Fall 2019 (PDF, 10MB)
Research:Rising: $14.5M $3M for for pet polymer therapy tech
FOR ALUMNI & FRIENDS OF ROWAN UNIVERSITY FALL 2019
Rising possibilities 40
Under 40 and overachieving 16 | State of addiction, state of healing 32 | Then and now 54 Space is limited—register today! RISING TOGETHER alumni.rowan.edu/risingtogether Join us as we go “Beyond the ‘Boro” to bring the Rowan experience to you with a special series of regional events celebrating RISING: The Campaign for Rowan University. Red Bank, NJ Philadelphia, PA Thursday, November 14 Tuesday, February 4 Reconnect, reminisce and engage with 6 p.m. | Oyster Point Hotel 6 p.m. | Four Seasons the ever-rising network of Rowan alumni, leaders and volunteers. Hear what’s next at Rowan from President Ali Houshmand as he New York City, NY Mount Laurel, NJ shares his vision and explore opportunities to Thursday, March 26 Thursday, April 23 take an active role in the institution’s future! 6 p.m. | Location TBD 6 p.m. | Aloft Hotel
Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served. Attire is business casual. save the date
RowanGIVES Day Rowan SOM 2019 Spring Alumni Dig Day Saturday, May 2, 2020 Thursday, March 5, 2020 Alumni Reunion Join the Rowan community to Saturday, November 16, 2019 celebrate the spirit of philanthropy Rowan Reunion at Bar-A for the sixth annual RowanGIVES Day. Run for Rowan 5K Saturday, July 25, 2020 rowan.edu/rowangives Saturday, April 18, 2020 stay connected Events and reunion committees Social media Contact the Office of Alumni Engagement if you have an idea for an alumni Contests, breaking news, Rowan program or event or if you are interested in serving on a class reunion Alumni Snapchat takeovers, event committee. announcements, alumni profiles Additional events and more. Join the conversation. We offer more activities and services year-round than we can fit on this page. Visit alumni.rowan.edu/events for updates and more information to help you keep in touch with friends and make new connections. Update your info Each month the Office of Alumni Engagement sends an e-newsletter to update Office of Alumni Engagement alumni on all things Rowan. If you’re not receiving Rowan Alumni e-mails, Shpeen Hall | 40 North Academy Street please contact [email protected] or visit alumni.rowan.edu/update to Glassboro, NJ 08028 update your contact information. 856-256-5400 | [email protected] Fall 2019 Vol. XXIV, No. 1
54 features departments
16 Under 40 and overachieving 2 Mailbox Profiles of 30 young alumni rising in their professions and in their ability to influence, inspire and innovate by Marie Alonso ’90, Diane Donofrio Angelucci ’81, Barbara Baals, Krystle Dodge ’11, M’11, 4 Big Picture Megan Kiger, Steve Levine ’87, M’07, Patricia Quigley ’78, M’03 and Allie Volpe ’13 6 Campus News 32 State of addiction, state of healing Rowan physicians help pioneer effective, compassionate care in opioid battle 14 Initiatives by Krystle Dodge ’11, M’11
COVER STORY 60 Class Notes 40 Rising possibilities The campaign for Rowan University makes a case for rising to the challenge 84 Afterwords 54 Then and now Photographic time travel between 1969 and 2019
ON THE COVER ROWAN MAGAZINE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Rowan Magazine is published ADVERTISING CONTENT Rowan Magazine accepts All content copyrighted by Rising Campaign EDITOR DESIGN PRESIDENT twice yearly by the Office of University Publications and is ads at the editor’s discretion Rowan Magazine. All rights co-chairs Larry Salva ’77, Lori Marshall M’92 Daniel Murphy M’97 Anthony Marino ’02, M’03 Steve Pimpinella ’05 mailed free to all alumni. for goods and services reserved. HD’13, Ginny Rowan ASSOCIATE EDITOR Judy Haraburda VICE PRESIDENT Opinions expressed herein considered of value to alumni. Reproduction by any means in John R. Gillespie ’63, M’69 Gina Lemanowicz Pusloski ’03 Smith, Linda Rohrer Kayla Rodriguez ’18 are those of the authors and Ad publication does not whole or in part is prohibited HD’06 and Jean constitute an endorsement NEWS COORDINATOR SECRETARY do not necessarily reflect without expressed permission. Edelman ’81. With VISUAL ASSETS of that product or service. Steve Levine ’87, M’07 Karen Holloway M’14 Louis Joyce ’72, M’77 official policy of the Alumni Postmaster, please send Send inquiries to: decades dedicated to Frank Villarreal ’20 Association or the University. address changes to: CONTRIBUTORS DIRECTOR Rowan University leadership at Rowan Mick Bratton ’20 Submissions are welcome, Rowan Magazine Barbara Baals Chris D’Angelo ’07, M’10 Editor, Rowan Magazine and in business, the including story ideas, photos c/o Alumni Engagement Jerry Carey ’77 201 Mullica Hill Road PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT DIRECTORS and memorabilia. Publication Rowan University four head the effort to Patricia Quigley ’78, M’03 Glassboro, NJ 08028-1701 Craig Terry Mariah Francisco ’16, M’18 is at the editor’s discretion. 201 Mullica Hill Road, raise $120 million for 856-256-4195 Jessica Kanady ’08, M’15 Submissions may not be Glassboro, NJ 08028-1701 students, facilities OPERATIONS COORDINATOR 856-256-4322 (fax) acknowledged or returned Please recycle this magazine. Paula Bethea ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT [email protected] and research. without prior arrangement. Joy Kudla ’17 Please send to: PHOTO: KEVIN MONKO DESIGN [email protected] or Rowan Dana Alcavage ’13, M’15 Magazine, 201 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro, NJ 08028
Fall 2019 | 1 mailbox
Enjoy more local treasures Take a free fall tour through three small Glassboro museums offering fascinating full slate for the fall, Vital topic, exhibits that bring to life the history of special including museum trips, industry in South Jersey. interest film screenings, book discussions, lectures RCA Heritage Museum read with special and memorial In Rowan’s Campbell Library, interest “Remembering programs, many enjoy sounds and sights from the I communication, entertainment to Never Forget” of them open to alumni and the and engineering giant’s regarding Holocaust South Jersey roots and global public. To learn survivors. My father was successes, including Victrolas and more, please visit: a World War II first televisions, WWII encryption technology and lieutenant in the 2nd rowan.edu/rchgs NASA communication devices. Please send your Chemical Mortar Info and schedule: rowan.edu/rcaheritage submission to: Battalion who very Coverage slip? seldom spoke of his war Heritage Glass Museum On High St., the Heritage Glass Museum Editor experience. Before his ecently received and Rowan Magazine reviewed the spring displays the story of South Jersey’s passing he happened to R glass industry, from raw materials to 201 Mullica Hill Road edition. Did not see any mention to a cousin of rare glass artwork. Info and schedule: Glassboro, NJ 08028 coverage of the 2018 mine that he was part heritageglassmuseum.com or e-mail: of the liberation of the Athletics Hall of Fame [email protected] Dachau concentration event. The event was held Hollybush Mansion camp in April 1945. in October and was very Come to the Glassboro campus for a well done. I had expected free, guided one-hour tour of Rowan’s After researching this coverage in the spring historic mansion. Visit the first-floor rooms I realized why those edition of Rowan to learn about memories were often too Magazine. The sports • Whitney family history in Victorian art, painful to recall. There PR people did a great job decor and artifacts was death everywhere, with this event. Perhaps • the local glass industry with Whitney Glassworks products and many were we will see coverage in • the 1967 Johnson-Kosygin Summit your next edition. Thank abandoned to die in the in photos and memorabilia you for your time and boxcars that delivered more victims. Dachau consideration. Wednesday, November 6, 6 p.m. was a model for future William G. Madden Saturday, December 7, 11 a.m. camps and was also Tuesday, January 21, 6 p.m. known for the brutal Ed. note: Sorry to keep you Monday, February 10, 6 p.m. experiments conducted waiting—see photos from To register for one of these dates, please call on the prisoners. It angers the Hall of Fame 856-256-5400 or visit: me so when ignorant induction on p. 68. alumni.rowan.edu/hollybushtours people deny the existence For video, audio and photos, visit: of these atrocities. rowan.edu/hollybush
Thank you for this Undercover important article. Sadly, kudos as you point out, these owan Magazine came horrors continue to this today. Unlike [the day throughout the world. R magazine from] my other Michael Kissel ’71 alma mater, it actually focused on alumni. Keep up the good work! Ed. note: The Rowan Center for Holocaust & Name withheld Genocide Studies has a by request
2 | Rowan Magazine Graduate Studies Online & On-campus
If you are seeking to grow your career and need additional credentials, now is an exciting time to further your Rowan education. The University is achieving impressive growth in size, academics, and reputation. Equally impressive is the commitment to keep Rowan accessible and affordable. The graduate programs are challenging but achievable for working professionals. Courses are offered online or in the evenings, and are taught by faculty who understand that adult students need to balance work, school, and family commitments. A variety of graduate programs are available for a variety of career paths including:
• Behavior Analysis • Data Analytics • Nursing • Bioinformatics • Education • Pharmaceutical Sciences • Business • Engineering • Strategic Communication Administration • Finance • Theatre Arts • Computer Science • History Administration • Counseling • Mathematics • Wellness • Criminal Justice • Music • Writing
Apply Today! | RowanU.com/Programs Optical explosion On a perfect late summer evening, a blazing, booming fireworks finale helped kick off the fall semester at the Glassboro campus. Rowan Athletics and Rowan After Hours sponsored the seventh annual pyro show, painting the sky near James Hall with more than 600 exploding shells. Just east of Engineering Hall, students took in the attraction around Optiks, the public art celebration of a more cerebral—and enduring—enlightenment. PHOTO BY KEVIN MONKO
4 | Rowan Magazine Fall 2019 | 5 Career Advancement Director Bob Bullard and President Ali Houshmand welcomed Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver to dedicate the Career Resource Library now named for the alumna. She found a strong start for her career 50 years ago at Rowan and invested to help students and alumni build their careers.
Advancement Director Robert Bullard ’06, M’09 in the atrium of Savitz Hall for the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate her gift. The Office of Career Advancement serves more than 2,000 students and alumni each semester through career management Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver’s gift programming, services and events. Its expanded career gives to generations of students library features updated computers and other lassboro State College made a big impression technology and can accommodate additional visitors, A LEGEND IN Gon then-undergraduate Lillian Lodge ’62. guest speakers and larger events, thanks to the COMMUNICATION In turn, the alumna, now Dr. Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver gift. Kopenhaver, made a huge impression on her alma “For me, a lifelong career began here,” Kopenhaver AND EDUCATION, mater when she invested $300,000 in its students said. “I am delighted to help support future KOPENHAVER GOT and graduates, her second major gift to Rowan in generations of graduates.” HER START AT less than 10 years. Kopenhaver marveled at the University’s ROWAN WHEN IT Rowan enshrined that gift in June by naming its development, which began to accelerate with Henry Savitz Hall career center the Lillian Lodge Rowan’s transformative $100 million gift in 1992. WAS KNOWN AS GSC. Kopenhaver Career Resource Library. Since then, the institution grew in ways that were NOW, SHE’S HELPING “It’s another wonderful day,” beamed Rowan previously unimaginable—much of that growth the STUDENTS AND President Ali Houshmand as he introduced the result of Houshmand’s commitment to focus on high ALUMNI GET THEIR guest of honor. “Once again, one of our successful quality undergraduate education while expanding alumni is giving back, providing opportunities for research and driving the regional economy. OWN START—OR A our students.” “Ali has a wonderful vision for higher education FRESH START—WITH The valedictorian of her class, Kopenhaver has and I wanted to be a part of it,” Kopenhaver said. MORE CAREER enjoyed a career as a journalist and educator in Rowan’s 2005 Distinguished Alumna, RESOURCES. New Jersey and Florida where, for more than 46 years, Kopenhaver also donated funds in 2012 to establish she has been a faculty member at Florida International the Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver Center for Alumni University (FIU) in Miami. Today Kopenhaver Engagement in Shpeen Hall. is dean emeritus and professor in the School of Joining her college friend for the June dedication, Communication & Journalism at FIU and is executive Barbara Sherlock O’Breza ’62 of Cherry Hill said director of its Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver Center for she was editor of The Whit when Kopenhaver was the Advancement of Women in Communication. writing for it and the two remained friends through A standing room-only crowd of well-wishers the years and careers that followed. joined Kopenhaver, Houshmand and Office of Career “I’m so very proud of her,” O’Breza said.
6 | Rowan Magazine U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT BEST COLLEGE, BEST FOR VETS AND MORE PUBLIC In its“Best Colleges 2020” special edition, U.S. News & World Report ranked Rowan #79 among public universities and #166 among all # UNIVERSITY national universities, five places higher than for 2019. 79 The numbers were impressive in other categories, too: BEST COLLEGES #21 for Undergraduate Engineering (two places higher than last year), 2020 #120 for Best Value, #260 for Undergraduate Business and #121 for Best Colleges for Veterans.
Rowan leads $14.5M DEPOSIT Army study to develop MONITORS cold spray technology VALVE
NOZZLE Rowan researchers are leading a POWDER FEEDER $14.5 million Department of Defense/ Army Research Lab project to develop new materials and new additive manufacturing
processes to modernize the Army and VALVE ensure our men and women in uniform SUBSTRATE are well-supported, especially in remote locations. A simplified Ultimately, the research may develop illustration of the technology that can transfer to civilian and cold spray process commercial uses, including biomedical, that applies polymers COMPRESSED GAS GAS HEATER at high velocities. transportation and aviation. The research team led by Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering Joseph Stanzione will lead the project from the Researchers believe the layered, Stanzione will develop materials using Cold-Spray Additive Manufacturing Lab at high particle application of cold spray advanced “cold-spray” technologies with a the Henry M Rowan College of Engineering technology enables rapid cure and wide array of potential applications. and the Sustainable Materials Research Lab adhesion of materials for fast and efficient The project will include research in the at the South Jersey Tech Park. production of high performance composite use of polymers, synthetic materials and Joining Stanzione will be Francis ‘Mac’ parts or the repair of parts. advanced composite materials and systems Haas, assistant professor of mechanical “We will work to make materials more designated by the Army. engineering; William Riddell, associate quickly, to make them better and easier to “This marks the largest research award professor of civil and environmental repair offsite and, importantly, onsite in made to Rowan,” said President Ali engineering; Ratneshwar Jha, professor and the field,” Stanzione said. “That includes Houshmand. “When we began our research department head of mechanical engineering; everything from parts for tanks and jeeps to mission a few short years ago, this is what a project manager; three post-doctoral tools and helmets.” we envisioned...research that impacts our researchers; 10 graduate students; and some Rowan researchers, in collaboration
Illustration: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214860417302993 Illustration: neighbors, while serving the common good.” two dozen undergraduate students. with counterparts from Drexel University, Northeastern University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, will work with PPG, a global supplier of paints, coatings and specialty materials based in Pittsburgh, to create the new materials and ways to process them.
At the grant announcement, Provost Tony Lowman, project team leaders Mac Haas, Will Riddell, Joe Stanzione, Ratan Jha, and Rowan College of Engineering Interim Dean Stephanie Farrell.
Fall 2019 | 7 campus news
Coffee, tea, beer and wine: Greener and cleaner with Rowan innovation Grapes and grains, tea leaves and coffee beans make for some of the world’s favorite drinks. Rowan innovators are making beverages better for a thirsty world.
CLEANER COFFEE FROM FERMENTING TO BIOFUEL TOPOS TEA-M DREAM If you like your joe green, a Rowan When Rowan alumna Sarah Bauer hits Kayvon Jahanbakhsh ’19 and Mike chemical engineering team might just be microbreweries and wineries, she’s not Lombardo ’18 envision a world where tea— your cup of, well, coffee. eyeing the beverages. their own brand of cold-steeped, caffeine- Drs. Mariano J. Savelski and C. Stewart Bauer, assistant professor of civil & free, polyphenol-rich tea—is the beverage Slater are working for the third year environmental engineering in the Henry of choice for all. with a team of students under a $250,000 M. Rowan College of Engineering, covets “A vision of people enjoying tea while Pollution Prevention grant from the U.S. the waste created during brewing and doing what they love rests at the cornerstone Environmental Protection Agency on a fermenting. of everything we do,” Jahanbakhsh says of project for Nestlé USA. With Engineering Clinic teams, Bauer is Topos Teas, the company he and Lombardo Their goal is to help the international exploring whether that discard—including founded as students in the Rohrer College food and beverage giant reduce waste, grains, hops and lees—can be transformed of Business. recover excess water and save energy in into liquid biocrude. The researchers saw In the two years since they drew up a manufacturing coffee. The group in part is encouraging results from recent work. business plan for Topos, Jahanbakhsh and developing strategies to use less fresh water Through a process called hydrothermal Lombardo have landed their tea in eight and more water recovered from waste liquefaction (HTL), student teams are Whole Foods stores, Rastelli Market Fresh streams in their factory operations, such processing waste from Auburn Road in Marlton, and Honeygrow’s Minigrow in as in cooling towers, at the corporation’s Vineyard, Pilesgrove; Death of the Fox New York City. factory in Freehold. Brewing Co., Clarksboro; and Kelly As they plan for more growth, they’re Christian M. Wisniewski ’16, MS ’18 Green Brewing Co., Pitman. The end- now scouting production facilities along worked on the project in its first and product is liquid biocrude, a synthetic the East Coast. second years and now is an environmental energy source. Though the team is working Topos is made through a 10-hour, cold- engineer with the Delaware Department on a small scale, the work is essential to steeped process that gives the tea a “full- of Natural Resources and Environmental optimizing the HTL process and finding body feel,” Jahanbakhsh says. “It’s fresh. It’s Control. “This project provided Nestle environmentally friendly ways to use what clean. And it’s made from very simple in- with some unique approaches to making is usually cast aside. gredients: tea imported from South Africa, their facility more sustainable.” “Our goal is to take waste that would honey, mango, or ginger and lime juice.” Since the start of the project three otherwise be seen as an environmental years ago, two graduate students and 15 or economic liability and create a useable, undergraduate students have worked on environmentally friendly product,” the Nestlé research. Bauer said.
8 | Rowan Magazine ROWAN AND NERD STREET GAMERS LAUNCH ESPORTS PROGRAM
Rowan University and Nerd Street Gamers, the national network of esports facilities and events dedicated to powering competitive opportunities for gamers, At the signing ceremony in India, Gov. Phil Murphy, NRDC Chairman and Managing announced in September a partnership to develop one Director Dr. H. Purushotham, Vice President for Research Beena Sukumaran and of the region’s largest collegiate esports gaming and NJEDA CEO Tim Sullivan celebrate the historic agreement. academic programs. Nerd Street Gamers will invest more than $1 million in the construction and development of a gaming facility Rowan partners with Indian on Rowan Boulevard that will include a broadcast studio and other amenities. development organization Rowan will work with Nerd Street Gamers to develop curricula relating to the esports industry, establish for discovery and invention internship opportunities and create club and varsity- In a first-of-its-type collaboration, Rowan University partnered in level teams. September with India’s National Research Development Corporation and “Esports has evolved well beyond playing games. the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to enhance technological The most important aspect for Rowan is its academic innovation, industrial research and economic development. component,” said Rowan President Ali A. Houshmand. With implications that could extend from the Garden State halfway “It will offer our students hands-on training—via around the world, the NRDC will open an office at the South Jersey internships—and knowledge in a variety of fields that Technology Park at Rowan University, where it seeks to commercialize will prepare them to become leaders in technology, about 3,000 U.S. patents held by Indian research labs and universities. engineering, business, computer programming and even broadcasting as it applies to this emerging industry.” “Rowan and the NRDC will help usher in the next generation of discovery Rowan’s Board of Trustees voted Sept. 11 to and invention,” said Gov. Phil Murphy of the historic agreement. allocate $230,000 this academic year to purchase That agreement, signed in New Delhi during a recent economic memberships for students to the Nerd Street Gamers development mission, will enable Rowan, the NRDC and the NJEDA to network and provide them access to their gaming develop technologies jointly for the global market, according to Beena equipment free of charge. Sukumaran, vice president for Research at Rowan. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Nerd Street Gamers “Rowan University prides itself on taking innovative ideas all the way is an esports network that serves semi-professional, from the classroom to practical applications,” said Sukumaran. “We are amateur and competitive gamers by creating thrilled to welcome innovative Indian startup companies to the South Jersey environments for live competitions and tournaments. Technology Park at Rowan University, where they will have access to our According to Deloitte Consulting, there will be 600 facilities, faculty, students and other resources that will help them grow.” million esports participants and fans worldwide by 2020. In addition to the partnership with NRDC, Rowan has entered into Tournaments are televised nationally and regularly sell agreements with three other Indian entities to collaborate on research and out the country’s largest arenas. innovation. Rowan will work with Amity Universities and Institutions, “The esports industry encompasses elements of India’s leading private research institution; Aditya Educational computer science, communication and business,” said Institutions, which includes 50 educational institutions specializing in Rowan Provost Tony Lowman. “This partnership allows engineering, business, pharmacy, nursing, forensic science and other Rowan the opportunity to develop this disciplines; and IIT-Gandhinagar, a leading national institution. even further and translate curriculum Rowan and Amity will work on joint research, projects and into practice.” publications, as well as on student internship opportunities and other collaborations. The parties signed Memorandums of Understanding in India. “India can be one of our leading partners in New Jersey’s reemerging dominance in the global innovation economy,” Murphy said, “and New Jersey can be a leading partner in India’s continued economic rise.”
Fall 2019 | 9 campus news
EMS SQUAD IS #1 Rowan University’s EMS squad, which last year cele- brated its 40th anniversary, is among the best campus rescue crews in America for emergency management and disaster pre- paredness, according to the National Students and alumnae stand out Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation. The squad was the only collegiate unit in the nation to receive a Gold award for emergency management and disaster preparedness during the organization’s annual conference in Pittsburgh.
TOP: Amy Ribinsky, Elizabeth Bealer, Cheyanne Marion, LACOVARA JOINS LEGENDS Kaitlyn Gaffney, BOTTOM: IN RECEIVING EXPLORERS Katie Patterson, CLUB MEDAL Imani Pressley In March, Kenneth Lacovara ’84, dean of the Roma Anjali Padalkar School of Earth & Environment, director of Edelman Fosssil Park of Rowan University even Rowan University students Two recent students landed hyper and discoverer of Dreadnoughtus schrani, Sand recent alumnae have secured competitive Fulbright Awards. Rowan the largest fossilized dinosaur ever unearthed, some of the nation’s most prestigious School of Osteopathic Medicine received the Explorers Club Medal during a scholarships and fellowships. student Roma Anjali Padalkar is celebration in Manhattan. Junior biomedical engineering the school’s first Fulbright-Fogarty The medal, the greatest honor bestowed major Elizabeth Bealer received a Fellow in Public Health. She’ll work in by the world-renowned Explorers Club, Goldwater Scholarship, which supports Uganda analyzing the effectiveness of recognizes “extraordinary contributions academically talented, research-driven education on the care of patients with directly in the field of exploration, scientific undergraduates studying natural chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. research, or to the welfare of humanity.” science, mathematics and engineering. Meanwhile, Imani Pressley ’18, In receiving the award, Lacovara joined Bealer, who is pursuing a Thomas who earned degrees in liberal studies a group that includes some of the greatest N. Bantivoglio Honors Concentration and early childhood education, will explorers and scientists in modern history, in the Honors College, plans to earn a complete an 11-month Fulbright English such as mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary, doctorate in biomedical engineering Teaching Assistantship in Taiwan. primatologist Jane Goodall, anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl, film director and deep-ocean with a concentration in tissue Twenty-five Rowan students have pioneer James Cameron and astrophysicist regenerative engineering. landed Fulbrights since 2001. Neil deGrasse Tyson. Seniors Katie Patterson and Two 2019 summa cum laude The club honored Lacovara during the Cheyanne Marion began year-long alumnae, Amy Ribinsky, who earned 115th Explorers Club Annual Dinner, Boren Awards for International degrees in international studies and which also feted explorers Study. Through Boren, students study communication studies, and Kaitlyn including Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin less commonly taught languages in Gaffney, who earned a bachelor’s in and Michael Collins, the last world regions critical to U.S. interests. writing arts, entered the Teaching surviving astronauts from Recipients are required to work for Assistant Program in France, a the 1969 Apollo 11 moon the federal government for a year after seven-month immersion in mission. completion of the program. which students teach English “I’m honored to be in Patterson, a modern languages & to elementary and secondary their company,” said linguistics major, is studying in China. students. In addition to Lacovara. “I’m humbled Marion, an international studies major, their undergraduate to be added to the is studying in Jordan. degrees, both pursued list of recipients that Since 2016, Rowan has had five Honors concentrations includes so many of Boren awardees. and French minors. my childhood heroes.”
10 | Rowan Magazine For new tech, Navy nods to
Rowan engineers Rowan Engineering alumni, faculty and staff assemble for the signing ceremony between NAVSEA It will now be easier for Henry M. Rowan and the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering. College of Engineering students to follow in the footsteps of five dozen of capabilities, inviting subject matter “It is appropriate to honor that fact their predecessors and land a position experts to develop and assist in teaching as we sign the Education Partnership with the Naval Surface Warfare Center, science and engineering courses at the Agreement this morning. [This] is a Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD). University. Additionally, NSWCPD can growing organization and Rowan will be A new Educational Partnership loan specialized equipment to Rowan to very important in that.” Agreement (EPA) the college has enable engineering teams to collaborate in Rowan joins five other schools with with the Navy will open doors for addressing Navy-specific challenges. such agreements and the new partnership students to further their education Many of the 61 Rowan engineers builds on an existing one through the and gain hands-on experience while the command hired during the past Naval Engineering Education Consortium, serving as a pipeline for the Navy to three years attended the signing of the a Warfare Center-wide initiative providing hire graduates equipped to meet the partnership agreement in Philadelphia in students with hands-on research professional demands of the NSWCPD. the spring. experience in addressing specific Navy Under the new agreement, With a nod to the Rowan graduates technology needs. Rowan Engineering can tap into the turned Navy employees, Commanding organization’s scientific and engineering Officer Capt. Francis Spencer III said,
STUDENTS START NEW JERSEY OFFSHORE WIND RESEARCH WITH DANISH UTILITY There will be no tilting at windmills at “Rowan University has very strong Rowan University—but there might be some engineering and science programs that we designing them. are very pleased to support,” said Thomas This spring, Rowan signed an agreement Brostrøm, CEO of Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind with Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind for the and president of Ørsted North America. company to support innovative offshore Dr. Beena Sukumaran, Rowan’s vice wind engineering clinics for students and president for research, said Rowan supports collaborate with them on research. Ths is developing more alternative energy sources a first for the Henry M. Rowan College of and has the expertise to handle such initiatives. Engineering, College of Science & Mathematics “Helping build a more sustainable and green and School of Earth and Environment. power grid is important to the future of our The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities state. We look forward to working recently approved the Denmark-based power with Ørsted and the state to company’s application for its Ocean Wind drive research in the area project to develop New Jersey’s first offshore of offshore wind and wind farm, located 15 miles off the coast of supply the workforce Atlantic City. they need.”
Fall 2019 | 11 campus news
Rowan Medicine expands to RCSJ
Marking the start of construction for the new clinical and education facility: SOM Dean Tom Cavalieri, Dr. George Scott, Senate President Steve Sweeney, President Ali Houshmand, Dr. Jennifer LeComte, Louis Evangelista, Dr. Wendy Aita and Dr. Linda Boyd.
fter a decade of steady growth that included a doubling of Scheduled to open in 2021, the two-story, 56,454 square-foot Aits class size, the Rowan University School of Osteopathic building will expand clinical services and educational Medicine in Stratford is adding a campus at Rowan College of opportunities for the South Jersey region. South Jersey (RCSJ) in Sewell. The first floor will be the new home for the Rowan Integrated Officials from the University, SOM and RCSJ, along with Special Needs Center, which began providing services earlier this members of the Gloucester County Board of Chosen Freeholders year in another facility, and will offer Rowan Medicine services in and N.J. Senate President Steve Sweeney, celebrated the expansion family medicine, pediatrics, osteopathic manipulative medicine with a ceremonial groundbreaking Sept. 13. and pain management. “What we are doing is pioneering,” Sweeney said. “There is The second floor will house SOM’s new education facilities in a no other place in the state where a community college has built dramatic expansion of the nationally acclaimed medical school. a medical school on its campus. The partnerships we’ve created “This groundbreaking ushers in greatly needed health care with Rowan University, Rowan College of South Jersey, the opportunities for New Jersey,” said SOM Dean Thomas Cavalieri. county, and the state will benefit not only our students, but “It presents opportunities to transform health care and improve the the entire region.” quality of life for the residents of South Jersey.”
ACCOUNTING TEAM OUT-ETHICS REGION’S B-SCHOOLS With teamwork, practice and a little business dilemma, the Rohrer College help from some great philosophers, of Business team presented its solution four accounting majors took first place to a distinguished panel of judges. in the KPMG/Essent Intercollegiate The group put in more than 40 hours Ethics Case Competition at Saint preparing to compete, reviewing Joseph’s University. business ethics cases and reading Sophomores Kyle Perez, Jessica Pratt, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Jaden Sinondon and Kelly Sullivan won The Rohrer team bested competitors the invitation-only event sponsored by from Saint Joseph’s, Villanova, Temple, Jaden Sinondon, Kyle Perez, Jessica Pratt and Big Four accounting firm KPMG and LaSalle and Drexel universities. Kelly Sullivan celebrate their victory in the KPMG/ Essent Intercollegiate Ethics Case Competition with Essent US Holdings, Inc. Accounting & Finance Professor Bill McGrath, who Challenged with a graduate business served as their coach. school case that highlighted an ethical
12 | Rowan Magazine Profs post more winning seasons and earn top conference honor
Rowan’s athletic program won the NJAC Cup for overall excellence for the third time in four seasons. The Profs totaled 133 points out of After beating MIT 7-6, the Profs softball team celebrated a possible 146 in the 21 sports sponsored by the 10-team conference. another powerful post-season appearance.
BASEBALL SOFTBALL TRACK & FIELD Rowan’s baseball team won The Profs reached the NCAA Championship The men’s track program continued its the NJAC regular-season Tournament for the ninth consecutive year dominance of the NJAC by winning its title and made its second and the 17th time in 23 seasons under coach fifth consecutive outdoor title, and coach straight appearance in Kim Wilson. Rowan won the Cambridge Dustin Dimit was named the region’s the NCAA Regional Regional and advanced to the Super Coach of the Year. Two student-athletes Tournament. Senior Regional for the third time in the last joined the list of Prof All-Americans as Matt Woods was four years, while compiling a season Tyler Garland earned the status in the named to the All- record of 33-15. 100m hurdles and Dan McAleavey did the America second same in the javelin. Earlier in the year, the team after an SWIMMING & DIVING Profs also won their fifth straight NJAC impressive The men’s swimming and diving indoor championship with Dimit earning season in which team earned its third straight NJAC conference Coach of the Year honors. Championship, and the 16th title in the M he hit .421 and Rowan’s women’s track team had A program’s history. Sophomore Kevin TT set the school another successful season under coach WO ODS records for most runs Gillooly garnered All-America honors with Derek “Ringo” Adamson by capturing its scored and total bases. finishes in the 50 and 100 freestyle events second straight NJAC outdoor title and at the NCAA Championships. The Profs’ adding more All-America honors to the MEN’S BASKETBALL 200 and 400 medley relay teams also program’s history. The 4x100 relay team The men’s basketball team won its first received honorable mention All-America. garnered All-America honors for the NJAC title since 1999, and its 11th overall, Rowan won its second consecutive second year in a row, as did junior Danielle under third-year head coach Joe Crispin. Metropolitan Championship in women’s Cross in the 100-meter hurdles, while The Profs earned a bid to the NCAA swimming and diving while Brad Bowser senior Aspen McMillan received her first Championship Tournament and reached was named the Coach of the Year recognition in the same event. During the the Second Round while Crispin was named in the Mets and the NJAC. indoor season, senior Michelle Macauley the Atlantic Region Coach of the Year. Junior Carlee Timmins earned All-America honors in the long earned honorable mention jump with McMillan WOMEN’S BASKETBALL All-America in the 1650 doing so in the The women’s basketball team posted its freestyle and earned 60-meter hurdles. fifth straight winning season with a 15-11 top swimmer honors record under coach Gabby Lisella. She then in the NJAC and at announced her retirement from coaching the Metropolitan in September 2019 to devote more time C Championships. A Y R L to her duties as an administrator after L O E O guiding the Profs to winning records in E L
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Fall 2019 | 13 initiatives
Pet therapy program finds a forever home at Rowan, thanks to one of dogs’ best friends
erald B. Shreiber loves animals, The dogs in the Rowan program will be available to particularly dogs and horses. But goats, students in the Wellness Center as well as through Because of waterfowl, burros and cats also have found programs across campus, such as those that support a home on his farm. He drives hundreds veterans, students with disabilities, students on the Gerry Shreiber’s Gof miles to bring rescues home to his family or to autism spectrum and even student athletes and others. He spent vacations at a wolf sanctuary with his medical students who experience high levels of stress. most recent gift, son (a veterinarian) to learn more about dogs’ The Gloucester county resident is eager to see the dogs ancestors. He’s even been known to suffer a bee sting certified therapy provide companionship and comfort to students in while trying to liberate the insect from his office rather need. “I’ve seen the emotional lift in kids and adults than swat it as an intruder. when therapy dogs come in. This [Rowan program] is dogs will bring the If a creature crawls, canters or cuddles, Shreiber’s structured. They’ll do it right and it’s close enough for me to visit.” benefits of pet respect for it guarantees his generosity, whether he’s welcoming it into his family or donating to support Dog therapy program integrates with well-being animal-friendly efforts provided by others. companionship to As part of Rowan’s comprehensive well-being But dogs hold a special place in his heart and life. programming and resources, the endowed center will the Rowan Sharing the joy and power of friendship with them is be housed in a 744-square-foot facility in Winans Hall at the center of the entrepreneur’s most recent gift to set to open in November with a full-time coordinator community. Rowan University: a $3 million endowment to bring and resources to maintain five certified therapy dogs. certified therapy dogs to campus to help students, especially those struggling with stress and anxiety. “Pet therapy will play an important role in fostering a culture of well-being on campus,” said Scott The gift enables the University to expand—and Woodside, director for the Wellness Center. “Our continue perpetually—a popular program that has Paws for a Break program has been very successful been an occasional part of Rowan’s wellness services. and the potential for opportunities for research, Starting this fall, the Shreiber Family Pet Therapy student support and collaboration is limitless.” Program of Rowan University will ensure that furry The program expansion ties in well with the Student friends provide support and companionship Affairs THRIVE well-being initiative, which throughout each academic year on a regular basis. emphasizes six components of wellness: physical, A cause close to heart and home social, emotional, financial, a sense of purpose and “I’ve loved dogs all my life and I’ve had dogs all my being part of an inclusive community. life,” said Shreiber, whose four current rescues follow That commitment reinforces other well-established dozens of canine cousins in the Shreiber family during efforts designed to boost student wellness, including the past several decades. Beyond his affection for dogs, exercise and recreational activities, programming he knows firsthand the benefits of time spent with through the Wellness Center’s Healthy Campus them. He notes that studies show being around them Initiatives, an array of traditional therapeutic options can reduce anxiety, increase confidence and even help and widespread opportunities for campus lower blood pressure. involvement and volunteerism.
14 | Rowan Magazine Creating opportunities for success Describing his life as “a fairy tale, a dream,” Shreiber looks back on a humble home and hardworking family. Always a voracious reader, he found the spark for his entrepreneurial spirit and financial success in books that he read as a teen. “I knew we were poor and I didn’t like it,” he said. “But I knew I was going to be successful and help people one day.” Unable to attend college, he began his career as a mechanical apprentice and moved into production and sales management. In 1971, he bought a bankrupt soft pretzel company with eight employees and $400,000 in annual sales. That company, which today is J&J Snack Foods, has more than 4,000 employees and more than $1 billion in annual sales from such leading brands as SUPERPRETZEL, ICEE, and Minute Maid Soft Frozen Lemonade. J&J Snack Foods has made the Forbes list of 200 Best Small Companies seven times. Shreiber’s work ethic and dream to help others drive him and his philanthropic decisions. He knows talented young people who didn’t have the opportunity to pursue higher education. He’s determined to help provide for others like them. “I got lucky. I built a nice, big business,” he said. “It’s a small price to pay [to support worthy causes]. I get a lot of personal pride out of that.” Shreiber’s recent gift was not the first to the University. In 2014 he established the Gerald B. Shreiber Scholarship to support entrepreneurship students in the William G. Rohrer College of Business. To date, he has contributed $300,000, from which 30 students have received awards. Gerry Shreiber with German Shepherd Hachi, Endowing the pet therapy program at Rowan his most recent rescue and especially pleases him. “I can think of nothing better,” constant companion. he said, “than to support our students as they strive for education, complemented by therapy dogs.” ■
Fall 2019 | 15 under forty & over- achieving
ALUMNI RISE Just a few years beyond earning their degrees, Rowan grads are going wherever dreams, drive, TO CREATE, talent and technology can take them. DISCOVER, SOLVE Nominated by peers and professors and in order PROBLEMS AND as random as their stories, 30 under-40 alumni 30SERVE OTHERS tell about what they've accomplished so far.
16 | Rowan Magazine John Costantino 26 | B.S. Computer Science ’14 | CTO and Co-Founder, Manolin
Would you believe it all started with oysters? with nothing but my laptop and a suitcase. John Costantino had a job he loved when “I knew nothing about building a company, I was he and his roommate, Tony Chen, took a life- just a person who found an interest in farming changing trip to Virginia Beach, Va. They went fish,” Costantino says. “We were told it was a stupid to golf and enjoy the local seafood. They wound idea and there is no need to improve how fish and up touring an oyster farm and learning about the oysters are farmed. I’m glad we stayed1 stubborn.” problems that plague the aquaculture industry. Eventually, the young company began making Computer science and fish farming might not waves, winning awards in the aquaculture seem to have much in common. Yet computers industry and beyond. “These awards really are the most effective way to analyze all the help bring credibility to the problems that the complex data points—like appetites, exercise aquaculture sector faces,” says Costantino. who and diseases—gathered from different sources. sees sustainably farmed aquaculture as essential With that in mind, Costantino and Chen spent to feeding the world’s growing population. their spare time for the next two years developing a Life after Rowan hasn’t followed Costantino’s system that would track and explain the seemingly “safe” plans of working for a tech giant like unpredictable threats to aquaculture harvests. Google. Instead, it’s exceeded his ambitions. That system would become their software analytics “I don’t think I could have guessed that I would company, Manolin. have taken the path I did in a million years. After a weekend trip to the international The whole journey so far has been fun, stressful, aquaculture hub of Bergen, Norway, they knew filled with so many unexpected turns of events… they had to relocate overseas to establish and I honestly wouldn’t change a thing about it.”
Manolin’s place in the industry. PHOTO BY DINA CHEN “I said goodbye to my life in D.C., told my parents I was moving and hopped on a plane to Norway
AYANNA LYONS 25 | B.A. Public Relations ’16 | Division Manager, Petey Greene Program
“I hate the word ‘help,’” Ayanna Lyons says. taboo, children with incarcerated parents and “We’re not ‘helping,’ we’re ‘in service together.’” formerly incarcerated people feel otherly, not If anyone knows about service, it’s Lyons, who supported. has done life-changing work in service—first “Two things can coexist,” says Lyons. with AmeriCorps NCCC and now as division “A person can commit a bad crime but should manager of the Petey Greene Program, which still get an education. People do bad things, but provides tutoring to incarcerated individuals. we shouldn’t lock people up for the rest of their “There’s nobody else that does what Petey lives if they can be rehabilitated. Greene does,” Lyons says. The program isn’t “Rowan is still preparing me for this work by politically or religiously motivated. It doesn’t connecting me with undergrads and faculty. As discriminate based on age or crime. a grad student, I learned about Dr. Sandra Joy’s “If you want to make a difference, you need a Youth Empowerment Program for students passion for criminal justice more than you need with an incarcerated parent and was able to a background in criminal justice,” Lyons says. connect with undergrads.” “We’re combating stigma. When we talk about incarceration as an otherness, something
PHOTO BY CRAIG TERRY 2 Fall 2019 | 17 Eileen Oni 31 | B.S. Biological Sciences ’10 “Just because something operates a Legislative and Reporting Program Analyst, certain way doesn’t mean that’s the only The National Institute of General Medicine Sciences way it can be. There’s always room for improvement,” Oni says. Working in When Eileen Oni fell in love3 with science policy, she’s “at the forefront of using data biology, bench science—experimental to make informed decisions that help us fund the laboratory research—interested her. “I had a best science and support scientists.” real desire to know how things worked.” Bench scientists ask, what experiments do I need As a Ph.D. student, she discovered a new calling: to prove or refute a hypothesis? Policy uses similar science policy, or “making sure we train scientists skillsets, like synthesizing data. “How can we in the best way,” Oni says. “How can we do things support scientists better and make sure we develop better to make science the best enterprise it can be?” and support the programs that are the best? After graduating, she served as AAAS Science “Rowan was definitely a launchpad that and Technology Policy fellow at the National translated [into my work in science policy],” Science Foundation. In April, Oni began working she says. “I was fortunate to get research for the National Institute of General Medicine experience at Rowan labs.”
Sciences, a funding agency under the National PHOTO BY CRAIG TERRY Institutes of Health.
ANDREW CAMPBELL MICHELLE CASSIDY 29 | B.S. Entrepreneurship ’12 37 | B.S. Marketing ’03 Managing Director, Moonduck Studios & Agency Senior Community and Marketing Director, Yelp Esports fans know Andrew Campbell’s broadcast persona: Zyori. 4 Planning elite parties at luxury Campbell became “intrigued by the apartments and private dinners at hot competitive aspect of video games” new Philly restaurants—for Michelle during college. The industry wasn’t Cassidy, it’s all part of the job. “This mainstream yet, but he thought at the actually is a dream job,” says Cassidy, time, “if I put in the investment hours to senior community and marketing get experience now, it will all be worth it.” director of Yelp for Philadelphia. From part time to full time to A dream job, but a challenging one. Cassidy handles cofounding his own studio and talent all Philadelphia Yelp marketing efforts5 and works directly representation agency, Campbell with business owners. She forges partnerships with some of learned “esports is all about building a the most recognizable organizations in the area—from the brand around yourself as a broadcaster.” Franklin Institute to Daybreaker morning dance parties. Among Campbell’s biggest live “In my wildest dreams, I wouldn’t have expected this,” events were November 2017’s Midas Mode tournament and says Cassidy, who began cultivating her leadership skills January 2018’s Captains Draft 4 tournament. Based on those while serving as SGA secretary for four years. After starting experiences and others, Campbell is writing a book, The Zyori out as a marketing coordinator at a CPA firm, “going from Story: Starting in Esports, coming soon. corporate to a young tech startup was like going from black- “People ask, ‘Why watch a video game tournament?’ Going and-white to Technicolor. to events and feeling the energy, it was the first thing in my life “I absolutely loved Rowan. I had a great education that 100 percent resonated with me.” there and learned so much through the college experience. Moonduck Studios & Agency is among the biggest players in Professor Manuel Pontes was super influential, one of those esports broadcasting for the popular multiplayer online battle people who left an impression on me. His lessons inspired arena game Dota 2, achieving $1 million growth by its third year. me then and still inspire me today.”
18 | Rowan Magazine CHRISSY BUTEAS 37 | B.A. Law & Justice7 ’04 Chief Government Affairs Officer, New Jersey Business & Industry Association
Holtzheimer aspires to make partner Applying the same grit and determination someday, but he’s already making she displayed on Rowan’s 2002 national Ernie a difference. He holds leadership championship field hockey team, Christine positions nationally and locally in Buteas tirelessly advocates for New Jersey professional organizations. “I am businesses in the state’s capital. Holtzheimer The chief government affairs officer 29 | B.S. Business Management & drawn to leadership roles because of the New Jersey Business & Industry Entrepreneurship ’12, MBA ’13 I think that if I am going to be involved Association works to help businesses Corporate Attorney, Montgomery in something, I really want to be in a create jobs, keep residents working and McCracken Walker & Rhoads LLP position where I can make an impact,” he says. “I have a people-first mindset grow the economy. Ernest Holtzheimer started as a and believe that if people have a high She burnished her reputation as a biology major but shifted focus when morale, they will do their best work.” leader and advocate in previous roles, he realized business interested him Selected for the American Bar serving as president and CEO of the Home more than science. His business law Association’s 40 Young Attorneys ‘On the Care & Hospice Association of New Jersey, courses taught him that what he really Rise,’ among other professional awards, vice president of Capital Impact Group wanted was to be a corporate attorney. Holtzheimer remains modest. “What and others. Now he does just that, working with means the most to me is that people in “I believe it is important to have your professionals in private equity and my professional network have taken time voice heard when policy is being debated commercial transactions at a well- out of their busy schedule to nominate and implemented,” she says. “In my current respected Philadelphia firm. me,” he says. “Without the support of my role, making sure jobs are being created is “The law and trends in legal practice colleagues and friends, I would not be very important.” are always changing, and attorneys where I am today. She continues to carry hard-won lessons need to keep up. I enjoy learning, “Many of the opportunities I’ve been from the hockey field into the business so this is one of my favorite parts given have stemmed at least in part world. “They translate into being able to of practicing law,” he says. When from the connections I’ve made with work with a team, being able to accept Holtzheimer talks about enjoying people from my time at Rowan, Drexel defeat but also celebrate victories, building learning, he’s sincere. “I started reading Law and the organizations I’ve become perseverance and learning to push yourself books on business and investment involved with. beyond what you think your limits are,” topics for fun,” he says. “Rowan truly is a community, and says Buteas, who serves on Rowan's Alumni He chose to use a gap year between students, alumni, faculty and staff Association Board of Directors. earning his bachelor’s degree and need to recognize that. Rowan has “I am a big proponent of the role sports starting law school to earn his MBA provided me with a lot of friends and play in developing leadership skills,” she through Rowan’s 4+1 program. opportunities, and I believe it has done says. “Playing at Rowan taught me a lot This graduate-level business the same for many other people. So I about myself and about working as a team.” background equipped him with a encourage everyone to stay involved foundation in business terminology and to give back to the community that and financial concepts. has served us so well.”
PHOTO BY CRAIG TERRY
Fall 2019 | 19 SOLEY BERRIOS 28 | B.A. Radio, Television & Film ’13 Director of Family Support, Camden Enrollment, Inc.
Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Hopeworks 'N Camden, which the City of Camden, Soley Berrios helps young adults find jobs; is works and volunteers with several executive board secretary for Anastasia organizations whose collective Around the Way Girl Inc., an 8 mission is to help turn her beloved empowerment and education- Hendrickson hometown around. oriented nonprofit for young 34 | B.A. Athletic Training ’06 “I grew up in the city and women; serves on the Camden Vice President, Legend Medical it’s very important to me,” says County Cultural and Heritage Berrios, whose job as director Commission; and is the youngest Just three days after graduating, Anastasia of Family Support for Camden member of the Camden City Hendrickson began her career as a sales rep Enrollment Inc. positions her to Planning Board. at Legend Medical. Thirteen years later, make a direct, meaningful impact. Though she loved the experience she’s grown with the company—all the way Her agency, created after the 2013 and education of her RTF degree, to vice president. state takeover of the city’s school Berrios believes the career she’s Hendrickson, who majored in athletic district, helps educate parents about carving, in which she’s involved training, didn’t intend to go into sales. Yet it school programs so they can make every day in her own community, is was precisely her experience with athletic informed choices about where to perhaps more satisfying. training and physical therapy equipment send their children. So…is elective office in her that made her a prime candidate for the role “You need to be able to advocate future? with the young company. That same year, for your children but sometimes “Maybe,” she says. “Camden is Hendrickson was promoted to sales director. people don’t know,” she says. small, and it can be a crazy place Being named VP was “really special,” “We have school profiles of all politically, but it’s my home and says Hendrickson. “I was promoted at the of the schools and our job is to I love it. There’s so much work to company’s holiday dinner with more than provide information, not make be done here and public service is 100 people cheering. That was a complete recommendations.” what I really want to do.” surprise.” But that’s just one hat she Vice president isn’t “just a fancier title.” The wears. Berrios is also active with prestige accompanying this demanding role doesn’t exempt her from the less glamorous PHOTO BY CRAIG TERRY work. “All the little things lead to greatness,” Hendrickson says, “but I still take out the trash if that’s what needs to be done.” Hendrickson hopes her instructors aren’t disappointed that she didn’t take the ‘direct’ career path. “I do miss athletic training,” she says. “I enjoyed what I learned. This is much different. I don’t take care of athletes, but I do take care of a lot of employees—just in a different way. I want them to love the company as much as I do.”
PHOTO BY CRAIG TERRY
20 | Rowan Magazine Vin D'Anton 29 | B.A. Radio, Television & Film ’13 Freelance documentary producer and archival producer
Vin D’Anton is a natural storyteller, and Bristol, Conn., headquarters, his goal is to tell stories on film—his style, where he worked his way up to the his way. position of associate producer. He’s off to a great start. An award- Assigned to “30 for 30,” he winning filmmaker and researcher, helped the network win Emmy D’Anton has worked on Emmy- and Oscar- awards for the series itself in 2014 winning programs including episodes of and for the 2015 episode “Of ESPN’s popular “30 for 30” series and the Miracles and Men,” which told feature-length documentary, “O.J.: Made the story, from the Russian in America.” point of view, of the U.S. vs. The ESPN Films miniseries examined U.S.S.R. 1980 Olympics men’s the phenomena of race and celebrity in hockey matchup. PHOTO BY VINNY DISTEFANO the United States through the prism of Now, following an early O. J. Simpson, from his rise as a football career helping to tell the Until it’s finished, he’ll maintain player to the film star, murder suspect and, stories of legendary athletes, D’Anton10 his day job, running a freelance film ultimately, convict he became. has made a big play himself. He left the production and research business that Produced as a five-part miniseries, comfort, security and prestige of ESPN keeps him very busy. the film won the Academy Award for this year to forge a filmmaking career on “I grew up a huge fan of Bruce Best Documentary Feature in 2017 and his own. Springsteen and, in a sense, he inspired D’Anton’s extensive research featured “Since I was a kid I wanted to be a me to make this movie,” D’Anton says. prominently in the final product. director, and now I’m going for it,” he says. “Asbury Park has come back in a big way “At its heart, it was the story of race in Inspired at age 13 or 14 by the Martin and so has its music scene. And I’m going America,” D’Anton says. Scorcese documentary "The Last Waltz" to tell that story.” Hired as a college intern by NFL Films about the music group The Band, his first in Mount Laurel, his diligence and tenacity, feature-length film will be a documentary especially for digging up archival film about the Asbury Park music scene. footage, led to a position with ESPN’s
KAHYUN YOON-FLANNERY 38 | D.O. Osteopathic Medicine ’11 Medical Director, Jefferson Health NJ Comprehensive Breast Center
By the close of 2019, an estimated 268,600 new invasive hidden scar breast cancer surgery breast cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in the and is an American Society of Breast United States. Surgeons member. Kahyun “Kay” Yoon-Flannery faces this daunting The Haddonfield resident, born in Korea, expectation daily. As medical director at Jefferson Health is also a newly published author with the NJ Comprehensive Breast Center, Yoon-Flannery oversees release of A Surgeon’s Path: What To Expect After a General the center’s breast care program, which supports women Surgery Residency, as well as the mother of four children, receiving care for an array of breast conditions, both ranging in age from 1 to 8. “Life is pretty hectic,” she says. 11 benign and malignant. “I went through rigorous training but, at the same time, I She completed a breast surgical oncology fellowship never wanted to compromise the wish my husband and I at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also certified in shared for a big family. We are so thankful.”
PHOTO BY CRAIG TERRY Fall 2019 | 21 Steffanie Lerch as chair of Women United and president of the Rohrer 37 | B.A. Finance ’03 College of Business Alumni Council. She organized the Financial Advisor, Eagle Wealth Strategies first Women's Innovation and Inspiration Power Summit last October. Steffanie Lerch started her career at Eagle Wealth “Being president of the Rohrer College of Business Strategies before she graduated. She earned her certified Alumni Council has been fabulous,” she says, “We’ve financial planner credential (CFP) before age 30, making done a lot of growing over the last 12 months and her one of a few financial advisors to meet this milestone worked closely with the Center for Professional so early. Development to intertwine the alumni-student “As a student, I kept thinking it was about numbers, relationship. I know others who struggled along numbers, numbers,” Lerch says of the finance field. “In my the way, and that’s why I do what I do. internship I learned it wasn’t all about numbers. It came “The faculty is there for the educational1 2 as a surprise, but the biggest part of my job is relationships, component, but alumni bring the real-life getting to know clients and their financial goals.” component—how to help students excel once Today, Lerch is a retirement income certified they get out in the real world,” Lerch says. professional as well as a CFP. She credits her boss, a How does she do it all? “I’m a worrier who Rowan alumnus, for pushing her to pursue licenses and used to plan weeks and months ahead, but credentials at a young age. now—especially as a working mom—I’ve Despite her career demands—and her personal life, learned to take each day at a time,” she says. juggling marriage and children—Lerch inspires students “There’s less stress in my life that way.”
GAVIN FARBER 33 | B.A. Journalism ’08, M.A. Higher Education ’10 | Academic Advisor, Center for Undergraduate Advising, Fox School of Business & Management, Temple University
Call him Madrich. “I care tremendously about students and “The Hebrew word for mentor could be my new about practitioners as well,” says Farber, who name,” Gavin Farber says, only half joking. After frequently presents on mentorship topics with all, mentorship is Farber’s work…and his passion. NACADA, most recently in Belgium. In addition to advising and mentoring Rowan’s 2018 Distinguished Young Alumnus, Temple undergraduates—each semester, he Farber credits dozens of Rowan professors, serves 600 students who flock to him for professional staff members, advisers and his keen advising skills, sage advice, humor, administrators for leading him to discover his 13 willingness to listen and, he laughs, his ever life’s work. evolving experimental “model hair”—Farber In one way or another, he says, “mentoring has also has taken his work worldwide. been part of my journey since my Rowan days.” Through NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising, Farber leads a mentoring program for academic advisers, who, like him, are deeply committed to helping students succeed.
22 | Rowan Magazine BRIGHID BURGIN HOEMPLER 29 | B.S. Chemical Engineering ’12 Americas Lubricants Technical Advisor, Exxon-Mobil Research & Engineering PHOTO BY CRAIG TERRY
Brighid Burgin Hoempler lives—quite well— in a couple of worlds. The chemical engineering graduate professionally is all engineer. After starting her career for ExxonMobil in Paulsboro, she works for the multinational energy corporation in the Houston area, 12 responsible for a technical team deploying automotive lubricants in North America. The Mantua Township native and Army Jesse Eisenhart wife also is all volunteer. She’s dedicated 36 | B.A. Advertising ’06 | Senior Pastor, True North Church to encouraging young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering It may seem as if there’s a huge distance “(When I meet) someone who is and math. She works with military families between the world of advertising completely unfamiliar with a church 14 nationally, connecting veterans to civilian and preaching the gospel, but Jesse environment or the teachings of communities, educating employers about Eisenhart knows it’s shorter than some Jesus, that’s what gets me excited,” he hiring military spouses and coaching people might think. says. “There’s an art form in your body to develop resiliency. After earning his bachelor’s degree in language and in your heart. People can Hoempler gave a TED-style talk on advertising from Rowan, Eisenhart re- tell when you’re being sincere or when military-spouse life at ExxonMobil and ceived master’s degrees in both practical you’re putting on a front.” a lightning talk at the Society of Women theology and human service counseling His congregation, which had about 100 Engineers. And she’s recently added some at Regent University in Virginia. worshippers when his parents founded honors to her already impressive list, includ- Now pastoring the church his parents True North Church the year he graduated ing Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering’s founded in 2006, he uses all of his from Rowan, now averages more than Medal of Excellence and the Chapel of Four education—even the study of advertis- 1,500 congregants every week over two Chaplains’ Legion of Honor Award for service ing—to minister to a growing flock. campuses and is building a permanent to all regardless of race or faith. “Effective advertising must be home in Harrison Township. strategic, and it must be geared toward Delivering sermons nearly every PHOTO BY MINDY HARMON a target audience,” he says. “This is an Sunday of the year, Eisenhart is clearly 15 environment where you strategically using his communication and theology ask questions as you try to convey the degrees. But he’s also using his master’s benefit to people.” in counseling as a volunteer for Eisenhart says there’s an art form Rowan’s football squad, for which he to communicating that transcends used to play. even the tightest tagline, the brightest “I earned a really great degree at billboard. His “market,” in advertising Rowan and I developed leadership skills terms, is limitless. from great experiences on the football “For me, the demographic goes from team,” he says. “Now, if there’s some- ages 14 to 104,” he says. “It includes thing bothering a player, something every background, everyone.” that’s affecting their play and they need For Eisenhart, a casual, straightfor- someone to talk to about it, I’m there to ward approach to pastoring works best. listen and encourage them.” PHOTO BY CRAIG TERRY
DONAVAN MCCARGO 38 | B.S. Marketing ’03, Ed.D. ’10 Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students, Muqaddas Ejaz Kutztown University 35 | B.A. History ’00 Grant Administrator, New Jersey Department of State Donavan McCargo didn’t wake up one day and decide 17 to be a dean of students. Muqaddas Ejaz knows that differences between people But he knows he’s in the right place. can be challenging—but she also believes that a diverse “I love abeing an advocate for students,” says McCargo, community can be united as one community, starting with who, at 33, became dean of students at Community her own South Jersey region. College of Philadelphia, the city’s largest public institution. For demonstrating how to bring some of the most diverse In 2017, he joined Kutztown, where he feels right at people together, the Cherry Hill resident earned the 2018 home serving the university’s 8,300-plus students. Camden County MLK Freedom Medal. “My experiences at Rowan helped prepare me for the A respected community activist and outreach specialist, opportunity afforded to me at Kutztown,” says McCargo, Ejaz, of Muslim faith, has worked with her Jewish who worked at Rowan for eight years on the Camden and counterparts as co-leader in the South Jersey Chapter of Glassboro campuses. the Sisterhood of the Salaam Shalom. The group promotes At Kutztown, McCargo oversees multiple offices—from peace, understanding and friendship. 16New Student Orientation to the Student Government “I am proud that I had the opportunity to establish the Association to Student Conduct…and well beyond. Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom chapters in Cherry Hill with “My goal is to see people through their success. In the help of my Jewish co-leaders, says Ejaz. “It provided a serving students, we have to use our power wisely. We platform to many Jewish and Muslim sisters to learn about need to benefit others.” each other’s faith, cultures and traditions while breaking A mentee of a host of Rowan administrators—“I owe all the stereotypes in our understanding of each other. Our of them a debt of gratitude,” he says—McCargo is pleased sisterhood sends out the message of peace to our respective that more young professionals, like himself, are choosing communities and our families.” careers in student affairs. Ejaz also led the first Camden County S.U.R.E. (Students “I want to continue to build skill sets to expand my scope United for Respect & Equity) Summit and has designed, and my leadership. I’m excited to see ambitious young planned and led community events, seminars and cultural professionals climbing the ladder in our field.” experiences for Camden County’s diverse population. Once an international classroom instructor for the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology & Anthropology, Ejaz works now on the Census 2020 Complete Count Commission. It’s one more opportunity to help acknowledge diverse individuals—all neighbors, nonetheless.
24 | Rowan Magazine Christian Dalonzo 24 | B.F.A Graphic Design ’17 Human Interface Designer, Apple 18 Very few students can say they worked The summer after for Facebook while attending undergrad. his freshman year, Christian Dalonzo can. Dalonzo worked Throughout his adolescence, Dalonzo as an intern on the quickly graduated from designing menus Messenger team, for family Thanksgivings to building helping to give the websites. As a teen attending Gloucester platform’s chat County Institute of Technology, Dalonzo function a makeover. took his knowledge from the classroom and He returned the app...it’s not comprehensible,” he says. from his own research to build and share following summer for another internship “You hear that popping sound of someone apps online. One app, an instant messenger on the same team. receiving a message on Messenger. You program for Mac computers, caught a During his junior and senior years, overlook their phone and see the logo Facebook designer’s eye. Dalonzo contracted for Facebook, again you and your team designed, that you “The funny part about this whole working on the Messenger team. He put all that love and joy into…when you conversation was I was only 17 and in high attended classes in the morning and do get that glimpse of some person using school,” Dalonzo says. “This designer at afternoon and virtually attended meetings something you’ve crafted and enjoying it, Facebook had no idea how old I was.” in the evenings, taking advantage of relying on it, there’s something there.” The discussion didn’t end there. Dalonzo the three-hour time difference. After Last November, Dalonzo departed and the Facebook employee reconnected graduation in 2017, Dalonzo moved Facebook to work as a Human Interface while Dalonzo was a Rowan freshman, to California for good to work on the Designer at Apple—a role about which he which eventually led to his first internship complete overhaul of Facebook Messenger, can offer very few details. The gist, he says, at the social media platform’s Menlo Park, which launched in October 2018. is “solving problems,” from new ideas to Calif., headquarters. It was Dalonzo’s first “Thinking about Facebook and having new features. time out of the tristate area—“excluding 1.3 billion people using the Messenger Florida,” the Sewell native says.
EVY TOLENTINO 25 | B.A. Sociology ’17 | Paralegal, Justice At Work
When prospective clients reach out to the correspondence to employers or landlords, nonprofit Justice At Work, which provides compiling immigration applications or free legal services to low-wage workers performing community outreach. in Pennsylvania, the person they’ll often Tolentino’s sociology background provided speak to first is Evy Tolentino. her with the skills to see humanity’s bigger During her two years at the organization, picture. “When somebody calls with an issue, the Runnemede native has spoken it’s important to not be judgmental and be with clients seeking aid with workplace empathetic and see things from their point discrimination, sexual assult, wage claims, of view so we can understand the issue and housing issues and fraud, specifically find the best way to help them,” Tolentino immigration scams. Some of her duties says. “It’s about really understanding that our include interviewing clients—often life chances are affected by social status, our in Spanish—to understand the full access to education. It helps us understand scope of their concerns, drafting legal the issue at heart.”
Fall 2019 | 25 Jonathan Guito 35 | B.S. Biological Science, B.A. Journalism ’08 Researcher, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 20When Jonathan Guito began a fellowship about the natural history of Marburg virus with the CDC in 2014, his colleagues were and for developing effective prevention and battling the largest-ever Ebola epidemic. therapeutic strategies. “It was all hands on deck,” Guito remembers. When Guito suits up to go into a “hot “Very brave people were sent to the areas hit lab” to work with deadly viruses, he knows hardest by the Ebola outbreak. They helped the risk involved. “For many of these to set up a field lab and processed hundreds viruses, there’s no treatment,” he says. of samples per day.” “You can’t screw up.” Now Guito is studying why animals can To Guito, the risk is worth it if it can lead be infected with viruses, including Ebola to effective treatments for some of these virus and Marburg virus, but don’t get deadly diseases. “Knowing how bats don’t sick. What animal or animals transmit get sick will help us protect people—even if Ebola virus is still unknown. For Marburg translating that knowledge into therapeutic virus, the Egyptian fruit bat is the culprit. use will take 10 to 15 years. “They’re tiny little bats that look almost like “What I’m doing now is like a dream dogs,” Guito says. “They’re cute. They’re job for sure, but it definitely wouldn’t docile. But they can spread a deadly virus.” have happened if it wasn’t for Rowan. And there’s a colony of them in a CDC lab Through studying journalism, I learned to help CDC learn more about how the about writing and asking questions, and animals carry the virus and spread it to I got experience working with pigeons as people. Experimental infection and testing a biology major, which prepared me for of Egyptian fruit bats under controlled hands-on work with the bats.” laboratory conditions is the quickest and most effective means of learning more
PHOTO BY CRAIG TERRY
ARCHANGE ANTOINE 37 | B.A. Law & Justice Studies ’05 Executive Director, Faith in New Jersey, Founder, Savviors & Associates
Archange Antoine lives to serve his plague New Jersey communities— like poverty, community. After graduating from Rowan, racial, immigrant and economic justice. Antoine was employed as a social worker, In 2008, Antoine founded Savviors & mentoring children with mental and Associates, a consulting firm specializing in behavioral challenges and with young men political consulting, business development coming out of prison. “I was their advocate and community relations. It’s here that in the school, community, congregation and Antoine helps coach political leaders and In both roles, Antoine advises those looking in their courtroom,” Antoine says. “It was community organizers for public appearances21 to run for office, community-minded clergy and an amazing experience to see the power of and speeches. businesses developing community programs. advocacy work for the lives of people who He also serves as the executive director of “Every day, I want to inspire and motivate need support the most.” the nonprofit Faith In New Jersey, a network young people to get more involved in the When one of his mentees lost his life to of faith-based leaders and communities public arena and learn in which ways they gun violence, Antoine shifted his focus from looking to enact racial, economic, immigrant can shape their communities, through faith, individual support to the community at large, and social justice change at the local, state advocacy, policy and politics,” he says. looking to change the systemic issues that and federal level.
26 | Rowan Magazine MICHAEL COLETTA 30 | B.S. Biochemistry ’12, M.D. ’16 Emergency Medicine Physician, Grand Strand Health Dr. Michael Coletta considers himself23 “an adrenaline junkie.” But instead of jumping out of planes, he works in the emergency room. He enjoys “the excitement of never knowing what’s coming in” to the ER. Part of the first class to graduate from Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in 2016, Coletta spent the past three years in residency at Cooper University Hospital. “It was a great experience,” he says of being part of that inaugural class, although“it was a little bit frightening, because we were pioneers.” Working in the emergency department, Coletta Maria Brasco says, “you treat all problems and see all patients. 27 | B.A. Radio, Television & Film ’15 You treat what you can treat in the moment.” He Social Media Producer, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” loves finding answers for patients who are afraid. Some cases can be “rough or demoralizing, but the alumnus award that spring. To When Maria Brasco got the call good outweighs the bad.” gain experience on camera, Brasco offering her a job as a social media Despite the demands of residency, Coletta gives arranged to interview Glavin with assistant on “The Ellen DeGeneres back to the Rowan community. “It was an honor to the help of RTF friends. Show” in 2015, she replied, “Can be asked to serve on the Alumni Board of Directors,” The interview left an impression. I scream?” he says. On the outreach committee, he focuses on After quitting her waitressing jobs Three weeks later, the Washington how to get alumni involved. at the end of the summer, Brasco Township, Gloucester County, native The South Jersey native’s next move was a big emailed Glavin asking for career was living in Los Angeles. one—all the way to Grand Strand Health in Myrtle advice. He promptly responded, For four years, Brasco has been Beach, S.C. Coletta is in a familiar environment at inquiring about her interests. on set daily at “The Ellen DeGeneres the academic medical center, “but as a teacher, not a “My list was so long,” she says. Show,” identifying potentially viral learner—although I’m a lifelong learner.” moments to share on Facebook, “I remember being torn about putting Twitter and Instagram. Quickly social media down—of course a working her way from social media 22-year-old loved social media—but assistant to producer, Brasco credits the last thing I wrote was social her success to her fearlessness and media and how it can enhance TV.” quick wit. Luckily, “The Ellen DeGeneres “One day soon after I started Show” was looking for a social working, I saw Ellen riding around media assistant. By the end of the lot on a bike,” Brasco says. “I September, she’d accepted the job. pulled out my phone and said, Through Ellen’s platform and ‘Smile!’ and she played into the shot. impressive reach—the host is the I saw an opportunity and I wasn’t eighth most-followed celebrity on scared.” Twitter, with more than 78 million The same instinct and gutsiness followers—Brasco gets to see social had gotten Brasco to L.A. through media’s positive impact firsthand. another opportunity. During her “Some people say, ‘It’s just social last semester before graduation, she media,’ but Ellen has such a noted a Rowan Magazine article powerful voice and she’s been able on Ed Glavin ’85, an executive to change a lot of things because producer on “The Ellen DeGeneres of that,” Brasco says. “To be a part Show.” He would be returning to of that impact on the world has Glassboro to receive a distinguished been incredible.”
PHOTO BY MICHAEL ROZMAN PHOTO BY CRAIG TERRY LANGSTON CLEMENT 36 | B.S. Applied Math ’05 Cybersecurity Manager, Grant Thornton LLP Langston Clement has spent more than 15 years in the information technology space—and six in the cybersecurity sector. 25 “I never thought about taking on cybersecurity as a career, or even thought I would have the opportunity Ashley Kalena’s first stop after graduating was to do so,” Clement says. “I remember taking a few the prestigious Newhouse School at Syracuse computer science courses in college, but I knew University, where she earned her master’s degree in programming wasn't the route I wanted to take. broadcast journalism. I was always into the hacker culture and as the Hired soon after as a production assistant for the Travel years went on, there were more and more Channel in Washington, D.C., she spent two years writing, positions exploding in this new space.” researching and producing TV shows. Recognizing amazing opportunities to “Two shows I worked on were ‘Ultimate Spring Break’ support data security in the accelerated and ‘America's Scariest Halloween Attractions,’” Kalena cybersecurity and social engineering recalls. “It wasn’t very journalistic, but it was fun and field, Clement effectively built a career in good experience.” all things “Internet of Things,” even working Armed with that experience, she moved on nine closely with the City of Philadelphia as a years ago to her next employer, National Geographic. member of its cybersecurity team— Hired as a digital content producer, her duties defenders of the city’s digital included working with YouTube videos. Kalena soon infrastructure. found that view count and subscribership were lower Today, Clement is directing some than they should have been. More concerning, she of his admittedly nerdy energy in a learned there was no plan to improve them. new direction—gaming. He recently “There was no one person in charge of the strategy, launched the gaming hardware so I wrote up a plan of what I thought the strategy startup Robocandy. should be and they created a job for me,” she says. 24 “Robocandy’s first product will Today, her position with National Geographic Partners, be a retro-futuristic arcade candy a joint venture between Disney and the National cabinet (with joysticks and arcade Geographic Society, is challenging Kalena in new and buttons) that will work with legacy exciting ways. Some of that challenge involves dealing and modern gaming consoles. It's with 21st century pirates—groups or individuals who aimed toward the retro enthusiast steal content from YouTube and try to monetize it. and esports markets,” Clement says. “There’s so much for me to do,” she says. “We’re hoping to release the product “It’s more than a full time job.” at the end of this year. Stay tuned!” Well established with Nat Geo, she’s excited about the company’s future. “We're about to launch (streaming service) Disney+ in the fall, so there are big things happening in our digital world,” she says. Matheus Fialho Fiuza 27 | B.A. Art, B.A. Theater Arts ’14 Art Director, Disney Parks Live Entertainment
There’s nothing like an Italian sunrise, says Matheus Fialho Fiuza. He sees them all the time. As the art director for Disney Parks
Live Entertainment, Fiuza is known to PHOTO BY KATE GARDINER work the overnight shift at Epcot right before a live production. Having designed “Broadway does a show a night and with show directors to work through the sets and effects, he enjoys seeing them sometimes a matinee,” Fiuza says. the physical space of the show and set unveiled to Walt Disney World guests. “A theme park show happens five times a to collaborating with lighting designers “Italy at six o’clock in the morning is day, every single day. So everything has to illuminate the stage, Fiuza is a pro at gorgeous,” Fiuza says. to be built to withstand that wear and tear seeing the big picture. Since graduating from Rowan, the and so it can do that five times a day and “The more I learn about my different Rio De Janeiro-born, Cape Cod-raised wow the crowds in the same exact way directors and my creative director and my Fiuza spent three years at Busch Gardens every single time.” lighting designer and my video designer Tampa Bay, where he was recruited right At Disney, Fiuza works with a number and my illustrators,” he says, “I know out of school. It was there that Fiuza, of artistic teams to bring to life performances how I can pitch an idea that will play to who primarily designed sets for theater like Epcot’s “Guardians of the Galaxy– everyone’s strengths.” productions, learned the intricacies of Awesome Mix Live!” Between coordinating theme park entertainment design.
MEGAN HEBER 32 | B.M. Music Education, B.A. Education ’08 Executive Director, Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas
The power of music profoundly influenced This love also moved her to found Megan Heber. It’s an experience she hopes Artrepreneurship, a business planning firm to inspire in others. that will empower creatives to engage in Her passion carried her worldwide as part their passions as they build sustainable of the U.S. Navy Music Program from 2008 careers. to 2013, where she performed for heads of “There’s always the guiding motivation state and other dignitaries. that exposure to music and the arts is That passion energizes her in her role a fundamental human right,” she says. with the Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas. “Whatever I can do to ensure that every “Being able to help children discover the child, every adult, every person is given an transformational power of creating music opportunity to participate with the arts and beauty is a wonderful thing to do every in a deep and meaningful way...that really single day of my life,” Heber says. drives me.”
PHOTO BY CHRISTINA FREEMAN 27 Fall 2019 | 29 Daria Szkwarko 35 | D.O. Osteopathic Medicine ’12 Assistant Professor, Family Medicine Director, Global Health Faculty Development Fellowship Brown University
“I believe health care—globally—is a human right,” says Daria Szkwarko. But more than being convinced philosophically, Szkwarko acts on her belief. Her conviction and expertise have earned her invitations to speak internationally,
work with family medicine colleagues in PHOTO BY DAVID DELPOIO Kenya, and brought her to teach and provide clinical care to underserved communities in Between her third and fourth year, she was and collaboration as key to what they Pawtucket, Rhode Island. paired with a mentor, Dr. E. Jane Carter, accomplished. In each community she has come to serve, from Brown University, in the Fogarty “My favorite thing about global health is she begins with the same challenge: to better International Clinical Research Scholars working with and learning from my Kenyan understand the culture and the individuals Program, which took her to live in Eldoret, colleagues,” she says. who are her colleagues and patients. That Kenya, for a year through the Academic Working in the U.S. and Kenya, Szkwarko commitment to respect and sensitivity—to Model Providing Access to Healthcare. considers intercultural communication and listening and learning first—helps make There, she found her focus in tuberculosis implicit bias training to be key components medical interventions more effective. “We prevention as she worked with a team of in global health education. Being invested have a lot of evidence-based guidelines on Kenyan health care providers to address in a community is critical, she says. “Global one end but then what is happening on the the transmission of TB from adults to health shouldn’t be about short-term ground is completely different—how do we children in households. experiences where people are dropping in connect the two?” Ultimately, the team’s work resulted in and trying to do good. It should be about She began to consider the question in a a register to track children from exposure developing relationships and learning and global context between her first and second to completing preventive therapy that’s listening to partners’ needs.” year of medical school when she worked now the Kenyan national guideline. Once in Tanzania and witnessed the struggle of again, Szkwarko points to relationships people with limited access to health care.
GARY BAKER 38 | B.A. Journalism ’04 | Assistant Director, Greek Affairs, Rowan University Gary Baker’s work with Special Olympics spring 2012, Baker set out to encourage began in 2009 when he volunteered at the Rowan students to embrace29 inclusive sports. Special Olympics Michigan Summer Games. Rowan Unified Sports—a model for colleges “They were held on the campus I worked and universities across the United States—is at and my first assignment was announcing the first of its kind in New Jersey and the the winners of different races as the athletes nation, with nearly 100 SONJ athletes donning received their medals and ribbons,” he Unified uniforms to play soccer and basketball, recalls. “I was immediately hooked.” side by side with Rowan teammates. Today, Baker shares his support for the Baker could not be prouder. “Rowan Unified Special Olympics with the entire University has reached what I imagined my greatest community. hopes were for it,” he says. “Moving forward, Spearheading Rowan Unified Sports, a I hope more colleges and universities emulate partnership between the University and our celebration of inclusive sports.” Special Olympics of New Jersey (SONJ) in
PHOTO BY CRAIG TERRY Bill Moen 32 | B.A. Political Science & Government ’00 Southern New Jersey Director for U.S. Senator Cory A. Booker 2001 turned out to be quite the year 30I was raised wanting to help and Striving to make a difference in for Bill Moen. connect people, and I believe that’s as many ways as he can, Moen also An eighth grader at the time, he what the government can and volunteers as a baseball coach for was part of the team that won the should do.” Camden County youth and serves on Flag Football Championships in Formerly a Camden County the Rowan University Alumni Board Berlin, Germany, and he successfully freeholder, he understood that of Directors. campaigned for his first term as class being accessible and honest with As he passionately represents Sen. president. Those experiences gave him his community was key—a trait he Booker and the seven southern New the courage and confidence to pursue learned in college when he met a man Jersey counties, Moen says seeing the his dreams—no matter what it took. he knew he’d love to work for one day, impact close to home means the most While he had ambitions to be a U.S. Senator Cory Booker. to him. “I want to do right by the professional baseball player, a lawyer, “I had the chance to meet Sen. people of the community I was raised and even a state trooper, it was an Booker when I was at Rowan and he in,” he says. “Because I often ask introductory government class at was mayor of Newark,” says Moen. myself, ‘If I didn’t, then who would?’” Rowan that changed his path for good. “He served as a huge inspiration As the son and grandson of war to me during my last two years of veterans, Moen says he’s always school, so it’s very special to be wanted to serve the people. “That class working with him now.” really helped me see my own potential.
PROFILES BY
MARIE RANOIA ALONSO ’90 is BARBARA BAALS is celebrating MEGAN KIGER has been a PATRICIA QUIGLEY ’78, M’03, a digital marketing and content her 13th year as assistant director writer and communications assistant director of Media & Public strategy specialist in New Jersey in Rowan’s Office of Media & specialist for Rowan’s Division Relations, is an award-winning PR and has contributed insights Public Relations. of University Advancement practitioner and journalist who on social media tactics to the since 2016. has been published regionally, KRYSTLE DODGE '11, M'11, Philadelphia Business Journal. nationally and internationally. is a freelance writer and lifelong STEVE LEVINE ’87, M’07 assistant DIANE DONOFRIO ANGELUCCI ’81 South Jersey resident whose director of media and public ALLIE VOLPE ’13 is a freelance is a South Jersey-based freelance online and offline content has been relations, recently celebrated his writer based in Philadelphia. writer whose work has appeared published in the education, 12th year with Rowan. He was Her work has appeared in the in numerous consumer and legal and lifestyle sectors. formerly a journalist in New Jersey, New York Times, The Atlantic, professional publications. New York and Pennsylvania. Rolling Stone, and more.
Photos not credited were provided by the alumni.
Fall 2019 | 31
by Krystle Dodge ’11, M’11
The deadly opioid drug epidemic may seem an unsolvable problem, too complex and widespread to fix. But that hasn’t deterred the NeuroMusculoskeletal Institute (NMI) at the School of Osteopathic Medicine, led by Richard T. Jermyn, D.O., from coming up with practical solutions to the problem. Jermyn and his team of physicians, residents and medical students have helped patients in South Jersey and beyond overcome both chronic pain and substance- abuse disorders. The NMI’s most recent efforts, focusing on education and training for doctors nationwide, could accomplish even more. “The reality is that these training and mentorship programs allow us to train hundreds of people to do what we do. We will help lead the initiative that will save lives in a much bigger and better way,” Jermyn said.
Delving into addiction medicine Jermyn didn’t start out working in substance-abuse treatment when he began practicing medicine two decades ago. He worked in palliative care in the HIV community. His interest shifted to pain management because, as treatments for serious medical conditions improved, his patients were living longer—but they were living with chronic pain. He began to worry about the free-for-all prescribing practices doctors had embraced when it came to opioid painkillers— powerful drugs in the same class as heroin. And for more than 15 years, he has been educating doctors on proper prescribing. In an era in which the opioid epidemic claims tens of thousands of American lives every year, it’s hard to imagine a time when no one gave a second thought to prescribing these problematic painkillers. Yet, in the late 1990s, these drugs largely were considered unlikely to lead to addiction. Intent on letting no pain go untreated, doctors prescribed opioids like oxycodone with unparalleled frequency, Jermyn explained. It took years to become clear that these drugs are highly addictive. By then, for many patients, it was too late.
Fall 2019 | 33 By developing opioid prescription guidelines, Jermyn When Jermyn stopped turning patients away for helped pain management doctors screen patients for dependency, his phone started ringing off the hook. The substance abuse signs. It was the right approach—but it practice never advertised that it offered ambulatory detox wasn’t enough. services. Yet patients eager for help sought him out. A new problem arose: what to do with patients—a lot “I need help,” they would say. “Can you help me?” of patients—who developed substance use disorder? Their He could. pain, stemming from serious ailments like fibromyalgia, HIV and traumatic brain injuries, was real. But so were “We have a responsibility as doctors the negative effects of opioid painkillers on their bodies to really meet the opioid crisis.” and their lives. Part of what makes Jermyn’s work at the NMI so successful is the compassion he shows to patients with a “I need help. Can you help me?” substance-abuse history. Generally, pain management clinics terminate from “One reason people don’t get help is the medical the practice patients who develop substance use disorder. community,” Jermyn said. “We had an idea what an It isn’t that these doctors don’t care, but they can’t enable ‘addict’ is—the dregs of society—but we were wrong.” substance abuse by continuing to prescribe the drugs “It comes as a surprise to people that opioid addictions and aren’t trained to help patients end their addiction affect every ‘type’ of person in every aspect of life,” said (a word that, Jermyn said, he doesn’t like to use). To avoid Dr. Danielle Cooley, a Rowan Medicine physician who contributing to a drug problem, well-intentioned doctors performs osteopathic manipulative medicine at the NMI. across the nation turn substance abusers out onto “Despite preconceived notions, addiction affects everybody.” the street. Since Jermyn started offering outpatient services Many of these patients turn to illegal drugs like through the NMI, he “has grown as a doctor and as heroin or fentanyl to stave off the symptoms of opioid a person.” One reality that’s become clear during his withdrawal. Powerful and incredibly dangerous, these decades of practice is that substance abusers aren’t drugs can stop withdrawal symptoms in the short-term. bad people. Rather, they’re patients in pain who have In the long run, though, they exacerbate users’ worsening developed a further medical problem. substance-abuse problem, or worse, end their lives. “This is a disease like none other,” Jermyn acknowledged— This sad story occurs in pain management offices and yet it is a disease. Having a substance-abuse problem across the country. About three years ago, after working is little different from having diabetes or high blood with the state to determine what to do with these pressure. Doctors’ approaches to treating this medical troubled and troubling patients, Jermyn made the radical problem should be as respectful to substance-abuse decision to stop discharging patients diagnosed with patients as they are to patients with any chronic substance-use disorder. Instead, he would treat substance medical condition, Jermyn believes. abusers the same way he had treated chronic pain “In my waiting room, you can’t tell who is here for patients for 23 years. substance abuse and who is here for chronic pain,” Jermyn said. The residents and medical students on clinical rotations don’t know when they walk into the exam room which “type” of patient they’re about to see. They only find out once they open the patient’s file. Everyone is on equal footing. No one is judged. “It was a surreal experience to see how candid patients were,” said Aaron Wu, a fourth-year SOM student planning a career in emergency or internal
34 | Rowan Magazine With the experience he’s had with patient care in medical school, fourth-year student Duwayne Campbell approaches opioid relief more confidently. “Prior to medical school, I was intimidated by the opioid crisis,” he said. Now, he looks forward to being a graduate of a pioneering program through which he has helped provide life-saving therapy that he can share as an emergency medicine physician.
medicine. “Patients ranged from the very hopeful, who safely—and it doesn’t have to be given in an inpatient have started a new chapter of their lives after having rehab facility. come to the NMI, to those who have an extensive pain/ “Everybody talks about inpatient detox beds, but substance-abuse history and saw the NMI as their last treating patients in their own community and support hope. It was a sobering experience to listen to their stories.” systems may be ideal,” Jermyn said. In fact, temporarily “It’s great to have someone in your home institution getting away from the stressors and environments who cares so much about something I care about,” said that lead to drug use can prove even more dangerous. Neil Kalpesh, a fourth-year SOM student who calls When the recently detoxed person returns to the same tackling the opioid crisis “a personal goal of mine as a environment where drug use occurred, the relapse risk medical student.” Kalpesh, whose advocacy contributed is great, and the likelihood of an overdose is higher to the American Medical Association’s recent decision to than ever, especially if the patient is not linked into a incorporate training in naloxone use into the Basic Life community program. Support Certification Program, noted, “We come out to be Treatment through Rowan’s NMI takes a different well-rounded physicians. No matter our specialty, we have approach: treatment in the community, surrounded by in our arsenal knowledge of how to manage patient pain.” the same support system and the same stressors that make up the patient’s life. How doctors can end the opioid epidemic For pain patients, detoxing doesn’t mean being doomed What does it mean to treat patients with substance- to a life of unmanaged pain. The NMI implements abuse disorder? Ambulatory detox programs don’t force an array of therapies, from nerve block injections to patients to quit cold, throwing their body into instability. osteopathic manipulative medicine and from physical Rather, they use safe and responsible methods that have therapy to music therapy, to give patients relief. more success in long-term addiction recovery. “Prior to medical school, I was intimidated by the “We need more doctors to administer Suboxone,” opioid crisis,” said SOM student Duwayne Campbell. Jermyn said. Suboxone is a combination medication “My greatest concern was, what are the alternatives, and prescribed as a form of maintenance therapy for patients how do I give opioids responsibly?” who have struggled with opioid addiction. By minimizing What calmed Campbell’s concern was discovering “the withdrawal symptoms without causing a high, Suboxone vast amount of options before getting to opioids,” as well can be part of a multifaceted approach to detoxing as seeing responsible prescribing practices in action. NMI
Fall 2019 | 35 of Iowa in Cedar Rapids. “Pain underlies everything I do. We have to treat pain, or we can’t treat function.” “The education I got on prescribing and tapering off opioids was invaluable,” Huber said. Over the course of his career, he has noted a “paradigm shift” in how doctors prescribe opioids—“from treating pain as the fifth vital sign to prescribing nothing stronger than Tylenol.” Despite the best intentions, this shift can have negative
*Source: nj.gov/oag/njcares (2018 data, naloxone ramifications when doctors shy away from helping patients administrations includes law enforcement and emergency medical service responders) on opioids adjust the doses. “The training I received sets the groundwork for how we navigate through this system doctors make sure patients who are on opioids have as the paradigm has shifted,” he said. the overdose reversal medication Naloxone and For chronic pain, opioids are the last resort. “You have teach family members to identify overdose signs to treat the whole person, including psychological and and administer the drug. other factors that feed into the pain cycle,” said Huber. A big part of preventing addiction is changing the “Treating people with pain takes a team approach, and I way pain is dealt with in the first place. “A lot of patients don’t think that’s stressed enough across the continuum to addicted to opioids—probably 75 percent—were first help these patients.” prescribed medications by a doctor,” said Cooley. “My goal in primary care is to prevent them from getting A model program for NJ and beyond that prescription. When a patient is in pain, I focus on The NMI is truly unique, and so is SOM. “We are the hands-on treatment through osteopathic manipulation, first in the nation with both pain and substance-abuse not pain meds. If it doesn’t work, that’s when I refer a programs,” Jermyn said. “This combination doesn’t exist patient to the NMI.” anywhere but here.” Cooley, who graduated in 2007, was a student before “I get to brag that my school is at the forefront,” said the opioid crisis emerged. “Doctors were using opiates Campbell, who plans to specialize in emergency medicine. a lot but still developing protocols,” she remembered. “I’ll know what kind of outpatient services are available. Now, she said, the medical community sees a “need Most medical students don’t know where to start.” for treatment—for addiction and rehab programs that This fact isn’t just a point of pride. It also points to a incorporate medication, psychiatric care and counseling.” real problem. “We think every medical school should To help fill this need, she recently underwent advanced have a program like this,” said Jermyn. “We want to be training. “Not all of us could prescribe Suboxone, so I a model program of training on how to assess for pain figured, why not get that extra training so I can?” and substance use.” To make that goal a reality, Jermyn is Every day, SOM alumnus Dr. James Huber ’14, draws on recruiting, mentoring and training community doctors what he learned from his rotation at the NMI as he practices to make the same impact on the lives of those addicted to physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Physician’s Clinic opioids that the NMI is making already.
36 | Rowan Magazine Going to college to earn a degree can appear to be a routine ambition for the goal-minded, but according to the American College Health Association national estimates, seven to 12 percent of college- age students also admit to shouldering the burden of nonmedical use of opioids. At the Rowan Wellness Center, professionals see the challenge that can threaten the bright New Jersey is looking to Rowan for improvements in training medical professionals statewide. So far, a lot of futures of the next generation of leaders the opioid training for medical professionals has focused and innovators. on primary care or specialist physicians, but these efforts “Rowan University is not immune to the aren’t enough to end the crisis. Jermyn is developing opioid epidemic,” said Scott Woodside, training programs for health care workers in different director for Student Health Services. functions. For example, the NMI received a grant funded in conjunction with the state to develop training for “The crisis affects a wide range of students dentists’ prescribing of opioid medications. who can fear shame, stigma, academic One developing educational program emphasizes discipline and denial associated with opioid training for doctors in hospital emergency departments. addiction. The good news is that we offer hope When a patient comes to the ER in the middle of the night, in the grip of withdrawal, how physicians treat and evidence-based health care resources. that patient is crucial. Being turned away for “drug- They can talk confidentially with dedicated seeking” behavior will only drive the patient to use staff about their options and how to get help.” again. If emergency department doctors are trained to Rowan’s Wellness Center provides induce patients on Suboxone—and to do it humanely, not judgmentally—and direct those patients to outpatient substance abuse consultations, screenings substance-abuse programs like those at the NMI, they and assessments, referrals, resources and may catch substance users at the time they are most open off-campus coordination of services, outreach to giving up opioids for good. and educational services to the University Residents in the SOM emergency department already community. “It’s all part of an effort to reach receive training in how to responsibly induce Suboxone treatment in the ER. The challenge is to spread these those struggling with all forms of substance much-needed skills so that all doctors in all emergency abuse and addiction throughout the University,” departments across the country can guide substance- said Woodside. abuse patients to the recovery path. Despite their many areas of focus, his research projects If you or someone you know needs help, contact: with the NMI share common goals. “The beauty of this rowan.edu/wellness is that it will eventually save lives in our community,” Jermyn said, “and that’s just a big deal.” ■ centers.rowanmedicine.com/nmi jedfoundation.org Krystle Dodge B’11, M’11 wanted to be a writer 800-662-HELP (4357) since she was old enough to hold a pencil. She just celebrated the first anniversary of committing to freelance life full-time.
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To learn more, visit rowan.edu/gsbs or call 856-566-6282. 40 | Rowan Magazine The launch of Rising: The Campaign for Rowan University comes at an extraordinary moment in the institution’s history. With bold leadership and unwavering focus on student success, Rowan stands as an innovative leader in higher education, invigorated by the challenges that lie ahead.
The Rising campaign will provide the means to sustain the institution’s continued growth, success and impact. It will shape the future of Rowan University and ensure that its rise continues, adding value to every Rowan degree, distinguishing each Rowan innovation and improving life for countless individuals within Rowan’s ever-expanding reach. July 2015–June 2016 July 2017–June 2018 June 2019: Paws-itive impact Gerald B. Shreiber pledges $3 million $15.8 million in new gifts and pledges $15.0 million in new gifts and pledges to establish the Shreiber Family Pet Campaign total: $38.2 million Campaign total: $84.8 million Generous donors—alumni, friends, Therapy Program at Rowan University. The gift will establish an endowment to faculty, staff, parents, students, August 2015: doctors without debt September 2017: Business class July 2018–June 2019 October 2015: Human resources create a self-sustaining program bringing certified corporations and foundations— July 2014–June 2015 An anonymous donor commits $1 million The William G. Rohrer Charitable Foundation commits $15.4 million in new gifts and pledges therapy dogs to the Glassboro campus to enhance the The Rona Stern Staut Foundation have collectively invested and $22.4 million in new gifts and pledges to establish an endowment to provide loan $5 million to establish a permanent endowment within Campaign total: $100.2 million health and well-being of the Rowan community. and the Marc and Eva Stern Campaign total: $22.4 million cancellation and repayment assistance for new Rowan’s William G. Rohrer College of Business to partnered with the University to Foundation together commit faculty hired in the Rowan School of Osteopathic In 2017, President Houshmand recruit, support and graduate honors business students. $2.1 million to Cooper Medical December 2018: compassion in action June 2019: Student Centered raise more than $100 million since Medicine Faculty Practice Program and/or in the combined his passion for July 2014: ROwan on the rise An anonymous donor commits $1 million to support $2.1 million School of Rowan University to cooking with his love of Gourmet Dining pledges to support July 2014. From the largest gift New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging to assist November 2017: funding futures the Center for Humanism Endowed Fund at Cooper The quiet phase of Rising: The Campaign for launch a Center for Humanism and students to create a line of three iniatives: the Gourmet Dining Endowed Student made by Rowan alumni to the with funding a social worker position. Medical School of Rowan University. The Center Rowan University begins, with a working goal establish the Rona Stern Staut Research condiments—Houshmand’s The nonprofit organization Give Back (formerly Support Fund to benefit undergraduate students helps broaden research, education and launch of RowanGIVES Day and of $120 million. Professorship in Humanism and Bioethics, the Hazardous Hot Sauce. Give Something Back Foundation) makes a second with economic need; the Gourmet Dining Endowed September 2015: investment interest school’s first endowed professorship. contribution of $1 million faculty development programs focused Veterans Medical School Scholarship Fund to benefit other noteworthy initiatives, each Sales of the hot sauce $2 million on integrating aspects of humanism— December 2014: lasting legacy Indel Inc. commits to support the have generated more to the University to fund military veterans who are enrolled at RowanSOM or milestone has helped the University Inductotherm Scholarship Program. Created by scholarships for Pell compassion, empathy, communication CMSRU; and support for the Houshmand’s Hazardous The Henry M. Rowan Family December 2105: room to grow than $30,000 to support Henry Rowan in 1992, the program provides Grant-eligible students and professionalism—into the medical Hot Sauce fund to benefit the Student Emergency rise to even greater heights of Foundation commits $15 million The New Jersey Health Foundation donates a parcel the Student Emergency financial support for undergraduate children of who have faced economic hardships or other challenges education curriculum. Scholarship Fund. excellence. to establish an endowment of land, valued at $3.55 million and adjacent to the Scholarship Fund. those employed by the Inductotherm companies. such as the incarceration of a parent or foster care. exclusively for the College of School of Osteopathic Medicine, to the University. Engineering and ensure that the The land provides a range of opportunities for the December 2018: elevating engineering name of Henry M. Rowan is medical school as it works to meet the state’s growing July 2016–June 2017 December 2017: Supporting sustainability The Henry M. Rowan Family Foundation contributes forever associated with excellence Now a well-known Prof need for physicians. Joseph S. and Renee Zuritsky and Quality Koi $2 million to support the Henry M. Rowan College $31.6 million in new gifts and pledges in engineering education. tradition, RowanGIVES Day— Company Inc. donate a Koi farm, valued of Engineering. This generosity continues to advance Campaign total: $69.8 million the University’s annual 24- June 2016: hands-on health at $1.025 million to the University. The engineering excellence at the University and hour giving celebration—has Joseph S. Zuritsky Research Farm insures the institution’s ability to deliver world- February 2015: making a difference in a day Inspira Health Network donates $1 million to generated over $470,000 October 2016: groundbreaking gift (Rowan Aquaponics) facility class engineering education and research. Rowan’s first annual day of giving—RowanGIVES establish The Inspira Health Network Endowed Fund. in support from more than Jean ’81 and Ric Edelman ’80 make history when provides potential research Day—exceeds all goals, raising $63,629 from 450 The gift supports the costs of providing internship 7,700 gifts since February they announce a $25 million commitment and development opportunities donors to support a variety of University programs opportunities at Inspira Health Network facilities February 2019: prescription for success 2015 to support a wide to preserve and expand the Rowan to advance Rowan’s mission including With more than $577,000 in and scholarships. and locations across undergraduate and graduate An anonymous donor pledges $1 million to create an range of programs and University Fossil Park in Mantua creation of a solar farm that will act as a support raised since 2015, the disciplines, including endowed scholarship fund to benefit students at Rowan initiatives across Rowan’s Township. The gift—the second productive sustainability venture. Marie F. Rader Memorial Fund nursing, nutrition, University School of Osteopathic Medicine. The awards June 2015: paying it forward campuses, making a big largest in University history and the continues to celebrate the engineering and business. will provide financial support for disadvantaged difference for the entire largest given to Rowan by alumni—will creative arts with a presenting Give Something Back Foundation awards Rowan January 2018: Dining dollars medical school students from New Jersey. $1 million to enable 50 economically disadvantaged Rowan community. transform STEM education through series that brings exceptional Gourmet Dining commits $1 million to be used but academically talented students to attend the one-of-a-kind, hands-on discovery and performers—including Tony for the benefit of undergraduate students enrolled University at no cost. The partnership is the first world-class research at the Fossil Park. April 2019: Give rise Bennett, Kristin Chenoweth and at the University. The fund will provide financial in New Jersey, with roots in GSB collaborations The public phase of Rising: The Campaign for Rowan Art Garfunkel—to campus. The support to Rowan students with demonstrated in Illinois. University launches, with more than $93 million in fund also bolsters academic economic need. new gifts and commitments received toward the programming for students in $120 million goal. music, dance and theater. Rising FOR Impact
With President Ali Houshmand at the helm, Rowan University is rising to challenge the status quo and change the future of higher education to meet 21st century society’s needs. His unconventional, entrepreneurial approach to higher education has fundamentally shifted Rowan’s capacity, efficiency and influence, earning national regard for the University, its bold leadership and the Rowan community. With each innovation, Houshmand remains focused on the power of education and the responsibility of a public university to make a difference in people’s lives.
“This campaign “We have to constantly be on the edge of creating embodies who and imparting knowledge,” said Houshmand. “Our students and partners depend on this. We are stewards we are as a of a great public institution. To be relevant and Rowan effective, we must evolve and develop in strategic community.” areas that create opportunities for people to advance as individuals and to improve society.” —Ali Houshmand Houshmand’s commitment as a higher education pioneer and his enthusiasm for the Rising campaign’s goals are founded in the University’s four strategic pillars—the guiding principles that direct the institution daily: • increasing access • providing high quality • ensuring affordability • serving as an economic engine for the region. Motivated by the potential to improve opportunities for generations to come, Houshmand looks forward to seeing the Rising campaign accomplish its objectives. “This campaign demonstrates who we are as a Rowan community,” said Houshmand. “I am grateful and humbled for the support of donors who share our mission. Alumni and friends of Rowan are helping to transform students’ lives, contribute to our region’s well- being and create a more hopeful future. We are truly rising together.” “There’s so much more of Rowan’s story to tell. this campaign gives us an opportunity to tell that story… and this is just the beginning.”
—Ali A. Houshmand Campaign overview I II III
Changing supporting inspired learning and student lives new discoveries living environments
Rising together
Rising: The Campaign for Rowan University is designed to propel the University into its second century of progress by ensuring rising possibilities through funding for three key areas: • changing students’ lives • supporting new discoveries • providing inspired learning and living environments. providing affordable, accessible and high- “We have never done a campaign of quality undergraduate education. this size and this magnitude before,” Students benefit from world-class said President Ali Houshmand. “This opportunities while being guided, is our opportunity to introduce Rowan challenged and inspired to embark on University to the rest of the world.” life-changing journeys. Some will begin President Houshmand has created careers immediately and others will an ambitious vision for the University continue with graduate education. All and has rallied the Rowan community will have the advantage of Rowan’s valued to pursue it. The Rising campaign is credentials and distinctive experience. providing the resources to fuel this Thanks to generous supporters and our journey. campaign leadership, the University has raised more than $104 million toward Our Next Chapter the $120 million goal to help develop the While the rapid growth of research and next generation of thinkers and leaders. related partnerships have earned Rowan The pages ahead offer highlights of the attention and support, the institution Rising campaign so far and a reminder remains committed to a core mission: that when we join together, we all rise. To learn more, please visit: by the numbers
Progress toward $120M goal gifts of $1M+
More than
in new gifts and commitments raised and counting
Median gift amount total unique donors
campaign gifts
NUMBERS CURRENT AS OF SEPTEMBER 1, 2019
Fall 2019 | 45 Campaign leadership
Leading by example
Our four Rising campaign co-chairs—Virginia Rowan Smith, Jean McMenamin Edelman ’81, Larry Salva ’77, HD’13 and Linda Rohrer HD’06—come to their roles from different paths and after decades supporting and serving Rowan University. Together, they’ve volunteered for years on the Board of Trustees, the Rowan University Foundation Board and College advisory boards. Their collective philanthropic support totals more than half the funds raised by the Rising campaign to date and has already made a profound impact throughout the University. Together, the four leaders are helping to ensure access, opportunity and excellence for the next generation of Rowan scholars. Convinced by the difference they’ve seen their support make, they’re eager to inspire others to find the same sense of purpose in giving. Here’s a glimpse of each co-chair and why they’re leading by example:
Enhancing awareness the resources needed to fuel Rowan’s continued Virginia Rowan Smith firmly believes that rise and prestige,” said Smith. “This campaign education is the greatest gift one can provide. is allowing us to build awareness of the Although Smith has a strong emotional tremendous opportunities at the University.” connection to the University that bears her The Rowans’ pioneering philanthropy, family’s name, she also has a tenacious desire to through their family foundation as well as help build the University’s reputation as a top their corporate and personal contributions, institution in the state and nation. has enabled the University to establish world- “My father’s gift was the catalyst that put our class academic programs. campus on the map, but now it’s time to gather In 2014, the Rowan Family Foundation
46 | Rowan Magazine established a $15 million endowment for the A longtime Rowan supporter, Salva and Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering, his wife, Rita, established an endowment to expanding opportunities for engineering benefit students at Cooper Medical School of education, research and innovation. In addition, Rowan University and have provided generous through the creation and generous support support for initiatives across the institution of the Marie F. Rader Memorial Fund, Smith including scholarships for CMSRU, the School has revitalized performing arts education and of Osteopathic Medicine and the College of outreach at the University and helped it emerge Communication & Creative Arts. as a vibrant arts center for the region. Salva believes the campaign will provide support for all of the initiatives that the University Increasing opportunities is trying to achieve and will create an environment Jean McMenamin Edelman ’81 is passionate where top students and faculty can thrive. about creating opportunities for students. Her “In the next 10 years this University can become involvement at her alma mater lets her see a leading national research university but it firsthand how Rowan helps change lives. needs the resources to do it,” he said. “Every “The Rising theme captures the idea that all gift counts—and together they create more things are possible,” said Edelman. “I’d like to access and have a big impact.” see us find the ability to open doors to as many students as possible, but we need resources Changing lives to change lives. I don’t want to see anyone left Linda Rohrer HD’06 loves to see a personal behind or forgotten.” return on her investment. Focused on Strong supporters of STEM education, she South Jersey-based giving, she sees how her and her husband, Ric ’80, made history in philanthropy is changing lives at Rowan each 2016 when they announced a $25 million gift time she interacts with students. to transform the University’s Fossil Park into a “When you make a gift, you make an world-class destination for scientific discovery. impact,” Rohrer said. Through the William G. Their landmark gift is the largest donation from Rohrer Charitable Foundation she has made a alumni and the second largest in Rowan’s history. tremendous impact on the University. The couple have also provided generous The Rohrer College of Business was named support for the Edelman Planetarium to in honor of her late father with a $10 million increase opportunities for K-12 science pledge in 2005. The Foundation’s continued education and outreach in the region. support of the College of Business has endowed “The future of higher education is changing,” a professorial chair, established the Rohrer noted Edelman. “Rowan is the future—we are Scholars program and created a scholarship the changemakers. This campaign will help us program to attract honors students to the College. raise the University’s level of visibility and help In addition, the Foundation established an our reputation grow even stronger.” Endowed Chair at the School of Osteopathic Medicine to fund research and teaching in geriatrics. Creating impact Rohrer is hopeful that the campaign will Lawrence Salva’77, HD’13 is proud of all that raise awareness of the University’s remarkable Rowan has achieved and of just how far the accomplishments and is excited to see how institution has come since the days when he alumni and friends demonstrate their support was a student. for its future. “As a graduate, I see the growth at the “It’s important for people to know that it takes University as phenomenal and gratifying,” said investment to sustain growth and achievement,” Salva. “I’ve always felt an obligation to give back Rohrer said. “This campaign is a team effort. of my time, talent and treasure and I am so proud When we work together we will drive the to be part of the rise of Rowan.” success of Rowan University.” ■
Fall 2019 | 47 Campaign Priority I Changing student lives
Rowan faculty are the foundation on which boundaries and drive innovation. We our strong programs, innovative research are committed to investing in educators and student success are built. This and scholars who are dedicated to solving campaign will ensure that the University real-world problems and changing can attract the best minds in research lives—while guiding, challenging and and inquiry and allow them to expand inspiring our students.
48 | Rowan Magazine a few of the many ways your support is changing student lives
EOF Special Assistance Fund “I am grateful and fortunate to be a recipient of the Supported by generous support provided by the EOF Special Assistance Fund. alumni and friends, the EOF Over the years, this funding has been critical in filling the Special Assistance Fund helps resource gap for many EOF students, allowing them to broaden the educational experience of the University’s have a successful college experience. I was able to use EOF student community the award to purchase my books for the semester, but by providing enhanced other students have used it to complete graduate school opportunities for personal applications, attend conferences and cover test fees. growth and achievement. The EOF Special Assistance Fund goes a long way in helping hard-working and determined students like me realize the dream of a Rowan degree.” —Mark Mosley ’21 Health Promotion &Wellness Management
Clarence W. Miller “It’s an honor to be a recipient of the Clarence W. Miller Scholarship Fund Scholarship. Music education majors like me have many Established in honor of expenses, including working with accompanists, finding longtime professor of music transportation to performance venues and supplementing and founder of Rowan’s Music classroom materials. This award will provide the Department and Concert Choir, the Clarence W. Miller resources I need to enhance my higher-level education Scholarship Fund provides classes and practicum placements so that I can share my annual awards to recognize talents with the next generation of music makers. the musical and academic This scholarship will also make a big difference by allowing me to take achievements of music advantage of the abundant travel and performance opportunities available in majors who participate in the concert choir. Rowan’s vocal music program.” —Sarah Robbins ’21 Music Education
Matteo Family Scholarship “Receiving the Matteo Family Scholarship not only makes Established by Rowan alumna college more affordable for me, but most importantly, Kathleen Matteo ’56 and her motivates me to continue making an impact both inside husband, George, the Matteo the classroom and out. This generosity helps me to take Family Scholarship recognizes the achievements of students advantage of the many opportunities Rowan offers and who demonstrate leadership reminds me that what I am doing as a leader on campus is qualities. Since the 2003–2004 truly making a difference. The financial assistance I receive academic year, 29 recipients will only continue to benefit me as I work toward my master’s have benefitted from degree in higher education.” this generosity. —Anna Pietrzak ’20 Management and Human Resources Management Management Information Systems (minor)
To learn how you can change A student’s life, please visit
Fall 2019 | 49 Campaign Priority II Supporting New Discoveries
Rowan faculty are the foundation on which boundaries and drive innovation. We are our strong programs, innovative research committed to investing in educators and and student success are built. This scholars who are dedicated to solving campaign will ensure that the University real-world problems and changing can attract the best minds in research and lives—while guiding, challenging and inquiry and allow them to expand inspiring our students.
50 | Rowan Magazine a few of the many ways gifts to Rowan support new discoveries
Canavan Research “The environment at RowanSOM has given me a place to Donor support is assisting Dr. really grow and tackle the challenges that are part of my Paola Leone and her research daily research routine. As I work to discover and develop team as they lead a worldwide much-needed treatments for conditions such as Canavan collaboration with clinicians and experts in gene therapy to advance disease, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and traumatic brain a treatment for Canavan Disease. injury, my goal is to do outstanding research that has the Rowan researchers like Dr. Leone potential to change lives. are making groundbreaking Because a lot of my work is externally funded, without those discoveries that will improve investments I wouldn’t have the environment that enables me to achieve the quality of health care for the citizens of New Jersey and beyond. my research goals, I wouldn’t have the assistance I need in the lab, and I wouldn’t have the resources and technology to do what I do.” —Paola Leone, Ph.D. Professor of Cell Biology, Director of the Cell & Gene Therapy Center, RowanSOM
Rowan CREATEs “CREATES allows undergraduate students to gain experience The Center for Research working with engineering professionals and other students & Education in Advanced in a state-of-the-art laboratory setting with deadlines, Transportation Engineering protocol and real-life problem solving. Systems (CREATES) conducts cutting edge, applied and readily The funding for CREATES fellowships has made implementable research in it possible for students like me to get their foot in the transportation engineering. Two door as candidates for exceptional engineering positions generous industry partners, the and internships. More and more, companies are looking for Earle Companies and American candidates with real-world experience. Without CREATES, many great Asphalt, have created Fellowship Programs to provide hands-on future engineers would be overlooked, and for that, I’m grateful to have been experience for students. awarded this opportunity.” —Jenna Wyshinski ’21 Civil & Environmental Engineering
W.W. Smith Charitable Trust “During cancer metastasis, the cell nucleus changes from Funding from the W.W. Smith a rigid structure, like a tiny golf ball, to a more ‘squishy’ Charitable Trust will support Dr. structure, like a water balloon. These changes allow the James Holaska as he conducts cells to enter the bloodstream and metastasize. My research a one-year project focused on breast cancer cell invasion focuses on understanding how nuclear structure is altered and migration, to uncover during metastasis to allow cancer cells to enter and exit novel therapeutic targets blood vessels. for metastasis. Dr. Holaska is At CMSRU, our extensive knowledge regarding the structure of helping build CMSRU’s research the nucleus makes us uniquely qualified for studying how nuclear changes capabilities and providing opportunities for its students drive metastasis. The W.W. Smith Charitable Trust gave us the opportunity to pursue medically relevant to embark on this new field of study for which we have made important scholarly projects. findings. This support will generate the data needed to successfully compete for a National Institute of Health R01 award to study how changes in nuclear architecture regulate tumor growth and metastasis.” —James Holaska, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences, CMSRU
To learn how you can invest in new discoveries, please visit
Fall 2019 | 51 Campaign Priority III Inspired Learning and Living Environments
A dynamic, inviting and well-designed foster collaboration, research excellence campus helps transform the ways we and experiential learning. By providing can meet the educational needs of 21st environments where students and faculty century learners. This campaign will attract can thrive, we can allow them to better resources to recruit and retain exceptional themselves, their disciplines and their faculty members and create spaces that communities.
52 | Rowan Magazine A few of the many ways your support creates inspired learning environments
Bantivoglio Honors Concentration “I am incredibly grateful for the funding that established Continued funding by Thomas N. and maintains the Honors Concentration because it’s been Bantivoglio for Rowan’s Thomas N. a valuable enhancement to my Rowan education. The Bantivoglio Honors Concentration Whitney Center is an amazing resource that not only allows fosters a diverse community of citizen scholars by cultivating curiosity opportunities like priority registration, but serves as a place and integrity in and outside the that Honors students can get together and collaborate or classroom. Open to talented students find a quiet place to study. in every major and college, the I am able to integrate the Honors Concentration and all program helps students become the requirements that come with it very well into my curriculum. I truly accomplished independent thinkers, researchers and leaders. appreciate how much Rowan keeps the student experience at the center of its initiatives.” —Brandon Hickson ’22 Biomedical Engineering
The Raquel A. Bruno “The generous gift from Raquel Bruno ’93 helps preserve the Music Library at WGLS-FM station’s music library and also develops our current Top 40/ Multi-media business woman and radio, mainstream music additions. It’s important that the Raquel television & film graduate Raquel Bruno A. Bruno Music Library serves as a reminder of music’s rich ’93 had such a great experience working history and what it means to our station. at Rowan Radio WGLS-FM that she donated $25,000 to the station’s music Many students, alumni and visitors are surprised by the library. By giving back to the program quality, quantity and range of music within the library and all that gave her so much, she hopes to of its hidden gems. Our station members understand the library’s help current and future Rowan students importance to not only develop their own knowledge, but also to give our develop their own professional skills and listeners a memorable experience every time they tune in to Rowan Radio.” connections as they work toward bright futures in the RTF industry. —Derek Jones ’01, M’02 Station Manager, Rowan Radio WGLS-FM
Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver “Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver knows the value of education Career Resource Library and career counseling. Her endowment to create the Lillian Thanks to the generosity of 1962 Lodge Kopenhaver Career Resource Library is giving the alumna Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver, University the means to assist students and alumni with the Career Resource Library will their professional development needs in innovative and enhance the Office of Career Advancement’s ability to help diverse ways. Significant enhancements to technology students and alumni develop resources, knowledge-sharing initiatives, events, guest skills for lifelong professional lectures and a career-based speakers series are just some of the development, job satisfaction ways the University is building a space that will realize Dr. Kopenhaver’s and job readiness as they build desire to assist students as they pursue their employment goals.” connections and find opportunities. —Bob Bullard ’06, M’09 Director, Office of Career Advancement
To learn how you can create inspired environments, please visit
Fall 2019 | 53 The legendary cultural chaos and progress of ’69 can overshadow memories of everyday life 50 years ago, even if it’s just the tip of the global history iceberg. In the U.S., the moon landing, Woodstock, Stonewall and Vietnam War dominated the news, framing everyday discussions and decisions. Beyond our borders, the Beatles performed their finale and Biafra and Northern Ireland made tragic headlines. With 50-year-old yearbook photos (from actual film and darkroom chemicals), we recall the way things were on the campus that 3,939 students called their own, when Rowan University was Glassboro State College and GSC’s sole purpose was to educate teachers. The Oak’s editors took what they called a “radical” step to omit the college’s 324 faculty from the yearbook and “concern itself only with the students and their activities outside the classroom.” With that audacious departure from the norm, they left us with a 240-page diary of student life that seems at once familiar and foreign. Wistful for then? Grateful for now? Maybe these photos can allow for a little of both.
54 | Rowan Magazine Who’s hungry? All students except pizza delivery, Chinese buffet, burger commuting seniors had to eat on joints, sushi, upscale Italian and campus 50 years ago and a two- dozens of other options, including meal-a-day plan for a semester would grocery stores and coffee shops. set student diners back $198. The Fueled up healthy or fortified card allowed for some special dietary with junk food, students can swipe requests, but it was a one-trick pony, their RowanCard to buy textbooks, good only for food service. entertainment (axe-throwing, Today, the reloadable RowanCard anyone?), eyeglasses, massages, gives students purchasing power comic books, haircuts, new tires for campus cuisine: meals, late-night and an appointment with an snacks, vegetarian, Kosher, stir-fry, orthopedist. The list goes on, boardwalk fries and more, plus of course, making the card more (plastic) cash on hand for off-campus than just a college ID.
Like...... somebody sketched a 2019 library patrons in Campbell poster to promote card-carrying can check out bound books, as well for library privileges in ’69, back as e-books, that they track down when the books were in Savitz Hall, through the online library search photocopying was free and the system. They can use Campbell Dewey Decimal System ruled lab computers or campus WiFi to the racks. connect their laptops and print from Card catalogs are long gone, but their phones for a dime per page.
Fall 2019 | 55 Noble serves campus Buying textbooks in and community from 1969 added about $100 the heart of Rowan to students’ annual Boulevard. The draw expenses and required includes a Starbucks a visit to Memorial Cafe, textbook rentals Hall, but offered little and e-books, Rowan- in the way of window branded apparel, shopping or modern New York Times retail therapy. bestsellers, laptops, Hardbacks and boutique beef jerky blue books are still and temporary tattoos on bookstore shelves, sporting the Prof but now Barnes & mascot, of course.
DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS
Fifty years ago, a square Get Next to You.” meal and a snack came Wandering into Rowan from two GSC options: eateries today guarantees Winans Hall (now home options at more than a of the Wellness Center) dozen locations on the and Memorial Hall (now main campus, plus a food the tech hub). In Memorial, truck and Einstein Bros. the Snack Bar’s sound Bagels. And the music track came from a juke menu: a mash-up of box filed with vinyl hits the music that matters including “Sweet Caroline,” from WGLS and earbuds “A Boy Named Sue,” “Bad full of Spotify and Moon Rising” and “I Can’t Pandora faves.
56 | Rowan Magazine For decades, hitch-hiking or carpooling, 2019 ride-sharing— posting flyers on bulletin boards without the benefit of a helpful to get to Philadelphia for a show suitemate’s wheels—means or go home for the weekend Uber or Lyft. With a couple made travel possible for many swipes at the app, students call of the carless on campus a car and driver for a ride, the (“Need a ride to Neptune digital alternative to inking a Thursday night. Will share gas.”). destination in Magic Marker Now, after years of old-school on the back of a pizza box.
The first nine feature pages of the ’69 Oak students in seven colleges and five schools. splurged on the only color photos in the book— Education majors still do student teaching, but big, photojournalistic-style images documenting with the advantage of 21st century technology the life of a Kindergarten-Primary major during that helps them practice teaching techniques her student teaching days, “the high-water mark on a virtual classroom of child avatars. The of our four years here,” the yearbook said. Mary computer-generated kids squirm in their seats Reeves ’69 represented all GSC's future teachers and ask their flesh-and-blood teacher for help, in the last year that all Glassboro students would only sometimes raising their hands. The high- be education majors, testing their “potential as tech resource supplements Rowan’s hallmark teachers,” as the story put it. curriculum, preparing teachers for the challenges In 2019, Rowan enrolls more than 19,500 of teaching in today’s classrooms.
Fall 2019 | 57 Every GSC junior—all were when they planned and built a education majors pre-1970— footbridge across a previously spent a week in the wilds uncrossable stream in the of Stokes State Forest in woods. Sussex County. The idea: This year, bridge-building put aspiring teachers in the continued with students on an wilderness to learn how to Alternative Spring Break trip instruct their future students to work on trail maintenance about science, how to solve in Virginia's Natural Bridge problems, build rapport and State Park. Elly Thomas (left) Below: Giselle Onofre ’19, serve their community. Junior and Tyra Gwalthney made the Angel Cabrera Salinas ’21, math education majors did mid-March trek—and made Gianna Figueroa ’21, Tyra all that in the course of their a difference for hikers and Gwalthney ’21, Alexa Aulicino spring week 50 years ago themselves. ’20, Kalie VanDewater ’20, Tom Vancak ’21, Health & Exercise Science Professor Shari Willis, Elly Thomas, ’21 and Frank Forte ’21.
Above: Elly Thomas ’21 (left) and Tyra Gwalthney ’21 work on Spring Break. Right,
from p. 2, Gwalthney, WESLEY TRIMBLE/AMERICAN HIKING SOCIETY Alexa Aulicino ’20 and Gianna Figueroa ’21 show off their muddy Merrells.
58 | Rowan Magazine WINTER IS COMING Warm it up with hot sauce and gear for a good cause.
Houshmand’s Hazardous Hot Sauce tastes good. It also does good: all profits fund the Rowan University Student Emergency BUY A JAR. Scholarship, providing critical support to students who encounter unanticipated HELP A STUDENT. setbacks that would derail their education. Your purchase will help make a difference. VISIT TODAY:
Also available at Barnes & Noble on Rowan Boulevard. ROWAN.EDU/HOTSAUCE class notes
40s 60s
Barbara Nardelli Dacy ’48 Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver retired after teaching ’62 was named one of the 40 years in a one-room Association for Education schoolhouse. She in Journalism and takes yoga classes and Mass Communication’s Rowan-proud, eight-strong plays Candy Crush Trailblazers in Diversity. Rod Taylor ’68, Michael Taylor ’06 and Amy Taylor ’02 on her Apple iPad. Kopenhaver is dean take in another Profs gridiron game. Note, p. 61. emeritus and professor and executive director of the Kopenhaver and sustained support. Mary C. Lamey ’63, M’83 Center for the She is considered one of and Richard Klimek ’63 50s Advancement of Women the university’s founders became engaged on in Communication at and is the founder of the Christmas Eve. They Robert Gerardi ’55 Florida International School of Journalism and have been spending retired in 2005 after University, School of Mass Communication. time together since 57 years in education. Communication and Her gift to Rowan connecting at their 50th He keeps busy selling Journalism. She was established the Lillian class reunion in 2013. vintage sheet music on also inducted into the Lodge Kopenhaver Calvin Iszard eBay in 50 states and university’s Presidential Career Resource Library ’66, M’68 47 foreign countries. Society for her dedication at Savitz Hall. Story, p. 6. teaches online college courses. He lives in central Florida.
Catherine E. Hlavin Kelly ’67 taught for 43 years in Morris Plains, half of them teaching grades 1-4 and half teaching computer applications in grades 3-8. She also wrote the school Honoring a friend and leader district’s computer GSC friends Barbara Crumley Oldt ’82, Marjorie K. Larson Dauber ’72, curriculum. She and her Joseph V. Dauber ’72, Russell F. Altersitz ’76, Avé Borneo Altersitz ’77, M’95, husband, Bill, have been Robert J. Van Stratton ’72 and Robert J. Oldt ’82 gathered to remember married for 40 years and friend and community leader Robert Rapp ’72. Note, p. 67. have six children and 10
60 | Rowan Magazine grandchildren. She was Gerrie Woolley Venner ’70 was invited to perform years at the Fort Dix elected in 2018 to the and Rusty Venner ’70 have with the entertainment Education Center and Morris Plains Borough lived in North Carolina staff and wowed the the Fort Monmouth Council for a three- since 2005. Their nine audience. Karlene and Directorate for Readiness. year term and is the grandchildren keep Denise were roommates He also taught U.S. corresponding secretary them very busy. They in Mimosa when it history at Burlington for the Morris Plains enjoy golf and vacation opened in 1967. They County College. Republican Club. She trips with all their also are friends with Kathleen Woodruff was the Morris Plains children’s families. Donna Marcantonio Wickham ’71, a Education Association’s Burkey ’71. Photo, p. 62. Karlene Barber Babij ’71 journalism professor recording secretary and Denise Salto ’71 Frank McGayhey ’71 at the University of and a volunteer for Cub cruised the Panama married Paula Tighe Mississippi, served as Scouts, Little League, Canal. During the McGayhey ’70 in 1982. chair of the Americas/ swim team and hockey. two-week cruise, Denise, They have three children. chair of the humanities Rod Taylor ’68 retired an active lifetime dancer, Frank retired after 36½ at the University of from teaching science at Delran High School. Eight of his family members are GSC- Rowan graduates. They and Rod, who played on then-GSC’s 1964 football team, often attend the Rowan games. 70s
Eric Jones ’70 has EOF/MAP alumni stay connected and encourage a new generation developed a middle school math program More than 40 alumni FRONT: Kimberly Clark ’89, Ethel Jones ’92, Tywanna Hamilton-West ’03, Lisa Westfield ’98, that has been adopted eager to reconnect Angie Pollard ’96, Milan Ahye ’11 , La Kesha Bryant ’04, Lisa Micheletti ’11, Syreeta Primas ’99 by school systems in with each other and MIDDLE: Andy Montanez ’12, Nydreama McDuffie ’19, Beatrice Carey ’13, Joseph Rodriguez Florida, Oregon, and give back to today’s ’13, Anne Rebecca ’16, Cameron Hudson ’15, Yaniris Patton-Cintron ’16, Samantha Noguera ’13, Shareda Cunningham ’02, Hatef Alavi ’09 New Jersey. His career students attended the BACK: Ish Wara ’19, Ryan Nichols ’19, Kevin Harris ’84, Francisco Morales ’99, Belsy included working on ASCEND EOF/RISE Calzada ’14, JT Mills ’92, M’94, EdD’09, Larry Blake ’00, Malcom Owens ’12, Ousmane the “Mike Douglas” Student Leadership Conference and Sall ’17, David Shanks ’09, Jamar Morton ’07, Samuel Jay ’14, M’18, Minelson Louis-Baptise and “Evening Magazine” Alumni Mixer. ’16, Erica Nelms ’14, Tevin King ’12, M’18, Troi Barnes ’17, Kiara Gilbert ’16. TV shows. He lives in Spring Lake.
Fall 2019 | 61 class notes
Rennes in France during Kappa Gamma activities. the spring semester. Dennis retired after 42 Dr. Wickham lectured years in education; 20 on various journalism teaching mathematics at issues. She also lectured Kingsway Regional High at New York University School and 22 as K-12 in Prague during her district math/science semester abroad. supervisor in the Buena Regional School District. Wendy Baral Cooper He keeps busy restoring ’72, M’74 participated older boats and houses. in the Run for Rowan A Mimosa Hall toast 5K in April. With a James Di Gennaro ’72 Karlene Barber Babij, Denise Salto and time of 36:27, she came retired after 44 years at Donna Marcantonio Burkey, all ’71, celebrate in first in her age Washington Township friendship started at GSC. Note, p. 61. group, 60-69-year-old High School teaching females, and can’t wait and counseling and to run again in 2020. 25 years as an adjunct multiply disabled Jeanine Frisby LaRue oral communication students ages 5-21 for ’74 received the 2019 Carolann Leiko Gallo ’72, instructor at Rowan the past 47 years. He Woman as Agent of M’92 and her husband, College at Gloucester plans to travel and Change Award from the Dennis Gallo ’68, M’71, County. Jim was also visit his four children American Association retired from education the high school drama scattered around the U.S. of University Women and spend the winters director and staged and of New Jersey. in Florida and summers Noelle Sickels ’73 has directed 81 productions. Duane Shilling ’74 in North Cape May. published a memoir, was One of his fondest inducted into the They have one son and Searching for Armando, memories was “Pirates New Jersey Football three grandchildren. about her mother and of Penzance,” which Coaches Association Carolann taught in two fathers in post- included his two Hall of Fame in June. Mantua Township for World War II in New children in the cast. He spent most of his 39 years at many grade Jersey and Greenwich coaching career at Buena levels. She continues John Lucas ’72 is enjoying Village. The book is Regional High School. to take part in Delta retirement after teaching available on Amazon. Dorothy Knauss Van Horn Diane Weinberg ’73 ’74, M’77 retired after 45 works part time as a years in education, the legal secretary and as a last 21 as superintendent business manager for a in Brookfield. In 2017, professional organizer Dr. Van Horn received but spends much of her the Legacy of Caring time volunteering at Award from ASAH, a various food pantries in nonprofit organization South Jersey, mostly at of New Jersey private TOUCH NJ Food Pantry schools and agencies in Camden. Her website, which provides highly MovingToMusic.com, specialized services lists food pantries for to infants, children those who may need one and young adults Yoga at your alma mater or who want to volunteer. with disabilities. Yoga enthusiasts and newcomers enjoyed a vinyasa-style class outside Bunce Robert Hood Bill Buck ’75 operates Hall in June. Alumni Board member Gina Lemanowicz Pusloski ’03 led the ’74 retired as Bill Buck Design in serene 60-minute session, Poses with Profs, now a springtime tradition. warden of the Wilmington, Del., FRONT: Gina Lemanowicz Pusloski ’03. MIDDLE: Ai McLaughlin ’05, Lisa Smalley ’13, Alicia United States where he works as Smith ’99, Lisa Loomis, Sam Wagner ’14, M’16, Katherine Manieri ’18, Holly Atkinson Supermax Penitentiary in a studio artist and ’19, Melissa Martinique ’19, Venise Grossmann ’86. BACK: Becky Johnson Hood ’04, M’14, Colorado. He is a national provides theatre design, Anthony Marino ’02, M’03, Derek Jones ’01, M’03, Charles Pusloski ’07, Chelsey Scotten, Courtney Adams, Dana Carroll Alcavage ’13, M’15. security consultant for management and various companies. technology services. His
62 | Rowan Magazine class notes
artwork was selected MaryLynne Montesano for a juried show Perkins ’76 has four and exhibited at the grandchildren. Delaware Contemporary Photo, p. 75. Gallery in Wilmington. Barbara Leobold von He retired in 2015 as dem Hagen ’76 retired head of the James in 2018 after almost 40 Madison University years as a teacher of theatre department. the handicapped and Buck, who earned an a speech and language MFA at the Yale School specialist in Bloomsbury of Drama, previously and Hawthorne. taught at the University of South Carolina and Tom Weaver ’76 retired Mount Holyoke College. after 42 years at Cherry Hill High School East as John Carrino ’75 has an English and drama a daughter majoring teacher and theater in environmental director. Weaver, who engineering at the planned to major in University of Florida, physical education at where she is a marching GSC, switched to theater band member. His when a professor in an youngest daughter has elective course told him visited Europe twice. he could teach theater Fred Lentz ’75 retired for a living. Weaver, who from IBM and lives took over as director in Pittsgrove with in 2008, was honored his wife of 38 years, by Music Theatre Vivian, a daughter and International in 2017 a granddaughter. For for the department’s many years, he has production of “Ragtime.” served as president of the He was involved in 200 South Jersey Bass Club productions during his Association as well as his career at the school. He fishing club, the South plans to spend more Jersey Hawg Hunters. time with his family and is considering Jeff Weber ’75 writing a one-act is general play about Benjamin manager of Franklin meeting six radio William Shakespeare. stations in Albany, David Weinberg ’76 N.Y. Previously, he was general sales manager retired after working for 34 years at the of two FM stations in United States Postal Charleston, S.C. He Service, where he served has also held sales as customer service management positions supervisor for the last in Baltimore and 14 years. David works Indianapolis and was out at a fitness center vice president and later five days a week and has president of a national been a fitness center media company based member for 35 years. He in Stamford, Conn., that also has participated owned a radio network in the Spring Lake Five and several stations.
64 | Rowan Magazine Mile Run for several 1 2 years, including in 2019. Marvin B. Gordy ’77 is the percussionist with Opium Moon, which won a 2019 Grammy in the Best New Age Album category. Gordy is an acclaimed drummer, percussionist and educator whose credits include albums by well-known recording 3 artists, films, TV Golfing for the Gridiron: more than 30 years for Brown & Gold boosters series, video games and live performances Football alumni teed off at Seaview Resort & and tours. He also Spa in Galloway in July at the 31st Brown & Gold Gridiron Golf Tournament, welcoming former leads drum circles and team members from more than five decades. educational clinics, independently as well as 1. John Havers, Dino Hall ’82, Mike Petuskey ’81, Steve Murray ’89 for Yamaha Education 2. Ken Mathis ’78, Matt McArrow, Division, where he John DeBouter ’80, Bill Banks ’79 serves as a clinician and 3. Ryan Dolan, Brette Cox ’14, Kyle Cox education consultant. class notes
He has a master’s in Holocaust and degree from California genocide education from Institute of the Arts. Stockton University. She is serving a two-year Lin Lloyd ’77 retired term as governor of the after 41 years in the North Atlantic Region of Toms River Regional Soroptimist International School District, the last of the Americas. Since 25 as high school social joining the organization studies supervisor. in 2006, Peggy has held Peggy Gentile several board positions Van Meter ’78 at the regional level. Not so far from GSC retired in She is a member of ’83 grads Scot Merkle, Keith Minter and 2012 after Soroptimist International Andy Leahy salute summer. Note, p. 68. teaching history for over of Cumberland County. 34 years at Cumberland That group honored Regional High School. her in 2015 with their kindergarten and first From 2006-2017, she Soroptimist of the Year grade for 35 years, 31 was an adjunct history award for her hard work 80s in Hasbrouck and four professor at Cumberland and dedication. She in Monroe Township, County College. She also is a member of Charlene Gloucester County. has a master’s degree Lions International. Hodinka ’80 retired after Joel Gordon 1 2 teaching ’81 is the sixth grade science, Plantation, social studies and Fla., Fire language arts for 32½ Department’s deputy years in Bridgeton. chief of administration. Nancy Stott He also serves as the Trauger ’80 was public information the mezzo- officer and built the soprano soloist department’s portion in two performances of the city website. He is also responsible of Beethoven’s “Missa 3 4 Solemnis” in April 2018 for development and with the Wayne Oratorio operation of the city’s Society in Wayne, Pa. AM radio station and In April 2017, she was serves as the lead public the mezzo-soprano information officer soloist with the Rowan during emergency University Orchestra management situations. and Concert Choir in a Gordon, who has been performance of Verdi’s with the department for “Requiem,” celebrating 22 years, has a master’s professor Salvatore degree from Columbia RowanGIVES Day marks another milestone Scarpa’s 25 years as the Southern University. He Rowan held its fifth annual RowanGIVES Day in March, a 24-hour event orchestra’s conductor. is a certified paramedic, focused on philanthropy. Student staff helped host activities in Chamberlain While at Rowan, Nancy registered nurse and Student Center, while alumni participated online and at regional events, played French horn in a fire instructor. He exceeding participation goals and raising a grand total of $127,650 for the orchestra. She has and his wife, Sheri, scholarships, research projects and more. a master’s degree in have two children opera performance from and one grandchild. 1. Drew Tinnin Ed.D. ’16, Mariah Francisco ’16, M’18 the Curtis Institute of 2. Kristen Stansfield ’21, Grace Coulthurst ’21 Catherine Morgan Music in Philadelphia. 3. Rafael Gonzalez ’20, Olivia Molinari ’21 Heberley ’81 retired 4. Marissa Ciocco ’19, Camryn Hadley ’21, Sarah Niles ’21 Nancy Bode Vanni ’80 from Temple University retired after teaching in January. She has
66 | Rowan Magazine Road trip Laura Curran Pappas ’84 her son, Tyler, in Colorado. Note, p. 68. Your generosity today will a master’s degree Barbara Crumley Oldt ’82, from The College of Marjorie Larson Dauber ’72, help Rowan rise New Jersey and an Joseph V. Dauber ’72, Ed.D. from Temple. Russell F. Altersitz ’76, Avé Borneo Altersitz ’77, M’95, Brian W. Jones in the future! Robert J. Van Stratton ’72 ’81, president and Robert J. Oldt ’82 and CEO gathered on May 3 for of the First Planned gifts are a perfect way to support the unveiling of a new National Bank of Robert Rapp Mews sign. Rowan in the future without using any of your Elmer, serves on the The sign honors the late Boy Scouts of America’s assets today. Robert Rapp ’72, who Northeast Region was a varsity athlete at Board. One of four BSA GSC. Rapp was a teacher administrative regions, • You can establish a bequest with a simple for several years and a it covers 58 councils, children’s home director. addition to your will or living trust document. 11 states, northern He later worked for Virginia, the District of • You can designate your gift to an area on the Multiple Sclerosis Columbia, the Virgin Association of America campus most meaningful to you. Islands, Puerto Rico for many years, retiring and the Trans-Atlantic • Your gift can be tailored to fit your interests. in 2016. Photo, p. 60. Council and serves over 300,000 Scouts. He is Roxanne Wilcox ’82 is • You receive the benefit of an estate tax deduction also BSA Area 5’s vice a Child Development for the amount of your gift. president of finance. Center Board member in Woodbury. Patricia McCabe Kaufman ’81, M’87, M’95 teaches Laurie Facciarossa Contact us to receive a complimentary academic support Brewer ’83 is the New brochure today! and enrichment at Jersey long-term care Keith Country Day ombudsman, protecting To learn more or to receive a complimentary brochure School in Rockford, the rights of older New on charitable estate planning, please contact: Ill. She attended the Jersey citizens living in Brittany L. Petrella, CAP® Teachers College long-term care facilities. Writer’s Workshop at Her husband, Mark R. Director of Major Gifts Columbia University Brewer ’83, retired in 2016 & Planned Giving ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS: in summer 2018. from Monroe Township, 856-256-5419 Gloucester County, after GIFT PLANNING Catherine Snyder Stuart ’81 Tax ID #: 22-2482802 32 years of teaching OPTIONS retired from the Hillside history in middle school. School District. They live in Pitman and have two children. Visit rowan.plannedgiving.org
for more information UNIVERSITY ROWAN class notes
Scot Merkle ’83, Keith from the Garden State Minter ’83 and Andy Journalists Association. Leahy’83 attended the Previously, he worked for Rock, Ribs, and Ridges 26 years at The Record event at the Sussex of Bergen County. Tom County Fair Grounds. and his daughter reside in Sussex County, and Thomas Skevin he can be reached at ’83 represents [email protected]. the New Jersey Hall of Fame Melanie L. Burney ’84 through his work with was named a Woman Film’s finest Jack Swiker ’04, Adam Bradshaw ’11, Ed Princeton Strategic of Achievement in Communications, where Communications/ Bauman ’11 and five more alumni made a he is the senior writer Media by the National film that made it to Cannes. Note, p. 74. and media relations Coalition of Black specialist. He also Women’s Southern New contributes as a writer Jersey Chapter. She covering issues of Laura Curran Pappas ’84 and photographer also was honored by importance to the black and her family traveled to NJArts.net. His the Camden County community. Burney is to Colorado Springs in remembrance of Tom Chapter of the NAACP a general assignment June to support their Petty earned a first-place as a visionary leader for reporter with The son who took part in features award in 2018 her work in journalism Philadelphia Inquirer. the 97th running of the
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Athletics Hall of Fame inducts new class 3. F R O N T : Tereze Kunkel ’03, Sarah Wood Lloyd ’07, Steph Doherty Radisch Athletes and coaches celebrated individual and team ’06, Rhonda Bennett ’06, Becky Peterson ’14, Angela Ruggierio. MIDDLE: accomplishments in Profs competition at the annual event. Sue Donaldson, Mary Marino ’78, Sue Connor Zaccagnino ’94, Lindsay Hanson Delaney ’03, Erin Grelle Small ’00, Joy Solomen ’69, Susie 1. Doug Rillo, Mark Giampetti , Michael Marcantonio ’83, Joe Procopio ’83, Massara ’08, Renee Phelps Toliver ’03, Moriahn Holmstrom ’02, Jenna Don DeJoseph ’80, Brendan Rosenberg ’92, Matt McArow ’79, Lombardo Adams ’10, Jackie Massara Cooper ’04, Jammie Hicks ’03 Frank Albano ’79, Ralph Wendell ’80, Bud Goebel ’19, BACK: Kate Madden Stauffer ’00, Melissa DeClementi ’97, Lauren Small Dave Evangelist ’81, Jesse Briglia ’79. Pallies ’97, Penny Kempf, Michelle Andre ’99, Kelly Rose ’04, Michelle 2. Ben Lynch ’53, Chris Martin ’82, Bob Pedrick, Toure Sealey, Thornton ’04, Shayne Bennett Gismonde ’07. Amy-Brooke Mauger ’98, Dr. John Giannini, Tiffany Harris-Greene ’98, 4. Thor Harris and Tiffany Harris-Greene ’98 (son and daughter of Ryan Cochrane, Rob Scott ’81, Antwan Dasher, Lamonte Harvin, football player Mario Albert Harris), Sue Johnson ’74, MaryKate Joe Cassidy, Neil Biscaldi, Brian Bouchard ’00, Osco Williams ’97, Stauffer ’00, Penny Kempf, Jess Babice Cuba ’12, Mike Dickinson ’02. Demetrius Poles ’14.
68 | Rowan Magazine Writing for a wonderful life
You have to love words to be the author of 50 books. But it’s more than that for Wendy Sooy Pfeffer ’50. “I’ve had words in my life all of my life,” says Pfeffer, an award-winning author who has written 49 children’s books and one adult book that focuses on—what else?— writing children’s books. “I have always wanted to be a writer and was writing As a teacher, Wendy Pfeffer found her young students to be naturally curious about the world stories in college. around them. Retired from teaching, she focused on writing science books for children. Her “I like the research it takes to write a non- second career as an author produced 50 children’s books and many awards so far. fiction book. I research every detail. But I’m also a teacher.” retired to write full time. The school is still interested in book publishing an insider look Young children are the beneficiaries going strong today. into a prolific, 30-year writing career. of Pfeffer’s talents and meticulousness. It was through teaching that she realized “Someone interested in children’s Her works, which have been published by children were curious about the science literature can trace her work from idea three of the Big 5 trade book publishers around them. She concentrated on writing to publication. They can see every book in New York City—Simon and Schuster, science-oriented themes. proof stage, every correspondence, every Harper Collins, and Penguin (now Penguin “I knew which books were needed for evolution of the artists’ renderings,” says Random House)—are mostly nonfiction young children,” says Pfeffer, a member of Sara Borden, head of Archival Collections and science oriented. the Society of Children’s Book Writers and & Services at Campbell Library. “It’s a great They introduce subjects as diverse as Illustrators, the Rutgers University Council resource for someone looking to do what the winter solstice, the life of a log, how on Children’s Literature, the Author’s Guild she does. Children’s books are very difficult tadpoles become frogs, the spring equinox, and two Writer’s Workshops. to write. Wendy is so good at it.” worms, humpback whales, the summer “When I write, I always start with what The passion to write—to create, to solstice, hermit crabs, what it’s like to children already know and then teach them educate, to entertain—is still as strong be a fish and other topics for children in what they don’t know. as ever, says Pfeffer, whose books have preschool through fifth grade. “I add activities in my books. They been translated into Chinese, Spanish Pfeffer studied elementary education encourage children to do something or and Korean. She just marked her 90th at then-Glassboro State Teachers College, make something, always to do more.” birthday with the publication of her newest where she was editor of the 1950 yearbook A sought-after classroom speaker who children’s book, The Arctic Fox’s Journey and president of the Association for leads presentations and teaches writing in from the Harper Collins “Let’s Read and Childhood Education. elementary schools, as well as adult writing Find Out Science” series. Professor Ora Lee Everts taught students workshops, Pfeffer has won numerous “Oh, it was such a thrill when I got and was principal of the on-campus awards, including the John Burroughs The Arctic Fox’s Journey in the mail…such a Demonstration School. Nature Books for Young Readers Award, thrill,” Pfeffer says. “It’s a beautiful book. “She was a stellar mentor,” Pfeffer says. the Giverny Award for the Best Children’s I actually have 14 more books ready to go. “She inspired her college students to do the Science Book and the Outstanding Science I’m going to make sure they’re really good. right thing for children.” Trade Book for Children Award from the I have a lot of ideas. To that end, Pfeffer began her career National Science Teachers Association. “I tell you—I don’t feel old at all. I guess it’s as a first-grade teacher in Pitman. After Recently, she donated her collection of because I’m having a wonderful life, writing marrying, she and her husband, Tom, her writing archives—six boxes brimming and enjoying my amazing family.” an aeronautical engineer, moved to with manuscripts, editors’ notes and Pennington. Pfeffer founded the Pennington illustrations from her book illustrators—to Presbyterian Nursery School, which served the University Archives & Special Collections over 150 children each year. After directing at Rowan’s Campbell Library. The collection and teaching there for many years, she gives writers, illustrators and those class notes
Pikes Peak International Research Foundation Hill Climb. Photo, p. 67. Metro New Jersey and Rockland County Brian Kass ’85 appeared Chapter and a member on the MSG Network of the Healthcare in a short documentary Executive Forum, a about the 334 Game, peer-voted, executive- a New Jersey Devils level group that fosters hockey contest that accelerated learning. was held the day of a massive snowstorm in Helen Jenkins Castro ’86 1987 when only 300+ earned a master’s degree fans, showed up. It in communication Re-orienting at Rowan was also on YouTube. and media at Rutgers Veteran educators and proud alumni John Book in the bucket University in May. She Chrisie Martelli Agoston ’92 and Dawn Kehoe Agoston ’91 Michael Corcione is the senior manuscript Scott ’85 is with their daughter, Carly. Note, p. 71. ’94 has a new editor for the Journal Virtua’s senior book under a new of Studies on Alcohol vice president name, note, p. 67. and Drugs, based at he leads the firm’s audit an MBA in finance from and chief marketing Rutgers. Helen lives and business valuation DeSales University. officer. She is responsible with her daughter and groups. He is also an for strategic marketing, Joan House Wilkins ’86 her mother in Avenel. adjunct professor of communications lives in Camp Hill, Pa. She loves to travel and and public relations. accounting at Kutztown quilt in her free time. William Beatty ’87 Previously, she was University in Kutztown, returned to New Virtua’s vice president Martin C. Levin Pa., a past president of Jersey after working in for strategic marketing. ’86, CPA, is PICPA’s Lehigh Valley Before joining Virtua president Chapter, a statewide Switzerland for 2½ years. in 2018, she served as of the CPA-PAC Committee Tom Jacobs ’89 the chief marketing Pennsylvania Institute member, a Pennsylvania reports on CPA Foundation board officer for Hackensack of Certified Public the insurance Meridian Health. She Accountants for the member, treasurer of the industry for earned an MBA in 2019-2020 fiscal year. Carson Kaye Foundation S&P GlobalMarket marketing at Fairleigh Levin is managing and a Kutztown Intelligence in Dickinson University. partner at RLB Certified University Accounting Charlottesville, Va. He She is board president Public Accountants in Curriculum Advisory spent the past 10 years of the Juvenile Diabetes Allentown, Pa., where Board member. He has as a copy editor and sports reporter for The News Leader of Staunton, Va., where he lives with his wife, Maryann Treppiedi Jacobs ’97, and their two children. 90s
Oliver Hubbard ’90 created and sang his Rohrer MIS alumni connect with students first gospel/rhythm and Alumni got a warm welcome from the Management Information Systems (MIS) Club at a spring dinner designed blues song, “I Came to introduce students to the graduates and establish professional relationships between them. from This.” The song BACK: Scott Jusko ’04, Patrick Williams ’16, Robert Blair ’12, Joshua Thomas ’14, Kyle Saul ’13, Nick Jastrebski ’10, is available on CD and Nicole Zeck ’18, Michael Balabon ’19, Will Miller ’13, John Pollack ’18, Matthew Yates ’08, Stephen O’Toole ’85 a video is on YouTube FRONT: Stephen Shockley ’17, James Batistick ’16, Joseph Sasdelli ’10, Gregory Scillitani ’17, Angela Miller ’13, Arianne Bascara ’18, Hayley Owens ’17, Bob Palmer ’88 under his name. Oliver has sung for the past six
70 | Rowan Magazine 1 2 3 years with the Central classroom at Timmons Jersey Community Elementary School in Choir, which won the Chagrin Falls, Ohio. McDonald Gospelfest Greg Harris for five years in a ’93 and his row. For the past family moved 13 years, Oliver has from Delran worked as an assistant to Los Angeles two teacher in Plainfield. years ago. They live Dawn Kehoe Agoston in the Santa Clarita 4 5 ’91 and John Agoston Valley area and love it. ’92 attended Rowan Sue Shilling Ottenberg Orientation for the ’93 hosts “Everything Class of 2023 with their Special Needs,” a radio daughter. Dawn and talk show that invites John, both teachers for 25+ years, are proud parents, professionals Carly chose the College and individuals in of Education. Photo, p. 70. special needs situations to share their stories. 6 7 8 Jana Spence Whitney ’91 is The show airs on coordinator of disability Mondays from 6-7 p.m. support at Liberty on 1360 WNJC-AM University in Lynchburg, and on Thursdays Va., and volunteers from 5-5:30 p.m. on with the Lynchburg Rowan’s 89.7 WGLS- YMCA’s sexual assault FM. Shilling created response program. the show based on her She earned a master’s experience in radio and degree in human in raising her 9-year- 9 5 11 services counseling old daughter, who has at Liberty in 2017. autism and is considered Lynda Hinkle Zurlo ’91 nonverbal. Sue and married Ryan Zurlo in her husband, Howard, June. Photo, this page. and her daughter live in Cherry Hill. Rick Alcantara M’92 has a son, Justin April Carty-Sipp ’93, the Alcantara, who is a National Association of Rowan freshman. Broadcasters senior vice president for television Harry Bittner ’92 Weddings & engagements is an and radio, is a board of assistant professor directors member of the 1. Edward Dowdell ’07 and Rosie Braude Esposito ’08, M’09, at Mercer County Library of American Dulce Estrada; note, p. 75. Tommy Oceanak ’09, Jeff Reeves ’08, Community College Broadcasting, which 2. Erica Feliciano Dixon ’09 and Adam Bradshaw ’11. Note, p. 76. where he coordinates the is dedicated to the Kevin Dixon ’09; note, p. 76. 6. Josh Brenner ’06 and Janelle; electronics engineering preservation and access 3. Gabriele Ward Diaby ’14, M’15, note, p. 75. technology and heating, of broadcasting’s history. Ed.S.’17 and Oumar; note, p. 80. 7. Kacie Capozzoli Miller ’16 and refrigeration and air Ryan Miller ’16; note, p. 81. Partnering with the 4. Jamie Grafe Lidberg ’06 and conditioning programs. University of Maryland Caleb Lidberg; note, p. 75. 8. Jon Bouchard ’08, M’10 and Maria He earned a master’s Ianiro Bouchard; note, p. 75. Libraries, LAB is the 5. Adam Chazen ’08 and Kate degree in education Sabrina LoBue Selvaggio ’12, M’15 nation’s most extensive McLaughlin with Constantine 9. from the University of Jason Selvaggio ’11 collection of broadcast Alexakos M’03, Brian Pacek ’11, and ; note, p. 79. New England in 2018. history, policy and Ashley Zazzarino ’10, Paul Russo ’12, 10. Alyssa Hart ’15 and Scott Cowling Beth Harper Harbaugh tradition. Before joining Thomas Finer ’08, Kate McLaughlin, Jr.; note, p. 80. ’93 is an educational NAB, she was vice Cindy Lewandowski Finer ’08, M’13, 11. Lynda Hinkle Zurlo ’91 and Ryan Susie Mariduena Barrett ’08, Zurlo; note, this page. aide in an autistic president and director of
Fall 2019 | 71 class notes
programming at WPVI- pseudonym Michael is a software developer director of the public 6 in Philadelphia. Before Angelus. The book is with OSIsoft in relations program. that, she held senior about a recent college Philadelphia, and Lisa Jennifer Schafhauser management positions at graduate with extra- is the executive director Gilbreath ’97 is a Comcast/NBCUniversal, large student loan debt of the Southern New senior editor with the and NBC Regional who shows up for his Jersey Chapter of the American Psychiatric Sports Networks. She job as a rookie sales Appraisal Institute. They Association in is a Rowan University rep with nothing at also have another son. Washington, D.C., a Foundation Board of all to prepare him for position she held Directors member and life at a call center. It’s Kathie Steinberg Rose ’96 from 1999 to 2003. previously served on available on Amazon. married Keith Rose in the Rowan University July 2017. Brian Kulak Lisa May Weiss ’95 and Alumni Executive Board. ’98, M’12 is a Michael Weiss ’95 have William Cowen ’97, M’99 K-5 building Michael Corcione ’94 a son who is an Eagle is an associate professor administrator published a book, The Scout, Scouting’s at Villanova University Bucket Shop, under the highest rank. Michael and the longtime in Collingswood. His first book, Level Up Leadership: Advance 1 Your EduGame, was published in January. Edward Targonski ’98 earned an MBA at West Texas A&M University in May. Cosmo F. Terrigno ’98 is headmaster of Woodland 3 4 Country Day School in Bridgeton. He is also an adjunct professor at Cumberland County College and a member of the college’s Adjunct Advisory Board. He has served on numerous accreditation teams 5 6 for both the Middle States Association of Elementary Schools and the New Jersey Asso- ciation of Independent Schools. Terrigno is also secretary of the Hug-a-Bear Foundation, which helps children deal with trauma. He Rohrer accounting community gathers at Business Hall earned a master’s degree at Villanova Univer- The accounting program hosted 1. Thomas Girone, Susan Haggerty, Steven Gessner, Lisa Nessler ’20, sity and an educational its third annual Celebrating Success Amanda Meserall ’08, Mackenzie Cunningham ’17, Allyson Gallagher ’17 specialist degree at Seton Dinner with alumni, students, 2. Mark Errera ’16, Deandre Turchi ’14, Dan Errera ’12 Hall University. faculty, staff and corporate partners. 3. Donna Gatti, Leonard Gatti, Larry Salva ’77, Rita Salva The Accounting Advisory Board 4. Ricardo Gomes ’17, Michael Addeo ’14, Justin Ondrejka ’12, Robert Bigelow Richard Williams ’98 honored Kevin Basden ’03 and 5. Jennifer Leisey Sykes ’03, Christopher BoWell ’12, Nancy Brenner, was named 2019 New Advisory Board member Annamarie Snitcher, John Cini ’18 Jersey Football Coaches Leonard Gatti. 6. Amanda Meserall ’08, Jerry Maginnis, Susan Haggerty Association’s South Jersey Assistant Coach
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Run for Rowan 5K raises funds for first-generation students
Runners and walkers from 1. Mark Pares M’19, Mireillie Pares ’19. 5. BACK: Sam Kuciej ’19, Jacqueline Aimino ’18, Ian McKane ’18, Lauren O’Connor. throughout the Rowan community 2. FRONT: Yusuf Mehta, Munira Mehta, Tehsin FRONT: made their steps count for Flying Aurangabadwalla. Patricia Hurley ’18, Shauna Hurley. First, an initiative that supports BACK: Sanaa Mehta, Shiraz Mehta. 6. Laura Litrenta Bruhn ’99, Tobi Bruhn ’98, M’99, Ed.D.’16, Elizabeth Bruhn. first-generation college students at 3. Ciara Sikking ’20, Chelsea Haines M’17, Carly Rowan University. More than 4,000 Jorgenson ’19, Julie Tarrant ’20. 7. Kathy Lange Damiri ’89, Peter Damiri ’89. Rowan students this year are the 4. Jeanine Wedler Dowd ’00, M’03, Stevie Hannah, 8. CLOCKWISE, FROM PROF: Gina Lemanowicz first in their family to attend college. Erin Barney Hannah, Amy Ruymann, Pusloski ’03, Louis Joyce ’72, M’77, Suzanne Ron Braxton, Stephanie Mosher, Smalley Beers ’02, Angelique Hilton ’15, Desiree Saraceno M’19, Aly Wedell Baker ’12. Anthony Phillips ’84.
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of the Year. He is the and still calls the men’s Kenneth Whelan ’02, M’10 Publicity, a boutique PR offensive line coach NCAA Tournament is chief operating officer and marketing agency at Willingboro High early rounds and the of Engineered Security that focuses on the music/ School. Photo, this page. women’s Final Four Systems, headquartered entertainment, restaurant for the network, along in Towaco, with offices and business sectors. The Anthony Fitzpatrick ’99 with the Army-Navy in Washington, D.C., firm celebrated its fifth is principal of Thomas football game. Chicago and California. anniversary by adding Edison Elementary and several high-profile Lori Wagoner Susan Glynn Robinson ’03 Strawbridge Elementary bands and artists. For Donovan in Haddon Township. published When Poke more information, visit M’01 has a Awoke, a children’s dinkpublicity.com. stepdaughter, picture book about a Emily Donovan ’19, who hedgehog who learns Jack Swiker ’04, Adam Bradshaw ’11 Ed Coach wins donated a kidney to that being a friend and 00s Bauman ’11 attended the save Lori’s life. Lori Richard Williams ’98 means being true to and Walter Donovan yourself. The book Cannes Film Festival earned honors from John Sadak ’00, Sr. married in 2010. She features rich vocabulary, for a special screening the state Coaches M’03 called also has a stepson. They alliteration, 100+ action of their award-winning Association. his first major live in Penns Grove. words and vibrant short, “Silence.” Swiker Note, p. 68. league baseball images. It’s available on directed the film and game, serving as a Christopher Hahn ’01 Amazon. Photo, p. 75. Bradshaw and Bauman play-by-play announcer published Sin Made were producers. The for the New York Mets Flesh: The Parable of Cheryl Kurn Sacks ’03 short won first place at on WCBS-AM 880 on the Vampire. Set in announces the December the 2018 Los Angeles 48 June 8 at Citi Field. He 1639 Prussia during the birth of Emma. Hour Film Project and also called his first Thirty Years War, the Photo, p. 75. was one of 14 project NBA games this past story explores Christian David Burruezo ’04 and films screened at Cannes. season, serving as the themes within the a friend operate Spartan Other alumni who TV play-by-play voice context of the horror and worked on the film are Screenprinting, an for the Chicago Bulls historical fiction genres Jake Chusid ’12, producer; award-winning, custom on both WGN-TV and in the same way that Tommy Oceanak ’09, apparel business that NBC Sports Chicago. C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of director of photography; offers screen printing Previously, he spent Narnia created allegories Evan Hage ’10, digital and embroidery. multiple seasons as of faith within the realm imaging technician; an NFL announcer for of the fantasy genre. It’s Denise Kovalevich M’04 Monique Stout ’13, Westwood One radio available on Amazon. owns and operates Dink producer’s assistant; and Christapher Litton ’08, set decorator. Photo, p. 68. Angel Aristone ’05 is executive vice president of communications for iHeart Media. Previously, she was vice president of communications. Before joining iHeart Media, she was the director of communications with Six Flags. Aristone serves on Rowan’s Engineering celebrates excellence and achievement Alumni Association The Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering welcomed alumni and friends to campus for a reception Board of Directors. in May. The event honored the graduating class, alumni and the 2019 Medal of Excellence for Alumni She has a master’s Achievement recipient, Noah Gedrimas ’12. degree from Seton Hall University and is a Ratan Jha (department head, mechanical engineering), Jacob Culleny ’18, Anthony Marino ’02, M’03 (chair, Henry mentor in Seton Hall’s M. Rowan College of Engineering Alumni Advisory Council), Noah Gedrimas ’12, Jeffrey Miles ’02, Tony Lowman Communication Honors (provost), Stephanie Farrell (interim dean) Associates Mentoring
74 | Rowan Magazine wrestling for the She and her family March outside Orlando, newspaper since 2005. live in Philadelphia, Fla. Photo, p. 71. He helped to increase where Katherine is an Jon Bouchard ’08, M’10 coverage of the sport occupational therapist married Maria Ianiro by starting individual with Penn Medicine and Bouchard at the Estate at high school wrestling MossRehab. Photo, this Eagle Lake in Chesterfield. rankings. He has also page. Jon’s nephew, Jacob appeared often on Edward Dowdell ’07 Snodgrass ’23, served as ESPN Radio in South married Dulce Estrada in a groomsman and his Jersey to promote the sport. O’Kane, a special Picture a friend education teacher in 1 2 3 Susan Glynn Galloway Township, Robinson ’03 has coached the middle published a picture school wrestling team book. Note, p. 74. for nine years. O’Kane and his wife, Jennifer, live in Galloway and Program. She also serves have four children. on the Make-A-Wish Josh Brenner ’06 married New Jersey Chapter’s Janelle on May 18, 2019. 5 5 6 Corporate Council Photo, p. 71. Advisory Board. Zachary Hayworth ’06 is Benjamin a certified sports agent Daniel M’05 and advises professional is director athletes. He earned a of com- master’s degree from munications for the Duke University in 2018. Hope Center for College, Jamie Grafe Lidberg ’06 Community and Justice. The center aims to help and her husband, Caleb, 7 8 9 students remove barriers married in Alaska to college success. in June. They live in Alabama. Photo, p. 71. John O’Kane ’05, Anthony Magaraci ’06 who covers high school wrestling as is president of Trinity Packaging Supply, a correspondent for which received an Inc. The Press of Atlantic Magazine 2019 Best City, received the Workplaces award. The John Vogeding ’62 firm also received the Memorial Award from Rowan babies award in 2018. Trinity, the New Jersey State 1. Mia, daughter of Thuy Vo ’10 6. Zachary, son of Emily Ruggieri headquartered in Interscholastic Athletic Nguyen Ton; note, p. 79 Clayton ’11 and Robert Clayton ’09. Voorhees, is a wholesale Association. The award 2. Marlo, daughter of Tom and Note, p. 79. supplier of packaging recognizes excellence Katherine Riepe Scheponik ’06, 7. Emma, daughter of Cheryl Kurn and shipping supplies in journalism for M’07; note, this page. Sacks ’03 and Ryan Sacks; note, with 26 employees and contributions to the Jessica Ortuso Kanady p. 74. a second location in 3. Leo, son of sport of wrestling. The ’08, M’15 Brian Kanady ’08 Newport Beach, Calif. and ; 8. Blane, son of Jennifer Besthoff award is named after note, p. 76. Berezansky ’13, M’15 and Joseph Katherine Riepe the late John Vogeding, 4. Anna, granddaughter of Berezansky ’11, M’18; note, p. 80. longtime wrestling Scheponik ’06, M’07 MaryLynne Montesano Perkins ’76; 9. Henry, son of Jason Nothdurft ’12 writer for the former and her husband, Tom note, p. 64. and Rachel Sprock Nothdurft; Gloucester County Times Scheponik, welcomed 5. Dylan, son of Lonnie and Lauren note, p. 79. and the Courier Post. their second child, Gregg Tegen ’13. Note, p. 80. O’Kane has covered Marlo, in October 2018.
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brother-in-law, Matthew of HBO’s “Game of Oceanak ’09 and Adam Kate Gamble ’09 is the Snodgrass ’95, officiated. Thrones.” The wedding Bradshaw ’11. Photo, p. 71. content strategist for Photo, p. 71. party included Thomas the Consumer Finance Jessica Ortuso Kanady ’08, Finer ’08, Jeff Reeves ’08 Institute at the Federal Adam Chazen ’08 married M’15 and Brian Kanady ’08 and Paul Russo ’12 and Reserve Bank of Philadel- Kate McLaughlin on announce the January 27 Rowan guests included phia. Previously, she was June 29 at Garthmyl Hall birth of Leo. Photo, p. 75. in Montgomery, United Constantine Alexakos the marketing director Kingdom. Chazen, a M’03, Brian Pacek ’11, Erica Feliciano Dixon ’09 for a local law firm. Kate visual effects producer Ashley Zazzarino ’10, and Kevin Dixon ’09 were also serves on the Rowan and seven-time Emmy Cindy Lewandowski Finer married in September University Alumni winner, met his wife ’08, M’13, Susie Mariduena 2018 at the Sussex Board of Directors in Northern Ireland Barrett ’08, Rosie Braude County Fairgrounds and is a member of the during production Esposito ’08, M’09, Tommy Conservatory. Photo, p. 71. Rowan University MA in
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Bar A reunion brings grads 1. Alexis Emery ’19, Liz Lopresti ’19, 5. BACK: Jake Ebner ’19, Sebastian Moreno, Joe together again Steph Cardoza ’19, Marisa Rios ’19 Cirrincione ’18, MIDDLE: Nick Ganas, Nick Reagan ’19, Darius Yogi Anderson ’19, Danny Scaramella ’17, 2. Matthew Petosa ’16, Madison Crane ’19 Graduates spanning classes FRONT: Michael Murphy, Jake Pisano ’19, Erica from more than four decades 3. Keith Molloy ’85, Tom Skevin ’83, Pisano ’19, Jeizel Hernandez ’19, Edisson Ramos ’17 at Glassboro State and Rowan Kathy Kunze Molloy ’83, M’85, Steve McRae ’84 6. Arianne Bascara ’18, Amber Busher ’18, gathered at Bar-A in Lake Brian Satterlee ’18, Rose-Ann Rosario ’19 4. George Carfi, Janice Goman Carfi ’78, Como for the annual alumni Karen Petillo Larned ’78, Rich Larned, 7. Jennifer Margiloff ’16, M’18, Nicole Podraza ’16 night out at the shore. Kathy Stiefbold Van Benschoten ’78 8. Adelyn Simeone ’18, Madison Agostini ’19, Laura Graziano ’18, Emma Stark ’18
76 | Rowan Magazine Running on passion and pride
Suzanne Smalley Beers ’02 vividly remembers the fateful day that she received a dreaded call from her doctor that changed her life: “You have cancer.” She was 23 years old, barely a year out of college. “We think it’s lymphoma,” she recalled her doctor telling her. She was devastated, unsure what it meant or how the diagnosis At Homecoming 2018, Suzanne Smalley Beers, her husband, Kale, and twins JD and Kimmie were in July 2003 would drastically change her right at home. Suzanne’s family ties weave through education and career at her alma mater. perspective on life. “It felt like it came out of nowhere,” she said. Philadelphia, part of the Thomas Jefferson She has fond memories of campus days Beers learned a week later that she University Health System, where she raises with the Rowan Percussion Ensemble, had Hodgkin’s lymphoma, cancer of the funds for cutting-edge cancer research. Concert Band, Rowan Radio (where she part of the immune system called the She solicits large gifts from donors who was the rock music director), and the lymphatic system. She began six months share her desire to assist with treatment, Public Relations Student Society of of chemotherapy treatment that did not research and support. She serves as America. Rowan is also where she became require radiation or surgery. Her hair and vice chair for the National Association an avid runner. eye brows fell out. She remained upbeat of Cancer Center Development Officers, Also important to Beers is family. She met and found solace in dancing with friends comprised of fundraisers from across the her husband, Kale, a fellow runner, in 2006 on weekends. country and Canada. at a race in Philadelphia. She was reluctant By February 2004, her cancer was in “I’m a very mission-driven person. To do initially to share her brush with cancer with remission. It would take another year before a career that I believe strongly in and raise him. What if the cancer came back? Or she she felt like her old self. money for a cause and an institution—that’s couldn’t have children? It would not only change her life, but really important,” she said. The couple hit it off and enjoyed also inspire her to seek a new career path. She has demonstrated the same running marathons. He dismissed her Sixteen years later, as she described in commitment on the Rowan University health concerns and they married in April her Facebook profile, she is a wife, mother, Alumni Board of Directors, where she is 2010. Suzanne gave birth in 2014 to twins runner, cancer survivor and so much more. completing her eighth and final year. Now, Kimmie and James David (JD) through Beers, who holds dual bachelor’s immediate past president, she served as vitro fertilization. degrees in communication/public relations president from 2017 to June 2019. She has “She is a completely amazing person, and music, landed her first job—with the been a staunch advocate, promoting the all-around,” said Kale, director of athletic Philadelphia Orchestra and Peter Nero and University and generating alumni support. development at La Salle University. “She’s the Philly Pops in customer service—when “The entire Rowan community could be an outstanding human being.” she was diagnosed. She later moved inspired by her journey,” said Chris D’Angelo Kale helped transform Beers from an into health care fundraising at Magee ’07, M ’10, director of Alumni Engagement. amateur runner into a serious competitor to Rehabilitation Hospital and eventually the “I don’t think she takes anything for granted. pursue her dream to run a marathon. She Fox Chase Cancer Center where she could She knows what matters and she digs in to has completed Philadelphia’s 10-mile Broad pursue her passion: helping others in the get it done.” Street Run six times. fight against cancer. Beers grew up in Washington Township, Beers said Kale’s involvement at his alma “It’s just trying to help stop cancer from Gloucester County, and says enrolling in a mater inspired her to get involved at Rowan. taking so many amazing people out of this school in her back yard was the right decision. With two small children, she found time to world,” Beers said. “My goal has always Her father, Jim, stressed the importance of juggle the demands of serving on the board. to be to make an impact. This is the way I education. Her sister, Lisa, ’13, followed at “My intentions were to share how great thought I could do it.” Rowan as an accounting major. Her mother, my education was. I was just really proud Today, she is the director of development Janet, is the administrative assistant for of that,” she said. at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in Interim Athletic Director John Giannini. —Melanie Burney ’84
Fall 2019 | 77 class notes
Strategic Communication in their daily lives. For children’s socks, shoes, Krystle Ellis Lockman Advisory Committee. more information, visit stockings and other ’10, her husband and a PhildaelphiaPowerPlay.com. clothing to keep them partner, opened Axe Erin Gordon ’09 is a from falling. Dolbier, & Arrow Brewing, a goalie on the Philadelphia Susan Huaccamayta who studied business microbrewery, in Flyers PowerPlay electric ’09 is a bilingual civil at Rowan, got the April in Glassboro. wheelchair hockey team. rights investigator for inspiration for Sticky Two other Rowan student the state Division on Kae Lani Kennedy Feet from her daughters’ team members are Civil Rights. She mainly Palmisano ’10, a food and struggles to stay forwards Lea Donaghy investigates violations of travel editor with USA upright as they tried and Alex Pitts. The team the state’s Law Against Today’s travel publication, to walk, She got help won the 2019 Power- Discrimination and the 10Best, will host “Check, and encouragement New dad and grad hockey Canada Cup by Family Leave Act. She is Please!” on WHYY-TV from her sister-in-law, Rebekah Marine defeating the Toronto also a real estate agent starting in January. For Lauren Vicari, and her Paster ’10 and Toros 4-3. In 2018, they in Atlantic City and each episode, three husband, Jeff, a finance Jared Paster DO’19 won the North American serves on the board of the local residents pick a and accounting major celebrate with little Powerhockey Cup. The Hispanic Association of favorite restaurant and in college who runs Jackson. team, which started in Atlantic County. are assigned each other’s a roofing business. Note, p. 79. 2003, was adopted by the choices. After dining Products are sold on Flyers in 2017, becoming anonymously, they appear stickyfeetshop.com. the first power hockey on the show to discuss She also maintains team affiliated with an 10s their experiences. The an Instagram page, NHL team. The nonprofit show will include visits @stickyfeetshop. Philadelphia PowerPlay Lauren Gibbins Dolbier ’10 to area restaurants Bing was founded to provide an created and markets Stephanie McAllister Bing Dim Sum, Vernick, athletic and social envi- Sticky Feet, adhesive Downey ’10 and Sean Little Fish, Sate Kampar, ronment for people who soles that can be ironed Downey ’10 announce the Hardena, Zeppoli, use power wheelchairs onto the bottom of May 13 birth of Fiona. Victor Café and Vedge.
78 | Rowan Magazine Rebekah Marine Paster ’10 Cori Tucker ’11 (Alpha and Jared Paster DO’19 Epsilon Pi) and Felipe married in April 2018 Olguin ’11 (Sigma Pi) got and welcomed their first engaged this summer child, Jackson, in March. in Italy. They met in Rebekah, known as the spring 2008 when they “Bionic Model,” was born joined their Greek without a right forearm organizations. They plan below the elbow and uses to wed in November. a high-tech prosthetic Matt Nelson arm that mimics muscle ’12 is an movements. Rebekah, announcer for who was featured in the Harlem “40 Under 40” in Rowan Globetrotters. He has Magazine’s summer traveled to 24 states and 2016 issue and received two Canadian provinces. the 2019 Distinguished He also fills in as a public Alumnus Award in address announcer September, appeared on a for the Lakewood taped episode of “Say Yes BlueClaws, an affiliate to the Dress” just before of the Philadelphia her son was born. Jared is Phillies, and for the in an emergency medicine Somerset Patriots of residency. Photo, p. 78. the Atlantic League of Thuy Vo ’10 and Nguyen Professional Baseball. Ton welcomed Mia on Jason Nothdurft ’12 and March 12. Photo, p. 75. his wife, Dr. Rachel Emily Ruggieri Clayton ’11 Sprock Nothdurft, and Robert Clayton ’09 announce the April welcomed their first 12 birth of Henry child, Zachary, on Photo, p. 75. March 19. Photo, p. 75. Sabrina LoBue Michael Selvaggio ’12, M’15 Ricardo DO’11 and Jason Selvaggio ’11 is an assistant were married in professor Basking Ridge in in the department June. Photo, p. 71. of obstetrics and “Without such a heavy financial burden on my shoulders, I was able Alec Zierten ’12 gynecology at Rowan to work fewer hours and be more present in campus activities that works in a SOM. Previously, he was program I love like Rowan Unified Sports. My scholarship gave me the time I a faculty member in the management needed to have a true Rowan experience, and also a special person department of OB/GYN position at Google I am very grateful to know.” at Drexel University where he is responsible College of Medicine. for forecasting global He completed an OB/ demand and supply. GYN residency in Long Previously, he worked for Island and a fellowship six years at Johnson and in minimally invasive Johnson in various roles. gynecologic surgery at Maimonides Medical Jennifer Besthoff Center, Brooklyn, N.Y. Berezansky ’13, M’15 and His wife, Maria, is a Joseph Berezansky ’11, pediatric dentist and M’18 welcomed their an associate professor first child, Blane, in at Temple University. December. Photo, p. 75. class notes
Jennifer Wallen Borisenko Lonnie, announce ’13 and Max Borisenko ’13 the April 29 birth of announce the June Dylan. Photo, p. 75. 21 birth of Andrew. Gabriele Ward Diaby ’14, Kimberly Jones ’13 M’15, Ed.S.’17 is a school teaches in a Bridgeton psychologist in Tenafly. elementary school. She and her husband, Oumar, married in Melissa Giunta Northup ’13 2018. Photo, p. 71. Performance plan was named the 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year at Janay Hair ’14 lives in Janay Hair ’14 at work Martin Luther King Ele- Taos, N.M., where she is in Taos, New Mexico. mentary School in Edison working on a 10-year plan Alumnae field trip Note, this page. Township. Photo, p. 81. to improve the com- Hallie Wilmes, Erin Anderson and Nicole Velez, munity’s performing arts all ’18, capture a moment in Utah. Note, p. 81. Harold Reighn ’13 is a program. Her first effort supply chain supervisor was in May, acting in a for Cornerstone play, “Brilliant Traces,” EDP, as content manager the NYU School of Pro- Building Brands, a written by Cindy Lou for the marketing team. fessional Studies complet- manufacturer of exterior ing the PR and corporate Johnson. The play is about Alyssa Hart ’15 will building products. communications master’s an intensive encounter marry her best friend, degree program. The Meghan Sickler ’13 between two people Scott Cowling Jr., in annual scholarships go to was named Teacher during a blizzard in the November. Photo, p. 71. of the Year for the wilds of Alaska. She hopes graduating high school Sena Pottackal ’15 received seniors, undergraduates 2018-2019 school year to begin hosting audi- a 2019 New York Women and graduate students at the Grice Middle tioned community vocal in Communications who achieve academic School in Hamilton ensembles by the end of scholarship and intern- excellence in their area Township, Mercer the year. Photo, this page. ship in May. At the time of study and intend County. Photo, p. 81. Christopher Massari ’15 she received the award, to pursue or further a Lauren Gregg Tegen joined the international Pottackal, who is blind, communications career. ’13 and her husband, soccer organization, was a graduate student in Peter Yanefski ’15 and Megan Walsh Yanefski ’14 1 2 3 moved into their new home in Pitman. Cassie Aran ’16 and Brandon Lucante ’16, who operate Cookie Munchers in Glassboro, have expanded the business with a second location near the University of South Florida in Tampa. They chose Tampa 4 Profs represent at Philadelphia Union match because of the large Rowan welcomed alumni and friends to the student population. Alumni Association’s first Major League Soccer Michael event in August. Bortnowski ’16 1. Kaitlee Francisco ’19, Ryan Francisco ’19, is manager of Mariah Francisco ’16, M’18 community 2. Catherine Sampson ’99, Roscoe Sampson and patient engagement 3. Krista Baker, Scott Baker ’94 at a federally qualified 4. Alyssa Gautieri ’16, Anas Muhamed ’16, Matthew health center. He Oldland ’16, Eric Guidarelli ’16, Jeff Welder ’16 also serves on the Pennsauken Board of
80 | Rowan Magazine master’s in engineering management at Rowan.
Hallie Wilmes ’18 works at the Salt Lake County Center for the Performing Arts and the Utah Symphony. She, Erin Anderson ’18 and Nicole Velez ’18 enjoyed a trip to Utah’s Arches National Park. Top-notch teachers Rylan Lynch ’19 teaches More Rowan educators win more Teacher of the Year honors: English at Cherokee Meghan Sickler ’13 and Melissa Giunta Northup ’13. Notes, p. 80. High School in Marlton. Christian Marcy ’19, Education, the Pollution master of social work a drone to a smartphone. who completed his Control Financing degree, specializing This allows the first undergraduate degree Authority and the in child welfare responders to see what in just three years, is a Pennsauken Alliance and well-being. they’ll face and decide software engineer at JP Against Substance how to handle a situation Morgan Chase Bank. Manuel “Mani” Abuse. He and his wife, before they arrive on the Rodriguez ’17, a Sriram Mohanakanthan ’19 Leyla, married in 2017 scene. Graham is Arke’s CPA, is a staff received a 2019 Luce 24 and have one child. CEO, Hartman is the accountant Under 24 award from the chief technology officer Erin Callahan ’16, who at Wheeler Wolfenden James Jay Dudley Luce and Penera is CFO. teaches third grade and Dwares, CPAs, a Foundation in July. The in Maryland’s Anne full-service firm with Taylor Henry ’18 has awards recognize young Arundel County, bought two offices in Delaware. published Wildwoods game-changers who are her first home in The company was named Houses Through Time, a making innovative con- Baltimore and is working a 2018 Best of the Best book about the architec- tributions to humanity. toward her second CPA firm by INSIDE tural history of the four Sriram is a data analyst master’s degree in special Public Accounting. Wildwood boroughs. and modeling intern with education at Western Henry is a Wildwood Gold Group Enterprises Morgan Fell ’18 is a Governors University. Historical Society board in Glassboro. While at preschool teacher and member and curates Rowan, he interned with Kacie Capozzoli Miller ’16 loves every minute. an Instagram blog, the Glassboro Housing and Ryan Miller ’16 Abigail Gardner ’18, @TinyChurchesNJ, about Authority and was a married in September M’19 teaches at the New Jersey’s religious member of the Account- 2018 and bought F.W. Holbein Middle architecture. Her book ing Society, the Financial their first home this School in Mount is available on Amazon. Management Association summer. Photo, p. 71. Holly, where she is Stephen and the Concert Band. Sarah Kalvaitis ’17 and starting the school’s Luppino ’18 is Hannah Ocasio ’19 served Ricky Schuh ’16 got first theatre program. a structural in Berlin, Germany, this engaged in May and Brandon Graham ’18, engineer summer as a volunteer are planning a fall 2020 Sherman Hartman ’19 with Titan Engineers. with the HOPE Youth wedding. Sarah and and Jon Penera ’10, M’18 He earned a master’s Corps, a faith-based, Ricky first met at Rowan founded their company, degree in engineering service-learning Radio and have been from Lehigh University. Arke Aeronautics, in 2017. program that is helping inseparable ever since. Arke’s initial product Steven Spirn ’18 is a Syrian refugees in Berlin Teresa Mahler ’17 gives law enforcement, civil engineer at E.E. integrate and thrive in graduated from emergency medical Cruz & Company Germany. The program the University of providers and firefighters Inc., a heavy civil helps resolve legal issues, Pennsylvania School a live video stream of a construction contractor teaches English and of Social Policy and scene while they’re en based in New York German and renovates Practice in May with a route by sending it from City. He is working on a the refugee camp.
Fall 2019 | 81 class notes
Remembrances Fond eulogies of campus friends offered by AFT colleagues
Bruce Foster John Mullens Donald Zimmerman Reading Campbell Library Elementary and Bruce H. Foster, 76, of Mays Landing, John William Mullens Jr., 76, of Early Childhood Education passed away unexpectedly on July 22. Wenonah, passed away on June 25. Donald Drew Zimmerman, 87, of A member of the department of reading, He was an active member of the AFT Pitman, passed away at home on Dr. Foster came to then-Glassboro State Retirees Chapter and frequently attended February 15. He was an active member College in 1970 and retired from Rowan meetings. John and his wife, Cindy, were of the AFT Retirees chapter and enjoyed University as professor in 2005. honored upon their retirement from attending chapter meetings. A resident of Mays Landing for most Campbell Library at an AFT recent He held a B.S. and M.S. from the of his life, he was a 1959 graduate of retirees reception in September of 2012. State University of New York at Buffalo, John held a Bachelor of Arts degree Vineland High School. He then earned and an Ed.D. from Temple University. from Belmont College in Nashville and his B.A. from Trenton State College, He was also a Navy Reserve officer a Master of Divinity from Midwestern M.S.Ed. from Bucknell University and during his college years and beyond Baptist Theological Seminary in Ed.D. from Florida State University. for 16 years. Kansas City, Mo. He served in the Air Dr. Foster was an active member of Don was a dedicated member of Force from 1961 to 1965. He was also a the department of elementary and St. Peter’s United Methodist Church in volunteer fireman and a member of the early childhood education for 31 Ocean City. He enjoyed working with American Legion and served as chaplain children as a teacher, mentor and coach. for these and other organizations. productive years, helping students He has been described as a friend to Starting at Glassboro State College become educators while working in many and as one who leaves a legacy as a part-time employee at then-Savitz the Teacher Corps project supporting of literacy. Library, John soon advanced to full time new teachers to Camden. He was predeceased by Cathleen, his as assistant programmer. In 1994 he Well known as a talented trumpet wife of 51 years, and his son David. Bruce became computer systems manager and player and musician, Don entertained is survived by his son Robert (Debra); helped guide the challenging move into many here and abroad with his band. daughter-in-law Shari; his sister Joanne the new Campbell Library, overseeing the He also played with many other great (Bob); and sister-in-law Linda (Alan), installation of upgraded computers and bands, including the Michael Carney and four grandchildren. telephone services, among other techno- Orchestra of Manhattan. A viewing and service were held at the logical duties. John also served as advisor A member of the First Presbyterian Boakes Funeral Home of Mays Landing. to the International Cultural Society. Church in Pitman, Don participated Burial followed at Union Cemetery in John is survived by his wife Cynthia in the choir, played his horn and served Mays Landing. Mullens, his sons, John Mullens (Susan) as deacon and elder. He also served and Frank Mullens (Katherine), nine as a board member for the Week Day grandchildren, two brothers and Preschool. two sisters. Don is survived by his wife of 63 years, Funeral services were held at the South- Cleo (Beeman) Zimmerman, daughters wood Baptist Church of West Deptford. Laura DeMarco, Beth (James) Martin, John’s younger son, Frank, a Navy captain, and Lisa (Thomas) Fisher, along with delivered the moving eulogy. Interment seven grandchildren. followed at Wenonah Cemetery. A service celebrating his life was held Memorials may be given to Samaritan’s at the First Presbyterian Church in Hospice of NJ—samaritannj.org/giving Pitman. Those who wish may donate in or Global Good Bakery at 31238 N. 41st St. Cave Creek AZ 85331, or online at Don’s memory to the First Presbyterian globalgoodbakery.com/give. Church Building Fund. Arrangements were by Kelley Funeral Home.
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Jennie Mokrynski ’43 Susan Pims Ott ’71 Beatrice Campbell Griffith ’84 Sara Foster Roberts ’43 Elizabethl Sandt ’71 James Leahy ’86 Shirley Tubman Falchetta ’46 Frances Blum ’72, M’76 Edward Myers ’86 Constance Clinton ’47 Robert Corson M’72 Wendy Esher ’89 Marie Cipolla Doyle ’47 Pamela Sweeney Hart ’72 Sujen Croman ’90 Dr. Lawrence Winchell ’49 Lynn Ingemi ’72 Marilyn Goldstine ’90 Dorothy Moorhead Charles Shafer ’72, M’77 Barbara Cissone M’92 Hendree ’51, M’73 Francesco Sieri ’72 Robert King ’94 Dorris McDuffie ’51 John Thomas M’72 Dawn Meis Meis-Glines ’95 Conrad Rahme ’51 George Bulotovich M’73 Dorothy Houser Adler ’95 Helene Dimeglio ’53 Elaine Crown Friedman ’73 Michele Booth Kreisman M’96 Chester Ogden ’54, M’59 Doris Kelly ’73 Joanne Smith ’96 Johanna Buchholtz Elizabeth Burket Nancy Vasquez ’96, M’02 Rodriguez ’54 Kielbowicz M’73 Thomas Kelleher ’97 Joan Burnett ’55 Janet Vogel Fitzgerald ’74 Hugh McGlashon ’97 Valerie Tyler ’55 Eric Gibson ’74 John Palmieri ’97 Mary Brigandi Edward Johnson M’74 Morganweck ’60 Scott Schumann ’98 Mary Humbert Mintzer M’74 Joyce Lovejoy ’61 George Rogers ’01 Christine Petro Salava ’74 Joseph Albano ’62 Meredith Tsue Grodin D’03 Irwin Woolf M’74 Matthew Cianci ’63 Casey Brennan ’04 Please provide the following information for Charles Damico ’75 verification (it will not be published). David Harrington ’63 Paul Abbamondi ’05 Ruth Knowles ’75 Karen Lautenschlaeger Anthony Paladino ’05 McGregor ’61, M’63 Anthony Samulis ’75 Lee Phillips M’09 FULL NAME GRAD YEAR Peter Mitchell ’63 Charles Daniel ’76 Nicole Hilliard ’18 Dianne Chell Winegardner ’63 Phyllis Baker ’77 Jillian Scarangelli ’18 Richard Devine ’77 Albert Hobbs ’64 Ceara Regan ’19 ADDRESS Leigh MacDuff ’64 Arlene Feidt ’77 Harriett Cumback Miller ’64 Helen Pennington ’77 Faculty and friends Jean Dale ’65 Mary Garvey Ryder ’77 Verda Cline CITY STATE ZIP CODE Charles Pierson ’65 Marion Goetz Anson ’78 Theresa Cone William Huff ’78 Edward Saler ’65 Bruce Foster EMPLOYER/OCCUPATION John Wieczoreck ’66, M’72 Kathleen Mason ’78 Stu McGee Elizabeth Gillespie ’67 Joseph Monaghan ’78 Jane Nothnick Pinotti ’67 Michael Infanti ’79 E-MAIL Rebecca Tiger Conners ’68 Dennis Sample ’79 Janet Stiles Edie ’68 Donna Garrison Shinn ’79 SIGNATURE Mary Shoemaker Bonnie Lyndt ’80 Allen ’69, M’77 Stan Warkoczewski M’80 Janet Staub ’69 Christina Mcnally ’81 HOME PHONE WORK PHONE Howard Allen M’70 Joan H. Sless ’81 Florence Bramell ’70 William Fabris ’82 Kevin Lukas ’70 Dr. William Nelson M’82 CAMPUS ACTIVITIES Richard Cline M’71 Stacey Gamble Souders ’82 n This is a new address/phone. Please update my record. Bonnie Austin Cresci ’71 Glenn Rankin ’83 Mail this completed form to: Patricia O’Halloran Daily ’71 David Daniluk ’84 Alumni Engagement Office, Shpeen Hall, Grace McCarty ’71 Deborah Decou ’84 40 North Academy Street, Glassboro, NJ 08028
Fall 2019 | 83 We welcome AfterWords essay submissions from readers. Please send 500-word afterwords personal reflections of interest to the University community to: [email protected] or Rowan Magazine, 201 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro, NJ 08028
Room at the table for everyone By Patricia Quigley ’78, M’03
Patricia Quigley is o matter what your faith tradition is, At a state school, in a secular environment, at an assistant director odds are that you and your fellow believers times when some of us may feel like “other” for of Media & Public love carbs. caring about a Supreme Being, it impresses me that Relations at Rowan NThis is one of the things I’ve learned from Rowan has this interfaith organization. University. Her slow gathering around a table to share a meal with But that is just one part of a bigger picture to me: cooker is always ready students and colleagues who are part of Rowan our school, this place where I have worked for more for dinner duty. University’s Interfaith Council. than 20 years—and attended more than 40 years Imagine the spread: pizzas, stromboli, naan, ago—has become an institution that embraces all challah, samosas and more. Okay, there was a salad. people, regardless of gender, physical abilities, race, It had something chip-like on top of it. As I said, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, people of every faith love carbs. faith or many other characteristics and outlooks. I’m a staff advisor to Rowan’s Campus Catholic We are our own little New Jersey melting pot of Ministry (also known as Newman Club), so I’ve had people from all backgrounds. While we may not be the privilege to get to know other advisors, clergy, as diverse as, say, an NYU, we do become more so e-board reps and students from three Protestant each year. We are a collection of stories, of trials, of groups, two Jewish organizations and our Muslim triumphs. We are family, with all that entails. student group. I’ve been impressed by the way these Breaking bread together means that we’re also Rowan employees and students of varying beliefs breaking barriers. Getting to know each other have come together honestly and patiently and in a better isn’t always easy. We’re tentative in some welcoming manner as part of the Interfaith Council. ways. Our beliefs are, in many cases, very different, The Council is a few years old, one of the and no one wants to tread on anyone else’s toes. initiatives of the Office of Social Justice, Inclusion & There’s a tacit understanding: no sermons, no finger Conflict Resolution. As the name promises, SJICR pointing, no “my way or the highway.” is on a mission to build understanding, I like these people, and I hope to learn from them, relationships and respect. to grow in understanding, to become more open and tolerant. The Interfaith Council is just one example of the wide welcome Rowan offers throughout the institution. Our academic community fosters openness and support. Our school also demands respect from us for others. Yes, as individuals we fall short at times. Yes, we sometimes cling to people who look or sound or think like us. But there’s a home for all kinds of people at Rowan University. Everyone is welcome to attend, to observe, to learn. And when the body is eager for dinner and the mind craves a thoughtful discussion, I know of at least one table where there’s room for more hungry friends—carb lovers, especially. n
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Space for everyone Part of the RCA Heritage Museum collection at Rowan, commemorative posters captured the 1969 moon landing marvel. Ironically, they feature hand-drawn sketches of the space mission even though RCA camera technology made it possible for the world to watch on television in near- real time what the astronauts did 230,000 miles away. Today, space innovations are part of everyday life. NASA’s next-generation GPS guides wanderers around the globe. Rowan medical students learn to use tiny cameras and transmitters to monitor patients’ internal organs. And LED technology lights up the heavens on the Edelman Planetarium dome, bringing the wonder and sense of possibility to school kids and college students exploring for a new era. COURTESY OF RCA HERITAGE MUSEUM