Summer 2007 - Eagle Online - Niagara University

■ V O L U M E 2 3 , I S S U E 4 ■ S U M M E R 2 0 0 7 ■The CaritasCommandmentA New NUSpecial AnniversaryPhoto Section

PR E S I D E N T’S ME S S AG EAlumni tell us that they want to see more stories in theEagle about their fellow alumni. If that’s the case, andI truly believe it is, readers should be delighted withthis issue of the magazine. It’s full of stories about alumniwhose names should be familiar to readers. T h a t’s because theywe re introduced in the last issue as nominees for the CaritasMedal, the unive r s i t y’s honor for contemporary leaders whoe xemplify the charity of St. Vincent de Paul. The medals we rea w a rded at commencement in Ma y, and we’re following up onthe story by re p o rting more about the lives and contributionsof eight of the recipients. They are all interesting and wonderf u lstories. What adds to their interest is that several of the honore e s ,e ven while helping others, had to ove rcome serious pro b l e m sin their own live s .These are profiles of exceptional alumni, and Niagara hasmany of them. In future editions of the Eagle, we hope top rofile other graduates who have exceptional stories to tell.If you know of any NU alums who might make an inspirings t o ry for fellow Niagarans to read, please let us know. If ith a d n’t been for Je r ry No rton of the Class of 1964, for example,we might never have learned of James Schermerhorn’s careerchange and his medical assistance to countless people in wartorncountries around the globe.• • •While on the topic of interesting people, I note the passingof Father Tom McGourty, a much-loved confrere who was afavorite of many alumni. Because so many of you knew him,I’d like to add a footnote to his obituary, which you can readelsewhere in this magazine.As our mission statement notes, Niagara seeks to developwithin its students a passion for learning. Tom Mc Go u rty hada passion for learning. Not only did he stay current in his ow nfield of religious studies over more than two decades in theclassroom, but he also had an insatiable appetite for learningother things, especially history. He traveled frequently, andalways had interesting stories to tell about his experiencesand the new things he had learned.Into his 80s, he was still in search of knowledge. In thelast couple of years, for example, he had audited at least fourcourses in our own history department. One of his pro f e s s o r s ,Dr. Tom Chambers, had Father Tom most recently in a classon the Civil Wa r. “He was a welcome presence, and alwayshad interesting comments,” Dr. Chambers said. “He was ve ryengaged. He would listen to the students, and the students re a l l ye n j oyed having him in the class. He fit right in.”The history department so enjoyed Father To m’s part i c i p a t i o nin classes that it inducted him into Phi Alpha Theta, the Na t i o n a lHi s t o ry Honor So c i e t y. In t e re s t i n g l y, but not surprisingly, Fa t h e rFather Levesque celebrated the 40th anniversary of hiso rdination during a Mass at Alumni Chapel on July 15.During his homily, he offered the following pra yer: “OGod, pre s e rve your mercy and compassion in us so thatw h o e ver sees a Vincentian can say, ‘T h e re goes a personwho is full of merc y.’” Father Levesque was first assigned toNU in 1970. He served as dean of the College of Arts andSciences from 1978 to 1986 and has been the unive r s i t y’sp resident since Ja n u a ry of 2000.Tom had inquired about taking a course in the fall on the At l a n t i cWorld. He truly was an inspiration as a priest, as a teacher and asa lifelong learner.• • •When we announced the beginning of the public phase ofthe capital campaign in May, we also unveiled a new masterplan for the campus. Since we’re asking friends and alumni tosupport the $80-million campaign, called “The Promise ofNiagara ... The next 150 years,” it’s important that they knowwhat the future holds for the campus. The display of arc h i t e c t u r a lrenderings that rimmed the Castellani Art Museum generated ag reat deal of excitement from those on hand for the campaigne vent. So we’re happy to feature them in this magazine, hopingthey will generate enthusiastic support as Niagara Universitybegins development of the campus of the future.Take a look at the plans, and feel free to let me know what yo uthink. As always, I welcome your thoughts at jll@niagara.edu.Joseph L. Levesque, C.M.Pre s i d e n t

2 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLEEXPLORING CHINA’SEDUCATIONAL MARKETAc c o rding to the World To u r i s mOrganization, China is going tobe the number one tourismdestination by 2010. Niagara Un i ve r s i t y’sCollege of Hospitality and To u r i s mManagement is hoping to capitalize on thisby developing programs in China that willenhance job opportunities for its graduates.Through the efforts of Dr. ZongqingZhou, associate professor of hospitalityand tourism management, the collegehosted a delegation from China’s XiamenUn i versity on May 1 to explore opport u n i t i e sfor articulation agreements, student andfaculty exchanges, study-abroad programs,and research partnerships. The delegation,headed by the associate dean of the Collegeof Business at Xiamen Un i ve r s i t y, includedthree professors from its hospitality andtourism program.Zhou, who is originally from China,frequently lectures and conducts seminarsat several universities in China. In 2002,he and Dr. Gary Praetzel, dean of thecollege, went to China for a fact-findingtrip to get a first-hand look at China’stourism education market.ENTERTAINER CHITA RIVERA RECEIVESNIAGARA UNIVERSITY DEGREEChita Rivera, internationalstar of stage, film andtelevision, received anhonorary Doctor of Fine Artsd e g ree from Niagara Un i ve r s i t yon May 30 during a specialc o n vocation at the Bu f f a l oC l u b. The event followe dR i ve r a’s performance thatevening of her show, “ChitaR i vera: The Da n c e r’s Life,” atSh e a’s Pe rforming Arts Center.R i vera was honored for herlong and outstanding contributionto the American musicaltheater as an actress, dancer ands i n g e r. The perf o r m e r first madeBroadway history when shecreated the role of Anita in theoriginal 1957 production of“West Side St o ry.” She is arecipient of the prestigious KennedyCenter honor, presented by the presidentof the United States, and has won twoTony Aw a rds as Best Leading Ac t re s sin a Musical. She is currently on tourChita Rivera takes time out for a photographwith NU theater students Caitlin Holland, ’10;Adrienne Lewis, ’09; Matthew Chavez, ’08; andalumni Bill Patti, ’05; and Brieanna Ba i l ey, ’07.a c ross the country with her Broadwayp roduction of “Chita Rivera: T h eDancer’s Life,” the story of her own lifein the theater.G R E AT B ATCH ESTABLISHES $100,000 SCHOLARSHIP —Greatbatch Inc. has donated $100,000 to Ni a g a ra Un i versity toestablish a scholarship fund in the name of Ed w a rd Vo b o r i l ,the company’s former president and chief exe c u t i ve officer.Voboril, who will re t i re from Greatbatch in Ja n u a ry 2008after 18 years with the company, is a former member ofNiagara’s board of trustees.The funds will be used to establish the “Greatbatch ScholarshipFund in Honor of Ed w a rd Voboril,” which will supportscholarships for students studying the biological, chemical andphysical sciences. Greatbatch president and chief exe c u t i ve officerThomas J. Hook made the presentation to the Re v. Joseph L.L e vesque, C.M., Ni a g a ra Un i versity president, at the company’sannual stockholders meeting.Pictured from left are Thomas Hook, Edward Voboril and theRev. Joseph L. Levesque.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 3ED U C AT I O N A LLE A D E R S H I PCO N F E R E N C EHE L D AT N UNU STOMPS OUT STIGMA — Dr. Timothy Osberg, NU professor of psychology;Bill Newton, assistant director of campus activities; and student Elaine Zamojski pre s e n t e da check for $2,000 at the Mental Health Association in Ni a g a ra County In c . ’s annualluncheon in Ma y. The money was raised through the inaugural Stomp Out St i g m aRu n / Walk, which was held April 29 on the NU campus. Mo re than 200 runners andwalkers came out to support the event, which was sponsored by the Ni a g a ra Un i ve r s i t ystudent chapter of Ac t i ve Minds, a nonprofit organization that develops and support ss t u d e n t - run mental health awareness, education and advocacy chapters on college campuses;the NU 150th annive r s a ry committee; the NU Student Gove rnment Association; and theCampus Pro g ramming Board. Os b e rg is pictured here with members of Ac t i ve Mi n d s .NU’s College of Educationsponsored an internationalleadership conference onthe university campus in July. T h ee vent included speakers from Ge r m a n y,Italy, India, Scotland, Canada, andthe United States on topics suchas learning, teaching, leading, andschool development. Pa rt i c i p a n t salso discussed policy and practice,with specific school visits and sessionsat Niagara Falls High School. CharlotteDanielson, international authorand education specialist, was thekeynote speaker.“We are pleased to host our internationalcolleagues on our campusand to initiate new part n e r s h i p sand networks that will challengea n d expand the work that we do aseducational leaders,” said Dr. DebraColley, dean of the college.MINOR IN LITERACYTO BE OFFEREDNU AWA R D E D $30,000 GR A N T F RO MPA L I S A N O FO U N D AT I O NThe College of Education willoffer a new, 18-cre d i t - h o u rminor in literacy this fall thatwill develop teaching skills for curre n ta p p roaches in literacy instruction ande m p h a s i ze literacy-problem pre ve n t i o nas well as corre c t i o n .“ In c reasing literacy skills among pre - Kto grade-12 students is most oftenhighlighted as a major area of focus byour schools,” said Dr. Debra Colley,dean of the college. “With a minor inliteracy, graduates of Niagara Universitywill have an advantage as they interviewfor, and begin, their first teaching jobs.”The Vincent and Harriet Pa l i s a n oFoundation has awarded a $30,000grant to support Niagara Un i ve r s i t y’sf o reign and classical language pro g r a m .The grant will be used for study-abro a dscholarships, interactive projects, a visitingscholars program, and cultural eve n t s .It will also strengthen and expand lesstraditional offerings such as Chinese andArabic languages.The award will also assist in upgradingthe Vincent and Harriet Palisano LanguageL a b o r a t o ry’s technological and related capabilities.Dedicated in 1983, the laboratoryhas become a state-of-the-art facility tos u p p o rt the foreign language pro g r a m .“Each semester, approximately 500students enroll in language courses atNiagara Un i ve r s i t y,” said Dr. He n r i kB o r g s t rom, chair of the department ofmodern and classical languages. “Eachsection relies heavily on the technologiesand materials in the language laboratory,”he added.Dr. Nancy Mc Glen, dean of the Collegeof Arts and Sciences, said the supportp rovided by the Palisano Foundation ove rthe last 25 years “has been critical to thed e velopment of the outstanding pro g r a m swe have at Niagara Un i ve r s i t y. ”

4 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLEMBA ST U D E N TS AS S I S TLO C A L CO M M U N I TYStudents in the College of BusinessAdministration’s MBA program a rep a rtnering with ReNU Ni a g a r a ,Niagara Un i ve r s i t y’s CommunityOu t reach Pa rtnership Center, to helptwo local businesses.One team of five students will helpRubberForm Recycled Products LLC ofL o c k p o rt compile key contact informationfor universities, municipalities and businessesnationwide. The team will also help createawareness of the company on a nationallevel and locate and qualify partnershipleads. RubberForm, owned by brotherand sister Bill and Deborah Robbins,recycles tires and turns them into crumbtire, which is then converted into itemssuch as sign bases, parking lot wheel stops,speed bumps, rubber bricks, and curb ramps.A second MBA team of three is assistingOdollam of Niagara Falls, a privatelyoperated mental-health services provider,with marketing and advertising efforts,including the development of a Web sitefor the organization. The team will alsohelp with grant writing.ReNU Niagara COPC is a federallyfunded grant initiative from the U.S.De p a rtment of Housing and Ur b a nDe ve l o p m e n t’s Office of Un i ve r s i t yPa rt n e r s h i p s .TERRENCE CROWEMEMORIAL SCHOLA R S H I PAWARDED — Sgt. JonathanC. Pascoe (center), a criminaljustice and political sciencemajor at Niagara University,was named the 2007 TerrenceCrowe Memorial Scholarshiprecipient. Pascoe is a ve t e ran ofOperation Iraqi Freedom.The scholarship is namedafter the late Lt. Col. Te r re n c eCrowe, a 1982 graduate ofN U ’s College of Bu s i n e s sA d m i n i s t ration and ROTC p ro g ram. Crowe was killed in June 2005 during militaryo p e rations in Tal Afar, Iraq.Pictured with Pascoe are Terrence’s father, Col. George F. Crowe (retired) (left), andLt. Col. Patrick Soos, NU professor of military science.Save the DateSaturday, Nov. 10, 2007Seneca NiagaraCasino Hotel Events CenterNiagara Falls, N.Y.All proceeds benefit the Niagara University Scholarship FundTickets are $150 per person. Contact the Office of University Events,716-286-8779, for additional information or to request an invitation.R E COGNIZED FOR HOSPITALITY— Ni a g a ra Un i ve r s i t y’s College ofHo s p i t a l i t y and Tourism Ma n a g e m e n tre c e i ved the Partner in Ministry Awardfrom Heart and Soul, a Niagara Fallsfood pantry and soup kitchen, duringi t s annual fund-raising dinner in April.The college was honored for its o n g o i n gs u p p o rt of the org a n ization. Scott Be a h e n ,d i rector of foodservice operations for thecollege (pictured second from right), and hisstudents catered the event.

6 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLEWELLNER’S DAYS ON THE NU SWIM TEAM LED TO HIS SUCCESSWater has played a big part inRobert Wellner’s life. From hisdays swimming for the PurpleEagles to today, as the exe c u t i ve vicep re s i d e n t and chief operating officer ofL i b e rty Global Logistics, We l l n e r’s lifere vo l ved a round water.We l l n e r, who earned a bachelor ofbusiness administration degree in accountingin 1971, claims to have competed in almoste ve ry swimming event during his days as aPurple Eagle. Dr. Thomas Sheeran, who wascoach for two seasons during We l l n e r’s care e r,k n ows why.“Bob was here at the beginning of mycareer,” Sheeran said. “He was the kind ofguy that when you’re a coach, you lean onat times. T h e re we re times when I’d say‘We need you to step up and win this raceor get a high finish’ and he was typicallyable to do that.“ He always would do a great job withoutcomplaints,” Sheeran continued. “He wasoutspoken, competitive and a leader. AndI think that attitude carried over aftergraduation. You had a feeling Bob woulddo well after graduation. You didn’t expectat the time … that you we re working withsomeone who would rocket to the top oftheir profession, but he has.”Wellner entered marine transportationafter a stint in the U.S. Army, which nowis one of his firm’s clients.But first came a lot of hours in the pool.“I believe I was one of the first, if notthe first, scholarship swimmer at Ni a g a r a ,”Wellner said. “We competed in the basementof Vinnie’s (St. Vincent’s Hall). Ithad a 20-yard pool, which was Olympicsizedand one of the best indoor poolsaround at the time it was built (1905),but that was a few years ago. We used tojoke that if you could find the pool, youwere on the team.”At one time during his Ni a g a r aswimming career, Wellner held or waspart of seven school records. He heldthree records — the 160 (1:44) and 200(2:17.2) individualmedleys and was amember of the 400freestyle re l a y(3:35.1) —a f t e r graduating.Despite that fact,he claims hewould not beable to earn aspot on thecurrent team.Regardless, athleticsplayed a majorrole in Wellner’sdevelopment.“Athletics, in general, is am i c ro c o s m of life,” he said. “It’sabout commitment, responsibility, hardw o rk, and teamwork. Even thoughswimming is individual, you neede ve ryone to do well to win a meet. It’salso about values and doing the rightthings — all of which have helped mebecome successful.”While Wellner and his wife, Ma u reen, ’71,we re not able to convince any of theirc h i l d ren to attend Niagara, athletics hasp l a yed a role in their lives. All three, Ro b e rt ,Ryan and Erin, played collegiate lacrosse.“You also learn you don’t always getwhat you think you deserve,” We l l n e rcontinued. “You might think you shouldh a ve won or won this contract but thet ruth is the other person might havew o rked harder or was more cre a t i ve orjust performed better that day. I thinkbeing involved in sports is a great experience.And athletics provided you withexperiences outside of Niagara that helpedget you ready for the real world.”Niagara’s principles also were a foundationfor Wellner.“I think Niagara was a major contributorto what I have become,” he said.“You don’t recognize the values when yougo there. You see the ideals, the va l u e smuch later. The ideals and the Vincentianconcepts are part of who andwhat I am today.“I still see all of thosethings, what they practice,the principles, the va l u e s ,the ideals, every timeI visit campus now,”continued We l l n e r, whohas served in seve r a la d v i s o ry roles at Ni a g a r aand is currently on theB o a rd of Advisors. “T h o s ethings become part of youand you want to see thempassed on to the kids of today.Niagara has great administrators,teachers, coaches, like To mSheeran, and other people who aree x t remely dedicated. I believe all ofthat came from being at Niagara. Theyreinforced what my parents taught megrowing up and shaped things further.”Those values came back into play whenWellner got the idea of starting LibertyGlobal Logistics, which transports itemsa c ross the globe on cargo ships, sometimeson very short notice. One of the ships,the Alliance New York, is 665 feet longand has a total deck area of nearly 585,000square feet, which is over 10 times thesize of a football field.“Last November, we had commercialcargo loaded and ready to ship to the Mi d d l eEast. I got a call from the De p a rtment ofDefense that up-armored Hu m vees we reneeded to go to Iraq ASAP. The gove r n m e n thad an arrangement but the original ship hada mechanical failure so I got a call asking ifwe can do them a favo r,” he said. “We hadjust finished loading vehicles and boats fora boat show in Dubai. We unloaded theboats and we re able to take more than 250Hu m vees to Iraq. We re c o g n i zed the s i g n i f i -cance and importance of this shipment, butwe do that kind of stuff all of the time forour clients.”Just another day on the water.— by Matt Schmidt

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 7MCLAUGHLIN SHARES GOALS FOR UPCOMING YEARIam excited aboutthe upcomingathletic year andeager to share thed e p a rt m e n t’s goalsfor the 2007-’08season with yo u .The athletics depart -ment will continue tofocus on critical areas of improve m e n twith the ultimate goal of improving thestudent-athlete experience. While our coacheswill focus on winning conference championshipsand maintaining our high academicstandards (like our 3.24 cumulative gradepointaverage in the spring semester), ourentire department will focus on externaloutreach to alumni and fans and facilityupgrades — things we need to keep uscompetitive and enhance the studentathleteexperience.A major portion of our efforts over thenext year will focus on external outreach toNiagara Un i versity stakeholders. We planto host many special events, including golfoutings in select regions, dinners and alumnie vents around games to meet more peoplei n t e rested in helping the Purple Eagles. Ou ro u t reach will include improving our bro a d -casting package so more of our parents,alumni and fans can tune in to Niagaragames across the country.Our athletic facilities will re c e i ve muchneededupgrades over the next year. Wewill complete renovations to Dwyer Arenaand start construction on two new art i f i c i a lathletic fields which will help us provide asafer surface for our teams that is betterequipped to handle the challenges of We s t e r nNew Yo rk we a t h e r. Fi n a l l y, we will institutemore life-skills programs for our studentathletes,including alcohol awareness anddiversity training, career workshops andcommunity-service initiatives.Coaches Caravan – Sept. 18 & 19Join members of the men’s basketball and men’s hockey coaching staffs to talk about the upcoming season in Albany on Sept. 18 andSyracuse on Sept. 19. Log onto www.niagaraalumni.com for further details.Long Island Golf Outing – Sept. 25Join us at the Wheatley Hills Country Club for a fun day of golf and camaraderie. Cost of the event is $285/person or $85/person fordinner only. To sign up, please visit the Eagle’s Nest at www.niagaraalumi.com.Women’s Hockey – Oct. 6 and 7I t ’s a fun-filled weekend for hockey alums beginning with a team meal at 3 p.m., followed by an exhibition game against the University ofWaterloo. Activities continue Sunday at noon with the alumni game. For more information, contact the women’s hockey office at 716-286-8700.Soccer Alumni Reception – Oct. 6Men’s and women’s soccer alumni and their families are invited to a free postgame reception under the tentfollowing the Purple Eagles men’s soccer game against archrival Canisius. Game time is 1 p.m. Bring thefamily to enjoy carnival-like activities which begin one hour prior to kickoff.Athletics Director’s Luncheon – Oct. 16Buffalo/Niagara-area alums are invited to join director of athletics Ed McLaughlin as he discussesthe past year and looks ahead to the future for Purple Eagle athletics. For more information,contact the athletics department at 716-286-8600.Dwyer Arena Re-Opening – Oct. 18Renovations including new chairback seating, entertainment suites and anew sound system will be complete in time for the men’s hockeyteam’s home opener against Bowling Green at 7 p.m. For tickets,contact the NU ticket office at 716-286-8622 or log ontowww.purpleeagles.com.Hall of Fame Lunch – Oct. 27Join us in honoring the accomplishments of our former studentathleteswith the annual Niagara Athletics Hall of Fame inductionceremony at noon in St. Vincent’s Hall. The cost for the event is$25. Visit www.purpleeagles.com for more information, andcontact the athletics department at (716) 286-8600 if you areinterested in attending the event.

8 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLEOn the weekend of May 19-20,2007, we offered our congratulationsand best wishes to the150th graduating class of Niagara Un i ve r s i t yand welcomed them to the wonderf u lworld of NU alumni, who share somethingthat binds them together forever anddeeply — a Vincentian heart.What does it mean to have a Vi n c e n t i a nheart? If you’ve ever traveled to a foreigncountry, you know that in order to tapinto that country’s electrical current youneed an adaptor. I think having a Vi n c e n t i a nh e a rt is like having an adaptor that enablesus to tap into the world as the poor knowit, to connect with those who are fringedand marginalized. If you have a Vi n c e n t i a nh e a rt, then you can see the world differe n t l y.You know you have a Vi n c e n t i a nh e a rt when:•You see a person, not a case studyin pove rt y.•You see a promise, not just anotherproblem.•You see step one and maybe even steptwo of a solution, not just animpossible situation.•You see opportunity where otherssee obstacles.•You see hope where others feel despair.•You see light where others see only thedarkness and the shadows.•You see justice where others see just onemore thing to do.•You see a path where others see adead end.•You see the face of God in the eyes ofthe person who is before you, no matterwho they are.Of course, taking care of your Vi n c e n t i a nheart is essential, so here are my top fivetips for a Vincentian heart:1. Listen to your Vincentian heart. Itspeaks the simple truth. As you read thepaper and watch the evening news you’llfind yourself hearing the effect these re p o rt e de vents will have on those who are poor.2. Trust your Vincentian heart. When Iwas training for my first marathon (26.2miles), I got some very good advice froma running partner. He said “During themarathon, yo u’ll notice that others aro u n dyou will quit around mile 13, and you’llfeel like quitting too, but trust yo u rtraining.” This was not only good advicefor running, but for life. When others areove rwhelmed, trust your Vincentian training.You may feel what they feel when you seethe problems of pove rty and injustice in ourworld and say to yourself what others say,“What can one person do?” But yo u rVincentian training will have yo uasking, “What shall I do first and whowill I re c ru i t to help me?”3. Fo l l ow your Vincentian heart. Nomatter where yo u’ve cast your net andapplied your knowledge and expert i s e ,there will always and everywhere be moreto do. Nike says “Just Do It”; the Vi n c e n t i a nheart says, “Just Do More.” St. Vincentde Paul, at the end of his life, when askedwhat he wished he could have done, simplysaid “Mo re . ”I recently had a student come to share thef o l l owing story with me. He was waiting ata bus stop and noticed a woman wrappedin a blanket and sitting against the wallwith her head down. He supposed that shewas homeless, called out to her, and handedher a $5 bill. She reached out to take thebill, looked into his eyes and said, “Is that allyou have? Do n’t you have a twenty?” He wasshocked! We talked for a long time aboutthe hazards of reaching out to the poor.They are n’t always grateful, as St. Vi n c e n ttaught us, but we reach out anyway.4. Reflect on your Vincentian heart.Allow your heart to question you; askwhere your day has brought you and howGod has used you. I can guarantee you’llsee more than you saw the first time whenyou take time to reflect back on your day.5. Share your Vincentian heart. Askyourself: “What’s contagious about me?”Allow others with whom you work to beinfected by your Vincentian heart.Listen. Trust. Follow. Reflect. Shareyour Vincentian heart. Just do more.Some final observations for the 150years’ worth of graduates of NiagaraUniversity, and especially for the Classof 2007:•You’re intelligent. Thank God for that.•You’re a passionate learner. Thank allwho have ever taught you for that.•You’ve worked hard. Thank yourselvesfor that.•You’re generous. Thank your familiesfor that, especially your siblings if youhave them.•You’re needed. Thank those who needyou the most for that.•Your life has meaning. Live by yourVincentian heart.After all, following your heart willalways bring you to your own center, andit’s in the center that we find our mission.— Sister Nora Gatto, D.C.Executive Director of UniversityMission and MinistryNiagara’s newest alumni.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 9Niagara Fund HitsRecord HighWith over 5,700 donors, the2006–2007 Niagara Fundreached an all-time high of$2,184,436, surpassing its goal by46 percent. The unrestricted portionof the Niagara Fund raised$1,051,000, a 9 percent increaseover last year’s total. Thanks to themany alumni and friends whohelped foster another successfulyear for Niagara students.Niagara Fund dollars make apositive impact on the lives of ourstudents and help support:• scholarship and financial aid,which attract new, deservingstudents to pursue their studies.• faculty and curriculum developmentthat continue Niagara’s legacy ofproviding academic excellence inthe Vincentian tradition.• technology to equip students andfaculty to make important advancesin all areas of study.• utilization of new and currentbuildings and maintenance of thephysical beauty of the campus.As we move forward with theu n i v e r s i t y ’s comprehensive campaign,“The Promise of Niagara ... The next150 years,” we must continue t osupport the Niagara Fund toenhance our students’ educationalexperiences. The fund’s campaigngoal has been set at $10 million, andwe need your help to achieve it.Annual Unrestricted $42,525.01Athletics 2,933.33Other 19,707.00Gifts as of June 26, 2007At a recent leadership staff retreatFather Levesque reflected on theneed for all segments of theuniversity community to “take leaps” ino rder to re a l i ze his vision for a transformedNiagara University. To realize the promiseof Niagara requires broad and brisk jumpsof thought and action. What an excitingtime in the history of the university!T h e re is ve ry tangible evidence that theuniversity has taken a large leap with theconstruction of the academic complexthat will be the new home of the Collegeof Education, and of Bisgrove Hall thatBy Don Bielecki, vice president for institutional advancementwill house the College of Business Ad m i n i -stration. The initiation of a bold $80-million fund-raising campaign, “T h ePromise of Niagara,” is partially fundingthe construction of this new facility, whichwill be ready for classes at the opening ofthis fall semester. The campaign, likew i s e ,represents a significant leap for Niagara.I am asking you to join together asalumni and friends of the university to takeleaps. The university needs your part i c i -pation in annual giving and your ro b u s ts u p p o rt for “The Promise of Ni a g a r a . ”Pi c t u red here, the Re v. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M., Ni a g a ra Un i versity pre s i d e n t(right), discusses the August opening of the unive r s i t y’s new academic complexwith John P. Rumschik, ’77 (center), a member of NU’s board of trustees andannual giving volunteer chairperson, and Donald P. Bielecki, NU’s vice pre s i d e n tof institutional adva n c e m e n t .Niagara Fund Total$65,165.34GOAL: $2 million

10 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLECAMPUS MASTER PLANPHASE 1 – 2007-2012Theater: Leary Theatre will bere n ovated to provide improve dlearning opportunities for studentsand a more comfortable, engagingexperience for theater patrons. Atwo-story addition will provide anentrance/lobby.With the opening of its new academiccomplex in August, Niagara Un i ve r s i t ym a rks the start of an ambitious plan totransform the campus through significantchanges in its buildings and landscape.The launch of the capital campaign andthe addition of new acreage as a result ofnegotiations with the New Yo rk Powe rAuthority have provided the unive r s i t ywith an unprecedented opportunity tofulfill its vision for the future. T h i svision includes:• Building on the beauty of thecampus by returning the core topedestrians, keeping vehicles tothe perimeter, developing a newg a t eway from the Witmer Ro a dentrance, and adding landscapedpaths and walkways.• C h a rting a course of academice xcellence through improved facilitieswith up-to-date classrooms andtechnical resources.• Enhancing student life thro u g hnew dining facilities and improvedrecreation and athletic facilities.• Providing for the future well-beingof the Vincentians by buildinga new residence with modernconveniences that are currently notavailable in Meade Hall.Phase 1 of this plan is expected to beimplemented over the next five years.The second part of the plan, whichdescribes potential projects, will likelyevolve over time with continued inputfrom the university community.D i n i n g : The food court in Ga l l a g h e rCenter will be renovated to enhancemeal options.Vincentian Residence: Thenew residence will offer spaciousrooms with private bath and walk-incloset for each person and communitygathering spaces for chapel, dinnerand relaxing. Meade Hall will beavailable for university use.Landscaping: The main parkinglot will be converted into a campusgreen and gathering place withwalkways and benches.Science: A new science buildingwill be constructed with shared andi n t e r a c t i ve spaces including teachingand re s e a rch labs, offices and classroomsfor biochemistry, biology,c h e m i s t ry and physics. It will alsohouse the Academic Center forIntegrated Sciences.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 11Academic Complex/Bisgrove Hall: Thisfacility, the new home of the colleges of Educationand Business Administration, will provide uniquestate-of-the-art classrooms, labs and facilities forcommunity outreach.Athletics/Recreation: Twoartificial turf fields with spectatorseating, lighting and press boxes willbe constructed behind the KiernanC e n t e r. Re n ovations to Kiernaninclude locker rooms and amenitiesto support the new fields and theexpansion of the fitness center.New Dining Commons:A new resident dining commonswill offer “c o o k i n g - t o - o rd e r”stations and facilities forcampus entert a i n i n g .Gateway: Signage and landscaping will be installedat the Witmer Road entrance.New Parking: Additional park i n gspaces will be constructed nearD w yer Are n a .

12 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLECAMPUS MASTER PLANPHASE 2 – 2012 AND BEYONDTheater: A proscenium theater seating 250that will share the new lobby will be added.Castellani Art Museum: Anaddition to the museum will housean expanded art collection and ro o m sto pre p a re and store the art work .Landscaping: Walkways, bike paths,plantings, lighting and seating areas will beconstructed to make the core of campusmore pedestrian-friendly. Signage consistentwith the theme established by the WitmerRoad entrance will be installed throughoutthe campus.Interdisciplinary ScienceBuilding: This building willcomplement the Phase 1 sciencebuilding by bringing togetheradditional related disciplinesincluding mathematics, nursing,psychology and computer andinformation sciences. DePaulHall will be demolished.Student Center: This facilitywill include the bookstore; officesfor student clubs and organizations,student life and campus ministry;meeting rooms; and spaces forsocial activities.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 13Parking: Pa rking along the perimeterof the campus will be constructed nearthe Lewiston entrances. The softballfield will be relocated and the ButlerBuilding and Marian Hall will beremoved to provide room foradditional parking.Student Housing: Su i t e - s t y l estudent housing will be built closeto the new dining/student center.Warehouse: Potential use for the warehouse couldbe an indoor artificial turf practice field with lockers. Itcould also serve as the new site for facility services andstorage, or other purposes.Student Apartments: Two additionalapartment buildings are planned.

14 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLEThe Caritas Commandment{“Master, which is thegreat commandment in the law?”Jesus said unto him, “Thou shalt lovethe Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thysoul, and with all thy mind. This is the fi rst and gre a tcommandment. And the second is like unto it,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these twocommandments hang all the law and the pro p h et s .”(Matthew 22:36-40)Barbara Malinowski, ’59Barbara (Butry) Malinowski’s career ofcaring began in 1959 when she graduatedfrom Niagara University with a Bachelorof Science in Nursing.When she re t i red in 1999 after 10 ye a r sas chief exe c u t i ve officer at We s t f i e l dMemorial Hospital, in Westfield, N.Y. ,her six children thought she’dfinally slow down. It didn’thappen. Since 2001, she’s beenback at Mount St. Mary’s Hospitalin L ewiston, N.Y., where she start e dher care e r, working as parish nursec o o rd i n a t o r. Sh e’s responsible forhelping congregations establishparish nurse programs and forc o o rdinating the health ministryp ro g r a m for clients of the He a rtand Soul food kitchen in Ni a g a r aFalls. In addition, she’s a memberof several hospital committees, coch a i r m a n of the Niagara Un i ve r s i t y}The dictionary defines cari ta s as a love for all people, aselfless love. It is this kind of love that St. Vincent de Pa u le n c o u ra ged in oth e rs, and one that Niaga ra, as a Vi n c e n t i a nu n i ve rs i t y, seeks to inspire in its students. Year after ye a r,our gra d u a tes exe mplify the ch a rity of St. Vincent by goingout into their local communities and the larger wo rld to serveoth e rs. During this ye a r’s commencement exe rcises, eightNU alumni we re honored with the unive rs i t y ’s Cari tas Medalfor doing just that. These are their sto ri e s .Nursing Alumni Council and member ofthe NU Nursing Ad v i s o ry Committee,facilitator for the Diocese of Bu f f a l o’sProtecting Go d’s C h i l d ren program, amember of the parish council and parishnurse at St. Pe t e r’s C h u rch in Lew i s t o n ,and founding member of the Parish Nu r s eInstitute of W N Y. Sh e’s also been part ofa medical mission team that volunteers itsservices to the needy in Chiapas, Mexico.So much for retirement!When her children questioned why shewas still working, her husband, Bob, toldthem to “Leave her alone; she’s happy.” Andshe is. Retiring is not in her nature.“T h e re’s so much to do out there. Aslong as I’m physically and mentally able,I ’m going to keep on doing it,” she said.“I have been blessed with a ve ry lov i n gand supporting family who understandsthat what I do is important to me.”At Heart and Soul, where about 150n e e d y people are fed each day, Ma l i n ow s k ihelps assess health needs and get peopleinto the health-care system. Her workmight also include taking people to doctorappointments or providing clothing,toiletries and school supplies — “w h a t e ve rit takes to keep these people functioning.”Health pre vention and wellness pro g r a m sa re also an important part of this ministry.“ If it wasn’t for Mount St. Ma ry’s, Iwouldn’t be able to do what I do. Anythingwe need I usually can get from the genero u sstaff or St. Mary’s itself,” she said. “Peoplea re most generous to those in need, andthe hospital truly practices its mission of‘service to the poor.’”Sister Barbara Pfohl, executive directorof Heart and Soul, cited one case whereMalinowski went to a client’s house afterrealizing that he hadn’t been in for a mealfor a while. She discovered that he wasvery sick, took him for blood work, thenarranged to have him transferred by ambulanceto Mount St. Mary’s Hospital. Hisbody was full of cancer. She helped himset up a health-care proxy and DNR ord e rsince he wanted to be sure that “e ve ry t h i n gwas taken care of.” Later that week whenhis condition worsened, Malinowski wascalled back to the hospital and stayed withhim so he would not die alone. Pfohl andMa l i n owski we re able to contact a sister whol i ved in the South and arrange for her to joinhis friends from He a rt and Soul for a funerals e rvice and a breakfast afterw a rd s .Barbara Malinowski feeds severelymalnourished 3-month-old “Joseph”in Chiapas, Mexico, in February.

16 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLEf a vorite of mine and ‘the All-AmericanGi r l’ — that is a real compliment int o d a y’s somewhat plastic world.”Ray’s television work has earned hern u m e rous awards. She has re c e i ve dAssociated Press awards for “Inside He a l t h”as Best Regularly Scheduled Fe a t u re, for amedical series on premature babies, andfor Best Anchor Team. She also receivedan Emmy for anchoring breaking newsand for best half-hour shows and specials.She has been honored by Sigma T h e t aTau, the international nursing honors o c i e t y, and by the Emergency Ph y s i c i a n sof America.Towey has been a friend since the dayswhen Ray would sit in the theater and doher nursing homew o rk. She was a gooda c t ress, sang beautifully and starred inseveral NU productions, he said.“I like to think that experience equippedher for what she’s doing now,” he said.Towey nominated Ray for the CaritasMedal this year. He describes her as veryintelligent and professional, but at thesame time warm and outgoing, reachingout to other people. “Her humanityalways shines through.”“I was ve ry humbled that they wouldthink of me,” Ray said of the award.It’s the Vincentians at Niagara whoreally live the example of caritas eve ryd a y, she said. Students at Niagara are“surrounded by a warm, caring, nurturinge n v i ronment with people who totallyg i ve 100 percent,” she said.As for her own ability to give of herself,she said her family gave her the framew o rk ,NU gave her the tools she needed forsuccess, and her husband, Je f f re y, gives herthe strength. “He’s my rock.” She and Je f f,an NU Class of ’77 graduate who went onto become a lawye r, are the parents of twosons, Ma t t h ew and Te re n c e .Connie Dwyer, ’65Women with breast cancer who come toSt. Mi c h a e l’s Medical Center in New a rk, N.J.,h a ve cause to bless Connie Dwye r’s name.The Niagara University Caritas Medalre c i p i e n t’s own battle with the diseaseprompted her to reach out to help ensurethat others, especially poor minoritywomen, have access to expert diagnosis{ }“ … love, like warmth, should beamforth on every side and bend to everynecessity of our brethren.” Martin Lutherand treatment. Her fund-raising effort sand major philanthropic support helpedc reate the Connie Dwyer Breast Centera t St. Michael’s.More than 1,500 women annually takeadvantage of free educational sessions andb reast-cancer screenings at the hospital andin community outreach sessions. The centerprovides the most innovative diagnosticsand procedures currently available to allwomen, whether or not they have theability to pay.Dr. M. Michele Blackwood, bre a s tcenter medical dire c t o r, said before thecenter opened in 2004, the majority ofwomen seen at the hospital had Stage 3or Stage 4 breast cancer and almostnone we re at Stage 0 (precancer and100 percent curable). Now, 75 perc e n tof the women are being diagnosed early.The 2006 statistics show 11 percent atStage 0, 40 percent at Stage 1 and 24p e rcent at Stage 2, which means manyl i ves will be save d .“When I was diagnosed, I never oncethought about the cost, about what expensesI would face. I had doctor friends who couldsend me to the best doctors,” Dwyer said.She learned the poor of Newark oftenwaited until it was toolate to seek breast care .When she went forchemotherapy, shesaw women whowould take the busback to work aftert reatments. In contrast,she could go toMartha’s Vineyardto recoup.“It made me feel solucky, so blessed,” shesaid. “When Michelecame up with the planfor the breast center, Ire m e m b e re d all that,and I wanted to helpeven more.”Concetta Micale was a townie fro mNiagara Fa l l s’ Madonna High Schoolwhen she came to Niagara University andmet Robert J. Dwyer of Syracuse. Bothgraduated with the Class of 1965. BobDwyer retired from the securities industryin 1999 as executive vice president andnational sales director of Morgan St a n l e yDean Wi t t e r. The parents of three daughters,they live in Palm Beach, Fla., Ma rt h a’sVi n e y a rd, Mass., and Sh o rt Hills, N.J.It was April 1999 when a mammograms h owed an abnormality in Connie Dwye r’sright breast. Her older brother had beendiagnosed with breast cancer in 1994,s o she had been especially diligent aboutseeing doctors and getting mammograms.A lumpectomy showed that the bre a s twas filled with microscopic malignanttumors. A biopsy of the other bre a s tshowed precancerous conditions, so shemade the difficult decision to have b o t hb reasts re m oved and reformed with m u s c l eand tissue from her stomach.Dwyer tried to stay strong for herselfand her family — “Not that I always hada smile, but I tried to.” Losing her hairand eyebrows after chemotherapy wasmore of a jolt than she thought it would be,e s p e c i a l l y considering the trauma her bodyalready had been through. “I would getout of the shower andwonder, who is thatperson in the mirror,”she said.She is now cancerfree,but notes, “As acancer surv i vo r, I don’tthink anyone eve rfeels safe.“I have learned thatthere is nothing to begained from sulkingor feeling sorry formyself,” she said.“The reality is thatt h e only thing I canConnie Dwyerdo is enjoy my life,enjoy my grandchildren,and not worry about beinghere 15 years from now, but just focuson today.”

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 17She continues to raise funds for the bre a s tc e n t e r, and has become an advocate forearly mammograms and checkups, especiallyif cancer runs in the family.Dr. Blackwood not only keeps in touchwith Dwyer about the work of the bre a s tc e n t e r, but also has become a personal friend.“I feel like I’ve known Connie all mylife, and I think most people do when theymeet her. Sh e’s an incredibly warm, incre d i b l ygiving person who always tries to make thee a rth a better place to live,” Blackwood said.“ She and Bob and the kids are constantlyreaching out to help other people.”The Dwyers are the founders and tru s t e e sof the Dwyer Family Foundation, whichis dedicated to aiding disadva n t a g e dwomen and children. Connie is involvedwith the Susan G. Koman Fo u n d a t i o nand volunteers for a number of communityorganizations. Among her husband’sactivities are chairing the Niagara Un i ve r s i t yboard of trustees and serving as nationalchairman for the university’s current $80-million capital campaign.Connie Dwyer learned the importanceof caring from her own family, from theMercy nuns at Madonna, and from theVincentians at Niagara. She is now passingon that spirit to her 10 grandchildren.“I try to make them re a l i ze how wonderfulit is to give to others,” she said.John Stranges, ’59Niagara Un i versity — its students, itsf a c u l t y, its reputation — is part of the fabricof Dr. John B. Stranges’ life.Stranges’ love for his work as a teacherand administrator has helped him make areal difference in the lives that he’s touchedand in the ve ry face of the university duringthe past 39 years. Although he modestlyadmits to being flattered and honored atbeing awarded the Caritas Medal this ye a r,i t’s the university itself he’d rather talk about.“He has a real passion for NU; he lovesthe place,” said Dr. Wayne Northcutt,recently retired professor of history whohas worked with Stranges for 27 years. “He’sa teacher, a scholar, a gentleman. T h a t’s theway I would sum him up as a person.”Stranges was born in Niagara Falls, N.Y. ,but raised in Ontario. His mother wasAmerican, his father Canadian. He firstcame to Niagara as astudent, graduating in1959 as a summa cumlaude gold medallist.He went on to earn aPh.D. in history fro mColumbia Un i ve r s i t y.It was his undergraduatementor,Dr. Daniel Mc Gu i re ,chairman of thehistory department,who re c ruited himi n 1968 to come backto NU for his firstteaching assignment.Working withJohn StrangesWhen St r a n g e sentered the administration,the university hadv i rtually no facultydevelopment program.The Middle StatesAssociation accreditinginstitution describedthe broad facultydevelopment programhe initiated as a “m o d e l”for other schools. Fa c u l t yis encouraged to attendo f f - c a m p u s c o n f e re n c e sand take sabbaticalsand leaves to enrich theirexperience. Students atstudents, Stranges said, is a “genuinedelight.” He enjoys watching them growin intelligence, character and confidence.“These are important years for students,many of whom are 17, 18 to 21. We havea chance as an institution and as individualsto influence their lives in ve ry positiveways,” he said.Even after he was appointed academicvice president in 1977, he still taught atleast one course a semester most years —“It reconnected me with the students. Iwanted to be able to say I was still a teacher. ”Usually that course was American history,a requirement for all NU students and atask for any professor because the classesa re large and entail a lot of time and effort ,Northcutt said. Stranges, who currentlyteaches courses in both the departmentsof history and political science, is considere dan excellent teacher, Northcutt added.During nearly two decades as academicvice president, Stranges helped institutemany changes at Niagara, includingmajor revisions in general education andestablishing a university commitmentto obtaining professional accreditation fora p p ropriate degree programs. A m a j o rgrant from the U.S. Office of Educationin 1979 funded his proposals for an academiccomputing center and the establishment of amajor in computer and information sciences.Niagara today are invo l ved in re s e a rc h .Research used to be something a professordid on the side, not something they didwhile they we re teaching, Stranges said.During his tenure, the number of facultymembers with doctorates rose from 30 perc e n tto 85 percent.“All of this helped to put Niagara Un i ve r s i t yon the academic map,” No rthcutt said. “W h e nyou draw the bottom line, a university is onlyas good as the faculty. ”Stranges held regular meetings to discussideas and university affairs with faculty.Always friendly and engaging, he wassomeone faculty members felt they couldtalk to about anything from academicaffairs to world events. That kind ofinteraction is not always the case at otherinstitutions, Northcutt said.Stranges has published articles oneverything from academic administrationto foreign affairs. A labor of love, hisbook, “The Rainbow Ne ver Fades —Niagara Un i ve r s i t y, 1856-2006,” waspublished last ye a r. The Caritas Me d a lis the latest in a long line of award sand recognition he has re c e i ved forhis contributions to the unive r s i t y.St r a n g e s’ job satisfaction has alwaysbeen strong, since Ni a g a r a’s leadershipmakes its employees feel they are partof the enterprise.{ }“They are the true disciples of Christ,not who know most, but who love most.”Frederick Spanheim

18 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE“I had this feeling I could help shapethe future, and I could do it both as anadministrator and a teacher,” he said.Noting that the Caritas Medal is givento those who exe m p l i f y the charity of St .Vincent de Paul, NU’s president, the Rev.Joseph L. Levesque, C.M., said that St r a n g e s’c a reer as a professor and administratorreflects the importance St. Vincent himselfplaced on the value of education. “Jo h ni s a teacher who clearly understands thep owe r of education to influence younglives for the better,” Father Levesque said.“As one who respects and values students,John reminds us that it is through themthat a teacher sees the face of God.”James Schermerhorn, ’64Most people, when they start gettingclose to their 50th birthdays, begin thinkingabout re t i rement plans.James M. Schermerhorn, a successfull a w ye r, decided to switch careers and fulfilla long-held dream of working in the medicalfield. Since becoming a physician assistantin 1995, this Niagara Class of ’64 graduatehas vo l u n t e e red to travel overseas numero u stimes to help those left abandoned indesperate situations.Ko s ovo, Afghanistan, South Africa, Su d a n ,Kenya and Iraq — Schermerhorn, now 65,has been to them all, helping AIDS victims,refugees and the poor with either handsonmedical work or by assisting va r i o u sorganizations set up and coordinate pro g r a m sfor their care .“What drives me is just what I think ismy Christian responsibility to try to makean impact as best as I can,” Schermerhornsaid. “Once you get involved in this work,you understand that as a human being, whenyou see so much suffering and see it handsonand in your face, it’s important to bringwhat gifts God’s given you to help thesepeople out.”Longtime friend Je r ry No rton (heremembers attending Schermerhorn’ssixth birthday party) invo l ved seve r a lother members of the Class of ’64 in acampaign to nominate Schermerhornfor Ni a g a r a’s Caritas Me d a l .“I can’t think of a better person tobe honored by Niagara Un i versity or abetter person to demonstrate to today’s{ }"Real love begins wherenothing is expected in return."Antoine de Saint-ExuperyNiagara students what a diverse and significantimpact one person, with dedicationand drive, can have on their world,”Norton wrote in his nomination letter.Norton describes his friend as a veryunassuming person. “He doesn’t wave hisown flag very much, that’s why I did it,”he said of the nomination.Norton and Schermerhorn g rew up inthe Town of Greece near Ro c h e s t e r. T h e i rdads w o rked for Eastman Kodak. Theys h a red the same idealism and va l u e s ,No rton said, but Schermerhorn was theone who had the ability, drive and talentto actually make a real difference.“ It’s just incredible. Eve ry worst situationthat has occurred, it seems like he’sbeen there to help,” No rton said. “He’sa person who sees a need and jumps inand tries to do something about it.”At NU, Schermerhorn focused onp relaw studies.“Law was kind of a trendy thing withthe civil rights movement and all the thingsgoing on in this country,” he said.He’d always been interested in medicine,but didn’t think he was disciplined enoughfor medical school. A physician assistantJames Sch e rm e rh o rn with ch i l d ren at a clinic in Ko s ovo, June 19 9 9 .c a reer path didn’t exist back in the 1960s.Schermerhorn went on to CatholicUn i versity of America where he earned a lawd e g ree in 1967. He also earned a master’s i npublic policy from Ge o r g e t own Un i ve r s i t yin 1987. As a member of the U.S. MarineCorps Reserve, he served in Vietnam in1969, bringing home a silver star.He spent his legal career with the U.S.De p a rtment of Justice, Civil Rights Di v i s i o n ,in Washington, D.C. He began as a trialattorney for the criminal section in 1971,then became deputy director and d i re c t o rof the Office of Indian Rights, then speciallitigation counsel for the Office of theA s s i s t a n t Attorney General. He joined theNational Institute of Allergy and In f e c t i o u sDiseases, National Institutes of Health in1996, providing medical care for hospitalpatients and assisting those doing re s e a rc hon HIV/AIDS.When he started his overseas medicalm i s s i o n a ry work, he’d take leave fro mhis job. In 2002, after his two childre ngraduated from college, he left NIH,w o rking summers first in Maine andn ow in Cape Cod, re s e rving the wintersfor his volunteer activities.Wo rking with theCatholic Me d i c a lMission Board inKenya, he prov i d e dclinical care in arural hospital where60 to 70 percent ofthe patients had AIDSand we re just basicallyw a rehoused to die,he said. Schermerhornhelped create andimplement a pilotp roject at the hospitalto use the antire t rov i r a lmedication Ne v i r a p i n eto reduce the transmissionrate of HIVf rom mother to child.To d a y, the CatholicMedical MissionBoard has instituted

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 19more than 70 programs in Kenya usingthe same or similar methodology.With Relief International, he providedhealth care and participated in mobile healthclinics in Afghanistan and helped arrangecare for refugees in Albania and Kosovo.With U.S. Health and Human Se rv i c e s ,he helped develop and implement aprogram to improve women’s health carein Afghanistan. He helped set up ProjectPhidisa, a joint U.S.-South Africa clinicalstudy of HIV/AIDS. With the In t e r n a t i o n a lMedical Corps, he worked on rehabilitationof health-care programs and facilitiesin the Basra area of Iraq.Today, Schermerhorn has had to slowdown on trips to the world’s worst troublespots, although he did recently go back toSouth Africa and Kenya for some morework for the Catholic Medical MissionaryB o a rd. On an International Medical Corpsproject in Darfur, Sudan, in 2004, he gotsick after three weeks and had to returnhome. He realizes that younger peoplewill have to take over the front lines ofdisaster relief work but he believes stro n g l ythat many health-care providers can playan active role in caring for patients ind e veloping countries, particularly in Africa.What can Catholics in the United St a t e sdo to help?Pr a yer is good. Giving money also isfine, but share your time and talents aswell, he said.“More people have to be aware of thegreat suffering there is in the world,” hesaid. “As a Christian and a health-careprovider, you can’t be anything but trulyimpressed by the injustice and unfairnessthat exists in the provision of health carethroughout the world.”Jeanne Finn,M.S.Ed.’71Jeanne C. Finncould have spent herlife among the countryclub set, using hertalents to get insteadof give, accordingto longtime friendJoe Schuster.S c h u s t e r, one of thefounders of CatholicWo rker in Ni a g a r aFalls, said that’s notFinn’s way.“She’s comfortablewith the rank and file people of the streetswho need her help,” he said. “Her heart, Ithink, is bigger than her body. Her caringgoes right to the roots and foundation ofher life.”Finn has been a teacher, a playwrightand a correspondent for the Buffalo Newsand Niagara Ga zette. But it’s her sensitivityto the needs of the poor that have bro u g h ther the most recognition and satisfaction.In 1993, she was the recipient of an honoraryDoctor of Humane Letters degree from St .Jo h n’s Un i versity for organizing anddirecting Fantastico, a vo l u n t e e r t u t o r i a lp rogram that continues today to reach outto disadvantaged children and teenagers i nNew Ha ven, Conn. This ye a r, she re c e i ve dNiagara Un i ve r s i t y’s Caritas Medal forcreating Fantastico and her current workas a volunteer teacher at a women’s maximum-securityprison in Connecticut.Finn and her husband, Jack, both earnedundergraduate degrees at Carnegie MellonUn i ve r s i t y. While he was working forC a r b o rundum in Western New Yo rk ,she earned a master’s in English, with apermanent certificate to teach English, fro mNU in 1971. Now residents of Madison,Conn., the couple has maintained tieswith the Niagara community. Jack Finn is aformer NU trustee. Their children, like t h e i rp a rents, are all invo l ved in communityservice, said Schuster, who presided at allfour weddings.Jeanne Finn believes her interest inhelping others began when she was a 16-year-old working at a f o u n d l i n g home inPittsburgh, although she admits that herinitial motivation ingoing there was toget the family car. Asecond major influencewas meeting Schusterand helping cook ands e rve lunch to the poorand homeless atCatholic Worker’sMaranatha House.“ It opened mye yes to pove rt y, andI think it stuck withme the rest of my life.I do believe there isJeanne FinnDivine Guidance thatkind of guides yo ut h rough life,” she said.Schuster thinks the roots of Fi n n’s abilityto reach out to others dates farther back,to her childhood struggle with dyslexia.Finn never outgrew dyslexia (she oncefaxed a breaking news story to the BuffaloNews — backwards). She has learned tolive with the disability and accept the helpof others.“If it hadn’t been for a very kind andlong-suffering Vincentian, I might neve rh a ve received my MA from Niagara,” shesaid. “He corrected my final exam by holdingmy blue books in front of a mirro r. ”The Finns moved from Cleveland toConnecticut in 1987. Their suburbanc h u rch sought volunteers to help maintainan inner-city apartment house owned byan ecumenical group in New Ha ven thatp rovided temporary homes for the poorwhile they looked for work .Finn, the only vo l u n t e e r, was immediatelymade chairman, and soon re c ruited others.One day, while planting flowers outsidethe building with the help of a tenant’sson, Finn discove red he would have tog o inside when she left because it wast o o dangerous to be outside alone. Finnw o rked with volunteers to establish an afterschoolprogram at St. John the Eva n g e l i s tC h u rch in New Ha ven to upgrade languageskills and develop artistic skills of innercitychildren. The program was dubbedFa n t a s t i c o. Students, many of whoma re not proficient in English, meet withvolunteer tutors and also are given theopportunity for monthly field trips. TheFa n t a s t i c o / Bridges program matches childre n

20 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLEwith suburban Connecticut families willingto commit at least one day a month to them.Finn left Fantastico about 10 years agobecause of a family illness. The programreceived a grant to hire a director, so shefelt she left it in good hands.About nine years ago, a Congre g a t i o n a l i s tminister suggested she try prison work.She started teaching poetry and pro d u c i n gplays written and acted by the inmates atYo rk Correctional Institution. Mo re re c e n t l y,she has been teaching the women pare n t i n gskills and how to control stress thro u g hthe Enneagram theory. The women areassigned a number based on the theory’snine personality types. They act out aconflict situation, responding accord i n gto their personality type, then do it againusing someone else’s number, possiblythat of their own child. The group thendiscusses the response.“I love it. I’ve never enjoyed teachingas much as I do this,” said Finn, whod e votes one day a week to the pro j e c t .“ Some days I go to the prison really draggingand come back really up. I do believe I’vebeen given far more than I’ve given, andthat’s certainly true of prison work.”The women are mostly young. Manyare serving mandatory minimum drugsentences. Some are violent — but mostaren’t, their teacher said.“They really are good people, and it’s atough situation they’re in,” Finn said. Asalways, ready to recruit new volunteers toher cause, she recommended, “Go intoprison work; they need you.”Hugh Scott, ’71As a youth growing up in Buffalo, Hu g hB. Scott would watch television new sre p o rts of arrests of civil rights marc h e r sand think he might like to become a lawye rand defend people like them.This Class of ’71 graduate did go on tobe a lawyer and a judge, often dealing withcivil rights issues, but it almost didn’t happen.By the time Scott was ready to graduatefrom Niagara University, he was leaningtoward following his mother’s exampleand going on for a master’s in social work.A friend who had graduated the previousyear visited campus and told him aboutthe University of Buffalo Law School. He{ }"Love and compassion are necessities,not luxuries. Without them humanitycannot survive." Dalai Lamadecided to apply, was accepted, and sailedthrough the three-year program in twoand a half years.Ironically, his father had attended thelaw school in the ’40s, but had to drop outdue to the financial demands of raising af a m i l y. He had been almost too careful innot pressuring his son to consider a lawc a re e r. Scott’s father died in 1996, the ye a rafter he proudly watched his son becomethe first African-American appointed tothe federal bench in the Western Districtof New York.As a magistrate judge, Scott deals with alltypes of cases, from copyright and antitru s tto civil rights. Every day is different.“I get up every day and enjoy going tothe office,” he said. “I love my job.”The recipient of one of NU’s Caritasmedals this ye a r, Scott was selected notso much for his career achievements, butf o r taking time from his busy schedule tobecome heavily invested in his community,serving on numerousboards dealing withissues such ase d u c a t i o n , d o m e s t i cv i o l e n c e , health care ,racial justice andindigent yo u t h . He hasserved on the board oftrustees at CanisiusCollege, and helpedthe school improverelations with itsneighborhood. Healso teaches trialadvocacy at UB,passing on the legacyof caring.Giving back to the community and try i n gto improve the place where you live is “a nobligation when yo u’ve been blessed with thekind of success that I have,” Scott said.After being appointed to the state attorneyg e n e r a l’s Buffalo office in 1979, Scott we n ton in 1981 to become the first African-American appointed assistant attorneygeneral in charge of the Buffalo RegionalOffice of the state Department of Law. In1984, the young lawyer decided he’d liketo try the other side of the bench and makedecisions on fairness and people’s rights. Inhis first political outing, he was elected to theBuffalo City Court bench, where he serve duntil taking his present position.As a city court judge, he tried to finda l t e r n a t i ves to incarceration, such ascounseling, for young people brought beforehim, believing taxpaye r s’ money was betterspent trying to dive rt them from re t u r n i n gto the criminal justice system.“In humanitarian terms, somethingneeded to be done. T h e re had to bealternatives to sending young people offto be warehoused,” he said.He’s been repaid when he meets someof those now older and wiser people today.“They say thank you for what you did. Istraightened out my life, got an education.”Scott has many fond memories of NU,not the least of which is meeting his wife,Tru d y, ’72, at a mutual 8 a.m. math class.She re t i red last fall as amanager with Allstateafter 34 years, but hascome full circle back toher roots as an En g l i s heducation major, andis volunteering at aBuffalo school to h e l pc h i l d ren with re a d i n g .Her husband, shesaid, is absolutely dedicatedto his position,his community and hisf a m i l y, somehow managingto balance it all.“I really can’t askHugh Scottfor more, but I don’ttell him that on a daily basis,” she saidwith a laugh.They are the proud parents of twog rown sons, Hugh Jr. and Eve re t t .The Scotts were at Niagara during thetumultuous times of the late ’60s and early’70s. Scott gained experience in debatingissues from his involvement in studentg overnment and the Black Student Un i o n .“Niagara was a great place to kind of

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 21mature,” he said. He cited people like theRev. Louis P. Trotta, C.M., the Rev. JamesO’Keefe, C.M., and professors Dorothy(Cohen) Gould and the late Nicholas “Ni c k”Caggiano as adults who were always readyto talk about issues, whether it be theVietnam War or civil rights. “We had lotsof conversations about what’s right andwhat’s wrong. It was good to have adultsto call on and talk to about these things.They set a good example.”Trotta, former NU vice pre s i d e n t ,remembers Hugh Scott and Trudy Carlsonas campus sweethearts, always togetherand very popular. As a student leader,Scott was very diplomatic and could talkwith anyone, student or administrator.“ He could be called Mr. Niagara; he wasso invo l ved in eve rything,” Trotta said.Lawrence Jacobs, ’61In his lifetime, Dr. Lawrence D. Jacobsaccomplished what so many people onlywish they could do — his work as aphysician and re s e a rch scientist has eased thesuffering of hundreds of thousands of peoplewith multiple sclerosis.“He truly lived the gospel injunction tocare for the sick among us,” said NiagaraUniversity’s president, the Rev. Joseph L.L e vesque, C.M., in posthumously award i n gthe Class of 1961 graduate the CaritasMedal at graduation this year.When he died Nov. 2, 2001, after abrief illness, Jacobs was chair of theDepartment of Neurology of the StateUniversity at Buffalo School of Medicineand Biomedical Sciences and director ofthe Jacobs Neurological Institute and theBaird Multiple Sclerosis Research Centerat Kaleida He a l t h’s Buffalo General Hospital.While he was ill, this driven anddedicated physician still traveled aroundthe country making speeches from hiswheelchair and was “sneaking into hisoffice with whomever would help him getthe key,” said his wife, Pam Jacobs Vogt.He never complained, using his MS patientsas inspiration.“He died a very happy man; he reallydid what he set out to do in life,” she said.“The beautiful thing is that in his lifetime,he saw the positive results of his work . ”When Jacobs first came to NU, he wasa jock, not a scholar.A classmate from St.Jo s e p h’s CollegiateInstitute in Bu f f a l oreunited with himlater in life, jokinglyre m a rked, “Yo ud i d n’t even have abrain in high school.”Niagara was theright place for him;he graduated withhonors and went ont o earn a medicaldegree from St.Louis University.After serving hisDr. Lawrence Jacobshumble. He had anoutrageous sense of funthat buoyed eve ryo n e’sspirits and he enjoye dmentoring yo u n gpeople, telling thoseentering his specialty,“If you come to m e ,yo u’ve got trouble!”“He had an amazingability of getting in aperson’s skin who wassuffering, so he couldreally understandwhat they we re goingthrough,” said longtimefriend andresidency at Mount Sinai Hospital andSchool of Medicine in New Yo rk City,he returned to his hometown to becomean attending physician and then chief ofre s e a rch at the Dent Ne u rological Instituteat Millard Fillmore Hospital in Buffalo.He began working at Buffalo General in1987. The Jacobs Center there wasdedicated in memory of his pare n t s ,Ge n e v i e ve and Louis Jacobs, in 2000.Early in his career in Buffalo, Ja c o b ss t a rted to notice the high number of multiplesclerosis victims among his patients. Hebegan searching for ways to help and forreasons why the incidence of the diseasewas so high in Western New York.He happened to bump into one of hiscolleagues from Ro s well Pa rk CancerInstitute who was using interf e ron withcancer patients. Jacobs became the principalinvestigator of the National Institutes ofHealth-sponsored clinical trial, which ledto FDA approval of interferon beta-1a( Avonex), the first treatment shown to slowthe pro g ression of disability in MS.“Previously, there was no treatment.They helped you with canes and wheelchairs,but there was no hope,” Vogt said.Once interf e ron proved successful,Jacobs was sought after all over the worldto teach. He also continued to do re s e a rc h ,practice and work to make the dru ga f f o rdable and available to all patients.Vogt, the Rosary Hill student Jacobsmet at Niagara but didn’t date until medicalschool, said her husband never acted like al a w yer Tom Be e c h e r.Jacobs not only worried about hispatients’ health, but also social, economicand other problems they might encounter.T h a t’s why he set up a special programfor women and re c ruited social work e r sand doctors in other specialties such asg y n e c o l o g y to come in so women MSpatients in his care and having difficultygetting around could have the conve n i e n c eof “one-stop shopping.”Ja c o b s’ energy seemed boundless, Be e c h e rsaid. Eve ry Sunday morning, he’d walktwice around the meadow in De l a w a rePa rk. Be e c h e r, whose hobby is cooking,would sometimes cook Sunday dinner atthe Jacobs home. Be f o re dinner, his friendwould drag him out to walk the park .“ I ’d be huffing and puffing. He wouldbe walking and talking.”Jacobs’ five children all inherited hisdrive, but in different ways, their mothersaid. One is a cardiologist, two are lawyersand two are teachers. “They’re all reallygreat people with great hearts.”Even after his death, Jacobs is helpingre s e a rch into multiple sclerosis continue. Asa tribute to him, his colleagues started “Jo gfor the Jake,” a family event held eachFa t h e r’s Day in De l a w a re Pa rk to raisefunds for the Jacobs Ne u rological In s t i t u t e .“People don’t want that kind of energyto go away,” his wife said.Even if he’d lived to 85, it would havebeen too soon to lose him; “there was somuch more for him to do,” agreed Be e c h e r.brilliant scientist. He was courageous andpurposeful, but still ve ry self-effacing and

22 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLEApril 25, 2007150th Anniversary LecturePu l i t zer Pr i ze-winning author Roger Wilkins spoke at Ni a g a raUn i versity as part of the unive r s i t y’s 150th annive r s a ryc e l e b ration. His lecture, “The American Challenge: From MyEra to Yours,” was presented in the Castellani Art Mu s e u m .Wilkins, who holds a law degree from the Un i versity of Mi c h i g a n ,is a distinguished professor of history and American cultureat Ge o rge Mason Un i versity in Fa i rfax, Va. He served asassistant attorney general, working with Martin Luther King,Ralph Abernathy and the president to fashion the historiccivil rights laws of 1964 and 1965. Wilkins later established a distinguished journalism career, writing for both The New YorkTimes and The Washington Post. While on the editorial page staff of The Washington Post, he shared the Pu l i t zer Pr i ze, in1972, with re p o rters Bob Wo o d w a rd and Carl Be rnstein and cartoonist Herb Block for their cove rage of the Wa t e rgate scandal.Wilkins is pictured (center) with the Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, NU president (right), and Dr. John Stranges, university professor,who coordinated the event.May 19 and 20, 2007150th Anniversary CommencementThe stage at commencement was decorated with anniversary banners.Anniversary banners were also a prominentpart of the commencement procession.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 23Clockwise from top left: Ho n o ra ry degre e swe re conferred upon the Re v. Dennis H.Holtschneider, C.M., ’85, Charles RandPe n n ey, and William T. Gacioch, ’61,at the graduate commencement,while Sister Ca rol Keehan, D.C.,re c e i ved an honora ry degree duringu n d e rg raduate exe rc i s e s .Clockwise from top left: In honorof the 150th anniversary, 10 peoplewere honored with Caritas medalsat the commencement c e re m o n i e s ,including two gra d u a t i n g students:Li n d s ey Dust, ’07, was honore dduring graduate commencement,and Ga ry Damon, ’07, wasre c o g n i zed at the underg ra d u a t ec e re m o n y. Also honored we realumni Jeanne C. Finn, ’71;Dr. John B. St ranges, ’59, M.A.’63;Concetta A. Dwye r, ’65; Ba r b a raA. Ma l i n owski, ’59; Ca t h e r i n eFalcone Ra y, ’76; Hugh B. Scott, ’71;James M. Schermerhorn, ’64; andL a w rence Jacobs, ’61 (posthumously).

24 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLECLASS NOTESCA&S = College of Arts & SciencesCBA = College of BusinessAdministrationCE = College of EducationCN = College of NursingCH = College of Hospitality andTourism ManagementITHRA = Institute of Travel, Hotel &Restaurant Administration(pre-CH)TTT = Transportation, Travel &Tourism (pre-ITHRA)1950sBernard Camia, ’57 (CA&S/Sociology),Brooklyn, N.Y., has joined with RobertHobe of Hobe CIE Ltd. to direct all sales,marketing and design functions. The firmwill be introducing Madonna creationsjewelry and perfume.1960sJoseph Wolf, ’62 (CE), Buffalo, N.Y., wasrecognized by the New York State A t h l e t i cA d m i n i s t r a t o r s ’ Association with the StateCatholic High School Athletic Director ofthe Year Award in March. The awardrecognizes outstanding service anddedication as an athletic administrator.Lawrence Hardy, ’66( C B A / C o m m e r c e ),P a r s i p p a n y, N.J.,attended Christ theKing Seminary from2001-’05 (followinghis wife’s passing in1998), and wasordained a priest inMay 2006. He iscurrently a Roman Catholic priest inClifton, N.J., with the Diocese of Paterson.Michael Maloney, ’73( C E ), Buffalo, N.Y. ,has been appointedto the position ofexecutive directorwith Fox Run atOrchard Park, aLifecare retirementcommunity.Nick Bankert, ’74 (CBA/BusinessAdministration), Old Forge, N.Y., waselected president of the Central A d i r o n d a c kAssociation Business Chamber, whichcovers the 10 towns in the Adirondacks.Maureen (Stengren) Iacono, ’74 (CN),Jamesville, N.Y., was awarded theOutstanding Achievement Award fromthe American Society of PerianesthesiaNursing, an award which recognizes andhonors individuals whose dedication andexcellence has furthered the art andscience of perianesthesia nursing.Denise (Poirier) Maguire, ’76 (CN) ,S t . Petersburg, Fla., recently acceptedthe position of assistant professor anddirector of outreach programs at theUniversity of South Florida.Elizabeth (Rizzuto) Dorn, ’78 (CN),Honesdale, Pa., is the clinical supervisorat Marywood University in Scranton, Pa.In addition to instructing in clinicalplacements, she is a nursing professorin pathophysiology and pediatrics.Michael Gawel, ’78 (CBA/Accounting),Niagara Falls, N.Y., joined the firm ofS t e v a n o ff & Duff. He will oversee thearea of estate taxes, individual planningand Empire Zone compliance.Jeffrey Culkin, ’79 (CBA), Essex Jct., Vt.,will be inducted into the Saint Michael’sCollege Athletics Hall of Fame on Sept.28, 2007. He is a founder of the SaintMichael’s men’s lacrosse program andserved as head coach of the squad forits first five seasons. He currently is ayouth lacrosse coach and mentor, and ison the board of directors for the Vermontchapter of U.S. Lacrosse.Susan Stafford, ’84, (TTT), an adjunctfaculty member of hotel and restaurantmanagement at Tompkins CortlandCommunity College, received the Tr u s t e e s ’Award for Excellence in adjunct teaching.She was credited with re-energizing theprogram with her enthusiasm and hardwork, and honored for her dedication toher students and the industry.Renee Abdou-Malta, ’85 (CN), FeuraBush, N.Y., was honored in June 2007with the state Senate’s “Women ofDistinction” honor in Albany, N.Y. She isthe vice president of the Empire ServiceSciences Center for ValueOptions Inc.,in Troy, N.Y., and manages the NewYork State Empire Plan Mental Healthand Substance Abuse program.Sarah Robinson, ’88, (CA&S/Computerand Information Sciences), LaFayette,N.Y., received an M.S. in managementfrom Keuka College in May 2007.Elaine (Blackburn) Slesinski, ’88(CBA/Business Communication),recently graduated from NovaSoutheastern University, earning anM.S. degree with a concentration inexceptional student education.Lydia Ulatowski,’89 (CE/SchoolCounseling),Lewiston, N.Y. ,h a s been namedassistant to the deanof academic affairsat Niagara CountyCommunity College.All submissions to thealumni notes section of theEagle magazine are editedfor space and content. Fulltext of submitted notes isavailable at the Eagle’s Nest,www.niagaraalumni.com1990sVincent Costa, ’90 (CA&S/Theater),Union City, N.J., has been cast in thecurrent season of the Travel Channel’sdocumentary travel series, “5 Takes.” Heis scheduled to travel Latin America andbe filmed for the eight-episode series setto air Thursdays at 10 p.m. this summeron the Travel Channel.Stephen T. Pole, ’95, (ITHRA), hasbeen named general manager at boththe Doubletree® Hotel Boston-Downtownand Doubletree® Club Hotel Boston-Bayside hotels. Pole most recently servedas general manager of the Embassy SuitesHotel in Atlanta, a position he held since2001. A 12-year hospitality veteran, Pole’shotel career began in 1995 as a guestservices representative at the EmbassySuites Hotel in Syracuse, N.Y. He since hasheld various managerial positions atEmbassy Suites hotels in Atlanta, NewYork, and Marlborough, Massachusetts.1970sEdward Riedlinger, ’71 (CBA/Commerce), Berwyn, Pa., retired after 29years from GMAC Commercial Mortgageand predecessor companies. He was amanaging director and regional managerin commercial real estate financing.1980sVincent Scherber, ’82 (CA&S/SocialWork), Cheektowaga, N.Y., recentlyretired from the Department of VeteransAffairs Education Division after 30 yearsof government service.Fred He u e r, ’77, NU’s assistant vice president for marketing, andhis wife, Ann (Ro o n ey), ’78, secre t a ry and media coord i n a t o ri n the department of theater and fine arts, purchased a collectionof Ni a g a ra Un i versity memorabilia on e-Bay in recent ye a r s .The couple loaned the items to the unive r s i t y’s Castellani ArtMuseum for display in a special 150th annive r s a ry ex h i b i t i o n .

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 25Alumni Weekend ’07Oct. 5, 6, and 7Please plan on joining us at our annual Alumni Weekend this October. The weekend will be filledwith fun and you’ll make memories that will last a lifetime. Don’t miss out on the parties, thepicnic or our traditional dinner-dance. It is sure to be a weekend you won’t soon forget!Rooms have been blocked at the Crowne Plaza in Niagara Falls. Call 1-800-95FALLS to makereservations. A special rate of $119/night has been arranged. Please reference NU AlumniWeekend when making your reservation. Space in the block is not guaranteed after Sept. 10.We hope to see you there!Peter Glabik, ’98 (CA&S/ReligiousStudies), New Brunswick, N.J., wasordained to the order of deacon in theDiocese of Paterson, N.J., on July 7.H e finished his Master of Divinity degreefrom Seton Hall University: ImmaculateConception Seminary in May.Eric Hall, ’99 (CN), Centreville, Va . ,was honored as an American Red Crossvolunteer of the year for work duringhurricanes Katrina and Rita.Heather King, ’99 (ITHRA), has acceptedthe position of casino host at the RioSuites Hotel in Las Vegas.Orson Morrison, ’99 (CE), Oak Park,Ill., has been named vice president ofclinical services with Lawrence Hall Yo u t hServices. He provides clinical oversight,training and supervision, and is involvedin program development and evaluationof clinical services. He is also an adjunctprofessor at the Chicago School ofProfessional Psychology and maintainsa small private practice in Oak Park, Ill.2000sJulie M. Johnson,’00 (CA&S/PoliticalScience), Buffalo,N . Y., has joinedthe Buffalo off i c eo f Hodgson RussL L P as an associatein the corporateand securitiespractice group.She concentrates her practice in corporateand securities law, including mergersand acquisitions.Sarah Clemmons, ’01 (CA&S/CriminalJustice), Charlotte, N.C., has acceptedthe position of commercial real estateparalegal with the Chicago Title Company.Kara Grooms, ’01, (CA&S/Psychology),Stafford, Va., is a counselor and lacrossecoach at Brooke Point High School inStafford. She recently opened her ownbusiness, La Dolce Vita, an Internetbusiness specializing in compartmentalized,organizational leather handbags, withfour colleagues.Audra Majocha, ’01 (CA&S/English),Hoboken, N.J., has received her master’sdegree in occupational therapy fromColumbia University’s College of Physiciansand Surgeons Programs. After passingthe national board exam she will live andpractice in the New York/New Jersey area.Laura Fees, ’03 (CA&S/Political Science),Buffalo, N.Y., passed the New York StateBar and has been named an associateof Friedman & Ranzenhofer, P.C., basedout of Akron, N.Y.Jennifer (Strasser) Klima, ’05 (CA&S/P s y c h o l o g y ), Buffalo, N.Y., graduated fromthe University at Buffalo with her master’sdegree in psychology in May 2007.Daniel LaRosa, ’05 (CA&S/Psychology),R o c h e s t e r, N.Y., graduated from CanisiusCollege with an M.S. in College StudentPersonnel Administration in May.MILITARYGerald Manley, ’81 (CA&S/CriminalJ u s t i c e ), Manassas, Va., retired fromactive duty as a colonel on March 31.His last assignment was in the Pentagonworking for the assistant secretary ofdefense for special operations and lowintensity conflict.Louis Stout, ’91(CN), Rochester,N.Y., received earlypromotion tolieutenant colonel.He was the nursemanager at theU.S. Army BurnCenter and U.S.Army Burn FlightTeam from 2002–2005 and is currentlythe chief of professional programs at theDefense Medical Readiness TrainingInstitute at Fort Sam in Houston.MARRIAGESMichelle Good, ’01, Philadelphia, toDaniel Lodise, April 28, 2007.BIRTHSIf you didn’t receive a Class of 2007alumni t-shirt at the seniorpicnic, there are a fewstill remaining in ouroffices. Please call us at716-286-8787 or e-mail usat a l u m n i @ n i a g a r a . e d uand we’ll get one in themail while supplies last.To Mr. and Mrs. Michael Maguire, ’67,Coral Gables, Fla., a daughter, MargotSofia, Jan. 9, 2007.To Mr. and Mrs. James Scarcelli, ’80,Monarch Beach, Calif., a daughter,Isabella Michelle, Aug. 6, 2006.DVDs of graduation will beavailable at the end of thiss u m m e r. Please be onthe lookout for a mailingfrom the alumni relationso ffice with details onhow to order.

26 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLETo Mr. and Mrs. William Kellick, ’89(Nancy Hardwick, ’92) C o l o r a d oSprings, Colo., a son, William Quinn Jr.,Sept. 30, 2006.To Mr. and Mrs. Robert Rose Jr.(Catherine Gallagher, ’90), Neponsit,N.Y., a daughter, Shannon Elizabeth,Nov. 6, 2006.To Mr. and Mrs. Franco Strangis, ’90( Wendi Gibbs, ’90), We b s t e r, N.Y., a son,Christopher Gianfranco, April 30, 2007.To Mr. and Mrs. James Pilkington, ’90,Huntington Beach, Calif., a daughter,Erin Pilkington, Jan. 29, 2007.To Mr. and Mrs. Robert Benjamin( Tamara Wisniewski, ’91), Dunkirk, N.Y. ,a son, Noah Robert, Aug. 22, 2006.To Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Noe, ’93 (KathleenFoglia, ’93), Frisco, Texas, a daughter,Ellison Olivia, May 15, 2007.To Mr. and Mrs. Justin O’Brien (KristaAnne Holtby, ’93), Eldersburg, Md.,a daughter, Makenzie Marguerite,N o v. 27, 2006.To Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Windus (AmyPatrick, ’94), Scio, N.Y., a son, MaximThomas, Jan. 2, 2007.To Mr. and Mrs. Adam Magee (ChristineFess, ’95), Penfield, N.Y., a daughter,Clare Ella, April 8, 2007.Alumni Weekend ChecklistDon’t forget to ... Mark your calendar for Oct 5-7 Check out the Eagle’s Nest to getthe latest details Call a classmate, friend, orteammate and invite them tojoin you Find your old Niagara sweatshirt Pull out your senior yearbook Make your class gift Call us with questions!We can be reached at 716-286-8787 orby e-mail at alumni@niagara.edu.The annual gathering of theClass of 1951 in southwestFlorida was held in Naples thisye a r. Front row (l to r): Sa l l ySentiff, Ann Starrs, Pat Dowd ,Donna Fi s c h e r, Kay McDo n n e l land John Fischer, ’51. Backrow (l to r): Joe Dale, ’51;Marigo Da l ey; Gene Sentiff, ’51;Don McDonnell, ’51; andCharlie Starrs, ’51.To Mr. and Mrs. Loris Bonora (LauraGalati, ’96), Toronto, Ontario, Canada,a son, Nicolas Anthony, Dec. 7, 2006.To Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Mazzatti, ’96,Johnson City, N.Y., a son, Anthony Jaxon,May 4, 2007.To Mr. and Mrs. Colin Ryan (CristinPadgett, ’96), Long Beach, N.Y., adaughter, Emily Padgett, Jan. 28, 2007.To Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Pinoargotte (CaraCorkran, ’97), Syracuse, N.Y., a daughter,Gabriella Frances, April 27, 2007.To Mr. and Mrs. Brian Counihan, ’97(Danielle Jeffords, ’97), Syracuse, N.Y.,a son, Lincoln Patrick, Feb. 13, 2007.To Mr. and Mrs. Bob Reuther (DanielleSmith, ’98), Lily Dale, N.Y., a daughter,Isabella Pearl, March 22, 2007.To Mr. and Mrs. Dominic Agostini, ’00,Spencerport, N.Y., a son, Aiden Emerson,Jan. 25, 2007.To Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Riscili ( K a t h l e e nBeam, ’00), Amherst, N.Y., a son, A n d r e wVictor, July 19, 2006.To Mr. and Mrs. Ben Bremer (KathleenBenne, ’00), Farmington, N.Y., a son,Ryan Fitzgerald, April 14, 2007.To Mr. and Mrs. Rob Agan (EricaDoland, ’00), Elmira, N.Y., a daughter,Kylie Danielle, April 25, 2007.To Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Tyrrell, ’00,Durham, N.C., a son, Connor Michael,Feb. 11, 2007.To Dr. and Dr. Kyle Younger (Alyssa-Rae Zonarich, ’00), Olathe, Kan., adaughter, Emily Rae, Feb. 28, 2007.To Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Stanley (JessicaGlowinski, ’01), Amherst, N.Y., a son,Alexander, Feb. 19, 2007.To Mr. and Mrs. Michael Richards ( S u s a nMangno, ’05), Niagara Falls, N.Y., a son,Michael Christian, May 21, 2007.To Mr. and Mrs. Michael C. Brown II,(Brandie Rutledge, ’06), Niagara Falls,N . Y., a daughter, Amelia Katherine,D e c . 10, 2006.DEATHSTo have a Mass celebrated atAlumni Chapel, call NU’s campusministry office at 716-286-8400.Arthur F. Helin, ’36, Houston, April 6, 2007.Herbert Gazley, ’37, Rochester, N.Y.,Oct. 26, 2006.Bishop Michael J. Murphy, ’37, Erie,Pa., April 3, 2007.George A. Doyle, ’39, Westfield, Mass.,April 21, 2007.Henry C. Fadden, ’41, Baldwinsville,N.Y., May 12, 2007.William R. Johnston, ’42, Williamsburg,Va., April 27, 2007.E. Paul McMahon, ’42, Syracuse, N.Y.,March 7, 2007.Francis G. Monan, ’43, Alexandria, Va.,March 22, 2007.Bruce C. A n t h o n y, ’46, Seattle,March 6, 2007.Robert J. Simmons, ’49, Camillus, N.Y.,April 3, 2007.Grant T. Goodheart, ’50, Sanborn, N.Y.,May 2, 2007.Lawrence Kress, ’50, Arlington, Va.,April 28, 2007.James J. Carey, ’51, Niagara Falls,N.Y., April 27, 2007.W. Raymond Doxey, ’51, Southold, N.Y. ,April 11, 2007.John B. McKenna, ’51, Fairport, N.Y.,Dec. 20, 2006.Edwina (Bennett) Denz, ’53, East A u r o r a ,N.Y., April 8, 2007.Francis O’Farrell, ’53, Las Ve g a s ,March 25, 2007.M s g r. Edward Wright, ’54, Sugar Grove,Ill., March 7, 2007.Lawrence O. Gerfin, ’55, El Cajon, Calif.,Nov. 16, 2006.Marion (Barrett) Snyder, ’56, Lewiston,N.Y., May 6, 2007.Vincent Ortolani, ’64, Rochester, N.Y.,April 13, 2007.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 27What’s new in your life?For your convenience, you may update us via the Eagle’sNest (www.niagaraalumni.com) or send your completed,signed form in the enclosed envelope.NameFirstMiddleThe Re v. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M., NU president, and Lt.Co l . Patrick Soos, NU professor of military science, visit withCapt. Ian Perry, ’03, and his wife, Jilda, during a recent tripto Washington, D.C. Perry, a member of the 10th MountainDivision, Fort Drum, N.Y., was wounded in action whileserving in Iraq this spring.MaidenMarriedAddress __________________________________ Check if newCity ____________________________________________________State __________________________ Zip ____________________Seasonal address __________________ to ____________________Phone ( ____) ____________________ Class of ________________E-mail __________________________________________________College ______________________ Major ____________________Signature ______________________________ Date ____________Employer__________________________________ Check if newTitle____________________________________________________Address ________________________________________________City ____________________________________________________State __________________________ Zip ____________________Business phone ( ____) ____________________________________Business e-mail __________________________________________WITH SYMPATHYTo John Hart, ’39, We b s t e r, N.Y., onthe death of his wife, Gertrude Hart,April 26, 2007.To Irvin Schulte, ’54, Warren, Mich., onthe death of his son, Robert Schulte,April 24, 2007.To Henry F. Stempin, ’54, NorthTonawanda, N.Y., on the death of hissister, Alice Woloszyn, Jan. 15, 2007.To John F. Halpin, ’55, Lewiston, N.Y.,on the death of his son, John Halpin,March 27, 2007.To Robert Martinez, ’65, New Haven,Conn., on the death of his mother, CeceliaCaroline Bonzer Martinez, Dec. 19, 2006.To Jan Hart-Fast, 69, Tucson, Ariz., onthe death of her mother, Gertrude Hart,April 26, 2007.To Doreen (Woloszyn) Maier, ’69,Spencerport, N.Y., on the death of hermother, Alice Woloszyn, Jan. 15, 2007.To Dr. Judith (Skurski) Willard, ’70,Ransomville, N.Y., on the death of herfather, Frederick Skurski, April 10, 2007.To David Froelke, ’71, West New York,N.J., on the death of his mother, LorraineFroelke, May 6, 2007.To John Sarto,’71, Pawleys Island,S.C., on the death of his father, John F.Sarto, April 23, 2007.To Jane (Denz) Kney, ’76, East Aurora,N . Y., and to Mary Jo (Denz) Erhardt, ’78,East Aurora, on the death of theirmother, Edwina (Bennett) Denz, ’53,April 8, 2007.To Jeff Kney, ’76, East Aurora, N.Y. ,and to Kevin Kney, ’78, Rockford, Ill.,on the death of their father, David J.K n e y, Feb. 18, 2007.To Donald Denz, ’80, East Aurora, N.Y.,on the death of his mother, Edwina(Bennett) Denz, ’53, April 8, 2007.To Leslie Wise, ’82, Youngstown, N.Y.,on the death of her father, William Wise,April 23, 2007.To Angela (Stempin) Farrell, ’84,Fairport, N.Y., on the death of her aunt,Alice Woloszyn, Jan. 15, 2007.To Francis J. Carey, ’86, Niagara Falls,N.Y., on the death of his father, JamesJ. Carey, ’51, April 27, 2007.To Mary Anne (McKenna) Hight, ’86,Webster, N.Y., on the death of her father,John B. McKenna, ’51, Dec. 20, 2006.To John J. Carey, ’00, Niagara Falls,N.Y., on the death of his father, JamesJ. Carey, ’51, April 27, 2007.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 SonDate of birth ________________Name __________________________________________________Spouse __________________________________________________Career Notes/Retirement Update/Community Service (within the lastsix months). Please submit one or two brief sentences.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A ll inform a t i on submitted for publica t i on must be signedby 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 as 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 ep u b l i ca t i on of class notes or ph o t o s .

28 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLEWondering what’s going on with Niagara alumni? Here are the latest updates.Latest Alumni HappeningsSpring was a busy time for Niagarans: the150th annive r s a ry drew to a close, the Classof 2007 joined the ranks of alumni, andS O LA graduates celebrated the annive r s a r i e sof their ord i n a t i o n .In April, alums in Rochester, N.Y., spentan evening celebrating the 150th annive r -s a ry of the university at the StrasenburghPlanetarium with the Re v. Joseph L.Levesque, C.M., NU’s president. Alumniin Washington, D.C., and central Ma ry l a n djoined Father Levesque in early May for aPresidential Reception and 150th celebrationat Joe T h e i s m a n n’s restaurant. Alums at bothe vents heard the latest NUws from the Ridge,as well as re c e i ved 150th memorabilia.The Alumni Dinner Theater program,always an alumni favorite, ended the schoolyear with a viewing of “Fiddler on the Ro o f. ”Pe rformances we re sold out throughout therun, proving, once again, the popularity andsuccess of our theater program.Senior Week was a time for graduatingseniors to say goodbye to their studentstatus and hello to alumni! The alumnirelations team welcomed the Class of 2007as alums at the senior picnic with a specialalumni t-shirt designed by class members.The annual SOLA reunion was heldi n late Ma y. Mass at Alumni Chapel wasfollowed by a lunch on the fourth floor ofSt. Vincent’s Hall. This event celebrates thegraduates from the Seminary of Our Ladyof Angels and commemorates the annive r s a ryof the graduates’ ordinations.Summer is also a busy time for Ni a g a r aalumni. NU alumni employees markedtheir special status on campus at analumni picnic, while alums in Chicago metto organize a formal chapter. Also over thesummer, the Rochester chapter will holdtheir fifth annual golf tournament and theAlbany chapter will host their t h i rd annualDay at the Races in Saratoga, N.Y. Su m m e re vents will draw to a close with We s t e r nNew Yo rkers cheering on the Buffalo Bi s o n sat a late summer baseball eve n t .Save the Date• Western New York — Aug. 17Bisons Game• Central Maryland — Sept. 23Crab Feast• Tri-State — Sept. 25Long Island Golf Outing• Alumni Weekend — Oct. 5-7The Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M.,(left), presents Rev. Robert Mack, ’53,with a gift commemorating the 50thanniversary of his ordination (1957)at the annual SOLA luncheon.For more information on these eve n t s , aswell as other events we are currentlyplanning, please visit the Eagle’s Nest atwww.niagaraalumni.com. The Eagle’sNest is Ni a g a r a’s online alumni community.New to the Nest? Your first-time logincode can be found above your name onthe mailing label of this magazine.The Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M., enjoyedthe evening in Rochester with alumni EileenMcCarthy Cerami, ’81, and Lou Cerami, ’78.Alumni enjoy theirdinners beforeheading over tothe Leary Theatrefor a performanceof “Fiddler ont h e Roof.”A

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ■ EAGLE 29A NU ViewBy the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., ’85President, DePaul UniversityEd i t o r’s Note: Father Holtschneider delive red the graduate commencementa d d ress at NU’s 150th Commencement May 19, 2007. The following isan excerpt from that address. To read the speech in its entirety, visitwww.niagara.edu/pr/documents/FrHoltschneiderGrad2007_000.docAs you heard, I’m a Niagara Un i ve r s i t ygraduate and a Ha rva rd graduate. They arevery different schools, and you can see itbest in their graduation ceremonies.At Harvard graduation each year, thebusiness students in their caps and gownsjump to their feet and wave $100 billsbefore their guests, their parents, andtheir faculty. Looking down from above,it’s a “sea of money” waving in the wind.Entitlement itself, become visible. Ad a re to the universe to deny them whatthey believe they have now earned. It’s abreathtaking sight even when you knowit’s coming.Do n’t get me wrong. I’m glad I we n tt h e re. But the truth is that it is my Ni a g a r aeducation that I cherish more. Ni a g a r a ,of necessity perhaps, was a less arrogantplace. And a more humane place —something I grew to understand to beof infinitely higher value.T h e re’s something more to a Ni a g a r ad e g ree than just competence, skills, andfeeding ambition. T h e re’s a humanityabout this university that I cherish.There’s a community here, faculty andstaff who work together, who know eachother’s spouses, partners and children.T h e re’s a deep sense of dedication tot h e students. Time poured out on theirbehalf, conversations welcomed beforeand after class, e-mails returned, nameslearned and known.When my classmates from the Classof ’85 describe our time at Niagara, wed o n’t often use the words, “we attendedNiagara.” We didn’t just “attend” NiagaraUn i ve r s i t y. We we re welcomed in. Webecame part of that community. I suspectyou know that experience too.There’s an old-fashioned humanity toNiagara that makes the university special.It’s rooted in Niagara’s Vincentian andCatholic traditions. An ethicalcommunity. Not a perfect community,not a community free from sin, or all thevarious forms of human ve n a l i t y. But acommunity of good people — scholarsand professional staff dedicated to bothour professional education and ourdevelopment as good people.You graduate today at an importantmilestone. Niagara Un i versity is 150years old this ye a r. Looking back ove rthat history, one re a l i zes that unive r s i t i e sa re n’t the buildings. Buildings come andgo. Course requirements come and go.Individual majors come and go. Evenlocations change. Niagara Un i ve r s i t yi t s e l f s t a rted in dow n t own Buffalo beforeit came here to Monteagle Ridge.W h a t’s remained constant at Ni a g a r ai s the love and devotion of the Vi n c e n t i a npriests and brothers who founded thisschool and continue to sponsor it andw o rk here. W h a t’s remained constanta re the re l a t i vely small class sizes so thatstudents are given personal attention.W h a t’s remained constant is a facultya n d staff who pour themselves out forstudents. W h a t’s remained constant isthat sense of belonging to somethingthat asks more of you; that asks you tog row in wisdom, not just know l e d g e ,a n d asks you to give back to the worldaround you, especially to those at thebottom of society.Niagara University on its 150th anniversaryis a blessed place. It has educatedand graduated 150 years of women andmen for the world around them. Andfor 150 years, it’s cared about more thansimply transmitting knowledge. It’s caredabout who we become as people. Ith a s asked us to integrate the best of ourhumanity into our professional live s .It’s asked us to take the search forGod seriously and shape our lives onultimate values. It’s invited us to followthe example of St. Vincent de Paul andt o reach out to those in most need. Whatwe have received, must be given away.And there’s the real difference. Hu n d re ddollar bills talk about what yo u’re going toget from the world. Niagara cares aboutwhat yo u’re going to give the world. T h a t’swhat we celebrate here today. The facultyand professional staff of Niagara Un i ve r s i t yp o u red themselves out on your behalf, notso that you could learn how to computenet present value, or correctly list the NewYo rk state or Ontario educational “re g s , ”o r repeat the criminal code. But so that yo ucould use these skills to better the world.You are business people now and educatorsand criminal justice experts. And yet, notjust business people and educators andcriminal justice experts. You leave thisro o m today with the title “m a s t e r.” T h a t’sa stunning title. Not “master of the unive r s e , ”of course, but “master of a subject matterthat can be put to good use.”As you leave Niagara, I think you willfind that you are well prepared and welltaught. I hope you will find, as I have,that this institution does somethingm o re to you. That there is a gentle, quiethumanity here that calls us to more inlife, and that encourages us to attend tothe things that really matter. Cherish that.Nurture it. It is the most precious ofNiagara University’s many gifts to you.

You never call …You never write …How many times have you thought about your friends from college,but didn’t have a clue about how to actually reach them?The newly redesigned Eagle’s Nest alumni online communitywww.niagaraalumni.comwill help you get and STAY connected.• Alumni Directory: e-mail an old NU friend and update your personal information.• NUws and Events: get the latest news from the Ridge and register for upcoming alumnievents, like Alumni Weekend ’07.• Post Class Notes: update your profile on your accomplishments and milestones.• And much, much more: career networking, message boards, photo albums, and chats!To register on the Eagle’s Nest, visit www.niagaraalumni.com and click “First-time Login”*in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. Follow the on-screen prompts and you’ll bereconnecting with old friends in no time!Call us at 716-286-8787 or e-mail us atalumni@niagara.edu with any questions.*Your first-time login code is located above your name on the address label below.Office of Institutional AdvancementNiagara University, NY 14109Nonprofit Org.U . S . P O S TA G EPA I DNiagara University, N . Y.Permit No. 1CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED