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Trustee Mark Pilipczuk ’88 Delivers Convocation Address UC Offers Assistance to
Returning Veterans
The first sign of a possible disconnect with his
audience came at the mention of his 80s alternative
vinyl collection.
However, by the time Mark Pilipczuk ’88
finished delivering his Convocation address, the
members of the Class of 2013 had connected on
many levels with the accounts of the speaker
nearly 25 years their senior.
Pilipczuk, a trustee of the College, spoke with
great affection of the close relationships he developed
as a student with professors and classmates
and the transformative educational experiences in
and out of the classrooms – the same opportunities that attracted those in
his audience to UC.
In between reminiscences of the Sunday evening reggae shows he hosted
on WPNR and, more recently, an interaction with a fellow alumnus about
a Green Day concert experience, Pilipczuk praised UC’s tradition of outstanding,
student-centered faculty.
“The UC faculty is absolutely first rate and all are ready to help you challenge
yourself. Build relationships with faculty who will hold you to higher
standards than you thought possible. Seek their counsel and heed it.”
His parting advice to UC’s newest students was eloquently simple: “Pursue
academics vigorously. Ask for help. Seek out diversity. Get involved.”
Pilipczuk is vice president of marketing services at Neustar Inc., which
provides the North American communications industry with essential
clearinghouse services. He was previously senior vice president at AOL and
vice president of marketing for the World Wildlife Fund.
The full text of Pilipczuk’s Convocation address is available at
www.utica.edu/alumni.
UC One of “America’s Best Colleges”
Utica College is among the best institutions of its kind in the North, according
to U.S.News & World Report.
In its 2010 “America’s Best Colleges” issue, released in August, the magazine
ranked UC among the top 150 master’s degree-granting institutions in
the region. This is the third consecutive year UC has been rated in its current
category and the ninth consecutive year the College has been featured
in the U.S.News rankings.
UC President Todd S. Hutton sees the rankings as one indication of UC’s
continuing progress.
“Because all college rankings involve some level of subjectivity, it is
important to consider them in a fuller context,” he says. “What they do
provide, however, is further affirmation of Utica College’s growing reputation
and prominence within the higher education community as well as
a measure of the progress UC has made toward achieving the vision of
becoming one of the finest small universities in the nation.”
Tradition. Opportunity. Transformation.®
Utica College is one of “America’s
Military Friendly Schools,”
according to the national magazine
G.I. Jobs. The designation places
UC among the top 15 percent of
institutions that have made it a priority
to recruit and assist post-9/11
active duty service members.
Among other outreach initiatives,
UC has partnered with the
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
to offer additional financial
assistance to returning veterans,
beyond their GI Bill benefits,
through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The College is also providing
personalized support services to
meet the unique needs of veterans
and their families.
The initiative is consistent with
the College’s history of providing
access and opportunity to veterans,
which dates back to UC’s founding
as a post-World War II GI College.
“From our earliest days, we’ve
been an institution that welcomes
veterans and active military personnel.
They have played a key role
in our history, as students, faculty,
and support staff,” says Patrick
Quinn, vice president for enrollment
management.
For information on UC’s veterans
outreach initiatives, visit
www.utica.edu/veterans.
pioneer 5 fall 2009