June 7, 2011: Alumni News

• Alumni News & Events
  • Legacy Families Gather at Commencement

     

    More than 50 members of the Class of 2011 belong to Legacy Families. Many of them gathered Saturday of Commencement Weekend for the long-standing tradition of the Legacy Photo. Alumni and their children posed for the photograph with Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J.

    50-year Class to Participate in Commencement Exercises

    

    Three members of the class of 1961 marked the occasion of the 50^th Anniversary of their graduation by marching as delegates in the academic procession of the annual undergraduate Commencement Exercises held on Sunday, May 30, 2010.

    Rev. Scott Pilarz, S.J., presented the delegates, John P. Sweeney, Joseph Leo and Thomas Sheehan, with 50-year medals immediately before the Commencement. The 50-year class will gather on campus to celebrate together during Reunion Weekend. Also picture (far right) is John F. Lanahan, Esq. ‘84, president of the Alumni Society.

    Council of Alumni Lawyers Members Connect with Pre-Law Society Students

    Several alumni lawyers returned to campus to connect with current Pre-Law Society Students last month.   After an hour of networking, the alumni, who represented different fields of law, engaged students in round table discussions.  Plans are underway for more joint events in the fall.

    2011 Alumni Loyalty and Service Award Winners Announced at Class Night
    
    Two members of the Class of 2011, Shawn Lamb (KSOM) and Judith Gunshannon (CGCE), received the 2011 Alumni Loyalty and Service awards during Class Night exercises on May 27. Both awardees were nominated for their meritorious efforts in enhancing student activities, promoting good will on campus, establishing rapport with the community, exhibiting academic excellence and rendering exceptional service to The University of Scranton.
    
    Shawn Lamb also served as class speaker at the 2011 Commencement Ceremony on May 29. He is a President’s Alumni Liaison, member of the Class of 2011 Committee, and “Mr. Scranton”. Judy Gunshannon has served the University as a staff member in the Office of the President for 16 years and is currently secretary to the Board of Trustees.

    Read more about this year’s award recipients, visit www.scranton.edu/alumniloyalty.

    Young Alumni Prepare to Welcome the Class of 2011
    
    While the Class of 2006 will celebrate their five-year Reunion next week, alumni from the Classes of 2007 – 2011 will be invited to gather at the Jersey shore in August for the 2011 Welcome Parties. Scheduled for Friday, August 5 in Belmar, N.J. and Saturday, August 6 in Sea Isle City, the welcome parties are designed to give the Class of 2011 a warm summer welcome to the alumni society. To read more, visit
    www.scranton.edu/welcomeparties.

    Spotlight on Entrepreneurial Alumni
    
    Charles Albert ’88 founded his handmade jewelry company in 1990. Over the years, Charles Albert Inc. has evolved into one of the premier manufacturers of unique, high quality, fossil, mineral and gemstone jewelry. Find Charles and hundreds of alumni business owners listed in the online directory of alumni-owned businesses.

    Regional Summer Planning Begins
    
    Alumni volunteers have already started planning summer gatherings for fellow Scranton grads in their regions. While alumni in Chesapeake, South Central Pennsylvania and Lehigh Valley are set to attend mid-June baseball games, New Jersey alumni families will have their annual opportunity to spend a day at Monmouth Park Racetrack in August. Also making summer plans,  New York alumni have scheduled a baseball outing at Yankee stadium in August, while Washington, D.C., volunteers are organizing a wine tour in June and a baseball game in August; and Philadelphia alumni who will have the opportunity to attend a networking event in June. To plan a summer gathering for alumni in your area, click here.

    2011 Grads Already Reaping the Benefits

    As they arrived at the commencement ceremony in caps and gowns and left with diplomas in hand, members of the Class of 2011 had the opportunity to learn about their newly acquired alumni benefits. Liberty Mutual, for example, supplied informational handouts to the graduates and their families summarizing the insurance discounts available to Scranton alumni. To learn more about alumni benefits, visit www.scranton.edu/alumnibenefits.

• Save the Dates

  • The following is a list of upcoming events for University alumni. For more information, click here.

    Reunion 2011
    Date: June 10, 2011, to June 12, 2011
    Celebrating milestone reunions of alumni whose class years end in "6" and "1".
    
    The Scranton Club of Philadelphia Summer Social
    Date: June 16, 2011
    Time: 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
    Join members of the Scranton Club of Greater Philadelphia for a Summer Social at Jack's Firehouse.
    
    Scranton Club of Washington, D.C. Wine Tasting
    Date: June 18, 2011
    Time: 2:00 PM
    Join members of the Scranton Club of Washington, D.C., for a day of wine tasting at The Paradise Springs Winery.

    
    Scranton Club of Luzerne County Happy Hour
    Date: June 23, 2011
    Time: 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
    The Scranton Club of Luzerne County Happy Hour at Rodano's.
    
    Chesapeake Orioles Game
    Date: June 26, 2011
    Time: 12:00 PM
    Join members of the Scranton of the Chesapeake at Oriole Park at Camden Yards when the Baltimore Orioles take on the Cincinnati Reds!
    
    South Central PA Senators Game
    Date: June 26, 2011
    Time: 1:00 PM
    Join members of the Scranton Club of South Central PA at Metro Bank Park where we will see the Harrisburg Senators vs. Altoona Curve.
    
    Lehigh Valley Club Iron Pigs Game
    Date: June 26, 2011
    Time: 1:35 PM
    Registration for this event is closed.  Call 1-800-SCRANTON if you have any questions.
    Join members of the Scranton Club of Lehigh Valley at Coca Cola Park in Allentown when the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs take on the Charlotte Knights.
    
    Jesuit Alumni Mass and Brunch in Seattle, Wash.
    Date: July 10, 2011
    You are cordially invited to join alumni from other Jesuit colleges and universities living in the Pacific Northwest for an all-alumni Mass and brunch at Seattle University. The event is being hosted by Seattle University’s Offices of Alumni Relations and Magis. 
    
    Washington DC Happy Hour
    Date: July 21, 2011
    Time: 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
    Take a break after work or class with some fellow Royals. We are meeting up at Liberty Tavern.
    
    Welcome Party in Belmar, NJ
    Date: August 05, 2011
    Time: 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
    Join us for some summer fun at the Jersey Shore as we welcome the Class of 2011 to the Alumni Society! The event is for alumni with class years between 2007-2011.
    
    Welcome Party in Sea Isle City, N.J.
    Date: August 06, 2011
    Time: 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
    Join us for some summer fun at the Jersey Shore as we welcome the Class of 2011 to the Alumni Society! The event is for alumni with class years between 2007-2011.
    
    A day at Monmouth Park
    Date: August 07, 2011
    Time: 12:00 PM
    Join members of the Scranton Club of New Jersey for a day at Monmouth Park Racetrack.
    
    Northeastern Pennsylvania Annual Golf Outing
    Date: August 08, 2011
    Join us for a fun filled day of golf with Scranton alumni and friends!
    
    New York Yankees Baseball Game
    Date: August 10, 2011
    Time: 5:00 PM
    Join members of the Scranton Club of New York as the New York Yankees take on the Los Angeles Angels.
    
    The Scranton Club of Washington, D.C. Nationals Baseball Game
    Date: August 21, 2011
    Time: 12:00 PM
    Be there to see our Washington Nationals take on the Philadelphia Phillies!
    
    Orientation Staff Reunion
    Date: September 17, 2011
    Generations and generations of purple people will be together on campus!  Gather all of the Scranton Orientation Staff Members you know and make plans to come back to campus for a full day of friends, food and fun!  Add your name to the ‘planning to attend’ list.

• Class Notes

  • The following are class notes submitted to The University of Scranton's Office of Alumni Relations. To submit your own class notes, visit our Class Notes webpage.

    Gerard Dougher ’73, Scranton, is a senior accountant at Public Service Electric and Gas Company in New Jersey.
    
    Col. Daniel Battafarano, D.O. ’77, San Antonio, Texas, received the Outstanding Clinical Educator Award in 2011 from the Internal Medicine Residency at San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC) and an Outstanding Faculty Medicine Clerkship Award in 2011 from the University of Texas Health Science Center-San Antonio (UTHSCSA). Doctor Battafarano is the chairman of Rheumatology at SAMMC and clinical professor of Medicine at UTHSCSA.
    Gail Parsons Eddy ’80, Nederland, Colo., is the owner of Geek for Hire, Inc. which received the Angie’s List 2010 Super Service Award for providing consistently high quality service to their customers.
    
    Paula Hresko Mendoza ’83, Upland, Calif., was a speaker for the Cal Poly Pomona University’s Engineering Club Leadership Retreat. Her presentation was on Job Search Strategies for Success. She is a site manager for Raytheon Company.
    
    Christopher Henry ’88, Royersford, is state program specialist (grant manager) with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in Princeton, New Jersey.
    
    Jill Joswick Bednar ’93, Springfield, is principal of Las Dos Chicas, a 501(c)3 who is awarding their first study abroad scholarship “2011 Pack Your Bags Scholarship.”
    
    Marc Fusaro, Ph.D. ’96, Russellville, Ark., assistant professor of economics at Arkansas Tech University, was presented with the Thomas P. Tyler Excellence in Teaching Award during the 22nd annual College of Business Awards Program at Chambers Cafeteria East Banquet Hall on April 26.
    
    Shahriar Pourreza ’99, West Orange, N.J., is senior analyst within Citigroup’s Energy/Commodities team.
    
    Matthew McGuigan ’01, Coatsville, joined the firm Blank Rome LLP as an associate in the Financial Services group and a member of the Consumer Financial Services Industry Team.

    Joegi Mathew ’07, North Massapequa, N.Y., is a fund controller at Tishman Speyer where he is overseeing the accounting for two real estate funds.

• In the News

  • The following are links to articles featuring University alumni who have recently appeared in various media outlets.

    Twenty alumni members from the Scranton Club of New York participated in beautifying the Catholic Charities Catherine Sheridan Senior Center in Jackson Heights as part of Scranton University’s day of service. To read more, click here.

    Donald Burdick ’50, who was awarded the French Legion of Honor medal last year for his service in World War II, was featured on www.lehighvalleylive.com. To read more about Donald, click here.

    State Representative Michael Carroll '61, G'68 was the principal speaker for the Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce’s 91st Anniversary Dinner Meeting in May. To read more about Michael, click here.

    Michael Collins '62, a former Democratic state legislator who served in the House of Delegates from 1978-1986 and in the Senate from 1986-2002, and currently the chairman of the state Board of Contract Appeals, was appointed to the Baltimore County school board. To read more about Michael, click here.

    Carl J. Kuehner '62 was one of three honorary degrees recipients at the University’s 111th Commencement Ceremony on May 29. To read more about Carl, click here and here.

    Chick Rader '62, a former football player at The University of Scranton and Lackawanna County Eagles, where he also coached, was recently roasted for charity, benefiting the Northeast Regional Autism Center at Friendship House. To read more about Chick, click here.

     

    Richard Bucci G'79, the former mayor of Binghamton, N.Y., will become the principal of Seton Catholic Central. He will leave an administrative position with the Vestal Central School District. To read more about Richard, click here.

    Colleen Rushmore '84 and her husband run Rushmore Physical Therapy, P.A., a full-service outpatient orthopedic physical therapy practice with locations in Delran, Hainesport and Voorhees, N.J. To read more Colleen, click here.

    Gregory C. Madensky G'84 ran for the South Abington Twp. seat on the Abington Heights School Board, and won the both nominations for the Region Three seat. To read more about Gregory, click here and here.

    Following the death of Osama bin Laben in May, Kathleen Hamilton, Esq. '85 spoke with The Times Tribune and reflected on the death of her brother, William Kelly, Jr. '93, on Sept. 11. To read more, click here.

    Naomi Hickey Brickel '91 was recently elected to one of two open seats on the New Rochelle School District school board in New Rochelle, N.Y. Brickel was the top vote-getter of the six candidates. To read more about Namoi, click here (voting results) and here (opinion piece endorsing Brickel).

    Barbara Moody '93, sales manager of Mortgage Network's Clarks Summit office, has been named Affiliate of the Year by the Greater Board of Realtors. To read more about Barbara, click here and here.

    Cornelius Kelly '94, a Westhampton Beach title agency owner, was nominated by the Suffolk County Republican Party to run against Legis. Jay Schneiderman, I-Montauk, for the second district seat. To read more about Cornelius, click here.

    Jennifer Stephens Murawski, PT, MPT '96, G'97, has joined PHOENIX Rehabilitation and Health Services, Inc. as facility director for the outpatient clinic at 685 Carey Ave., Wilkes-Barre. To read more about Jennifer, click here.

    Daniel J. Grabo, Jr., M.D. '98, currently Fellow in Traumatology, Surgical Critical Care and Emergency Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, just returned from Oslo, Norway where he participated in teaching a course in trauma surgery for Norwegian Armed Forces Medical Services. To read more about Daniel, click here.

    Jane Walsh-Waitkus G'99, who teaches English and American studies courses at Penn State Hazleton, sought one of 11 seats on the new Luzerne County Council, which will become the county's governing body in January. To read more about Jane, click here, here and here (election voting).

    Sean Lenahan '00 was recently sworn into the Dunwoody (Ga.) Police Department after six years at the DeKalb County Police Department. To read more about Sean, click here.

    Anthony Talerico, Jr. '01, a licensed New Jersey CPA, was recently named a manager in the WithumSmith&Brown's Red Bank office. He specializes in matrimonial litigation, business valuation, cash flow analysis, asset tracing, shareholder disputes, and condo fraud. To read more about Anthony, click here.

    Rev. Gregory F. Loughney '02 celebrated his Mass of Ordination at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton in May. In preparation for his ordination, Loughney volunteered full-time at the St. Vincent de Paul Kitchen during his spring 2010 semester at St. Pius X Seminary in Dalton. To read more about Gregory, click here and here.

    Russell Preno III ’05 may have majored in political science, but the family business – running a restaurant – has always been in his blood. To read more about Russell, click here.

    Bradley Burke '06 was ordained as a Lutheran pastor at May 21 in St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Aston. Pastor Burke served as the vicar and part-time associate pastor at St. Timothy for the past two years until he returned to the Philadelphia Seminary to complete his education to become a Lutheran pastor. To read more about Bradley, click here.

    Kimberly R. Lieber, Psy.D. '06 has earned a Doctorate of Clinical Psychology from Marywood University. Her doctoral dissertation was on "Factors Related to the Fulfillment of Supervision Needs of Advanced Psychologists -in-Training." To read more about Kimberly, click here.

• Birth Announcements

  • The following are birth announcements submitted to The University of Scranton's Office of Alumni Relations. To submit your own birth announcements, visit our Class Notes webpage.

    A son, Henry Lewis, to David ’91 and LeAnn Hogan, Arlington, Va.
    A daughter, Caoilfhionn Elizabeth, to Paul Walsh and Louise Farragher ’94, Dublin, Ireland
    A daughter, Payton Lida, to Justin ’95 and Candice Orzel Taylor ’95, Oakland, N.J.
    A son, Jeffrey Joseph, to Jeff and Elaine Reilly Blanco ’96, Shelton, Conn.
    A daughter, Rylin Gabrielle, to Paul and Gemma Waananen Kenney ’96, Malvern, N.Y.
    A daughter, Faith, to Michael ’97, G’04 and Shannon Farrell Beckish ’03, G’04, Scranton
    A daughter, Ryleigh Christine, to Christopher ’97 and Stephanie Heenan, Sewell, N.J.
    A son, Jack Ryan, to Matthew ’99 and Rebekah Ferguson Bernard ’01, Clarks Summit
    A daughter, Madeline, to Joseph and Collette Kelly Freer ’00, Little Neck, N.Y.
    A daughter, Ella Maureen, to Kevin ’01 and Lauren ’01 Altieri Courtney, White Plains, N.Y.
    A daughter, Megan Elise, to Matt and Katy Everson Jablonowski ’01, Johnson City, N.Y.

• Marriage Announcements

  • The following are marriage announcements submitted to The University of Scranton's Office of Alumni Relations. To submit your own marriage announcements, visit our Class Notes webpage.

    Katie Wojtowicz ’07 to Allan Parsells ’08

• Death Notices

  • The following are death notices submitted to The University of Scranton's Office of Alumni Relations.

    Stanley Chmiel ’48, Scranton
    Melvin Oram, M.D. ’49, Scranton
    J. Ronald Halenda, M.D. ’53, Chadds Ford
    Col. Vito M. Solazzo ’55, Scranton
    Edward T. Carden, M.D. ’62, Issaquah, Wash.
    Edward Higgins ’63, Bensalem
    Alexander L. Savary ’66, Tampa, Fla.
    Anne Marie Kenney ’73, Somerset, N.J.
    Msgr. Kevin P. O’Neill ’73, Dunmore
    Richard Czibik ’78, G’80, Brookhaven
    Maryellen Griffith Fiore ’90, Oreland
    Lt. Col. John E. Voyack ’95, Avoca

• Family and Friends Death Notices

  • The following are death notices of family and friends submitted to The University of Scranton's Office of Alumni Relations.

    Christine Federico Ambrose, sister of Peter ’91, Taryn ’93 and Celeste ’95
    James Carr, father of Jim Carr ’92 and Patricia Carr Kasper ’85
    Joseph Laskowski, Sr., father of Michael ’91, Christopher ’93 and Cynthia Jenner ’93

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