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Happy! Big Finish for

Students at the Center

SPECIAL EDITION: Students at the Center Wraps Up

(L to R): Taylor Corretjer ’15, University President Eugene Cornacchia, Ph.D., Nicholas Mederos ’15, Francis McGrail ’79 and Christian Ugaz ’16

PRESIDENT’S

Message

‘Happy’ cannot do this feeling justice. On December 5, 2014, I waved my hand

and $64,239,287 appeared. By year end,

that total had reached $64,786,810.

Don’t we all wish fundraising was that

easy? Of course, when I happily waved my

hand, that figure was merely projected

on a screen at the front of the elegant

Duncan Family Sky Room. Actually,

gathering those gifts took more than

seven years and the combined efforts and

generosity of 9,400 donors.

Those donors represent a wide range

of philanthropy, from the lead gift from

Thomas P. Mac Mahon ’68, for whom the

student center is named, to the leadership

of Francis A. McGrail ’79 and our founders,

Carol Bastek, Ed.D. ’70, Thomas W. Duncan

’65, Hon. Frank J. Guarini H ’94, Brian

Maher HA ’07, William J. Marino ’66,

Kathleen M. McKenna, Esq. ’75, Robert G.

Morris, Joseph A. Panepinto, Esq. ’66 and

Sodexo, Inc., as well as the thousands of

alumni and friends who honored their

ties to our University with thoughtful

and generous gifts. To all of them, we say

“thank you.”

In this issue of Saint Peter’s University you

will read all about the tremendous success

of Students at the Center: The Campaign for

Saint Peter’s University. At the risk of

spoiling the ending, the Campaign

exceeded its ambitious $62 million goal

by nearly $3 million. More than 24 percent

of alumni gave during the Campaign and

nearly 50 percent of the philanthropic

revenue received by Saint Peter’s University

in its 143-year history was committed

during Students at the Center.

The Campaign focused on six vital

University priorities. Giving to each of

these priorities directly improves the life

and education of Saint Peter’s students.

And, that is why the celebration was

structured to give our students an

opportunity to thank our generous donors

in person and in their own words.

While I invite you to read the inspiring

stories of our six student representatives

within these pages, I will quote one in

particular. Matt Feeney ’15 spoke of our

role as a fixture of Jersey City and how

the spirit of the Saint Peter’s community

has the power to shape the people who

study and grow within our halls. “Your

generosity has set an example for all of

us,” he said. “And helped build—not just

the structure we celebrate—but the men

and women you see before you tonight.”

As we continue to fulfill the mission of

Saint Peter’s University, the success of this

Campaign will provide us—not only with

important funding—but with the firm

knowledge that we, as a community, will

always pull together for the University

we love. And as a community, we will

share our heartfelt gratitude.

Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D.

President

“...those donations took more than seven years and the combined efforts and generosity of 9,400 donors.”

Thank You! Students at the Center: The Campaign for Saint Peter’s University came to a joyous and triumphant conclusion on December 5, 2014. Accompanied by Campaign Chairman Francis A. McGrail ’79 and surrounded by students, University President Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., announced the final tally to date, $64,239,287! The Campaign special report begins on page 10.

Saint Peter’s University 1

ADMINISTRATION

Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D. President

Michael Steinman, Ph.D. Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Virginia Bender, Ph.D. ’78 Special Assistant to the President for Institutional Planning

Rev. Michael L. Braden, S.J. Vice President for Mission and Ministry

Leah Leto, M.Ed. ’05 Vice President for Advancement and External Affairs

Jeffrey Handler, M.A.Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing

Eileen Poiani, Ph.D.Special Assistant to the President

Denton StargelVice President for Finance and Business

WINTER 2015 SAINT PETER’S UNIVERSITYVolume 34, Number 3

EditorSarah Malinowski Ferrary Director of University Communications

Editorial & Design Services Erbach Communications Group

Contributors & Editorial AssistanceAna CravoAngeline BoyerDaryl LevyGloria MercurioClaudia Pope-Bayne

PhotographyMichael MarmoraCatherine MernarSaint Peter’s AthleticsSaint Peter’s University Archives

FEATURES

8. 10 Minutes With... Saint Peter’s University

President Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D.

10. Cover Story: Students at the Center: The Campaign for Saint Peter’s University

24. It’s a Wrap: The Campaign Gala

26. Inspired Donors

DEPARTMENTS

3. University News

28. Class News and Notes

32. Then and Now

HOW TO REACH US Alumni News and NotesE-mail: alumni@saintpeters.eduOffice of Alumni Engagement 2641 John F. Kennedy Boulevard Jersey City, NJ 07306

Letter to the EditorE-mail: smalinowski@saintpeters.eduEditor, Saint Peter’s University 2641 John F. Kennedy Boulevard Jersey City, NJ 07306 Telephone: (201) 761-6239Fax: (201) 761-6241

On the cover: Saint Peter’s students have much to celebrate following the conclusion of the University’s largest capital campaign.

CONNECT

Saint Peter’s University is printed on FSC certified paper containing 10% post-consumer waste and was manufactured using 100% Green-e certified renewable energy.

IN THIS Issue

2 Winter 2015

IN THIS Issue

UNIVERSITY

News

Why Big Data isA BIG DEAL

An expert panel explored both the real-world promise and potential threat of Big Data at the 43rd Annual Regents Business Symposium.Guests who may have expected a dry, chart-driven

presentation on the importance of data crunching were

delightfully surprised by the mash-up of Hollywood,

publishing, sports, media and telecommunications pre-

sented at the 43rd Annual Regents Business Symposium

on November 7, 2014.

Moderated by former New York Times and current Yahoo

Tech columnist David Pogue, this year’s Symposium

explored “Why Big Data is a Big Deal.” Keynote Speaker

Paul DePodesta, entrepreneur and subject of the book

Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game and the

Oscar®-nominated film Moneyball, was joined by Hilary

Mason, data scientist-in-residence at Accel and scientist

emeritus at bitly; Paul Walsh, vice president of weather

analytics for The Weather Channel; and Kathy Zanowic,

vice president and senior privacy officer for Verizon.

DePodesta shared the true story of Moneyball and the

turnaround of baseball’s Oakland Athletics. Using data

analytics, he helped guide one of the worst teams in the

league to a playoff victory in his first year as assistant

general manager. The panelists then explored both the

promise and the dangers inherent in the unprecedented

quantity of structured and unstructured data being

produced by today’s technology. While Big Data can be

Continued on next page

Saint Peter’s University 3 Saint Peter’s University 3

UNIVERSITY RECOGNIZED FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTSaint Peter’s University earned a Community Engagement Classifica-tion for 2015 from The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, a leading education policy and research center that provides evidence-based documentation about institutions of higher education throughout the United States.

Saint Peter’s is one of just 361 institutions in the country and 10 in New Jersey to receive this classification. The University provides many volunteer opportunities that foster relationships and reciprocity with local, national and global associations.

“As a Jesuit university, community service and civic engagement are at the heart of Saint Peter’s mission,” said Univer-sity President Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D. “We are extremely proud of the ongoing commitment of our students, faculty and staff to community engagement and we are honored to be recognized in this category.”

LONG-AWAITED VETERANS MEMORIAL DEDICATEDTribute to Sacrifice, the memorial to Saint Peter’s

University veterans, was dedicated on All Souls

Day, November 2, 2014. Alumni, family and com-

munity members gathered for a memorial Mass

at St. Aedan’s: The Saint Peter’s University Church

and then joined Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D.,

president of Saint Peter’s University, and Thomas

Donnelly, Ph.D., professor emeritus of sociology, for

a dedication ceremony in the courtyard outside of

the Mac Mahon Student Center.

“What message do these Saint Peter’s heroes

send to students who pass by this memorial

every day as they walk through campus?” asked

Dr. Donnelly. “Is it not the same message Saint

Ignatius gave to his followers over 400 years ago,

a message of service, of living life for others, of

putting others first, of sacrificing for others?”

The memorial project was conceived in 2004,

when Rev. James Loughran, S.J., then president of

Saint Peter’s, authorized Dr. Donnelly to conduct

research into alumni military service. His study

discovered that more than 2,000 alumni have

served in the United States military, 40 of whom

have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Members of the Armed Forces stand before the new veterans memorial with Thomas Donnelly, Ph.D., and University President Eugene Cornacchia, Ph.D. (sixth and seventh from left).

leveraged to improve a company’s bottom line,

it also poses a threat to privacy that demands

innovative approaches to consumer and

business protection.

The timing of this discussion was particularly

relevant to Saint Peter’s University because

of its recent launch of a Master of Science in

Data Science with a concentration in business

analytics. The discipline integrates scientific

methods from statistics, computer science

and data-based business management to

extract knowledge from data and drive

decision-making.

The Symposium, one of New Jersey’s

longest-running forums, is designed to inspire

and educate professionals of all industries

regarding business trends, challenges and

best practices. The 44th Annual Regents Business

Symposium will be held on November 6.

Jason Sroka of Quanntus and Arial Ramirez ’16 of the data science and business analytics program enjoy the panel discussion.

UNIVERSITY

News

4 Winter 2015

FALLEN LEAVESLost manuscript by Will Durant, Ph.D., Class of 1907, is finally published

Shortly before his 90th birthday in 1975, Ameri-

can writer, historian, philosopher and Saint

Peter’s University alumnus Will Durant, Ph.D.,

Class of 1907, told the Associated Press he was

writing, “a not very serious book which answers

the questions of what I think about government,

life, death and God.” That final work was thought

to be unfinished or lost when Dr. Durant, and his

wife, Ariel Durant H ’79, died within a few weeks

of each other in 1981.

Thirty-two years later, Dr.

Durant’s granddaughter dis-

covered the manuscript and

Simon & Schuster published

Fallen Leaves: Last Words on Life,

Love, War and God in December

2014. It is the scholar’s most

personal work, as Dr. Durant

wrote in the preface, “I pro-

pose to tell, in a very informal way, without the

grandeur of obscurity, how I feel now that I have

one foot in the grave, about those ultimate riddles

that I dealt with so recklessly in my books.”

Throughout a 60-year career spent researching

timeless questions of philosophy, religion, art and

science, Dr. Durant authored numerous books,

including the multi-volume The Story of Civiliza-

tion, which Ariel Durant co-authored. The collabo-

ration made the Durants a household name, and

the couple received the Pulitzer Prize for Volume

10 in 1968. They were also awarded the Presiden-

tial Medal of Freedom in 1978.

The Saint Peter’s University Archives in the

Guarini Center for Community Memory contain

the Will & Ariel Durant Collection, which includes

texts written by and about the Durants, scrap-

books, handwritten letters and honorary degree

programs related to Dr. Durant’s literary activities.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT...Saint Peter’s University celebrated the opening of its Campus Kitchen, a student-led commu-nity service project that provides free, healthy meals to local residents by using donated food that would otherwise go to waste. The University’s Campus Kitchen is one of only 42 in the country and the second one in New Jersey. The Campus Kitchen has already served more than 3,000 meals since it opened in September 2014 and, as of press time, was on track to reach 4,000 by the end of February.

Will Durant, Ph.D., Class of 1907, and his wife, Ariel Durant H ’79, sought to write a “biography” of a civilization, including not just the usual wars, poli-tics and stories of famous people, but also culture, art, philosophy, religion and the rise of mass com-munication. Their Story of Civilization was one of the most popular history series ever published.

Leading the WayOnly university in New Jersey named to Honor Roll in four categories The Corporation for National and Community

Service (CNCS) named Saint Peter’s University

to the 2014 President’s Higher Education

Community Service Honor Roll in all four

of its categories: Community Service,

Interfaith Service, Economic

Opportunity Service and

Education. Saint Peter’s was

the only higher education

institution in New Jersey to

be recognized in all four

categories and joined three

Jesuit universities—Seattle

University, Marquette University

and Loyola University Chicago—

named to the honor roll in all categories.

“Service and higher education go hand in hand,”

said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the CNCS. “These

schools are inspiring young leaders to roll up their

sleeves and work alongside community members

to solve problems. By recognizing the institutions

who are leading the way to achieve meaningful,

measurable results for the communities they

serve, we also highlight the vital role

all colleges and universities play in

addressing community challenges

and placing more students

on a lifelong path of civic

engagement.”

Multiple service initiatives

at Saint Peter’s, including

Junkyard Dogs, the Healthing

Along Program supported by the

Horizon Foundation for New Jersey,

the Campus Kitchen, the Clothes and Food

Pantry and the Emmaus Project, contributed

to the University receiving comprehensive

recognition from the CNCS.

Saint Peter’s University 5

New Leadership for Advancement and External Affairs Leah Leto, M.Ed. ’05 has been promoted to the

position of vice president for advancement and

external affairs. The announcement was made

on December 9, 2014, by Saint Peter’s University

President Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D.

“Leah has an impressive track record, having

served our advancement department for more

than 12 years, most recently as associate vice

president for advancement and external affairs,”

said Dr. Cornacchia. “She was integral to the

success of Students at the Center: The Campaign for

Saint Peter’s University, in which she oversaw the

leadership gifts program and personally secured

several million dollars for the Campaign.”

Leto earned bachelor’s degrees in art history

and French cum laude from Vassar College. She

began her career with the Metropolitan Opera

Association, later serving in the development

and membership offices at The Newark

Museum before joining the University in 2002.

Leto earned a master’s in education from Saint

Peter’s, with a concentration in administration

and supervision, in 2005.

“I am honored to lead the advancement and

external affairs team at such a pivotal moment

in Saint Peter’s history,” she said.

Leto follows Michael A. Fazio, who had

served in the position since 2007. Under his

leadership, the University secured nearly half of

all charitable gifts given in the school’s history.

Fazio was recently named chief advancement

officer at St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, N.J.

A.D.N. TO B.S.N.Qualified students who graduated with an associate’s degree in nursing from Hudson County Community College (HCCC) can transition into the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Saint Peter’s Univer-sity courtesy of a new agreement between the University and HCCC.

The affiliation is an innovative response to the demand for nurses with baccalaureate degrees and provides an efficient way for nursing students and nurses with associate’s degrees to develop robust clinical reasoning and analytic skills while earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Increasing the pool of highly educated nurses is expected to raise the career prospects of students and provide a higher level of care for the greater community.

FACULTY NOTEBOOK

CORRELATION FOUND BETWEEN MINDFULNESS MEDITATION AND HEALTH-BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENTStephanie Bryan, Ph.D., assistant professor and director of the health and physical education program at Saint Peter’s University, has published a paper titled, “The Effect of Mindfulness Meditation Techniques during Yoga and Cycling,” co-authored by Genevieve Pinto Zipp, P.T., Ed.D., Seton Hall University professor, in the December 2014 edi-tion of the journal Alternative and Complementary Therapies.

Research for the paper was conducted at the Vic-tor R. Yanitelli, S.J. Recreational Life Center at the University. The study concluded, “Combining physi-cal activity and mindfulness activities can result in positive mood states and improvements in measures of mindfulness, which, in combination, may enhance health-behavior management.”

PROFESSOR RECOGNIZED FOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS PAPEREdward J. Moskal, M.M.S. ’79, assistant professor of computer and information science, was

Edward Moskal, M.M.S. ’79Vice President for Advancement and External

Affairs Leah Leto, M.Ed. ’05

UNIVERSITY

News

6 Winter 2015

MAKING A SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION: SIX UNDERGRADUATES AWARDED TRIBETA GRANTS

Beta Beta Beta (TriBeta), the National Biological Honor Society, awarded research grants to six Saint Peter’s University students for the 2014–2015 academic year. Since 1998, TriBeta has awarded grants to more than 30 undergraduate research projects involving more than 50 students. Saint Peter’s students have used the funds to conduct bio-logical studies ranging from the effects of cell phone radiation to the antibacterial properties of coconut oil in relation to tooth decay.

“It’s a big endeavor on the students’ part,” said Professor of Biology Laura Twersky, Ph.D. In addi-tion to submitting a competitive grant proposal, students spend long hours preparing and conduct-ing experiments. “It presents a whole range of opportunities,” Dr. Twersky continued. “Students are funding their own work at an undergraduate level, which is pretty unusual.”

Jereena Varghese ’15 received funding to study the effects of nutrition, specifically anti-oxidants, on delaying or preventing cataracts. The honors biology student, whose research advisor is Dr. Twersky, deter-mined a method and time frame for inducing cata-racts in tadpoles during the first phase of research. The second phase will isolate certain anti-oxidants and measure the outcomes.

TriBeta grants were also awarded to David Belloso ’15 and Sherif Elkattawy ’15, whose research advisor and collaborator is Assistant Professor of Biology Jill E. Callahan, Ph.D., and German Rojas ’15, whose research advisor/ collaborator is Professor of Biology Frances S. Ra-leigh, Ph.D. Mackenzie Sylvester ’15 received a TriBeta grant to study the effects of bacterial intrusion of E.coli; her research advisor/collaborator is Dr. Twersky. Drs. Raleigh and Twersky are also research advisors for and collaborators with grant recipient Nathalie Staiger ’15.

In addition to writing and defending their honors theses, all of the undergraduate researchers will present their findings to the New Jersey Academy of Science in April.

Varghese said the original research she is con-ducting has bolstered her application to optometry school and will shape her future medical career. “Finding a way to delay cataract surgery would be a significant contribution to the scientific commu-nity,” she said. Varghese envisions a future in which she will care for patients and also conduct clinical research or product trials. “I don’t want a static career,” she added. “With research, I can do more than one thing.”

Original cover artwork by Alicia Cook from Entranced.

(L to R): Frances Raleigh, Ph.D., Jill Callahan, Ph.D., Laura Twersky, Ph.D., Jereena Varghese ’15, Mackenzie Sylvester ’15 and Nathalie Staiger ’15

SAINT PETER’S POET PUBLISHES FIRST BOOKAlicia Cook, M.B.A. ’12, associate director of admission and communi-cations, recently signed with a publisher for her first book, Entranced. The book of original poetry was published by Underwater Mountains Publishing, Inc., in February.

Special and limited editions of the book are also available. Cook designed and painted the cover art on all four editions.

Cook said that she has enjoyed writing since third grade, when she begged her parents for a typewriter. Her work has appeared on CNN and in USA Today, as well as local publications.

singled out in November 2014 for a Meritorious Paper Award from the Information Systems Educators Conference for his paper, “A Model for Establishing a Cybersecurity Center of Excellence.”

He was also recently selected to be a reviewer for the Journal of Information Systems Education,

a peer-reviewed academic journal that focuses on information systems education.

Prof. Moskal is currently a visiting assistant professor at the University of Notre Dame for the 2014–2015 academic year. Prior to teaching at Saint Peter’s University, he worked in the information technology field for 22 years.

Saint Peter’s University 7 Saint Peter’s University 7

There are many concrete accomplishments and out-

comes of Students at the Center: The Campaign for

Saint Peter’s University. Could you take the 40,000-foot

view of the overall impact of the Campaign and tell us

how you think it changed Saint Peter’s now and, per-

haps, forever?

I think about this a lot. I think what it’s done is given

us a renewed sense of who we are. We had kind of

struggled or wrestled with somewhat of an inferiority

complex for a while, because of rough times in Jersey

City, as well as a sense that we couldn’t accomplish big

things anymore. I think what this Campaign did was

to show people that we could, in fact, set goals that are

ambitious and that we could achieve them if we work

hard and come together. I think it was transforma-

tional in terms of not just the physical things that it

brought to us, but in terms of our sense of confidence

and hope for the future because people are willing to

invest in the University.

Alumni, especially, have been hearing about the

Campaign for a long time. You are on the road a lot.

How have perceptions of Saint Peter’s changed among

alumni? What do they say?

Well, the common theme from the alumni is, of

course, how much the institution means to them and

how they’re willing to help bring that experience to

students today and in the future. There’s a real sense

Students at the Center: The Campaign for Saint Peter’s University was in its infancy when Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., became president of the University in 2007. Following its spectacular conclusion, Dr. Cornacchia reflects on the many successes of the $64 million campaign and the ways it has advanced the identity and future of Saint Peter’s.

10 MINUTES with...

A Renewed Sense of Who We Are

Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D.

8 Winter 2015

of commitment to the institution by the alumni and a

sense of giving back. In fact, just yesterday I received

a letter from an alum who hadn’t been back to Saint

Peter’s probably since he graduated. He had a business

meeting in downtown Jersey City and said, ‘You know,

I can’t be in Jersey City and not go up and look at Saint

Peter’s.’ And so he comes up and sends me this letter

that said how proud he is of what his institution has

become, that he was blown away by what’s happened

here, and that he’s sorry he hadn’t really come earlier

and seen it sooner.

I think one of the more tangible signs of it is that

more alumni children are looking at us and coming to

us, which is a good sign. Now, we have a long way to

go, I acknowledge that, but that hasn’t happened in a

long time.

How do you think the institution is stronger and

better since the time the parents of prospective

students attended?

Well, we have graduate programs that have expanded

dramatically and that’s provided a very strong

enrollment base and therefore a level of financial—

I hate to use the word security because that can be

fleeting—but certainly we’re stronger financially for

it. It’s a more sustainable model. Offering graduate

programs also helps raise your profile, particularly in

the professional business community. I think we’re

also stronger because as we’ve moved more vigorously

into residential life that provides a level of community

and activity that we just didn’t have in the old com-

muter model where people came, did their thing and

went home.

How has the feeling on campus changed?

Saint Peter’s today is, more than ever in its history, a

community. It’s a real thriving community. Take away

what’s surrounding us and we stand on our own as a

place where people live and work and socialize. So it’s

a city within a city, basically.

Saint Peter’s future is intertwined with the future of

Jersey City. In what ways has Jersey City changed over

the last decade, which was around the time the silent

phase of the Campaign started?

For years, we’ve talked about linking the University

more to downtown development. That was some-

thing we really focused on—we have to find a way to

project ourselves east. We’ve done that in little steps.

But more importantly, I think what we’ve come to

understand during the Campaign is that we don’t

need to connect ourselves only to the downtown area

to be successful. We are going to be an important and

vibrant hub in Jersey City redevelopment right here.

It’s already happening with McGinley Square and in

Journal Square. Now, I think over the last seven years

or so, people see us as a force, an economic force, a

source of social and economic change in the area and

one that really serves the community.

Going into the Campaign you were pretty adamant

that Saint Peter’s set realistic, reachable goals rather

than an overly ambitious plan that gets filed away in a

drawer. How did this approach affect your results?

Well, I don’t want to say fundraising is easy, but it’s

easier when you have a goal that people connect with,

that they really can buy into. We had to succeed. Fail-

ure was not an option. I kept saying that to everyone.

Does what happened change what’s possible?

I think it goes to the idea that we can succeed doing

big things. I think we have to be prudent going for-

ward about the next big thing we choose. It has to be

a goal that really fulfills a need here. But, I think what

we’ve realized is if we’ve raised $64 million, we could

raise another big amount. I really do see the success

of this Campaign as the foundation for future success-

ful campaigns. Now we’ve done it.

Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., is the 22nd president of Saint

Peter’s University. During the seven-year campaign, he not

only traveled all around the country to gather with alumni

and friends — from Boston, Washington, D.C., Chicago,

San Francisco and Los Angeles to Ft. Lauderdale, Naples,

Port St. Lucie, Tampa and West Palm Beach, Florida — but

strengthened ties right here in the Tri-State area, bringing

the community members back to Jersey City to see how the

campus has grown. Follow him on Twitter @PeacockPrez.

“I think what this Campaign did was to show people that we could, in fact, set goals that are ambitious and that we could achieve them if we work hard and come together.”

STRATEGIC PLANNING UNDERWAYA cornerstone of Saint Peter’s current strategic planning is to achieve greater distinction as the Jesuit University of New Jersey.

Strategies for achieving this goal include:• Advancing

excellence in teaching and learning

• Expanding partnerships to further integrate academics and real-world learn-ing, leadership development and community engagement

• Globalizing the campus and educational experiences

• Building on key university assets, including Jesuit identity, metropolitan location and Division 1 athletics

• Strengthening enrollment, finances and institutional resources

Saint Peter’s University 9

With a final total of $64,786,810 raised, Students at the Center: The Campaign for Saint Peter’s University has exceeded expectations by nearly $3 million, forever changing The Jesuit University of New Jersey and the lives of its students. (And the gifts kept coming, even after the lights went out!)

Build Our First Student Center

Advance Excellence in Academics

Promote Jesuit Mission and Identity

Enhance Athletic Programs

Grow the Endowment

Strengthen The Saint Peter Fund

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

10 Winter 2015

COVER

Story

With a final total of $64,786,810 raised, Students at the Center: The Campaign for Saint Peter’s University has exceeded expectations by nearly $3 million, forever changing The Jesuit University of New Jersey and the lives of its students. (And the gifts kept coming, even after the lights went out!) Current Saint Peter’s students expressed gratitude for

the gift of a Saint Peter’s education. Their stories are on the following pages.

Saint Peter’s University 11 Saint Peter’s University 11

Matt Feeney ’15

“Saint Peter’s offered me

a chance to rebuild. It offered

financial help and showed

me what people who

care can do for each other.”

12 Winter 2015

COVER

StoryCOVER

Story

December 2005Saint Peter’s President Rev. James Loughran, S.J., initiates efforts for a future capital campaign. From 2005 to 2006, the late Jesuit quietly raised $2.5 million for what would become Students at the Center: The Campaign for Saint Peter’s University.

July 2006Rising enrollment and a greater percentage of undergraduates residing on campus underscores the need for a central facility for the Saint Peter’s community. The Board of Trustees approves a campus master plan and identifies the site for Saint Peter’s first student center.

May 2007With the addition of the B.S.N. program and expansion of graduate programs, the School of Nursing is established.

July 2007The quiet phase of Students at the Center commences with an initial goal of $50 million. Behind the scenes, a nucleus of committed alumni and friends work to get the Campaign off the ground. Thomas P. Mac Mahon ’68 is named chairman of the capital campaign.

October 2007“I have no doubt that this is Saint Peter’s century,” said Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., in his inaugural address as the University’s 22nd president. Shortly after the inauguration, Saint Peter’s embarks on a 15-month, community-wide strategic planning process.

MILESTONESThe Transformation of Saint Peter’s University

Saint Peter’s University has transformed student

lives along with its own skyline.

Students at the Center: The Campaign for Saint

Peter’s University, the largest and most success-

ful campaign in the University’s 143-year history,

officially closed the books with a final total of

$64,786,810 on December 31, 2014. The cornerstone

project, the $35 million Mac Mahon Student Center,

was the setting for a black-tie celebration held on

December 5, 2014, in The Duncan Family Sky Room.

In the state-of-the-art facility that began as a dream

seven years ago, the capital campaign concluded

with the announcement that Students at the Center

exceeded its initial ambitious goal of $62 million and

set new records of giving and participation.

“Think about this. Nearly 50 percent of all the

money ever given to Saint Peter’s was given dur-

ing this Campaign,” President Eugene J. Cornacchia,

Ph.D., told the hundreds in attendance. The presi-

dent expressed gratitude for the generosity of 9,400

donors who invested in students and the vision for

Saint Peter’s.

Numbers aside, Students at the Center has had a

profound effect on the University and the lives of

its students. Matt Feeney ’15, a business major with

deep roots in Jersey City, shared the quintessential

story of being embraced by Saint Peter’s after finan-

cial setbacks forced him to leave another college.

“Saint Peter’s offered me a chance to rebuild. It

offered financial help and showed me what people

who care can do for each other. As this building—

the Mac Mahon Student Center—overlooks this

great University and beautiful city, I, too, now see

the city from a different perspective,” Feeney said.

As predicted, the Mac Mahon Student Center

has been a catalyst for a flourishing campus com-

munity and neighborhood development. “Students

are more involved in activities and in the life of the

University,” said Student Government Association

President Nicholas Mederos ’15. “Saint Peter’s has

always been a big staple in Jersey City, but with this

Campaign, I think we’ve shown we’re a premier

Jesuit university.”

1. Build Our First Student Center

making Students at the Center: The Campaign for Saint Peter’s University the largest and most successful campaign in the University’s 143-year history.

$64,786,810 raised,

581students,107% of goal.

First complete admission season following the

opening of the Mac Mahon Student Center, freshman

enrollment totaled{

$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$

$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$

1872–2014

2007–2014Students at the Center

nearly 50%of all monies raised

for Saint Peter’s.

$135.8 million

$64.7 million

January 2008A major gift of $2 million from Thomas Duncan ’65 kicks off the quiet phase. Duncan and six family members attended Saint Peter’s, and the contribution establishes The Duncan Family Sky Room in the new student center. In 2011, Duncan and his wife, Mariana, provide an additional $1 million to Students at the Center.

Vision 2015

June 2009VISION 2015 is unveiled. The six-year strategic plan is aligned with Students and the Center and provides a blueprint to Promote Jesuit Mission and Identity, Advance Excellence in Learning and Living, Build Enrollment, Attain University Status and Strengthen Organizational Effectiveness.

August 2009New academic programs are introduced in environmental and forensic science. Graduate education programs grow to include the Master of Arts in Special Education and the Master of Arts in School Counseling. Education is also bolstered by the establishment of the School of Education.

MILESTONES

University Status

AchievedWith the growth of graduate

programs and introduction of doctoral degrees, Saint

Peter’s is designated a university by the State of

New Jersey in 2012.

2. Advance Excellence in Academics

770 degrees awarded in May 2014, including the University’s 1st doctorates in education and nursing.

New academic programs, university status and the

introduction of education and nursing doctoral

programs are visible achievements attained over the

course of Students at the Center: The Campaign for Saint

Peter’s University. The Campaign, in conjunction with

strategic plan VISION 2015, has strengthened academ-

ic culture, sparked innovation and raised the Univer-

sity’s visibility as an institution that prepares students

to meet the world’s emerging needs.

Top students like Christian Ugaz ’16 are increas-

ingly drawn to Saint Peter’s for the personalized

learning environment that is undeniably rigorous,

yet uniquely supportive.

“Coming to Saint Peter’s was one of the best

decisions of my life,” said Ugaz, who carries a

double major in biochemistry and Latino stud-

ies, while maintaining a GPA of 3.9. Last summer,

the Presidential Scholar was accepted to a highly

competitive internship at the Doyle Research Lab at

Princeton University, an opportunity he credits to

an academic experience defined by small class size

and cura personalis from dedicated faculty members.

“I have benefited from strong relationships with

the professors with whom I’ve worked side by side,”

Ugaz said. “These connections go a long way.”

Ugaz is hardly alone. Undergraduates in a broad

range of academic disciplines are finding greater

opportunities to conduct original research, whether

it’s investigating local economic trends as part of

a $2.8 million Title V grant awarded in 2010 or

biological research funded by TriBeta, the National

Biological Honor Society.

Students at the Center raised nearly $5.5 million

to Advance Excellence in Academics. The funds

have made a measurable difference to individual

students and the people and communities they will

go on to serve. Ugaz’s plans include medical school

and serving the Latino/Hispanic community. “I have

seen a lot of injustice,” he said. “My aim is to be a

bridge between healthcare and patients.”

enrolled in Fall 2014, the most in University history.

796 graduate students{

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“Coming to Saint Peter’s was one

of the best decisions of my life.

I have benefited from strong

relationships with the professors with whom I’ve worked

side by side.”

Christian Ugaz ’16

Saint Peter’s University 15

Jesuit values and ideals are a robust part of day-to-

day life as a result of the strategic plan VISION 2015

and Students at the Center: The Campaign for Saint

Peter’s University, which raised nearly $1 million

for this priority.

Expanding the campus footprint to include

St. Aedan’s: The Saint Peter’s University Church

and The Joseph A. Kelly, S.J. Office of Campus

Ministry on the first floor of the Mac Mahon

Student Center are tangible testaments to the

University’s mission to educate mind, body and

spirit, and ultimately, form students to become

“men and women for others.”

Ignatian values and ideals were further

bolstered by the generous gifts that brought a Heri-

tage Edition of The Saint John’s Bible to campus, en-

hanced liturgical and spiritual retreat programs and

supported meaningful service opportunities such

as the Campus Kitchen Project for local hunger

relief and Global Outreach Team trips to Appalachia

and Ecuador.

Political science major Michelle Pérez ’16

appreciates the way Saint Peter’s Jesuit mission

is seamlessly integrated into the classroom,

service and community worship. “It all works to

develop the whole person within you,” she said.

Community-wide values such as cura personalis—

care for the individual—and “men and women

for others,” are concrete principles to learn from

and model. “You start to realize these values

when you live them,” she said. “You become very

connected to what Saint Peter’s stands for in a

very real sense.”

Raised in the Catholic tradition, Pérez is com-

mitted to living her faith through acts of service

and social justice. Gifts to Students at the Center

have made it possible for Pérez to pursue her own

unique gifts as an altar server at Saint Aedan’s: The

Saint Peter’s University Church, coordinator for the

Clothes and Food Pantry and Saint Peter’s youth

envoy to the United Nations, where she has worked

with the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace

founded by Bangladeshi Ambassador Anwarul K.

Chowdhury.

Working to build global, national and regional

partnerships to promote a culture of peace is quite

spiritual, Pérez noted. “I’m able to bring what I’ve

learned as a student educated in the Jesuit tradition

to the U.N. and vice versa. In many ways, it’s like be-

ing a bridge between the two communities.”

3. Promote Jesuit Mission and Identity

More than 800 students contribute approximately

is one of only 42 Campus Kitchens in the U.S. and the 2nd to open in New Jersey.

16,000HOURS

of service annually.

In 2014, only1 New Jersey institution of higher

education was recognized in all four categories

of the President’s Higher Education Community

Service Honor Roll: Saint Peter’s University.

MILESTONES

September 2009Peacock Nation forms to support Saint Peter’s 19 Division I athletic programs and bolster school pride. Through Students at the Center, more than $1.3 million is raised to support student-athletes and more competitive teams.

December 2009Retired New Jersey Congressman Frank Guarini H ’94, a great benefactor of Saint Peter’s, commits $2.5 million to Students at the Center. The gift establishes the Guarini Center for Community Memory and further enhances the Guarini Institute for Government and Leadership that will be housed in the new student center.

January 2010 The Jersey City campus is fully powered with 100 percent renewable energy. In 2014, The Princeton Review’s Annual Guide to 332 Green Colleges includes Saint Peter’s in its roster of environmentally responsible colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada.

June 2010Thanks to leadership gifts from trustees, regents, alumni and friends, Students at the Center reaches $30 million in gifts and pledges.

August 2010New degree programs advance excellence in academics: a health and physical education major, a M.B.A. concentration in healthcare administration and Saint Peter’s first doctoral programs in education and nursing.

16 Winter 2015

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“You start to realize these values when you live them. You become very connected to what Saint Peter’s stands for in a very real sense.”

Michelle Pérez ’16

Saint Peter’s University 17 Saint Peter’s University 17

MILESTONESTaylor Corretjer ’15

“At the end of the day, academics are

most important to me. Softball helped me get the education

I wanted.”

18 Winter 2015

MILESTONES

Softball starter and TriBeta Honor Society student

Taylor Corretjer ’15 has her priorities straight. She

loves having the opportunity to play for a rising

National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I

athletic program, but biology courses and her goal to

become a physical therapist take precedence.

“Saint Peter’s University offered me a lot,” said

Corretjer, who competed in the Senior League

Softball World Series in high school and received

academic and athletic scholarships to attend Saint

Peter’s. “At the end of the day, academics are most

important to me. Softball helped me get the educa-

tion I wanted,” she said.

With more than $1.3 million raised (132.2 percent

of the $1 million goal) in support of the University’s 19

Division I teams, Students at the Center: The Campaign

for Saint Peter’s University has enhanced opportunities

for student-athletes to excel in the classroom and

their chosen sport. Gifts toward athletic scholarships,

team travel and improvements to athletic facilities

have served the needs of individual competitors and

propelled Peacock teams to greater success.

Since 2010, Saint Peter’s has won eight Metro

Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) championships

in five sports (golf, men’s soccer, women’s indoor

track & field, women’s outdoor track & field and

men’s basketball), while maintaining an enviable

academic profile. Peacock players earn an aver-

age GPA of 3.18 and the graduation rate among the

University’s student-athletes is 85 percent. At the

2013 Michaelmas Convocation, five of the 10 seniors

inducted into the Most Noble Order of the Peacock,

Saint Peter’s oldest and most prestigious scholarship

society, were student-athletes.

As Corretjer prepares for graduate school and a doc-

torate in physical therapy, leaving Saint Peter’s amidst

the positive change and progress is bittersweet. “I’m

a little jealous of the freshman softball players,” she

admitted with a laugh. “I definitely see great things.

The program is going in the right direction.”

4. Enhance Athletic Programs

Student-athletes earned an average GPA of

8 MAAC championships in the last five years for golf, women’s indoor track & field, women’s outdoor track & field, men’s soccer and men’s basketball.

Division I teams comprising 230+ student-athletes

19

3.18in 2013–2014.

December 2010Plans for the student center advance with a pace-setting gift from Joseph Panepinto ’66, president and CEO of Jersey City-based Panepinto Properties and Saint Peter’s trustee.

March 2011The Archdiocese of Newark announces that Saint Peter’s will assume operation of historic St. Aedan’s Church. As a place of worship and reflection for the campus community and surrounding neighborhood, St. Aedan’s: The Saint Peter’s University Church enriches Jesuit and Catholic ideals so central to a Saint Peter’s education.

April 2011The Campaign crosses the $40 million mark. In addition to an earlier gift, Thomas P. Mac Mahon ’68 commits a total of $7.5 million to the Campaign, the largest gift in Saint Peter’s history.

May 2011 Students at the Center is publicly launched with $42.5 million in gifts and pledges. Its goal: $62 million to Build Our First Student Center, Advance Excellence in Academics, Promote Jesuit Mission and Identity, Enhance Athletic Programs, Grow the Endowment and Strengthen The Saint Peter Fund.

July 2011Cushing Alumni House is demolished to make way for the student center. Three months later, Saint Peter’s breaks ground on a 90,000-square-foot, six-story facility that will become the Mac Mahon Student Center.

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“Because of the endowment at Saint Peter’s, I am

here to say two things. To all parents, everywhere,

‘Your child can go to college.’ And to our donors,

‘Thank you for supporting the endowment at

Saint Peter’s University.’”

Kayla Paz ’17

20 Winter 2015

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June 2012Broad support from alumni, parents, faculty, administration, staff and friends propels Students at the Center to the $50 million mark.

July 2012 Thomas P. Mac Mahon ’68 is elected chairman of the Board of Trustees. Francis A. McGrail ’79 (above) assumes the chairmanship of Students at the Center.

August 2012With the attainment of university status, Saint Peter’s College becomes Saint Peter’s University. The exciting milestone is celebrated at the Mass of the Holy Spirit in September.

March 2013The Mac Mahon Student Center opens. The $35 million facility becomes the central point on campus, providing new space for a host of activities ranging from WSPR to the Office of Campus Ministry and sparking development and revitalization of the McGinley Square area.

August 2013 Graduate programs continue to grow. Students and working professionals enroll in the Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and the Master of Public Administration. In Fall 2014, the University introduces the Master of Science in Data Science, with a concentration in business analytics.

MILESTONES

In many ways, the story of Kayla Paz ’17 is the story

of Saint Peter’s University.

A biology major from Selden, N.Y., Paz is the first

in her family to attend college. “But that almost

didn’t happen,” she told donors at the concluding

celebration for Students at the Center: The Campaign

for Saint Peter’s University. A family bankruptcy

meant Paz was ineligible for student loans. To

enroll in the colleges where she had been accepted

meant paying tuition and fees entirely out-of-

pocket. “I started to think, ‘Okay, college is not in

the cards,’” Paz later recalled.

Then, she sat down with Saint Peter’s Associate

Vice President/Dean of Admissions Elizabeth Sul-

livan, who put together a financial aid package that

made a better future and her dream of becoming a

pharmacist possible.

Scholarships, a core element of the University

endowment, have been a critical means of support

for generations of Saint Peter’s students. The appeal

to Grow the Endowment through Students at the

Center truly resonated with alumni, friends and

corporations, who gave a collective $10 million—

135.1 percent of goal. Cash gifts, pledges and

planned gifts made to this Campaign priority

strengthened the University’s financial position and

its ability to attract and retain promising students.

Paz is very grateful for the support she found

at Saint Peter’s and has shared advice on mak-

ing higher education a reality at Open Houses for

prospective Saint Peter’s students.

“I’m doing my best to keep myself in school,

because my education is very important,” Paz said.

“Funding the portion of tuition and fees not cov-

ered by scholarships is still a struggle, but because

of the endowment at Saint Peter’s, I am here to

say two things. To all parents, everywhere, ‘Your

child can go to college.’ And to our donors, ‘Thank

you for supporting the endowment at Saint Peter’s

University.’”

5. Grow the Endowment

University Endowment

$31MILLIONFY 2014

endowed scholarships

offered at Saint Peter’s

University today.{70+ }

$10 million in cash and pledges was

raised for the endowment during Students at the

Center, of the original goal.135.1%

January 2014Saint Peter’s announces partnership with Sora Development to build a 20-story residential tower in McGinley Square. The $220 million development will provide student housing, jobs and amenities for the neighborhood and new sources of revenue for the University.

June 2014A generous gift from Anthony O. Pergola, Esq. ’92 and Maureen Pergola ’94 pushes Students at the Center over its goal of $62 million.

August 2014The School of Business and School of Education establish permanent homes in the newly renovated Dinneen Hall.

December 2014Students at the Center surpasses its goal and raises a total of $64,786,810. The Campaign officially “wraps up” at a celebratory black-tie event in The Duncan Family Sky Room of the Mac Mahon Student Center.

MILESTONES

Academic and activity scholarships from The Saint

Peter Fund enabled business management major

Arlene Ganess ’17 to attend college and get the

most out of the experience. On top of a rigorous

course load, Ganess is serving her second year as

president of the Class of 2017. She is also involved

with Students of Caribbean Ancestry and has a

work-study position managing the men’s basket-

ball team.

“I can honestly say I’m a better person,” said

Ganess, who is the first in her family to attend

college. “I’m focused, more mature and I’ve

developed leadership skills.”

In addition to helping individual students, an-

nual gifts played a vital role in placing Saint Peter’s

on the upward trajectory the University enjoys

today. Students at the Center: The Campaign for Saint

Peter’s University raised $18 million for The Saint

Peter Fund, which surpassed the goal of $12 mil-

lion, and provided a collective pool of support that

affects nearly every aspect of University life.

Gifts to The Saint Peter Fund have purchased

textbooks, upgraded computer labs and provided

study abroad grants for students to learn within a

different culture. Most importantly, since tuition

and fees cover only 70 percent of the cost of a

Saint Peter’s eduction, the growth of the Fund has

been instrumental to keeping a high quality Jesuit

education affordable for students.

“The generosity of donors has given students

the opportunity to get involved,” said Ganess. “The

more I become involved, the more I want to give

back to Saint Peter’s.”

Sustaining the growth of The Saint Peter Fund is

also vital to the University’s future success.

“This historic achievement has established a

solid foundation for Saint Peter’s to continue on its

positive trajectory, but the work doesn’t stop here,”

said Francis A. McGrail ’79, chairman of Students at

the Center. “Ongoing support is necessary to main-

tain this momentum and to continue to make a

Saint Peter’s education possible for current and

future students.”

6. Strengthen The Saint Peter Fund

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Out of a total

$64+million raised,

27.7%

or $18 million went to The Saint

Peter Fund.

BEDROCK OF SUPPORT:

For

3,527donors, the Campaign

marked their first gift to Saint Peter’s

University.

9,400

donors gave to Students at the Center: The Campaign for Saint Peter’s University.{ }

Saint Peter’s scholarship recipient Elizabeth Callahan ’14

Wrap it Up!

“The generosity of donors has given students the opportunity to get involved. The more I become involved, the more I want to give back to Saint Peter’s.”

Arlene Ganess ’17

Saint Peter’s scholarship recipient Elizabeth Callahan ’14

Saint Peter’s University 23

The mood was ebullient in The Duncan Family Sky Room of the Mac Mahon Student Center on

December 5, 2014. Current Saint Peter’s students joined leadership level donors, faculty and

administrators to celebrate “Wrap it Up,” and the outstanding conclusion of Students at the Center:

The Campaign for Saint Peter’s University.

The seven-year Campaign brought the entire University community together to achieve

ambitious goals that transformed the physical campus into a vibrant living and learning

environment and advanced every aspect of the Saint Peter’s experience. “Thank you,” student

representatives said over and over again, as they shared the impact of donor generosity on their

lives and the University.

At its conclusion, Students at the Center raised $64,786,810 from 9,400 donors, making it

the largest and most successful campaign in Saint Peter’s history. To learn more about the

Campaign or to view photos or a video from the gala, visit saintpeters.edu/campaign.

It’s a WRAP!

24 Winter 2015

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Clockwise from top left (page 24): Members of The Aidan C. McMullen Chorale; Paula and William Marino ’66; members of The Aidan C. McMullen Chorale; Rev. Eugene Squeo, S.J. ’65; James Loghlin ’64 and William Cozine ’60; Mary Jane Cardiello and Frank Cardiello ’71; Nikki Mederos ’07 ’10; Board of Trustee Warren Fristensky ’74; Robert Donato ’65; Joyce and Eugene Flynn ’80 (seated); Glee Club alumni join Emcee Nicholas Mederos ’15 in singing the alma mater; Dyan and Robert Cutro ’75; Board of Regent Carlos Lejnieks H ’11; Assistant Director of Campus Ministry for Retreats and Spiritual Life Victoria Gambone; Director of Student Activities Jan Reimer; Executive Administrative Assistant for Campus Ministry Maria Santiago; Associate Director of Campus Ministry for Community Service Erich Sekel; University President Eugene Cornacchia, Ph.D., and his wife, AnnMarie.

CT pick w/ a question mark

Saint Peter’s University 25

Inspired Donors

26 Winter 2015

ADVANCEMENTADVANCEMENT

Campaign pushed over the goal line by increased giving in all categories.Raising more than $64 million demanded the hard work

and generosity of a virtual army of passionate benefac-

tors. In all, 9,400 donors, including 24 percent of Saint

Peter’s University alumni, participated in Students at the

Center: The Campaign for Saint Peter’s University. While ev-

ery gift, large and small, was crucial to the record-setting

success of the Campaign, certain giving trends had a

particularly powerful impact on the final tally.

For instance, an independent post-campaign analysis

discovered that the $10,000 to $50,000 gift range was a

particularly striking area of growth. During the previous

campaign, 251 benefactors gave between $10,000 and

$50,000 for a total of $5,061,932.

Compared to those results, the 425 donors who

contributed at the same levels gave a total of $16,250,000

during Students at the Center, representing a 69 percent

increase in participation and a 230 percent increase in

giving. Forty-four of those donors gave for the first time

during Students at the Center.

Leah Leto, M.Ed. ’05, vice president for advancement

and external affairs, offered examples of how gifts

in this range can mean opportunity for Saint Peter’s

students. “We have donors who commit $10,000 over a

five-year period for a named scholarship. That amount

can help a student bridge the gap between financial aid,

loans and the actual cost of tuition. In some instances,

it enables them to complete their degree,” she said. She

believes this type of student experience will inspire

new alumni to return the generosity down the road. “As

recent graduates become established, they remember

the generosity of their fellow alumni and are inspired

to contribute something significant to assist the next

generation of Saint Peter’s graduates.”

“I received a Presidential Scholarship when I attended

Saint Peter’s,” said Kenneth Moore ’91, executive vice

president and chief operating officer in Private Wealth

Asset Management at Jennison Associates. “That meant

I began my career without a ton of debt. By giving back,

perhaps I can help another student get through without

accumulating a lot of student loan debt.” Moore’s recent

pledge of $12,000 over two years brings his giving to

more than $25,000 to date. In addition to his financial

generosity, Moore has twice served as a guest lecturer

for the undergraduate Executive Seminar business class

conducted by Edmond Harrison, Ph.D. “Nothing is more

invigorating than being around students who want to

learn,” he said.

Of course, gifts have been earmarked for a wide

range of University priorities. A $5,000 gift for the Global

Outreach Program, for example, enables more students

to experience a life-changing service trip. “Much of our

student body comes from immigrant or working class

families, so international study is off the table for them

without this kind of support,” said Dwayne Paul ’08,

assistant director of campus ministry for community

service. “This kind of grant gives students exposure to

international social justice movements.”

Jacqueline Sferra Rada honors the memory of her

husband, acclaimed realist painter George Rada ’56, by

funding the annual $500 George A. Rada Award for the

Classics. “George was formed by the Jesuits,” said Rada.

“They recognized certain things in him that inspired

him to study the Classics. He was such an example of

how a Jesuit education could shape a whole person,

inspire a love of art and a willingness to reach out and

help others.” By consistently supporting the George A.

Rada Award, she hopes to “support other students and

help keep the Classics alive.”

While some gifts feed the spirit and the mind, others

literally help feed the poor. A generous gift from Univer-

sity Trustee Joseph Gromek ’68 for $25,000 went, in part,

toward the purchase of a van to help deliver meals to

local families for the newly-opened Campus Kitchen.

The Campus Kitchen is a student-led community ser-

vice program that provides free, healthy meals to local

residents by using donated food that would otherwise

go to waste.

“I want our donors to know that the impact of these

gifts is tangible at Saint Peter’s, and that we are deeply

grateful,” said Leto. “We would not be celebrating a

successful campaign without them. As a relatively small

university, these gifts are incredibly significant to us, to

our students and to doing important work.”

“As a relatively small university these gifts are incredibly significant to us, to our students and to doing important work.”

Saint Peter’s University 27

1959 Msgr. William J. Reilly, Msgr. John A. Radano, Ph.D., and Rev. Msgr. Vincent J. Doyle will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their ordination in May.

1962 Richard Derrig, president of OPAL Consulting LLC, a firm that provides research and regulatory support to the property-casualty insurance industry, lectured last fall in one of the new Master of Sci-ence in Data Science classes.

1963 George Degnon and wife Marge (nee Endemann) were honored guests at the ceremony for son George’s promotion from Colonel

to Brigadier General in the U.S. Air Force. George is an F-16 pilot.

1969 Harry (John) Augliera is a li-censed psychoanalyst and a mem-ber of the National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis. He is a faculty member, train-ing analyst and supervisor at the Center for Human Development in New York City, where he also has a private practice.

Renowned environmental health expert Richard J. Jackson, M.D., M.P.H., received the 2015 Henry Hope Reed Award from the Uni-versity of Notre Dame School of Architecture. The annual award is given to an individual working out-side the practice of architecture

who has supported the cultivation of the traditional city, its architec-ture and art.

1971 Michael (Mike) L. Averill was elected to the board of directors of two insurance companies, Agricultural Mutual Auto Insurance Company of Fort Worth, Texas, and Dynamic Health Insurance Company of Newark, N.J.

1973 Ken Mahon and Henrietta (Fuardo) Mahon ’74 celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in September 2014. The couple met at Saint Peter’s.

1974 Susan (Natelli) Bredehoft was honored by the New Jersey Foundation for Aging (NJFA) at the organization’s fundraising celebra-tion on December 7, 2014. As treasurer, Bredehoft has provided financial guidance and acumen to the NJFA Board during some fiscally lean years.

1976 Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey honored Francis J. Giantomasi, Esq. at its 2014 Steps To Inde-pendence Celebration in October in Livingston, N.J.

Dennis Rhodes has just had his third book of poetry, The Letter I, published by Chelsea Station Editions, New York. It is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites.

1977 Donald Tretola was elected state chair of the New Jersey Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.

1985 S. Vincent Grasso has joined ADM Tronics as chief medical information officer.

1987 Marta Costanzo Youth has worked as a diplomat for the U.S. Department of State for more than 20 years and is currently deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Em-bassy in Managua, Nicaragua.

Send us your news!Saint Peter’s University wants to publish your good news. We welcome any and all news about your career, education, family life and reconnecting with other Saint Peter’s alumni. Submit a note via e-mail to alumni@saintpeters.edu or send to: Office of Alumni Engagement, 2641 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07306.

CLASS NEWS & Notes

HonoringSpecial Achievement

Bob Hurley ’71

Special ServicesPeter M. Gotlieb, Ed.D.

Student-Athletes Tania C. Kennedy ’09

Ryan Knapp ’03Murphy Wiredu ’08

Candace A. Winder ’03

HonoraryMichael Massone

Team1994 – 95 Men’s Basketball Team

Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner

Saturday, March 28, 20156:30 p.m.

Saint Peter’s University - Mac Mahon Student CenterThe Duncan Family Sky Room

For more information, visit saintpeters.edu/halloffame.

1991 Former Saint Peter’s basketball standout Marvin Andrews was inducted into the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Hall of Honor.

1992 Former Saint Peter’s women’s basketball star Joann Balsamo was inducted into the MAAC Hall of Honor.

Carol Weatherall Remsen, long-serving member of the mathematics department at Regis High School, New York, N.Y., was presented the Patricia Hannon Ignatian Educator Award at a Mass of the Holy Spirit on September 5, 2014.

1994 Kenneth Sheehan was named chief of staff at New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

Tracy D’Alessandro opened a retail flower shop, Angela’s Mum, in Bayonne, N.J.

1999 Danny Robayo has been pro-moted to manager of FlightSafety International Learning Center in Teterboro, N.J.

2001 Carla (Panzella) Tharp earned a Ph.D. in higher education leadership, management and policy from Seton Hall University in 2014.

2003 Luke Drummond is graduating from a basic course for investi-gators and plans to become a parole officer.

2005 June Chang has been selected as superintendent of Public Schools in Summit, N.J., effective in March.

2009 Andrea Weaver was named director of risk management, quality improvement and corporate responsibility of Bon Secours New York Health System’s Schervier Nursing Care Center in Riverdale, N.Y.

2014 Jacqueline Pischettola was named housing coordinator for residence life at Saint Peter’s University in June 2014.

Engagements Janelle Paden MBA ’05 is engaged to Christopher Ross of

Louisville, Ky. An April wedding is planned.

Marriages David Mojica ’84 married Ayet Gonzalez on October 31, 2014, at St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church in Franklin Park, N.J. In attendance were Migdalia Mojica ’76, Nidia Davila-Colon ’76, Enrique Mojica ’80, Fred Rolon ’80 and Paolo Gonzalez ’07.

Births

David A. Bryngil ’91, director of recreational life, The Victor R. Yanitelli, S.J. Recreational Life Center and the Mac Mahon Stu-dent Center, and his wife, Nina, welcomed a baby girl, Daphne.

David Tango ’02 and wife Gina welcomed a baby boy, John Carlo.

Thank You, Saint Peter’s Alumni!We asked. You gave. Students at the Center: The Campaign for Saint Peter’s University succeeded because of the generosity and support of loyal alumni. Some quick facts:

The participation rate among alumni reached

24 percent.

Out of a total

$64+million raised,

made up 64%of all donors.

Alumni

Top 9 Classes in Number of Donors to Students at the Center

{ }Class of

1969

Class of

2012

Class of

1973

Class of

1971

Class of

2013

Class of

1974

Class of

1972

Class of

1970

Class of

1958

Saint Peter’s University 29

Bicoastal Alumni Gatherings in Florida

In Naples on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Josephine and Tom O’Reilly ’69

hosted a luncheon and Mass, celebrated by Rev. Michael Braden,

S.J., vice president for mission and ministry, on January 18. Alumni

and their friends and families were greeted by Saint Peter’s Uni-

versity President Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., and Board of Trustees

Chairman Thomas P. Mac Mahon ’68 was on hand to discuss the

growth and change that has taken place at the University. He urged

alumni to visit their alma mater. “You’d be very proud as alumni to

see the changes that have taken place,” he said.

In Ft. Lauderdale, a luncheon hosted by the University was held

at a local restaurant on January 17. In Port St. Lucie, John Murray

’57 H ’02 hosted an alumni luncheon on January 19.

(L to R): Director of Planned Giving Ana Cravo, Ellen Salerno, Tom McDonnell ’61, Tony Jaswinski ’61, Barbara Gallagher Cahill ’74, Ellen Albert ’73, Joe Guerra ’57, Lorenzo Canizares ’69 and Executive Director of Alumni Engagement Gloria Mercurio at the Ft. Lauderdale alumni gathering.

Left: Thomas O’Reilly ’69, Josephine O’Reilly, Vice President for Advancement and External Affairs Leah Leto, M.Ed. ’05, University President Eugene Cornacchia, Ph.D., and AnnMarie Cornacchia. Above: Alumni and friends at the Naples alumni event.

Education: The Investment

of a Lifetime

A great teacher is one that inspires the minds of their students. The founding father of our School of Education and a model

of an inspiring teacher, Patrick J. Caulfield, Ph.D. ’47 or, ‘Doc’,taught of educating not only the mind but of educating the soul. The time is now to help to name the new School of Education facility in Dinneen Hall in his memory and support Education: The Investment of a Lifetime. Gifts made to the School of Education will help to enhance existing and new teacher training initiatives.

For more information, please contact Sharon Morrissey at smorrissey@saintpeters.edu or (201) 761-6126, or visit

saintpeters.edu/campaign/schoolofeducation.

CLASS NEWS & Notes

30 Winter 2015

Alfred Aronson ’48

Salvatore A. Barone ’50

Michael Bober ’71

Michael J. Boncich ’03

Dom R. Chiarieri ’70

Suchow Chowtavi ’73

Sam Costantino ’74

Sheldon F. Eldridge ’40

Lawrence Finckenor ’51

Rexford C. Finegan ’62

Paul A. Gerber ’75

John R. Givens ’59

Michael J. Gullace ’91

James J. Harrison, J.D.

Joseph C. Heinzmann ’57

Rev. John F. Henry, S.J. ’43

Lawrence J. Iannuzzelli ’59

Walter Kaczkowski ’50

Denis P. Keegan ’76

Gregory P. Kernahan ’64

Bill Koenig ’54

Thomas P. Lang ’60

David G. Leahy ’59

Lawrence J. Magliocca ’62

Arthur M. Mahoney Jr. ’69

Robert M. Mathews ’57

David T. McDonald ’55

Kenneth J. Meade ’60

William R. Mueller ’77

John B. O’Hara Jr. ’51

John G. O’Neill Jr. ’56

Francis A. Paul, Esq. ’72

Dennis J. Piatkowski ’65

Thomas E. Potter, M.D. ’50

Thomas F. Quinlan ’58

Joseph M. Rabbia ’63

Ronald S. Rock ’71

John J. Ryan ’52

Joseph F. Scott, Ph.D. ’49

John J. Sein, Ph.D.

Martin R. Semon ’64

William F. Spaide ’61

James M. Stine ’50

Raymond M. Sullivan ’69

Walter T. Tulp Jr. ’50

Thomas J. Verdon ’56

Theresa A. Walls, D.O. ’71

Requiescant in Pace

Saint Peter’s University wishes to extend its prayers and condolences to the families of alumni, members of the University community and friends who have passed away.

CHAMPION OF PROGRESSIVE CAUSESMario M. Cuomo H ’85, former New York governor and champion of progressive causes, died on January 1 at the age of 82.

In 1984, millions watched Cuomo deliver the legendary “Tale of Two Cities” address at the Democratic National Con-vention. Nine months after that famous speech, the governor re-visited the theme when he spoke to an audience of 1,500 at Saint Peter’s as part of the University’s “Prophet and Profit” series. The governor, who received an hon-orary degree from then-president Rev. Edward Glynn, S.J., com-mended the Bishop’s Pastoral

on the Economy, a letter asking the government to take a bigger role in helping the nation’s poor.

“There are more homeless than at any time since the Great Depression,” said Cuomo in the April 1985 address. “We have an obligation to bring what we believe to bear on the mundane activities of our day-to-day lives, a duty not just to put up with the world but, to live in it, to love, to recreate it.”

Cuomo served three terms as governor of New York. He died just hours after his son, Andrew Cuomo, was sworn in for a second term as governor of New York.

REMEMBRANCES

Thank you to our loyal alumni and friends for their generous gifts to the University and for their continued support of Students at the Center: The Campaign for Saint Peter’s University. The generosity of our devoted benefactors provides the resources Saint Peter’s needs to enhance programs, advance its Jesuit mission and develop the leaders of tomorrow.

The Honor Roll of Donors – now an online publication as part of the University’s commitment to green initiatives – lists the contributors who have supported Saint Peter’s University during our last fiscal year (July 1, 2013-June 30, 2014). To view the Honor Roll of Donors, visit saintpeters.edu/campaign/honorroll2014.

Haven’t had a chance to stop by the Mac Mahon Student Center to check out the Campaign Wall of Donors? Visit saintpeters.edu/campaign/campaignhonorroll to view a virtual version, which honors those who gave at leadership levels to the capital campaign.

If you have trouble viewing the report or have any questions, please contact advancement@saintpeters.edu.

Honor Roll of Donors

Timeline of a Transformation: Student Center RisesOver the course of 18 months, the Saint Peter’s community witnessed the transformation of a campus parking lot into the state-of-

the-art Mac Mahon Student Center. A time-lapse video of the construction can be seen at saintpeters.edu/campaign/construction.

THEN AND Now

32 Winter 2015

March

June

Sunday, June 14, 2015 Class of 1960 55th Reunion and BrunchThe Duncan Family Sky RoomSaint Peter’s University

Monday, June 15, 2015 St. Aedan’s: The Saint Peter’s University ChurchFundraiser and Wine DinnerAmanda’s Restaurant, Hoboken, N.J.

Calendar 2015

To register for any of these events, visit alumni.saintpeters.edu/events. For questions or more information, contact Claudia Pope-Bayne, assistant director of alumni engagement, at (201) 761-6111 or cpopebayne@saintpeters.edu.

May

Wednesday, May 6, 2015 42nd Alumni Golf Outing 1:00 p.m. Shotgun StartGalloping Hill Golf CourseKenilworth, N.J.

Saturday, May 30, 2015Saint Peter’s University Peacock DayTurtle Back ZooWest Orange, N.J.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015Alumnae in Action Inaugural Event“Women at Saint Peters: Then and Now”8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. McIntyre Conference CenterSaint Peter’s University

Thursday, March 26, 2015Make an Impact — A Day of Giving Saint Peter’s University

Saturday, March 28, 2015Open HouseSaint Peter’s University saintpeters.edu/openhouse

Saturday, March 28, 2015Hall of Fame6:30 p.m. The Duncan Family Sky Room Mac Mahon Student Center Saint Peter’s UniversityBob Hurley ’71 April

Thursday, April 23, 2015 Alumni in Finance6:30 p.m.School of BusinessSaint Peter’s University

Saturday, April 25, 2015 Accepted Student Day (by invitation only)Mac Mahon Student CenterSaint Peter’s University

Tuesday, April 28, 2015 Alumni in Education6:00 p.m.School of EducationSaint Peter’s University

2641 John F. Kennedy BoulevardJersey City, New Jersey 07306

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Make an ImpactA Day of Giving • March 26, 2015

This online event will inspire and support the students of Saint Peter’s … and build on the exciting momentum of our University. Make your gift on or

by March 26 by visiting support.saintpeters.edu/day2015.

If you have any questions about this event, please contact Donna Lindsey at dlindsey@saintpeters.edu.

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