Manhattanville THE MAGAZINE OF MANHATTANVILLE COLLEGE | SPRING 2013 www.manhattanville.edu 1952–2012: Sixty Years At Purchase MANHATTANVILLE The Magazine of Manhattanville College Jon C. Strauss, Ph.D. President Manhattanville College Jose R. Gonzalez Vice President Office of Institutional Advancement Teresa S. Weber Assistant Vice President Office of Institutional Advancement J.J. Pryor Managing Director Office of Communications Tun N. Aung Director Brand Management and Creative Services Office of Communications CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Aarushi Bhandari ’13 Communications Assistant Jennifer Griffin ’07 Assistant Director, Alumni Relations Elizabeth Baldini ’09 Alumni Relations Officer Steve Sheridan Director Sports Information, Athletics Caren Wagner-Roth, MAW ’01 Casey Tolfree PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS Candice Alcantara ’14 Photography Intern Stephanie Camerone ’14 Communications Assistant Nicole Pupora ’15 Photography Intern Manhattanville College is committed to equality of educational opportunity, and is an equal opportunity employer. The College does not discriminate against current or prospective students and employees on the basis of race, color, sex, national and ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, or any other legally protected characteristic. This College policy is implemented in educational and admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and other school-administered programs, and in employee-related programs. Manhattanville Magazine is published annually by Manhattanville College, 2900 Purchase Street, Purchase, NY 10577. Contents 4 President’s Letter 5 Daniel’s Music Foundation 8 6 6 Elizabeth McCormack 8 Career Changers 11 Donor Profiles 12 Honoring Our Women of the Sacred Heart 13 Manhattanville’s Strategic Plan 15 Re-designed Programs Launched by GPS 16 Dan Fiorito Signs with the NY Yankees 20 17 New Sport Studies Program 18 Manhattanville On the Road 19 Commencement Re-cap 20 Sixty Years At Purchase 24 A Valiant Effort 27 Alumni News 12 28 Alumni Association Board 29 Alumni Reunion 32 Young Alumni Society 5 34 Alumni Event Re-cap 38 Alumni Class Notes 46 Congratulations and Condolences 48 Board of Trustees 49 President’s Advisory 13 Council Letter from the President Dear Alumni, Friends, Faculty, Staff, Parents, and Students, We have had a number of accomplishments this academic year that I am delighted to share with you. First of all, please join me in congratulating Lily Edgar ’13, who has been selected as a Fulbright U.S. student award winner, and sophomores Nha Truong, who ranked 97 out of 4277 students in the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition, and Karina Edouard, named a 2013 Newman Civic Fellow based on her demonstrated commitment to community service. Also, the New York State Education Department approved the College’s Sport Studies major. This marks our first new undergraduate major in some time and we are confident that it will help to attract additional prospective students who are key to our planned move to financial sustainability. Moreover, the faculty has proposed several attractive, new undergraduate programs for New York State approval. These new programs will better align with the needs and interests of today’s students while fulfilling an objective of the Strategic Plan, “to connect the liberal arts to life.” And speaking of accomplishments, 60 years ago, Manhattanville College left its home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and moved 28 miles north to Purchase, New York. In honor of the College’s 60th year in Purchase, and inspired by First Lady Jean Strauss, the faculty, students, and staff, have constructed Heritage Hall, which celebrates our transformation to the College it is today, while continuing to reflect the values and traditions of our Sacred Heart origins. The display includes electronic panels with images and scenes depicting alumni, faculty, and student life. We hope you will visit Heritage Hall and enjoy the College’s rich history of academic excellence, and social and civic engagement. In this issue, you will find a feature on Elizabeth McCormack ’44, who served as President of Manhattanville College from 1966 –1974. It was her vision and leadership that proved instrumental in restructuring Manhattanville for its supportable future from the elite, Catholic, women’s institution. She remains involved today as a Trustee and a special advisor to the College. Also featured in this issue is the special tribute held during Reunion 2012, to honor three women of the Sacred Heart for their longstanding commitment and dedication to the College: Sister Ruth Dowd ’40, who taught philosophy at Manhattanville for 18 years, became Dean of Adult and Special Programs, and launched the School of Graduate and Professional Studies; Sister Mary T. Clark ’39, who taught philosophy at Manhattanville for over 60 years, earning the title of Professor Emeritus of Philosophy; and Trustee Sister Ann Conroy ’47, formerly Dean of Students from 1968 to 1972. As Mother Eleanor O’Byrne said in 1962 during the dedication of our new home here in Purchase, New York, “Here, we shall live as a united global family.” And with your help, we will continue to move forward. Sincerely, JON C. STRAUSS PH.D. President 4 Manhattanville Magazine SPRING 2013 DANIEL’S MUSIC Foundation: A Service Tradition ichael Trush ’09 was just nine years old when his brother Daniel suffered Ma brain aneurism that should have ended his life. But thirty days after Daniel slipped into a coma, he was awake. He spent the next year in the hospital. Two years after his aneurism, he took his first steps. In 2009, Daniel ran the New York Marathon. His miracle recovery was aided by Daniel’s interest in and focus on music. In 2006, the Trush family started Daniel’s Music Foundation, a non-profit that provides free music instruction to individuals with disabilities in the NYC area. The Foundation creates a social environment, and participants take each class for a full semester, learning the fundamentals of such instruments as guitar, piano, vocal, and composition. “We found that music really helped Daniel a lot in his recovery,” Trush said. “We did some research as a family just to see what kinds of programs were out there since Daniel instruments. instructor, Andre Yoskowitz ’09, and Thomas was graduating from high school. Though “We housed the program through the Heyliger ’10. The Junior Council is a group of there were a lot of great therapeutic musical Duchesne Center as one of our premier young professionals working toward making programs, there wasn’t a lot of socialization volunteer programs,” Duchesne Center an impact at Daniel’s Music Foundation with people with similar challenges.” Community Service Coordinator, Craig through fundraising and volunteer work. The Foundation started with one class Donnelly said. “We recruited students, “A lot of my friends have really stayed in 2006 and only five participants. Now it recruited drivers; we promoted it across involved with the Foundation,” Trush said. “It has 50 classes and 300 students. Every day campus to all students.” has been really nice. I graduated in 2009 and the Foundation continues to grow, thrive, and Even now, four years after Michael’s just the fact that there are still Manhattanville change. graduation, Daniel’s Music Foundation is students involved is great.” “The growth of the community is one of the most popular volunteer programs The Foundation was recognized during phenomenal, but in addition to that we have at Manhattanville. On average, 8-10 students the New York Yankees HOPE Week in 2011. on-site programs, off-site programs, and we travel to NYC on Saturdays to help out with Students at the Foundation were offered the are getting close to having our own space next the Foundation. opportunity to sing the National Anthem on a year which is really exciting,” Trush said. “They go in there just thinking they are Broadway stage. From the beginning, the Manhattanville going to teach music, but they learn so much In July, Daniel’s Music: One Family’s Duchesne Center for Religion and Social from the people they are serving,” Donnelly Journey from Tragedy to Empowerment Justice was part of the volunteer network for said. “Our volunteers are really into it; they through Faith, Medicine, and the Healing Daniel’s Music Foundation. Trush ’09 worked have really kept up the passion for what the Power of Music, will be published by on making it one of the service projects for program entails.” Skyhorse Publishing. Written by New York Duchesne Scholars. The Center provided Some volunteers continued on with Times Bestselling Author, Jerome Preisler, transportation to New York City and sent a Daniel’s Music Foundation after their time the book will share Daniel’s amazing story of steady stream of volunteers to help out. at Manhattanville was over. They helped the recovery and the healing power of music. Some were Duchesne Scholars, who Foundation in many ways, big and small. “We are really excited,” Trush said. “We helped to set up classrooms and organize Michael currently runs the Junior Council and came in contact with Jerome through HOPE the classes, others were music students, the student volunteer program which keeps WEEK, and it really tells the entire story of the who helped to teach classes or work with him in touch with Manhattanville alumni, family from Daniel’s injury up until today.” individuals sharing their knowledge of David Bedard ’09, who also is an assistant Manhattanville Magazine SPRING 2013 5 ELIZABETH McCORMACk ’44: No Ordinary Life s she enters the room, she moves quickly. Her short bobbed white hair and piercing blue eyes project a woman of great character. At the age of 91, she still works every day, travels the world, and remains a lifelong learner with an academic craving for knowledge. She has an informal manner Aand although she is physically tiny, she is a giant in the world of philanthropy. She feels most useful when she is making a difference.