IVE EARN LXCELSIOR OLLEGE AGAZINE L E C M PAINTING AN IDEA TECHNOLOGY MEETS TRADITION Vol. 14, No.1 40th Anniversary Edition Annual Report 2010–2011 IOR CO R C LS LL SIO OL E E EL LE C G C G While Excelsior’s 40th Anniversary celebra- X E X E E E Maria Sparks, Editor-in-Chief tion continues with many exciting events that 2 2 Dana Yanulavich, Senior Editor 1 0 1 0 lead up to Commencement 2012, it makes me 7 1 7 1 1 Nick Klercker, Art Director/Designer 9 1 9 1 Nick Forte, Graphic Designer think back to the Excelsior’s founding. The 1 Jason Hughes, Graphic Designer creators of our College were not only brave for E E Deb Marrow, Graphic Designer X E X E their time in the educational world, but they C G Ron Pavoldi, Production Manager E E C G LS LL EL LE Cheryl Renodin, Production Coordinator were also forward thinking. They recognized IOR C O SIOR C OL that the simple concept of “what you know is more important Cover photo: Michael Hemberger ® 40th Anniversary Commencement photos: Michael Hemberger, than where or how you learned it, ” was much more valuable Steering Committee Kris Qua, and Island Photography than traditional colleges acknowledged. What a success story Thanks to all Excelsior staff who this compelling idea has proven to be—with over 140,000 CHAIR contributed to this issue. graduates, we are now the largest producer of registered nurses Jerry L. Neff* Brig. General (Ret.), ARNGUS Live & Learn is published by the Excelsior in the world, and our military students compose approximately College Office of Institutional Advancement. one-third of our student body. The accomplishments of our Regional President (Ret.), Cathy Kushner, Vice President graduates are endless. M&I Bank Bradenton, FL Just as artist Len Tantillo captured the spirit of early non- traditional education in his work, Keeping the Spirit Alive, there William E. Cox President ON THE COVER are masterpieces created every day here at Excelsior College in Cox, Matthews and the collaboration among our staff, faculty, and students. Associates, Inc. Our past 40 years have been great, but what about our Fairfax, VA future? Thanks to the dedication and hard work of many people John Amidon* associated with our College, we have a very bright future. It Attorney General of Texas starts with our outstanding leader, President John Ebersole, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit who is at the forefront of 21st-century adult education. The Austin, TX focus of the faculty and staff is devoted to the success of adult Mary O’Connor* students, and we’re guided to greater future achievements by a Assistant Professor very professional and dedicated group of men and women who College of Notre serve on the Board of Trustees. The President’s Advisory Board Dame of Maryland members also give generously of their time, and offer advice Baltimore, MD on important current and future issues facing the College. The Eric Harter* Alumni Association is extremely active in promoting our insti- President tution and uniting our graduates. Our future is bright because Dean, The Graduate School Artist Len Tantillo describes of this collective dedication. Sullivan University the marriage of technology and Louisville, KY talent that produced Keeping As we continue our celebration, I invite you to participate a Tradition Alive, an artwork in whatever way you can. There are many opportunities—come Mary Ellen Duncan in honor of the College’s 40th to Commencement next July in Albany, check out one of the Synergies Consulting Group anniversary. Marriottsville, MD regional alumni activities, attend one of the Speakers Series events or the Partners in Lifelong Learning event, support your Arthur J. Gregg College by making a donation to assist current or future stu- Lt. General, U.S. Army (Ret.) Your questions and comments dents, or volunteer to promote Excelsior in the area where you Dumfries, VA regarding Live & Learn are welcome. live and work. Please direct them to the Publications Office: Diana Lindsay* 7 Columbia Circle, Albany, New York 12203-5159 Please join with me and the thousands of members of the Human Resource Specialist email: [email protected] Excelsior College community with your support as we celebrate NYSUT Latham, NY All rights reserved. Unauthorized our 40th Anniversary. reproduction or use prohibited. John Cavalier Copyright © 2011 by Excelsior College. Thank you! Former Chairman and CEO MapInfo For general information about Excelsior College, Loudonville, NY call 888-647-2388. www.excelsior.edu *Alumni of the College Jerry L. Neff Chair, 40th Anniversary Steering Committee IOR CO R C LS LL SIO OL E E EL LE C G C G X E X E E E 2 2 1 0 1 0 7 1 7 1 1 9 1 9 1 1 E E X E X E C G E E C G L L EL LE SIOR C OL SI OL OR C 40th Anniversary Celebration Speaker Series Mirrors College’s Strengths wide-ranging, timely, and socially rel- evant Speaker Series is among the many highlights of Excelsior’s 40th Anniversary celebration. The series has mirrored the College’s student body as the topics Aincluded nursing, military, and liberal studies. In 2010, Excelsior provided underwriting support for the production of a video documentary on the current and forecasted shortage of nurses nationwide. As the largest producer of nurses in the United States, Excelsior is well positioned to have a positive impact on this vital societal issue. Produced by WCNY, the public television affiliate in Syracuse, New York, “Inside the Nursing Crisis” is a Renee Gecsedi, New York State Nurses Association (center), participates in a four-part, two-hour examination of this serious issue panel discussion alongside Dr. Mary Jo Laposta of Saratoga Hospital (left) and that includes commentary from some of the nation’s top Mary Therriault of the Healthcare Association of New York State (right). Mary Lee nursing experts and hospital administrators. Excerpts Pollard, dean of the School of Nursing (background), moderated. from this series provided the basis for a panel discussion on October 27 at the headquarters of the New York State Nurses Association. Serving the needs of America’s military population— active duty, reserve, National Guard, and veteran—is one of Excelsior’s more important endeavors with nearly one- third of its students fitting this description. On November 7, Excelsior presented a talk by Dr. Lawrence Korb, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and former U.S. assistant secretary of defense. Before an audience of civilian and military personnel that gathered at the head- quarters of the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, Dr. Korb spoke on “National Defense in an L–R: Dr. Lawrence Korb, former U.S. assistant secretary of defense, answers Age of Austerity.” Maj. Gen. Joseph Taluto, U.S. Army questions on national defense issues with Maj. Gen Joseph Taluto, BSL ‘86 and (Ret.), an Excelsior alumnus and current executive in resi- Brig. Gen. Jerry Neff, BSL ‘87. dence at the College, served as moderator for the event. He and another alumnus, retired Brig. Gen. Jerry Neff, joined Dr. Korb for a spirited round of questions and answers. Capping off the fall speaker series was an evening of poetry on December 6 with Robert Pinsky, U.S. Poet Laureate from 1997 to 2000. Over the past four decades, more individuals have earned degrees in liberal arts at Excelsior than any in other discipline awarded. Thus, it was fitting to have such a renowned poet participate in the College’s anniversary speaker series. In a unique and expressive event, Mr. Pinsky read selections of his works with musical interplay performed by a jazz trio led by Brian Patneaude, award-winning saxophonist. Former Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry Robert Pinsky capped off the 40th Anniversay Speaker Series with a poetry reading accompanied by a jazz trio. Live & Learn 40th Anniversary Edition | 3 Keeping a Tradition Alive A digital model (shown on the right-hand monitor) of one of the characters created by artist Len Tantillo was used to guide the final painting (as seen on the detail provided on the left-hand monitor). 4 | Live & Learn 40th Anniversary Edition Artist blends technology, research, and talent to create a Keeping a Tradition Alive work of historic proportions BY DANA YANULAVICH lending present-day technology with traditional artistic techniques, artist Len Tantillo brings history to life in his many paintings. Much like Excelsior College uses technol- ogy in new and innovative ways to deliver educational opportunities to students, Tantillo has embraced digital modeling in conjunction with conventional paint- Bing techniques to offer rich depictions of the past. In 2011, Excelsior President John Ebersole commis- sioned Tantillo to create a historical work in honor of the College’s 40th anniversary. The artist, widely known for his insightful research to create deeply perceptive histori- cal works, was challenged by the task. Forty years, after all, is not that old in a historical sense, and Excelsior doesn’t have stately, ivy-covered brick buildings on its campus that might create an obvious artistic backdrop. Tantillo explained the conundrum, “Excelsior isn’t a place. Excelsior is an idea. So, how do you paint an idea?” A skilled researcher, Tantillo started with his own instincts and imagination. His first thoughts were along the lines of itinerant professionals and doctors who made house calls. He thought, “I wonder how many other services like that there could have been?” With the seed planted, he began his exploration. “That refrain of a college without walls kept kind of echoing in my head.