The Extra Mile Spring 2010

T H E M A G A Z I N E O F S O U T H E R N N E W H A M P S H I R E U N I V E R S I T Y

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President: Dr. Paul J. LeBlanc

Editor: Michelle Dunn

Content Editors: Gail Dexter, Diane LesBecquets, Woullard Lett, AshleyLiadis, Lara Quiroga, Greg Royce

Vice President of Marketing andCommunications: Martha Rush-Mueller

Graphic Designer: Jason Mayeu

Photography: Adam Fitzgerald , Grant Klene, Jeremy EarlMayhew, Gil Talbot

Proofreader: Susan Morgan

The Extra Mile is published twotimes per year by the Office ofMarketing and Communications.

Class Notes and changes of addressmay be sent to [email protected] us online at snhu.edu for moreuniversity news and informationabout upcoming events.

Postmaster: Send address changes tothe Office of Alumni and CommunityRelations, Southern New HampshireUniversity, 2500 North River Road,Manchester, NH 03106-1045

Contentspage 22

Write to Us! Letters to the e ditor of The Extra Mile are welcomed and encouraged. Submission does not guarantee publication, and those letters that are published may be edited for style and length. Please include the writer’s name, the year of graduation if you are a graduate, a daytime phonenumber and a return address. Letters may be sent by fax to 603.645.9676, by e-mail to [email protected] or by mail to the Office ofMarketing and Communications, Southern New Hampshire University, 2500 North River Road, Manchester, NH 03106-1045.

The views expressed in The Extra Mile do not necessarily reflect those of the university, its trustees, administrators, faculty, staff and/or students.

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DepartmentsOffice Hours 3

My Top 5 4

New Dining Hall Opens 6

School of Business 8

School of Education 10

School of Liberal Arts 12

Sports 22

Alumni News 26

Class Notes 30

Go-Getter Challenge 32

On the CoverA Calling for Service 14Eleanor Dunfey-Freiburger started her career with a

desire to help people around the world. Instead, they

came to her. Her work in service, civil rights and social

justice is weaved into the university’s history.

FeaturesDetecting Deception 12Research by Dr. Peter Frost and psychology students

could provide another tool for investigators seeking

to tell if suspects are lying.

Down the Line 22For some students, Penmen athletics is part of

their DNA.

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The Extra Mile

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The Extra Mile

From the President Paul J. LeBlanc President

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the spring issue of The ExtraMile. Most of our readers will instantly recognize the person on our cover, ProfessorEleanor Dunfey-Freiburger. Eleanor, mar-ried to recently retired business ProfessorJim Freiburger, is a beloved presence oncampus and has touched thousands of livesfrom Manchester to Malaysia. Born into theillustrious Dunfey family, some would saythe first family of New Hampshire, Eleanor’sstory is one of compassion, social justiceand empowerment of others. Old friendswill enjoy the chance to get reacquaintedand others reading her story for the first

time will be inspired.

Elsewhere in this issue you willlearn more about the work of someof our newer faculty, now walking inJim and Eleanor’s footsteps, includ-ing Dr. Peter Frost’s fascinatingresearch into lying. You will also find afeature about the new Dining Center.The new buildings and sidewalks andlighting have “connected the dots” oncampus and created a busy centralavenue that now connects the east andwest sides of campus, whereas before,North River Road traffic seemed adividing line.

Shifting to the ongoing issues with theeconomy, the big news on campus hasbeen our decision to freeze tuition nextyear for the traditional undergraduateprogram. Every week brings more stories of colleges and universitieswrestling with the impact of the economic crisis.

Almost every college and universityfalls into one of the following threerevenue models:

• tuition revenue plus taxpayer support (publics)

• tuition revenue plus endowmentearnings (wealthy privates)

• tuition revenue plus nontraditional revenues, such as continuing education and online programs (tuition-dependent privates)

In a reversal of traditional missions, tuition-dependent privates such as SNHU oftenhave students with lower average familyincomes than do the public institutions. Weprivates often offer more aid. Also, tuitionat many publics is not the bargain it was inthe past and for-profits often charge evenmore, usually with much poorer outcomes.

SNHU continues to serve students from low- and middle-income familiesand always finds ways to help deservingstudents with few resources. It has been a long and proud tradition for us, but one that was this year challenged by the increased demand for financial aidfrom current and prospective students.Families are feeling the pressure of thedown economy, so we made the decisionto freeze tuition. This was not an easydecision. SNHU’s costs continue toclimb, so we have had to keep a tightrein on expenses and rely on our growthin nontraditional programs to offset thelost revenues. The many messages fromparents and students validate our analy-sis and reflect their appreciation.

An ever-improving campus, expandedprograms, and faculty members such asEleanor Dunfey-Freiburger and PeterFrost, along with now being the mostaffordable private institution in the state,improves our value proposition and laysthe foundation for a strong future.

Sincerely,

The Extra Mile | Spring 2010 | 3

er researches, it would give them an ideaof how the locals live and (the travelerwill then) be able to respect what thelocals do.

Once a person visits a destination, I thinkit’s important for them to choose localvendors, (for example) eating at a locallyowned restaurant versus a corporatechain, especially a foreign-owned entity.

Another could be volunteering. Eventhough there are pros and cons of vol-unteering, I do believe that when youwork with the local companies or thelocal schools … it gives you a betterperspective of the destination.

One of the challenges of sustainability is that we look at economic and environ-

mental and never socio-cultural (factors),and as a tourist we go to a destinationand change the behavior – it’s inherent.But as a traveler, especially a mass trav-eler, we want the culture to be what wewant it to be. As a sustainable traveler,you accept the destination for what thedestination has to offer.

Once the consumers are educated onthe impact of tourism on a destination,they will change their behavior. Theywill not stop traveling, but they willchange their expectations and theirbehavior once they’re on site, and thenit becomes the vendors’ responsibility tochange in order to keep that customer.

I’d love to make socially responsible choices evenwhen traveling. How can I ensure a sustainablevacation? Kimberly Monk, professor of hospitality business:The very first thing would be to choosesuppliers that also practice sustainableprinciples, whether it be an airline thatbuys carbon emission points, a hotelthat’s locally owned and operated – not a chain, not an all-inclusive property – a cruise line that is practic-ing sustainable principles by buyinglocally and getting rid of waste in a sustainable manner, and participatingin the local activities without trying toplace your views on the local culture.

I believe there is a mismatch betweenexpectations and perceptions. If a travel-

Have a question? We’ll ask our faculty experts. Send your question [email protected] with “Office Hours” in the subject line.

University Happenings

Office Hours

My Top 5 We ask members of the university community about a few of their favorite things.For this issue, we talked to Dr. Elizabeth Sheehan, assistant professor of sportmanagement, about the five moments in sports that meant the most to her:

Super Bowl 2002(The New England Patriots) were play-ing the St. Louis Rams, and they were a14-point underdog. To start the game …they all ran out as a team. It had neverbeen done before. I think that that’s oneof my favorite moments – the idea thatteam (is) above all else.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX9r6n-OOR4

Andre Agassi’s Farewell – 2006In 2006 Andre Agassi, in his farewell to the U.S. Open, gave somewhat of anemotional thank-you speech after his last match, (which) he had lost. Again,this idea of the greater good camethrough … when Andre Agassi thankedthe crowd for supporting him in his upsand downs. It was one of my favorites

because it reflects the positiveimpact that sport can have on anindividual in terms of growth …you saw Andre Agassi grow anddevelop from this young rebelmarried to Brook Shields to reallyfinding himself.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqLfan0R0b8

4 | The Extra Mile | Spring 2010

1996 Olympic GamesU.S. versus BrazilThe women’sU.S. basketball

team gold-medal game versus Brazil.They defeated Brazil pretty handily. I was an intern for the Atlanta OlympicGames … and I was part of the basket-ball competition staff, so I was rightthere on the court. It was sort of thiscoming of age for women’s basketball.In fact, it was the fall after that sum-mer that two women’s basketballleagues started, one the ABL and then, the following summer, the summer of 1997, the WNBA, which is still in existence. It was a greatmoment for me because I was able tosee the growth of women’s basketballand be a part of that.

www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1996/BAS/womens-basketball.html

2008 Super BowlThe New YorkGiants versusPatriots

Super Bowl. The Patriotswere undefeated and had achance to make history …and the Giants were anunderdog. I believe inthe underdog and thathope that you alwayshave a chance to shine,no matter what the cir-cumstances. So obviouslyit was just that much morerelevant, since it was a team Ihad followed since I was a littleone, and I do think that it was one of themost exciting Super Bowls of some time – of all time, possibly.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-aKfTK2LiM


Jason McElwain Scores – 2006 Jason McElwain was a team manager for a highschool in Rochester, N.Y. [Greece Athena]. Hehas autism. He was a huge basketball fan.

It was senior night and so the coach, beforethat game, told him that he could suit up and sit on the bench and that he could possibly get inthe game. The team was up by 20 points and therewere about four minutes left in the game. He took ashot from three-point land and it was an air ball; but

he then went on to hit six of 10 three-pointersin a matter of four minutes.

It wasn’t even so much that he scored all those points, it wasthat if you watch theclip, as soon as hehit the first bas-ket, everyone in the gymjumped inthe air andshouted. They

had signs madeup, and the team

carried him off the court at the end of the game. I guess that’s another

example of an underdog, but more so I think(of) the power sport can have – the impactthat sport can bring to do good, sport

as an equalizer, that it doesn’t matterour ability, it doesn’t really matteranything in terms of who we are, but sport is an opportunity to make a difference in lives.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fw1CcxCUgg

“I’ve come to appreciate the intrinsic values of sport, obviously, as I’ve gotten older, and it’s something that I try to teach the students: the meaning and the power thatsport has to impact society to impact individuals, the idea of the underdog and some of these concepts, and so that’s what I think I focused on in choosing my moments.”




”“It’s a perfect buildingfrom which to launch thenext phase of SNHU’sinstitutional life.

– President Paul J. LeBlanc

Dining in StyleThe university’s new Dining Center, which opened in January, is the latest additionto the rapidly expanding campus. The two-story, $13 million, 47,700-square-footfacility, built by Harvey Construction Corp., seats 632 and incorporates a restaurant-style dining experience.

Sodexo, SNHU’s food service provider since 2008, has introduced a new array of culinary options, including international dishes in the Euro, flatbread pizzas inLaTrattoria and Mongolian stir-fry in the Global Cuisine area. Other options includethe Mill City Grill, the Ultimate Deli, the Salad Toss and the Express Zone.

“The new Dining Center is so much more than a new place to eat. It provides a variety of study and social spaces. Its function rooms allow us to host largeraudiences for a broader range of events,” said President Paul J. LeBlanc. “Theboldness of its design and its location mark a new and revived campus centeraround which so much activity will orbit. It’s a perfect building from which tolaunch the next phase of SNHU’s institutional life.”

The Dining Center features many green components, including a Web-based energymanagement system that allows for daily temperature regulation. Occupancy sensorsfor lighting efficiency, low-flow plumbing and enhanced HVAC systems were alsoinstalled to maximize the building’s sustainability capacity.



Weathering the Recession

We asked alumni business owners how

they’re dealing with the Great Recession.

The downturn has shaken businessesacross the country, perhaps none more sothan the many independently owned fami-ly companies that form the backbone ofour economy. As the country strives torecover, three alumni who operate “Main

SNHU’s School of Business prepares its graduates to navigate the myriad challenges of free enterprise. For many,however, there has been no challenge like the recession that has gripped the nation since 2008.

The View from Main Street

Street” businesses in New Hampshireoffer their view of the recession’s impactand share the lessons they’ve learnedamid economic uncertainty.

Eileen Sleeper ’88Eileen Sleeper is the dealer principal atHeritage Harley-Davidsonin Concord, N.H. Sheassumed managementand eventual ownershipafter her father died in

1999. She also is co-owner of E.W. Sleeper Co.,a heavy construction equipment sales business.

How has the recession affected your business? I’ve had to cut some hours. I laidoff a couple of people. I haven’tmade any pay raises. I’m continu-ing to offer the same level of healthinsurance benefit and contributionto the retirement plan, though. Forthe calendar year 2009, our overallsales were down just under 19 per-cent.

What tactics have you adopted to weatherthe downturn?We’ve brought some things that wewere outsourcing back in house.And it’s more important now thanever in this business environmentfor us to sell value. We don’t justtalk price with customers. We showthem around the dealership, intro-duce them to some of our people.Show them the additional valuethey are getting for the price theyare paying. Show them why we’renot discounting. Basically, talk tothem about the whole package.

What lessons have you learned during theseeconomic times? I think that it’s made me a betterbusiness person. When our formeroperations manager left to start hisown business, I elected not to fillthe position. He did a very goodjob, but now that he’s gone I feelmore connected with my middlemanagers and my customers.

Christopher Wolfe ’84Christopher Wolfe is thefounder and president ofMultiNational ResourcesInc., a manufacturer ofcustom human machineinterface products inNewfields, N.H. He

graduated with an M.B.A in 1984.

How has the recession affected your business? Like many companies, we experi-enced a 30 percent reduction insales between 2008 and 2009. Thisis a game-changer of a contraction,one which we had not experiencedin 18 years of business. The onsetwas swift, with an immediate col-lapse of order backlog in the fourthquarter of 2008. There was no timeto react; the floor had fallen out.

What tactics have you adopted to weatherthe downturn?We evaluated the overhead of thebusiness, reset the goals for 2009and reset the overhead that couldbe supported by the new level ofsales. We cut general and adminis-trative overhead by 35 percent,implemented staff reductions andadjusted pay rates. We evaluatedevery option to reduce cost and didit.

What lessons have you learned during theseeconomic times? For three quarters of 2008, businesswas fantastic, and all of a sudden itwent from red hot to ice cold. As aleader, you have to watch your con-trol systems at all times, especiallywhen things are looking great,because it could be over quickly. Ifyou’re not paying attention, not onlywill you miss the change, but you’llend up losing the benefits of thestrong period.

SCHOOL OFBusiness


Eileen Sleeper ’88 Christopher Wolfe ’84

Scott Fawcett ’95Scott Fawcett is vicepresident of his family’sbusiness, Bode EquipmentCo., a distributor of mate-rial-handling products inLondonderry, N.H. Hegraduated in 1995 with a

bachelor’s degree in international business.

How has the recession affected your business? The recession has affected us inboth a positive and negative way.Unfortunately, a layoff wasinevitable as well as instituting awage freeze. On the positive side, weare leaner and stronger than before.

What tactics have you adopted to weatherthe downturn? We have been forced to review terri-tories and new methods of capturingbusiness. We deal with a lot of capi-tal projects, and when a recession islooming those projects are stalled oreven eliminated. Our customers aremore willing to have their existingequipment serviced and repaired.Fortunately, our service departmenthas been extremely busy.

What lessons have you learned during theseeconomic times? We have learned the importance of communication. Our customersare interested in how we are doingand vice versa. Our employees areinterested as well, which results intheir willingness to do more. Thereappears to be a common goal to pullout of this together. Having regularconversations sets many minds atease and has created a strongerworking environment.

Scott Fawcett ’95

Child Support

Student Alexandra Malvey found a way

to help kids outside the classroom.

She and her younger brother were survivingon the streets because their parents couldno longer care for them. The police pickedthem up and took them to the orphanage.She has few memories of her time there andof her biological parents; she doesn’tremember being homeless at all.

She vaguely recalls her father wavinggoodbye to her for the last time; she was hiding under a table because she didn’t recognize him. Other early memo-ries are muddled, existing only throughphotographs her adoptive parents took of her and her brother at the orphanage

Though her memories of those times are hazy, Alexandra Malvey traces herdesire to work with children back to when she was first surrounded bythem, while living in an orphanage in her native Poland.

before bringing the children to their newhome in the U.S.

A New LifeThe orphanage offered no formal schoolingand Malvey remembers playing most ofthe day with the other children her age.Had she not been adopted, she wouldhave been sent out at age 18, expected tofind work and a place to live. Young menoften entered the army.

Instead, her future took quite a differentturn. Diane and Edward Malvey, of NewMilford, Conn., were interested in adoptinga child from Poland. They decided uponmeeting Alexandra, then 6, and her brother,then 4, that they could not separate themand adopted them both.

From Orphan to Advocate


Alexandra Malvey with her adoptivemother, Diane, and her brother in Poland.

SCHOOL OF Education

“If it wasn’t for adoption, I wouldn’t have anything Ihave today,” Malvey, a senior in the university’s Schoolof Education, said. “Being adopted changed my life.”

An Inspiring ChildhoodMalvey believes her adoption guided her towardwanting to work with children. Growing up shebabysat, worked in an afterschool program and tookeducation classes in high school.

“I was surrounded by kids. My mom had in-homechildcare, and I was with them the entire day,” she said.

She enrolled at SNHU with the intent of becomingan early childhood education teacher. She haddecided as a sophomore in high school, after heradoptive mother noted her talent working with kids,that she wanted to be a preschool teacher and opena private program after college.

Change of DirectionDespite Malvey’s original education and careerintentions, she experienced a moment of clarity andrealized she had changed her mind.

“I took the required education classes and didn’tsee myself in a classroom – I knew it wasn’t me,”she said.

She reevaluated her career goals and changed hermajor during her sophomore year at SNHU. Withcounseling and support from university staff, shediscovered the field of child life.

Child life specialists support children and their families who are dealing with health crises, andwork with physicians, nurses and other health careproviders, usually in hospital settings. Their focus isthe emotional well-being of the child and family.

Now a child development major in the School ofEducation, Malvey is pursuing a career as a certified

child life specialist. She has worked in a doctor’s officeand volunteered in a hospital anesthesiology depart-ment to prepare for a coveted internship in the field.

Child AdvocateMalvey is the first SNHU student to be accepted intothe child life specialist internship program at BostonMedical Center. She must complete a 480-hour hos-pital internship and pass a national certifying exam.

She has also become an advocate within the School ofEducation for the field of child life, describing the roleof a child life specialist to otherstudents who, like her, wantto work with children outside of the typical classroom setting. Sheplans to eventually earnher Ph.D. and becomea supervisor of childlife specialists.

“I love children morethan anything andwould do whateverit takes to helpthem,” shesaid. “Gettingto know themis the mostimportantthing. It’s notjust about theirmedical history – it’s about knowing thepatient and connectingwith the kids. The morecomfortable they are, themore they trust you. Theyare not just a medical file.”

”“I love children more than anything and would do whatever it takes to help them. Getting toknow them is the most important thing. It’s not just about their medical history – it’s aboutknowing the patient and connecting with the kids … They are not just a medical file.

– Alexandra Malvey


Jimmie Ray Slaughter was executed by thestate of Oklahoma on March 15, 2005, formurdering a former girlfriend and their child.Slaughter continually professed his inno-cence, and even though he was put to death,many still question whether he was guilty.

One of the controversies around his condemnation was the result of a “brainfingerprinting” test that indicated thatSlaughter had no recollection of the crime.Brain fingerprinting measures in millisec-onds the subjects’ reactions to words,items or pictures presented on a computerscreen. The process is based on the theorythat the brain elicits different responsesbased on whether the information present-ed is recognized or not.

The ambiguity of the Slaughter case, alongwith the questioned accuracy of lie detec-tor tests, underscores not only the need forgreater certainty in criminal prosecutions,but also the ability of forensic psychologyto provide some of the answers. SNHUpsychology Professor Peter Frost, with stu-dent Roland Denomme and former stu-dents Michael Adie ’09, Annabel Lahaie’08, Angel Sibley ’09 and Emily Smith’08, conducted a study that could poten-tially add another dimension to lie detec-tion by investigating the subconsciousthought processes involved in deception.

According to Frost, the results of the studysuggested that people react negatively to

Research explores subconscious feelings about lying

Detecting Deception

“It has been a challenge for researchers to createfoolproof lie detection. Myinvolvement in forensic researchhas been to fine-tune the proce-dures already in place and gain abetter understanding of a liar’sthought processes.

– Dr. Peter Frost ”


True or False

New research from Dr. Peter Frost and forensic

psychology students could help investigators

tell when suspects are lying.

lying and reinforced the idea that lying takeslonger for the brain to process.

“We were looking to see if subjects had anegative subconscious attitude towardswhat they lie about,” said Frost.

Time to LieIn the experiment, a large group of studentswas asked to memorize correct and incorrectanswers to various questions. They werethen asked to give either the correct or theincorrect answers in a subsequent interview.Finally, the Implicit Association Test wasadministered to the students, with interest-ing results.

The IAT has typically been used to detectunderlying prejudices by measuring thetime in milliseconds it takes for someone to associate positive or negative words with images or words on a computer screen.Participants will usually take longer toassociate positive words with somethingthey dislike or harbor a subconscious negative attitude toward. What Frost didwas combine the IAT with past researchthat showed that lying slows down the cog-nitive process to create a way to potentiallyuse the IAT to detect deception.

Students were shown images or words per-taining to the questions they had previouslystudied and possibly lied about. They werethen asked to press one of two responsekeys. Students would press one key to

associate positive words with the images or words onthe screen, and the other to associate the images orwords with negative words.

Frost found that the subjects were slower at associating the details they had lied about with positive words than they were with negative words,which showed that subjects had a more difficulttime viewing what they had lied about in a positivelight. This confirmed Frost’s hypothesis that sub-jects do indeed harbor underlying negative attitudestoward lying, which in turn slows down thinking in a measurable way.

A Tool for Law EnforcementFrost said he conducted this study in part becauseof the heightened interest in lie detection, particu-larly among law enforcement agencies.

“If the assumption that the results cannot be fakedis confirmed by research, then perhaps the IATcould be used to corroborate a person’s legal case, assuming the judge finds the evidenceadmissible,” said Frost.

Though Frost’s next step is to deter-mine whether knowledge of the IATor instructions to fake resultscould alter their findings, whathe found has interesting andpotentially important implica-tions for criminal prosecution.In interviews, interrogationsand confessions, subjects’statements could be scruti-nized under Frost’s expandeduse of the IAT in order todetermine their validity.

For example, if someone was sus-pected of a crime and had lied topolice about his or her involvement,one might be able to tell that the sus-pect was lying based on his or her reactiontimes to images or words on a computer screenthat were related to the crime, according to Frost.

Frost is hopeful that even in the event that this test does not stand on its own as a determinant

of someone’s honesty, at the very least it can complement the other tests already being used.

“It has been a challenge for researchers to createfoolproof lie detection. My involvement in forensicresearch has been to fine-tune the proceduresalready in place and gain a better understanding of a liar’s thought processes. By doing so, we can better inform the courts and practices of lawenforcement,” Frost said. “While I don’t believewe’ve found techniques that meet the rigor neededfor conviction, perhaps a corroboration of our besttechniques can help inform the courts aboutwhether certain people should be considered for exoneration.”

SCHOOL OF



COVER STORY


Eleanor Dunfey-Freiburger entered theconvent in 1957 because she wanted toserve the world.

As it turned out, she stayed in theUnited States. After 13 years she tookoff her habit, fell in love, married, hadtwo children, and began teaching at asmall business college in NewHampshire.

Here, beginning in the late 1970s, theworld came to her, as well-off students

from Asia, followedby refugees fromSouth Africa andCentral America,flocked to the school that wouldbecome SouthernNew Hampshire

University. Soon, Eleanor and her husband, Jim Freiburger, were teachingstudents from more than two dozencountries and taking in refugees.

“The world came right to our home,”said Eleanor, now professor of ethicsand civic engagement and director ofthe Faculty Center for Innovation andExcellence in Teaching.

Eleanor also has brought the world toSNHU through her work with GlobalCitizens Circle, a nonprofit founded by her family that brings human rightsleaders, activists and citizens together to discuss issues including war andracism, homelessness and AIDS. Shebegan by inviting interested faculty and students to Circle events, then drewon her international network to bring

speakers such as ArchbishopDesmond Tutu, HillaryClinton and Martin LutherKing III to New Hampshire.In recent years, SNHU hasco-sponsored Circle eventsand sent students to SouthAfrica on service missions.

Eleanor Dunfey-FreiburgerBy Katharine Webster

Along the way, Eleanor has advisedstudent groups and worked with facultyto integrate ethics and communityservice into the curriculum.

President Paul J. LeBlanc says she neverpreaches: Instead she brings togetherpeople representing diverse or opposinginterests, encourages them to find common ground, and helps them findpractical ways to achieve their goals.

“Eleanor’s great gift is helping empowerothers, and she does this in a gentleway that often makes her seem muchmore behind the scenes,” LeBlanc said.“She has a kind of convening gift, thegift to give people self-confidence thatthey can do big things, whether it’shelping find peace in Northern Irelandand the Middle East or end apartheid inSouth Africa.”

The Family TableBringing people together comes naturallyfor Eleanor, who got her first lessons inhospitality and service from her parents,Irish Catholic immigrants who left schoolto work in the textile mills in Lowell,Mass. By the time Eleanor was born in1938, the youngest of 12 children, herfather owned a variety store where all thechildren helped out. A gregarious manwho knew everyone in their immigrantneighborhood, he served as the city’s vol-unteer welfare commissioner.

Eleanor remembers walking downtownwith him to meetings at the Knights ofColumbus, an international serviceorganization, and standing on street corners while he chatted with the people they met. If anyone needed a hot meal and a kind word, he invited

them home. The dinner table was thecenter of family life; people of all races,nationalities and social backgroundswere welcome. Her mother fed everyoneand listened to their troubles with aquiet sympathy that made each of herchildren and guests feel special.

“We always had room for someone elseat the table,” Eleanor said.

With World War II ending and three ofthe older boys heading home from theservice, Eleanor’s father leased a tinyclam stand on the beach in Hampton,N.H., to get them started in business.Eleanor began work there at age 8,standing on a Coke crate so she couldsee over the counter.

Her father died when she was 12 andthe family moved to Hampton, where


they had opened a second clam standand were building a full-size restau-rant. Dunfey’s on C Street opened onHampton Beach in 1951 with 75employees, 17-year-old Jerry as themanager, and 13-year-old Eleanor –who was tall for her age and lookedolder by wearing lipstick – in charge of training the waitresses.

Into the ConventEleanor chose to attend EmmanuelCollege in Boston, run by the Sisters of Notre Dame, when her turn came toleave home in 1956. She already knewshe wanted more than the limited optionsavailable to most college-educated youngwomen in the 1950s: nursing, elementaryschool teaching, secretarial work, orbeing a housewife.

Eleanor wanted to be part of an interna-tional community dedicated to servingpeople in need. A decade later, shemight have joined the Peace Corps orVISTA, but they didn’t exist. So at thestart of her sophomore year, she enteredthe Sisters of Notre Dame, a teachingorder with schools in Africa, Asia, andSouth and Central America.

“If you were part of this group of women,even if you weren’t in Johannesburg oryou weren’t in Bolivia, your sisters werethere and you were part of this interna-tional network,” she said.

Eleanor’s three older sisters had precededher into the Sisters of Notre Dame. Theeldest, Kay, taught at To-Dai ImperialUniversity in Tokyo. Another sister, Mary, taught eighth grade in Hawaii and thethird, Eileen, served as principal of elementary schools in Brighton andWellesley, Mass. for many years.

“They were all dedicated to service, asocial gospel about helping the poor andthose who were disadvantaged,” saidtheir cousin Joe Keefe, president andCEO of Pax World Mutual Funds, whichsponsors a scholarship for African womenstudents in SNHU’s community economicdevelopment program. “She’s an activist:Her whole life has been about trying toimprove other people’s lives.”

Beyond the ConventEleanor graduated from Emmanuel in1960 and was assigned by the order toteach English at a series of Catholic highschools in the Boston area. At 26 she wasappointed dean of students at Emmanuel.She studied personnel administration atBoston University, then started on a mas-ter’s degree in philosophy and theology atthe University of San Francisco.

Her third summer at USF she met Jim,a priest from Iowa, in a seminar. Shortlybefore he returned to Iowa they spenttwo hours talking about the future of the church. Eleanor remained in SanFrancisco for a year on scholarship tocomplete her degree. They sent eachother cassette tapes, continuing theirconversation.

Both Eleanor and Jim – inspired by thereforms and ecumenical spirit of theSecond Vatican Council, as well as bytheir teachers, who were philosophersand theologians in the vanguard of newchurch thinking – wanted to be part ofbuilding a more open Catholic Church,with married priests and women in theleadership.

“We thought we were really building upa new expression of the church,” Eleanorsaid. “We were not rejecting the faith, or

1. Eleanor, pictured in the middle backrow at age 12, would later follow hersisters into the convent.

2. Kate Dunfey with her youngest daughter, Eleanor, and her youngestgranddaughter, Maria.

3. Dunfey family get-together inPortsmouth, N.H., in the late ’70s.


1 2

3


the social service, or the history of thechurch’s dedication to the poor. We weretrying to translate the many paternalisticattitudes of the church into a more con-temporary form that recognized that ourgoal was to develop people’s conscienceand let them decide what, indeed, theirlives should be – all the while providinga community of prayer and healing andcomfort and certainly direction, but notblack-and-white rules.”

But they also knew the church hierarchywould not change overnight, and Jim was keenly aware that it was starting to reassert the black-and-white rules. He felt he could no longer enforce thechurch’s laws and applied to leave thepriesthood.

Eleanor wanted to break down barriersamong people, but realized that manypeople – especially those with differentreligious beliefs – saw her habit as a barrier. She also felt she had outgrownthe convent’s rules, such as the ban onvisiting parents. With her mother’s sup-port, she applied to leave the convent.She graduated from USF in May 1970,and by August had completed her with-drawal from the order.

She and Jim had decided to get to knoweach other better, and both found highschool teaching jobs in Burlington, Vt. Twoyears later they married and started theirfamily. Jim went on to earn his doctorate ineducational administration at the Universityof Connecticut, while Eleanor cared for thechildren and volunteered.

The Hospitality BusinessMeanwhile, most of her brothers werebuying and building restaurants andhotels around New England, growingthe business that ultimately becameOmni Hotels International.

The brothers were active in theDemocratic Party and supported the civil rights movement. John F.Kennedy announced his run for presi-

dent at their hotel in Manchester, andthree months after Martin Luther KingJr. was assassinated in 1968, CorettaScott King and her children spent the

summer at brother Walter Dunfey’shome on Lake Winnipesaukee, whereshe began writing “My Life withMartin Luther King, Jr.”

In the late 1960s, the brothers boughtthe historic Parker House in downtownBoston. There they discovered thearchives of the Saturday Club, an infor-mal group of leading writers, scientists,

and religious men – including RalphWaldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne,Oliver Wendell Holmes and Booker T.Washington – who met at the hotel’sfamous restaurant in the late 1800s andearly 1900s to discuss the importantissues of the day.

The Dunfeys were inspired to host sim-ilar gatherings. They founded the NewEngland Circle (later Global CitizensCircle) in 1974 as a kind of extensionof their gatherings around the familydinner table.

Extending HospitalityWhat made Circle forums different fromother events was the Dunfeys’ uniquebrand of hospitality. Instead of speakers,they had “discussion leaders,” and theycarefully arranged the seating so that ateach table political leaders listened torefugees, business people heard the concerns of community activists, andacademics talked with hotel chamber-maids. Through the Circle, the Dunfeyshelped build opposition to apartheid,hosting discussions with Nelson Mandelaand Oliver Tambo. They also engaged inprivate diplomacy, bringing the opposingfactions in Northern Ireland together atthe Parker House time and again – aneffort that was recognized by a nationalaward for the whole family.

“”Eleanor’s great gift is help-ing empower others, andshe does this in a gentleway that often makes herseem much more behindthe scenes. She has akind of convening gift,the gift to give peopleself-confidence that theycan do big things.

– President Paul J. LeBlanc Southern New Hampshire University

2

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3

5

8

7

1. Martin Luther King III speaks at SNHU.

2. Eleanor and brother Jerry Dunfey with NorthernIreland Minister of Education MartinMcGuinness.

3. Eleanor presents the Oliver Tambo/JohnnyMakatini award to Thabo Mbeki, president,Republic of South Africa.

4. Eleanor and Jim with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

5. Eleanor presents the 1991 Global CitizensCircle award to Walter and Albertina Susulu,“parents of South Africa.”

6. Coretta Scott King receives the Walter J.Dunfey Lifetime Award in 1998.

7. Jack Dunfey with then presidential candidateJohn F. Kennedy on the campaign trail inManchester, N.H.

8. The Dunfeys congratulate First Lady HillaryClinton for the success of her work and herbook, “It Takes a Village.”

6


Back to SchoolWhen the Dunfey-Freiburgers moved toNew Hampshire so Jim could work inhuman resources at the Wayfarer Inn, aDunfey hotel in Bedford, Eleanor beganlooking for a full-time job. She was aperfect fit for the fledgling CulinaryInstitute at then-New HampshireCollege, which hired her in 1984.

While she and a colleague were washingdishes after a dinner in 1986, he askedfor help with a South African studentwho was pregnant. Tshidi Muendane ’89was one of many black South Africanteenagers who had fled their nativecountry after the 1976 Soweto uprising.As international opposition to apartheidgrew, governments and nonprofits beganoffering scholarships to refugees to prepare them for leadership in a post-apartheid South Africa.

Muendane, sponsored by the AfricanAmerican Institute, came to study in thenew community economic developmentprogram at the college, leavingbehind her husband and3-year-old son. Shewas due to

give birth in April 1986 and would nolonger be allowed to live in the dorms.The Dunfey-Freiburgers invited her tolive with them and she delivered ahealthy baby girl, Mpho’ (meaning“gift”). Eighteen months later, her husband received an ArchbishopDesmond Tutu Scholarship and theMuendane family reunited at theDunfey-Freiburgers’ home.

The World at Her HomeThe Muendanes were the first of manyinternational students to become part ofthe Dunfey-Freiburgers’ extended family.After they moved out, Virginia Melgar, arefugee from El Salvador, moved in withher newborn daughter, Victoria. TheDunfey-Freiburgers’ two children aregodparents to Mpho’ and Victoria.

Luyanda Mzumza ’89, another studentfrom South Africa whom the Dunfey-Freiburgers mentored and invited to

Circle events, nominated JerryDunfey for South Africa’s high-est civilian award, the Orderof the Companions of O.R.Tambo, in 2008. Mzumzaand the Muendanes –now government officials – were in the audience, and

that evening they participated in a Circle-SNHU event in Soweto.

Esteban Lopez ’02 and his wife, ZelmaExheverria ’01, came to SNHU fromEcuador in 2000 to pursue master’sdegrees in finance and internationalbusiness.

Lopez enjoyed the informal gatheringsat the Dunfey-Freiburgers’ home,where graduate and undergraduate,international and American, white and minority students talked abouttheir experiences. Eleanor encouragedthem to reflect on the meaning of compassion, dignity, human rights and social responsibility, then figureout how to effect change, he said.

“I use her model as my business model to do my day-to-day work: being compas-sionate, working with one person at atime, in a very socially responsible manner,” said Lopez, director of DiversityInitiatives at the New Hampshire College& University Council.

Each One Help OneEemaan Rameez ’03, a Muslim studentfrom the Maldives, studied publicspeaking with Eleanor at SNHU’s program in Malaysia in 2001 andplanned to spend her last two years of


1. Mpho’ Muendane and her mother, Tshidi Muendane (graduating with amaster’s in CED).

2. The Muendane family enjoying the sunand surf at Hampton Beach during a visitto New Hampshire to reconnect with theDunfey’s.

2

1


college in Manchester. But after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, her familywas afraid to send her, worried shewould become a victim of anti-Muslimviolence. Eleanor reassured them inperson and met Rameez with a warmwinter coat when she arrived at Boston’sLogan Airport in January 2002.

Eleanor encouraged Rameez to join stu-dent organizations, helped her obtain ascholarship when her family hit a difficultpatch, and mentored her again when shereturned in 2007 for her Global M.B.A.

“Mother Theresa once said, ’If you can’tfeed a hundred people, then just feedone.’ I believe Eleanor has taken it toheart, bringing love and peace to theworld with one person at a time throughher kind words, her generosity, herundivided attention, and her amazingchocolate chip oatmeal cookies,”Rameez wrote in an e-mail.

Stepping UpEleanor became the public face of theCircle in 1989 after seven brothers andsisters died within three years fromdifferent kinds of cancer. Although shedescribes those years as “awful,” shebecame even closer to her healthierolder brothers and their families as

they shared in the care of theirdying siblings.

Around the same time, shemoved from the CulinaryInstitute to the HumanitiesDepartment, where she devel-oped courses in ethics andworld religions. Jim left theprivate sector and joinedthe faculty of the then-Graduate School ofBusiness. (He retired last summer after 20 years of teaching.)

In 1996, Eleanorreceived the college’sExcellence in TeachingAward and advanced to full professor.

She was named to the university’s firstendowed chair, the Papoutsy Chair inBusiness Ethics, in 2000, just as majorcorporate scandals unfolded, includingthe collapse of Enron and Worldcom. As a university-wide professor, sheenhanced faculty efforts in all schools toincorporate ethics into the curriculum,bringing together students and facultyfor discussions, organizing several majorconferences on business ethics andinviting speakers to the campus.

Growing with SNHUIn 2006, Eleanor was named university professor of ethics and civic engagement,a position created to take advantage ofher strengths.

Earlier she had supported the establish-ment of the Center for Service andCommunity Involvement. Three yearsago, working with center Director SarahJacobs, she developed the university’s“service learning” program, helping fac-ulty across SNHU integrate communityservice into their courses. Now computerscience students design programs to helphealth agencies collect data on lead poi-soning in children, sociology studentslearn about foreign cultures by working

with recent immigrants, and accountingstudents help start-up nonprofits withtheir bookkeeping.

Last year, she also became director ofthe Faculty Center for Innovation andExcellence in Teaching. She works with all the university’s schools to share great teaching and the creation of interdisciplinary courses.

Impact on SNHULeBlanc also believes Eleanor’s influ-ence on SNHU – from creating lastingties with South Africa’s political histo-ry, to infusing the entire school with aconcern for ethics, to helping create adynamic academic culture – has madeher part of the university’s DNA as ithas grown and matured.

“She has really helped engender astrong sense of social justice on campusand she has helped create a richer aca-demic culture that is actively engagedin questions of teaching and learning,”he said. “She helps the university andhelps individuals find their moral com-pass … and identify and act on theirsense of what is the right thing to do.”

“”With a twinkle in hereye and a little smile,but also with a veryfocused intent – I seeher pulling togetherlots of little threadsof things that oughtto be obvious to therest of us, but oftenaren’t so obvious.

– Gary HirshbergCe-Yo, Stonyfield Farm

Eleanor with Eeman Rameez ’03 at her graduation ceremony


Family Ties

Athleticism is a family trait for these alumni.

Parents take their children to the fields,courts and rinks seemingly from the time thekids can walk. A grandfather or aunt mightcome to see a granddaughter or nephewplay, and many young boys and girls growup learning the intricacies of the games fromparents who may have competed in the samesport. It is not uncommon to see many play-ers at the professional level who have hadfathers or grandfathers compete before them.

The bonds sports forge among families can be seen at Southern New HampshireUniversity as well. Every game sees thestands full of parents, brothers, sisters,grandparents, aunts and uncles cheeringon the Penmen. In many sports, familiesof team members will gather postgame fora bite to eat and to share stories, and

Sports are often a common link between generations of a family. many families from different parts of thecountry remain friends long after theirSNHU athletics experience.

A handful of current SNHU student-athletesare following in family footsteps, playing the same sport their parents or grandparentscompeted in as Penmen a generation or twoago. Meet three of them.

The BryantsBobby Bryant firstcaught the eye of SNHU hockeycoach KenHutchins ’87 at a practicefor Bryant’sjunior

team, the New England Huskies,in the fall of 2006. Only later

Down the Line

PENMEN PRIDESportsdid he learn that Bryant’s father, Bob Bryant ’83,also attended SNHU, and skated for the Penmenfrom 1979-83.

“Hutch remembered my father because they attendedSNHU close to the same time and knew a lot of thesame alumni hockey players,” Bobby said. “My fatherwas very excited when I told him Hutch was recruit-ing me. He never really put any pressure on me tochoose SNHU, but he was very excited when I toldhim it was my final choice. It was definitely a bonus tohave that history with the school and the program.

“My mother (Jill Freire ’84) was excited that I wasgoing to be close to home and that she could comewatch me play. I think she expected me to go toschool as far away as possible,” he added.

Like father, like son: The elder Bryant led the Penmento a 16-8 record as a senior. The younger Bryant ledthe team in assists as a sophomore with 20 and hastotaled 51 points through his first three seasons.

Bob can be seen at most of SNHU’s home games,watching his son play.

“I visited different schools with Bobby, but left thedecision up to him,” he said. “I was happy he choseSNHU, as I believe there have been a lot of improve-ments since I went there – new classrooms and livingfacilities, better course choices, and not having to ridethe ’little blue bus’ to games.”

While Bobby said his parents being graduates playeda role in his recruitment, he chose the university onits own merits.

“It was a small influence, but there were many otherreasons I chose SNHU,” he said. “I liked the size ofthe campus and the reputation of the business program

as well as the challenge of coming in and competingfor the hockey team.”

The GunstsEric Gunst had plenty ofexposure to the Penmen pro-gram growing up. His father,Lee Gunst ’83, was one of theearly standouts for thelacrosse program, earningteam MVP honors threetimes, and being selected for

the prestigious North-South All-Star Game as a seniorin 1983. (His mother, Andrea (Deasy) Gunst ’81, alsoattended SNHU.)

“(My father) didn’t talk about his career a whole lotgrowing up, just his love for the sport of lacrosse, andhow he wanted to play in college,” Eric said. “Thatwas one of the main reasons I looked into the school,just from hearing about it. That was the deciding fac-tor in coming here.”

Lee was his son’s lacrosse team’s travel coach injunior high, and would take Eric and his brother,Matt, to high school and Penmen games.

“I’d been around campus a little bit, been in RobertFrost and seen some of the new buildings, and itbecame like a second home to me almost. Coach(Paul) Calkins came and watched me play and invitedme to a recruiting trip. I got to meet all of the kids onthe team, and I knew I wanted to be here,” Eric said.

Lee was a standout defenseman, as is Eric, whoplays in goal and ranked seventh in the Northeast-10as a freshman in save percentage. Both focused onbusiness: Eric is majoring in sport management,while his dad graduated with a marketing degree.They even lived in the same on-campus apartment in Whittier, overlooking Larkin Field.

“We used to go to many high school and collegegames, and he chose the position (goalie) on his own.He fell in love with it; he decided the position lookslike a lot of fun, you don’t have to run a lot,” Leesaid, laughing. “Andrea and I offered Eric advice.We told him about how we both went here and had a


Continued on page 31


19:03 – School-record

5K time turned in by sophomore

Emma Lundberg of the women’s

cross-country team last fall. She

posted the fastest three times in

program history in 2009.

61 – Percentage of SNHU

student-athletes who posted at least

a 3.0 GPA for the fall 2009 semester.

14 – Career shutouts recorded

by women’s soccer goalkeeper

Stef Young, placing her fourth in

program history.

7 – Consecutive shutouts posted

by the men’s soccer team in 2009,

one shy of the program record

of eight.

7 – Consecutive wins to open

the season by the volleyball team,

a school record.

PenmenNumbers

by the SPORTSSHORTS

Men’s Soccer Reaches National QuarterfinalsFor the eighth time in program history, themen’s soccer team advanced to the quarter-finals of the NCAA Division II tournament.While the Penmen were edged in penaltykicks by Le Moyne 3-2 for the right toadvance to the semifinals, the road to thequarterfinals was exciting. SNHU toppedlongtime nemesis Southern Connecticut 4-3 in a penalty kick shootout in the firstround, then toppled Wilmington 1-0 in thesecond round on a goal by sophomore P.J.Burnette in double overtime.

The Penmen finished 14-4-4 overalland were the Northeast-10 reg-ular season champions forthe second straight year.

Chandronnait Featured in Sports Illustrated Women’s tennis standout Amber Chandronnaitbecame the eighth SNHU student-athlete

to be selected toappear in SportsIllustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” weeklyfeature. Chandronnaitwas selected after win-ning the Wilson/ITAEast Regional singlestournament for the

second straight year, in September. Shedefeated Ola Roberts of Concordia 7-5, 7-5,rallying from a 5-1 deficit in the second set.

Chandronnait was the Northeast-10 Playerof the Year in 2009; through the fall seasonshe had compiled a 30-2 career singlesrecord for the Penmen.


The SNHU athletic department had a successful fall season, with thePenmen receiving a multitude of accolades for their accomplishments.

Trio of Men’s Soccer Players Named All-AmericansThree SNHU men’s soccer players, Richard Kentish, MarcGoulet and Adrian Schippers, were named NSCAA All-Americans. Kentish, a defender, was a First TeamAll-American and also the Northeast-10 DefensivePlayer of the Year. Goulet a midfielder, was namedto the Second Team, while Schippers was a ThirdTeam selection. All three were also Northeast-10First Team All-Conference selections.

Kentish also was named to the NSCAA’s ScholarAll-America team, while Schippers was selected forthe Scholar All-Region squad.

The Best of the RestThe men’s soccer team garnered three additionalmajor awards from the Northeast-10. Sean Lambert wasthe Goalkeeper of the Year for the second straightyear. Ruben Resendes was the league’s Freshman of theYear, while Marc Hubbard repeated as Coach of theYear.

The Penmen had a total of 10 men’s soccer playershonored. Lambert was a First Team All-Conferenceselection. Kevin Woods and Danny Hernandez were SecondTeam selections, while Mike Adam and PJ Burnette werenamed to the Third Team. Resendes and ChristianRodriguez were named to the All-Rookie Team.

Ariel Teixeira of the women’s soccer team garneredNSCAA and Daktronics All-Region honors as wellas Northeast-10 First Team All-Conference statusafter leading the Penmen in scoring with 10 goalsand three assists. Daniela Abruzzese was named to theleague’s All-Rookie Team.

Shane Winslow earned Northeast-10Player of the Year honors by leading the golf team to a third-place finish at theNortheast-10 Championship.Winslow led after the firstround with an even-par 72and defeated Stuart Pulkinenof Adelphi University in athree-hole playoff for medalisthonors. D.J. Lantz earned All-Conference honors for the secondtime in his career after finishingthird, one shot back of Winslow.

Stephanie Dluginski of the volleyball team was named Northeast-10 Third Team All-Conference,the second time in her career she has been an All-Conference selection. The only player to start all 24games for the Penmen, Dluginski led Southern NewHampshire with 288 kills and ranked second inblocks (91) and hitting percentage (.256).

PENMEN PRIDESports

Ariel Teixeira Shane WinslowRichard Kentish

Honors and Milestones

Adrian Schippers

Honoring AlumniHall of Fame AwardThe recipient of the2009 Alumni Hallof Fame Award wasMichael B. Brody ’73.

The award recog-nizes an alumnus oralumna who gradu-ated 10 or more

years ago and has made outstandingcontributions to his or her profession, thecommunity and the university.

As a student, Brody worked in theComputer Center and was president ofKappa Delta Phi. As an alumnus, Brodybecame very involved in the AlumniAdmissions Program, attending collegefairs and holding receptions for prospec-tive students and their families.

During the 1980s Brody served as president of the Alumni Association and was the alumni representative to the board of trustees. In 1985, hereceived the Alumni DistinguishedService Award. Brody served as a mem-ber of the board of trustees in 2004.

Today, Brody is the vice president ofSales and Marketing at the M.S. WalkerCompany. He has been active in hiscommunity as a member of the TempleBeth Am and as a basketball, soccerand baseball coach.

Brody donates annually to the SNHUFund and has been a leadership donor atthe President’s Circle level for 20 years.

Alumni DistinguishedService AwardThe recipient ofthe 2009 AlumniDistinguishedService Award wasC. Richard Erskine.

The award is givento an alumnus,

alumna, faculty member, staff memberor friend of the university to recognizeleadership, dedication and loyal serviceto the university and its objectives.

“Dedicated, passionate, loyal and genuineare some of the words that cometo mind when I think of DeanErskine,” said presenter EdIthier ’87.

An avid racquetball player, tennis player and gardener, Erskinestarted his career asan English teacherat Keene HighSchool. Soon after he started at what isnow SNHU, wherehe has remained for30 years. During histenure he has heldmany positions,including acting academic dean, associate dean of theSchool of Business,associate dean of the

then Undergraduate School of Businessand his present position as associate vicepresident of Academic Affairs.

Most of his work has centered on studentacademic issues and challenges. He hasfostered an environment that encouragesinteraction among students and faculty,promoting SNHU, recruiting students,hiring faculty and making decisionsabout degree requirements for students.

Along with the things that fell into hisjob descriptions, Erskine also becameinvolved in many other programs andcommittees over the years such as direc-tor of the BASHA program, director ofthe 3Year Honors Program, director of the FEX program and chair of theScholastic Standing Committee.

Young Alumni AwardThe recipient of the 2009 YoungAlumni Award was Ashley A. Liadis ’02 ’05.

The award recognizes youngeralumni who graduated not morethan five years ago who havedemonstrated leadership andhave supported the AlumniAssociation, the AlumniBoard and the university.

Liadis is the director of the3Year Honors Program.

She is a member of theAlumni Board of Directorsand volunteers at the winefestival, reunion weekendand the President’s Cupgolf tournament.


During Alumni & Family Weekend, the Alumni Association presented its annual awards torecognize graduates for their work with the university and the community.

Upcoming EventsReconnect with classmates, friends, staffand faculty at alumni and university events.

May 13 2010 Business Indicators Series for SNHUAlumni ExecutivesSNHU Main CampusManchester, N.H.

May 15 SNHU CommencementVerizon Wireless ArenaManchester, N.H.

June 2120th Annual President’s Cup Golf TournamentSky Meadow Country ClubNashua, N.H.

Aug. 19 2010 Business Indicators Series for SNHUAlumni ExecutivesSNHU Main CampusManchester, N.H.

Sept. 142010 Business Indicators Series for SNHUAlumni ExecutivesSNHU Main CampusManchester, N.H.

Oct. 1 to Oct. 2 Alumni WeekendSNHU Main CampusManchester, N.H.

Please visit www.snhu.edu/alumni and clickon “Alumni & Development Events” forcomplete event information and online reg-istration. We look forward to seeing you.

Alumni News


For more alumni news, visit

snhu.edu

Stay Connected SNHUconnect, the Alumni OnlineCommunity, has opened its directory to all alumni community members.This makes it easier for SNHU alumnito find and make connections with fellow graduates.

Directory searches now display even moreinformation, including email addresses.Users can manage privacy settings at anytime by accessing their profiles in theonline community.

SNHUconnect also includes an updatedClass Notes section. It is now easier thanever to post your work achievements andmilestones, and to find out what yourclassmates have been up to.

If you are not already a member, visitsnhu.edu/alumni and click on the link to register for SNHUconnect today. Please contact us at [email protected] or603.645.9799 for more information.

Be in the KnowTo find out what’s happening on cam-pus, provide us with your e-mailaddress and we’ll make sure you stayconnected to the university all yearlong. The alumni office sends a month-ly e-newsletter that includes alumni profiles, upcoming events, campusupdates, athletic news and invitationsto special events. Sign up now by sending your e-mail address [email protected].

SNHU Alumni Board PresidentDavid Lee ’87, ’93

Vice PresidentTiffany Lyon ’00, ’02

SecretaryMeghan (Cotton) Dalesandro ’00

TreasurerJeff Penta ’05, ’08

Executive Director to the BoardMichael DeBlasi ’70, Director ofAlumni and Major Gifts

DirectorsJason DeMarzo ’03Neil Donahue ’82Janice Fitzpatrick ’93Tim Gerardi ’04Steve Gore ’90, ’02Mark Haddad ’01Robin (Sorenson) Kazes ’97Kevin Kiley ’04, ’09Ashley (Adams) Liadis ’02, ’05Katie (McKenney) Libby ’03, ’05Stacey Megalaitis ’92Peter Perich ’76, ’85

Student Government RepresentativeAlexandra Malvey ’10

President EmeritusChad Mason ’98, ’00

Buddy Costa ’06Sport Management

Clubgoers in the Boston area may alreadyknow what Buddy Costa ’06 has been upto since graduating.

Costa began his career in radio, working as a producer for the “Top 30 Countdown” on the “Matty in theMorning” show on KISS 108 in Boston.After four years, he decided to focus onhis DJ career.

Costa now holds residencies in topNew England nightclubs, includingThe Estate, Rain, the Marina Bay

Beach Club and the MGM Grand’sShrine. He’s shared stages with thelikes of Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan,Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Ne-Yo, andwas named Best DJ in Boston in 2009.

“Music is the best medicine for people,”he says. “There’s nothing better than see-ing 800 to 1,000 people as happy as canbe listening to your music. I love my job!”

In addition to entertaining crowds dur-ing his nightclub gigs, Costa has DJ’edRed Sox starting pitcher Josh Beckett’scharity event, the Beckett Bowl, for thepast four years and has participated in

By Stephanie Bouley

Institutional Advancement


The Extra Mile caught up with some recent graduates to see where theircareers have taken them so far.

Where Are They Now?

Celtics forward Paul Pierce’s charityevent, Truth Strikes Again.

Growing up, Costa’s dream was to be onESPN – hence his pursuit of a sportmanagement degree at SNHU. Now hewants to open a hipster sneaker storewith vintage rock shirts and hip clothes.

“I have a problem. I collect sneakers.Now I want to take my problem andturn it into a new venture,” he says.

Yan Li ’07Sport Management

Entrepreneur Yan Li ’07, a retail chainowner and co-owner/investor in a mar-keting and promotions company, hasformed great roots in the U.S. sincecoming to SNHU in 2005.

Buddy Costa ’06 with singer songwriter Kid Rock


After graduating with a master’s degreein sport management, Li took a positionwith the Manchester Millrats, part of the Premier Basketball League. Heformed a great relationship with Millratsowner Jason Briggs and showed him his patented T-shirt with light-up,sound-activated images.

Briggs invested in Li’s product, and thuscame the development of SonicFireCorp. SonicFire retail stores can now befound in the Mall of New Hampshire inManchester and the Mall at RockinghamPark in Salem, and soon will be in TimesSquare in New York City.

Li’s next achievement came after he intro-duced himself to Broadway writer andproducer Mark Schoenfeld, whom he hadwanted to meet after reading a featurearticle about him. The two developed afriendship, and with Schoenfeld’s support,Li’s T-shirts debuted in Broadway’s “Rockof Ages” show and are now being sold atshows throughout the country. Li alsodesigned an LED lighter that is nowhanded out to the thousands attendingeach “Rock of Ages” show.

Schoenfeld describes Li as “a man withinstant likability;” this is one reason

Where are you now?Let us know: E-mail updates andClass Notes to [email protected] visit www.snhu.edu/alumni toupdate your profile.

why he introduced him to Tom O’Reilly,president of Logo Loc. Months later,O’Reilly and Li teamed up to invest inLogo Worldwide, an import-export busi-ness they say will build an internationalpartnership between China and NewHampshire.

Li has come full circle in connecting hisinterests in technology and sports and hisentrepreneurial spirit in the two placeshe calls home.

“Be fearless! You will always have obsta-cles in your way, but be persistent,” Lisaid. “It is fertile ground in the UnitedStates for entrepreneurs. Gong chuanghui huang!” (Success be on to you!)

Ingrid Vasquez ’08Organizational Leadership

Ingrid Vasquez ’08pursued her mas-ter’s degree in orga-nizational leader-ship at the SalemCenter because she

wanted to be able to influence changeand impact decisions at work. She alsomade connections, one or which led to anew job at BAE Systems.

Vasquez enjoyed her human relationscourses most, and through discussionswith classmates realized her next careermove would be into human resources.

With classmate and fellow 2008 gradu-ate Amanda Arria’s help, Vasquez now isa talent acquisition recruiter at BAE, aglobal defense and aerospace company.Her focus throughout the last year hasbeen on recruiting college students in

the fields of engineering, operations andfinance for entry-level positions. She isalso responsible for managing BAE’sinternship program in New Hampshireand Massachusetts.

Although Vasquez is content in hercurrent position, she is enthusiasticabout the opportunities for growth thatlie ahead with BAE Systems.

“I love spending time on campus,interacting with students, but I alsolook forward to trying new paths in HRand eventually taking on a leadershiprole,” she said.

Vasquez’s SNHU experience resonateswith many other continuing educationand online alumni. She remembers“working 40 hours a week while takinga full load of classes, but always look-ing forward to attending class, and theopportunity it brought to interact withsenior-level executives who often hadmore experience and expertise.”

Vasquez stays connected to SNHU by presenting at events, such as theWomen’s Leadership Summit, and other community activities.

’98Brian Dalesandro and his wife, Meghan (Cotton)Dalesandro ’00, announce the birth of theirdaughter, Leah Patricia, on Feb. 9, 2010.

’00Meghan Dalesandro and her husband, BrianDalesandro ’98, announce the birth of theirdaughter, Leah Patricia, on Feb. 9, 2010.

Joshwa J. Rybczyk and his wife, Cindy,announce the birth of their son,

Zackary Leo, on Jan. 3, 2010.

’07Claudia A. Connor andher husband, Justin,announce the birth of their son, JustinAlexander, on July 11, 2009.

Adam R. Correau and his wife,Angela, announce thebirth of their son, AdamEdgar, on June 20, 2009.

Michael T. Zahn and his wife, Julie (Hackert)Zahn ’07, announce the birth of their son,Oliver James, on Aug. 24, 2009.

In Memoriam’45 Robert B. Jolicoeur’67 Richard F. Bradley’77 William H. Ritzmann Jr.’78 Jay E. Tonkin’81 Paul Hrisho’83 Dorothy P. Johnson’88 William J. Dare

Jill E. Tremblay Gail L. Wheeler

’91 Frederick D. Hunt Jr. ’05 Jean Y. H. Brantley

David A. Newell

Class Notes


Achievements’73Deborah Sampson, of Hancock, N.H., wasnamed the Brodie Fellow for 2009 by theUniversity of Virginia School of Nursing.She also was named the AmericanAssociation of Nurse Practitioners’ StateNP of the Year (New Hampshire) andreceived funding from the Robert WoodJohnson Foundation for her researchwith Dr. Kevin Stange on state legisla-tion for nurse practitioner practice,access to care, health outcomes andhealth costs. She is an assistant professorat the University of Michigan.

’74Alan W. King, of Darien, Conn., wrote a bookreview, “Class of ’67’s Thompson Goesinto ‘OverTime,’” and a play review,“Garrett M. Brown’s ‘Americana’ Takesyou back to 1958 New England.” Bothappeared on the front page of TheDarien Times, on April 9 and Sept. 24,2009. King graduated summa cum laudefrom Long Island University with anM.F.A. in English and writing andmagna cum laude from ManhattanvilleCollege with an M.A. in creative writing.He is writing book reviews, feature articles and a screenplay for the novel“OverTime” by Howie Thompson.

’00Tiffany A. Lyon, of Manchester, N.H., is thedirector of Campus Programming &Leadership at Southern NewHampshire University.

’06Jenny L. Milana, of Derry, N.H., passed theNew Hampshire bar exam, becomingthe second youngest person in NewHampshire to do so.

’07Michelle S. LaBelle, of Bristol, N.H., is an offi-cer for the Sullivan County Departmentof Corrections in Unity.

’08Jenna M. Tavilla, of Lynnfield, Mass., is asixth-grade writing teacher at SouthsideMiddle School in Manchester, N.H.

Marriages’00Jessica Welch married Ryan Bissett.

’03Noelle M. Bachand married Andrew Fink.

Philip J. Cargill married Nicole M. Corvini.

’06Crystal A. Haskins married DanielFitzgerald.

’07Sandra F. Fabienne married Kyle Warren.

New Arrivals’94Heidi Vandenberg announces the birth of herdaughter, Alexa Marie, on Aug. 13, 2009.

The Cargills

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PENMEN PRIDESports

great experience. However, we didn’t lead him down that road. After visiting six or seven differentschools, it was all his decision. However, when hedid make the decision to attend SNHU, we were very excited.”

While they didn’t talk about his Penmen lacrossecareer while Eric was growing up, he and his fatherhave talked about how the school has changed.

“My father was happy that I would be starting out where he started out,” he said. “Hopefully I get to be to where he is today. Hopefully I can be

as successful as he is.”

The Cullerots Libby Cullerot is a member of the third generation of athletic Cullerots to attendSNHU. Her grandfather,Norm Cullerot ’59, playedbasketball here, while herfather, Ken Cullerot ’86, a

swimmer and a member of a New England champi-onship Catholic Youth Organization team in basketballearned his M.B.A. here. Today, Libby is a junior on thewomen’s basketball team.

“They were always positive and encouraging,” saidLibby, who was averaging 6.6 points per game in2009-10 before being sidelined with a torn anteriorcruciate ligament.

After spending a year at Saint Anselm, her grandfather attended what was then called the New Hampshire School of Accounting and SecretarialScience from 1957-59. Ken earned his M.B.A. here.Libby is on track to graduate with a sport managementdegree in 2011.

“My father loved going to grad school at SNHU,”Libby said. “It was definitely a factor when I waslooking at schools.”

Norm, who took classes at night while working for Public Service Company of New Hampshire, recalled that the basket-ball teams he played for were a far cryfrom today’s Penmen teams.

“We were certainly in the primitive stages. I think(then-coach and eventual President Eddie Shapiro)developed a team to generate some interest in theschool and increase the enrollment,” he said. “Wehad about a 10- or 12-game schedule, mostly down inMassachusetts when we weren’t at home. I would sayhalf the players were night school students like I was;we’d get together on certain days when we could.”

The school, then located in downtown Manchesterabove Palace Fruit on Hanover Street, did not have athletic facilities, so the team played at a gym at Grenier Air Force Base in Manchester (now Manchester-Boston Regional Airport).Ironically, Norm would later be stationed at Grenierand play for the Air Force team in the same gym.

Libby’s family feels she made the right decisionabout where to attend college.

“We’re so proud of Libby, not only because of whatshe’s achieved on the basketball court, but whatshe’s done academically,” Norm said. “For selfishreasons, it was a great decision, because it allows usto go to more games than if she had gone away.”

Continued from page 23



Go-GettersChallenge 2009

“We can find a better way to apply supply chain logisticskills to deliver funds, medicine, health care, et cetera.Through understanding the perspective of the businessesand organizations distributing money to these vulnerablepopulations.

– Sarah Lewis”

ChairmanRobert J. DeColfmacker ’78

Vice ChairmanMark A. Ouellette ’77

SecretaryBradford E. Cook

President/CEOPaul J. LeBlanc

Board MembersKusum AilawadiHoward BrodskyCathy Champagne ’88Clayton M. ChristensenJ. Stephanie CollinsTheresa Desfosses ’72Thomas Dionisio ’76Robert A. Freese ’89David Lee ’87, ’93

Frederic “Rick” LoefflerRobert McDermott ’81Kyle NagelL. Douglas O’BrienJune Smith Scott Truncellito ’93Douglas WennersCarol WestKimon S. Zachos

Student ObserverMegan Abad

Trustees EmeritiJacqueline MaraJohn MilesRaymond Truncellito

2009-2010 SNHU Board of Trustees

When she learned she was a finalist in the contest, Lewis,who is from Waterbury, Vt., was finishing a two-week volunteer trip to Nicaragua with Grounds for Health, aVermont-based nonprofit that was doing cervical cancerscreenings for women employed by a coffee cooperative.

“I was living in Boston and looking at master’s programsin public health, asking myself, ’How could I help peopleand get to the next level at the same time?’” she said.

The Go-Getters Challenge is a national campaign offeringa candidate who best exemplifies what it means to be ago-getter a chance to earn a free Global M.B.A. SNHUstaff and faculty judges reviewed all contest essays andnarrowed the field to six semifinalists, then held inter-views to determine the final three. Lewis, of Waterbury,Vt., and the other two finalists appeared on “FOX25Morning News” last fall to explain what they would dowith a Global M.B.A. Viewers voted and the SNHUpanel determined the winner.

A 2005 graduate of Bates College, Lewis spent the pasttwo years working with a team of public health expertsfrom the World Health Organization and HarvardMedical School.

The team’s aim is to improve access to and use of essentialmedicines in transitional and developing countries throughtheir research.

“Medicine or money can only get so far,” Lewis said. “Wewere working to find data to prove that health systems arenecessary in developing countries to ensure communitiesreceive the care and medicines they need.”

As a Global M.B.A. student, Lewis said she’s positioningherself to make a greater contribution, through publichealth and sustainable development.

Business studies also introduce a new, and complementary,perspective.

“We can find a better way to apply supply chain logisticskills to deliver funds, medicine, health care, et cetera,”Lewis said. “Through understanding the perspective of thebusinesses and organizations distributing money to thesevulnerable populations, I hope to relate to the audience Iwill be working with. That’s part of the solution.”

Go-Getters Challenge 2009 winner Sarah Lewis wants to help improve the welfare ofvulnerable populations at home and abroad.

Go-Getters Challenge 2009


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The Extra Mile Spring 2010