Saint Vincent Magazine Winter 2014

SAINT VINCENT M A G A Z I N E Winter 2014

Yo-Yo Ma To Receive Fred Rogers

Legacy AwardMay 23, 2014

When Tara Karns applied to Saint Vincent College in 2005, she was looking for new experiences. Nine years later, she is employed as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at the University

of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. She credits her time at Saint Vincent for her growth in the world of psychology.

“If I hadn’t gone to Saint Vincent College, I wouldn’t have my doctorate,” she said. Karns graduated with a degree in psychology and a minor in sociology. She said she was initially skeptical of a liberal arts education. Looking back, she said, “I realize that all of these extra classes have really shaped who I am as an academic. There is something to be said about being well-rounded, and people notice that when they see the types of skills that you have obtained outside of your area of expertise.”

Her professors, she said, were “always willing and ready to help me achieve my goals. They recognize you as someone with your own goals, desires, motivations and dreams, and help ensure that you have the knowledge and education to get to where you need to be.”

She credits professors such as Dr. Kristine Slank, Dr. Christopher Oldenberg and especially Dr. Mark Rivardo, whom she called “an amazing mentor. He was difficult! But he challenged me enough to keep me thinking while helping enough to keep me from floundering.”

“Tara was always a strong, hard-working student,” Rivardo said. “I’m not surprised by her success at all. She is a role model for current students and sets the bar high for psychology students in terms of academic excellence, service to the department and college and service to the community.”

Karns was the president of the campus Psi Chi Psychology Honor Society chapter, captain of the women’s cross country team, participated in mission trips to India and Brazil and was a finalist for the President’s Award. She obtained her Ph.D. in life-span developmental psychology from West Virginia University, where she taught undergraduate classes ranging from “Introduction to Psychology” to “Research Methods in Psychology.” The latter was her favorite course at Saint Vincent, one that she says helped her “immensely” in her career.

“The skills you obtain from that class are the basis for everything that I do now,” she said. Karns works in the impulsivity lab in Texas, assessing binge drinkers in a study in which their drinking behaviors are monitored and evaluated to see whether they can limit their drinking behavior. She works with the university’s faculty in writing publications and grants. “I always joke that I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up,” she said. But thanks to her liberal arts education, there are no limits.

—Simon Stuchlik

To MAke A GiFT To HeLP sTudenTs succeed, conTAcT THe oFFice oF insTiTuTionAL AdvAnceMenT, 724-805-2895.

Postdoctoral FellowshiP For tara Karns, c’09

Concert Series Mayuko Kamio, violinRobert S. Carey Performing Arts Center March 29, 8 p.m.concertseries.stvincent.edu

Kinan Azmeh’s City BandRobert S. Carey Performing Arts Center April 26, 8 p.m.concertseries.stvincent.edu

The Saint Vincent GallerySenior Exhibition IMarch 14 - 30, 2014Senior Exhibition IIApril 11 - May 4, 2014

Saint Vincent Seminary CommencementMay 9

Saint Vincent College CommencementMay 10

Torrey Pines, CA Golf OutingMay 12-13

Fred Rogers CenterFred Rogers Center 10th AnniversaryYo-Yo Ma, inaugural recipient Fred RogersLegacy Award. May 23, Fred Rogers Center

Fred Forward ConferenceJune 1-3Senator John Heinz History Center, Pittsburgh

Threshold LectureJune 2, Alison GopnikThe New Hazlett Theatre Center for Performing Arts, Pittsburgh

Alumni and Friends Golf OutingJune 6, 9 a.m., Latrobe Elksand Champion Lakes Golf Club

Prep Reunion 14th Annual PicnicJune 14, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pleasure Acres Farm

Men’s Basketball Golf OutingSeptember 11, Latrobe Country Club

Homecoming and Fall Family WeekendSeptember 26-28

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT:www.stvincent.edu

upcoming campus

events

Saint Vincent Magazine

Departments

ARCHABBOT AND CHANCELLORRt. Rev. Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B.

PRESIDENTBr. Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B.

EDITORKim [email protected]

DESIGNKim Metzgar & Jordan Hainsey

PRINTINGLaurel Valley Graphics

ALUMNI NEWS COORDINATORMary Ann Dunlap

PROOFREADERCarol Riddle

Saint Vincent Magazine (United States Postal Service Publication Number USPS 5144-8000) is published by Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, for alumni, parents and friends. Third class postage paid at Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Alumni Office, Saint Vincent College, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650-2690.

Saint Vincent College reserves the right to accept or decline submissions of both information and photos for use in the Saint Vincent Magazine, based on content, quality, timeliness and suitability, at the discretion of the editor.

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Winter 2014Volume 11, Issue 2

3

Cover:The Fred Rogers Center at Saint Vincent College is marking its 10th anniversary. Make reservations for Yo-Yo Ma receiving the Fred Rogers Legacy Award by calling 724-805-2750.

President’s 4 Message More Features 10Immaculée Ilibagiza, Rwandan genocide survivor, inspires with lecture; Dr. Jennifer Koehl receives teaching honor.

sports 22Mick Janosko receives honor; fall sports roundup; athletic hall of fame.

news Briefs 2625-year employees; abbot primate honored; Dr. Michael Urick to direct MSMOE program.

Faculty 28Dr. Melissa Cook receives excellence in teaching award.

Alumni 29Alumni events; remembering Dr. JoAnne Boyle, class notes.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSKathryn KlawinskiKim MetzgarDon OrlandoSimon StuchlikSports Information Office

PHOTOGRAPHERSPublic Relations OfficeSports Information OfficeOffice of Alumni RelationsPeter FingerJordan HainseyLynn JohnsonDon OrlandoKim MetzgarSimon Stuchlik

Monastery Run: 20 Years5

Rogers center news 14

24 Football coach named

Dear Alumni and Friends,

The 2013-14 academic year has been one of celebrations and new beginnings, a time of goings and comings. As such, this issue holds deep personal significance for me, as it catalogs the growth and success of projects with which I have been involved, and especially, celebrates the people who made those projects and achievements possible.

In its 10 years, the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media has gained international recognition as a catalyst for stimulating conversations — and clear direction for parents and educators — regarding the best to be found in the field. As we celebrate its 10th anniversary, we marked the retirement of Rita Catalano, who joined the College 25 years earlier as a grants writer and who in recent years had led the Rogers Center to prominence. Rita received the Projektenmacher Award, recognizing those who, in the spirit of our founder Boniface Wimmer, have taken vision to reality through hard work and perseverance.

It is greatly satisfying to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Monastery Run Improvement Project, a collaboration of many different people who worked together to reclaim and beautify a stream that once ran orange with abandoned mine drainage, and is now a thriving wetland alive with birdsong.

As we recognized the many good people who have contributed to these projects, we said good-bye to others: to my confrere Father Demetrius Dumm, O.S.B., a member of the College’s Board of Directors who was also a gifted Scripture professor, author and lecturer, and to Dr. JoAnne Boyle, longtime president of Seton Hill University and recipient of an honorary doctorate from Saint Vincent College.

We welcome new faces whose ideas and energy will help to strengthen Saint Vincent and make exciting new ventures possible, including Rick Fernandes, Emmy-winning children’s television director and new executive director of the Fred Rogers Center, and Ron Dolciato, who served as associate head football coach at John Carroll University and who now leads our football program.

We are grateful to the many others who took part in those decision-making processes: Joanne Rogers, the Rogers Center Advisory Council, Kidsburgh representatives, our Archabbot Douglas Nowicki, O.S.B., athletic director Father Myron Kirsch, O.S.B., faculty athletics representative Dr. Rob DePasquale and several alumni who gave of their time, experience and expertise.

Heartened and humbled by the support of all these individuals who are united by a shared love of Saint Vincent College, we are moving ahead with confidence. Please join us on the journey – forward!

God bless,

Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., President

P.s. Congratulations to our men’s basketball team for earning its second-straight Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship with a 90-84 win over Thomas More and an automatic bid to the

NCAA tournament. Senior Dillon Stith was named PAC Player of the Year. The Bearcats finished the season at 22-6. The women’s team finished with an 18-9 record. They were awaiting a bid to the ECAC Division III South Tournament. Look for full coverage in the spring issue and refer to http://athletics.stvincent.edu for up-to-date news.

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celebrations And new Beginnings

Saint Vincent Magazine 5 Winter 2014

he landscape surrounding St. Vincent is indeed beautiful. The most fertile valleys of

Pennsylvania, the thickly wooded Chestnut Ridge stretching along the eastern horizon, undulating fields with primeval forests serving as a background—these are some of the charms of nature by which the student of St. Vincent is environed and inspired. The hand of man has not dared to destroy the natural beauties of our immediate vicinity. We are encompassed by coal-mines and coke-works, by steel-mills and glass factories, but they ... do not mar the enchanting scenery which nature has thrown around our College home. On the contrary, ingenuity and assiduous labor have helped to make this an ideal garden of beauty. Spacious lawns, beds of flowers, blooming shrubbery, vines and ferns, and hundreds of ornamental bushes and shapely shade-trees have added to the charms which the Creator has showered with a lavish hand over the knoll that bears St. Vincent.”

Monastery run IMproveMent project:

20-year annIversaryBy Kim Metzgar

The idyllic description at left, taken from an early

20th century college catalogue, may have provided an accurate description of the farms and fields surrounding Saint Vincent. But underneath the ground, in coal mines not quite as old as the monastery—established in 1846—it was a different world.

tHe proBLeMThere were rich deposits of the 19th century’s most

important fuel—coal. At first there were small, hand-dug passages—worked by the brothers—dating to the 1850s, where coal was extracted to provide fuel to heat the buildings on campus.

A number of independent, for-profit companies later mined this mineral, which heated nearby homes, fueled industry and even made the steam that powered the Saint Vincent Gristmill.

In the late 1960s, after removing the easily accessible coal, the independent companies closed the mines and, as was the practice of the day, abandoned them. Soon

—“The Catalogue of the Officers, Faculty, and Students of St. Vincent College, Beatty, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, 1905-6,” (Latrobe, Pa.: St. Vincent Archabbey Press, 1906), 9-10.


the abandoned mine voids filled with water. The water picked up minerals such as pyrite from the mine and carried them into the nearby stream, polluting it and turning it into a distinctive orange color.

These were problems that surfaced only to subsequent generations of Benedictines and problems that future generations of monks will deal with in perpetuity, but problems that began to have a positive outcome 20 years ago with the birth of the Monastery Run Improvement Project (MRIP).

tHe soLutIonThe project, located adjacent to Monastery Run and

to the west of the Gristmill, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. In 1993, more than 50 area community and government agencies, industries and individuals formed the Loyalhanna Creek Mine Drainage Coalition to help clean up Four Mile Run using man-made, passive wetlands to treat pollution. Three wetlands were constructed on 20 acres of land owned by the Benedictines at Saint Vincent. The goal was to improve 2.4 miles of Four Mile Run and, in turn, improve the quality of the stream it flows into, which is Monastery Run. That improves the quality of the stream it flows into, the Loyalhanna Creek.

The wetland ponds allow iron-laden water from the mines to surface, mix with the oxygen in the air, and create iron oxide. The water stays in the wetland long enough for the iron oxide to settle and sink to the bottom. Cattails help slow the water down and act as a filter to catch some of the iron particles. Periodically, the

ponds are drained and the iron is transported to a holding area where it dries out. It can then be used as a pigment for paint, among other uses.

tHe present-DayOn November 8, 2013, present-day Benedictines,

members of the college faculty and staff, students, government and agency representatives and others came together to mark the first two decades of MRIP and report on its successes.

Saint Vincent “is older than any of the agencies represented here and older, much older, than any of the participants here, glad to say. It’s older than the problem created by the mines here but not nearly as old as the coal and surely not as old as the water that was present at the dawn of creation. Without water there is no life; without clean water there is no human life.”

Father Earl Henry, O.S.B., prior of Saint Vincent Archabbey, read those remarks again, the same welcome given 20 years earlier, at the recent symposium marking the anniversary of the MRIP.

“We are here today as educators and landowners and government agencies and private foundations, charitable community-minded foundations, as interested, intelligent, ingenious, long-range thinkers, planners and doers. We are here today with the common dream of using our creative powers to reclaim the water that by ignorance and greed and carelessness we have robbed of its creative powers.”

He noted that “Saint Vincent College and Archabbey is pleased that our project is seen as a model of cooperation among governmental, environmental, educational, recreational, business and charitable communities.”

The symposium served not only as an educational forum for present-day students and agency employees, but as a virtual reunion for many people who have worked on the project from the outset:

• J. Scott Roberts, now retired Department of Envrionmental Protection deputy secretary, served for two years as director of the DEP’s Bureau of Mining and Reclamation and was involved with MRIP.

• Dr. Bob Hedin of Hedin Environmental helped design the system, at the time one of the first in the region.

• Dr. Caryl Fish and Dr. Cynthia Walter, associate professors at Saint Vincent, have been involving Saint Vincent students in research and assessment for two decades.

• Susan Huba, executive director of the Loyalhanna Watershed Association, is a recent affiliate, although her

Symposium: Celebrating 20 years, participants, from left, include Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., president of Saint Vincent College; Very Rev. Earl J. Henry, O.S.B., prior of Saint Vincent Archabbey; Dr. Caryl Fish, associate professor of chemistry at Saint Vincent College and coordinator of the symposium; Dr. Cynthia Walter, associate professor of biology at Saint Vincent College; Dr. Bob Hedin of Hedin Environmental; Susan Huba, executive director of the Loyalhanna Watershed Association; and J. Scott Roberts, retired deputy secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The symposium was sponsored by the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds.

Pictured at right, are (left) Dr. Caryl Fish, associate professor of chemistry at Saint Vincent College, and Beth Bollinger, environmental education coordinator at the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve, who first became familiar with campus working as an AmeriCorps volunteer at the wetlands. They are in front of a mound of iron oxide dredged from the wetlands ponds and drying in a containment area. The iron pigment will be used to make paint and has been used in burnt siena crayons as well.


Twenty Years Later...

organization has been involved from the beginning. • Brother Norman Hipps, O.S.B., now college president,

was provost at the start of MRIP, and heavily involved, as was Father Earl, both representing the Benedictine community.

All symposium speakers addressed, in one manner or another, an aspect of the MRIP.

Hedin noted that the MRIP was the “first foray into BIG passive treatment in Pennsylvania. The systems involved more acreage and treated more mine water and iron contamination than any other public project at the time. The project has demonstrated both the capability and challenge of treating large deep mine discharges with passive techniques.”

Fish and Walter answered the question “Did the Monastery Run Improvement Project Restore Local Streams?” with a resounding “yes,” and with the data to prove it.

“It takes a long time for things to improve down-stream,” Walter said. “Quality of life is getting better in downstream locations.”

Walter said the wetlands “capture a substantial amount of iron.” Chemistry samples show decreased iron content in the water although there are occasional pulses, and the biology shows a slow, partial recovery.

Hedin, through aerial photos, showed samples of other passive treatment systems, many modeled after the

ones at Saint Vincent, from places as close as Somerset County to as far away as South Wales.

Roberts noted that the project “was groundbreaking because of the scale at the time.... We took emerging technology and decided to apply it on a grand scale.”

The MRIP, he said, also recognized that “this is a teachable moment, to pass on this knowledge gained in building this system.... We had a lot of different pieces that needed to come together to make it work—money, land, technologies, design and engineering, implementation. All of these components were really critically important. Since the 20 years, and during the 20 years, everybody involved in these types of projects has grown to realize that you can’t do shortcuts on any of them. You need to put them together to make them work well.”

Hedin noted that the challenge now is to “maintain the effectiveness of installed treatment systems for another generation, to maintain the desire to develop better technologies and build better systems, and to maintain the stewardship ethic that remains at the core of the Monastery Run Improvement Project.”

Roberts spoke of the story of acid mine drainage, noting that it “oscillates in many directions, from the destruction of natural habitat to the creation of opportunity. The story has been spun by differnt groups to accomplish different objectives. It is still being spun.”


Environmental Science Students Sink Into Work

By Simon Stuchlik

Since its formation 20 years ago, the Monastery Run Improvement Project has helped science students conduct research and advance in their fields. Three students currently intern for the project, gaining experience that will prove invaluable in their future careers.

Anthony Sellitto, a junior environmental science major, has interned at the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve and the wetlands for the past two years. In addition to taking care of the trails and gardens at the nature reserve, he conducts tests for the Monastery Run project. As part of his work day, he takes samples from Monastery Run, Four Mile Run and the wetlands, testing them for chemicals to see how well the wetlands system is working and what improvements need to be made.

“We’ve been seeing some positive results,” he said. He encourages people to go down to the wetlands and look

at the improvements for themselves. “You can actually see how well our wetlands are working by checking out the difference between the dark orange sludge that comes out of the mine and the clarity in the output pipe.” But the scientific results come in the labs of the Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion, where he tests the samples for pH levels, iron oxide, sulfate and conductivity.

After graduation, Sellitto plans to pursue a career in wildlife preservation. His internship experience will enhance that career. “Working at the wetlands enabled me to see how a system like that can affect a whole different wildlife ecosystem,” he said.

Like Sellitto, James Loffert majors in environmental science and interns for both the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve and the Monastery Run project. He is responsible for much of the maintenance work, from inspecting the rock walls around the wetlands to ensuring that the pipes are free of debris and the water is flowing properly. He also serves as a tour guide for elementary and middle

Above, from left: Anthony Sellitto tests samples taken from the wetlands for pH levels, iron oxide, sulfate and conductivity at the Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion; James Loffert clears debris from pipes at the wetlands; Andrew Smith in a wetlands pond opens up a pipe that drains water from one pond to the next.


Giving has long been a tradition at Saint Vincent College. Every member of our campus community has, in one way or another, benefitted from the generous support of alumni and friends. Planned gifts will extend your support beyond your lifetime by making a commitment to the future of Saint Vincent.

To structure deferred gifts in your estate plan: Contact Eileen K. Flinn, Esq., 724-805-2897 or [email protected].

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school students, who take field trips to the wetlands to learn about their importance.

Loffert has also utilized the wetlands for his classes. “We’re renowned all over the world for our wetlands,” he said. “It’s great to have them at your disposal as a student.” He plans to continue this work after he graduates in May. “I would love to go into water quality testing or monitoring,” he said, noting that wetland delineation will be “a huge deal,” in the upcoming years. “With the emergence of natural gas in western Pennsylvania, wetlands are going to be that filter that we need between us and clean drinking water.”

Loffert has accepted a temporary supervisor position under chemistry professor Dr. Caryl Fish, where he will work with a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) computer program to digitize and update old surface mine maps this summer. The position is made possible by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Working under Loffert will be Sellitto and Andrew Smith, the third environmental science intern for the Monastery Run project. He’s worked with the wetlands since 2011, proudly stating that he was “a teenager when I started working there.” Like Sellitto, he has experience with sample testing, but he also guides children’s tours and does maintenance alongside Loffert.

That experience will be especially beneficial after Smith’s graduation in May, as he is looking to begin a career in the wetlands industry. In fact, he has devoted his senior research to the topic of acid mine drainage. He is currently developing an anoxic lime drain, a concept that could advance the issue of reducing water acidity significantly. Limestone naturally reacts with water in reducing pH levels to increase its safety, and Smith has taken a sustainable approach by using recycled concrete—which contains limestone—to treat acidic water. His early results have been encouraging, improving pH levels from 2 to 4.


By Kim Metzgar

On Easter weekend in 1994, after attending church services, many Americans

were watching the conclusion of the NCAA college basketball tournament

and preparing to enjoy the opening of the Major League Baseball season.

Immaculée Ilibagiza was 22, a student at the National University of Rwanda. With hints

of unrest in the country, she made time for a visit home on Easter break. Torn between

staying at school to study, the earnest plea in her father’s letter made her choose

home, where she and two of her three beloved brothers enjoyed a weekend with her

parents.

Immaculée Ilibagiza interacts with an audience member following her lecture.

FORGIVE PRAY FORGIVE LOVE BE KIND PRAY LOVEFORGIVE PRAY FORGIVE LOVE BE KIND PRAY LOVEFORGIVE PRAY FORGIVE LOVE BE KIND PRAY LOVE FORGIVE PRAY FORGIVE LOVE BE KIND PRAY LOVE FORGIVE PRAY FORGIVE

Rwandan Genocide survivor: Message of Hope, Forgiveness

Days later, she was left not knowing where her parents and brothers were. She was sharing a three by four foot bathroom with seven others, dividing food scraps and sitting quietly while rebel Hutus with machetes hunted them and other Tutsis—they heard them outside of the bathroom window.

The women stayed that way for 91 days. Eight people in a space so small they had to sit on top of each other.

The simplest sound could have roused the Hutus who returned again and again to search the house where they were hiding. Immaculée and the others worried about their families, not knowing if they were dead or alive. They worried about the pastor who sheltered them in the four-bedroom house, hiding them even from his own children.

Immaculée remembered her brother pounding on her bedroom door at the family home, not even waiting until she could dress, to tell her the news that the plane carrying Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira had been shot down. The family listened to the radio as the news spread and Hutus began a genocide that left nearly a million people dead over a three-month period. Tutsis gathered in her parents’ yard, establishing a camp in front of the home of her family, a family that was known for helping its neighbors far and wide. Only this time, there was nothing Immaculée’s parents could do.


On October 17 there were few seats to be found in the auditorium of the Robert S. Carey Student Center Auditorium at Saint Vincent as Immaculée talked about her time in the confines of the bathroom as part of the New Horizons Speakers Series.

The audience sat spellbound, silently listening as she talked for nearly two and a half hours, a petite woman with long, glistening hair and sparkling eyes. While she gestured with hands and arms, her feet remained motionless the entire time, perhaps a residual effect from three months of sitting, immobile, in silence and fear in the tiny bathroom.

Immaculée could have talked about politics. She could have talked about revenge. She could have talked about hatred. Instead, the lifelong Catholic talked about the power of love, the power of letting go, the power of forgiveness, the power of God.

Author of Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, Immaculée felt anger, felt her faith slipping away, felt the evil. But she turned to the one thing she carried with her as she fled to the safe haven, the red and white rosary her father placed in her hands the last time she saw him, before he and her mother and her two brothers were brutally murdered.

“God is real, without a shadow of a doubt,” she said, clasping a silver rosary as she spoke. “Seek in God and you will find it. You might not understand how he works but he is there.”

Her story is the story of that rosary, the story of prayer.“Some of these [Hutus] were smart people,” she said,

even “good people…. They did this to our country because love was not in their hearts.”

The Holocaust in World War II, the genocide in Rwanda occurred, she said, “because we failed to love others. Each one of us, individually, must act with love and kindness. We need to act with love in thought and action in everything we do.”

Immaculée’s faith did not come easily. During her time in the bathroom, she asked for, and received, a Bible.

“I was reading to understand,” she said. “I started to talk to God like I’m talking to you. I started to pray my father’s rosary.”

When she prayed the rosary, Immaculée said the anger

and fear that filled her heart moved her to another place. But it wasn’t easy. For a time, she said, she skipped the line in the Lord’s Prayer that said “forgive us our trespasses.” She skipped the line because at the time, she could not forgive. She felt that by saying it, she would be lying to God. Then she heard the voice of Jesus telling her “not to edit his prayer.”

Sleeping for about five hours a day, she prayed the rosary when she was not reading the Bible, taking from 20 to 25 minutes each time.

“Prayer has the power to show us light, even when we don’t see it,” she said. When Immaculée began seeing

that the people who killed her family, who killed so many, deserved mercy, she began the path to forgiveness.

Tracing her story to their liberation from the end of the genocide, the end of her 91 days in the bathroom—she went in weighing 115 pounds and came out weighing 65—Immaculée discovered what she most feared, that her brother who was away in Senegal when the genocide started was the only other survivor from her family. Her book recounts the heart-rending story of her discovering the graves of her family members and reburying them in the shell that was left of her family’s home.

She told of coming face to face with the Hutu neighbor who killed her brother, and of forgiving the man.

“If you have never forgiven someone who has hurt you, then you have never let go of the bitterness,” she said. “If I can forgive, anybody can forgive.”

Now married to an American and the mother of two children, she travels the world spreading her message of love and forgiveness. A foundation she established with proceeds from Left to Tell supports Rwandan orphans. Her family home was rebuilt, and now serves as a house of prayer and healing for the entire village.

Now, in her new adopted country, with her family, Immaculée can celebrate Easter much as she did in Rwanda. Her native country now marks April 7 as Genocide Memorial Day. And in both America and Rwanda, July 4 denotes freedom—in Rwanda it is now Liberation Day. Free from the bathroom, free from fear, Immaculée is free to love, to forgive. She told the audience that she survived the genocide because she was meant to survive.

“To me, it is about ‘what I will leave in this world when I go.’ I can inspire forever or destroy forever. I can appreciate Jesus’ sacrifice and love. If you say the rosary from your heart, nothing is impossible…. Hold on to the good, because there is always hope.”

“To me, it is about ‘what I will leave in this world when I go.’ I can inspire forever or destroy forever.”


it is impossible to quantify the true value of a saint vincent education. Benedictine values are the unique quality of a saint vincent education, the sense of social

responsibility built through participation in service projects, the critical thinking skills developed through a rigorous liberal arts curriculum, or the memories made during the critical formative years of college. More than 90 percent of Saint Vincent College students who apply for financial aid—and 100 percent of the freshman class—receive some sort of financial support. Saint Vincent recognizes academic achievement with a scholarship matrix that rewards high-achieving students with renewable scholarships ranging from $15,000 to $20,000 per year, and encourages alumni to recommend students who would benefit from a Saint Vincent College education, earning them a $1,000 Alumni Grant. A significant portion of this support is made possible through gifts to endowed scholarships from alumni and friends of saint vincent college.

For more information on how to establish an endowed fund or endowed scholarship at saint vincent college, please contact Eileen K. Flinn, Esq. • Assistant Vice President, Institutional Advancement • (724) 805-2897 • [email protected].

Help endow A Benedictine education


an NSF pro-posal that resulted in a project called BRIDGES.” “It supported the devel-opment of modules that were used in local school districts. This project, along with other grant-funded projects, enabled us to be part of the larger Math Science Partnership which connects 50 school districts and four institutions of higher education. For the last 10 years, Rita has played a key role in the establishment of the Fred Rogers Center.” Brother Norman expressed gratitude for her distinguished service to Saint Vincent: “Rita, thank you for your smart, dedicated, attentive-to-detail leadership that has made things happen; the grantsmanship followed by careful implementation; and now the nationally-recog-nized Rogers Center.”

turn the compli-ment. “I decided to attend Saint Vincent because it was impor-tant for me that my

professors would know me personally,” she said. “As a student, you can tell that Dr. Koehl cares deeply about the education of each and every student. She is always willing to listen and give advice. Be-yond being a great teacher, she is a great person.”

“After I won the award, so many students con-tacted me via social media to congratulate me and

tell me about the influence that I’ve had on them,” she said. “At the same time, I can say that every student that has come through my classes has made some impact on me.”

That is especially true for the “Koehl Staph,” her research laboratory for mi-crobiology students. Com-prised of biology majors conducting their junior and senior research, the group is named after staphylo-coccus, a type of bacteria that Koehl examined in her Ph.D. dissertation.

“In overseeing the Koehl Staph, I’ve tried to really integrate the Benedictine value of community,” Koehl said. Within the labora-tory, the students can do research together, read papers to each other for feedback, and even get

dr. Jennifer koehl Receives Thoburn AwardBiology professor Dr.

Jennifer Koehl received the Thoburn Award for Teaching Excellence at the Honors’ Convocation in Novem-ber, being honored as an educator who has made a significant impact on stu-dents through teaching and personal interactions. The award, named after Ligonier philanthropists Thomas W. Thoburn Jr. and Tina Thoburn, D.Ed., is based on nominations from alumni who graduated from Saint Vincent five to seven years ago.

“I’m honored and hum-bled by this award,” she said. “The students are what makes Saint Vincent so special, so I can think of no better award than one from the students.”

Senior biology major Em-ily Ritrosky was quick to re-

together socially.“Students will have to

work together with others throughout their careers, so I hope this group experi-ence prepares them for that,” said Koehl. “It also gives them a sense of identity within the biology department.”

Koehl currently serves on the rank and tenure com-mittee and was a member of the faculty committee for the design and construc-tion of the Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion.

“The building has changed the way we teach,” she said. “The new space in the labs has allowed the students to do much more advanced research, and it allows us to focus more on group work and critical thinking exercises.”

—Simon Stuchlik

Projektenmacher Awardee: Rita catalanoRita Catalano, former executive director of the Fred

Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media, received the third annual Projektenmacher Award from Saint Vincent College. The award recognizes initiatives in the spirit of founder Boniface Wimmer, that “have made a valuable difference to the campus community through creativity, imagination and vision.”

“Today we celebrate the work and successes of Rita Cat-alano,” Brother Norman Hipps, O.S.B., said in making the presentation. “Rita was hired to be a grants writer but she had an amazing capacity to take ideas partially thought out and often disconnected and shape them into a pro-posal that had coherence with clear objectives, strategies, a reasonable budget and most importantly—was fundable.

“There was a U.S. Department of Education Title III program which was intended to strengthen institutions of higher education,” he said. “Not only did Rita effectively prepare the proposal, she served as the coordinator. While there were several pieces, it was this grant that allowed us to begin master’s programs in education and business and undertake other initiatives.

“The National Science Foundation had a program that was intended to support cooperative work among indus-tries, school districts and higher education, and together with representatives from these three areas, Rita crafted


Rick Fernandes says perhaps it was “divine intervention” that he got into his career in children’s television. Accepted into college with thoughts on going to medical school, it didn’t feel right for him. A summer internship at the children’s Television Workshop, also known as sesame street, and he was in love. He was loved as well. A three-year contract followed the internship, and it was off to the races.

emmy-Winning Televisiondirector new Fred Rogers center executive director

Rick Fernandes with Joanne Rogers.

The new executive director of the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent brings a world of experience to his new role. Fresh off of a stint as executive director, general entertainment content in Southeast Asia for Turner International Asia Pacific Limited, the Emmy winner has served as a director, producer and editor. His 30-year career includes working with Blues Room, Between the Lions, Out of the Box, Bear in the Big Blue House and Reading Rainbow. His 11 Emmy nominations cover five different series for PBS, Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, with one Emmy win for directing Bear in the Big Blue House. He has also worked in general entertainment, reality, sitcoms, game shows and music videos.

With that behind him, he is “thrilled” to be at Saint Vincent, coming to Latrobe with the New Year. “I believe in what Fred believed in,” Fernandes said. “I believe in what he stands for and want to bridge that, build upon the foundation we have here and expand our audience. The center is well-respected among its peers.”

He has spent his early time on the job immersing himself in what has been done and formulating a plan to move forward.

“Deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex,” he said, quoting Fred Rogers. Delving into


the history of children’s television, he noted that in the early years of Mister Rogers, parents had time, time to be at home, and their children had limited choices in media content. At the same time, he said, Fred Rogers would take something very complex, break it down and make it completely accessible on a television program.

Now, he said, parents are living in a far more complex world with very little time to research the overwhelming media options for their children.

“I look at this as an opportunity for the center to bridge the communities of media and academics,” he said. “It should not be an us and them, it needs to be we.”

Currently, Fernandes has plans to bring the work of the center to a broader audience and to continue to build on the legacy of Fred Rogers.

“We are currently in talks with a large media company on developing a plan to make appropriate content for families easily accessible,” he said. He is also talking with a group of venture capitalists at a technology incubator to pair technology and education to provide appropriate content to as many people as possible.

“We need to use technology to reach people,” he said. “But we also need to keep in mind the underserved. Not all people have an iPad, so we need to look at how to address that situation.

Fernandes cites an early goal of the center that resonates with Fred Rogers’ own belief in the positive potential of technology and media to support the healthy social, emotional, intellectual and physical development of young children.

“You always have to remember your audience,” the television director in Fernandes notes. “The way you would discuss a topic with an academic is very different than the way you would discuss it with a parent.”

At the same time, he said, “we need to continue the values of Fred Rogers. There is a certain amount of trust affiliated with his name. We don’t want to break that trust. The center is doing great work that follows Fred’s vision. And just as Fred had a large audience, I want to make sure the center has as large as an audience as possible.”

—Kim Metzgar

Emily Uhrin, archivist at the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media, will be cataloging the master edit photos that photographer Lynn Johnson selected, 390 of the thousands she took of Fred Rogers over the years. Researchers who visit the Archive will be able to view those photos. Ohio University Libraries, Mahn Center for Archives & Special Collections is the guardian of the collection. The Rogers Center has access to the photos. Below, ‘X the Owl’ peaks out of a dufflebag as Fred Rogers crosses a bridge, from a photo session for Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.


Internationally-acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma will be honored as the inaugu-ral recipient of the Fred Rogers Lega-cy Award and give a recital to support scholarships and fellowships for the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media on Friday, May 23, at Saint Vincent College.

Mr. Ma appeared twice with Fred Rogers on Mister Rogers’ Neighbor-hood and became a lifelong friend. Honored by the award and excited to visit the Fred Rogers Center, Mr. Ma welcomed the opportunity to come to Latrobe.

Yo-Yo Ma has recorded over 75 al-bums (including more than 15 Gram-my Award winners). He has been a soloist with orchestras throughout the world. As artistic director of the Silk Road Project, he has participated in a wide variety of recital and chamber music activities. He draws inspiration from a wide circle of collaborators, each fueled by the artists’ interac-tions. Mr. Ma is also widely recognized for his strong commitment to educa-tional programs that bring the world into the classroom and the classroom into the world. While touring, he takes time whenever possible to con-duct master classes as well as more informal programs for students—mu-sicians and non-musicians alike. He has also reached young audiences through appearances on “Arthur,” “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and “Sesame Street.”

Successful recordings that defy categorization, include “Hush” with Bobby McFerrin, “Appalachia Waltz” and “Appalachian Journey” with Mark O’Connor and Edgar Meyer, and three albums with the Silk Road Ensemble. Yo-Yo Ma’s recent recordings include “Mendelssohn Trios” with Emanuel Ax and Itzhak Perlman, “Songs of Joy & Peace,” “A Playlist Without Borders,” “The Goat Rodeo,” “Viva Brazil Live,” “The New York Album,” and “Concertos for the New World.”

Yo-Yo Ma remains one of the best-selling recording artists in the classical field. All of his recent albums have quickly entered the Billboard chart of classical best sellers, remaining in the Top 15 for extended peri-ods, often with as many as four titles simultaneously on the list. In fall 2009, Sony Classical released a box set of over 90 albums to commemorate Mr. Ma’s 30 years as a Sony recording artist.

The benefit recital and evening at the Fred Rogers Center will include an award ceremony and cello recital by Mr. Ma in the Saint Vincent Basilica following a celebratory reception at the Rogers Center. All guests will receive a copy of a special commemorative album that is being prepared for the occasion to recognize the event’s sponsors. The album will include photos of Fred Rogers and Yo-Yo Ma, essays by Maggie Kimmel and Max King and selections from Lynn Johnson’s collection of over 12,000 photographs of Fred amassed over a 35-year period. Portions of her collection will also be on display during the May 23 event.

Seating is limited and advanced reservations are required. Ticket and sponsorship information are avail-able by contacting the Rogers Center at 724-805-2750 or online at www.fredrogerscenter.org. All pro-ceeds will benefit scholarships and fellowships at the Rogers Center. Look for details about registration for the award ceremony at www.fredrogerscenter.org.

Yo-Yo Ma To Receive Fred Rogers Legacy Award


Emmy award-winning actor and producer LeVar Burton, will keynote this summer’s Fred Forward Conference, hosted by the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent. This year’s conference will take place at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh from June 1 to June 3.

Known for his 23 years as host and executive producer of Reading Rainbow, one of the longest running children’s shows on PBS, Burton and his partner Mark Wolfe acquired the rights to the brand and formed RRKidz, a new media company to continue Reading Rainbow with new media in 2012. An app they developed for the iPad in 2012 became the #1 educational app within 36 hours. More than 10 million books have been read and video field trips watched through the app, with content updated weekly. The television show Reading Rainbow received more than 200 broadcast awards, including 26 Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award. The app for Reading Rainbow has received multiple parent and industry accolades, including from PC Magazine, Common Sense Media, Parent’s Choice, Dr. Toy, and Creative Child Magazine, among others. It is the number one educational app, with more than 131,000 books a week being read by children using the service in 47 countries.

Burton is also known for his roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Roots, where

he played the role of Kunta Kinte. Burton has helped dramatize the last days of Jim Jones’s suicide cult in Guyana, the life and times of Jesse Owens, and the life of the nine-year-old Booker T. Washington. He portrayed Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 2001 film Ali. He also portrayed Detroit Tiger Ron LeFlore in the television movie One in a Million, The Ron LeFlore Story.

He has lent his voice to several animated projects including Kwame in the cartoon series Captain Planet and the Planeteers (1990–1993) and The New Adventures of Captain Planet (1993–1996), Family Guy, Batman: The Animated Series, and Gargoyles.

The 2014 Fred Forward Conference will provide a forum for new thinking, showcasing innovation, and potentially seeding new partnerships for bridging early learning and children’s media.

Burton’s keynote address will occur on Sunday evening, June 1. The following day the Saint Vincent College Threshold Lecture, also to be held at the history center, will

feature Allison Gopnik, professor of psychology and affiliate professor of philosophy at the University of California at Berkeley.

Other conference participants will include Rhian Evans Allvin, executive director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children; and a number of nationally and internationally-known speakers from universities throughout the country, as well as from The Fred Rogers Company, the National Center for Families Learning, the Department of Education, and Children’s Technology Review. Topics to be covered include research-based design in children’s media; technology and digital media for engaging and supporting families; young children as media makers; community-based leadership for extending learning through digital and non-digital resources; and communicating the “value proposition” for early learning and digital media.

Look for details about registration for the conference at fredrogerscenter.org.

Fred Forward To Feature LeVar Burton


do. And maybe that’s the hardest forgiveness of all.... There’s another important message that’s in that piece, which is ‘don’t give up. Keep on trying.’ What is it that helps us keep on trying?”

A second video featured Fred Rogers trying unsuccessfully to set up a tent. In the produced show the tent had already been set up—by the studio crew.

“When your intuition tells you it’s not working, go get some help,” she said. “There are going to be many tents for you to put up in the future, and I hope you’ll keep in mind these two side-by-side, hand-in-hand messages of ‘keep working at it,’ but ‘recognize when you’re banging your head against the wall and you’re not getting anywhere, go get some help.’

Rogers company director Receives Honorary degree

Hedda Sherapan, director of early childhood initiatives for The Fred Rogers Company, was awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters from Saint Vincent College in December.

Hedda Sharapan, director of early childhood initiatives for The Fred Rogers Company, received an honorary doctorate from Saint Vincent College at the December 14 commencement. She spoke about “What We Can Learn from the Times Fred Rogers Said, ‘Stop the Tape’.”

She showed two videos, one of folk singer Ella Jenkins and Mister Rogers with Chuck Aber, a neighbor on the program. Ella was singing a song that they would sing at recess in the schoolyard. It required everyone to touch head, shoulders, knees, ankles and toes as they sang. Fred Rogers was consistently off on the timing and laughed about it.

“After each segment Fred came down off the set, and with the crew, with any staff that was there or any guests, he watched the tape to see ‘should we do this again, or not?’” Sharapan said. “His decision was ‘we keep this piece and think about the messages that are in there,” Sharapan said. “It’s such a great reminder that nobody can do everything well, and that nobody’s perfect. There are no perfect children and there are no perfect parents. It also reminded me of something that Fred brought through this message and that was that we need to forgive others when they fall short of the mark. And we need to forgive ourselves when we


Research, development Group initiatedBy Kathryn Klawinski, C 16

The term “research” conjures visions of books, articles and labs being used by scientists, history buffs and doctoral candidates. The Incubator 143 group, directed by Dr. Junlei Li, breaks all of these stereotypes.

The students won’t be found in a library or laboratory. Instead, they are housed at the Fred Rogers Center where typical research is not typical at all. Some spend time watching videos of everyday interactions between children and adults for projects in daycare centers, community programs and classrooms. The group is trying to sort out the kind of interactions that can best help children learn and grow. Others comb through fundraising and public awareness materials from child-serving non-profits like the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank or Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital, hopefully identifying effective communication strategies that may help these organizations to “make goodness attractive”—a lifelong mission of Fred Rogers. Working with faculty members, part of the group even aided in improving test-taking strategies to help Saint Vincent seniors in the education department for the upcoming teacher certification exams.

Junior Molly Ouchis was drawn by how all of the research had visible applications. “It’s a great opportunity to do something different to help the community,” she said.

“I wanted to be involved in research, and this gave me a chance to work with highly motivated individuals to really make a difference, even if we are a quirky group,” said psychology student Julia Hlavacik.

The Incubator 143 is comprised of students who had a common desire to apply knowledge to public service. Majors include education, history, psychology and com-puter science. Some participants are part of the Fred Rogers Scholars program, some are interested in psychol-ogy research, and the interest of others was sparked upon hearing of the social change mission of the lab.

“Working alongside people from all different backgrounds and allowing all the differences and similarities into the group make it more rewarding,” said freshman Maura Snyder.

The group brings the work of the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media closer to the academic departments of the campus with the common purpose of advancing scholarship while serving community. The partnership with Children’s Hospital and the Food Bank combine the work of economic behavioral psychology with communication. The projects focusing on improving adult-child interactions integrate developmental psychology with education.

Everything Incubator 143 does extends the footprints of Fred Rogers and his central mission of offering “expressions of care” for each child.

“Heart is at the base of everything we do,” said Li. “We are incubating change for teachers, for children and for the entire community.”

The group, like an incubator, takes the embryo of an idea and uses all the resources available to nurture that idea. As for the 143, Rogers famously kept his weight at exactly 143 pounds to reflect the number of letters in each of the three words, “I Love You.”

“Watching videos of classrooms that will help in my future career and knowing that what we do will really make an impact are the best parts,” said freshman education major Alaina D’Aloiso. That is the main goal of the Incubator 143 group—to join, enrich and aid both the school community, the broader community around us and, eventually, to reach people throughout the world with the results of this research and development.

The group hopes to have a blog before the end of the semester so members can spread their work and findings to a broader audience.

“Knowing you are making such a difference sure beats a typical work study job,” said Adam Burgh.

Members of Incubator 143 are pictured with Dr. Junlei Li, associate professor for early learning and children’s media and include Alaina D’Aloiso, freshman, education, Pittsburgh; Julia Hlavacik, sophomore, psychology, York; Kath-ryn Klawinski, sophomore, education, New Kensington; Adam Burgh, freshman, history education, Lawrence; Maura Snyder, freshman, psychology, Murrysville; Katrina Nemchik, freshman, computer science, Latrobe; and Molly Ouchis, junior, education, Reading. D’Aloiso, Burgh, Snyder and Nemchik are also Fred Rogers Scholars.


Eight graduates and former stand-out athletes were inducted into the Saint Vincent College Athletic Hall of Fame at a banquet at the Fred M. Rogers Center on October 26. They were introduced during halftime of the Saint Vincent Bearcat football game versus Washington and Jefferson.

Charles P. Ajemian of Waynesboro, Virginia, earned a bachelor of arts degree in economics in 1964. He played both football and baseball and was a member of the Lettermen Club. He earned a law degree (LLB) from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1967. He is employed by the Commonwealth of Virginia as the Commonwealth’s attorney for the city of Waynesboro. He and his wife, Anne Marie, have five sons: Charles, Erik, Lucas, Jason and Jean-Claude, who graduated from Saint Vincent in 1991. He is a member of Saint John’s Roman Catholic Church where he taught CCD from 1967 to 1975. He has also served as a member of the Jaycees and its board of directors and as a member of the chamber

of commerce and its president. He has coached Little League baseball (1975 to 1995), was a founder of the Waynesboro Basketball Club and coached boys and girls AAU teams ages 10 to 19 from 1980 to 1997. His hobbies include coaching youth sports, playing tennis and golf, reading and poetry.

Thomas A. Goetz of Beach Lake, earned a bachelor of arts degree in history in 1964. He played baseball (four years) and basketball (two years) and served as vice president of the Lettermen Club. He earned a master’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1965. He has attended alumni golf outings in Florida, Colorado and Idaho. He was also active in the Kiwanis Club and was a college and high school basketball official for more than 20 years. He is now retired from the State University of New York at Orange. He and his wife, Kathleen Colligan, have four children, Chad, Amy, Thomas and Elizabeth. His hobbies include fly fishing, flats fishing, kayaking, teaching pitching, fast pitch softball and watching his grandchildren compete in various sports.

Athletic Hall Of Fame

The eight inductees into the Saint Vincent College Athletic Hall of Fame are pictured above, with, front, from left, Athletic Director Rev. Myron Kirsch, O.S.B.; President Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B.; Oland ‘Dodo’ Canterna, committee member; Michael Gerdich, alumni director. Back row, from left, are, Charles P. Ajemian; Renee M. (McCracken) Furr; Thomas A. Goetz; Daniel P. Lhota, Kenneth F. Sweder, John C. Pranaitis, Robert T. Farrell Jr. and Amy (Gierl) Winkler.


Daniel P. Lhota of Latrobe, earned a bachelor of science degree in industrial relations in 1980. He played basketball for the Bearcats. He was named a small college All-American during his senior season when he averaged 14 points and 11 rebounds per game and his team was the first in school history to have 20 wins in a season. He was named first-team All-District in his senior season. He also earned a master’s degree in industrial relations from West Virginia University. A former human resources executive with Sony and Pepsi, he currently is director of human resources for the Pennsylvania operations of Alpha Natural Resources. He and his wife, Theresa, have two children, Daniel and Brittany. His hobbies include exercising, reading, short and long distance running, participating in mud runs and outdoor yard work. He is a member of the First Church of God, Latrobe.

Renee M. (McCracken) Furr of Latrobe, earned a bachelor of arts degree in computing and information science with honors in 1994. She played volleyball and was named freshman of the year in 1990, player of the year in 1993 and NAIA All-American in 1993. She earned a master of business administration degree with information systems emphasis from Duquesne University in 2000 and a master’s certificate in project management from Duquesne. She is currently employed as director of information technology with Carpenter Technology in Latrobe. Renee and her husband, Chad, have two children, Cole and Jordan. Her hobbies include reading, camping, running and supporting her children in their athletic careers. She is a member of Saint Cecilia’s Roman Catholic Church, Whitney.

John C. Pranaitis of Cranberry Township, earned a bachelor of arts degree in economics in 1967. He played basketball and earned his way into the 1000-point club, was leading rebounder his junior year and was leading scorer and set a field goal record his senior year. He played in the North/South All-Star Game and was named twice to the All-Conference team. He was honored as Review Athlete of the Year, received a Student Government Award and was a member of the Tilton Society. He is now retired from the position of president of Transtar Inc., a wholly-owned transportation subsidiary of U.S. Steel. He and his wife, Patricia, have two children, Jeff and Christie. Formerly active in the Rotary Club and at Saint Raymond’s Cathedral Parish in Joliet, Illinois, he is currently active with the PKD Foundation and as a member of Saint Ferdinand Roman Catholic Church, Cranberry Township. His hobbies include reading, music and outdoor yard work.

Kenneth F. Sweder of Wheaton, Illinois, earned a bachelor of science degree in accounting in 1965. He played varsity basketball for the Bearcats and averaged 20.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game during his junior

year. He was a two-time team leading scorer and rebounder, and set two scoring records with most points per single game (42) and most field goals per single game (17). Team captain for two years, he was named most outstanding athlete in his senior year and was selected to the All-West Penn Conference Team. He was also active in the Monogram Club, Business Forum, Young Democrats and intramurals. He earned a master of business administration degree from DePaul University in 1977. He and his wife, Carol, have been married for 48 years and have two children, Kristen and Kenneth. He is now retired and enjoys golf, traveling, gardening, cooking and reading.

Amy P. (Gierl) Winkler of Gibsonia, earned a bachelor of science degree in biology with highest honor in 1993. She was co-captain of the women’s basketball team. She is the sixth all-time leading scorer with 1,518 career points, a Kodak All-American, William Rafferty Scholar-Athlete Awardee and NAIA Scholar-Athlete Awardee. She set a record for most steals in a game (11). She earned a master’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Pittsburgh in 1995. She is currently employed as a physical therapist at Saint John Specialty Care Center, Mars. Amy and her husband, David, have three children, Greta, Alana and David. She serves as the assistant coach of her daughter’s sixth grade basketball team at Pine-Richland and enjoys watching her daughter’s field hockey team and her son’s baseball team. She is a member of Christ Episcopal Church, North Hills.

Robert T. Farrell, Jr. of Palm Coast, Florida, earned a bachelor of arts degree in sociology in 1972. He played both golf and ice hockey and later served as coach of the Saint Vincent ice hockey team. While a student, he was active on the orientation committee and in the student government association.

After a career of 35 years in juvenile justice with the Glen Mills Schools, he is now semi-retired and working part time in security at Flagler Hospital in Saint Augustine. His past community activities include Saints Peter and Paul baseball, Norwin Police Athletic League baseball and softball, Penn-Trafford AA softball, Westmoreland women’s softball, Westmoreland probation basketball, Greensburg Central Catholic hockey, Pittsburgh Amateur Penguins AA hockey, Hempfield High School hockey, Penn-Trafford High School hockey, Westmoreland Hockey Association, and founder/director of the Jim Ferramuda Life is Good Memorial Golf Tournament. He and his wife, Virginia, have four children, Kerry, Robert, Jessica and Ashley. His hobbies include hockey, playing golf, his grandchildren and juvenile justice.

The Athletic Hall of Fame Committee includes Carl D. Burlas, Oland Canterna (chair), Lawrence R. Conley, James F. DiMuzio, Ronald D. Firment, Walter B. Hobart Jr., Sue Hozak, Thomas M. Kissell, Edward McCormick, Joseph G. Mucci and Julieann Selep.


Baseball coach Mick Janosko was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame East Boros Chapter this fall, joining past inductees from Pittsburgh Steelers broadcaster Bill Hillgrove to former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Elroy Face. “I am extremely humbled and honored to join such a prestigious group,” said Janosko. “I would not have received this honor if it wasn’t for my players. Watching them develop academically, athletically and socially is what makes my job so rewarding.” In his 17th year of

coaching, Janosko has led his teams to multiple record-breaking seasons, coming within one game of the 2004 NAIA World Series. He is hopeful for a successful season this spring, with a third consecutive PAC playoff berth on the line.

Baseball coach inducted to Hall of Fame

Ron dolciato named Head Football coachJohn Carroll University

offensive coordinator Ron Dolciato will lead

the Bearcat football team as head coach. Members of the Saint Vincent community joined together in welcoming Dolciato on January 10.

“This is by far the greatest day of my professional career, and I am excited,” Dolciato said. “When I interviewed for the position, I knew that this is the place for me: an institution based on faith and a mission statement that I believe in.” He is already at work, meeting with players and recruiting. He will contact alumni to learn more about the college and program that he plans to return to its winning ways. He has already met with the team to share his philosophy, taking the first steps to ensure a successful 2014 season.

During his last year at John Carroll, his offense ranked 14th in the nation in passing among NCAA Division III schools with 313.3 yards. His offense’s 451.5 total yards per game was 30th in Division III. It also marked a school record, one of 59 team and individual school records set with Dolciato at the helm. In 2010, his offense had the best red zone offense in the country in any division of NCAA football with a red zone efficiency of 97 percent. He was named Assistant Coach of the Year by the Ohio Athletic Conference in 2011, and the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the National Football Foundation in 2002.

“We’re going to set the bar high,” Dolciato said. “We’re going to talk about winning championships. We’re going to talk about perfection, in all aspects of life.”

He will meet with each player this spring semester to convey his coaching philosophy and enthusiasm for the program. “I want to tell them how proud I am to be their football coach,” he said. “I want them to know that I care about them and that I want to make sure that playing football for Saint Vincent College will be one of the greatest experiences of their lives.”

Dolciato will establish a family-based, positive atmosphere

within the football program that places emphasis not just on performance during games.

“Success begins in the classroom,” he said. “I want my players to be proud to be called Bearcats and to be active in the community. If you can’t do it in the classroom and the community, you’re not going to do it on the football field.”

Dolciato served as academic adviser at John Carroll, which in 2012 accrued a 3.0 GPA among its 180 football players.

Dolciato’s 24-year coaching career at John Carroll began in 1990, when he served as graduate assistant coach at his alma mater. Since then, he has coached positional units from the defensive line and special teams to quarterbacks and running backs, also acting as strength and conditioning coach as well as recruiting coordinator. He was appointed offensive coordinator in 2001 and associate head coach after the 2012 season. He holds a doctorate in administration and leadership in higher education from Capella University in Minnesota and has taught classes in exercise science.

He also understands that his job doesn’t end with a player’s graduation. “My job is to develop young people and their potential and God-given ability,” he said. “I want to help develop their abilities not just on the football field, but as leaders in society after they graduate from this fine institution.” But it begins on the field—on September 6, when the football team is scheduled to open its 2014 season with a home game. The opponent will be John Carroll University. —Simon Stuchlik

Coach Ron Dolciato with his wife Elana, and daughters, Sabrina, Francesca and Lily.

Nine Saint Vincent teams competed in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference this fall, winning two PAC titles and garnering numerous individual awards. Here’s how each sport fared:

Men’s Cross CountryThe men’s cross country team continued

its strong run, winning its fourth consecutive PAC Championship at Chatham University. Senior Chansler Poole captured the individual conference title and rounded out his cross country career at Saint Vincent with qualifying for his third NCAA Division III National Championship meet, in which he finished 69th among 275 runners. Head coach Andrew Herr was named PAC Coach of the Year by his peers for the fourth year in a row.

Women’s Cross CountryThe Bearcat women earned third place at the

conference championships, with senior Genie Fratto (who finished third of 94 runners) and freshman Shaina Contic (who finished seventh) being named to the All-PAC First Team. Competing in the NCAA Mideast Regionals as a result, Saint Vincent finished 30th among 52 teams with Fratto (56th of 358 runners) once again claiming the top spot among the Bearcats.

Women’s Soccer Finishing with a conference record of 5-3-1,

its best since joining the NCAA, the women’s soccer team qualified for the PAC championship tournament for the first time in the program’s history. Senior goalkeeper Cassie Overly set a new single-season Bearcat record by recording eight shutouts during the season, joining senior defender Lindsey Daniels on the All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference First Team.

Junior defender and 2012 First-Team All-American Elly Colvin and sophomore forward Meghan Smith rounded out the individual honors by being named to the All-PAC Second Team. Beyond the turf, the team was recognized for a team academic award by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America for excelling in the classroom with a team GPA of 3.36.

Men’s Soccer Despite finishing the season with a 4-14

record, the men’s soccer team exhibited some outstanding individual play this season. Senior defender Luke D’Amico earned his first All-PAC First Team selection, headlining three Bearcats

on the league’s all-conference teams as voted on by the head coaches. Junior midfielder Brody Ruffner was named to the Second Team, while freshman midfielder Kevin Proctor garnered Honorable Mention accolades.

Men’s and Women’s GolfPlaying the first half of their season schedule,

the men’s and women’s golf teams put themselves in position to finish the season strongly this spring. Led by senior Derek Lingafelt, who claimed the individual title, the men’s squad claimed the PAC Fall Invitational and put themselves in the driver’s seat for their second consecutive PAC title and trip to the NCAA National Tournament. The women finished third at the same tournament, highlighted by senior Sarah Rebitch setting a PAC Fall Championship record by shooting a career-best 76 in the second round.

Women’s TennisFollowing its undefeated 2012 season, the

women’s tennis team finished 2013 with a 7-2 conference record and placed fourth at the PAC Championship event at the Pennbriar Athletic Club in Erie.

VolleyballThe volleyball team finished its season with

an even 16-16 record (9-9 in conference play), placing three players on the All-PAC teams. Senior libero Megan Lucas earned a place on the Second Team after finishing the season with 627 digs and 5.45 digs per set, good for second in the conference, while senior Kayla Stadelman and sophomore Allie Liboski received Honorable Mentions.

FootballA disappointing season ended winless for the

football team, but several individual honors provide a positive outlook for the future. Senior offensive lineman Darius McGhee earned his third consecutive First-Team All-PAC honor, while defensive backs Dan Wirkowski (senior) and Renny LaRue-Holloman (sophomore) were selected to the Second Team. Senior defensive lineman Mitchell DePellegrini, junior wide receiver Matt Duffey and sophomore kick returner Dwayne Brown each garnered Honorable Mentions. Wirkowski and Duffey were voted defensive and offensive MVPs by their teammates.

Fall Sports report

Left, from top: Chansler Poole, Andrew Herr, Genie Fratto, Shaina Contic, Cassie Overly, Lindsey Daniels, Elly Colvin, Meghan Smith, Luke D’Amico. At right, from left: Dan Wirkowski, Renny LaRue-Holloman, Mitchell DePellegrini, Matt Duffey, Dwayne Brown.

Right from top: Brody Ruffner, Kevin Proctor, Derek Lingafelt, Sarah Rebitch, Megan Lucas, Kayla Stadel-man, Allie Liboski, Darius McGhee.


Four Saint Vincent College and Archabbey employees were honored for 25 years of service at a luncheon for all employees at the Fred M. Rogers Center on September 25. Honored were Rita Catalano of Irwin, executive director of the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media; Barbara Joyce of Manor, administrator in the human resources office; Charles Shirey Jr. of Greensburg, a fireman in the powerhouse; and Donna Werner of Latrobe, manager of the post office. The luncheon was hosted by Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., and Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., president. Pictured, from left, are Archabbot Douglas, Catalano, Joyce, Shirey, Werner and Brother Norman.

Four 25-Year employees Honored

Four Saint Vincent College students were named officers of the Student Government Association Executive Board for service during 2014. They are Justin A. Teets of Vanderbilt, president; Carly Meholic of Latrobe, vice president; Robert (Bo) Tokarski II of Pittsburgh treasurer; and Rabia Uddin of Greensburg, secretary.

Teets is the first student in the history of the college to be re-elected president of the Student Government Association for a second one-year term. A junior politics major with a minor in economics, he served as president of his freshman and sophomore classes and was named SGA member of the year in 2011-2012.

Meholic is a junior mathematics major with a minor in education and has previously served as Gerard Hall representative, junior class senator and as chair of the academic affairs committee.

Tokarski, a junior biochemistry major, was a member of the 2013 SGA Executive Board and has been re-elected for a second one-year term.

Uddin is a sophomore majoring in political science and in criminology, law and society.

New SGA Officers Named

Pictured, from left, are Student Government Association officers Carly Meholic, vice president; Robert Tokarski II, treasurer; Justin A. Teets, president and Rabia Uddin, secretary.

II Professional School Counselor Examination.”

The Department of Criminology, Law and Society announced the addition of three new minors in forensic studies – computer security, financial investigations and natural sciences.

“The field of forensics is a growing and dynamic one that has far outstripped its initial boundaries as a discipline only pertinent to the gathering of data at crime scenes,” said Dr. Bruce A. Antkowiak, professor of law and director of the Criminology, Law and Society program.

“Today, a vast array of natural sciences has been brought to the field of criminal investigations and prosecutions where they have been joined by computer information science and financial investigation expertise as critical components of the criminal justice process.”

Saint Vincent will begin offering a master’s degree program in counselor education in the fall, said Dr. John Smetanka, vice president for academic affairs and academic dean.

The new master of science in counselor education program will certify students as professional counselors in Pennsylvania schools from pre-kindergarten to grade 6 and from grade 7 to 12.

“Students will receive instruction in both school policies as well as clinical counseling for children and young adults,” Smetanka said. “The 39-credit program is contemporary in design in that it will address current trends, theory and include extensive competency-based field work that will prepare candidates for the 21st century. Candidates graduating from this program will be prepared to take the Praxis

college offers new Programs


human resource manage-ment and a master of science degree in leader-ship and business

ethics from Duquesne University; and his bach-elor of science degree in accounting from Saint Vincent. In 2012, he won an “Excellence in Teach-ing Award” at the Carl H. Lindner College of Busi-ness at the University of Cincinnati.

He has authored and co-authored journal articles and edited book chapters in the areas of identity in organizations, generations in the workforce, leader-ship and conflict. He has presented his research at international conferences, including meetings of the Academy of Management and Society for Indus-trial and Organizational Psychology. He has been an ad hoc reviewer for a variety of publications.

Urick previously worked in the utilities and human resources fields. He cur-rently serves on the board of directors for the Insti-tute for Supply Manage-ment Pittsburgh chapter. He is a member of the So-ciety for Human Resource Management, the Interna-tional Leadership Associa-tion, and the Academy of Management.

Email [email protected] for information.

Abbot Primate notker Wolf, o.s.B., Receives Honorary doctorate

Abbot Primate Notker Wolf, O.S.B., center, grand chancellor of the Pontifical College of Sant’ Anselmo, Rome, and the representative of the International Benedictine Federation in Rome, was the speaker and received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree at the annual Founders’ Day Honors Convocation on

November 14. A native of Germany,

he completed his philosophical studies at Sant’ Anselmo and earned a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Munich. He was elected abbot primate in 2000 and is the ninth abbot primate since the Benedictine Confederation was established in 1893.

Making the presentation of an honorary doctorate to Abbot Primate Notker Wolf, O.S.B. (center) were Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., left, and Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., president.

Mary Collins, vice president for student affairs, was named recipient of the 2013 Student Affairs Hall of Fame Award by her alma mater, West Virginia University recently. Collins has 17 years of experience in the field of student affairs and

has been honored for her work by national and state student affairs organizations.

Dr. Thomas W. Cline, professor of marketing, was a top-ten finalist for the 2013 Fine Award sponsored by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation for his experimental study, “Effects of Advanced Care Discussion in Patient Care Conferences at a Long-Term Care Facility.” He co-authored the study with Dr. Karen Zagroki of Robert Morris University.

Mary collins, Tom cline Honored

Dr. Michael J. Urick, assistant professor of management and op-erational excellence, has been named graduate director of the Master of Science in Management: Operational Excellence (MSMOE) program at the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government.

He noted that the de-gree program will under-take new initiatives: “We will have a closer col-laboration with the Ken-nametal Center for Opera-tional Excellence to offer cutting-edge experiential sessions that illustrate ef-fective ways of minimizing waste and problem solving in organizations as well as provide students with hands-on experiences. We plan an increased focus on the interpersonal side of management including developing skills related to the human resources function.”

Urick said a revised cohort approach will al-low students the ability to complete the program in a year (three semesters) or to take as long as their situation requires. A refo-cused 36-credit curricu-lum will address the most pressing needs and skills of managers. The change will also increase flexibility with regard to course of-ferings.

Urick received his Ph.D. in management (organiza-tional behavior focus) from the University of Cincin-nati; a master of business administration degree in

dr. Michael urick new director For MsMoe Graduate Program


dr. Melissa cook Receives excellence in Teaching AwardDr. Melissa Cook,

associate professor and chair of the communication department at Saint Vincent, received the Harvey Kelly Excellence in Teaching Award from the Pennsylvania Communication Association this past October. The award recognizes a PCA member who has demonstrated a passion for and a mastery of teaching and is given each year to a communication professor who has distinguished themselves from their peers through dedication to their students, both inside and outside of the classroom.

A past president of the PCA, Dr. Cook has been involved with the association for more than twelve years. She regularly conducts panels on political communication, as well as rhetoric and communication ethics, in which she invites undergraduate and graduate students to present and discuss their research. She is the current chair of the communication ethics division of the National Communication Association.

Dr. Janie Harden Fritz, professor of communication and rhetorical studies at Duquesne University and secretary of the PCA, nominated Cook after having been her professor in Duquesne’s Ph.D. program. “Dr. Cook’s dedication to students at Saint Vincent is a matter of public record that continues to manifest itself in many ways,” she said.

“She demonstrates that excellent teaching extends far beyond the classroom, and encompasses more than students. She continues to mentor and be an excellent role model for other teachers as well.”

That mentorship impacts the communication department at Saint Vincent, where Dr. Cook has been a professor since 2004 and chair since 2011. She has taught classes in a wide variety of subjects, ranging from interpersonal communication and advertising campaigns to media criticism and presidential rhetoric. “As a student, I couldn’t be more thankful for Dr. Cook,” said senior communication student Elle Collins. “She will do whatever it takes to get students what they need, helping me out as much as possible.”

Under her leadership, the communication department is evolving from a relatively rigid structure that included separate media and advertising “tracks” to a more fluid system in which students can choose from a variety of media production, advertising and communication philosophy courses that help them specialize their education according to their individual needs. “My favorite part of the communication program is that each class is preparing me in such a variety of industries,” said Collins. “It makes possibilities for my career almost limitless.”

Newly established classes such as communication research

and communication ethics further help students anchor and support their communication on a historic, scholarly and popular foundation, preparing them not just for a successful career but also for further graduate and Ph.D. studies in the field. According to Cook, “the classes enable our students to have a more theoretically sound, well-rounded education.”

Outside of the classroom and her work as department chair, Dr. Cook is also the faculty advisor of the Saint Vincent chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the national communication honor society. The society, led by Collins as current president, recently organized an alumni panel during which successful communication alumni from the last decade came back to campus to talk to current students about their careers and give advice for the future.

“The event was a great success,” Collins said.

“We had a great response from both the alumni and the current students, who really appreciated hearing the perspective of former students who were in their shoes just a few years ago.”

Members of Lambda Pi Eta held a raffle of Penguins tickets to benefit the Best of the Batch foundation founded by former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch, which according to its mission seeks to “provide financially challenged youth and their families with the purpose, desire and resources to give their best efforts” throughout their lives. Through Lambda Pi Eta, Saint Vincent students are actively supporting that mission by planning, to tutoring high school students in local school districts, further highlighting the well-rounded education that Dr. Cook is seeking to instill within the communication department.

—Simon Stuchlik


A new year represents an opportunity for change. The Alumni Council sees 2014 filled with endless possibilities for the Saint Vincent Community. Expect to see new faces on

campus, new graduates and new majors and minors.The Alumni Council embraces our mission to support the

entire Saint Vincent Community and to enrich the lives of alumni worldwide. For the past year, Council began reorganizing to improve our service to Saint Vincent. Council seeks to enhance visibility by fostering active relationships, building enrollment, mentoring students, assisting with career opportunities and expanding financial resources. Council plans to reach out to alumni seeking their support in recruiting quality students in line with the Saint Vincent tradition.

Marketing strategies have Saint Vincent running commercials in Times Square and at Steelers games. A recent Lip Dub Contest

opened new avenues to potential students, using technology in enhancing recruitment and visibility. The Boyer School and McKenna School continue gaining positive visible exposure with innovative and challenging programs. New minors in the Criminology department reflect the rapidly changing job market, putting our grads ahead of the curve. The Annual Fund continues to count on all alumni and friends to support the current needs. New efforts to boost internships and mentoring of students will add to the social and professional venues in place, including the Etiquette Dinner and Speed Interviews. We recall and celebrate the blessing that Saint Vincent has been for us. Our Benedictine, Catholic, liberal arts tradition gives us endless possibilities to bring positive change to our society and modern world. We are eager to move forward, always forward in our resolution to support Saint Vincent.

Julie Selep, C’92President, Alumni Council

Alumni Friends&

bearcatsonline.stvincent.edu www.youtube.com/user/saintvincentcollegewww.facebook.com/SVCBearcatAlum

Bearcats in the Big Apple was hosted by Kim (C’92) and Jason Isaly. Rick Fernandes, the new executive director of the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent, spoke about the center’s new initiatives. Pictured above, from left,

are Joshua P. Spellman, C’13 and Carly L. Marsh, C’13; Barri DeLoretta and Brian W. Connell, C89; Ivette Mejia, C’12 and son Dexter; Duarte Francis Nunes Aguiar and Jennifer L. DeLuca, C’08. Alumni and guests included Dominic L. Canova; Barri L. Cillie, C’89; Joseph P. Fletcher, C’71; Pat J. Greco, C’68; Patricia Greco; Heather L. Hall, C’99; Michael P. Hall, C’99; Frederick P. Hamble, Jr., C’64; Francisco J. Hermo Chouza, C’05; John M. Herndon, C 61; Jason D. Isaly; Kimberly A. Isaly, C’92; Daniel W. Jamieson, C’68; Maxine Jamieson; Thomas J. Lancaster, C’71; John D. Luckey, C’69; Lenore Luckey; ; Frank C. McLaughlin, Jr., C’57; Rosemary McLaughlin; Clemente Mejia; Robert J. O’Grady, C’69; Paul D. Oesterle, P’57, C’61; Louise Ramos; William A. Ramos, C’64; Jolanta Rosemeier; Ronald G. Rosemeier, P’70, C’74; Paul A. Seaman, C’84; David M. Siwicki, C’80; Clyde G. Smith, C’68; ; Paul R. Whiteside, C’82 and Daniel J. Yaniro, Jr., C’79.


The Alumni Office is planning a number of re-gional alumni events. For information: alumni@ stvincent.edu, 724-805-2568. View the Saint Vincent event calendar at stvincent.edu, or like SVCBearcatAlum on Facebook.

Westmoreland County Alumni Social Thursday, March 13, 5 to 7 p.m.

Location TBD

Pittsburgh Alumni Social Thursday, March 13, 5 to 7 p.m.

The Pittsburgh Grille

Harrisburg Area Presidential Reception Wednesday, March 19, 6 to 8 p.m.

The Central Hotel and Conference Center

Washington, D.C., Presidential Reception Tuesday, April 8, 6 to 8 p.m.

The University Club

Cincinnati Alumni Social Wednesday, April 23, 5 to 7 p.m.

Champps Americana

Columbus Alumni Social Thursday, April 24, 5 to 7 p.m.

The Winking Lizard

Upcoming Alumni Events

Saint Vincent CollegeBearcats

Philadelphia Alumni Social Wednesday, May 28, 5 to 7 p.m.

Location TBD

Baltimore Alumni SocialThursday, May 29, 5 to 7 p.m.

Location TBD

Alumni & Friends Golf OutingFriday, June 6, 9 a.m.

Latrobe Elks and Champion Lakes Golf Clubs

Pittsburgh Alumni SocialThursday, June 12, 5 to 7 p.m.

The Pittsburgh Grille

14th Prep Reunion PicnicSaturday, June 14, 11 a.m.

Pleasure Acres Farm, New Alexandria

Pittsburgh Alumni German LunchWednesday, June 18, Noon

Teutonia Mannerchor

Bearcat Family Zoo DaySaturday, June 21, Pittsburgh Zoo

and PPG Aquarium, 10 a.m to 3 p.m.

Virginia Beach Area Alumni SocialThursday, June 26, 5-7 p.m.

Location TBD

2014

Saint Vincent Magazine 31 Winter 2014FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:

Alumni Office 724-805-2568 [email protected]

Several people recognized themselves and/or friends in the photo from either 1983 or 1984 appearing in the fall 2013 magazine. Contributers were Michael Lucci, C’86, of the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg; Patrick Dodson, C 86, of Woodland Hills,

California; Gordon Schupp, C’86. The photo on page 29 in the Fall 2013 issue shows, from left, Dave Johnson, C’86; Mark Mulligan, C’86; Paul Gioia, C’86; Bob Bartolacci, C’86; Jim Weiss, C’85; and Patrick Dodson, C 86. Gordon Schupp said his guess is that the photo was taken in the fall 1984.

Times A Changing Old Photo

Greensburg Alumni Social Dates

Giannilli’s II, on Tuesdays, March 18, April 15, May 20, June 17.

Latrobe Alumni SocialsMetten Room, Saint Vincent, on Fridays

March 14, April 11, May 9, June 13.

cHicAGoAlumni at the Chicago social were Bill Laird, C’69; Patrick, C’07, and Jennifer Emling, C’09; Douglas E. Nieman, C’83; Dan Over-street, C’77; Bob and Judy Riepl, C’68; Ron Swade, C’59; Tom Burke, C’76; Chris Weiss, C’81; Ken Sweder, C’65; Kristi Lengyel, C’96; Stan Deboe, C77.

PHoeniXPhoenix attendees were Martin Cole, C’91; Joe Rullo, C’83; Autumn-Lynn Tummavichakul, C’98; John Tummavichakul; Sara Nakai, C’98.

dALLAsDallas attendees were Gerald Guz, C’63, and his wife, Bonnie; Joe Hoffman, C’78; Steven Goold, C’07.

JoHnsToWnAt the Johnstown event were Ralph Mlaker, C’59; Tim Burns, C’94; David Raho, C’91; Josh Vigna, C’12; Liz Ferris, C‘06; Pat Kiniry, C’69; Dan Lovette, C’68 and Linda Lovette.

ALToonA Attending from Altoona were Anna Shrift, C’09; Andrew Jeffers, C’06; Conner Gilbert, C’09; Lori Closson, C’97; Jonny Hasson, C’06, Paul Hasson, C’82.

HousTonIn Houston Alumni Director Mike Gerdich is on the left. He is pictured with John Rigney, C’78; Vince Brogan, C’57; Jenna Moon, C’07 and Brienne Dvorsky Albert, C’06.

BeARcAT nATion

Saint Vincent CollegeBearcats


Father Father Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B., died Sunday, November 17, 2013. Born on a farm between Carrolltown and Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, on October 1, 1923, Father Demetrius grew up with eight siblings, the son of the late Gordon and the late Esther (Kirsch) Dumm. His brother, the late Father Wilfred Dumm, O.S.B., was also a monk of the Archabbey.

He completed eight grades in six years in a one-room country school; then entered Saint Vincent Preparatory School. Upon graduation in 1940 from the Prep School, Father Demetrius began studies at Saint Vincent College. He entered the Benedictine monastic community of Saint Vincent Archabbey as a novice in 1942 and made simple profession of vows on July 2, 1943. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from the College in 1945, then made solemn profession of monastic vows on July 11, 1946.

He studied at Saint Vincent Seminary from 1943 to 1946, then began advanced studies in Rome. He was ordained a priest at Subiaco Abbey, Italy, by the Most Rev. Lorenzo Salvi, O.S.B., on December 7, 1947. He received a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree in 1950 from the Pontifical Institute of Sant’ Anselmo. He studied at the Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem from 1950 to 1952, after which he received a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Commission, Vatican City.

Father Demetrius returned to Saint Vincent in 1952, and taught Sacred Scripture at Saint Vincent Seminary until 2009. He taught Biblical Greek and Hebrew and Sacred Scripture. He became rector in 1963 and served as rector until 1980. He was named professor emeritus in 2010. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Sacred Theology degree from the Seminary in 1999 and in 2009 he received the Seminary’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

He was a member of both the Board of Incorporators and the Board of Directors of Saint Vincent College.

His books are Flowers in the Desert, Cherish Christ Above All, A Mystical Portrait of Jesus: New Perspectives on John’s Gospel, Praying the Scriptures and So We Do Not Lose Heart: Biblical Wisdom for All Our Days. His weekly column on the Sunday Homilies, coauthored with Father Campion Gavaler, O.S.B., was a widely used Biblical commentary. He contributed to the Collegeville Pastoral Dictionary of Biblical Theology and the New Jerome Bible Commentary.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Father Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B., Endowment in Biblical Studies, Saint Vincent Seminary, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650.

Aloysius “Ish” Thomas McLaughlin, Jr., P.E., 79, of Shadyside, died on Thursday, February 6, 2014. Born in Braddock on November 17, 1934, he was the son of Aloy-sius Thomas McLaughlin, Sr. and Mary Ellen McLaughlin. He graduated from Saint Vincent Preparatory School, attended Saint Vincent College, and received his civil engineering degree from the University of

Pittsburgh’s School of Engineer-ing. He was honored as a distin-

guished alumnus at both schools; he served as a member of the Board of Directors of Saint Vincent College and Saint Vincent Seminary. He was on the Board of Visitors at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Engineering.

He lived in Pittsburgh his whole life. This past sum-mer, he celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary with his loving wife, Mary Lou McLaughlin. He is survived by their three children, Mary Beth Leech, her husband, Chris, and their children, Christopher, Maggie, Brendan, and Gan-non of Pittsburgh; Ish McLaughlin III, his wife, Nora, and their son, Ish IV of Summit, New Jersey; and Brendan McLaughlin, his wife, Susie, and their children, Brendan, Ryan, and Caroline of Pittsburgh; brother of Joan Flecken-stein, Judy McGinnis, Carol Provan; and many cherished nieces and nephews.

He was hired as an estimator by Dick Corporation dur-ing his junior year at Pitt. Working up the company to become president, he was the only non-family member to hold the office at Dick. By his retirement in 1993, the company had expanded rapidly from a regional contractor based in Large, to one of the largest commercial contrac-tors in the country; many give credit to him for Dick’s growth and success. He was a registered professional engineer in 13 states.

Beyond his achievements at Dick, he served as a mem-ber of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Board of Claims Hearing Panel and the American Arbitration Association. Additionally, he was a long-serving member on the Board of Directors at Kennametal, CDM Engineers and Con-tractors, the Smoot Cor-poration, and the Greater Pittsburgh Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Board Members served saint vincent collegein Memoriam

Rev. Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B.

Aloysius T. “Ish” McLaughlin, Jr.

Aloysius T. McLaughlin, Jr. and his wife, Mary Lou on a Bene-dictine Heritage Tour in 2009.


neighboring Seton Hill University suffered a great loss on November 1, when president emerita Dr. JoAnne Woodyard Boyle, (SVC Honorary LHD’93),

died after a long illness. Her husband, Arthur J. Boyle, is a Saint Vincent College graduate.

Boyle was a 1957 Seton Hill graduate who held a master of arts degree in teaching from Harvard University and a doctorate in English literature from the University of Pittsburgh. She returned to her alma mater to teach English and later served as a department chair. In 1987, Boyle became president of the school, which then had an enrollment of 800 students. In 2002, Boyle opened the university to men. A year later, the college became a university. She became president emerita in early 2013.

“On behalf of the students, faculty, staff and Benedictine Community of Saint Vincent, I express my deepest sympathies to the family, friends and colleagues of Dr. JoAnne Boyle, president emerita of Seton Hill University,” said Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., Saint Vincent College president. “JoAnne was a great teacher, an extraordinary leader and a dear friend who will be greatly missed by all who knew her. I want to especially extend condolences to her husband, Arthur, C’56, and their seven children. JoAnne’s impact on Seton Hill’s students, on the growth and development of the university and on the Westmoreland County community will endure forever.

“We assure the Boyle family of our prayers that the Lord give Dr. Boyle the reward of her goodness. Our sympathy and prayerful remembrance likewise go out to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill and the faculty, administration, alumni and students of the Seton Hill University community,” Brother Norman said.

“JoAnne Boyle will be remembered as an exceptional leader at Seton Hill and for bringing university status to the institution.” said Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., chancellor. “She will be missed.”

“Under Dr. Boyle’s 25 years of leadership as president, this Catholic, liberal arts university has grown in both its scope and service to the community and the region following in the rich tradition of faith and academic excellence established by its founders, the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill,” said Most Rev. Lawrence E. Brandt, J.C.D., Ph.D., Bishop of Greensburg.

Remembering seton Hill’s dr. JoAnne Boyle, LHd’93

Condolences

Arthur J. Boyle, C’56, on the loss of his wife, Dr. JoAnne Woodyard Boyle, (SVC Honorary LHD’93), president emerita of Seton Hill University, who died on November 1.

Richard Vallano, C’57, on the loss of his wife, Suzanne B. Val-lano, on August 1.

James E. Bertera, P’64, on the loss of his father, James S. Bertera, on September 21.

George McGrady, P’64, on the loss of his sister, Nancy McGrady, on September 19.

Rev. Rene M. Kollar, O.S.B, P’65, C’70, S’74, on the loss of his mother, Cecelia Bernice (Kosic) Kollar on November 1.

Martin G. Mullen, P’65, on the loss of his brother, Clair X. Mullen, P’51, C’55, on November 21.

Aldo J. Prosperi, M.D., C’80, his wife, Kathy, healtrh center nurse, and Blasé A. Prosperi, C’12, on the loss of their mother-in-law, mother, and grandmother, respectively, Angeline Elizabeth Proud, on September 25.

A. Michael Horoschak, C’83, on the loss of his father, Walter F. Horoschak, on December 10.

CorrectionsThe following corrections are for the recently-

published President’s Report:Eileen and Robert L. McNamara, C’77, are members

of the President’s Cabinet in the Heritage Society.Gregory Piper, C’81 was omitted from his class

listing.

Condolences to Clyde Smith, C’68, on the death of his wife, Nancy J. Smith, on February 9. She was an honorary Saint Vincent alumnus. Clyde and Nancy Smith provided great leadership in coordinating Class of 1968 alumni events for 46 years. A great team!

Dr. JoAnne Woodyard Boyle, LHD ‘93

Saint Vincent Honorary Alumnus

Nancy Smith

Joseph A. Scarpo, Jr., C’84, Mark A. Scarpo, C 04, Melissa A. Jacobs, C’07, and Cynthia Scarpo, SVC Fred Rogers Center employee, on the loss of their mother, grandmother, and mother-in-law, Christine (Dara-zio) Scarpo, on February 11.

Walter J. Nalducci, III, C’90, and Julie (Nalducci) MacIntyre, C’95, on the loss of their father, Walter J. Nalducci Jr., on October 7.

James P. Joyce, C’91, on the loss of his mother, Anne Marie Kenneally Joyce, on October 7.

Tim Sukay, C’66, on the loss of his brother, Jerome T. Sukay, C’59, on June 23.

Jennifer (Smitley) Gelsick, C’05, on the loss of her father, Donald Smitley, on October 15.

Brother Michael A. Antonacci, O.S.B., C’07, and Jared R. Antonacci, C’09, on the loss of their father, Jerome A. Antonacci on December 23.

David Silko, C’81, on the loss of his son, Johnathan on February 13, 2014.


1950sLloyd Casey, C’50, wrote a book, Family First – A Father’s Legacy. He donated a copy to the Saint Vincent College library. Lloyd is looking forward to his 65th class reunion in 2015!

The Very Rev. Steve Cherve-nak, C’56, S’60, has retired af-ter serving nearly four decades at Saint Angela Merici Parish, White Oak. He will be living at North American Martyrs Parish in Monroeville where he plans to help.

Lawrence Ferlan, MD, C’56, was recognized for his 50 years of active medical practice with a “Dr. Ferlan Day” on August 1 hosted by Allegheny Valley Hospital (AVH).

1960sJohn G. Arch, C’61, and his wife, Judith, made a donation from their rare book collec-tion after they read an article regarding the Saint Vincent College library’s rare book collection. They donated a two-volume set of The History of the Crusades by Michaud and illustrated by Dore, along with a single volume of John Milton’s Paradise Lost, also illustrated by Dore.

Class News their 50th wedding anniversary on August 17 with a renewal of vows and a gathering at West Leechburg Volunteer Fire Hall. The event was hosted by their children. Guests at the celebration were encouraged to donate to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and almost $5,000 was contributed. Stan and Emily have volunteered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation for the past 20 years and have been Flight 93 Ambassadors at the crash site in Shanksville for the past 10 years.

Paul E. Eckman, C’64, along with co-author Karen Hechler, announces the release of the Connellsville Area Historical Society’s pictorial history book Around Connellsville from Arcadia Publishing, released in October of 2013. This new title reconnects people with their past through vintage images.

Stanislaus S. Jerich, C’61, and his wife, Emily, celebrated

Robert E. Wainscott Jr., P’61, shares a picture of his grand-daughter, Keller (Wainscott) Wallin, age 5 years, who plans to graduate with the Saint Vin-cent College Class of 2030.

Walter C. Weaver, C’61, S’65, has been teaching for 50 years and has no intention of retiring any time soon; he truly enjoys it! Currently, Walt teaches Latin at First Love Christian Academy in Washington, Pennsylvania.

Tim Zadai, C’68, announces the birth of his great niece, Uma. The future Bearcat is shown here at six months old, with her SVC stocking cap reading the Wall Street Journal.

Ross F. Dimarco Jr., M.D., C’69, chief of cardiovascular surgery at UPMC Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh and medical co-director of WUPMC Mercy Heart Institute, was recently inducted into the Uniontown Area High School Hall of Fame.

Joseph A. Yochim, C’69, and wife, Dianne, now have seven grandchildren. Joe has been in the practice of law for 41 years. He writes, “Hope to see everyone at our SVC 45th class reunion on Sept. 26-28, 2014!”

Joe and Dianne are proud to announce their son, Joe, is a deacon in the Erie Diocese. He is shown in the photo with his wife, Carlee, and children and Most Rev. Lawrence Persico, S’77.

1970sVincent J. Quatrini Jr., C’71, was honored with the Irvin Stander Memorial Award during the Pennsylvania Bar Associa-tion (PBA) Workers’ Compensa-tion Section’s fall meeting in Hershey.

Marty Kuzmkowski, C’73, re-ports that the Class of 1973 was having so much fun at Home-coming last October that they missed their official class photo. He had one taken (see below).

William J. McCabe, C’77, was awarded the President’s Award for Professionalism during the Westmoreland Bar Association membership meeting. He is a partner in the Greensburg law firm of DeBernardo, Antoniono, McCabe and Davis.

Paul T. Patricoski, Esq., C’77, represented Saint Vincent

Saint Vincent College Class of 1973.

J. Patrick Conroy, C’64, re-cently celebrated his grand-daughter, Juliana’s, first birth-day. Juliana is the daughter of Cara (Conroy) Garcia, C’97.


College at the inauguration of Arvid C. Johnson, Ph.D. as ninth president of The University of Saint Francis, Joliet, Illinois on Friday, October 4.

1980sMichael J. Gans, D.M.D., C’82, was named president of the Dental Society of Western Penn-sylvania.

Dr. James S. Gyurke, C’82, was named chief of marketing and sales for Impact Applica-tions in Pittsburgh.

John A. Malone, C’83, was named senior vice president and commercial loan officer at Somerset Trust Co., Connellsville.

John J. DeSantis, C’84, repre-sented Saint Vincent College at the presidential installation of Dr. James Gandre as the ninth president of the Manhattan School of Music, New York, New York on October 17.

Shari Whitico, C’85, music director at Saint Bonaventure Parish in Glenshaw, has finished recording a new CD called “Sharing Christmas,” www.shariwhitico.com.

1990sJill (Roman) Frey, C’92, start-ed Tree Top Mortgage www.treetopmortgage.com earlier this year.

Joseph M. George Jr., C’92, was recently elected to the Fayette County Court of Com-mon Pleas.

Jeffrey S. Guidos, C’94, is the founder and brew master of All Saints Brewing Co.

CDR John Drotar, C’95, will be stationed at Norfolk, Virginia for the next two years.

Robert “Bert” Dunkerly, C’95, published two more books, A History of the Lewisburg Cem-etery and The Confederate

Surrender at Greensboro.

Lori (Grum) Closson, C’97, has published her first children’s book, Macaroni Makenzie through Tuxedo & Beans Pub-lishing, LLC. She lives in Altoona with her husband and two daughters. The book is avail-able on Amazon.com.

Christopher D. Rodkey, Ph.D., C’99, was awarded the 2013 James H. Burness Excellence in Teaching award at Penn State York, where he is an Instructor of philosophy and religious studies.

2000sAnthony R. Marciano, C’00, began a two year cohort pro-gram with the Pittsburgh Theo-logical Seminary in September, which will eventually result in the Commissioned Ruling Elder designation.

Bradley D. Bachman, C’01, represented Saint Vincent Col-lege at the inauguration of Ali-son R. Byerly as the seventeenth President of LaFayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania on Friday, October 4.

Chrissy (Hiborik) Whiting, C’01, recently earned her mas-ter’s degree in rehabilitation counseling at Langston Univer-sity in Oklahoma and began work on her Ph.D. in rehabilita-tion studies at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville in August.

Matthew J. Galando, C’02, made the last rounds of the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Proj-ect’s (PUMP) 40 Under 40, a pro-gram that honors 40 residents of the Pittsburgh region under the age of 40 for their commitment to making the Pittsburgh region a better place to live and work. Also, in June of 2014, Matt will receive the Recent Alumni of Distinction Award from Seton Hill University.

Stanley J. Stepanic, C’02, received his Ph.D. (December 2012) and M.A. (May 2008) in

Meagan Bilik Defazio, C’96, was elected to the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas in Westmoreland County on November 5, for a term that expires in 2023. She earned her J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law, and worked in the West-moreland County Public Defender’s Office, serving five years as an assistant public defender. She also fulfilled a lifelong dream of working with her father when she joined the law firm of Loughran, Mlakar & Bilik, where she developed a multi-county practice and litigated complex criminal and civil cases in both state and federal court and at trial and appellate levels. A mother of three, she and her husband, Andy, reside in North Huntingdon Township with their children, Anna, Michael and Caroline. The family belongs to Im-maculate Conception Church in Irwin.

Slavic Languages and Lit-eratures from the University of Virginia. He focused on com-parative studies of forced labor in the USSR and China, Russian language, linguistics, demonol-ogy, Russian folklore, Russian history and Russian culture. He teaches at the University of Vir-ginia (UVA) and the University of Richmond, including “Dracula,” an incredibly popular course at UVA on vampires. Stanley and his wife, Amy Frantz Stepanic, live in Charlottesville, Virginia.

MAJ Michael J. Allen, D.O., C’03 has been appointed as chief of emergency medicine at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon, Georgia. He has also been appointed as assistant profes-sor of emergency medicine at Georgia Regents University and serves on the faculty for the emergency medicine residency at Georgia Regents University Medical Center.

Michael Neal, C’04, was honored at The Border Patrol Foundation’s annual recogni-tion dinner this year receiving the President’s Award for his leadership in the Foundation

and service to the families for the Border Patrol community. Neal, who now serves as the organization’s treasurer, an-nounced at this year’s dinner that the foundation had raised and given back more than $150,000 to families in need.

Michael Funfar, C’05, was named by Veritas Prep as one of its 40 Most Influential Teach-ers Under 40. He currently is a mathematics teacher at Upper Saint Clair High School.

Lisa M. Goodman, Esquire, C’05, recently joined the firm of Goehring, Rutter and Boehm. She is a member of the firm’s Litigation Group. Her practice focuses in the areas of labor


and employment, construc-tion and toxic tort. Goodman works in commercial litigation, as well as construction litigation, education and municipal law, and subrogation litigation. She is admitted to practice in all Penn-sylvania state courts, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court Western District of Pennsylvania.

Regina Gamberoni, C’07, was named Washington High School and Academy, Princess Anne, Maryland’s 2013 Teacher of Year. She is in her sixth year teaching eighth grade algebra.

Jarred “Bucky” Holt, C’08, graduated from medical school in 2012. Dr. Holt currently lives in northeast Ohio with his wife, Megan “Meg” (Havern) Holt, C’07, and newborn son, Tommy Vincent. He is completing his residency in Orthopedic Surgery.

Brother Isaac Haywiser, O.S.B., C’09, professed solemn vows on July 11.

2010sGeorge C. Miller, Esq., C’10, is working with Hon. Joseph M. George, Jr., C’92, as his first law clerk.

Kayla Palyas, C’10, graduated with a master of science degree in physician assistant studies from Seton Hill University and passed the National Boards to become a board certified physi-cian assistant (PA-C.)

Jedediah G. Pencinger, C’10, has earned a master’s of arts degree in history from Villanova University. He was accepted

into the incoming class at Wid-ener University School of Law for fall, 2013.

Adam J. Heinbaugh, C’12, is employed as a business process analyst for Consol Energy, Inc.

Joel M. Richard, C’12, is an audio/visual specialist with Fine-

A number of Bearcats attended the 2013 Washington, D.C. All Souls Alumni Mass at the National Shrine. Pictured, from left, are Sherrie Dunlap, C’09; Marty Mullen, P’65; Steve Yanek, C’68; Patty Gre-co; Carol Yanek; Pat Greco, C’68; Father Brian D. Boosel, O.S.B., C’96, S’02; Father Nathanael R. Polinski, O.S.B., S’12; Catherine Hobart; Wally Hobart, C’66; Kitty Welikonich; Tony Sutherland, C’66 and Anna Sutherland. Photo by Mary Ann Dunlap, C’12, SVC Alumni Office.

Washington, D.C.

Three Bearcats worked together for a grant to benefit CASA of Westmoreland, Inc., where Sherrie Dunlap, C’09, works as director of development. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is a volunteer organization that provides a voice in the courts on behalf of abused and neglected children. The grant was to help recruit, train and supervise a new class of volunteers as personal advo-cates. Pictured with Dunlap, left, are from left, Mandy Welty Zalich, C’02, of CASA of Westmoreland; Kathleen Comini and Vanessa Shepherd Saxton, C’07, representing the Standard Bank Charitable Foundation. Saxton is marketing manager for Standard Bank.

Line Weddings and Multimedia, Greensburg.

Domenic DeYulis, C’13, is a staff accountant at Parente-Beard, a top 25 accounting firm.

Michael Zurenski, C’13, is a staff accountant at Parente-Beard, a top 25 accounting firm.

Ella Anne MacIntyre to Julie (Nalducci) MacIntyre, C’95, and husband, Andrew MacIntyre, on April 28.

Andrew Steele Garbon to Steve Garbon, C’98, and his wife, Hil-ary McCardle Garbon, on July 25.

Nico Patrick Biskup to Keith Biskup, C’02, and Cara (Gigliotti) Biskup, C’00, on June 26. Nico joins siblings Domi-nick, 6, Mia, 4 and Leo, 2.

Isabella Rose Braum to Dr. Da-vid Braum, C’04, and his wife, Jennifer, on August 14. She joins big brother, Dave.

Births

Volunteer to help our Alumni Recruitment Network spread the word about Saint Vincent. For information call Mary Ann Dunlap at 724-805-2568 or email: [email protected].

Volunteer!


Marriages

Engagements

Bryan Michael Walch, C’02, and Jennifer Renee Turpin on October 12 at Saint Vincent Basilica.

Benjamin A. Carroll, C’03, and Kayla J. Menear on August 17 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Som-erset. Following a honeymoon cruise to the Caribbean, they now live in Somerset.

Samantha Watko, C’06, and Alan Erceg on April 27 at Pluma in Irwin. The couple honey-mooned in Las Vegas.

Bradley J. Evanovich, C’07, and Lauren Ciccaglione on Au-gust 23 at Saint Vincent Basilica.

Ryan M. Lecker, C’05, to Can-dace N. Myers. The marriage will take place at Sacred Heart Church in St. Marys in June.

Jonathan Petrie, C’05, to Jes-sica Harbison. An October wed-ding is planned.

Kristen E. Blackburn, C’07, to Timothy Hochstein. Their September wedding will take place at DiSalvo’s train station, Latrobe.

Amanda C. Jackel, C’11, to Dan-iel J. Ciccone, C’12. The couple will be married in October.

Devin Rigot, C’12, to Matthew Britton, C’12. The wedding will be held on August 2 at Lake La-tonka in Mercer, Pennsylvania.

Abram Joseph Jaras to Kristi L. Rain Jaras, M.D., C’04, and her husband, Brian Jaras, C’04, on September 19.

Jackson Lawrence Cobrando to Rick Cobrando and his wife, Camille (Florendo) Cobrando, C’06, on September 21.

Maggie Jean Sylvester to Nate Sylvester, C ‘07, and his wife, Sara (Ir-vin) Sylvester, C ‘09, September 11. Sara is holding big brother Luke, 22 months. They are with Father Maximilian Maxwell, C ‘07.

Tommy Vincent to Bucky Holt, C’08, and his wife, Meg Havern Holt, C’07, in June.

Harper Jane O’Donnell, to Samuel O’Donnell, C’06, and his wife, Lindsay (Harkleroad) O’Donnell, C’06, on August 3.

Grace Elizabeth Peoples, to Marie (Holnaider) Peoples, C 06, and her husband, Dr. John Peoples, on October 28.

Johanna Marie Jakubisin was born to Gabriel A Jakubisin, C’10, and Lauren (Schlieper ) Jakubisin, C’12, on June 26.

Alexander David Stuchlik to Jil-lian (Bush) Stuchlik, C’09, and her husband, Simon Stuchlik, C’12, on October 23.

Lauren Sanker, C’08, to Sean Allison. The wedding will be held on May 31 at Saint Col-man Catholic Church, Turtle Creek.

Janelle Kaufold, C’09, to Kyle Lux. An August 9 wedding at Holy Angels Parish in Hays, Pennsylvania is planned.

Marie Marner, C’09, to Brian Zeitler on April 5 at Sacred Heart Church, Shadyside.

Wade E. Schnorr, C’09, to Natalie L. Parkes. A July 12 wedding is planned.

Matthew M. Brockway, C’10, to Natalie P. Schade, C’12. A July wedding is planned at Saint Vincent Basilica.

Adam J. Heinbaugh, C’12, to Diana E. Boyer. A fall 2015 wed-ding will be held.

Sarah Jane Palmer, C’12, to John S. Michael “Jack” Miller. A September wedding is planned.


Deaths

Brandon James Fisher, C’07, and Megan J. Block on Novem-ber 9 at Saint Vincent Basilica with Father Paul Taylor, O.S.B., C’87, S’92, as celebrant.

Amy Franek, C’08, and James Porter, C’08, on June 1 at Saint Wendelin Roman Catho-lic Church, Butler. Following a honeymoon trip to Walt Disney World, the two are making their home in Conroe, Texas.

Christopher T. McDonald, C’08, and Sarah Srnka. The couple honeymooned in Las Vegas and now resides in Erie.

Kristina M. Hanna, C’09, and Lawrence J. Shock, Jr., on Octo-ber 19 at Saint Vincent Basilica.

Sean Emil Knox, C’09, and Dana Lynn Perry on August 31 at Saint Vincent Basilica with Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., P’63, C’68, S’72, and Brother Maximilian Maxwell, O.S.B., C’07, as celebrants.

Matthew F. Pagano, C’09, and Crystal L. Cassette on October 11 at Saint Vincent Basilica with Father Wulfstan Clough, O.S.B., S’95, officiating.

Lauren Reilly, C’09, and Joshua Petricig on June 8 at Saint James Roman Catholic Church, Apollo. The couple honeymooned in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Brittany Galaski, C’10, and Jerod Smith on August 10 at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh. Following a wedding recep-tion at the Hilton Garden Inn, Southpointe, Canonsburg. They honeymooned in St. Lucia.

John Mackin, C’10, and Eliza-beth Grand, C’13, on October 19 at Saint Vincent Basilica with Fa-ther Rene Kollar, O.S.B., Ph.D., P’65, C’70, S’74, as celebrant.

Sheldon L. Loughner, C’11, and Ashley L. Klingensmith on August 24 at Bakerstown United Method-ist Church, Richland. The two honeymooned in Jamica, and now live in Watertown, New York.

Alé Muzika, C’10, and Shane Simmons, C’10, were married on July 27 at the Saint Vincent Basilica Parish. Brother Maximil-ian M. Maxwell, O.S.B., C’07, was the presiding deacon. Members of the bridal party included groomsmen Geo Muzika, C 14, brother of the bride; John Matta, C’10, Ryan Dreliszak, C’10, maid of honor Gabrielle Pollock, C’10, and bridesmaids Katie Macioce, C’10, and Amy DiPietro, C 10. First Lieutenant Brian Podnar, C’10, also participated in the ceremony.

Joseph A. Franklin, C’53, on

August 8.

Richard E. Romito, C’53, on

September 13.

Richard S. Stewart, C 53, on

July 28.

Robert P. Zendzian, Ph.D., C’53, on January 27, 2012.

George J. Bullion, P’54, on

September 6.

Rev. Sebastian A. Samay, O.S.B, C’54, S’59, on October 1.

Atty. James H. McConomy, P’55, on August 27.

Anthony Milleo, C’55, on

September 8.

Nicholas Francis Oluvic, C’55, on October 18.

Ronald Polak, C’57, on August 24.

Dennis McClain, P 58, on

October 16.

David M. Kennedy, C’57, on

September 6.

John J. Roman, C’59, on Sep-

tember 11.

Jerome T. Sukay, C’59, on June 23.

Martin A. Starr, C’61, S 65, on

May 16, 2011.

John P. Spicuzza, Jr., C’63, on

July 24.

John Leo Colle, C’65, on May

9, 2013.

Ronald J. Menia, C’66, on Oc-

tober 17.

Stephen W. Yardan, D.D.S., C’66, on July 5, 2010.

Charles W. Quolke III, C’68, on November 3.

Nancy J. Smith, H 68, died on

February 9.

John “Sonny” Kolik, Jr., C’69, on October 28.

David G. Rhea, C’70, on Octo-

ber 13, 2012.

Gerard T. Bongartz, C’84, on

October 28.

William R. Bratkovich, C’71, on

October 12.

David P. McMullan, C’73, on

October 6.

Christopher Johnson, P 74, C 78, in 2012.

Michael W. Mihalic, C’76, on

May 27.

Joseph C. Stynchula Sr., C’79, on July 29.

Rev. Kevin Lee Kayda, C’09, on

October 3.

Jonathan S. Cunningham, C 13, on May 12.

Monsignor Joseph G. Findlan, S’38, on August 11.

Frederic E. Calderazzo, P’40, C’50, on August 20.

William D. Levinson, M.D., C’42, on October 31.

Col. Charles H. Sunder, P’43, C’47, on December 13.

Robert J. Hammer, M.D., P’44, C’49, on October 25.

Ralph F. Tito, C48, on Septem-

ber 20.

Donald Green, P’49, C’59, on

December 3.

Rev. Msgr. George J. Adams, S’50, on October 2.

Rev. Edward F. Higgins, C’50, S’54, on December 13.

Clair X. Mullen, P’51, C’55, on

November 21.

Donor Feature Coming

Saint Vincent College depends on the support of alumni, friends and family members during our Annual Fund drive. Your generosity is crucial in our efforts to make Saint Vincent

available and affordable for students. Every year, your generous participation guarantees that our efforts will continue. If you would like to talk about your gift plan,

please call Father Paul Taylor, O.S.B., at 724-805-2527.

www.stvincent.edu

Giving Back Important To James Carreras, C’62When James Carreras Jr. came to Saint Vincent in

1958 from Richmond, Virginia, he was not expecting cold weather. That was in contrast to the warm welcome and the many friendships he made while in Latrobe. The 1962 graduate—a 2012 Alumnus of Distinction—not only thinks fondly of his alma mater, but he tries each year to “give back.” In recent years he has been using his $25,000 annual gift as a challenge for Phonathan volunteers to obtain new donors as well as to get existing donors to increase their levels of giving.

“I went to Benedictine College Preparatory School in Richmond,” he said. “My family came from a modest background, and it was challenging for my parents to be able to send me to college.”

Father Edmund Cuneo visited his high school, and invited Carreras for a visit, and the rest fell into place nicely.“It was a great fit for me,” Carreras said. “I enjoyed it immensely.”While Saint Vincent was smaller then, at about 650 students, Carreras said two things made a lasting impact on

him: the Great Books program, whereby students were encouraged to read six great books a year, such as works of Plato, Aristotle and Machiavelli; and the focus among the faculty on getting students to apply to graduate school.

He recalled the names of many monks who encouraged him. “The monks were terrific. They were young, well-educated and highly-motivated. That motivated us,” Carreras said. “They helped me get into the Wharton School. It was a turning point in my career.”

Carreras traced his career from Wharton (at the University of Pennsylvania) to Wall Street, spending eight years in investment banking in New York and Richmond, to owner of his own businesses, Automatic Leasing Service Inc., and P&J Properties Inc.

“I bought a company and ran it for 30 years,” he said. The business, which provides laundry equipment for apartment communities, dormitories and the like, expanded into seven states. He is now retired and his son runs the company, while Carreras manages a number of buildings in the Richmond area. He and his wife Margaret have two children, Beth (and husband Rod), and Scott (and wife Maria), and four grandchildren, Margaret, Marshall, Phillip and John, between ages 11 and 15.

Each year Carreras enjoys speaking with student phonaton volunteers, hearing about their studies and their future plans. It keeps open the connection he feels with his alma mater, where he returns for class reunions every five years. “I encourage my fellow alumni to give to the school that gave so much to us. It’s important.”

—Kim Metzgar

Saint Vincent College depends on the support of alumni, friends and family members during our Annual Fund drive. Your generosity is crucial in our efforts to make Saint Vincent

available and affordable for students. Every year, your generous participation guarantees that our efforts will continue. If you would like to talk about your gift plan,

please call Father Paul R. Taylor, O.S.B., at 724-805-2949.

www.stvincent.edu

James Carreras Jr. received the Alumnus of Distinction Award in 2012 when he returned for his 50th class reunion. He and his classmates are pictured below.

Non-Profit Organizationu.s. Postage

PAidPermit no. 110

Mailed from Zip code 15650

Saint Vincent CollegeQuality education in the Benedictine Tradition

300 Fraser Purchase RoadLatrobe, PA 15650-2690

www.stvincent.edu

The Fred Rogers Legacy Award

Recipient Yo-Yo Ma

May 23, 2014

For donor, sponsor and ticket information:724-805-2750

www.fredrogerscenter.org/support/legacy

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Saint Vincent Magazine Winter 2014

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