R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y M A G A Z I N E > W I N T E R 2 0 1 4
Foundations
Boutique on WheelsSAM LUGO ‘07 & HER
FASHION TRUCK … P. 12
3 ALUMS WHO LEAD PITTSBURGH’S PLANNING ... P. 18
D E A R A L U M N I A N D F R I E N D S ,
This fall at Robert Morris University has been one for the recordbooks. We welcomed the largest freshman class in our history.More students than ever are living on campus. What’s more,applications to Robert Morris are way up, and our applicants’SAT scores and GPA are climbing.
You can dive into the details on page 17 of this edition of Foundations. Suffice it to say there is plenty of credit to go around: campus life and studentengagement activities, new and upgraded facilities, athletics success, aconsistently high placement rate, relentless focus on academic quality. Everyone in the RMU family played a part.
That includes you. After all, the best commercial for any college or university is its alumni – what theyachieve and what they have to say about their alma mater. Maybe you know nothing about a particularuniversity except that the best summer intern your company ever hired goes to school there. (Or perhapsyour son wants to apply to your boss’s alma mater, but when you ask her about it, she says, “You know, if I had to do it all over, I’d have gone somewhere else.”)
RMU invests a lot of time, energy, and resources into telling its story – through our web site, through social media, through advertising, through the news media. But no message is as powerful as a legacy,when a son or daughter follows in the footsteps of a Robert Morris graduate, like Diane Leonard Pearson ‘85 and her two boys, whom you will read about on page 16. Even simple gestures of loyaltymatter, like when you head out to the mall or to do the yard work sporting that new Colonials sweatshirt you bought at Homecoming.
Homecoming – that’s what made me think of all this. Absent a freak October blizzard, the weathercouldn’t have been much worse this year. It was cold. It was rainy. It was so windy we had to grab on to the tents in Tailgate Alley to keep them from soaring off into Joe Walton Stadium.
And yet, there you were: grilling hot dogs and hamburgers, mingling at the Class Reunions, huddlingunder ponchos and blankets at the football game. Some of our faculty and staff thought it was the bestHomecoming ever. No doubt you could have spent a fall Saturday warmer, dryer, and more comfortable,but the fact that you spent it with us in the wind and rain sends a message too, one we like to hear.
Yes, it’s been a good year at RMU, though we’re not taking our success for granted. These are grim timesfor many of our peers, who in the face of dropping enrollments are laying off faculty and eliminatingwhole departments. We can’t afford complacency, and we still need your support.
But take just one moment, as you read this, to savor your success. Well done, and thank you.
Sincerely,
G R E G O R Y G . D E L L ’ O M O , P H . D .P R E S I D E N T
CREDITS
EDITORMark Houser
CONTRIBUTORS Valentine J. Brkich, Alan Buehler ‘13, Kimberly Burger Capozzi, Jonathan Potts M’11,Matt Sober
ART DIRECTORAmy Joy
PHOTOGRAPHY/ILLUSTRATIONS Front Cover: Michael Will ‘08Back Cover: Jodi Vasalani ‘92Other Photos/Illustrations: Joe Appel, Christopher Bell Photography, Jason Cohn, Glory Days Photography, Denny Harsh, James Knox, iStockphoto, Mitch Kramer ‘08,Brock Switzer, Michael Will ‘08
PRINTING Heeter Direct
FOUNDATIONS ONLINE RMU.EDU/FOUNDATIONSScot Rutledge ‘09
Foundations (ISSN 1934-5690) is published threetimes a year by the Office of Public Relations and Marketing in conjunction with the Office ofInstitutional Advancement and mailed free ofcharge to alumni, donors, trustees, faculty, staff,and friends of Robert Morris University. Theopinions expressed in the magazine do notnecessarily reflect the official policies of Robert Morris University.
Contributions to Class Notes and addresschanges may be sent to:Office of Alumni RelationsRobert Morris University6001 University BoulevardMoon Township, PA 15108-1189Phone: (412) 397-6464 Fax: (412) 397-5871Email: [email protected]
It is the policy of Robert Morris University to provideequal opportunity in all educational programs andactivities, admission of students, and conditions ofemployment for all qualified individuals regardlessof race, color, sex, religion, age, disability, nationalorigin, and/or sexual preference.
WINTER}14 Foundations
FOUNDATIONS ONLINEVIDEO EXCLUSIVES
Taking America’s Pulse . . . . . . 6Results are in from the first surveys from the new Robert MorrisUniversity Polling Institute Powered by Trib Total Media. See whatpeople across America are saying about football concussions,Obamacare, and fracking.
Homegrown Leader . . . . . . . . 18As president of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce,Dewitt Peart ‘81 has a bird’s-eye view of the region’s economy. So dothe two chairmen he works with most — at the chamber and theAllegheny Conference — who by the way are RMU alums too.
Springboard to Success. . . . . . 14An overeager phone interview got Keith Kuhn ‘03 into a job that he thought was a bit over his head. But instead of panicking, he dug in, and made a risky proposition pay off.
10 Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . 32It was as an adult, non-traditional student that GloriaPeplow ‘93 got her college diploma. Her globe-trottingretirement with the “senior Peace Corps” also has beenanything but traditional.
Building a Legacy ... p. 16Two roomies from the Class of 1985 are happy their kids chose RMU too.
Man in Motion. . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Roaring down the highway on a Harley-Davidson is how David Lancia ‘79 M’86 likes to see the world. The way he keeps his eye on the horizon for the Board of Trustees has earned him the 2013 Heritage Award.
Public relations students volunteeredin October at Savoring Sewickley, a major fundraising event for the Sewickley Public Librarycoordinated by the Friends ofthe Sewickley Public Library.Local food establishmentsserved delicacies during theevent, which raised more than $20,000.
The National Association of StudentPersonnel Administrators named RMU to
the Lead Initiative on Civic Learningand Democratic Engagement, anetwork of 73 colleges anduniversities dedicated to civicengagement. The association willprovide resources to support and
publicize civic engagement initiativesfor the university.
The National Fraternity of KappaDelta Rho presented its GeorgeE. Kimball Award foroutstanding communityservice to the Eta Alphachapter at RMU. Theaward is given to thechapter that demonstratesthe strongest and mostconsistent commitment to community serviceover the previous academic year.
2 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS
> Savoring Student Engagement
> Stop, You’re Embarrassing UsRobert Morris University has been named to the 2014 Military FriendlySchools list by Victory Media, rating it among the top 20 percent ofcolleges and universities in the country that welcome military veterans.RMU has been recognized as a military friendly school since 2009.
The online bachelor’s program in psychology has been ranked in the top 20nationally by TheBestSchools.org. The organization cited academics, studentsatisfaction, and opportunities for professional experience. Course offeringsand return on investment were also factors in the selection process.
SuperScholar, an online education and career information website, has rankedRobert Morris University one of the 25 Best Online Colleges and Universities2014. SuperScholar also ranked RMU No. 6 in its Top 10 Smart Choice Schoolsfor Online Master’s Degrees 2013. RMU also earned Top 25 rankings fromAccreditedOnlineColleges.com for several of its online degree programs.
CAMPUS REPORT
R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 3
> Expanding Access to CareThe School of Nursing and Health Sciences has received a $923,000 grantto educate family psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners who cancare for patients of all ages with chronic mental health conditions. The
grant, from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration,will expand the university’s Doctor of Nursing Practice
program for psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners,who are authorized to prescribe medications and providepsychotherapy. Grant funds also will be used to purchasedistance-learning technology to reach students in rural areas.
The School of Nursing and Health Sciences is oneof only 72 nursing schools nationwide to offer aspecialty in child/adolescent or family mentalhealth. The grant aims for RMU to expandenrollment in that program from 23students at present to 72 by 2016.
>Ten Years and Growing
Colonial Theatre celebrated the 10th anniversary of itsrebirth at Robert Morris during Homecoming with a
special concert version of “Rent,” the show that made a name for ColonialTheatre in 2010 when RMU’s production of the Tony Award-winningmusical was one of eight finalists in the Kennedy Center College Theater
Festival for the Mid-Atlantic region. The anniversary production featured alumni who participated in the original show along
with current students.
>High SchoolJunior, CollegeFreshman?RMU professors are teaching collegecourses at local high schools to qualifiedstudents under the First Semester Collegein High School Program. The program is the brainchild of Vice Provost Lawrence Tomei, Ed.D., and was launched at MoonArea and Montour high schools in the fall,with South Fayette andWest Allegheny expectedto start in the spring.
Students selectedfor the programtake one introductory-level class each semester,including the summer, in their junior andsenior years. Robert Morris gives a 70percent tuition discount, saving those who take all five courses more than$8,000. The courses — communicationskills, mathematics, psychology, sociology, and environmental science — are designed to transfer easily to another institution should thestudents choose not to enroll at RMU.
> SEE TH
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Eight students in the RMU History Club volunteered at theI’ve Got Your Six 6K andMemorial Mile Race in Pittsburgh,raising more than $3,000 forhomelessveterans.
The BEST Club (Bridging Education,Service and Teaching), RMU’s student armof the Council for Exceptional Children,raised $500 at the Walk Now for AutismSpeaks event. The club also sponsored asummer car show fundraiser on campus
that raised $2,000 for the DownSyndrome Association of
Pittsburgh.
recycle this magazineGive it to a neighbor who’s in high schooland help spread the word about RMU.
>The Winners AreThe department of computer andinformation systems won the Outstanding ResearchAchievement Award at the Conference for theInternational Association for Computer InformationSystems in recognition of exceptional universityresearch and scholarlycontributions. ProfessorsPaul Kovacs, Ph.D., John Scarpino, D.Sc., and Wenli Wang, Ph.D., received anhonorable mention in pedagogy for their journal article “A Framework for an Interactive Web-based Application Course.”
At the Biennial Conference of theAssociation for Canadian Studies in theUnited States, the Rufus Z. Smith Prize forbest paper went to Soren Fanning, Ph.D.,assistant professor of history, for “Forginga Frontier: Social Capital and Canada’sMounted Police, 1867-1914.”
Beth Dolinar Kusbit and GinaCatanzarite-Shapiro, adjunct professors in the School of Communications and
Information Systems, wereamong the producers sharinga Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award
for “Hunger: Our HiddenCrisis,” which aired on WQED-TV. Dolinar Kusbit also won for producing andwriting “Rose’s Garden,” a half-
hour documentary for WQEDabout an artist who fills abandoned
lots with plants and art dealing with thetopic of mental illness.
> Viva MexicoLuis Monterrubio, Ph.D., assistant professor of engineering,
has been named to the Mexican National Council of Science and Technology. His term on the council begins in January
and runs through 2016.
Page:RMU AlumniURL:facebook.com/ RMUalumni
> > FIND US ON FACEBOOK
> Research ReportThe industrial boom around Marcellus Shale has prompted calls for a switchto cars that run on natural gas, both to boost the local economy and cutdependence on foreign oil. But with only five natural gas fueling stationsin the entire Pittsburgh region, drivers would have a hard time filling up.
Three professors in the School of Engineering, Mathematics, and Sciencehave developed a mathematical model that determines the best locations for natural gas fueling stations in Pittsburgh. The paper, by Tony Kerzmann,Ph.D., assistant professor of mechanical engineering; Gavin Buxton,associate professor of physics; and Jonathan Preisser, Ph.D., assistantprofessor of mathematics, is in the journal Sustainable Energy Technology and Assessments. The authors note that natural gas vehicles are used far more extensively outside the United States, and that they benefit theenvironment because they create less pollution.
4> MONTERRUBIO
R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 5
> This Program HasUnexpectedly Shut DownThe National Science Foundation has awarded RMU a $186,000 grant to develop learning modules andcourse materials to help software students andpractitioners develop reliable computer programs.Sushil Acharya, Dr.Eng., an associate professor ofsoftware engineering, will direct the grant along withPeter Wu, Ph.D., associate professor of computerand information systems, and PriyadarshanManohar, Ph.D., associate professor ofengineering. Working with colleagues inthe mathematics and English departments, aswell as four industry partners and seven othereducational institutions, the RMU faculty plan to develop andtest a standardized set of materials for software validation andverification. (Read more on page 22.)
>NewAppointments
Valerie M. Howard, Ed.D., hasbeen named acting dean of theSchool of Nursing and HealthSciences. Howard is formerassistant dean for external
affairs of the nursing school,director of development for the
school, and director of the RegionalResearch and Innovation in SimulationEducation (RISE) Center. She has helpedto raise more than $6 million for theschool, including funds for construction ofa new building. The school’s foundingdean, Lynda Davidson, Ph.D., hasdecided to return to the faculty.
Lois D. Bryan, D.Sc., has beennamed senior associate deanfor academic excellence for theSchool of Business. In thisnewly created position, Bryan
will be responsible for issuespertaining to the school’s AACSB-
International accreditation, graduateprograms, and faculty promotion,research, merit, and development.
>Actuary NewsThe North American Actuarial Journalaccepted a paper co-authored by Chris Groendyke, Ph.D., an assistantprofessor of actuarial science, titled“Model Selection and Averaging inFinancial Risk Management.” Writtenwith Brian M. Hartman of theUniversity of Connecticut, the papertests a more accurate predictivemodel for simulated asset returns.
> The Newest Rising StarAt the President’s Council dinner in December, President GregoryDell’Omo, Ph.D., presented the 2013 Rising Star Award to GabriellaGasparich. The award is given to a graduating senior who demonstratesacademic success, individuality, determination, passion, and potential in her field of study. Gasparich is an honors student and communicationsmajor focusing on public relations, who plans to work in internationalpublic relations. She has interned with Chemistry Communications, TenThousand Villages Pittsburgh, Forum-Nexus Study Abroad, and DimensionX Advertising and Marketing, and is a Colonial Ambassador and memberof Delta Phi Epsilon. Gasparich also has volunteered for Ronald McDonaldHouse Charities and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Last but not least, shewas crowned Homecoming Queen this fall.
Go to Foundations Online to see Gasparich’s acceptance speech.
> FOLLO
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6 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS
49%HAVE AN
UNFAVORABLEOPINION OF THE
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
TAKING AMERICA’S PULSE
OBAMACAREWhat people think of Obamacare comes down to politics: 68% of Democrats like it, versus 29% of independents and 13%of Republicans. Far more people think their costs will go up (43%) rather than down (9%). But majorities still don’t think the newhealth care rules will force them to find a new doctor, or changeinsurance plans, or have to shop around for cheaper coverage.Almost one in five said they had put off seeing a doctor in the last year because of money.
41%SUPPORT A
BAN ON YOUTHCONTACT
FOOTBALL UNTILHIGH SCHOOL
FOOTBALL CONCUSSIONSWith rising concerns about the potentially serious effects of concussions, more people are judging footballunsafe for children. Almost half of respondents support a banuntil middle school, and 54% of those whose own kids playedcontact football before high school now think other kidsshould wait. Opinions are split over whether football, likeboxing, will decline in popularity in the years ahead —46% say it will, 40% say it won’t.
42%SUPPORT DRILLINGFOR NATURAL GAS
THROUGH HYDRAULICFRACTURING, OR
“FRACKING”
GOING UNDERGROUNDA third of respondents oppose the widespread drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation and elsewhere in the country,while 25% have not made up their mind one way or the other.Solid majorities say fracking can help the U.S. economy (63%) andcan move the country toward energy independence (58%). Butalmost half of respondents also say the environmental impactof gas drilling outweighs any resulting reduced energy costsor energy independence.
Highlights of the first nationwide survey by the new Robert MorrisUniversity Polling Institute Powered by Trib Total Media:
R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 7
The new polling institute conducts
national and regional opinion polls on
current affairs in areas of interest and
expertise to RMU faculty. It does not
focus on electoral politics, but provides
nonpartisan polling on a range of
issues, including health care policy,
the environment, health and wellness,
economic policy, higher education,
and gender equity. The institute works
under the direction of the faculty
through an advisory board including
representatives from each of the
five academic schools.
The first national poll, conducted
using an online survey instrument,
sampled the opinions of 1,003 adults
approximately proportional to state
population and was conducted
October 23 to November 1. The poll has
a +/- 3.0 percent margin of error at a 95
percent confidence level on a composite
basis. All percentages shown here are
rounded to the nearest whole number.
To see all the survey questions and learn
more about the Robert Morris University
Polling Institute Powered by Trib Total
Media, go to Foundations Online.
ABOUT THE ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITYPOLLING INSTITUTE POWERED BY TRIB TOTAL MEDIA
MAKING IT COUNT
8 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS
Just as he’d done for much of his life, Karvel Andersonadapted quickly upon arrival at Robert Morris University. A transfer from Glen Oaks Community College inCentreville, Mich., the 6-foot-2 shooting guard averaged12.5 points per game last season as the Colonials piled up 24victories, captured the Northeast Conference regular seasontitle, and — most memorably — defeated defending NCAAchampion Kentucky before a national television audience inthe first round of the National Invitation Tournament.
But long before elevating his game at the Division I level,Anderson was struggling to rise from the depths of atumultuous adolescence. With no father present and amother who would serve time in prison for drug trafficking,his was a chaotic existence that, at one point, found himsleeping under a bridge in his hometown of Elkhart, Ind.“My senior year in high school probably was the hardest forme, when you have senior night, prom, graduation. And tonot have my own parent there for those occurrences, thatwas when I realized that I was by myself. I got down fromthat,” Anderson says.
With guidance from mentors and his own sheerdetermination, Anderson has persevered. And with everystep of the turbulent journey that brought him to RobertMorris — a journey that included stops at two juniorcolleges even before landing at Glen Oaks — Anderson hasdistanced himself from the past and inched closer to thepromise of a successful future. In the classroom, the senioris on track to graduate with a degree in communication. On the basketball floor, he’s provided not just a deft scoringtouch, but also toughness and leadership for coach AndyToole’s team. “When we recruited him, we thought we were getting a really good player,” Toole says. “What Ididn’t realize was the amount of character we were gettingthe minute he set foot on campus. He is coachable. Heworks extremely hard. He does everything you ask of aplayer. He’s had such a dramatic impact not only in thelocker room, but on the individuals on our team.”
Anderson is grateful to have found a home at RobertMorris, and not simply for the opportunity to playbasketball. He’s also thankful to have formed meaningfulrelationships with Toole and assistant coaches MichaelByrnes and Joe Gallo. “It’s been very positive,” Andersonsays. “You have people here who want to help you, and I’msomeone who wants to be helped. It’s like a family to me.The stability of it is amazing for me.” Toole has been
particularly impressed by Anderson’s willingness to acceptresponsibility and grow from mistakes. “The thing that’sremarkable is that his story is up there with some of themost difficult challenges you’ve seen from anybody, but ifyou met him on the street, you’d never know it,” Toole says.“He never uses it as a crutch. He knows that if he does whathe’s supposed to do, he can change his circumstances. It’s acredit to his character.” That very same character explainswhy Anderson, the Colonials’ leading returning scorer, hasassumed a role as one of the team captains. “That speaksvolumes,” Toole says. “He’s a guy who would do anythinghe could for his teammates.”
This season, Anderson and his teammates are looking to defend their Northeast Conference regular seasonchampionship and make their first appearance in theNCAA Tournament since Toole became head coach. If theycan get to the Big Dance, it’ll be just another triumph forAnderson to savor — not unlike that stunning 59-57 victoryover Kentucky in front of a raucous sold-out crowd at the Sewell Center. “To do something most peopledidn’t think we were going to do, and to haveeveryone storm the court, it was crazy,” he says. “You usually just see that stuff on TV.”
Anderson is a talented shooter, and his 36-pointgame Jan. 9 against Sacred Heart is among thehighest-scoring games in the team's history. He alsotakes pride in creating opportunities for teammates.“I love making plays for other people. I love seeingmy teammates excited when they score,” he says. And while his college career will end in a few months,Anderson has no intention of giving up the game that has brought him so far. “I’d love to play overseas,”he says with typical enthusiasm. “I’ve never really been anywhere.”
Whatever the future may hold, Anderson believes in hisability to make the best of it. “There’s a point when yourealize, ‘I’m not the person I used to be.’ When I finallyrealized that, it gave me confidence,” he says. “I told myself that if I could succeed from my childhood, I coulddo anything.”
WRITTEN BYMATT SOBER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BROCK SWITZER
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY KARVEL ANDERSON
R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 9
The rematch of last year’s championship comes in the middle of a monthdesigned to test the Colonials’ mettle as never before, with the team traveling to play powerhouses Maryland, Notre Dame, and Michigan.
BIGGAM
ETHE
BASKETBALL
DOUBLEHEADERSAT., FEB. 15
WOMEN VS.CENTRALCONNECTICUT STATE1 P.M
MEN VS.MOUNT ST. MARY’S4 P.M.
HOCKEYWOMEN VS.PENN STATEFRI., FEB. 21, 3 P.M.SAT., FEB. 22, 3 P.M.
MEN VS. MERCYHURSTSAT., MARCH 1, 7 P.M.
SOFTBALLDOUBLEHEADERSUN., APRIL 19
WOMEN VS.CENTRALCONNECTICUT STATENOON AND 2 P.M.
We pick some of the mostexciting weekend homegames this season. Markyour calendar now, and make a trip back to youralma mater. Let ‘em hearyour Colonials cheer!
LACROSSE
WOMEN VS.LIBERTYSAT., MARCH 22, NOON
MEN VS. BRYANTSAT., APRIL 19, 1 P.M.
1 0
WOMEN’S BASKETBALLThe Colonials are favorites to win the NEC title this year, according to the preseasoncoaches poll. It will be exciting to see what All-American Greek Artemis Spanou has instore for her senior year, after leading the nation in rebounding and her conference inscoring last season on the way to being named NEC Player of the Year. Joining her againwill be NEC Rookie of the Year Ashley Ravelli of Italy, whose 70 three-pointers put heramong the conference’s elite.
Spanou had the most rebounds per game of any player in NCAA Div. Ibasketball last year. (The men’s leader had 11.4 rebounds/game.)
JENSEN, UTAH VALLEY ....................14.1PARKER, HIGH POINT........................13.2ANKOMA-MENSA, BRYANT .............13.0OGWUMIKE, STANFORD ..................12.9
REBOUNDS/GAMEPLAYER, TEAM
ALL-AMERICAN GREEK
15.6THE BIG GAMEFEB. 15 VS. CENTRAL
CONNECTICUT STATEThe Blue Devils have three starters back from last year’sNEC Tournament team, but justone of the Babe sisters. Jessica isthe team’s clear leader now thatbig sister Jaclyn is no longersharing the court.
SOFTBALLThe defending regular season champions look to continuetheir success with a roster that includes two-time NEC Pitcherof the Year Nicole Sleith, two-time Golden Glove winnerSamantha Santillo, and Rookie of the Year Ashley Gerhart.
THE BIG GAMEAPRIL 19 DOUBLEHEADER VS.
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE
MEN’S LACROSSEAfter coming up short in last year’s conference championship game at Bryant, the Colonials are looking
to take the next step. Their opportunistic defense, led by NEC Defensive Player of the Year Sean Meagher, led the nation last year in caused turnovers per game. After leading the team in scoring his freshman year,
Eric Rankel will be back on the field with big brother Tyler, another talented turnover artist.
THE BIG GAMEAPRIL 19 VS. BRYANT
STARS TO WATCH
#24 REBECCA VINTWOMEN’S HOCKEYOf the five CollegeHockey America playerslast year who scored atleast a point per game,Vint was the only one notplaying for Mercyhurst.
#51 SEAN MEAGHERMEN’S LACROSSEHis 2.53 caused turnoversper game average wassecond in the NCAA —and perhaps of moreinterest in the Meagherhousehold, pushed Sean past his brother,Mike, in the Colonialsrecord books.
#23 NICOLE SLEITHSOFTBALLWith a 1.64 ERA and morethan 200 strikeouts in eachof her first two seasonswith the Colonials, it’s nowonder the NEC hasnamed Sleith the league’sbest pitcher twice.
WOMEN’S HOCKEYThe Colonials have pierced the national Top 10 rankings for the first time, thanks to a blistering start in the fall.Three-time College Hockey America Player of the MonthRebecca Vint had 10 points in November. Freshman Jessica Dodds has been the CHA’s best goaltender thisseason, continuing a strong tradition in net for the Colonialsthat includes two-time Olympian Brianne McLaughlin.
In just their second season of Div. I hockey, the Nittany Lions will be the upstarts when they visit the Colonials for a two-game stand at the RMU Island Sports Center.
THE BIG GAMEFEB. 21–22 VS. PENN STATE
MEN’S HOCKEYA 20-win season left the Colonials just barely
frozen out of what would have been their firstNCAA tournament. The team hopes for moremagic from the stick of Cody Wydo, whose 21
goals last year led the Atlantic HockeyAssociation. He’s off to a good start: In
November Wydo scored seven goals in a pair ofgames against Penn State and conference
champion Canisius.
THE BIG GAME MARCH 1 VS. MERCYHURST
> CHECK RMUCOLONIALS.COM FO
R THE LA
TEST ON GAME TIMES, VENUES, AND SCORES.
NAVY ......................................10.00DETROIT.................................10.00CORNELL ............................... 9.94
The Colonials stole the ball on average nearly a dozen times each game, the best
record for takeaways in the country.
CAUSED TURNOVERS/GAMETEAM
PITTSBURGH’SSTEALERS
11.27
The Colonials finish their season, and hopefully launch a strongtournament push, with a matchup against the class of the AHA.
1 1
To see where Lugo will be next, visit
brokelittlerichgirl.com or follow her on Twitter: @BLRGInc.
Go to Foundations Online to see a video
of Lugo and her bOUTIQUE on wheels.
Taking a cue from the food truck craze that’s taken hold in big cities across the country and rolled intoPittsburgh over the past few years, Broke Little Rich Girl is a renovated 21-foot bread truck outfitted with hardwood
floors and a dressing room and packed with women’s fashionsand accessories.
“At first I wanted to do a brick and mortar store,” says Lugo, a cum laudegraduate of RMU’s corporate communication program. “But then I came across a boutique truck during a trip to New York City,and I fell in love with it. I said, ‘This is amazing – I want to bring this to Pittsburgh!’”
While her studies mainly focused on marketing and advertising at Robert Morris, Lugo never let go of her lifelong infatuationwith style. “I think it’s an inherited trait,” she says. “I come from a family predominately made up of women who all have theirown unique style and fashion sense.” When she was a girl, Lugo’s grandmother would babysit her and her sister and wouldgive them access to her clothes, shoes, and makeup. “We were always putting on plays and fashion shows and whatnot,” shesays. “Plus, I have some really fashionable aunts who don’t follow the trends and tend to do their own thing. They taught me to be myself and find my own style.”
During her junior and senior years, she interned with GlaxoSmithKline and Kolbrener Inc. “Each taught me a lot about how to build a brand and leverage marketing communications, which has really helped me in my business,” she says.
The Broke Little Rich Girl operation is something of a family affair. Lugo’s sister designed the truck’s black, white, and pinkexterior, as well as some of the jewelry she sells. Her husband, Manuel, an auditor with FedEx, helps her with events and thefinance side of things. The clothing is a mix of originals she buys from local designers along with some labels, too. “The wholething’s been an ongoing learning experience,” says Lugo, who says she’s so busy she has to replenish her inventory just aboutevery week. “I don’t have a background in merchandising, so I just try to gauge it on sales. I can pack it in pretty good in there.”
Most weekends you can usually find the Broke Little Rich Girl truck parked in the Strip District on 23rd and Penn Avenue. Lugo also does private parties and partners with local business at area events. “I do ladies nights, bridal showers, birthdayparties, fashion parties, and any event where a group of women want to get together and shop.”
Lugo says she definitely wants to continue to grow and expand the Broke Little Rich Girl brand. “I’d love to have a fleet of my fashion trucks in every state. That’s my long term-goal.”
WRITTEN BY VALENTINE J. BRKICH | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL WILL ‘08
She’s the superhero of fashion. By day she’sSamantha Lugo ‘07, marketing specialist for PNC
Bank’s corporate office in downtownPittsburgh. But by night (and weekend) she’sBroke Little Rich Girl – fashion maven andowner of a boutique on wheels.
ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY FOUNDATIONS • 13
FashionDrives Her
Landing an internship his junior year wasn’tan easy proposition for Keith Kuhn ‘03.After his first few interviews didn’t pan out,he found himself overpromising in a phonecall with Mosso’s Medical Supply, a Latrobecompany looking for an applicationdeveloper. “I just said ‘yes’ to everythingthey asked,” he says.
The meeting he had with Scott Dinning, CFO and part ownerof the company, was “probably the worst interview I everhad,” says Kuhn, who majored in information systemsmanagement. “I was pretty nervous, and I wasn’t reallyqualified.” So you can imagine how surprised he was whenDinning told him he was hired. “I was dumbfounded,” hesays, “but I was excited, too.” It wasn’t until years later that hefound out why he’d been offered the job: Dinning mistakenlythought Kuhn was the CEO’s nephew.
From his first day on the job at Mosso’s, Kuhn knew he had his work cut out. “The stuff they were asking me to do was alittle more technical than what I was used to. Like developingan inventory system in its entirety. But I knew I just had tofigure it out.” So he dug in and started studying andresearching, and after a while he ended up getting really good at I.T. management.
It wasn’t long before the internship turned into something likea full-time job. It was tough because he was still taking classes
1 4 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS
and had to travel back and forth from Latrobe. “I ended upcomputerizing all of their affiliate offices,” he says. “I becametheir main I.T. person. Sometimes I’d even get help desk callswhen I was sitting in class. Luckily my teachers were prettygood about it.”
Kuhn and his I.T. team ended up designinga complete customer datamanagement system for Mosso’s,enabling them to integratemarketing, operations, andreimbursement. Mosso’s made theInc. 500 list of the fastest growingcompanies in America in 2003,and after Kuhn graduated, hetook a full-time job there.One day Kuhn was down in thewarehouse asking how theykept track of their medicalequipment. “They pull outthis index box,” he says. “Ithought it was the stupidestthing I’d ever seen. So I turnedto one of the guys and said,‘Who makes these decisions?Who runs this company?’” It turned out that one of theguys he was talking to wasthe CEO himself, JoeMosso. “He wasn’t mad,though. Joe’s one of the
SPRINGBOARDTO SUCCESS
nicest guys you’ll ever meet. He told me to go ahead and create a new program to replace the card system.” When Kuhn was finished with the project, Mossoloved it and Keith got a raise.
“Keith took an old-fashioned, family-owned company and quickly transformed it to acutting edge technology and data-driven company,” says Dinning. “He created a dynamicand highly responsive I.T. team that was well trained and extremely efficient.” In 2006Kuhn decided to do something different. So he and Lilian Shoupe, Mosso’s reimbursementmanager, founded Medbill, a medical equipment billing company, in Lake Wylie, S.C. Guesswho his first client was? His old boss, Scott Dinning, who, like Kuhn, went off on his own toform Hometown Oxygen in Charlotte, N.C. “I learned a lot about business from Scott,” saysKuhn. “It was cool to see how far we both had come.”
Kuhn actually began his undergraduate studies at Clarion University but left after just half asemester. “I realized I wasn’t ready for college yet,” he says, “so I just went back home and got ajob until I felt it was time.” After that he bounced around for a while, detailing cars and working inlandscaping and construction. Finally, in 1999 he applied to Robert Morris. “I visited a lot of schools,but I really liked RMU’s size, the small classes. It just felt more comfortable, more homey.” Kuhn wasa legacy — his father, Gerald Kuhn ‘88, earned his accounting degree from Robert Morris.
When it comes to serendipity, Kuhn’s definitely a believer. As he was setting up some I.T. infrastructureat Hometown Oxygen, a medical device representative walked in the door. “She was looking for a place to
watch the World Cup, so I recommended this one pub in town. Well, one of the company’s owners told meto take a break and show her where it was. Now Caroline and I have been married for three years.”
As for the bizarre circumstances in getting his job with Mosso’s, Kuhn believes a higher power was in play. “God works in amazing ways,” he says. “I mean, how many people in the world bust their
you-know-what for a small company, and that ends up serving as a springboard into doing what they love? It just can’t be a coincidence.”
WRITTEN BY VALENTINE J. BRKICH | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER BELL PHOTOGRAPHY
R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 1 5
in the field where Sewall Center now stands.“But probably my favorite memory,” Dee Ann says, “was coming
back early in the morning after a night out with all oursuitemates, and I would make ultimate PB&J sandwiches
that we would pass around in a circle and eat.”
They were bridesmaids in each other’s weddings, went on to successful careers in their fields, and remained close
friends as they raised families. Diane is a wealth management advisor and a co-founder of Legend Financial Advisors in
McCandless, while Dee Ann is chief financial officer of
Former roommates Diane Leonard Pearson ’85 and Dee Ann Loveridge
Johnson ’85 have made personalcontributions to RMU’s record
enrollment numbers — their kids.
Years ago, the two business majors shared a room with theirpet hamster, Felicia, and played in co-ed mud football games
1 6 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS
BUILDING
A LEGACY
ARE YOU A LEGACY? Come to our
Legacy Reception on Saturday, Feb. 22,and stay for thebasketball game —
our treat!
Details atrmu.edu/foundations.
specialty steelmaker Ampco-Pittsburgh. Now their kids,sophomores Haley Johnson, a nursing major, and AlexPearson, a double major in accounting and finance major,along with freshman marketing major David Pearson, arelegacies on the same campus their moms once called home.
Hockey is what first got Robert Morris on the boys’ radar. The Pearsons are avid fans, and the boys watched theColonials play at the RMU Island Sports Center and at ConsolEnergy Center. Alex came to campus for a tour, and wasimpressed with the School of Business; his brother equally so.“It’s comforting that they’re this close to home, yet they’ve gottheir own sense of independence,” Diane says. “Robert Morrisis so completely different from when I was here, so it’s hard tocompare what I went through to what they’re going through
because there are just so many opportunities now thatweren’t there when I was here.”
Dee Ann says she wanted to steer Haley towardher alma mater. “I was excited, and the funny story about thatis I suggested Robert Morris to her, but sometimes you wantto find your own way. Something about going to the same
school as your parents.” Haley looked as far as Louisiana, butin the end she decided her mom was
right, and chose RMU.
So to the delight of the two old friends,sending their children off to college
turned into a reunion. “We moved them intogether at RMU, and then we all went to Primanti’s and
had lunch. Then we came back and dropped them off,” Dianesays. “We watched the two of them walk off, and it was like,OK. So we both high-fived and went home.”
WRITTEN BY MARK HOUSER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES KNOX
R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 1 7
Robert Morris this year admitted the biggestfreshman class in its history: 980 first-yearstudents from 26 states and 19 countries.Residence halls are filled to capacity, includingYorktown Hall, now completely converted from a former hotel.
With a full-time traditional undergraduateenrollment of 3,766, and a total enrollment of5,440 including part-time and graduate students,finding a parking spot on campus is getting tricky.
More students are applying to the university eachyear. In 2008, RMU received applications from4,257 prospective students. Five years later, morethan 7,800 students applied. The higher numberof applicants has not come at the expense ofquality; this year’s crop of applicants had anaverage high school grade point average of 3.47and an average combined reading and math SATscore of 1042, both up from five years ago.
The university’s online degree offerings also areexpanding rapidly. Students enrolled in 4,171 totalcredit hours of graduate and undergraduateclasses this fall, up 20 percent from the previousyear. The international student population hasincreased dramatically in recent years and nowexceeds 400, or almost 8 percent of RMU’s totalstudent population.
President Gregory G. Dell’Omo, Ph.D., saysRMU is increasingly becoming what he calls a“university of choice” for prospective students inthe Pittsburgh area and beyond. “It’s not goodenough just to say we have a beautiful campus,”Dell’Omo says. “Students and their parentsevaluate a college’s value proposition.”
That includes not simply tuition cost, he says,but program quality and reputation, student life,the way faculty and staff treat people, excitingathletics, a safe and secure campus environment,and strong outcomes, like RMU’s placement rateof 93 percent for graduates.
BUILDING
A LEGACY
BIGGER & BETTER EVERY YEAR
From the 17th floor offices of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Dewitt Peart ‘81 has the stunning view
of Pittsburgh you’d expect of a mover and shaker in the city’s economic developmentscene. The city and its three rivers look like they are part of a miniature
railroad display, where someone might rearrange the pieces to create the landscape they envision.
1 8 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS
HOMEGROWNLEADER
As president of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce,the business advocacy group within the Allegheny Conference,
Dewitt Peart ‘81 has emerged as a leader in the real-liferebuilding of Pittsburgh’s economy. Through 25 years of workin real estate development and marketing the region to new
businesses, Peart has helped replace shuttered steel mills withnew job generators like university-based technology projects,
advanced manufacturing, and riverfront development.
Peart is one of a trio of RMU alumsworking closely on economic
development and regional planning.Morgan O’Brien ‘82 M’85, president andCEO of People’s Natural Gas, is chairman
of the Allegheny Conference, andRichard Harshman ‘78, CEO, president,and chairman of Allegheny TechnologiesInc., is chairman of the chamber. “What
the three of us have in common is anintent to make our region the best it can
be,” says Peart. “Evidently, the RMUexperience embeds community
attachment, commitment, and service.”
Raised in the McKees Rocks area, Peartalways intended to remain in the region.“I think every Pittsburgher’s like that; if
it’s in you, it’s part of you,” he says.When he graduated from Robert Morriswith an accounting degree, he landed in
Philadelphia for his first job as an internalauditor for J.C. Penney. But he managed
to return within a few years for a positionwith a real estate developer. It was the
late 1980s, and Pittsburgh was justcoming to terms with the reality that thesteel industry wasn’t coming back. Peartbecame involved in pioneering projects
that cleaned up and reused formerindustrial sites, a practice now known as
brownfield development.
“At first, it was a little sad in a way,” he says, describing how inone project, the cranes from a once-thriving shipbuilding
yard were dismantled and sent out of the country, sealing thefate of the business. “The creative side of it is, you look at these
sites and you say, OK, now what can it be? How can we redevelop this and really make a difference?”
Working with communities and governments on brownfieldremediation led Peart to volunteer for the chamber of
commerce on brownfield legislation and other business issues.In the middle of his career, he headed back to school for a
master’s degree in public management from Carnegie MellonUniversity. A staff position with the chamber was not far
behind. Today, Peart’s titles also include executive vicepresident for economic development for the AlleghenyConference and president of the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance,which markets the region to attract new business.
Minutes into an hour-long interview, Peart begins shifting inhis chair, as if he’s thinking of something that desperatelyneeds doing and has to restrain himself from jumping up to doit. He admits it’s difficult to sit still and talk. There is plenty on
Peart’s to-do list: Pushing for adequatestate funds for regional transportationand transit projects, advancinginfrastructure improvements to prepareland for development, and growing aquality workforce are just some of the bigissues on his agenda. Peart also travelsabroad, taking advantage of Pittsburgh’senhanced international profile since theG-20 summit of world economic leadersin 2009. He accompanied the PittsburghSteelers to London in September, spoke at UPMC’s Beacon Hospital in Dublin,and has traveled with the PittsburghSymphony Orchestra to take advantageof opportunities to market Pittsburgh tobusiness leaders abroad.
O’Brien calls Peart “a careful thinker”who engages people and articulates the region’s strengths, whether it be howthe universities feed the workforce, oraccess points for manufacturing and the region’s natural resources. “There’s a lot of substance to him. He’s not justsomeone who’s able to talk the talk, but truly understands the issues and the root causes around issues,” O’Briensays. “He’s not quick to reach conclusions and he’s someone who really tries to understand. Folks respect that about him.”
Pittsburgh’s growth is about a lot of individual projects, Peart says, and he is proud of how the region repeatedly beats out bigger cities like Philadelphia and Boston for newdevelopment. But one project of a personal nature eludes him: Peart lives with his wife Jane in the south suburbs ofPittsburgh, not far from where he grew up, but his two grownsons are in Chicago, for school and work. “They are trying tofigure out how to come back,” Peart says. If he has anything todo with it — and he does — Pittsburgh will be the kind ofplace everyone wants to return to. Just as he did.
WRITTEN BY KIMBERLY BURGER CAPOZZI
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL WILL ‘08
R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 1 9
LEADER
“HE’S NOTQUICK TO
REACHCONCLUSIONS
AND HE’SSOMEONE
WHO REALLYTRIES TO
UNDERSTAND.FOLKS
RESPECTTHAT ABOUT
HIM.”
For David Lancia ‘79 M’86, the most rewarding part about his career
as a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers is not about numbers. It’s about the people, especially the
less experienced professionals Lancia has the opportunity to mentor.
“When I think about what gets me the most energized, these days it’sdeveloping other people,” says Lancia, a partner and tax market leader inthe firm’s Pittsburgh office. “The impact you can have as you go throughyour career on those coming up behind you is significant. Being able to
help people progress in their careers, and seeing them flourish and
>>Go to Foundations Online to see a video about Lancia and his Heritage Award acceptance speech.
2 0 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS
Man in Motion
R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 2 1
>>Go to Foundations Online to see a video about Lancia and his Heritage Award acceptance speech.
succeed, is a reward that’s priceless. So it matters a great dealto you when you’re able to do that for someone, and helpthem and coach them and bring them along in their career,and allow them to have the kind of success that you’reenjoying — and hopefully more success.”
For his successful career at PricewaterhouseCoopers and his exemplary service as a member of the Robert Morris
University Board of Trustees, Lancia wasgiven RMU’s 2013 Heritage Award at theannual President’s Council dinner at Heinz Field in December. The university’shighest award is given for distinguishedachievement that brings honor upon thealumnus and his alma mater.
RMU Chairman Gary Claus ‘74 says Lancia’s favorite day atwork is when new candidates make partner. That’s becausehe has been instrumental in their rise, Claus says. “He wouldsay they don’t owe him anything, but they would disagree.”
Claus and Lancia first met under tricky circumstances. Each headed the Pittsburgh tax practices of what had beentwo fiercely competitive major accounting firms — Lancia at Coopers and Lybrand, Claus at Price Waterhouse — whichin 1998 merged into one. “It didn’t take very long for us torealize we were pretty much birds of a common feather,”Claus says. “We both have strong appreciation of family, we have great appreciation for client matters, and we bothhappen to be Robert Morris alums.” Years later, when herecommended Lancia as a candidate to join the Board ofTrustees, Claus says his motives were “somewhat self-serving… I really want the best possible talent in the room to make decisions for the university. Having him on the board has been every bit as fulfilling as I thought it was going to be.”
Growing up in Baldwin, Lancia played drums in the highschool jazz band and with a neighborhood group, Ashwood,
Man in Motion
whichspecialized inthe brassyearly ‘70srock of Chicago and Earth,Wind & Fire. After a couple years at Clarion StateCollege and some summers working at the coke ovens inHazelwood, he decided he needed to change his focus to a professional career, and switched to Robert Morris.
It was a fortuitous choice for Lancia. Besides the accountingdegree he earned taking classes Downtown, his friendsAntonio Lodovico ‘82 and Paula Lodovico Fisher ‘83introduced him to their younger sister, Annamarie, then ajunior at St. Anselm High School in Swissvale. David andAnnamarie have been married 32 years now and have three children. Lauren Lancia ‘09, the oldest, chose herfather’s alma mater for her undergraduate studies and now works for a leading ad agency; Alivia and David went to other schools but picked the same public accounting careerpath as their father.
Lancia, who also earned a master’s degree in taxation fromthe university, says RMU is on a “steep upward trajectory”thanks to its management, its faculty, and its students.
“You can see President Dell’Omo’s vision for the universitycoming to life through what’s going on right now. And thevision that he has put forth for management and the board toconsider is just as exciting going forward, so it’s just been atremendous transition. You hear about it all the time fromalumni — you can feel the excitement. Because a lot of thealumni that I’m connected to most effectively from when Iwas going to school were Downtown. So to see what’s goingon at the campus now, and to see that transition, it’s veryexciting. It makes you very proud.”
WRITTEN BY MARK HOUSER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE APPEL
1 8 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS
When he learned that nearly 2,500 Nepalese refugees from Bhutan werebeing settled in the Pittsburgh area, software engineering professorSushil Acharya, Dr.Eng., decided to lend a helping hand. The Nepalnative is the faculty advisor of the Association of Computing Machineryclub, whose student members recycle computers and donate them tothe needy. Acharya made sure his students gave the refugees some ofthe refurbished machines.
Acharya worked in the software industry in Nepal, Thailand, Dallas,and Pittsburgh for 18 years before becoming a professor, and heunderstands how hard it is for students to keep up with the industry.“Software changes so fast that, by the time textbooks are printed, theirinformation is outdated,” he says. Student success is what motivateshim. “Students need experience to get work, and work to getexperience, so how is a fresh graduate to get it?” he says. “I want togive my students real experiences in the classroom so they can besuccessful when they leave here.”
Acharya has received a $186,000 grantfrom the National Science Foundation to create a software engineering course.Seven other schools have alreadycommitted to using his course,which will teach students how toproperly build the right softwareproduct for a customer. “We reallywant to show off Robert MorrisUniversity and show businesses thatthis is what has come out of a smallwestern Pennsylvaniauniversity dedicated toeducation,” he says.
FACULTY PROFILESushil Acharya
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 1 923
When he was 16 and working with the Lower Kiski Ambulance Service, Mychal Ross had to perform CPR on a patient who had suffered a cardiac arrest. “The feeling you have the first time you go from your knowledge andwhat you learned to actually doing it to a person was phenomenal and is one of those things that has never left me,” says Ross.
The senior nursing major is now a lab assistant for RMU’s nursing department, where he tutors students in nursing practices such as taking blood pressure and putting in a catheter. “I understand that not every student can get by on their own, and I wouldn’t be where I’m at if it wasn’t for the help of my mom, my peers, and the faculty,” says Ross. He is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the nursing honor fraternity, and is a Colonial Ambassador and a Global Ambassador, helping international students assimilate. He has also been both a resident assistant and a member of Mosaic, the cultural diversity club, for three years.
Ross plans to work in the medical ICUin a high trauma center for a few years aftergraduation, thenreturn to school tobecome a nursepractitioner andeventually a collegeprofessor. “I found outthat I have been blessedenough to have the gift ofteaching and wanting tohelp others, so I would liketo go into teaching someday,” he says.
STUDENT PROFILE Mychal Ross
rmu .edu/foundationsUP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
2 4 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS
CLASS NOTES1960sJERRY FRIEDMAN ‘67 was
named a Top 25 Consultant
by Consulting for 2013. He
is the director of strategic
initiatives for Accenture’s
human services practice.
In 2011 he was given a lifetime
achievement award by the
American Public Human Services
Association after a 40-year career
in public health and human
services. He and his wife,
Jeanette, live in Austin, Texas.
1970sRICHARD A. BARCELONA ‘71,
president and CEO of Bailey
Engineers, was reelected for
another three-year term to the
board of Mon-Vale Health
Resources, the parent company
of Monongahela Valley Hospital.
He lives in Canonsburg.
DAN BECK ‘72 was chosen as the
trustee of the Music Performance
Trust Fund, a nonprofit
organization created by the main
recording labels and musicians
union that organizes thousands
of free live concerts and music
events each year at schools,
hospitals, and community events.
He has worked in the music
industry for 20 years and lives
in New York City.
JOHN BROWN ‘75 received a
Melvin Jones Fellowship
recognizing his contributions to
the Lions Clubs International
Foundation. He is retired after 31
years as an audit supervisor for
the Pennsylvania auditor general.
ALBERT BOLEA ‘76 was elected
to the board of the Alaska
Gasline Development
Corporation. He has worked
in the oil and gas industry
for nearly 40 years and is a
distinguished adjunct professor
of leadership at the University
of Alaska College of Business
and Public Policy.
PAUL J. KWIECINKSKI ‘77 was
named vice president of student
affairs for the Pittsburgh Chapter
of APICS, the leading professional
organization for supply chain
and operations management.
1980sROBERT GROSSMAN ‘84 received
the Thomas R. Porter Lifetime
Achievement Award from
the National Association of
Certified Valuators and Analysts.
Robert is a founding partner of
Pittsburgh accounting firm
Grossman, Yanak & Ford.
WHAT YOUMISSEDHere’s a look at a few of the alumni events we’ve featured since the last Foundations.
These are just some of the highlights of what has been a very busyAlumni Events calendar in recent months. We see more and more of you each time, but plenty of alumni still haven’t experienced all the fellowship and fun.
Make sure you don’t miss the next big thing. Stay tuned to the alumni events calendar at RMU.EDU/ALUMNI.
PRAGUE AND BUDAPEST TRIPOur intrepid travelers pause for a portrait.
KENTUCKY GAME PARTYA big crowd saw the rematch at Latitude 40.
FALL WINE TASTINGRegina Tarquinio '77 gets a glassful.
> LAWRENCE ZAHN ‘80
was elected to the board
of Habitat for Humanity
in Beaver County. He is a
shareholder and tax specialist
for the Wexford public
accounting firm Cottrill,
Arbutina & Associates.
R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 2 5
CLASS NOTESMARK LABBY ‘85 retired as
senior database administrator
after more than 20 years with
PHEAA. IBM has named him
a Champion for Information
Management; he is president
of the international users group
and a member of the customer
advisory councils for the
company’s DB2 product.
Mark lives in Harrisburg.
DIANE PEARSON ‘85, financial
advisor and shareholder of
Legend Financial Advisors
in McCandless, was named
a Five Star Wealth Manager.
She and her husband, Alex,
have two sons, ALEX and
> JIM LUCHINI ‘83 came to
Robert Morris as a Baldwin
High School graduate in the
fall of 1979, and joined the
men’s basketball team as a
walk-on guard as a freshman.
He was a member and
president of the Alpha Chi
Rho chapter, made the
Dean’s list, and earned a
B.S.B.A. in marketing. Jim
married his AXP little sister,
Jean Collins, in 1984. They
are the proud parents of two
sons, Jamie, a student at
Lehigh University, and Josh,
a student at North Allegheny.
Jim is vice president and part
owner of Kirk Trucking
Service in Delmont and has
been with the company for
25 years. The Luchini family
lives in Wexford.
> KATHERINE CAMPBELL
BAKER ‘84 is the Keystone
regional director of operations
for Comcast Business. She
and her husband, Keith,
live in Beaver County and
spend their time traveling
and renovating their house
in the West Virginia
panhandle, where they
plan to eventually retire.
DAVID, who are current RMU
students. Read more about this
legacy family on page 16.
DAVID GRECCO ‘88 is counsel in
the energy practice in the
Pittsburgh office of global law
firm Jones Day. He formerly was
general counsel of Linn Energy
and vice president, legal, of
Phillips Resources.
CHERYL VIERHEILIG ‘88
is vice president of human
resources and executive
business development at
Piezos Technology in
Pittsburgh.
1990sMARY JANE OLSAVSKY ‘90 is
estate and guardian group
manager for PNC Wealth
Management and is on the
board of the Estate Planning
Council of Pittsburgh.
ROBERT P. SPENCE ‘91 is
treasurer of the Pittsburgh
Metropolitan Area Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce.
LANEE MICHELLE BENTON ‘92 is
senior supplier diversity project
manager at Highmark Health
Services in Pittsburgh,
responsible for managing the
supplier diversity program.
CHRIS LANGE ‘93 M’99 waspromoted to director of marketing for Europe, MiddleEast, Africa, and the Americas
at Industrial Scientific, thePittsburgh maker of gas detectors.He joined the company as amarketing assistant the year heearned his bachelor’s degree.
BETH LYNCH ‘94 has been named aFive Star Wealth Manager for thesecond time. She is an investmentrelationship manager withSchneider Downs in Pittsburgh.
BE PART OF SOMETHING YOU CAN BELIEVE INFor just $84 a month, President’s Council members are part of something important. They give the gift of opportunity to RMU students. They invest in thefuture prosperity and growth of our region.
They change lives.
To find out more about joining the President’s Council, visit please contact JEN YOUNGat 412-397-5452 or [email protected].
RMU.EDU/JOINPC
“I made a lot of personal and professional connections at Robert Morris,
and they’ve enhanced my career opportunities.Considering what I received, I am pleased to return
something to the university each year.”– TOM MARCHLEN M’08
3175-29_Found Winter14__ 1/21/14 3:28 PM Page 28
CLASS NOTESUniversity, where she was alsoassistant athletic director. Sarawas a catcher for the Colonialsand was named ECAC FemaleAthlete of the Year as a senior.She lives in Oneonta, N.Y.
ERIC POND ‘99 is virtualizationpractice manager at E-Safe
MARK FERRANTE ‘97 and SarahWarner were married in May. Heis executive director of sales atWynit Distribution. Mark andSarah live in Syracuse, N.Y.
RONDA CURTIS AURAND ‘99 was recognized as one ofProgressive Grocer magazine’s Top Women in Grocery for heroutstanding leadership andinfluence in the industry. Ronda is west regional vicepresident for Atkins Nutritionalsand lives in Andover, Kan.
SARA HEADLEY ‘99 was hired as the softball coach at SUNY Oneonta after coaching10 seasons at Mercyhurst
DENISE J. BUTLER ‘95 wasnamed to the board of PittsburghPublic Theater. She is chieffinancial officer and treasurer of Neville Chemical.
LOIS SARAKA TUCKER ‘95 has been in the sales business for over 20 years, working withcompanies such as Prudential and Telstart. She was married to RON TUCKER ‘85, who passed away in 1995.
STEVEN SHIVAK M’96 wasappointed to the board of theSpina Bifida Association ofWestern Pennsylvania. He ispresident of SMC BusinessCouncils and SMC Insurance.
2 6 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS
Technologies. He was formerlya systems engineer in RMU’s IT department and lives in Moon Township.
2000sLOIS BRYAN M’00 D’06, a professor of accounting at RMU,was named senior associate dean for academic excellence for theSchool of Business.
JOSEPH SLEZAK ‘00 is chairman of the future corporate leadership board of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Association for CorporateGrowth. Joe is a marketingprofessional for the Pittsburgh accounting firmKatz Ferraro McMurtry.
BRYAN WHITTINGTON ‘00, sales associate and expert trainer at Sandler Training by Peak PerformanceManagement, received the Gold Award during SandlerTraining’s international
> MATT MILLET ‘99 and
his wife, Kelly, are the proud
parents of a daughter,
Elizabeth, born July 18.
Elizabeth joins big sisters
Lily and Molly. Matt is the
director of university
sponsorships and athletic
fundraising at RMU.
The Millet family lives
in Sewickley.
> GARTH WHITE ‘99 and
CYNTHIA VIVEIROS WHITE ‘00
are the proud parents of
Taylor Marie, born August 6.
The White family lives in
Upper Marlboro, Md.
> KATIE SCHMIDT
BREWDA ‘02 and her
husband, Michael, welcomed
a son, Carter Kalman, to the
family on June 21. He joins
big brother Cooper. The
Brewda family lives in
Mississauga, Ontario.
IN COLLEGE SPORTSBEST LINEUP THE
RMU.EDU/COACH
HOCKEYCOACH SCHOOLEY
BASKETBALLCOACH TOOLE
DON’T MISS RMU’S LIVE COACH’S SHOWS
R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 2 7
CLASS NOTESconference for his contributionsin developing revenue for the training center in Green Tree. Bryan is a retired Air Force captain who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
JENNIFER BURY ‘01 was
named to Virginia Governor
Bob McDonnell’s teacher
cabinet. She teaches Spanish
at Lee High School in
Fairfax County, Va.
RANDY EAGAN ‘01 M’04 and
his wife, Kimberly, welcomed
daughter Amelia Grace to their
family on July 8. The Eagan
family lives in North Fayette.
RYAN RECKER ‘01 is the
WTAE-TV morning sports
HOMECOMINGALUMNI CAME OUT IN DROVES TO
REUNITE WITH OLD FRIENDS AND CHEER ON THE COLONIALS AGAINST CROSS-TOWN
RIVAL DUQUESNE. THE TEAM MAY HAVE FALLEN SHORT OF VICTORY AFTER AN EXCITING 21-20 GAME, AND THE WEATHER WAS WET AND WINDY, BUT HOMECOMING WEEKEND ONCE AGAIN EXCEEDED ALL EXPECTATIONS
THANKS TO OUR GREAT ALUMNI.
SEE PHOTOS ONLINE AND MAKE PLANS FOR 2014.
RMU.EDU/HOMECOMING
> ROMO’S FAVORITE FROYOJAMIE ‘08 and HEIDI FERRY ‘07 KOWNACKI opened Topping
Town, a frozen yogurt shop in the Moon Plaza shopping center,
right across the street from RMU. Jamie is senior systems
engineer at Dicks Sporting Goods and Heidi oversees the yogurt
shop. Opening Topping Town is a realization of a dream for this
Colonial Couple, who first met at RMU. Jamie, Heidi, and
children Max and Maci live in Monaca, Pa.
anchor and reporter. He had
been sports director at KVOA-TV
in Tucson, Ariz., for six years
before coming back to Pittsburgh
to join WTAE.
LAURA J. ROSSI ‘01 is
supervising senior with the
Pittsburgh accounting firm
Katz Ferraro McMurtry.
BRICE FRITTS ‘02 M’04 is a
physical education teacher
at Henrico County Public
Schools in Richmond, Va.,
and an offensive line coach
for Douglas Freeman High
School. He previously was a
teacher, athletic director, and
head football coach at Blessed
Sacrament-Huguenot Catholic(cont.)
2 8 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS
CLASS NOTESAARON DEHAVEN ‘06 married
Dana Brown on April 27. Aaron
is director of loss-sensitive
accounting at AIG Property
and Casualty.
AMANDA HIDECK ‘06 M’13 is a
high school mathematics teacher
at Buckeye Online School for
Success in East Liverpool, Ohio.
IVAN USERO ‘06 of the
Daniel Carinci Nationwide
Insurance Agency is
chairman of the membership
committee for the Pittsburgh
Metropolitan Area Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce.
RACHEL CIBULAS ‘07 is head coach
of the new women’s lacrosse
program at Muskingum
University in New Concord,
Ohio. She was formerly head
coach at Adrian College in
Michigan, where the team won
league championships in both of
her seasons there. Rachel was
captain of the Colonials lacrosse
team for two seasons.
SAMANTHA ELIAS LUGO ‘07
owns Broke Little Rich Girl,
School, leading the team to
the 2012 state championship
and garnering sever al
coach-of-the-year awards.
LISA SOVAK M’03 earned
her doctorate of business
administration with a focus
on marketing from Argosy
University. She lives in Pittsburgh.
JEFF BLASKO ‘05 is tight ends
coach for the University of
Kansas Jayhawks football team
under head coach Charlie Weis.
He was formerly quality control
coach for offense for the Florida
Gators under Weis, then
quarterbacks coach for Florida’s
Gator Bowl win over Ohio State.
Locally, he coached at Steel Valley
and Bethel Park high schools.
> JENNA BURKETT ‘07
is the assistant women’s
basketball coach at High
Point University in High
Point, N.C. She was formerly
assistant coach at Stetson
University in DeLand, Fla.
> TAMAIRA BINION ‘05
M’11 is the assistant to the
vice president for public
relations and marketing at
RMU. She previously worked
as production coordinator
at Ebony Holdings.
> FAST TRACKERSThe Pittsburgh Business Times named two alumni to its list
of 2013 Fast Trackers, which recognizes people under the age
of 40 who have successfully grown a business or nonprofit.
SAM MASTOVICH ‘95 M’98 is general manager of Keystone
Compliance, a New Castle product safety testing laboratory
that was named one of the country’s fastest-growing
engineering firms by Inc. magazine, and president of Mastovich
Innovative Business Solutions. Sam and his wife, Kerry, live
in Cranberry Township. NICOLE ROSE M’09 is a member and
former VP of operations of the Pittsburgh chapter of the
National Black MBA Association, where her organizational
and networking skills significantly boosted opportunities
for the organization. She is a benefits analyst for United States
Steel and Carnegie Pension Fund.
> AMANDA KVORTEK
WILLIAMS ‘06 and her
husband, Brett, welcomed
their first child, Colton
Robert, to the family on
August 27. The Williams
family lives in Hoboken, N.J.
> KURT BRANAGAN ‘06
and ASHLEY HARFF ‘08 were
married on August 17. Kurt
is a merchandise planner at
the corporate office of Dick’s
Sporting Goods, and Ashley
is an audit process manager
for PNC.
R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 2 9
CLASS NOTESa boutique on wheels, in
Pittsburgh. She renovated
a 21-foot bread truck and
outfitted the interior with
hardwood floors, shelves,
and a dressing room, from
which she sells women’s
clothing and accessories.
Read about Broke Little Rich
Girl on page 12.
AMANDA REA ‘07 is digital
project manager at Brunner in
Pittsburgh. She was previously
with the Smith Brothers
advertising agency.
NICOLE RIFFLE-MCCOMBIE ‘07 is
an HR service representative at
MetLife. She lives in Johnstown.
ANDREW WATT ‘08 joined the
Buffalo Bandits of the National
Lacrosse League. Previously he
was a transition player with the
Minnesota Swarm.
STEVE BEUTER ‘09 was
named manager of Carnegie
borough in August. He was
previously an administrative
assistant for the borough.
Steve lives in Scott Township.
NICOLE CARTER ‘09 is a
mathematics teacher at
Mars High School. She
and her husband, Leigh
Easson, live in Pittsburgh.
AUTUMN PRIDDY ‘09 is an
associate programmer
analyst at RMU. Before
coming to RMU she was
a computer operator at EFI.
WILLIAM WHITAKER M’09 is an
application developer in FIS
technical services at the
University of Pittsburgh.
2010sROBIN SANDERS D’10,
international affairs advisor
for Africare, visited the Nigerian
Stock Exchange in June and had
the honor of ringing its closing
bell. Robin is a member of the
RMU Board of Trustees. She
lives in Alexandria, Va.
Support our student-athletes and join today!
OUR BEST BOOSTERS GET THE BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE.
RMU.EDU/1921CLUB
> SCOT RUTLEDGE ‘09
joined RMU as web
designer/digital media
specialist. He was the
graphic specialist at
Community College of
Beaver County. Scot and his
wife, SAMANTHA BYNUM ‘09,
live in Beaver Falls.
3 0 • R M U . E D U / FOUNDAT IONS
CLASS NOTES
He was accepted into George
Washington University
master of science in
government contracts degree
program. He lives in Bristow, Va.
SARA MEIER ‘11 M’13 is a
retail sales merchandiser at
Advantage Sales and Marketing.
She previously worked as the
graduate assistant for PR and
marketing at RMU.
STEPHANIE SEELEY ‘11 is
assistant athletic director for
Louisville Collegiate School
in Louisville, Ky., where she
formerly was event manager.
KEVIN WILLIAMS ‘11 is a content
producer at WRC-TV, the NBC
station in Washington, D.C.
> BRIAN WAGENHOFER ‘13
andMONICA COLE ‘13 are
engaged and are planning a
May 2015 wedding. The
couple started dating their
sophomore year at RMU.
> SARA BOEHM
SHANAHAN ‘00 and
her husband, Daniel, are
the proud parents of
daughter Eden Anne, born
on July 18. Sara is a social
media and marketing
specialist at Colliers
International in Pittsburgh,
and Daniel works in safety
and security for the
Allegheny Airport Authority.
> MICHAEL
JANDRASITS ‘09 and Casey
Martin were married on July
13. Mike is the Panther
Club financial operations
coordinator inside the
University of Pittsburgh
department of athletics.
Casey is a staff nurse at
UPMC Presbyterian working
in their trauma ICU
department.
JOSIAH WHITEHEAD ‘10 was
named Rookie of the Year for
the Bloomington Flex in the
Premier Basketball League; the
Flex also won the minor league
championship last season.
Josiah played forward for the
Colonials men’s basketball team.
BRAD BARBER ‘11 is men’s lacrosse
coach at Hood College in
Frederick, Md., making him the
youngest men’s lacrosse head
coach in NCAA Division III.
EMILY BIELEWICZ ‘11 is a
part-time police officer for
Heidelberg. After graduating
from RMU, she completed
the Allegheny County
Police Academy.
RICK CANTER M’11 is assistant
director of strength and
conditioning at Longwood
University in rural Virginia. He
was an assistant strength and
conditioning coach at RMU.
TAYLOR DURHAM ‘11 is CEO
and founder of Dark Horizon
Studios, an audio and video
production company. He also
produces
local cable
programming
for the City of Pittsburgh.
KUNTA FOSSETT ‘11 is operations
administrator at the Software
Engineering Institute CERT
division in Washington, D.C.
> MORE GOLD FOR BRIANNELOGAN BITTLE ‘08 and BRIANNE MCLAUGHLIN ‘11 were married
on July 13. Logan is assistant coach for the RMU women’s ice
hockey team and Brianne is competing in her second Olympic
Games on Team USA this winter. They live in Moon Township.
R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y M A G A Z I N E > W I N T E R 2 0 1 0
Foundations
RMU goaliegoes for gold
Thanks to an illustrious career with the Colonials in
which she stopped an NCAA Division I record 3,809
shots, Brianne was selected for the U.S. OlympicTeam.
The team meets its first opponent, China, at 3 p.m. on
Sunday, February 14.
Brianne McLaughlinGoalie | Robert Morris University
Hometown Sheffield Village, OhioBirthday June 20, 1987
YEAR GAMES SHOTS SAVES GOALS SV% GAA
Freshman 31 1,206 1,088 118 .902 4.0
Sophomore 27 910 826 84 .908 3.29
Junior 32 1,014 926 88 .913 2.82
Senior 30 1,058 969 89 .916 3.14
CAREER 120 4,188 3,809 379 .910 3.31
> JARED THOMAS ‘08 and
his wife, Jenna, are the proud
parents of daughter Ruby
Grace, born on September 23.
They live in Freedom.
Class Notes would love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected].
R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y FOUNDAT IONS • 3 1
CLASS NOTES
HANK FRALEY ‘12 is the
offensive line coach at San Jose
State, after holding the same
position at the University of San
Diego. He had an 11-year NFL
career after playing for the
Colonials.
BRAD PERCIAVALE ‘12 is an avid
Civil War reenactor and
participated in the Battle of
Gettysburg reenactment in July.
He plays the fife for the RMU
drum and fife group.
DELAYNE BRIAN ‘13 joined Team
Alberta of the Canadian Women’s
Hockey League. She was a
goaltender for the RMU
women’s ice hockey team.
MATTHEW CATANZARITE ‘13 is
a piping support engineer at
System One Holdings.
In Memoriam JOAN FEDORA ‘55 of Ambridge
died July 15.
NANCY YOUNG ‘56 of Ligonier
died July 8 at the age of 77.
BRAD PENDELL, retired RMU
admissions counselor, died
September 1 at the age of 72.
REX CRAWLEY MEMORIAL FUND
The entire Robert Morris University community mourned the passing Nov. 25, 2013, of Professor Rex Crawley, assistant dean of the
School of Communications and Information Systems and endowed chair and executive director of the Uzuri Think Tank. He was a beloved
husband, father, son, brother, colleague, and mentor.
Donations can be made to the Rex Crawley Memorial Fund at RMU, online at RMU.EDU/CRAWLEYFUND, by phone at 412-397-5452 or by mail to Robert Morris University, c/o Jennifer Young,
6001 University Blvd., Moon Township, PA 15108.
You may also choose to give to a fund that will support Dr. Crawley’s two sons, Xavier and Vaughan. Checks should be made to the Dr. Rex L. Crawley Memorial Fund,
and you can give at any PNC Bank branch or mail checks to Dr. Rex L. CrawleyMemorial Fund, PNC Bank, 2101 Park Manor Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15205.
> REX CRAWLEY, PH.D.,assistant dean of the School of Communications andInformation Systems and a respected teacher at both the undergraduate andgraduate levels, died fromcomplications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma onNovember 25 at the age of 49.Crawley was a key member of the doctoral faculty, guiding over a dozen students'dissertation projects. His major research interest wasidentifying and developingmodels of success for youngblack men.
u. Email us at [email protected].
3175-29_Found Winter14__ 1/22/14 11:33 AM Page 34
32
When did you firstfall in love with
travel? Afterhigh school,my goodfriend and Idrove acrossthe country in a ChevroletCorvair Monza convertible. We spentthree weeks on the road, drove on the
original Route 66, and saw NativeAmerican reservations, the Painted Desert,and the Grand Canyon. We even went toMexico for the bullfights.
Why did you decide to give back financially toRMU? The management courses I took heretaught me to how to determine my short-termand long-term goals and how to work toward
them. It really helped me in my life and career. Ialways knew I wanted to help other female students in the same way, so that they too could accomplish their goals.
You went to Jordan just after9/11. What was that like?We ended up working withPalestinians and Jordanians inAmman. It was a wonderful experience.They were just as shocked and appalled bythe tragic event as we were, andthey told us how sorry theywere about it.
Can you tell us about your travelsas a volunteer with InternationalExecutive Service Corps? I call themthe senior Peace Corps. My husband,Malcolm, is a retired management and
HR consultant. He and I went to Egyptin 1998 after I retired, where he gaveseminars and worked with companieswhile I assisted him and also read tostudents at the University of AlexandriaSchool for the Blind and visited patients inthe children’s ward at the National CancerInstitute in Cairo. We also spent time inUkraine, Jordan, Thailand, and Bulgaria.
How did you end up atRobert Morris? I got anassociate’s degree in
business administrationfrom CCAC in 1983, but I
always wanted to comeback for my bachelor’s. Afriend of mine suggested
Robert Morris, since it had such a strongreputation for business. I learned a lothere and it really helped me in my job asa manager, where I was responsible forinterviewing and hiring people.
What’s been the most rewardingthing about your travels?
Meeting other people andlearning their culture. I’ve foundthat most people just want thebasic things in life. They’reconcerned about providing for
their families. Different beliefs,maybe, but family is still the most
important thing.
Why do you think it’s important for studentsto travel and study abroad? You get to seehow people live in other countries and meetthem on an everyday level. When you come
home, you really appreciate the UnitedStates. Travel broadens your horizons — you
just need a good sense of humor.
What’s been the most challengingthing? The living conditions weren’t
always great. Our apartment in Bulgaria,for example, was cramped and extremelyhot and humid. The bathroom was tiled andthere was just a hand shower on the wall.You had to close the door when youshowered, and the water went everywhere. Istarted calling my husband “the mop man.”
3
4 62
Worldly might be a good way to describe Gloria Peplow. The Carnegieresident, a retired senior operations engineer for U.S. Airways, has
traveled all around the globe, from the Taj Mahal to Kenya’s savannah to the Galapagos Islands. Peplow was well into her career when she earned her B.S. in business administration as a non-traditional student. We caught up with her recently, during her first visit to campus in 20 years.
Gloria Peplow ‘93
10
Visiting campus after being away for a longtime, what did you think? I was so impressedwith RMU’s transformation over the past 20years. The additions, new buildings, andadvances in academic opportunities are trulyamazing — the School of Business, especially. I recognized
the library and Hale, but that’s about it.
9
What was the strangest thing you saw duringyour years abroad? In Bulgaria I was waiting for
the trolley, and I felt something brush up againstme. I turned around and it was a huge brownbear! A gypsy was walking it on a leash! 7
1
58
Written By Valentine J. Brkich
10Questionswith
3175-29_Found Winter14__ 1/21/14 3:30 PM Page 35
Upcoming Events
FOR MORE INFORMATION on these and other upcoming events, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at (412) 397-6464 or [email protected].
15 Basketball Alumni Doubleheader,Sewall Center Arena, 1 p.m.
22 Alumni Volunteer Opportunity at Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Duquesne9 a.m.–1 p.m.
Legacy ReceptionSewall Center, 2 p.m.
26 Olympia Snowe, former US Senator, Pittsburgh Speakers Series, Heinz Hall, 8 p.m.
> JANUARY29 Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, Pittsburgh Speakers Series,Heinz Hall, 8 p.m.
> FEBRUARY1 Alumni Association Council Meeting, Sewall Center, 2 p.m.
Young Alumni Night at Colonials Basketball, vs. Central Connecticut State,Sewall Center Arena, 4 p.m.
7 Crawley Celebration,Sewall Center Arena, 4 p.m.
> MARCH26 Dan Rather,legendary news anchor,Pittsburgh Speakers SeriesHeinz Hall, 8 p.m.
> APRIL8 Spring Career Fair, Sewall Center Arena, Noon
23 Doris Kearns Goodwin,author and Pulitzer winner,Pittsburgh Speakers SeriesHeinz Hall, 8 p.m.
24 Women of RMU Lunch, Omni William Penn, Pittsburgh, Noon6
JOIN RMU’S NEW ONLINE ALUMNI COMMUNITY
RMU.EDU/COMMUNITY
NETWORK WITH FELLOW ALUMS
GIVE TO YOURFAVORITE FUND
UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION
STAY CONNECTED WITH RMU
ACCESS THE ALUMNI DIRECTORY
REGISTER FOR EVENTS
Robert Morris University6001 University BoulevardMoon Township, PA 15108-1189
RMU.EDU
Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage
PAIDPittsburgh, PAPermit No. 280
ALUMNI TOURSee photos from Prague
(pictured here) and Budapest,
where 16 RMU alumni
and family spent a week
touring landmarks, eateries,
museums, and galleries.
Go to rmu.edu/alumnitour
for more.