond@gmail.com
(646) 942-0970
Congratulations to Erica Zamsky/
Hunt and Ryan Hunt ’00. They
are the proud parents of Dylan
Henry Hunt. Dylan was born on
May 22, 2007 weighing 7lbs, 12
oz, and 20.5 inches. Erica and
Ryan are high school teachers and
the Hunt clan currently resides in
New Britain, Conn. More baby
news! Congratulations to Danielle
Paonessa/Nickles and Steven
Nickles on the birth of their son,
James Steven Nickles. James was
born on April 28, 2007.
2003 REUNION
Gina Gizzi
sienasaints_2003@hotmail.com
P.O. Box 5133
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
(518) 421-4316
Welcome to the newest members
of the Siena family, Thomas Ronan
Engels, son of Amanda Kelly/
Engels and Bob Engels ’04, and
Landon Buhrman, son of Mike
Buhrman and his wife Elizabeth.
Landon arrived on November 13,
2007 and Thomas came into the
world on October 2, 2007.
Thomas has already made his first
visit to what Mom says will be his
future college, Siena, of course!
Congratulations on your bundles
of love. Marissa Gregg/Pashley
was married to Stephen Pashley on
June 22, 2007 in Nyack, N.Y. Best
wishes to the newlyweds! Finally,
there are two pieces of news to
report in my own neck of the
woods. In December 2007, I
completed a master’s degree in
special education from the College
of St. Joseph. Also, the e-mail
address to contact me for class notes
has
been
changed
to
sienasaints_2003@hotmail.com.
All other contact information is
the same for me, but if anyone out
there has updated e-mails or news
please let me know.
2004
Jolleen Wagner
John Moore ’61 and his wife Peggy with friends in Siena, Italy
Siena News • 28
jolleen_wagner@yahoo.com
Class of 2004, are you keeping
warm? I sure hope so. News has
been slow, partially because of an
e-mail address change on my part
and partially because we’re all just
so busy! Do me a favor and take
a second, send an e-mail with any
news you’d like to share!
Weddings,
promotions,
engagements, life changes — let
us celebrate together! Speaking
of celebrating, congratulations
and best wishes to Lauren
Morrison ‘04 and her high school
sweetheart Brenton Meilhede.
They were married this past
September. Also recently wed
were Sarah Levy ‘04 and Rob
Grundman...may the happiness of
marriage be yours! Bridgette
Palin and Shane McMahon ’02
were married on August 3, 2007.
The ceremony was held at the St.
Mary of the Angels Chapel at
Siena. The bride is currently a
third-grade special education
teacher for Stillwater Elementary
and the groom is vice president
of counseling for Ayco.
Congratulations! It has been a
busy year for Steven Auletta
who recently graduated from
Brooklyn Law School in June,
passed the New York Bar exam
in July, and began working as an
attorney for the New York City
Law Department, Office of the
Corporation Counsel in August.
Erin Hutnick graduated from
George Mason School of Law in
May of 2007 and passed the
Virginia Bar Exam in July.
Presently, she is clerking at the
Office of the Commonwealth’s
Attorney in Alexandria, Va.
Congratulations to all!
2005
Sabra-joi Dingman
sdingman@siena.edu
April Ferreira was recently
married to Ryan Sirianni on
August 18, 2007. The wedding
was held at the Venetian Yacht
Club in Babylon, N.Y. They
currently live in Manhattan where
April works as a publicist at
Harper Collins Publishers. Jaclyn
DeMarasse and Frank Ferrucci
were married on August 24, 2007
in
Schenectady,
N.Y.
Congratulations!
2006
Chris Elsesser
celsesser@mail.fairfield.edu
Ashley Boland
Ashleym.boland@gmail.com
Happy New Year fellow
2006ers!!! I hope that everyone
had a joyous holiday season and
is off to a great start in 2008! I
kicked off the year with a bang
as I had the luxury of cruising to
the Southern Caribbean with
several of my closest Siena
friends. If this doesn’t set the tone
for a fantastic year, I don’t know
what will. It’s amazing how time
keeps flying by, but fortunately
for the health of this column, it
keeps everyone busy and
continues to give us something
to share. Candice Hunt has left
her native homeland of upstate
New York and has rooted herself
in the city of Boston, where she
has become one of the biggest
fans in Red Sox nation. She is
currently earning her master’s
degree in secondary English
education at Boston College,
where she will graduate in the
spring. With her fingers crossed,
she hopes to land her first job
next fall! An old Siena tag team
has been back in action over the
last 18 months, as best friends
and old roommates Lindsey
Rovery and Kaitlin Parla have
been navigating their way
through Touro College’s School
of Education & Psychology on
Long Island. The girls graduated
this past December with master’s
degrees in childhood education
and special education in Grades
1-6. They are now at crossroads
again, as Lindsey is moving back
upstate to pursue her education
career (which will hopefully one
day include her going back to
school
to
obtain
an
administration certificate that
will allow her to become a
principal of an elementary
school). Kaitlin’s dream is the
same, only she will pursue her
career at home on Long Island.
Not to worry though, with the
way history has played itself
between the two of them, they’ll
be back in action together before
we know it! Karen Patricia is
currently in her second year at
Albany Med School and spent
last summer working at the
Owyhee Indian Reservation in
Nevada. This summer, she will
be traveling with fellow
classmate and former Siena Saint
Melissa Krueger. The two girls
will be doing a four-week
rotation in Dundee, Scotland.
Both of these rotations allow
them to work with the
underserved populations of these
areas. Colleen Carey has
completed her Master of Science
in bioinformatics at Georgia Tech
this past December, and is
returning home to Clifton Park
to teach at the “Green and Gold”
for the spring semester! Hired as
an adjunct professor in Siena’s
Computer Science Department,
she will be educating all young
minds who are taking CSIS 110.
With her spare time, she plans
on taking on a part-time job and
hopefully going on many
graduate school interviews, as she
looks to pursue a PhD. in genetics
or genomic medicine. Good luck
and congratulations Colleen!
Danielle O’Neill married
Stephen Barretta ’05
in
September of 2007.
Since taking the post of class
notes editor in the summer of
2006, I have always been amazed
and intrigued (though never
surprised) at the wide variety of
outstanding accomplishments
and news that all of you have
offered to share. Please keep it
coming! Now is as good of a time
as ever to call, e-mail, or
Facebook your updates to us. On
behalf of my co-editor Ashley
Boland, I would like to wish you
and your families the best for a
happy, healthy and exciting
2008! Go Saints!
2007
Sean Robbins
PO Box 11222
Loudonville, NY 12211
sksrobb@yahoo.com
With nature’s icy splendor upon
us, we anticipate the promise of
spring’s warm glow. All the
while, the class of 2007 has been
busy forging its way in the world
as postgraduates, applying their
Siena experience in unique ways.
toward becoming a doctor.
Meanwhile, Heather Holmes is
happily living in sunny Florida
and working for Walt Disney
World. She loves her job though
it can be exhausting at times;
after all, as she puts it “how many
people can honestly say that they
get to wake up and see Winnie
the Pooh, Tigger, Alice in
Wonderland, the Mad Hatter,
Cinderella, or Mary Poppins?”
She never knows who she might
bump into when she walks out
of her office!
Best wishes to Jackie, Ryan,
Heather and the entire class of
2007, and to all continued peace
and joy.
I would like to close with the
following reminder: this column
belongs to the entire class of
2007, and each member of the
class is welcome and encouraged
to submit news/information to
share with the class and the Siena
community — looking forward
to hearing from you!
In Memory of:
Reverend Frank Gilchrist ’41
Thomas A. Whalen ’48
William E. Dunn ’49
Guy Luciano ’49
Guy Napolitana ’50
David I. Hughes ’51
Maurice H. Dowling ’51
John J. Bach ’52
Daniel Cahill ’53
Herbert E. Callinan ’53
Leo Rutkowski ’55
Domenic J. Caminiti ’57
Michael G. Chouffi ’58
John J. Flood ’60
Edward F. Rogers ’61
Sgt. Robert A. Dugan ’62
Raymond J. Laliberte ’69
Jackie Shelburne, former editor
of The Promethean, is now
applying her leadership skills as
a management trainee at
Enterprise Rent-A-Car in
Hartford, Conn.
Ryan
McIntyre is currently a student
at Albany Medical College where
he is demonstrating his
commitment to service, which
crystallized at Siena, in working
Anne S. Rosenthal ’74
Paul Empie ’75
Christopher Paticopoulos ’78
Paul Costantino ’79
Paul J. Ruggeri ’79
Mark D. Lawrence ’82
Siena News • 29
Meghan Daley ’01 married Mike Taptick on August 11, 2007
April Ferreira ’05 married
Ryan Sirianni on August
18, 2007.
Jaclyn DeMarasse ’05 married Frank Ferrucci
on August 24, 2007
David Desany ’90 married Sharon Ruggeri
on February 25, 2006
Lauren Morrison ’04 married Brenton Meilhede
in September, 2007
Marissa Gregg ’03 married Stephen
Pashley on June 22, 2007
Lindsey Zwart ’01 married Robert
Cook ’00 on October 8, 2006
Siena News • 30
Claire
Moroney ’00
married
Jonathon
Neumann on
May 19, 2007.
Sarah Levy ’04 married Rob Grundman
Tara Spoor ’02 married Kevin Testo ’03 on
October 21, 2006
Carrie Dolson ’04 married David Dutil
August 5, 2006
Molly
Harrigan ’01
married
Benjamin
Towne ’02
on July 7,
2007
Siena News • 31
Interested in Secure Fixed
Income in an Uncertain
Market?
Consider establishing a Charitable Gift Annuity with Siena College. You will enjoy
lifetime income at a favorable, fixed rate of return and the following other benefits:
• An immediate charitable income tax deduction
• Income for life with a portion tax-free
• Removal of contributed assets from your taxable estate
• No asset management concerns
• The knowledge that you have made an
important gift to Siena College
The Charitable Gift Annuity is one of the oldest, simplest, and most popular of charitable life income plans.
In exchange for a transfer of cash or marketable securities, Siena contractually guarantees to make specified
annuity payments to you and/or another beneficiary for life.
The payout rate depends on the age and number of beneficiaries. The following table shows rates of return
recommended by the American Council on Gift Annuities and applies to both men and women. Please contact
us to determine what your fixed rate would be.
PAYOUT RATES
Age
50
55
60
65
Rate
5.50%
5.80%
6.00%
6.30%
Age
70
75
80
85
Rate
6.70%
7.30%
8.30%
9.70%
Age
50, 50
55, 55
60, 60
65, 65
Rate
4.70%
5.10%
5.60%
5.80%
Age
70, 70
75, 75
80, 85
85, 85
Rate
6.10%
6.50%
7.10%
8.10%
The donor can claim a current charitable deduction for the portion of the transfer that represents the
charitable gift element. Another important tax benefit is that a portion of each annuity payment is incometax-free.
Annual payments may begin immediately, or with a deferred-payment gift annuity, at a set time in the future –
at retirement, for example. The deferred payment gift annuity is particularly attractive to donors in the 40 to 60
year age bracket who have high current income, who can benefit from a current tax deduction, and who are
interested in augmenting potential retirement income on a tax-favored basis.
Example: Robert C. recently made a $10,000 contribution to Siena to create a Charitable Gift Annuity. At his
current age of 73, he will receive $700 each year (7.0% annual return) for life. He was able to take a charitable
income tax deduction of $3,616 in this current year. Since part of his annuity income is considered as a return of
principal, he receives $463 of the $700 as tax-free income. The remaining amount is taxed as ordinary income.
For more information on Charitable Gift Annuities and other planned gifts, contact John R. Sise, Esq. ‘75,
Director of Planned Giving, Tel: 518-783-2432 Fax: 518-786-5010 E-mail: jsise@siena.edu
Siena News • 32
SHORT TAKES
Theatre Professor’s Production Named
“Critic’s Choice”
Benedictus began in the summer of 2005 as the Iran/Israel/US Project, with a one-week residency at
Siena. The play, which later premiered in April 2007 at Siena, was created by a team of professionals from
Iran, Israel and the United States.
Benedictus imagines two childhood friends, born in the same town in Iran. One studies Islamic law
and philosophy, entering the clergy and eventually rising to leadership in the new Islamic Republic. The
other, Jewish, emigrates with his family to Israel and eventually becomes a leading arms dealer.
The two friends, irrevocably connected but long estranged,
agree to a secret meeting in a designated Benedictine monastery in
Rome, three days before the coming U.S. invasion of Iran.
The international team of artists includes Motti Lerner,
Israeli playwright and professor at Tel Aviv University; dramaturg
Roberta Levitow, Los Angeles-based theatre director, teacher and
co-founder of Theatre Without Borders; director Mahmood KarimiHakak, professor of creative arts at Siena who has written and
directed plays and films in his native Iran, the United States and
Europe; Danny Michaelson, Bennington College theatre faculty
member and trained mediation specialist; and playwright Torange
Yeghiazarian, founder and artistic director of Golden Thread
Productions in San Francisco.
Siena Plans Pilgrimage to Assisi
The year 2009 is significant for those who are inspired by the vision of St. Francis of Assisi.
Next year marks the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Order of Friars Minor – the Franciscans.
To celebrate the occasion, the Siena College community has accepted an invitation from the order’s
leadership to travel in pilgrimage to Assisi, Italy on February 18-28, 2009.
The pilgrimage is open to all members of the Siena College community and friends of the
college. The leadership of the Order of Friars Minor has called upon Franciscan men and women
worldwide to gather in 2009 to celebrate “the grace of our origins.” One special and unique way that
has been suggested is to travel in pilgrimage to Assisi, visit the sites and breathe the air that gave birth
to Francis and his way of life.
The pilgrimage includes round trip airfare, ground transportation in an air-conditioned motor
coach, clean and comfortable lodging, tasty Italian food and fun. This ten-day excursion includes a sixday stay in Assisi and a stop in Siena, Italy because it has a special significance to Siena College.
Highlights of the four-day stay in Rome include St. John
Lateran baptistery of the Franciscan Order and the Vatican
of Francis’ day. The total cost is approximately $3,800.00
per person.
The pilgrimage was put together to deepen the
understanding of the Franciscan tradition, see the amazing
Italian countryside and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow
Saints. For more information or to register for this once-ina-lifetime experience please contact Nate Maloney ’00,
director of alumni relations at nmaloney@siena.edu or call
him at (518)783-2430.
Siena News • 33
Women’s Volleyball MAAC
Champs... Again!
Volleyball coach
Garvey Pierre has never
been one to follow
conventional wisdom.
Pierre’s fifth year at
Siena resulted in the
program’s third
consecutive MAAC
Championship and NCAA
Tournament trip.
Although the dramatic
turnaround he orchestrated
may not have taken place
overnight, it sure feels that
way.
The Saints finished
tied for last place in the
MAAC in 2004, but have
quickly established
themselves as the MAAC’s
elite program. The most
recent statement came in
dramatic fashion on
archrival Fairfield’s home
court before a national TV
audience on ESPNU while
playing for the MAAC
championship.
The victory marked
the third straight season
Siena knocked off the Stags
in the title match.
Remarkably, all three times
the match went the
distance, with the Saints
prevailing in five games.
Pierre has now
guided the upstart Saints to
three straight 20-win
seasons. He inherited a
program that had 20 losses
in the year prior to his
arrival and placed secondto-last and last in his first
Volleyball
Head
Coach Garvey Pierre
has led Siena to three
MAAC Championships in only five years
at Siena.
Siena News • 34
Above: The women’s volleyball team captured a dramatic MAAC Championship this year and Nadiege
Honore ’08 (right) garnered MVP honors.
two years at the helm. Success has been achieved in
the classroom as well, evidenced by the team’s 3.21
cumulative grade point average.
The sudden resurgence – Siena won four
straight MAAC titles from 1993-1996 came as a
surprise to just about everyone. Well, everyone
except Pierre.
Two years ago, Pierre filled out his preseason
coaches’ poll ballot with the Saints at the top. Every
other MAAC coach picked Siena last. Pierre’s team
went on to win the league title for the first time
in a decade.
”We think he’s crazy half the time,” outside
hitter Nadiege Honore ’08 said. “But he’s kept that
attitude.”
Pierre, who grew up in Haiti and later moved
to Canada, came to Siena from Mercy College, where
he won 75 percent of his matches. He used his
knowledge of the tropics to immediately lure first
rate talent to Loudonville. Honore came to Siena
from the Caribbean island of Trinidad and leaves as
one of the best players in program history. She was
named MAAC Tournament MVP as a senior after
posting 21 kills and 16 digs in the title match and
stands second on the school’s all-time kill charts –
just three kills shy of record holder and Hall of Famer
Kristin May ’97.
Setter April London ’09 hails from Woodbury,
Minnesota, while libero Kathi Kobayashi ’09 and
versatile talent Kau’i Robello ’10 travelled over four
thousand miles from Hawaii. London is already the
most proficient setter in school history while
Kobayashi is well on her way to breaking the all-time
mark for digs.
“Siena knew my goals,” Pierre said. “They
knew I wanted to win. If I go to a school and they
don’t care about winning, I’m not going to stay
there.”
And by winning, recruits from closer to
home have taken notice.
MAAC Offensive Player of the Year
Burgandy McCurty ’10, the 2006 MAAC Rookie of
the Year, played her high school volleyball on Long
Island and rookie sensation Aubrey Bobo ’11 made
the short trip from Oneida, N.Y.
Pierre told McCurty she could enjoy the
success Honore did if she came to Siena.
”I knew about Siena’s success, and Nadiege
is an amazing player,” McCurty said. “If he could
make me into her, I’d come in a second.”
McCurty is a big reason the volleyball
program became the first in school history to make
three straight Division I NCAA Tournament trips,
where it lost to eventual national champion Penn
State. Despite the unprecedented success, Pierre has
his sights set on even loftier goals.
“The team is confident,” Pierre said. “We
know our potential. We know it’s just a game. All
areas of our team are solid, so if we play well, we
can do anything. We’ve gotten to where we’re at the
top level of the MAAC. Now we want to really
leave the rest of the MAAC behind.”
Siena News • 35
Civil Rights Leader
Celebrates Legacy of Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Civil rights activist Dr. Bernice Johnson
Reagon gave the keynote address at this year’s
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott
King Lecture Series. Reagon is a well-known
voice for freedom and justice, which she
accomplishes through education and music.
Reagon used both song and speech
during her presentation which emphasized the
potential college students have as reformers.
“You can’t go to college floating around as if
the desire to better the world is going to catch
you,” she told them. Her call to action included
asking them to take responsibility for keeping
equality for all, to never allow the tragedy of
slavery to be forgotten, and to live Dr. Martin
Luther King’s legacy, daily.
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