The College of Arts and Sciences

Spring 2012 News and Notes

May 8, 2012 By: Rob Enslin

1990s-2000s

Mike Gennaro ’11 is one of four former SU rowers vying for a spot on the U.S. men's eight team, which competes this summer at the London Olympics. In 2009-10, he won two silver medals at the World Rowing Under-23 Championships.

Matt Rhoades ’97, a political consultant and strategist for the Republican National Committee, is Mitt Romney’s campaign manager. Rhoades previously worked on Romney’s 2008 presidential bid and on the campaign to re-elect President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

1970s-1980s

C. Page Chamberlain '79, professor of environmental earth system science at Stanford University, is the recipient of the 2012 Alexander Winchell Distinguished Alumni Award. The Winchell Award is presented to an alumnus of SU's earth sciences department in recognition of his/her contributions and service to the field.

Mark Reed ’77, G’79, G’83, associate director of the Yale Institute for Nanoscience and Quantum Engineering, has developed a nanoscale device that could advance the merger of biological and electronic systems.

Sylvester Rowe ’73, former head of United Nations Radio and Television Services, recently marked World Radio Day and the 66th anniversary of UN Radio, with a rare interview.

1950s-1960s

Winter 2012 News and Notes

Mar 6, 2012 By: Rob Enslin

1990s-2000s

Sean Haley '10 has been invited to deliver the closing keynote address at SU's first annual Student Leadership Conference in February 2012. Sean graduated Magna Cum Laude from SU with a bachelor's degree in biology and a minor in mathematics. He is in the second year of a dual-degree program at SUNY Upstate Medical University and SU, pursuing a doctorate of medicine and a master's in public health. 

Hunter Landers '90, a marketing communications professional and board member of National Investor Relations Institute Silicon Valley, is the proud owner of Big Fish Wines. Named for Hunter's interest in deep-sea fishing, Big Fish is boutique winery in Northern California that produces high-quality handcrafted wines from small vineyard lots. Among them is the 2006 Dry Creek Valley Zinfadel, a Gold Medalist at the 2009 Denver International Wine Competition.

Alicia Santamaria '93 has launched adelante coaching + consulting, which offers an array of signature services for individuals and organizations, including consulting, coaching, and custom-designed training. The Bay Area resident has 18 years of experience in the non-profit, education, government, and philanthropy sectors. She also is a lecturer in the School of Business and Management at Notre Dame de Namur University, an independent Catholic institution in Belmont, Calif. 


1970s-1980s

Mary Bucci Bush G'80, G'84, professor of English at California State University, Los Angeles, is author of "My Sweet Hope" (Guernica Editions, 2011), a novel about the friendship between one Italian and an African American family in turn-of-the-century South. Inspired by real-life events involving some of Bush's ancestors, the novel provides a startling look at race relations, especially involving Italians, who were illegally imported to the Mississippi Delta to pick cotton.

Michael M. Krinsky '70 has been been sworn in as the 173rd president of the Connecticut State Medical Society. Krinsky is a neurologist in private practice in the greater Hartford area who cares for patients at various local hospitals.

Evan Sade '89 is founder of Sade Medicare Consulting, the largest Medicare firm of its kind in southern Florida.

Alice Sebold '84, author of "The Lovely Bones" (Little, Brown, & Company, 2002), which was recently made into movie by Peter Jackson, is part-time editor of Tonga Books, a relatively new imprint of Europa Editions, based in New York City. Tonga publishes three or four novels a year, emphasizing titles that are dark, cutting-edge, or otherwise outside the publishing mainstream.


1950s-1960s

Ruth Appelhof '65, G'74, G'80, G'89, executive director of the Guild Hall arts complex in East Hampton, N.Y., is ramping up for her 2012 summer season. Among those rumored to perform are Mandy Patinkin; Patti LuPone; and the Taylor 2 dance troupe, named for legendary performer and choreographer Paul Taylor '53, H'86. 

David Bing '66, G'95, mayor of Detroit and a member of The College's Board of Visitors, delievered the keynote address at the 27th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Celebration in SU's Carrier Dome. The former NBA star encouraged students to take part in positive activism. 

Tom Coughlin '68, G'69, head coach of the New York Giants, is preparing for Super Bowl XLVI, where his team will once again take on the New England Patriots. Four years ago, the Giants stunned the undefeated Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII.

Richard Green '57, a London-based sexologist, psychiatrist, lawyer, and author is reportedly the only College alumnus to earn an M.D. from The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and a J.D. from Yale Law School. He has served as founding president of the International Academy of Sex Research and as founding editor of the Archives of Sexual Behavior, which is the academy's official publication.

Morton L. Janklow '50, literary agent and arts philanthropist, has provided the lead gift for the Janklow Arts Leadership Program in SU's College of Arts and Sciences. Janklow helped launch the program in January with a star-studded bash at New York's Lincoln Center. Attendees included broadcast journalist Barbara Walters (who moderated a panel discussion on arts leadership), actor Alan Alda, CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour, and SU English professor and best-selling author Mary Karr.  

Sandra Kurz '58 informs us that her husband, Ronald, passed away Oct. 20, 2011, in Silver Springs, Md. He was 77 years old, and had Parkinson's disease. An accomplished psychologist, Ronald began his career as a lecturer at SU in 1959, before being promoted to associate professor in 1965. He eventually became chair of pediatric psychology and director of psychology training and services at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and clinical professor of psychology at George Washington University. He went into private practice in 1986, and retired in 1994. Ronald and Sandra were married for over 50 years.

Paula J. Martin '68, executive director of the Harlem Center for Education, is the recipient of the Walter O. Mason Award. The award is the highest given by the Council for Opportunity in Education to professionals who work with low-income, first-generation people in accessing postsecondary institutions and in attaining higher education credentials. 

Kenneth Povodator '69, assistant corporation counsel for The City of Stamford, has been nominated to serve as a judge on the Connecticut Superior Court. The chemistry major, who went on to earn degrees from Yale University and from the universities of Connecticut and Bridgeport, is one of six nominees.

Fall 2011 News and Notes

Nov 1, 2011 By: Rob Enslin

1990s-2000s

Benardett K. Jno-Finn ’06, owner of Sénica, LLC, is the recipient of the Small Business Administration’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the state of Louisiana. Sénica is a New Orleans-based company that promotes a holistic approach to health, beauty, wellness, and restoration by providing natural products for bath, body, hair, and home. The company has won several other awards, and was a featured exhibitor at the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant in Las Vegas.

F. Stuart Ross '91, G'00 is publishing his first book this fall: "Smashing h-Block: The Popular Campaign Against Criminalization and the Irish Hunger Strikes, 1976-1982 (Liverpool University Press, 2011). Stuart lives with his wife and two sons (Javier and Pablo) in Northern Ireland, where he earned a Ph.D. from Queen's University Belfast.

Patricia Trutescu ‘09 is the author of the anthropological and musicological blog Hear; Don’t Listen. She invites people to respond to her latest entry, "Hear People Listen, Part 2: Tapping Into Part of My Father's Life," in which she interviews her father, a former Cold War refugee from Romania. 



1970s-1980s

David J. Bishop '73 has been appointed professor of physics and head of the Division of Materials Science and Engineering at Boston University. An expert in low-temperature physics and acoustics, he previously served as chief technology officer of LGS Innovations, an independent subsidiary of Alcatel-Lucent, dedicated to serving the U.S. Government with advanced R&D solutions.

Carl T. Bogus '70, G'73, professor of law and director of the honors program at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island, is the author of the forthcoming "Buckley: William F. Buckley Jr. and the Rise of American Conservatism" (Bloomsbury Press, 2011).

George Campbell Jr. G’77, H’03 has retired as president of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York. During his 10-year presidency, Cooper Union earned $200 million in capital investments, replacing 40 percent of the institution’s aging facilities and renovating most of the remaining space.

Lt. Col. Eileen Collins '78, the first female space shuttle commander, has been named among the “Top 100” women in sports and adventure by The Guardian newspaper (United Kingdom).

Ken Goldberg '70, G'73, librarian for the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency and a trustee of the Cleveland Heights Historical Society, recently shared with us his memories of William C. Fleming, founder of the Department of Art and Music Histories (nee Department of Fine Arts): "Dr. Fleming's teaching style was the perfect blend of covering all the basics of the Western arts, from ancient through modern, spiced with his personal reminiscences, based on his extensive travels. He created for his students, on occasion, effective 'experiences,' (e.g., showing slides of a Gothic cathedral while playing a tape of Gregorian chant)—something that none of my other professors ever did." Click here if you would like to share your memories of Dr. Fleming or of any other professor.

David A. Gwilt '72 resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he serves as sales manager of a flooring company and as a licensed adult care home administrator. David recently completed a graduate certification program in gerontology at UNC Charlotte.

Jerome F. Keating G'72 is a retired associate professor at National Taipei University (Taiwan). He has published three books on Taiwanese history and development with SMC Publishing: "Island in the Stream: A Quick Case Study of Taiwan's Complex History" (fourth edition, 2008), "Taiwan: The Search for Identity" (2008), and "Taiwan: The Struggles of a Democracy" (2006). Jerome is working on a fourth book titled "The Mapping of Taiwan: Desired Economies; Coveted Geographies; New Perspectives on Cartography, Monopolies, and the Destiny of Taiwan."

Jon G. Kirschner ’80 has published the fiction thriller “The Alchemist’s Children: Revolution of a Species” (AuthorHouse, 2011). In addition to writing technical documentation and policy for industry and government, Jon creates fiction, poetry, social and political commentary.

Carl Mills ’71 has been named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor for the New York Metro Area. The Port Jefferson native was recently recognized for making the list 10 years in a row in the area of urology. Castle Connolly publishes “Top Doctors,” an authoritative guide to the area’s top primary care and specialty care doctors.

Elsa Reichmanis ’72, G’75 is the recipient of the American Chemical Society’s 2011 Distinguished Service Award, given by the Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering. The Georgia Tech professor is an expert in materials technologies for photonic and electronic applications.



1950s-1960s

Nina Fedoroff ’66 kicked off the annual meeting of AAAS (Advancing Science, Serving Society) in Washington, D.C. with a major radio interview on how science can be used by policy makers for improved diplomacy. She is the AAAS president, a Penn State biology professor, and former science advisor to U.S. Secretaries of State Condoleeza Rice and Hillary Clinton.

Richard W. Hand '65 plans to resume creative writing, now that he has retired from sales. One of his poems--about the Polish Solidarity Movement--was honored by the Polish ambassador to the United States and by Pope John Paul II. Another poem of his, "Know Then O People," garnered a letter of appreciation from Mother Teresa.

Lyn (Lipman) Lifshin '60 has published "All the Poets Who Have Touched Me, Living and Dead: All True, Especially the Lies" (World Parade Books, 2011). Critics praise the book as "mindy candy," and as "witty, lusty, [and] a feast of words."

Floyd Little '67 recently returned to his hometown for the renaming of the New Haven (Conn.) Athletic Center in his honor. Part of New Haven Public Schools, the center is billed as the largest scholastic athletics facility in New England. Floyd was inducted into the Pro Football Hame of Fame in August 2010, and has been hired by SU Athletics to serve as a special assistant, in which he works closely with head football coach and fellow Arts and Sciences alumnus Doug Marrone '91.

Eric Meola ’68, who shot the classic cover of Born Springsteen’s “Born to Run” album, is working on his fourth book, "Born to Run Revisited," which will be published in December 2011, and his fifth book, “Streets of Fire: Bruce Springsteen, 1976-79,” coming out in 2012. Also, Meola's photos are among the items in Springsteen's special collection being transferred from the Asbury Park Public Library to Monmouth University, both in New Jersey.

Joyce Carol Oates ’60, H’00 was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama at a recent White House ceremony. The author of more than 50 novels, including the memoir “A Widow’s Story” (HarperCollins, 2011), Joyce was recognized “for her contributions to American letters,” according to an official statement. She is a recent recipient of the National Book Critics Circle Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award, and is pictured above, flanked by SU Chancellor Nancy Cantor and by Arts and Sciences Dean George M. Langford.

Robert Phillips '60, G'62 recently published a new book of fiction, Ice House Sketches (Texas Review Press, 2011). Professor Emeritus at the University of Houston, where for years he was director of the creative writing program, Phillips is  the author of over thirty books of poetry, fiction, and criticism. He has twice been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. He lives in Houston, Texas.

Jan Strauss Raymond ’65 is the founder of Project Transition, a program that builds connections between SU and families of first-year students. Each year, Project Transition helps dozens of low-income parents and siblings attend Family Weekend by covering the cost of their transportation, lodging, registration, and food. Through the efforts of Jan and her husband, Chip ’66 (who, more than a decade ago, secured funding to launch Project Transition), the program has garnered a substantial donor base, enabling it to serve families throughout Metropolitan New York, Rochester, and Buffalo. Many donors are SU parents who want to help other parents.

Lou Reed ’64 can add “director” to his ever-growing resume. The “Godfather of Punk” recently directed the video for Susan Boyle’s version of “Perfect Day,” from her 2010 multi-platinum album, “The Gift.” His 1972 song was also a hit for Duran Duran.

Kathrine Switzer ’68, G’72 was recently inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, N.Y. The first woman to officially enter the Boston Marathon, she later founded the Avon International Running Circuit, helped make the women’s marathon an official event in the Olympic Games, and served as an Emmy Award-winning television commentator. Kathrine is a longtime member of The College’s Board of Visitors.

Robert J. Unchur '69 has retired after more than 21 years with the Department of Judicial Administration of King County (Washington) Superior Court. He has also owned a small horticulture business in Seattle, and has served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Rica. Robert is currently living on Camano Island, Washington, where he avidly roots for The Orange in basketball, football, and lacrosse.



1940s

Albert Maysles ’49 recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of “Gimme Shelter," which chronicles the final leg of the Rolling Stones’ 1969 tour.  He also saw his 1976 classic, “Grey Gardens,” selected to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. “Grey Gardens” was the basis for a recent Tony Award-winning musical.

In Memoriam

May 8, 2012 By: Rob Enslin

Benjamin P. Burtt Sr., professor emeritus of chemistry at SU and a longtime nature columnist for The Post-Standard, died February 23, 2012.

Arnold "Arny" Honig, professor emeritus of physics at SU and an expert in solid state and low-temperature physics, died January 31, 2012. 

Hilton Kramer ’50, former chief art critic at The New York Times and founding editor of The New Criterion magazine, died March 27, 2012.

Martin Sage, professor emeritus of chemistry at SU and a local presence in arts leadership, environmentalism, and city planning, died February 3, 2012.

William D. West, part-professor of English at SU, former writer for The Post-Standard, and former program annotator for the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, died April 24, 2012.