geneseoA magazine for alumni, parents and friends of SUNY Geneseo

sceneWinter2013

Sandy outreach

AftertheStorm

FEATURES8 Sixty years of innovation

Days of drab cafeteria food are long gone atGeneseo. Campus Auxiliary Services has evolvedfrom simple meals for students to a well-oiledmachine that makes campus life tick.

13 Hope after the stormDespite heavy damage to her home during SuperstormSandy, Alyssa Stefanese ’15 and members of theGeneseo family volunteered with relief efforts on StatenIsland, and returned with inspiration from the field.

16 Saving Geneseo historyThe distinctive stone wall at the historic WadsworthHomestead was nearly lost to time, but a band of vol-unteers is united to rebuild the crumbling landmark.

DEPARTMENTS3 One College Circle

20 Athletics and Recreation: Student-athleteshave made community service a tradition.

23 Alumni News

30 Class Notes

COLUMNS2 President’s Message

7 Letters to the Editor

18 Perspectives: What if all alumni who treasuretheir Geneseo experience gave back to the college? Jack Kramer ’76 considers how even a modest jump in giving can make a huge difference.

22 Random Profile: One Cup

Cover: Chris Crocker ’14 looks at devastation of a Staten Island

home. Volunteers from Geneseo helped homeowners affected

by Superstorm Sandy in January.

Table of contents: A view of the College Green from the top of

the Integrated Science Center. Photography by Keith Walters ’11.

geneseosceneWinter 2013

CONTENTS

Postmaster: Please address changes to the Collins Alumni Center, McClellan House, SUNY Geneseo, 1 College Circle, Geneseo, NY 14454-1484. Standard-class postage paid at Lebanon Junction, KY 40150

Vol. 38, No. 3; Winter 2013

The Geneseo Scene is publishedby SUNY Geneseo, Division ofCollege Advance ment, Office ofCollege Communications.

Christopher C. Dahl, PresidentWilliam H. Brower III, Vice Presidentfor College AdvancementAnthony T. Hoppa, Assistant VicePresident for College Communications

Kris Dreessen, EditorCarole Smith Volpe ’91,Creative Director

Contributing writers:Meredith DrakeLisa M. FeinsteinLydia FernandezAnthony T. HoppaJack Kramer ’76Daniel O’Brien ’13Kim Showalter ’13Victoria Soto ’12

Contributing photographers:Jonathan Baek ’13Keith Walters ’11

Alumni Relations OfficeMichelle Walton Worden ’92,Acting Director of AlumniRelations

Tracy Young Gagnier ’93,Assistant Director of AlumniRelations

Megan Cheever ’03, Alumni Outreach Coordinator

Alumni Relations Office at Collins Alumni Center McClellan House SUNY Geneseo 1 College Circle Geneseo, NY 14454-1484 Phone: (585) 245-5506 Fax: (585) 245-5505 alumni@geneseo.edu

Contact the Scene at scene@geneseo.edu. Visit the website atwww.geneseo.edu/geneseo_scenePhone: (585) 245-5516

cronyms are all around us — and a college like Geneseo is no exception. They areuseful and economical ways of naming things. Yet, they do more than merely spareus from entering more characters and pronouncing more words: They help identify

a service, an organization, an initiative. Often, they have a life of their own. Take CampusAuxiliary Services, for example, known on campus as CAS.

A useful acronym indeed, but it takes more than a few key-strokes to capture the full array of services and amenities offeredby CAS, all of them intended to enhance campus life.Thinking about CAS reminds me of a popular advertising cam-

paign in the 1990s by BASF, the giant chemical products companyheadquartered in Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF, which originallystood for Badische Anilin-und Soda-Fabrik (English translation:The Baden Aniline and Soda Factory), aired television commer-cials with the memorable tagline: “We don’t make a lot of theproducts you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.” And so it is with CAS. CAS may not provide education in our classrooms and labs,

per se, but it makes theGeneseo experience better in countless ways. Fromcoffee to sushi, campus dining to late-night snacking,clothing to rental cars, scholarships to faculty grantsand award receptions, CAS touches every studentand college employee, whether they know it or not. Simply put, CAS serves one mission: “to support

the mission of the college — period,” as its executivedirector, Mark Scott, states. Editor Kris Dreessentakes readers behind the scenes in a special feature(Page 8) to show how CAS enhances the quality of life not only on campus, but also in ourcommunity and world.In that regard, service to society is one of Geneseo’s primary values, demonstrated yet

again through the volunteer efforts of students and alumni in the aftermath of SuperstormSandy. As is the case with the college’s ongoing support to Biloxi, Miss., after HurricaneKatrina, Geneseo students, faculty and staff are working with community members throughLivingston County CARES on service trips to help displaced families in the New York Cityarea recover. Photographer Keith Walters ’11 joined members of the first trip to StatenIsland, Jan. 8-12. Their experiences are captured on Page 13.As you can tell, these stories and others underscore the can-do spirit that prevails at

Geneseo. However, Jack Kramer ’76 poses a question in the Perspectives column (Page 18),that should give us all pause: Just as athletic teams turn it up a notch to win the champi-onship, are we doing all that we can to reach our goal of providing students with a transfor-mational liberal arts education that truly shapes lives of purpose?We ask ourselves that question every day at Geneseo. With your continued support, the

answer can and will be “yes!”

Yours truly,

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEgeneseoscene

Chris Dahl

AWhat’s in a Name?

2 geneseo scene

CAS may not provide educationin our classroomsand labs, per se, but it makes the Geneseo experience better in countless ways.

Winter 2013 3

PHOTOS BY KEITH W

ALT

ERS ’11

One College Circle

Victory RallyWhen Geneseo cross-country runners prepared to compete in the NCAAAtlantic Regional event Nov. 10, a group of clearly dedicated fans was there tocheer on the team.

They were there to celebrate when Alex Brimstein ’13 (inset photo) won theindividual title among the 297-runner field.

At the event, the men’s and women’s cross-country teams finished first andsecond, respectively, and advanced to represent Geneseo at the NCAAChampionship at Terre Haute, Ind.

4 Campus innovation

5 Geneseo globetrotters

5 Alumni Council

6 Finding their muse

6 News in brief

CAMPUS NEWS

4 geneseo scene

When Nick Komprare’86 was living in atriple in Monroe

Hall, microwaves were still anovelty. He laughs remember-ing how his girlfriend overheat-ed a chicken nugget until theflaming, shriveled remains setoff all the fire alarms and emp-tied the residence hall.He also recalls the calmer

moments — sunsets in the val-ley, Frisbee every evening, andthe lifelong friends he made. “It’s where you do a lot of

your growing up and matur-ing,” he says. “You go throughthat process with your friends. I formed some strong bondsthere.” His fondness for his time

there hasn’t changed, but tech-nology has. In the new Monroe, students

are flushing toilets with rainwa-ter collected from the roof.Heating and cooling are con-trolled by geothermal wells

deep underground to reduceenergy use. From a computer-ized screen in the lobby, stu-dents can track how much ener-gy is used — and is being savedin Monroe — in comparison toother buildings on campus. Prior to renovation, Monroe

was the third-oldest residencehall on campus. Built in 1961,Monroe had not had anymajor changes to its infrastruc-ture or furnishings. Monroetook a year and a half to gutand renovate. It was completedin December and opened inJanuary to 160 transfer stu-dents and guaranteed-admis-sion freshmen.In keeping with Geneseo’s

commitment to sustainabledevelopment, Monroe is built toa high level of Leadership inEnergy and EnvironmentalDevelopment (LEED) standards.The entire process — fromdesign to construction — usedenvironmentally friendly materi-

als. Even construction waste thataccumulated during demolitionwas recycled, says David Norton,project manager. It is the secondbuilding on campus to utilizegeothermal wells. The other isSeneca Hall.Komprare and other alumni

will find an entirely renovatedresidence hall, with small luxu-ries that make a huge difference. There is an elevator, new-style

rooms and suites — and nomore running to the basementwith a handful of quarters. Eachfloor has a laundry room andkitchenette. A computer pro-gram even alerts students whena washer is free.The big open lobby has been

replaced by a smaller lounge,and a new conference room,seminar room and media lab.Celia Easton, dean of residentialliving, envisions Monroe willbecome a living-learning com-munity, where students with sim-ilar academic classes can live

PHOTOS BY KEITH WALTERS ’11

CAMPUS NEWS

ONE COLLEGE CIRCLE

Campus innovation

Sustainability in the new Monroe Hall

The new Monroe Hall featuresgeothermal wells and rainwater

collection as well as other environ-mentally conscious construction.

and learn simultaneously. “I’m really excited for both

aspects — how innovative it isfor the environment and thestudents,” says Pat Langan ’13,a senior resident assistant inMonroe. “It’s exciting that thisis a step forward for the cam-pus in becoming eco-friendly.”Geothermal wells and rain-

water harvesting are excellentsteps in reducing the college’scarbon footprint as part of theAmerican College andUniversity Presidents ClimateCommitment, says LisaJohnson ’13, president of theGeneseo EnvironmentalOrganization. PresidentChristopher C. Dahl signed thenational agreement in 2007,vowing to reduce the college’soverall impact on the environ-ment and integrate sustainabili-ty issues into education and theGeneseo culture.

— Daniel O’Brien ’13

Winter 2013 5

Ahigher percentage ofGeneseo students studyabroad during their

college years than students onany other SUNY campus.Although the percentage of

students completing theirhumanities requirement,enrolling in courses or experi-encing service-learning interna-tionally varies by year, saysAssistant Provost forInternational ProgramsRebecca Lewis, approximately38 percent of Geneseo’s 5,480undergraduates do so at sometime during their studies atGeneseo.SUNY Oswego is the next

highest, at 24 percent, accord-ing to SUNY data.“We are living in a global

society, and what students areseeking in a college experienceincludes comprehensive globaleducation,” says Lewis. “Morestudents are weighing interna-tional opportunities whenchoosing as well. Geneseo hasmany diverse programs, manyled by faculty, and we are con-

stantly evaluating and creatingprograms.”Twenty years ago, studying

and living in a foreign culturewas more of a novelty. In 1990-1991, just 70 Geneseo studentsdid so. By 2000, there were130. Last year, 445 studentspacked a passport. Studyabroad information sessionsduring Parents Weekend typi-cally attract 400 parents.A main reason so many

Geneseo students study abroadis the support from administra-tors and professors who believeglobal education is integral to acomprehensive liberal arts edu-cation, says Lewis.Geneseo students have 43 dif-

ferent programs on five conti-nents available, directlythrough the college or a part-nering institution. More thanhalf of Geneseo’s programs arefaculty-led. This summer, pro-fessors are leading students onfirst-time programs in Poland,Lithuania and China.Such transformative experi-

ences give students confidence,

skills and deeper understandingof global issues and cultures.Allison Hoppe ’13 was among

the first Geneseo students toparticipate in a new service-learning program in Ugandalast summer, led by Lecturer ofPolitical Science andInternational Relations JeremyGrace and the Foundation forSustainable Development.Hoppe was part of a small

team of students that helped asavings and microfinance coop-erative develop a sustainableprogram to generate moremoney to loan. The co-op focus-es on serving single, widowedand HIV-positive womenthrough low-interest loans.“It has made a big difference

for them,” she says. “The idea ofgoing to another country anddoing development work seemsdaunting and overwhelming …Having done this, it’s possibleand something I feel comfort-able and excited doing. Youcan’t do something like that andnot have it be a life-changingexperience.”

— Kris Dreessen

Global education

Geneseo leads in international studyAlumni Councilholds firstmeeting

PHOTO BY KEITH W

ALTERS ’11

Allison Hoppe ’13, left, helped residents with economic development in Uganda.

From California to Floridato Massachusetts, alumnireturned to campus Oct.26 to attend the inauguralmeeting of the AlumniCouncil. The council isfocused on adding struc-ture to alumni volunteerorganizations across thecountry to capitalize onGeneseo’s growingmomentum.“Our goal is to merge

the work among the manyGeneseo organizationsthat exist today, and to cre-ate synergies that will con-nect students and alumninot only to each other butto opportunities beyondthe campus,” said councilChair John Gleason ’87.Vice Chairs Tracie

Lopardi Brown ’95, GaryGrose ’87 and Bob Muller’83 led sessions in theareas of events, communi-cation and engagement,respectively.The council is evaluating

ideas and feedback sharedduring the event to devel-op engagement strategiesfor the coming year. “We want to make sure

our alumni feel as greatabout Geneseo now asthey did when they wenthere,” said Lopardi Brown.

— Anthony T. HoppaPHOTO PROVIDED

John Gleason ’87, left, Gary Grose’87, Tracie Lopardi Brown ’95 andBob Muller ’83.

6 geneseo scene

Teams clinch SUNY titlesThe college added three moreSUNY Athletic Conference cham-pionships last fall — women’stennis and cross-country andmen’s cross-country.The women’s tennis team

has won five SUNY titles. Thewomen’s cross-country teamwon its 12th title in 13 years.The men’s team won its fourthconsecutive title.

Two win ‘Coaches of theYear’Geneseo’s coaches for cross-country and tennis wererecently named Coach of the

Year in theSUNYAthleticConference.Coach

Mike Woodshas ledGeneseorunners to23 SUNY-

wide championships in his 21years at the college.Woods again earned the dis-

tinction for men’s and women’scross-country last fall. He has

been honored a total of 10 timesfor men’s cross-country. He hasearned 11 Coach of the Year

awards forwomen’s —the most ofany SUNY-AC cross-countrycoach inboth ofthosesports.

Tennis Coach James Chen hasbeen Coach of the Year threeout of the last four years.

College noted for physicsgraduatesThe sciences are the mostpopular disciplines amongGeneseo students, and thephysics department is boom-ing. Geneseo is second amongthe nation’s more than 500primarily undergraduate insti-tutions for producing thelargest number of studentsgraduating with physicsdegrees from 2008-2010,according the AmericanInstitute of Physics. Geneseo issecond to Annapolis, the U.S.Naval Academy.Geneseo averaged 26 grad-

uates per year from 2008-

2010. Professor of Physics andChair Charles Freeman creditsthe opportunity for studentsto collaborate with faculty andconduct research projects inareas that pique their interest.

Milne creates new homefor rare publicationsMilne Library has always beena home for scholarly pursuits.It is also home to rare, histori-cal and unique collections ofpublications for such diversetopics as college and regionalhistory, international rarebooks, Henry David Thoreauand publications authored by faculty, staff and alumni.They are all housed in the

new College Archive andSpecial Collections area, whichincludes study rooms equippedas teaching and learning labs.

Intercultural cookbookreleasedGeneseo’s MOSAIC CulturalAwareness Series has releasedan online cookbook featuringrecipes for dishes that havebeen served at various culturaldinners on campus, as well asother ethnically diverse dishes.Visit go.geneseo.edu/mosaic-cookbook.

New leader directs collegeadvancementThe college welcomed a newleader of college advancementlast fall. Bill Brower has 24 years of

experience in development andcapital campaign experience at

educationalinstitutions,including 16years atHamiltonCollege asexecutivedirector ofmajor giftsandadvance-

ment services, and other posi-tions during capital campaignsof more than $100 million.At Geneseo, Brower directs a

team of 28 professionalsengaged in development, com-munications and alumni rela-tions. Among his initiatives areboosting alumni giving andengagement and strengtheninggiving to The Fund for Geneseo.

Students help marketingstrategy for historic homesteadWhen Main Street and regionalmerchants want fresh ideas toenhance their businesses, theyoften seek students inProfessor of CommunicationMary Mohan’s public relationsclasses.Last semester, students

developed ideas to rejuvenatethe historic WadsworthHomestead in the village,which was recently reopenedas an event facility. Fourteenteams of students engineeredbranding and strategies formarketing, collaborating withWill Wadsworth. TheWadsworth family memberswere pioneers in Geneseo.The class is also examininghow the homestead can effec-tively use social media andnetworking.

NEWS IN BRIEF

ONE COLLEGE CIRCLE

WOODS

CHEN

Spotlight on innovation

Finding their muse: Writers in residence

Writers House residence hall opened in 2009with a mission to be a home for writers of allkinds to cultivate and share their passion.As such, it has been host to several “writers in

residence,” who lend expertise and encouragestudents to pursue their interest and to exploredifferent genres. They have included a poet,playwright, children’s author, filmmaker andrecording industry executive Ruby Marchandfrom Rykodisc, a part of Warner Music Group.For the first two months of the spring 2013

semester, playwright Elizabeth Wong, bestknown for “Letters to a Student Revolutionary,”a comedy and drama, and “Kimchee andChitlins,” a satirical drama, is living in WritersHouse and working closely with students.

Wong is directing a student production ofMoliere’s “Tartuffe” for the Department ofTheatre and Dance, and teaching anadvanced playwriting course. Students sub-mitted an original five-minute play to enroll.Writers House students have been inspired

by the writers and the opportunity to collabo-rate with them. After meeting at a songwrit-ing workshop in Writers House, Marchandhelped Angela Aida Carducci ’12 believe shehad the talent to attend graduate school forvocal arts.“She really encouraged me,” said Carducci,

who is now studying at Bard CollegeConservatory of Music.

— Kim Showalter ’13

BROWER

Winter 2013 7

Professor inspired alumnusI enjoy reading accounts of howGeneseo professors help shapethe future of their students. Iowe a lot of thanks to businessLecturer Paul Scipione.I arrived for my senior year

with no professional experi-ence and very little idea ofwhere I was headed. That fall,I took Dr. S.’s market researchcourse and got involved withhis projects at the SurveyResearch Center. Knowing Ihad found what I wanted todo, I interned at a researchfirm under a former student ofDr. S. With some experienceand a reference from Dr. S., Igot a job with a nationally rec-ognized market research firm.After a few years there, I

called Dr. S. and told him I wasapplying to the master of mar-keting research program at theUniversity of Georgia. Withoutmy asking, he was on the phonethe following morning with aprofessor there that he knew.As I made the drive to Georgiato begin classes this June, Ithought of where I might be ifit were not for Dr. S.

— Jason Hoskins ’09

Big Tree article is rootedin memoriesThe article on the Big Tree Innbrought back old memories. Itransferred to Geneseo in 1970to finish my degree in businessadministration. I worked forJoe Vitale and his daughter atthe Vital Spot and later for

National Academy.I’ve been very fortunate to do

all that I set out to do and I feelthat the educational back-ground and discipline that Ilearned at Geneseo played ahuge part in my success.

— Dennis Nayor ’95

Sorority sister is an inspiration in the wake ofSuperstorm Sandy When my friend and sorority sis-ter, Lauren Redmond Rafferty’01, and her family evacuatedher home in Breezy Point,Queens, she could have neverpredicted how Hurricane Sandywould forever change her. Hourslater, Breezy Point was under 4feet of water and a massive fireraged through the community.Almost instantly, she utilized herleadership skills to support oth-ers, quickly providing informa-tion about how to help salvagephotos, family heirlooms andhow to file claims with theFederal Emergency ManagementAgency. Her husband helpedwith clean-up efforts. Bothhelped their neighbors while, intheir own lives, they enduredprofound devastation.Her active and alumni sisters

responded just as swiftly. Morethan $5,000 was raised for vic-tims of Hurricane Sandy bymore than 100 individuals withties to Sigma Delta Tau’sGamma Chi Chapter atGeneseo.

— Jill Bryson ’00

John Lockhart at the Whale’sTale. Shortly after arriving intown, I became fast friendswith John, and his then wife,Sharon, who are both wonder-ful people. When the Big TreeInn went bust in 1971, Johnbought at auction the contentsof its wine cellar and we spentthe next semester drinking ourway through the cellar. Thefriends I made while at schoolare friends today.

— Mike Hanley ’72

I really enjoyed reading aboutthe Big Tree Inn’s history, andBarry Kaplan’s letter about his50-year reunion was a neat tripdown memory lane. Next yearwill be my 50th year of living inparadise (Hawaii) and playingsoftball competitively. Luckyme. My Geneseo coaches —Mort Akers and Vic Rashi —would be proud. Fond memo-ries and warm alohas.

— Jim “Sparky” Reed ’61

Life lessons at WGSUThe “Dusk to Dawn” photoessay brought me back morethan 35 years to closing upWGSU at 2 a.m. after the lastshow of the day. After startingmy radio days as a freshman, Imoved up to “supervisor” as ajunior. That meant trainingnew members, doing record-ing work and overseeing thestation late at night. While Ilearned a lot from wonderfulprofessors, my education out-side the classroom was as valu-able as any I received. WGSU

is one of the main reasons Iam where I am today.I am an associate professor of

communication studies andcoordinator of the master’s pro-gram at Morgan State. I helpedcreate the FM radio station atmy former college, College ofStaten Island/CUNY. I was gen-eral manager of the station for22 years. I was also a facultyadvisor for the FM station atRichard Stockton College.WGSU made me a strong

adherent to experiential learn-ing. I learned to work ingroups, how to supervise peo-ple, and received the firstinkling that I might want toteach. It opened up a wholeworld to me.It is nice to see WGSU is an

important part of the Geneseocommunity today.

— Gregory Adamo ’76

Discipline and ethicsbuoyed police chiefI’m proud to say that many ofthe qualities that I learned asa Geneseo student have servedme extremely well.Upon graduating in 1995 as

a poli sci major, I was hired asa police officer for the City ofOneonta (N.Y.) PoliceDepartment. In my 17-yearcareer, I’ve served as a patrolofficer, DARE officer, ser-geant, detective and lieu-tenant, and now am chief ofpolice. As a result of my workethic, I’ve been sent to manyamazing and advancedschools, including the FBI

LETTERS

We want to hear from you! The Scene welcomes feedback and encourages discussion ofhigher-education issues, content and your thoughts about Geneseo. Send letters, whichmay be edited for space, to scene@geneseo.edu or to the Scene editor, SUNY Geneseo,Roemer House, 1 College Circle, Geneseo, NY 14454.

Letters to the Editor

8 geneseo scene

60 years of innovation and a taste of homeNow Serving:

Winter 2013 9

Nancy Davis ’64 was among the first students to work forCampus Auxiliary Services (CAS) when dining hallsfirst opened on campus, doing a semester in the dish

room.Back then, the menu was a decent, one-choice meal. She

never liked ham, but she learned to eat it.“Nothing too frisky or exciting,” laughs Davis. “You got a

meal ticket, you went to the cafeteria and you ate what theygave you.”What a difference 50 years can make.Every Tuesday this semester, Mallory Shaffer ’15 is earning

money toward next year’s tuition by stir-frying baby bok choyand fresh-cut vegetables in house-made lemongrass and teriyakisauces at Fusion Market. The Student Union eatery features fla-vors inspired by world cuisine, and every dish is made to order.There is always a line.Like Davis and Shaffer, every Geneseo student of the last 60

years or so — more than 50,000 — has lived with CAS, the not-for-profit company that operates independently of the collegeand delivers dining and a host of other services on campus forstudents, faculty and staff. More than 10,000 students haveworked for CAS for pocket money or to pay for their educationover the years.CAS has always been a vital — and often inconspicuous —

partner at Geneseo, enhancing daily life on campus by helpingto make it tick. CAS also supports the college’s mission to be aninnovative and effective environmental steward. It even pro-vides scholarships and undergraduate research fellowships.CAS has evolved from offering simple cafeteria-style meals to

an operation with more than 500 employees that touches facul-ty, students and others, often in surprising ways — many unre-lated to traditional dining.Even the meaning of dining on campus has changed. Davis

was astonished to hear that students are ordering grilledcheese, burgers and warm, gooey chocolate-chip cookies froma new food truck — parked outside their residence hall andopen ’til 1 a.m.“That just blew my mind,” she says. “… I am absolutely

amazed at what they have going on there now.”

•••What CAS doesCAS Executive Director Mark Scott (read more about him onPage 12) and his staff are responsible for all eight campusrestaurants and cafés, including Fusion and Starbucks, and theChowhound food truck.Overnight in the culinary support center at Red Jacket,

employees prep and pack 1,500 salads and other “grab-n-go”items sold around campus. Impressions Catering provides snacksto full meals for more than 1,200 events each year, from student-club culture nights to the President’s Recognition Dinner andSummer Reunion. CAS also runs the historic Big Tree Inn.

By Kris Dreessen

Campus Auxiliary Services has evolved from providing simple meals to also

operating and providing many campus services: catering, recycling, cable

TV, laundry, the Big Tree Inn, vending, Starbucks and car rental.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CAROLE SMITH VOLPE ’91 AND KEITH WALTERS ’11

10 geneseo scene

14,400 — Pounds of foodtrimmings composted from theCulinary Support Center.

8.5— Tons of paper products recy-cled each year.

6.4 million— gallons ofwater saved since high-efficiency wash-ing machines were installed in 2007 —enough to fill the campus pool 17times!

40— Percent reduction in fooddiscarded by each student per mealsince trays were eliminated at buffets.

20,000— Cans and bottlespotentially saved each year by addingrecycling receptacles at on-campuscatered events.

1million — napkins saved byusing dispensers that encourage lesswaste.

3,318— Pounds of milk, pro-duce, deli meats and other food donat-ed to Foodlink for needy families inthe region at the end of the spring2012 semester.

The other things CAS does are lessknown but equally impressive. Take a sin-gle student’s experience:CAS runs the restaurant where Courtney

Cataudella ’15 eats yogurt for breakfastand the meal plan program she uses tobuy it at Mary Jemison. CAS runs the iden-tification services where Courtney got herGeneseo ID used for purchasing mealsand accessing her residence hall. CASmanages the contract for the companythat runs the Geneseo UniversityBookstore — where she bought her politi-cal science textbook — and the vendingmachine in the Union, where she gets herlate-night hummus and chips. CAS rentsher micro-fridge and provides the equip-ment she uses to watch her favorite TVshows and to do laundry. Courtney’s daily

Starbucks fix? It’sopen when she needsit, ’til 2 a.m. She alsocan rent a car throughCAS. CAS handles refuse

for the dining opera-tions and all campusrecycling, too.“I knew a little bit

about what they did,but that’s surprising,”says Cataudella, who isalso a cashier in Fusion. “I usually justthink of CAS as providing food on campusbut it’s enlightening to realize they pro-vide almost all of the residential servicesthat really make living here comfortable.”It takes some 375 students and 150 com-

munity members, working full or parttime, to make everything run smoothly.Those include a certified executive chef,four professional chefs and a registereddietitian available to students.They all serve one mission, says Scott:

“Support the mission of the college. That’sit. Period.”That increasingly means providing nec-

essary services as conveniently and with asmuch customization as possible. Being anot-for-profit company and being inde-pendent provides nimbleness, says Scott,with the benefit of allowing CAS to runmore like a private entity. “We’re really creating more of an experi-

ence,” says Rebecca Stewart ’04, CAS mar-keting coordinator. “We want to providethose extra services with those extra touch-es to make it special, to make it conven-

ient … It’s not a cookie-cutter experience.”Such continual innovation is more than

luxury. Life on campus is a big part of theGeneseo experience, and Scott is keenlyaware that such amenities are increasinglyimportant for students choosing schools.“Today schools are much more competi-

tive, and it’s not just about being morecompetitive in the classroom,” says Scott.“Students look at quality of life, too ... Wecarry a tremendous responsibility to helpGeneseo be competitive and enrich thecollege experience.”

CAS evolutionCAS is midway through its five-year strategicplan to elevate all dining facilities on cam-pus. A revamped Corner Pocket and theFusion Market opened last spring. At all

restaurants, nearly every-thing is house-made.Homemade and cus-

tom-order meals willreach a new level in 2014when Letchworth DiningHall reopens after a $13million renovation. The new Letchworth

will feature a from-scratchbakery and diet-specificstations that cater tokosher, halal, gluten-freeand vegan diets, and a

“Top Chef” area where students can eatwhile watching chefs’ cooking demonstra-tions. It will also double as an events venue.Another SUNY first: Geneseo’s “purple”

chefs.CAS trained chef assistants, managers

and student supervisors in preparing foodfor those with food allergies and intro-duced a special crew of employees who canmake any meal for those who have foodallergies, at any campus restaurant. Theywear checkered hats and carry a specialpurple suitcase of kitchen tools. Geneseo was the first SUNY campus to

introduce the “purple suitcases” in diningcenters, says Scott.Change beyond the dining halls is

increasingly quick — and geared towardconvenience — as technology progresses.Students don’t even have to leave their res-idence hall room to see which washingmachines and dryers are free.“I couldn’t imagine that would happen,

but I certainly would have loved it,” saysDan Bock ’76, who worked in the dishroom while at Geneseo.

FAST FACTS …

Waste not: What we save

YOU CANDO WHAT?

New high-efficiency washersand dryers are outfitted withsoftware so students cancheck which machines are free— and receive a text whentheir clothes are done!

Winter 2013 11

A leader in sustainabilityCAS has worked to make operations moreefficient and help Geneseo reduce itsimpact on the environment; it’s one of asmall group of SUNY auxiliary servicesorganizations that examine sustainabilityat campuses statewide.CAS’s introduction of high-efficiency

washing machines, recycling and otherprograms has saved Geneseo more than6.4 million gallons of water since 2007,and 8.5 tons of paper products from beingdumped in landfills each year.Composting food scraps from the pack-

aged meals made at the culinary centerconverts more than 14,000 pounds of foodinto mulch in the campus compost pile,which is used in campus landscaping.Those big and small changes add up.

(Read more about the impact CAS has onreducing environmental impact on Page 10.)CAS also dedicates some of its operating

budget to purchase goods and servicesfrom businesses in a 100-mile radius ofGeneseo, and from minority- and women-owned businesses. “We believe in our responsibility to be

stewards for Geneseo,” says Scott. “Wefocus on the broader definition of sustain-ability — not just reduce, reuse, recyclearound material resources. We also focuson how to sustain communities and theirwell-being.”

Student ImpactCAS also plays a significant role in hun-dreds of students’ lives each year by easingtheir financial burden through employ-ment. Along the way, they gain careerskills, a new social circle and memoriesthat resonate for a lifetime.Gina Middleton ’14 waitresses at the Big

Tree Inn and serves as a student supervisorfor the campus catering service to pay forher car insurance, gasoline and rent whileshe’s earning her degree in English andadolescent education.She needs the job but she racks up extra

hours for something else — fun. She mether best friend working. Her boyfriend,too. Spreading butter onto plates for din-ers — and bantering with her buddieswhile doing it — feels as much like hang-ing out as work.“I love my job, I really do. I couldn’t

imagine school without it,” says Middleton.“It’s my social life.”Like Middleton, Shaffer is thankful she

can work on campus. But it’s more than

“One Walter with oink! One Scrappy Doo!”I’ve worked the Chowhound’s register for the past hour, cashing out students hungry

for food served up in the new food truck. I am just comfy enough to find my food-truckvoice. I slide receipts down the line like a pro, then look to my supervisor, Maurizo, tomake sure I haven’t fouled up the works. I got the hang of it pretty quickly.The truck is new, a novelty of sorts, and fun. There’s music playing and the close

quarters requires teamwork — think four people making lunch in a pop-up trailer —and breeds a familiarity that fosters friendship.As Scene editor, my philosophy has always been to get in the trenches to truly under-

stand — and tell — the Geneseo story. To experience the flavor of working for CAS, Icompleted shifts at Chowhoundand at Geneseo’s newest café,Fusion Market.At Fusion, Chef Chris first has

me make a simple and largebatch of peanut sauce. Well, maybe it’s not so simple, because I promptly ruin thebatch by adding too much soy sauce. Oops.Lucky for me, Chris incorporates my error into a larger batch, doubling everything

but the soy sauce, and we wind up with enough tasty peanut sauce to fill a kiddie pool. The sauce will be put to good use at the stir-fry station, where Mallory Shaffer ’15

cooks up an entrée every three minutes or so. I watch Mallory make a beef teriyaki —once — then jump in. I later move to the sandwich station, where we work nonstoptoasting bread, spreading spreads and layering meat. At one point, I’m told I have a 42-second break while the toast is browning.When I finally take off my apron, I’m exhausted. I’ve learned a few things, and one

of the most important is how hard CAS employees work.And, freshness counts. During my peanut-sauce adventure, someone next to me

diced two cases of tomatoes for pico de gallo. Time and effort could be saved by buy-ing these things, but CAS doesn’t. I appreciate what I order so much more.It was also fun. It’s a unique atmosphere to have your work enjoyed by your peers.

There’s a real camaraderie and I was welcomed into it. Alumni are always telling mehow much fun it was to get soaked in the dish room or how they met their best friendsthrough CAS shifts. I can certainly see that.

PHOTO BY KEITH WALTERS ’11

Scene editor joins the front lines of CAS

:Share your memories of CAS! email scene@geneseo.edu or visit ourGeneseo Alumni Facebook page!

Scene editor Kris Dreessen, right, discovers what it's like to work for CAS in the new Chowhound

food truck, with the patience of supervisor Maurizo Burroni.

Geneseo chef develops sauce for all SUNY diners As more families seek meals withingredients grown and producedclose to home, Geneseo is doing itspart to serve fresher foods and boostthe regional economy.In Geneseo kitchens, Chef Jonna

Anne, certified executive chef anddirector of culinary operations, is stir-ring pots of freshly pureéd tomatoesand fragrant basil leaves and addingchopped garlic by the pinch to createa recipe that will become a base forpizza sauce that will available for useon all 64 SUNY campuses.The project is part of SUNY’s

ongoing sustainability efforts. All ingredients will be grown, processed, manufactured andsold within New York state.“I feel very honored they chose me for this project,” says Anne.

12 geneseo scene

Mark Scott’s college mentor taught him theimportance of a clean white shirt and a con-servative tie. Scott later adopted a more col-orful style to match his personality, but he’shung on to the lesson.“He taught me the value of those first

impressions,” says Scott.Walk into the College Union for coffee at

Starbucks or lemongrass curry stir-fry andyou immediately see the new face of Geneseodining. Modern. Customized entrees. It’s allpart of Scott’s vision.Scott, who earned a bachelor’s degree in

hospitality and an MBA, came to Geneseo in2007 with 20 years of experience leadingteams in dining, plant operations and restau-rant and facilities management. He led guestand restaurant services at Walt DisneyWorld’s Epcot Center, and also teams of 300to 700 employees at industry giant AramarkManagement Services. Always interested incollege settings, he also provided career,financial and other counseling to minorityand financially disadvantaged students asassistant director of the Canisius OpportunityPrograms for Education at Canisius College.Scott says he draws on all of his expertise

to improve CAS services continually for morethan 5,500 students as well as faculty andstaff. His single philosophy: Support Geneseo’s

mission to be the premier public liberal artscollege. He’s constantly examining what’snew, what’s sound business and what peoplewant. “I kept saying to myself that I love the serv-

ice industry and being a business person, if Icould do it in a place that I really appreciateand I was most fulfilled, I’d be in heaven,”says Scott. “People spend a lifetime lookingfor that opportunity. For me, this is thatplace.”

nership with Follett, the company contract-ed to run the bookstore, provides $6,000per year for undergraduate research.Follett also provides $5,000 in textbookgrants for financially eligible students.CAS has also made a $500,000 commit-

ment to Shaping Lives of Purpose: TheCampaign for Geneseo. This year, CASprovided a $20,000 research grant to twoGeneseo education professors who areexploring how iPads and digital texts andtools are integrated into courses.While many students who work at CAS

ultimately choose careers outside hospitali-ty, for others the entire CAS experience, inpart, inspired them to join the field —some right at Geneseo.Shayne Cook ’02 majored in studio art

but worked in kitchens his whole life —including grilling burgers and doing thedishes at Geneseo. When he decided tomove in a different direction, he chosefood service. He has been assistant manag-er at Red Jacket for three years.The philosophy at Geneseo, and the

ability to make a home away from home,and have such impact, inspired RebeccaStewart ’04 to build her career with CAS.“There were a lot of things I saw within

the company while I was a student workerthat interested me so much — and I couldsee so much change in those four yearsand so much excitement, I decided tomake it my home,” says Stewart.

that. Working at CAS is like “working with-in a community,” says Shaffer.That community is one Middleton knows

isn’t likely to happen again. She knowsthese four years will be among the onesshe misses most. An English and educationmajor, Middleton doesn’t plan on a careerin hospitality, but has realized how impor-tant it is to feel good coming to work.“I don’t want to leave!” says Middleton.

“CAS has integrated into every part of mylife. Once I graduate, the most importantthing to me will be being able to make aliving and be happy doing it.”Decades later, alumni like Kevin

Gavagan ’75, a member of the GeneseoFoundation Board of Directors, knowabout such memories. Some of Gavagan’sbest at Geneseo were at the Rathskellar, abar in the basement of Letchworth thatCAS operated. It closed more than 30 years ago, but its

closing is still mourned by many.“I served the first drink ever served

there,” says Gavagan, who bartended andwas a student manager when the beer ofchoice, Genny Cream Ale, was a quarterand you could buy “subs and suds” withyour meal plan. “It was the hometown bar,” says

Gavagan. “It was a happy, safe place tohang out.” After it closed when the drink-ing age was raised to 19 in 1982, Gavagansays “we shed a brief tear over the passingof an era.”CAS also offers $1,000 scholarships to 10

student employees annually, and in part-

Jonna AnnePHOTO BY KEITH WALTERS ’11

CAS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Mark Scott

PHOTO BY KEITH WALTERS ’11

Winter 2013 13

After the StormThe Geneseo community reaches out with relief efforts in Sandy’s wake.

Story by Kris Dreessen • Photos by Keith Walters ’11

:View the entire Sandy relief trip gallery atgo.geneseo.edu/sandyCARES

Chuck Reyes, Geneseo’s environmental health and safety director, looks on as Saif Ratul ’13, left, and Matt Bower ’13 remove a piece of a shed that was blown

into a homeowner’s yard on Staten Island.

14 geneseo scene

“Never underestimate the effort ofone person or a group. You make ahuge difference to the person youare helping.”

— Alyssa Stefanese ’15

“The water is coming. I have togo. I love you.”Those were the final words

Alyssa Stefanese ’15 heard before her moth-er hung up the phone. “I just started crying. I could hear in her

voice that something was wrong,” she says. It would be 18 hours before Alyssa knew

her parents were safe from SuperstormSandy, when her uncle texted her a phototaken from her own bedroom window intheir Staten Island home. She saw her entireneighborhood flooded with water as high asthe stop sign below.Her parents had found refuge upstairs,

where they had stayed up all night. As theirown couch floated against the ceiling, theyreassured the family huddled on their roofnext door that it would be all right. Rescuersevacuated them by boat the next day.Staten Island was especially hard hit,

accounting for half the deaths from Sandyin the New York City area. “I never thought it would happen,” says

Alyssa.Despite the challenges her own family

faces — and the repairs their home needs

— Alyssa volunteered with a 19-memberLivingston County CARES crew of stu-dents, alumni, college staff and communi-ty members to help alleviate other fami-lies’ heartache.The group spent a week in a Staten

Island community minutes away fromAlyssa’s home, clearing debris and guttinghomes. It is one of several ways membersof the Geneseo family, including studentsand alumni, have assisted those affected bythe storm.

•••Chuck Reyes, Geneseo’s environmentalhealth and safety director, didn’t expectthe devastation the volunteers encoun-tered. The New Dorp area where theyworked is close to the shore. Debris waseverywhere. Walls ripped off houses.Basements caved in. Signs of warning onunsafe homes. One woman he saw was sort-ing through waterlogged photos pulledfrom her home.“That was her life. That was what was

left,” says Chuck. “… It was horrendous. Itwasn’t one or two houses. It was streets andstreets of houses. It was gut-wrenching.”

Volunteers were surprised at the devastation on

Staten Island, where Stephen Kowalewski ’13

and others helped nine homeowners rebuild. A

second Livingston County CARES work trip is

planned for March.

:Learn more about LivingstonCounty CARES atcommunitycare.geneseo.edu

Winter 2013 15

Volunteers helped clear debris fromyards and gut nine homes in the week,working with homeowners arrangedthrough Bethel United Methodist Churchof Staten Island. They bunked on sleepingpads at a Jewish Community Center,arranged by Alyssa. Alyssa worked with Associate Dean of

Leadership and Service Tom Matthews,who is also a board member of LivingstonCounty CARES, to arrange the trip quickly. Livingston CARES has a long tradition of

helping families rebuild in the Biloxi, Miss.,area after Hurricane Katrina. A day after theStaten Island crew returned to Geneseo inJanuary, another group left for Biloxi for aweek. More than 700 volunteers have partici-pated in 26 trips since 2005. LivingstonCARES wanted to help New York now, saysMatthews. Because of Alyssa’s interest, StatenIsland was the right area to work, he says.There is a lot of interest for the next

Sandy work group in March. “It just speaksvolumes about people’s interest in commu-nity service,” says Matthews.“Experiences like these are an integral

part of the liberal education we value atGeneseo,” says President Christopher C.Dahl, who has volunteered in Biloxi. “TheKatrina and Sandy work trips are meaning-ful examples of how our college strives tomake a difference. Alumni efforts carry onthat tradition.”Sandy relief crew members are proud

Geneseo so often demonstrates that concern.Trevor Ramsey-Macomber ’09 always had

an intrinsic desire to help others.Livingston CARES and Geneseo gave him

the outlets to do so. Heparticipated in four Biloxirelief trips, which helped him decide tojoin the Peace Corps working inMicronesia.Alumni identified their own niches to

provide relief as well. Mary Kate Tischler’96 co-founded the Sandy Can’t StealChristmas group to provide gifts for fami-lies on Long Island. Lauren RedmondRafferty ’01 and her family suffered heavydamage to their own Breezy Point home,but Sigma Delta Tau alumnae and activesisters raised more than $5,000 for victims.Bronx firefighter Brian Malone ’05responded in the storm with his crew.Through his creation of Yummy Relief,

New York City chef and caterer JosephYoon ’97 cooked or organized thousands ofhot meals that he and volunteers served inhard-hit and under-served areas.Before break, students also hosted a

wing-eating contest and other fundraiserson campus.Such dedication to community service

and opportunities for leadership are“extremely important,” says Alyssa. “That’ssomething that attracted me to Geneseo.”

•••During the Staten Island trip, volunteersmet and often worked with homeowners,like Rocco, who left his home inPennyslvania to help his mother with hers,which had completely flooded. The stormhad swept chest-high piles of debris, a shedand someone else’s roof into the yard.Chuck and the volunteers worked to

clean and to remove the shed.

“Rocco’s phone never stopped ringing,”remembers Chuck. “He was helping somany different people. There’s a heroright there.”Volunteers say it is not the devastation

that will stay with them, but the connec-tions thay made with homeowners theyhelped — and the remarkable bonds theyfound with each other.“The things you build or deconstruct are

nothing at the end of the day without thepeople behind them,” says Trevor. “That isthe eternal part of the work we do.” Here lies the heart of their — and any-

one’s — efforts to assist others, say Alyssaand others.Sandy caused some $33 billion in physi-

cal and economic loss. No one person orgroup is going to fix Staten Island or eventhe entire block. But one person or groupcan and does make a huge difference inhelping people.With many hands, Livingston CARES vol-

unteers completed work in two days whatRocco thought would take him two weeks,says Alyssa.She knows how much such support and

caring acts — large and small — mean.Immediately after the storm, rescuerssearched for her parents. Her aunt anduncle took in their dogs. Her cousins invit-ed them to stay in their home.“Never underestimate the effort of one

person or a group,” says Alyssa. “You makea huge difference to the person you arehelping.”

Chuck Reyes, Geneseo’s environmental health and safety director, and Diana

Castro ’14 carry insulation and ceiling material from a home as a fellow volunteer

kicks down the ceiling above.

(Below) Alyssa Stefanese ’15 waited 18 hours before she knew her

family was safe after Superstorm Sandy. Despite repairs her

family’s home needs, she volunteered to help others with the

Livingston CARES crew. The bonds she made with volunteers

during clean-up were extraordinary, she says.

Preserving a Geneseo landmarkone stone at a time

16 geneseo scene

: Visit the Save the Wall Facebook group —facebook.com/groups/Geneseosavethewall

Winter 2013 17

had to get rid of them. So it was natural tobuild these very casual, dry-stacked walls.They’re all over New England, but not somuch in western New York.”The uniqueness of the wall and a lack of

historical documentation have led to manyquestions. Where did the 750,000 or sostones in the wall come from? When was itbuilt? Why did the Wadsworths craft astone wall around the homestead whenmost homes from that period featurefences made from other materials?That’s the second part of the Save the

Wall project. Cylke says he and other volun-teers are on a quest to answer those ques-tions. They are just starting to searchthrough archives and the Wadsworth letters.Louise and Will Wadsworth, current

owners of the homestead, are also active inthe restoration. As the wall was slowlyunearthed from the shrubbery and weeds,Will was amazed.“It was unbelievable,” he said. “The wall

is a village icon … We are committed toworking to this end and hope that thecommunity continues to be a valued part-ner in this project.” Today, Will and Louise have restored and

reopened the homestead as an event venueand centerpiece for the community. (Readhow students are assisting with marketingstrategies on Page 6).While there is still much more work to be

done on the wall, Cylke is confident that theproject is well on its way. After clearing sev-eral decades worth of overgrowth anddebris from the section between Elm Streetand the top of the hill, he feels that some ofthe toughest work is complete.“I’m optimistic that we’ve made progress

on the worst of it,” he says.When Robert Frost wrote, “Something

there is that doesn’t love a wall, thatsends the frozen-ground-swell under it,and spills the upper boulders in the sun,”he could have been describing Geneseo’sweathered wall. And while one might argue that fences

and walls do not make good neighbors, inGeneseo, this one is bringing neighbors,students, faculty and alumni together.

Bordering the historic WadsworthHomestead on South Street, themile-long stone wall has greeted visi-

tors to Geneseo for more than a century.The distinctive wall, however, has sufferedrecently from the erosive effects of over-growth and weathering. Fallen stones lieon the ground and entire sections have collapsed into the landscape.But help has arrived.The Save the Wall effort, led by Associate

Professor Kurt Cylke, chair of the sociologydepartment and an Association for thePreservation of Geneseo board member,has brought together community, faculty,student and alumni volunteers.Wielding chain saws, Weedwhackers and

wire brushes, volunteers gathered everySaturday from June to September to chipaway old cement, clean each stone and sortthe stones by size. John White, a mason from nearby

Dansville, has begun piecing the wall backtogether.While restoration will probably take

three years, Cylke is already impressed withthe desire of volunteers to unite and pre-serve a piece of Geneseo history.“This is a delightful reminder of what a

special place Geneseo is,” says Cylke. “Wehave this historic district, which is like a liv-ing museum. It is constantly changing anddynamic — and what makes it work is peo-ple willing to volunteer and care.”Over the summer, more than 100 volun-

teers booked nearly 700 hours of work onthe wall. Patty Fennell ’65 delivered icepops and water to the workers. EddieCaruso, owner of Mama Mia’s, providedpizza. Village Mayor Dick Hatheway, profes-sor emeritus of geology, pitched in.Professor Emerita Myrt Merritt sat on aflipped-over bucket cleaning stones. Andwhen students returned to campus, theyjoined in, clearing brush and piling rocks.In October, 20 members of the men’s ice

hockey team volunteered in the efforts. “I knew it was something that we, as a

team, could assist with,” said Head CoachChris Schultz ’97. “It is very important forus to be involved with the community.”

The wall — and the Wadsworths —have been an integral part of Geneseohistory since 1790, when brothers Jamesand William Wadsworth traveled to west-ern New York to care for their aginguncle’s land claim. In 1804, James builtthe homestead. In the 1840s, his sonWilliam inherited the property and mar-ried Emmeline Austin. Years later,William’s sons would erect the bronzebear fountain on Main Street as a memo-rial to their beloved mother.

The stone wall that borders the home-stead property has long been a welcominglandmark to Geneseo. When rehabilitated,it will again serve as a distinctive entranceto the historic village, says Cylke.The wall is a bit of an anomaly in west-

ern New York.“In New England, there are stone walls

everywhere,” says Cylke. “Stones were justbubbling up from the ground, and farmers

Faculty, students, alumni and community members areuniting to restore a historic wall.

By Lisa M. Feinstein

Top: Ice Hockey Head Coach Chris Shultz ’97,

left, and Colin DeJersey ’13.

Bottom: Associate Professor of Sociology

Kurt Cylke.

(Left) Ice hockey teammates Blake O’Connor ’13, left, and Brandon Angotti ’13 remove fallen stones.

PHOTOS BY KEITH W

ALT

ERS ’11

PHOTO BY KEITH W

ALT

ERS ’11

18 geneseo scene

WHAT

IF?...

By Jack Kramer ’76

An alumnus envisions what’s possiblefor Geneseo if more alumni gave.

Every day, Jack Kramer ’76 sees the lovealumni from all eras have for Geneseo.He hears it from alumni when he meetsthem across the country as chair of TheGeneseo Foundation Board of Directorsand in his position as senior vice presi-dent of customer perspective forEllucian, a higher-education softwareand services firm. He also sees it in socialmedia on Facebook, Twitter andLinkedIn. At the end of the day, he ispuzzled by a question that is difficult toanswer. Why are so few alumni giving tothe college? Kramer examines thisquandary — and envisions whatGeneseo could accomplish if alumni rallied behind their alma mater.

PERSPECTIVES

:What do you think? Shareyour thoughts with Jackand Geneseo at:go.geneseo.edu/whereiam

Winter 2013 19

The first part of this story is the pas-sion we share for our alma mater.As the chair of The Geneseo

Foundation Board of Directors, I have thedistinct pleasure of interacting with hun-

dreds of fellowGeneseo alumni eachyear. As far as I’m con-cerned, it’s the mostrewarding part of theposition. It’s what ener-gizes me to do it on topof my full-time job.It’s quite fun to watch

alums from vastly differ-ent decades share sto-

ries about what makes Geneseo so special.We all have our own story, whether it’sgreat memories of playing on a team,friends made, a special professor, or hang-ing at the IB. It’s even more enjoyablewhen one or two iconic, long-serving facul-ty members, like Bill Cook or RonHerzman, join the fray.Newly formed alumni regional commit-

tees enable us to stay connected all overthe country. Homecoming and SummerReunion attendance are at an all- timehigh, up 50 percent in the past two years.More than 11,000 of us took time to attendsome type of Geneseo alumni functionover the past 18 months.The affection also carries over into social

media. I’m on Facebook every day and I seewhat we write about Geneseo. The GeneseoFacebook page has more than 13,000 fans.Just recently, College Photographer KeithWalters’ stunning photo of a starlit SturgesQuad and Genesee Valley garnered morethan 1,000 likes — within 24 hours!Simply put, we love the darned place!Okay, so here’s the confusing part of this

story. That passion does not translate intofinancial support for our beloved Geneseo.Astonishingly, only 8.5 percent of us donat-ed to Geneseo last year.Let me put this into perspective. The pri-

vate colleges we consider to be peers typi-cally post numbers in the 30 to 50 percentrange. That’s four to six times our partici-pation rate!I don’t get it. These schools are no better

than Geneseo, their alumni are no moresuccessful than we are, and they can’tmatch our passion for our school. So,what’s up? I can’t believe it’s because wedon’t care.The only answer I can think of is that

those schools have done a better job ofcommunicating their need and have estab-lished a culture of giving back. If that’s thecase, it’s time to get started!First, let’s dispel the most common mis-

conception that Geneseo doesn’t need oursupport because it is funded by New Yorktaxpayers as part of SUNY. That used to bethe case, but no longer. State funding hasbeen in a steady decline, and more recentlyit is in a free-fall. A mere 18 percent ofGeneseo’s total campus operating budgetcomes from state funding these days. Thatmeans that Geneseo must rely upon thesame revenue sources that private schoolsdo — tuition, fees, and private support fromdonations — for 82 percent of its budget. One might ask, why not increase tuition

given the difference in the cost of a Geneseoeducation versus that of a private institution?The answer is straightforward. Geneseo can’traise tuition. SUNY tuition is set by the NewYork Legislature and it is identical for everySUNY institution in the state.A more nuanced answer is that raising

tuition significantly would directly contra-dict Geneseo’s mission to provide a quali-ty education at an affordable price. Iknow I benefited from that mission.There was no way my family could haveafforded any other academically equiva-lent alternative. I suspect many of you arenodding your head at that last sentence.So, netting it out, we want to keep

Geneseo affordable and we can’t count onadditional funding from New York. That

leaves one source of revenue we canimpact: the money we collectively donate.What if we were able to jump to the par-

ticipation rate of our private school peersin the long run? Let’s be conservative anduse 35 percent. There are some 56,000 ofus alumni still kicking around. As I said ear-lier, 8.5 percent give annually today, trans-lating to 4,760 annual donors. If 35 percentof our alumni donated, that would be awhopping 14,840 incremental annualdonors.As the average gift is $225, Geneseo

would have an additional $3.3 million avail-able for student programs each year! (Canyou tell that I was a math major?)That would be incredible!But that’s a long-term goal. What would

happen if we were to start by doubling ourparticipation, and 17 percent of alumnigave? That is an achievable goal in theshort-run. Assuming the average giftamount of $225 stayed constant, we wouldnet an additional $1 million annually! Think of how many more students

could afford a study abroad experience,conduct undergraduate research, acceptan unpaid summer internship, travel on afield expedition with a faculty mentor, orbenefit from upgraded athletic or scienceequipment!Geneseo changed my life in so many

ways. Yes, I got a great education. But thatwas just one part of the equation. I alsogrew up as a person, discovered hiddenleadership skills, developed amazing life-time friendships, and met Carol, my soulmate for more than 35 years. We havealways included Geneseo in our charitablecontributions, and I can tell you, there’snothing better than getting a thank-younote from a student whose life we’veimpacted.I can’t help but imagine what we could

do, and what Geneseo can continue to beand become, if we all gave what we can.Together, we can make a huge difference.

“Let’s dispel the most common misconception that Geneseo doesn’t need our support because itis funded by New York taxpayers as part of SUNY. That used to be the case, but no longer. State

funding has been in a steady decline, and more recently it is in a free-fall.” — Jack Kramer ’76

KRAMER

20 geneseo scene

Each fall, Geneseo student-athletesfan out across the village to helpsenior citizens rid their yards of fall-

en leaves. It’s a simple tradition thatmakes a big difference.Last year, basketball guard Thomas

Decker ’14 and 350 other players represent-ing 19 varsity teams raked leaves at 53homes. Decker also took time to run ball-handling drills at a local Family Fun Night.“When we look out in the crowd at a

game, we see families, alumni, older peo-ple,” he says. “They’re out there support-ing us, and volunteering is a way we cansupport them back.” Decker says volunteering allows him to

connect with the community. He recalls atime when he wore his team shirt shopping.“Someone came up to me and said we

raked at his house lastyear and he reallyappreciated it,” saysDecker. “That meant alot to me.”Senior citizen Norma

Byar says that help isindispensable. “I’m notsure what I’d do with-out them.”Geneseo student-ath-

letes try to stand out in competition andin civic engagement. Those efforts havehelped earn Geneseo a place on thePresident’s Higher Education CommunityService Honor Roll every year since it waslaunched in 2006, twice with distinction.From 2006 to 2009, the athletic departmentreceived the National Association of DivisionIII Athletic Administrators/JostensCommunity Service Award.“Our mantra, if you will, is ‘Classroom

Champions, Conference Champions,Community Champions,’” says AssistantAthletic Director George Gagnier ’88. “It’san expectation that our student-athleteswill be civic-minded and engaged.”

One of the ways many athletes do so is toraise money for charitable causes each year— including more than $6,600 raised inSeptember at the annual Making StridesAgainst Breast Cancer Walk in Rochester.Also, 50 student-athletes participated in theComfort Care Walk to benefit TeresaHouse, a hospice in Livingston County.Another popular tradition: The Teddy

Bear Toss. During a designatedgame, Ice Knights hockey fansthrow stuffed animals onto therink to celebrate Geneseo’s firstgoal. Hundreds are tossed and dis-tributed by local charities to kids.Last fall, student-athletes also

worked with community memberswho are saving the stone wall at thehistoric Wadsworth homestead (seestory on Page 16).The philosophy is ingrained

from the very experiences studentshave with athletics at Geneseo.Swimming and diving Coach PaulDotterweich makes that commit-ment to volunteering clear whenhe recruits new swimmers.“I’m trying to help them devel-

op as people, not just athletes,” hesays, “and it helps me find theright type of athlete for our pro-gram. When I hear alums are stilldoing breast-cancer walks, that’sreally rewarding.”Swimming alumnus Phil Szrama

’07 took the lessons to heart. Hehas climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro,Africa’s tallest mountain, with hiswife, Sadie Mueller ’06, to raisemoney for the American CancerSociety.A regular at relay events, he says

athletes’ competitive nature makes themparticularly good volunteers.Doing so means organizing schoolwork,

teamwork and community service, but it’sworth it, says Karlee McCorry ’15, a varsitysoccer player who volunteers for the TeddyBear Toss and the Colleges Against CancerClub and participates in Relay for Life.Making a difference for others makes her

time at Geneseo more valuable. “It makesgoing to school a happier experience.”

:Watch the 2012 Teddy Bear Toss — go.geneseo.edu/tedddytoss2012

By Meredith Drake

ATHLETICS AND RECREATION

Community service is part of student-athletes’ winning recordCHAMPSon and off the field

Annual yard clean-up for senior citizens is one wayGeneseo student-athletes serve the community.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN BAEK ’13

DECKER

Winter 2013 23

The Geneseo Knights are always up for a challenge.Bob Avallone ’76 and Dan Loughran ’86 are confident that alumni-athletes are ready tostep up for Geneseo once again.

Bob and Dan have contributed $40,000 to challenge alumni-athletes to support TheFund for Geneseo by participating in A Knight’s Challenge.

A Knight’s Challenge guarantees that the men’s and women’s teams with the highestalumni participation rates will receive grand prizes of $6,000 each! Second-place teamsreceive $4,500, third-place teams receive $3,500, and all teams reaching a benchmarkof 15% participation will receive $1,000.

Have you participated? Make a qualifying gift* to The Fund for Geneseo and helpyour team win the challenge! So far, men’s and women’s basketball are winning. Helpyour team catch up!

*To qualify as a participant and help your team win, an alumni-athlete needs to make a $20 gift toThe Fund for Geneseo OR match the gift you made to The Fund last year — whichever is greater.

A Knight’s Challenge

Go to www.geneseo.edu/fund/aknightschallenge to make your gift.

22 geneseo scene

After her Geneseo graduation, Jessica Hilton Roising ’05

thought she wanted a master’s degree and career in art

restoration. But first, she needed adventure.

Her uncle invited her to Park City, Utah, with sweeping vistas,

mountains and a lot of opportunity.

“I really felt that I needed to explore,” says Roising. “He said, ‘Get

your feet on the ground, and if you don’t like it, go back. If you do,

stay.’ I got here and never looked back.”

Park City is a hidden treasure, she says — an outdoor mecca with

residents who are green-minded and forward thinking. A national

forest is literally outside her door.

Nature feeds her adventurous spirit, and she has found a way to

combine all of her interests and skills in her career. Along the way,

she found her niche, her family and her future.

“I was excited, scared and ready to face whatever it was I was

heading towards,” says Roising. “It was change and that was what I

needed. It felt like a spark was lit and I immediately had to do

something about it.”

Soon after moving to Park City, Roising began teaching photog-

raphy, horseback riding and other subjects at a residential treat-

ment high school that specializes in providing experiential learning

for students before they return to traditional classrooms.

Using her passion for art, horses and creative pursuits to help

others was a good fit. Ultimately, Roising found her way to the

National Ability Center, a nonprofit organization that assists people

with physical and developmental disabilities to acquire lifetime skills

and enjoyment through sports and outdoor activities.

A lifelong equestrian, Roising spent two years as the lead instruc-

tor for the center’s equestrian program. She saw the amazing bond

clients make with horses and shared in the joy when clients had

breakthroughs. One senior-aged woman had been working for

more than a year to fine tune her balance and adapt the sport to

her disability.

“She was working on proper body position on a horse and all of

a sudden she goes, ‘Aha!’” says Roising. “Something just clicked …

As much as you are an instructor, they are the ones who have to

discover it themselves.”

Recently, Roising became the competitive sports manager at the

center. She works with athletes and develops teams for Special

Olympic and competitions, in all sports.

Her other role? Newlywed.

She and her husband, Aleks, live with their two dogs in super-

small Kamas, outside of Park City. The close-knit feel reminds her of

Geneseo.

“We just love it,” says Roising of the life she found in Utah.

“Sports have always been important to me … Now, I can create

more opportunities for people.”

Jessica Hilton Roising Class of 2005

Home: Park City, UtahGraduation year: 2005Degree: Art historyFamily: Husband, Aleks, andour dogs, Giotto and Nallah

The biggest risk I’ve taken:Moving to Utah without hav-ing been there. It paid off!

How you describe Geneseo:An idyllic college town with astorybook campus. Hard work,fun times and close friends.

Favorite campus hangout: Our awesome apartment andour downstairs bar, the Vital.

Best Geneseo memory:Running on trails aroundcampus in the fall, with thebright-colored leaves while itwas misting rain.

Favorite professor or class:Professor Lynette Bosch-Burroughs. Listening to hervivid descriptions of the his-tory of art kept me interest-ed and made what we werelearning real, not informationout of a textbook.

How Geneseo has shapedyour life: Geneseo taught meto work hard, play hard andenjoy the view!

Most important life lessonlearned at Geneseo: Never regret the time orrelationships built in the past.Rather, embrace thembecause change is inevitableand will help make the futureyou stronger.

One Cup

ILLUSTRATION AMANDA LINDLEY

RANDOM PROFILE

By Kris Dreessen

Inspired by the idea that

everyone has a story to share,

we offer the “random profile.”

Each issue, we don a blindfold

and throw a dart at a map of

the United States to choose

our state, then take aim again

to choose a lucky alum. We

catch up, relive memories and

share life insight, like we are

talking over coffee.

Up next ... Nebraska

Could it be you?

ONE CUP

QUICK FACTS

PHOTO PROVIDED

Winter 2013 23

26 Alumni event photos

30 Card shark

31 Broadway stars

32 Class Notes

ALUMNI NEWS

ABOUT THE ARTIST:Thomas Dooley ’05 was in China to curate and exhibit images through hisorganization, Environmental Images, for the 2010 Changsha InternationalPhoto Festival when he captured the view from the other side of the lens.

“During the opening ceremony of the festival, some of the Chinese pho-tographers considered the international visitors a news event and spent con-siderable time photographing us,” says Dooley. “There’s nothing quite like aphotographer shooting another photographer.”

An anthropology major at Geneseo, Dooley earned his master’s in interna-tional photojournalism and documentary photography. Prior to moving toCosta Rica with his wife, Erika Widmaier Dooley ’06, he worked as a seniormedia specialist for the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C.,shooting assignments in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.

Dooley has been on assignment for the Associated Press, Frommer’sTravel Guides and for smaller clients and now focuses his work on projectsfor non-governmental organizations and newspapers based in Costa Rica.

See more of Tom’s work at: www.dooleyphotography.com or follow him onFacebook at www.facebook.com/dooleyphotoShare your artwork with us! Send a short bio and a link or examples of your

work to scene@geneseo.edu.

PHOTO BY TOM DOOLEY ’0

5

Alumni News

24 geneseo scene

Upcoming

Alumni EventsThe Office of Alumni Relations is always looking for regional event ideas. Contact the office at alumni@geneseo.edu if you would like to work with us to plan an event in your area.

Events being planned as of press deadline:

It is very important that you keep Geneseo informed of your current mailing address. You will receive event invitations and notifications based on the address we have on file, the address where this issue of the Scene wasmailed. If the address on the back of this magazine isn’t up to date, you might be missing out!

Geneseo — coming soon, to a city near you!The Office of Alumni Relations is con-stantly planning events on campus andthroughout the 18 regions identifiedbelow. In an effort to reduce cost andpreserve resources, invitations to mostof our events will be sent by email (notprint). To best stay informed of alumnigatherings occurring in Geneseo or in aregion near you, please check theAlumni website: www.geneseo.edu/alumni and make sure Geneseo has yourmost up to date email address.

GENESEO ALUMNI REGIONS

• Albany Region• Buffalo Region• Chicago Region• Colorado Region• Florida — East Coast Region• Florida — West Coast Region• Long Island Region• New England Region• New Jersey — Northern Region• New York City Region• North Carolina Region• Philadelphia/New Jersey — Southern Region

• Rochester Region• San Francisco Region• Southern California Region• Syracuse Region• Washington, D.C. Region• Westchester/Connecticut Region

Men’s Lacrosse Men’s Lacrosse Annual Alumni Game.

March 2013Florida: Baseball event and gathering at The VillagesAlbany: Reception at City TavernRochester: Amerks game andreceptionLong Island: Alumni broomballand family skating eventWashington, D.C.:Student externship receptionNew Jersey: Reception(Morristown)New York City: Alumni receptionat Corkbuzz

April 2013Chicago: Alumni receptionRochester: Alumni reception atMemorial Art GallerySan Francisco: San Jose Giantsgame and receptionCampus: April 18-21 — Dance programAnniversary/45th reunionApril 26 — President’s RecognitionDinner

May 2013Long Island: Educators’ receptionCampus:May 2-5 — Spring Weekend(ZBXi 20th reunion, Zeta PhiBeta reunion, men’s and women’srugby)May 10-12 — Chamber Singers55th reunion

June 2013New York City: New alumni welcome reception

July 2013Campus:July 12-14 — Summer Reunion (3’s and 8’s class reunions,Sig Tau fraternity 50th reunion,RLK reunion and WGSU 50thanniversary celebration)Siena, Italy:July 29-Aug. 9, Italy Alumni Trip

FUTURE PLANNINGSeptember 27-29, 2013HOMECOMING 2013

July 11-13, 2014SUMMER REUNION 2014Celebrating reunion class yearsending in 4 or 9.

July 10-12, 2015SUMMER REUNION 2015Celebrating reunion class yearsending in 5 or 0. * Exclusive in 2015: Inter-GreekCouncil will celebrate its 100th anniversary; an ALL Greek reunion is being planned. Please contact alumni@geneseo.edu if you are interested in helping or serving as a representative from your Greek organization.

Geneseo alumni homepage: alumni.geneseo.edu

Friday Knight 5K Jeff and JoshMatthews participate in theHomecoming event.

Winter 2013 25

Sports Hall of Fame Stan Janas ’72 (men’s basketball), left,Amy Cleary ’97 (swimming), Richard “Deacon” Woodward ’71(men’s basketball) and Griffin Coles ’00 (men’s basketball).

Homecoming Weekend

Women’s Lacrosse Women’s Lacrosse Annual Alumni Game.

Greek Hall of Fame(Left) Members and alumni of Alpha Delta Epsilon Sororitygather at the Greek Hall of Fame to honor sister Tara NievesAlexander ’91 as she was inducted for her contributions toGreek life. Angie Bottini Sayles ’90 (not pictured) of the ClioSorority was also inducted.

CLIO 140th AnniversaryMore than 200 members returned for the milestone celebration.

Political Science 50th anniversaryPresident Christopher C. Dahl, left, Professor Emeritus of Political Science

Edward Janosik and Michael Tantillo ’74 .

26 geneseo scene

Albany Region Alumni Barbecuehosted with support from ValScott ’83Julia Gill Pyzik ’05, left, Daniel Gill’03, Katie Meislahn ’02 and JeffreyThomson ’10.

Buffallo Bills Alumni Tailgate and Game

New England RegionBoston Red Sox Game and pre-game reception.

Long Island RegionFamily picnic hosted by Chris ’95 and Lauren Ryan ’96Cierski.

Geneseo Mudcats ReunionAlumni (Mudcat) baseball game and gathering.

Alumni Events

Rochester RegionRed Wings game and pre-game reception.

Winter 2013 27

Syracuse RegionAlumni tailgate party and Syracuse Orange football game.

Long Island RegionAlumni wine tour hosted by Kevin Bozza ’95 and Dan Gangi.

Washington, D.C., RegionAlumni and student dessert reception hosted by KristinGraham Koehler ’91.

Philadelphia Region — Buffalo BillsViewing PartyRobert Cooper ’11, left, Britney Talty ’12and Haley Kelitz Nelson ’03.

Philadelphia Longwood Gardens Event hosted by Jack’76 and Carol Patterson ’76 KramerMarti and Ken ’81 Hartman, left, and Cindy Gordon Hartson ’82.

Sarah Dygert ’10 may bestaring at a royal flush orshe may be bluffing, but

she’ll never let on at the table.In Texas Hold’em, reading youropponents’ behavior, remem-bering their game history andprofiling their play is just asimportant as running probabili-ties of hands through your headand adapting strategy.Her fearlessness — and her

winning professional record —earned her the nickname“Honey Badger” during a cham-pionship last year.“It stuck with me,” says Dygert,

laughing. “I like it.”In just a few years, Dygert

has gone from playing onlineas an enthusiast to pokershark dominating tables atprestigious $50,000-purse tour-naments. Sponsors invest inher, paying entry fees andbanking on her skills to earn acut of her winnings.At 24, she is the envy of many

of the game’s aficionados: Sheearned a coveted World Seriesof Poker gold championshipring last March, outplaying near-ly 900 competitors at theAtlantic City Circuit Event.“It was a huge accomplish-

ment,” she says.Poker writers covering the

tournament lauded her forcommanding the game, evenafter 16 hours of play.“The difference between sec-

ond and first was $12,000, soevery decision I was making wasa $12,000 decision,” she says. “Idon’t think about that at all atthe time. I just play the bestpoker I can play … You’re con-stantly thinking about so manyaspects of the game and it reallyis mentally exhausting.”Poker is simple to learn but

very hard to master, says Dygert,who majored in computer sci-ence. There’s a lot of math insorting through the probabili-

ties of hands. Strategies areever-changing.At the table, Dygert stands

out for another reason. Themajority of pro poker playersare men.

“It is difficult being afemale,” she says. “Most peopleassume I am not going to playa lot of hands, I’m going to

play passively and that I amprobably not going to be verygood … I try to use it to myadvantage. I play a bunch moreaggressively than they thinkI’m going to and I bluff more

frequently because they think Iwon’t.”Dygert taught herself poker

growing up, watching gameson TV. She was a natural, tak-ing her brothers’ pennies dur-ing family games. At Geneseo,she got better with herboyfriend, Michael Perrone’11, who also competes.“I wouldn’t be as good a play-

er without him,” she says.She made enough money

playing poker online to payher rent and living expenses:“After getting my homeworkdone, of course,” says Dygert.Despite her winning streak,

Dygert works full time as a com-puter game developer. Sheloves using practical applica-tions of math to solve problemsand creating something peopleuse. In November, she movedto Seattle to be a senior soft-ware developer at JawfishGames, creating real-time, tour-nament-style games.“It’s my dream job,” she says.In December, Dygert was back

at the tables to defend her titleas top dog of the 2011 RoyalCaribbean Championship, host-ed by the Royal Caribbeancruise line. Other tournamentsare in her future, and she’s aim-ing for more championships.“It is pretty exciting,” says

Dygert. “I am pretty shy andintroverted so I get kind of nerv-ous with all of the attention, butnow I’ve gotten used to it. Idon’t think about any place in atournament but first.”

class of ’10Sarah Dygert

ALUMNI PROFILE

ALUMNI NEWS

Poker shark with a World Series ring

PHOTO BY KEITH WALTERS ’11

28 geneseo scene

“Every decision I was making was a $12,000decision. I don’t think about that at all at thetime. I just play the best poker I can play.”

— Sarah Dygert ’10

:Read Sarah Dygert’scrucial tips to play better pokergo.geneseo.edu/poker-shark

Shining in the bright lights of Broadway

The last time LucasPapaelias ’98 and J.Michael Zygo ’01

shared a stage, they’d seeneach other naked in “Hair.” For Papaelias, then a senior

studying theater and commu-nications at Geneseo, it washis first actor-musician role.For Zygo, then a freshman, itwas the beginning of a shiftfrom studying biology toembracing his love of music.They credit that production

and other opportunities toperform at Geneseo with ulti-mately leading them to theircurrent roles in the Broadwayhit “Once.”The bittersweet romantic

musical about an Irish streetmusician and a Czech immi-grant has been a huge success.Based on the 2006 movie ofthe same name, “Once”opened on Broadway inFebruary 2012 and won eightTony Awards last June, includ-ing Best Musical.“The odds of two people at

Geneseo at the same time toend up in a show like this, youcan’t even compute it,” saysPapaelias, who plays a musi-cian named Svec.Zygo has the role of Emcee

and has gone on as the under-study for the male lead, Guy.He is also the show’s dancecaptain and an understudy fora character named Billy.It is Zygo’s first time per-

forming on Broadway. Henever imagined what the showhas become — attracting sell-out crowds, signing auto-

graphs after shows and per-forming on a Grammy-win-ning soundtrack recorded bythe cast. Performing at theTonys was “beyond exciting,”he says.“I’m down center the whole

time and there’s HughJackman,” he recalls. “I kepttrying to keep my energy andfocus where it needed to be.”There are no big Broadway

ensembles or orchestras toback the “Once” actors in theintimate production. Zygo andPapaelias are part of a 13-mem-ber cast who not only act, butalso sing, dance and playinstruments — often simulta-neously. They also get up closewith the audience. The cast hasa pre-show jam session with thecrowd and the large, semi-cir-cular bar that serves as the setbecomes an actual bar forpatrons during intermission.“We’re always playing in

character,” Papaelias says. “It’sa really fun way to go througha show, to always be in yourrole, even when you’re not ina scene.”It’s also a physically demand-

ing way to perform, but theshow has been worth it, saysPapaelias, whose career hasincluded the Broadway pro-duction of “Cyrano deBergerac” with Kevin Klineand roles in the movie “Schoolof Rock” and in TV showssuch as “Law & Order.”“I’m already a lucky man,”

he says. For Zygo, whose career has

included touring productions

of “Rock of Ages,”“Oklahoma!,” and “Annie,”“Once” has also been a nicechange of pace. “Once” is scheduled at the

Bernard B. Jacobs Theatrethrough October, though it’snot clear how long the origi-nal cast will be with the pro-duction. Whatever happens,Zygo says, he’s going to enjoythe ride. “If I have to do this show for

the rest of my life, I’d behappy.”

— By Lydia Fernandez

class of ’98Lucas Papaelias

class of ’01J. Michael Zygo

Winter 2013 29

:Watch Papaelias andZygo perform with thecast of “Once” at the2012 Tonyswww.youtube.com/watch?v=8RebiKimpx4

PHOTO PROVIDED

“The odds of two people at Geneseo atthe same time to end up in a show likethis, you can’t even compute it.”

— Lucas Papaelias ’98

30 geneseo scene

California state capital. JonMellor ’83 accepted a position atAutomatic Data Processing inRoseland, N.J., as senior directorof corporate communications.Michael Lemke ’84 appeared on“Neil Lehrer” and in the “CSNYDéjà Vu” film at the SundanceFilm Festival in 2008. The filmwas directed and written by NeilYoung. Michael Saffran ’85 is alecturer in the Department ofCommunication at SUNYGeneseo and is the faculty direc-tor of WGSU-FM. Linda Devon’86, a college grant manager atWestern Nevada College inCarson City, Nev., was pleasantlysurprised to discover that sheworks with two Geneseo alumni— nursing faculty member

Michael Malay ’71 and DanielNeverett ’70, vice president forfinance and administrative servic-es. Carol Hunter Engels ’87 andJay Engels ’88 own Angel TreeFarm Alpacas in Groton, N.Y. Sheis also a kindergarten teacher.Denise LaDue ’89, a cartograph-er for the U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers in Louisville, Ky., metwith other professionals from 10countries in the Amazon rainfor-est port city of Iquitos, Peru, atthe Riverine Operations School todiscuss development of interna-tional standards for inland elec-tronic navigational charts. LaDueis responsible for production ofinland electronic navigationalcharts for inland waterways in theUnited States.

1990Martin Williams and SarahO’Brien Williams ’04 are proud toannounce the birth of twin daugh-ters Hannah Elise and MalloryGrace, born on Dec. 16, 2011.

1940sBetty Schroeder Larkin ’45 andRichard Larkin are happy toannounce their marriage on Jan.28, 2012.

1960sJohn Hayden ’68 lives in Towson,Md., and is a partner engaged incorporate and estate planning lawmatters at Whiteford, Taylor &Preston LLP. He has been with thefirm for 39 years. Kathy Winter’68 completed a new novel aboutMark Twain entitled “Lost Wain: ANovel of Hawaii.”

1970sClass of 1973 — celebratingtheir 40th reunion and Classof 1978 — celebrating their35th reunion July 12-13, 2013.Dale Hartnett ’70 lives inGeneseo and teaches communica-tion courses at SUNY Brockportand Monroe Community College.He also organizes Brockport’sannual Constitution Day celebra-tion on campus and a service-learn-ing trip to Memphis, Tenn., duringwhich students work in an aban-doned black cemetery founded byformer slaves in 1876. Kathe FoltsHartnett ’70 is the retreat housemanager at The Abbey of theGenesee in Piffard, N.Y. DanielNeverett ’70 is a vice president forfinance and administrative servicesat Western Nevada College inCarson City, Nev., and was pleasant-ly surprised to discover that two ofhis colleagues are Geneseo alumni,including Michael Malay ’71, nurs-ing faculty member, and LindaDevon ’86. Mark Rosenzweig ’71is an assistant New York state attor-ney in the New York City LitigationBureau. He is proud that hisyounger daughter followed in hiswife’s footsteps and became aneducator, and is now teaching inSouth Korea. Roger Brown ’71, aveteran, worked for 20 years atDun & Bradstreet, ultimately asvice president before retiring.During his career, he worked with

mid-market and Fortune 500 com-panies that were going throughchange. He is now CEO of aYMCA, helping it turn around thefinancial difficulty it has beenexperiencing. Michael Benton’74, a faculty member at WalshJesuit High School in CuyahogaFalls, Ohio, recently received TheFr. John McGrail Award, which isgiven to outstanding faculty andstaff members who excel at livingthe Walsh Jesuit mission and whodemonstrate dedication to the mis-sion of Walsh Jesuit. The award isgiven in honor of McGrail, thefounder of Walsh Jesuit. JoanNichols ’79 completed her Ph.D.at The University of Texas MedicalBranch in Galveston, Texas. She isa professor of internal medicine,

infectious diseases. She also is theassociate director for research andoperations of Galveston NationalLaboratory. Frederick Schneider’79 recently accepted a position atPreferred Mutual InsuranceCompany in New Berlin, N.Y., asdirector of field agency marketing.

1980sClass of 1983 — celebratingtheir 30th reunion and Classof 1988 — celebrating their25th reunion July 12-13, 2013.Mark D. Kimberly ’82, ofDoylestown, Pa., is a market devel-opment manager for Kimberly-Clark Corp. in Philadelphia. JayS. Ovsiovitch ’82 is a researchand writing attorney with theFederal Public Defender’s Officefor the Western District of NewYork. James Teahan ’82 waselected vice president of theAssociation of California StateSupervisors, Chapter 503Sacramento, representing morethan 2,200 managers at the

ClassNotes1991Chuck DeWeese lives in BurntHills, N.Y., and is an assistant com-missioner for the Governor’sTraffic Safety Committee.

1993Celebrating their 20th reunion July 12-13, 2013.Sarah Sobieraj ’93, an associateprofessor of sociology at TuftsUniversity, returned to theGeneseo campus last April to con-duct a lecture for students on“Covered: Activists, Journalists andNews in a Shifting MediaLandscape,” and to talk about hercareer with students. She alsorecently published the book“Soundbitten: The Perils of Media-Centered Political Activism.”

1994Yvonne Marciano Hennesseyrecently accepted a position atHiscock & Barclay in Albany, N.Y.,as a partner in the Energy andEnvironmental Areas. John T.McManus is a lawyer at HarrisBeach LLP, practicing in the firm’sAlbany, N.Y., office as part of theenergy and telecommunicationsindustry teams, advising clients onlegal and regulatory issues. He hasalso authored several articles forlegal journals and lectured.Jefferson Pagett, a faculty mem-ber at Southwestern Senior HighSchool, was selected as a 2010Teacher of Merit by Business Firstmagazine in Buffalo, N.Y.

1995Jean Bajorek Chetney and EdwinBarbara are proud to announce thebirth of a baby girl, Ella GraceBarbara, born on Oct. 13, 2011, inNew Jersey. Jean recently started alaw practice as Jean S. Chetney,Attorney at Law, in Woodstown, N.J.

1996Jennifer Allen and Terence Allen’97 are proud to announce the birth

ALUMNI NEWS

Submit your class note or notice atgo.geneseo.edu/classnote

Submit your class note or notice atgo.geneseo.edu/classnote

Winter 2013 31

of a baby boy, Derek Miles Allen,born on Sept. 10, 2012. ChristieCruse received a doctorate in educa-tion with a specialization in organiza-tional leadership from NovaSoutheastern University in FortLauderdale, Fla., on Aug. 31, 2012.Lisa Fernandes Garza was recentlypromoted to director of the CareerCenter at The University of Texas atDallas in Richardson, Texas.

1997Terence Allen ’97 and JenniferAllen ’96 are proud to announce thebirth of a baby boy, Derek MilesAllen, born on Sept. 10, 2012.Michael Harrington ’97 andJulianna Lee are proud to announcethe birth of a baby girl, Serena AdaHarrington, born on March 16, 2012.Michael was promoted to director,content development, for theProfessional Promotion group atWebMD/Medscape in New York City.

1998Celebrating their 15th reunion July 12-13, 2013.Jennifer O’Leary Griffin and JimGriffin are proud to announce thebirth of a baby boy, James Martin,born on June 2, 2010. KatrinaSchoenemann-Torrey recentlygraduated with a master of sciencein human resources developmentfrom Rochester Institute ofTechnology in Rochester, N.Y., andis an adjunct instructor there.

1999Darcy Kullmann Lawyer and JamesLawyer are happy to announce theirmarriage on Sept. 1, 2012. They livein Richmond, Va. Melisa DennyMeyer and Todd Meyer are proudto announce the birth of a baby boy,Nolan Denny Meyer, born on Oct.15, 2012. Felipe Oltramari wasappointed director of the GeneseeCounty Department of Planning bythe Genesee County Legislature,effective June 18, 2012. LisaRodriguez Sette and Michael Setteare happy to announce their mar-riage on Oct. 6, 2012, on LongIsland. The bridal party consisted ofher best friends from Geneseo. Sherecently accepted a position at

Citigroup in Long Island City, N.Y.,as a senior vice president in globalcost management.

2000Matthew Hartmann and MariaHartmann are proud to announcethe birth of their second son,Thomas Paul, born on Aug. 2, 2011.Edward Puerta and Margot Puertaare proud to announce the birth oftwins Nathaniel and Evelyn, born onJune 23, 2012, in Huntington, N.Y.

2002Jacob Clements received a Ph.D.in imaging science from RochesterInstitute of Technology on May 25,2012. Katie Gage Meislahn andChristopher Meislahn are proud toannounce the birth of their daugh-ter, Harper Meredith, born on May2, 2012, in Albany, N.Y. JennyNuber has been working inWashington, D.C., for five years,most recently managing the publicaffairs of Her Majesty Queen Noorof Jordan. She left Her Majesty earli-

er this year to accept a position asthe vice president of Grassroots atkglobal, a public affairs and strategiccommunications firm based inWashington, D.C. Emily LawlorSweeney and Adam Sweeney areproud to announce the birth of ababy boy, Thomas Charles, born onApril 14, 2012 in Rochester, N.Y.Jennifer Sackett Turner and TedTurner ’05 are proud to announcethe birth of a baby girl, Julia Sloane,born on Dec. 19, 2011.

2003Celebrating their 10th reunion July 12-13, 2013.Eric Blask recently accepted a posi-tion at Webster (N.Y.) CentralSchool District as director of mathe-matics and business. He was previ-ously employed at Greece (N.Y.)Central School District as director ofmathematics. Christopher Kirklinand Caitlin Gansfuss are happy toannounce their marriage on Sept.15, 2012, at the Coveleigh Club inRye, N.Y. They reside in WhitePlains, N.Y. Many Geneseo alumniattended.

2004Catherine Meissner Guglielmoand Steve Guglielmo ’05 arehappy to announce their mar-riage on Aug. 9, 2008, in SaranacLake, N.Y. They reside in NewHaven, Conn. SchillerChristopher Joseph is a masterin social work field placementcoordinator at 2U, an educationtechnology company based inLandover, Md. He is a resident ofthe District of Columbia.Christopher Kirwan and JessicaGuzman ’07 are happy toannounce their marriage on Oct.9, 2011. Lora Baker Thomas andMatthew Thomas are proud toannounce the birth of a baby boy,Noah Richard, born on July 26,2012. Sarah O’Brien Williamsand Martin Williams ’90 areproud to announce the birth oftwin daughters Hannah Elise andMallory Grace, born on Dec. 16,2011.

Explore Siena, ItalyJuly 29 – Aug. 9, 2013

Reservations are underway.There are limited spaces for this exclusive trip. For information on the itinerary, cost and deposit schedule,visit go.geneseo.edu/italy2013

Contact Alumni Relations at (585) 245-5506 or alumni@geneseo.edu

Scene around the worldALUMNI NEWS

32 geneseo scene

2005Steve Guglielmo and CatherineMeissner Guglielmo ’04 are happyto announce their marriage onAug. 9, 2008, in Saranac Lake, N.Y.They reside in New Haven, Conn.Tom Dooley and Erika WidmaierDooley ’06 are happy to announcetheir marriage in May 2011. Tomleft his job as an official photogra-pher for the InternationalMonetary Fund and Erika left herjob teaching second grade inWashington, D.C., public schools tomove to Costa Rica in August 2012.She is teaching at a U.S. Embassyelementary school and he is doingfreelance photography. EdMcGrogan and Danielle Wanderare happy to announce their mar-riage on Aug. 3, 2012 in Garrison,N.Y. They reside in Danbury, Conn.Susan Turner Stein recentlyaccepted a position as a remedialreading teacher in West Seneca,N.Y. Ted Turner and JenniferSackett Turner ’02 are proud toannounce the birth of a baby girl,Julia Sloane, born on Dec. 19, 2011.

2006Erika Widmaier Dooley and TomDooley ’05 are happy to announcetheir marriage in May 2011. Tomleft his job as an official photogra-pher for the InternationalMonetary Fund and Erika left herjob teaching second grade inWashington, D.C., public schools tomove to Costa Rica in August 2012.She is teaching at a U.S. Embassyelementary school and he is a free-lance photographer. Nikki Greenand Tom Karpen are happy toannounce their marriage on Aug.11, 2012, in Avon, N.Y. They residein East Rochester, N.Y. JanetLisanto and Jeff Listano are happyto announce their marriage on July7, 2012. Jennifer CharneyRockwell and Erik Rockwell arehappy to announce their marriageon July 28, 2012. They reside inRochester, N.Y. Lara Ebert Romineand Paul Romine are proud toannounce the birth of a baby girl,Evelyn Claire, born on March 13,2012 in Madison, Wis. KristiRuggiero received a master of sci-ence in physician assistant studies

Pauline Cantatore Minunni ’07 and Nick Minunni’07 at Wimea Canyon in Kauai, Hawaii, the wettestplace on Earth.

1st Lt. Brendan Quinn ’08 during a recentdeployment to the Middle East.

Tony Scardino ’88, at an outdoor market inTokyo, Japan.

Denise LaDue ’89 at the Riverine OperationsSchool in Iquitos, Peru, in the Amazon.

Submit your images to scene@geneseo.edu with a subject line of“Scene Around the World.” See the complete photo gallery atgo.geneseo.edu/goworld.

Laurie Baker Oltramari ’99, left, and her sister JennyBaker Arbelo ’96 at Kylemore Abbey in Ireland.

Adam Tabelski ’01 at the Persian Gulf inKuwait, where he was deployed with AlphaCompany, 2/108 Infantry, the Army NationalGuard unit based in Geneseo.

Winter 2013 33

University of Houston and is aPh.D. student of history at theUniversity at Amherst.

2011Fiona Harvey is a public healthassociate for the Centers forDisease Control and Preventionand has worked in the field of sex-ually transmitted diseases and HIV.Currently, her program assignmentis in immunizations and refugeehealth. She is also a member of thePublic Health Associate ProgramSteering Committee, and serves asthe news reporter. StephanieMedina is the Geneseo LateKnight coordinator at Geneseoand was recently awarded theACUI Outstanding GraduateStudent Employee at the ACUIRegion 2 Conference. She attends

the college student personneladministration program at CanisiusCollege. The award recognized heras being a diligent graduate stu-dent employee who embodies adedicated work ethic in the stu-dent union and student activitiesfield. Angela Snook recentlyjoined Partners + Napier, an adver-tising agency in Rochester, N.Y., asan account executive for theirshopper marketing team. She waspreviously an assistant accountexecutive at Antithesis Advertising.

IN MEMORIAMALUMNIGwendolyn Roth Mantel ’36,June 20, 2012Adelma Didas Abraham ’37, Nov.1, 2011Carolyn Ruhland Raesler ’37,

May 31, 2012Lena Bennett Young ’37, June18, 2012Hazel Marshall Cottrell ’39,March 8, 2011Dorothy Onderdonk Patrick ’39,Oct. 9, 2011Catherine Mairs Ryan ’39, Oct.23, 2011Nancy Nims Holliday ’39, April19, 2012Robert Redden ’39, May 20, 2012Winifred Ellison Potter ’39, May28, 2012Mary Thacher Hammond ’40,Dec. 23, 2008Virginia Holmgren Russell ’40,Sept. 4, 2011Phyllis Fox Higgins ’40, April 21,2012Faith Slack Kipers ’42, July 1,2010Robert Spencer ’42, Jan. 14, 2012Evelyn Mosel Burlew ’43, Feb.29, 2012Kathryn Lawton Arters ’43, June1, 2012Helen Lippold ’44, March 17,2012Eugenia McCormick Vance ’45,April 4, 2011Elizabeth Latimer Clark ’45,April 18, 2012Janice Cook Tunningley ’46,Feb. 27, 2011Camilla Dewitt ’50, March 3,2012Dorothy Fletcher Mulherin ’51,Feb. 7, 2011Marian Sardinia ’51, March 31,2012Molly Wamp ’51, May 4, 2012Kenneth Comstock ’51, June 28,2012Phyllis Wells ’52, Jan. 23, 2012James Conlon ’52, Aug. 24, 2012Lois Klehamer Evraiff ’53, Sept.18, 2011Doris Reckner Mortimer ’54,Nov. 11, 2011Raublyn Werth Hopkins ’54,April 27, 2012Donna White Boshart ’55, Nov.28, 2011Bonita Losey Reisdorf ’58, May1, 2011Elizabeth Corcoran Stefan ’59,Aug. 30, 2003Gerald Miller ’59, March 22, 2012Shelden King ’59, June 16, 2012Marian Gardner O’Hara ’59, June29, 2012

Submit your snapshots to

go.geneseo.edu/alumnipix.

Sendusyour

collegephotosSend us

your favorite ph

otos from colleg

e,

which may be featured i

n reunion slidesh

ows,

emails, printed broc

hures, the alumni webs

ite and

possibly an elec

tronic yearbook

project.

from Mercy College in August2012. Robert Shoemaker recentlyaccepted a position as an assistantdistrict attorney at the MonroeCounty District Attorney’s Office inRochester, N.Y. Catherine PraticoStockton and Timothy Stocktonare proud to announce the birth ofa baby boy, Nathaniel James, bornon Aug. 30, 2012, in Albany, N.Y.

2007Amy Williams Di Bari and JeremyDi Bari are proud to announce thebirth of a baby boy, Jonah Eric DiBari, born on April 29, 2012, inCortland, N.Y. Jessica Guzman andChristopher Kirwan ’04 are happyto announce their marriage on Oct.9, 2011. Kathleen O’Connellreceived a master’s degree inanthropology from PontificiaUniversidad Catolica Del Peru inOctober 2012 and accepted a posi-tion as a placement specialist atLASPAU: Academic andProfessional Programs for theAmericas in Cambridge, Mass.

2008Celebrating their 5th reunion July 12-13, 2013.Katie Nicandri and AlexanderCazzolli are happy to announcetheir marriage on Sept. 1, 2012, inSyracuse, N.Y. Eight fellowGeneseo alumni were present.Emily Rustin Sewnauth andAndrew Sewnauth are proud toannounce the birth of a baby boy,David, born in March 2012 inRochester, N.Y.

2009Jessica Belknap graduated with amaster’s degree in library sciencefrom SUNY at Buffalo. NicolePostell received a master of sci-ence in public relations manage-ment from SUNY Buffalo State onMay 12, 2012. She also received agraduate certificate in publicadministration from SUNY BuffaloState on Aug. 14, 2012.

2010Amy Breimaier earned a master’sof arts in history from the

From the 1993 yearbook.

34 geneseo scene

Ruth Warrell Roskoz ’60, July 30,2012Susan McAllister Kurz ’62, Sept.6, 2012Mary Weckerle Tiede ’63, May25, 2012Agnes Larsen Mazzola ’64, Aug.6, 2012Jeanne Sherman Jolley ’65, Oct.12, 2012Andrea Pille Pasco ’66, April 4,2012Diane Marquardt LeClair ’66,June 12, 2012David Sisson ’67, Dec. 20, 2011Dorothy Harris-Jardin ’68, June21, 2008Carolyn Callear ’69, July 29, 2012

Mark Limerick ’69, Aug. 8, 2012Alexander Capo ’70, Oct. 7, 2011Charles Zicari ’70, April 13, 2012Susan Bradt Palmer ’71, Jan. 1,2012Ellen Heckelman Finlayson ’71,March 14, 2012Tad Taylor ’72, Sept. 12, 2006Lynette Wright Jenkins ’72, Feb.1, 2011Dorothy Holmes Oakes ’74, Aug.14, 2010Constance Budynski Mace ’74,April 30, 2011Alice Pomponio ’74, June 19,2012Paul Villinski ’74, June 24, 2012Phyllis Barna Anderson ’77,April 8, 2012John Kerr ’77, Nov. 10, 2012

Donald Litzelman ’82, May 24, 2012Steve Beekman ’84, April 26,2012Gregory Wright ’84, June 19,2012Elizabeth O’Donnell-Sullivan ’87,July 13, 2012Charlene Baxendale ’88, Feb. 27,2012Cathryn Wong Nevin ’92, June19, 2012Patrick Kelly ’96, Aug. 20, 2012Jennifer Napuli Fraidstern ’99,April 8, 2012Casey Farrell ’03, April 15, 2012

FACULTYWilliam Gohlman, professor emer-itus of history, who was an expert inIslamic history and served on the

faculty from 1974 to 2010, died onAug. 15, 2012.

Tom Conlon ’52, a 31-year facultymember at Geneseo in education,died Aug. 24, 2012. He began hiscareer in 1960 an assistant professorin the Holcomb School of Practiceand also served as coordinator ofstudent teaching, teaching faculty inthe School of Education, and coor-dinator of secondary and specialeducation field experiences.

Duncan P. “Dunc” Hinckley, alongtime Geneseo varsity swim anddiving coach who led teams toSUNY championship titles, andGeneseo Sports Hall of Fameinductee, died July 29, 2012.

CLASS NOTES

Celebrating milestones this year are class years ending in 3 or 8, the Sigma Tau Psi Fraternity 50th Anniversary and the Royal Lady Knights.

You can help! Interested volunteers, please contact Alumni Relations to get involved

at (585) 245- 5506 or alumni@geneseo.edu.

SUMMER REUNION IS COMING!JULY 12-14, 2013

Winter 2013 35

Scene around the world

Pat Young Bergquist ’74 on the Spanish steps in Rome, Italy.

Jacqueline Ballard Fisher ’91 and Rob Fisher ’91 on the alpinetundra of the Rocky Mountains.

Jason Chevrier ’97 and Carrie Nyc-Chevrier ’97 at the top ofthe Gros Piton in St. Lucia, West Indies.

Dave ’72 and Beth Dunn ’73 Herendeen celebrated their 40th weddinganniversary at the 124th Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif.

Zachary Nichols ’09, who lives in Japan, in front of the Kinkaku-ji templein Kyoto.

Korie Kasper Bukovelo ’09 at the Sea of Azov in the Ukraine.

36 geneseo scene

Ian Szalinski ’10Healthy entrepreneur president and founder of Muesli Fusion

MY AHA MOMENT AT GENESEO:I took a course in entrepreneurship in mysenior year. It opened my eyes to whatgoes on in starting a business — andhelped me understand all of the pieces,from marketing to finances and produc-tion. It made me realize it was somethingI was passionate about. That it was some-thing I could do, and something I wantedto do.

HOW IT CHANGED MY LIFEI have a passion for eating healthy. I lovemuesli cereal because it is simple. It isunprocessed and has no ingredients youcan’t see. I saw a lack of variety for organ-ic products in that category and sawopportunity. I started selling MuesliFusion’s Pure muesli in February 2011.

TASTE OF SUCCESSMy muesli is sold in 300 stores in 15states, including Whole Foods, Wegmansand Geneseo’s Student Union. My wideskill set has gotten me where I am, fromwillingness to tackle challenges to webprogramming and accounting. I havebeen up for 48 hours making and pack-ing 400 cases of muesli to fill an order.It’s very emotional, there’s a lot of stressand there’s a lot challenges, but there’salso a lot of excitement and opportuni-ties. Being able to create something —something that promotes healthy living— is inspiring.

LEARNING ABOUT LEADERSHIP ATGENESEO:The Geneseo Opportunities forLeadership Development (GOLD) pro-gram was as valuable as any class I took,and successful alumni gave me insight.Competing in a business plan competi-tion also gave me hands-on experience.

GIVING BACKThrough the Young EntrepreneursAcademy in Rochester, N.Y., I mentorhigh school students about starting theirown businesses and thinking big. I alsodonate a portion of Muesli Fusion sales toenvironmental causes.

—Victoria Soto ’12

AHA MOMENT

PHOTO BY KEITH WALTERS ’11

Winter 2013 28

We support our studentsFaculty

Every geography major takes a field course like GEOG

275, a four-day excursion in which students use

classroom knowledge to conduct their own research

and present their work.

Last spring, 17 geography students dug into the

Thousand Islands, studying such diverse topics as the

economic geography of the commercial bullhead fishery,

the growth and distribution of shoreline mobile home

parks, and the rise of sustainable agriculture and agri-

tourism. Others explored the ecological and economic

impacts of zebra mussels in the region.

“Field experience and research lie at the core of our

disciplinary mission and the preparation of our majors,” says

Professor Darrell Norris.

For that reason, field experiences are a requirement for all

geography majors. Students who participate in GEOG 275

do so at no extra cost, thanks to gifts made to The Fund For

Geneseo. Contributions from alumni, parents and others are

also critical for geography faculty members and students

who present research at conferences.

Without private funding, the department could not pro-

vide such opportunities for all of its students, says Associate

Professor of Geography and Chair David Robertson.

Belief in hands-on learning — and in their students — is

fundamental among geography faculty. They have all made

gifts to Shaping Lives of Purpose: The Campaign for

Geneseo to help meet the $22 million goal for the college.

“The geography department is a closely knit community

where faculty and students spend a lot of time together in

the classroom and in the field,” says Robertson. “In geogra-

phy, faculty and students learn to really believe in each

other. And that is why we came together as a group to

contribute to the campaign — to support a field experience

tradition that is not only central to our curriculum, but also

our community.”

:Make a difference ...visit campaign.geneseo.edu

PHOTO BY KEITH W

ALT

ERS ’11

All geography faculty members, front, have contributed to the Shaping Lives of Purpose campaign to support students and their opportunities.

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