Working Toward a New Beginning - Eagle Online - Niagara University

■ V O L U M E 2 3 , I S S U E 3 ■ S P R I N G 2 0 0 7 

Working Toward 

a New Beginning 

Special campaign feature

PR E S I D E N T’S ME S S AG E 

As part of our sesquicentennial celebration, Ni a g a r a 

Un i versity chose to re c o g n i ze 10 individuals during 

commencement weekend for the special work they have 

done in service to others. All will re c e i ve the Caritas Medal, an 

honor given to those whose life and works reflect the charity of St . 

Vincent de Paul, founder of Ni a g a r a’s sponsoring Vi n c e n t i a n 

Community of priests and brothers. All are purposely alumni, 

spanning 48 class years, and are re p re s e n t a t i ve of the thousands 

of NU graduates who perpetuate Vi n c e n t’s legacy through their 

charitable deeds. 

One of the most important things we can do at commencement 

is to make a bold statement about the purpose of a 

Vincentian education at Niagara Un i ve r s i t y, that is, to emphasize 

that service of others, especially those who are most needy, is 

central to our life. It is my hope that our graduates will see in our 

alumni honorees the example of a Vincentian-influenced life of 

s e rvice, which is clearly evident in their careers and interests. 

Dr. John B. Stranges of the Class of ’59, a person many alumni 

will re c o g n i ze, has spent the majority of his professional career at 

Niagara Un i versity as a professor and administrator. His deep 

dedication to Ni a g a r a’s students was demonstrated during his 

years as academic vice president, when he continued to teach each 

semester despite the demands of the vice pre s i d e n c y. He is a 

teacher who clearly understands the power of education to 

influence young lives for the better. John also penned “T h e 

R a i n b ow Ne ver Fades, Niagara Un i versity 1856-2006,” a 

c o m p re h e n s i ve history written for its sesquicentennial. This was 

another expression of his dedication to the unive r s i t y. 

Dr. Lawrence Jacobs of the Class of ’61 will be honored 

posthumously for his distinguished career as a re s e a rch scientist. 

Dr. Jacobs, who will be re p resented by his wife, Pam Jacobs Vo g t , 

improved the lives of countless victims of multiple sclerosis 

t h rough his seminal re s e a rch into the disease. 

Jeanne C. Finn, who re c e i ved a graduate degree in education in 

1971, founded and served as director of the Fantastico Tu t o r i a l 

p rogram, a volunteer effort that provides academic assistance and 

language instruction to children and teenagers in the disadvantaged 

Hill Section of New Ha ven, Conn. Je a n n e’s husband, 

John, is a former trustee of the unive r s i t y. 

Lindsey Dust, a 2005 NU grad who re c e i ved her master’s degre e 

in special education, has been extremely active in a variety of serv i c e 

p rojects over her six years at the unive r s i t y. As an undergrad, she 

received the St. Vincent de Paul Award at graduation. 

Fi ve equally impre s s i ve alumni we re cited at the undergraduate 

commencement. Since “retiring” after an extensive career in 

nursing and hospital administration, nursing graduate Barbara A. 

Malinowski of the Class of ’59 has focused her considerable 

talents on parish nursing as coordinator of the program at Mo u n t 

St. Ma ry’s Hospital in Lewiston. She also established and 

c o o rdinates the health ministry program at He a rt and Soul Fo o d 

Pa n t ry in Niagara Falls, assessing the health and social needs 

of the c l i e n t s . 

James M. Schermerhorn 

of the Class of ’64 spent 24 

years as a lawyer with the 

U.S. De p a rtment of Justice before turning to a career in public 

health. Since earning a degree as a physician’s assistant in 1995, 

he has been invo l ved in health care and humanitarian medical 

assistance in such troubled regions and countries as Kosovo, 

Afghanistan, South Africa, Sudan, Kenya and Iraq. 

Connie Dwyer of the Class of ’65 has provided major philant 

h ropic support to the fight against breast cancer through the 

Connie Dwyer Breast Center at Saint Mi c h a e l’s Medical Center in 

New a rk, N.J. The state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment center 

is heavily invo l ved in pre vention, early detection and educational 

o u t reach programs directed tow a rd African American and 

Hispanic women. She sits on several boards, including that of 

St. Vincent’s Academy, a Catholic school for girls that served 

Newark’s minority community. 

Magistrate Judge Hugh B. Scott of the Class of ’71 has had a 

fulfilling career as a lawyer and judge, serving since 1995 as the 

first African American appointed to the federal bench in the 

Western District of New Yo rk. T h roughout his care e r, howe ve r, he 

had been heavily invested in the community, serving on numero u s 

b o a rds dealing with such interests as education, domestic violence, 

health care, racial justice and indigent prisoners. He has been cited 

for his tireless efforts to find alternatives to incarceration of yo u t h . 

Cathy Falcone Ray of the Class of ’76 has maintained her 

i n t e rest in health care through a successful career change that took 

her from nursing to broadcasting. With a bachelor’s degree in 

nursing and a master’s in oncology, Cathy works as an awardwinning 

health re p o rter and anchor at KTNV-TV in Las Ve g a s . 

Her re p o rting is marked by a high degree of credibility and caring. 

She also is ve ry active in the community, serving on a number of 

b o a rds, including that of Catholic Charities of Southern Ne va d a . 

Graduating senior Gary Damon has been active in campus 

m i n i s t ry and social justice programs, participating in events aimed 

at helping those in need. His example has led to the invo l ve m e n t 

of many others in similar programs, especially the residents of 

O’Donoughue Hall, where he has earned the respect of both 

his staff and students in his role as residence coord i n a t o r. Hi s 

character and lifestyle, an administrator has noted, “embody the 

best in this generation.” 

Niagara is extremely proud of these individuals and the many 

other graduates who leave Niagara imbued with Vi n c e n t’s spirit. 

I enjoy hearing stories such as these because they vividly 

reflect Niagara’s mission. I welcome information about such 

caring graduates, as well as your comments and suggestions, 

at jll@niagara.edu. 

J o s e ph L. Leve s q u e, C . M . 

Pre s i d e n t

Niagara University 

The Eagle 

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Niagara University, N.Y. 14109 

OF F I C E O F 

CO M M U N I C AT I O N S A N D 

PU B L I C RE LAT I O N S 

Linus L. Ormsby, ’88 

Director 

Lisa M. McMahon 

Associate Di rector for Pu b l i c a t i o n s 

Jason R. Mollica 

Assistant Director 

Suzanne M. Karaszewski 

Graphic Designer 

Jean H. Spence 

Secretary 

CO N T R I B U TO R S 

Michele J. Schmidt 

Assistant Athletic Director/ 

Media Relations 

Arthur Cardella 

Director of Alumni Relations 

Katie Schneider 

Photography 

ED I TO R’S OF F I C E 

716-286-8747 

lmcmahon@niagara.edu 

ALU M N I RE LAT I O N S OF F I C E 

716-286-8787 

cardella@niagara.edu 

www.niagara.edu 

departments 

inside cover 

1 2 

1 5 

1 6 

President’s Message 

2 Around Campus 

6 NU People 

7 Mission Central 

8 Sports Section 

10 Advancement Matters 

21 Alumni Notes 

24 Alumni NUws 

25 A NU View 

A Publication for 

Alumni and Friends 

VOLUME 23, ISSUE 3 

SPRING 2007 

CONTENTS 

The Promise of Niagara 12 

Niagara University kicks off a capital campaign that will fulfill its 

vision for the next 150 years. 

Working Toward a New Beginning 15 

Political science professor is aiding the effort to improve human 

rights in Turkmenistan. 

Cover Story: 

Mind Games 16 

Dr. Timothy Osberg discovers irrational food beliefs sabotage 

weight contro l . 

NU’s 150th Anniversary Celebration 20 

Photos from the 150th Anniversary Student Ball. 

on the cover 

The way we think about food has a strong effect 

on our efforts at weight control, according to Dr. 

Timothy Osberg, a psychology professor at Niagara 

University. He says that individuals who endorse 

many irrational food beliefs, such as “if no one sees 

me eating something, the calories don’t count,” are 

more likely to fail at weight-control efforts when 

compared to individuals not prone to such beliefs. 

Disputing these IFBs may be a key to weightmaintenance 

success.

2 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 

CAM Receives Grant 

for “Freedom 

Crossing” Initiatives 

The Key Foundation has awarded a 

$6,000 grant to support educational 

programming related to 

“Freedom Crossing: T h e 

Underground Railroad in 

Greater Niagara,” a 

permanent exhibition at 

N U ’s Castellani A r t 

Museum. Key’s contribution 

will enable the museum 

to develop i n t e r a c t i v e 

educational materials for 

children and families visiting 

the gallery, which is part of 

the New York State 

Heritage Trails. 

Funding will also 

go toward developing 

comprehensive teacher 

resources, an interactive 

Web site and a traveling 

multimedia presentation 

to be taken out to area 

schools, organizations 

and clubs. 

“Freedom Crossing” 

is a regional interpretive center that 

tells the story of the Underground 

Railroad on the Niagara Frontier 

through historic photographs, 

artifacts, stories, audio stations, and 

art. Brochures and maps lead visitors 

to Underground Railroad partners 

and sites throughout the area. Since 

its opening last September, hundreds 

of individuals, school and community 

groups have toured the exhibition, 

which is open during regular museum 

hours: Tu e s d a y – S a t u r d a y, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 

and Sunday 1-5 p.m. Guided tours led 

by docents are available by appointment. 

For more information, call 286-8200 or 

visit w w w.niagara.edu/ cam/special/ 

u g r r i n t r o d u c t i o n . h t m l. 

NU ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO WORK 

Niagara Un i versity was named as 

one of the top three large 

e m p l oyers (450+ employees) in 

Western New Yo rk. The announcement 

was made at Buffalo Business Fi r s t’s 

“Best Places to Work” awards luncheon a t 

the Hyatt Hotel. The award was based 

in part on the responses NU employe e s 

p rovided on a workplace surve y, which 

was administered by Business First. NU 

had an excellent response rate of 72 perc e n t 

of its employe e s . This translates to 324 

full-time employees out of a total of 447. 

“ It is fantastic to be re c o g n i zed as a great place to work, and we look forw a rd 

to using the information from the survey to become even better,” noted Dr. 

Bonnie Rose, NU’s exe c u t i ve vice president/vice president for academic affairs. 

NU PRAYS, RAISES FUNDS FOR VIRGINIA TECH 

The day after the tragic shootings 

on the Virginia Tech campus, 

members of the Niagara Un i ve r s i t y 

community gathered in Alumni Chapel to 

pray for the victims and their families and 

friends. The NU campus was responding to 

an invitation from Sister Nora Gatto, D.C., 

e xe c u t i ve director of university mission 

and ministry, who wrote, “At times like 

these, our country becomes smaller as we 

reach out to brothers and sisters in need.” 

The prayer service was the first of seve r a l 

actions taken on campus to show solidarity 

and support for the Blacksburg, Va., campus. 

From April 18-23, Ni a g a r a’s St u d e n t 

Government Association, along with the 

women’s club hockey team and the Active 

Minds psychology organization, sold ribbons 

to help raise money for the Hokie Sp i r i t 

Fund, a memorial fund to help cover costs 

associated with the tragedy. 

The Office of Campus Ministry also 

forwarded to Virginia Tech a condolence 

book signed by members of the NU commun 

i t y. Father Joseph L. Levesque, C.M., 

p resident of Niagara, forw a rded a personal 

note offering the prayers and support 

of the NU community to Virginia Tech 

president Charles W. Steger. 

The bells of Alumni Chapel tolled on 

April 20 in remembrance of those who died 

or we re injured. Just as other institutions 

did, NU provided counseling to students 

and resident advisers, support i ve information 

was posted for parents on the university’s 

Web site, and a campus information session 

was held for those with questions stemming 

from the shootings. Likewise, all campus 

emergency and disaster plans were undergoing 

review. 

In a message to the university community, 

Father Levesque outlined plans the unive r s i t y 

has developed to deal with emergency 

situations. “While no institution, Ni a g a r a 

included, can ever guarantee absolute safety, 

I am very proud that Niagara has been 

p ro a c t i ve in developing plans and re s o u rc e s 

to address a wide range of emergency 

situations,” he wrote. He closed by saying: 

“I pray that we will be able to draw stre n g t h 

f rom each other in support of our students 

and campus community during these 

challenging times. Let us make eve ry 

e f f o rt to ensure that our collective 

response to this act of senseless violence 

serves to contribute to greater peace and 

understanding not only on our campus, 

but in our world as well.”

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 3 

NU, DEPAUL PRESIDENTS TO SPEAK AT COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES 

The presidents of two of the three 

Vincentian universities in the 

United States will speak at Niagara 

University’s commencement ceremonies 

May 19 and 20. The weekend will mark 

the conclusion of the university’s 150th 

anniversary celebration, which was 

observed during the 2006-’07 academic 

year. An estimated 1,120 degrees will be 

awarded, 670 to undergraduate students 

and 450 to graduate students. 

The Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M., 

NU’s president, will speak at the school’s 

undergraduate commencement cere m o n i e s 

Sunday, May 20, in Alumni Arena at the 

State University at Buffalo. The Rev. 

Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., ’85, 

president of DePaul University, will speak 

at commencement ceremonies for the 

graduate students on May 19 in the upper 

level of NU’s Gallagher Center. He will 

also receive the honorary degree of doctor 

of pedagogy at the ceremony. 

T h ree other persons will re c e i ve honorary 

d e g rees during the commencement 

c e remonies and eight alumni of the 

university will be awarded Caritas Medals, 

which honor people whose lives reflect 

the charity of St. Vincent de Paul, 

founder of the Vincentian Community, 

which sponsors Niagara, DePaul and St. 

John’s universities. 

At the undergraduate commencement, 

Sister Carol Keehan, D.C., president and 

chief executive officer of the Catholic 

Health Association, will be awarded the 

h o n o r a ry degree of doctor of laws. Concetta 

A. Dwye r, ’65; Barbara A. Ma l i n owski, ’59; 

Cathy Falcone Ray, ’76; Ma g i s t r a t e 

Ju d g e Hugh B. Scott, ’71; and James M. 

Schermerhorn, J.D., MPP, PA-C, ’64, 

will be awarded Caritas Me d a l s . 

At graduate commencement 

ceremonies, William T. Gacioch, ’61, 

president and chief executive officer of 

National Property Management 

Associates Inc. and a trustee of the 

university, will receive the honorary 

degree of doctor of commercial science. 

Noted art collector Charles Rand Penney 

will be awarded the honorary degree of 

doctor of fine arts. Caritas Medals will be 

awarded to Jeanne C. Finn, ’71; the late 

Dr. Lawrence Jacobs, ’61; and Dr. John 

B. Stranges, ’59, a Niagara University 

professor and former academic vice 

president. Pam Vogt will accept the medal 

on behalf of her late husband. 

Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., ’85 

Sister Carol Keehan, D.C. 

RECENT NU GRAD DIES UNEXPECTEDLY 

Julie Burdick, an alumna of Niagara University Theatre, passed away suddenly on 

Jan. 26. A member of the Class of 2003, Burdick had been working continually in 

the theater around the United States. She was cast in several national theatrical 

productions, playing the role of “Iris Kelly” in the North American tour of “Fame, 

the Musical” and “Laurey” in Networks Presentations, LLC’s revival of “OKLAHOMA!” 

She also served as the off-stage cover for the four principal roles of the sisters in the 

national equity tour of “Little Women,” and just completed a production of “Cabaret” 

in Washington, D.C. 

Bu rdick played numerous leading and supporting roles while a student at Ni a g a r a 

f rom 1999-2003. She also performed at Art p a rk and at Bu f f a l o’s MusicalFare Theatre 

in several productions. 

A funeral Mass was held on Feb. 3 in Alumni Chapel. In lieu of flowers, the Burdick 

family has requested that donations be made to Niagara University Theatre. 

To read a homily Brother Augustine Towey, C.M. recited at the Mass, log on to: 

www.niagara.edu/pr/SpecialInterestSpeeches.htm.


PRESIDENT’S REPORT RECOGNIZED 

FOR DESIGN EXCELLENCE 

Niagara Un i ve r s i t y’s Pre s i d e n t’s 

Re p o rt 2005-2006 has been 

selected a winner in the 2007 

American Inhouse Design Aw a rds by 

the editors of Graphic 

Design USA. The 32- 

page magazine, which 

was designed by Sue 

Karaszewski of the 

Office of Communications 

and Public 

Relations, was among 

a record 4,000 entries 

submitted for judging. 

Only 15 percent of the 

entries re c e i ved award s . 

The magazine, which 

f e a t u red Ni a g a r a’s 

p resident, the Re v. Jo s e p h 

L. Levesque, C.M., on the 

cover in front of the construction site for 

the new academic complex, included a 

message from the president and profiles of 

several donors. Copy was written by Lisa 

McMahon, associate director for publications, 

and Linus Ormsby, director of 

communications and public relations. 

McMahon noted that Karaszewski was 

asked to change the existing President’s 

Report into a stand-alone 

publication with a format 

that was different fro m 

t h a t used in the Eagle 

magazine. “It was her 

opportunity to develop a 

brand new look, and the 

design she created was 

obviously well-done. We 

are pleased that her good 

work was recognized by 

the editors of Graphic 

Design USA.” 

A re p re s e n t a t i ve 

sample of the publication 

will appear in 

the July ’07 awards issue of Gr a p h i c 

Design USA, which has a national 

audience of 100,000 design professionals. 

The President’s Report can be accessed 

at w w w. n i a g a ra . e d u / p r / 2 0 0 5 - 0 6 Pre s i d e n t s 

Report.htm. 

Mental Health 

Counseling Program 

Receives Licensure 

Designation from 

New York State 

Students who complete the 

College of Education’s graduate 

program in mental health 

counseling are now eligible to apply 

for New York state licensure to 

practice mental health counseling. 

The program recently received the 

licensure-qualifying designation from 

the New York State Department 

of Education. 

“Mental health counselors have the 

unique opportunity to work in a diverse 

array of settings on many critical issues 

that affect children, youth, families and 

our community,” said Dr. Debra Colley, 

dean of the College of Education. 

Graduate students in the 60- 

credit-hour program learn from 

experienced faculty who hold both a 

Ph.D. and licensure in the 

profession. Students are also 

required to complete 1,000 hours of 

practicum/internship and a course in 

mediation and conflict resolution. 

The program, founded in 1994, was 

the first of its kind in the state. 

For more information on NU’s 

mental health counseling program, visit 

w w w. n i a g a r a . e d u / g r a d e d / m e n t a l . h t m. 

PREPARING FOR AN EMERGENCY — More than 

20 members of the Niagara University community 

took part in community emergency response training 

in March. Sessions were administered by Niagara 

University’s Border Community SERVICE, as well as 

members of local fire and rescue depart m e n t s . On 

March 9, a disaster simulation was held in Niagara 

Falls to test to readiness of the trainees.


DELANEY AWARDED FOR 

TEACHING EXCELLENCE — 

James De l a n ey, chair of the 

philosophy department, was 

h o n o red on Ma rch 26 with the 

Ni a g a ra Un i versity Fa c u l t y 

Teaching Award of Excellence. 

An NU faculty member since 2004, 

De l a n ey specializes in ethics, with a 

focus on the history of philosophy, 

as well as topics in biomedical 

ethics. He has published articles in 

the American Catholic Ph i l o s o p h i c a l 

Association’s Annual Proceedings, 

The In t e rnet En c yclopedia of 

Philosophy, and Inquiry. He has 

also written a book, “Rousseau and 

the Ethics of Virtue,” published by 

T h o e m m e s - Continuum Press in 2006. 

De l a n ey holds a Ph.D. from the St a t e 

Un i versity of New Yo rk at Bu f f a l o . 

CITIGROUP, INNISKILLIN WINES AMONG SEVEN 

HONOREES AT BUSINESS APPRECIATION DINNER 

Niagara Un i ve r s i t y’s College of 

Business Administration re c o g n i ze d 

several local businesses for their 

vision and support of the Western New 

York region at the 17th annual Business 

Ap p reciation Dinner April 18. 

Edward G. Watson, managing director 

of global capital markets operations for 

Citigroup, a leading global financial 

services company, accepted the corporate 

leadership award and was the featured 

speaker at the event. Donald Ziraldo, cofounder 

of Inniskillin Wines, accepted the 

Canadian Business-of-the-Year Award. 

Other honorees included the 

Mentholatum Co., a manufacturer and 

m a rketer of nonprescription drugs and 

h e a l t h - c a re products, which accepted the 

WNY Business Appreciation Award; 

Cannon Design, an international 

architectural, engineering and planning 

firm, which was recognized with NU’s 

Business Appreciation Award; and Mayer 

Brothers, a major regional provider of 

beverage products, which was honored 

with the Family Business Center Award. 

Two Niagara students we re also feted at 

the dinner. Sabrina Sterling, of Lockport, 

N.Y., was named Outstanding MBA 

Student, and Sara Prybyl, of Mars, Pa., 

was chosen as 

the college’s 

Outstanding 

Senior 

Student. 

$130,000 GRANT 

AWARDED TO 

ACADEMIC CENTER 

F O R IN T E G R AT E D 

SC I E N C E S 

The James H. Cu m m i n g s 

Foundation Inc. has award e d 

a $130,000 grant to Ni a g a r a 

University’s Academic Center for 

Integrated Sciences. The grant will be 

used to purchase equipment that will 

advance current center studies in the 

structure and function of proteins to 

include those that affect the heart and 

the coronary arteries. 

The academic center is collaborating 

with the He a rt Center of Niagara at 

Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center 

and the School of Public Health and 

Health Professions at the Un i versity at 

Buffalo in researching the genes that 

are involved in regulating heart disease 

and coronary arteries in patients in 

Niagara County. 

“This is a further direction for 

integrated sciences,” said Dr. Ma ry 

Mc C o u rt, co-director of the center. 

“Chemistry, biochemistry and biology 

can all contribute to this development 

and the technologies are able to be 

used in multiple enviro n m e n t s .” 

Dr. Jack Helmuth, dean of Niagara University’s College 

of Business Administration (left), and Larry Montani, 

member of NU’s Board of Advisors (right), congratulate 

Paul O.Cannon, principal and regional director of Ca n n o n 

Design, recipient of the Ni a g a ra Un i versity Bu s i n e s s 

Appreciation Award.


TWO NEW MEMBERS 

WELCOMED TO NU 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 

Lynn M. Boorady, 

Ph.D., and alumna 

Margaret Ranft 

Day of the Class of ’77 

h a ve been named to 

f o u r - year terms on NU’s 

board of trustees. 

Boorady is an assistant 

p rofessor at the Un i ve r s i t y 

of Missouri-Columbia, 

where she teaches in the 

department of textile 

and apparel management. 

She holds a bachelor’s 

degree in theater arts 

from the University of 

Pittsburgh and a master’s 

d e g ree in textiles and 

a p p a rel from Cornell 

Un i ve r s i t y. Her college 

teaching experience 

includes three years at 

The American Un i ve r s i t y 

in Dubai, United Arab 

Emirates, where she was 

program chair and an 

assistant professor in the 

fashion marketing and design department. 

A native of Du n k i rk, she is the daughter 

of Robert T. Boorady, ’56. 

Da y, an attorney in New Fa i rfield, Conn., 

has experience in both private and corporate 

practices, specializing in intellectual pro p e rt y 

l a w. She has a bachelor’s degree in natural 

sciences from NU and a law degree from St . 

Jo h n’s Un i ve r s i t y, Jamaica, N.Y. She has also 

taken graduate studies in public administration 

at Columbia Un i ve r s i t y’s School of 

International and Public Affairs. Cu r re n t l y 

in private practice, she is admitted to 

practice law in the states of Connecticut 

a n d New Yo rk . 

Lynn M. Boora d y, Ph . D . 

Ma rg a ret Ranft Da y, ’77 

LAFA LC E NA M E D DI S T I N G U I S H E D FE L LOW O F N U 

Former Congre s s m a n 

John J. LaFalce has been 

named a distinguished 

f e l l ow of Niagara Un i ve r s i t y. 

The Re v. Joseph L. Leve s q u e , 

C.M., NU president, said 

LaFalce “will work with 

university officials, as he has 

done in the past, to advance 

Niagara’s mission and goals.” 

Father Levesque added that 

the congressman will be 

available to share his knowledge and 

experience through occasional guest talks 

to classes or at university forums. 

“Congressman LaFalce has long been a 

special friend of Niagara Un i ve r s i t y,” Fa t h e r 

L e vesque said. “We have honored him in 

the past, and are now pleased to have him 

w o rking with us as part of the NU family. ” 

During his 32 years of elective office, 

the last 28 of which he served as a member 

of Congress, LaFalce assisted the unive r s i t y 

in many ways, establishing the “LaFalce 

Scholars” endowment for scholarships in 

NU’s theater program, securing the initial 

DEAN OF BUSINESS COLLEGE 

ACCEPTS NEW POSITION 

$500,000 funding for establishment 

of the Environmental 

Leadership Institute 

and its geographic information 

systems lab, and securing 

funds for reequipping the 

physics lab. 

While serving in Congress 

under six U.S. presidents, he 

was also responsible for a 

$298,000 appropriation that 

helped the university acquire 

new instructional technology for the 

re n ovation of St. Vi n c e n t’s Hall. He 

also helped secure a $210,000 grant for 

distance learning, and privately funded a 

scholarship for minority students from his 

congressional district. 

The university has honored him on two 

occasions, granting him the honorary 

d e g ree of Doctor of Laws in 1979 and 

presenting him with the Founders Award 

in 2003 for his service to NU and the 

c o m m u n i t y. He also holds honorary 

d e g rees from St. Jo h n’s Un i ve r s i t y, Canisius 

College and Vi l l a n ova Un i ve r s i t y. 

Dr. John A. Helmuth, dean of the College of 

Business Administration, has resigned his position, 

effective June 15, to accept the position of dean o f 

the School of Management at the Un i versity of Mi c h i g a n - 

Flint. He was chair of the department of accounting and 

finance at the University of Michigan-Dearborn before 

coming to Niagara in July 2002. 

“Niagara University is grateful to Jack for his leadership 

of the College of Business Administration,” said Dr. 

Bonnie Rose, executive vice president and vice president for 

academic affairs. “During his time as dean, we have seen 

excellent growth in enrollment on both the undergraduate 

and graduate levels, the establishment of new outreach initiatives, and great success in 

the college’s fund-raising efforts.” 

During Helmuth’s time as dean, the college established two new honor societies, the 

MassMutual Family Business Center, the department of accounting’s advisory board, 

and international agreements with universities in Somalia, Italy and Taiwan. The college 

also received AACSB accreditation approval of its interim visitation report.


In the center of New 

York City, Niagara 

University students 

gather to catch a 

glimpse of the hosts of 

NBC’s “Today” show. 

They appear to be 

having the time of their 

lives. In reality, they’re 

in the midst of a lifechanging 

experience. 

Several of them will 

return to campus 

remembering, not just 

the thrill of being on 

the “Today” show, but 

the trauma in the lives 

t h e y’ve intersected 

with on the corner of 

Lewis and Hart in the 

Be d f o rd St u y ve s a n t 

section of Bro o k l y n . 

Several times a year, 

NU students participate 

in campus ministry’s 

BASIC (Brothers and 

Sisters in Christ) program. They travel 

with campus ministers and staff members 

to inner-city areas where the Vincentian 

fathers and brothers and the Da u g h t e r s 

of Charity collaborate in efforts to serve 

the needs of the poorest of the poor. 

They give up their breaks to do this and 

they don’t seem to mind. They roll up 

their sleeves, change from flip flops to 

w o rk boots, and spend their energy in 

the service of the poor for the week that 

we have together. Many have never been 

to Brooklyn or Philadelphia, Panama or 

New Orleans, all sites where we take 

them. As the week wears on, we watch 

with amusement and awe how their eye s 

a re opened and their hearts are changed 

by what they see and experience. Each 

e vening, after we feed them and give 

them a chance to rest, we gather for 

prayer and reflection. They tell the s t o r i e s 

of their day. They cry sometimes, and 

so do we, so striking is the difference 

between our lives and the lives of those 

we have met and worked beside. Su c h 

was the story that Jared told one night i n 

NU’s BASIC volunteers display the sign they made for the “Today” show. 

(L-r): Julie Brigandi, Peter Hamilton, Meghan Hagenbach, Amber Ho f m a n n , 

and Mike Daloia, with Bill Newton, NU’s assistant director of campus activities. 

Philadelphia. I recount it here for yo u . 

I warn you, though, that you too, might 

shed a tear as you relive the experience of 

Jan. 8, 2007. 

Ja red, a junior at NU, had been 

assigned to work that day at Whosoever 

Gospel Ministries, a residential program 

for homeless men that had recently 

experienced a devastating fire and was 

s t ruggling to rebuild its facility and re s u m e 

its programming. In the meantime, the 

staff needed our help to work in the thrift 

shop, one of the program’s sources of 

income. Jared worked all day in the back 

room with Greg, the manager. As they 

sorted through clothes and household 

items to be priced for sale, they talked. 

And Greg told Jared his story. He had 

been homeless himself for 10 years, and 

one day a businessman walked by the 

bridge where he “lived.” Greg asked for 

money. The businessman offered instead 

to take him out to dinner. Unlike so 

many others, this man returned to the 

bridge eve ry week to check in on Gre g . 

He eventually succeeded in convincing 

Greg to enter the 

residential rehabilitation 

program at Whosoever. 

As Greg recounted his 

story to Jared, he told 

how he had never 

realized the impact that 

his abusive childhood 

had had on his ability 

to rise out of his addictions 

to drugs and 

alcohol until he entere d 

into the counseling 

program at Whosoever. 

With that insight into 

his life, Greg was able 

to make great progress. 

As he completed the 

p rogram, he applied 

for and got the job as 

manager of the Thrift 

Sh o p, a position he 

has held for the past 

s e ven ye a r s . 

The story itself is a 

m oving one, and tru l y 

a story of courage, hope and re d e m p t i o n . 

But the telling of the story that night in 

Philadelphia was the most dramatic part 

of it for me. As I sat there listening to 

Jared’s words and peering into his heart, I 

knew that this young man would never be 

the same again. His transformation was 

equal to, if not g reater than, Gre g’s. T h e y 

became brothers of a sort that day. 

Niagara’s new tag line is, “Education 

That Makes a Di f f e rence.” If you happened 

to be on campus, and happened to run into 

Ja red, and happened to ask him if this tag 

line holds true, I think you’d see his face 

light up. And before you could say 

“Tell me how,” he’d tell you about a 

man named Gre g . 

The mission of Niagara, pre p a r i n g 

young adults for a life of pro f e s s i o n a l 

e xcellence and service to others, especially 

those who are poor, even after 150 years, 

remains central! 

— Sister Nora Gatto, D.C. 

Executive Director of University 

Mission and Ministry


Remember to Register 

for the 10th Annual 

Ray Kist Outing 

June 11 at the 

Niagara Falls Country Club 

11 a.m. – Registration and lunch 

12:30 p.m. – Shotgun start 

Cocktails and light appetizers follow 

the 18-hole event 

Cost: $225 per person 

Hole sponsorships are available for $125 

Contact the Niagara athletics d e p a r t m e n t 

at (716) 286-8600 to register. 

For the second time in three years, the Ni a g a ra Un i versity men’s basketball team has 

reached the NCAA tournament. Re l i ve moments from the Purple Ea g l e s’ re t u rn fro m 

the MAAC championships and Selection Sunday by visiting w w w. n i a g a r a . e d u / p r / 

Ph o t o A l b u m Pu r p l e E a g l e s 2007 . h t m. There are also photo albums of the team 

and its purple-clad fans departing for the “play-in” game against Florida A&M. 

To listen to an interview with head coach Joe Mihalich, visit http://mynu.niagara. 

edu/podcast/mp3/podcast-3-041007143434.mp3. 

Niagara University’s student-athletes continue to exc e l 

both in the classroom and on the playing field. In fall 

2006, NU’s 301 student-athletes had an average GPA 

of 3.04, with 26 of them earning a 4.00 or higher. Ten 

of the 17 teams earned a team average GPA over 3.00. 

Two New Coaches 

Join Athletics 

Department 

Me n ’s and women’s cross 

country coach Trevor White 

and volleyball coach Susan 

Clements recently joined the Niagara 

athletics department. 

White, who has been involved in 

cross country as a student-athlete and 

coach for the past 18 years, came to 

Niagara after more than a decade 

coaching cross country and indoor and 

outdoor track at Clarence High School. 

He is active in the administration of 

track and field in Western New Yo r k , 

and has served as the indoor and 

outdoor track chairman for Section VI 

of the New York State Public High 

School Athletic Association. White was 

also the indoor track and modified 

track chairman of the Erie County 

Interscholastic Conference. 

Clements came to Monteagle Ridge 

from Georgetown College in Kentucky 

where she was the head coach of the 

Lady Tiger program in 2005 and 2006. 

Under her direction, the team won 

regular season and tournament titles, 

including the Mid-South To u r n a m e n t 

and Region XI, and earned a berth into 

the NAIA National Championship 

Tournament both years. In 2005, 

Clements was honored as the Mid- 

Southern Conference and AV C A 

Region XI Coach of the Ye a r. 

A 2002 Georgetown College 

graduate, Clements spent two 

seasons as assistant coach after a 

standout career as a Lady Ti g e r. 

During her three seasons, she was a 

three-time first team Mid-South A l l - 

Conference and All-Region XI 

selection, and was named Mid-South 

Conference and Region XI Player of 

the Year twice. Clements was also 

named to the NAIA’s National 

Tournament A l l - Tournament team all 

three seasons.


NIAGARA, CANISIUS BATTLE FOR CANAL CUP 

Student-athletes from Niagara Un i ve r s i t y 

and Canisius College are competing 

in the inaugural Battle of the Bridge, 

an all-sports competition designed to 

promote the historic rivalry between the 

Purple Eagles and the Golden Griffins. 

The trophy for this competition, called 

the Canal Cup, will be awarded to the 

victor each year. 

“Any time the two teams play for somet 

h i n g , it matters since you now will get 

the trophy on top of the bragging rights,” 

said Ed McLaughlin, NU’s athletics 

d i re c t o r. “This riva l ry is filled with passion 

and emotion alre a d y, and by formalizing 

Western New Yo rk’s biggest riva l ry into the 

Battle of the Bridge, we have given our 

teams even more incentive .” 

“The riva l ry game is what interc o l l e g i a t e 

sport has been built on and one of the 

things that makes the college game 

so unique,” added Bill Ma h e r, 

Canisius AD. “Every time we play 

Niagara, it matters a great deal. To 

sharpen the focus on this gre a t 

r i va l ry only adds to how much each 

v i c t o ry means to our institutions, 

our students, and our alumni.” 

To determine who earns the trophy, 

points will be awarded to the winner of 

regular-season athletics contests, with the 

e xception of cross country, golf, and 

swimming and diving. Those will be 

determined by Me t ro Atlantic At h l e t i c 

C o n f e rence Championship standings. 

The results will be posted on each school’s 

Web site (w w w.purpleeagles.com a n d 

w w w. c a n i s i u s . e d u / a t h l e t i c s /) . 

The name of the series is in reference 

to the Grand Island Bridge, which each 

team crosses when traveling to the other’s 

campus. The Canal Cup references the 

Erie Canal, which intersects Niagara 

County, where Niagara is located, and 

Erie County, where Canisius is located. 

Records indicate the two schools first 

met on the basketball court in 1904. 

Currently, Niagara and Canisius compete 

in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, 

m e n’s and women’s cross country, golf, 

m e n’s ice hockey, women’s lacro s s e , 

m e n’s and women’s soccer, men’s and 

w o m e n’s swimming and diving, softball, 

and vo l l e y b a l l . 

ATHLETICS HALL OF 

FAME INDUCTS ITS 

35TH CLASS 

The Niagara University athletics 

department honored five exceptional 

former student-athletes and 

an outstanding coach with induction into 

the Athletics Hall Fame. 

The 35th class of Ni a g a r a’s Athletics Ha l l 

of Fame included former student-athletes 

Greg Ga rd n e r, men’s hockey, 1996-’00; 

Sh e ryl Klick, women’s basketball, 1996-’00; 

John Ruffolo, swimming, 1991-’95; Ph i l 

Wa re, swimming, 1954; and Da n 

O’Connor, football and track, 1948-’52. 

Dr. William Price was inducted as an 

honorary member. 

Greg Ga rd n e r Sh e ryl Klick John Ru f f o l o 

Phil Wa re Dan O’ Co n n o r Dr. William Pr i c e


On May 2, we took a momentous 

step to secure the future of Ni a g a r a 

Un i ve r s i t y. The announcement 

of our major fund-raising campaign, The 

Promise of Niagara, comes tow a rd the end 

of a wonderfully exciting and inspirational 

sesquicentennial ye a r, a year that was 

punctuated by celebrating how our alumni 

h a ve made a difference in our world. The 

Promise of Niagara secures the perpetual 

bond that exists between Niagara alumni 

and our current and future students. 

This milestone campaign can be 

expressed profoundly, yet very simply: 

• To improve the learning environment 

for our students. 

• To enhance teaching facilities and 

resources for our students. 

• To improve campus life so that we 

c a n continue to attract and retain 

promising students. 

By Don Bielecki, vice president for institutional advancement 

2006-2007 PHONATHON A SUCCESS 

Niagara University’s most recent 

phonathon was a re s o u n d i n g 

success, raising $330,000 to 

s u p p o rt valuable programs and projects that 

impact eve ry student on campus. T h i s 

amount was 35 percent over the goal set for 

the students who vo l u n t e e red their time 

to call alumni and friends during the sixweek, 

two-phase effort . 

More than 800 new donors made gifts 

during the appeal, adding their donations 

to the thousands received from alumni, 

p a rents and friends of the unive r s i t y. T h e s e 

gifts help Niagara in its mission to prov i d e 

a high-quality, challenging and innovative 

education to all students. To be sure your 

gift is counted with this fiscal year’s goal, 

please be sure to make your payments 

b e f o re May 31, 2007. Your genero u s 

contributions will help us as we prepare 

for the next 150 years here at Ni a g a r a 

As I meet and engage our alumni, they 

constantly focus their conversations on 

their student experience in a demanding, 

n u rturing Catholic and Vi n c e n t i a n 

e n v i ronment. As they reflect on their 

lives, they also express to me their hope 

that the students of today and tomorrow 

have the opportunity to fully benefit from 

their Niagara education. As students are 

given that opportunity, they will be in an 

even better position to follow in the footsteps 

of a wonderful alumni legacy by 

making a difference in their professions 

and in their communities. 

In my previous Eagle note, I said that 

we would ask for your help. Now I am 

asking for your help to secure the future 

for our students. This is a time to reflect 

and decide how you will help. 

Un i ve r s i t y, and we thank you for support i n g 

the university during its 150th annive r s a ry. 

We also thank the local businesses 

who contributed incentive gifts for our 

student callers: 

ARTZEE 

Barnes & Noble – Campus Bookstore 

Burger King Restaurant 

CRB Holding – Tim Horton’s 

Celenza Florist 

Delta Sonic Car Wash 

Fortuna’s Restaurant 

L o c k p o rt Locks & Erie Canal 

Cruisers, In c . 

Maximum Tan 

PAC Services, Inc. 

We encourage alumni who live in 

the Niagara County area to shop at 

these businesses to thank them for 

their assistance to your alma mater. 

THERE’S STILL TIME 

TO TAKE ADVANTAGE 

OF RECENT IRA 

RO L LOV E R LE G I S LAT I O N 

The Pension Protection Act of 2006 

enables you to make a gift to 

Niagara Un i versity using funds 

t r a n s f e r red directly from your IRA or 

Roth IRA without paying taxes on yo u r 

distribution. This does not apply to 

pension, profit-sharing, or other forms of 

retirement funds. It is important to keep 

in mind that under this legislation you may 

not receive a personal benefit back from 

the u n i versity in exchange for your gift. 

You many contribute funds in this way if: 

1 

• you are age 70 2 . 

• the gift is not more than $100,000 

per year. 

• the gift is outright and not to a gift 

annuity or charitable remainder trust. 

• you make your gift on or before De c . 

31, 2007, when the legislation expire s . 

• you transfer funds directly from a 

traditional IRA or Roth IRA to Ni a g a r a 

Un i ve r s i t y, but not a support i n g 

organization or donor-advised fund. 

A rollover gift (or payment of a pledge) 

from your IRA allows you to avoid paying 

income tax on the withdrawal, but it does 

not afford you a charitable tax deduction. 

Niagara Fund Update 

Niagara Fund Goal $1,500,000 

Total 

Niagara Fund* 

$2,020,415.70 

Annual Fund $911,641.16 

Athletics $67,230.10 

Other $1,041,544.50 

*As of April 20, 2007


SEV E R A L NEW SC H O LA R S H I P S/ EN D OW M E N TS HAV E BE E N 

ES TA B L I S H E D AT N U 

Niagara Un i versity extends a special 

thank you to those who have 

e n d owed scholarships to the 

u n i versity since June 2006. Upon full 

endowment of at least $25,000, scholarships 

are awarded to students based on 

the specific criteria established for each 

s c h o l a r s h i p. Scholarships help provide aid 

for more than 94 percent of Niagara’s 

students. More than $28 million dollars 

in scholar-ship aid is awarded annually. 

Endowed scholarships: 

The Re v. John G. Nugent, C.M., 

and Sr. Bernadette Armiger, D.C., 

S c h o l a r s h i p — for a student in Ni a g a r a’s 

nursing completion program. Established 

by Mary Ellen Korndoerfer, ’73. 

The Beverly Mitchell, ’73, Memorial 

Scholarship — for science or business 

majors. Established by Robert Mitchell. 

Sa h l e n’s Athletic Wo m e n’s So c c e r 

S c h o l a r s h i p — for women’s soccer. Established 

by Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Sa h l e n . 

Michael and Augusta Brennan Scholarship 

Fu n d — for needy students. 

Established by Mr. and Mrs. 

Michael Bre n n a n . 

The Ma rk J., ’75, and Deborah A. 

Bo n n e r Scholarship Fund — for 

accounting majors. Established by 

Mark J., ’75, and Deborah A. Bonner. 

The Mary Ward Kopenski Memorial 

Scholarship Fu n d — for needy students. 

Established by W. Dennis Pro u t y, ’65. 

The Frank and Alma DeLaura Scholarship 

Fu n d — for needy students. 

Established by Dr. Frank A., ’40, and 

Alma DeLaura. 

The He n ry and Grace McNulty Lecture 

Se r i e s — for a speaker series in the 

College of Arts and Sciences. Established 

by Rev. Thomas P. McGourty, C.M. 

The John P. Salamone Me m o r i a l 

Scholarship — for students from New 

Yo rk or New Jersey who have need, show 

leadership and are athletes. Established 

by Benedict Salamone, ’60. 

The Palisades Educational Fo u n d a t i o n 

Scholarship Fu n d — for needy students 

in the College of Hospitality and 

Tourism Management. Established by 

the Palisades Education Foundation. 

The William J. Mo ro n ey, ’50, Me m o r i a l 

Scholarship Fu n d — for needy 

f reshman students studying natural 

sciences. Established by Jo s e p h i n e 

M. Mo ro n e y. 

The Lt. Col. Walter J. Ma z u rowski, ’73, 


Established by Ma ry F. Rinker. 

Lt. Col. Te r ry Crowe Me m o r i a l 

S c h o l a r s h i p — for needy ru g by students. 

Established by the Niagara University 

Ru g by Football Club Alumni Association. 

In addition, the following scholarships 

have been established, but have not yet 

been fully endowed. 

Re v. Francis X. Pr i o r, C.M., Me m o r i a l 


Mr. Tim Ward Memorial Scholarship 

Fund — for theater. 

Ms. Julie Bu rdick Me m o r i a l 

S c h o l a r s h i p Fund — for theater. 

If you are interested in establishing a 

new scholarship, giving to one of the 

scholarships listed above, or if you would 

like more information, please contact 

Howard Morgan, ’86, director of 

advancement services at (716) 286-8792 

or e-mail hmorgan@niagara.edu.


N i a g a ra University kicks off a capital campaign that will fulfill its vision for the next 150 years 

An $80 Million 

Campaign 

Capital Projects — $40.5 Million 

With new facilities, we’ll chart a 

course of academic excellence 

Academic success and vibrant campus 

life are increasingly dependent on up-todate 

classrooms, technical re s o u rces in all 

disciplines, and new athletic facilities. The 

caliber of Niagara University’s facilities is 

as crucial to attracting top students as is 

its academic excellence. Several campaign 

projects will improve academic and 

athletic life on campus. 

• Academic complex: $16.5 million 

The physical changes to campus have 

a l ready begun. The Academic Complex — 

the new home of the colleges of Bu s i n e s s 

Administration and Ed u c a t i o n — bro k e 

g round May 2, 2006, to an enthusiastic 

c rowd of several hundred guests. 

The Academic Complex will combine 

n ew construction and a complete re n ova t i o n 

of Pe r b oy re Hall, and will open for the 

fall semester on the corner of Senior and 

Campus drives. In keeping with the 

university’s mission of providing real-life 

educational experiences to its students, 

the 56,000 square-foot facility w i l l 

accommodate features that are integral t o 

the professions of business and education, 

including a financial services laboratory 

o r trading floor; a Bloomberg Room; a 

b o a rd room and conference center; centers 

for logistics, family business, international 

accounting, entrepreneurship, family 

literacy and family counseling; teaching 

clusters that encourage student-faculty 

interaction; and teaching labs that 

emulate the K-12 classro o m . 

• Science center and bioinformatics: 

$16.5 million 

This science center will celebrate the 

integration of the sciences with studentfaculty 

re s e a rch. The heart of the new 

building will contain a cutting-edge 

blending of teaching laboratories and 

teaching space to support re s e a rc h 

collaborations among faculty and students 

in biology, chemistry and physics as well 

as many other disciplines in which science 

t h e o ry and practice come together. Fa c u l t y 

members will be able to combine lecture 

with laboratory practice, making the 

c l a s s room experience hands-on and 

p a rt i c i p a t o ry. Students will be more 

significantly prepared for graduate level 

studies and to advance in the workforce. 

The burgeoning field of bioinformatics 

i s a newer program at Niagara University 

and is also supported by our campaign 

e f f o rts. Bioinformatics has alre a d y 

attracted partnerships leading to new 

programs within biological, biochemical, 

chemical, and computational sciences. 

New lab re s o u rces have resulted in a 

first patent application by a Niagara 

faculty member, and also in new 

re s e a rch p a rtnerships with several major 

organizations including Niagara Falls 

Memorial Medical Center and Roswell 

Park Cancer Institute. 

• Athletic facilities: $4 million 

Niagara Un i versity plans to expand 

and enhance its athletic facilities and 

p rograms to ensure that our students 

and the entire community can experience 

the learning that occurs through sports 

and recreational activity. 

“To be a university that is academically challenging and rew a rding for our undergraduate and 

graduate students, we must provide an educational environment that engages students i n 

practical, real-world learning. Our facilities must be up to date and our classro o m s 

m u s t be equipped with the latest in instructional technology. We must continue to recruit 

distinguished faculty and to attract talented, promising students. Most importantly, our 

students must re c e i ve an education that makes a difference in their lives and in the live s 

o f those they touch. That has been our legacy for the last 150 years, and that’s why this 

capital campaign, The Promise of Niagara … The Next 150 Years, is so important to the 

future of Niagara University.” 

Joseph L. Levesque, C.M. 

Niagara University President

Bisgrove Hall Science Building Athletic Fields 

• Theater: $1 million 

For more than 40 years, theater has 

played a key role at Niagara Un i ve r s i t y, 

e n t e rtaining and challenging students, 

faculty and the local community. To d a y, 

t h e re are more than 100 students 

majoring in theater studies at NU and 

the theater produces an average of eight 

p roductions a year on its main stage, the 

Leary Theatre in Clet Hall, and at the 

Niagara University Theatre-at-the-Church 

in Lewiston, N.Y. 

• Vincentian residence: $2.5 million 

Our vision for the future well-being of 

the Vincentians is to provide them with a 

new residence with modern and updated 

c o n veniences that are currently not ava i l a b l e 

in Meade Hall. Meade Hall in turn will be 

re n ovated for university use. 

Endowment — $29.5 Million 

A strong endowment enables 

colleges and universities to attra c t 

and retain the best teacher-scholars, 

p rovide scholarships to talented and 

m o t i vated students, and deve l o p 

i n n ova t i ve academic pro g ra m s . 

Envision a learning environment at Ni a g a r a 

that is limitless; that extends far beyond 

the classroom into the real world; that 

takes the theory of the classroom, exposes 

it to the reality of life, and then provides 

opportunities for reflection. This total 

learning experience excites the imaginations 

of students, making them eager to learn, 

eager to go to class, and eager to apply 

their knowledge in new and exc i t i n g 

ways. This campaign will support active 

learning by creating endowed and 

visiting p rofessorships and by establishing 

endowed academic programs. We also 

look to provide academic opportunities 

for more students by increasing our 

scholarship endowment. These initiatives 

are vital to our future growth, paving the 

way for the next generation of university 

leaders to realize our vision for Niagara’s 

next 150 years. 

• Active learning enrichment: 

$21.5 million 

This hallmark program at Niagara blends 

the theory of the classroom with the re a l i t i e s 

of the workplace and the world, in a manner 

that balances study, experience and re f l e c t i o n . 

The learning experience is distinguished 

by the manner in which a student’s education 

is shaped by our Catholic and Vincentian 

values. Niagara University takes students 

through a process of gaining, applying 

and assessing knowledge, and reflecting 

on experience. We show how s e rvice to 

community is a by p roduct of the process, 

and how it all is grounded in our values. 

• Scholarship endowment: $8 million 

Scholarships are tools we use to bring 

talented, bright and promising yo u n g 

people — who may or may not be able t o 

a f f o rd tuition — to Niagara Un i ve r s i t y. 

A named and endowed scholarship is a 

lasting way to build a legacy and make 

aspirations possible, allowing students 

to concentrate their time on learning. 

When colleges and universities can 

open their doors to the best and brightest 

students based upon achievement and 

d e s i re, not ability to pay, they stand 

stronger in their commitment to learning 

and society as a whole.


The Niagara Fund — $10 Million 

The Niagara Fund helps 

today’s students get where they 

want to go in life. 

The Niagara Fund makes Niagara afford a b l e 

for students from families with limited 

financial means and enables the university to 

continue to provide students with a uniquely 

p owe rful combination of excellent academics 

and a sound moral and spiritual foundation. 

It helps the university re c ruit distinguished 

faculty members, keeps salaries competitive , 

and supports professional deve l o p m e n t 

p rograms that pay dividends in the classro o m 

and in faculty re t e n t i o n . 

The Niagara Fund helps maximize each 

s t u d e n t’s “Niagara experience” by dire c t i n g 

dollars to priority projects — those that 

most affect the quality of life for all students 

and have the most pressing financial need. 

The Promise of Niagara … The Next 150 Years will do much more than fund 

n ew buildings and teaching initiatives, endow faculty positions and incre a s e 

student financial aid. We now stand at a pivotal juncture in Niagara Un i ve r s i t y 

h i s t o ry. Be f o re us lies a major opportunity to spread our wings — to be widely 

re c o g n i zed for the quality of our integrative and service-learning programs, for the 

e xc e l l e n c e of our faculty, and for the achievements of our students and alumni. 

This campaign will allow us to continue to build upon our tradition of exc e l l e n c e , 

rooted in the highest academic standards and moral and ethical values. It will 

enable us to pre p a re future generations of students for a lifetime of leaning in 

ways never before imaginable, and ensure we offer them an education that makes 

a differe n c e . 

With the support of our alumni and friends, we can be more, do more, and achieve 

m o re. To g e t h e r, we’ll re a l i ze the promise of Ni a g a r a . 

For more information on The Promise of Niagara … The Next 150 Years, visit 

the campaign Web site at w w w. n i a g a ra . e d u / p ro m i s e / . 

“ Niagara Un i versity has built a tremendous 150-year history. Our legacy is 

you, our alumni and friends. Your accomplishments are testament to the 

Vincentian community on Monteagle Ridge that helped you develop the 

skills and moral character to be successful in your careers, and in your 

family and spiritual lives. 

“The Promise of Niagara ... The Next 150 Years capital campaign w i l l 

significantly expand the academic, spiritual, athletic and community 

o u t reach programs that make Niagara Un i versity an exceptional institution 

of Catholic higher education. 

“The vision of this campaign is to raise funds that will enable f a c u l t y, 

students and staff to do their best work — in a transformed physical and 

academic environment. This campaign will raise funding to expand 

endowment, to build new and renovate existing academic and athletic 

facilities, and for unrestricted current use. 

“The Promise of Niagara … The Next 150 Years will make Ni a g a r a an even 

better place than it already is.” 

Robert J. Dwyer, ’65 

National Chairman


WORKING TOWARD A NEW BEGINNING 

Political science professor is aiding the effort to improve human rights in Turkmenistan 

D r. Irina 

Liczek wa s 

at Niagara 

Un i ve rs i t y 

for less 

than four 

m o n t h s 

when she received a job offer 

f rom the United Na t i o n s. The 

o rganization wanted her help 

in its efforts to improve the 

human rights situation in 

Turkmenistan, a country she 

had worked in ex t e n s i ve l y 

while in graduate school. 

“Dr. Liczek has a proven track record 

of diplomacy in conducting human rightsrelated 

activities in Turkmenistan,” wrote 

UN resident coordinator Richard Young 

in a letter to Niagara requesting that the 

u n i versity grant Liczek a one-year leave to 

s e rve as a project manager in the endeavo r. 

Niagara allowed Liczek to accept the offer. 

On May 1, the political science professor 

began working with the United Nations’ 

d e velopment program, the Office of the 

High Commissioner for Human Rights, 

and Tu rk m e n i s t a n’s leadership to develop a 

human rights strategy for the country, which 

has seen decades of oppression under former 

p resident Saparmurat Ni y a zov’s rule. Now 

that Gurbanguly Be rd i m u h a m m e d ow, a 

member of Ni y a zov’s cabinet, has taken 

over leadership of the country, it is hoped 

that conditions in Tu rkmenistan will be 

f a vorable to change. 

“Berdimuhammedow will have to be 

cautious in order not to disturb the order of 

things,” Liczek notes, but emphasizes that 

Tu rkmenistan leaders “need to understand 

the value and importance for them as a 

c o u n t ry and their international image.” 

Her experience with Tu rk m e n i s t a n 

began while she was a graduate student 

at the New School for Social Re s e a rc h 

in New Yo rk. An internship with the 

United Na t i o n s’ development pro g r a m 

led to a two-year appointment as a 

gender specialist in Tu rkmenistan fro m 

1998 until 2000. 

“I became interested how development 

really works and how it affects developing 

countries,” she said, adding that she centere d 

her dissertation on the work that she had 

done in the United Nations. Her re s e a rch is 

unique — no other political scientist has 

written a dissertation on Tu rk m e n i s t a n . 

“This is a country that is ve ry difficult to 

get into,” she said. “You could not get a visa 

to get in there . ” 

While she worked on her dissert a t i o n , 

L i c zek, who is originally from Ro m a n i a , 

also did some consulting with the Un i t e d 

Nations on central Asia, and participated in 

human rights conventions training. 

“I did it from the perspective of the va l u e 

of implementing the conventions and the 

practical aspects as they relate to re p o rt i n g , ” 

Liczek explained. It is those conventions 

that now have Turkmenistan under the 

United Na t i o n s’ human rights micro s c o p e . 

Tu r k m e n i s t a n ’s Pa s t 

and New Beginning 

On Oct. 27, 1990, Saparmurat Ni y a zov 

was elected the first president of the 

Tu rkmen Soviet Socialist Republic. He had 

p reviously served as head of state from 1985, 

and as secre t a ry of the Tu rkmen Communist 

Party before that. Under his leadership 

Turkmenistan proclaimed its sovereignty 

from the Soviet Union. 

An authoritarian leader, Ni y a zov was 

roundly criticized as being one of the 

w o r l d’s most re p re s s i ve dictators. He 

forbade young men from growing long hair 

or beards, re q u i red doctors to substitute the 

Hippocratic Oath with an oath to him, and 

banned opera and ballet. In 2004, he 

dismissed 15,000 public health workers, 

replacing them with members of the 

m i l i t a ry. The next ye a r, he closed the 

hospitals outside the capital of Ashgabat, 

saying that those who we re ill should come 

to the capital for help. 

Ni y a zov was also infamous for the 

“cult of personality” he established in 

Turkmenistan, renaming cities, towns and 

even days of the week after himself and 

members of his family. 

In December of 2006, Ni y a zov died of 

cardiac arrest, ending a reign that lasted 

more than 15 years. During presidential 

elections held on Fe b. 11, 2007, Gu r b a n g u l y 

By Jason Mollica 

Be rd i m u h a m m e d ow, a dentist who had 

s e rved as health minister and deputy prime 

minister under Ni y a zov, was declared the 

w i n n e r. He was sworn in on Fe b. 14. 

“There is tremendous hope that the 

country will now open up,” Liczek said, 

“and there will be potential to do some 

real work on human rights.” Ma n y 

political analysts have coined this period 

in time as Tu rk m e n i s t a n’s “n ew beginning,” 

according to Liczek. 

“A Second Chance” 

With Be rd i m u h a m m e d ow as the new 

head of state, Tu rk m e n i s t a n’s enviro n m e n t 

seems to be less re p re s s i ve. “To some 

extent, he has committed to opening the 

country up in terms of health, human 

rights, and democratization,” Liczek said. 

The education system, which Liczek called 

“ve ry meager,” also needs vast improve m e n t . 

“ Se c o n d a ry education — that includes high 

school in the Tu rkmen system — was 

nine grades only,” she said. Howe ve r, 

there are already signs that the culture is 

changing. In office for under a month, 

President Berdimuhammedow has added 

another year to high school. 

These changes will come over time, Licze k 

a c k n owledges. She notes that the emphasis 

n ow is on keeping Tu rkmenistan stable and 

building the institutional infrastructure 

n e c e s s a ry to enable democracy to work. T h i s 

will be a challenge, however, because the 

c o u n t ry, Liczek says, has no experience with 

this. “Essentially, Tu rkmenistan had an old 

Soviet type of government, which was topd 

own,” she says. “This is, howe ve r, a second 

chance for them.” 

This second chance is one that seems to 

be embraced by the new Tu rk m e n i s t a n 

g overnment, which is allowing Licze k 

u n p recedented access to its officials. In 

m i d - Ma rch, during a weeklong visit to 

Tu rkmenistan, Liczek met with the country’s 

deputy minister twice. “That is something 

that would not have happened before,” 

she notes. “It is very encouraging.” The 

g overnment has also invited the U.N.’s high 

commissioner for human rights and its 

special re p o rter on religious freedom to visit. 

This second chance is also being 

welcomed by the people of Tu rk m e n i s t a n , 

who listed economic development and 

Continued on page 23

Dr. Timothy Osberg discovers irrational 

food beliefs sabotage weight control 

At the 

end of a 

stressful 

day on the 

j o b, “Ma ry” * 

turned to 

chocolate for 

relief. Sitting in front 

of the television each night, watching her 

f a vorite shows, Ma ry would eat up to a 

half pound of Hershey’s chocolate kisses. 

She firmly believed that this helped relax 

her and increased her enjoyment of the 

shows she watched. 

“ Fr a n k”* was depressed and ove rwe i g h t . 

He had few friends, he lived alone, and 

h e left his home only to go to work. After 

work, he would eat until it was time to go 

to bed. Food was his only companion, a 

friend he turned to in his time of need. 

In his clinical work as a behaviorist with 

the Op t i Fast program, Dr. Timothy Os b e r g , 

p rofessor of psychology at Niagara Un i ve r s i t y, 

talked to many people who, like Ma ry 

and Frank, held unusual beliefs about 

the foods they ate. These ideas sabotaged 

their weight-loss efforts. Borrowing from 

Albert Ellis’ notion of “irrational beliefs,” 

which is based on the premise that we 

become upset because of the beliefs that 

we hold, not the events taking place in 

our lives, Osberg called these notions 

* Names have been changed 

“irrational food beliefs” (IFBs). 

He defines IFBs as “cognitively 

distorted and unhealthy attitudes 

and beliefs pertaining to food.” 

Because his conversations with patients 

often re vealed “irrational” thoughts about 

food, Osberg theorized that a method of 

assessing and modifying individuals’ faulty 

thinking pertaining specifically to food 

could help them in their efforts at long-term 

weight maintenance. 

So he started on a 10-year study of IFBs 

that culminated with the recent acceptance 

of his work for publication in the journal 

Eating Behaviors. 

“I wanted to develop a measure that 

would have a good range of the kinds of 

things people might think about food,” 

Osberg explains. This measure could then 

be used to “help people identify what their 

own beliefs are and then offer suggestions 

about exe rcises and assignments that may 

debunk their beliefs.” 

Osberg’s first step was to come up with 

a list of irrational food beliefs. In order to 

reach a large number of people and incre a s e 

the cultural diversity of the respondents, 

Osberg turned to the Internet, linking 

his survey to the American Psychological 

So c i e t y’s Web site. At the time (late 1990s), 

Internet re s e a rch was just starting to happen. 

“ My survey is one of the first they put on 

their site,” he says. 

Mo re than 150 respondents from acro s s 

the United States and several fore i g n 

countries participated in Os b e r g’s We b - 

based surve y, which was conducted fro m 

April through September of 1997. T h e y 

p rovided more than 400 examples of 

irrational food beliefs. With the help of 

two of his students, Osberg sifted through 

them, looking for ones they considered to 

be good prototypes for the measure they 

were hoping to develop. 

“Some of the people’s submissions were 

obviously ones where they weren’t really 

serious about it,” Osberg says, “but then 

others came up with the kinds of things 

you hear from people, like ‘my life wouldn’t 

be worth living if I had to give up ice 

cream.’” Osberg is quick to point out that 

irrational food beliefs are not necessarily 

ridiculous ideas, but that they’re “things 

that just aren’t up to speed with reality.” 

From the initial list, 41 irrational food 

beliefs we re selected — those that we re 

mentioned by numerous re s p o n d e n t s , 

and those that we re good examples of 

a n irrational food belief. Osberg and his 

students then wrote an additional 16 items 

reflecting healthy or rational food beliefs 

based on the American Dietetic Association 

guidelines. This became a 57-item measure 

which they called the “Food At t i t u d e 

Su rve y.” The kinds of food beliefs in the 

s u rvey included 1) that food can h e l p 

manage dysfunctional emotions such as 

anxiety and depression; 2) that food can 

substitute for things missing in one’s life, 

such as support, relationships and sex; 

3) that it is impossible to live without


An estimated 66 percent of adults age 

20-74 in the United States are either 

overweight or obese. 

Source: National Center for Health Statistics National 

Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 

Health Consequences of Obesity 

High blood pressure 

Osteoarthritis 

c e rtain favo red foods; and 4) that food 

choice is u n related to health outcomes. 

Their central thesis was that individuals 

who endorse many IFBs are more likely 

to fail at weight-control efforts when 

compared to individuals not prone to 

such beliefs. 

Step two was to test the measure. In 

the fall of 1997, Osberg gave the Fo o d 

Attitude Su rvey to 139 undergraduate 

students from his Ps ych 101 classes 

to examine whether it was reliable in 

determining individuals’ irrational and 

rational food beliefs. The findings indicated 

that the two factors (irrational and rational 

food beliefs) we re being reliably assessed by 

the measure . 

The IFB scale was then administered to 

a new sample of 58 freshmen to explore 

the relation between scores on the measure 

and weight gain among college freshmen. 

Pa rticipants we re asked to re p o rt the 

number of pounds they gained or lost 

during the first two months of the fall 

semester in addition to taking the IFB 

survey. As expected, the survey indicated 

that the higher the score on the IFB scale, 

the greater the likelihood of gaining the 

famous “Freshman 15.” 

At this point, Osberg began to believe that 

he and his students “we re on to something,” 

and wanted to test the IFB scale against 

By Lisa McMahon 

psychological variables that might relate 

to irrational food beliefs, such as bulimia, 

self-esteem, and depression. They also wanted 

to test these beliefs against variables such as 

i n t ro s p e c t i veness or self-consciousness, which 

they expected would not be related. To 

e n s u re that participants would not re s p o n d 

to the survey in a socially desirable way rather 

than answering honestly, questions that tested 

this tendency we re built into the fourt h 

s u rve y, which was administered to 304 

undergraduates in the spring of 1998. 

The results of survey four confirmed 

the correlation between IFB scores and 

recent weight gain among students. They 

also indicated that while irrational food 

beliefs are unrelated to (self-rated) success 

in losing weight, individuals who held 

these beliefs were less likely to succeed at 

weight-loss maintenance. The strongest 

c o r relation between high IFB score s 

and a psychological variable was bulimia 

(although anorexia proved to be 

unrelated to IFB scores). 

T h a t’s not surprising, 

a c c o rding to Osberg. 

“A bulimic person is 

someone who imputes 

a lot of meanings to 

food that they really 

shouldn’t be,” he 

says, noting that his 

survey results suggest 

that “IFBs may 

be one of the 

key mechanisms 

behind bulimia.” 

Type 2 diabetes 

Coronary heart disease 

Stroke 

Gallbladder disease 

Sleep apnea and respiratory problems 

Some cancers

Osberg brought his scale to the community next to test its effectiveness with 

individuals older than college students. He re c ruited 96 participants with a history 

of we i g h t - c o n t rol problems through newspaper adve rtisements and administered a 

s u rvey that was similar to that given to the last college sample. The community 

s u rvey showed that higher scores on the IFB scale we re associated with heavier 

c u r rent weight, more attempts at dieting, and lower self-rated success in maintaining 

the most recent weight loss. Again, a strong correlation between bulimia and irrational 

food beliefs was seen. Obese community women had the highest IFB scores of any 

sample tested in Os b e r g’s re s e a rch, and the community sample had higher scores on the 

rational food beliefs scale as compared to the college students. This study confirmed 

Osberg’s theory that scores on the IFB scale relate predictably to things like current 

weight, dieting history, poorer weight-loss maintenance, and eating behaviors, including 

dieting restraint, bulimia and anorexia. 

All four studies clearly suggest that people’s attitudes and beliefs about food are 

strongly associated with weight-control outcomes. In addition, irrational food beliefs 

seem to have a direct association with depression among both the college and community 

samples, which is not surprising given that many times depression is accompanied by 

weight loss or gain. In t e re s t i n g l y, Os b e r g’s study did not find a strong corre l a t i o n 

b e t ween people who hold rational beliefs about food and we i g h t - c o n t rol outcomes, 

suggesting, Osberg says, that while we all know about proper nutrition, we don’t 

necessarily follow the guidelines. 

Osberg hopes that the IFB scale can be used as a tool to help individuals struggling 

with their weight by identifying their most prominent irrational food beliefs and giving 

them assignments to dispute them. For example, a person who feels that life would 

not be worth living without ice cream would be asked to abstain from eating it for a 

week to see what it would actually be like to live without it. 

“I think we’ve been missing an important characteristic of what may lead people to 

re ve rt to their old bad habits and that is IFBs,” Osberg says. “I’m hopeful that if we 

s t a rt to specifically target food-related irrational beliefs, that may help increase the 

effectiveness of weight-maintenance programs.” 

So what happened to Mary and Frank After keeping a food diary, Mary learned 

she was consuming between 600 and 1,200 calories a day in chocolate alone. This eyeopening 

news convinced her to try and cut her chocolate intake to every other day, to 

prove to herself that she could use other means to relax and that she would still enjoy 

her TV programs as much. Mary’s experiment worked -— she eventually consumed 

smaller amounts of chocolate, and ate it only a day or two each week. Within six 

months, she lost 30 pounds. But more import a n t l y, she proved to herself that she didn’t 

need chocolate eve ry day, and that the candy was not necessary for her to enjoy 

one of her favorite activities. 

Fr a n k’s food diary indicated that food had a ve ry central part in his life, 

taking the place of the friends he did not have. Frank began to re n ew some old 

relationships and got invo l ved in a few activities, including a volleyball league 

and a coin-collecting club. He even started a romantic re l a t i o n s h i p. Within a


Definitions of obesity and overweight 

are based on body mass index 

BMI = weight (lbs.) x height (in.) x 703 

Healthy weight = BMI 18.5-24.9 

Overweight = BMI 25-29.9 

Obese = BMI 30 or above 

f ew months, Fr a n k’s depression began 

to lift and he lost a significant amount 

of weight. He began to re a l i ze that he 

used food for support and relief instead 

of getting it from having a good social 

s u p p o rt network . 

Ed i t o r’s note: Os b e rg’s manuscript, “T h e 

I r rational Food Beliefs Scale: De ve l o p m e n t 

and Validation,” was co-authored by 

Danielle Poland, ’99; Gina Ag u a yo, ’98; 

and Sharon (Bunnell) MacDougall, ’98. 

All three students went on to graduate 

school. Poland earned a Ph.D. in clinical 

p s yc h o l o gy from Kent State Un i ve r s i t y, 

Ag u a yo earned a Ph.D. in counseling 

p s yc h o l o g y from SUNY Al b a n y, and 

Ma c Dougall earned a master’s degree in 

social work from the Un i versity at Bu f f a l o . 

The article will be published in the 

j o u rnal Eating Behaviors later 

this ye a r. An online version is 

c u r rently available thro u g h 

Science Direct (www. 

sciencedirect.com/ 

s c i e n c e / s e a rc h / a l l s o u rc e s ), 

which offers more than a quarter of the 

world’s scientific, medical and technical 

information online. 

Sample Items from the Irrational Food Beliefs Scale 

(Those in bold represent the rational subscale) 

1. Food is a substitute source of comfort. 

2. Some foods are able to relax you. 

3 . Eating healthy doesn’t take more time than unhealthy eating. 

4. I can’t possibly live without my favorite food. 

5. Broiling and roasting meats is a healthy way to cook them. 

6. My greatest pleasure in life is eating. 

7. Eating is a good way to overcome boredom. 

8. Exercise can undo the effects of a poor diet. 

9. Eating healthy does not have to mean giving up my favorite 

foods entirely. 

10. Food is a good way to lift depression. 

11. Social events are not as fun without food. 

12. Healthy eating should be a way of life. 

13. If no one sees me eating something, the calories don’t count. 

14. Only high fat foods taste good. 

15. The only way to diet is to crash diet. 

16. A good means of stress reduction is to eat. 

17. The key to a healthy diet is to achieve balance in the foods 

you eat. 

18. Some foods are irresistible. 

19. If something is fat free, you can eat as much as you want of it. 

20. Unsaturated fat is better than saturated fat. 

21. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. 

22. If you eat something you shouldn’t, you should feel guilty. 

23. There are some foods you can have in an unlimited amount and 

not gain weight. 

24. One should strive for five servings of fruits and vegetables 

a day. 

25. I simply cannot control my weight because I love to eat. 

26. There are some foods over which I cannot control my intake. 

27. I must have sweets to exist. 

28. It’s important to have at least six servings a day of the 

food group that includes bread, cereal, rice, or pasta. 

29. Eating healthy can reduce risk for some diseases such as 

cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. 

30. All social gatherings must be centered on food. 

31. Some foods are addictive. 

32. Food is my one pleasure and I should not have to regulate my 

intake of it. 

33. Food is a good substitute for sex. 

34. To hell with what’s healthy, let me eat what I want. 

35. Calcium enriched foods are needed for strong bones. 

36. You won’t gain weight for anything you eat before 8 p.m. 

37. If I exercise first, I can eat whatever I want. 

3 8 . Being overweight is genetic, so why bother trying to lose weight 

39. Foods like fruits and vegetables have no calories. 

40. There are times when I NEED certain foods. 

41. One should choose lean or low-fat meats. 

4 2 . You can drink as much of fluids as you want and not gain weight. 

43. A small amount of fat is needed in a healthy diet. 

44. Happiness can be achieved through eating. 

45. You can eat as much as you want as long as it’s low fat. 

46. Once you eat something bad, you’ve blown your diet. 

47. I believe it is important to eat only when you are hungry. 

48. Because alcohol has no fat, it can’t make you gain weight. 

49. What a person eats really has no effect on their health. 

5 0 . It is punishment to have to eat certain foods like fruits and 

v e g e t a b l e s . 

51. To diet is to give up the pleasure of eating. 

52. Diet food is boring. 

53. One should strive to eat three healthy meals a day. 

54. Not being able to eat what you want will make you sad. 

55. Eating can help overcome loneliness. 

56. I believe in the food pyramid as a guide to healthy eating. 

57. If you exercise, it doesn’t matter what you eat.


March 24, 2007 

150th Anniversary Ball 

Seniors Ma u reen Buoneto and Bryan Semski, co-chairs of the 

150th student committee, welcomed more than 400 students and 

NU community guests to the student ball. The event on Ma rch 24 

was part of the university’s sesquicentennial celebration. 

The Kiernan Center was decorated for 

“An Evening of En c h a n t m e n t” with 

balloons, pipe and drape, and a dance 

floor and stage we re installed.


CLASS NOTES 

CA&S = College of Arts & Sciences 

CBA = College of Business 

Administration 

CE = College of Education 

CN = College of Nursing 

CH = College of Hospitality and 

Tourism Management 

ITHRA = Institute of Travel, Hotel & 

Restaurant Administration 

(pre-CH) 

TTT = Transportation, Travel & 

Tourism (pre-ITHRA) 

1960s 

Robert Martinez, ’65 (CA&S/Biology), 

New Haven, Conn., presented a talk 

entitled “La página web d’AsturianUS.org: 

La so historia, función, miembros” at the 

Primeres Xornaes de Llingua, Cultura y 

Lliterature d’Asturies en Nueva Yo r k . 

The event was co-sponsored by Pace 

U n i v e r s i t y, Asturianos in the USA, 

Asturianos en Madrid, the Gobierno del 

Principáu d’Asturies - Conseyeria de 

Justicia, Seguridá, Publica y Relaciones 

Esteriores, and the Spanish Embassy 

in the United States - Ministerio de 

Educación y Ciencia. 

Joseph F. Moore, ’68 (CA&S/Social 

S c i e n c e ) and Susan (Broderick) 

Moore, ’68 (CA&S), Jackson Hole, 

Wyo., successfully summited Mt. 

Kilimanjaro on Dec. 25, 2006. Mt. 

Kilimanjaro (elevation 19,340 ft.), 

Tanzania , East Africa, is the highest 

free-standing mountain in the world. 

1970s 

William Bengston, ’71 (CA&S), Port 

Jefferson, N.Y., published “Resonance, 

Placebo Effects, and Type II Errors: Some 

Implications from Healing Research for 

Experimental Methods” in the Journal of 

Alternative and Complimentary Medicine. 

Christine (Dinnis) Galante, ’72 (CN), 

Huntingtown, Md., advanced to fellow, 

American College of Healthcare Executives, 

in January. 

William McHugh, ’73 (CA&S/Sociology), 

Tampa, Fla., accepted a position as 

president, CEO, and chairman of the 

board of Amerigroup, Florida, a 

community-focused managed-care 

company with an emphasis on the 

public-sector health-care market. 

Cynthia (Cale) Santora, ’75 (CA&S/ 

English), Scio, N.Y., was promoted from 

associate director, community relations, 

to director, public relations, at A l f r e d 

State College. 

1980s 

Katherine Kelly, ’80 (CBA/Accounting), 

Harrisburg, N.C., graduated from the 

University of Memphis in August 2006. She 

earned her Ph.D. in counseling psychology. 

Stephen Saleski, ’83 (CBA/Accounting), 

North Syracuse, N.Y., recently joined 

Prudential First Properties in Syracuse 

as a sales executive specializing in both 

commercial and residential properties in 

central New York. 

Samuel Thompson, ’83 (CBA/ 

Business Communication), Grayson, 

Ga., has been promoted to vice president 

and general manager of the Marietta 

Georgia region with Massey Services. He 

is responsible for the sales, service and 

collections of six northeast counties of 

Georgia in the IPM industry. 

Laura (Beachman) Firch, ’86 (TTT), 

Allen, Texas, is the production control 

manager at Microtune in Plano, Texas. 

1990s 

Deborah (Marziale) Dooly, ’92 

( I T H R A ), Oviedo, Fla., was recently 

promoted to a systems analyst position 

at Hewitt Associates in Orlando, Fla. 

Christopher Hubler, ’92 (CBA/ 

Management), W. Henrietta, N.Y., has 

been named CEO/manager of the CIG 

Insurance Agency, Canandaigua, N.Y. 

Melissa (Timko) Miller, ’94 (CE/ 

Elementary, English), Helendale, Calif., 

is the Victor Elementary School District’s 

“Teacher of the Year,” as well as the 

“Teacher of the Year” for San Bernardino 

County. She just completed her Tier I 

requirements for a position in education 

administration. She volunteered in the 

Galapagos Islands in July 2006 where 

she helped develop the ESL curriculum 

for the education department and 

provided workshops for their teachers. 

Leslie Born, ’98 (CE/Mental Health 

Counseling), Stoney Creek, Canada, 

graduated from the University of Toronto 

in 2003 with a Ph.D. in medical science. 

Born has a private psychotherapy 

practice in Stoney Creek. She is a senior 

lecturer in the mental health counseling 

program at NU. 

2000s 

Traci (Wagner) Barnett, ’00 (CA&S/ 

B i o l o g y ), Lockport, N.Y., recently 

accepted a research scientist position with 

CUBRC in the NYS Center of Excellence 

in Buffalo, N.Y. She previously worked as 

a biopolymer research associate with 

IMMCO Diagnostics in Amherst, N.Y. Her 

current research, which is funded by the 

DefenseThreat Reduction Agency through 

the US Department of Defense, will involve 

developing new drugs to treat viral 

hemorrhagic fever diseases. 

Shannon (Woodruff) Taylor, ’02 (CE/ 

E d u c a t i o n ), Chesapeake, Va., graduated 

with an M.A.Ed. in curriculum and 

technology from the University of Phoenix 

online in May 2006. 

Lucia Krul, ’03 (CE/Social Studies, 

Secondary), completed her master of 

science degree in curriculum and 

instruction. She has accepted a position 

with the U.S. State Department, political 

division, at NATO headquarters in 

Brussels, Belgium. 

MARRIAGES 

Steven Robert Kula, ’97, Prattsburg, 

N . Y., to Amanda Slack, Prattsburg, 

S e p t . 16, 2006. 

Andrea Burolla, ’98, Superior, Colo., to 

Dennis Golod, Oct. 21, 2006. 

Todd Smolen, ’99, Astoria, N.Y., to 

Melissa Rogers, Aug. 5, 2006. 

Beth Muffly, ’01, Elmira Heights, N.Y., to 

David Bly Jr., Elmira Heights, July 15, 2006. 

Renee Neward, ’01, Alma, Colo., to 

Andrew Krawczuk, ’02, West Seneca, 

N.Y., July 15, 2006. 

Krista Sajdak, ’02, North Tonawanda, 

N.Y., to Brian Fritschi, July 8, 2006. 

Meredith Plankenhorn, ’04, Rochester, 

N.Y., to Andre Maillet, ’04, Rochester, 

July 1, 2006. 

Brigitte Marie Savard, ’04, Grimsby, 

Ontario, to Derek Langlois, Grimsby, 

Aug. 19, 2006. 

Jillian Whalen, ’04, Trumbull, Conn., 

to James Boccuzzi, Rochester, N.Y. , 

Sept. 2, 2006. 

Laura Grant, ’06, to James Abrams Jr., 

Oct. 7, 2006. 

BIRTHS 

To Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Kremer, ’85, 

Dublin, Calif., a son, Joseph William, 

Jan. 20, 2007. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Paul Corrigan, ’89, 

West Orange, N.J., a son, Oscar, 

N o v. 24, 2006. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Donald Hatch (Nannette 

Martino, ’89), Horseheads, N.Y., a son, 

Donald Arthur, Jan. 6, 2007. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Brian Featherstone 

(Catherine Kromer, ’90), New York, N.Y. , 

a daughter, Lily Grace, Sept. 23, 2006. 

To Mr. and Mrs. William Voigt, ’90, 

R a m s e y, N.J., a son, Patrick John A u s t i n , 

June 23, 2006. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Hubler, ’92 

(Lisa Cerame, ’91), W. Henrietta, N.Y., a 

daughter, Eily Megan, Jan. 2, 2007. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Stephen McCarthy, ’91, 

Bayshore, N.Y., a daughter, Anna Lynn, 

Jan. 5, 2007. 

To Mr. and Mrs. William Scholl, ’91, 

Fairfield, Conn., a son, Michael David, 

Feb. 22, 2007. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Robert Benjamin ( Ta m a r a 

Evette Wisniewski, ’91), Dunkirk, N.Y., a 

son, Noah Robert, Aug. 22, 2006. 

To MaryAnn (Becker) Auld, ’92, Port 

Jeff Station, N.Y., a daughter, Meghan 

Kelly, Oct. 27, 2006. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Damon Ayer (Leslie 

Oakes, ’92), Hamburg, N.Y., a daughter, 

Peyton Renee, Sept. 8, 2006. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Piwko, ’92, 

Buffalo, N.Y., a son, Joseph Daniel, and 

a daughter, Jeana Rose, July 5, 2006. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Michael Lawless, ’93, 

Rockville Centre, N.Y., a son, Colin 

Joseph, Jan. 5, 2007. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Michael Sallese (Lisa 

Rita, ’93), Stamford, Conn., a son, Brian 

Michael, Jan. 18, 2007. 

To Mr. and Mrs. David Spremulli, ’94 

(Pamela Swanson, ’93), Chagrin Falls, 

Ohio, a daughter, Maizie Swanson, 

N o v. 11, 2006. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Perno (Anne 

Marie Baier, ’94), Rochester, N.Y., a 

daughter, Mia Michelina, Sept. 29, 2006. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Brent Lawson, ’97 

(Autumn Dalkey, ’94), Greensboro, N.C., 

a son, Avery Patrick, Nov. 11, 2006. 

To Mr. and Mrs. James Hudecki, ’94, 

Monroe, Mich., a daughter, Gretchen A n n , 

Jan. 11, 2007.


To Mr. and Mrs. Brett Warren (Denise 

Leavens, ’94), Webster, N.Y., a son, 

Carter Joseph, June 6, 2006. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Michael Meese (Tricia 

Smalley, ’95), Garner, N.C., a daughter, 

Julia Patricia, Aug. 12, 2006. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Brian Przybysz (Dawn 

Marie Puleo, ’96), Blasdell, N.Y., a 

daughter, Megan Susan, Oct. 11, 2006. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Michael Messersmith 

(Jessica Testani, ’96), Chicago, a son, 

Joseph David, Dec. 12, 2006. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Phelan ( C h r i s t i n a 

Amerose, ’97), Rochester, N.Y., a 

d a u g h t e r, Carmella Ann, Dec. 28, 2006. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Howell (Kristen 

Bradley, ’98), Cicero, N.Y., a daughter, 

Jillian Marie, Jan. 30, 2007. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Duane Rinkus, ’98 

(Shannon Graham, ’98), Denver, N.C., 

a son, Brady Graham, Dec. 3, 2006. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Albert Luzi Jr. (Renee 

Jagiello, ’99), Tonawanda, N.Y., a son, 

Ryan Joseph, Nov. 4, 2006. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Amann (Keri 

Potwora, ’99), Kenmore, N.Y., a son, 

Jackson Vincent, Jan. 26, 2007. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Pete Strobl, ’99 

(Sheryl Klick, ’00), a son, Peter Franz, 

Feb. 7, 2007. 

To Tomasina Cook, ’00, Niagara Falls, 

N.Y., a son, Tristan Zamir, Oct. 3, 2006. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Scott (Rebecca 

Dudek, ’00), Rochester, N.Y., a son, 

Sean Taylor, Dec. 30, 2006. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Jamie Marano ( K i m b e r l y 

Ann Kotlarski, ’01), Baldwinsville, N.Y. , 

two daughters, Madalyn and Kaitlyn, 

Oct. 23, 2006. 

DEATHS 

To have a Mass celebrated at 

Alumni Chapel, call NU’s campus 

ministry office at 716-286-8400. 

Francis McNamara, ’39, Washington, 

D.C., Feb. 27, 2007. 

Rev. John M. Wood, ’39, Rome, N.Y., 

Oct. 29, 2006. 

Stacy C. French, ’41, Holly Hill, Fla., 

March 7, 2007. 

William Cass Sr., ’42, Syracuse, N.Y., 

March 5, 2007. 

Nicholas Grunzweig, ’42, Des Moines, 

Iowa, Feb. 10, 2007. 

Edward Earl Vaughan Sr., ’42, Norwalk, 

Conn., Jan. 27, 2007. 

Msgr. Martin J. Caine, ’46, Austin, 

Texas, Jan. 29, 2007. 

William Bull, ’49, Lockport, N.Y. , 

Dec. 2, 2006. 

Richard C. Doherty, ’49, Lewiston, N.Y., 

Jan. 13, 2007. 

John P. Dwyer, ’50, Lockport, N.Y. , 

Feb. 4, 2007. 

Nicholas F. Norris, ’50, Greece, N.Y., 

Feb. 15, 2007. 

Martin T. Ziobro, ’50, Whitesboro, N.Y., 

Dec. 25, 2006. 

All submissions to the 

alumni notes section of the 

Eagle magazine are edited 

for space and content. 

Clarence Erickson Jr., ’53, Malverne, 

N.Y., March 1, 2007. 

Bernard Kennedy, ’53, Eggertsville, 

N.Y., March 6, 2007. 

Florence (Rymer) Serafini, ’53, 

Youngstown, N.Y., March 7, 2007. 

Baltico Erias, ’55, Niagara Falls, N.Y., 

Jan. 25, 2007. 

Glenn S. Hackett, ’61, Lewiston, N.Y., 

Dec. 23, 2006. 

Rev. Anthony Schelich, ’62, 

Wilmington, Del., Feb. 28, 2007. 

Harvey L. Ausman II, ’69, Appleton, 

N.Y., Feb. 9, 2007. 

Michael Rice, ’69, Rochester, N.Y. , 

Feb. 27, 2007. 

Alum Achieves Degree with Perseverance and Courage 

Cori Spencer has not had an easy road in 

her life. She has been psychologically 

abused and spent time in two shelters. 

Despite the hardship, two years ago she 

achieved something she had always dreamed of 

— a college degree. 

Her plight struck her one day when her 

youngest daughter, Nzinga (African for “courage 

and beauty”), asked her, “When are you going to 

get a real job” The question gave the 39-yearold 

Buffalo native the impetus and courage she 

needed to go to school. 

She first learned of Niagara University in her 

20s, through a friend who traveled from Buffalo to 

study at NU. “Every day I saw him he was always 

very busy,” Spencer recalled. “He never really 

hung out with us anymore.” 

When she left Buffalo for Niagara Falls 

years later, his example was a motivating 

force. “I moved here to go to Niagara 

U n i v e r s i t y,” she said, her voice cracking upon 

remembering the experience. 

Her plans, however, were temporarily 

sidetracked in the summer of 2001, when 

Spencer and her three children entered a 

homeless shelter. “I found myself in a marriage 

that was not very good for me,” she recalled. “My 

life was in a rut, and I came to the conclusion that 

I needed to do something about it.” 

While in the shelter, Nzinga never let her 

mother forget about going to school. She wanted 

her mom to get a job. “It was something about 

her concept of women,” Spencer said. “I guess 

what she was telling me was that I needed to be 

doing something else.” 

Still living in the shelter, Spencer started 

studying at Niagara County Community College, 

and while the road to an associate’s degree 

was not easy, she achieved it in 2003. 

With that first hurdle cleared, she moved on to 

Niagara University. The staff in the College of 

Education made an immediate impact on her. “I 

could go to talk to them when I needed to,” 

Spencer said. “Outside of the classroom, I related 

to them because I was an older student.” 

Four years after entering a shelter to change 

her life, Spencer finally received her bachelor’s 

degree in 2005. And when the College of 

Education awarded her a teacher education 

scholarship for 2005-2006, she used it to attend 

the graduate program. 

“Ms. Spencer excelled both in her 

graduate studies and the classroom,” said 

Evan Pierce, director of graduate education 

for the college. “She has demonstrated that 

with an optimistic attitude and determination, 

anything can be accomplished.” 

In December of 2006, Spencer received her 

m a s t e r’s degree, and subsequently moved with 

her children to California, where she hopes to use 

her Niagara degrees to become a teacher. 

“Her diverse experiences will help her 

connect to students in unique ways,” said Dr. 

Chandra Foote, chair of the department of 

teacher education. 

Spencer is also going to make sure her 

children get a degree. “In my house, college is 

not an option,” she said. ”It is a must.” 

— Jason Mollica

Helene Suszczynski, ’71, Niagara Falls, 

N.Y., Jan. 30, 2007. 

Louah B. Lewis, ’78, Lockport, N.Y., 

Dec. 18, 2006. 

Roman Payne, ’80, Los A n g e l e s , 

Feb. 2, 2007. 

Robert K. Lostracco, ’93, Niagara 

Falls, N.Y., Nov. 30, 2006. 

WITH SYMPATHY 

To Robert D. McNulty, ’50, Meriden, 

Conn., on the death of his wife, Joyce 

McNulty, Feb. 6, 2007. 

To John McMahon, ’53, East Amherst, 

N.Y., on the death of his wife, Rosemary 

McMahon, Feb. 16, 2007. 

To Myriam (Leardini) Witkowski, ’69, 

Lewiston, N.Y., on the death of her 

father, Cesarino Leardini, Feb. 16, 2007. 

To John Sullivan, ’74, Garden City, 

N.Y., on the death of his mother, 

Josephine Sullivan, Oct. 28, 2006. 

To Thomas E. Ray, ’79, Jacksonville, 

Fla., and to Stephen Ray, ’80, 

Harrisonburg, Va., on the death of their 

father, Thomas Ray, Feb. 25, 2007. 

To David Erias, ’82, Niagara Falls, N.Y., 

and to Andrew Erias, ’87, Sacremento, 

Calif., on the death of their father, 

Baltico Erias, ’55, Jan. 25, 2007. 

To Raymond A. Ermacor Jr. ’84, New 

Hartford, N.Y., on the death of his sister, 

Michelle Ermacor, June 13, 2006. 

To Mary (Fronczak) Seaborn, ’85, 

Matthews, N.C., on the death of her 

father, Adrian Fronczak, Jan. 13, 2007. 

To Jacqueline Vanderlip, ’94, North 

Tonawanda, N.Y., on the death of her 

mother, Virginia Froelich, March 9, 2007. 

To Harvey L. Ausman III, ’97, Ransomville, 

N.Y., on the death of his father, Harvey 

L. Ausman II, ’69, Feb. 9, 2007. 

Continued from page 15 

improvements of the social 

sector and the education system 

high on the list of development 

priorities during a late- 

March meeting of the Pe o p l e’s 

Council, according to Licze k . 

F rom Monteagle Ridge 

to Turkmenistan and 

Back Ag a i n 

Liczek is the second Niagara 

Un i versity professor to be asked 

to assist the United Nations. In 

2005, Dr. Ab d eweli Ali, assistant 

professor of economics, was 

asked to help with the re s t ru c - 

turing and rebuilding of 

So m a l i a’s government. “It fits 

with Ni a g a r a’s mission,” Licze k 

said. Like Ali, Licze k’s experience 

is ideal for the task at hand. 

While she admits she was 

humbled by the invitation, 

she says, “I think I can make 

a difference,” something that 

is important to Liczek, who 

became interested in human 

rights because she wanted to 

help improve people’s live s . 

L i c zek believes her experiences 

will benefit students in her 

c l a s s room as well, noting 

that it will show “p ro s p e c t i ve 

and current students that the 

u n i versity is really hooked 

up with world eve n t s . ” 

Ed i t o r’s note: Li c zek was invited 

to participate in “Turkmenistan 

after El e c t i o n s ,” a ro u n d t a b l e 

p resentation at Ha rva rd 

Un i ve r s i t y’s Davis Center for 

Russian and Eurasian Studies 

on Fe b. 27. Her re m a rks focused 

on the role of the international 

community in stimulating the 

d e m o c ratization of Tu rk m e n i s t a n 

after February’s elections. Visit 

www.centasia.fas.harvard.ed 

u/hpce_seminar_sum07.html 

for more information about 

the session. 

Name 

What’s new in your life 

For your convenience, you may update us via the Eagle’s 

Nest (www.niagaraalumni.com) or send your completed, 

signed form in the enclosed envelope. 

Address 

First 

Maiden 

Middle 

Married 

__________________________________ Check if new 

City ____________________________________________________ 

State __________________________ 

Zip ____________________ 

Seasonal address __________________ to ____________________ 

Phone (____) ____________________ Class of ________________ 

E-mail __________________________________________________ 

College 

______________________ Major ____________________ 

Signature ______________________________ Date ____________ 

Employer__________________________________ Check if new 

Title____________________________________________________ 

Address 

________________________________________________ 

City ____________________________________________________ 

State __________________________ 

Zip ____________________ 

Business phone ( ____) ____________________________________ 

Business e-mail __________________________________________ 

Wedding Announcement (within the last six months) 

Married to ______________________________________________ 

NU Class of ____________________ Date __________________ 

City ________________________________ State ______________ 

Birth/Adoption Announcement (within the last six months) 

Birth of a Daughter Son 

Date of birth ________________ 

Name __________________________________________________ 

Spouse __________________________________________________ 

Career Notes/Retirement Update/Community Service (within the last 

six months). Please submit one or two brief sentences. 

________________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________________ 

A ll inform a t i on submitted for publica t i on must be signed 

by the alumnus/alumna listed. 

We also encourage alumni to send photos along with class notes. 

(If yo u’d like your photo re t u rn e d , please include a 

s e l f - a d d re s s e d , stamped enve l o p e . ) 

Due to the volume of submissions re c e i ve d , we cannot guara n t e e 

p u b l i ca t i on of class notes or ph o t o s .


Wondering what’s going on with Niagara alumni Here are the latest updates. 

Latest Alumni Happenings 

Alumni across the country have been 

busy over the last couple of months. 

Niagarans in Central New Yo rk and 

Atlanta caught some great hockey games. 

In the ’Cuse, alumni saw the Crunch 

defeat the Rochester Americans, while 

alums in Atlanta saw the Thrashers beat 

the Buffalo Sabres. 

In Fe b ru a ry, the Re v. Joseph L. Leve s q u e , 

C.M., Ni a g a r a’s president, traveled thro u g h- 

out Florida visiting alums and bringing t h e 

150th celebration to the sunshine state. 

Alumni gathered in Tampa, Or l a n d o , 

Ft. Lauderdale, and Naples to re m i n i s c e 

and hear the latest NUws. Western New 

Yo rkers also got an opportunity to celebrate 

N U ’s annive r s a ry with Father Leve s q u e 

at a presidential reception in Bu f f a l o. 

At the end of February, the alumni 

relations office went to Cleveland to 

launch an alumni chapter. The response 

was great; be on the lookout for another 

event in the Cleveland area soon! Young 

alums in Western New Yo rk wished away 

the winter blues at a young alumni social in 

d ow n t own Buffalo, while alumni in Central 

New Yo rk and New Yo rk City celebrated 

St. Pa t r i c k’s Day a little early. 

Niagarans nationwide caught March 

Madness as the men’s basketball team saw 

their second trip in three years to the 

Big Dance. Many alumni planned and 

attended selection show and game w a t c h 

p a rties. We cheered as NU defeated 

Florida A&M and then took on the 

Kansas Jayhawks. Alumni in Dayton 

and Chicago gathered for Purple Eagle 

pep rallies before both games. With the 

help of our cheerleaders and our pep 

band, spirits were high and Purple Eagle 

pride soared! 

Save the Date 

• National Capital May 10 

• SOLA Reunion May 23 

• Rochester June 11 

• Albany July 28 

• WNY Aug. 17 

For more information on these 

events, as well as other events we are 

c u r rently planning, please visit the Eagle’s 

Nest at www.niagaraalumni.com. The 

Eagle’s Nest is Ni a g a r a’s online alumni 

c o m m u n i t y. New to the Nest Yo u r 

first-time login code can be found 

a b ove your name on the mailing label 

of this magazine. 

Alumni Ge o rge, ’83, and Maria Hu r l ey ; 

Jason Pe n rod, ’99; and Te r ry Mu r p h y, ’82, 

joined Father Levesque at the annual 

alumni dinner in Tampa, Fla., at the 

Colombia Re s t a u rant in early Fe b ru a ry. 

Pat Dowd, her son John Dowd, ’78, and 

his wife Kathleen, ’78, were among the 

nearly 40 alumni and friends who joined 

Father Levesque for the annual Mass and 

reception held in Naples, Fla. 

At the end of Fe b ru a ry a new chapter was launched in 

Cleveland. About a dozen alumni came to the Melting Pot 

for an evening of discussion and planning. 

Joe Donlon, ’61, worked with the alumni relations office to 

organize a lunch at The Villages (near Orlando, Fla.) with 

Father Levesque during his Florida tour in Fe b ru a ry.


A NU View 

By Irving P. Smith, ’56 

THIS IS MY HOME, MY COLLEGE HOME 

T 

I rving Smith, ’56 (left), with form e r 

roommate John Pulli, ’56, at the 2006 

Alumni Reunion Weekend. 

Thomas Wolfe might best be re m e m b e re d 

for his “You can’t go home again.” We l l , 

Thomas, yo u’re wrong. You can go home 

again, and it can be a wonderf u l , 

uplifting experience. 

In early October, I attended my 50th 

college reunion at Niagara University. I 

fought going to the event in anticipation 

of running into other overweight guys who 

had name tags that read “Hi, I’m Joe Do rk . 

Remember Me” Add to this the expectation 

of alumni office staff putting the 

touch on me for a donation to alma 

m a t e r. I really didn’t think it was something 

I wanted to do, but thankfully, I did it. 

It was not easy to survive at Niagara in 

the very early ’50s. You had to play by the 

rules, and the rules we re tough. At fre s h m a n 

orientation, we we re emphatically re m i n d e d 

that “you are here for an education.” 

T h e re was a mandatory study period on 

weeknights, jackets and ties we re to be worn 

to classes and dining hall, no car until you 

were a junior, in by 11 p.m. on a Friday 

(the Korean vets really loved this!). 

Today, my college-age grandchildren are 

just getting ready to go out at 11 p.m.! 

Several learned, as they packed their 

bags, that there was a zero-tolerance 

policy. Overlay all this with the harsh 

Niagara Frontier winters, and it made 

for a real challenge. But you know, we 

managed, and we managed quite well. 

We had each other. And maybe, just 

maybe, we are better for it now, 50 

years later. 

I quickly got into the reunion spirit 

as old classmates with nicknames like 

“ Shaggy Dog,” “Scrappy,” and “Du c k” 

s t a rted reminiscing and telling “re m e m b e r 

when” stories. How quickly 50 years can 

melt away in this setting. The conversations 

picked up where they left off a half 

century ago as though we had seen each 

other at breakfast that morning. In 

many ways, we we re now as we we re 

then. Only the paunch and balding 

heads gave us away. My wife quickly 

reminded me not to try and fool these 

guys because they know who you are , 

warts and all. Together with them, you 

evolved from late teens to the onset of 

adulthood. With them there is no place 

to hide. 

The opening event of the heavily 

scheduled weekend was a Mass for the 

Class of 1956, my class, celebrated by 

Father Joseph Levesque, C.M., president 

of the university. In simple, thoughtful 

and sincere words, he welcomed us back 

to our college home. The names of 59 

of my classmates who had died since 

June of 1956 we re read as my emotions 

overcame me and I fought to hold back 

the tears. This was followed by a renewal 

of wedding vows for those couples who 

wanted to participate. 

As I walked through the campus, which 

had grown by 15 buildings since I last saw 

it, I could feel myself going back in time 

to a much simpler life. No iPods, no cell 

phones, no Internet. But rather, there was 

a four-ye a r, eve r - g row ing bond betwe e n 

my fellow classmates, the faculty, and the 

ve ry physical plant itself. Fifty years later 

that bond still exists and, if anything, may 

be stro n g e r. 

This is truly my home, my college 

home, though hard and strict she be. I’m 

not so sure that this holds true today for 

those attending large universities where 

students live in rented apartments and have 

to drive to the campus to attend class, go 

to a ball game, or participate in campus 

life. Can they identify with their school as 

“home” I think that an era has passed and 

probably won’t ever be recaptured. 

I thought about the role of a university 

such as Niagara. Certainly it is to educate. 

But it is more. There is a responsibility to 

instill in the students moral values and the 

courage to live these values once they 

graduate and take their place in society. 

The students, too, have an obligation to be 

contributors to the community and not 

takers. My thoughts turned to the kind of 

person I am today. Spiritually, socially and 

intellectually, I owe this to a very large 

degree to my college home. For four years, 

the moral influence of the priests, teachers 

and coaches who guided me and the examples 

they set are the foundation of who I am. I 

didn’t know this on graduation day, but I 

also know it didn’t take me 50 years to 

understand it. 

Joe Dork never showed up — I’m not 

s u re he ever existed — and the contribution 

police are still looking for me. I was home, 

and I loved eve ry minute of it. Yes, you can 

go back, and I highly recommend it.

N i a g a r a ’s annual Alumni Weekend is scheduled for 

October 5, 6 and 7, 2 0 0 7 . We hope you will join us for a 

weekend on Monteagle Ridge that will be filled with 

fun and memories. 

Rooms have been blocked at the Crowne Plaza in Niagara Falls (300 Third St.). C a l l 

1 -8 0 0 - 9 5 FALLS to make reserv at i o n s . A special rate of $119/night has been arranged. 

Please reference Niagara University Alumni Weekend when making your reserv at i o n . 

Space in the block is not guaranteed after Sept. 1 0 . 

If you are interested in assisting with the planning of your class reunion, please contact 

Jennifer Coppola, a s s o c i ate director of alumni relat i o n s , at jcoppola@niagara.edu or 

(716) 286-8773. 

We hope to see you this fa l l ! 

Visit the Eag l e ’s Nest at www. n i agaraalumni.com for the most up-to-date A l u m n i 

Weekend information! New to the Nest Your first-time login code can be found above 

your name on the mailing label below. 

Office of Institutional Advancement 

Niagara University, NY 14109 

Nonprofit Org. 

U . S . P O S TA G E 

PA I D 

Niagara University, N . Y. 

Permit No. 1

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