geneseoA magazine for alumni, parents and friends of SUNY Geneseo

sceneFall2

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Our Defining Moment

THE CAMPAIGN FOR GENESEO

Shaping Lives of Purpose

FEATURES8 Our defining moment

The most ambitious fundraising campaign in collegehistory will ensure current and future students have thesame transformational opportunities.

12 Building on momentumWhatever life’s changes, the Geneseo experience neverwanes. Alumni are taking the reins to renew that senseof community in 18 cities and regions, and connectwith alumni nationwide.

14 Ramen to richesOur alumni chefs and expert bakers transform drabdorm food into affordable mouth-watering meals youcan easily make at home. It’s love at first bite.

DEPARTMENTS3 One College Circle

23 Alumni News

30 Class Notes

COLUMNS2 President’s Message

7 Letters to the Editor

18 AthleticsGeneseo’s most decorated athlete in history.

20 PerspectivesA 9/11 survivor reconsiders what’s most important.

22 Random Profile: One Cup

Cover photo: Keith Walters ’11

Table of contents photography: Juliann Kane ’12

Freshmen watch their first sunset over the valley after the newstudent convocation. Some brought cups of tea to sit and talkand get to know each other.

geneseosceneFall 2011

CONTENTS

Postmaster: Please address changes to the Collins Alumni Center, McClellan House, SUNY Geneseo, 1 College Circle, Geneseo, NY 14454-1484. Third-class postage paid at Rochester, NY 14606

2 geneseo scene

Vol. 37, No. 2; Fall 2011

The Geneseo Scene is publishedby SUNY Geneseo, Division ofCollege Advance ment, Office ofCollege Communications.

Kris Dreessen, Editordreessen@geneseo.eduCarole Smith Volpe ’91,Art Directorvolpe@geneseo.edu

Contributing writers:Lisa M. FeinsteinAnthony T. HoppaDavid IrwinMadeline Smith ’14Peter Wayner ’11

Contributing photographers:Juliann Kane ’12Keith Walters ’11Kris DreessenCarole Volpe ’91Ryan DonnellVasiliy Baziuk

Christopher C. Dahl, PresidentAnthony T. Hoppa, Assistant VicePresident for College Communications

Alumni Relations OfficeRose G. Anderson,

Assistant Vice President ofAlumni RelationsMichelle Walton Worden ’92,

Associate Director of AlumniRelationsTracy Young Gagnier ’93,

Assistant Director of AlumniRelationsFrancis E. Zablocki, Online

Community Manager

Alumni Relations Office at Collins Alumni Center McClellan House SUNY Geneseo 1 College Circle Geneseo, NY 14454-1484 Phone: (585) 245-5506 Fax: (585) 245-5505 alumni@geneseo.edu

Parent Relations OfficeTammy Ingram ’88,

Director of Parent RelationsErwin 202Phone: (585) 245-5570

Contact the Scene at scene@geneseo.edu. Visit the website atwww.geneseo.edu/geneseo_scenePhone: (585) 245-5516

n my 17 years at Geneseo, I have never experienced more energy and excitement than on

the evening of Sept. 15, 2011, when almost 450 alumni, faculty, parents and friends gathered

in New York City at Gotham Hall for the national launch of our campaign. That evening, I

had the honor to announce the public phase of Shaping Lives of Purpose: The Campaign for

Geneseo. Years from now, I believe, history will mark that occasion

as a turning point in the life of this great college.

Each of us can play a vital part in this history. No matter when you

graduated, this campaign is a moment to be proud of your alma

mater and join together to ensure an even brighter future for

Geneseo. The campaign is intended to support six major priorities:

The Fund for Geneseo; the new Center for Inquiry, Discovery and

Leadership; scholarships; academic innovation and faculty support;

global education; and athletics. Already, donors have committed

$16.5 million, and with the

announcement at the launch

of a $1 million gift commit-

ment from Ed Pettinella ’73,

momentum is building.

In terms of size, scope and intensity, Shaping Lives of

Purpose: The Campaign for Geneseo is the most ambi-

tious advancement initiative ever undertaken by the col-

lege. Over the next several months, we will engage all 18

regional alumni committees to open up the campaign

across the country.

To keep everyone informed of news and events, we

have created a campaign website at www.campaign.geneseo.edu. Future issues of the Scene will

include a special campaign newsletter. We also will send tweets and Facebook posts to convey

news as it occurs.

Our beloved college is the common bond that connects us across the decades and across

the miles. You can see it in this issue’s stories and photos. They affirm what we already know:

our alumni and students are doing exciting and valuable things that make the world better.

These accomplishments began at Geneseo — springing from a creative idea and nurtured by

an encouraging professor, a supportive classmate, or a motivating coach.

That’s what this campaign is about: shaping lives of purpose. Our goals are high, and our

plans ambitious. Through our support, each of us can leave a legacy to current and future stu-

dents who will forever benefit from the Geneseo experience.

A life of purpose makes other lives better. How fitting that, a long way from our beautiful

Genesee Valley, loyal alumni gathered in Gotham Hall where these words were inscribed on its

stone walls: “Waste neither time nor money but use both for your own and your neighbor’s

good.” That’s an apt motto for our campaign.

Cordially,

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEgeneseoscene

Christopher C. Dahl

I

Geneseo’s defining moment

“No matter whenyou graduated, this campaign is amoment to be proud of your alma mater and jointogether to ensure an evenbrighter future for Geneseo.”

Fall 2011 3

PH

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BY

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One College Circle

More Mud? More Fun!Erika O’Dowd ’13 hugs Vicky Wong ’11, left, after a good tackle and play during amud football game in the Village Park. The girls wanted to play a match with pick-up teams, refereed by their male friends.

4 Marketing mavens

4 Geneseo’s celebrity design

5 New at the union

6 Exploring Walden

6 Spotlight on student research

6 News in brief

CAMPUS NEWS

Football flashback: A friendly gamefrom an earlier era. FILE PHOTO

When Mount Morris restaurantQuesta Lasagna unveiled itsnew slogan, “No Freezers. NoFryers. Just Fresh, AuthenticItalian Cuisine,” chef TimKnowles did not thank somePR powerhouse, but a handfulof Geneseo students.They came up with the best

words to describe his food, andthe feeling he wanted to convey.“(The students) are so smart,”

said Knowles, who worked withthe group before his May 2010opening. “They sort of thoughtoutside of what my mind wasdoing. That fresh approach andenergy was really good for me.”Since 2005, students in

Associate Professor ofCommunication Mary Mohan’sTheory and Practice of PublicRelations and Public RelationsCase Problems courses have col-laborated with businesses and

communities throughout theregion to help clients brand andpromote themselves, their serv-ices and products. Students break into groups to

act as public relations agencies.

Students last year collaboratedwith community leaders tobrand four urban neighbor-hoods in Geneva, N.Y. Beingpart of a project that will affectan entire community fostered

creativity, says Andrew Martin’11. His group engineered areputational facelift for the CityCentral area with a new slogan,“The Right Angles,” which sym-bolizes the city’s initiative tohighlight its best points.This year, students are leading

initiatives for Rochester urbanneighborhoods, the GeneseoTourism Committee, MainStreet Merchants Associationand others, including a continuation with Mount Morris revitalization efforts.Greg O’Connell ’64, a real

estate developer who trans-formed New York City’s RedHook area and is now focusingon Mount Morris, says Mohan’sstudents are an asset.“It opens people’s eyes and

tickles their imaginations aboutwhat’s possible,” says O’Connell.He says students and businessesalike enjoy the benefits of real-life experience. Mohan calls this “reciprocal

transformation,” and it’s beenone of her primary goals sinceshe started at Geneseo in 1987.“Real-world experience is at

the core of the projects,” shesays. “There are no right orwrong strategies. They just haveto use their research and analyti-cal skills — and have thecourage to take a risk.”

— Peter Wayner ’11

4 geneseo scene

Hannah Zimmerman ’12, left, speaks with Thresa Brado, co-owner of Rainy Days Café & Bakery in Mt. Morris, abouther ideas on marketing the business. Zimmerman leads marketing campaigns for dozens of Mt. Morris businessesas main street manager, a position funded by The Geneseo Foundation through developer Greg O’Connell ’64.

PHOTO BY KEITH WALTERS ’11

PR GURUS

Students’ fresh approaches enhance business strategies

CAMPUS NEWS

ONE COLLEGE CIRCLE

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that America’s beloved architect, FrankLloyd Wright, has an imprint on the Geneseo campus?Design of the campus is infused with his inspiration

through the work of architect Edgar Tafel, a Wright pro-tégé, who died last January at age 98. Tafel was anapprentice to Wright at Taliesin, Wright’s summer homeand studio in Wisconsin. Among numerous projects,Tafel worked on Wright’s famous Fallingwater home inPennsylvania. He ardently preserved Wright’s legacy inhis designs and brought his mentor’s vision to Geneseo

The Wright stuff: Renownedarchitect’s influence gracesGeneseo’s campus

FILE PHOTO

Fall 2011 5

Perched in a leather chairwatching her classmates strollpast while sipping a venti icedcoffee, Kathryn Boland ’14can’t imagine life at Geneseowithout the Robert W.MacVittie College Union.Boland has spent countlesshours in the union, chattingwith friends over coffee andsandwiches, studying for Frenchliterature, shooting pool on aFriday night and puttingtogether playlists for her weeklyWGSU radio show. “The union is not just a place

to meet up,” says Boland. “Itsymbolizes a community … Wecome together here.”Starbucks is the union’s

newest addition and part of afive-year strategic plan to ele-vate dining offerings on cam-pus. As a respected brandworldwide, Starbucks will attractcustomers and is an option theentire campus community canbe immediately comfortable

with, says Mark Scott, executivedirector of Campus AuxiliaryServices, which operates cam-pus dining. Two years ago, CAS renovat-

ed Books and Bytes café inMilne Library. Red Jacket andLetchworth dining halls willalso be updated. Next door toStarbucks, the former Gus mar-ket is already under renovationand will reopen in February asFusion Market, offering inter-nationally inspired cuisine. The

Corner Pocket pool area isundergoing a makeover andwill also open in February, saysScott. Students can use theirmeal plans in all of the estab-lishments.“I could be in the union all

day, starting out with someearly-morning Starbucks, thengoing to a cultural dinner, andfinishing off with a late night ofpingpong and billiards in theCorner Pocket,” says Boland.“It’s really the most versatile

building on campus.”Designed by Frank Lloyd

Wright Taliesin fellow EdgarTafel (see correspondingstory), the union opened in1970 and has been the heart ofactivity on campus ever since. Itwas renamed in 1989 in honorof the longtime college presi-dent.More than 4,600 events were

held in the union last year,including square dances, movienights, cultural dinners andperformances and even adance party in a room full offoam during Weeks ofWelcome for students.“This past year, my friends

and I spent a lot of time at theCorner Pocket and Starbucks,”says Vincent Stowell ’14. “It’s amellow environment wherepeople generally take a breakfrom work and stress.”

— Madeline Smith ’14

The Union has been a gatheringspot since 1970. Starbucks is thenewest addition.

GENESEO’S HUB

The Uniongets a caffeineboost

in the early 1960s.Tafel’s firm designed Erwin,

Brodie and Newton halls,MacVittieCollegeUnion, thesouthsideresidencequadrangleand RedJacketDining Hall.Tafel himself

designed the stained-glass win-dow in Brodie and the gazebo,a landmark where thousands

of alumni have observedbreathtaking sunsets. He purposely avoided high-

rise buildings that were moretypical on college campuses tomaintain a “non-threatening”ambiance and worked toblend the design of the campus with the town. At the time, the concept wasquite different.“Much of what felt good

about Geneseo was the overallcharm of the campus andentire town,” says Tanya Gesek’93, a clinical psychologist and

member of the AlumniAssociation board. “I lived onthe southside residence areawhen the ‘tundra’ still existedand I loved it there. Walkingacross the ‘tundra’ to thesouth-side felt like goinghome and your stresses melted away because of theterrific view.”Tafel also played a key role

in creating the 1964 masterplan for Geneseo — essential-ly the blueprint for theambiance and atmospherethe campus exudes in union

with the valley. He quickly connected with the community and lectured on campus occasionally. “Tafel made a personal

statement in his work, but theinfluence of someone likeWright is hard to deny,” saysPaul Hepler, professor emeri-tus of art and co-author ofGeneseo’s history book. To honor his work, the

college conferred an honorarydoctorate of fine arts uponTafel in 2001.

— David Irwin

TAFEL

UNION PHOTOS BY RYAN DONNELL, KEITH WALTERS ’11

Exploring Walden: Humanities’ newest locationHenry David Thoreau penned “Walden”more than 155 years ago, but his reflectionsare still a staple of environmentalism andthought.

Students in the college’s newestHumanities II course in Concord, Mass.,explored the classic where Thoreau wrote it.They also examined history and thoughtsince the 1600s in the course, led by Englishlecturers Edward and Mary Gillin.

The late Professor of English EmeritusWalter J. Harding was an internationally recognized Thoreau historian.

: Read the class blog — http://humanitiesatwalden.tumblr.com

6 geneseo scene

New athletic director takes overMichael Mooney, a formerGeneseo coach with 26 yearsof leadership at the college, is

the newdirector ofintercolle-giate athlet-ics andrecreation.

He takesover forMarilyn

Moore, who retired in 2010,overseeing 20 varsity teams,facilities and staff.

Mooney previously served inseveral positions includinghead men’s soccer coach,director of intramurals andrecreation, and associate direc-tor of inter-collegiate athleticsand recreation.

He is also the national chair-person of the NCAA Division IIIMen’s Soccer All-AmericaCommittee and is a four-timeSUNYAC Coach of the Year.

Record high for studyabroadLast summer, 280 Geneseostudents studied abroad orvolunteered for course credit

in more than 40 programs onfive continents, hosted byGeneseo or in partnership withother institutions.

Among them are Kartik Pilar’12 and Forrest Smith ’11, physicsmajors who each received a$5,000 SUNY scholarship towork alongside scientists andstudents at the University ofParaiba in eastern Brazil.

Professors earn honorsThe SUNY Board of Trusteesrecently presented facultymembers with its most prestigious honor.

Dennis Showers, a 25-year faculty member, was named adistinguished service profes-sor for his contributions toteacher education andnational and international

organizations related to science and math.

Kurt Fletcher, a 19-year faculty member, was named a distinguished teaching professor for his abilities toshape the lives and careers of students and make physicsaccessible to students of allmajors.

More than 40 Geneseo facultymembers have earned this honor.

Service with distinctionFor the fifth straight year,Geneseo has been named tothe President’s HigherEducation Community ServiceHonor Roll and for the secondyear received a “with distinc-tion” commendation — thehighest federal recognitionthe college can achieve forcommitment to volunteering,service-learning and civicengagement.

In 2010, more than 4,000Geneseo students participatedin nearly 79,000 hours ofservice.

NEWS IN BRIEF

ONE COLLEGE CIRCLE

MOONEY

Spotlight on Student Research

The future of medicine

Greg Roloff ’12 won’t graduate until May buthe already has years of experience in hardresearch to advance stem cell regeneration

and other high-profilemedical advancements.

Like many Geneseoundergrads, the biologyand chemistry major gothis start early, perfectinga technique for growingbreast cancer tissue asthe foundation foradvanced study. Roloffworked with Distinguished

Teaching Professor Robert O’Donnell todetermine how Tamoxifen and other cancerdrugs attack malignant cells.

Those research skills earned Roloff a posi-tion as a summer intern after his sophomoreyear at the University at Buffalo School ofMedicine and Biomedicial Science’s stemcell and genetics lab, where he was part of

a team examining promising methods forregenerating damaged heart tissue.

At the tender age of 21, Roloff is a pub-lished co-author about the study in TheAmerican Journal of Physiology.

“It’s priceless,” says Roloff of the opportunity.Mastering fundamentals of solid research

early at Geneseo, he says, helped him winthat internship and his paid fellowship lastsummer at another University at Buffalolab, where he examined the electrical archi-tecture of heart cells, so they might func-tion as one with stem cell tissue.

“Everything you do the first day in thelab carries over,” Roloff says of his Geneseoskills. “That was a big stepping stone.”

Roloff plans to spend a year working inthe stem cell and genetics lab after gradu-ation before heading off to medical school— inspired by his first work with O’Donnell.

“Stem cells and cancer research arewhere my true passions lie,” says Roloff.

ROLOFF

PHOTO PROVIDED

Fall 2011 7

Congratulations to medal recipientLet me join the many thou-sands congratulating GlennGordon Caron ’75 for hisGeneseo Medal ofDistinction. I had the privi-lege of working with Glenn inthe very early days of GSTV,back when it was a two-cam-era operation in a lounge inthe union. Glenn’s creativegenius was apparent even inhis college days and it was nosurprise to most of us whenhe hit the big time inHollywood. Plus, his great

serve as assistant commissionerwith New York State Homes andCommunity Renewal. While atGeneseo, I also had the goodfortune to form strong ties witha close nucleus of friends, who,although now we are spread allover the country, still regularlyget together after nearly 40years. I am still close friendswith professor Zelus.Geneseo has played a truly

formative role in my life and Iwill forever be indebted to theuniversity for my own “Geneseoexperience.”

— Alan Smith ’76

sense of humor made classesa lot more fun.

— Jack Sheehan ’77

Photo essay is timeless representation of theGeneseo experienceI love the pictures in the “17Weeks” photo essay of a finalsemester at Geneseo in the sum-mer issue. I graduated 20 yearsago, yet the pictures reflect whatI experienced at Geneseo. Myfour years there are ones that Iwill remember fondly forever.It’s a time I hold very special.

— Laura Ziegler Gorman ’91

Alumnus thankful Geneseoshaped his lifeMy days at Geneseo proved tobe life-changing for me, bothpersonally and professionally.Simply put, I would not havemy family, career or the long-term and abiding friendshipsmade at Geneseo.I met my former wife at

Geneseo, and have three greatadult “kids” and five beautifulgrandchildren. My 35-yearcareer in housing began as aresult of a directed study super-vised by former sociology pro-fessor Paul Zelus. I currently

LETTERS

We want to hear from you! The Scene welcomes feedback and encourages discussion ofhigher-education issues, content and your thoughts about Geneseo. Send letters, whichmay be edited for space, to scene@geneseo.edu or to the Scene editor, SUNY Geneseo,Roemer House, 1 College Circle, Geneseo, NY 14454.

Letters to the Editor

This is our eighth issue since we unveiled the new Scene in summer 2009. As editor, I relish sharing the stories of our community.The Scene is also proud to reflect well on Geneseo, winning seven awards from SUNY and the Council for Advancement and

Support of Education, in overall magazine, photography and writing, including 2011 best magazine among SUNY institutions.Our readership survey has provided insight as we move forward. Your feedback confirmed your

curiosity about student achievements, alumni careers, Geneseo history and tradition, and, of course, how members of our Geneseo family are making a difference.The survey revealed that three-quarters of you read every issue and half rely on the Scene for most of

your Geneseo information. Nearly all said it strengthens their connection to the college and with eachother. Readers also said they have been inspired to write, submit a photo, donate to the college, or con-tact a classmate.We have received many thoughtful letters about Geneseo memories and how you have been inspired

to connect with classmates or instructors — sometimes decades later. Thank you.This is great news and it reinforces what I am reminded of every day: you truly love Geneseo. This

shows in the success of the Geneseo Alumni Regional Committees — teams of alumni uniting in their local areas all over the country(see related story on page 12.) More than 6,500 alumni and guests have attended more than 100 campus and regional alumni eventsnationwide since 2010.The Scenemission is to facilitate such connections and highlight what’s best about Geneseo — you. Please continue to share

your thoughts, letters and photos with us. We’d love to hear from you at scene@geneseo.edu.

Sincerely, Kris Dreessen

And a letter from the Editor

8 geneseo scene

Geneseo excels at pRovidinG students with

outstandinG oppoRtunities. SHAPING LIVES OF PURPOSE:

THE CAMPAIGN FOR GENESEO will ensuRe

that cuRRent and futuRe students will leaRn

and discoveR theiR passions to achieve theiR dReams.

Our DefiningMoment

By Kris Dreessen

A gift from the heartEdward Pettinella ’73 has had successfulcareers in the auto industry, banking andreal estate. As CEO and president of

Home Properties,Inc., he leads theoperation, develop-ment and rehabilita-tion of apartmentcommunities allalong the East Coast.The vital theories

he explored andhands-on skills he

learned at Geneseo in the classroom and as class president, he says, wereinvaluable.“It was a tremendous foundation,” he

says, “… from a book standpoint and whatI learned interfacing with other students,honing negotiating skills and trying to sellmy points of view to fellow students. Thatall played a critical role for me in jobsthrough the decades ... I not only got atremendous education, but I also had fun.It was a complete package for me.”For what Geneseo has given him,

Pettinella made a $1 million gift commit-ment to Shaping Lives of Purpose: TheCampaign for Geneseo, bringing the col-lege to $16.5 million of its $22 to $25 mil-lion goal.“It came from my heart. I stepped up

because Geneseo needs it,” Pettinella says.“Gifts from alumni will certainly enhancethe institution that myself and tens ofthousands of other alumni have attended.I think this is just the beginning.”

Fall 2011 9

PHOTO BY KEITH WALTERS ’11

PHOTO BY KRIS DREESSEN

Exploring new ideas in her humanities class, Jonna Van WagenenShutowick ’88 began to understand her role in the world, and foundher calling as a teacher.As a Chamber Singer, David Turner ’72 discovered the joy of feeling

unbridled passion as he performed difficult arrangements with class-mates beyond what he thought he could achieve.As a freshman, the very first person John Gleason ’87 met was MaryGrace Jiran

Gleason ’84, who would become his wife. The best friends they made on campushave remained so, throughout the decades.“Everyone can reflect and say, ‘I had that same moment,’” says John Gleason.

“Everyone who attended Geneseo had that someone who impacted them in someway — whether it was a teacher or a friend. It is the shared recollections andexperiences we have that tie us together, whether you graduated from the ’70s,

’80s or ’90s. Geneseo is still part ofyour life.”The Gleasons, Turner and

Shutowick gathered on Sept. 15with nearly 450 alumni from all erasat one of New York City’s most his-toric landmarks to celebrate whatGeneseo means in their lives — andexperience a defining moment inthe college’s history.Under the chandeliers at Gotham

Hall, they relived those Geneseomemories that fill their scrapbooksand moments of truly transforma-tive learning — personally and aca-demically — during a special eventto launch Shaping Lives of Purpose:The Campaign for Geneseo.“Tonight’s celebration marks the

beginning of a new era in the life ofGeneseo,” said event emcee andGeneseo Foundation Board mem-ber Jeffrey Clarke ’83, as he sharednews of the campaign. “This initia-tive will have a lasting and powerfulimpact on Geneseo — a place thathas shaped the lives of so manyyoung men and women.”Clarke is executive chairman of

the Travelport Board of Directors and chairman of the board of OrbitzWorldwide.Shaping Lives of Purpose is the most ambitious fundraising initiative ever

undertaken by the college, with a goal of raising $22 to $25 million from alumni,parents, friends and faculty and staff. The campaign will bolster Geneseo’sendowment and strengthen academic innovation and faculty support, studentscholarships, global education, The Fund for Geneseo and athletics.The campaign also will support the new Center for Inquiry, Discovery and

Leadership, which will offer boundary-pushing opportunities for students andfaculty to collaborate with individuals and organizations who play critical roles inindustry, business, the arts and other fields. Already, alumni are giving back: The college is entering the public phase of the

campaign with $16.5 million in gifts, including a $1 million commitment by

VAFIER

HERZMAN

event emcee Jeffrey clarke ’83, left,

thanks edward pettinella ’73 following the

announcement of pettinella’s $1 million gift

to the Geneseo campaign.

the acclaimed chamber singers lead off the special shaping lives of purpose program

at Gotham hall.

Edward Pettinella ’73, made just hoursbefore the New York event.“It is a testament to the belief that we all

have in Geneseo,” said Frank Vafier ’74,campaign chair and Geneseo Foundationboard member. “Tonight, we all experi-enced that passion and enthusiasm for whatGeneseo has been in the past, is today andwill be in the future. There is a collectivesense that this is a truly amazing place andwhat we are doing will continue our legacy.”It’s forward thinking and imperative for

Geneseo to create its own future, accord-ing to Distinguished Teaching ProfessorBill Cook, due to ever dwindling statefunding, which has fallen from 80 per-cent of the college’s operating funds inthe 1970s to less than 20 percent today.“If we’re to be Geneseo in the future,

we’re going to have to decide for ourselveswhat we’re going to be,” he said. “We’regoing to be the outstanding liberal arts col-lege. We’re going to give students anunprecedented list of opportunities …and we’re going to have to do it ourselves.”Cook and Distinguished Teaching

Professor Ronald Herzman spoke aboutthe rewards of teaching during the spe-cial program, which also featured tributes

by several alumni and students, whoshared how hands-on learning, intern-ships, relationships and self-discoverywere an integral part of their ownGeneseo experience.The acclaimed Chamber Singers led the

program, filling the hall with the openingchorus of Handel’s “Messiah” and two otherpieces, directed by director Gerard Floriano’84, who was inspired to pursue a career inmusic while he himself was in the group asa Geneseo student.Hearing their soulful notes, Turner felt

the same rush he did 40 years ago, whenbeing a Chamber Singer was his portal tothe world — and a community where hefound kindred spirits and the exhilara-tion and reward of hard work.“It taught all of us how to work togeth-

er, how to set a common goal and how tostrive for excellence,” says Turner.Those experiences of transformation

were shared by three other alumni whofound themselves at Geneseo. Diane Willkens ’75 developed her love of

international relations studying in thenation’s capital. Today she is president andCEO of Development Finance InternationalInc., sharing financial consulting expertise

10 geneseo scene

WILLKENS

GLEASON

PHOTO BY KEITH WALTERS ’11

nearly 450 alumni reflected on the impact

Geneseo has had on their lives at the new

York city event. pictured from left are

Jeffrey Burkard ’89, co-chair of the chicago

regional alumni committee, Jim leary ’75,

vice chair of the Geneseo foundation Board,

and John shutowick ’90.

CLARKE

to tackle pressing global issues. Graduate student Ana Pietrantoni ’11

credits her professors’ guidance withlearning to trust herself, to gain confi-dence in her abilities and confirm hercareer goal to become a dentist.And Gleason proudly remembers the ter-

rifying experience of trying to passProfessor Emeritus David Martin’s tough-as-nails economics tests. He passed thecourse knowing he was prepared for what-ever challenges life would throw his way. Greg Roloff ’12 and other students are

still finding themselves at Geneseo.Roloff shared with the audience how he

discovered his own passion finding betterways to fight cancer in the lab withDistinguished Teaching Professor RobertO’Donnell. By his junior year, he knew hewanted to help save lives as a cancerresearch scientist.The speakers say that is the heart of a

Geneseo education. Geneseo preparesstudents for life. To discover the courageto take risks, the passion to pursue theirdreams and the confidence to make themcome true.As a member of the audience, Shutowick

says she saw herself and her friends reflect-

Geneseo gave me an awesome education, but it was so muchmore than that. Geneseo took a shy, introverted, unconfidentkid and provided me the opportunity to grow into the per-son I am today.The faculty and staff embraced students like me. They

helped me to grow and experiment with leadership skills Ididn't know I had. They went out of their way to help us suc-ceed, not just academically but socially. You knew you mat-tered at Geneseo. That has been Geneseo throughout theyears, and it’s amazing!My wife, Carol Patterson Kramer ’76, and I have met

Geneseo graduates who are incredibly successful in a wide vari-ety of fields. They continually prove to us that when you gradu-ate from Geneseo, you have the opportunity to excel in any-thing. The Geneseo experience truly points young peopletowards lives of purpose.Shaping Lives of Purpose: The Campaign for Geneseo is our

opportunity to ensure that future generations experience ouralma mater the way we did. As alumni, we know better thananybody the difference Geneseo makes in students’ lives. This campaign is a momentous occasion for Geneseo,

something the college has never attempted. That’s why myfellow members of The Geneseo Foundation Board ofDirectors and I personally funded the campaign launch in

New York City.The event exempli-

fied what this endeavormeans for future gen-erations of Geneseostudents. We wanted toprovide exposure forthe campaign whilerelieving the college ofthe financial burden.This way, every dollarwe raise as alumni willhave a direct andmeaningful impact on Geneseo’s future, and future students. The campaign is creating a foundation of support for the col-

lege and is helping establish a tradition of alumni-giving atGeneseo. This is an important step. As a board, we want ourown legacy to be the story of how this campaign helped tobuild a tradition of support for the place we so dearly love.Now that we are at a stage in our lives where we are able, it’s

important to give back so Geneseo can continue to inspireyoung people as it inspired us.

— Jack Kramer ’76Chair of The Geneseo Foundation Board

ed in the alumni whoshared their stories onstage. Geneseo madeher “100 percent” whoshe is today, she said.“It felt like you were

family there,” she said.“Our Geneseo rootskeep us together.Geneseo is so much apart of who we are.”In the next 10 months,

alumni will host eventsacross the country tobring fellow alumni, par-ents and friends togetherto learn more about thecampaign. Similar tribute programs willhighlight what’s best about Geneseo andprovide a chance for alums to reflect ontheir own experiences and with each other.Alumni in Rochester, N.Y., and in Floridacontinued the New York City momentum byholding events immediately following theGotham Hall gala.“We are all invited to be a part of this

new era in the college’s history — tocome together and build Geneseo’sfuture,” says President Christopher C.

Dahl. “Shaping Lives of Purpose: TheCampaign for Geneseo allows us tosecure that future, and guarantee it forgenerations of students to come. Giftsfrom alumni and parents are especiallymeaningful because they come fromthose who best know the power and rich-ness of the Geneseo experience.”

Fall 2011 11

Shaping lives of purpose:

Alumni know the power of Geneseo

PHOTO BY KRIS DREESSEN

Jonna shutowickPHOTO BY KEITH WALTERS ’11

12 geneseo scene

Paul Furcinito graduated 23 years ago and formany of those years has reunited with a handfulof close friends at Homecoming.

During each trip, he tours campus to take in thevalley, strolls Second Street, savors an AuntCookie’s sub and enjoys a beer with buddies on theporch of Club 41. That “special sauce” — as Furcinito

likes to call Geneseo spirit — ofcamaraderie, community and educa-tion for life is what makes theGeneseo experience magical, he says.It keeps Geneseo an integral part ofhis life, despite the passing ofdecades.Everyone who called Geneseo

home knows that feeling, saysFurcinito.“What I sensed when I was 21 is

now confirmed at 44,” he says.“There’s something unique about theGeneseo experience that provides a natural bond foralumni that far exceeds what many other peopleexperience. The proof is in the pudding 20-plusyears out. There is a great deal of enthusiasm amongalumni about Geneseo.”Furcinito has seen that sentiment put into action

as co-chair of the college’s new regional committeein New England. They are hosting more events andseeing more alums come out to ball games, recep-tions and dinners.Geneseo staff have partnered with alums across the

country to create committees in 18 regions of theUnited States, where the largest clusters of alumni live.There is also a community advocates group inGeneseo.

The committees stretch from nearby Rochester,N.Y., where more than 14,000 alums make theirhomes, to the thousands who live in Florida, theMidwest and California.That’s a lot of alums all over — and that’s the point.Committee coordinators and other alumni mem-

bers spearhead efforts to connect alumni with thecollege and each other for socialevents and professional networkingopportunities.Since January 2010, the regional

committees have hosted an average offour events per month, from familyoutings at baseball games to intimatehome dinner parties. They organizeinspiring programs about the college,bringing Geneseo to their own back-yards.Alums who participate see their

Geneseo circle multiply to includeeveryone in their area.

“We are bringing the Geneseo community close tohome again,” says Chicago committee co-chairJeffrey Burkard ’89. “Being part of a community isnot a physical place. It’s about the people and the

alumni gathered for a picnic at the Bisons game last July in

Buffalo, n.Y. it is one of the many varied events hosted by

alumni that bring graduates of all eras together.

Building onMOMENTUM

By Kris Dreessen

across the country,GENESEO ALUMNI are building a tradition of reconnection.

“Alumni are our greatest treasure. They are a wealth ofexpertise for studentsand for the college.They are our greatest

ambassadors.”

— Rose Anderson, assistant vice president of alumni relations

PHOTO BY CAROLE SMITH VOLPE ’91

Fall 2011 13

relationships around you.”As the network in each region grows, there is

great opportunity to create unique programmingand to mentor current students, such as the newChicago externship program this spring.For 25 years, the college has provided an oppor-

tunity for 16 students to attend a week-long extern-ship in a major city, learning from alums who canshare their career experiences.Burkard was on that first trip, to New York City.

The experience inspired him, he says, to pursue hisdreams. He felt confident moving to Chicago aftergraduation.To give back, he and other Chicago committee

members are organizing an externship program intheir own city. Students will be able to hear their sto-ries, explore careers in business and other fields,and network.“The idea of moving to a much larger city and

making roots can be overwhelming. To see otheralums who had moved there and made it — and tosee the energy a large city has — was very inspiring,”reflects Burkard of his opportunity. “To be able toopen that experience to more students is fantastic.”Such willingness to share expertise is indicative of

what alumni can do for each other and for the col-lege, says Rose Anderson, assistant vice president ofalumni relations.“Alumni are our greatest treasure,” says

Anderson. “They are a wealth of expertise for stu-dents and for the college. They are our greatestambassadors.”The committees are evolutionary and a necessity

to establish a tradition of support among alumni forthe college, says Dan O’Brien ’73, co-chair of theRochester, N.Y., committee. It’s a pivotal time for thecollege, he says, as Geneseo earns more nationalattention and state financial support dwindles.San Francisco region co-chair Kevin Canty ’77

says, “We’re doing our part to ensure that alumnihave a sense of what the school is doing, its mis-sion as it moves forward, challenges based ontough economic times and seeing what we can doto generate additional enthusiasm.”As such, regional committees play a vital role in

Shaping Lives of Purpose: The Campaign forGeneseo. Following the Sept. 15 launch event inNew York City, the Rochester crew hosted a kick-off celebration Oct. 13, followed by events inFlorida and Washington, D.C.More events will be planned throughout 2011

and 2012, with special programming that sharesstories of Geneseo’s importance to its alumni.This is an opportunity, says Burkard, for alumni

to build a legacy of a Geneseo community acrossthe country through the committees, and tostrengthen the college so it can sustain amazingopportunities for current and future students, justas he and other alums have had.“The university was such a wonderful environ-

ment to come of age,” says Burkard. “That was acritical time in our lives. It’s a great institution in abeautiful setting, with professors who keep thatpassion alive. It’s important to me — and to allalumni — to be able to do that for generations tocome. It is part of our legacy.”

GENESEO … IN YOUR BACKYARDAlumni committees represent the college in 18 ever-growing regionsacross the country:

albany, n.Y.

new england

Buffalo, n.Y.

chicago

colorado

florida — east coast

florida — west coast

los angeles

long island, n.Y.

new Jersey

new York city

north carolina

philadelphia

Rochester, n.Y.

san francisco

syracuse, n.Y.

washington, d.c.

westchester county, n.Y./

connecticut

Launch events for theShaping Lives of Purpose:The Campaign forGeneseo will be held in cities throughout 2011 and 2012.

Geneseo’s 18 regional alumni committees are connecting alumni with the college across the country, including Rochester,

n.Y., which hosted a special shaping lives of purpose: the campaign for Geneseo event on oct. 13 at locust hill country

club. pictured at locust hill are committee members matthew hartstein ’95, left, allana macdonald lazeroff ’90, chuck

lamb ’72, dan o’Brien ’73, laurie weckerle Baker ’85 and mike Kauffman ’84.

PHOTO BY KRIS DREESSEN

: Look for campaignupdates and events in your regioncampaign.geneseo.edu

14 geneseo scene

Ramen toRiches

Dorm food drab transformed into dinner fab

PHOTO PROVIDED

:Try their recipes! — go.geneseo.edu/ramenrichesPost your own! on the SUNY Geneseo Alumni Facebook page

By Kris Dreessen

Like most of his classmates, John Murphy’74 relied on the campus dining hall forbreakfast, lunch and dinner.

In between? Ahhh, those were the mem-orable meals — the timeless culinarydelights of dorm food.Mac ’n cheese. Simple PBJs. Tins of tuna.

Mugs of ramen, with enough salt per tiny fla-vor packet to melt the snow on Geneseo’sMain Street after a winter storm. Thirty-four years later, the dreaded —

albeit beloved — school survival cuisinelives on.Marsha Dupiton ’13 never cooked before

Geneseo. Her freshman year, with meal plancredit depleted, she often concocted snackslike ramen soup, garnished with frozen veg-gies and sliced hot dogs.“Necessity breeds creativity,” laughs

Dupiton, who recently made her firstlasagna — with an oven.So, can you elevate ho-hum dorm food

into something you actually fancy — and rel-ish serving your friends and family?Five Geneseo alums who are professional

chefs and bakers took up the challenge andturned college memories into dinner gold.Majoring in business, fine art, psychology

and history at Geneseo, they each found apassion for creating delicious food. Theyhave trained and worked internationally,develop recipes for global companies orteach the new generation of cooks and servesolid meals to hundreds daily. One is headchef at one of New York City’s finest eateries,owned by celebrity chef Mario Batali.Their only rule?Choose either boxed mac with powdered

cheese, tuna, PBJ or ramen and share anaffordable, tasty meal that any of us can try.We’ve included their recipes online.

Fall 2011 15

Dorm food drab transformed into dinner fab

Kim “Aunt Kimmy”Cutler ’80 Hometown: Roswell, Ga.Dorm food transformation: Toasted PBJSecret to Success: Toasted, it’s a homerun! Itcan be a meal or dessert, and the options arelimitless. Add anything you like, from peanutsto raspberries, to make a new flavor.Major: Fine artPosition: Owner and chef of Aunty Kimmy’sCreations (www.auntkimmyscreations.com), a“sweet boutique” offering custom cakes, cook-ies and other goodies. Prior experience: 27 years in pastry, includingtraining at The Hotel de Paris-Monte Carlo inEurope. I later opened and ran EdibleExpressions café and bakery for 11 years. Icreated and opened Aunt Kimmy’s Creationsin 2007.Signature dish: Anything with sugar.Why the food siren sings: I can use my arttalent and creativity.Best thing about being a chef: I can snackwell all the time!About taking risks: I switched from a careerin fine art to culinary for job security and dis-covered that I can utilize my artistic talents inpastry. I had always baked, even as a child, so Ithink it was destiny.Dorm food low point: Popcorn for lunch anddinner.Chef challenge confession: I actually lovedramen and mac ’n cheese.

PHOTO BY KRIS DREESSEN

PHOTO PROVIDED

John Murphy ’74Hometown: Bethpage, N.Y.Dorm food transformation: Sweet ramen with veggiesSecrets to success: The basic ingredients are good and take little to nowork, but you can dress it up by adding fresh vegetables and fresh-gratedginger. Major: History with educationPosition: Fourteen years as culinary arts instructor at Barry Tech Careerand Technical Education Center in Westbury, Long Island, teaching aspir-ing chefs knife skills, sanitation and basic and advanced cooking tech-niques. Formerly an executive chef at Asian fusion, Italian and other eater-ies. Guest cooks for friends’ and former students’ eateries.Claim to flavor fame: Mentored gold medalists in statewide culinary com-petitions and top finishers in national skills contests. Life before food: High school social studies teacher and football andwrestling coach in upstate New York.Flavor strategy: Keep it simple, with strong flavors.How I became a chef: A friend had a restaurant that was struggling. Heasked me to cook. I was too naïve to think I couldn’t cook. I liked itenough to switch careers. I won a scholarship to attend the School forAmerican Chefs.Best Geneseo memory: Hanging the Prometheus torch on the clock towerand not getting kicked out of school for it.Creative motto: You have to think outside the box and take risks or yourfood will be like everyone else’s.College snack staple: We had a pizza addiction. It’s a long walk fromNassau and Onondaga to pick up a pie in the middle of winter!Most underrated dorm food: You could exist on PBJ if you had to; with theaddition of banana and chocolate you have all the food groups, though I don’tthink that’s what Michelle Obama had in mind when she put together the newfood plate idea.

Tracy Holleran ’93Hometown: Fairfield, Conn.Dorm food transformation: Asian sesame noodles with chicken(pictured on the front)Secrets to success: Omit the ramen flavor packet and you lose alot of the sodium. Add flavor back in with ingredients like peanutbutter and sesame oil, chicken for lean protein, and veggies fornutrition and color.Major: PsychologyPositions: Owner and cooking instructor of The Secret IngredientCooking School (thesecretingredientonline.com) in Fairfield,Conn. Recipe developer for corporations, including Bigelow Tea.Freelance food writer whose work has appeared in publicationssuch as Italian Cooking and Living and in cookbooks, includingTrader Joe’s: Dinner Done. Blogs at seasontotasteblog.wordpress.com.Life before food: Nine years as a career counselor for universitiesand colleges, including associate director of career services at YaleUniversity and an instructor of interviewing strategies at New YorkUniversity.A-ha moment: I was a stay-at-home mom and wanted to work, butnot 9 to 5. Providing cooking classes was perfect to combine what Ilove and what I’m good at — food, teaching and presenting.Style: Unfussy with no compromise on flavor.Best college food memory: 2 a.m. subs at Aunt Cookie’s followedby a 99-cent breakfast special at Omega. (I did sleep in between.)What I ate most at Geneseo: Hub burgers. It’s a miracle my cholesterol isn’t sky high.Something surprising: For all my blustering about organic foodand fresh ingredients, there’s nothing that makes me weaker in theknees than lard-filled double-stuffed Oreos.Food for which there is no hope: All the cans of Spam on Earthshould be buried at the bottom of the ocean.

Matthew Abdoo ’02Hometown: New York CityDorm food transformation: Spaghetti with tunaputanescaSecret to success: In much of Italy, anchovies providearoma and flavoring. In small doses it greatly elevates adish, making you wonder what that flavor is. Capers add asalty component and texture.Major: Business administrationPosition: Co-chef de cuisine at celebrity chef MarioBatali’s New York City restaurant Del Posto, the only four-star Italian eatery in the city.Graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde

Park. Former chef at Marc Orfaly’s Marco Restaurant inBoston. Trained and worked in Tuscany, Italy. How I got to work for celebrity chef Mario Batali:Networking and lots of hard work.

16 geneseo scene

PHOTO PROVIDED

PHOTO PROVIDED

Fall 2011 17

What was most important in my success: Understandinghow the industry works and knowing that experience, hardwork and the ability to take a chance would pay off.Life in the four-star dining lane: I work in a pressure cooker,12 to 15 hours a day, up to six days a week, and manage 20cooks. I keep my cool with amazing family and friends tocome home to who provide endless support.Life before food: I’ve been cooking my whole life. The onlyjob I had outside of the hospitality industry was a bag boy at acountry club as a teen.Mission accomplished: I’ve wanted to become a chef since high school. I wake up excited. I get to do what I love,every day!Signature style: Rustic Italian, like grandma used to make.Why the food siren sings: Food makes people happy.

Whether it is a bowl of chicken soup when you’re sick or apiece of chocolate when you are sad, food has the ability tomake you feel better and lift one’s spirit.About taking risks: Go for it. Mistakes will always be made,but it is how you pick yourself back up and learn from themthat defines you.Best Geneseo memory: The friends I made.Dorm food staple: PBJs.Dorm food masterpiece: Making baked ziti and garlic breadfor our floor freshman year in the very tiny kitchen area ofGenesee Hall.

ChristopherDamiani ’88 Hometown: Hamburg, N.Y.Dorm food transformation:Tuna cassouletSecret to success: 30 minutesfrom prep to table! Tuna is themost versatile food in your cup-board — hot or cold. Jazz it up: Substitute imitationlobster meat for upscale flair.Major: PsychologyPosition: Regional executivechef for 10 senior living andhospital facilities in westernNew York for the MorrisonCompass Group, a subsidiary ofthe world’s largest food servicecompany. Manages the ErieCounty Medical Center foodservices in Buffalo, N.Y., and its120 food employees daily.Prior experience: Chef at west-ern New York establishmentsincluding Hyatt Hotels, ErieCommunity College and Wegmans.Motto: Every day you have to show up ready: you’re only asgood as your last meal. Culinary specialty: American regional cuisine. I also learnedthe art of sushi rolling from a Japanese merchant marine. Now,my family has sushi around the house, at parties and everySaturday watching a Buffalo Sabres hockey game.Life Before Food: My passion has always been food, even incollege. I was a dishwasher/waiter at the Bronze Bear café, a

bouncer and cook at the Inn Between, and an Aunt Cookie’ssub boy.Why the food siren sings to you: Eat, drink, be merry.A-ha career moment: A good meal at the Glen Iris Inn inLetchworth State Park. It was warm, inviting, and this placewas timeless, always serving delicious food.On taking risk: See your future, do what you see.Can anyone really save Spam?: Spicy Spam Reverse SushiRolls — Spam, screamin’ hot sriracha hot sauce and a touchof mayo. You’ll never know it was Spam.

PHOTO BY KRIS DREESSEN

18 geneseo scene

ATHLETICS

Fall 2011 19

Geneseo sports round-up —www.geneseo.edu/athletics

Michelle Rodriguez ’11 balances on thediving block, waiting for the startinggun. She is the most decorated ath-

lete in Geneseo history, but she’s not thinkingof medals, her competitors, or the crowd. Sheis only focused on the lane ahead.At the starting gun, she will explode off

the block and tear through 200 yards in 1minute, 50.01 seconds.“If you don’t believe in yourself before you

go behind the blocks, then you really don’thave a chance,” she says. “I can’t control thegirl next to me … I just have to focus on what Ican control and race my race.”Self-discipline helped Rodriguez shatter

nine Geneseo records and five SUNYACrecords, earn 11 achievement awards, andshine the spotlight on her alma mater onthe national level. In her four-year swimming career at

Geneseo, she brought home 16 All-Americancertificates from the NCAA championships. Tobe All-American, an athlete must finish in thetop 16 at the national level.She takes over as Geneseo’s most decorat-

ed athlete — with the most All-American certificates — from another swimmer, JoshMuldner ’99, who had 15. Eight-time SUNYAC Coach of the Year

Paul Dotterweich saw Rodriguez blossominto an outstanding athlete who makes rock-eting through the water look effortless.Freestyle is her forte, but she broke recordsin backstroke and two relay events as well.“Every year, she got faster in every one of

the events she competed in at the NCAAs,”Dotterweich says. “That’s almost unheard of.”

Rodriguez kept it simple: she just strived tobe better.A communicative disorders and science

major, she also earned the 2011 Louise KuhlAward for Career Achievement for her out-standing athletic career contributions.Rodriguez will be a Geneseo sports icon

for years, but modesty and determinationare her trademarks.“She would shrug praise off — put her

face in the water and go,” says Dotterweich.She was also more concerned about theteam than herself, he says.This sentiment was the overture of the

SUNYAC championship her freshman year,in 2008. Geneseo was on a three-year losingstreak, which meant Rodriguez’s seniorteammates might graduate without winninga title.“We couldn’t let that happen,” remem-

bers Rodriguez. “We had to win.” Shehelped ignite the team early in the meet byclinching first in the 500 freestyle — andearning a total of 60 points for the team.“Winning was the best feeling ever,

because our seniors were so happy,”Rodriguez says. “I was ecstatic … I lovethat atmosphere and the challenge you allface together and then overcoming, win-ning or picking up from your loss.”Much of her overall contribution to the

team was through her attitude and deter-mination, says Dotterweich. She’s kind ofquiet. When she did say something, every-body listened.“Every day,” he says, “she would lead by

example.”

MOSTGeneseo’s

By Peter Wayner ’11

decoRatedMichelle Rodriguez ’11 rockets down the lane

as if she’s a fish in water, but her legacy is her

quiet determination and team focus.

“Every day, she would

lead by example.”

— Coach Dotterweich

PHOTO BY VASILIY BAZIUK

PERSPECTIVES

20 geneseo scene

On Sept. 11, 2001, Bob Hogan ’82 was in One World Trade Center when a

hijacked plane crashed into the floors above him. Alive in the wake of a world-

changing tragedy, he asked soul-searching questions — and changed his life.

This piece was edited from an essay Bob Hogan wrote about his experience.To read the complete article, visit go.geneseo.edu/911reflections

By Bob Hogan ’82

At 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001, I was headed for my bank management team meeting in the North Tower of theWorld Trade Center. I was struck by how beautiful a day it was. As the chief operations officer for Bank of AmericaSecurities, I oversaw nearly 1,000 associates; only six weeks earlier, I had moved 150 to new office space on the 81st

floor. Just before 8:45 a.m., I left a meeting to answer a phone call. At my desk, staring out the window, I heard an unusual

rumble. Within seconds, the blue sky disappeared behind a bright orange curtain of fire and black debris.I stood up and threw the phone down. The building started to tilt, then slowly righted itself.Stunned, I tried to comprehend what was happening — fire 81 stories above the street, blown-out window, tilting build-

ing, streams of paper floating outside. By the time my brain rebooted and told my feet to move, most of our 150 associates had already fled to the stairwells. I found an exit and waited at the door, yelling for stragglers. I saw one person only — a severely burned young man

with an expressionless face — and I had what I believe to be the first of two life-saving divine interventions.I got an overwhelming feeling that I needed to leave right now. I started down the stairs but after a few flights came to a sudden stop. The stairwell was backed up with people. I

was amazed that one of the world’s tallest buildings had a staircase so small that it barely fit two people across.

Life re-examined

Fall 2011 21

Most people were scared but surprisingly calm.Some were talking about a small plane that mayhave hit the building, which actually made me feelbetter, as I believed it was an accident.I had caught up with one of my managers, David,

who had courageously waited for me. We continueddown together.About this time, my wife, Laura, home in North

Carolina, had heard the initial reports that a plane hadhit. She called my assistant, asking which building I wasin and what floor. “81. Tower One.”My wife immediately thought I was dead.As I reached the 55th floor, I received news on my

pager that two planes had hit both towers and thatPresident Bush was calling it a terrorist attack. We start-ed to see firefighters. At first I felt relief, but as theywent by, I was struck by their expressions of hopeless-ness and fear — the look of someone who may not becoming back. It was similar to photos of World War IIsoldiers storming the beaches of Normandy. We finally reached the lobby, where police and res-

cue workers calmly directed us to exit through thebasement mall concourse. I finally felt safe. Little did Iknow that I was just beginning the next phase of thisnightmare.And then came the second divine intervention

that saved my life. A female transit authority officer looked directly at

me and screamed, “RUN! DON’T LOOK BACK!” David and I sprinted across the concourse and up an

escalator to the street, where I finally saw the magni-tude of disaster. Both towers were ablaze, the sky blackwith smoke and debris.I finally got a cell phone signal and called my wife.

As I was telling her I was okay, I heard a terriblewrenching of twisting metal overhead, unlike anythingI had ever heard.It was time to run again. Over my shoulder, I saw

Tower 2 collapsing towards us. It had only been 60 seconds from when David and

I exited the concourse mall and when the towerbegan to collapse — 60 seconds we would not havehad but for the warning to run from our guardianangel.Looking back at this unbelievable sight, I yelled out

and the cell phone line cut out. My wife was watchingon TV as the building fell and thought for the second

time that day I was dead.I fled up Fulton Street. People were screaming and

running in all directions. The earth shook violentlyand the sound of destruction grew stronger as I turnedonto Broadway. I ran toward the old Swiss Bank Building and

jumped behind its side, praying that it was big andstrong enough to withstand what was crashing behindme. David narrowly jumped in beside me, secondsbefore the tidal wave of debris forcefully blew by. Over the next few hours, we navigated through the

dust clouds and walked across the Manhattan bridge —where I witnessed Tower One fall — and hitchhiked toJFK airport, where I rented a car. I finally reached my wife by phone to tell her I was

alive.In the following weeks, I thought about the loved

ones who never received a phone call, including threecolleagues of mine who died trying to escape. I spent alot of time soul searching, looking at the person I was,and more importantly, the person I needed to be.The important things in life surround who you are

as a person. It’s about your character and the choicesyou make every day. I dove deeper into truly understanding my faith. I

reinforced my wife and children as my priority in mylife, ensuring they come ahead of my job and otherthings I had let consume my day. I stopped thinkingthat the world revolved around me. I fully realized that many firefighters who responded

gave their lives attempting to save ours. Besides praying

for them and their families, I felt a need to do moreand visited the firehouses closest to Ground Zero aweek after Sept. 11. Thanking the men for their serv-ice, I joyously discovered that the rescuers I had passedin the stairwell survived.Speaking with them was very emotional and fulfill-

ing. I felt a common bond with them: We survived thistraumatic event together. There was much laughter,and many tears.If there is anything I can share from my 9/11

experience, it is this: Don’t let it take a life-alteringevent to realize the things that are truly important. Ihope my story ultimately inspires you to take a closerlook at your life and how you have chosen to live it.

Don’t let it take a life-altering event to realize the things that are truly important.

Bob hogan ’82 lives in

charlotte, n.c., with his

wife, laura, and three

children — Bobby (20),

shannon (18) and danny

(15). he is now executive

vice president of

certusBank.

PHOTO BY ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/CLIFF WASS

Geneseo lost four

alumni on sept. 11, 2001,

who are remembered

on a memorial in the

spencer J. Roemer

arboretum:

James Kelly ’83

Richard Bosco ’89

dennis o’Berg ’95

Yan Zhu cindy Guan ’99

PHOTO BY KEITH WALTERS ’11

22 geneseo scene

Several times a week, Mary Ellen Rooney Barsotti ’82 and her

eldest son, Patrick, made the trip from their home in

Danville, Ky., to the hospital.

Driving to Lexington, they talked about normal things like

schoolwork or what they would eat for dinner — conversation

Mary Ellen knew her 15-year-old needed.

Before he was diagnosed with leukemia, a cancer that affects

production of blood cells, Patrick was an honor student, varsity

soccer player and the kicker for the championship-winning Boyle

County High School football team. That daily life quickly disap-

peared.

Mother and son made the 30-mile trip often for three and a half

years, which allowed them to grow very close.

A former elementary education teacher and reading specialist,

Mary Ellen stayed home after she had kids. She already was close

to Patrick and her other son, Philip; being by Patrick’s side as he

fought cancer strengthened their bond.

“We got to know each other on a different level …” says Mary

Ellen. “It’s kind of like an unspoken thing between us. We just sort

of get each other.”

She let Patrick be himself, too. When he was healthy enough, he

once again kicked for his football team — with a central line in his

chest used for administering medication.

“Looking back, I was probably crazy for letting him do half the

things I let him do,” she says. “But it was a big part of his therapy.”

At Geneseo, Mary Ellen says she discovered the need for self-

sufficiency and found the best way to comfort her son was to pre-

vent him from losing himself amidst the cancer.

“I could be who I was and not worry so much about popularity

and who’s who,” Mary Ellen says of her time at Geneseo. “I knew the

value of living life as you want and wanted to nurture that in Patrick.”

In 2008, the Barsottis celebrated a milestone — no more treat-

ments. This year, Patrick graduated from Centre College in

Danville with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular

biology. He wants to be a drug patent lawyer.

Students at Centre College receive a coin at the beginning of

their senior year bearing the college seal. The night before gradu-

ation, the student gives the coin to the person who has affected

his or her life the most.

“(Patrick) …. gave me a big hug and told me I was his honoree,”

says Mary Ellen. “That was a really special moment.”

In Patrick’s recovery, Mary Ellen says she and her family have

come to feel differently about the tough time.

“I actually view our experience as a gift in many ways. Not only do

we all view life in a new light, but have gained a deeper appreciation

for relationships with those who come in and out of our lives,” says

Mary Ellen. “… We’re not the Waltons by any means, but I think when

we take time, take a breath, we have a different perspective.

“This is the moment you’re in. Embrace it for what it is.”

Mary Ellen Rooney BarsottiClass of 1982

Home: Danville, Ky.Graduation year: 1982Degree: Bachelor of sciencein elementary education

How you describe Geneseo:A fantastic lberal arts schoollocated in the best collegetown in the United States.

Favorite campus hangout:The Hub.

Best Geneseo memory:Fishing in the fountain andpainting the Greek tree whilea Clio pledge.

Most important life lessonyou learned at Geneseo:I learned to trust myinstincts, open myself up tonew opportunities andbelieve that anything waspossible. This ultimately ledme to take the leap of faithand move to Houston forthat first teaching job, whichtruly shaped my adult life.

What you would tell incom-ing freshmen or graduatingseniors: Don’t limit yourselfto what you think you aresupposed to become. Findyour niche, even if it takes awhile. Have faith, work hardand believe that you deserveto find your happiness.

Favorite saying: “We cannotchange the cards we aredealt, just how we play thehand.” (Randy Pausch, TheLast Lecture)

One Cup

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RANDOM PROFILE

By Peter Wayner ’11

QUICK FACTS

Inspired by the idea that

everyone has a story to share,

we offer the “random profile.”

Each issue, we don a blindfold

and throw a dart at a

map of the United

States to choose

our state,

then take

aim again

to choose

a lucky

alum. We

catch up, relive memories and

share life insight, like we are

talking over coffee.

Up next ... Texas.

Could it be you?

ONE CUP

mary ellen Rooney Barsotti and

her son patrick.

Guest

dart thro

wer

eddie lee ’76

Gaa president

Fall 2011 23

24 Alumni event photos

28 Leading the fashion world

29 King of sports talk

30 Class Notes

ALUMNI NEWS

ABOUT THE ARTIST:Teresa Vito ’80, of Pueblo, Colo., discovered a fascination with color, line andshape as a young child. A fine art student at Geneseo and full-time artistsince 1992, she paints living energy — in the outdoor landscape, still life, orthe unending variety of the human face.

“Christmas at Rita’s” features a favorite Mexican restaurant surrounded bythunder clouds in Taos, N.M.

Vito has taught and studied at the Art Students League at Denver andColorado’s Loveland Academy of Fine Arts. She painted with renownedartist Richard Schmid for five years and has won numerous national awardsincluding an Award of Excellence, Best Portrait and Best Still Life Awardsfrom Oil Painters of America.

See more of her work at www.teresavito.com

Share your artwork with us! Send a short bio and a link or examples ofyour work to scene@geneseo.edu.

Alumni News

Upcoming

Alumni Events

GENESEO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

24 geneseo scene

October 26, 2011WASHINGTON, D.C. Regional campaign launch go.geneseo.edu/dc102611

November 3, 2011BUFFALO, N.Y. Regional campaign launchgo.geneseo.edu/buffalo110311

November 12, 2011WESTCHESTER/ROCKLAND, N.Y. Regionional parent andalumni receptiongo.geneseo.edu/suffern111211

November 17, 2011�CHICAGO Regional campaign launchgo.geneseo.edu/chicago111711

January 19, 2012NEW YORK CITY PREMIER EVENTgo.geneseo.edu/nyc011912

Spring 2012 Regional campaign launchesFlorida — East CoastNorth CarolinaColoradoSan FranciscoLos AngelesNew EnglandWestchester County, N.Y./ConnecticutSyracuse, N.Y.Albany, N.Y.

April 27-28, 2012GENESEO, N.Y. Greekfest/Springfest/Alumni Weekend

Geneseo campusJuly 6-8, 2012SUMMER REUNIONAll graduation years ending in2 or 7 will be honored. Interested in serving as areunion leader for your class?Contact Tracy Young Gagnier’93 at alumni@geneseo.edu

Don’t miss out!It is important that you keepGeneseo informed of yourcurrent mailing address. Youwill receive event invitationsand notifications based onthe address we have on file,the address where this issueof the Scene was mailed. Ifthe address on the back ofthis magazine isn’t up to date,you may be missing out.

GENESEO ALUMNI REGIONS

Albany, N.Y.New EnglandBuffalo, N.Y.

ChicagoColorado

Community Advocates for SUNY Geneseo

Florida — East CoastFlorida — West Coast

Los AngelesLong Island, N.Y.

New JerseyNew York CityNorth Carolina

PhiladelphiaRochester, N.Y.San FranciscoSyracuse, N.Y.

Washington, D.C.Westchester County, N.Y./

Connecticut

See who you missed and viewmore photos of many events!go.geneseo.edu/alumniphotos

Visit our alumni homepage: alumni.geneseo.edu The Office of Alumni Relations is always looking for regional event ideas and event sponsors.

Contact alumni@geneseo.edu if you would like to work with us on an event.

Syracuse, N.Y., region reception hosted by Eric Hinman ’02 and Joseph Szlosek ’02�Eric Hinman ’02, left, Jill D’Amico, Rich Feldmann ’02 and Graeme Spicer ’02.

Florida — East Coast region reception hosted by John Carroll ’75Distinguished Teaching Professor of History WilliamCook, left, John Shutowick ’90, Geneseo Director ofSpecial Development John Linfoot, John Carroll ’75,Jonna Van Wagenen Shutowick ’88 and PresidentChristopher C. Dahl.

Fall 2011 25

Above, New England regionreception hosted by Steve ’89and Jen FiorellaBack row: Steve Fiorella ’89, left,Geneseo Director of SpecialDevelopment John Linfoot andDerek Borek ’93. Front row: GeorgeBumila ’93, left, Geneseo headmen’s ice hockey coach ChrisSchultz ’97 and Bill Loveland ’89.

Washington, D.C., region receptionhosted by Linda Warren Grodin ’61� Anne Irwin Tillinghast ’96, left, PeterTillinghast and C.C. Christakos ’83.

Florida — West Coast region reception hosted by A.D. ’75 andDenise ScoonesA.D. Scoones ’75, left, Denise Scoones,Gisele Figueroa, Luis Figueroa ’76, DawnThompson, Jeff Butters ’90 and DaveMiller ’90.Philadelphia region reception at Longwood Gardens hosted by Jack ’76 and Carol

Patterson ’76 Kramer

At left, Long Island region receptionhosted by Bob ’76 and Linda Avallone� Alfred Chin ’72, left, Caryn Geringer Camiolo’85, John Camiolo ’86, Tom Glascock ’92, Dan Gangi, Kevin Bozza ’95, JenniferSchoeneman-Wysokowski ’88, Mao Sung Yao,David Wysokowski, Walter Boden ’70,President Christopher C. Dahl and RobinRhodes Patnam ’85.

Raleigh, N.C. AlumniNetworking Reception

26 geneseo scene

Westchester County, N.Y./Connecticut region reception hosted by Roger Lavan ’85

Westchester County, N.Y./Connecticut region hosted by Jim Houston ’80� Angelika and Chris ’96 Mattoni, left, Jim Houston ’80 and Sharon and Alan Pollack P’13.

Buffalo, N.Y., region Bisons ballgame and Geneseo picnic

Los Angeles region reception hosted by Tom Moser ’60� Greg Fiorella ’94, left, Jeff Ross ’73, Shareen Ross and Tom Moser ’60.

Albany region Stratton Air National GuardBase and Tour hosted by Valarie Scott ’82

Long Island region reception hosted by Jerry ’70 and Ginger Foy ’70 DuvallJason Platt ’94, left, Jerry Duvall ’70, Ginger FoyDuvall ’70 and Kevin Bozza ’95.

Summer Reunion 2011

The next Summer Reunion is July 13-15, 2012.

Class of 1966

Delta Kappa Tau

Alumni barbecue

Alumni

Library tea

’90s reunion at the Statesman

Fall 2011 27

ALUMNI PROFILE

ALUMNI NEWS

In the driver’s seat at one of themost popular clothing lines,Christine Sconzo Munnelly ’86is a time traveler of sorts. As vicepresident of women’s merchan-dising at Aeropostale, she’s lead-ing promotion and sales of thecurrent collection while creat-ing next season’s looks andscrutinizing the last.“At any one time, I’m work-

ing in all four fashion seasons.You feel like you’re in the past,present and future all of thetime,” says Munnelly, “which iswhy I kind of feel like my life islived in the fast lane.” The brand’s denims, printed

tees and accessories for the teenmarket generate $2.4 billion ayear in sales at more than 1,000stores throughout NorthAmerica, Puerto Rico and theUnited Arab Emirates.At Aeropostale, Munnelly is

involved with every aspect ofthe women’s line, from choos-ing designs and color palettes ayear before a collection hits theracks, to managing production,setting retail prices and evendeciding how clothes are dis-played.

“It’s the most dynamic, inter-esting career I could have imag-ined for myself, because it is soall-inclusive,” she says. “It’s bothart and science.”A psychology major at

Geneseo, Munnelly neverplanned to become a high-pro-file business executive.She intended to focus on psy-

chology of the work place, help-

ing employees function bettertogether. But first, she wantedto gain work experience andsave for a master’s degree.So, Munnelly became a devel-

opment trainer at the exclusiveBergdorf Goodman in NewYork City. The understanding of

human nature that she learnedat Geneseo helped her succeed,despite having no sales experi-ence herself. That first joblaunched a 25-plus-year careerin retail. Munnelly went on to spend

16 years at Macy’s departmentstores, honing her skills as abuyer and gaining more respon-sibility. She left Macy’s to focus

on specialty stores and acceptedthe vice president position atAeropostale in August 2008.Willingness to take on chal-

lenges — and the belief that shecould succeed — has been keyto Munnelly’s career. “I never really thought I

couldn’t do something,” shesays. “When you don’t have thatfear, then you can.”She says she learned much of

her self-confidence at Geneseo,where she also realized “whateverI accomplished was because ofthe time and effort I put into it.”Munnelly credits

Distinguished Service Professorof Psychology Emerita KarenDuffy and other professors withbuilding that foundation andproviding opportunities, includ-ing internships.Munelly also spent a semester

in London. It was a pivotal expe-rience for her. After the officialcourses, she and Karen KraussEhman ’86 backpacked throughEurope.“It was character-building,” says

Munnelly. “It gave me a muchbetter perspective on the world.Geneseo made that possible.”Munnelly has kept Geneseo

dear to her heart — as a founda-tion and in her personal life.She married her college

sweetheart, Mark Munnelly’86. Ehman and Ehman’s hus-band, Randy Ehman ’86, arestill close friends with theMunnellys, often vacationingwith two other Geneseo cou-ples, Tim’ 85 and Jenni MisnerMcCaffrey ’86 and Mike ’85and Anne Wyffels Eble ’88.“You know what it is?” says

Munnelly, “At Geneseo, youmeet great people. They areinteresting and they are real andthey have heart.”

— Kris Dreessen

class of ’86ChristineSconzo

Munnelly

Life in the fashion lane

PHOTO BY KRIS DREESSEN

28 geneseo scene

I never really thought I couldn’t dosomething ... When you don’t have

that fear, then you can.

Fall 2011 29

class of ’87John Tournour

Living a sports fan’s dreamPHOTO PROVIDED

The name sounds like some-one from professionalwrestling — JT the Brick —but even though JohnTournour ’87 is not on the

Smackdowncircuit, hedoes plenty ofverbalwrestling ashost of thelargest syndi-catedsports/talk

radio program at night on FoxSports Radio. The show is car-ried in 250 markets aroundthe country (1 - 6 a.m. ET).“I never dreamed of being a

radio host when I got into thebusiness back in 1996, and tobe with Fox for 10 years istruly a blessing,” says JT. Tournour’s entrance into

sports/talk radio was uncon-ventional. He became a stock

broker after graduating fromGeneseo in speech communi-cation but retained his pen-chant for sports. He won com-peting sports/talk host JimRome’s first “Smack-Off” whenlisteners provide their best“smack talk.” That led to bothradio and television jobs inseveral major western markets,including hosting televisionprograms for the NFL’sOakland Raiders, which hestill does today. “Geneseo definitely gave me

a platform to grow,” says JT. “My parents and my fellow DKsunderstood that you had to takechances in life to get ahead andthat made a tremendousimpression.”JT tackles all sports on his

show but the NFL and collegefootball are king. A nativeNew Yorker, he is a longtimeYankees and Knicks fan. In

fact, his nickname “the Brick”came from Rome calling theNew York Knicks the “NewYork Bricks” for their lacklus-ter offense in the mid-90s.“Brick” became a word for aNew Yorker so JT adopted it ashis moniker. He lets his listen-ers voice their opinions whenthey are upset about some-thing — and the show takesconstant preparation.“You have to know about all

sports and about individualissues in each market,” says JT,who lives in Las Vegas with hiswife, Julie, and sons John andJason.He considers his relationship

with NFL football champion JimBrown among his most memo-rable experiences: “Emceeinghis 75th birthday party in L.A.was the highlight of my career.”He considers his proudest

broadcasting accomplishment

the military night he hostsevery Thursday on his showthrough the American ForcesNetwork. He takes calls aboutsports and other topics fromAmerican armed forces serv-ing in combat zones. For his career accomplish-

ments, the Geneseo AlumniAssociation presentedTournour with a ProfessionalAchievement Award last sum-mer during Reunion Weekend.“Receiving the award was a

dream come true, especiallywith it happening in front ofmy fellow DKs at our 140threunion,” he says. “TheGeneseo experience is some-thing that will always be withme. It was perfect. I got atremendous education, metgreat people and establishedlong-term friendships. It was alife-changing experience.”

— David Irwin

TOURNOUR

30 geneseo scene

ing of the SFS Program andimplementation and overseesexecution of the SFS MasterCommunications Plan in supportof Go-Live as well as the commu-nications team staff. She previ-ously was a field marketingaccount supervisor at McCannErickson Worldwide. CorriHalpern Wilson ’88 was promot-ed to full-time lecturer in thesport management department atSouthern New HampshireUniversity and retired as athleticdirector at Auburn Village Schoolin New Hampshire in June 2011.John Busher ’89 owns and operates a game download, news and information site calledHarryBalls.com. Kevin Hicks ’89has served as the Army ReserveOfficers’ Training Corps (ROTC)professor of military science at Valley Forge Military College in Wayne, Pa., since June 2009. He was promoted to colonel in April 2011 anddeployed to Afghanistan in June 2011.

1990Julie Clark recently publishedthe book Asperger’s in Pink, whichguides readers through her family’s adventures raising a young child with Asperger’sSyndrome, a mild form ofautism. The book includes commentary from her daughter,Kristina. Emily McRobbiehas been awarded the 2011Faculty of the Year award atCoconino Community College in Flagstaff, Ariz.

1992Celebrating their 20th reunion July 13-15, 2012.Joseph Conte and MeredithConte are proud to announcethe birth of a baby girl, MiraGrace Conte, born on May 13,2011. Matt Witzky recentlyaccepted a position as CEO atCone Holdings LLC inCleveland, Ohio, a group of com-panies that consists of two lead-

1970sClass of 1972 — celebratingtheir 35th reunion and Class of1977 — celebrating their 40threunion July 13-15, 2012.Katherine Weir MLS ’71 retiredin May after 22 years at IllinoisState University as business librari-an. Tom Ingrassia ’74 was a fea-tured speaker last May at theNational Conference on Race &Ethnicity in San Francisco, pre-

senting hismulti-mediaprogram“Motownand theCivil RightsMovement,”which focus-es on theconnectionsbetween

music and society in the 1960s. Healso recently presented a programon the pop culture of the 1960s,“Girl Power: The Supremes asCultural Icons,” at The HanoverTheatre for the Performing Artsin Worcester, Mass. GregoryAdamo ’76 was recently promot-ed to associate professor atMorgan State University inBaltimore, Md. His book, AfricanAmericans in Television: Behind theScenes, was published by PeterLang Publishing. Dale HayesKlein ’77 has launched her blog,What Would Dale Do? atwww.whatwoulddaledo.com.Laura Huffman Tek ’77 is anattorney in private practice inNashville, Tenn.

1980sClass of 1982 — celebratingtheir 25th reunion and Classof 1987 — celebrating their30th reunion July 13-15, 2012.Tami Warner Johnson ’80was named the Most InspiringEducator in her area in the Mayedition of Great Lakes Bay LifestyleMagazine, which covers Midland,Bay City and Saginaw, Mich. Sheteaches at Midland ChristianSchool in Midland. Mark

Pellegrini’80 graduat-ed fromWingateUniversityin NorthCarolinawith a doc-torate inpharmacyand is apharmacist

at Carolinas Medical Center inConcord, N.C. Denise KellyPowers ’84 recently had a bookpublished by Teachers CollegePress, titled Starting with Their

Strengths:Using theProjectApproach inEarlyChildhoodSpecialEducation.Denise co-authoredthe bookwith a

friend and colleague and lives inRichmond, Va., with her hus-band, Mike Powers ’84, andtheir children. James JamboLarkin ’85 and Felicia J. Leewere married on April 3, 2010 inHealdsburg, Calif. They live inSan Francisco.Jennifer Juzwick Lauria ’88recently accepted a position atthe Buffalo Niagara Partnershipin Buffalo, N.Y., as a membershiprepresentative. Cynthia Nagle’88 recently accepted a positionat the Statewide Financial System

Program inAlbany, N.Y.,as commu-nicationsmanager,managingthe agencyoutreachefforts forthe SFSProgram,

the largest public sectorEnterprise Resource Planningprogram in the country. Shebuilds awareness and understand-

ClassNotesing distributors of medical diag-nostic imaging supplies, ConeInstruments & Medi NuclearCorp.

1994Laura McMann Mahoney isemployed at the U.S. GeologicalSurvey in Reston, Va., as a grantanalyst. Mark Nagi recentlyaccepted a position at theTennessee Department ofTransportation in Knoxville ascommunity relations officer. Hepreviously was employed atWATE-TV as sports anchor andreporter. Kathleen Neary andMatthew Powell are happy toannounce their marriage on June5, 2010, in Franklin, Tenn., withthe added bonus that both thebride’s parents and the groom’sparents were married on thatsame date 39 years earlier.Kathryn Drury Wagner andBrett welcomed a baby daughter,Delilah Jane, on Dec. 15, 2010.

1995Darlene Szmyr Nichols andJason Nichols are proud toannounce the birth of a baby girl,Hailey Elaine, born on Feb. 5,2010 in Saratoga, N.Y.

1996Alexandra Collins Burlessrecently accepted a position atCatholic Charities in Elmira, N.Y.,as a case manager. Lt. KeithLowenstein of the U.S. Navy flewProud Warrior 427 to Davis

MonthanAir ForceBase inTucson,Ariz., fordeactivationand preser-vation.MarcDiPaolosaw the

birth of his first child, QuentinDominic DiPaolo, on April 1,2011, and the publication of his

Cynthia Nagle

Denise KellyPowers

ALUMNI NEWS

Tom Ingrassia

Lt. Keith Lowenstein

Tami WarnerJohnson

Fall 2011 31

Scene around the world

Leslie Mannix-Plucknette ’81/MA ’86 and her husband, Doug Plucknette, explore the buriedcity of Pompeii in Italy, and say a hearty helloto their friends from Allegany!

David Cheng ’10 at the Panecillo in Quito,Ecuador, while he volunteered in a school for amonth as a school psychologist.

Michael Denesha ’61 at the Great Wall of China.

Several Geneseo grads vacationed together in Florence, Italy, and met up with Distinguished TeachingProfessors Bill Cook and Ronald Herzman and the Siena Geneseo travelers for an Uffizi gallery tour.From left to right are: Bruce Richter ’89, Lisa Austin Richter ’89, Herzman, Cook, Jonna Van WagenenShutowick ’88, John Shutowick ’90, Scott Armstrong ’85 and Steve Huebner ’90.

Submit your images to scene@geneseo.edu with a subject line of “Scene Around the World.”

Left, Debra EvansDeVoe ’75, left, andSuzanne Wantuch-Warren ’71/MA ’73enjoy the Englishbeach in Cornwall’sseaside town ofBude.

Michele Furois Draiss ’80 went toLondon for her 30th wedding anniversaryand took her Scene.

32 geneseo scene

Erica Martin Bennett ’97 at the entrance to Denali NationalPark in Alaska, where she saw America’s tallest peak andnumerous wild animals, including grizzly bears.

Anne-MariePaquale ’95 atthe Colosseumin Rome.

Gerry SzwalkosWilson ’66, left,and Karen SherkDavis ’66 spent 10days cruising thewest coast ofIceland, climbingvolcanic rock, visiting waterfallsand geysers andwatching orcawhales, puffinsand other wildlife.

Geneseo alumni met in Las Vegas to celebrate all of their40th birthdays. From left to right are: Michael Faraci ’93,Brian Niederberger ’92, Maryam Tabrizi ’93, Rachel WilliamsDensmore ’93, Trudi Olsen Tuinstra ’93. Lynda CorsetteStafford ’92 and Anthony Tartaro, who attended Geneseountil 1991.

Jenny Perfetti ’01 at the Highland Folk Museum inNewtonmore, Scotland.

Scene around the world ... some more

Dina Golovner Gorlick ’76 at the Mission Santa Barbara in California.

Fall 2011 33

second book, War, Politics andSuperheroes: Ethics and Propagandain Comics and Film. He is an assis-tant professor of English and filmat Oklahoma City University andhas previously published thebooks The Conscious Reader andEmma Adapted: Jane Austen’s Heroinefrom Book to Film.

1997Celebrating their 15th reunion July 13-15, 2012.Aimee Gauthier is proud toannounce the adoption of a boy,Alexander Edward Gauthier, bornon March 16, 2007, in Uralsk,Kazakhstan and adopted at theage of 23 months.

1998Dan Calhoun recently accepted aposition at Georgia SouthernUniversity in Statesboro as anassistant professor of educationalleadership. David R. Friedmancompleted a graphic design certi-fication at Hunter College inNew York last August. AmandaPielecha Sauter and JohnSauter are proud to announcethe adoption of a boy, HenryXavier, who was born on Oct. 22,2010, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

1999Lindsay Least Benton receivedan MBA in marketing fromNortheastern University inDecember 2009. She and DavidBenton, of Boston, are happy toannounce their marriage onApril 16, 2011, in St. John, U.S.Virgin Islands. Their maid ofhonor was Gina LattanzioGrande ’98. Kate PangburnFong ’99 has her own personalinjury law practice inConnecticut with her husband,Corey, and is a co-author of arecently published book fromthe American Bar Associationcalled The Road to Independence:101 Women’s Journeys to StartingTheir Own Law Firms. TaraSweeney Sroka recently accept-ed a position at DraftfcbHealthcare in New York City asart director. Several pieces of herartwork were published in the

autumn issue of Somerset DigitalStudio.

2000Paul Brown is attending BostonCollege to pursue a doctorate

in highereducationadministra-tion.MeganRossMaletteandMatthewMalette areproud to

announce the birth of a babygirl, Cameron Jane, born onJune 13, 2011, in Albany N.Y.Kristin Furano Picardo ’00and Jason Picardo ’01 areproud to announce the birth of ababy boy, Marco Jon, born onMarch 21, 2011, in Rochester,N.Y. Chelsea Strazza-Jevensand Chris Jevens are proud toannounce the birth of a babyboy, Logan Sawyer Jevens, onSept. 26, 2010.

2001Sean Fitzsimons and SaraFitzsimons are proud toannounce the birth of a baby boy,Max William Fitzsimons, born onDec. 23, 2010. Kevin Moellerrecently accepted a position atMedia Behavior Institute in NewYork City as executive director ofresearch and analytics. MiekoOzeki received a master of liberalarts in sustainability and environ-

mental man-agementfromHarvardUniversityExtensionSchool lastMay. JasonPicardoand KristinFurano

Picardo ’00 are proud toannounce the birth of a baby boy,Marco Jon, born on March 21,2011, in Rochester, N.Y. MollyRothermel and Tip Rawding arehappy to announce their mar-riage on July 3, 2011, in York,Maine. They live in Arlington, Va.Other alumni from the class of

2001 in the ceremony includedAndrea Moore Gegli andAndrea Zamorski. MatthewZvolensky and NicoleBraunreuther Zvolensky ’03are proud to announce the birthof a baby boy, Andrew James,born on March 25, 2011, inBinghamton, N.Y.

2002Celebrating their 10th reunion July 13-15, 2012.Samantha Bell is an assistantprofessor of English at JohnsonCounty Community College nearKansas City, Kan. She is also acontributing creative nonfictioneditor with the Emprise Review.Jacob Clements and SarahHysert Clements ’07 are proudto announce the birth of a babygirl, Vika Evalina, born on March3, 2011, in Rochester, N.Y.Colleen Volmut Hochmuth andEric Hochmuth are proud toannounce the birth of a babyboy, Brayden James. He was bornon Oct. 8, 2010, in PortJefferson, N.Y. Joseph Salinettireceived an MBA in new venturedevelopment from SUNY Albanyon May 14 and recently accepteda position at JPMorgan Chase &Co. in Albany as an associate.

2003Eric Blask and Jennifer PutortiBlask are proud to announcethe birth of a baby girl, OliviaPatricia Blask, born on Feb. 22,2011, in Rochester, N.Y. CandiceFountain Cosker and MichaelCosker are proud to announcethe birth of a baby girl, SophiaMarie, on April 21, 2011. SaraFleszar recently accepted a posi-tion at Presbyterian St. Luke’sHospital in Denver as a clinicaloncology pharmacist specialist.Sara recently was employed at St.Joseph’s/Candler Hospital asclinical pharmacist in Savannah,Ga. Nicole BraunreutherZvolensky and MatthewZvolensky ’01 are proud toannounce the birth of a baby boy,Andrew James, born on March 25,2011, in Binghamton, N.Y.

Paul Brown

Mieko Ozeki

34 geneseo scene

ALUMNI NEWS

CLASS NOTES

2004JonathanRadoreceived amaster’s ofsciencedegree inchemistryfrom LehighUniversityon May 23.

2005Courtney Westbrook Fosterand Kyle Foster are proud toannounce the birth of a baby girl,Claire Eloise, born on April 8,2011, in Alexandria, Va.Michael Lester and NicoleNotowitz are happy toannounce their marriage on May28, 2005, in Letchworth StatePark in Mt. Morris, N.Y. Theyreside in North Carolina.Christina DeFilippi Lipp andJeff Lipp ’06 are proud toannounce the birth of a baby boy,Marco, born on Dec. 9, 2010, inNiskayuna, N.Y. RachelPagliocca recently accepted aposition at GolinHarris PublicAffairs in Arlington, Va., as anaccount supervisor. She wasrecently a legislative assistant atthe U.S. House of Representatives.Kimberly Cervello Rogers andMatt Rogers are happy toannounce their marriage on June12, 2010.

2006Dr. Matthew A. Hanna earned adoctor of dental medicine degree

fromUniversity ofPittsburghSchool ofDentalMedicine onMay 29,2010, and iscontinuinghis educa-tion atStony Brook

University Hospital, where he isthe chief general practice dentalresident for the 2011-2012 aca-

demic year. Jeff Lipp andChristina DeFilippi Lipp ’05are proud to announce the birthof a baby boy, Marco, born onDec. 9, 2010, in Niskayuna, N.Y.Christopher J. Marrin and LisaNachreiner of Columbia, S.C.,were married on July 11, 2009.Chris, an attorney, and Lisa, aspecial-education teacher, met onthe Geneseo Ultimate Frisbeeteam and still play the gametogether.

2007Celebrating their 5th reunion July 13-15 2012.Sarah Hysert Clements andJacob Clements ’02 are proudto announce the birth of a babygirl, Vika Evalina, born on March3, 2011, in Rochester, N.Y. Sgt.Nicholas Patch ’07 of the U.S.Marine Corps recently won theMarine Corps Cup Match at theNational Rifle AssociationNational High Power RifleChampionships at Camp Perry,Ohio. In addition to his nationalchampionship, he placed 56th inthe President’s Rifle Match to earnthe honor of “President’s 100.”

2008Helen Brewer is a certified pub-lic accountant. After two years inpublic accounting at Eisner LLP,she has changed companies andis an internal auditor at New YorkCity’s public utility company,ConEdison. Kelly Ernst recentlyaccepted a position at theUniversity of Rochester inRochester, N.Y., as assistant direc-tor of public relations for theHajim School of Engineering &Applied Sciences. She alsorecently completed her master’sdegree in marketing at theWilliam E. Simon School ofBusiness at the University ofRochester. Rachel Kingstonrecently accepted a position as areporter for WIVB-TV in Buffalo,N.Y. She previously worked as anews anchor/reporter at WBEN-FM radio in Buffalo. KarenMerrill is an auditor atPricewaterhouseCoopers LLP inthe Rochester, N.Y., office andrecently became a certified pub-lic accountant. Diana Snyder

received a law degree, cum laude,in business and finance law fromBoston University on May 22,2011, and will join SimpsonThacher & Bartlett LLP as a cor-porate associate in the firm’soffice in Palo Alto, Calif.

2009Ryan Busha received a master’sdegree in health managementsystems from DuquesneUniversity on May 7, 2011, andreceived a Fulbright Scholarshipto study childhood obesity inLithuania during the 2011-2012academic year. BrittanySimmons recently accepted aposition with Monroe County inRochester, N.Y.

2010Danielle Machynski Calhounand Patrick Calhoun are happy toannounce their marriage on July13, 2010, in Groton, Conn.,where they live.

2011Meghan Brill of Philadelphiarecently accepted a position atASI in Trevose, Pa., as an accountexecutive, membership sales. Sheplays rugby with the KeystoneWomen’s Rugby team, a premierdivision team. Maggie Gotchrecently accepted a position as an

assistantaccountmanager atPinckneyHugoGroup, afull-servicemarketingcommunica-tions firmin Syracuse,

N.Y. Megan Pogemiller hasbeen accepted to East TennesseeState University in Johnson City,Tenn., to pursue a master’sdegree in biology.

IN MEMORIAMALUMNILydia Hees De Marco ’29, May12, 2011Eloise Williams Belle ’32, Oct.25, 2010

Helen Tobey Burr ’35, April 20,2011Janet Brandlin Lendt ’44,March 16, 2011Mary Gaus Woodward ’46,May 5, 2011Ralph Harris ’47, April 10, 2011Betty Overhiser Ettington ’51,March 29, 2011Marilyn Harter Fitzgerald ’53,May 3, 2011Janice Frei Burroughs ’61, June27, 2011Sandra Kebler Clinton ’62,April 27, 2011Judy Caretta Hughes ’62, April7, 2011Judith Ades Weiss ’63, June24, 2011Carol Brown Woodland ’64,April 30, 2011Olga Szpylczyn ’69, March 23,2011John Melaro ’70, March 16,2011Barbara Thomas Russell ’75,July 3, 2011Larry Bennett ’80, March 30,2011Joan Ellen Mann ’80, Dec. 20,2011Robert Adamo ’83, March 16,2011Clement Lane ’84, May 13, 2011Bernard Buck ’87, May 2, 2011Teresa Leigh ’88, May 6, 2011Barbara White ’91, June 14,2011David Hartstein ’98, June 17,2011Katie Brice ’03, April 19, 2011Pamela Eder ’10, May 1, 2011

FACULTY• Harold Battersby, professoremeritus of anthropology from1970 to 1998 with an expertise inlinguistics and Near East studies,died July 19, 2011.

• Joseph Zaremba, professoremeritus of economics and management, who taught from1970 to 2000, died April 13, 2011.

• Barbara Rhodes, lecturer emerita, who was a part-timeinstructor in the Department ofEnglish and a director of theLearning Skills Center from 1967to 1993, died on Aug. 10, 2011.

Dr. Matthew A.Hanna

Maggie Gotch

Jonathan Rado

Fall 2011 35

DEFINING MOMENTS: HOW GENESEO SHAPED MY LIFE LEE GABLER ’11

FINDING COMMUNITY:

“At first, Geneseo felt like a big place. I

came from a really small high school. We

had 87 people in our graduating class. On

the Geneseo cross-country team, we

looked out for each other and I learned to

gut it out — I trained hard but did not

always see the reward right away.

The team is family.

In the physics lab, I fused atoms and

examined their released energy for a

project in which I collaborated with my

professors and with labs all over the

country. Together, we worked on our

small parts of a larger question. It’s cool

to be part of something that is a great

challenge, and which decades from now

may change the way we think or do

things — and I played my part in it.

At Geneseo, I learned what it means

to be part of a community.”

ABOUT ME:

cross-country team member, physics

major and research student, lifelong

bagpipe player.

NOW:

Studying mechanical engineering at the

University of Virginia and developing

equipment to assess brain damage in

soldiers.

PHOTO BY KRIS DREESSEN

36 geneseo scene

Faculty Fellow for International Studies WesKennison, in yellow, discusses the history andsignificance of the Piazza del Campo in Siena.

Tony DeFusto, Barb Ingrassia ’74/ MLS ’75 and Annalisa Emaman ’95 learn to make pasta.

San Gimignano, Europe’s best-preserved medieval city. PHOTO BY BARB VILARDO ’74

PHOTO BY ROSE ANDERSON

PHOTO BY BARB VILARDO ’74

Alumni Adventures in

ItalyLast summer, Geneseo professorsopened the medieval cities of Sienaand Florence to 26 alumni, parentsand emeriti, who reveled in history,culture and landmarks usually notexperienced by visitors.Beloved professors Bill Cook,

Ronald Herzman and WesKennison led private tours throughsome of the world’s most exclusivegalleries and sites and welcomedthem to their second home — theOnda neighborhood of Siena.It was so successful, next year’s

“Study Abroad for Alums” isalready planned — July 30-Aug. 10.

: See the trip photo gallery —go.geneseo.edu/sienatrip

World-renowned Siena expert and DistinguishedTeaching Professor Bill Cook explains how municipalengineering of the streets and the water system giveclues to social interaction and daily life in Siena duringthe high Middle Ages.

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Jim Houston ’80:

Providing new opportunities for his Geneseo communityBy Lisa M. Feinstein

As his senior year was drawing to a close in 1980, JimHouston was keenly aware that attending Geneseo hadbeen the right choice.

“I spent time reminiscing and reflecting,” he says. “Thosememories, those recollections reinforced all of the reasons whyI chose Geneseo.”Those memories included playing broomball, performing

undergraduate research, serving as a student representative on thetenure committee and playing Frisbee on the quad. A doublemajor in psychology and business, Jim found that the collegeoffered diverse experiences that redefined his worldview. When Jim talks about Geneseo, he paints the picture of a

community of teachers and learners who form meaningful relationships in the midst of transformational experiences.“I didn’t want to be a number,” says Jim. “I wanted something

more personal — and that’s what I got.”Today Jim is a partner at The Prince Houston Group in New

York City, a firm that recruits executive leadership talent forwealth management firms. He also is a member of The GeneseoFoundation Board of Directors.

“I decided to serve on the board because I wanted to give back.I wanted to be selective and do so with an organization that has areal and direct impact in an educational setting. Geneseo wasthe right choice,” he says. “It is by far one of the finest liberalarts colleges in the country. To be part of the board, and supportthese opportunities for students who might not be able to havethem otherwise, that makes a difference for me.”When the college announced the launch of Shaping Lives of

Purpose: The Campaign for Geneseo, Jim was one of the first tosupport the campaign.He created an endowment within the newly established

Center for Inquiry, Discovery and Leadership. His gift will support student ambassadors who will be active participants indesigning the center’s programs and independent learning experiences, which will reach beyond the classroom and theirpersonal comfort zones.“I wanted my campaign gift to have a direct impact on students.

I wanted to very specifically know that students’ experiences werericher and stronger as a result of my support,” says Jim.

PHOTO BY KRIS DREESSEN

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» REWINDwho is this crew on the steps of sturges and why is there a dog taking a nap in class? help solve themystery of this fun photo we found in our archives … send your memories to scene@geneseo.edu.submit your own old photos from your Geneseo good times to scene@geneseo.edu