66 mech - Rutgers Alumni Association

The magazine publishedby and for theRutgers Alumni AssociationFALL 2009Alumni MagazineFrank Conway’sCareer Takes OffFor his work in turning around the government’s highlycontroversial V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, Major Conway wasnamed 2009 Rutgers Distinguished Engineer.ALSO INSIDE:Loyal Sons & Daughters 2009 • Rutgers Oral History Archives •Undergraduate Speed Networking • The Sweet Sound of Sean Jones• “Knights of Rutgers” Update • Reunion 2009...and more!SUBSCRIPTION FORMENCLOSEDSubscribe today, or yournext issue could bethe last!

1766 is published by the Rutgers Alumni AssociationVol. 28, No.2Editor: Randy Young RC ’68Art Director: Cara Bufanio MGSA ’852Rutgers Alumni Association178 Years of Service to Rutgers AlumniFounded in 1831, the Rutgers Alumni Association (RAA)is a 501(c)3 service organization maintained by and forthe graduates of Rutgers College, the School ofEngineering, the former College of Agriculture, theformer School of Education, the Mason Gross School ofthe Arts, School of Management and Labor Relations,the Graduate School – New Brunswick, and other interestedalumni from Rutgers New Brunswick/Piscatawaycampus. Chartered in 2008 as the largest affinity organizationof the new university-wide alumni association(RUAA), the RAA's purpose is to create a vital, beneficial,and continuing relationship between Rutgers and itsalumni around the globe. It partners with the universityon events such as Reunion Weekend and Homecoming.The RAA also independently publishes 1766 to informmembers about issues that concern them, providesfunding to support deserving student organizations,awards an annual scholarship to a deserving legacystudent, develops career seminars for graduates, andoffers opportunities for volunteer service in all aspectsof university life — from participation in governancecommittees to mentoring undergraduates. As thefourth-oldest organized alumni association in America,the 178-year-old Rutgers Alumni Association is proudlysupported by a volunteer army fueled by nearly 200,000alumni constituents. We welcome your participation.PRESIDENT:Cara Bufanio MGSA ’85PRESIDENT-ELECT:Ralph Zemel ENG ’69VICE PRESIDENTS:Mel Silverstein RC ’59Melissa Daniel DC ’00, GMLR ’01Ken Johnson ENG ’66VICE PRESIDENT ANDCORRESPONDING SECRETARY:Tom Carpenter RC ’57TREASURER:Heather Taylor RC ’89ALUMNI TRUSTEESGeorge Rears RC ’89Barbara Pollison-Beck DC ’82Greg Bender ENG ’68John Futey RC ’69, CLAW ’72John Hugelmeyer RC ’72Frank Hundley RC ’861766 MAGAZINEIn This IssueCOVER STORY10 Major Frank Conway Sees His Career SoarFor his work in turning around the government’s highly controversial V-22 Ospreytiltrotor aircraft, Major Conway was named 2009 Rutgers Distinguished Engineer.FEATURES4 Loyal Sons & Daughters of Rutgers Awards 2009Eleven outstanding alumni are honored by the RAA for outstanding volunteerservice to Rutgers.7 Illuminating History Through the Voices of AlumniThe Rutgers Oral History Archives has become a valuable international resourceon major events that have shaped our history.13 Ready. Set. Network!The tremendously popular Rutgers Speed Networking event is openingdoors left and right for students and alumni.15 A Huge Musical Talent Takes Root in New BrunswickThe future couldn’t be brighter for jazz musician Sean Jones, who cut his teethat local New Brunswick clubs while studying at Mason Gross.17 Reunion Recap 2009Some fresh touches to the traditional flourishes of Rutgers Reunion Weekendgave the event new excitement in 2009.20 Catching up with the “Knights of Rutgers”A look back at the men who adorned the 1983 Knights of Rutgers calendar.DEPARTMENTS3 President’s Message3 Outgoing Trustee Report22 Sports Update24 Calendar of EventsExcept for official announcements, the RutgersAlumni Association disclaims all responsibility foropinions expressed and statements made in articlesor advertisements published in this magazine.We are no longer located in Winants Hall.Please note of our new contact information:Rutgers AlumniAssociationP.O. Box 11320New Brunswick, NJ 08906Phone: 732-932-7474Fax: 732-377-2099www.RutgersAlumni.org

President’s MessageBY CARA BUFANIO MGSA ’85When I look around at my fellowofficers, committee co-chairs andalumni volunteers, I am truly awedby their loyalty, hard work and dedication.Just look at the accomplishments of thisyear’s Loyal Sons and Daughters—anothergroup of exceptional volunteers who servedtheir classes, their university, and the Rutgerscommunity. This award stands as the highesthonor for volunteers because recipients canonly be nominated and chosen by otherLoyal Sons & Daughters. (see page 4). I amproud to be one of them.Then there are the members of ourUndergraduate Committee, who realizedthat helping Rutgers students learn how tonetwork could give them a huge advantageas they transition from college to the workplace.The first attempt at a networking eventwas not successful. But thanks to their firmbelief in the idea, Gino Gentile and hisUndergraduate Committee teamed up withMarty Siederer from the Livingston AlumniAssociation, and Janet Jones from RutgersCareer Services, to put together a speed networkingevent that has become a model forother colleges and universities (see page 13).While the RAA provides the structure andresources for our volunteers, they exchangeBY BOB FRISCH RC ’78Wow! It’s hard to believe that sixyears have passed since completingmy term as RAA Presidentand joining the Board of Trustees of RutgersUniversity. One thing can be said withcertainty: it was never boring. As a brandnew trustee, I watched the Board wrestlewith attempts by then-Governor McGreevyto merge the state schools – an effort whichfell apart almost as quickly as it started. Next,Rutgers began the transformation of undergraduateeducation in New Brunswick, bringingtogether the colleges of Rutgers,Douglass and Livingston into a combinedCollege of Arts and Science. The RutgersCollege Class of 2010 will be the last‘Rutgers’ class to graduate.Over the past six years, the Rutgers footballfaithful have finally had their patiencerewarded with winning football seasons, andthe appearance of the Scarlet Knights in fourBowl games in four years (and victories inthe last three). Winning has had a price,ideas and take ownership for the planningand execution of projects. In short, they aregiven the freedom to make their owndecisions and see their ideas through tosuccessful completion.A good example of how this works is themagazine you’re now reading. 1766 truly isan all-alumni magazine. The story ideas arecontributed by alumni, and the articles arewritten by alumni volunteers, some ofwhom are professional or aspiring writers.Our Communications Committee and oureditor, Randy Young RC ’68, decide whatstories would be of most interest to ourreaders, and which should be covered in ourprint magazine and which should appear onour web site. But the story ideas come frompeople like you.Most people hesitate to become a volunteerbecause they fear the time commitment.While some of our most active volunteersare retirees with ample free time, othersare recent graduates with full-time jobsand families. Obviously, their level of participationvaries, but one thing they all share isthe desire to give back to Rutgers. The RAAgives them the opportunity to do just that,no matter how much (or how little) timethey have. Whether it’s simply collecting aOutgoing Trustee Reporthowever, and for Scarlet Knight fans it wasthe scarcity of football tickets. In efforts tocorrect this, Rutgers Stadium is being transformedonce again from a WPA project inthe 1930s to its remodeled 1990s versionto its latest incarnation, a 52,000-seatshowcase for Rutgers and New Jersey withmore bell and whistles than we could haveever imagined.While football gained unprecedentedpopularity, the state still hasn’t givenRutgers its due in terms of funding, andhigher education continues to suffer. Despitethe lack of attention from the legislature, theuniversity continues to grow as a topresearch institution, boasting outstandingfaculty and leading-edge programs. I urge allof you, as alumni and Rutgers supporters, tocontinue to rally behind our alma mater andlet the New Jersey Assembly and Senateknow that we can’t provide top educationand services to our residents without theappropriate funding.few coats for our communityservice annualcoat drive, sending in astory idea for 1766, orbeing an event plannerfor Alumni Family Day,we can find the appropriatevolunteer activityfor you.So, if you’d like to become involved inRAA events and programs, I encourage you tocontact me at carabuf@alumni.rutgers.edu.I’d be happy to discuss your interests andplace you with the appropriate committee orarea of interest. Like the rest of us Rutgersvolunteers, you’ll find the payback to beextraordinary! IMPORTANT NOTE: The spring issue of 1766 will be thelast one delivered to all former dues-paying members ofthe RAA*. Beginning in the fall 2010, the magazine willbe sent to subscribers only. For your convenience, asubscription envelope has been included in the center ofthis magazine. Please complete your information, enclosea check for $10, attach a stamp, and drop it in the mail.If you prefer, you can subscribe online and pay by creditcard or PayPal at www.rutgersalumni.org.*RAA Life Members will continue to receive a magazine as long as it continues to be published.Finally, the universitymerged last yearall the various alumniassociations intoone—the RutgersUniversity AlumniAssociation (RUAA)— and invited theexisting associationsto join as charterorganizations. TheRAA became one ofthe first to do so. Andwhile we look forwardto being part of RUAA, the RutgersAlumni Association remains committed to itsmembers. More than ever, we look to ourvolunteers to continue to make RAA thepremier organization within Rutgers’ alumniprogram.It’s been an honor to serve on theBoard of Trustees, and I thank you forthe opportunity. FALL 2009 3

T H E R A A H O N O R SAbove (l to r): RAA President Frank Hundley RC’86 addressesthe audience; RAA President-elect Cara Bufanio MGSA ’85 withformer Athletic Director Bob Mulcahy and Coach Greg Schiano;Bill Scott RC ’86 with Walter Lieb RC ’51 and Cindi Hundley.On April 4, 2009, Neilson Dining Hall was filledto capacity with guests celebrating theinduction of 11 new Loyal Sons and Daughtersof Rutgers. This year’s awards ceremony and dinnerwas unequivocally the best the Rutgers AlumniAssociation has ever put together. Co-chairs BobEichert RC ’78 and Debbie Fuchs RC ’80, and theirfellow committee members, are to be applauded fortheir efforts—as well as the outstanding job done byour mistress of ceremonies, the Honorable SuperiorCourt Judge Rochelle Gizinski RC ’80. Guest speakerfor the evening was Mary Baglivo RC ’79, CEO andchair of the Americas at Saatchi & Saatchi.Since it began in 1958, the Loyal Son and DaughterAwards have recognized alumni who have distiguishedthemselves through their outstanding service toRutgers. Recipients are nominated and chosen by prioraward honorees — making this award truly unique andspecial. The RAA is pleased to announce the newestLoyal Sons and Daughters of Rutgers:41766 MAGAZINE

2009 Loyal Sons and Daughters: Front row (l to r) Angelo V. Baglivo RC ’49; W. John Bauer RC ’59; Keri Ann DeMayo RC ’94, RBSG ’06; HeatherMorrison DC ’95, Martin E. Kravarick RC ’58, John H. Cook RC ’38. Back row (l to r) Bruce E. Marich RC ’63, GSNB ’65; Robert E. Mulcahy III;Lawrence A. Rudnick RC ’69, NLAW ’72, James G. Russo RC ’88, RBSG ’97, Martin Siederer LC ’77. PHOTO BY STEVE GOODMAN.Angelo Baglivo RC ’49: Andy is a Class of1949 officer and a member of its reunionplanning and fundraising committees. Hisefforts in 1999 helped raise more than amillion dollars, which supported scholarshipsand projects such as the World War IIOral History Archives.W. John Bauer RC ’59: A longtime passionatesupporter of Rutgers, John createdthe Scarlet Letter Silver Anniversary Updatewhich successfully located 70 percent of hisclass. He is currently preparing the GoldenAnniversary edition for his class’ 50threunion. John is also an ardent supporter ofRutgers Theater and its Glee Club.Mason Gross Dean George Stauffer with JohnBauer RC ’59 and Bob Mortensen RC ’63.John Cook RC ’38: John has been veryactive with his class, taking on the duties ofreunion chair, class president and class“For the first time in thehistory of this event, it wasput together entirely byvolunteers. I am especiallyproud of them—as well as the outstandinghonorees who join me as fellowLoyal Sons & Daughters— Frank Hundley RC ’86President, Rutgers Alumni Association”correspondent. He has consistently attendedreunion activities over the years, and participatedin the World War II Oral History Archives.Keri DeMayo RC ’94, RBSG ’06: Keri hasbeen a leader with boundless energy andenthusiasm for the RAA ever since graduation.She served as full-time Executive Directorof RAA until she recently left to take a job inthe private sector.Martin Kravarik RC ’58: Marty served hisclass as reunion chair or co-chair (positionshe's held since 1978) and treasurer from1968 to 1988. An active participant in theWorld War II Oral History Archives, Marty hasalso been involved in the Air Force ROTCprogram for over 30 years.Loyal Daughters of Rutgers — Rochelle GizinskiRC ’80 with Keri DeMayo RC ’94, RGSG ’06.Bruce Marich RC ’63, GSNB ’65: Brucehas been an energetic co-chair of the RAA’sCommunity Service Committee, coordinatingthe highly successful Rutgers in Your BackYard program and Queens Chorale participationin the committee’s nursing home visits.Bruce also serves as liaison to his class.Heather Morrison DC ’95: As vicepresidentof the Rutgers Club of New York City,Heather worked tirelessly to coordinate thegroup’s activities with the RAA. She was thecreator and editor of City Knights, the RCNYCnewsletter, and has been the photographerof the Old Guard dinner since 2005.Robert Mulcahy III: As Rutgers Director ofAthletics from 1998 to 2008, Bob breathednew life and spirit into what had been anContinued on page 6FALL 2009 5

Loyal Sons & Daughtersfrom page 5Top: RAA President Frank Hundley congratulatesBob Mulcahy on his award. Above (l to r):Richard Kaplan, Joan Kaplan, Marty SiedererLC '77, and his wife, Fran.ailing and under-budgeted program. Hisoverwhelming success as head of athleticsbrought a new found pride and respect to theentire university, and its alumni. The RAArecognizes Bob for his many accomplishments,and for his love for Rutgers.Lawrence Rudnick RC ’69, NLAW ’72:Larry has been an active member of the RAAfor over 15 years, serving on and co-chairingthe Grants and Gifts Committee. He is avalued member of his graduating class,having worked on a number of class reunions.James G. Russo, Jr. RC ’88, RBSG ’97: Jimserved his class since graduation, first as classrepresentative, then as vice president for thepast 15 years. He also served as co-chair of itsReunion and Giving Committees since 2003,and received the Class of 1931 Award in 2008.Martin Siederer LC ’77: Marty is presidentof the Livingston Alumni Association (LAA).It’s through Marty's leadership that theLAA began participating in RAA reunions,and his team spirit has been crucial to thePresident Frank Hundley presents John Hugelmeyerwith the RAA’s Past-President pin. John is theimmediate past-president of the RAA.success of the RAA's Speed Networkingevent. Marty also serves as co-chair of theRAA’s Undergraduate Committee.The evening also included a special presentationto John Hugelmeyer RC ’72. Johnwas presented with the RAA’s Loyal Sons &Daughters Past-President pin in appreciation forhis loyalty and commitment to Rutgers. Rutgers Adds Six To its Hall of Distinguished AlumniIt’s become one of Rutgers’ most glittering affairs, an annual blacktie dinner in May to celebrate the newest inductees to the Hall ofDistinguished Alumni (HDA). This year was no different as alumniwho have brought honor tothemselves and their schoolthrough their stellar accomplishmentsin life were welcomed byan audience of several hundredguests at The Heldrich in downtownNew Brunswick.Getting the cerebration offto a rousing start was mistress ofceremonies Sheryl Lee RalphRC ’75, an accomplishedBroadway actress and 2002HDA honoree, who introducedeach guest as part of a showstoppingmusical tribute. Theawards were presented byUniversity President Richard L.McCormick and James RhodesCCAS ’94, chair of the RutgersUniversity Alumni Association.The 2009 Hall ofDistinguished Alumni includesTop: Sheryl Lee Ralph introducesRalph Izzo. Above: Don Manalio,Kathy Ciser, and John Hendricks.dentistry pioneer WalterAlexander, II ENG ’43; psychologistand author DorothyLeft to right: Mir Imran ENG ’77, Walter Alexander II ENG ’43, DorothyCantor GSAPP ’76, Ralph Izzo RBS ’02, and Natalie Morales RC ’94.Cantor GSAPP ’76; renowned scientist and inventor of theworld’s first automatic implantable heart defibrillator Mir ImranENG ’77; chairman, president and CEO of PSE&G Ralph IzzoRBS ’02; and co-anchor and national correspondent for TheToday Show on NBC Natalie Morales RC ’94.Actress Kristin Davis MGSA ’87, who was not able to attendthe dinner, was inducted later in May during the Mason GrossSchool of the Arts graduation ceremony, where she was thecommencement speaker. 6 1766 MAGAZINE

“ I became one of the county assistant prosecutors in Middlesex County. ...In those days, wehad maybe a half a dozen detectives and four prosecutors. So, one week, you'd do trials,another week, you'd handle the grand jury, another week, you'd handle the municipal courtwork, and the last week was to get ready for those three weeks—and this was a part-timejob, which was a very full-time part-time job.”— Edwin A. Kolodziej RC '48 NLAW '51,on his career as a prosecutor in the 1950sT H E R U T G E R S O R A LH I S T O R Y A R C H I V E S :Illuminating HistoryThrough the Voices of AlumniBY SHAUN ILLINGWORTH RC ’01 SCILS ’04Most people think of history simplyas a chronology of events acrosstime. But history is also thebody of documented knowledge — books,journals, census data, to name a few —that illuminates those events. No wonderhistorians, archivists and other scholars areconstantly on the hunt for resources thatshed new light on the events of the past.Since 1994, the Rutgers Oral HistoryArchives (ROHA) has been adding to thatpool of data by recording the perspectivesof men and women who both helped toshape, and were swept up in, the eventsand movements of the 20th and 21stCenturies. By the summer of 2009, ROHA“ Women weren't given the opportunity to do things, just as my commandingofficer didn't want me to go over to Paris with my two officers. I don't knowwhy she had to be so protective with me. If it wasn't safe for them, it wasn'tsafe for me. ...But I think that we should all have an opportunity to do whatwe want to do and you just try to take care of yourself.”had conducted over 900 interviews, 500 ofwhich are available as full-text transcriptsat http://oralhistory.rutgers.edu. After15 energetic years, the program showsno signs of slowing down.The Roots of ROHAOne of the benefits of the oral approachto documenting history is the fact that itgives a voice to people who are notinclined to leave written recollections, suchas diaries or memoirs. Indeed, it’s this reticenceon the part of so many to put pento paper that led to the creation of ROHA.In the early 1990s, Tom Kindre, thenclass historian for the Rutgers College Class— S. Carol Levin UCNB '78 on serving in theWomen's Army Corps in Europe during WWIIof 1942, tried to rally his classmates topublish a book as a kind of “class autobiography.”Each alumnus was encouragedto submit a piece on their life experiencesand their reactions to the major eventsand movements of the 20th Century.Kindre sent out guidelines, but notes,“When I got back only 17 responses, I knewwe didn't have enough material for a book.My next thought was, They may be afraid towrite, but they might not be afraid to talk.“Influenced by the works of Studs Terkel,Kindre began pursuing the idea of a fullblownoral history program. He and fellowClass of '42 officers approached theContinued on page 8FALL 2009 7

Rutgers Oral History Archivesfrom page 7Rutgers History Department and the Deanof Rutgers College, and with their supportestablished and provided the initial fundingfor the Rutgers Oral History Archives as anaffiliated center of the History Department.Dr. G. Kurt Piehler became ROHA's firstdirector and began interviewing subjects inthe summer of 1994. In December 1998,Dr. Piehler left Rutgers for the University ofTennessee-Knoxville and Sandra StewartHolyoak took over as director. An AcademicAdvisory Board chaired by Dr. John W.Chambers II, Professor of History at Rutgers,was also established to provide guidanceto the ROHA staff.“ Remember, Rutgers was a tiny, tiny little schooland if you didn't know everybody, you couldrecognize a face at least. It was a totally differentschool. Dean [of Men Fraser] Metzger, somehowor another, knew everybody's grades and whetheror not anybody had done anything good or bad....You'd walk down College Avenue and, if he'd bewalking along, he'd stop you and say, ‘Hey, I hearyou got a good grade in economics,’ or, ‘How'dyou do on that math examination?’”— Lewis M. Bloom RC '42Constant GrowthThe Oral History Archives may havebegun with the Class of 1942, but it quicklyexpanded to all the classes of the 1930sand 1940s. Alumni of NJC/Douglass, thegraduate schools and the University facultyand staff also added their voices. In the early2000s, the program broadened its scopeeven more, reaching out to the classes ofthe 1950s, 1960s and beyond. At the sametime, the program began interviewing NewJersey residents without a Rutgers affiliationabout their life experiences.”This expansion not only makes us amore diverse resource for scholars,“ saysDirector Holyoak, ”but allows us to roundout the story of our state and its people.“In 2006, ROHA announced its”Semiquincentennial Campaign,“ whichaims to collect 1,500 new interviews withRutgers alumni, faculty and staff membersand New Jersey residents by 2016, the250th anniversary of Rutgers University.Associate Rutgers University Archivist Erika Gorder RC '91, SCI '04, accepts new interviews toadd to the Rutgers Oral History Archives' collection at Alexander Library from ROHA staffmembers Matthew Lawrence RC '08, Elaine Blatt RC '07, and Jessica Ondusko RC '08.Getting a Panoramic ViewOne important reason for the successof the Rutgers Oral History Archives is theway it conducts interviews. More specifically,it is committed to the “life-course”method, which aims to capture a totalimage of a person's life and experiences.“It’s easy to see people in one-dimension— as a soldier, a business executive, ahomemaker,” notes Dr. Chambers. “But bytaking a broader view, you can see that ayoungster who worked two jobs to puthimself through Rutgers, and thenbecame a young soldier who hit thebeachhead, and finally an entrepreneurwho started a successful business, areone in the same. More importantly, youunderstand how and why this happened.”What exactly do ROHA interviewerscover with their subjects when they sitdown with them for extensive interviews?Well, they may delve into such topics asfamily history, the immigration experience,the Great Depression, military service, thedomestic impact of foreign conflicts, andthe evolution of their careers and communityactivities. “This is not just swappingwar stories,” emphasizes intervieweeEdwin Kolodziej RC '48 NLAW '51.“They wanted to know about my parentscoming to America from Poland and aboutgrowing up in Sayreville, New Jersey, andthey wanted me to put the events of mylife—the things my generation experiencedin one way or another—into context.”8 1766 MAGAZINE

“ I scored the last touchdown played on Neilson Field.Somebody had blocked the punt, and here was thisfootball, lying around, and I grabbed it, took it over fora touchdown, and that was the last one made there.After that, we played all the games, across the river.”— Col. Walter R. Bruyere III RC '39“[By my senior year] I had already kind of been thinking about joining[when] September 11th occurred in the beginning of the fall semester inhigh school. [My teacher] Mr. Dietz turned the TV on to see what the dealwas and every channel had September 11th stuff on. He turned to usand said something about Pearl Harbor and this being history. About fiveminutes later, the second plane hit. So, we watched that happen live andwe were all very confused. I ended up joining the National Guard and Isigned the paperwork in January 2002.”— Second Lieutenant Eric Nolan UCNB '08on his motivation for joining the militaryAn Undergraduate LearningExperienceThe Rutgers Oral History Archives is alsoleaving its mark as a powerful teachingvehicle for undergraduates. Every semester,a new crop of public history interns joinsthe ROHA staff, and two additional undergraduateinternships are made possible bythe Classes of 1948 and 1956. What’smore, the Crandon Clark Scholar internshipprogram encourages student recipientsto conduct research by identifyingand interviewing Rutgers men andwomen who served in the Korean War.Interns are grounded in the methodologyof oral history — how to conduct an interview,how to preserve materials, and howto produce transcripts. They also learnfrom working closely with ROHA's patrons.Further enhancing the learning experienceis the seminar taught every semesterby Dr. Chambers to junior and seniorHistory majors, called “Oral History and theAmerican Experience in World War II.”Among the course requirements are thatstudents participate in an oral historyinterview.“Dr. Chambers' seminar was easily oneof the best courses I have ever takenat Rutgers,” recalls Damian Kulikowski,who took the course this past spring.Kulikowski, who is one of ROHA's twopublic history interns this fall, added, “Wesaw these oral histories come to life wheninterviewees came and spoke to us abouttheir experiences. We were able to interactand ask questions, making the class amore intimate experience than any otherat Rutgers.”A number of ROHA alumni, interns andseminar students who have gone on tosuccessful careers as teachers, lawyersand academics have reported that theknowledge and skills they picked up workingwith the Archives was invaluable.Serving as an International ResourceThere is perhaps no better way togauge the success of ROHA than thefact the scholarly community has enthusiasticallyintegrated its offerings intobooks, articles, museum pieces andwebsites. To wit: the first two books ofPulitzer Prize-winning author RickAtkinson's “Liberation Trilogy” on WorldWar II in Europe—An Army at Dawn(2002) and The Day of Battle (2007)—cited several ROHA oral histories. Andexcerpts from ROHA interviews appearin the Smithsonian Museum of AmericanHistory's “Price of Freedom” exhibit.Television and documentary producershave also tapped into Rutgers’ archivaltreasure chest. The producers of TheHistory Channel's Shootout and Patton360 series, for example, invited 95thInfantry Division veteran Edwin Kolodziejto appear on their programs after readinghis engaging interviews on the ROHAwebsite.Nearly every day, the ROHA staff fieldsinformation requests from around thenation and the globe. “One day, I wentfrom helping a grad student at GeorgiaState researching women war workers,”recalls Holyoak, “to a British historianinvestigating the fall of Heidelberg,Germany in World War II, to a womanresearching her family genealogy.”Despite its broad public appeal, one ofthe most rewarding legacies of the RutgersOral History Archives could well be itsability to share memorable stories with amuch more intimate audience: sons,daughters, nieces, nephews and grandchildrenof alumni who may have neverheard them before. As Holyoak aptly putsit, “To hear a family member say admiringly,‘I had no idea dad or grandma didthat during the war,‘ really makes it allworthwhile.” Shaun Illingworth is the Assistant Director ofthe Rutgers Oral History Archives. He hasworked for the program since 1998.Sample the Rutgers Oral History Archivesby viewing more memorable quotes fromcontributors on the RAA web site atwww.rutgersalumni.org.The Rutgers Oral History Archiveswants to hear your story!If you’re a Rutgers alumnus, faculty or staff, orjust a New Jersey resident, ROHA is anxious totalk to you. The ROHA staff can travel to yourhome, or to another convenient location, if youlive in New Jersey or within a reasonable drivingdistance of New Brunswick, NJ. You can alsomake an appointment to visit the ROHA officeon the College Avenue Campus for a session.Take the first step by contacting the ROHAoffice, at (732) 932-8190, or via email atholyoak@history.rutgers.edu, to obtain apre-interview survey. This survey focuses onbackground information (where you were born,what you studied in school, any military unitsserved in, etc.) that will allow ROHA to preparemore precise questions. After ROHA receivesyour pre-interview survey, a staff member willcontact you to set up a convenient interview date.FALL 20099

C O V E R S T O R YMajor Frank ConwaySees His Career S oarBY BRIAN TOBIN RC ’96Major Frank Conway ENG ’89 was named Rutgers Distinguished Engineerfor 2009 by the Rutgers Engineering Society.Frank Conway ENG ’89 has mastered manyskills in life, but none better than knowing whento shift gears. After four semesters of electricalengineering at Rutgers, he realized this field wasn’t for him,and switched to industrial engineering, earning a five-yearbachelor’s degree. After starting his career with The PortAuthority of New York and New Jersey as an internal managementconsultant — and thoroughly enjoying the studieshe conducted on subjects as varied as the efficiency of thePA’s police department, a possible light rail system, andKennedy Airport’s arrival and departure schedules—he soonrealized his heart wasn’t entirely in that, either. What he reallywanted to do was fly professionally, and began researchingwhich of the Armed Services branches could provide theshortest route to that dream.To say his career has soared since then is no exaggeration— literally or figuratively. He is today Major Frank Conway,United States Marine Corps, and as an experimental testpilot has helped bring respectability to one of the military’sbiggest public relations headaches, the V-22 Osprey tiltrotoraircraft, which for years was pilloried in the press and thehalls of Congress. The Osprey is now, however, a highlyeffective member of the Marine Corps’ inventory, and in101766 MAGAZINE

Left: Kitty Hawk, NC - 100th Anniversary of Flight Airshow.(l to r) LtCol McCollum, MSgt Haak, SSgt Schneider, Maj Conway.recognition of Conway’s achievements onthis project and others throughout hisproud career, he was recently named theRutgers Distinguished Engineer for 2009by the Rutgers Engineering Society.“I was really honored and humbled tobe recognized for doing something I loveso much,” says Conway, who became oneof the youngest recipients of the RutgersDistinguished Engineer award, which hasbeen bestowed since 1960.Conway is not shy about sharing theseachievements with his alma mater. “I oweRutgers a debt of gratitude, and a greatdeal more,” he says, looking back fondlyon his five years on the banks. “I’m surethat if I hadn’t attended Rutgers, I wouldhave led a very different life. It probablywould have been safer, but much lessrewarding.”Rutgers Does Not DisappointThe decision of where to attend collegeleft Conway at the proverbial fork in theroad. He grew up in Lindenwold, NJ, inCamden County, with his parents Frankand Marian, and his older sister Erin, andattended Overbrook Regional High Schoolin Pine Hill. When it came time to pick aschool, he was torn between Rutgers andDrexel University in nearby Philadelphia.Go to Drexel, he reasoned, and he wouldhave been a commuter, never fully experiencingcollege life. Go to Rutgers andhe’d be able to carve out an identity forhimself and live away from home.Long discussions with his uncle andother family members helped seal thedeal. So did a visit to the Rutgers campusin New Brunswick his senior year of highschool. “When we pulled up in front ofKirkpatrick Church and I saw a classicexample of what a university should looklike, I knew that Rutgers was where Iwanted to be,” he smiles.That impression proved well founded.Even today, Conway reels off the namesof Rutgers haunts as if he were giving atour of the old neighborhood. “DavidsonDining Hall, Stuff Yer Face, Thomas“I owe Rutgers a deptof gratitude...I’m sure that if I hadn’tattended Rutgers, I wouldhave led a very differentlife. It probably wouldhave been safer, but muchless rewarding.”Sweets, and the Wooden Nickel were allgreat places,” he allows, “and, of course, Ican’t forget the grease trucks.” Ditto formemorable events like the Rutgers-PennState A-10 Championship basketballgame at the RAC in 1989, and the greattimes he had as a brother at Sigma PhiEpsilon fraternity.“My closest friends to this day are theguys I met during my freshman year incollege,” he says, underscoring his pointwith mirthful stories about what thosefriends were doing then and now.Frank with his dad, Frank J. Conway, at theRutgers vs Michigan State game in 2004.Putting His Skills to the TestFollowing his graduation from Rutgersand a stint with The Port Authority of NewYork and New Jersey, he took a radicalcareer turn (and 70 percent pay cut) byjoining the U.S. Marines at 27 years ofage. He was designated a naval aviator in1995, given assignments in Okinawa andPensacola, and then selected to attendthe U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. Thingsreally got interesting after that with hisassignment to the Rotary Wing TestSquadron 21 as a developmental testpilot for the V-22 Osprey.“It’s important to understand the role ofa test pilot,” insists Conway. “The test pilotis both a pilot and an engineer. It’s his orher job to translate what’s happening inthe air to the on-ground engineer. Thisinformation is then used to makechanges for future flights and aircraftContinued on page 12FALL 2009 11

Frank Conway from page 11development. So, you need to be askilled pilot and have tremendous observationalskills.”Those requirements were more thanput to the test with the V-22 Osprey.Twenty-five years in development, theOsprey was the world’s first productiontiltrotor aircraft with both vertical takeoffand landing (VTOL) and short takeoff andlanding (STOL) capabilities. It wasdesigned and manufactured by BellHelicopter, in cooperation with BoeingRotocraft Systems, and its primary userswere the U.S. Marine Corps and Air Force.During its long and controversial development,the Osprey drew considerable fireon grounds it was unsafe, overpriced andinadequate for the job at hand.Into this fray stepped Major Conway in2001 as a developmental test pilot, havingearned a master’s degree from AuburnUniversity in 1998. In this key role, he leda team of 60 engineers, maintainers andflight crews in high-risk testing of theV-22’s icing protection system, a criticalphase in the aircraft’s development.“As a member of the training, icing andcrew systems integrated product teams, Ianalyzed and developed new displaysand aircraft control laws alongside Bell-Boeing engineers,” he recalls. As part ofthat task, he flew more than 250 hours oftest flights that expanded the V-22’s flightenvelope; worked with NAVAIR engineersto issue initial flight clearances; and wasFrank with his Rutgers buddies Kevin Ruscitti(CoE 1989) and Brian Lowery (CoE 1988).Maj. Conway answers questions at the 100thAnniversary of Flight Airshow - the first publicdemonstration of an Osprey since Paris in 1995.the lead author for a number of sectionsof the aircraft’s flight manual.“The icing test flights were easily themost rewarding flying I’ve ever done,”Major Conway reveals. Not long aftercompletion of these trials, he was namedOperational Test Director, then OperationsOfficer, with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Testand Evaluation Squadron 22, overseeingoperational and integrated testing ofthe V-22. This work produced the dataand analysis required by Congress toauthorize the aircraft for war deployment,including combat duty in Iraq.Since then, the Osprey V-22 hasbecome a veritable workhorse in Iraq,used for routine cargo and troop movementsas well as for riskier “aero-scout”missions. General David Petraeus, theformer top U.S. military commander in Iraq,hopped aboard an Osprey on ChristmasDay 2007 to visit troops around thecountry, while then-presidential candidateObama flew in the Osprey during hishigh-profile tour of Iraq in 2008. The onlyproblem of any significance that’s croppedup has been obtaining spare parts tomaintain the aircraft.Thanks to the tireless work and determinationof Major Conway and hundredsof other experienced professionals, theV-22 has indeed managed to beat itsone-time bad rap. It has become a safe,dependable and effective addition to theMarine Corps’ airborne fleet, as evidencedby the fact it has met its stringent performanceobjectives.What will Rutgers’ high-flying ace do forTaking a break during a motorcycle tour throughthe mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee.an encore after this huge career success?Conway doesn’t have a clue. But onething is certain based on his sterling trackrecord as a test pilot and leader over theyears: the sky is the limit. 121766 MAGAZINE

U N D E R G R A D U AT E C O M M I T T E E S P O T L I G H TReady. Set. Network!BY JOYCE ESSIG LC ’05Looking to connect with otherprofessionals in a fun setting,and help students get a headstart on their careers in the process?The RAA’s Undergraduate Committeehas an opportunity for you. It’s calledRutgers Speed Networking, and the paybackis quite attractive. Held in conjunctionwith the Livingston Alumni Associationand Rutgers Career Services, the annualevent enables both students and alumnito interact with dozens of working professionals.During the course of a very busyevening, participants learn more aboutwhat these professionals do, while gainingvaluable insights and advice that canhelp them in their own careers.Top: Janet Jones from Rutgers Career Servicesand Gino Gentile RC ’80. Above (l to r): Membersof Livingston Alumni Association Board ofDirectors– Michael Middleton, president MartySiederer, first vice president Jason Goldstein,and board secretary Eric SchwarzMore than 150 students and 75 alumni participated in the Speed Networking Event held last year.Speed networking is very similar to thewildly popular speed dating. It consists ofbrief, three-minute conversations thatstudents have with alumni and employersin fields as diverse as law, education,entertainment, communications, engineeringand business. Once the time isup, the students move on to the next professional,then the next, ultimately givingthem the chance to cover the waterfrontwhen it comes to career choices, adviceand tools for communicating with professionals.Following the one-hour speednetworking session, there is a break-outcomponent where students can hone inon contacts or business fields they aremost interested in pursuing.“The event is designed to teachstudents the art of networking, which isa critical job search skill set,” says JanetJones, senior associate director of RutgersCareer Services.The Concept Takes OffIn April 2006, CareerBuilder.com contactedRutgers about hosting the first-everspeed networking event. “The first eventdidn’t go very well,” recalls UndergraduateCommittee co-chair Gino Gentile RC ’80.“We liked the idea, though, and wanted tosee how we could make it better.”“The event isdesigned to teachstudents the artof networking, whichis a critical jobsearch skill set.”— Janet JonesSr. Associate Director, Rutgers Career ServicesSo began a spirited marketing campaignled by the Undergraduate Committeethat involved the Targum; handing outflyers across campus; and enlistingstudents like Gentile’s daughter Alyssa toact as speed networking ambassadors tofind out what people thought of theContinued on page 14FALL 200913

Speed Networking from page 13concept. The campaign worked like acharm. Speed networking soon took holdon campus, and Rutgers became a pioneerin planning and staging these highlyrewarding events. Before long, schoolslike University of Hartford and NJIT werereaching out to Rutgers for information onhow to do speed networking.Rutgers Speed NetworkingWednesday, December 2ndBusch Campus Center – 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.Registration and light dinner for alumni begins at 6:00 p.m.Register online at www.rutgersalumni.orgor call 732-932-7474Over the past few years, the event hasblossomed at Rutgers with the introductionof resume critique clinics and careerworkshops. And in December 2008, theRAA, together with Rutgers Career Servicesand the Livingston Alumni Association,organized the most successful speednetworking event to date with more than150 students and 75 alumni professionals.For the first time, the committee seededthe audience with employers, but did nottell anybody. That way, students could speakfreely – in effect, do impromptu job interviews— without the stress and nervousnessthat can come with a formal sit-down.Students did have the chance at the end tosubmit their resumes to employers.High PaybackWhat does the Rutgers communitythink of speed networking? Surveys showthat 90 percent of the feedback is positive.For students, the event teaches them howto connect and develop relationships, andforces them to interact with strangers.What professional alumni take away fromthe event is the chance to network andshare with others, and help studentsprepare for their careers.Anecdotally, the events are known tohave a high return, with participants beinginvited to job interviews and, in somecases, hired. In other cases, students havechanged careers paths as a result of insightsgained at speed networking.This year’s Rutgers Speed Networkingevent will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 2at the Busch Campus Center from 7:30to 9:30 p.m. Alumni and employer volunteerscan arrive early to enjoy a lightdinner and program warm up between 6and 7 p.m. The event is open to Rutgersstudents and alumni. Door prizes andother giveaways make it an even morefestive occasion.Alumni volunteers are urgently neededto help accommodate the growingnumbers of participating students. To signup or to learn more about the event, visithttp://www.rutgersalumni.org/ Several tips for gettingthe most out of aspeed networking event:• Go in with an open mind. Youmight meet somebody in a fieldyou have no interest in, yet findout in the course of conversationthey can really help you.• Relax and have fun. This eventhelps participants master theinformal banter that takes placeduring an interview. It also givesstudents the chance to talk outloud and think things through.14 1766 MAGAZINE

A Huge Musical TalentTakes Root in New BrunswickBy R.P. DUNLEAVY RC ’05, SCILS ‘05The road that took Sean JonesMGSA ’04 from elementaryschool music teacher in Ohio tobig-time jazz recording artist on nationaltour made its most important stop in NewBrunswick. With Rutgers providing anexpansive arena for learning, the surroundingcity nightlife offered Jones anexciting venue to test and hone his buddingmusical talents.At local restaurants and clubs such asNova Terra, Northstar Café, Old Bay andDelta’s, as well as inside the walls ofMason Gross School of the Arts, a musicalcareer took root and began to draw thesame extraordinary praise that it does today.Five years following his graduation,Sean Jones is an acclaimed trumpeterand one of jazz’s youngest and brighteststars. He recently released his fifth andmost complex album and accepted a jobas Artistic Director of the Cleveland JazzSean with Mason Gross professor Ralph Bowenat the Blue Note for ‘Rutgers in New York’.“Sean is a shiningexample of the successof our jazz program...and his continuedcommitment to Rutgers andMason Gross is impressiveand heart-warming.”— George B. StaufferDean, Mason Gross School of the ArtsOrchestra. What does all this mean toJones at the tender age of 31? Simplythat he’s living out a dream that began inthe fifth grade, continued with his undergraduatestudies at Youngstown StateUniversity, and really began to blossom assoon as he landed a Ralph BuncheFellowship allowing him to further hiseducation under the tutelage of the jazzsavvyminds at Rutgers..“The attention to detail that I learnedfrom Professor Bill Fielder was somethingvery new to me at that time,” recallsJones, who refers to his Mason Grossexperience as a “turning point” in hiscareer. “He was extremely meticulousand helped me to create a certain polishedapproach to my playing. I alsolearned how to become a better writer—something I really hadn’t delved into—with the help of Professors Stanley Cowelland Ralph Bowen. The connections theyhad to the New York scene really helpedspur my career.”While perfecting his skills in the classroomby day, Jones began applying themfour nights a week at gigs in NewBrunswick. His cohorts were other talentedmusicians living in the same Cook Campusdormitory. The group included Lee Hogans,who later joined the pop band Prince,and Melvin Jones, who became Directorof Bands at Morehouse College.”There’s plenty of work available tomusicians in New Brunswick,” Jonesexplains. “And when I wasn’t doing that,we just hung out and practiced togetherfor hours. We took the same classes,even ate together, and developed acamaraderie that’s very rare.”The Start of a Sweet SoundListen to Jones play the trumpet, andthe sounds that fill the air tell the story ofhis multifaceted background. A fluid stylecelebrating classical training and thesoulfulness of gospel music are mixedwith the rhythmic feel of jazz to createJones’ trademark sound. “A talent towatch and listen for, trumpeter SeanJones can play with the intensity of ademon or the beauty of an angel, aswitnessed in his soulful recordings,” ravesreview editor Mark F. Turner of the Website Allaboutjazz.com.Raised in Warren, Ohio as part of astrict church-going family, Jones’ introductionto music came as a choir singer. Butafter hearing a family tale about his greatgreatgrandfather being a wartime bugler,Continued on page 16FALL 200915

Sean Jones from page 15Jones switched to the trumpet. It fit hischildhood desire to stand out from thecrowd which, in this instance, was youngboys eager to beat on drums.From these roots, Jones developed ahumility which he wears today like a welltailored suit. He believes he was given agift and is merely doing what he was“meant to do” as part of a bigger purpose.His grand gift was on local display in Aprilwhen he reunited with members of hisalma mater’s faculty jazz ensemble aspart of a “Rutgers in New York” event.“For me, the definition of luck is varied,”Jones declares. “Some people believe youget a break and that’s it. I believe luck iswhere preparation and opportunity meet.I tried to seek out opportunities and I triedto be prepared when they came.”Indeed, since graduating from Rutgers,Jones has jumped nimbly from opportunityto opportunity, joining the Mack Avenuerecording label, becoming first trumpetin the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and“Because of thefreedom and supportI had at Rutgers, I wasreally able to honemy skills and be the bestmusician I possibly could...and my career hasdefinitely benefited.”— Sean Jonesbeing named a professor at DuquesneUniversity. He has made the most of thegilded network he formed with legends inNew York and Philadelphia. Living equidistantbetween the two jazz hubsopened twice the number of doors.Charles Fambrough, for example, metJones at Northstar and was the first artistto ask him to contribute to an album.Professor Fielder introduced Jones toWynton Marsalis, who later tapped him forthe premium position at Lincoln Center.“Sean Jones is a shining example of thesuccess of our jazz program,” beamsGeorge B. Stauffer, dean of Mason GrossSchool of the Arts. “He has ascendedthrough the jazz world to become afeatured performer of ‘Jazz at LincolnCenter.’ It doesn’t get better than that.Sean was an outstanding player during hisyears at Mason Gross and his continuedcommitment to Rutgers and Mason Grossis impressive and heart-warming.”Growth as a MusicianThe release of his latest work, “TheSearch Within,” prompts Jones to reflecton his evolution as a musician— and onthe tremendous strides he has madesince jazz publications attached the label“rising star” to his name.“This album is a focus on my composition,”he offers, while pinpointing hismilestone 30th birthday as a reason forwanting to expand his horizons. “I’ve triedconcepts on my other albums, but thisparticular record is my vision throughcomposition totally.”By experimenting with a new focus,Jones uncovered things previouslyunknown about his talent. “It’s a journeythrough a third of my life,” he elaborates.“I was looking to challenge myself anddive more into my composition to reallycreate a sound that is the Sean Jonesstyle of playing.”That style is beautiful music to the earof Stanley Cowell, who came to MasonGross in 2000 and serves as jazz chairman.Cowell, who coincidentally taught Jonesafter playing with him in a festival justmonths before the budding artist arrivedat Rutgers, helped to impart an advancedknowledge of composition, which is richlydemonstrated in “The Search Within.”“During my tenure at Rutgers, no otherstudent has come through who is onSean’s level,” lauds Cowell. “You can seeit in his command of the instrument, hiscommand of the jazz repertoire, and hisexcellence in virtually everthing he’s tackledsince his days at Rutgers.”Packing up those lessons and memoriesand bringing them home to the Midwestis the latest phase of a well-thought-outmaster plan. As the next step, Jones isaudaciously leaving the epicenter of thejazz world and voluntarily giving up a jobthat many of his peers would sell theirbeloved instruments to have. Why takesuch a risk? The desire to enrich his nativecommunity through his leadership of theCleveland Jazz Orchestra is just too great.“New York is a place you go to honeyour skills, but it was never a goal ofmine to stay there,” he says, his exuberancebuilding as he speaks. “I think thenext big step for me is being in controlof an organization that I can help build.I want to build up the quality of jazz musicin Cleveland and find a way to createsome of the same opportunities for kidsthat I had.”Without those opportunities, theremight have been no full scholarship toRutgers for Sean Jones. There might havebeen no living stipend to survive in NewBrunswick. And most importantly, theremight have been no jumpstart to a careerthat is becoming more celebrated witheach passing achievement.“Because of the freedom and supportthat I had at Rutgers, I was really able tohone my skills and be the best musicianI possibly could,” he explains. ”Thatfellowship allowed me to concentrate onstudying, and my career has definitelybenefited.”His fans couldn’t be happier. 161766 MAGAZINE

Even a tradition-bound event like Reunion Weekend can be re-energized withexciting new features and activities. That was certainly proven this past Maywhen nearly 1,800 alumni who returned to the banks for Rutgers Reunion2009 celebrated the first-ever Reunion Block Party on Voorhees Mall, complete withmusic, games for all ages, a giant barbecue under tents, and plenty of laughter andstory-swapping among classmates who hadn’t seen each other in years. Prior to that,celebrants marched under their scarlet class banners—stretching back to 1939—aspart of the traditional alumni parade, which this year took a different route, ending upat the foot of Willie the Silent.The spotlight shifted later in theday to alumni associationmeetings, tours of the campus,and the capstone to the galaweekend, class dinners. By thetime it ended with Sunday’sReunion Breakfast at BrowerCommons, it was hard to findan alumnus who didn’t agree:Reunion Weekend 2009 was afantastic success, and a greatreason to look forward toRutgers Reunion 2010! Reunion Award WinnersREUNION PARADE SPIRT AWARDSFirst Place: Class of 1959Second Place: Class of 1969Third Pace: Rutgers Alumni BandOUTGOING ALUMNI TRUSTEE AWARDBob Frisch RC ’782008 ALUMNI TRUSTEE AWARDBob Eichert ‘78SCARLET AWARDCassie Kingsbury RC ’11CLASS OF 1931 AWARDEllen Yu RC ’99WALTER H. SEWARD CLASS OF 1917REUNION SPIRIT AWARDAthena AngelusFALL 200917

When the Class of ’59 Came Marching InBY MEL SILVERSTEIN RC ’59, CLASS PRESIDENTWe were delighted by the fact nearly100 of our classmates returned to thebanks to celebrate our 50th reunion. Thegala weekend began early Friday morningfor 16 of our group who played in theRobert Marguccio Reunion Golf Tournament,winning the team low gross andseveral individual prizes.That evening, the Old Guard Dinner—the crown jewel of the weekend—brought out an additional 50 spouses andsignificant others. We’re told that the 150‘59ers who attended were the largestgroup for this event in years. We got theevening off to a rousing start by struttinginto the dinner singing “When ‘59 ComesMarching In,” to the tune of “When theSaints Go Marching In,” led by our irrepressibleclass conductor, Dick DeVany.Adding to the evening’s memories andlaughs was a PowerPoint show created byAlumni Relations featuring photos from1959 and the 1959 Rutgers yearbook.Saturday turned out to be a perfect dayfor a parade, and our class turned out inthe colorful uniforms we had chosen—blue blazer, tan slacks, red tie and tanGatsby cap embroidered with the block Rand 1959 — to lead the marchers downCollege Avenue and past the reviewingstand at the foot of Willie the Silent.Needless to say, our class was the unanimouschoice for the parade spirit awardafter serenading the judges with severalchoruses of Vive les Rutgers Sons.Our class dinner held at the NeilsonDining Hall on Saturday evening wasanother truly memorable event. DouglasGreenberg RC ’69, Executive Dean ofthe School of Arts and Sciences, was ourguest speaker, and I recounted as classpresident the significant events that tookplace at RU from our freshman year in1955 through our graduation. We proudlyannounced at the dinner our classes’$402,000 reunion gift to the University,which will fund an endowed scholarshipto be awarded to a junior on the NewBrunswick campus. The gift also bestows$10,000 on the English DepartmentWriter’s House and another $10,000 onthe Energy Institute at SEBS at Cook.By the time it was all over, the verdictwas unanimous: it was a great reunionweekend and a great stage-setter for our55th in 2014.18 1766 MAGAZINE

For the Class of ’69,40 Years of Catching UpBY JIM CUVIELLO RC ’69And a good time was had by all! Thesefew simple words summarize our wonderful40th Reunion this past May.Dozens of alumni from the Class Of1969 converged on the banks for aweekend of celebration. This gave us anopportunity to rekindle the commonbond of our days at Rutgers, renewfriendships, relate our life stories, andshare fond memories.The weekend began Friday eveningwith many classmates and their guestsenjoying gourmet food, fine wine, andBroadway tunes at the Student Center.The fellowship continued the next day atthe continental breakfast on the hill at OldQueens. Our departed classmates wereremembered at the Memorial ChapelService and with a reading of their namesprior to our dinner.After the service, we closed ranks byour class banner for the parade. GrandMarshall, SAS Executive Dean and classmateDoug Greenberg joined us in ourmarch to Willie the Silent and the luncheon.The RAA meeting followed and thenmany classmates attended tours or simplyregrouped to enjoy each other’s company.Winants Hall was the site of our classdinner, at which Class Vice PresidentBruce Hubbard proposed the toast andFr. Phil Mahalic gave the invocation.Elections of class officers were held. Eachclassmate received a CD produced byJohn Baker that contained news reports,popular music, and Rutgers songs fromour college era. Retiring Class CorrespondentBob Masiello was thanked for his15 years of service in that position. DougGreenberg briefed us on the currentgoings-on at Rutgers, and displays ofmemorabilia were available for all to see.There was also an update on our 40thReunion Campaign. Almost $400,000has been raised to date.Thanks to Reunion Committee members:Chairman George Berlet, John Baker,Mike Barr, Bruce Hubbard, Bob Masiello,Paul Reagan and Ralph Zemel. Alsothanks to our 40th Reunion CampaignCommittee: Co-Chairmen Bruce Hubbardand Ralph Zemel, Dick Askin, JohnBaker, David Clough, Doug Greenberg,Tad Kallini, Bob Masiello and Tom McKay.We all had a magnificent reunion andlook forward to our 45th .I N M E M O R I A MSteven Ostro ENG ’69Steven Ostro ENG ’69, a senior research scientistat NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory inPasadena, California, died of pneumonia aftera lengthy battle with cancer. Dr. Ostro createdthe field of asteroid radar astronomy that hasallowed scientists to not only measure theorbits of near-earth asteroids with exquisiteprecision, but provide images of astoundingresolution and beauty. On the heels of apersonal invitation from famed astronomerDr. Carl Sagan, he became an assistant professorof astronomy at Cornell in 1979 beforemoving to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory sixyears later and beginning the lifelong workthat would eventually brand him as the leaderin the highly specialized field of asteroid radarastronomy. In addition to his leading-edgeasteroid research, Dr. Ostro was part of theCassini-Huygens RADAR team that observedthe icy satellites of Jupiter and Saturn. Hisseminal work on the surface properties of theGalilean satellites led to the development ofnew models to explain how electromagneticradiation interacts with ice. Dr. Ostro issurvived by his wife of 40 years, Jeannie, a1971 graduate of Douglass College whom hemet while attending Rutgers, and their threechildren, Marguerite, Brian and Julianna.FALL 200919

How do the men who posed for the1983 Knights of Rutgers black-and-whitecalendar feel today about their erstwhilemodeling experience?Catching Upwith theKnights of RutgersBY MARC RESNICK RC ’83, GSM ’89Istill remember the night thatLee Gruhin RC ’84 and Ithought of the idea. While studyingat the Owl’s Roost, we read that theUniversity of Arizona had put out a men’scalendar, and thought this would be agreat way for us to get some first-handbusiness experience. So we talked calendarstrategy at night and spent the next30 days working almost around the clockto bring our idea to life. As Lee put it,“We were possessed and needed to takeadvantage of a good idea quickly.”The result was the Knights of Rutgerscalendar, which came out in December1983. We learned some valuable marketinglessons along the way. First, neverlaunch a calendar in December, whenJose Tages PH ’85 with his wife and four children.most retailers are returning unsold calendars.Indeed, our sales collapsed after thestart of the new year, and I’m sure weproduced far too many (5,000) copies.We also learned that the black and whitephotography we used for the Knights“It’s led to someawkward moments overthe years... My wifeloves to bring the calendarout during partiesat our house...”— Scott Perry RC ’84Mr. Marchof Rutgers calendar was much lessmarketable than a color format. That realizationled us to color photos – alongwith a slightly more risqué style – forThe Women of Rutgers poster/calendarproject, which we launched in early 1984.In the last issue of 1766 I reported onthe 25th anniversary of The Women ofRutgers calendar, catching up with someof the beautiful coeds who posed backthen for my camera. Why deny theKnights of Rutgers the same recognition,we asked ourselves, even if the silveranniversary of their calendar passed withoutany fanfare? So, in that spirit, I set outto track down and interview as many ofthe original male models as I possiblycould. With the help of a Facebook 25thanniversary fan page and the RutgersAlumni directory, I found 10 of the 12(see our side bar article for updatedprofiles on eight of the group). I was frustrated—thoughnot surprised — that noteveryone wanted to participate. Whatemerged from my conversations withthose who did, however, is an interestingretrospective on campus life, and how itleaves an indelible imprint on all of us inways that are sometimes serious, sometimesquite amusing.Jose Tages PH ’85 and Luis Moro LC’89 fondly recall their calendar caper (itmay be no coincidence that both grew upin the same neighborhood and are stillfriends). “My college roommate to this daycalls me Mr. January,” laughs Jose, whonow owns a pharmacy in Union City. Nordoes Luis, who is an award-winning filmmaker,have any regrets. “It actually had apositive impact on my life at Rutgers,” hetold me. “Thanks to the calendar, everyoneat Rutgers instantly knew who I was.”Don Oettinger RC ’83 and MarkFabyanski LC ’84 also smile at theirone-time stints as male calendar models.“It was actually fun,” remembers Don,who nowadays runs his own scrap metaltrading business. “A number of peoplerecognized me from the calendar, which Iwasn’t expecting. I'm a pretty reservedLuis Moro LC ’89 and his wife, Barbara Miller-Moro, are award-winning filmmakers.20 1766 MAGAZINE

What are the Knightsof Rutgers doing nowadays?guy, but I’m still glad I did it.” I personallyremember Mark (“Fabs,” as we called him)because we were both brothers at LambdaChi Alpha, and I coaxed him into having hispictures taken on the side of our fraternityhouse. Catching up with Fabs after manyyears, he told me “The pictures were prettygoofy—can you believe the wrist bands! —but it was a fun experience. My wife and Isometimes joke about my being 'Mr.September' and the fact that her birthday,just coincidentally, is in September.”Todd Hixson RC ’84 remembers hiscalendar experience with wry amusement.He was involved in a variety of acting andmodeling projects at the time, and the sameweek the Knights of Rutgers calendarcame out — featuring him as ‘Mr. August’—he was in a play that was reviewed in TheTargum while also appearing in the paper’sfashion issue. “My friends started callingme ‘Mr. Media,’” he recalls. “It got to be alittle ridiculous, at least by the standards ofon-campus public relations, and I wasembarrassed.”Scott Perry RC ’84, a brother at DeltaUpsilon, also has mixed emotions about hismale modeling venture. “It's led to someawkward moments over the last ten years,"he confesses. “My wife loves to bring thecalendar out during parties at our housewith friends, and they have a lot of fun withthe fact I was 'Mr. March' back in 1983.”I caught up with other 'Knights' whoposed some 26 years ago, and were justas happy not to resurrect the experience,nor to be quoted in this article. I respecttheir wishes, even if I don't entirely agreewith them. As I see it, the Knights ofRutgers calendar is an undeniable — andnot insignificant — part of their college legacy.It certainly is part of mine.Search "The Knights of Rutgers" or "The Womenof Rutgers" on Facebook to view never-beforepublished photos and videos.Jose Tages (Mr. January)Married to his Rutgers college sweetheart, Jose has fourchildren and owns a pharmacy in Union City, the townwhere he grew up.Dino Mastropietro (Mr. February)Married with two children, Dino is a partner in his ownlaw firm, Lozner & Mastropietro, located in Brooklyn,where he attended law school.Scott Perry (Mr. March)Married with three children, Scott worked for Coca Colafor 14 years before starting his own vending machinebusiness 10 years ago.Don Oettinger (Mr. April)After graduating from Rutgers, Don lived in Israel,where he met his wife. They now reside in south Jerseyand have three sons. Don runs a scrap metal tradingbusiness.Patrick Hughes (Mr. July)Married with four children (two boys and two girls),Patrick earned MBA and JD degrees from St. John’sUniversity. Today he’s president of GuggenheimAdvisors, an investment management firm in midtownManhattan.Todd Hixson (Mr. August)After receiving his MBA from Yale University, Todd pursuedhealthcare finance. He is now Associate ExecutiveDirector at a community hospital in New York City, andis married with two girls.Mark Fabyanski (Mr. September)Married with two boys, Mark is a managing partner withNew View Home Exteriors. He relaxes by playing drumsin the band Group Therapy.Luis Moro (Mr. October)Luis is an award winning filmmaker, stand-up comedianand international activist in the field of Cuban-U.S.policies. He's the producer and co-writer of his nextfilm (with Oscar-winner Sir Ben Kingsley) and madehistory with the first and only U.S. film shot in Cuba in50 years (see www.MoroFilms.com Luis is marriedand has five children.Marc Resnick (Co-creator) www.marcresnickphotography.comMarc and his wife have three sons, including identical twins born in February 2009.He is an online consultant (previously at Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, now J&J) aswell as a photographer and is developing a number of feature film projects.Lee Gruhin (Co-creator)Married with identical twin boys, Lee received his MBA at Boston College. He iscurrently director/global lead, Financial Planning & Analysis, with Pfizer’s real estateorganization.FALL 200921

S P O R T S U P D A T EBY JOHN WOODING RC ’78‘Changing of the Guard’ ForRutgers FootballNever has college football enjoyedas much popularity as it doestoday, and one of the majorappeals of the game is “change.” Every year,there are new stars to root for as seasonedveterans move on to graduation and lifeafter college, with younger student-athletesready to step in and establish themselves.This rite of passage is no different for theRutgers football team in the 2009 season.The Scarlet Knights, who closed out2008 with seven straight wins and theirthird consecutive bowl championship, sawthe NFL draft a record five players from thatTrue freshman Tom Savage takes over atquarterback for the Scarlet Knights.team, including record setting quarterbackMike Teel and first round pick, wide receiverKenny Britt.“That's the thing I love about collegefootball. That happens,” head coach GregSchiano said during the 2009 pre-season.“Now, it's an opportunity.”Among those seizing that opportunityfor the Scarlet Knights in 2009 have been asteady stream of younger players, such asquarterback Tom Savage and wide receiverMohamed Sanu, a pair of true freshmen.Savage became only the fifth quarterback inRutgers history to start as a true freshmanfor the Scarlet Knights and became just thesecond true freshman signal caller to win agame for the Scarlet Knights when he engineeredRutgers’ 45-7 win over Howard onSept. 12. He joined Ryan Hart (2002/4 starts),Ryan Cubit (2001/11 starts), Mike McMahon(1997/5 starts) and Jacque LaPrairie (1981/1start) as the only true freshmen to start atquarterback in school history for Rutgers.Sanu became the first true freshman tostart at wide receiver in his first game forthe Scarlet Knights, when he did so in theseason opener against Cincinnati. It was amemorable debut for Sanu, who caught themost passes ever by a true freshman widereceiver, with 10 receptions for 101 yards.Sanu is just the fourth true freshman to startat wide receiver for Rutgers since Schianobecame head coach in 2001.Redshirt freshman D.C. Jefferson madea successful transition from quarterback totight end for the Scarlet Knights. After makingthe move to TE in preseason camp,Jefferson broke through on the depth chartMohamed Sanu caught the most passes by a truefreshman in his first career start at Rutgers with10 receptions for 101 yards vs. Cincinnati.and was the starter for the Scarlet Knightsagainst Howard and Florida Internationalearly in the season. He hauled in a 46-yardpass from Tom Savage on the first footballthrown his way.True freshman running back De’AntwanWilliams got his collegiate career off to agood start with 89 rushing yards on 14 carriesvs. Howard. The Woodbridge, Va., nativeaveraged 6.4 yards per carry vs. the Bison.Other freshmen who made impressionsin the early going and broke through on thedepth chart include red-shirt freshmen ScottVallone, a starter at defensive tackle, as wellas wide receivers Marcus Cooper and TimWright, offensive tackle Devon Watkis,safety Khaseem Greene, and true freshmanlinebacker Steve Beauharnais. Sophomore guard Mike Rosario set the Rutgersfreshman all-time scoring mark with 517 points.2009-10 Men’s Basketball Schedule AnnouncedThe Rutgers men's basketball team plays 18 home games as part of a 2009-10 regular season schedule that features 15 opponents that earned postseasonberths in 2008-09. In addition to the always tough BIG EAST Conference slate, theScarlet Knights play five non-conference foes from New Jersey, as well as defendingnational champion North Carolina in a nationally televised (ESPN2) contest fromChapel Hill on Monday, Dec. 28.The meeting with the Tar Heels will mark the second time in three seasonsunder fourth-year head coach Fred Hill that RU has played a defending NCAAchampion on the road. The Scarlet Knights met Florida in Gainesville in 2007-08.The Scarlet Knights begin the season by hosting Marist in a 2:00 p.m. tip-off onSaturday, November 14. It marks the second consecutive year that Rutgers begins itsregular season by playing the Red Foxes at the RAC. Rutgers opens BIG EAST competitionby hosting Cincinnati on Saturday, Jan. 2. For complete schedule andtelevision information, visit www.scarletknights.com22 1766 MAGAZINE

Rutgers Football BoastsBrains and BrawnBy now, everyone’s familiar with theprowess of Rutgers’ football team on thefield. Less well know is the fact it’s alsoleaving its mark in the classroom. For thesecond consecutive year, the ScarletKnights were ranked third in the nation inthe Academic Progress Rate (APR),For the thirdconsecutive year, Rutgersfootball has the bestAPR mark of any stateuniversity in the nation.according to figures released by theNCAA. The Scarlet Knights have a fouryearAPR score of 980, which covers theacademic years 2004 through 2008.Stated head coach Greg Schiano,“Academic achievement and consistencyare priorities of our program. Our latestAPR score is a compliment to our student-athletes,coaches and academicsupport staff.”The top five Football Bowl Subdivision(FBS) institutions in the APR are Stanford(984), Air Force (983), Rutgers (980),Duke (980) and Rice (979). For the thirdconsecutive year, Rutgers football has thebest APR mark of any state university inthe nation.Rutgers was also the only institution inthe nation to have its football teamranked in the top 10 percent of the APRand win a bowl game in each of the lasttwo seasons. Rutgers defeated NorthCarolina State in the PapaJohns.comBowl to close out the 2008 season, andknocked off Ball State in the InternationalBowl the previous season.The APR provides a real-time look at ateam’s academic success each semesteror quarter by tracking the academicprogress of each student-athlete. TheAPR includes in its calculations eligibility,retention, and graduation and provides aclear picture of the academic culture ineach sport. High-performing teamsreceiving public recognition awards thisyear posted APR scores ranging from976 to a perfect 1,000.Days before her induction into the Naismith MemorialBasketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., C. VivianStringer (above, with Athletic Director Tim Pernetti) wasrecognized at halftime during Rutgers’ football seasonopener on Sept. 7, 2009.Remembering Les Unger RC ’52,Long-Time Sports PromoterHe didn’t have the name recognition ofthe many student-athletes he helped promoteduring his years at Rutgers, but asone of the top behind-the-scenes promotersof the school’s athletic programs hisefforts impacted many lives.Les Unger, who graduated fromRutgers in 1952, was Sports InformationDirector for his alma mater from 1955 to1974. He passed away in April, at age 77,in Colorado Springs, Colorado.Unger helped promote many greatstudent-athletes and teams during hisyears at Rutgers. Among the most memorablewas the 1961 undefeated Rutgersfootball team, which finished 9-0 andNo. 15 in the country, and the 1966-67men’s basketball team, which advanced tothe National Invitation Tournament’s (NIT)Final Four, Rutgers’ first-ever appearance ina national tournament. Among the manygreat athletes he promoted were footballAll-Americans Billy Austin and Alex Kroll,basketball All-American Bob Lloyd andbaseball All-American Jeff Torborg.In 1976, Unger was named Director ofPublic Relations at the Meadowlands.He worked there until 1990, helpingopen Giants Stadium in 1976 and theMeadowlands Arena (now known as theIzod Center) in 1981. He also served asDirector of College Athletics at theMeadowlands and assisted in bringingnumerous events to its facilities, includingthe Garden State Bowl and a variety ofNCAA Division I men’s basketball tournaments.After retiring from the Meadowlands,Unger worked part-time with the UnitedStates Golf Association (USGA) in itscommunications department. One of hisprimary responsibilities was serving as pressconference moderator at USGA championshipevents, including the U.S. Open.“Les was a ‘Rutgers guy’ his entire life,”noted Dick Lloyd, former Director ofAlumni Relations at Rutgers, who alsoserved as men’s basketball coach. “Hewas a Rutgers grad and a long-timeemployee who remained a loyal friend ofRutgers, its athletics program, and itsstudent-athletes.”FALL 200923

Rutgers Alumni AssociationPO Box 11320New Brunswick, NJ 08906Non-ProfitOrganizationUS PostagePAIDNew Brunswick, NJPermit No. 863RAA Calendar of EventsOCTOBER 200910/24 Rutgers Glee Club Alumni Concert8:00 p.m., Nicholas Music Center — FREE10/28 Rutgers Business Card Exchange6:30 to 8:30 p.m., the Rutgers Club — FREES A V E T H E D AT E !Go Wild!NOVEMBER 200911/10 RAA Board of Directors Meeting6:00 p.m., Brower Commons Faculty Dining RoomRutgers Charter Day — wear RED today!DECEMBER 200912/2 Rutgers Speed Networking NightBusch Campus Student CenterRegistration 6:00-7:00 p.m., Event starts at 7 p.m.JANUARY 20101/7 RAA Board of Directors Meeting6:00 p.m., Brower Commons Faculty Dining Room1/16 RAA Alumni Family Day9:00 a.m. College Avenue Gym AnnexTO REGISTER, OR FOR DETAILS ON ANYOF THESE EVENTS, CALL THE RAA AT732-932-7474 OR VISITwww.RutgersAlumni.orgat Alumni Family DayJanuary 16, 2010Join other alumni and their families as they gather atthe College Avenue Gym for the RAA’s annual FamilyDay event. Kids and adults alike will enjoy use of theindoor swimming pool and rock-climbing wall. Otheractivites may include a jungle-themed moonwalkbounce and elephant slide, basketball/soccer clinics,and various games — but the highlight of the day issure to be the traveling zoo show! A kid-friendlyluncheon will follow the morning activities, along witha surprise special guest appearance! Final detailsand registration information will be posted soon atwww.rutgersalumni.org.