CoNNECTIoNS | WINTER 2012-2013 - Nazareth College

A l u m n i C h a p t e r s | S e c r e t C a m p u s S p a c e s | D o n o r R e p o r t 2 0 1 1 - 1 2
connectionS
Nazareth College
WINTER 2012-2013
Bringing
Their A-Game
Student Athletes Find
Success at Nazareth

Nazareth College Arts Center | 2012-2013 Season
Series sponsors:
artscenter.naz.edu 585-389-2170
Top to bottom, left to right: River North Dance Chicago, photo: Jenifer Girard; Just Imagine; Anonymous 4; Cashore Marionettes; Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, Guess How Much I Love
You, photo: Margo E. Gesser.
Seussical, The Musical
Rochester Children’s Theatre (Co-production with
Nazareth College Arts Center)
Sat., Dec. 8
Sun., Dec. 9
Fri., Dec. 14
Sun., Dec. 16
2 p.m., 7 p.m.
2 p.m.
7 p.m.
2 p.m.F
Anonymous 4 Sat., Dec. 15 8 p.m. D
The Capitol Steps Mon., Dec. 31 6:30 p.m.
Mon., Dec. 31
10 p.m.
The Jason Bishop Show Sat., Jan. 19 8 p.m. D
Honk!
Rochester Children’s Theatre (Co-production with
Nazareth College Arts Center)
Sat., Feb. 2
Sun., Feb. 3
Sat., Feb. 9
Sun., Feb. 10
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
2 p.m., 7 p.m.
2 p.m.F
Just Imagine Sat., Feb. 23 8 p.m. D
Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia: Guess How Sat., Mar. 9 2 p.m., 4 p.m.
Much I Love You and My Little Storybook
The Pipes and Drums of the Black Watch 3rd Fri., Mar. 15
8 p.m.
Battalion, the Royal Regiments of Scotland,
and the Band of the Scots Guards
River North Dance Chicago Sat., Mar. 23 8 p.m.
Cashore Marionettes Simple Gifts Sun., May 5 2 p.m., 4 p.m.
Rochester City Ballet: Past, Present and Future Fri., May 17 7:30 p.m.
Sat., May 18
7:30 p.m.
Sun., May 19
2 p.m.
D Pre-performance lecture one hour prior to curtain time
F Interpreted for the deaf and hard of hearing

Editor
Robyn A. Rime
Assistant Director, Publications and Creative
Services
Regular Contributors
Donna Borgus ’13G
Julie Long
Alicia Nestle
Joe Seil
Sofia Tokar
Additional Contributors
Brian Bailey ’01G
Robin L. Flanigan
Amy Gallo ’13
Erich Van Dussen
The Classes
Ashley Shaw
Photographer
Alex Shukoff
Contributing Photographers
Kurt Brownell
Brady Dillsworth
Greg Francis
Jamie Germanow
Design
Boehm Marketing Communications
Printing
Cohber Press
Director of Alumni Relations
Donna Borgus ’13G
Vice President, Institutional Advancement
Kelly E. Gagan
Nazareth College President
Daan Braveman, J.D.
We welcome comments from our readers,
articles and essays, and class notes. All mail
should be directed to one of the offices below,
and sent to:
Nazareth College
4245 East Ave.
Rochester, NY 14618-3790
Comments/story suggestions:
Marketing and Communications—Publications
email: rrime7@naz.edu
585-389-5098
Name/address corrections:
Office of Development
email: plenz5@naz.edu
585-389-2415
Class notes or comments:
Office of Alumni Relations
email: ashaw6@naz.edu
585-389-2472
Please note that Connections is produced
approximately four months in advance of when
it is received by readers. Letters and class notes
received after production has begun will be
included in the next issue of the magazine.
All accepted text is subject to editing.
Main College switchboard:
585-389-2525
www.naz.edu
ConneCtionS
Nazareth College
Volume 25, Number 1 I WINTER 2012-2013
connectionS
Bringing
Their A-Game
Student Athletes Find
Success at Nazareth
Cover photograph by Alex Shukoff
Ice hockey team co-captain Scott
Dawson ‘16, from Ottawa, Ont.,
takes on the Lorette Wilmot Library.
FPO
FPO
TABLE OF CONTENTS
4 News and Views
The latest news from the Nazareth campus.
18 Sports
Sports roundup; women’s soccer at 30; 20th anniversary
of first lacrosse title.
24 Beyond Self
Nazareth launches its Habitat for Humanity chapter.
26 Nazareth in the World
Cherise Madigan ’15, sophomore and CEO of
The Feminine Alliance.
28 Interfaith Ideas
Meghan Robinson ’06 uses interfaith experiences in pastoral
setting.
30 Life of the Mind
Prof. Brian Bailey ’01G explores college readiness
with high school students.
32 Nazareth Heritage
Little-known spaces across campus.
34 Cover Story: Sports Success
How Nazareth’s growing athletics program competes
by nurturing its student athletes.
40 Report to Donors 2011-12
Operating revenues and expenses for the College
during the past year.
43 Alumni News
NSA mathematician Megan Tuttle Waterman ’97; waterfall
watcher Matthew Conheady ’99; alumni chapter events recap.
54 Class Notes
58 The Archive
Copyright © 2012 by Nazareth College. Photographs and artwork copyright by their respective creators or by Nazareth College. All rights reserved. No portion of this
publication may be reused or republished in any form without express written permission.
Nazareth College Mission and Vision Statements
The mission of Nazareth College is to provide a learning community that educates students in the liberal arts, sciences, visual and performing arts, and professional
fields, fostering commitment to a life informed by intellectual, ethical, spiritual, and aesthetic values; to develop skills necessary for the pursuit of meaningful careers;
and to inspire dedication to the ideal of service to their communities. Nazareth seeks students who want to make a difference in their own world and the world around
them, and encourages them to develop the understanding, commitment, and confidence to lead fully informed and actively engaged lives.
The vision of Nazareth College is to be nationally and internationally recognized as a comprehensive educational institution which provides its students with transformational
experiences and integrates liberal arts, sciences, visual and performing arts, and professional education at the undergraduate and graduate levels and which
places special value on student success, diversity, inclusion, civic engagement, and making a difference in local and global communities.
Statement on Respect and Diversity
We, the Nazareth community, embrace both respect for the person and freedom of speech. The College promotes civility and denounces acts of hatred or intolerance.
The free exchange of ideas is possible only when concepts, values, and viewpoints can be expressed and challenged in a manner that is neither threatening nor demeaning.
It is the policy of Nazareth College, in keeping with its efforts to foster a community in which the diversity of all members is respected, not to discriminate on
the basis of race, religion, color, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, marital or veteran status, disability, carrier status,
genetic predisposition, or any other protected status. Respect for the dignity of all peoples is an essential part of the College’s tradition and mission, and its vision for
the future.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 3

NEWS|views
College Appoints New Trustees
Nazareth College is pleased
to announce that Andrew Gallina and
Warren Hern are the newest members
of the board of trustees.
Andrew Gallina has been involved
in the commercial/industrial real estate
market for more than 30 years as a real
estate developer, general contractor,
and broker. Gallina Development and its
affiliates have developed and own numerous
buildings and business parks in
Gallina
the Rochester area. In addition, Gallina
Development owns and operates The
Total Sports Experience, an indoor sports facility.
Gallina currently serves on the boards for numerous community
organizations, including the Al Sigl Center, the Memorial
Art Gallery, the Rochester Business Alliance, and the Rochester
Downtown Development Corp. He serves on the advisory board
for the YMCA of Greater Rochester and is an investor in the
Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE). He is also past president of
the Upstate NY Chapter of the National Association of Industrial
and Office Properties. Gallina holds a degree in engineering from
Brown University.
Warren Hern serves as president and
CEO of Unity Health System, which
provides health care in more than 70
locations in Rochester and Monroe
County. He joined Park Ridge Health
System, Unity’s predecessor, as the
vice president and controller in 1976,
going on to serve as the executive vice
president and CFO from 1985 through
2009. He assumed his current position
in January 2010.
Hern
Hern has served as national chairman
of the board of directors of the Healthcare Financial Management
Association (HFMA) and continues as an HFMA fellow; he served
previously in various officer positions and on the board of directors.
He was a member of the Greater Rochester Regional Health
Information Organization (RHIO) from its inception in 2006
through 2009 and served as treasurer of Cerebral Palsy (CP) of
Rochester. He is currently a member of the board of directors at
JPMorgan Chase Regional, the Rochester Business Alliance, and
the Health Care Association of New York State. Hern holds an
M.B.A. in finance from Rochester Institute of Technology.
Occupational Therapy Clinic Opens to the Public
Occupational therapy (OT) is
about helping people develop or regain
the ability to engage in productive lives.
Examples of OT include:
• Working with children with autism to
improve their sensory processing;
• Helping individuals relearn skills after
a head injury;
• Enabling the elderly with neurological or
orthopedic conditions to receive intervention
and improve function in the comfort
of their homes.
Nazareth College’s on-campus wellness
and rehabilitation services now include
occupational therapy. The OT clinic, located
in Carroll Hall on the Nazareth campus, will
offer comprehensive wellness, developmental,
and rehabilitative services to Rochesterarea
children and adults. This fall, the clinic
began serving children with diagnoses such
as autism, Asperger’s disorder, sensory integrative
dysfunction, learning disabilities, and
cerebral palsy. The OT clinic will be providing
treatment for adults in the near future.
Individuals with neurologic, orthopedic,
perceptual difficulties, hand injuries, and
psychosocial needs will be able to receive
services when the clinic’s adult services
begin.
Linda A. Shriber, Ed.D., OTR/L, is the
chair and program director of and associate
professor in the OT program at Nazareth.
In preparation for the OT clinic’s opening
in the fall, Shriber recently evaluated a
young child at the request of his mother. In
response, the mother had this to share:
“We recently became aware that our fiveyear-old
son might be having some issues
with his sensory processing…We contacted
Nazareth and were thankful to receive a
screening free of charge, along with an
informative, in-depth report that proved
quite helpful in arriving at a diagnosis. It has
given us direction, and encouraged us that
we weren’t just ‘imagining things.’”
To learn more about OT at Nazareth,
visit naz.edu/occupational-therapy. For
more information about the OT clinic,
contact Shriber at 585-389-2562
or ldudeks4@naz.edu.
4 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

New Faculty
Nazareth College welcomes the
newest members of its faculty
for the fall 2012 semester.
College of Arts and Sciences
Sherri Baker-Hamilton ’97, assistant professor
of art
Baker-Hamilton has a B.S. in studio art, computer
graphics, and illustration from Nazareth College.
She was previously creative director at Mirus Group
and senior art director at Martino Flynn; she also
served several years as an adjunct professor of
advertising design at Nazareth.
Jared Chase, assistant professor of music
Chase has a D.M.A. in wind conducting from
the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory
of Music. He was previously music department
chair and director of bands at Bethany College
in Kansas.
Ryan O’Laughlin, assistant professor
of psychology
O’Laughlin has a Ph.D. in social/personality
psychology from the University of Rochester. He
was previously an adjunct professor at Nazareth
and the University of Rochester.
Heather Roffe, assistant professor
of theatre arts
Roffe has an M.F.A. in dance, choreography, and
performance from SUNY College at Brockport. She
was previously a visiting assistant professor of dance
at SUNY Potsdam and SUNY College at Brockport.
School of Health and Human Services
Colleen Carmody-Payne, assistant
professor in nursing
Carmody-Payne has an Ed.D. in executive leadership
and education from St. John Fisher College and
a master’s in nursing, clinical nurse specialist, from
the University of Colorado Health Services Center.
She was previously assistant professor of nursing at
Keuka College.
Deborah Carr-Warner, associate
professor in nursing
Carr-Warner has a Ph.D. in educational psychology
from the University of Nevada and an M.S. in nursing
from Syracuse University. A registered nurse, she was
previously associate professor at Clayton State University’s
School of Nursing in Georgia.
Elizabeth Baltus Hebert, assistant
professor in occupational therapy
Hebert has a Ph.D. in human development from the
University of Rochester and an M.S. in occupational
therapy from SUNY at Buffalo. She was previously
an adjunct professor at SUNY Geneseo and at the
University of Rochester; she also worked with the
U of R’s Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental
and related Disabilities (LEND) program.
Suzanne Johnston, lecturer in
communication sciences and disorders
Johnston has an M.A. in speech and
language pathology from SUNY at Buffalo and has
her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the
ASHA. She previously served as a speech pathologist
for Thompson Health and Unity Health; she has
been an adjunct faculty member at Nazareth
since 2010.
Linda Riek, assistant professor in
physical therapy
Riek has a Ph.D. in health practice research from
the University of Rochester and a D.P.T. from A.T. Still
University in Arizona. She was previously a physical
therapist with Rochester General Health Systems
and Strong Memorial Hospital.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 5

NEWS|views
President Daan Braveman and donors
Nancy and Larry Peckham cut the ribbon at the
official opening celebration for Peckham Hall.
Peckham Hall
Now Open
eckham Hall, home to the Integrated Center for
Math and Science and the first new academic
building on campus in 30 years, opened last
September to great acclaim. Attended by hundreds
of faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, and
community leaders, the grand opening featured a
ribbon-cutting presided by Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy as
well as student-led tours and lab demonstrations
highlighting the state-of-the-art facility.
Check out a video celebrating the
opening at go.naz.edu/peckham-open.
6 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

Clockwise from left:
A soaring atrium provides a stunning main entrance to the new building.
The Braveman Student Collaborative Center is designed to promote
faculty-student interactions.
New science labs feature state-of-the-art equipment.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 7

NEWS|views
Nazareth and Unity Health System Sign Memorandum of Understanding
by Alicia Nestle
Nazareth College and Unity Health
System have signed a memorandum
of understanding (MOU) to foster
the development and education of
the next generation of health care workers,
provide enhanced clinical services and outreach
to individuals with functional disabilities,
and implement professional development for
practicing health care professionals.
The activities under this collaboration will
include:
Research: Foster opportunities for Nazareth
students to have access to patients and
patient data for research. Opportunities for
Unity employees to participate in research or
conduct research projects under mentorship of
Nazareth faculty.
Program Development: Foster an exchange
of information between the practicing
clinician and Nazareth College faculty to ensure
the most current knowledge and practical
applications available.
Community Reintegration: Facilitate an
extension to the continuum of care available
to individuals with functional impairments
through development of the referral process
and intake coordination between Unity Health
System and the Nazareth College Wellness and
Rehabilitation Institute including art therapy,
nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy,
social work, speech-language pathology,
and music therapy.
“The preparation of properly educated
health care professionals is a key component
to improving quality, efficiency, affordability,
and accessibility of health care in our community,”
says Nazareth College President Daan
Braveman. “This partnership with Unity
Health System allows Nazareth College to play
a prominent leadership role in meeting the
health system workforce needs in our community
and beyond. It also is part of our larger efforts
to develop a Wellness and Rehabilitation
Institute that will serve as a national model for
educating health care professionals.”
In a health care environment with everchanging
reimbursement and funding
challenges, this collaboration will allow the
opportunity for Unity Health System patients
to be offered programming such as art, music,
play, and yoga therapy, while providing practical
experience to those developing clinicians.
Learn more about the School of Health and
Human Services’ professional programs at naz.
edu/hhs.
Alicia Nestle is Nazareth’s assistant director
for new media.
Last summer, members of the Nazareth College Chamber
Singers, the Nazareth College Women’s Chorus, and the
Nazareth College Men’s Chorus performed in a pre-Olympic
Games concert series in London. Nazareth was one of only
six choirs in the U.S. selected to perform and the only college
choir invited to attend. On three consecutive days, the group
performed in Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, in a mass at
the Farm Street Church of Immaculate Conception in London,
and at Southwark Cathedral in London. The Nazareth choirs
were directed by Mark Zeigler, Ph.D., professor of music, and
accompanied by James Douthit, D.M.A, professor and chair of
music, and Mario Martinez, D.M.A., associate professor and
coordinator of vocal studies. The choir is shown here outside
the Tower of London; you can read more about their trip at
blogs.naz.edu/nazchoir.
8 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

Living the
College Dream
by Robin L. Flanigan
Nazareth College’s Center for International
Education recently gave six
refugee students a three-week stay
on campus to help them develop
their English language skills and instill confidence
that no matter their background, they
have what it takes to earn more than a high
school diploma.
“In their minds, going to college doesn’t fit
into anything they understand as reality,” says
Lisa Daswani DeAlva, an English for speakers
of other languages teacher at Rochester
Early College International High School, which
partnered with Nazareth’s American Language
Institute to offer the intensive program, held
last July. “These are students who consistently
demonstrate a high level of motivation, and in
order for them to see that college is truly part
of their future, we really had to get them into
a setting that would show them what it’s all
about.”
Many of the students, who have been in
the U.S. between two and three years and will
be entering grades 10 and 11 in the fall, have
limited formal education. Their reading comprehension
skills range from the first-grade to
fifth-grade levels, and most are proficient only
in their native language. Four of the six were
born in refugee camps, and share memories
of bathing in rivers and walking miles for clean
drinking water.
“These are all amazing, resilient, and
humble human beings, and they’re truly inspirational,”
says Daswani DeAlva.
In addition to 20 hours of classroom instruction
a week, the students worked independently
on an online English language learning
program that matched their individual skill
levels. They went on field trips to Niagara Falls,
George Eastman House, and other regional
sites, and practiced their English while shopping
and watching movies. “They were busy
all the time,” says Linda Grossman, co-director
of the American Language Institute.
Six refugee students developed their English language skills during an immersive three-week
stay on campus.
“We don’t get enough sleep,” Dil Bista of Nepal, who will be a junior, said with a laugh during
her last week in the program. “I thought it would be easy and simple … but it’s not.” Even so,
the 17-year-old, who is proficient in Nepali and Hindi, is happy to be improving her English and
looks forward to attending college someday. Nazareth is on her list of possibilities.
Mohamud Mohamed, a rising sophomore from Kenya, struggled most with writing, but spoke
of his eventual college experience with clarity. At 15, he now knows he wants to be a doctor. His
favorite moment of the program was an international dinner at which students on campus from
various countries offered cultural performances. Mohamed read an African poem.
Funded through a grant, the program—the first ever to bring local refugee high school students
to live on campus—will now be assessed and, administrators hope, replicated.
“This was a unique opportunity for Nazareth College,” says Grossman. “Civic engagement is
a huge part of our mission in general, and this didn’t just create global citizens, it impacted the
future of our community.”
Daswani deAlva was proud to see the students branch out from their tight circle to create
friendships with other students on campus, and over the three weeks witnessed tremendous
growth among the group both personally and academically. She would love to see the same opportunity
extended to other students at her high school, whose refugee population is expanding
from 15 to 26 in 2012-13.
“We’re going to do everything it takes to get every last one of them to college,” she says. “We
can tell them at school that they’re going, but I really think it’s this kind of experience that cements
the idea that it isn’t out of reach.
“Now they see that it’s possible. The light bulb is on.”
Read more about the American Language Institute at go.naz.edu/ALI.
Robin Flanigan is a freelance writer in Rochester, New York.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 9

1
2
5
6
3
4

1–Martha Graham Dance Company
performed “Every Soul Is a Circus” during
the festival’s final night.
7
8
2–Martha Graham Dance Company
2012
3–Luna Negra Dance Theater amazed the
performing “Lamentation Variations.”
audience with their skill and artistry.
4–Free community dance classes were
offered to children and adults in Latin
American dance, modern square dance,
and Broadway dance.
5–Both Phoenix Project Dance and
FuturPointe Dance taught dance
workshops for Rochester City School
District students at ArtSmart Camp.
A Look Back:
Dance Festival
9
6–Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik led
the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in a
survey of American dance music, featuring
dancers from the West Coast, during
the Dance Festival Overture.
7–Three-time festival attendee FuturPointe
Dance engaged dance audiences with their
blend of Caribbean and African dance,
ballet and Latin movement, and reggae
and urban vocabulary.
8–The Flower City Ballet performed at
the second Dancing on the Grass event,
one of the many free events sponsored
by the Dance Festival.
9–Daystar: Contemporary Dance-Drama
of Indian America wowed audiences at
the first Dancing on the Grass event.
he third annual Nazareth College Arts
Center Dance Festival was held July
12–21, 2012. Headlining the festival,
Martha Graham Dance Company, Beth
Gill Dance, Luna Negra Dance Theater,
the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, LehrerDance,
and FuturPointe Dance amazed
audiences with their skill and artistry. Families
enjoyed free events, and novice and practiced
dancers alike took part in master classes
and free community classes. The festival
challenged the audience to experience dance
in all new ways, and in turn provided an
experience of a lifetime.
10–Performers from LehrerDance
await their turn on stage in the wings
of the Callahan Theatre.
10
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 11

NEWS|views
Nazareth Earns National Accolades
Nazareth College is one of the country’s best institutions
for undergraduate education, according to The Princeton
Review. The education services company features the school in
the new 2013 edition of its annual college guide, The Best 377
Colleges. Only about 15% of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges
and three colleges outside the U.S. are profiled in the book,
which is The Princeton Review’s flagship college guide. It includes
detailed profiles of the colleges with rating scores for all schools
in eight categories, plus ranking lists of top 20 schools in the
book in 62 categories based on The Princeton Review’s surveys of
students attending the colleges.
Nazareth is also ranked number 21 on a list of the Top 100
Master’s Universities by the 2012 Washington Monthly College
Rankings. Those rankings also placed Nazareth at number 2 on
the list of community service participation. Washington Monthly’s
rankings rate schools based on their contribution to the public
good in three broad categories: social mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), research (producing cutting-edge
scholarship and Ph.D.s), and service (encouraging students to give something back to their country).
Finally, U.S. News & World Report has again ranked Nazareth College in the top tier of colleges and universities in the category of
Best Regional Universities—North in its 2013 edition of U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges. Nazareth also made the guide’s list
for A+ Schools for B Students, where top quality institutions look for more than just grades on applications.
“Nazareth College is proud to be included once again on the list of best regional universities in the north region by a widely respected
publication like the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges guide,” says President Daan Braveman. “We are providing students
with the highest quality experience through our liberal arts core, professional learning, and fieldwork opportunities that prepare them
for successful careers and meaningful lives.”
Taylor Sculpture Enhances Art Center
The Nazareth College Arts Center main entrance now features a sculpture by
acclaimed glass artist Michael Taylor. The new work, donated to the College
by the artist, is titled Right Place/Right Time and conveys the cycle of student
life on campus from matriculation to graduation.
“The piece speaks of student accomplishments from the foundation years to the
assertion of independence of personal interests,” says Taylor. “Each arm of the 18
objects is at a different place and a different time corresponding to primary locations
on the analogue clock and the compass. The work is ultimately about being
prepared for the inevitable moment of being at the right place at the right time.”
Taylor was head of the glass department at RIT’s College of Imaging Arts and
Sciences for 20 years. His work appears in public and private collections around the
world, including the Museum of Art and Design, New York; the National Collection
of American Art, Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.; and
the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va.
Sculptor Michael Taylor installing his glass artwork Right Place/Right Time in the
Arts Center.
12 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

The Right Chemistry
by Amy Gallo ’13 and Alicia Nestle
Chemistry major Goodwell Nzou ’15 has accomplished some
extraordinary things in his short life: he’s toured Europe and
America as a percussionist with his internationally recognized
band, has been featured in an Oscar-winning documentary,
and graduated from the most prestigious high school in Zimbabwe—
all of which started with a snake bite.
When he was just 11 years old, Nzou and his brother waded into a
river to cool off near their home in Chitsungo Village in the Zambezi
Valley of Zimbabwe. A puff adder, one of Africa’s deadliest snakes, suddenly
bit Nzou. His leg immediately began to swell. With no transportation,
his family placed him in a wheelbarrow and traveled more than 12
miles to the nearest clinic. For the next month and a half, Nzou would
spend his days being carted (literally) back and forth to local clinics, only
to see his foot and leg grow worse.
By the time his family found the money to send him to a larger hospital
almost 250 miles from his home, gangrene had set in and his doctors
had no choice but to amputate. Nzou was relieved that the worst of his
pain was over, but the hardest part of his journey was still to come.
“Zimbabwe’s public schools aren’t equipped for the disabled, and
the stigmatization is really bad,” says Nzou. With a heavy, cumbersome
wooden leg, there was no way Nzou could return to school in his home
village. A small grant from the government enabled him to attend
schools exclusively for disabled children.
At King George VI Children’s Centre (a high school), Nzou outshone
all his classmates academically. He also excelled as a percussionist
playing the marimba with Liyana, a band he and his friends formed in
2005 made up entirely of disabled musicians. In 2006, the group won
the Crossroads Africa Inter-regional Music Festival in Mozambique and
toured Sweden, The Netherlands, and Belgium later that year.
Upon returning from tour, Nzou began to think more and more about
his amputated leg—and how he could help others avoid the same fate.
“I decided I wanted to be a doctor because if there had been a doctor
in the village when I was bitten by the snake, I would still have my leg.”
King George had no physical science teacher or lab, so Nzou taught
himself chemistry with textbooks he purchased with his money from
Liyana’s European tour. His determination got the attention of Christian
Brothers College (CBC), the most prestigious high school in Zimbabwe.
CBC sent the head of their science department to meet Nzou and see
the lab he constructed in a school closet. Using what little equipment
and chemicals he had, he completed an impressive experiment that
wowed the teacher. “The science head went back to CBC and said ‘We
want him here,’” says Nzou.
Meanwhile, Liyana was achieving great success as well. A film about
the band, Music by Prudence, aired on HBO and won the 2010 Academy
Award for best documentary (short subject).
Nzou turned to the film’s producer, Elinor Burkett, for advice about
the future, and she encouraged him to apply to Nazareth. “She told
me about this small school where she had given a talk. I knew that if
she remembered that small of a school, it must have been something
unique.”
And she was right. At Nazareth, Nzou is currently doing research
to improve a drug that will enable doctors to test for HIV more easily,
something he knows he wouldn’t be doing anywhere else as a sophomore.
“If I had gone to a school like Columbia I would be washing out
beakers.”
He has also found a home in the Nazareth music community as
part of the Nazareth Percussion Ensemble. “The cultural and musical
exchanges I have witnessed between our music students and Goodwell
are so inspiring,” says Kristen Shiner-McGuire, the percussion coordinator
in the music department. “He is a gem of a person and is going
to make a significant impact on the larger world.”
For Nzou, attending medical school at Johns Hopkins University would
be a dream come true. “What the mind perceives, it achieves,” he says.
It is that mantra that accompanied him on his incredible journey to
Nazareth and one that will no doubt lead him into a very bright future.
Read more about Nazareth’s chemistry department at
naz.edu/chemistry.
Amy Gallo ’13 is a sociology major at Nazareth. Alicia Nestle is the
assistant director for new media in Nazareth’s marketing department.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 13

NEWS|views
n School of health and human services
From Classroom to Community
by Julie Long
Students in the Greater Rochester
Collaborative Master’s of Social
Work Program, a joint degree
program between Nazareth College
and the SUNY College at Brockport,
have been using their skills outside of the
classroom—and making the southwest
neighborhood of the City of Rochester a
better place to live in the process.
The Advanced Standing Integrative
Seminar course, taught by Nazareth’s
Assistant Professor Elizabeth Russell,
Ph.D., and Brockport’s Visiting Assistant
Professor Margy Meath ’83, LCSW-R,
has scrapped most of its in-class time
in an effort to put its students out in
the field where they’ll likely be working
after graduation. They’re teaming with
community leaders and local residents to
identify both community strengths and
critical issues in order to create resources
for the community that will continue to
provide support long after the project’s
completion.
Russell says the students are aiming
to get those in the community thinking
about their neighborhood in a different
way. “So often, we look at what’s missing
in a community … at what’s happening
that isn’t putting people in a good
light,” says Russell. “But what’s happening that’s positive? For example,
many organizations offer free meals. How do we help people find out
about it and access it? How do we connect these organizations and
help them pool their resources together?”
“We’re working on seven discrete projects or areas of focus. One of
them is developing information about summer resources for kids in the
neighborhood. Another examines the health resources in the southwest
community,” says Meath. “Another group is focused on food. One
of the issues with urban living is that a lot of people don’t have good
transportation. So they shop at local corner stores that sell lots and lots
of junk. So they’re going to look at the healthy alternatives that they
have to offer.”
Pulling from each of these seven different areas, students are building
an asset map, which will serve as a comprehensive resource for the
MSW students work on resume tips for city residents
in the southwest neighborhood. Back row: Michael
Slobbe ’14, Sabrina Howland ’13. Front, left: Sabrina
Wing ’13, Amanda Tuttle ’13.
entire community. They are partnering
with a neighborhood geographic
information systems expert to build an
inventory of available resources that
community members can access over the
internet. The map will allow residents
to filter information by topic and, they
hope, provide some detailed information
about each resource.
The students are also working with
the staff at the Arnett branch of the
Rochester Public Library to create aids
for job searching and employment
opportunities.
“We’re creating single page resources
that say—this is how you can get a free
email address, here are some resume
tools, here are some places that you can
go looking for jobs,” Meath says. “These
are things that many of us take for
granted because we know how to do it.
But many people don’t.”
The Greater Rochester Collaborative
MSW program is an innovative response
to a long-standing need for an MSW
program in the Greater Rochester area.
The program is the first public/private
partnership in social work education,
providing students with the best educational
experience from two of the area’s
finest academic institutions. The program focuses on the delivery of
collaborative, community-based practice using an integrative practice
model that stresses a strengths-based, empowerment oriented, interdisciplinary
teamwork approach to social work practice. The program is a
direct response to community, student, and agency needs and provides
opportunities for graduates of the program to be on the cutting edge of
new directions for social work practice.
Read about the Greater Rochester Collaborative MSW program at
go.naz.edu/MSW.
Julie Long is the assistant director of media relations in Nazareth’s
marketing department.
14 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

n College of Arts and Sciences
New Majors Expand Liberal Arts Offerings
by Robyn Rime
The College of Arts and Sciences is offering
several new majors this fall and
has more ready to launch in fall 2013.
This year’s additions include four bachelor
of fine arts degrees in the Departments of
Theatre and Art, the first B.F.A.’s offered in the
College’s history.
Deborah Dooley ’75, Ph.D., dean of the
College of Arts and Sciences, sees these steps
as a further demonstration of Nazareth’s commitment
to the value of the liberal arts and
sciences and their capacity to support professional
preparation for students. “As effective
critical thinkers and skilled problem-solvers,
Nazareth graduates will have not only the content
knowledge of their disciplines, but also
the cognitive ability to analyze and synthesize
information in new ways,” Dooley says. “They
learn to become creators of knowledge, not
merely to imitate what others know.”
Acting, B.F.A.
This pre-professional degree emphasizes the
skills necessary for the working artist of the
theatre. “It’s an immersion experience that
begins with classes in dance technique, acting,
script analysis, behind-the-scenes lab work,
and a freshman showcase, then progresses
into courses like improvisation, stage dialects,
stage combat, and camera performance,” says
Lindsay Reading Korth, M.F.A., professor
and chair in theatre arts. Students learn the art
of collaboration by interaction with fellow artists,
peers, colleagues, teachers, and working
professionals. For more, visit naz.edu/acting.
Musical Theatre, B.F.A.
This pre-professional degree in music,
theatre, and dance emphasizes the essential
integration of these elements and generates
young artists who can sing, dance, and act
with technical ease and facility. Students
collaborate with fellow artists and foster a lasting
appreciation for, and life in, the performing
arts. Students can begin auditioning for
casting as early as their second semester, and
guest artists from professional theatre regularly
direct and teach in the program. For more, visit
naz.edu/musical-theatre.
Technical Production (Scenic,
Costume, Lighting), B.F.A.
This specific professional training degree
covers all the design areas. All faculty
members work professionally in their fields;
students are required as part of their curriculum
to complete a professional internship prior
to their senior year. “All Nazareth’s shops are
hands-on,” says Beth LaJoie, M.F.A., assistant
professor of theatre arts/technical direction
and lighting design. Students make patterns,
do fitting, sewing, dyeing, and millinery; they
practice drafting and carpentry, scenic painting,
and props; and they learn to hang lights,
use special effects, and run consoles. For more,
visit naz.edu/technical-production.
Toxicology, B.S.
Toxicologists study the harmful effects of
all types of chemicals on biological systems.
Nazareth’s program offers three tracks—cellular,
organismal, and environmental—so
students may customize the program to their
career interests. “Despite an excellent occupational
outlook for toxicologists, Nazareth
is one of only a few schools in the nation to
offer a bachelor’s degree in toxicology,” says
Stephanie Zamule, Ph.D., assistant professor
and director of the toxicology program. “The
small class sizes and individualized attention
from faculty make Nazareth a great place to
study this exciting field.” For more, visit naz.
edu/toxicology.
Visual
Communication
Design, B.F.A.
This degree combines
studies in studio art with
courses in graphic design,
illustration, advertising,
and web design,
providing students with
essential competencies
for the visual communication
of ideas. Students
learn to develop visual
responses to communication
problems, as well
as understand message
hierarchies, marketing
strategies, typography,
aesthetics, composition,
and the construction
of meaningful images.
They become creative
problem-solvers and
elegant image-makers.
For more, visit naz.edu/
visual-comm-design.
Other Approved Programs
Newly received state approval means that
undergraduate students are now also able
to major in legal studies (B.A.), Asian studies
(B.A.), or Chinese (Mandarin, B.A.). Beginning
in fall 2013, graduate students can receive
an M.S. in higher education student affairs
administration, the only trans-disciplinary
program of its kind in the Rochester area that
prepares students for professional positions
in multiple administrative sub-fields in higher
education.
For more information on the College of Arts
and Sciences, visit naz.edu/cas.
Robyn Rime is the editor of Connections.
Technical production majors
receive training on theatre
light and sound consoles.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 15

NEWS|views
n School of education
Student Teaching with Passports
by Erich Van Dussen
Do Hungarian students give apples to their teachers? What
about German pupils, or British youths? A handful of Nazareth
College seniors are about to find out.
To education majors everywhere, the student teaching
experience represents a peek inside the familiar world of the classroom,
viewed from a decidedly unfamiliar perspective. But Nazareth’s School
of Education (SOE) allows select undergraduate and graduate students
to venture into even more unfamiliar territory, through an international
student-teaching program that places them in classrooms around the
world for one of their two traditional placements.
Transitional time in an elementary school classroom in Leeds, England.
Now the program has expanded into new countries and cultures, and
even more student teachers will be able to look out the windows of
their classrooms and see Hungary, Germany, or England—to name only
a few potential locations. “It’s a wonderful experience for the students. I
know we’re very pleased to see more of them being able to take advantage
of it,” says Deb Godsen DePalma, coordinator of international
and intercultural initiatives for the school.
Nazareth’s program began nearly 20 years ago, DePalma says, with a
partnership with a school in Wales. That relationship ended recently, but
along the way other international relationships began to emerge that
resulted in student-teaching opportunities in such far-flung settings as
Tanzania and France. Additionally, education majors who may have previously
studied abroad in Nazareth’s longstanding sister cities—Berlin,
Pescara, Rennes, and Valencia—may be eligible to return to those cities
as a student teacher, for a deeper understanding of those locations.
Beyond the sheer cultural immersion, DePalma says, the goals of the
program are to expand students’ understanding of the nature of teaching,
let them compare different educational systems, and encourage
adaptation and flexibility: If they can do it there, to paraphrase Frank
Sinatra, they can do it anywhere.
“That’s it exactly,” DePalma says. “Tanzania, for instance, is a very
different experience than what they see here. You’re looking at upwards
of 40 to 50 students in a classroom ... and you still have to teach the
curriculum and be ready to address the unique needs of each student.
The program arms them to be able to enter any classroom and quickly
develop an understanding of how to work with their students as individuals.”
Participation also makes the students more marketable, says Craig
Hill, Ed.D., interim dean in the School of Education. “There is a lot of
competition for the jobs that are available out there. Having a distinctive
experience like this can really help students stand out when they’re
looking for a position.”
Hence the drive to keep expanding the program—both in the development
of partnerships with new schools in new countries, and in the
encouragement of Nazareth students to participate.
In past years, approximately five seniors annually would go abroad in
the program—typically from October to December, after completion of
a local student-teaching placement at the beginning of their final fall
semester. Now, with a coordinated expansion in both the number of
countries and students involved, the program is prompting more future
teachers to order passports. This fall alone, 10 students traveled to
Leeds, England, and two more each to Hungary and Germany.
Placement relationships are also blooming between Nazareth and
schools in China and Kenya, DePalma says. “We hope to see those
numbers keep growing—I think it would be great to be sending 30
students each year.
“But we’ve already surpassed my five-year plan for growth,” she adds
with a laugh. “I’ll stick with that plan for now!”
Learn more about international student teaching at go.naz.edu/
international-student-teaching.
Erich Van Dussen is a freelance writer in Rochester, New York.
16 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

n School of Management
Climbing the Wegmans Ladder
by Sofia Tokar
What’s it like to climb the corporate ladder at one of Fortune’s
top-ranked “100 Best Companies to Work For”?
Ask Mike DeCory ’91, vice president of Wegmans
brand, who has spent 26 years at Wegmans Food Markets,
Inc., beginning as a part-time grocery clerk in 1986. “I’ve been
unbelievably fortunate to have the ability to grow in a career that I
love in my hometown and working for a fantastic company run by an
outstanding family.”
Founded in 1916 in Rochester, N.Y., Wegmans stores now number
80 (and increasing) across the mid-Atlantic region. The company has
won dozens of awards and distinctions that highlight its excellence as
an employer, as a retailer, and in community service. In fact, the latest
Consumer Reports survey named Wegmans the best supermarket chain
in the nation.
Many Nazareth graduates who live in other parts of the country
often lament the lack of a nearby Wegmans store. Whether it’s the
amazing selection of products or the friendly customer service, people
can’t get enough of the Wegmans experience.
As it turns out, neither could DeCory, who worked in various store
operations assignments at the company throughout high school and
college. However, it wasn’t until his senior year at Nazareth that he was
bitten by the retail bug. “Retail is not for everyone,” explains DeCory,
“but if it gets in your blood, then there’s a real energizing component
to that kind of work.”
After graduating with a bachelor of science in business administration
and economics in 1991, DeCory began his career at Wegmans in
earnest, experiencing multiple aspects of the store operations side of
the business. When the opportunity to work for the corporate side of
Wegmans arose, DeCory jumped at the chance and was able to acquire
additional learning by working in areas such as buying, merchandising,
and inventory management. But he missed the daily life of the stores,
and returned there for two years in order to stay current with the everchanging
store operations environment.
In October 2004, he came into his role at the director level, which
was then turned into his current position, one that incorporates and
expands upon all of the different skills he’s acquired while working at
Wegmans: vice president of Wegmans brand.
There’s a difference between the brand of Wegmans and Wegmansbrand
products, explains DeCory. Wegmans-brand products bear the
company’s name on the label; the brand of Wegmans is what people
think of when they hear that name. “My job is to make sure every
Wegmans-brand product lives up to the Wegmans brand in terms of
quality, taste, packaging, safety standards, sustainability, manufacturing
practices, and more.”
But don’t mistake
Wegmans-brand
products for your
everyday grocery store
generics. “Wegmans
has its national brand
equivalents,” continues
DeCory, “but what
we are most passionate
about is finding
new and better ways
to develop unique
products that meet the
ever-changing needs
of our customers.
Our guiding principles
are help, health, and
affordability—and
we are driven by the
challenge of offering
our customers a choice
Mike DeCory ‘91
that they don’t have
anywhere else in the market at the moment.”
And with millions of customers, DeCory thinks of Wegmans first and
foremost as “a people business”—focused on customer and employee
satisfaction. “A lot of schools can teach the science of business, but
at Nazareth I also learned the human side as well. The life skills I
gained—in class with professors, on the tennis team, one-on-one with
my academic advisors—are as imperative to me now as the theories of
supply and demand.”
A recent article in The Atlantic echoed DeCory’s sentiment, stating
that “the secret sauce of Wegmans is people.” “It’s true,” he reiterates.
“Every day I work with 43,000 of the most energized and passionate
people—both in the stores and in corporate. The result is incredible
service focused on making the Wegmans experience the best possible.”
That outstanding service and focus on people inspires a “cult-like loyalty
among its customers,” according to The Atlantic.
“We value—and are humbled by—our customer fan base,” DeCory
says, “so if people enjoy the Wegmans experience, we do everything
possible to keep them loyal and coming back.”
Read about the School of Management at naz.edu/management.
Sofia Tokar is the assistant editor in Nazareth’s marketing
department.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 17

sports|news
Locker Rooms Refurbished with Assist from Van Gundy
Van Gundy
Thanks in large part to a generous
gift from alumnus Jeff Van Gundy ’85,
Nazareth’s men’s and women’s basketball
locker rooms got a facelift last summer.
The old metal lockers were replaced
by more modern wooden ones, and the
men’s locker room was named in honor of
Van Gundy’s coaches when he played at
Nazareth: Bill Nelson, Jim Emery, and Bob
Ward. The women’s locker room was named
in honor of Van Gundy’s roommate at Nazareth,
Farrell Lynch, who was among the
thousands who perished in the World Trade
Center attack on September 11, 2001.
The locker rooms were dedicated during a
ceremony last September, prior to Nazareth’s
annual Sports Hall of Fame dinner.
“This is obviously a great thing for us,” says Nazareth Athletic Director
Pete Bothner. “It’s nice that someone with the profile Jeff has is
able to remember his roots by supporting a cause that is near and dear
to him.”
Van Gundy played basketball at Nazareth from 1983 through 1985
and was inducted into the Golden Flyers’ Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.
He has coached the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets in the NBA
and currently serves as a television analyst for the NBA on ABC and
ESPN.
Lacrosse Alumni Win Tournament in Lake Placid
It will never stack up with any of the national championships
that they were part of in the 1990s, but for 35 former Nazareth
lacrosse players, winning the Lake Placid Classic last August helped
rekindle some fond memories.
Competing in the Masters II Division (35 and older), the Nazareth
Olden Flyers posted a 3-1 record in the four-day event, including a 12-8
win in the championship game against a group that consisted mostly
of former Syracuse University standouts.
“The alumni and their families did an awesome job representing
Nazareth College and our lacrosse program,” says Rob Randall ’88,
the current Nazareth head coach who also played in the tournament.
The team consisted of players from Nazareth’s inaugural team (1986)
and incorporated several players from Nazareth’s national championship
teams of 1992, 1996, and 1997. Former Nazareth standouts Bill
Meagher ’91 and Brent Rothfuss ’97 did most of the organizing.
“Many of us had not played together for at least 15 years,” says
Meagher. “We lost our first game, but once the cobwebs cleared, the
team came together and played great.”
Kevin Kaffl, an All-American goalie for Nazareth back in 1993,
was named tournament MVP. Ronnie Davis ’93, who played on
Nazareth’s 1992 championship team, sponsored a house party for all
the Nazareth alums, including some of the more recent graduates.
Adam Civalier ’99, who played in ’96 and ’97, was able to secure
sponsorship from Genesee Brewery. Shawn Riley ’89, a member of
the original Nazareth team and co-owner of Graph Tex, Inc. in Homer,
N.Y, contributed some lacrosse gear, and Randall donated lacrosse
gloves. Jim Cornicelli ’93 and Joe Alden ’94, each members of the
’92 team, flew in from North Carolina and Japan respectively.
“It was a team effort,” Meagher says.
The team’s roster was a who’s who of former Nazareth lacrosse
standouts: Joe Alden ’94, Dave Basile ’90, Tom Campbell ’96, Tom
Cincebox ’89, Adam Civalier ’99, Bill Coons ’89, Jim Cornicelli
’93, Dan Coughlin ’92, Kevin Cox ’94, Ronnie Davis ’93, Dan Garrett
’80, Ed Geary, Greg Gebhardt ’92, John Gebhardt ’91, Mike
Grasso ’95, ’96G, Jeremy Hollenbeck ’96, Carl Jutzin ’93, Kevin
Kaffl, Marty Kelly ’92, Chris March ’92, Ryan McDermott ’98, Bill
Meagher ’91, Chris Nadelen ’00, Tony Pezzimenti ’94, Brandon
Piccarreto ’02, Neal Powless ’98, Dave Pratt ’95, Jeff Pross ’99,
Rob Randall ’88, Pete Riley ’93, Shawn Riley ’89, Brent Rothfuss
’97, Bill Serino ’99, Wewoka Shenandoah, Brian Silcott.
Read more about Nazareth lacrosse on page 22.
18 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

Women’s Soccer Team Celebrates 30 Years on the Field
by Joe Seil
Nazareth’s women’s soccer program is no worse for wear
now that they’ve reached the ripe old age of 30, yet Gail
Mann has been around long enough to remember a time
when Nazareth’s Flyers weren’t quite so golden.
As the head coach for exactly two-thirds of the Golden
Flyers’ rich women’s soccer tradition, Mann has a vivid memory of her
first season at the helm. It was 1993, a time when she was more concerned
about recruiting quality student-athletes than wins and losses.
“I knew how it was supposed to be and I was focused on that,” says
Mann, who finished 4-12-1 in her first season. “I wanted to make us
perennial contenders to make the NCAA tournament.”
The blueprint came more into focus by her second season as the
Golden Flyers moved up to nine victories. They won 12 games the next
season, then 16 the season after that. By year five (1997), the fledgling
Flyers were ready to take flight. They completed a 15-0-1 record-season
schedule and made the NCAAs for the first time. An exciting triple
overtime win over Oneonta followed, before the season ended with a
3-2 loss to the University of Rochester.
They haven’t had anything close to a losing season since those drab
days of the early ’90s, and they’ve amassed double-digit victory totals
16 times in the past 17 seasons. In addition, they’ve won eight Empire
8 Conference titles and made eight NCAA tournament appearances.
“It’s what we strived for when I came here,” says Mann, whose
240-plus career wins rank her among the top active coaches in all
of Division III. “We’ve had the luxury of having a lot of good players
pass through, and they’ve stayed involved and helped in building our
foundation.”
Under the direction of
former head coach Jacklin
Randall-Ward and a push
from then-president Robert
A. Kidera, Nazareth started
women’s soccer in 1983. The
Golden Flyers were competitive
from the outset
with help from Sports Hall
of Famers Lynne Stever
Nelson ‘89, Angela Coniglio
‘88, and Liz O’Leary
Rollins ‘87, ‘98G. Nazareth
won 56 games in Randall-
Ward’s five seasons and
earned their first national
ranking in 1986.
Six straight losing seasons
followed before Mann came
on board and provided
stability. Among the many
turning points was Mann’s
ability to recruit quality
players from the immediate
Gail Mann, head coach for women’s soccer since
1993.
area, including Hall of Famers Rita Bartucca Kladstrup ‘98, ‘02G and
Michelle Urbanski Valentino ‘00, ‘02G, whose careers intersected in
1996 when Valentino was a freshman and Kladstrup a senior.
“Before they came to Nazareth, all the top local talent either went to
U of R or William Smith,” Mann says. “We needed to change that.”
In 1999, Valentino’s senior year, Nazareth set a school record with 17
victories and knocked off Oneonta and William Smith on consecutive
days to win the New York Regional title and to advance to the national
quarterfinals, the deepest post-season run in the program’s history.
Two-time All-American midfielder Melanie Northrup Kaeser ‘00 also
played on that team, along with Jaime Snyder ‘03, who earned All-
American honors two years later.
Success snowballed and more quality players arrived, including All-
Americans Heidi Brown Woodcock ‘03 and Kristina Cristofori ‘07,
‘12G, each of whom captained conference championship teams.
“It hasn’t gotten any easier,” Mann admits. “There’s more parity
among teams and everyone now has the same recruiting mentality. I
wouldn’t trade it, though, for anything. It’s been a great run.”
Read more about Nazareth athletics at athletics.naz.edu.
Joe Seil is the sports information director and assistant athletic director
at Nazareth College.
Women’s soccer celebrated 30 years last September with an alumni
game and reception that drew more than 30 players, including Ashley
Clinton ‘10, ‘11G (left) and Erica Conte ‘12.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 19

sports|news
Johnston Named to All-Region Team
Alyssa Johnston ’13, midfielder on the Nazareth women’s
lacrosse team, was named to the Empire Region all-star team
by the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association.
Johnston, of Canandaigua, N.Y. and a graduate of Canandaigua
Academy, was a second-team selection after leading the Golden
Flyers in scoring in 2012 and assisting them to a berth in the Empire 8
Conference Tournament.
Johnston amassed 51 points on 40 goals and 11 assists. She ranks
in the top 10 all-time for career scoring with 149 points, including 109
goals.
Johnston also was a first-team Empire 8 Conference all-star for the
Golden Flyers, who posted an overall record of 6-9 in 2012.
In addition to Johnston, Erinn Wood ’13 and Megan Cregan ’13
were named to the second team along with MacKenzie Haley ’15.
Tara Prosak ’14 made honorable mention. Brittany Buza ’12 was
Nazareth’s representative as conference Sportswoman of the Year.
Wood, of Vestal, N.Y. and a graduate of Vestal High School, ranked
first in assists with 25 and was second in scoring with 46 points. She
had 22 points in seven conference games on 14 goals, 8 assists.
Cregan, of Rochester and a graduate Brighton High School, had 37
points on 35 goals, two assists, and ranked first on the team with 21
caused turnovers.
Haley, of Syracuse and a graduate of West Genesee High School,
played regularly as a starting defender for the Golden Flyers and had 30
ground balls and 18 caused turnovers.
Prosak, of Jamesville, N.Y. and a graduate of Jamesville-DeWitt High
School, started 15 games for the Golden Flyers and had 142 saves.
Buza, of Syracuse and a graduate of Marcellus High School,
was named
Nazareth’s
representative on
the 2012 Women’s
Lacrosse Sportswoman
of the Year
Team. Empire 8
emphasizes that
“Competing
with Honor and
Integrity” is an
essential component
of a studentathlete’s
experience
in conjunction with
an institution’s educational
mission.
These honorees
Alyssa Johnston ’13
have distinguished
themselves and
consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
Estes Makes All-American Team
C.J. Estes ’12, attackman for the Golden Flyers’ men’s lacrosse team, represented Nazareth on the Division
III All-American team that was chosen in May by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association.
Estes was an honorable mention selection.
Estes, of Medfield, Mass. and a graduate of Hebron Academy, was the Golden Flyers’ team captain and
leading scorer in 2012 with 50 points on 27 goals and 23 assists. He ranks fifth all-time at Nazareth in career
scoring with 195 points, including 117 goals. He also was recognized as a first-team Empire 8 Conference
all-star.
In addition to Estes, midfielder Drew Simoneau ’15 represented Nazareth as Empire 8 Conference
Rookie of the Year for 2012.
Simoneau, of Manchester, N.H. and a graduate of Kimball Union, took more than half of the Golden
Flyers’ faceoffs in 2012 and had an overall success rate of 56 percent (162-for-288). He also scored nine
goals and added three assists and had a team-best 107 ground balls. In regular-season conference games,
Simoneau won 86 of 124 faceoffs for 64.2 percent.
Estes and Simoneau were first-team E8 all-stars, and five others made second team: attackman Collin
Clark ’14, midfielder Brian Wright ’13, long-stick midfielder Kyle Fister ’15, defenseman Jerry Chasteen
’15, and goalie Tim Doyle ’13.
Short-stick defensive midfielder Mark Pinski ’14 and defenseman Tucker Sampson ’12 made honorable
mention. Also, defenseman Jon TenBrock ’12 was Nazareth’s representative as E8 Sportsman of the Year.
C.J. Estes ’12
20 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

Jake Lazore ’91 Mike McGwin ’93 Jaime Snyder ’03 Jon Zatyko ’85 Linda Downey
Nazareth Inducts Five into Sports Hall of Fame
Four former standout athletes and one standout coach were the
inductees at Nazareth’s 18th annual Sports Hall of Fame dinner
last September.
Former men’s lacrosse standout Jake Lazore ’91; former
men’s basketball standout Mike McGwin ’93; former women’s soccer
standout Jaime Snyder ’03, and former men’s soccer standout Jon
Zatyko ’85 are the athletes enshrined. In addition, former women’s volleyball
coach Linda Downey (1999-2002) was inducted in the distinguished
service category.
Lazore, of Nedrow, N.Y., played three lacrosse seasons for the Golden
Flyers and earned first-team All-American honors and was named Division
III Midfielder of the Year in 1991. He helped Nazareth to an NCAA
Tournament berth in ’91 as well as the ECAC Upstate championship in
1990.
McGwin, of Rochester, N.Y., was a four-year member of the men’s
basketball team who amassed 1,104 points and 561 rebounds for his
career. He was the team’s leading scorer (17.6 ppg.) and rebounder
(7.5 rpg.) for the 1992-93 season.
Snyder, of Allegany, N.Y., excelled for four seasons as a women’s
soccer player and was named Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year
and third-team All-American in 2001. She was a four-time E8 all-star
who helped Nazareth to four straight NCAA Tournament berths.
Zatyko, of Pittsford, N.Y., played soccer for four seasons at Nazareth
and was a member of the first team in 1980. He still ranks second
all-time in career scoring with 72 points, including 27 goals, and was
captain of a 1983 team that finished 12-2-1.
Downey, a Fairport resident, coached the Golden Flyers’ women’s
volleyball team to four of the most successful seasons in its history
from 1999 through 2002. She posted an overall record of 126-35 (.783)
and helped the Golden Flyers to regional titles and national quarterfinal
appearances in 2001 and 2002. She was named New York Region
Coach of the Year three straight times.
Ryan McCormick Makes First Team
Ryan McCormick ’13, a junior on the Nazareth College men’s tennis team, was honored
last spring as a first-team Empire 8 Conference all-star for the third year in a row. The allconference
teams were selected through voting by the league’s head coaches.
A native of Rochester and a graduate of Irondequoit High School, McCormick posted an
overall record of 18-4 as Nazareth’s first singles player in 2011-12, including a 6-1 mark in Empire
8 Conference matches. His 42 career singles wins ranks among the top 10 all-time
at Nazareth.
In addition to McCormick, Nazareth’s second doubles tandem of Jeremy Mancus ’13 and
Erik Manske ’14 made first team, while the first doubles combination of McCormick and
Bret Beaver ’13 was named to the second team. Mancus also made second team in singles,
while Manske was honorable mention in singles.
Mancus and Manske had a 14-7 record in doubles, including a 6-1 mark in conference
matches. Beaver and McCormick went 4-2 in conference play and finished 9-13 overall.
For singles, Mancus was 14-8 overall, playing third singles and Manske finished 13-7
at fourth singles.
Ryan McCormick ’13
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 21

sports|news
“A Lot of Gutsy Kids”
Left: Goalie Greg Gebhardt ‘92 (10) snatches
the ball out of danger.
Right: Nazareth’s 1991-92 men’s lacrosse team.
Twenty years ago, Nazareth scored its first lacrosse national championship
by Joe Seil
he chain-link fence that encased Hobart’s
Boswell Field was about four feet high
and had all the efficiency of a roll of tissue
paper in a rainstorm.
When Nazareth’s Marty Kelly ‘92 unleashed
the shot that enabled the Golden
Flyers to beat Hobart—for the first and
only time ever—in May 1992, the fence
was simply no obstacle for the cascade of fans
that poured onto the field to celebrate one of
college lacrosse’s most epic victories.
“I don’t know if people realize the size of
the mountain that we had to climb,” recalls
Brian Silcott, a midfielder for the Golden
Flyers at the time. “It’s something that could
probably never happen again.”
More than two decades have elapsed since
Nazareth lacrosse’s version of David slaying
Goliath played out in front of more than
7,000 spectators. For most of the 34 players
and five coaches who represented the Golden
Flyers that day, memories of collegiate life
have faded. The recollections, however, of
Nazareth’s 13-12 overtime victory over Hobart
in the national semifinals—as well as those
from a 22-11 romp over Roanoke in the national
championship game a week later—are
as vivid as hi-def.
As an upstart team with an ambitious head
coach (Scott Nelson), Nazareth was in just its
seventh season of intercollegiate play when
it captured the Division III national championship
in men’s lacrosse, halting an unprecedented
reign of success for Hobart that
featured 12 straight national titles. Nazareth
finished with a 14-1 record and was the best
team in 1992.
“[Beating Hobart] was just one link in the
chain,” says Ronnie Davis ’93, a midfielder
who scored 32 goals that season, including six
in the championship game against Roanoke.
“We knew that the road to the championship
would have to go through Geneva, but that
was just one game.”
Calling it “just another game” was a classic
understatement. Supremely prepared and
feeling as though their time had finally arrived,
Nazareth secured leads of 6-0 and 8-1
before Hobart rallied. The Statesmen closed
to within 8-3 by halftime; with 15 minutes to
go, Nazareth’s lead had shrunk to 9-6.
With less than a minute remaining, Nazareth
was still up 12-10, but Hobart scored
twice in the final 34 seconds, including the
game-tying goal with just three seconds left,
to force the game to sudden-death overtime.
If it seemed like déjà vu all over again, it was
because Hobart had beaten Nazareth eight
times previously, including a last-minute 13-
12 triumph a during the regular season only a
month before.
“I just remember being mad that we had
allowed them to tie it up,” says Kelly, who
remained confident as overtime loomed. “I
remember thinking that we couldn’t let this
happen again.”
22 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

Top: Midfielder Ronnie Davis ’93 (3) congratulates attackman Marty Kelly
‘92 (30).
Middle: And the crowd goes wild…
Bottom: Nazareth captures the 1992 Division III national championship in
men’s lacrosse.
And they didn’t. Silcott won the crucial overtime face-off
and passed the ball to Davis, who had doubts about passing
the ball again. “Before overtime,” Davis recalls, “Nelson
told us to get the ball to Marty when we won the face-off. It
crossed my mind, though, not to pass it.”
Davis followed instructions, but Kelly had the ball wrapchecked
from his stick by a Hobart defender as he tried to
bull his way toward the goal. Miraculously, the ball bounced
in front of Kelly and he was able to rake it back into the
pocket of his stick. With the Hobart defender draped on
him like a wet blanket, Kelly delivered the game-winning
shot that settled into the back of the net, 24 seconds into
overtime, touching off a victory celebration that lasted more
than 20 minutes.
“The first face I saw was Ronnie’s,” Kelly says. “I never saw
the wave of fans, but I ended up on the bottom of the pile
and I thought my head might explode.”
A week later, in somewhat anti-climactic style, the Golden
Flyers completed their mission by dominating Roanoke for
the national title in front of more than 6,700 fans at Philadelphia’s
Franklin Field. It was Nazareth’s first of three national
titles in the ’90s. Hobart, meanwhile, moved up to Division I
after the 1994 season, and the teams haven’t played since.
“We were kind of a ragtag operation when you think back
on it,” says Nelson, now the head lacrosse coach at Binghamton
University, “but we had a lot of gutsy kids.”
More than two decades later, the players and coaches—
now mostly 40-somethings—have scattered. Some played
professionally both indoors and out. Some followed in
Nelson’s footsteps and became coaches. Still others haven’t
touched a lacrosse stick since. Most are married with children.
“It will always be part of my day-to-day being,” says Davis,
who lives in Pittsford and owns a handful of area eateries.
“The best part of the whole thing is the friendships. It seems
like there will always be a link to it.”
With the landscape of present-day collegiate lacrosse
somewhat altered—more than 200 teams compete at the
Division III level alone—it seems unlikely that such a fledgling
team could reap the same success in such a short period. “I
guess it’s possible, but not realistic,” says Kelly, now the head
coach at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island. “There’s
just too much parity.”
Meanwhile, Nazareth’s ’92 team (along with its championship
counterparts of ’96 and ’97) remains the standard by
which others will be scrutinized. “It was quite a feat,” says
Nelson. “Those guys and the guys from the first few years
laid quite a foundation.”
What are the players on the ’92 championship lacrosse
team doing now? Read their updates at naz.edu/connections/stories.
Joe Seil is the sports information director and assistant
athletic director at Nazareth College.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 23

eyond self | community service
Ground-Level
Construction
Nazareth launches a campus chapter
of Habitat for Humanity
by Robyn Rime
ast October, a small cardboard town sprang up on campus.
Occupying the quad near the Clock Tower Commons dormitory
for just one night, the boxes provided temporary shelter for a
dozen Nazareth students who braved frosty temperatures
to sleep in the Cardboard City. Their goal: raise awareness
of the need for affordable housing and increase visibility
of Nazareth’s new campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity
International.
“The event helps students learn about the poverty and
homelessness right here in Rochester, and we hope that their
experiences that night inspire them to engage in more volunteer
opportunities and become more active,” says Samantha Lewis
’14, a history major and president of the campus Habitat chapter.
“While fundraising is one of the goals of a campus chapter,
we believe educating people is another essential aspect, and
Cardboard City is just one outlet for that.”
Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has used volunteer labor
and donations of money and materials to build and rehabilitate
decent, affordable houses alongside homeowner partner families.
In addition to a down payment and monthly mortgage payments,
homeowners invest their own labor into building their house and
the houses of others. Habitat houses are sold to partner families
at no profit and financed with affordable loans; the homeowners’
monthly mortgage payments are then used to build still more
Habitat houses.
Students prepare their boxes for Cardboard City, an awareness-raising
event sponsored by Nazareth’s Habitat for Humanity Campus
Chapter. See more Cardboard City photos at flickr.com/photos/
nazareth_college/sets.
The organization is widely admired for its participatory model.
“It’s a hand up, not a handout,” explains Nick Croce ’13,
founder and past president of Nazareth’s campus chapter. “The
homes are paid back—Habitat has something like a 97 percent
success rate. They try to create neighborhoods and revitalize the
whole place.”
24 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

The Nazareth chapter was formed last April
under the local affiliate Flower City Habitat
for Humanity and functions as part of the
Undergraduate Association. According to
Brian Bailey ’01G, Ph.D., assistant professor
of adolescence education and faculty advisor
to the group, the chapter’s goals are threefold:
building homes; raising money to participate in
builds; and educating people about poverty and
community change.
The chapter has been well received on
campus. “There are lots of people interested in
getting a hammer in hand and building someone
a home,” says Lewis. Initial meetings drew
more than 50 students with wide-ranging backgrounds;
participation changes each semester,
with a solid core of about 15 regulars.
“I thought we’d get a more humanities-type
group, but we have all majors and lots of athletes,”
says Croce.
Members volunteer to assist with builds
both as individuals and as a group; they hope
to increase their activity, though money is still
tight. Last September, the group helped with
JOSANA Clean Sweep, a clean-up event in a
neighborhood where Flower City Habitat and
the City of Rochester are collaborating on a
major renewal project. Educational activities
have included the Cardboard City, and the
group sold Thanksgiving pies to raise funds.
They’ve even assisted with disaster relief, an
activity unusual for college chapters. Taking
advantage of Croce’s previous experience as
a liaison with New York Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster (a coordinating agency
that helps the state prepare for and respond to
disasters), Nazareth sent a number of students
to New York’s Schoharie County to support
communities flooded by Hurricane Irene.
“Many of the students had never seen this
kind of damage,” says Croce. “There were
piles of garbage everywhere, the town hall was
empty. We worked on one home—a family’s
beautiful Victorian house with a destroyed
interior—and did tens of thousands of dollars
worth of work gutting it from the basement to
the first floor.”
The chapter’s next steps are equally ambitious.
Now that it has official recognition, it
can organize alternative spring break trips, with
possible opportunities in third-world countries.
The group’s biggest goal, however, is to cosponsor
a home, which requires an investment
of $10,000. With that, the chapter could send
more Nazareth volunteers to the build site and
have naming rights to the house—and creating
a Nazareth College Habitat for Humanity
house is a powerful motivator. “It’s a big
dream,” admits Bailey, “but if Nazareth College
is to remain true to our mission, then we can
certainly find the resources somewhere within
our community in order to change a family’s
life.”
Nazareth’s location will help smooth some
of the growing pains for the campus Habitat
chapter, says Lewis. “We’re close to our affiliate
Flower City, and their student advisory council
provides great opportunities for younger chapters
to exchange ideas. We know the basics,
but we can learn fundraising ins and outs from
more established chapters. We’re also close to
where we’d be building—Rochester has the
equivalent of 33 football fields of unoccupied
homes and empty lots.”
Lewis and other Habitat members value the
benefits the organization offers. “Moving into
their homes changes the lives of families,”
Lewis says. “It brings stability to their neighborhoods
and their communities. Children in
Habitat homes have a 98 percent high school
graduation rate, and 72 percent of them pursue
higher education.”
The chapter’s bylaws were created with a
broad audience in mind, and Lewis says alumni
and friends are encouraged to participate in
events and activities as non-voting members.
“We want them to come build with us,” adds
Croce earnestly. “We’ll provide pizza!”
Interested alums may contact Bailey directly
at 585-389-2764 or at bbailey2@naz.edu.
You can stay up-to-date on the campus chapter
by liking Nazareth College Habitat for Humanity
Campus Chapter on Facebook.
Robyn Rime is the editor of Connections.
Erin Carroll ‘14, public relations
officer of the Nazareth
College campus chapter of
Habitat for Humanity, during
a build in the JOSANA neighborhood
of Rochester.
Campus chapter faculty
advisor Brian Bailey ’01G.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 25

Nazareth | in the world
Activist in Action
Sophomore and CEO Cherise
Madigan’s weekly Skype sessions
are changing and saving the lives
of women worldwide
by Amy Gallo ’13
Cherise Madigan ’15, founder and CEO of the nonprofit organization The Feminine Alliance,
with the book that inspired her, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women
Worldwide, by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. The Half the Sky movement now
finds Madigan inspirational: TFA was recently featured on the Half the Sky blog at
http://www.halftheskymovement.org/blog/entrynazareth-college-freshman-raises-60k-forwomen-in-iraq-and-kenya.
o say that Cherise Madigan ’15 has determination would be
a great understatement. The 18-year-old peace and justice
studies major has been supporting herself financially since
she was 16, chats weekly via Skype with a prominent Iraqi
feminist, and is the founder and CEO of the nonprofit
organization The Feminine Alliance (TFA).
Yet she makes her ambition and initiative sound so ordinary.
“I went online and googled ‘how to start your own
non-profit,’” Madigan says. “I bought the book Non-Profit Management
for Dummies and filled out the paperwork [to become an
official non-profit organization].”
But it was her next “ordinary” action that had the greatest
impact. “I shot an email to Yanar Mohammed, a feminist activist
over in Iraq who runs the Organisation of Women’s Freedom in
Iraq (OWFI), never thinking she would actually respond,” she
says. “And then she replied within 24 hours and said she would
be very interested in working with us.” And the first TFA campaign
was born.
The Feminine Alliance exists to “support women’s movements
worldwide,” including a new program in Kenya working with
young girls who are victims of child marriage and female genital
mutilation, but the organization’s current primary objective is to
support Mohammed and the network of women’s shelters that
house human trafficking victims in Baghdad, Iraq. Every week,
sometimes less often because of Mohammed’s lack of reliable
internet access, Madigan and the OWFI president talk via Skype
about the needs of the shelters’ women. Madigan then puts together
a shipment of aid materials and sends it to Baghdad once
per month.
“Cherise has shown incredible initiative in forming The Feminine
Alliance,” says Harry Murray, Ph.D., professor of sociology
and director of the peace and justice studies program. “Her continued
concern and efforts for Iraqi women show a rare commitment
to justice as well as compassion.”
But why Iraqi women? Why Baghdad? “Before the outbreak
of the Gulf War in 1991, Iraq witnessed the highest rate of
women’s literacy and the largest number of female professionals
in the Arab world. Now women face appalling inequality,” says
26 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

Madigan. Such inequality creates an environment that allows for
human trafficking in the form of forced marriages, forced prostitution,
and forced labor or domestic servitude. “TFA decided
to focus on Iraq because it is one place that has fallen off the
radar in terms of international aid. We believe there is a certain
responsibility to assist Iraqi women in achieving the equality that
they once had, and bring attention to an issue that is not addressed
in the media very often.”
Defined by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,
human trafficking involves “the act of recruiting, transporting,
transferring, harboring, or receiving a person through a use of
force, coercion, or other means, for the purpose of exploiting
them.” The U.S. Department of State estimates 800,000 people
at minimum are affected by human trafficking every year. As for
Iraq, “The Baghdad Women’s Organization estimates that at
least 200 Iraqi women are sold into slavery every year, although
the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch estimates that the numbers
are in the thousands,” says Mohammed’s OWFI website. “The
organization [Human Rights Watch] warns that the figures may
be higher if Iraqi refugee women in neighboring countries such as
Syria and Lebanon are also counted.”
You can follow The Feminine Alliance on Facebook.
Once victims are safe, there is still little security or support
for women who have been forced into sex slavery. “According
to a 2009 report by the International Organization for Migration
(IOM) on trafficking, the rehabilitation of victims of human
trafficking has become extremely difficult due to the insecurity
generated by war and sectarian conflicts, the stigma faced by
women in prostitution, and the threat to activist and women’s
organizations,” says Madigan. “There are very few shelters for
women in Iraq, and among them there are very few that accept
victims of human trafficking.”
And so Madigan found the shelters that do—through Yanar
Mohammed. “I’ve always wanted to work with women—to empower
them,” says Madigan. “I try to avoid the word help. People
can help themselves; you just have to give them the tools to do
so.” With a plan in place and a connection to the women who
needed the most help, Madigan knew she had to take action.
“I’m not a very patient person,” she says. “I was going to put off
[starting TFA] until after graduation, but then I figured, why
should I wait?”
However, she knew she couldn’t tackle this issue alone. After
attending the 2012 Clinton Global Initiative University in Washington,
D.C., a conference that brings together student leaders
from college campuses nationwide, topic experts, and celebrities
to discuss solutions to global issues, Madigan realized, “If this
was going to be as big as I wanted it to be, I couldn’t do it all by
myself.”
Enter Melanie Beacham ’15 as TFA’s media outreach coordinator
and Mikella Ackerly ’15 as the organization’s awareness
campaign coordinator. “I support everything that Cherise and
The Feminine Alliance are doing,” says Ackerly. “I really respect
the idea that the organization is not presuming to know what aid
and what help the people we support need but instead is
engaging in dialog and providing the assistance and support
that they themselves express they need.”
While Madigan handles the finances and international
communication with Mohammed, Beacham and Ackerly
are responsible for the Facebook page, as well as awareness
at Nazareth and in the greater Rochester community. Some
of their local campaigns include a march to local strip clubs
as a form of protest, a “Walk in Her Shoes” event, where
men get sponsored to walk as far as they can in high heels,
and a movie series featuring films with strong female characters
at the Little Theatre in downtown Rochester.
For Madigan, this is a life-long endeavor—she’s even
budgeting a 401K into the company for her future. “I’m not
the kind of person who can work for another organization
and sit at a desk for a few years before getting to do what I
want to do,” she says. “I want to go to Baghdad and work
with women hands on.” She already has plans to travel
to the Iraqi capital this winter to visit Mohammed and
the women’s shelters to which she’s been sending aid. And that
same determination that helped her start The Feminine Alliance
remains unwavering as she continues forward: “It might fail; it
might not work. But I’ll try again with something else. This is
definitely what I want to do with the rest of my life.”
For more information, visit www.thefemininealliance.com. To
get involved through Nazareth, email amnesty@mail.naz.edu.
Amy Gallo ’13 is a sociology major at Nazareth.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 27

INTERFAITH | ideas
Grounded in Tradition
College provides interfaith
foundation for alum’s
career as pastoral leader
by Robin L. Flanigan
ike many undergraduates her age, Meghan Robinson
’06 entered college hoping to explore her spiritual identity
and deepen her understanding of God. Much of her
Nazareth journey involved, as she put it, “reflecting on
the eternal questions that have no easy answers.” While
remaining grounded in her Catholic faith, Robinson
took courses in religious studies, participated in Center
for Spirituality programs, and explored the traditions
and practices of other religions while simultaneously
defining her own religious beliefs.
Her journey bore fruit, as Robinson found connections
among the traditions she studied and began to
examine more deeply their universal call for service to
the common good. Then, in her senior year, she participated
in The March: Bearing Witness to Hope, a
bi-annual student leadership development trip to study
the Holocaust.
The experience was transformative. Robinson returned
with a newfound purpose to make the world a
more tolerant place. Her method? To help people understand
that talking with each other about their religious
beliefs in a respectful way not only makes society less
polarized, it can strengthen their own views.
She knew this wouldn’t be an easy sell.
“Sometimes people are scared or naive, thinking that
the goal of interfaith dialogue is conversion to another
religion or belief system, or letting go of some of the religious
values that we hold dear,” she says. “But that’s not
what this is about. Interfaith work isn’t taking a bunch
of religions and making them your own. It’s about
grounding yourself in whatever tradition you’re a part of,
28 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

and then having a dialogue with someone from another tradition
so you can enter into their worldview. It’s about a conversion of
heart and understanding. And sometimes we come to realize we
have some similar values.”
At 28, Robinson, who lives in Penfield, has several roles that
keep her focused on helping people acknowledge, if not embrace,
the fact that talking about their differences ultimately
brings them closer together. In 2011 she became the liaison for
ecumenical/interfaith relations for the 12-county Roman Catholic
Diocese of Rochester. She also serves full time as the pastoral
associate and music minister at St. Thomas More and Our Lady
Queen of Peace Parishes in Brighton. In addition to her regular
responsibilities, Robinson serves on the boards for the International
Thomas Merton Society and St. Bernard’s Brennan Goldman
Institute for Jewish-Catholic Understanding and Dialogue,
and she has helped lead two subsequent trips overseas with The
March.
“Meghan’s work reflects a national trend in how college
campuses are changing,” says Lynne Staropoli Boucher, director
of Nazareth’s Center for Spirituality. “Campuses are having
students step up as interfaith leaders, not just a leader of one
particular religion.”
Across the country, colleges are expanding their focus more
than ever before on a more comprehensive view of religious
leadership, one that emphasizes a collaborative approach.
Encouraging this approach, President Obama introduced his
Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge, which
asks that people from different religious and non-religious
backgrounds tackle community problems together. And more
colleges, universities, and affiliated organizations are not only
beginning to host interfaith conferences, they are adding interfaith
leadership as a concentration in their undergraduate and
graduate programs.
“Interfaith work and spirituality have come to be seen recently
as a critical part of college campuses everywhere,” adds Boucher.
“Ten years ago, we wouldn’t have seen this kind of focus.”
After graduating from Nazareth, Robinson went on to earn a
master’s degree in theological studies from St. Bernard’s School
of Theology and Ministry in Pittsford. (“It’s hard to have a dialogue
about your religious tradition when you don’t know a lot
about it,” she notes.) And after years of talking about sensitive
issues with those from various faith backgrounds, the spiritual
foundation she has constructed from consistent conversation
and study is stronger than ever.
“Meghan understands that dialogue isn’t about engaging in a
conversation to win or to prove a point, but to learn, and that’s
a significant difference,” says Jamie Fazio ’97, Catholic chaplain
in the Center for Spirituality. “To her, this is a ministry, a
philosophy of life that’s much more than a theory, a choice, or a
job. She comes from a very genuine place.”
Much of Robinson’s work is done at the local level. In her
work with the diocese, for example, she might assist rural
churches from different dominations in offering a mutual prayer
service during Lent. After the joint service, she may suggest
that members of these two communities share a meal to reflect
on their experience of praying together. Then, slowly, and with
the right guidance, they can start talking about their faiths. “Is
there an actual understanding of what the other denomination
believes? Can they begin to talk about some of the issues
that might set them apart? Is their friendship and respect strong
enough to get them there?” she asks. “It’s like a dance. You’re
constantly trying to figure out when to give, and when to pull
away.”
In her parish work, Robinson has brought Jewish and Catholic
middle and high school students together to watch movies, share
a meal, and learn some basic skills for successful dialogue. Continuing
her ties with Nazareth, Robinson has assisted with the
College’s Brian and Jean Hickey Center for Interfaith Studies
and Dialogue, including its groundbreaking conferences and its
weeklong summer program that brings high school students to
campus to explore world religions and interfaith dialogue.
Robinson believes it is crucial to start these discussions early.
“It’s just a normal part of the human condition to get a little
anxious and think of some sort of retort when you get to talking
about things you might disagree about, but it’s easier when you
learn at a young age how to really listen,” she explains.
On her most recent trip with The March, Robinson served
mainly as a musician and ceremony leader to the religiously diverse
group, which would break into impromptu heart-to-hearts
about morals, ethics, and faith—subjects that could easily divide
an intimate group on such a powerfully affecting trip. She’d offered
basic dialogue skills in small group settings to participants
before their departure and chose experientially appropriate songs
and poems that would be the most widely embraced.
As she moves forward in her calling, Robinson is confident
that her spiritual path will continue to broaden and deepen.
“This is absolutely where God is pulling me,” she says. “We
really need to work on how we sit down at the table with respect
and an understanding of those we might seem to think are different
at first. Sometimes in the midst of dialogue, we begin to talk
about some of the stuff that’s at our core, what makes us tick,
what we deeply value. And that’s how can begin to find our life’s
meaning.”
Learn more about Nazareth’s interfaith work at naz.edu/cisd.
Robin L. Flanigan is a freelance writer in Rochester, New York.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 29

LIFE | of the mind
Ready for College
Research by—and With—
High School Students
by Brian Bailey ’01G
Students from the Rochester Participatory Educational
Research Collaborative (PERC) presenting the keynote
address at the Diversity in Research and Practice
Conference at Columbia University last March.
Research is often framed as a process whereby “experts”
conduct experiments on their subjects. The
result is then published in a professional journal
and/or presented to peers at a conference. In
April 2011, I attended the American Educational
Research Association annual conference in New
Orleans for what I thought would be the usual expert-driven research
presentation. Instead I saw something that gave me goose
bumps and changed the way I see research.
Rochester Participatory
Educational Research Collaborative
At a session at the conference conducted by the Council of
Youth Research (a youth participatory action research program
that mentors Los Angeles public high school students to become
researchers of their own schools and communities in pursuit of
educational justice), I witnessed high school students alongside
their teachers and UCLA professors, challenging the way we
conduct learning in schools. The students from Los Angeles
presented their findings in what was by far the best presentation
I saw at the conference in terms of meaningful reform in schools.
After the session, I connected with one of the leaders of the
Council of Youth Research, Dr. Ernest Morrell, professor of
English education at Columbia University and director of the
Institute for Urban and Minority Education, and invited him to
come to Rochester to help me start a group in Rochester that
could conduct similar research.
Dr. Morrell visited Nazareth
College in October 2011, gave
a lecture at the College, and
discussed his experiences in
Los Angeles and New York
City.
Dr. Morrell and the Council
of Youth Research inspired
me to initiate the Rochester
Participatory Educational Research
Collaborative (PERC).
PERC is a collection of eight
students and two faculty from
East High School, one graduate
student and two faculty
Bailey
from St. John Fisher College, and six undergraduate students
and two faculty from Nazareth College (Meg Callahan, Ph.D.,
associate professor and chair in adolescence education, and
myself). The group conducts research in Rochester-area schools
using a participatory model. In a departure from the traditional
research process in which college faculty are the “experts”
driving the process, PERC’s model aims to include all voices,
with power shared equally amongst youth and adults. Our plan
is to add to the body of research about what we understand
about schooling by involving teachers and students, argue for
more common-sense educational reform, and mentor urban
30 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

high school students as to what it takes to be “college ready.” With
these goals in mind, PERC started meeting in the summer of 2011 to
determine how this collaboration could address issues in schools for
the mutual benefit of our group members, the Rochester community,
Rochester schools, and the field of education.
What is “college ready”?
We started by asking the East High group members what questions
they had about their classroom experiences and what they would like
to change about their school. Those students are familiar with many
issues in education and school reform, as they are currently enrolled
in a special magnet program at East High called the Teaching and
Learning Institute (TLI), which engages students in pedagogy, learning,
and leadership in the school and community. Over the course of
the first three meetings, those students raised concerns over multiple
stories in the local press about the lack of “college-ready” students
graduating from the Rochester City School District (RCSD). Multiple
reports have placed the number of RCSD students ready for college at
five percent. These discussions led the group to additional questions:
• How has “college ready” been defined in the past, and by whom?
• What experiences would better prepare high school students at
East High/TLI to be college ready?
• What are the non-academic factors (disposition, resilience,
character, cultural capital, segregation, poverty, etc.) that lead to
college readiness or unreadiness?
• What would have to change at East High/TLI and in the Rochester
community for students to be more college ready?
• How do other schools in the Rochester area prepare students to
be college ready?
With these questions in mind, the group set out to collect qualitative
and quantitative data about college readiness. So far, we have
conducted preliminary interviews, performed a review of relevant
research, and analyzed a small subset of the data. An initial research
direction is the non-academic factors that influence college readiness.
For example, we have seen that many urban youth who succeed in
school have a “village” of caring adults, family members, and mentors
who help them get to college through supportive relationships.
As the group collects and analyzes more data, we plan to present
our findings in a variety of mediums and venues. The first of these
presentations took place in New York City last March, when the
group presented the keynote address at the Diversity in Research and
Practice Conference at Columbia University. The group spent months
raising funds, writing grant applications, reading research literature,
collecting data, and preparing the presentation.
Reaping the benefits
By conducting original research, the urban high school students in
the group acquire the cultural and academic capital to become college-ready
themselves. East High teacher Dan Delehanty recognizes
the real benefits for the students who participate. “PERC has students
create a research project that is relevant to life in Rochester. This
relevancy leads students to invest their time and creativity into something
beneficial to their own academic performance: college-level
research skills. Meanwhile, PERC exposes our students to the college
campus and teaches them the standards of performance necessary for
the college classroom. Ultimately, PERC benefits our students because
they build professional relationships with professors and graduate
students. It results in our students being armed with the social capital
and the support network they will need for success in college. This
proves particularly important since almost all our students will be the
first in their families to attend college.”
PERC’s approach to research is to effect change in schools and
in people. One of the benefits to participating in the group is that
Nazareth College undergraduate students work side by side with
us as we conduct research and learn from our community partners.
Nazareth students enact the value of reciprocity as they contribute
to the group and at the same time take away valuable lessons on how
to teach and learn from high school students. In the process, they
are ultimately becoming better teachers. “From the perspective of an
educator-in-training, my experience with PERC has been invaluable,”
says Eric Morris ’13, an adolescence education major. “Working with
urban youth in the context of equal collaboration has provided me
the opportunity to learn an incredible amount about myself, both
as an educator and as a person. The benefits of allowing students to
participate in such higher-level work are abundant. Also, the intimate
collaboration that takes place in this working environment has vast
potential beyond the boundaries of our local community. PERC has
undoubtedly informed my future practice as an educator in a way that
no other experience could.”
This year, PERC has started to raise funds and write the screenplay
for a documentary film about legalized segregation in Monroe County
schools and how segregation impacts college readiness. The documentary
film will be based on the research conducted by the group and
aims to take a more journalistic approach to the research. The plan is
to premiere a rough cut of the film at the American Educational Research
Association’s annual conference in San Francisco next April.
Too often our teachers and students in public schools are left out
of the research process and policy-making decisions. In fact, many
policies such as Race to the Top, No Child Left Behind, etc. are not
based on research at all. If we want real transformative change in
our schools, then we need to base more policies and reform on sound
research, include all voices, and we especially need to listen to our
youth and teachers. I know that I have already learned a great deal
from our East High collaborators, and I hope to continue our partnership
for many years to come.
Brian Bailey ’01G, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in adolescence education.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 31

Nazareth | heritage
Planted decades ago,
the copper beech on
Nazareth’s front lawn has
been a scenic sight enjoyed
by generations of students.
But underneath its spreading
branches lies a quiet
retreat, lit by dappled
sunshine and unseen by
the outside world.
Who even knew there was still a working phone booth
on campus? A memorial to pre-cellular days, this telephone
is tucked into its own little nook on the first floor
of Smyth Hall.
Little Known but Well Loved
Some out-of-the-way spaces on campus surprise
students and alumni alike
Four years at college are enough to make any student think they know the
campus pretty well. But dig a little deeper, travel off the beaten path, and
you can find spaces that would surprise even the most ardent alumni. Some
are genuinely hidden (such as the so-called “dungeon” beneath the floor of
the Callahan Theatre projection booth that houses HVAC equipment) while
others are in the open, if seldom noticed (such as the outdoor classroom or
the Meditation Garden).
Are you fond of other out-of-the-way places on campus? Let us know by
visiting Nazareth on Facebook at FB.com/nazarethcollege, and find more
at flickr.com/photos/nazareth_college/sets.
32 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

It may look like the back of your garage
or a yard sale waiting to happen, but in
fact it’s the prop storage room for the
theatre arts department. Located in the
Arts Center, the room houses the reusable
remains of more than 115 varied plays and
musicals from the past 28 years. Dozens of
pieces stand ready for future productions—
including a nest-sitting, remote-controlled
chicken.
On the north campus, behind the Golisano
Academic Center, a wooded hillside shelters a
small cemetery dedicated to the departed pets of
the Sisters of St. Joseph who used to inhabit the
building. More than a dozen small headstones
mark the final resting places of cats, dogs, and
even two horses, from Rusty in 1984 (“A good
friend”) to Mickey in 2012 (“Loved by All”).
Located in the Shults Center, this balcony
lounge overlooks the swimming pool on
one side and the racquetball courts and
Sports Hall of Fame on the other. The
area is rarely used for studying—students
find the nearby courts distracting, especially
when an errant racquetball flies
out of the court and into the lounge.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 33

COVER|story
All-American swimmer Carissa
Risucci ’13 was recruited by Division I
schools before selecting Nazareth’s “total
package.” In addition to her studies as
a communication and rhetoric major
and her participation on the swim team,
she’s involved with the Student Athlete
Advisory Council and the residence
hall council, and she’s served as both
a freshman orientation leader and as
president of her class.
34 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

Nazareth’s growing athletics program
competes by nurturing its student athletes
Sports
by Robin Flanigan
photos by Alex Shukoff
and Jamie Germanow
Success
hen she was in high school, Carissa Risucci ’13
was courted by numerous NCAA Division I and
II colleges around the country who wanted the
competitive swimmer to sign on as a recruit. But
she passed on every offer—and the attractive
scholarships they came with—to attend Nazareth
College, a Division III school that provides no financial aid on the basis
of athletic merit but did offer something the others couldn’t.
“Nazareth was the total package,” says Risucci, a communication and
rhetoric major from Utica, N.Y., who started swimming competitively
when she was eight years old.
It was a package no financial incentives elsewhere could match.
continued next page
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 35

COVER|story
Director of Athletics Pete Bothner at the June 2011 press conference announcing the addition
of men’s ice hockey to Nazareth’s sports roster.
“I knew there was something bigger I
wanted to get out of my college experience,”
she explains. “I wanted to be an
integral part of the team, not just another
number. I told every coach I was recruiting
with that I wanted to be as important
to the team as the team is to me, and
that’s exactly what I got here.”
Risucci, whose specialty is the breaststroke,
has made her way to nationals
every year since stepping onto campus,
earning seven All-American honors. But
her story spotlights more than the passion
Nazareth’s student-athletes have for their
sport. It also speaks to the importance the
College places on enrolling athletes who
will be a good fit both academically and
socially. Risucci finished the spring semester
with a 3.95 grade-point-average, has
served as class vice president or president
since her freshman year, and has been
active in several campus organizations.
Nazareth has a broad athletics program
that draws a diverse group of students—
some 430 of them, nearly one-quarter of
the school’s total enrollment—who, like
Risucci, are well-rounded and bring with
them much more than their eagerness to
compete.
“There are so many quality high school
athletes who can’t imagine their athletic
career being over their senior year in
high school,” says Kevin Broderick ’89,
head coach for the men’s basketball team.
“But being here is not just about the
playing. Certainly we have to be recruiting
students with a high level of athletic
ability, but they’re also coming here to get
a degree and to be a positive part of the
campus, not just for the two hours a day
they’re at practice.”
Growing a Strong Program
When Pete Bothner, director of athletics,
took on the job in 1998, Nazareth
had 13 intercollegiate varsity sports.
With the addition of men’s hockey last
fall, that number stands at 24.
Nazareth’s athletes are no strangers to
national recognition. The men’s lacrosse
team has taken part in six national
championship games, winning the title
three times in the 1990s and maintaining
a consistent national ranking over
the past two decades. Men’s volleyball
won the national championship last year.
And Nazareth has sent members of its
women’s swimming team to nationals for
eight consecutive years, bringing home a
national champion—Emily Lesher ’08, a
nine-time All-American who set a Division
III record in the 400-yard individual
medley—in 2007.
The athletics program experienced a
growth spurt between 2000 and 2004 to
include equestrian, women’s golf, softball,
men’s and women’s cross-country, men’s
and women’s indoor and outdoor track,
and men’s volleyball.
These days, the emphasis is on finding
increasingly creative ways to recruit students
from a wide variety of backgrounds
and geographic areas, especially given
that the number of high school students
in New York State, a hotbed for Nazareth
recruitment, will continue to decrease
over the next several years.
“That means we’ve got to expand our
net to attract kids from outside of what
has been our traditional focus,” says
Bothner, “which is about 150 miles outside
of Nazareth.”
Nazareth’s recruiters are directing
much of those efforts to prospective students
who want to play lacrosse, hockey,
and volleyball—sports that aren’t offered
at colleges in all parts of the country.
Brian Wright ’13, a lacrosse midfielder
and double major in biology and inclusive
education, hails from Franklin Lakes,
N.J. He first heard about Nazareth from
an alumnus who was his older brother’s
assistant lacrosse coach at the University
of Massachusetts, then became seriously
interested when Nazareth was recommended
by the head coach at his high
school. Two visits to campus later, after
lacrosse head coach Rob Randall ’88
“reached out to me more than anyone
else,” he’d made his decision.
“Coming from New Jersey, I didn’t
know much about Nazareth,” he says.
“But it really set itself apart from the
other schools that were looking at me.”
36 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

The personal attention and support
not only sealed the deal, they’ve deepened
over the past three years.
“Coach Randall is the best around in
my eyes,” says Wright, an All-Conference
athlete. “He always tells us there’s
more to life than lacrosse, that he’s
sending us out as young men with values.
He teaches us life lessons through
lacrosse that we’ll carry with us for the
rest of our lives. And whenever something
happens in the face of adversity
off the field, he’s there to help us. His
door is always open.”
The Competitive Edge
Student athletes aren’t the only ones
who find themselves in competition.
Coaches are finding that the recruitment
process becomes progressively
more intense each year.
“It’s definitely gotten more competitive,
no question about it,” says Randall,
whose assistant coach Francis Donald
’07 was on the road for 20 straight days
of recruitment throughout New England
and the mid-Atlantic states this
summer.
Lacrosse recruitment in particular has
gotten more aggressive in Upstate New
York, prompting more rigorous attempts
to draw in out-of-state students. Of the
41 Nazareth lacrosse players last year,
18 were from other states, the largest
number yet.
Joe Seil, sports information director
and assistant director of athletics, says
“the landscape has changed quite a bit”
in recruitment since he came on board
26 years ago. No more perusing the
newspaper for game scores and player
statistics (that information gets posted
instantaneously online) or needing
to travel to watch a student compete
(webcasts take care of that). Recruiters
don’t even need to use the phone to
contact prospective students anymore
(they can text).
“We have to be aware of all the new
media that’s out there, and all the ways
high school students gather their information
about where they want to go to
college,” he notes.
In fact, Martie Staser, head coach
for men’s and women’s swimming and
diving and assistant athletic director for
student-athlete welfare, does all of her
initial recruiting online, given that a
good performance in the water is based
solely on time. She monitors meet results,
creates a list of prospects she feels
would bring Nazareth’s swim program
some depth, then reaches out through
both mail and email to let the athletes
and their coaches know she’s interested.
Martie Staser, head coach
for men’s and women’s
swimming and diving and
assistant athletic director
for student-athlete welfare,
guiding swimmer Justin
Sawran ’14, a mathematics
and economics double major.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 37

COVER|story
Head basketball coach
Kevin Broderick counsels
Tyshun Stephens ’13.
“This year was a good one” for recruitment,
says Staser, who brought on six
new swimmers for her men’s team, which
typically gets between three and four a
year.
Webcasts, along with industry contacts,
helped men’s ice hockey head coach
George Roll form his inaugural team,
one that boasts an impressive international
mix of players from Canada, South
Africa, Russia, and the U.S.
Despite the latest technology, prospective
students seem to regard most highly
the good old-fashioned communication
they receive from those who’ve gone before,
says Broderick. “We have a long list
of current and former players who believe
they’re getting, or have gotten, a quality
athletic and academic experience here,
and they help encourage others to come
on. I find that perspective to be much
more powerful than anything else.”
“I’m More Focused”
in Season
The attention on academics is more
than a recruiting tool. Nazareth’s student
athletes, who show high retention and
graduation rates, regularly earn honors
for their work in the classroom. Most
recently, both the men’s and women’s
swimming teams were chosen by the College
Swimming Coaches Association of
America as a Scholar All-America team
for their academic work through the
spring 2012 semester.
To illustrate the importance of success
outside of their sport, Broderick often
tells his basketball players the story about
how Tyshun Stephens ’13, a point guard
who was team captain last year, came to
Nazareth. Broderick had just started his
job at the College, and Stephens was the
first name he’d been given as a potential
player. (Former men’s basketball coach
Mike Daley had already shown interest
in the All-Conference player.) Stephens,
who grew up in Newark, N.Y., was still
making up his mind about which college
to attend. Because Broderick’s sister-inlaw
worked as a teacher at Stephens’s
high school, he used the connection to
make his first call—not to a coach but
to someone who knew how Stephens
approached his studies, acted in school,
and treated other people.
“He was the kind of student athlete
we want representing our school,” says
Broderick. “I tell that story to my players
because it’s a good reminder for them
as they pursue employment. People are
checking you out from all angles all
the time.”
Stephens, a business administration
major who was drawn to Nazareth’s small
classes, recalls both Daley and Broderick,
sometimes together and sometimes on
their own, traveling to his hometown to
watch him on the court.
38 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

“They were always asking how I was doing in school,
what my grades were, not just how I played,” he says.
“And they didn’t just show up to watch me, they showed
up more than anyone else.”
Student athletes say they tend to perform better
academically while in season because if they don’t get to
their studies before practice, they’ll be too tired
afterward, when all they want to do is eat and unwind.
“I’m more focused and get a lot more accomplished
in season because there’s good structure,” confesses
soccer right back Amanda Sudore ’13, a communication
sciences and disorders major from Ontario, N.Y. “Out of
season, I’m just really relaxed and I end up procrastinating.”
Study halls are required four days a week for firstsemester
freshman athletes in several sports, as well
as any other athletes who need to boost their grades to
stay eligible. The number of sessions is later reduced in
direct proportion to a student’s academic progress.
Sudore, who took up soccer in elementary school and
was also recruited in high school by Division I teams,
was honored last year as a first-team All-American for
the sport and a first-team Scholar All-American by the
National Soccer Coaches Association of America. She
is grateful for the opportunity to balance schoolwork,
soccer, and social clubs, “to really get that college experience,”
and appreciates that proud professors post news
articles about their student athletes on classroom walls.
“In Division I, it’s pretty much like you’re never out
of season,” she adds. “They hold scholarships over your
head, and if you don’t play well, they take that money
away. That’s too intense. Nazareth gives me the time
and flexibility to do a bunch of different things.”
Risucci, the swimmer, acknowledges that it was a
tough decision to pass up tempting scholarship offers
from Division I schools, some of which would’ve allowed
her family to pay thousands less each year in tuition.
But ultimately, she placed a higher priority on her overall
undergraduate experience—one that she says feeds
her desire for success in everything she does.
“Athletes in general are just very results-oriented
people,” she explains. “The way that I am in the classroom
and in life is in direct relation to the way I am
in the pool.”
Read more about Nazareth athletics at athletics.naz.
edu.
Robin Flanigan is a freelance writer in Rochester, New York.
All-American and Scholar All-American soccer right back
Amanda Sudore ’13.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 39

eport | to donors
Dear Friends,
Nazareth College has a long
tradition of providing a highquality
learning environment
and preparing its students to
lead fully informed and actively engaged
lives. When that mission encounters the passion
of its supporters—the passion for social
action, for academic research, for community investment, for alumni involvement—the result
becomes more than the sum of its parts. Bringing passion to a mission produces action and allows the
College to achieve a forward momentum of which it can be proud.
This year’s annual report features stories of this kind of passion among people whose belief in our
mission contributed to very real progress during the last year. Their profiles can be found online at naz.edu/
annual-report; we hope you will find their dedication as inspiring as we do.
We appreciate the action you took during this past year as well. Your financial support has been vital
in enabling us to achieve our mission each day. We recognize that Nazareth College would not be what it is
today without your assistance, and for that we thank you.
With best wishes,
Daan Braveman,
President
James Costanza,
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Annual Report
and Donor Lists
The 2011-2012 Annual Report and the
Donor Honor Roll can be viewed online at
naz.edu/annual-report. The donor list
reflects annual fund gifts received from
July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012.
If you have questions or comments about
the annual report, please contact Director
of Individual Giving James Ebenhoch at
jebenho8@naz.edu or at 585-389-2401.
40 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

Nazareth College Statement of Activities June 30, 2012 The graphs below depict the operating revenues and
2012 2011 expenses for the 2011–2012 fiscal year as a percent of total
operating revenue and expenses.
Operating Revenue
Educational and general
Tuition and fees 71,534,551 71,694,323
less scholarships and grants 20,936,645 20,354,984
Net tuition and fees 50,597,906 51,339,339
Federal grants and contracts 1,352,441 1,691,590
State grants and contracts 842,048 741,213
Private gifts, grants and contracts 1,539,224 1,157,446
Arts Center programs 469,418 585,962
Investment income and gains 21,890 28,597
Other revenues 646,379 733,314
Long-term investment return
allocated for operations 2,592,488 2,883,949
Total educational & general 58,061,794 59,161,410
Auxiliary enterprises 14,468,796 13,963,926
Total operating revenue 72,530,590 73,125,336
Operating Expenses
Educational and general
Instruction 30,246,766 29,820,516
Arts Center programs 1,943,859 2,072,216
Academic support 6,416,112 6,468,561
Student services 9,836,281 9,430,124
Institutional support 11,180,369 11,069,043
Total educational & general 59,623,387 58,860,460
Auxiliary enterprises 12,693,801 12,559,133
Total operating expenses 72,317,188 71,419,593
Change in net assets from
operating activities 213,402 1,705,743
NonOperating Activities
Long-term investment activities
Interest and dividends 619,041 804,546
Net realized & unrealized (losses) gains (340,906) 9,472,528
Total long-term investment activities 278,135 10,277,074
Main Sources of Operating Revenue
Revenues from student tuition and fees (student monies collected,
less the amount of financial aid provided directly by the College)
continued to be Nazareth’s primary source of operating revenue, comprising
70 percent of the College’s operating revenue in 2011–2012.
Auxiliary enterprise revenue, which includes room and board fees collected,
comprised 20 percent of total operating revenue. Private gifts
and grants, and public grants and contracts continue to be important
sources of revenue as well.
Operating Expenses
Sources of Operating Revenue
Tuition & fees (net) 69.76%
Public grants and contracts 3.03%
Private gifts, grants,
and contracts 2.12%
Arts Center programs 0.65%
Investment income and losses 0.03%
Other revenues 0.89%
Long-term investment
return allocation 3.57%
Auxiliary enterprises 19.95%
100.00%
In order to allocate the maximum amount of resources to carry out
the academic mission, Nazareth continues to closely monitor and review
institutional costs. For fiscal year 2011–2012 the College allocated 42
percent of its expense budget for instructional purposes. An additional
9 percent was expended on academic support costs such as the Lorette
Wilmot Library and Media Center. The College devoted 14 percent of
the total operating budget directly to student programs and services.
Long-term investment return
allocated for operations (2,592,488) (2,883,949)
Capital gifts 5,004,990 4,041,356
Other loss (1,327,034) (88,942)
Postretirement-related changes
other than net periodic benefit cost (1,433,056) 430,414
Change in net assets from
nonoperating activities (69,453) 11,775,953
Operating Expenses
Instruction 41.83%
Arts Center programs 2.69%
Academic support 8.87%
Student services 13.60%
Institutional support 15.46%
Auxiliary enterprises 17.55%
100.00%
Change in net assets 143,949 13,481,696
Net assets at beginning of year 144,080,751 130,599,055
Net assets at end of year 144,224,700 144,080,751
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 41

Creating a Legacy
with a Planned Gift
“Revisiting my will allowed me to reflect on what’s
important to me. As a first generation college
graduate, I was given an amazing opportunity that
prepared me for a wonderful career teaching music
for more than thirty years. Providing students at
Nazareth College that same opportunity to pursue
further education is close to my heart.
“I wanted to make a gift that would be lasting
and would touch music students for generations to
come. So I decided to name Nazareth in my will.”
Dr. Carlson’s planned gift will establish an endowed
prize for music students.
—Dr. Mary Carlson, Professor and Director of
Graduate Music Education at Nazareth College
You, too, can invest in the next generation of students by:
• Naming Nazareth as a beneficiary of your will, retirement plan, or life insurance policy.
• Creating a life income gift such as a charitable gift annuity.
Nazareth’s planned giving recognition society. We invite you
to become a member by joining more than 200 others who
are committed to future generations of students.
For more information on planned giving opportunities, please
contact Melissa Head, senior associate director of major gifts
and planned giving, at 585-389-2179 or at mhead9@naz.edu.

ALUMNI | profile
Tales from the Cryptographer
by Sofia Tokar
Megan Tuttle Waterman ’97 is an applied research
mathematician for the National Security Agency.
Most people imagine
the National Security
Agency as a sort of
spy factory—employing
America’s 007s
and Jack Bauers,
eavesdropping on
clandestine foreign villains, or collecting
and decoding top secret information
from cyberspace while in an unmarked
white van.
In reality, the NSA describes itself as
“home to America’s codemakers and
codebreakers,” providing “products and
services to the Department of Defense,
the Intelligence Community, government
agencies, industry partners, and
select allies and coalition partners.” The
NSA provides critical intelligence to our
nation’s leaders—intelligence that is used
to combat terrorism and shape the course
of world history. The agency is one of
the largest employers of mathematicians
in the United States, and it currently
employs applied research mathematician
Megan Tuttle Waterman ’97, a math and
economics major from Nazareth College.
The secretive nature of the NSA
intrigues many outsiders. When asked
to describe a typical day at the office,
Waterman quickly explains that much of
her day-to-day work is variable and as the
work is classified, she can’t take it home.
Unable to share specifics, she does divulge
that her work involves “any type of math
problem that could be of interest to the
agency, including crypt problems.”
The NSA is the lead center for cryptology
for the United States government.
Cryptology is the study of techniques for
secure communications, the making of
secret codes to protect against adversaries
(cryptography) as well as the deciphering
of others’ secret codes (cryptanalysis).
Waterman explains that most problems
are nontrivial and require efforts across
multiple offices and with several analysts
or teams. Teamwork is key in this environment,
and collaboration and interpersonal
skills are essential. It doesn’t hurt to
have problems that are challenging and
important either. “Knowing the direct and
immediate impact of my work is really
satisfying,” she says. “Plus, working for
the government in this capacity fosters a
deeper level of patriotism.”
At the NSA, mathematicians are able
to work on a range of different problems,
from network security and computing to
biometrics and intelligence value estimation.
That’s fortunate for Waterman,
since she describes herself as someone
who likes to try many different things.
She began her Nazareth education as a
mathematics and art major, but a junioryear
statistics course cemented her love
for the applied side of mathematics.
“We were a close-knit group through
Math Club, and we had excellent professors
who challenged us to think in a
logical manner, work with large data sets,
and get as much information as possible,”
she explains. “We didn’t just sit in class
doing calculus. I didn’t know it then, but
I was learning skills that would be readily
applicable to my job now.”
During her time at Nazareth, Waterman
came across an article in Math
Horizons (a magazine primarily for
undergraduate math students) about
mathematicians at the NSA. Years later
she would be profiled in the publication,
acknowledging that the article she read
had prompted her to make “a mental
note that the NSA might be a fun place
to work.” Waterman graduated early
from Nazareth and decided to pursue her
master’s and doctorate in statistics from
Virginia Tech, and later an associate degree
in Arabic from Howard Community
College.
After finishing her Ph.D., Waterman
was hired into the NSA’s Applied Mathematics
Program, where she “spent three
years working on a variety of different
projects, including information processing,
evaluations of new technologies, and
computer security.” She also took classes
in cryptomathematics, coding theory, and
algorithm/stack development.
“I’m someone who likes to try lots of
different things,” Waterman says, “and my
career at the NSA has afforded me opportunities
for both theoretical and applied
mathematics work.”
Ten years into her career as a mathematician
at the NSA, Waterman’s work
remains fluid and flexible, challenging
and important. And although it may
not always involve martinis (shaken or
stirred), her choice of career path nonetheless
makes all the difference to her and
her country.
Read more alumni profiles at alumni.
naz.edu.
Sofia Tokar is the assistant editor in
Nazareth’s marketing department.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 43

ALUMNI | profile
Picture It
To Preserve It
An environmental science
major turns shutterbug
by Sofia Tokar
Years ago, Matthew
Conheady ’99 found
himself out in Corbett’s
Glen in Brighton,
N.Y., as part of a biology
class at Nazareth
College. The environmental
science major
was taking a summer
studies class with his mentor, Professor of
Biology William Hallahan, Ph.D.
“We were studying the health of the
Irondequoit creek system and Prof. Hallahan
asked us to take photos of the organisms
and invertebrates we found. It was
literally while getting our feet wet as part
of class research that I became interested
in photography and field studies.”
Conheady credits his experiences and
education at Nazareth with inspiring
his current venture, NYFalls.com, of
which he is the founder and president.
According to the website, NYFalls.com
was created “to promote the preservation
and continued enjoyment of upstate
New York watersheds and the wonderful
waterfalls and gorges present in the area.
This is a community where photographers,
conservationists, and anyone who
enjoys the state’s natural waterways can
learn and share information about the
falls, streams, ponds, lakes, and wetlands
in their area.”
44 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

Left: Lower Falls in Letchworth State Park,
Castile, N.Y.
Above, clockwise: A saw-whet owl in Owl Woods,
Braddock Bay Fish and Wildlife Management
Area, N.Y.
The site, which was founded in 2006, combines Conheady’s background in
stream ecology, ethics, and evolution with the self-taught photographer’s love of
the camera.
“In 2005,” explains Conheady, “I photographed scenes from Stonybook State
Park and Grimes Glen. I wanted to post the galleries online, but thought it might
be beneficial to author and create more informative park guides than were available
from the county and the state. That way readers and viewers could enjoy my
photos and perhaps also try photographing the scenes themselves.”
Today, the website has a team of editors and almost 1,000 members of its online
community and forums. Conheady and his team “extensively research each
location, take hundreds of photos, sample stereo audio, record high-definition
video, and spend weeks writing articles and building galleries.”
The goal is to get people interested in these special places through beautiful
photography. “We try to draw people in with the art and the images in the hope
that they’ll be interested enough to learn more. We then make the information
available to readers for free.”
These unique places, Conheady argues, deserve to be understood, protected,
and preserved for posterity. And Conheady doesn’t intend to stop with waterfalls.
In addition to his full-time job as a manger at Advanced Language Translation Inc.
and maintaining NYFalls.com, he is working on two more websites: New York
Historic, a photographic catalog of state historic sites, and Scenes from a Public
Market, an independent photojournalism project featuring public markets.
To view more photos and learn more, visit NYFalls.com, nyhistoric.com, and
scenesfromapublicmarket.com. You can also search for and like NYFalls.com
on Facebook.
Sofia Tokar is the assistant editor in Nazareth’s marketing department.
Corbett’s Glen Falls and Tunnel, near Rochester. “Since the ’60s, Corbett’s Glen suffered from heavily polluted water,” says Conheady.
“With a strong community initiative and the passing of federal clean water legislation, the waterway has been cleaned up and the
surrounding area turned into a nature park.”
Pebble Beach at Chimney Bluff State Park, Wolcott, N.Y.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 45

ALUMNI | news
Dear fellow alumni,
We hope you’re enjoying this
latest issue of Connections.
As you can see from the
magazine, the home page,
the many Nazareth Facebook
pages, and the bustling campus, the
College continues to be a vibrant and active
place for current students and alumni alike.
The challenge now is to convey that message
to a key audience: prospective students.
That’s where you—our fellow Naz
alumni—can play a crucial role.
With upstate New York’s shifting demographics
and a competitive higher education
marketplace, more than ever we need to
share the Nazareth story—a story that we all
know intimately. To that end, we are rallying
in several ways.
In winter 2011, the alumni board convened
a special admissions committee. The
purpose of this committee is to strategize
how alumni can actively participate in the
College’s recruitment efforts. One way is
to reinvigorate the Naz
Chapters in important
recruitment hubs in the
region and beyond.
Another way is to work directly with the Naz
admissions team, which we are currently doing
through a partnership called NAAP: the
Nazareth Alumni Admissions Program.
Our best recruiters are often those who
share their personal Nazareth stories with
prospective students. We can provide you
with the latest recruitment materials, information,
and tools, but we need you—our
alumni ambassadors—to share your unique
Nazareth story and help get the word out
about the College to potential students.
If you’re interested in joining the recruitment
effort at the forefront, we encourage
you to learn more about the program at
go.naz.edu/NAAP. There you can find more
information and download the
training handbook.
The program is still relatively new, so we
ask for your patience as we build our team of
alumni recruiters. If you’ve indicated interest,
but haven’t been contacted yet, please don’t
worry. Our volunteers’ time and resources are
limited, but their dedication to Naz—probably
much like yours—knows no bounds.
Thank you,
Katie Baldwin ’08
John O’Gorman ’85, ’90G
Keddy Todd ’09, ’10G
…more than ever we need to share the
Nazareth story—a story that we all know intimately
Join the
Naz Network
at Work
When it comes to making connections
and giving back to Nazareth, alumni are
the College’s most important resource. The Naz
Network—a group of more than 30,000 alumni
who share the common bond of the Nazareth
experience—serves as a great starting point for
networking and career development opportunities.
Since spring 2011, the Naz Alumni Mentoring
Program has connected current students
and alumni with mentors who are able to
provide career guidance on topics ranging from
information about their occupation to relocating
to a new city. Alumni mentors represent all
job stages—from early career to experienced
professionals.
Interested in mentoring? Visit alumni.naz.edu
and click the Get Involved tab. Questions? Contact
the office of alumni relations at alumni@
naz.edu or 585-389-2472.
46 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

The next Nazareth College Reunion
Weekend is fast approaching! We look forward to
welcoming you, your families, and classmates back
to campus, so make plans now with your former
roommates to visit your alma mater in all its existing and
newfound glory. Everyone is invited to join in the summer
fun with good food, great friends, and class parties. Honored
class years are those ending in a 3 or 8, but we welcome
all alumni back for reunion!
Save the Date for
Reunion
Weekend
May 31–June 2, 2013
Interested in volunteering to
help with your reunion class
committee or looking for
more details? Visit Reunion
Weekend Headquarters
online at alumni.naz.edu/
reunion2013. You can
also look for your class
Facebook group by
searching Nazareth College
Class of “your year” and
joining in the conversation
to see who is making plans
to come back.
Top to bottom:
Members of the 30th anniversary class of 1982.
Dinner with classmates.
Mary Calarco Friedman ’62.
Outstanding alumni award winners Mary Michele
Mollen Quinn ’71, Elizabeth Anne Osta ’67, and
Jessica Goodman ’04.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 47

ALUMNI | news
Alumni Chapters Get
Active
Alumni chapters have been reinvigorated
in an effort to engage
Nazareth alumni around the globe.
“We have enthusiastic volunteers helping
to organize local programming,” explains
Donna Borgus ’13G, director of alumni
relations. “Alums are getting together for
community service events, social networking
opportunities, fun family outings, and sports
and cultural events.”
Chapters are active now in Rochester,
Albany, Buffalo, Syracuse, New York City,
Long Island, Boston, Philadelphia, Charlotte,
N.C., Columbus, Ohio, and Washington D.C.
Anyone interested in assisting with leading
the Albany or Long Island chapters should
contact Borgus at 585-389-2471 or at
dborgus8@naz.edu.
Be sure to check out upcoming chapter
events at alumni.naz.edu/events and join the
Facebook groups for chapters by searching
“Nazareth College ____ Chapter.”
NYC area alumni gathered to show their
Naz spirit at a baseball game as the
Yankees battled the Orioles on July 30 at
Yankee Stadium.
Front row, left to right: Jill Wittenberg
’06, Crista Johnson Kane, Paul Johnson.
Second row, left to right: Judith Andriola,
Marie Pirelli, Tina McDermott ’65,
Maureen Callan ’85 ’95G, Kristen
Pandick ’06, Mimi Wright ’05, ’11G,
Kaitlin Brayer ’05.
Back row, left to right: Reissa Ress ’09,
Peg Ryan, Carianne Evangelist ’01,
Vivian Ginorio ’99.
Syracuse area alumni gathered at Kelley’s
Bar and Restaurant for a networking event
on May 17.
Front row, left to right: Susan Shubmehl
’74, Caitlin Schultz ’10, Lindsey
Spector ’11, Jenny Pollastro ’09.
Middle row, left to right: Lyndsey Seeley
Fellows ’09, Katie Corbishley ’08, Jamie
Lingenfelter ’08, Perri Berg Hogan ’76.
Back row, left to right: Jim Ockenden ’83,
Clare Arezina ’06, Nicole Adsitt ’97,
Donna Borgus ’13G.
Not pictured: Rita O’Neil Stevenson ’49.
Long Island area alumni gathered at the
Long Island chapter spring networking
event at the Bonwitt Inn on May 19.
Seated, left to right: Ginny Koehler
Briefs ’57, Norma Cloos Meder ’51,
Susan Phillips Fisher ’88.
Standing, left to right: Laura Briefs
Geraci ’87, Jessica Geraci ’11, Kathryn
Briefs ’83, Linda Davison Mathues ’73.
Ginny Briefs, her daughters Laura and
Kathryn, and her granddaughter Jessica
are three generations of Naz grads.
48 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

Naz alumni gathered on January
22 for a New York City chapter
networking gathering at the
Westin New York at Times Square.
Front row, left to right: Kerry
Gotham ’98, Mary Pat Kane
’64, Christina Radvanski ’11,
Kristen Pandick ’06, Linda
Davison Mathues ’73, Vivian
Ginorio ’00, Mimi Wright ’05
‘11G.
Back row, left to right: Mimi
Shapiro Goodwin ’90, Christine
DiPasquale O’Connor ’88,
Donna Borgus ’13G.
The Buffalo chapter participated
in Nazareth College’s
Day of Service on August 25.
The members assisted on a
Habitat for Humanity build in
the Buffalo community.
Left to right: Terri Flahery
’93, Jaime Snyder ’03,
Deanna Messinger ’99.
The Rochester chapter hosted Naz Day
at the Seneca Park Zoo on a beautiful
Rochester summer day last July 29.
Candice Kundle ’12 enjoyed the zoo
with her daughter Isabella Kundle (right)
and friend Zoey Hall, as well as Genesee
the Golden Flyer.
After coffee and bagels on August 25, Nazareth alumni in the Long
Island chapter also participated in the Day of Service event, working
on the benches that frame the Washington Entrance to the Sagtikos
Manor House in West Bay Shore.
Left to right: Norma Cloos Meder ’51, Eleanor Tyndall Meier ’57,
Linda Davison Mathues ’73.
Take me out to the ball game, Naz style! The Buffalo chapter
hosted several area alums at the Buffalo Bisons game as they
battled the Pawtucket Red Socks on June 15.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 49

ALUMNI | news
Swimming
for a Cause
by Sofia Tokar
Bridgette Hobart Janeczko ’84
waving from the finish line after
swimming 28.5 miles around the
island of Manhattan.
At age 5, Bridgette
Hobart Janeczko ’84
was afraid of water.
At age 50, Hobart
swam 28.5 miles around the
island of Manhattan. The reason?
To celebrate a milestone birthday
and to support Swim Free, a nonprofit
organization dedicated to
improving the health of children
and adults through swim.
On June 23, 2012, Hobart
completed the annual Manhattan
Island Marathon Swim in eight
hours and 50 minutes. “We had
a great day for the event and warmer than usual water for the time
of year,” she recalls. “I was in awe of the group I swam with and
witnessed a few of them complete their Triple Crown of Open Water
Swimming, my ultimate goal as well.”
Hobart is en route to making her goal: She was accepted as a
participant in the Catalina Channel attempt on October 2, her 50 th
birthday. If she successfully swims Catalina, she’ll earn the U.S. Triple
Crown (Tampa Bay, Manhattan, Catalina); she will then be two-thirds
of the way toward completing the World Triple Crown (Manhattan,
Catalina, and the English Channel).
“I may be turning 50 soon, but it seems like just yesterday that I
was crying on a pool deck begging to not get in the water,” explains
Hobart. “By age 17, I was a high school distance swimmer quoted in
an article in the Binghamton Sun-Bulletin stating that I was going to
swim the English Channel to celebrate 50 years in swimming.”
Hobart swam throughout high school and college, but afterward
the sport took a backseat to life and work. In 2007, Hobart’s stepgrandmother,
then dying from cancer, gave her a copy of the Sun-Bulletin
article and asked Hobart why she wasn’t swimming any longer.
“She made me realize the only one truly keeping me from pursuing
the dream I had at age 17 was myself.” At the age of 45, shortly after
her step-grandmother’s passing, Hobart joined U.S. Masters Swimming,
her first step toward achieving her swimming goals.
And in achieving her goals, Hobart is also giving back to the community:
Her fundraising swim around Manhattan raised $9,200, with
all proceeds going to Swim Free programs.
Learn more about Swim Free at www.swimfree.org
Sofia Tokar is the assistant editor in Nazareth’s marketing
department.
Editor’s Note: Hobart successfully swam the Catalina Channel on
October 2-3, completing the 21 miles in 11 hours, 27 minutes. She’s
scheduled to swim the English Channel for the World Triple Crown on
July 7 or 8, 2013.
50 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

Nominate Outstanding Alumni
Nazareth College has two awards to recognize the significant achievements of Nazareth alumni: the Outstanding
Alumni Award and the Alumni GOLD Award. The influence of these alumni has been felt not only within the Nazareth
community, but within the communities in which they live and work.
Outstanding Alumni Award
For more than 30 years, the College has recognized the
achievements of its graduates with the Outstanding
Alumni Award. Outstanding Alumni serve as role models
for Nazareth students, encourage others to consider a
Nazareth education, and further inspire, in their fellow
graduates, a sense of pride in their alma mater.
Alumni GOLD Award
This award is designed to recognize the achievements
of an alum who, having graduated within the past
10 years, has distinguished him or herself in the
community or workplace while adhering to
the values fostered by Nazareth College.
Interested in nominating a classmate or friend? Please contact Donna Borgus ’13G, director of alumni relations, at
dborgus8@naz.edu or 585-389-2471. You can also nominate someone online at alumni.naz.edu/awards.
For a list of previous alumni award winners, visit go.naz.edu/alumni-awards.
College Dedicates the
Allocco Digital Recording Studio
Nazareth College is pleased to announce the newly named Allocco
Digital Recording Studio in the Arts Center. On August 16, 2012,
the recording studio was officially named in recognition of Jack
Allocco ’72 and his wife Stacie’s support of Nazareth College and
affection for Nazareth’s department of music.
“This is an opportunity to not only celebrate this gift of Jack Allocco’s to
the College, but to recognize all of his contributions to Nazareth over the
years,” says Daan Braveman, president of Nazareth College.
The space that the digital recording studio occupies is where Allocco first
auditioned to attend the music program at Nazareth. It seemed fitting, then,
to name it in honor of the Emmy Award-winning composer, conductor,
music producer, and director, who also continues to serve on the Nazareth
board of trustees.
The studio is primarily used by students majoring in music/business,
a collaborative program between the music department in the College of
Arts and Sciences and the School of Management. Dean of the College of
Arts and Sciences Deborah Dooley ’75, Ph.D., and Dean of the School of
Management Gerard Zappia ’89G both recognized the importance of Allocco’s
contributions to and support of the music/business program. “With
this gift,” explained Dooley at the dedication ceremony, “you extend the
Professor of Management Roy Stein and Professor of Music
Mark Zeigler, co-directors of Nazareth’s music business program,
join trustee Jack Allocco ’72 at the dedication of the Allocco Digital
Recording Studio.
possibility of knowledge and imagination to the next generation of students. You are truly paying it forward, and that’s the best any of us can
do with our lives.”
Allocco reinforced the sentiment, saying, “Musicians need to master their instruments, but they also need to learn to fully realize a piece of
music—from creation and recording, to editing and producing. When students use this studio, I want them to know that dreams do come true.
If I can succeed, then surely those who follow me can as well.”
Read more about Nazareth’s music/business program at naz.edu/music-business
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 51

Nazareth Fund
Supporting
the Troops
★ ★ ★ ★
Pete Beck ’15 (left) and J.C. Bukowiec ’16
are both former Marines majoring
in international studies and minoring in Arabic.
s a participant in the Yellow Ribbon Program, Nazareth
College is committed to helping veteran-students make
the challenging transition from military to academic life.
The College provides scholarship assistance to bridge the gap between the
actual cost of tuition and the amount veterans receive under the GI Bill.
Its efforts were noted by G.I. Jobs Magazine, which included Nazareth in
its 2013 Guide to Military Friendly Schools.
Support J.C., Pete, and 60 other veteran students at Nazareth by visiting www.naz.edu/makeagift, or by sending
in your gift to the Nazareth Fund. Thank you for your support.
★ ★ ★ ★
Development Office | 585-389-2415 | www.naz.edu/makeagift

Alumnus Co-Produces
Feature Film
About Lacrosse
by Sofia Tokar
Film co-producer Neal Powless ’98 with Grammy
Award-winning musician Joanne Shenandoah at the
premiere for Crooked Arrows.
When Neal J. Powless ’98 was
asked to be a Native American
cultural consultant on a movie
about a lacrosse team of Native
American boys, he jumped at the opportunity
to lend his unique perspective.
Not only is Powless a traditional member of
the Onondaga Nation, Eel Clan, he was also
a three-time All-American lacrosse player at
Nazareth College and enjoyed a seven-year
career in the National Lacrosse League. He
is currently employed by Syracuse University,
in the office of multicultural affairs, as an
assistant director with the Native Student
Program.
And now Powless adds movie co-producer
to his résumé. He was part of the team that
took the lacrosse experience from off the
field and onto the screen in Crooked Arrows,
a feature-length film released nationwide and
in Canada in June 2012. An uplifting sports
story set in the world of Native American
reservations, prep schools, and lacrosse, the
Boston Globe says the movie “scores as a
family film with terrific action.”
Originally recruited as a consultant, Powless
ultimately helped to re-write the script
and choreograph some of the lacrosse action
scenes. “Working on this film was a great experience,
really fun,” says Powless. “I wanted
the end result to be something the entire
team of actors, crew, and investors could be
proud of.”
Crooked Arrows stars Brandon Routh
(Superman Returns), Chelsea Ricketts
(Chasing Shakespeare), and Gil Birmingham
(Twilight) at the film premiere.
And the team has a lot to be proud of.
The film played in 350 theaters and ranked
14th out of 250 movies nationwide—impressive
considering other movies out during
that time included The Avengers. Powless
affectionately refers to the film as “the little
engine that could”—a theme echoed in the
movie itself.
In Crooked Arrows, a mixed-blood Native
American named Joe Logan wants to
modernize his reservation but must first
prove himself to his father, the traditionalist
Tribal Chairman, by rediscovering his spirit.
He is tasked with coaching the reservation’s
high school lacrosse team, which competes
against the better equipped and better
trained players of the elite Prep School
League.
Joe inspires the Native American boys and
teaches them the true meaning of tribal
pride. Ignited by their heritage and believing
in their newfound potential, coach and team
climb an uphill battle to the state championship
finals against their privileged prep school
rivals.
Twentieth Century Fox picked up the rights
for the film’s North American release, and it’s
currently available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc,
both of which include a 13-minute Syracuse
University S.I. Newhouse School of Public
Communications featurette about lacrosse—
also produced by Powless. If his initial forays
are any indication, then this alumnus has
a bright future ahead of him in the film
industry.
To learn more about the film, visit crookedarrows.com.
Sofia Tokar is the assistant editor in Nazareth’s
marketing department.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 53

class|notes
CLASS|notes
Proud alums of Nazareth’s speech-language pathology program met for a reunion lunch at
The Distillery in Rochester last May.
Left to right: Donna Ringholz ’86, Marie Blood Zea ’86, ’88G, Mary Beth Coriale Brinkerhoff
’87, ’89G, Bonnie Frankenberger ’86, ’88G, Donna Schicker Ayer ’87, ’90G, Linda Alfieri
Lindsey ’86, ’88G, Scott D. Rankins ’86.
’50s
Jeanette Martino Land ’58,
Eng., has been a freelance
Christian writer since 1990.
Hundreds of her articles and
poems have been published in
more than 60 different publications.
Liguori Publications recently
published two new pamphlets;
two more are forthcoming.
Another pamphlet, The Way of
Love—Christ’s Life-Giving Passion,
is in its fourth printing. She is also
completing radiation treatments
for cancer and has a good prognosis.
She looks forward to attending
her 55th reunion in June.
’60s
Carol Papadopoli Basi ’62,
Chem., celebrated her 50 th wedding
anniversary with her husband
Bart. They renewed their vows in
the presence of their six children,
sons- and daughters-in-law, and
15 grandchildren.
Monica McAlpine ’62, Eng.,
and her husband are both retired
from their university careers. She
spends her free time painting and
writing poetry.
Monica Weis ’65, S.S.J., Eng.,
Nazareth College professor of
English, was featured along with
Christine Bochen, professor of
religious studies, in the Summer
2012 edition of Image, the magazine
of George Eastman House.
’70s
Jack Allocco ’72, Music, and
David Kurtz clinched their seventh
career Emmy. The award was given
for Outstanding Achievement
in Music Direction and Composition
for a Drama Series at the
39th annual Daytime Creative Arts
Emmy Awards gala held in Los
Angeles last June.
Mary Ann Backes Ciulla ’72,
’75G, Eng., has been busy in her
life since Nazareth. She has been
a reading/English secondary
teacher, a reading specialist at RIT,
a shop owner/commercial decorator,
and in retirement is a watercolor
painter.
Laurie Stone Adams ’75, Art,
has been selected as a Teacher
Fellow at the Museum of Fine
Arts, Houston (MFAH). She will be
a part of a highly qualified team
who will work together over the
next two years to develop a middle
school curriculum on teaching
and learning through art at
MFAH.
’80s
Bridgette Hobart Janeczko
’84, Bus. Acc., participated in the
2012 Manhattan Island Marathon
Swim last June (see page 50 for
more information).
Lorraine Hass Schneider ’85,
Nursing, graduated from Le
Moyne College with a Master of
Science degree in May. She is currently
teaching at St. Joseph’s
College of Nursing in Syracuse.
54 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

Last September, Audra Cramer ’09 and Paul
Ianniello ’08 hosted a get-together at their
apartment in Astoria, Queens, for all the
Nazareth alums who had recently moved down
to the Big Apple.
Left to right: Erin Hassett ’12, Joe Maffei ’11,
Kate Keating ’10, Ianniello, Cramer, Scott Scaffidi
’06, and Andy Knapp ’05.
Jeanne Aman Allen ’88, Bus.
Admn., is now the director of
human resources at 5Linx in
Rochester.
Laurie Schon Leo ’89, Bus.
Acc., the CFO of Klein Steel
Service, Inc., was nominated for
the Rochester Chapter of Financial
Executives International and the
Rochester Business Journal’s
Financial Executive of the Year
Award (large company category).
Paul Leone ’89, Eng., was
recently named director/executive
producer of Glint Advertising and
Design. Earlier in 2012, he produced
and edited a documentary
about a Vietnam veteran brought
back to the country for the first
time since 1971.
’90s
Matt Orioli ’91, Bus. Admn.,
was recently hired as district manager
for Protection 1 Security
Solutions in Columbus, Ohio. He
also coaches the Westerville
Golden Flyers, 13- and 14-year-old
division, BLBS Travel Baseball
League.
Heather Perkins Pulver ’91
and Mike Perkins ’02 are both
involved with Phoenix Project
Dance, she as a member of the
board of directors and he as the
executive director and choreographer.
Phoenix Project Dance performed
at last summer’s Nazareth
College Dance Festival.
Leann Hicks ’92, Acct., the CFO
of Pharos Systems International,
won the Rochester Chapter of
Financial Executives International
and the Rochester Business
Journal’s Financial Executive of the
Year Award (small company
category).
Dawn Powell-Minemier ’92,
Bus. Admn., was promoted to
principal at The Bonadio Group,
the largest regional CPA in upstate
New York. She works in Bonadio’s
government compliance and labor
division and focuses on audits and
consulting related to labor unions
and their associated benefit plans.
Amy Clapp Hodge ’93, ’95G,
French, TESOL, has relocated to
Raleigh, N.C., with her husband
and two dogs after teaching Italian
in Rochester for 16 years. She is
now teaching French.
Wendy Barnhart Ross ’97,
Hist., was recently promoted to
senior technical writer at Bosch
Security Systems. She was also
elected as co-vice president of the
Rochester Chapter of the Society
for Technical Communication.
Anthony Stirpe ’98, Eng.
Comm., won the English Teacher
of the Year Award for New York
State.
E.J. Monster ’99, Spa., French,
recently moved from Bolivia to
Pretoria, South Africa, for his next
assignment at the U.S. Embassy.
’00s
Kathleen Ryan ’00, ’05G, Soc.
Sci., Social Wk., is an outpatient
social worker for the Batavia VA
primary care. She sees most of the
returning vets in Genesee, Livingston,
Orleans, and Wyoming counties
and works with the service
officers from those as well as
Monroe County.
David Graham ’03, Acct., the
controller at The Bonadio Group,
was the honoree in the “Rising
Star” category in the Rochester
Chapter of Financial Executives
International and the Rochester
Business Journal’s Financial
Executive of the Year Award.
Chris VanLeeuwen ’07, Mus.
Ed., the director of vocal music at
Hornell High School and led the
Chamber Choir, Women’s Choir,
Jazz Choir, and Senior High Choir
to silver ratings at the World
Strides Heritage Performance choral
competition in Boston. Hornell
placed first in the AA division and
swept the entire choral
competition.
’10s
Melissa-Ann Evanchik ’10,
Bus. Admn., is currently a law student
at Valparaiso University
School of Law.
Christopher M. Koudelka ’10,
Peace & Just., is currently studying
in the School of International
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 55

class|notes
Service at American University. He expects to
graduate in 2013 with an M.A. in international
peace and conflict resolution, with a
focus on interfaith dialogue and
Islamophobia.
Carrie Mae Nielsen ’10, ’12G has been
offered a full time position as a special education
teacher at Lansing High School.
Alex Santos ’10, IT, was recently promoted
to tier one tech support specialist at 5Linx
in Rochester.
Judy Scott ’11, Eng., recently became the
cultural arts coordinator at the Summit at
Brighton, an independent senior living
community.
Lindsey Spector ’11, Pol. Sci., Intl.
Studies, spent fall semester in Berlin,
Germany, and will spend spring semester in
The Hague, Netherlands, to complete her
degree in international relations at Syracuse
University.
Colin Doran ’12, IT, Finance, recently
became an inbound sales support specialist
at Morgan Stanley.
Dan Huntington ’12, Mktg., recently
became the market manager/talent management
specialist at RedPeg Marketing in the
Washington, D.C. area.
Cori Zerfas ’08 married Brendan Shea ’08
on December 30, 2011, with celebrations at
Rochester’s Artisan Works and in Nazareth’s
Medaille Formal Lounge.
Front row: the bride and the groom.
Second row, L to R: Andrea Farrell
’08, ’12G, Greg McMurray ’07, Renee
Paprocki, Paul Timothy Briggs ’74.
Third row, L to R: Jordan Sutton ’08,
Matt Campbell ’07, ’12G, Courtney
Greene ’08.
Back row, L to R: Shaun Tyszka ’07, Brynn
Lucas ’08, Dustin Smith ’08, Rachel
Quashnoc Dolan ’08, ’10G.
Emily Comfort ’04 married D.J. Morse in the
Florida Keys on April 14, 2012.
Graduate
Jessie Andersen ’03G, Spec. Ed., recently
published At What Cost (Astraea Press,
2012), her first young adult novel.
Steve Budgar ’08G, Mgmt., teaches Intro
to Marketing as an adjunct instructor at
Finger Lakes Community College. He was
also recently hired by Keuka College for their
ASAP (Accelerated Studies for Adults) B.S. in
Organizational Management program.
Weddings and Unions
Kolleen Olin ’94 to Christopher Sulli,
Nov. 26, 2005.
Katherine Sgabellone ’97 to David
McKenna, June 8, 2012.
Tondra Bailey ’03, ’07G, to Rayan
Collins ’04, July 9, 2011.
Emily Comfort ’04 to D.J. Morse, April
14, 2012. Ashley Hubbard Sick ’04 was
the matron of honor.
56 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

Laurie Worthington ’05 to
Greg Davis, Aug. 18, 2012.
Patrice Caines ’05 to Arrey
Enyong, Dec. 21, 2011.
Jody Barrett ’06, ’08G, to Josh
Ostrander, July 4, 2011.
Tracey Borrelli ’06 to David
Savine ’05, ’10G, Aug. 9, 2008.
Katie Metzger ’08 to Trevor
Kriewall, Oct. 1, 2011.
Cori Zerfas ’08 to Brendan
Shea ’08, Dec. 30, 2011.
Jeni-Lee Chambers to Phil
Precourt ’10, July 28, 2012.
Renee Smith ’10G to Ryan
Zegarelli, July 22, 2011.
Michelle Miller ’11G to Joseph
Sidari ’12G, Aug. 21, 2010.
Births and Adoptions
Suzanne Tuohey Morley ’71, a
granddaughter, Ava, Nov. 2, 2011.
Kolleen Olin Sulli ’94, a
daughter, Reagan Barbara, June 3,
2010.
Matt Murphy ’96, a son, Tyler
Matthew, June 11, 2012.
Laurel Vishnesky Bishop ’97, a
son, Leo Justin Thomas, Sept. 27,
2011.
Alane Hight Lovic ’97, a son,
Eli Cole, March 17, 2012.
Tracy Flanagan Pearsall ’98, a
daughter, Natalie Ann, March 16,
2012.
Tracey Borrelli Savine ’06 and
David Savine ’05, ’10G, a daughter,
Giulia, and a son, Anthony.
In Memoriam
Mary Catherine Maguire
LaMay ’37, on May 1, 2012. She
was a member of St. Anthony’s
Catholic Church and its Ladies of
Charity, Rose Haven Civic
Association, and the American
Legion Ladies Auxiliary Unit 206.
She was the mother of five children,
grandmother of eight, and
great-grandmother of 12. She was
the last surviving member of the
Class of 1937.
Elizabeth Finegan Doyle ’40,
on May 8, 2011. She was a cofounder
of St. Joseph’s House of
Hospitality in Rochester, inspired by
a visit to Nazareth from Dorothy
Day.
Harriet Walton Wegman ’42,
on May 30, 2012. She and her
husband Gerard moved to
Marcellus, N.Y., where they were
communicants at St. Francis Xavier
Church and where she taught CCD
for more than a decade. She also
volunteered for Right to Life for
many years.
Geraldine Vandewater Elliott
’43, on June 4, 2012. She was the
organist and choir director for
more than 30 years at St. Rita
Church.
Virginia Bogdan Pados ’43, on
July 25, 2012. She was a music
teacher for grades pre-K through 8
in the Buffalo Public Schools, retiring
in 1985.
Sister Dorothea Kunz ’44,
S.S.J., on Aug. 2, 2012. A member
of the S.S.J. congregation since
1941, Sister Dorothea served at
Nazareth College from 1947 to
1992 as a faculty member and
chair of the mathematics department
as well as founder and director
of the College’s Academic
Advisement Center. In 1962, she
was one of 40 math teachers
nationwide to be awarded a
National Science Foundation grant
for a summer study program in
mathematics held in Washington,
D.C.
Dorothy Wehner Hoysic ’46,
on May 23, 2012. She worked for
St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester as
a lab technician. In the Diocese of
Rochester, she was an active volunteer
and volunteered for Cursillo,
teen seminars, Genesis, and the
family camp at Koinonia. She
enjoyed crocheting, knitting, and
was a mother of eight.
Nancy Riggs Albert ’48, on
May 20, 2012.
Dorothy E. Carroll ’48, on May
16, 2012. While at Nazareth, she
joined the Sisters of Saint Joseph
and became a nurse. After leaving
the religious life in 1964, she
moved to Ithaca, N.Y., and worked
at the Cayuga Medical Center as a
nursing supervisor for more than
23 years.
Elaine M. Kalb ’48, on July 6,
2012.
Mary Pebbles Ersley Bonci
’57, on June 14, 2012. She worked
in various nursing jobs throughout
her career and retired after 20
years as a registered nursing supervisor
at the Chemung County
Health Dept. She was a communicant
of St. Mary Our Mother
Church in Horseheads.
Loretta LaRussa Paul ’62,
’78G, on Aug. 6, 2012. She was
the loving mother of four, the
grandmother of seven, and the
great-grandmother of one.
Sharon Turcotte White ’67, on
May 2, 2012. She was a speech
therapist for 33 years with
Massena Central Schools, where
she worked in all the district’s elementary
schools.
Janet Crossland Barnard ’69,
on May 17, 2012. She had a long
career as a professor at RIT’s
College of Business. After retiring,
she continued as a business consultant
for the Small Business
Administration. She was a longtime
member of Asbury First
United Methodist Church, which
her father helped build.
Mary K. Dimick ’69, on Nov. 2,
2011.
Suzanne P. Slack ’72, on June
5, 2012. She was a prolific writer
and former director of Webster
Area Youth Services.
Kathleen Coleman Eichenlaub
’78, on June 18, 2012. In 1998,
she was chosen to receive a prestigious
award as Alumnae of the
Year for Nazareth College, in honor
of her achievements in the field
of social work and in recognition
of her dedication to the people
served by Catholic Charities. Her
daughter, Anne Eichenlaub ’13,
is a current student at Nazareth
College.
Therese Ewart Mynott ’79, on
June 14, 2012.
Phyllis Barna Anderson ’87G,
on April 8, 2012. She was a special
education teacher for many years
in Rochester and Fort Myers. Most
recently, she was a realtor with
Kelly Cove Realty in Florida.
Patricia Mann MacKenzie ’87,
on June 28, 2012.
Barbara Perkins Stuart ’87, on
May 13, 2012. She was a member
of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in
Newark and was active in many
church and community activities.
She also volunteered as a registered
nurse at the Senior
Friendship Medical Center in
Sarasota and was an active supporter
of the Sarasota Opera
House, the Sarasota Orchestra, and
Historic Spanish Point Landmark
Museum.
Father Paul Nochelski, S.J., on
July 14, 2012. He spent 11 years
as a teacher and administrator at
Canisius High School in Buffalo
and taught in the graduate division
of Canisius College. Beginning in
1978, he served as Nazareth
College’s resident hall program
coordinator. In 1986, Father Paul
was the first McQuaid alumnus to
be named principal of McQuaid
Jesuit High School.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 57

THE | archive
Games
Nuns Play
Hand clapping and knee slapping—are
these sisters and students playing a
get-to-know-you game during freshman
orientation? Perhaps they’re enjoying a
festive holiday party? Or maybe this
was just a regular Saturday night in the 1950s, hanging out
in the Medaille Formal Lounge?
If you have additional information about this photograph,
please let us know. Send comments to Archives, Lorette
Wilmot Library, Nazareth College, 4245 East Avenue,
Rochester, NY 14618, or email driley9@naz.edu.
This photo, which appeared in
the Summer-Fall 2012 issue of
Connections, has now been
identified—at least, part of it has.
Carol Townsend ’69 pointed out
that half the image appeared in the
1966 Sigillum. “Students and their
escorts were transported to ‘Faraway Places’ when the Fremin Mission
Unit sponsored its annual dance on October 9,” the yearbook reported.
The two women on the right were event chairmen Mary Anne Walsh
’68 and Mary Ann DelPlato Corea ’66, ’81G, along with their dates.
58 CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 www.naz.edu

RETHINK Graduate Degrees
Whether you want
to complete your studies, receive
your certification, or switch
careers, consider a graduate
degree from Nazareth College.
Nazareth offers graduate
programs in:
Arts and Sciences
Education
Health and Human Services
Management
Graduate Program
Information Sessions—
January 10 and March 28
• Meet with faculty from your
specific program of interest.
• Optional campus tours available.
Discover more or
register for a session
at grad.naz.edu.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | WINTER 2012-2013 59

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
4245 East Ave.
Rochester, NY 14618-3790
Non-Profit Org.
U.S.Postage
PAID
Rochester, NY
Permit No. 1217
Candlelight Yoga
in the Chapel
Food and drink are potent inspirations for Nazareth students and
alumni (check out the feature story on page 32). This ceramic sculpture
by Mary Herbst ’14, titled The Basket, appeared in the spring
Undergraduate Student Art Show, which showcases the best work
created during the year by Nazareth art students. You can view a Flickr
gallery of other student artwork at at go.naz.edu/UGart
More than 300 Nazareth
students practice yoga
regularly—through
free and open classes,
physical education classes, and sessions
with athletic teams—and yoga
therapy has recently been added as a
specialization within the art therapy
program. It’s a campus phenomenon,
says Lynne Staropoli Boucher, yoga
teacher and director of the Center
for Spirituality, and one that she
hopes will attract prospective students.
“Yoga fits in perfectly with
Nazareth’s long-term commitment
to fostering the health and wellbeing
of students through a holistic
approach to mind-body-spirit,” she
explains. Learn more about yoga at
Nazareth at go.naz.edu/yoga.