2017

SPRING

ON THE ROAD
Alumnus takes a
cross-country ride

The California University of Pennsylvania Magazine

CAL U REVIEW
SPRING 2017 • VOL. 45 - NO. 1
The Cal U Review is published by the Office of Communications
and Public Relations and is distributed free. Third class postage
paid at California.

FROM THE PRESIDENT

CHANCELLOR

facebook.com/CalUofPA

Frank T. Brogan

linkedin.com/edu/school?id=19227

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Cynthia D. Shapira, chair
David M. Maser, vice chair; chair,
Finance, Administration and Facilities
Aaron A. Walton, vice chair; chair,
Human Resources
Sen. Ryan P. Aument
Rep. Matthew E. Baker
Audrey F. Bronson
Secretary of Policy and Planning
Sarah Galbally, Governor’s designee
Rep. Michael K. Hanna
Shaina Marie Hilsey
Donald E. Houser Jr.

Jonathan B. Mack, chair,
Academic and Student Affairs
Barbara McIlvaine Smith
Daniel P. Meuser
Thomas S. Muller
Guido M. Pichini
Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera
Sen. Judith L. Schwank
Harold C. Shields, chair, Audit
Logan L. Steigerwalt
Brian Swatt
Governor Tom Wolf

@CalUofPA
@CalUofPA

PAGE 22
Looking for a ‘sustainable way to
help others,’ an alumnus takes
his athletic training skills to Haiti.

CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Geraldine M. Jones, University president
Dr. Bruce Barnhart, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs
Robert Thorn, vice president for Administration and Finance
Dr. Nancy Pinardi, vice president for Student Affairs

COUNCIL OF TRUSTEES

Larry Maggi ’79, chair
Annette Ganassi, vice chair
Roberta M. Betza
Sarah R. Cassin ’97
James T. Davis ’73
Sean T. Logue
Michele M. Mandell ’69

In 1974, a grocery store cashier picked up a brand-new device and, for the first time
ever, scanned a barcode at the checkout.
The floppy disk had been invented just four years before. The VCR and the
word processor were newer still. Erno Rubik’s “Magic Cube” was puzzling
mathematicians, but it hadn’t yet made its way into toy stores. And healthcare
workers were learning a new first-aid technique called the Heimlich maneuver.
That was the year California adopted its special mission in science and technology,
a commitment to connecting our students to a rapidly evolving world of invention
and discovery.
More than 40 years later, our University is renewing its emphasis on that special
mission as we plan for Cal U’s future.
In the increasingly competitive higher education arena, we are building on our
strengths to create a strong and distinctive identity that will set Cal U apart from
other universities in our region and across Pennsylvania.
Why focus on our special mission?
Today, the Eberly College of Science and Technology is our largest academic
college, with programs such as mechatronics, cybersecurity and drone technology
that were barely a dream back in 1974.
Thousands of Cal U students are earning degrees online, expanding the
University’s reach across the country and around the world.
And STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — is infused throughout
our curricula. Cal U’s education programs prepare teachers to lead classrooms
transformed by digital technology. Liberal arts courses reflect technology’s impact
on communication and artistic expression. And business programs respond to
decision-makers’ increasing reliance on data and analytics.
Over the years, our special mission has become an integral part of Cal U’s identity.
By renewing our emphasis on science and technology, we intend to make Cal U the
preferred choice for capable, career-focused students, now and in the years ahead.
Sincerely,

Geraldine M. Jones
President, California University of Pennsylvania

Robert Miner Jr. ’78
Thomas Uram
Aaron A. Walton ’68
Claudia J. Pehowic,
student trustee/secretary
Frank T. Brogan, chancellor, ex-officio

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jesse Hereda ’04, president
Ashely (Baird) Roth ’10, ’12,
vice president
Dante Morelli ’02, secretary
Justin Binion ’11, treasurer
Lynne (Moltz) Stout ’94,
immediate past president
Colleen (Murphy) Arnowitz ’75, ’97
Alisha Carter ’06, ’11
Robert Crall ’10, ’12
Shelly (Fetchen) DiCesaro ’94

Bobbi (Williams) Fetsko ’75, ’83
Mindi (D’Auria) Fisher ’07
Brendan Garay ’15
David Gwyer ’65
Charles Kacsur ’08
Erica McDill ’92
Melissa McKean ’07
Marc Quann ’88
Bryan (Tolle) Schuerman ’09, ’16
Tim Susick ’76, ’78
Judy (Durko) Zilkowski ’77, ’83

DEPARTMENTS
CAMPUS CLIPS

FEATURES



12–15

ALUMNI NEWS

18–19

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

20–21

SPORTS ROUNDUP

26–27

MILESTONES29–33

4

Michael Napolitano ’68
George Novak ’55

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS

Geraldine M. (Johns) Jones ’72, ’80
Larry Maggi ’79
Anthony Mauro ’92, ’93

William Flinn II ’68
Barbara Hess
Leslie (Berdar) Fleenor ’08

SAI BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kelsey DeNardo ’16, graduate student, president
Ellen Mari Boyle, undergraduate, vice president
Jonathan Hershey, undergraduate, secretary
Maura O’Brien, undergraduate, treasurer
Hope Cox, ’00, ’01, alumna
Leah Seader, undergraduate
Shaina Hilsey, undergraduate
Rachel Simmons, undergraduate
Ryan Jerico ’09, alumnus
Bryan (Tolle) Schuerman ’09, ’16,
Marc Roncone ’03, alumnus
alumnus
Ashley Roth ’10, ’12, alumna
Calvin Szewczyk, undergraduate
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS

Dr. Nancy Pinardi ’94, ’96, ’98, vice president for Student Affairs
Leigh Ann Lincoln, chief financial officer for S.A.I.
Larry Sebek ’90, ’94, associate vice president for Student Affairs

FOUNDATION FOR CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

William R. Flinn II ’68, president
Harry E. Serene ’65, vice president
Donald J. Thompson, secretary
Paul L. Kania ’87, treasurer
Armand E. Balsano ’74
William R. Booker ’74
Therese J. Gass ’77
Chelsea Gump
Jesse G. Hereda ’04
Alan K. James ’62
Zeb Jansante ’82, ’91

Robert E. Lippencott ’66
Reginald A. Long ’81
John A. Lorenzi ’15
Larry Maggi ’79
Michael Napolitano ’68
Frederick A. Retsch ’62
Anthony J. Saludis
Linda H. Serene ’64
William G. Stough
Lynne Stout ’94
Deborah E. Takach ’05

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS

Geraldine M. Jones ’72, ‘80, University President
Anthony Mauro ’92, ’93, associate vice president for Development and Alumni Relations

EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Christine Kindl

Zach Frailey
Greg Sofranko
Kelly Tunney

WRITERS

Wendy Mackall
Bruce Wald ’85

Larry Maggi ‘79 recalls his 5,578-mile motorcycle
ride and the people he met along the way.

Nurturing Nature

LIFETIME HONORARY MEMBERS

Paul Gentile ’62
Anthony Lazzaro ’55

On the road

ONLINE
PROGRAMS
AMONG
NATION’S BEST
Cal U’s 100% online bachelor’s
degree programs have been ranked
No. 6 in the country by U.S. News &
World Report, a recognized leader in
college rankings.
Other Pennsylvania schools in the
top 10 were Temple University, at
No. 2, and Penn State’s World
Campus, tied for No. 8.

6
8
9

A collaborative project restores fish habitat,
beautifies a community park and creates
an outdoor laboratory for students.

Analytics advances careers

Decision-makers rely on ‘big data’ — and this SAS
certificate program teaches you to manage it.

Ready for take-off

A new career field takes flight, and Cal U
introduces a program in drone technology.

Cal U Global Online offers 10
bachelor’s degree programs that
can be completed entirely online.
They include Arabic language and
culture, nursing, wellness and fitness,
computer information systems,
homeland and international security,
land management, legal studies,
and social deviance.

A NOTE TO OUR READERS

Master’s degree and doctoral
programs also are offered online.

The Cal U Review is published three times a year to keep you updated with alumni news and
information from all four Colleges at California University. Both the current edition and back
issues, along with Cal U Review “extras,” are available online at calu.edu/review.

Explore all of Cal U’s Global Online
programs at www.calu.edu/go.

To stay updated, alumni may send their email address to alumni@calu.edu.

X-ray vision

10

Filling a workforce need, Cal U partners
with the Washington Hospital School
of Radiologic Technology.

Email Milestones items to revieweditor@calu.edu.
SPRING 2017 CAL U REVIEW 3
n

5,578 26
miles days
memorable stops:
ST. LOUIS, MO

SALT LAKE CITY, UT

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK

CHEYENNE, WY

ALBUQUERQUE, NM

DENVER, CO

TOMBSTONE, AZ

Easy riding

Alumnus revs up for a cross-country ride

A

merica called, and Larry Maggi ’79
answered.
Last summer he traded his suit
and tie for jeans and a T-shirt, stepped away
from the chairman’s desk in the Washington
County Commissioners Office, and set out on
a 26-day, 5,578-mile motorcycle ride across
the United States.
“I enjoy my life and my family,” says
Maggi. “But as I got into my 60s, I put a
couple of things on my ‘bucket list.’ … I
wanted to get outside my comfort zone.”
Maggi, now 66, has traveled “pretty
extensively” both with the Marine Corps and on
excursions with his wife, Mary Jeanne.
“I’d flown across the United States, but I’d
never really seen America,” he says. “I wanted to
see our country from the bottom up.”
Maggi has owned a motorcycle since
he left the Marine Corps, in 1971. He rides
occasionally with his wife, and with groups of
veterans, police and firefighters.
Gradually, the idea of an extended
motorcycle journey took hold. Maggi — a
longtime fan of “cowboy history” — decided

4 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2017
n

to see the West.
“The more I thought about it, the more I
talked about it, the more excited I got. It was
just so exhilarating and uplifting.”
The planning became a passion, and he
spent a year getting ready.
He bought a new 2015 Harley-Davidson
Ultra Limited, with GPS, a radio and room to
store his gear. He started running and lifting
weights — “like training for a sport,” says the
former Vulcan wrestler. He had the Marine
Corps’ anchor, globe and eagle insignia
tattooed on his biceps. He laid out a route,
made packing lists, decided where to go and
what to see.
Maggi’s family would use a smartphone
app to track his progress, and he’d call home
at least once a day. Other than that, he’d be
on his own.
“My work life is regimented, and I didn’t
want to be regimented on my trip. I wanted
to experience the freedom, the thrill of being
responsible just for myself.
“If anything goes wrong, it’s on you, and
anything that goes right is on you, too.”

Career path
Larry Maggi ’79 has been a member of
Cal U’s Council of Trustees since 2009
and will complete his second term as
chairman in June. He has spent his
professional life in public service:
U.S. Marine Corps
1969-1971
Pennsylvania State Police
1973-1997
Washington County Sheriff
1997-2003
Washington County Commissioner
2003-present

‘Mayor Dusty’ Escapule (left) welcomes

On June 20, 2016, Maggi hit the road.
Larry Maggi to Tombstone, Ariz.
Three Marine Corps buddies accompanied
him to Zanesville, Ohio, where they bought
him breakfast and wished him good luck.
Then Maggi turned west on Route 40,
the National Road.
For three weeks he rolled across the
country, taking in the sights: The Gateway
Arch and the Mississippi River near St. Louis.
The Sonoran Desert and the Grand Canyon.
The Cowboy Church in Tombstone, Ariz., and
the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City,
Utah. Fort Sumner, N.M., where gunfighter
Billy the Kid was shot, and the Wyoming
Territorial Prison where the outlaw Butch
Cassidy served time.
“There was no hurry,” Maggi says. “It wasn’t
about the destination; it was about the journey.”
wrong turn near St. Louis and ended up in a
He made only one reservation, at a bedrough neighborhood.
and-breakfast in Tombstone.
He’s kept in touch with an Australian
Located in the town’s historic district, the
couple he met at a Grand Canyon lodge.
Tombstone Bordello was built in 1881. Before
He remembers the panhandler in
it became a tourist stop, it was a notorious
ST. LOUIS,
MO Mo., who saw his Marine Corps
Ferguson,
“house of ill-fame” owned by gunslinger JohnOKLAHOMA
CITY,
OKhim with, “Semper Fi,
flag
and
greeted
Henry “Doc” Holliday’s girlfriend.
ALBUQUERQUE,
NM
brother.” Maggi bought the homeless veteran
Now the B&B is run by Tombstone’s
TOMBSTONE, AZ
a couple of sandwiches and talked with him
mayor, Dustin Escapule. Having checked out PHOENIX,
AZ
over dinner.
his guest online, the innkeeper invited “SheriffSEDONA,
AZ
“I like to hear people’s stories,” Maggi
Maggi” to lead a parade marking the 150th
says. “And I love talking to people at all the
anniversary of the Buffalo Soldiers, Africanlittle convenience stores, the diners, the truck
American cavalry regiments formed in 1866
stops. They’re the crossroads of America.”
to fight in the Indian Wars.
He’d buy a bottle of water or a cup of
“Life is all about experiences,” Maggi says,
coffee,
then sit back and listen. Families,
so he accepted the offer. A photo shows him
blue-collar workers, long-haul truckers —
with “Mayor Dusty” and parade marshal
each had a story to tell.
Nelson Mitchell, a war hero who survived the
On Route 66 near Amarillo, Texas, Maggi
1941 attack at Pearl Harbor.
met a grizzled biker with military patches on
his vest. They exchanged greetings, and soon
Person to person
Maggi was deep in conversation with Jim
What sticks with Maggi are not the
Hathcock, brother of the late Gunnery Sgt.
landscapes but the people he met on his
Carlos Hathcock, a legendary Marine Corps
journey.
sniper in the Vietnam War. The two veterans
He recalls three “gentlemen of
rode to Albuquerque together.
questionable repute” who offered to guide
“Here (at home), it’s my job — sometimes
him back to the interstate when he took a

Break time at the Grand Canyon.

I have to be a talker,” Maggi says. “There,
I was just a listener to the experiences of
other people.”

Home again

By the time he reached Wyoming, Maggi
was ready to go home. He skipped the crowds
at Yellowstone National Park, spent a night in
Denver, Colo., then took Route 70 east.
“Our country is truly great because of
our freedoms and because of our people,” he
says, looking back. “There’s a common bond,
a common theme. We are all Americans.”
Maggi’s trip yielded dozens of photos, and
enough stories to last a lifetime. But already
his wheels are spinning.
“I’m not sure it will be as euphoric, as
gratifying as the first time, but I’m planning to
do it again.”
This summer he’ll travel northeast, to see
New England and Nova Scotia.
But he won’t turn his back on
southwestern Pennsylvania.
“This has always been my home. My
family is here,” Maggi says. “I’ll always come
home to Washington County.” 
By Christine Kindl, communications director for Cal U

SPRING 2017 CAL U REVIEW 5
n

Flooding tests
Pike Run restoration
This winter, heavy rainfall coupled
with melting snow flooded the park
along Pike Run in California Borough.
The spreading waters tested a
collaborative stream mitigation
and streamside restoration project
that had transformed the habitat for
fish and aquatic insects, as well as
anglers, nature lovers, students and
community residents.
The project passed with flying colors.
The flooding came as no surprise
to Jose Taracido, coordinator for
the Partners for Fish and Wildlife
program at Cal U. Rather than doing
damage, he says, it cleared the
stream of sediment that had been
building up for years.
“The actual flood helped move the
silt load out of the stream … and
deposited sand and gravel on the
banks,” he reports. “The stream
banks are all stabilized and holding.”

cooperative project

Through a contract from the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation, Partners
for Fish and Wildlife carried out the habitat
restoration project last fall in collaboration
with the California Borough Recreation
Authority, Pheasants Forever, the Army
Corps of Engineers, the Washington
County Conservation District and the state
Department of Environmental Protection.
Partners for Fish and Wildlife installed
rock weirs to alter water flow, and
constructed log dams and other features
in the stream between Coal Center and the
Route 43 overpass.
The dams create waterfalls that alter
the stream’s flow, reducing erosion along
the bank and creating deeper, betteroxygenated pools for fish.
“Nothing we’ve put in here obstructs the
movement of fish,” says Taracido, whose
crews also planted trees and removed
fencing and non-native plants, such as
Japanese knotweed, to make more space
for fishing and recreational use.
A trail was constructed with steps at
either end, so anglers and hikers can walk
safely from Mechanic Street down to
the stream and along its banks. A gated
road and crossing is planned, to make it
convenient for borough workers to mow
grass and maintain the park.

Cal U students are involved in the
project, too. They’ve already begun a fiveyear effort to monitor the stream and the
surrounding area under the direction of
biology professor Dr. David Argent.
“This is not just a beautification
project,” Taracido says. “We must show
improvement in the fish and insect habitat,
as well as the water quality.”

outdoor laboratory

As part of the stream monitoring project,
Cal U will provide PennDOT with an annual
report on Pike Run’s water quality, aquatic
life and insect communities.
Students from the American Fisheries
Society and Cal U’s ichthyology (fish science)
and ecology classes took samples from the
stream before the project began, and they
sampled again after the restoration.
After trout season, Argent plans to
return once more to sample the fish and
other aquatic life.
“We’ll continue to go out over the next
couple of years to keep track of things,” he
says. “I do expect a reduction of sediment
in there, which will be good because that
will increase the habitat complexity.”
The ongoing project, just a short walk
from campus, is an outdoor laboratory
for students.

“This provides them some hands-on
experience and the opportunity to
participate in a bio-monitoring and
assessment project,” Argent says.
“Obviously, it will give them some
ideas about macroinvertebrate and fish
identification, too.”
Student Austin Hess has found the work
exciting. He’ll graduate this spring with a
degree in environmental studies, with a
concentration in fisheries and wildlife biology.
“Due to my major and my love of
fishing, I would love to see improvement on
the stream,” says Hess, a member of the
American Fisheries Society.
“Having gone to school here for four
years now, I know how important Pike Run
is to this community.”

go fish

Area residents enjoy the improvements,
too. The Pennsylvania Fish Commission
brought in trout and stocked the creek
March 1 with the help of local high school
students.
The Pike Run Youth Fishing Festival, a
popular event for more than 20 years, drew
hundreds of anglers to the renovated park
on April 22.
“It’s amazing how much area has
been cleared along the stream banks,”

says Pat Alfano, president of California
Borough Council.
“It was encouraging to see so many
different departments come together to
make this happen. It’s a huge improvement
and something we can be proud of.”
A few large rocks in the stream were
repositioned after the wintertime flooding,
and borough crews cleared some dead
trees. The area will look even better soon,
when saplings planted this spring fill out
after their first growing season.
“The stream now is 100 percent more
fishable, and it has the capacity to hold
more trout than it ever did,” Taracido says.
Gazing across the park, he adds, “What
I’m looking at here — it’s fantastic.” 
By Bruce Wald ’85, information
writer for Cal U

Improving Habitat
Partners for Fish and Wildlife,
based at Cal U, is a cooperative
effort among many Pennsylvania
agencies. It works with landowners
to improve water quality and
wildlife habitat, to remediate
degraded wetlands, and to restore
native grassland and wildflower
habitat. To see photos of past
projects, visit calu.edu/review.

Jose Taracido

6 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2017
n

SPRING 2017 CAL U REVIEW 7
n

ReadY

FOR

ADVANCES CAREERS

Cal U and SAS team up to offer data science credentials

S

tatistics professor Dr. Melissa Sovak
has a list of more than 100 companies
that look for SAS skills when they hire.
SAS software is the “gold standard”
for advanced statistical analysis, and data
scientists who are adept at using it are very
much in demand.
Retail and pharmaceutical giants utilize SAS
to identify trends that guide business decisions.
The software is widely used in research,
government, social media, the film industry and
“any field that deals with data, which is almost
everything these days,” Sovak says.
Beginning this fall, Cal U makes it easy to
earn a SAS Data Science Certificate, either as
part of a degree program or as a stand-alone
credential.
Students from Cal U or other universities,
as well as working professionals, can
complete the 15-credit certificate program
entirely online.
Earn the certificate and you also can sit
for two SAS exams to become a SAS Certified
Big Data Professional.
“There is a huge talent gap, a real need
for data scientists,” Sovak says. “Cal U
answered the call to develop a program
at the undergraduate level.”

8 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2017
n

In fact, Cal U is the only university in the
United States to partner with SAS on an
undergraduate data science certificate. A
graduate-level certificate is available, too.
SAS reviews and approves all coursework,
insisting that students analyze real-world data
and complete a hands-on capstone project.
“This is not a traditional math class,”
Sovak explains. “There are no complicated
math formulas, no heavy coding. You learn
how to use the software and manipulate data.
There’s lots of real-world information that
students can latch onto.”
Senior Cassie Gartin, a math major, prefers
SAS to other software products she’s used.
“The outputs are easy to read and easy to
interpret,” she says. “I could take these reports
directly to my boss, or to a client, and explain
the results in a way they could understand.”
Gartin graduates in May, and she’s
looking ahead to a data science career.
“A certification in SAS stands out on a
resume,” she says. “It’s an advantage when
you go into the job market.”
A study by PayScale and Money magazine
backs her up. It ranked SAS analytics No. 1
on a list of skills linked to higher pay, career
advancement and job opportunities.

SAS is not just for business and science
majors, says Sovak, a former market research
analyst. Psychologists, for instance, analyze
data to find patterns in human behavior.
Text analysis powers search engines, and
TV producers use data to fine-tune their
program lineups.
“We’re all flooded with data all the time,”
Sovak says. “SAS helps you make sense of it.” 
By Christine Kindl, communications director at Cal U

DATA POINTS
Earn a SAS Data Science Certificate
100 percent online. Complete Cal U’s
15-credit undergraduate or graduatelevel certificate program and you also
receive a discount if you sit for the exam
required to become a SAS Certified Big
Data Professional. Classes begin in fall
2017. Learn more or apply online at
www.calu.edu, or call the Cal U
Admissions Office at 724-938-4404
or 888-412-0479 (toll-free) for details.

Professor Jeff Sumey:
‘Drones are going to cha
nge ...
business and industry.’

TAKE OFF
Drone technology program debuts this fall

P

rofessor Jeff Sumey is intrigued by flight.
Airplanes, sailplanes and helicopters
have been his passion for more than four
decades. He’s flown delta-wing kites to gather
data for NASA and used radio-controlled
aircraft as teaching tools.
Lately he’s been piloting commercial-grade
unmanned aerial systems — UAS, for short —
and developing an academic program focused
on this exciting technology.
Cal U’s new program in UAS/drone
technology begins this fall.
“Unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as
drones, are going to have an enormous impact
on our society,” Sumey says.
“A new type of technologist with skills in the
design, configuration and deployment of small
civilian drones is going to be in high demand.”
That’s the career direction Joe Phillips is
eager to take. A sophomore in Cal U’s robotics
engineering technology program, he sees
tremendous potential in drones.
“Because they can hover, and they have such
precise maneuverability and GPS functions,
drones are becoming safer,” he says. “And the
technology is becoming more accessible.”
While awaiting the UAS program’s start,
Phillips made 50 test flights with a “practice
drone,” then moved up to a professional model.
He’s a better pilot now, he says, and after a few
crashes, he’s become skilled at making repairs.
“Drones are fun,” he adds. “The first time I
flew one, I crashed it almost immediately. But
that half-second of flight was an eternity of bliss.”

Economic impact

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle
Systems International (AUVSI), a trade group,
expects the civilian drone industry to have a
$90 billion economic impact and generate
100,000 jobs in the next 10 years.
Unmanned aerial vehicles already are
becoming game-changers in agriculture, real
estate and disaster relief. Drones can ferry
medication across a sprawling hospital campus,
carry sensors that gather environmental data or
tote cameras to take images from the air.
Technicians are needed to imagine, design
and build the vehicles, configure and maintain
them, and analyze the data they collect.
Cal U’s UAS program will give students
these career-focused skills, along with a
foundation in college algebra, physics, weather

science and technical writing. Core courses
include hands-on lab activities and missionbased field trips for test flights and data
collection.
An optional 1-credit course prepares
students to take the Federal Aviation
Administration exam required for licensed
UAS operators. The AUVSI reports that drone
pilots can earn $85,000 or more per year.
“Cal U’s program is one of the first to
focus exclusively on small, commercial-grade
unmanned aircraft systems,” Sumey explains.
“These drones are going to change not
only business and industry, but also our
day-to-day lives.” 
By Christine Kindl, communications
director at Cal U

FLIGHT SCHOOL
Prepare for employment as a UAS
technician with Cal U’s 60-credit, campusbased Associate of Science in Unmanned Aerial
Systems/Drone Technology program. Complete the
program in as little as 15 months, or use it as a stepping stone
to a Cal U bachelor’s degree in computer, electrical or mechatronics
engineering technology. An optional 1-credit course gets you ready
to take the FAA exam required for a UAS operator’s license.
To learn more or apply online, visit www.calu.edu/drone.

SPRING 2017 CAL U REVIEW 9
n

X RAY
VISION
•

I’m hoping to study
during the summer, pass
the CT registry, then start
classes for my bachelor’s
degree right after that.
SAMANTHA NOVELLY
RADIOLOGIC TECHNICIAN

Partnership brings imaging careers into focus

T

he rules have changed for radiologic
technologists, the professionals
who take X-rays, MRIs, CT scans,
sonograms and more.
Once, the career required a diploma from
a hospital-based program. Today, you need
an associate degree to sit for the licensing
exam administered by the American Registry
of Radiologic Technologists.
Thirty-five states, including Pennsylvania,
use the exam scores in licensing decisions.
To meet this regional workforce need,
Cal U has partnered with the Washington
Health System (WHS) School of Radiologic
Technology to offer an Associate of Science
in Radiologic Technology.
One class has graduated from the
collaborative program since the degree
became a requirement in Pennsylvania.
A second class is in progress, and a third
begins in August.
Students complete their clinical work
at Washington Hospital. They take general
education and prerequisite courses either
online or on campus at Cal U.
The program “is extremely fast-paced,
because it combines the clinical and general
education requirements and allows students
to finish in 24 months,” says Lisa Finnegan,
director of the School of Radiologic Technology.

10 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2017
n

“After 24 months, a graduate can obtain a
job with a competitive starting salary,” adds
clinical coordinator Kelli Alexander.
As the health care field advances, many
professions require a two- or four-year
degree. Some hospitals have discontinued
their diploma programs.
But the WHS Washington Hospital
partnership with Cal U is beneficial in many
ways, Alexander says.
For example, “a vast majority of people
working in our radiology department at
the hospital came from this program at the
School of Radiology. Once they’re here, they
don’t leave, or they come back eventually.”
Cal U provides points of contact to assist
students enrolled in the program, because
the University’s admission requirements,
tuition and financial aid are separate
from those at WHS. A staff member in
Cal U’s Office of Academic Success helps
radiography students schedule classes.
Kim Paparella, of Canonsburg, Pa., is a
senior in the program.
During a recent information session at the
WHS School of Radiologic Technology, she
spoke to prospective applicants.
“It’s a balancing act. Staying organized
can be the biggest challenge,” she told them.
“But it’s not boring, because every patient and

situation is different. Lifting a baby (to take an
X-ray or scan) is different from lifting a man.”
Graduates leave the program with an
associate degree, but a bachelor’s degree in
science and technology is very much within
reach. Cal U accepts all of the associate
degree credits.
That’s enticing for Samantha Novelly,
of Canonsburg, who graduated from the
radiologic technician program in August.
She works in the CT department at St.
Clair Hospital, near Pittsburgh, Pa.
Compared to a diploma or certificate,
earning an A.S. degree provides a greater
sense of accomplishment, she says. “So I’m
considering enrolling in the fall to get my
bachelor’s on top of that. They have designed
it to be a very easy integration.”
First she’ll take the test to perform CT
scans, which requires a separate registry,
or license.
“I’m hoping to study during the summer,
pass the CT registry, then start classes for my
bachelor’s degree right after that.”
Knowing whom to contact about financial
aid, tuition and scheduling allowed her to
focus on doing well in the program.
“If Cal U knew we had clinical rotations
on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Julie
(Osekowski, in the Office of Academic

Success) would make sure we could get into
the anatomy class on Tuesday and Thursday,”
Novelly says.
“Also, my classmates and I were able to
take a lot of the same classes together, which
helped us to study. And Cal U kept us on
track via email about classes we still needed
to graduate.”
Both Paparella and Novelly enjoyed their
electives as a change from clinical studies.
“The general education courses that are
part of the major introduce you to things you
might like that you would never know about if
you didn’t have to take those classes,” Paparella
says, “like classes in linguistics and languages.”
“Society and the Sociopath was one of
the most interesting classes I’ve ever taken,”
Novelly adds.
“It had nothing to do with my field of
study. I took it as an online option in the
winter because I needed a class, and I ended
up loving it.”
For more information about the Associate
of Science in Radiologic Technology, contact
Lisa Finnegan at the Washington Health System,
724-229-2084 or lfinnegan@whs.org; or
Shauna Balog in the Cal U Office of Admissions,
724-938-4404 or balog@calu.edu. 
By Wendy Mackall, assistant communications
director at Cal U

PARTNERS
IN NURSING
Cal U also partners with the
Washington Health System
School of Nursing, at Washington
Hospital, to provide non-nursing
courses for its students.
The University offers courses in
English, anatomy and physiology,
sociology, psychology, nutrition,
and career readiness for students
seeking an associate degree.
Graduates from this educational
partnership program can
transition seamlessly into Cal U’s
online RN-BSN degree program.
Cal U also offers these
advanced degrees:
 MSN in Nursing Administration
and Leadership
 MSN-MBA dual degree
 MBA in Nursing Administration
To learn more, visit
www.calu.edu/nursing.

SPRING 2017 CAL U REVIEW 11
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CAMPUS C L I P S
Intern ‘on parole’
in Harrisburg

GROUNDBREAKING DOCTORATE TARGETS
CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROFESSIONALS

Junior Cameron
Eisenhauer has
completed a stint
with the
Pennsylvania Board
of Probation and
Parole, part of a 15week internship
sponsored by Pennsylvania’s State System
of Higher Education.
Eisenhauer, a political science major,
was one of 11 students participating
this spring in The Harrisburg Internship
Semester program.
THIS students work as interns in some
aspect of state government while earning a
full semester’s worth of credits.
In the parole board’s central office in
the state capital, Eisenhauer addressed
constituents’ concerns about inmates
seeking parole. He also listened to parole
hearings, rode along with a parole officer
and completed a research project.
“This is a tremendous opportunity
to gain real-world knowledge about the
legislative and policy affairs that happen
across the entire state,” he said.
“I got to experience what the job
entailed and the work ethic I need to
handle the day-to-day tasks.”

C

al U is breaking new ground nationally as it adds a second
professional doctorate to its array of academic programs.
The Doctor of Criminal Justice is the first regionally
accredited D.C.J. degree in the United States. The program, set to
begin this summer, is designed to enhance the careers of mid- and
senior-level criminal justice practitioners across the country.
Program director Dr. John Cencich, a professor in the
Department of Criminal Justice, says the program responds to
state and national calls for reform of the criminal justice system.
“Professionals in this program will make in-depth analyses
of topics such as federal consent decree implementation and
enforcement, police use-of-force, false confessions and wrongful
convictions, and reducing recidivism,” Cencich says.
Students enrolled in the two-year D.C.J. program will
complete nearly all of their coursework through Cal U
Global Online. Two five-day summer residencies on
campus will allow students to meet with nationally
recognized experts.
For program details or to apply online,
visit www.calu.edu/DCJ.

Orchestra harmonizes
with Cal U musicians
California alumni, students and faculty
made beautiful music at the Washington
Symphony Orchestra’s winter concert.
Before the performance, former Music
Department chair Max Gonano gave a
video presentation about the life and music
of Pittsburgh legend Henry Mancini. It was
part of the ongoing Steel City Grooves series,
a project of the Senator John Heinz History
Center’s Volunteer Ambassador Program.
Each semester two students in Cal U’s
commercial music technology program,

Dr. Yugo Ikach conducts
the Washington
Symphony Orchestra.

12 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2017
n

guided by assistant professor Greg Davis,
produce a video vignette focusing on
Pittsburgh jazz artists.
David Kiss ’15, a current MBA student
who earned his bachelor’s degree in
commercial music technology, produced
the 14-minute Mancini video with fellow
alumnus Josh Howell ’13.
The WSO program also reprised Journey
Beyond Earth, a musical score composed by
Dominic Carrola ’16, whose original musical
debuted last year at Cal U. The ethereal
music of Journey accompanied imagery
from the International Space Station and
the Hubble Telescope.
In keeping with the concert’s
“homegrown” theme, the WSO also
welcomed the Mon Valley Push Polka
Band, led by assistant professor Dr. Frank
Stetar, Cal U’s director of bands. Four Cal U
alumni — Barry Niccolai ’93, Paul Sheppick
’15, Steve Ventura ’12 and Nate Wright ’12
— comprise the rest of the band.
Dr. Yugo Ikach, co-chair of the
University’s Department of Music and
Theatre, is principal conductor and music
director for the WSO. Cal U students who
show a valid CalCard are admitted free to
WSO events.

Software connects
students to services
Cal U’s Office of Academic Success
— already home to student success
facilitators, the Four-Year Graduation
Plan and other student resources — has
introduced a campus-wide communication
tool that connects students with faculty
members and campus support services.
“The Starfish software is designed to help
our students succeed,” says Lisa Glasser,
who coordinates the system.
Through Starfish, professors and staff
members can easily connect to assist
students with academic or financial
concerns. Faculty members also can use
Starfish to post office hours and schedule
appointments.
Starfish has a “kudos” section to provide
positive feedback for students, and a onestop “services” tab so they can easily reach
staff in Academic Records, Financial Aid,
Peer Mentoring and other offices.

500 service members around the world
are enrolled in Global Online, Cal U’s
Internet-based learning community.
The University has been designated
a 2017 Top School for Veterans by KMI
Media, publisher of Military Advanced
Education, and a 2017 Military Friendly™
School by Victory Media, publisher of
G.I. Jobs® and Military Spouse magazines.

Rachel Wilkinson,
an early childhood
education major,
contributes clothing
at the Day of Giving
event.

Day of Giving
assists local family
A California family who lost their home
to fire benefited from the generosity of the
Cal U community.
Donations of gently used clothing,
nonperishable foods and other household
items collected on the Day of Giving
helped the local family get back on its feet.
Cal U’s annual Day of Giving honors the
spirit of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. Organized jointly by the Center for
Volunteer Programs and Service Learning
and the Office of Multicultural Affairs
and Diversity Education, this year’s event
included a Central Blood Bank blood drive.
In all, Cal U students and employees
donated about 500 pieces of clothing
and 190 food items, along with nearly
200 additional items such as accessories,
books and electronics. The blood bank
collected 39 units of blood.

Donations that the local family didn’t
need were taken to the Cal U Cupboard,
a student food pantry based in the
Natali Student Center; the Lions Club
in Washington, Pa.; Washington City
Mission; and the Washington Food Bank’s
new thrift store.
Much of the donated clothing came
from a School Spirit Swap organized
during the fall semester by the Student
Government Association. The charities
received T-shirts from other schools that
were swapped for Cal U gear at New
Student Orientation, Homecoming and
Student Appreciation Week events.

Veterans office: New
name, inclusive mission
The Office of
Veterans Affairs
has changed its
name to better
define its role.
Now the Office
of Military and
Veterans Affairs, it
remains committed to providing a full array
of services to an important segment of the
Cal U community: all active-duty service
members, members of the National Guard
and military reserves, student and alumni
veterans, and eligible dependents.
“The name is a little longer, but it was
necessary to be more inclusive,” says Capt.
Robert Prah, the office’s director.
“We wanted the name to encompass
every Cal U military person and make sure
they know the office is here to serve them
in any way we can.”
Nearly 200 military veterans attend
classes on Cal U’s campus, and more than

In living color
Seniors (from left) Karlissia Council, Kamara Townes and Aaryn Smith view a mural on
display at the Black Arts Festival and Multicultural Affairs Night, one of many events
held during Black History Month. Activities, speakers, a film screening and the annual
Soul Food Luncheon encouraged students to explore the contributions of AfricanAmericans, think deeply about past and current events, and celebrate AfricanAmerican arts and culture.

SPRING 2017 CAL U REVIEW 13
n

CAMPUS C L I P S
Students were especially interested to
hear Rouzorondo describe pre-classical
African kingdoms, the architectural
expertise of ancient Egyptians, and the
black heritage of famous historical figures
— topics rarely covered in conventional
history lessons.
Sheleta Camarda-Webb, director of
Cal U’s Office of Multicultural Affairs and
Diversity Education, said the talk sparked
dialogue about a difficult topic.
“We can build on this,” she said, “to
continue educating our students.”

Speaker: Use history
to combat racism
Cal U kicked off its celebration of Black
History Month with a program designed to
challenge conventional thinking.
In “The Good News About Racism,”
empowerment specialist Eraka Rouzorondo
urged the audience to confront racial
injustice in personal and powerful ways.
“Find your courage,” the Baltimore
resident said. “I found mine in history.
“White supremacists are ignorant of
the historical contributions of black people
to the development of civilization. We
have a presence, as any group does, in
every part of civilization.”

Gospel singers raise
voices at Joyfest
The Rev. Trini Lopez
Massie, who has
performed gospel
music around the
world, headlined
the Young and
Gifted Gospel
Choir’s springtime
Joyfest concert.
The annual production brings a
celebrity artist to campus to perform
with Cal U’s gospel choir and other
choral ensembles.
This year the University of Pittsburgh
Gospel Choir and the Bethlehem Baptist

International pride
Members of the International Club display their nations’ flags at the spring Clubs and
Organizations Fair in the Convocation Center. More than 100 student groups staffed
tables at the event, which is organized every semester to encourage students to join
campus activities. This spring, more than 400 students attended the fair.

14 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2017
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Church Youth Choir joined Cal U
singers onstage.
Massie is the minister of worship
at the Mount Ararat Baptist Church in
Pittsburgh, Pa., where he leads the
young adult choir and is responsible
for all music performed in the main
sanctuary.
He has facilitated workshops and
ministered in concerts across the United
States and in Canada, Europe, Micronesia
and the Caribbean.
Directed by Dr. Randy Tillmutt, of
the Department of Music and Theatre,
the Young and Gifted Gospel Choir is
open to all Cal U students. Its repertoire
includes traditional spirituals and
African-American gospel music.

New minor debuts;
event planner benefits
Carly Carolla has set her sights on
a career in event planning. And it looks
like she’s well on her way.
This spring she’ll receive her
bachelor’s degree in geography, with a
concentration in tourism studies. And in
March the Pittsburgh Chapter of Meeting
Professionals International (MPI) named
her its member of the month.
MPI is the world’s largest association
for the meeting and events industry.
Membership provides access to seminars,
workshops and webinars to assist with
professional development.
“MPI provides a great opportunity to
meet event planners in the Pittsburgh area,”
Carolla says. “It’s all about networking.”
Carolla is graduating with two minors,
one in parks and recreation management
and another in event planning and
management — a new program that
debuted this spring.
It was a perfect fit for Carolla, who held
a work-study position and completed two
internships at the Cal U Convocation Center.
“I loved everything about it,” she says.
“I am confident that I can be an event
planner anywhere.”
Becky McMillen, executive director of
University Conference Services, believes
the new minor will further the Convocation
Center’s role as a site for practicums and
internships.
“Our partnership with the tourism
studies program should help our students
graduate with valuable experience — a
background that’s resume-worthy when
they’re looking for jobs.”

National honors
for athletic trainers
Three Cal U faculty members —
Dr. Barry McGlumphy, Dr. Shelly DiCesaro
’94 and Julie Ramsey-Emrhein — have been
honored by the National Athletic Trainers’
Association.
NATA is the professional membership
association for certified athletic trainers.
The worldwide organization has more than
43,000 members.
McGlumphy, a
professor in the
Department of
Exercise Science and
Sport Studies,
received NATA’s
Most Distinguished
Athletic Trainer Award.
It recognizes members for their exceptional
commitment to leadership, volunteer service,
advocacy and professional activities.
McGlumphy is the coordinator of
Cal U’s master’s degree program in exercise
science and health promotion. He also works
every year as an athletic trainer for National
Football League teams.
DiCesaro and Ramsey-Emrhein received
the NATA Athletic Training Service Award,
which recognizes members for volunteerism.
DiCesaro is director of Cal U’s graduate
athletic training program and clinical
education coordinator for the undergraduate
program. She is also the licensed athletic
trainer for Cal U women’s basketball.
Ramsey-Emrhein is an adjunct professor
in the Department of Exercise Science and
Sport Studies.

Financial Aid staff
lends parents a hand
Cal U’s Admissions Office and the Office
of Financial Aid have offered a helping
hand to families of college-bound students
completing the FAFSA, or Free Application
for Federal Student Aid.
The online application is an essential step
for students seeking financial aid at colleges
nationwide.
On FAFSA Night, families brought the
required documents and financial aid staff
walked them through the application process
step by step.
Staff also shared tips for making higher
education more affordable, explained the
benefits of filing the FAFSA early, and
described the U.S. Department of Education’s
verification process.

Video-call links
U.S., Russian students

Forensic evidence
cracks the case

Facebook isn’t the only thing they have
in common.
On a video-call to a college classroom
in the Russian city of Perm, Cal U students
discovered many points of similarity with
young adults more than 5,200 miles away.
Cal U’s international studies program
hosted the video-call to the National
Research University Higher School of
Economics.
Student clubs are common on both
campuses, the callers learned, but the
Perm group inquired about fraternities and
sororities, which do not exist at Russian
universities.
Soccer, skiing and inline skating are
popular in both nations, but the Russians
were amused by the Pokemon Go craze
and curious about Americans’ passion for
spectator sports.
As the students in both nations
warmed up, their talk turned to more
substantive issues: American student loan
debt, Russian economic policy, anti-doping
efforts by international sports authorities
and gay rights.
“This was a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity,” says Dr. Sean Madden,
director of the international studies
program. “All of the students enjoyed a
conversation that stretched from one side
of the world to the other.”

Criminal justice students from Cal U
demonstrated fingerprint techniques and
presented posters about forensic science,
crime scene imagery, evidence collection
and more at an event sponsored by Peters
Township (Pa.) Public Library.
The program “Justice Delayed: Solving
Crimes with Forensic Science” focused on
a 1979 murder that was solved 34 years
later using carefully preserved evidence.
Dr. Raymond Hsieh, of the Department
of Criminal Justice, accompanied the
students and discussed the forensic
evidence that eventually solved the case.

SPRING 2017 CAL U REVIEW 15
n

“You didn’t come here (to Cal U) to get the
answers,” he told the graduates. “You came here
to learn the habit of imagining and providing the
answers — to light a fire, not fill a pail.”
Stofan has endowed the John and Jean Stofan
Music Scholarship at Cal U to honor his parents.
A native of West Newton, Pa., he remains proud
of his western Pennsylvania upbringing, and he
has never lost touch with his alma mater.
“My parents believed Cal U was the place where
opportunities would take shape for their children,
and they were exactly right,” he says. “I found many
opportunities here at Cal U that came to me from
unexpected corners.”
Stofan reminded the graduates to be trustworthy,
strategic, humble and responsive, and to realize that
on occasion, not getting what you want can be a
wonderful stroke of luck.
“You have been uniquely prepared … to answer
questions large and small,” he told the soon-to-bealumni. “Come back and give back.”

Graduate student Rodney Edwards
Jr. ’13 is all smiles as he waits for
Commencement ceremonies to begin.

Speaker James Stofan ’71:
‘Come back and give back.’

Senior class gift

DIPLOMA
Deployed soldier among winter ’17 graduates

T
Lt. Julian Wallace

16 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2017
n

he loudest applause at Cal U’s
183rd Commencement honored a
graduate who wasn’t in the room.
At winter graduation ceremonies,
the audience delivered a standing ovation
for Lt. Julian Wallace, who earned a
master’s degree in exercise science
and health promotion, with a focus on
rehabilitation science.
Wallace is a U.S. Army officer on active
duty at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. His mother,
Kimberly McDermott, traveled from
Philadelphia to accept her son’s diploma.
“He called from his base to tell me he’d
finished his degree,” McDermott recalls.
“’Mom, I want you to walk for me,’ he said.”
Since the former ROTC member
received his commission, Wallace has
been stationed in Texas and deployed to
Africa, his mother says. She expects he’ll
return from the Middle East this spring.
In her remarks to the graduates,
University President Geraldine M. Jones

noted that Cal U has been designated
a Military Friendly School™ for eight
consecutive years.
McDermott says the recognition is
well earned.
“This was just an amazing experience.
That applause, that support … it just meant
so much.”

‘Give back,’ speaker says

Alumnus James Stofan ’71, vice
president for alumni relations at Tulane
University in New Orleans, La., addressed
the graduating students on Dec. 16 and 17.
Cal U has a proud tradition of
asking distinguished alumni to speak at
Commencement. In addition to his work
at Tulane, Stofan has been the associate
vice chancellor of alumni relations for
Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.,
and a member of the alumni relations
office at the University of California, where
he worked for more than 25 years.

Before the undergraduates received their
diplomas, senior class envoy Shannon Barnett ’16
presented President Jones with a check for more
than $20,000 contributed by graduating seniors
and their families.
Since 2010, graduating classes have raised more
than $170,000 for an endowed scholarship.
Barnett — a Delta Zeta sorority sister, peer
mentor, alumni ambassador and Cal U for Life
Orientation leader — stepped into a full-time
job during graduation week. An internship led to
employment as a district manager for ADP, where
she partners with small business owners to help
them manage their companies.
“My degree earned me this job,” says Barnett,
who studied business administration with a
concentration in marketing.
“I believe that to have the best college
experience, you get what you give, and my Cal U
experience was the best I could have hoped for.”

Top scholars

Before sending the graduates out into the world,
President Jones acknowledged Hayley J. Bashada
and Shannon Marie Curtis for earning bachelor’s
degrees while attaining a perfect 4.0 grade-point
average. Bashada and Kaci J. Sokol earned two
separate degrees simultaneously.
Corey Gaffron, who completed the ROTC program,
was recognized for his recent commissioning as a
second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
While the future brings challenges and
new journeys, President Jones said, she urged
all the graduates to reflect on their academic
achievements.
“Please pause to take in the moment and savor your
success. You have worked hard, you have persevered,
and you have accomplished something significant.
“May you find happiness and satisfaction in the
days and years ahead.” 

New graduate Tinamarie Brown goes in for
a hug with biology professor Dr. Sarah Meiss.

Biology major Jake Wild waves to his
family before receiving his diploma.

Geri Acrie, a business major from Pittsburgh,
smiles as her grandmother takes a picture before
undergraduate Commencement.

University President Geraldine M. Jones
accepts the class gift from senior class
envoy Shannon Barnett.

SPRING 2017 CAL U REVIEW 17
n

ALUMNI CALENDAR
FROM THE OFFICE OF
ALUMNI RELATIONS!

tiful
Cal U’s campus is beau
in summertime!
ase
If you’re in the area, ple
lk across
drop by and take a wa
to eat at
the Quad, grab a bite
us in the
the Gold Rush, or visit
Kara Alumni House.
g hello!
I look forward to sayin

JUNE

3

JUNE

12

GOLF OUTING

Tee up at Uniontown Country Club for the 36th annual golf outing sponsored
by Cal U Athletics. Proceeds benefit the Athletic Scholarship Fund. For more
information, phone Staci Tedrow in the Alumni Office at 724-938-4418.

28
Director of Alumni Relations

ALUMNI AWARDS LUNCHEON

Cal U honors exceptional graduates at the annual Alumni Awards of Distinction
Luncheon. Reservations are required; call and we’ll save you a seat in the
Convocation Center. For details, contact the Alumni Office at 724-938-4418.

JUNE

Leslie Berdar Fleenor ’08

ALUMNI NEWS

Cal who? Cal U!

Return of the Vulcans

Fans cheer during a second-half run by the Cal U women’s
basketball team en route to a win over IUP on Alumni
Appreciation Day. The ‘red-out’ game brought alumni
back to campus for a basketball doubleheader and
alumni gathering in the Convocation Center.

Alumni from the 1966-1967 men’s basketball team return to the court during halftime
festivities on Alumni Appreciation Day. Team members (from left) Phil Stewart ’68,
Frank Pilsitz ’67, Coach Myles Witchey, Rich Kotarsky ’67, Bob Kroner ’69, Pat Hobart
’68 and George Roadman ’68 were recognized during the men’s basketball game
between Cal U and IUP. Coached by Witchey, a 2002 Hall of Fame inductee, the
1966-1967 Vulcans won the first of the program’s 17 PSAC-West championships.

ATHLETIC TRAINING
SOCIETY GATHERING

Attention, athletic training alumni! We hope to see you at the National Athletic
Trainers Association convention in Houston, Texas. Don’t miss the Cal U Alumni
Reception from 7-9 p.m. at Lucky’s Pub, 801 Emanuel St. in downtown Houston.
Cost is $10 for alumni, $15 for guests; ticket price includes two beverage tickets
and light hors d’oeuvres. For details, email Shelly DiCesaro at dicesaro@calu.edu.

SAVE THE DATE
AUG

23
JOIN OUR TAG TEAM!
Take your Vulcan pride on the road
wherever you go with a Cal U license plate.
All Pennsylvania drivers, including
students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends
of California University may purchase this
special license plate for a fee of $25.
If you choose, an additional $100 fee
personalizes your license plate with a
special name or phrase.
To receive a Cal U license plate application,
contact the Office of Alumni Relations at
alumni@calu.edu or 724-938-4418.

18 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2017
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CAL U NIGHT
AT PNC PARK

It’s a baseball night in Pittsburgh! Watch
your in-box for ticket information.

OCT

13

50TH REUNION,
CLASS OF 1967

Celebrate a milestone for the Class
of ’67! Formal invitations will be sent
for this special event.

SEPT

9

FAMILY DAY

Share a full day of activities with
our Cal U students and their families.

OCT

14

HOMECOMING
2017

Make plans now to meet friends and
former classmates for our annual
Homecoming festivities.

For more information on these and other events, visit www.calu.edu/
alumni or call the Alumni Office at 724-938-4418.

FOUNDATION AWARDS
Each year the Foundation for California
University presents awards to alumni and
members of the Cal U community who
have made a significant impact. The 2016
honorees and their awards are:

The late Len Keller ’61, of Philadelphia, Pa.,
recipient of the Job Johnson Award. Len was a
retired sales consultant with Triumph Learning,
a publisher of test preparation materials, and
a philanthropist who supported a number of
scholarships for Cal U students.
Named for one of the school’s founders, the
award recognizes alumni who have received
recognition outside the University for

excellence, innovation, community service
or other notable achievements.
Dr. Bruce Barnhart ’83, ’89, ’01, of Brownsville,
Pa., who received the Dixonians Award. Bruce
joined the Cal U faculty in 1984, directed the
certified athletic training program from 19922008 and was the school’s first athletic trainer
for football. Today he is Cal U’s provost, or
chief academic officer, and vice president for
Academic Affairs.
Named for another school founder who
served as a trustee for 46 years, the award
recognizes individuals who unselfishly serve
the University.

University President Geraldine M. Jones ‘72, ‘80
(left) and Foundation Board President William R.
Flinn II ’68 (right) with (from left) Cal U provost Bruce
Barnhart ‘83, ‘89, ‘01; Charles Keller ‘92, accepting
the Foundation’s award for his late father, Leonard
Keller ‘61; and Yvonne and Chester Chichin ‘63.

Chester Chichin ’63 and Yvonne Chichin,
of New Castle, Pa., recipients of the Society
of 1852 Award. The longtime educators
have endowed a scholarship for Cal U
students who are pursuing a degree in
education, grades pre-K through 12. Chester
is a retired psychologist who worked for many
years with gifted students in Pittsburgh Public
Schools. His wife taught elementary students
for 35 years and now teaches part-time in the
Early Childhood Department at Youngstown
State University.
The award, named for the year of the
school’s founding, honors philanthropy.

SPRING 2017 CAL U REVIEW 19
n

ALUMNI S P O T L I G H T

POWER INDUSTRY PLAYER

A

job before a diploma.
That was the fantastic order
of things for Adriene Walls,
who graduated in May 2016 with a
degree in business administration with a
concentration in marketing.
“I had my interview the last week of
school and got the job offer the day before
graduation,” she says.
Walls works as an operations specialist
for Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, based
in Arlington, Va. The company delivers
power and energy solutions to 750 co-ops
in 46 states, forming the largest electric
utility in the country.
In a “utility player” role, Walls handles
office management for the chief operating
officer and other members of the
Touchstone team, in addition to duties as a
meeting planner.
She credits a summer internship in the
marketing department at the National

BUSINESS
ON COMMUNICATION

C

al U grads are encouraged to build
on the skills they learned in the
classroom.
Katey Wood ’07 has taken it more
literally than some.
Wood, a communication studies
major with a concentration in public
relations, is the co-owner of TyE Bar LLC,
an independent steel fabricator based in
Glassport, Pa.
The company primarily supplies
reinforcing steel bar, or rebar, that
the Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation uses to build bridges
and concrete structures. A new
division supplies materials for highway
construction projects.
TyE Bar is a disadvantaged business
enterprise, or DBE, a designation given by
the U.S. Department of Transportation to
small firms owned by women or minority
group members in order to compete for
government contracts.
Wood’s path from Cal U student to
business owner included experience as an
office manager at a construction company.

20 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2017
n

“Eventually I got promoted to a
proposal manager position and was
responsible for writing, designing and
coordinating proposals for construction
projects. You need more than just a
number — Department of Transportation
markets want to know your plan, because
the lowest price isn’t always the best
solution for the owner.
“I started to see that there was a lot of
opportunity in the market for DBEs, and I
thought, ‘Wow, that’s something I might
be able to do.’ I did some research and
found there was no female-owned DBE
fabrication company in Pennsylvania.”
It’s worked out for the devoted mom
of 7-year-old Ty, after whom the company
is named.
TyE Bar opened in 2015 and employs
eight people, with more hires expected.
“It’s allowed me to balance having a
successful career with being present for
my son and his activities,” Wood says.
Her communication skills are an
important tool in building that career.
“I remember a communications class

Rural Electric Cooperative Association,
also based in Arlington, with paving the
way. NRECA represents the interests of the
more than 900 electric cooperatives in the
United States in various local, state and
national governing bodies.
“Students need to realize that the job
market is extremely competitive,” Walls
says. “Relevant experience is extremely
important for your resume, and one or
more internships are the best way for
college students to gain the experience
they will need to be successful.”
The Cal U Marching Band gets credit
for teaching her to manage time and set
priorities.
“Our weekends in the fall were always
busy,” she recalls. “I always had to
prioritize what work needed to be done
and find time for it before and after games.
It’s similar when I go to a meeting site for
work — what needs to be done first?”

Walls was back on campus last fall for
Homecoming, taking part in the parade with
the Cal U Marching Band as a feature twirler.
“A big reason I came to Cal U was the
structure of the band,” she says. “I’ve been
involved with competition twirling for most
of my life, and at bigger colleges it can be
really tough to get that position.
“Cal U’s band had the perfect structure
for me.” 

CAPTURING ‘SPECIAL MOMENTS’
I’m dealing with
different people
every day. In order
to be successful,
I have to get them
to buy into my plan...
I have absolutely
used those skills —
then and now.
K ATEY WOOD ’07

with Dr. Drew McGukin where he talked
about types of audiences. I’m dealing with
different people every day. In order to be
successful, I have to get them to buy into
my plan.
“I have absolutely used those skills —
then and now.” 

B

ob Mackowski ’04 came to Cal U to be “an on-air sports
guy,” drawn to the University by CUTV’s recognition by the
National Association of College Broadcasters as College
Station of the Year in the late ’90s.
Sometimes, college changes your focus.
“I learned how to be a behind-the-scenes guy,” he says. “Even
as a junior and senior in college, I was telling people to learn all
those off-camera skills. You can definitely make a career out of it.”
Mackowski, who majored in communication studies, took those
skills and spent six years as a TV news photographer in Waco,
Texas; West Palm Beach, Fla.; and New Bern, N.C.
Wanting to refocus his career, he started Open Aperture
Photography, in New Bern, in 2010.
His work has been featured in Professional Photographer
Magazine, and he has won the Editor’s Choice Award as one of the
world’s most-published photographers for four consecutive years.
Mackowski runs Open Aperture, which specializes in weddings,
engagements and other special moments, with his photographer
wife, Amanda. The two pride themselves on customer service and
attention to detail.
“We’re not the photographers who just show up on your wedding
day and ask where we’re supposed to be. We’re here to hold your
hand,” their website (www.openapphoto.com) proclaims.
Illustrating the point: A photo of Amanda fixing an antique bracelet
with floral wire just in time for the bride to wear it down the aisle.
Mackowski credits Cal U with teaching those customer-service,
interpersonal relationship skills that he now relies on as a smallbusiness owner in a very competitive marketplace.

“I have to be able to have a conversation with anybody, and I’ve
had to transition into not just being a photographer but a business
owner, which requires marketing and writing skills.
“I did a little of everything when I was a student — I announced
sports on CUTV and WVCS, I was a peer mentor, I was a student
orientation leader. I learned a lot of practical skills through
extracurricular activities.
“It’s really those intangible skills that I keep using.” 
By Wendy Mackall, assistant communications director at Cal U

SPRING 2017 CAL U REVIEW 21
n

HEALTH CARE

FOR HAITI

Athletic training graduate works to better the world

I

t was a simple assignment for a class in Leadership and
Professional Development: “In one page, write a tribute
as if you were going to be honored in your profession or
community. Write your tribute the way you would want others
to speak of you, your values, passions and accomplishments.”
Completing that task changed Kevin Melanson’s life.
“It made me realize that all of the things ‘I would do later’
needed to be started now,” he wrote recently to Dr. Linda Platt
Meyer, the professor in the Department of Exercise Science
and Sport Studies who made the assignment.
“In particular, serving the community to help improve
our world.”
Melanson graduated in 2009 with a master’s degree
in athletic training. In 2011, he took the first of what would
become many trips to Haiti.
“As I got more involved, I realized I wanted to incorporate
it into my life, as a sustainable way to help others.”
Today, after a four-year journey that included volunteer
and internship experiences, Melanson lives and works full
time for St. Boniface Haiti Foundation, a nonprofit organization
striving to improve life for poor people in Haiti. The foundation
facilitates access to affordable health care, educational
opportunities and community development programs.
Melanson is the disaster response coordinator, monitoring
and evaluation officer, and spinal cord injury program manager.
“Right now, as part of the response to the devastating
hurricane last year, we’re using mobile clinics to bring health
care to people who otherwise have little to no access,” he says.
“Many people travel hours, often by foot, motorcycle and
bus, to get to a clinic. It could take days, weeks or months
to save up that kind of money. The mobile clinics serve
200 to 300 people a day who would otherwise
go untreated.”
The St. Boniface spinal cord injury program
that Melanson manages covers 70 percent
of Haiti.

22 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2017
n

“Much of the country is not handicapped-accessible, so
our program provides medical care and reintegrates people
into their communities.”
Meyer says an athletic training education prepares
graduates to work with an active population, but also to take
their careers in other directions through courses in emergency
preparedness and leadership.
“Athletic training is an excellent foundation on many
levels, whether you want to get into the medical field or be a
physician or pursue a different profession,” Meyer says.
“In many school districts, full-time athletic trainers are
instrumental in the district’s emergency response plans.
In this case, Kevin leveraged his emergency response and
administration skills to contribute in a unique setting. Both
are components of athletic training.”
Melanson, who wanted to be a doctor before realizing there
are other ways to help, says work in Haiti is challenging. But “this
is the work I want to be doing, even as hard as it can be.”
“Find your interest and find a way to incorporate that into
your life,” Melanson advises. “Take advantage of classes.
Don’t just complete an assignment for a grade. Be open to
new experiences; you never know where they might lead.” 
By Wendy Mackall, assistant communications director at Cal U

Kevin Melanson works
with clients of all ages.

ENERGY
academy
Middle-schoolers study
renewable resources
at SAI Farm

S

ome were expecting cows, but the
closest they got was manure. Still,
more than 100 eighth-graders from
Pittsburgh Obama 6-12 had a great day at
SAI Farm.
Cal U welcomed the Pittsburgh Public
Schools students to the farm for lessons in
renewable energy.
Dr. Janie McClurkin-Moore and
Dr. Louise Nicholson, of the Department
of Biological and Environmental Sciences,
led the Biogas Energy Academy. It motivated
the children to think about how much energy
they and their families consume every
day, and it taught them about sources of
renewable energy.
The highlight of the academy was a
demonstration of the biogas generation
system at the farm.
“It turns waste into energy,” McClurkinMoore told the students.
“Manure, which we get from local
farmers, goes in at the top. Water is blended
in, and bacteria in the manure eats at
carbohydrates and creates methane gas. The
methane is captured and can be used for
cooking, heating, lighting or electricity.”
The Biogas Energy Academy was funded
by a $2,400 award from the Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection’s
Environmental Education Grants Program.

This is a key
age. We want to get
them excited about
college as an option.
DR. JANIE MCCLURKIN-MOORE
Department of Biological
and Environmental Sciences

“This is a key age,” McClurkin-Moore says
with a nod to the middle-schoolers. “We want
to get them excited about college as an option.”
As the Obama students moved from
station to station, McClurkin-Moore and
Nicholson, aided by three Cal U biology
majors, taught them about energy use and
alternative sources.
At the farm’s outdoor pavilion, a bottle
filled with vinegar and baking soda and
capped with a balloon illustrated how
substances can be combined to produce a
chemical reaction with a gas as a byproduct.
Litmus paper strips revealed the
pH levels of everyday substances such
as lemon juice, distilled water and milk.
In the farmhouse, McClurkin-Moore
talked about types of renewable energy.

The eighth-graders were asked to complete
an energy audit as they calculated the impact
of leaving smartphones and tablets charging
all day, for example.
“A day like this is very cool if you’re
already interested in science, and maybe it
will spark an interest if you aren’t,” says Shale
Brown ’16, who graduated in December.
“A lot of the students didn’t know what to
expect,” says Matt Dumbroski, who teaches
English at Obama 6-12.
“They didn’t realize all the different types
of scientific study that you could do on a farm,
and that you could go to college to figure it
out. (They didn’t know) that this is something
you could go to school to do.” 
By Wendy Mackall, assistant
communications director at Cal U

SPRING 2017 CAL U REVIEW 23
n

magnificent

To learn more about the 2017 class members and past honorees, or to make a
nomination to the Cal U Athletic Hall of Fame, visit www.calvulcans.com/hof.

SEVEN
Six athletes, one coach join Hall of Fame lineup
Founded in 1995, the Cal U Athletic Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding
athletic accomplishments by former players, coaches, administrators and
support staff affiliated with Vulcan athletics.
This spring University President Geraldine M. Jones honored seven
Vulcan standouts by inducting them into the hall of fame.

SOFTBALL

SOFTBALL + VOLLEYBALL

BASEBALL

BASKETBALL

Jennifer Doty-Frantz ’08 was a three-year
starting catcher and second baseman for the
softball team from 2005-2007.
The 2005 PSAC-West Athlete of the Year,
she earned first-team all-conference honors
four times, twice as a catcher and two more
at second base.
She also was a three-time all-region
selection and a two-time academic alldistrict honoree.
In 2005, Frantz’s .979 slugging percentage,

.446 batting average and 14 home runs
ranked third, sixth and seventh, respectively,
in the NCAA’s Division II.
Her .387 career batting average and
41 career doubles still rank fifth and sixth
in Cal U’s record book.
Today, Frantz is the therapy program
manager at Caroline Nursing and
Rehabilitation Center, in Denton, Md. She
lives in Trappe, Md., with her husband, Justin,
and three children.

Tara Douglas ’99 started at first base for
the softball team from 1995-1998, and was
a starting hitter for the volleyball team from
1996-1998.
On the softball diamond Douglas was a
three-time all-conference selection and a 1998
National Fastpitch Coaches Association FirstTeam All-American.
She led the team in batting during her
senior season, with a .415 average.
Cal U softball compiled a 193-22

cumulative record, and a perfect 80-0 PSACWest mark, during the years Douglas played.
The team won consecutive NCAA Division II
National Championships in 1997 and 1998.
Douglas finished her standout volleyball
career with 1,149 kills and 946 digs. Both totals
were second best in school history at the time.
Since 2003 Douglas has been teaching
at Hillcrest Public School in Barrie, Ontario,
where she lives with her 9-year-old daughter,
Lillianna.

Steve Flanigan was the baseball team’s
starting catcher in 1991, 1994 and 1995.
He was a two-time, first-team allconference selection and the 1995 PSAC-West
Athlete of the Year.
As a senior he posted career highs, racking
up a .432 batting average and 16 doubles.
Flanigan finished his career with a .376
batting average. Other career totals are still in
the school record book: 15 triples, 36 doubles,

18 home runs and 121 RBI.
The Pittsburgh Pirates called Flanigan’s
name in the 21st round of the 1995 Major
League Draft, and he played professionally for
three years. He is the seventh of eight Vulcans
to be drafted by Major League Baseball.
Flanigan now works for Ro-Suco Inc., a
manufacturing company in Worthington, Pa.
He lives in Ford City, Pa., with his wife, Kelly,
and stepson, Richard.

VOLLEYBALL

n

Vulcans won 92 of 120 games, made four
PSAC playoff appearances, competed in
three NCAA Division II Tournaments, won
two PSAC championships and advanced
to the 1996 NCAA Division II National
Final Four.
Today, Jones is the network and data
center operations manager at Cleveland
Hopkins International Airport. He lives
in Strongsville, Ohio, with his 17-year-old
daughter, Jayda.

Melissa Myers ’05 was head coach of the
women’s volleyball program from 2002-2007.
Myers compiled a 161-49 cumulative
record at Cal U, with five NCAA Division II
Tournament appearances, three regional
finals, two PSAC championships and the
2007 NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional
Championship.
That year was Cal U’s third consecutive
30-win season. It concluded with a 35-4
overall record, a 16-0 PSAC mark, and a

school-record 33-game winning streak,
plus the program’s second of four NCAA
regional titles.
The Vulcan volleyball team’s 2005 and
2007 conference titles were the first for the
program since 1992.
Myers is still on the sidelines, coaching
women’s volleyball. Now a resident of Normal,
Ill., she is in her 10th season as head coach
of the NCAA Division I team at Illinois State
University.

Vic Shandor ’92 was a four-year starting
wide receiver for the football team from
1989-1992.
A two-time first-team all-conference
selection, as well as the team’s offensive Most
Valuable Player in his junior and senior years,
Shandor was Cal U’s leading receiver in terms
of yards in each of his final three seasons.
His seven-reception, 179-yard effort with
four touchdowns at Clarion University in 1990

was the second highest single-game receiving
yardage total in school history at the time.
Shandor finished his playing career with 138
receptions; 2,349 yards, which ranks fourth in
program history; and 22 career touchdowns, a
school record that lasted until 2009.
An educator for 25 years, Shandor now is
the superintendent of York County Schools in
Yorktown, Va. He and his wife, Melissa, live in
Yorktown with their three children.

James Vandermer ’66 was a four-year
shooting guard for the men’s basketball
team from 1962-1963 through the 1965-1966
season.
Despite starting in just two seasons, he
finished his career as the fourth-leading scorer
at the time, with 942 points.
Vandermer was a two-time all-conference
selection and a 1966 NAIA Honorable-Mention
All-American. His free-throw percentage —
.824 in both his junior and senior seasons —

still ranks third and fourth in school history.
His consistent play helped the 1965-1966
Vulcans compile a 16-8 overall record and win the
program’s first NAIA District 18 playoff game.
A math teacher for 45 years, Vandermer
spent the last 27 years of his career at Cajon
High School in San Bernardino, Calif. He died
June 30, 2014.
His wife, Linda, of Highland, Calif.,
accepted the award in his memory. The
couple raised three children.

FOOTBALL

BASKETBALL

24 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2017

Robert Jones ’97 was a three-year starting
center for the men’s basketball team from
1993-1994 through the 1996-1997 season.
A two-time first-team all-conference
selection, he ranked second among all PSAC
players in rebounding during each of his final
two seasons.
Jones finished his career with 1,273 points
and 713 rebounds, totals that still rank sixth
and 16th in school history.
Over his four seasons with the team, the

SPRING 2017 CAL U REVIEW 25
n

SPORTS R O U N D U P

Jade Arganbright

Swimmer sets record with seven PSAC titles
The only thing better than setting a record is sharing the moment with family.

DOUBLE DUTY

Just ask senior swimmer Jade Arganbright, who returned to her hometown of York,
Pa., for the 2017 PSAC Championships. With her parents, grandparents and younger
sister cheering her on, she won both the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke events.
Those gold-medal finishes gave Arganbright seven individual PSAC titles, the most in
school history. Until the hometown meet, she’d been tied with Clarissa Enslin ’14, with
five individual conference titles.

Honor-roll student tabbed
for two all-conference teams

Arganbright has won the PSAC title for the 100-yard breaststroke in each of the past
three seasons. Her 200-yard breaststroke title reprised a 2015 victory, and she won
consecutive 200-yard individual medley conference crowns in 2015 and 2016.

V

ersatile junior Seairra Barrett helped both the women’s
volleyball and basketball teams enjoy banner seasons
that culminated with NCAA Division II post-season
tournament appearances.

Three score big as
scholars, athletes

Along the way she became the first Vulcan student-athlete
chosen for all-conference teams in two separate sports where
voting by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference’s head
coaches determines the honor.
“Seairra epitomizes what a student-athlete is,” says Dr. Karen
Hjerpe, Cal U’s athletic director.
“To play two sports at a high level while maintaining good grades
shows not only exceptional athletic ability, but an admirable
ability to prioritize her time.”
A middle hitter on the women’s volleyball team, Barrett was
named a first-team all-conference selection last fall, after ranking
second among all PSAC players with a .321 hitting percentage.
She led the Vulcans with 77 total blocks and was second in points
(356) and kills per set (2.97).
In basketball, Barrett made all-conference in 2015-2016 and was
the first member of the Cal U women’s team to be named PSACWest Defensive Athlete of the Year.
This season she helped the Vulcans climb as high as second in the
NCAA Division II rankings, while averaging nearly 18 points and
six rebounds per game.

Barrett is a business administration major with a concentration
in accounting and a minor in Spanish. Despite a rigorous training
schedule, she has made the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll,
reserved for those student-athletes who earn a grade-point
average of at least 3.0 for the semester.
Switching between sports is apparently no problem for the
talented athlete. Last fall Barrett competed in the PSAC volleyball
semifinals at Gannon University. The very next day, she helped
the women’s basketball team win 74-52 at Kutztown.
“Balancing both sports with classes can get difficult, so I have to
manage my time very well,” Barrett says.
“I enjoy contributing and helping both teams succeed.”

Dunn named region’s coach of the year
After a memorable first season as
Cal U’s head football coach, Gary Dunn
’94, ’96 was selected the American
Football Coaches Association (AFCA)
Region 1 Coach of the Year.
Dunn was one of five coaches in NCAA
Division II to receive a regional honor
this year. Only 25 regional recipients
from FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III
and NAIA programs have earned the
laurel in their first year as head coach.
In 2016, Dunn led the Vulcans to 11
wins and the program’s first undefeated

26 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2017
n

Cal U headed into the spring semester proudly
claiming three Academic All-Americans: senior
Megan Litoborski and juniors Taylor Nikithser and
Will Brazill.

Seairra Barrett

regular season (10-0) in nine years. The
team’s season concluded at the NCAA
Division II national quarterfinals.
Dunn’s return to his alma mater has had
a positive impact on alumni, says Bill Lee
’67, a standout Vulcan quarterback and
2011 Cal U Athletic Hall of Fame inductee.
“Gary has really changed the football
culture around here, and he has truly
made all past players feel welcome. We
appreciate his sincerity and enthusiasm.
“I congratulate California University on
having such an impressive football coach.”

Gary Dunn

A setter for the Vulcan volleyball team, Litoborski
was selected a College Sports Information Directors
of America (CoSIDA) Third-Team Academic AllAmerican. She is the fourth player in program history
to be named an Academic All-American.
Litoborski, who owns a 3.94
cumulative grade-point average,
graduates this spring with a
business administration degree
with concentrations in accounting
and finance and a minor in
Spanish.

Jae’Len Means

Runners earn PSAC honors
Junior Julie Friend was named the Most Outstanding Athlete and
classmate Summer Hill was named Outstanding Track Athlete at the
2017 PSAC Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Friend placed second overall in three individual events: the 1-mile run,
and the 3,000- and 5,000-meter runs.

Last fall she led the PSAC with
10.35 assists per set and helped
the 22-10 Vulcans make the
program’s 15th appearance in the
NCAA Division II Tournament.

Hill won the 1-mile run with a meet record time of 4 minutes, 52.68
seconds, and she finished first in the 800-meter run.

Vulcan football players Brazill
and Nikithser both earned secondteam CoSIDA Academic-American
honors. They are the seventh and
eighth Cal U football players to
earn this academic honor.

Overall, the women’s track team matched its highest finish at the
indoor championships, placing fourth for the second time in three years.

Brazill, a kicker, maintains a
3.62 cumulative GPA while
majoring in parks and recreation
management. He was fourth
among all NCAA Division II
kickers in 2016 with 111 points.

The Vulcan men finished eighth in the team standings.

Nikithser, a center, has a 3.76 cumulative GPA. A
sport management major with a minor in business,
he helped the Vulcan offense lead the NCAA
Division II in scoring, averaging 49.6 points per game.

Friend and Hill, along with senior Emilia Ricciuti and sophomore Jaclyn
Reinbold, also took first place in the distance medley relay — an event
Cal U has won in four consecutive years.

On the men’s side, sophomore Jae’Len Means won the gold medal
in the 200-meter dash, and senior Joe Vedilago placed second in the
finals of the 400-meter dash.

Student-athletes

excel
AS SCHOLARS

Cal U student-athletes from all varsity sports
compiled a 3.20 cumulative grade-point average in
the Fall 2016 semester. A total of 185 Vulcans earned
a GPA of 3.00 or higher, and 23 had a perfect 4.00.
Collectively, the Vulcans have compiled a cumulative
grade-point average of 3.10 or higher for 13 of the
past 14 semesters.

SPRING 2017 CAL U REVIEW 27
n

MY CAL U

Story

Every graduate has a Cal U story.
To share yours, email alumni@calu.edu.

CAL U M I L E S T O N E S

60s

80s

Raenna Biddle ’60 is retired. At Cal U, she
majored in education and was in the choir and
band. She also served as a Student Government
representative. She and Judith Kearney live in
Aurora, Co.

Beth Dolinar ’81 now writes a twice-monthly
column for the Herald-Standard newspaper in
Uniontown, Pa.

James Coode ’88, a former history and political
science major, is an attorney living in
Martinsburg, W.Va. At Cal U, James played
rugby and was a member of the Veterans Club
and Pi Gamma Mu.

Leslie Spears Mathews ’82, a former elementary
education major, lives in Mooresville, N.C.

Karen Burton Stoffel ’88, who majored in art at
Cal U, now lives in Maricopa, Ariz.

Carl Braunegg ’84 is the chief financial officer
for Hospice of Central Pennsylvania, based in
Susquehanna Township, Pa. He most recently
served as CFO at the Jewish Federation of
Greater Harrisburg. He earned his master’s
degree in business administration from Cal U.

90s

William Lese Jr. ’63, of Blounts Creek, N.C., who
was a math major a Cal U, now teaches at East
Carolina University.
Louis Mazzoli ’63 and Joan Mazzoli live in
Westerville, Ohio. Louis is retired from his work
for the state of Ohio.
Gayle Fulton Singer ’64, a former elementary
education major, is retired. She and Byron Singer
live in Florence, Ariz.

70s
David Orange ’70 is a Broadway and film actor.
He lives in New York City and Fort Lauderdale,
Fla. David majored in education at Cal U, where
he also played basketball.
Michael Pastorkovich ’70, of Pittsburgh, Pa., is
retired. He majored in philosophy at Cal U.

CAMPUS CONNECTIONS
CREATED ‘PASSPORTS TO SUCCESS’
awn Fredrickson
Wilson ’70 has
made her mark
in education. Last year
the Florida resident retired
as executive director of
professional learning
from Duval County
Schools in Jacksonville,
one of the country’s
largest school districts
with 140,000 students.
She’s now working with Learning Forward,
a national organization that promotes
professional learning, and with a Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation project that aims
to transform learning in more than 20 urban
school districts.
Through it all, Wilson has kept the white
wool suit she wore when she was named
Homecoming Queen nearly 50 years ago.
It hangs with her wedding gown, she
says, because “Homecoming ’68 was that
important.”

28 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2017
n

SO WAS HER CAL U EXPERIENCE. WILSON WRITES ...

In the fall of 1966 I had the good fortune to be assigned to a
room on the third floor of the Stanton Hall dormitory. … Little
did I know then that the girls in the rooms around me would
become my lifelong friends.

Dr. John Hisiro ’69, ’70 is an adjunct professor
for Marshall University, where he teaches
leadership and education. He retired in 2002
after serving as superintendent for eight years
in both the East Allegheny and Sto-Rox school
districts in Allegheny County, Pa. John lives
with his wife, Carol, in Charleroi, Pa., and in
Clearwater, Fla. He has been president of the
Twin Palms Home Owners Association for 12
years and is in his second year as president of
the Federation of Manufactured Home Owners
of Florida. John has 240 mobile home parks
under his leadership in Pinellas County. He also
is on the board of directors at the Georgian Inn
Beach Resort, in Ormond Beach, Fla.

However, it was more than the dormitory assignment that
our group had in common. We also carried the hopes and
dreams of our parents — like President Jones, we were the
first in our families to attend college and have the opportunity
to earn degrees.

Jane Flaherty ’75 has been selected to serve
on the board of directors of the Mon Valley
Initiative, a coalition of 10 community
development corporations in southwestern
Pennsylvania. Jane is an expert on home loans
and financing.

These shared values and beliefs built bonds that sustained us
during college and throughout life.

Rodger Young ’76 is retired. He majored in
education at Cal U and lives in Greensburg, Pa.

Our group was active in Panhellenic activities, student
government, sports, cheerleading and the band. … The friendships
we forged and our connections within the college community
enhanced our academic experiences and produced personal
passports to success.

Roger Young ’76 is a professional potter from
LaVale, Md. He studied environmental science
and ceramics at Cal U and operated a public
water system for 25 years.

Although we now live a distance from each other, Cal U
Homecoming provides an opportunity for us to reconnect in
person, share fond remembrances of “the way we were” and
deepen the ties to our alma matter. …
Cal U was my gateway to this amazing world of learning. Because
of Cal U, I learned there were “other worlds in which to sing.”

Laurie Duraney ’78, of Waunakee, Wis., is
retired.
C. David Cook ’71 and Patricia Abbadini Cook ’71
live in Johns Creek, Ga. He majored in education
and was a wrestler at Cal U, while she majored
in liberal arts.

Mary Cullen ’85 is the vice president of nuclear
propulsion at Huntington Ingalls Industries’
Newport News (Va.) ship-building division.
She studied chemistry at Cal U.
Nick Mazzarella ’87, president of Community
Management Corp., has been elected to the
Community Associations Institute’s Association
of Professional Community Managers. Nick
studied business and economics at Cal U.
Bill Gerhauser ’87 has completed his second
term as president of the Council Rock Teachers
Association and is a 10-year member of the
Pennsylvania State Education Association’s
Resolutions Committee. He is in his 23rd year of
teaching in the Council Rock School District in
Bucks County, Pa. For the past 16 years, he has
taught AP Psychology at Council Rock High
School South. He lives in Yardley, Pa., with his
wife, Dot, and daughter, Grace.
Amy Mazanetz ’88 is now a victim advocate in
the Washington County (Pa.) District Attorney’s
Office. Amy earned her degree in psychology
from Cal U. She previously worked at
Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services Inc.

Kenneth Gillie Jr. ’90 is the director of
community development for Danville, Va. He
oversees the housing, inspections, and planning
and zoning divisions. Kenneth earned his
bachelor’s degree in geography from Cal U.
Jeff Mangus ’94, of Davie, Fla., is an athletic
trainer for the Cleveland Clinic Florida.
Scott Alwine ’95 is a marketing manager with
raised-floor manufacturer Tate Inc. He earned
his master’s degree in business administration
from Cal U.
Parke Wentling ’97, of Greenville, Pa., is a
member of the Pennsylvania House of
Representatives. Prior to his election in 2014, he
taught technology education in the Wilmington
(Pa.) Area School District.
Tom Kravitz ’97 is the town administrator in
North Smithfield, R.I. He earned his degree in
Earth science at Cal U.
Pennsylvania State Police Sgt. Steve Dowlin ’97,
of Greene County, Pa., has been promoted to the
rank of lieutenant and will oversee police
operations in Fayette County, Pa.
Denise Lesnock ’98 is the borough manager for
Canonsburg, Pa. She earned her bachelor’s
degree in business administration from Cal U.

HOME RUN EFFORT
Vulcans baseball coach Mike Conte accepts a
check from the Edward V. Monaghan Charitable
Youth Foundation. This donation enabled three
disadvantaged youths to attend the Cal U
baseball clinic. Edward V. Monaghan ’67 played
baseball at Cal State and was a member of the
Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity. Friends and family
established the foundation upon his passing to
provide educational and recreational
opportunities for disadvantaged youths. Pictured
(from left) are Ted Barnett ’67, a foundation
board member; coach Conte; Virginia Sala
Monaghan ’68, Edward Monaghan’s wife and a
foundation board member; and Tony Mauro ’92,
’93, associate vice president for University
Development and Alumni Relations at Cal U.

SPRING 2017 CAL U REVIEW 29
n

CAL U M I L E S T O N E S
Barry Luciani ’98 is a senior vice president,
branch executive for Howard Bank in Maryland.
He is a former BB&T banking executive. Since
2013, Barry has been chairman of the board for
Leadership Baltimore County, where he provides
governance leadership and strategic fundraising
support. He was recognized as one of Smart
CEO Magazine’s Top Bankers at Susquehanna
Bank in 2011.
Jeff Grimes ’95 and Kimberley Kachersky
Grimes ’98, of Holbrook, Pa., have moved to a
farm that has been in Jeff’s family since 1869.
The couple met at Cal U and have been married
for 18 years. They have two children, Jackson, 8,
and Joel, 6. Jeff and Kimberley both were
business majors. She was a business banker
with PNC for 17 years; she left her position
recently to spend more time with her children.
He attended law school at Ohio Northern
University and has a practice in Waynesburg, Pa.

00s
Joseph Hofmann ’01 lives in Spring Brook
Township, Pa. An elementary education major at
Cal U, he was an orientation leader and member
of Kappa Delta Pi, an honor society in the field
of education.
John Glaneman ’92, ’01
has been named vice
president, sales and
marketing, for JR
Rodgers & Associates
(franchises of Dale
Carnegie Training), in
Pittsburgh, Pa.,
Cleveland, Ohio, and
State College, Pa. A
certified Dale Carnegie trainer since 2001, John
studied political science and communications
at Cal U.

IN PRINT
Robert S. Mason ’77 is the author of a book of poetry published by State
University of New York Press. Nearer to Never invites readers’ aesthetic
engagement to explore what’s waiting for us beneath everyday experiences.
The book was a finalist for the Eugene Paul Nassar Poetry Prize.

Lannie Dietle ’74 is the author of Fort Cumberland: The Missing Years,
which documents the settlement of the Cumberland, Md., area at the
outset of the French and Indian War. It goes on to document the
renewed activity in the area following the capture of Fort Duquesne.
Lannie has dedicated the proceeds from sales of the book to the
Cumberland Heritage Foundation, an organization dedicated to the
discovery and interpretation of historic resources in the mountains of
western Maryland. Lannie has worked for 43 years in the petroleum
industry. For the past 34 years, he has been employed at an engineering
firm in Texas. He has been awarded 35 U.S.
patents related to oilfield technology.

Frank Cicci ’95, ’98, of Pittsburgh, Pa., has written Shyra and the Blah
Blah Bird, available at www.freedom2read.com. The book is meant for
teachers to use as an accelerated reader or an English lesson. Frank
and Dr. Theresa Lee Froats were married April 23, 2016.

Joseph F. Sank ’65, a retired industrial arts
teacher and school administrator, and his
brother Michael have co-authored The History of
Wehrum, Pennsylvania. The book, published in
memory of Joann Jones, describes the short life
of a coal-mining town in eastern Indiana County,
Pa. Sank has donated a copy of the book to the
University’s Manderino Library.

30 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2017
n

Warare Gladman ’02 is a teacher at Lafayette
Elementary-Middle School in Uniontown, Pa. He
also is an assistant basketball coach for
Uniontown High School.
Jayvijay Raol ’04 is a graduate student and a
member of the faculty at Fairmont State
University. He studied multimedia technology
at Cal U. He lives in Shinnston, W.Va., with
Marcie Raol.
Pablo Montana ’04 is now the head coach of
the men’s tennis program at the University of
Delaware.
Raymond Wormack ’99, ’04 is a Certified
Master Forensic Social Worker, a designation
of the American College of Forensic Examiners
Institute. Raymond earned his degrees in
business and social work at Cal U.
P.J. Mainville ’05 is head athletic trainer for the
2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs. He
earned his master’s degree in exercise science
and health promotion with a concentration in
performance enhancement from Cal U.
John Furtado ’05 received the 2017 Cramer
Award for excellent leadership in serving the
Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association. He
earned his master’s degree in exercise science
and health promotion from Cal U. For the past
20 years, he has been employed at Princeton
University, where he is the coordinator of
physical therapy for University Health Services.
He previously worked in Massachusetts as a
physical therapist at Hawthorne Physical
Therapy for three years, and for a year as an
athletic training/physical therapist at
Dartmouth High School.
TaMara Swank ’06, of Greensburg, Pa., is an
assistant professor of dance at Seton Hill
University. She earned her master’s degree in
exercise science and health promotion from Cal U.
Mike Budinsky ’06, a former business
administration major, is celebrating his fifth year
as a State Farm insurance agent in Finleyville, Pa.
Maroon David ’06 recently gave a talk on
various freedoms in the United States. He has
worked as a curatorial intern at the Senator John
Heinz History Center, in Pittsburgh, Pa., and Old
Economy Village, in Ambridge, Pa. He also has
been an archival intern with the Carnegie Library
Special Collections, in Pittsburgh.
Debra Froehlich ’06 accepted a newly created
position as full-time director of community
education at Colorado Mountain College
Steamboat Springs. She earned her master’s
degree in exercise science and health promotion
from Cal U.
Glenn Gehringer ’07, who studied law and public
policy at Cal U, is a permit manager for InTransit
LLC. He and Marilou Gehringer live in
Pittsburgh, Pa.

Adam Smith ’08 has been named project
manager for JEM Group, based in Harrisburg,
Pa. He earned his degree in business
administration from Cal U and has eight years of
construction experience.
Erik Johnson ’09 is the athletic director and
physical education teacher at Chesapeake Science
Point Public Charter School in Hanover, Md.
Michael J. Smith ’09 is an adjunct faculty
member of health care informatics at
Misericordia University, in Dallas, Pa. He is
completing his doctoral studies at the University
of New England, in Biddeford, Maine.
Stacia Pearce ’09 is a physician coaching
consultant for Saxton & Stump LLC, based in
Manheim Township, Pa. Stacia was associate
director of hospital and healthcare system
leadership engagement with the Pennsylvania
Medical Society. She studied communications
at Cal U.
Lindsey Hnath ’09 has joined CARE for Children
in Bradford, Pa., as a speech-language pathologist.
Chad Vorderbrueggen ’07, ’09 is a fitness
director for Healthplex Associates. He earned
his bachelor’s degree in sport management and
his master’s degree in exercise science and
health promotion from Cal U. Chad and Melissa
Medsger live in Belle Vernon, Pa.

10s
Stephen Greene ’10 is a senior scientist with U.S.
Customs and Border Protection. He earned his
master’s degree in legal studies, with a
homeland security concentration, from Cal U.
He and Jen Greene live in Tucson, Ariz.

Steve Santia ’11 is the head wrestling coach at
Southmoreland High School in Alverton, Pa.
Steve played football at Cal U.
Alexa Sobek ’11, of Perryopolis, Pa., who majored
in elementary education at Cal U, earned her
master’s degree in special education in 2016
from Gwynedd Mercy University, graduating
with a 4.0 grade-point average. In October
2016, she was hired as a kindergarten teacher in
the McGuffey School District in Washington
County, Pa.
Shawn Barron ’11 is a conservation officer for the
Pennsylvania Game Commission, covering parts
of Fayette and Somerset counties.
Bryan Kline ’11 was seeking a third term as
Westmoreland County (Pa.) Clerk of Courts. His
master’s degree from Cal U focuses on law and
public policy.
Elisa Ashton ’12, of Pittsburgh, Pa., a former
history major at Cal U, now works for Giant
Eagle Inc.
Justin Lovett ’12 is the director of strength and
conditioning for the Purdue Boilermakers college
football team, in West Layfayette, Ind. Justin
earned his master’s degree in exercise science
and health promotion from Cal U.
Patrice Resch ’12 works for Ann Inc., the parent
company of Ann Taylor, LOFT, Ann Taylor
Factory, LOFT Outlet and Lou & Grey. She
majored in graphics and multimedia technology
at Cal U.
Eric Kush ’12 has re-signed as an offensive
lineman with the NFL’s Chicago Bears. Eric
played football for the Vulcans from 2008-2012.

Samuel Fletcher ’10, of Saint Cloud, Fla., is a
teacher in the Osceola County (Fla.) School
District. He majored in secondary education
at Cal U.

Sergio Merino ’13 was hired as head strength
and conditioning coach at Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute, in Troy, N.Y. He earned his
master’s degree in exercise science and health
promotion from Cal U.

Tiffany Ritenour Clark ’10, an elementary
education major, is a preschool teacher for Head
Start of Fayette County. She and John Clark live
in Connellsville, Pa.

Casey Flores ’13 is an account executive at Key
Communications Inc. and a former editor of
Window Film and PPF magazines. He majored in
communication studies at Cal U.

Rob Miele ’10 is the new boys varsity soccer
coach in the Belle Vernon (Pa.) Area School
District. He majored in education at Cal U.

Jamie Athas ’13 is the wellness director at Cone
Health, based in North Carolina. She earned her
master’s degree in exercise science and health
promotion from Cal U.

Lauren Thomas Hammond ’10 lives in Garner, N.C.
Jay Jairdullo ’10, a 17-year veteran of the South
Brunswick, N.J., Police Department, has been
promoted to the rank of sergeant. He previously
served as a patrolman and a school resource
officer, as well as an instructor in firearms and
physical training.
Skye Sankey ’11, of Tampa, Fla., earned a
bachelor’s degree in sport management and is a
personal trainer and wellness coach. At Cal U,
Skye was a pole vaulter and secretary for the
Bodybuilding and Fitness Club.

Devyn Agett ’13 has been elected to a threeyear term on the board of directors for the
Chautauqua Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
Council. She earned her master’s degree in
exercise science and health promotion from
Cal U and is a health teacher at Persell Middle
School, in Jamestown, N.Y.
Andrew Schryver ’14, who majored in athletic
training at Cal U, is a licensed athletic trainer for
CPRS Physical Therapy. He and Samantha Strine
live in Mechanicsburg, Pa.

DISTINGUISHED
CITIZEN
Gwendolyn Simmons, a former member
of California University’s Council of
Trustees, received the Distinguished
Citizen Award at the Friends of Scouting
Breakfast for her lifetime of service to the
Mon Valley area. Gwen served three, sixyear terms as a Cal U trustee and in 2011
received the University’s Lillian M. Bassi
Core Values Award, given to a person
who exemplifies the core values of
integrity, civility and responsibility. A
lifetime member of the NAACP, she is a
member of the Monongahela Historical
Society, the Monongahela Area Chamber
of Commerce, the Monongahela Area
Revitalization Corp., the Monongahela
Women’s Club and Partners in Health
Committee at Monongahela Valley
Hospital. She is a past president of the
Washington County Historical Society
and a former member of the board of
directors for the Multicultural Arts
Initiative of the Pittsburgh Foundation
and for Mon Valley Community Services.
She also is a past chair of the Washington
County Hospital Authority. Created by
the Boy Scouts of America, the
Distinguished Citizen Award “recognizes
noteworthy and extraordinary leadership
of citizens in communities across the
United States.”

Mandie Gorsuch ’13 is a graphic designer.
Jennifer Rodgers ’14, of Jersey Shore, Pa., is a
teacher in the Williamsport (Pa.) Area School
District. Jennifer earned her master’s degree in
exercise science from Cal U.
Rachael Michaels ’14, of Pittsburgh, Pa., is a
drug education specialist at Cal U. She earned
her master’s degree in clinical mental health
counseling.
Jason Rhine ’14 has completed his first season
as head women’s basketball coach at
Misericordia University, in Dallas, Pa.

SPRING 2017 CAL U REVIEW 31
n

CAL U M I L E S T O N E S
Dustin DeLuca ’12, of Jennerstown, Pa., was a
candidate for both the Democratic and
Republican nominations for Boswell (Pa.)
district judge. He earned his master’s degree in
secondary education from Cal U.

of the Technology Education Association of
California. Alyssa majored in biology. She was
treasurer of the Biology Club and a member of
Alpha Phi Omega for one year. They are
planning a spring 2018 wedding.

Brendon Jonsson ’13 is providing athletic training
services for Red Springs High School (N.C.) and
also is a preceptor for students in the athletic
training program at the University of North
Carolina at Pembroke. Brendon works for
Southeastern Health Sports Medicine.

Carly Eslep ’12 and Daniel Chapman are
planning a December 2017 wedding. Carly is a
warranty administrator at South Hills Chrysler
Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat.

Michael Lash ’10, ’13 is a therapist for Gateway
Rehabilitation. He earned his master’s degree in
mental health counseling from Cal U, where he
was a memberof Phi Sigma Pi and the marching,
jazz and concert bands. Michael also was
president of the Lions Club and served as a
community assistant.
Heidi Reese ’15 is the health and wellbeing
coach for the YMCAs in Bradford, Pa., and
Olean, N.Y. She earned her master’s degree
in exercise science and health promotion
from Cal U.
Brian Salak ’15 is a mortgage loan originator
for GSF Mortgage Corp., in Brookfield, Wis.
Melanie Schroyer ’15 is a caseworker for
Adelphoi. She earned her master’s degree in
applied criminology from Cal U and lives in
Acme, Pa.
Kaitlyn Williams ’16 and Austin Booge live
in Omaha, Neb. Kaitlyn earned her master’s
degree in exercise science and health
promotion from Cal U.
Munzer Elliiby ’16, a graduate of Cal U’s Arabic
Language and Culture program, is an instructor
at Yale University. He lives in New Haven, Conn.
Marie Pellasce ’16, who studied communication
disorders at Cal U, lives in McKeesport, Pa.
Jade Freeman ’16, of Mont Alto, Pa., is a teacher
for Head Start. Jade majored in early childhood
education services at Cal U.
Rachel Randolph ’16, a business administration
major, lives in Washington, Pa. She was a
member of the choir and Alpha Lambda Delta
at Cal U.
Emma Schatz ’16, of St. Marys, Pa., is a Master
of Social Work graduate. She was a member of
the Graduate Social Work Association at Cal U.
Lesa Ulakovich Trunzo ’16, a sociology major, is a
case manager for Community Action Southwest.
She and Sean Trunzo live in Monongahela, Pa.
Bonnie Petros ’16, a liberal studies major, and
Peter Ketting live in Washington, Pa.
Jeffrey Keener ’16, an early childhood services
major from Bethel Park, Pa., works in food
service for Mm! Mm! Pizza.

32 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2017
n

Gina Sypula and Matthew Hall are engaged.
Gina is a Spanish teacher at Canon-McMillan
High School, in Washington County, Pa., and is
pursuing a master’s degree in English as a
second language from Cal U. She and Matthew
are planning to marry in August 2017.

RISING IN RANK
Capt. Andrew Collins ’10 (third from left) recently was promoted to his current rank in the U.S.
Army Reserve. Attending the promotion ceremony were (from left) Capt. Mateo Herrera ’08;
Andrew’s wife, Richelle Collins ’12; and Capt. Robert Prah ’06, ’10. All three captains
participated in the Army ROTC program at Cal U.

Chevelle Stoken ’16, a criminal justice major
from Republic, Pa., works for Sonny’s Sports
Bar and Grill.
Calvin Isaac ’16, a sport management major from
Fort Myers, Fla., is an account executive for the
Florida Everblades minor league hockey team.
Gino Iorfida ’16, who majored in computer
information systems, is an information
technology analyst for Eaton Corp. He and
Nicole Iorfida live in Houston, Pa.
Vito Maffei ’16 is the assistant athletic trainer
for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, a Class A
affiliate of the San Francisco Giants of Major
League Baseball in Oregon. Vito earned his
Cal U master’s degree in exercise science and
health promotion, with a concentration in
rehabilitation sciences.
Cyrill Parham ’16 is the sports information
director for the Wesley College athletic
department, in Dover, Del. He earned his Cal U
master’s degree in sport management with a
concentration in intercollegiate athletic
administration.
Lindsey Vlasic ’06, ’16, of Monessen, Pa., who
earned degrees in sport management and
applied criminology, is a probation officer for
Westmoreland County, Pa. At Cal U, she was
secretary of the Sport Management Club and a
community assistant.
Miranda Gumbert ’16, a computer science
and computer engineering technology major
at Cal U, is a software designer for Creehan &
Company. She and Nicholas Reich ’14 live in
Canonsburg, Pa.

ENGAGEMENTS
Eric Sampson ’13 and Noelle Winkler are
engaged. Eric, who earned his master’s degree
in exercise science and health promotion from
Cal U, is a physical education teacher at Albert
Gallatin High School and a co-owner of Mom
Maruca’s Pizza in Uniontown, Pa. Eric and
Noelle are planning a 2018 wedding.
Brandon Charriere ’12 and Taylor Beros are
engaged. Brandon earned his Master of Arts
Teaching from Cal U and is a social studies
teacher at Canon-McMillan High School in
Washington County, Pa. They are planning a
July 2017 wedding.
Robert Brestensky ’04 and Abigail Smith are
engaged. Robert earned his bachelor’s degree in
business administration with a concentration in
accounting from Cal U. He is a senior
accountant at Lebanon Valley College in
Annville, Pa. Robert and Abigail are planning a
July 2017 wedding.
Stephanie Liddic ’10 and Tyler Ott are engaged.
Stephanie earned her master’s degree in exercise
science and health promotion from Cal U. She is a
middle school physical education teacher in the
Palmyra (Pa.) Area School District.
Desirae Moody ’16 and Mitchell Clark, both of
Somerset, Pa., are engaged. Desirae is a
behavior specialist in Wexford, Pa. They are
planning to marry in September 2017.
Michael Ulderich ’10 and Alyssa Schardongn ’11
are engaged. Michael majored in technology
education and teaches in Vienna, Va. He was
founder of the Racquetball Club and a member

Kyle Foor ’15 and Kelsey Barton are planning a
wedding for July 2017. Kyle studied business
administration at Cal U and is a pre-hire
administrator for Sheetz’s corporate office, in
Altoona, Pa.
Morgan O’Rourke ’13 and Ryan Whitmire are
engaged. Morgan works for Select Specialty
Hospital of Erie and graduated from Cal U with
degrees in nursing and gerontology. They are
planning a wedding for September 2017.
Whitney Shelton ’12 and Chantz McClinic are
planning a June 2017 wedding. Whitney is an
exercise physiologist at Floyd Polk Medical
Center, in Cedartown, Ga.
Dr. Cristina Yorke ’11 and Glenn Testen are
engaged. Cristina majored in communication
disorders at Cal U and received her Doctor of
Audiology degree from Kent State in 2015. She
works at the Hearing Center at CVS Pharmacy
in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.
Donald Kacin Jr. ’13 and Angela Tiani are
engaged. Donald earned his degree in biology,
with a concentration in nanotechnology. He and
Angela are planning an October 2017 wedding
at Hill Crest Country Club in Lower Burrell, Pa.

WEDDINGS
Carl Halye ’11, ’12 and Aimee Hazlett ’12 were
married June 17, 2016. They both work at Lady
Luck Casino Nemacolin, in Farmington, Pa., and
live in Uniontown, Pa.

Christine Costello ’13 and David Mori were
married June 4, 2016. Christine works for
Enterprise.
Kenneth Roudybush Jr. ’08 and Lauren Sequete,
of Pittsburgh, Pa., were married Sept. 24, 2016.
Kenneth works for ZOLL LifeVest in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Tyler Phillips ’08 and Rosanna Haught were
married March 4, 2017. Tyler majored in
technology education at Cal U and is a
technology education teacher at Washington
(Pa.) junior and senior high schools.

BIRTHS

REMEMBRANCE

Bonnie Peperak Sypolt
’08 and Matthew
Sypolt, of Harrisburg,
Pa., announce the birth
of their son, Bryce Isaac
Sypolt, on Oct. 9, 2016.
Bonnie is an elementary
school assistant
principal at Commonwealth Charter Academy.
She earned her master’s degree in education
from Cal U.

Lillian M. Bassi ’49 died Jan. 16, 2017. She
was 90 years old. She majored in education
at California, which honored her by naming
her the first recipient of the Lillian M. Bassi
Core Values Award for integrity, civility and
responsibility. In 1996, she received the
John R. Gregg Award for loyalty and service
to Cal U, as well as the Dixonians Award for
unselfish service to her alma mater. She was
secretary of the Alumni Association of
California and was a member of its
executive committee. She also served on
the board of directors of the Foundation for
California University. Lillian and her late
husband, Melvin, established the Lillian
Majoros Bassi ’49 Education Scholarship
Fund at California University.

Crystal Mann Lape ’09,
’11 and Koury Lape ’09
celebrated the birth of
their daughter, Rylee
Marie Lape, on Nov. 28,
2016. Koury is a senior
web developer at
Denison University, and
Crystal works for Wendy’s Corporate - 90 Degree
Lab. The family lives near Columbus, Ohio.

IN MEMORIAM
Charles M. Anderson ’58
James D. Anderson ’70
James O. Anderson ’67
Martha A. Cain Anderson ’67
Raymond Patsy Amatangelo Jr. ’72
Kathleen Ann Ballein ’80
Edward R. Barch ’62
Carol Shinshasky Beighle ’68
Paul J. Beyer ’88
Chanel Lee Johns Bikowicz ’00
James Charles Caputo ’59
Rosadele Mary Carroll ’43
Linda Kay Denney Cordaro ’62
Eugene “Gene” N. Costel*
Kenneth S. Culbertson ’74
James Howard Dillow ’68
Donald G. Emery ’55
Jason Paul Foreman ’02, a 2010 inductee into
the Cal U Athletic Hall of Fame (baseball)
Ronald N. Fronzaglio ’74, former director of
workforce development training and grant
services at Cal U
Pauline Frances McKnight Gechoff ’49
Louise Hartley,* a former staff member at Cal U

Joseph C. Hayes ’69
James H. Holleran ’55
William Morgan Kay ’75
Charles “Chuck” Edward Kolsosky ’66
Anita Orsatti LaMendola ’88
Raymond Lopez,* emeritus professor, retired
associate professor from the Department of
Academic Development Services
Barbara DiLuzio Marella ’61
Betsy Coldsmith McFarland*
Bonnie E. Newman ’66
Edward Melvin Oakley ’74
Valerie L. Paul*
Prudence L. Petrucci,* food service worker at Cal U
Allen Pollus ’65
Richard D. Popovich ’71
Terence “Terry” E. Riddle ’93
Richard Louis Scaglione ’73
William N. Simanovich Sr. ’68
George “Ned” William Slavik*
Philip Sleber ’77
Franklin Scott Swaney ’04
Thomas N. Tully ’64
Carole Lee Zoretic Vignali ’73
Joseph Wohar*
Patricia Wojciechowski ’76
Beatrice “Bea” Young ’40
*No graduation year on file

SPRING 2017 CAL U REVIEW 33
n

MAKE A DIFFE RE NCE

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W IT H A G I F T TO T H E

ALWAYS A VULCAN
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parents and University friends to make a true impact on
the student experience at Cal U.

SHOP CAL U APPAREL AND GIFTS.

Annual Fund gifts provide the University with support for
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Your gift to the Annual Fund can be applied directly to a
specific fund, or it can support the growth of an affinity
scholarship for students involved in a specific fraternity,
sorority, academic department or athletics program.
Contributions to the Annual Fund can be made in any amount.
Some donors make one-time gifts of $5, $25 or $100 each year.
Others select a monthly recurring giving option that allows
them to make affordable gifts, regularly and consistently,
to the Cal U Annual Fund.
You can mail your gift in the pre-addressed envelope found
inside this magazine. Or visit www.calu.edu/giving and click on
“Make your online gift today” to give online or set up a monthly
recurring gift of $5 per month or more.
Thank you for helping California University to continue
providing the best possible experience for our students.
To learn more about the Cal U Annual Fund or Affinity Giving,
contact Randi Minerva at 724-938-4248 or minerva@calu.edu.

Send your Milestones news or address changes by email to alumni@calu.edu, by fax to 724-938-5932, or by mail to
Office of Alumni Relations, California University of Pennsylvania, 250 University Ave., Box 89, California, PA 15419.

Information will be published as space
and deadlines allow. Please indicate on
another sheet what activities or sports you
participated in while you were a student.
We welcome high-resolution electronic
photographs. Please email images to
revieweditor@calu.edu; put the words
“Milestones photo” on the subject line of your
email, and be sure to tell us your name, year
of graduation and the identity of everyone
in the picture. Please do not send computer
printouts or low-resolution digital photos, as
they will not reproduce well in this magazine.

Stay connected to the Cal U Alumni
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Grace under water
Sophomore swimmer Danielle de Perrot, of Lititz, Pa., displays perfect form as she propels herself across the pool at
Hamer Hall. De Perrot won the 400 individual medley during this home meet at the start of the spring semester.

NONPROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
CALIFORNIA
UNIVERSITY OF
PENNSYLVANIA