MAGAZINE fall 2013 Taking education beyond the gates. parnTership wiTh booker T. washingTon cenTer offers new opporTuniTies in erie’s cenTer ciTy

Inside this issue: goggle glass on campus sTudenTs sTudy addicTions esTaTe gifTed To mne homecoming/family weekend 2013 Penal Cross Belonged to Sister Maria O’Connor, RSM from the president. i became a grandfather not long ago. That ’s the kind of milestone that prompts one to think about the future.

i don’ t imagine i’ll be president of mercyhurst when paxton is ready for college, but i’ m confdent there will still be a strong, healthy, vibrant mercyhurst university here on the hill that he can be proud to attend.

i want him to be able to see mercyhurst as i see it – as a community of learners, of people dedicated to the growth and transmission of knowledge and culture; as a place where goodness and mercy still matter; as a place of beauty and warm hospitality.

no university can aford to be complacent in these days of economic uncertainty and shrinking numbers of high school graduates. but mercyhurst has never been complacent; mercyhurst has been open to new ideas since its earliest days. after all this is what Celtic Cross carpe diem means, right? indeed, i often describe mercyhurst as “ an institution on the move,” and the Donated by Heidi Hosey, Ph.D. stories in this issue explore just a few of the reasons.

four years ago we headed two miles north of our gates to launch a new campus in center- city erie, Saint Bridgid’s Cross a partnership with the booker T. washington center that ’s making college possible for more students Donated by Sister Patricia Whalen, RSM every year.

longtime benefactor bob miller generously donated his property to expand our north east campus. The sustainable farming operation also moved to north east over the summer, opening up exciting new opportunities for our culinary students.

our faculty are known for the strong relationships they develop with their students, but they ’re scholars as well. you’ll read here about one who’ s among the frst in the nation to use google glass, and another who’ s working with his students to investigate the mechanisms of addiction.

we earned our highest ranking yet from U.S. News & World Report, refecting our growing reputation Mercy Cross for academic excellence. and we’ re honored to be part of two partnerships that will bring exciting new Created and donated resources to our campus and our students. mercyhurst is now home to the Thomas J. and michele ridge by Thomas Hubert collection, an archive of historic material documenting their service to our region, the state and the nation.

Through the generosity of former Trustee John boyle, his sister mary and their family, mercyhurst will also house the helen boyle memorial archives, named to honor former trustee and board ofcer helen boyle of oil city. The archives will honor helen’ s friend, Joan chittister, osb, one of our most prominent graduates as well as one of the most infuential religious leaders today.

as we move forward, we always recall with gratitude the strong foundation laid for us by the sisters of mercy. we honored their legacy this fall by installing mercy and celtic crosses in the classrooms of old main, the building the sisters constructed in 1926. The crosses (pictured at left) remind us daily how blessed we are to be the benefciaries of their vision and hard work.

Mercy Rosary Cross god bless you, and god bless mercyhurst. Created and donated by Daniel Barricklow

Thomas J. Gamble, Ph.D. President, Mercyhurst University

1 The ofce of marketing and public relations publishes Mercyhurst Magazine twice a year.

Editor in susan hurley corbran ’73 [email protected] this issue: (814) 824-2090 1 FRoM the PReSident Contributing Writers abby badach meghan corbin ‘08 3 ReaChing FoR the StaRS sr. mary matthew baltus susan corbran ’73 allison seib 5 honoRing diStinguiShed aluMni Design/Photography 7 exPloRing addiCtionS laboratory fosters student research Jennifer cassano [email protected] 9 aluMni SPotlightS (814) 824-3022 Vice President for 11 gRowing gaRdenS and CollegeS The miller estate External Afairs monsignor david rubino, ph.d. 13 aluMni SPotlightS [email protected] (814) 824-3034 15 SPoRting the ColoRS alumnus spreads laker pride Assistant Vice President for Advancement 16 hoMeCoMing/FaMilY weeKend 2013 ryan palm ’07 [email protected] 17 BReaKing BaRRieRS mercyhurst at the booker T. washington center (800) 845-8568 (814) 824-3320 19 PeeRing into the FutuRe mu prof gets google glass Director, Alumni Relations 21 wRaPPing uP the SPRing SPoRtS SeaSon Tamara walters [email protected] 23 athletiCS hall oF FaMe (814) 824-3350

25 MaKing headlineS what’s happening at mercyhurst Class Notes Editor debra Tarasovitch [email protected] 29 aluMni noteS (814) 824-2392

On the cover: we’d love to hear from you. Students Jaci Davis, Vivian McCullum and Natasha Stewart are pictured in front send your story ideas, of Mercyhurst’s newest campus at the Booker T. Washington Center. See page 17 suggestions and comments to to learn how the initiative is making higher education an option for a very diverse [email protected]. group of students who might otherwise never have attempted college. send changes of address to: Mercyhurst Magazine mercyhurst university 501 e. 38th st. mercyhurst.edu/magazineView this issue online! erie, pa 16546 2 Reaching for the stars. SR. MaRY Matthew BaltuS haS Been ReaChing FoR the StaRS all heR liFe. and, duRing MoRe than 40 YeaRS on the MeRCYhuRSt FaCultY, She’S helPed geneRationS oF StudentS diSCoveR the BeautY and MYSteRY She SeeS in the SKieS.

Story by Sue Corbran

Sister Mary Matthew Baltus, RSM, helped design the observatory when Zurn Hall opened in 1968. It was named in her honor in 1993.

3 she absorbed her fascination with the skies from older brother george, frst her partner in helping neighborhood kids craft launChing an airplanes out of balsa wood and rubber bands, and later her aStRonoMY PRogRaM instructor as she learned to fy the real thing – a biplane george sr. mary matthew recalls the early years of the astronomy program. had refurbished. nancie baltus was 15 when she took her frst when the russians jump-started the space age by launching sputnik fying lesson. in 1957, the Erie Daily Times asked sr. mary charles weschler to help stage a photo. she set up the college’ s small refractor telescope atop during world war ii, she followed her brother ’s lead again. preston hall and gathered a few students to pose with it. george, an aircraft designer with curtiss-wright, told her the government was training women to replace male engineers The publicity stunt prompted a scathing note from dr. John ruiz, who were heading of to war. he convinced nancie to interrupt an astronomer from ossining, n.y., pointing out the girls could not her chemistry studies at mercyhurst to pursue an associate follow a satellite using that equipment. but it also led to a long-term degree in aeronautical engineering at cornell university. relationship between mercyhurst and ruiz, who donated a better telescope and came to erie to install it. he eventually moved to erie, she also kept up her fying lessons, though. when the airport in lectured at mercyhurst often, and continued to donate equipment. ithaca was closed, she hopped on a bicycle and pedaled to the nearest airfeld – 26 miles away – to continue fying. in 1967, when the college built Zurn hall to house the arts and sciences, dr. ruiz worked with sr. mary matthew to design the with her degree in hand, nancie went to work at curtiss-wright, observatory. “ in order to be vibration free, the pier for the telescope helping to prepare engineering drawings for the c-46 cargo had to be anchored in solid earth rock,” she explains. “ when the planes and p-40 pursuit planes manufactured at its bufalo basement level of Zurn was poured, a pier extended 30 feet below plant. as her experience grew, she also found herself crawling the foor and extended above the fourth foor.” sr. mary matthew inside planes on the assembly line to identify and solve tapped her engineering background to supervise installation of the problems. Though she came within a few hours of completing observatory and its 16-foot rotating dome and ruiz helped select a the required practice time, she never did get a pilot ’s license. 10-inch refector telescope with clock drive and solar flters.

EDITOR’S NOTE: At a recent fundraiser for Mercyhurst Prep, Sr. when the 26-year- old observatory was renovated in 1993, Mary Matthew bid on a fight in a fully restored 1943 open- mercyhurst took the opportunity to rename it the baltus cockpit biplane. When the price quickly rose beyond her budget, observatory in sr. mary matthew ’s honor. a Mercyhurst University trustee who’d like to remain anonymous stepped in to match the winning bid and secured a fight for her. SR. Matthew’S ManY RoleS This fall she’ll enjoy a 30-minute ride over Presque Isle with pilot The observatory may be sr. mary matthew ’s most tangible legacy, Scott Allen in a plane much like the one in which she learned to fy. but it ’s only one facet of her contributions to mercyhurst. besides her long teaching career, sr. matthew ’s roles ranged from dean of students to interim academic dean, from frst president of the instead, in 1944, nancie changed course dramatically, joining college senate to advisor of mercyhurst student government, from the sisters of mercy who had so impressed her during the year founder of the earth science department to chair of the science and and a half she studied at mercyhurst. “ i considered them the math division. greatest women i had ever met,” she says now. “ all the time i was at cornell and bufalo, i kept in touch with the sisters of when mercyhurst introduced the intersession in 1967, she teamed mercy. i had a strong desire to join them and to share my life up with dave Thomas and sr. eymard poydock to organize annual with them in service to the church.” soon sr. mary matthew trips to the Virgin islands that allowed students to explore geology, baltus was teaching in catholic grade schools, and returning astronomy and marine biology. to study at the hurst each summer until she completed her degree in math in 1950. she was a lifelong student as well, earning nsf grants to study at major universities around the country, doing astronomical research Then came more teaching, this time math and science at at major observatories, traveling the world to observe solar eclipses, the high school level, while earning two graduate degrees: a visiting egypt and greece on a fulbright scholarship to study their master ’s in math from the university of pittsburgh (1957) and, cultures and landmarks, and taking elderhostel courses. Though she with help from the national science foundation (nsf), a second worked part time in later years, sr. mary matthew remained active on master ’s from rensselaer polytechnic institute (rpi). when she the faculty for some 40 years. even after her retirement in 2001, she got that degree in physical science in 1961, she joined the continued to tutor adult students in math, gathering them around mercyhurst faculty. the dining room table of her home. besides teaching her original specialty, math, she went on to located on the hill south of mercyhurst (next door to mercyhurst found the school ’s earth science department and astronomy prep), the home’ s décor features a number of sr. mary mathew ’s program. an engaging teacher, she quickly turned astronomy watercolors and the backyard boasts a thriving garden that she into one of the most popular courses on campus and helped tends. she’ s also an accomplished knitter and only recently gave up develop one of the school ’s signature scientifc facilities – the kayaking, another favorite hobby. observatory atop Zurn hall. even at 90, the sky ’s still the limit for this remarkable woman. 4 CaSSandRa KuBa, Ph.d. ’97 cassandra kuba received a pair of awards on June 1. mercyhurst presented her with the distinguished alumni award for contributions to her chosen feld – anthropology Honoring – while california university of pennsylvania gave her its president ’s gala award for outstanding service. she’ s been chief forensic anthropologist and assistant professor of our alumni. anthropology in the department of Justice, law & society at cal since 2007. MeRCYhuRSt honoRS Five outStanding aluMni she earned a master ’s degree in human biology at the duRing Reunion weeKend FeStivitieS university of indianapolis, focusing on skeletal biology and dna analysis, and a ph.d. in anthropology from arizona state university, where she focused on biological variations niCholaS PotteR, dPt ’01 – the quirks that diferentiate individuals within groups. when cassandra arrived at california, she helped develop nick potter, who was recognized with the a growth plan to save an anthropology program that faced distinguished young alumni award, earned a elimination. it now enrolls 60 majors. doctor of physical Therapy degree from duke university in 2004 and completed several outside the classroom, cassandra devotes much of her postdoctoral fellowships. hes’ now assistant energy to community outreach, spreading the word about director of athletic rehabilitation at duke, what anthropology is and what it can do – especially to teaches in the dpT program and coordinates young people in local schools. research for duke athletics. she and her students get involved in many pro-bono he focuses on biomechanical analysis, projects near their campus, from helping historic york seek identifying and correcting small defcits in out a roadway leading to a revolutionary war pow camp to normal, healthy athletes to prevent injury locating a stockade house that once protected a farmhouse and enhance performance. dating to 1805.

nick shares his expertise at conferences of major athletic training organizations worldwide. he was on the training staf for the u.s. mens’ basketball teams for the 2008 and 2012 olympics. he was with usa shooting as team physiotherapist at the beijing olympics in 2008 and in london last year.

nick does team consulting with the national football league, english premier soccer league and the national hockey league, as well as working with individual athletes, from brazilian soccer star alexandre pato to kyrie irving, the #1 nba draft pick in 2011.

more recently, nick rehabbed premier quarterback peyton manning through his recovery after neck surgery. manning came to duke for several months, where nick worked on restructuring his throwing motion and mechanics. earlier this year, nick ran what he calls an “ nfl mini-camp” at duke for peyton and eli manning and their receivers.

nick plans to marry ciara connolly in may 2014. an irish student who graduated from she consults for many agencies and recently became a mercyhurst in 2002, ciara has been managing events for fve-star hotels in europe, technical consultant for some of TV ’s fctionalized forensic the middle east and africa. programs. it ’s a perfect job for cassandra, who enjoys creative writing in her limited spare time. she’ s worked on episodes of “”“”“ csi, bones and rizzoli and isles.”

cassandra and her husband, anthony Vincequerra, have a two --year old son, maximilian Xavier.

5 alexiS walKeR, Ph.d. ’74 PieRRe PRieStleY ’81 a distinguished alumni award for contribution to one’ s chosen feld was pierre priestley ’s loyalty and service to his alma mater earned him the presented posthumously to alexis walker, who died in 2012 of chronic distinguished alumni award for contributions to mercyhurst. lymphoma at the age of 60. pierre studied accounting and political as president of mercyhurst science at mercyhurst, and then student government, then graduated from the ohio state university known as the representative moritz college of law. after a decade union of students, alexis working in corporate tax management, became the frst student to sit on he settled into the niche area of taxation mercyhurst ’s board of Trustees. known as “ like kind exchanges.” in 2004 she received the carpe diem he joined investment property exchange award at graduation. services, inc. (popularly known as ipX Ten-Thirty- one) in chicago, where he a home economics and serves as senior vice president and psychology major, alexis went general counsel. he runs the frm’ s on to earn a master ’s degree in personal property division. child development and family life from purdue university and a doctorate in human development and a certifed exchange specialist, he also earned an mba from the university family studies from penn state in 1979. after teaching for several years of chicago in fnance and business policy in 1993. at the university of oklahoma, she joined the faculty of oregon state pierre has remained frmly allied with mercyhurst, regularly attending university in 1984. homecoming, serving as a class agent, returning to lecture during “ alumni promoted to professor in 1992, she went on to serve as director of on campus” events, and representing the hurst wherever he could. osu’ s program on gerontology; co -director of the graduate program he joined the board of the alumni association in 1994-95, beginning a in human development and family sciences; Joanne l. petersen commitment that would last until 2011. he served as the associations chair in gerontology and family studies; and, since 2008, chair of the ’ president from 1996 to 2002, making numerous trips to erie every year for department of human development and family sciences. meetings of the association board and the college’ s board of Trustees. alexis was a gifted teacher and mentor of undergraduate and graduate as an alumni leader, he worked to ensure that all alumni remained students and a talented researcher of family relationships. active in connected, encouraged diversity on the board and reached out to younger the national council on family relations, she served as its president, alumni through social media. edited the leading family studies journal and co-founded the section on feminism and family studies. she also published 44 scholarly articles in pierre also serves as chair of the executive board for phi alpha delta, a legal peer-reviewed journals, edited a book, and contributed 18 chapters to fraternity and service organization. books edited by others.

BoB MeRSKi ’99 mercyhurst honored bob merski with the distinguished alumni award for service to his community, recognizing his work as a special education teacher, a neighborhood organizer, an erie city councilman and more. bob was the last student to complete the cadet Teaching program at mercyhurst and through his early teaching jobs discovered the special rewards of working with “” at risk children. for the past eight years, he’ s taught for the erie city school district, frst a frm believer that we can improve our city one neighborhood at a time, providing support for children with learning diferences at wayne school, bob co-founded the south east hills neighborhood watch group in and now teaching special education math and english at east high school. 2007 and helped create the south east erie farmer ’s market to promote he’ s been a mentor and role model to his students, from coaching sports to local farm goods in erie. . he meets regularly with other residents of his directing the champs after-school enrichment program. neighborhood near the mercyhurst campus. a lifelong democrat, bob became active in local politics during the 2008 bob, who is completing a master ’s degree in educational development presidential campaign. he ran for ofce himself in 2011, becoming the and strategies at wilkes university, is engaged to marry fellow laker emily youngest person ever to win a seat on erie city council. mosco, a 2004 graduate of mercyhurst.

6 Exploring addictions. whY do SoMe PeoPle BeCoMe addiCted to toBaCCo, while otheRS don’t? whY Can SoMe SMoKeRS quit and otheRS Can’t? aRe theRe waYS to PRediCt iF SoMeone will BeCoMe an addiCt?

Story by Allison Seib

7 These are questions psychology professor matthew T. weaver, ph.d., explored during several years as a CRedit CaRd StudY in the credit card study, weaver and team leader kist postdoctoral associate at the university of pittsburgh. That looked specifcally to college-aged students since work opened the door for him to head mercyhurst ’s new credit companies often target 18- to 24-year- olds. laboratory on addiction and impulsive behavior. The team predicted that adolescents and young last spring, weaver and student team leaders Jessica adults with higher credit card debt would be braymiller ’14 and Jordan kist ’15 launched the lab’ s more impulsive than those with lower debt, and frst two studies. one compared social and dependent that credit cardholders in general would be more smokers, while the second probed the connection between impulsive than their non-card-carrying counterparts. impulsive behavior and credit card debt. They questioned about 30 students, many of them “students are highly involved with these studies,” explains freshmen, about their history with credit cards and weaver, who received the b.f. skinner foundations’ early administered two personality questionnaires to career researcher award in 2013. “’ i ve been blown away by measure impulsivity. the students’ response in lab. working in teams has been a collaborative and dynamic process.” The fnal test – known as a “ delay discounting test ” – asked volunteers if they would prefer a small with an estimated 163,000 americans dying each year reward now or a larger reward later. essentially, the from smoking-related illnesses (and another fve million test measures the participant ’s ability to wait before worldwide), braymiller ’s team questioned why adults fnally receiving a reward. continue to smoke despite widespread information about the negative health efects caused by tobacco products. The end results contradicted the teams’ hypothesis: data indicated that students with credit cards The student researchers started with the hypothesis that were actually less impulsive than non-cardholding external “” cues – like a familiar environment or a pack of students. and, among the cardholding students, cigarettes – can cause smokers to subconsciously crave credit card debt was fairly low. tobacco. They set out to determine whether social smokers react diferently to those cues than dependent smokers do They now suspect that the cardholders – many of and whether smokers respond diferently depending on whom had credit cards before college – may have how much nicotine is present in their systems. learned responsibility under the supervision of their parents. The researchers frst divided their 19 test subjects – smokers aged 19-58 – into social smokers and dependent smokers. weaver and his team will also be continuing this The researchers then compared participants’ heart rate, skin study by including even younger subjects. weaver temperature and craving before and after the test. points out that humans learn the most during the frst stages of life, so studying younger people during the test the researchers showed the smokers cues, may help the team to distinguish when and why in this case photos of popular outdoor smoking spots on someone develops a habit or an addiction that the erie campus. models in some held cigarettes, while in continues into adulthood. others the same models held more neutral objects, like cell phones or car keys. while he supervised the teams, weaver notes that students researched, developed and followed The subjects were tested once right after smoking a through with these studies. he specifcally credits cigarette, and on another occasion when they hadn’ t braymiller and kist, both of whom presented their smoked for at least four hours. research at the western pennsylvania undergraduate The results surprised the students, who had fgured that psychology conference in april and plan to present only the dependent smokers would crave cigarettes. They updated fndings at the american psychological found that all smokers, regardless of dependence level, associations’ annual convention this summer. craved a cigarette after four hours of abstinence. even “my students are completely imaginative and more surprising, the dependent smokers reported craving hard working. Jessica and Jordan really drove the cigarettes after they were exposed to the cues even when research home, while i guided them and provided they had just smoked a cigarette. Thus, it appears that a frm foundation,” says weaver. “ The insight and dependent smokers are more afected by the cues than the dedication all started and ended with the team non-dependent smokers. by characterizing the relationship leaders and the assistants. while i was defnitely between smoking cues and dependence level, the group present to help, mostly the students derived the hopes to help prevent social smokers from turning into interpretation and outcomes. overall, it was a dependent smokers, and help those who are already dynamic, creative experience for everyone.” dependent smokers.

8 ReCent gRad BReaKS into FilM woRld for some people, Spotlighting failure isn’ t an option. and smart ones like aspiring director Caitlin our alumni. MacBride ’13 know you sometimes have to start at the bottom.

This summer, caitlyn anChoRS taMe Blowing BlanKetS worked as a production The key to building a successful business is fnding the right assistant (pa) on the set niche, a need that no one is flling. Dawn Adams ’92 thinks of Captain America 2 in that shes’ identifed two such opportunities. cleveland, ohio. for three weeks, the ohio native was one of 50 assistants who helped with crowd control. dawn left erie the day she graduated with her hospitality management degree, excited to start managing a cleveland- it wasn’ t her frst production experience. as a senior at area restaurant. since then, a series of jobs has taken her all mercyhurst, caitlyn wrote and directed her frst movie, over the country and today she maintains residences in both 100, which took frst place in the communication brooklyn and florida. department ’s annual scriptwriting contest.

The two businesses she created are the blanket anchor®, during summer 2012, she logged more than 600 a patent-pending device she invented to keep blankets hours as an intern for producer Tyler davidson on the frmly anchored in the sand at the beach, and christ set of Kings of Summer, formerly named Toy’s House. couture™, a casual christian apparel line. That connection helped caitlyn land her behind-the - scenes position for the Captain America sequel. she and her new partner errol bailey spend 12 to 16 hours a day managing operations for the two product lines, but she’ s extremely determined because she feels that “ working for despite exhausting 14-hour days in extreme weather oneself makes a huge diference.” conditions — including freezing temperatures in early June — she has only good things to say about her The florida location is perfect for her blanket anchor® business. “ you have to have sand to post- graduation temp job. launch a beach product, right?” she laughs. she says she frst saw the need for the product in 2011 after enduring fying sand and blowing blankets during a trip to bermuda. her simple “i have had such positive experiences working on sets, solution: a set of four plastic pegs with 6-inch coiled shafts that twist into sand or grass, despite pretty much doing the grunt work for anyone topped with serrated clamps that hold a blanket or towel securely in place. who needs it,” said caitlyn, who credits her mercyhurst education for her hard work ethic and production blanket anchors® can be customized and a signature flag line branded with a variety of experience. national fags is already available. dawn says she’ll be partnering with a sporting goods company and distributing blanket anchors® in conjunction with international soccer “my professors instilled in me that i can do anything. competitions in spring 2014. The line has expanded to include other branded “” beachy you may have to work 10 times harder, because it ’s accessories such as blankets, towels and sarongs. not always about what you know but rather how professional you act.” The two companies are based in both brooklyn and florida. “ i feel it is imperative to keep an active new york footprint because it ’s the epicenter of business,”’ she says. it s also a did caitlyn get to meet any of the stars of the good base for her christ couture™ clothing line, billed as “ a brand worn by believers.” anticipated box- ofce smash? she’ s relaunching her website and promoting the line using entertainers and celebrities she didn’ t get to meet scarlett Johansson, samuel in new york city. l. Jackson or robert redford, but she did get to see dawn says she owned a plethora of t-shirts featuring nonsense and musical entertainers, captain america himself, chris evans, from afar. and felt god should have a classy line that people would wear in public and not just on even better, she was able to help a very lucky fan, a sundays. “‘ i thought, god, why don’ t you have a cool line? why can’ t i represent you on young boy with down syndrome, and his mother and t-shirts that are cute?’” she quickly designed the christ couture™ logo with the “” T in sister get an autograph and photo with evans. she “”couture symbolizing the cross. The simple, yet subtle, logo is emblazoned on t-shirts, says it was her favorite moment on the set. tanks, hoodies and other everyday items for both adults and children. “ we just want to ofer people the option to wear their faith on their sleeves, literally,” she explains. macbride doesn’ t know where her future will take her; however, she is willing to put in the hard work, as well on the web: originalblanketanchor.com and christcouturemovement.com as relocate to make her dreams come true.

9 aluM SoaRS in tRee- FoRMeR laKeR CliMBing ConteStS exCelS in if climbing trees gets you closer to heaven, as the old saying inline hoCKeY goes, Brian Krawczyk ’95 must be near paradise. a nasty concussion took a year-and-a-half after a decade in the hospitality industry, brian branched bite out of Jackie Jarrell’s ice hockey out into a new career as a certifed arborist, a calling that career at mercyhurst, but she managed to fnd a silver lining in the disappointment. combines his love of nature and the outdoors with his while she was rehabbing, she launched a new career in inline hockey. natural athletic ability. as a member of Team canada, she’s medaled at seven world championships, starting The speed, skill and precision with a silver in her frst outing in 2006 and peaking with a gold in 2012 in colombia he’s developed in his job with (she was the top scorer in the entire tournament). in 2010, Jackie earned mVp honors birchcrest Tree & landscape, and scored the only goal as canada lost to the czechs in the gold medal game. located in the rochester, n.y. her team – which also includes former laker teammates Michelle Bonello and area, have propelled him to Samantha Shirley – lost another close match to the united states in this year’s fnals the top in competitive tree in california. climbing circles. in June, he inline hockey is a very challenging game but does not have as much physical contact won the new york state Tree as ice hockey, Jackie explains. “inline hockey is more about puck control and puck climbing championship possession, being a more spread-out game,” she says. “you don’t take the same for the fourth time, each pounding as you do in ice hockey.”Teams play 4-on-4 with no ofsides or icings. win sending him on to the international Tree climbing championship, sponsored by a forward from belleville, ontario, Jackie had a strong performance for the lakers in the international society of arboriculture. This year’s contest her freshman season, 2003-04, and was leading the team in scoring 10 games into her in Toronto in august brought together the best professional sophomore campaign when she was sidelined by injury. tree climbers from 19 countries. brian placed 12th among 44 entries. Told at frst she might never be able to return to physical activity, she beat the odds thanks to her own determination, some amazing doctors and strong support from competitors perform fve events that test their ability to her family and from the mercyhurst community. “i am so grateful for the opportunity professionally and safely maneuver in a tree while efciently to be able to still play hockey,” she says. inline hockey helped keep her in shape and performing work-related tree-care tasks. brian says he she was cleared to return to the ice for the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons. all told, entered primarily to learn more about his craft and to meet she played 99 games for the hurst, scoring 21 goals and 18 assists. she fnished her new friends, and was amazed when he captured his frst two degree in sports medicine in 2008. state titles. returning to canada, she earned an education degree and taught high school for a even a debilitating accident couldn’t keep brian grounded few years, while also working as a personal trainer, working primarily with athletes, for long. he was ice climbing atop frozen angel falls in and helping with her family’s business, rJ farms, a large dairy farm recognized for its upstate new york in march 2008 when he tumbled to the excellence in breeding. bottom of the gorge, breaking both ankles, his pelvis, two vertebrae and fve ribs and sufering internal injuries. he was last fall, Jackie came back to mercyhurst to pursue a master’s degree in exercise bedridden for three months and spent several more months science. That meant long commutes from ontario to erie to pack all her course in full-time rehab – but in 2009 he not only competed again, requirements into a single year. during that year, she attended and assisted at the but also won his third state title. nhl combine. despite the heavy academic load, she also made time for strenuous workouts in preparation for this year’s world championships. The canadian women That devastating free-fall was due to his own error, he play in men’s leagues in Toronto. “playing against the men helps us become quicker concedes – he failed to do some routine safety checks that and stronger,” she says. would have revealed the problem with his rigging. “because of that, everything i do now is safer. i double and triple check while her goal is a career as a teacher and training high-level athletes, she also everything,” he says. expects to skate for Team canada for years to come. The team already has its sights set on another gold medal at the 2014 world championships in france. and she with wife colleen and kids clare and Quinn waiting at home hopes that one day her sport will fnd a home in the summer olympics or the pan- for him, that emphasis on safety is especially important. american games.

These days he doesn’t do much climbing except in his Pictured with the silver medals they won at this year’s FIRS (Fédération Internationale beloved trees, but he says he never contemplated giving de Roller Sports) World Championships are former Lakers Jackie Jarrell ‘08, Samantha that up. even when he feared he might lose his foot, he Shirley-Harris ’06 and Michelle Bonello ‘07. Sam, who married Brad Harris on July 7, 2012, swore he’d fnd a way to climb again. “This is who i am. works as a sales manager for Adidas Group Canada; Michelle is training to become a without it i’d be lost. i wouldn’t know who i was. Quitting frefghter. Both Sam and Michelle live in Mississauga, Ontario. just wasn’t an option,” he says.

10 Growing gardens and colleges.

Miller gift creates new learning lab for culinary students at North East

Story by Abby Badach

3

11 Thanks to a generous gift from a university friend, trustee and tRanSFoRMing a PaSSion FoR gRowing a cool breeze futters the drooping limbs of weeping philanthropist, mercyhurst university hoMe into a laB cherry and crabapple trees. fat, fuzzy bumblebees linger – The north east campus is growing for 25 years, the millers and their seven on vibrant rhododendron blossoms. it ’s a stunning array once again. children lived at the 12-acre residence. of fora – in fact, more than 1,000 specimens of plants The property, valued at more than $1 The culinary and hospitality associate and trees, impeccably planned so something will always million, features a 5,600-square-foot home, degree programs will have a new be in bloom from may through september. gorgeous gardens, spacious garage and home at nearly nine acres of the miller a rustic barn. “you know, it would be nice if these trees could tell estate, 1640 freeport rd. in north stories,” miller says, strolling through the lush gardens. east, a gift of robert and Janet miller. The miller estate will become an interactive culinary and hospitality learning lab with if they did, they ’d have a lot to say. when miller and his The estates’ location – across the high-end, professional-grade equipment. family moved to the property from westfeld, n.y., they street from campus, close to the The plan will roll out in two phases. brought with them two chest-high evergreen trees to newly relocated mercyhurst farm transplant. when a large tree limb fell and hacked of and next door to the north east first, thanks to a donation from hilton the evergreens’ small branches, miller gently tended public schools – will prove especially worldwide, the university will install a them back to health, reshaping them with wire and valuable, says dr. ken Zirkle, chief demo hotel room with real hilton furniture, strategically placed weights. looking at the towering, operating ofcer and associate fxtures and equipment, as well as an sturdy evergreens now, one would have no idea of their provost at mercyhurst north east. industrial laundry lab. This unique hands- traumatic past. on learning opportunity will open many “This picturesque property will help doors for mercyhurst students, notes daryl “i like to grow things,” bob miller says. “ gardens, kids, us develop culinary and hospitality georger, assistant professor of hospitality. businesses, colleges.” programs that will receive national The housekeeping class won’ t just memorize recognition,”“ Zirkle said. furthermore, There were no gardens on the property when the the most efcient way to clean a room it will allow us to expand partnerships family moved in, but miller planted perennials – – they’ll walk through one, based on time - with the north east school district – accented with annuals – each year, transforming the motion studies that analyze efciency our neighbors, right next door.” yard into a verdant retreat. between the gardens and in sanitation and cost savings in labor. the fve acres of concord grapes, mercyhurst students miller noted that one of his main hospitality engineering students will learn will experience hands-on opportunities in horticulture, motivations for gifting the property from the inside out how things are specifed, landscaping and viticulture. was to increase collaboration delivered and set within a room – and what between mercyhurst and the north to do if something malfunctions. “it was a lot of fun creating it,”“ miller said. it will be east community. exciting to see it continue to grow as a great asset “’we ve been really blessed to receive these for mercyhurst.” “The partnerships that will take kinds of donations,” georger said. “ between root here will promote the growth this and the newly constructed center for and development of young academic engagement on the erie campus, Continuing a legaCY people through hands-on learning our culinary and hospitality programs will miller ’s generosity has been a key piece of the opportunities,”“ he said. That will, continue to be world-class.” mercyhurst north east story since it opened in 1991, in turn, beneft the growth and thanks to his backing. since then, miller has continued The second phase of the plan, still in development of the community.” to help propel the campus to new heights with two preliminary development, will modernize $1 million challenge grants through the robert s. and The miller estate, ofcially gifted the barn into a state - of-the-art culinary Janet l. miller family foundation, frst to establish an to the university in 2012, has already instructional kitchen – think “ food network ” endowment that has since surpassed $2 million, and been the setting for the university ’s style. initial plans include a demonstration then to open the Janet l. miller center for growth and popular series of community kitchen and a conference room for classes, academic excellence (formerly the first national bank cooking classes. meetings or events. The conference room building on station road). will also be outftted with small sinks and “mr. miller has always been faucets for wine tastings. students at both the north east and erie campuses so supportive,” said beth ann will have access to the miller estate labs. georger sheldon, director of the hospitality sheldon notes that the proposed open says this unique facility will give students hands-on management programs on the erie foor plan of the new culinary hub will opportunities unparalleled by any school in the region. and north east campuses and the allow students to have a clear view of their culinary and wine institute. “ not only instructors and fellow students. “mr. miller is one of the fnest men i’” ve ever met, is this an absolutely gorgeous piece of he said. “’ i m not only excited because of the facilities “in the kitchens, students enhance their property, it ’s in the perfect location to that are being constructed, but also what ’s already learning in lab by observing each other become a cornerstone and a bridge on this gorgeous piece of property. The miller estate as well as their instructors,” she said. between the university and the can help us fulfll the mission of the university and give “chefs learn many tricks of the trade community of north east.” us the newest, brightest learning opportunities for from each other.” our students.” 12 winning on the PoweR PlaY Spotlighting The power play burger at the ale ‘’n angus pub proved a big hit our alumni. with fans of the syracuse crunch hockey team – and ReMeMBeR when? an even bigger hit CeC walK-a-thon, MaY 1975 with judges when the new york beef The mel brooks classic Blazing Saddles came out in industry council 1974. so when three mercyhurst students set out sought out new york state’ s best burger. on a really long walk the following spring, it was The burger, created by pub owner/manager probably inevitable that the Merciad account would Matt Beach ’03, just captured its second be titled “ blazing feet.” straight state title. matt will return to las Vegas The overheated feet belonged to Bob Dubik ‘78, in november to take another crack at the world Mike Carrig ‘79 and Joe Pacinelli ‘78, students in food championships after fnishing 12th out of 50 the cadet Teaching program and members of the contestants in 2012. council for exceptional children (cec). To help fll when matt fnished the hospitality program at Teresa Fiumara Dubik ‘75 the clubs’ cofers and provide scholarships, the trio and Bob Dubik ‘78 mercyhurst and went to work for the bob evans decided to walk from erie to meadville and back. restaurant chain, he already knew he wanted others had already walked that walk, though, so they upped the ante and hiked to to start his own business within fve years. he ashtabula, ohio – a roundtrip of well over 80 miles. opened his traditional american pub in downtown syracuse (not far from the home arena of the They headed west from mercyhurst at about 5 a.m. on friday, may 9, and reached american hockey league crunch) in 2005. ashtabula that evening. according to the Merciad, they then called a cab to take them out to dinner. he wears a variety of hats at the pub, from human resources manager to food and beverage The student paper reported, “ bob explained the situation. when they started out, manager, to accountant, to cook. he says his they set a pace for themselves of 10 minutes of running and 10 minutes of walking. mercyhurst education prepared him for all those The pace degenerated to 10 minutes of running and 20 minutes of walking. by the roles, providing solid background in business and time they reached ashtabula, they were walking steadily (?).”’ There s no byline on management techniques, food and beverage the story, but bob says the author was Teresa Fiumara ’75 – whos’ now his wife. pricing, labor and food costs, working with the Though Joe developed knee problems and couldn’ t fnish the walk, bob and mike public, and day-to -day running of the facility. left early the next morning to make the return trip. a cheering crowd met them at matt launched the power play burger – an 8-ounce the mercyhurst gates around 9 p.m. angus patty topped with 3 ounces of thinly sliced “having run a couple of marathons now, i know the whole thing was kind of foolish,” prime rib and american cheese – by giving away bob laughs. “ it was like running back-to-back marathons.” he also notes they ignored coupons at crunch games. fueled in part by the advice from some of their friends in roTc and walked in sneakers instead of popular sandwich, matt says he’ s seen his sales combat boots. soar. he also credits his use of high quality beef and fresh produce and bread from local suppliers, pledges from students, faculty and neighboring businesses raised some $850, his large selection of beers, and his focus on according to the Merciad. bob says the money created the brian mchugh friendly customer service for the restaurant ’s scholarship fund to honor the cec advisor and long-time special education continuing growth. professor at mercyhurst. for several years, the fund provided $100 scholarships to help special ed majors pay for their books. matt and his wife, amanda, have two sons, 4-year- old eli and 3-year- old seth, and a bulldog bob, capping of a long career in teaching and administration, has been named schmitty. in his spare time, he enjoys golf, superintendent of the cazenovia central school district near syracuse, n.y., for the snowmobiling and lacrosse. past decade. he plans to retire at the end of the 2013-2014 year. he and Teresa have two children: coy and cole. he serves on the board of directors of the mercyhurst on the web: worldfoodchampionships.com and university alumni association. alenanguspub.com

13 theateR PRogRaM taKeS gaRden naMed FoR ‘diS’ out oF diSaBilitY enviRonMental PioneeR

Mary Hofman ’74 and mary ellen lieb (wife of a lot has changed on the mercyhurst fnance director Jim lieb ’74) were a bit environmental front in the uncomfortable stepping into the spotlight last spring to more than four decades accept their rave award as adult Volunteers of the year since Sr. Maura Smith, from the Junior league of erie. RSM ’48, was hired to teach biology at mercyhurst The two usually prefer to watch from the wings while college. mercyhurst now their students – dozens of adults with special needs – has a sustainability ofce, take center stage in their annual musical productions. a sustainable agriculture This year’s Fiddler on the Roof was the 26th show in a program at the north east series they call “inspire.” campus, academic programs mary and mary in sustainability studies, and ellen, both an annual weeklong celebration of earth day (the frst of which in 1970 was now retired organized by sister maura herself). now, a new garden on campus honors the as special sister of mercy who paved the way for all these thriving sustainability initiatives. education The sr. maura smith peace garden was created to celebrate the mercyhurst teachers with sustainability award presented to sr. maura in 2009. it was an appropriate tribute the millcreek to the bufalo, n.y., native whose upbringing on her family’s dairy farm cultivated Township her passion for farming and gardening. school district, Mary Ellen Lieb and Mary Hofman ’74 teamed up Though she was honored by the award, sr. maura asked that any gift be given in the 1980s to make sure their students would have back to the university. “i’m just happy to be remembered for my part in the opportunities even after they graduated. The night environmental movement,” said sr. maura. “i think the more we can do for the school class they created soon morphed into a unique earth, the better. The planet doesn’t owe us anything; we owe mother nature, theater company. and we must pay our dues.” it takes most of spring term to prepare each show. “we The sr. maura smith peace garden is located behind warde hall on the mercy extract the songs from the plays and the kids – some as walkway, a path that leads both to mercyhurst preparatory school, where sister old as their 50s – act out the songs to the best of their maura was principal from 1977 to 1987, and to the sisters of mercy motherhouse, ability,” mary explains. “a narrator tells the rest of the where she now lives. The garden features many edible plantings, including story in between numbers.” community gifts and many a dwarf apple tree – a tribute to the nearby apple orchard that predated dedicated volunteers help provide costumes, props and mercyhurst on the property and sr. maura once helped tend. also featured are simple backdrops. a dwarf cherry tree, strawberries, blueberries, onion and oregano, as well as a colorful assortment of sr. maura’s favorite fowers, including violas, pussy willows, for Fiddler, students performed all the popular songs holly, hydrangeas, junipers, phlox, peonies, day lilies and hostas. from “Tradition” to “sunrise, sunset” to “if i were a rich man,” but the narration downplayed darker aspects of the as a professor, sr. maura was passionate not only about the environment but plot. “i have worked with people with special needs my also about social justice more broadly and the cause of world peace. as she entire life and their self-expression is simple, beautiful and taught about environmental issues, she helped students and colleagues grasp enviable,” mary says. “i enjoy their perspective on life – that the connections between, for example, the degraded state of the environment everything is beautiful and that is the way it should be.” and social injustice. by the time next year’s show rolls around (it may be in 2000, sr. maura worked with new history professor dr. chris magoc to launch Godspell), mary will have been teaching several of the the mercyhurst green Team. now known as the sustainability committee, the cast members for 40 years, since they were in her frst group of students, faculty and administrators has produced impressive results, elementary school class. including dramatically increased recycling rates on campus; a 100 percent investment in wind energy; installation of a green roof on the ceramics lab in “it’s so cool to see these kids fourish as people,” she says. Zurn hall; establishment of an organic and sustainable gardening program “it takes the ‘dis’ out of disability and just shows of their now housed at mercyhurst north east; and the launch of on-campus composting abilities.” it’s a magical experience for the 800 or so people in 2012. who pack the auditorium each year. appointed to the university’s board of Trustees in 1980, sr. maura still serves as a mary downplays talk about her contributions. “This is the Trustee emerita and continues to weigh in on matters that can positively impact best thing i’ve ever done for me,” she insists. the campus environment.

14 Sporting

the colors. By Scott Koskoski, ‘00

Was I in the right place at the right time or is “Hurst Nation” really growing by leaps and bounds?

my ofce is two time zones away from home, and as a professional nonproft administrator and consultant, it ’s safe to say that i spend a lot of time on trains, planes and automobiles.

Throughout my travels over the summer of 2013, i saw mercyhurst pride in a few places i’ d never expect to: a bumper sticker on a car at a knoxville, Tenn., walmart. a group of three students wearing ‘hurst t-shirts on a garden city, s.c., beach. and on a dufel bag in the denver airport (it looked lonely at baggage claim; i hope it found its rightful owner!).

none of that is exactly earth-shattering news, i know, and it ’s the kind of thing many other (larger) universities take for granted, especially those with 80,000-seat football stadiums or iconic brands. Scott Koskoski with kids Olivia, Ben and Jack in their Mercyhurst gear. but my sightings, i hope, are a sign of much more spreading of ‘hurst pride to come. as recently as last decade when i graduated and moved around the country often as a young professional, the typical question i received when wearing mercyhurst apparel was either “’ what s mercyhurst?” or “- mercy where?” and here i thought our cameo appearance - despite the unfortunate creative decision to dress mercyhurst in the colors of dreaded crosstown rival gannon university - in Tom hanks’ hit That Thing You Do introduced us to the world back in 1997.

mercyhurst is a known entity now, though - and the best is yet to come. Thanks to exploding successful academic programs with national and international presence, nationally ranked athletic teams boasting conference and national championships, and, of course, the change to university status, outsiders and perfect strangers are coming to know the blue & green and the lakers who wear it.

This is really our time - so i guess i shouldn’ t be so surprised to see the mercyhurst brand pop up in places (and parking lots) i’ d never guessed. in the evolution of every university of distinction you can name, there is that moment, or series of moments, where the true emergence happens. Theres’ a reason the waiter at my table in dallas last night knew that mercyhurst was “ that good hockey school up in pennsylvania” or that the government contractor i met at a networking conference heard me mention mercyhurst and exclaim to others in the room, “’ it s the best intelligence program in the country, if not the world.”

This grassroots marketing is up to us to continue, though!

check out the bookstores’ website and pick up a bumper sticker; dust of a t-shirt (it can be the wrong shades of color, and even say college), and download (for free!) the seasonal mercyhurst screensavers inspired by your alumni board of directors. if each of us - every alumnus out there - could do our “” one thing to show pride in our alma mater, imagine the collective marketing impact - which, of course, will have tangible and direct benefts on admissions, giving and more.

p.s. i didn’ t see any gannon colors on that south carolina beach this summer - therefore, it was a great vacation!

15 Coming LAKERS OF ALL AGES gathered to enjoy the festivities at home again. Homecoming/FAMILY WEEKEND 2013.

16 Breaking barriers. ‘huRSt PaRtneRS with BooKeR t. waShington CenteR to BRing College to eRie’S inneR CitY

Story by Sue Corbran

Natasha Stewart, 26, is close to completing her associate degree in business through mercyhurst university at the booker T. washington center (bTwc), but that ’s just the frst of many goals for this ambitious young woman.

after graduating with honors from east high in 2005, she worked to help her family, frst as a housekeeper and later as a chef (a job where she discovered her passion for cooking). she also had four children; her determination to make a good life for them pushed her to fnally start college in 2011.

she kept attending classes even when she lost her job and found herself homeless for several months. when he learned that she and her kids were Twaneshia Johnson and daughter Zhiya sleeping in shelters, bTwc executive director bill Jefress ofered her part-time work in the center ’s kitchen as well as help in obtaining a home for her family.

Today the family ’s living in that home, and natasha also runs a small restaurant called Tashas’ fabulous flavors, the frst step toward the restaurant/ ballroom shed’ one day like to operate.

while still managing a full course load, natasha also launched a second business. she already has several local professionals signed up as clients for natashas’ cooking and cleaning services.

natasha hopes to eventually pursue more degrees, up to and including a doctorate. “ you just have to keep pushing for your dreams,” she says simply.

is natasha a typical bTwc student? no – but then there really isn’ t a typical student at mercyhurst’ s urban education initiative in eries’ center city. it has made college an option for a very diverse group of students who might otherwise never have attempted it. some students are totally unprepared for college and need extra help in reading and math before they can go further. others have strong academic backgrounds, but “ life got in the way” before they reached a college campus.

some are recent high school graduates not quite sure whether they ’re ready for college; others have already been working for decades. some never believed they had what it takes to succeed; others are looking for second chances to complete their degrees.

mercyhurst ’--s three year old partnership with the booker T. washington center takes education directly to all these underserved populations, breaking down barriers that kept these students out of college in the past. “ They can get the same high-quality education we provide at mercyhurst, but in a location close to home and at a cost that ’s very afordable,” says president dr. Thomas gamble. it ’s a mission the founding sisters of mercy would approve.

17 Natasha Stewart dr. John parente, director of services for the course load. in 2014, she says, she may tackle venture, assures prospective students that Mu FaCeS at BtwC the nursing program at north east. eventually cost doesn’t need to be an issue. most low- when Vivian McCullum enrolled at bTwc in she wants to earn a bachelor’s degree in income students qualify for enough federal 2010, she says it was like coming home. That nursing – and dreams of one day entering and state aid and mercyhurst scholarships to helped overcome her fears about starting medical school. cover tuition at bTwc. college in her 40s. while she says her family has been a huge more problematic for many students is the help, the convenient location and caring confdence gap: many are intimidated by staf at bTwc have made it possible to keep the prospect of tackling college-level work. progressing toward her ultimate goal – a staying within their comfort zone helps; so good life for her and her daughter. does individualized attention from faculty , 38, is fnally completing the and staf. The location makes transportation Jaci Davis college education she began on mercyhurst’s easier, and a schedule packed with evening main campus after her graduation from east and weekend classes accommodates high in 1993. students with family and work obligations. it’s a small community where children are Vivian McCullum she had fnished her freshman year and was welcomed, too. looking toward a career in education when a high-risk pregnancy threw her of course. shantel hilliard, a 2002 mercyhurst graduate she was part of the center’s youth council in who’s associate director of the bTwc, says the the late ‘70s. later she and her four kids used John Parente and Jaci Davis goal is to place students in situations where center services from after-school and summer they can succeed and provide them with programs to medical and dental clinics. all the support they need to do so. The frst step for many of them is his contemporary after a divorce, as she raised the kids alone, a social problems class, where students learn caseworker recognized Vivian’s potential and to research and think critically about complex pointed her toward an ofce skills training issues and become confdent in their ability program at gecac. she’s worked full time at to express opinions orally and in writing and the erie social service agency for nearly 20 to present in front of a group. years now, but she always wanted more. at the start in 2010, 13 students enrolled once her kids started college, she laughs, she at bTwc and just three courses were knew she couldn’t allow them to have higher now she’s pursuing a business degree ofered each term. This fall, more than 70 education than she did. focusing on human resources, and she’s philosophical about that long gap in her students are enrolled and they could choose by the end of this academic year, Vivian studies. “i needed that 20 years of,” she says. from 16 courses, ranging from biology to hopes to have her associate degree, and she’s “when i went to college the frst time, it was microeconomics to music appreciation. looking ahead to a four-year degree and a because it was expected. it’s totally diferent career as a case manager. “someone helped This year, for the frst time, students will be now. i’m my own investment and i’m going to me,” she says. “There’s a young woman out able to complete an associate degree in make good on that investment.” business right at bTwc. other students hope there who needs to hear my story and to continue in allied health programs at realize that life doesn’t end just because Jaci still works part-time as a nurse aide, mercyhurst north east, or are taking liberal you have children.” but now she hopes for a more fnancially rewarding career to support her family. “i’m arts courses that will allow them to transfer to , at 19, is a traditional- Twaneshia Johnson driven by that,” she says. “i want my children another mercyhurst campus or elsewhere. aged college student with some untraditional and grandchildren to be proud of yaya.” parente, who holds a doctorate in higher responsibilities. she worried that her age, her other education from penn state university, came she had planned to enter mercyhurst north responsibilities and her lack of computer skills to erie when his wife, dr. amy parente, joined east for winter term 2012 until she learned would hold her back. instead, she’s become the chemistry faculty at mercyhurst. he was that she was pregnant and that her baby was part of a family at bTwc, in which the goal is quickly recruited to oversee the fedgling due the frst day of classes. parente found a for everyone to succeed. program at bTwc. “we get to witness some way to let her start college on time, just at a incredible transformations,” he refects. diferent location. “mercyhurst is a factor for their success, but it’s the drive of the students that pushes when daughter Zhiya arrived, Twaneshia them toward their goals. i tell our students all missed the frst two weeks of classes. after the time to ‘use us,’ to take advantage of the that, understanding instructors helped her opportunities that are before you.” catch up and then complete her frst two courses. since then she’s carried a full-time

18 Peering into the future. CoMMuniCation PRoF aMong the FiRSt to exPeRiMent with google glaSS

Story by Meghan Corbin

Students in Meghan Corbin’s communication classes are helping her evaluate the potential for using Google Glass in higher education.

19 let me begin by saying i never win texts or google cards (my cards include anything. ever. That ’s until march 28, 2013. things like my daily schedule, weather, the Plan That evening i was sitting on my couch sports scores and local restaurant specials). as i write this, i’ m preparing for another when my phone alerted me to a direct semester of class and wondering how i can try i had won the opportunity to get glass a message tweet. glass in class. lots of debate has been had over year before it would become available to integration of technology in the classroom and, “’you re invited to join our #glassexplorers the general public. but (theres’ always a in fact, about glass itself. i have always advocated program. woohoo! make sure to follow us - “but”), it turns out there is no such thing utilizing technology in the higher ed classroom, we’ll dm in the coming weeks.” as a free glass. we “” winners got to cough rather than restricting it. glass is the next thing, up $1,500 for our new specs and had to but it ’“”s a big next. one of the tangible ways if the message was true, i had just become travel – at our own expense – to one of two i plan to use glass is by visually editing my one of only 8,000 in the world to gain entry google locations: chelsea market, n.y., or students’ assignments. This will provide each into the google glass explorer program. Venice beach, calif. i chose chelsea market student with not only an electronically edited in february i noticed fellow tweeters for its proximity to erie. doing a round- copy, but also an accompanying video that posting with “#ifihadglass.” To enter i trip fight from bufalo to new york city will include a voiceover explaining why i made needed to tweet 140 characters or less in less than 12 hours was probably a little the edits. i will also be working on visual tours about what i would do if i had glass. my frst crazy, but i, of course, rationalized it by my of campus and potential training videos on a thought was “ how cool would it be for my motivation to get glass. after a one-hour variety of topics. set-up and training in the chelsea market students to try?” – i teach communication mercyhurst students will also provide feedback after all. so i tweeted “ engage students google loft, i began my journey with glass on June 22. to glass’ utility. a few communication students in discovering its potential in a higher will have the opportunity to try glass in fall education classroom #ifihadglass and ” i’ ve had glass for a few months and can talk term as part of research on how students can didn’ t think about it again. about its current ups and downs. however, use (and misuse) the new technology. you can now i was staring at a tweet that said i had the beauty of beta testing is that at the read my blog to learn more about the research won. of course, i thought the message beginning of every month, google pushes questions i’ m focusing on, but i’ll be looking at was a virus. Thankfully, i investigated and updates to all explorers. for example, one technology integration in the classroom, ethical found out it was valid, and i really did win of the frst updates i saw was a new os considerations, advantages and disadvantages a chance to try the latest and greatest in and then a browser. They are listening to to other existing technology, advertising and google technology – google glass. the explorers and making changes so when marketing potential for business, and generally the public can purchase glass (at about half how glass will change a user ’s life—the good, the google product director steve lee explains the explorer ’s cost) in spring 2014, it will bad and the ugly. glass best: “ we wondered, what if we be much more sophisticated than the brought technology closer to your senses? current version. Though i don’ t wear glass every day, i have would that allow you to more quickly get become used to the stares, mobbing, whispers information and connect with other people The audio function is probably one of the and being referred to as “ that guy from star Trek.” but do so in a way – with a design – that most interesting features, but it is still a many want to try them on, which i am happy to gets out of your way when you’ re not work in progress. The audio comes from accommodate (that ’s the point of testing them, interacting with technology?” the arm of glass, but it doesn’ t actually right?!) and, i am used to answering the same project outward; it uses vibrations to three most frequently asked questions: can you glass rests on the bridge of your nose much conduct sound to the bones in the back of see through me? (answer is “ no.”) does it have like typical eyewear, but ironically there is the user ’s head. i can hear it; others can’ t. facial recognition? (answer is also “ no.”) do you no glass, no lenses. “” glass refers to a small, unfortunately, sometimes i can’ t hear it know my information by looking at me? (answer plastic, clear visual display cube that has a either. i found ear buds help block out is “” no, but if your name is on your bag, name V-shaped prism inside it. Thankfully for me external noise so i can have a phone call. tag, etc., i will respond with “ yes, [insert your – the ultimate klutz – it is not made of glass. however, my call recipients indicate it ’s name here].” i may or may not tell you that i’ m i’ m assuming google plastic didn’ t have difcult to hear me or they hear echoes perceptive, not using glass.) quite the same traction with focus groups. in calls, forcing me to give up glass and retreat back to my mobile phone. it has been energizing to be among the frst glass functions much like your smart to use glass, and i’ m excited mercyhurst phone, providing you text messages (it my favorite feature of glass is maps. students once again have access to the latest works best with android phones), phone navigating new york was a breeze. i simply in technology. They not only will be among the calls, video chats, news, google searches, said, “ ok glass, get directions to penn frst to use it, but also very well may help pave chrome cards, directions and much more. station” and voila! – a map with an arrow new paths for its use. hands-on opportunities, The commands and “” texting are all verbally popped up, pointing my way to the train faculty-student research and access to typically activated. The right arm of glass acts like a station. as i turned, so did the arrow. so i unavailable technology may be just another mouse, allowing the user to tap to select aligned the arrow with the route line and typical day at the hurst, but this time we can see and slide a fnger along the arm to scroll started walking. The directions poured into it through glass! forward or backward through a website, my ear as well just like your gps or phone. on the web: glassinclass.blogspot.com 20 Individual athletes stand out senior forward christine bestland and junior forward shelby bram participated in canadas’ national womens’ development Team selection camp in august at hockey canada’ s Wrapping up home arena in calgary, alberta. mercyhurst assistant coach delaney collins, who played for hockey canada from 1998 through 2011, was the season. named an assistant coach. Two mens’ hockey players took part in nhl prospect development camps this summer, junior forward ryan misiak with the new Jersey devils and Men’s lacrosse highlights senior forward daniel o ’donoghue with the calgary flames. spring sports season mens’ lacrosse had one of its most lisett calderon of the womens’ water polo team was named to the 2013 successful seasons ever – and the most association of collegiate water polo coaches (acwpc) all-american first dramatic in laker lore. mercyhurst went Team. The senior capped her career with 99 points this season. 18-1, advancing all the way to the ncaa championship in philadelphia. field hockey players kelsey lovelace and blair pembleton visited scotland in June to play in coach chris ryans’ squad posted a second consecutive undefeated regular the 2013 scottish friendship series. selected season, joining the 2012 edition as the lone teams in school history in any to usa athletes international, they played for sport to go unbeaten through a regular season. They won the inaugural coach lindsay Jackson, a 2006 mercyhurst eastern college athletic conference (ecac) regular season and tournament graduate who’ s now the head coach at championships. The lakers set school records with six one - goal wins, limestone college. including two overtime victories in the ncaa Tournament, and the most games won in a single season. They defeated six teams ranked in the top 12 of Tennis coach Jerome simon was named the 2013 wilson/iTa atlantic region the fnal united states intercollegiate lacrosse association (usila) poll. womens’ Tennis coach of the year. simon led the womens’ tennis team to a 15-5 overall record in 2012-13. The lakers pulled out many close victories late in games, but saved their most thrilling fnish for the fnal home match of the season. in one of the andrew wagner was named to the 2013 wildest games in ncaa Tournament history, mercyhurst beat then-second- united states intercollegiate lacrosse ranked limestone, 18-17, in overtime on may 18. association (usila) all-american first Team. brian scheetz was selected to the second team coach chris ryan was named the 2013 captainu division ii men’ s lacrosse and Zac reid earned honorable mention. college coach of the year. redshirt junior outfelder ryan siegel played with the marthas’ Vineyard sharks of the futures collegiate baseball league of new england, claiming Men’s rowing competes at the 2013 league batting title with a .373 average and helping the sharks Henley Royal Regatta earn the regular season championship with a 35-18 record. oXfordshire, england - The mercyhurst university mens’ rowing Scholastic honors pour in team made its second appearance in the prestigious henley royal regatta athletes representing many laker teams were honored for their outstanding in July, falling to a composite crew academic achievements as well. a sampling: of Taurus boat club & star club in its opening race. since the regatta is a one-and-done competition, that seven mercyhurst teams earned Top Team gpa awards for 2012-13 to lead concluded mercyhurst ’s quest for the Visitors’ challenge cup. the pennsylvania state athletic conference (psac). mercyhurst also held the highest cumulative gpa among all of its student-athletes that compete in representing mercyhurst on the four-man boat were ivan palikuca in the psac sports, combining for a 3.252 gpa. stroke position, david cullmer in seat three, Xavier alexander in seat two, and kevon bridges in the bow position. Jef murt also went with the team Two hundred sixty laker student-athletes earned 2012-13 pennsylvania as an alternate. state athletic conference (psac) scholar- athlete honors. mercyhurst had the most student-athletes featured on the list, which recognizes student- athletes with a grade point average of 3.25 or higher. forty-seven percent

Baseball program reaches goal for new facility of mercyhurst players were honored this year, the second-highest fgure with help from several large donations, laker baseball raised the $60,000 it in the conference. mercyhurst also recognized 356 lakers as mercyhurst needed to begin construction of a new indoor facility on mercyhurst ’s main scholar-athletes for achieving a gpa of at least 3.0. That represents 64 campus. The gifts, plus university matching funds, will build two batting percent of our athletes. cages, four pitching mounds, and 40 lockers. Trevor Vargo of men’ s lacrosse won the ncaa elite 89 award for having the “i am completely overwhelmed by the generosity of our alums, parents and highest gpa at the lacrosse national championship site. Jorn van der Veer friends of the mercyhurst baseball program,” said head coach Joe spano. “ This of mens’ tennis took the pennsylvania state athletic conference (psac) indoor facility will greatly improve and enhance the laker baseball experience champion-scholar athlete of the year award, given to the student-athlete and i am sincerely thankful for everyone who made this opportunity a reality. with the highest gpa at the conference championship site. (Jorn was also an i’ ve never been more proud to call myself a laker.” all-psac selection in singles.) 21 senior forwards gina buquet and lauren Jones and freshman goaltender Julia former laker outfelder david lough ’07 diTondo of womens’ hockey were named college hockey america student- had an impressive year with the kansas city athletes of the year. royals in the american league’ s central division. lough fnished the 2013 season with The women’ s water polo team recorded the sixth- a batting average of .286, fve home runs and highest grade point average in the nation. The 33 runs batted in. lakers had nine student-athletes land association of collegiate water polo coaches (acwpc) all- Jamie walczak ’09 is working his way up the minor league baseball academic awards and compiled a 3.36 gpa in ranks. he played this summer for pensacola, the double -a afliate of the the 2012-13 school year. cincinnati reds, and is now playing for the glendale desert dogs in the arizona fall league. mens’ hockey placed 15 players on the atlantic hockey association all-academic Team. former laker Jon dziomba, who plays for the san angelo colts in the independent united league, has won the 2013 batting title. he hit a brian scheetz and Zac reid of mens’ lacrosse were named to the 2013 united career-best .354 with two home runs and 39 rbis in 79 games for states intercollegiate lacrosse association (usila) scholar all-america Team. the colts. both student-athletes were also recognized as usila all-americans. former mercyhurst university mens’ hockey standout paul chiasson The mens’ lacrosse team landed 23 student-athletes on the 2013 eastern has signed a professional contract with the east coast hockey league’ s college athletic conference (ecac) all-academic Team. The lakers, who also (echl) san francisco bulls, an afliate of the national hockey league’ s advanced to the ncaa championship, had the most players on the list. san Jose sharks.

The volleyball team earned an american Volleyball North East coaches association (aVca) Team academic award The saints softball team set a school for the 2012-13 season.The awards honor teams record with 44 wins and just 12 that compile at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade losses. They advanced to the national point average throughout the school year. Tournament and fnished 9th in the nation. The womens’ lacrosse team was named a 2013 academic honor squad by the intercollegiate freshman ronette claar was named 1st team womens’ lacrosse coaches association all conference, 1st team all region and 1st team all (iwlca), and lakers sarah stokes, anna american, as well as female freshman athlete of the legrett and kayla minner earned spots on the year in the conference. another freshman, alayna academic honor roll. The team achieved a carlson, was also named 1st team all conference cumulative grade point average of 3.383. and 1st team all region.

Alumni updates softball coach brian dewey ’00 was named east region coach of the former womens’ hockey player Jess Jones ’12 was selected in the frst round of year and fnished 2nd in the national coach of the year voting. the 2013 canadian womens’ hockey league (cwhl) draft, picked third overall by the brampton Thunder. Jones will join four other former lakers currently dylan goodill, who competed in lacrosse and swimming, was awarded playing in the cwhl: forwards meghan agosta- marciano (montreal stars), the medal of honor at graduation, given to the student with the highest kelley steadman (boston blades), Vicki bendus (brampton Thunder) and bailey gpa. paula harrison-grubbs (basketball/ volleyball) bram (brampton Thunder). was named female student athlete of the year, while aaron smith (wrestling/cross country) The idaho steelheads of the east coast hockey league agreed to terms with was named male student athlete of the year. former mercyhurst forward grant blakey ‘13. a dozen north east student athletes former mens’ hockey goaltender ryan Zapolski ‘11 was named the 2012-13 qualifed for the academic all most Valuable player in the ccm east coast hockey league. Zapolski is just the region team by completing second player in echl history to win rookie of the year, goaltender of the year a minimum of 45 credits and and most Valuable player in the same season. he’ll play for raumann lukko of obtaining a cumulative gpa finland ’s sm-liiga in 2013-14. of 3.5 or higher. former wide receiver/special teams’ star Trevor kennedy ‘12 has signed a two -year contract with the winnipeg blue bombers of the canadian football league as he resumes his playing career. a former teammate, linebacker ian wild ‘12, followed suit and also signed a two -year deal with winnipeg.

former shortstop Zak blair ‘13 is continuing his baseball career in the chicago cubs organization. blair became the 14th mercyhurst player to be taken in the major league baseball first- year player draft, when the cubs took him in the 20th round (588th overall). blair currently plays for the arizona league cubs. 22 Mark Fitzgerald ‘01 mark was a standout defender for the men’ s soccer program from 1997 to 2000, helping the lakers to a 54-19-4 record. g he helped mercyhurst lead the gliac in scoring defense Inductin as a senior and also scored a career-high 16 points from his defensive position in his fnal season.

our athletes. named gliac defensive player of Hall of Fame inducts 5 student athletes – the year three times, and the Lakers’ most colorful cheerleader he was also an all- gliac selection all four seasons, an all-region Sister Damien honoree three times, Mlechick ‘56 and an nscaa first sister damien mlechick was Team all-american 62 when she attended her frst in 1998. lakers game and 83 when she attended her last – and she mark now lives in his hometown of Tralee, county kerry, rarely missed one in between. ireland, where he still plays soccer at a competitive level. he also works for ulster bank, part of one of the largest The petite nun with the fnancial institutions in the world. signature dutch boy bangs Mary Daly ‘66 accepts Sister Damien’ s award from Athletic Director Joe Kimball. was an iconic fgure at those he and his wife, ciara, have two kids, kelly (6) and cian (3). contests, carrying a holy water bottle in one hand and a cowbell in the other. The bell went silent when she Nicole Esposito ‘98 died on aug. 20, 2004, at the age of 83. a year later, the class of 2005 dedicated nicole was a standout the sister damien spirit bell, now a campus landmark, in her memory. defender for womens’ soccer from 1994 to a 1956 mercyhurst graduate, sister damien enjoyed a long teaching career. 1997 and helped lead after retirement, she served as mercyhurst ’s switchboard operator for nearly 20 the lakers to a 49-15-2 years and was known as “ the voice of mercyhurst.” her ardent support of laker record as well as ncaa athletics became legendary. playof appearances in her frst two seasons. sister damien was inducted into the mercyhurst athletic hall of fame in June along with fve outstanding alumni, several of whom she had cheered on she was a two-time all- throughout their mercyhurst careers. gliac selection, an nscaa all-great lakes region member in 1997, and an nscaa/adidas first Team all-american that Kim Kupniewski ‘78 same season. kupniewski was a member of the mens’ golf team from 1973 nicole met her husband, michael montazeri, while to 1977. after leading the team both were students at the university of Toledo college with a 77.6 scoring average in of medicine and they were married in 2007. she did his freshman season, he took her residency in family medicine and psychiatry at the the following year of, but university of california san diego and now practices returned to lead the lakers psychiatry and serves as clinical director of behavioral in scoring average again in health services at north county health services, a nonproft 1975 with a 75.9 average. he was a medalist twice in 1975 and led the team in community clinic serving the under-served, medicaid scoring seven times. in 1976, he fnished second on the team with a 77.0 scoring patients and uninsured. michael, an internist, is a hospitalist average and was a medalist three times. with ucsd.

kim was inducted into the erie district golf association hall of fame in 2006. she says their boys, cyrus (4) and darius (almost 2) montazeri, have been thoroughly brainwashed to love he was the head golf pro at erie’ s downing golf course for 25 years and now is soccer and were kicking the ball before they could a pro at whispering woods golf course and coaches the mcdowell high school stand unassisted. boys’ golf team. he and his wife, kathy, have two sons.

2323 Nicole Bonvouloir ‘01 g nicole led the women’ s Rememberin lacrosse team to a 33-28 record during her four ‘a student’s pastor’ seasons – this after the EDITOR’S NOTE: The Rev. team went 0-14 during the Stephen A. Anderson, program’ s frst season in who served as chaplain at 1997. she was the national Mercyhurst from 1988 to goalkeeper of the year in 1998, died unexpectedly 2001 and was a 2001 brine/iwlca first Team all-american. on March 25, 2013. Jef Monreal ’96, a close friend she started every game for the lakers during her career and still ranks 15th who delivered his eulogy, in ncaa history with 590 career saves. she is the programs’ all-time leader in pays tribute to Fr. Steve. Fr. Steve Anderson with Vanessa and Jef saves (590) and save percentage (.572), and is second in program history with Monreal, Calista, now 5 and Bryson, now 7. an 8.49 goals-against average. she holds the highest single-season save total during father steve anderson’s 10 years at mercyhurst, he was a in school history (220), the programs’ top two goals-against average years, student’s pastor. and the top three save-percentage years. she was also a member of the feld hockey team for four years. father steve once wrote that the most signifcant things his father, albert anderson, taught him were: do what you must, and do it following graduation, nicole coached both feld hockey and lacrosse for fve well. love and laugh as much as you can. owe all to god. commit years before returning to school to earn a nursing license. she now lives and with no strings attached. be honest and available. live your life works in dayton, ohio, with her husband, Trevor Zeiders, and son elijah (3). knowing all is a gift. peacefully die assured of the love of god Their second child is due later this year. and an everlasting reward. father steve lived those principles on a daily basis. The students who knew him know how much he Bruce Alexander ‘99 loved and laughed. one of the pioneers of mens’ lacrosse at mercyhurst, bruce led the lakers to a 14-10 record in the program’ s frst two seasons. he fnished in the top 20 i met father steve more than 20 years ago when i started my scorers in the country during both of his seasons, ending his career with 118 freshman year. he taught me english and religious studies. he points (4th all-time for the program) and 76 goals (7th all-time). his 42 assists helped me prepare for confrmation at mercyhurst. he prayed with rank him 5th in program history. me and the rest of the football team down at the grotto before home games. and he was always available to talk – and listen – The frst mercyhurst men’ s lacrosse player drafted professionally, he was when i needed his help. selected 11th overall in the national lacrosse league draft by the syracuse smash in 1998 and went on to play 11 seasons of professional lacrosse. he was our friendship continued long after i graduated. we traveled the team captain for the calgary roughnecks in 2002 and assistant captain to many places together, including las Vegas, florida and new for portland from 2006 to 2009. his teams won canadian mann cup national york city. our greatest adventure was a trip to europe during the championships in 1997, 1999 and 2003. Jubilee year in 2000. we saw the passion play in oberammergau, rode a gondola in Venice, shared wine at the Trevi fountain and bruce lives in Victoria, b.c., where he prayed in the sistine chapel. we were blessed to be fewer than 50 worked in the auction business from 2000 yards from pope John paul after a sunday mass in st. peter’s square to 2007. in 2009, he purchased design for the bishops of the world. source warehouse, which imports furniture, garden products and decorative iron gates he was present for many milestones in my life, as he was for so and fencing. he now works in the store many other mercyhurst graduates. he celebrated my wedding to with no employees and takes yearly trips to Vanessa and came to ohio to baptize both our children. mainland china to see new products and attend trade shows. if you heard him preach, you probably remember how he could captivate the congregation and make you relate to how he was he and his wife, robyn, a public health feeling. he loved teaching the word of god, not only by his words, nurse, have three kids, daughters aubrey but by the way he lived his life. i will miss him, but i smile knowing (10) and hayley (8) and son Jordan (5). he peacefully died assured of the love of god, knowing he is enjoying an everlasting reward with our savior. since fnishing his pro lacrosse career in 2010, bruce has been playing men’ s league hockey, as well as helping to coach his kids’ hockey and lacrosse teams. Jef Monreal is a funeral director in Mentor, Ohio. Besides handling The family enjoys camping and spending time at the many lakes in their area. funeral arrangements, he brought Fr. Steve’s family and friends together in June for a memorial Mass in the Mercyhurst grotto.

24 Glinsky commission Making celebrates Erie Phil’s 100th season Two years ago, the erie philharmonic headlines. commissioned music professor dr. albert glinsky to write a piece to commemorate the PeoPle in the newS orchestras’ 100th season. Lev Kubiak ’88 named trustee audiences can lev J. kubiak ’88 has been elected experience the debut of his overture Sun Chanter at the erie a mercyhurst trustee, the 14th phil ’s centennial concert on saturday, nov. 9, at the warner alumnus now serving on the board. Theatre. a feel-good, upbeat showpiece, the piece will be lev directs the national intellectual enjoyed by classical and pops audiences alike. property rights coordination center, which leads the u.s. government ’s after taking a year to write the initial Sun Chanter score for response to global intellectual two pianos and percussion, glinsky spent the better part of property theft. this summer orchestrating – or, as he puts it, “ exploding it out to all the instruments.” hes’ held a variety of positions since joining government service in 1992, including roles with u.s. immigration Dance Dept. and customs enforcement (ice) and to celebrate homeland security. anniversaries celebrating 40 years of hes’ the son of retired history professor richard kubiak (1962-1998) and dance at mercyhurst elizabeth a. yonushonis kubiak ’63, a graduate of the cadet teacher program. university, The mercyhurst other alumni among mercyhurst ’s 31 voting trustees are chair marlene diTullio dancers honor artistic mosco ‘68, Vice chairs richard a. lanzillo ‘83 and sister Joanne k. courneen ‘64, director Tauna hunter secretary robert s. miller ‘11 and assistant secretary mary ellen dahlkemper ‘73. and production manager/ also serving are sister mary ann bader, rsm ’73, rosemary d. durkin ’77, sister resident designer mary felice duska, rsm ’64, Joseph g. necastro ’78, matthew J. robaszkiewicz michael gleason for their ’88, mary ellen hammond ryan ’64, frank b. Victor ’87 and patrick J. weschler passionate commitment ’78. elizabeth meehan greenleaf ’52 and sister maura smith, rsm ’48 have been to dance. named trustee emeriti. returning alumni will join current dancers may 2-4, 2014, in a program featuring a 20-year collection of choreography by Faculty members earn promotions, tenure hunter and gleason, including “ for loss of renee,”“ Quiet chaos” Two veteran teachers at mercyhurst have been named full professors. and “ symphonie italienne.” alums of all eras are invited to attend promoted were Tauna hunter, chair of the dance department, and brian reed, this historic dance department event. ph.d., a member of the english faculty who also now serves as dean of faculty.

in other recent promotions, the mercyhurst board of Trustees granted tenure to r. scott Tomlison, ph.d., and promoted him to associate professor of music. mary gavacs, director of the associate degree program in occupational therapy, was named assistant professor.

Tauna Hunter Brian Reed, Ph.D. R. Scott Tomlison, Ph.D. Mary Gavacs

25 Ripley recognized for teaching excellence professor brian ripley was honored with the 2013 Teaching on the aCadeMiC FRont excellence award, recognized as a master teacher with an School of Health Professions launches extreme passion for nearly 30 percent of mercyhurst students are interested in careers in the his subject and an health sector, one of the fastest growing areas of the economy. so this fall extraordinary drive to the university integrated its health-related programs under one umbrella. help both students and colleagues. The new school of health professions and public health will incorporate after earning his programs in public health, sports medicine, physician assistant studies, doctorate at The exercise science, nursing and allied health. public health department ohio state university, chair david dausey, ph.d., is dean of the new school, the sixth at he taught at the mercyhurst; david hyland, ph.d., professor of biology, and marion university of pittsburgh monahan, director of health professional programs at north east, and received are associate deans. the chancellor’s distinguished Teaching health is one of the few felds to escape job declines during the award after just three years on the pitt faculty. he also recession. still, a large number of health jobs are going unflled because earned a 1994 pew faculty fellowship in international of the limited number of people with the necessary skills. dausey cited afairs from the John f. kennedy school of government at estimates that by 2020 there will be 250,000 unflled jobs in public health. harvard university. he’s taught poli sci at mercyhurst since in addition, the nation continues to experience shortages in nursing and 1996, except for a three-year term as dean of faculty. other health professions. ripley’s primary teaching and research interests are Mercyhurst debuts new graduate programs international relations, asian politics and foreign policy. mercyhurst unveiled three new graduate programs in fall 2013. The college of graduate studies now ofers master’s degree programs in applied behavior analysis and in organizational leadership with a Walker concentration in sustainability studies, as well as the university’s frst Business doctoral program, in archaeology. School welcomes mercyhurst has also applied for accreditation for a new physician new dean assistant studies master’s program. while the review goes on, rajeev (raj) parikh, applications are being accepted for an anticipated summer 2014 launch. ph.d., has been named dean of Associate degree college named for Catherine McAuley the walker school mercyhurst trustees gave the college of associate degree studies a new of business and name this spring, honoring catherine elizabeth mcauley, who founded communication. the sisters of mercy. “The walker school has a The mcauley college of associate degree studies, headquartered on diverse array of programs, and i knew it would be a great the north east campus, serves as the umbrella over associate degree opportunity to become involved with unique programs programs at north east, corry and the booker T. washington center, and like hospitality management and fashion merchandising in – starting this fall – on the erie campus.as well. addition to traditional business programs,” said parikh. in keeping with its commitment to make education afordable and parikh comes to mercyhurst from southern oregon university, accessible to all, mercyhurst now ofers associate degrees in accounting, where he was the dean of the school of business for four years business administration and criminal justice in erie. Tuition is the same and a tenured professor of accounting and fnance. he also afordable rate ofered at mercyhurst’s satellite campuses and programs previously held leadership posts at delaware state university, are designed to be fexible to meet the needs of working adults. students wilmington university and st. bonaventure university and can enroll full or part time. worked in the corporate world for several years. a native of india, he came to the united states in 1982 to earn his doctorate in accounting, fnance and management science from the university of bufalo-suny.

26 AIM students ‘Conquer the Canyon’ laKeRS on the Move Thirteen members of the mercyhurst community experienced the rich natural beauty and immense size of the grand canyon this spring while raising awareness for autism spectrum disorders. The group included eight students in mercyhurst ’s pioneering aim (asperger initiative at mercyhurst) program.

The group, led by aim coordinator brad mcgarry, traveled through the sonoran desert to the red rock country of sedona, through oak creek canyon and to the grand canyon, and to wupatki national monument, sunset crater and walnut canyon national monument.

Faculty, students share tour of South Africa cady schneible describes her summer vacation as “ national geographic live and in person.”

andrew pruchinski put in this way: “ we witnessed the circle of life 15 feet in front of our Jeep.”

They were recalling the moment when a mercyhurst group on Their itinerary was developed and guided by conquer the canyon, a company safari in south africa watched in awe as a lioness and her cubs that creates adventures for those whose lives are afected by genetic disorders, attacked and killed a zebra just yards in front of them. even locals cancers, diabetes, homelessness and poverty. almost a year of preparation seldom get a chance like that. preceded the trip, including rigorous physical training, exercises in teamwork and communication, and fundraising, and it paid of. The experience – captured here in a photograph by dr. heidi hosey, dean of international education – was just one highlight of “less than one percent of those who visit the grand canyon explore it as deeply a nine - day tour for a half-dozen students in a course titled “ culture as we did,” mcgarry notes proudly. of south africa.” They met weekly throughout the spring with on the horizon? maybe “ conquer the crater,”- a fve day excursion into the english professors dr. Joanne mcgurk and dr. marnie sullivan to backwoods of iceland. prepare for the trip by exploring the nations’ language, literature, visual arts, history and more. “ we wanted students to be able to get on the ground and understand what they were seeing,” Professor visits Turkey explains mcgurk. on cultural exchange professor of Japanese keiko Takioto miller The students learned to appreciate the struggles this very young joined about a dozen erie residents on a 10- democracy has endured. “ The country is still dealing with its race day trip to Turkey, sponsored by erie’ s Turkish issues, like the u.s. in the ‘60s and ‘70s, trying to pave over the cultural center to foster relationships between past and move forward, but it ’”s hard, says mcgurk. The students diverse cultural groups. are too young to have experienced the process, but they learned how nelson mandelas’ vision kept the country from dissolving into Their itinerary took them across the country, all-out civil war. from istanbul to izmir, to ankara and the konya plain, where they visited fatih university and The south africa trip was the latest ofering from a signature several historic sites. They also shared home - cooked meals with several Turkish mercyhurst initiative known as fsaT: faculty and student families. “ hospitality is the way of life for these former strangers,” she notes. academic Travel. other faculty-student groups have visited “They opened their homes, both humble and well-to -do, to all of us americans.” destinations from Japan and china to italy and greece. upcoming destinations include Vietnam, ireland, guyana and paris. miller, who teaches a course in cross cultural symbology, also enjoyed the opportunity to view historic calligraphic symbols. it ’s not just tourism, mcgurk stresses. it ’s really study, capped of with a trip. mcgurk says it ’s a chance for students to push “we need more dialogues among diferent peoples of the world,” says miller. themselves to try new things and be open to new experiences. “while we realize the difculty in continuing our friendship with those we met “once you do that, there’ s no going back. you can’ t retreat into in Turkey, their vibrant spirit of openness and hospitality has rubbed of on us xenophobia,”“’ she adds. it s a joy to share that with students. it ’s american, making us realize our further need to defy stereotypes and understand a life - changing experience for the students, and there’ s a huge each other on a much deeper human level.” payof for the teacher.”

27 Adovasio returns to re-excavate after storm newS on CaMPuS damages Meadowcroft More than 1,000 graduate at 2013 commencements forty years ago, a young Jim adovasio mercyhurst added more than a thousand students to its alumni ranks made a discovery that turned the scientifc in 2013, including just over 500 traditional-aged bachelor ’s degree world on its head. he excavated beneath candidates from the erie campus; well over 300 who earned associate an overhanging clif face on the north degrees at north east, bank of cross creek, a small tributary of west and corry; and the ohio river in avella, pa., that history almost 200 adult and would later record as the earliest well- graduate students. dated archaeological site in north america, dating back 16,000 years. during the ceremony This summer, he returned to the meadowcroft rockshelter to re - excavate a for traditional-age storm-ravaged section of this national historic landmark, which provides a undergraduates, rare glimpse into the lives of the frst people to arrive in the new world. dublin native rhona boyle – winner of the carpe diem award as the senior who had made Photo by David Scofeld the most positive impact on the campus – spoke to her classmates. kaleigh hubert was also honored with the bishops’ award for academic excellence. The graduation was held at erie’ s bayfront convention center due to construction at erie insurance arena (formerly Tullio arena).

robert mazza, owner of mazza Vineyards and a mercyhurst university trustee, delivered the commencement address during ceremonies in liguori fieldhouse at north east. dylan goodill, recipient of the medal of honor, the highest student award, also spoke. also honored there were 10 adovasio, director of the mercyhurst university archaeological institute, graduates of the bachelor of science in nursing (bsn) program, the frst took along a team that included project archaeologist allen Quinn, baccalaureate degree ofered on the north east campus. processing lab director annie marjenin, 2013 alumnus mike way, and students Jamie badams, Jessica higley and michelle farley. christine lo bue -estes, ph.d., director of the graduate program in exercise science, spoke to master ’s degree recipients and adult students prior to adovasios’ work at meadowcroft, scientists believed the ancestors earning baccalaureate degrees. during exercises at the mary d ’angelo of native americans crossed a frozen landmass covering the bering strait performing arts center, Teresa still received the catherine mcauley about 12,000 years ago. adovasio said evidence of population in eastern adult student award and the president ’s award for adult excellence north america thousands of years earlier meant that the academic went to matthew yaw. community has had to reevaluate its previous notions of how and when north america was peopled. New hydration system gets high marks during test run Choir visits erie campus employees got a Erie’s sister city refreshing treat this summer. as part in Poland of a pilot project, an evive station™ choir director in old main provided free, fltered, rebecca ryan led chilled water in reusable bottles. a team of students, Those who register their personalized alumni and friends evive bottles can even have their of the university to bottles sanitized with each flling. poland for the lublin partner cities choirs festival may 23-25. “as a leader in sustainability choirs came from lublins’ sister cities, including nowy sad, serbia; omsk, among colleges and universities, russia; and Timişoara, romania, to perform at historic lublin castle. mercyhurst had been looking for an The mercyhurst choir performed a mix of traditional african-american environmentally friendly option like this for quite some time,” explained spirituals, selections from american composers and sacred works, and ryan sustainability ofcer brittany prischak. “ in decreasing bottled water use, ofered a seminar on erie-born composer and arranger harry burleigh. we also decrease the energy needed to produce and recycle plastic bottles while cutting back on the plastic waste that ends up in landflls, The group also spent several days in the old city of krakow, visited the not to mention the great lakes.” wieliczka salt mine (and sang in the underground cathedral carved out of rock salt by the miners), and toured the maydanek concentration camp The kiosk, installed free of charge, is supported by advertising revenue, with its museum exploring the holocaust in poland. plans call for more stations to be installed around campus later this year.

28 alumni notes Richard Gignac ‘91 completed his master’s degree in educational leadership at edinboro MaRRiageS university in december 2012. he and his wife, Christine Bonadio Gignac ’91, and their two Jane Bassett Millett ’75 married Thomas Heuer ’76. children live in warren, pa., where he works for the warren county school district. Carolyn J. McQuillen ‘97, daughter of former president Dr. Michael McQuillen, married sascha James McManus ‘94 was meyer on aug. 11, 2013, in the rocky mountains. appointed to the board of carolyn works in denver as a dialysis rn and in members of the class of 1963 are pictured governance for the lorain/ evergreen, colo., as a certifed massage therapist. during their 50th anniversary celebration at medina community based professor Keiko Miller ofciated. reunion weekend. from left: Amy Skinner correctional facility. Jim is Sargent, Mary Lou Cuddyre Ghezzi, an assistant professor and Kate Lynch ‘05 Rosemarie Scarsella Janosko, Nancy August criminal justice program married Jef knecht Voskuhl, Barbara Kraus Von Hoene, Sr. coordinator at lorain county community on June 8, 2013, Patricia Whalen, RSM, Rita Strobel Bajura and college and serves as a part-time police chief for in pittsburgh, pa. Carolyn Anderson Ruth. the Village of kipton, ohio. bridesmaids included Natalie Pasquale ‘05 Sally Carlow Kohler Lauren N. Diulus ‘98, an and Justine Adams ‘51 has been elected of-counsel attorney with ‘05. Tim Knecht ‘09 ‘11 was a groomsman. kate the frst emerita leech Tishman in pittsburgh, works as a sales and catering account manager for member of the was recognized as a 2013 marriott in pittsburgh and Jef is a senior technical mercyhurst university pennsylvania rising star by recruiter, also in pittsburgh. alumni association. pennsylvania super lawyers she was the alumnae magazine. Elyse Lagana ‘08 and Alfred Jones ‘09 were board president in 1958 and has served married on July 13, 2013, in geneseo, n.y. consecutively on the alumni board for more Bridget Kirkland ‘98 graduated from winthrop groomsmen included Mike Morgan ‘08 and Matt than 27 years. university with an mfa in general studio art. Stay ‘09. The couple lives in colorado springs, colo. she begins teaching this fall at the university of Mary Ellen Dahlkemper ’73 south carolina upstate and continues to serve Marissa L. Starin ‘08 and John A. Wayner ‘08 has been named president on the interactive committee for Tedxgreenville. were married on aug. 24, 2013. The wedding party of mercyhurst preparatory included co-maids of honor Haylie Starin ‘09 and school. most recently, she Michael A. Nagy ‘03, an Chelsea Starin ‘14, bridesmaids Sarah Wayner was the chief administrative attorney in the pittsburgh Polito ‘06 and Angela Balacco ‘08, co-best man and development ofcer at ofce of civil defense Michael Wayner ‘12, and groomsmen Chris Davis stairways behavioral health. litigation law frm marshall ‘08, Brian Folland ‘08 and Robert Blackburn ‘09. dennehey warner coleman & James Daniel ‘84 was named inspector for goggin, has been invited to Breanna Haggerty the city of erie police department, ofce of join the claims and litigation ‘09 and Dan Bertolini professional standards. management alliance (clm). ‘08 were married July 6, 2013. The wedding David A. Armstrong, Andrea L. Bauer party included Esq. ’86 has been ‘03 of pittsburgh, bridesmaids Beth named the 16th pa., won the media O’Neil ‘09, Elizabeth president of Thomas representative of Wagner ‘09 and Page more college in the year award Christensen ‘09 and best man Brett Pitzulo ‘08. crestview hills, ky. for her volunteer breanna is a graphic designer at mercyhurst and he had previously served as vice president and eforts for the pancreatic cancer action network dan is the baseball coach at mercyhurst north east. general counsel of notre dame college in south on april 14, 2013. andrea, who works as a credit euclid, ohio. analyst for sapa extrusions north america, lost Kathryn McKemie her mother to pancreatic cancer in 2006. Kolker ‘09 married works by Michael christopher bryan R. Grine ‘91 were Kurt Rader ‘04 was promoted to senior vice miller on may 25, featured in a president, international relationship manager 2013, in fairport, n.y. summer 2013 show at hsbc in washington, d.c. he also completed The wedding party at new york city’s an mba at the university of maryland in 2012, included maid of honor pleiades gallery of with a concentration in corporate fnance and a Shannon Murphy ‘09 contemporary art. minor specialty in international studies. and bridesmaid Danielle Feller ‘10. kathryn works in rochester, n.y., as a pediatric physical therapist, Melissa Newell Reynolds ‘05 has joined and christopher is an operations manager at rain standard Textile corporation in cincinnati, ohio, for rent. as a senior marketing communications specialist. 29 Erik O. Penn ‘09 and Nadine C. Beres ‘10 were Erin Lloyd Hromada ‘98 and husband lou had a Kristin Peterson ‘08 and married on may 11, 2013. son, ethan Joseph, on nov. 1, 2012. he joins big Matthew Pierce ‘09 had a brothers lucas and owen. daughter, aspen presley pierce, Christina Drushel ‘09 married Gary Williams on Jan. 13, ‘08 on July 6, 2013, in baltimore, md. Kevin Jill Songer Schmitz ‘01 and Eric Schmitz ‘02 had 2013. Trant ‘08 was a groomsman. a son, otto James, on July 8, 2013. otto joins big sister ellie. Brittani DeVore Hough ‘10 Kristen Toomey ‘09 married Ryan Arnold ‘09 and husband Jeremi had a on aug. 3, 2013. groomsmen included Jason April Worst Gregan, Ed.D. ‘02 and husband daughter, eisley rose, on LaShomb ‘09 and John Paige ‘09. darren had twin daughters, anna grace and feb. 18, 2013. catherine mae, on feb. 7, 2013. The gregans live Elizabeth Wagner ‘09 married Jack miller on in chagrin falls, ohio. aug. 10, 2013. Breanna Haggerty Bertolini ‘09 deathS and Beth O’Neil ‘09 were bridesmaids. Anne Sitter Markowitz ‘02 and husband aaron Alumni Katherine L. Tompkins ‘10 married shawn had a son, alexander Mary Irene Kinnerney Spiker ‘47 hockstad. bridesmaids included Karleen Vogt ‘10 Joseph, on Jan. 10, 2013. Constance H. Schneider Dean ‘48 and Katherine Barszcz ‘10. kati completed her Margaret Foley Ringwood ‘55 m.ed. from boston college in summer 2012 and is Kelly Froelich McColgan Catherine Cruise Walker ‘58 a high school math teacher in finksburg, md. ‘02, husband michael Mary J. Holsinger Dorman ‘59 and son declan Margaret A. Benedict McEwen ‘73 Patricia Flanagan Palo ‘76 Nathalie Ocampo welcomed Teague William F. O’ Brien ‘79 Berlioz ‘11 and michael, born July 2013. Jamie Papinchak ‘97 Mark Weissman Stephanie McCracken Williams ‘02 ‘11 were married Laura Junker Hillwig ‘03 and husband michael Nathaniel M. Bewley ‘09 on may 25, 2013, in had a second child, a son, on april 2, 2013. beechwood, ohio. Husband of: The wedding party Danielle N. Poole Piser ‘03 Ann Hamilton Rand ‘50 (richard rand) included Esther Claros Berlioz ‘07, Ashley and husband adam had a Noel J. Jaeger Burgoyne ‘57 (charles burgoyne) Marin ‘11, Tyler Grasinger ‘11 and Chris daughter, charlie ellis, on Wingard ‘09. aug. 2, 2012, in chicago, ill. Mother of: Mary Ellen Turek Margolis ‘71 and Kathleen Christian T. Beyer ‘04 and wife kim had a son, Turek Frissora ‘75, mother-in-law of Gordon BiRthS & adoPtionS blake scott, on april 5, 2013. he joins big sister Frissora, Ph.D. ‘76 (irene Turek) grace. John David ‘94 and wife Thomas Philip Richter Sr. ‘73, mother-in-law Jocelynn had a son, finn, on AmandaJo Davis Briggs ‘04 and Preston Briggs of Sheila Walsh Richter ‘77 (f. elaine richter) march 15, 2013. ‘06 had a son, davis george, on feb. 27, 2013, in Ann Capoccia Zieno ‘74 (marie a capoccia) colorado springs, colo. Craig Rybczynski ‘95 and wife amy had their Holly Chiappazzi Villella ‘79 second son, carter garret, on feb. 15, 2013. Timothy Fox ‘04 and Stephanie Schnacke Fox (dolores chiappazzi Justka) ‘05 had a son, miles car, on feb. 15, 2013. Stephen Frisina ’80, mother-in-law of Joanna Shirey Halenda ‘96 and husband paul Linda First Frisina ‘81 (mildred a. frisina) had a son, samuel lamar, on feb. 25, 2013. he Susan Griswold Dunahue ‘05 and husband ryan joins siblings Jenna, caleb and emerson. had a daughter, kimberly ann, on feb. 22, 2013. Thomas G. Nies ‘99 and Keith A. Nies ‘00 she joins sister katelyn. (mary nies) Katie McGlynn-Smith ‘96 and husband peter had a daughter, maeve elizabeth, on march 27, 2013. Kelly Dombrowski Karns Father of: ‘06 and husband steven William Richardson ‘77 (william e. richardson) Charles M. Andres ‘97 and wife Virginia had a daughter, lilly Lisa Staszewski Walsh ’89 and Cheryl Staszewski had their second daughter, fiona marie, eleanor, on march 26, 2013. ’92 (walter J. staszewski) on march 17, 2013. Thomas Kitchen ’97 ’05 and Amelia Kitchen Courtney Williamson Friedrich ‘07 and husband Babbitt ’96 (willis ‘fred’ kitchen) Matthew M. ward had a daughter, kylie, on July 3, 2012, in Konieczki ‘97 and charleston, s.c. Diana R. Rapacki Daughter of: Ruth Friel Doyle ‘58 (Julianne doyle bentley) Konieczki ‘03 had a Lindsay Peters Heilman ‘07 and husband elias son, Jake, on may 9, had their frst child, a son, bingham barnes, on 2012, in erie. he joins march 20, 2013. Sister of: big sister stella. Edward McGraw ’75 (grace mccormack)

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Mark your calendars and plan to join us June 6-8, 2014. Special guests this year: • the anniversary classes of 1964, 1974, 1989 and 2004 reunion.mercyhurst.edu • athletes who played football, men’s and women’s tennis, feld hockey, men’s and women’s water polo and volleyball Stay tuned for more details • our torchbearer Reunion group – everyone who graduated in 1963 or earlier is invited to return to campus every year coming soon.