2 A Reality Check | 4 Philadelphia Nursing Mural | 6 Sculpting the Mind

Today is a day of mixed emotions. As I write this message atPhiladelphia International Airport, I am waiting to fly to Chicagoto attend the funeral of my dear friend, Pam. We have beenfriends since she met her husband, A.J., whom I have known foryears before college. Like most good friends of my generation,

we experienced all of life’s major events together...dating, weddings, kids,christenings, picnics, parties, dinners, celebrations, careers, travel, moreweddings (only now for our kids), loss, grief and so much more.

Earlier today, I attended a wedding shower for a daughter of another friend. Itwas an occasion of great celebration at a Center City Philadelphia location filledwith friends of both mother and daughter. We enjoyed delicious food; trendydrinks; good company; great conversation; and a parade of china, stemware,cookware, linens and more. The bride’s friends asked each of us to write downone piece of advice for the engaged couple, which would be compiled into a scrapbook. For me, the assignment triggered a reflection on the meaning and experience of the gift of friendship.

In my experience, one of the extraordinary joys of life’s journey includes the friends you make along the way.Some friends go all the way back to childhood. These are the ones that you may not see for years, but as soon asyou are together, you pick-up as though your last meeting was yesterday. Other friends might first come into yourlife as acquaintances in high school, college, work, church, clubs, sports and the like. Over time, your sharedvalues and common experiences deepen into a trusted friendship. It’s always a special treat to reconnect with thesefriends to relive and reflect on shared experiences, as well as to talk about plans and hopes for the future.

During my years at Gwynedd-Mercy College, I have always been delighted to learn about the strong and lastingfriendships that have started here. I have heard many stories from alumni who are regularly in touch withclassmates with whom they have developed lifelong friendships. I have been privileged to attend various alumnireunion events and to experience the authenticity and warmth of valued friendships – be it the jubilee reunion ofthe Class of 1960; the 2002 NCAA baseball-tournament players’ reunion; or the all-nursing reunion in 2009 on theoccasion of our 50th anniversary of nursing education at GMC. Of course, I would be remiss not to also mention allthe then-students who have met their now-spouses at Gwynedd-Mercy College.

One of the wonderful aspects of friendship is the connection that true friends enable. If you were a friend of myfriend, Pam, I would already feel connected to you. I love this aspect of friendship. It lets us bypass all thepreliminary formalities and delve into what’s really meaningful. At Gwynedd-Mercy College, we are blessed withfriends who know us directly and those who know us through their connections to the wider world of Mercy. Nomatter the source of your connection, I am grateful to call you “friend” of Gwynedd-Mercy College, and for this,our GMC community is truly blessed.

Kathleen Owens, PhDPresident

President’s Message Spring 2011

Friends

ContentsGiving Parents a Reality Check 2

Philadelphia’s Mural Sheds New Light on GMC Nursing Program 4

Sculpting the Mind 6

The Importance of Art in Education

PLUS

President’s Message Inside Cover

Features & Campus News 2

Sports 10

Alumni ProfilesEvidence of Faith 14Robin (Hildebrand) Thompson ’76

Greater Pursuits 17Joe Donahue ’97 and Tom Elliott ’97

Enjoying Life’s Journey 19Nancy (Tornetta) Russell ’61

Class Notes 21

6

4

2

Gwynedd-Mercy CollegeToday is published twice ayear for the alumni andfriends of the College. Yourcomments and suggestionsare welcome.

Gerald T. McLaughlinVice President for InstitutionalAdvancement

Charlene DiSarloDirector of Public Relations& Marketing

Editor:Megan Gilmore

Assistant Editor:Anthony Stipa

Creative Director and Production Manager:Donna Smyrl

Contributors:Charlene DiSarloMegan GilmoreRebecca VanderMeulenNikki Zaffiri-Boland ’11

Design:Kim Austin Graphic Design

Photography:Shannon BrunoJill DowMegan GilmoreAndrea HollingsworthKaiser Permanente®

Hunter MartinChris PanterJim RoeseDonna SmyrlRobin Thompson ’76Bernadette Walsh

On the Cover: Gwynedd-Mercy College’sFrances M. Maguire Schoolof Nursing is represented ina new mural in Philadelphia.It features portraits ofcurrent students and alumni,including Matthew Naldzin’10 and Sakinah Ferguson’10 (pictured).

2 Today Features & Campus News

As you flip through channels withyour remote, you’ll notice a varietyof reality TV programs. This genre

of television programming presentsunscripted situations and usually featuresordinary people instead of professionalactors. One of the most popular reality TVshows in recent years has been “Jon & KatePlus 8,” filmed in Pennsylvania. Theprogram followed the Gosselin family, Jonand Kate with their young twin daughtersand sextuplets, during their everydayroutines. While children who appear inreality television often spend a significantamount of time filming these shows,Pennsylvania law does not currently definethis as work that is subject to child labor laws.

In 2010, state Rep. Thomas Murt(R-Montgomery/Philadelphia) becamecurious about child labor laws afterwatching a TV special about former childstars and their experiences with stardom.He contacted one of the featured stars, PaulPeterson from the “Donna Reed Show,” todiscuss how the laws in Pennsylvaniacompare to those in California, which hassome of the strictest child labor laws in thecountry. Murt learned that the state lawswere not as good as they could be, so hebegan the journey to enact better laws toprotect child actors, including those whoappear in reality television.

In addition to expanding the definition ofchild labor to include this previouslyunrepresented group, Murt was alsoresponding to the need to update

GIVING PARENTSA REALITY CHECK

NATIONHH H

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Today 3

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Pennsylvania laws in response to theincreasing number of television shows andfilms that are being produced in the state.In 2002, approximately 30 films were shot inPennsylvania and that number increased to175 by 2008.

Murt, who was awarded a Commonwealthof Pennsylvania instructional teachingcertificate from Gwynedd-Mercy College,contacted the College to obtain expertrepresentation in child psychology as hebegan the process of updating thecommonwealth’s child labor laws. Assistantprofessor Rebecca Gullan, PhD, wasrecommended by the head of the College’sBehavioral and Social Sciences divisionbecause of her clinical psychologyspecialization in children and families.

In April 2010, Murt hosted a hearing of theHouse Republican Policy Committee withpanel representation. In addition to Dr.Gullan, the panel included former childactor Paul Petersen, Gloria Allred, attorneyand civil rights advocate, Kevin and JodiKreider, relatives of reality television stars,and representatives from the PennsylvaniaDepartment of Labor and Industry, Bureauof Labor Law Compliance.

As a child development expert, Dr. Gullanpresented testimony on the role of childrenin reality television from a developmentalperspective. Her testimony described thesocial, emotional and cognitive needs ofyouths during different stages of childhood.

“The role of the individuals behind thecamera can be confusing to children andprovide them with inconsistent feedback ontheir own behavior as well as their generalschema of appropriate social interactions,”Dr. Gullan said. “For example, docameramen laugh with children whensomething is funny? Correct incorrectgrammar? Pick them up when they fall?One must also take care to determine howinappropriate behaviors that might make‘better television’ are encouraged ordiscouraged by either parents or theindividuals involved in producing theshow.”

Murt proposed House Bill 2515, whichwould require all minors to have workpermits issued by the State Department ofLabor and Industry. Subsequently thiswould ensure all adequate provisions havebeen made under this bill for the minor’seducational instruction and supervision ofhealth and welfare. A certified set teacherwould be required on the set of anyproduction to serve as an advocate for theminor’s health, education and moral safetyon the set and to monitor workingconditions to ensure they are appropriatefor the minor’s age, strength and stamina.The proposed bill would also require that15 percent of a child actor’s gross earningsbe set aside by the employer in a trust fundwith at least one parent or legal guardian asa trustee. A critical point in this legislationis including rights for children participatingin reality television.

Though the bill has not yet become law, Dr. Gullan agrees with its contents. “I amparticularly pleased to see that the lawaddresses children in reality television, asthis includes an increasingly large yetpreviously overlooked segment of youthand that, in the case of youth involved intelevision or other entertainmentproductions, there is a provision for a“studio teacher” to oversee the educationaland emotional well-being of the child,” she says.

The bill was referred to the Labor RelationsCommittee in June and another committeemeeting was held during September inHarrisburg. While the house did not voteon the bill in the last session, Murt intendsto reintroduce it this year. To check thestatus on this legislation, go to Murt’s Website at www.repmurt.com. �

(Opposite page) Assistant professor Rebecca Gullan,PhD, and Rep. Thomas Murt are anticipating animprovement in child labor laws through the proposedHouse Bill 2515.

4 Today

Gwynedd-Mercy College’s nursing programis represented in a new mural named TheEvolving Face of Nursing. It was unveiled inOctober on a building located at the cornerof Broad and Vine Streets in Philadelphia.The mural draws inspiration from stories ofarea nurses starting with the earlier timesof starched uniforms and caps to theirever-evolving role at the center of thehealth care profession.

The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Programcommissioned nationally-renownedmuralist Meg Saligman to design the mural.“Everything in the mural is drawn from thePhiladelphia nursing community,” Saligmansays. More than 100 nurses from the regionwere interviewed about their profession. Theirwords and images are reflected in the mural.

“Nurses are extremely dedicated,”Saligman says. “The more I talked tonurses the more I wanted to paint this.” The 6,500 square foot mural, animated withlights, is unlike any other piece of public artthat has been created. It uses LED lightsand paint to create the illusion of two

different murals by day and night. As lightshines on the mural at night, faces appearand disappear.

Portraits of five current students andalumni of the Frances M. Maguire Schoolof Nursing represent Gwynedd-MercyCollege on the mural. They are current

undergraduate students Jillian Conicelli’09/’11, RN, ASN, and Kevin Mohan ’03/’11,RN, ASN, graduate student Chunyu Lin,RN, alumna Sakinah Ferguson ’10, RN,ASN and alumnus Matthew Naldzin ’10,RN, ASN.

“I am glad to be part of the nursing mural toshow the importance of nursing and howthe profession has evolved throughout theyears and will continue in the future,” saysConicelli, who currently is in the BSNprogram and works as a registered nurse ina pediatrician’s office.

The opportunity to participate in the muralcame on the heels of the Frances M.Maguire School of Nursing’s 50thAnniversary. “We have been part of theproud tradition of nursing and the Sisters ofMercy in this region for more than acentury,” says Andrea Hollingsworth, PhD,who has served as dean of the School forthe past nine years. “It is wonderful to knowthat our recent alumni and current studentswill be part of this tribute to the nursingprofession for many years to come.” �

Philadelphia Mural Sheds New Light on GMC Nursing Program

(Above) Andrea Hollingsworth, PhD, dean of the Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing (middle) with Sakinah Ferguson ’10, RN, ASN, and Matthew Naldzin ’10, RN, ASN, whoare two of the five faces representing Gwynedd-Mercy College in the mural.

Sister Mary AnnDillon, RSM, PhD,recently retired as presidentof Mount Aloysius College,a four-year liberal artsCatholic college sponsoredby the Sisters of Mercy

located in Dallas, Pa. Previously, SisterMary Ann was the dean of generaleducation at Saint Francis University inLoretta, Pa. Prior to her tenure at SaintFrancis University, Sister Mary Ann wasthe provincial administrator (regionalcommunity president) for the Sisters ofMercy of Dallas, Pa., as well as a generaladministrative team member for the Sistersof Mercy of the Union in Potomac, Md.

Sister Mary Ann’s leadership roles alsoinclude her position as one of the foundingmembers of the Executive Committee of theConference for Mercy Higher Education(CMHE), and chair of the Board of Directorsfor the Association of Independent Colleges andUniversities of Pennsylvania (AICUP), amongothers. Sister Mary Ann brings a wealth ofexperience in higher education to the Board.

She received a bachelor’s degree in Englishfrom College Misericordia (now MisericordiaUniversity) in Pennsylvania, a Master of Artsin Theology from the University of St.Michael’s College in Toronto, Canada, anda doctorate in systematic theology fromDuquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa. Atthis time she also received a GraduateCertificate in Health Care Ethics.

Linda Ann Galante,Esq., is an attorney andpartner at Stradley RononStevens & Young, LLP,located in Philadelphia. Sheis also the co-chair of theBanking & Financial

Services Practice Group. Galante has beennamed a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer®

consecutively since 2004 and was includedin the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers inAmerica.

Galante has been recognized for herleadership roles in the community, servingon boards for many Philadelphiaorganizations. She served as a boardmember and chair of the board of directorsfor Drueding Center/Project Rainbow,board member for the Catholic PhilopatrianLiterary Institute, and a board member andmember of the executive committee for St.Joseph’s Preparatory School, amongothers. In the fall, she was also recognizedas one of the 25 Philadelphia BusinessJournal 2010 Women of Distinction winners.

As an alumna of Gwynedd Mercy AcademyHigh School, she was awarded theMargaret Beirn Barger distinguishedalumna award last year. Galante is a summacum laude graduate of Temple Universityand received a Juris Doctor from theUniversity of Pennsylvania.

Sister Virginia Hasson,RSM, PhD, serves as thegrants writer for the Sistersof Mercy, Mid-AtlanticCommunity, in Merion, Pa.Prior to this appointment,Sister Virginia served as

regional programs and human resourcesofficer for the Jesuit Refugee Service inSouth Africa where she had responsibilitiesin Angola, Democratic Republic of theCongo (DRC), Malawi, Namibia, SouthAfrica, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Previously, Sister Virginia taught in elementaryand special education schools in theArchdiocese of Philadelphia. She then servedas an associate professor of education, chairof undergraduate education, chair of graduateeducation and director of testing at Gwynedd-Mercy College. She also held faculty positionsat Georgian Court University in Lakewood,N.J., both as professor of education andinterim dean of the graduate school.

Sister Virginia has served on many boards fororganizations such as the Mercy HealthSystem, Project H.O.M.E. and the Conferencefor Mercy Higher Education (CMHE),among others.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in humanitiesfrom Villanova University, a master’s degreein counseling psychology from MarywoodUniversity, both in Pennsylvania, a doctoratein educational administration from FordhamUniversity in New York, and an honorarydegree (Doctor of Pedagogy) fromGwynedd-Mercy College.

Today 5

2010-2011 GOLF TOURNAMENTThe 24th Annual Gwynedd-Mercy College Golf Tournament was held on October 11, 2010 at Manufacturers’ Golf &Country Club in Fort Washington, Pa. Participants enjoyed lunch, a beautiful day on the course and an awardsceremony that featured numerous raffle and door prizes. The event raised more than $69,000 in support of theCollege’s scholarship program. Many thanks to all who participated in order to make the outing a success, especiallyour tournament sponsors, Peter Carlino and Turner Construction Company.

The committee members for the 24th Annual Gwynedd-Mercy College GolfTournament were co-chairs Mark Craney, Vice President, Crescent VendingCompany, and Jay Haenn, President, Lansdale Chrysler Jeep; John Collins, CSsR,Chaplin, Gwynedd-Mercy College; Regina Lowrie, President and CEO, VisionMortgage Capital/Senior Vice President, Continental Bank; Mia McGlynn, Directorof Annual Giving; Helen Nelson, Copernicus Society of America; and Donna Smyrl,Creative Services Specialist, Gwynedd-Mercy College.

The 25th Annual Gwynedd-Mercy College Golf Tournament will be held onMonday, September 19, 2011 at Manufacturers’ Golf & Country Club. For information, please contact Mia McGlynn at 215-641-5568.

NewTrustees Three new members appointed tothe Gwynedd-Mercy College Boardof Trustees

6 Today

The term “liberal arts” has its roots in theMiddle Ages, when it referred to the studyof arithmetic, grammar, rhetoric, logic,geometry, astronomy and music. Today, itrefers to the idea of a college education thatprepares students to function in a diverse,complex world, gaining knowledge in arange of subjects and learning how to solveproblems, analyze information and view lifefrom different perspectives.

“Liberal arts in general makes you literatefor society,” says Michelle Kulp McEliece,PhD, chairperson of Gwynedd-MercyCollege’s biology division.

And one critical piece of the liberal arts is,well, art.

Longtime GMC English professor CarolBreslin, PhD, says the arts are a vitalcomponent to the very idea of highereducation. Students’ purpose in college isn’tjust to get a degree so they can secure agood job, she says – it’s to develop anunderstanding of civilization and themeaning of humanity.

Art’s impact on campus and in the communitySophomore Ashley Scheiber came to

Gwynedd-Mercy College to study nursing.She soon switched her major to English,deciding that she would rather cultivate herlove of reading and writing and turn thatinto a career. That’s just one example ofwhat the college experience is supposed tobe about: students identifying what they aregood at, what they enjoy and how thatconnects to what their life’s work should be.This, she says, is why all students shouldbe exposed to the arts, perhaps through arequired class or two. “Maybe they’d beable to discover things about themselves,”Scheiber says. “In order to find your calling,I feel, you have to explore every possibility.”

During his nearly half-century of teachingat the College before retiring in 2008, JulesTasca, DA, created fond memories forcountless students by directing a play oncampus every fall in addition to teachingcourses in cinema, drama and creativewriting. Tasca, who has more than 125published plays to his credit, wrote some ofthe Valley Players’ productions himself,tailoring them to the performance venueand the number of males and femalestaking part each year. It would be adifferent show every time.

A live theater performance is somethingeveryone on campus can enjoy and learnfrom, says Tasca, who introduced a theaterconcentration in the English departmentduring his time at GMC.

“To me, the arts are the soul of a college,because they’re dealing with what makes ushuman,” he says. “When you’re watching aplay, you’re watching us being human – ifit’s a good play.”

Similarly, the Voices of Gwynedd, a choirmade up of students, faculty, staff, alumniand friends, has traveled the world sharingits musical talents. “The group is one of thebest ambassadors for the College,” saysLisa Coughlin McGarry, PhD, interim deanof the School of Arts & Sciences.

The Voices of Gwynedd has performed atPhiladelphia Phillies, Eagles and Flyersgames and appeared on tours in locales likeAlaska, Italy and Ireland. Peoplethroughout the community know aboutGwynedd-Mercy College because of thistalented ensemble, whose Carol Nights fillthe Julia Ball Auditorium each Christmasseason. But one of its most meaningfulperformances took place in November atthe Crossroads Hospice in Horsham, Pa.

Sculpting the Mind

The Importance of Art in Education

Today 7

The hospice grants patients’ wishes for aspecial day, and an elderly patient had askedfor the Voices of Gwynedd to sing for her. Soone Saturday, Carol Evans, MM, assistantprofessor of music/education and directorof the choir, gathered 20 singers to performat the hospice. Their repertoire includedreligious songs like “River in Judea,”Motown hits and a traditional Irish blessing.

“She just cried the whole time we sang,”Evans recalls.

Junior Brandon Ellis says singing tenor in theVoices of Gwynedd gives him a much-neededbreak from his studies along with the chanceto continue the love of singing he developedas a member of his high school choir. “Ithelps get away from the stress of writing15-page papers,” says Ellis, a psychology major.

The same is true for visual arts. Adjunct facultymember Karen Kieser, MFA, says a lot ofstudents take her four art classes because theyare looking for something fun and different.

Gwynedd-Mercy College doesn’t offer amajor in art and students here might nothave the same expressive abilities as onemight find at an art school, but Kieser’s aimis to teach the same fundamentals that artmajors learn. She starts with teaching thebasics of drawing, using concepts likeproportion, ratios and perspective. Manystudents find they have an aptitude for artthat they didn’t know about.

Assets for future careersBecause visual art uses the intuitive rightside of the brain rather than the logical leftside, Kieser says students who are literatein it can more easily find creative ways tosolve problems. As an illustration shementions the TV drama House, in which ateam of experts, led by an unconventionalphysician, uses its creativity to solvemedical puzzles in each episode.

GMC students majoring in scientific fieldsare seeking minors in disparate subjectslike art and Spanish, McEliece notes. Thesesubjects also add a different dimension tothe knowledge students take to their futurejobs, she says, giving the example ofaspiring dentists learning how to sculpt andapplying these skills to work with teeth.

“A large part of what they need to do is finemotor manipulation,” McEliece says. “Partof dentistry is art in itself.”

Acting on stage is another way for people toexpress themselves and learn how to speakin public. Tasca, whose son is an attorney,points out that lawyers use stage presencetechniques in the courtroom – just think offootball legend O.J. Simpson’s 1995double-murder trial, which dominated TVscreens nationwide.

Sophomore Matt Agos, an education majorand tenor in the Voices of Gwynedd, plansto incorporate music into a future career in

special education. During his senior year inhigh school, he remembers, his Englishteacher would play music in the classroomand ask students to write journal entrieswith the songs as inspiration. He looksforward to taking courses where he canlearn techniques for using music as aninstructional tool in his own classroomsomeday.

Kieser uses art as an instructional tool ofher own. Students who learn thefundamentals of artistic expression learn adifferent way of communicating their ideas.Since she asks students to assess eachother’s work, they learn how to acceptconstructive criticism. Spending hours on aproject provides practice in persevering andcompleting tasks by themselves.

“We need people to work in teams,” Kiesersays. “We also need to be able to take athought and explore it deeply.”

Besides serving as an outlet for students’creativity and a way to stay involved inartistic interests they may have developedin high school, McEliece says that art couldmake students more attractive applicants toemployers and professional schools.“There’s a greater emphasis on beingwell-rounded now than there ever wasbefore.” �

(Opposite page) Carol Evans,assistant professor of musicand director of the Voices ofGwynedd, leads some of thechoir members during practice.

Adjunct faculty member KarenKieser teaches students thefundamentals of drawing.

8 Today

A rather unorthodox communication

professional who’s traveled and

lived in many places, Janis Chakars,

PhD, has found a new home in

Philadelphia. The coordinator of

Gwynedd-Mercy College’s new

communication program shares his

winding road to where he is today.

His educational, professional and

life experiences are a melting pot of

history, politics, culture, journalism

and punk rock (yes, really).

Today 9

What’s in a name? I often think that if my parents had notnamed me Janis, I would have had a verydifferent life. The name’s origin is fromLatvia, which made me curious about thecountry. My first experience of livingabroad was in Latvia in fall 1991. I left on aSoviet visa and by the time I got there, theUSSR had recognized Latvian independence.Then the Soviet Union itself dissolved atChristmastime. Watching that had a majorimpact on my life. It became the focus oflater research, but it also made me reallywant to see what happens in the world withmy own eyes. Today, I am on the board ofthe Association for the Advancement ofBaltic Studies, the premier organization forthe study of that region.

Old stomping grounds Like a typical New Yorker, as a kid growingup in Brooklyn, I knew little of the widerworld and assumed it was like New Yorkonly smaller and slower. Later, I learnedhow wrong I was.

He’s (still) got the punkMy band, Citizens Arrest, met throughattending shows at CBGB’s in the late ’80s.We played there once before we startedplaying often at an art and activism centercalled ABC No Rio. This place becamenotable for turning around a music scenethat had previously exhibited some nastysocial problems, chiefly youth violence. Theearly ’90s punk scene resulted in a newcollective characterized by commitment tosocial justice. The band reunited in fall2010, including our first singer, Ted Leo,who now plays guitar with us and becamean indie rock star while I was becoming aprofessor. I was a bit self-conscious whenmy students discovered this secret identityof mine, but I tell them that if you thinkabout it, the Mercy mission of compassion,service and social responsibility exists inpunk, too. Further, one thing we should getout of GMC is a commitment to Mercy thatcan manifest itself in all of our activitieseven if it isn’t at first obvious how.

Leaving, but not forgetting, his rootsAfter graduating with my bachelor’s in

political science from Hunter College, CityUniversity of New York, I worked inacademic publishing in the field of mentalhealth. This lasted about a year beforeanother band that I was in got signed. Ispent one summer as a professionalmusician doing nothing else. Watching it allfall apart, I decided to go to graduateschool. I went to Indiana University inBloomington, Ind., for solitude and thoughtfulcontemplation, a change of pace from NewYork. There, I pursued a master’s degree inRussian and East European Area studies.

The bull’s eye of his studiesWhen my wife wanted to pursue a doctoratein history, I knew that we would be inBloomington a while longer. I had alwaysworked in things on the edges ofjournalism. I worked in publishing full timeduring college and after. I wrote and editednewsletters for Indiana University duringgraduate school and I had done somefreelance writing. So, I thought to pick upsome professional training in journalism.Then I took a class called “Media andSociety” with Professor Maria ElizabethGrabe, and I decided right then and therethat I had to do a doctorate in masscommunication. Professor Grabe convincedme of the centrality and importance ofmedia to modern (even post-modern) life.

A worldly citizenI have been lucky to visit a lot of placeswithout being a tourist. I think you learnmore about the world when you get to livewith ordinary people, go to the supermarket,and stay in apartments rather than inhotels. I always encourage students tostudy abroad.

In 2001, I lived in Mongolia, where I servedas the English language editor for the statenews agency, Monstame. It was a “real life”education for me. The agency wasstruggling to adapt to a new environment ofglobalization, democracy, capitalism, newtechnology, and difficult budgets. Thejournalists were sincere and the culturefascinating as a crossroads region, likemany other places I have been attracted to,such as the Baltics and East Europe orSiberia.

Between visits to Latvia in my graduateschool years, I spent nine months in Russia.People laughed, especially the Latvians,

when I announced I was going to Siberiavoluntarily. Yet, Buryatia is an excellentplace to challenge your assumptions aboutthe world and watch the impact ofcentralized political power. I taughtcommunication theory and advancedEnglish at the East Siberian StateTechnological University from September2004 to May 2005. We had few computersand I had no books. Yet this is the countrythat was first in space.

I did my main dissertation research inLatvia in 2003-2004. I interviewed notablepeople from the independence movementthat had captivated me years earlier. I duginto archives and read lots of oldnewspapers in a language most peopleconsider obscure. I watched Latvia join theEuropean Union.

In the music days, I slept on couches, floorsand even in a few abandoned buildings fromCalifornia to Poland. I have learned fromspending time in many places that there issomething beautiful and fascinating inevery place.

No regretsI think my less than straight road to being a professor in the communication fieldbenefited me. I always say thatcommunication study is important becauseit is about everything, and I think that, as ateacher, I want to model that for mystudents. I think that my education, as wellas my teaching experience in the EnglishDepartment at the University of NorthCarolina Wilmington, helped make myprofessional and teaching career maximallyinterdisciplinary in a way that suits a liberal arts education at a place likeGwynedd-Mercy College.

In his latest career Chakars has taught tendistinct courses in communication, but isalso an active researcher. He has presented atmajor national and internationalconferences. His most recent published workhas appeared in Journalism History and theCentral European Journal of Communication.His latest project involves children’sliterature and displaced persons at the end ofWorld War II. His journalistic writing hasappeared in a variety of publications rangingfrom the Moscow Times to the Herald-Times(Bloomington, Ind.). He may also be the onlyperson ever to have published in bothMilitary History and The NonviolentActivist magazines. �

Men’s SoccerGwynedd-Mercy College (4-16, 3-6)qualified for the Colonial States AthleticConference (CSAC) Playoffs for the secondyear in a row as the Griffins secured thelast seed in the tournament. Seniormidfielder Tim Munsey was named asecond-team all-conference selection afterleading the team in scoring while juniordefender Tom Petroski earned honorablemention status. It was Munsey’sgame-winning goal in overtime in theregular season finale on October 30 thatgave GMC its playoff berth. Senior RyanMurray was selected to the CSACAll-Sportsmanship Team.

Women’s SoccerThe Griffins placed five players on theall-conference teams en route to afourth-seed in the CSAC Playoffs finishingwith a 9-10-1 and 7-3 league record. Juniorforward Gwen Conte earned herthird-straight first-team all-conference nodafter leading the squad in points. JuniorKasey Reid notched second-team honorswhile sophomores Justine Bednarz andChristine Michalski were selected ashonorable mention. Senior Maria Baileywas chosen to the CSAC All-SportsmanshipTeam. The team claimed the inauguralGriffin Classic in September hosted byGwynedd-Mercy College when theydefeated Delaware Valley College andDeSales University. Reid was selected asthe tournament MVP.

VolleyballThe GMC volleyball team road tripped totournaments in Virginia Beach, Va., duringLabor Day weekend and also visited WesleyCollege and Richard Stockton Colleges asthe Griffins posted a 7-24 and 5-6 leaguemark. Junior Rachel Lambert was named asecond-team all-conference pick after beingamong the league leaders in hittingpercentage and kills while junior MariaStilwell was named to the CSACAll-Sportsmanship Team.

Field HockeyGwynedd-Mercy College advanced to theCSAC Championship Game for the firsttime since the 1999 season to highlight a13-8 and 7-1 conference record. Their onlyleague loss was to Cabrini College, whothey would face in the title game again.With their success, the team was selectedfor postseason play, competing in the ECACTournament for the second year in a row.Freshman Maria Karidas was named theCSAC Rookie of the Year to go along withsix other Griffins being honored on theall-conference teams. Junior CaseyDellostretto and sophomore KelseyDeveney joined Karidas on the first-team.Sophomore Katie Blankenstein andfreshman Sarah Jackson were named to thesecond-team while sophomores ErinGorenflo and Kaylin Bassett werehonorable mention selections. FreshmanBrianne Kline was chosen to the CSACAll-Sportsmanship Team.

10 Today Sports

Men’s Cross CountrySenior John Watts closed out his collegiatecareer on top as he became the third Griffinto win a CSAC Individual Championship andthe first Griffin in the program’s history tobe named NCAA All-Mideast Regional. HeadCoach Mike Dager was named the CSACCoach of the Year as the squad easily capturedtheir third-straight conference teamchampionship. Joining Watts on the first teamwere freshmen Brett Kubiak and Joe Kubiak,junior Matt VanDenHengel and BrendanSharp, and sophomore Tyler Rooke. JuniorMark Ziegler earned second-team all league,giving the Griffins seven total. Another teamhighlight came on October 16 as the mencaptured the small school team title at theUniversity of Delaware Blue & GoldInvitational.

Women’s Cross CountryThe GMC Women’s Cross Country Teamfinished runner-up in the CSACChampionships. Individually, juniorKatherine Klinges also finished runner-upin the 5k race. For her efforts, she was afirst-team all-conference selection. Fourother Griffins also garnered accolades asjuniors Erica Matticola, Regina Sellman,along with senior Julie Glendinning, andfreshman Colleen Dalton, were named tothe second-team.

Women’s TennisGwynedd-Mercy College won its thirdconsecutive CSAC Team Championship andfinished with an unblemished conferencerecord for the third year in a row. TheGriffins (14-2, 10-0 CSAC) will participate inthe NCAA Division III Team Tournamentwhich begins in May 2011. Individually,freshman Rachel Fein earned two majorawards, claiming the CSAC Player andRookie of the Year Awards. Fein, along withsophomore Chelsea Jones were first-teamall-conference choices. Earningsecond-team honors were seniors ChelseaDonde and Heather Morgan, junior JessicaScarpello, and sophomore Cori Wessner. InJanuary, Head Coach Jim Holt was honoredwith the prestigious USTA NationalAdaptive Community Service Award onbehalf of his own “Touch of Tennis”program based here on campus during thesummer months. The award recognizes aprogram or program leader thatdemonstrates continued excellence,dedication and service in tennis for specialpopulations.

FALLSEASON WRAP-UP

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Seniors Help a Three-Peat

Seniors Chelsea Donde and Heather Morganhave seen the women’s tennis team throughthe Griffins’ first three-peat victory inCollege history. On Saturday, Oct. 23, theteam captured its third-straight ColonialStates Athletic Conference (CSAC) TeamTitle as the Griffins defeated Cabrini, 5-0, inthe finals.

“It feels good, especially because tennis isan underdog sport,” Donde says. “We don’tget as much recognition as other sports.”

“There are no words to describe it,”Morgan says about breaking the collegerecord. “It’s amazing.”

The two teammates and close friends areanticipating the bittersweet NCAA

tournament in May. Though their season isover, the tournament will give them one lastopportunity to play together as a teambefore Donde and Morgan graduate onMay 14.

“I was really excited because I wasn’t readyfor it to end yet,” Donde says.

The team won’t know where thetournament will be until a few days beforethey’re scheduled to leave. The winners ofevery conference at all Division III schoolsin the country will play in the tournament.

When reflecting on their college tenniscareer, the teammates agree that there isone common denominator in their success:Head Coach Jim Holt.

“I’ve really progressed here because ofJim,” Morgan says. “I came in as a subparplayer and now I have three championshipsunder my belt.” The education major neverimagined winning a college championshipwhen she was in high school. “There weremuch better teams in our high schoolconference, so our wins were few and farbetween,” she says.

Coach Holt saw the potential in Morganwhen he was recruiting for the team, andalthough she wasn’t a strong player, he feltthat she could really foster her tennis skillsat the College.

Morgan took advantage of the opportunitythat Coach Holt gave her and worked hardat improving her game. In October 2010,

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The mission of NCAA Division III is togovern competition in a safe, equitable andsportsmanlike manner and to integrateintercollegiate athletics into highereducation so that the educationalexperience of the student-athlete isparamount, according to NCAA.org. Thismission supports Gwynedd-Mercy College’score value of academic excellence, as wellas learning outcomes established for ourstudents, such as communication skills,professional competency, moral and ethicaljudgment, problem solving, critical thinkingand leadership in society.

Though academics are the primary focusfor Gwynedd-Mercy Collegestudent-athletes, playing in the NCAADivision III gives them the opportunity tocompete and grow in their sport. They playfor the love of the game and get theopportunity to compete in nationalchampionships. While practicing andplaying, Division III athletes learn valuablelife lessons of teamwork, discipline,perseverance and leadership that allowthem to become a better student and a moreresponsible person in their community.

GMC offers 19 NCAA Division III sports formen and women in baseball, basketball,cheerleading, cross country, field hockey,lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track andfield and volleyball.

“Many of our student-athletes are talentedenough to play at a higher level but theychoose Gwynedd-Mercy College because ofthe balance we have between athletics andacademics,” according to Athletic DirectorKeith Mondillo. “That balance shinesthrough on the playing field and in theclassroom.”

To learn more about Division III sportsand to view a video on the Division IIIexperience for student-athletes, go towww.ncaa.org/DivisionIII.

she was happy to cross off one of 100 thingson her “bucket list” when she becameCSAC player of the week.

“Heather really has made so much progresssince she started here four years ago,”Coach Holt says. “I am grateful for what shehas done for the team.”

Donde, a business administration majorwith an option in management, has alsoplayed for the team since her freshmanyear. Her biggest personal achievement waswinning the gold medal for the individualtournament during her first year, which shedescribes as a really special moment.

“It has been an honor to have had such aterrific young lady play for me,” Coach Holt

says about Donde. “She has been a star ona championship team!”

Coach Holt has influenced his playersbeyond the courts. Donde says that he isthe main reason why she attendedGwynedd-Mercy College and stayed, whileMorgan is grateful that Coach Holt helpedher come out of her shell.

The team has developed a family-like vibeduring the last few years. Morgan refers toDonde as “like a sister,” and they call CoachHolt’s father, who is the assistant coach,“Papa.”

“We are like a family,” Morgan says. “I willmiss the girls and the bond that we’ve builtas teammates. It makes a big differencewhen you’re playing a sport with a teamthat you love.” �

Chelsea Donde

Heather Morgan

As she frantically approached the sceneof the crash, Robin (Hildebrand)Thompson, RN ’76, immediately knew

that her daughter, Ashley, hadn’t survived.Beyond the flashing lights and the blur ofpeople, Robin saw the 1998 Jeep Cherokeecrushed against a tree. Robin dropped toher knees, and her world as she knew itcollapsed with her.

She couldn’t make sense of what happened.Her 16-year-old, who bounded down thestairs of their Virginia home that morningand exchanged “I love yous” with Robinbefore leaving forschool, wasresponsible andlevel-headed.

The crash took placeon a sunny, Juneafternoon in 2003.Ashley had a freeseventh period inschool, anddecided to leave earlyto start her homework before herusual five hours of gymnastics practice eachnight. While driving, she hadn’t beentalking on the phone, speeding, or underthe influence. She was within blocks of herhome. The only known factors that playedinto the tragic ending of Ashley’s life wereher inexperience (she had received herlicense only two weeks prior) and that shewas driving an unfamiliar vehicle, borrowedfrom a friend.

As the days and weeks trudged on, Robinread every single piece of literature aboutteen driving that she could find. “I talkedwith researchers in the field, and theywanted to teach me just as much as Iwanted to learn,” she says.

As a nurse, Robin believes in evidence-basedpractice, she says. Driver education classeshaven’t changed much since 1930.Research proves that we need to makemore of an effort, so that teen car crashesare viewed as preventable rather thaninevitable. In fact, the term “accident”should not be used. Robin stresses that itpromotes the misconception that theseincidents are unavoidable and largely out ofone’s personal control, when indeed theyare highly preventable.

Inexperience and distractions are theleading cause of teen driving fatalities,particularly for 16 and 17-year-olds. TheNational Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration states that motor vehicleaccidents are the leading cause of death forteens, ages 15 to 20. They kill more

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Evidenceof Faith

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teenagers than drugs, alcohol, suicide andhomicides combined (Insurance Institutefor Highway Safety, 2009).

“The numbers speak for themselves thatwe’re not doing our job,” Robin says. “If weare going to allow 16-year-olds to drive inthis country, then we owe them bettertraining.”

The knowledge that Robin came uponduring the weeks following the crashmotivated her to turn Ashley’s death intosomething purposeful. “Ashley’s accidenthad nothing to do with being a good kid,”Robin says. “This is a skill issue.”

Hence, three months after Ashley’s death,Robin established The ART of Driving, aneducational outreach program of the AshleyRenee Thompson Memorial Foundation, a501 (c) 3 nonprofit. Its mission is to increaseawareness among teens and parents aboutthe unique risks that young, novice driversface and to advocate for improved training,increased supervised time behind thewheel and increased parental involvement.

She named the nonprofit organization afterAshley, while also representing Awareness,Responsibility and Training. The foundationalso offers a college scholarship to adeserving female senior from FairfaxCounty each year.

Robin hopes to one day reach every teenthrough the program. “It is where mypassion is now. It is what I need to do.”

The program has come a long way, but itstill has a long way to go. With theexception of help from her son, Brian,Robin runs the foundation single-handedly,on top of her full-time job as a school nurseat William Ramsey Elementary School inAlexandria, Virginia, and her part-time jobas an advice nurse for Kaiser Permanente.Nevertheless, the ART ofDriving has garneredmuch recognition. Itwon the Governor’sTransportation SafetyAward for Youth TrafficSafety for theCommonwealth of

Virginia, has been recognized nationallywith appearances on the “TODAY” showand Catholic Radio, and has won the Kaiser Permanente National CommunityService Award.

There are three components to The ART ofDriving: Teen Awareness ResponsibilityTraining, Parent Awareness ResponsibilityTraining and its Teen Task Force, whichuses behavioral science theory to empowerteens to take ownership of the issue andwork together to keep each other safe.Robin encourages teens to “find their voice”and speak up when faced with an unsafedriving situation and to not only be a safedriver, but a smart passenger. Robin presentsthe program to high schools, youth groups,and at various community events. She also

(Opposite page) Robin Thompson established TheART of Driving, an educational outreach programof the Ashley Renee Thompson MemorialFoundation.

(Left) Robin’s daughter, Ashley ReneeThompson.

A group of teens complete training through the ART of Driving.

volunteers one Saturday every month topresent at the youth driving program forthe Fairfax County Police Department.

During the past year, Robin has addedhealth care providers to her audience, animportant but underdeveloped resource.She has presented at nursing conferencesand at state public health symposiums. “Ibelieve it is the health care community whocan make a positive impact on this nationalhealth crisis,” she says. Just as in otherareas of health promotion and injuryprevention, we can take the lead, she adds.“If this were a disease claiming thousandsof teen lives every year there would be noend to what we would be attempting to do.”

When Robin speaks to groups, she beginsby showing a brief film that conveysAshley’s story and the unique risks thatteen drivers face. Then Robin introducesherself as Ashley’s mom.

“I feel really strongly that the programmakes an impact because they hear it fromme,” she says. Following one of herpresentations, a young man approached herand said, “I never stopped to think aboutwhat this would do to my parents.”

Robin wants every parent to have the toolsto prevent such a tragedy. At first, Robinthought that she had taught Ashleyeverything she would need to be a safedriver. It never even entered her mind thatAshley would consider borrowing a friend’scar. Robin helps parents understand allrisks through the program.

“Parents have to help their young driversrecognize hazards,” she says. Our teenshave underdeveloped visual scanningabilities and therefore do not perceivehazards as being hazardous. Robin teachesone coaching method in which parentsverbally state everything they are seeing,thinking and doing while they are driving.

This is called a “running commentary.” Theythen reverse roles with their teen. Teensquickly realize how much thought anddecision making goes into the driving processand they become more aware of hazards.

We make it look so autopilot, but we have toshow teens how to pay attention whiledriving, as well as model safe drivingpractices, Robin says.

Robin’s ambition to spread awareness andtarget prevention requires her to relive theheartbreak of her daughter’s sudden deathon a regular basis, and many wonder howshe can continue with the program.Admitting that it’s very difficult, Robinexplains that the pain and memories arenever far from her thoughts. She creditsher strength to God.

“My faith has really sustained me throughthis,” Robin says. “Otherwise, I could notget up every day to do this if I didn’t haveHis guidance and strength.”

Robin also has a very unique experience torely on for comfort. When she was living inGermany during her time in the Air Force,Robin and her family traveled to Rome on aCatholic pilgrimage. Ashley was 6 monthsold at the time. They awaited the arrival ofPope John Paul II, and as he approachedtheir family, he motioned for his driver tostop. The Holy Father reached out andcupped the left side of Ashley’s face.

“I could not believe what had just happened.How blessed we were,” Robin says. Itwasn’t until 16 years later that she wouldunderstand the magnitude of that moment.

When the Holy Father’s health was declininga few months after Ashley’s accident, Robinwrote to him. She includedthe photos of themtogether onthat day

in 1987. And she was stunned when hewrote back.

“That letter became a life preserver for me.It gave me strength and the perseverance Ineeded,” she wrote in an article in theArlington Catholic Herald. Robin believes inallowing good to come from her suffering,and continues to honor Ashley’s memoryby doing good and positive things, just asGod and Ashley would have wanted.

When Robin attended Gwynedd-MercyCollege for what she refers to as an“authentic Catholic education,” she couldn’thave realized just how important thisspiritual background would be in her life. Inhindsight, Robin realized how significant itis to give back to the community, just as theCollege had taught her and continues toteach its students.

“Yes, it’s the Catholic way of living, but it’sjust the good way of living,” sheemphasizes. So, Robin keeps giving back,hoping to save even just one life. “If bykeeping Ashley’s memory alive I can keepjust one teen alive, then I’ve done my job.” �

Learn more about the ART of Drivingwww.theartofdriving.org

Pope John Paul II touches Ashley’s face during aCatholic pilgrimage in Rome in 1987.

16 Today

The foundation of their friendship(and success)

After high school, Joe Donahue ’97 andTom Elliott ’97, who were not yet friends,veered from the path to college and jumpedright into the working world. Joe became asheet metal mechanic and Tom a restaurantmanager. Though grateful for their jobopportunities, they felt a lack of reward andconnection with their work.

Joe decided that he wanted more out of acareer and, at 25, pursued furthering hiseducation. Gwynedd-Mercy College met hisexpectations of a reputable computerprogram, a strong academic tradition withties to the community, and also theopportunity to play intercollegiate athletics.Plus, attending the College somewhat runsin the family since his mom and two auntswere GMC graduates. Joe jokes that hisyears as a GMC student were his “secondtour-of-duty,” the first being when his momwas pregnant with Joe during her senior year.

“My family, having gone to Gwynedd, provedto me that it was a valuable education,” Joe says.

And at age 20, Tom decided thatGwynedd-Mercy College’s basketballprogram would foster his love for the sportas he pursued his degree in accounting.

Joe and Tom’s paths crossed uponattending the College in 1994, when theywere assigned as roommates in Loyola Hall.They shared the commonalities of beingathletes, non-traditional students, and theminority gender at GMC. Plus, Joe andTom were both trying to establishthemselves, searching for their place in theprofessional world.

They quickly became close friends.

Tom even convinced Joe to join the newlyestablished soccer team, despite Joe’s lackof experience. “I kick with my toe, so theymade me the goalie,” Joe laughs. The twosay that sports were a big part of theirGMC experience. “Being a student-athletegave us the opportunity to develop closefriendships with teammates,” Tom says.

After graduating from Gwynedd-MercyCollege, Joe and Tom continued to livetogether during the beginning of theirprofessional lives before a careeropportunity moved Joe to the West Coast.Now, nearly 3,000 miles apart, the twofriends still share a strong bond.

Achieving the Dream: Joe Donahue

Joe was fascinated bythe quick evolution ofcomputers and heknew that he wantedto be part of it.Windows 95 hadlaunched when Joe wasin college. “Computerswere the way of thefuture,” he says about hisdecision to major incomputer information sciences. “It wassuch an emerging field with so muchactivity. There were so many possibilities.”

Joe’s first job out of college was at a start-upconsulting company in Philadelphia. Butwhen he was offered a position forInternational Networking Services inSilicon Valley in California, he couldn’t turnit down. Joe was more than willing to

trade-off on location for optimal careeropportunities.

Lucent Technologies bought the companythat Joe worked for in California, leadingJoe to relocate as a Distinguished Memberof the Consulting Staff for the company inIndianapolis. Here, he settled for a fewyears to complete his Master of BusinessAdministration. It was at the Kelly School ofBusiness at Indiana that he met his wife, Lisa.

In 2002, Joe took an opportunity to work forMicrosoft in Washington, D.C., with theDepartment of Defense. Three years laterhe transferred to Microsoft’s headquartersin Redmond, Wash., where he currentlyworks as the principal program manager forWindows Phone. “In my role, I put the

plans together and build thetechnology that WindowsPhone needs to expandinternationally,” he says.“Windows Phone is the mostcritical component tolong-term success ofMicrosoft,” Joe adds.

The Microsoft campus islike an incubator for newtechnologies and ideas, anenvironment in which Joe

thrives. “It’s energizing…the thoughtthat you need to put into it and theopportunities to impact millions of people,”Joe says while scrolling through applicationson his own phone. “To see my wife use thephone that I work on and to lead teams to sellphones in countries that it wouldn’t be soldin if it wasn’t for me is just, really exciting.”

GreaterPursuits

Friends Joe Donahue ’97 and Tom Elliott ’97, whohave been each others’ roommate, classmate andteammate, bonded over the “American Dream” upon attending Gwynedd-Mercy College in 1994.

(Top) Joe was Tom’s best man for his wedding.

Joe (#4) and Tom both played basketball at GMC.

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Joe lives in Woodinville, Wash., with hiswife and three children, William, 7, Maddie,6, and Hollins, 3.

Achieving the Dream:Tom Elliott

Tom has been with thesame company sincegraduating fromGwynedd-Mercy College.In December 2010, he wasnamed Chief FinancialOfficer of ResourceAmerica, which is aspecialized assetmanagement companylocated in Philadelphia, while alsoretaining his position as Senior VicePresident. He is involved in all of thefinancial and operational decisions of thecompany.

“It’s a high energy, entrepreneurialenvironment that has always maintained afamily culture,” Tom says about ResourceAmerica.

He actually came about the opportunity toget his foot in Resource America’s doorbecause of adjunct GMC faculty member

Chris Cusatis. Chris taught most of Tom’ssenior-level accounting courses.

“He was helpful in providing direction tostudents as they searched for internshipsand ultimately full-time jobs,” Tom saysabout Chris.

While Chris was teaching eveningclasses at Gwynedd-Mercy College,he also worked full time as thecontroller of Fidelity Leasing, asubsidiary of Resource America atthe time. Though it wasn’t a publicaccounting position, Chris thoughtthat Tom would be a good fit for thecompany. Tom agreed, joining Chris’company as a staff accountant in May1997 just after graduation.

Tom quickly climbed the corporate ladder,becoming the director of assetsecuritization and treasurer of the companywithin three years, and subsequently thevice president of finance in 2001.

“In the 13 years that I’ve been with thecompany, I’ve had the opportunity to beinvolved with the purchase and sale ofmultiple companies, two IPOs andnumerous debt and equity transactions,”Tom says. “I find the challenge of beinginvolved and helping structure transactions

that often include complex legal, tax andaccounting issues to be very rewarding.”

After graduating, Tom also found time tokeep up with his love for basketball. Heplayed in a handful of basketball leagues,including some with former teammates atGMC, he says. Tom tried his hand atcoaching for a few years. He coachedseventh and eighth-grade travel basketballteams before his daughter, Olivia, was bornin 2005. Forever staying active, Tom hasrun eight marathons since 2007, includingthe Boston and Philadelphia Marathons,and is currently training for a half Ironmanevent this spring.

Tom lives in Cinnaminson, N.J., with hiswife, Melanie, and 5-year-old daughterOlivia.

Passing the Baton

Joe and Tom’s stories of success are aresult of hard work and determination, aswell as the supportive nature ofGwynedd-Mercy College. They feltwelcomed and accepted as non-traditionalstudents in the college community. GMCwas able to financially and academicallyguide Joe and Tom to achieve their dreams.

“I consider myself very fortunate for beingable to attend college,” says Tom, who wasgranted full tuition through the PresidentialScholarship.

Not everybody is ready to go to college atage 18 or 19, Joe says. But this doesn’tmean that they will never be ready.

Joe and Tom’s careers have developed intomajor life achievements, even when theystarted off on a different foot. They seethemselves in other prospective studentswho are hoping to establish themselves asprofessionals. That’s why it was importantto Joe and Tom to help provide others withthe opportunity to attend Gwynedd-MercyCollege. In fall 2010, they established anaward to recognize outstanding studentswho attend the College and find their placein the American Dream, just like Joe andTom. �

Joe, on the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Wash., isthe principal program manager for Windows Phone.

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Nancy, originally fromNorristown, Pa., haslived in London, NewYork, Minneapolis, SaltLake City, Phoenix,and San Francisco,where she currentlyresides. Her firsthusband, JimHagan, movedaround for different

job opportunities, andshe, of course, went with him. This also

led Nancy to many interesting life and jobexperiences of her own.

Immediately after graduating with an Associateof Science from Gwynedd-Mercy College,where she was Class President, Nancylanded a job at UNIVAC (now UNISYS),and remained there for three years. This iswhere she met Jim, who worked for theInternational Division of the company. Theymarried, and Nancy’s “adventure”continued with Jim for 20 years.

When they lived in London, Nancy workedfor the U.S. Embassy, but they only stayedthere for one year before Jim wastransferred back to New York. Eventually,Jim left UNIVAC for a software company inMinneapolis. Shortly after this, Jim’s friendoffered him a job in San Francisco with aconsulting firm that was instrumental to theestablishment of MasterCard and Visa.

Knowing that moving so often can take itstoll on a family, Jim asked Nancy where shewanted to live. But Nancy insisted that sheliked the adventure of moving, and didn’tfeel the need to settle in one place, yet. “Inever liked having a rigid plan for my life,”she says.

The couple had their first son, Jeff, whileliving in San Francisco. Though the familykept their flat in the city, they briefly movedto Salt Lake City (where Nancy enjoyedskiing twice every week) and then in thesummer, to Phoenix (where Nancy onlyhad one word to describe it, “hot”).

Finally, the family settled back in SanFrancisco and had their second son, Doug.They bought a house in The MarinaDistrict of the city, just two blocks from thebay where many other families lived. Plus,the flatness of the area along the bay madeit pleasant and much easier to walk with thestroller, Nancy pointed out.

In the late ’70s, Nancy had been working asa secretary part time for Western PacificRailroad for three years when a vicepresident recommended that she take anopen managerial position. Western PacificRailroad was preparing to merge with UnionPacific which happened eight years later.

“Women were not in managerial positions(then), especially at the railroad – amale-dominated industry,” Nancy explainsabout taking the job. “I had to do it.” So,Nancy went from being a part-time secretaryon Friday to having a private office and asecretary on the following Monday, sheexplains, still with a little disbelief.

Nancy (Tornetta) Russell ’61 has had a whirlwind life, but that’s the way she likes it.

Nancy Russell, CEO, and herson Doug, president, at theirfamily business, KRYTAR.

Enjoying Life’s Journey

Nancy found her niche as a manager, andmoved into a position as director of riskmanagement for Southern Pacific. “I felt Ireally had to prove myself,” Nancy says.Southern Pacific was a much biggerorganization than Western Pacific. “We allneed to have a break somewhere, and I gotmy break.” She stayed with the companyfor nearly 20 years.

In 1987, when Nancy was no longermarried to Jim, she met Tom Russell. Tomhad founded the company KRYTAR, whichspecializes in the manufacture of ultrabroadband microwave components and testequipment for both commercial andmilitary applications.

“Tom was a very gifted engineer, aninventor, a brainy, studious kind of guy,”Nancy says endearingly. “Microwaves andcomputers interested him.”

In the 1970s, he had a design idea and workedon it at his kitchen table. When Tom thoughtthat he had developed a product that hecould sell, he hired a machinist. Not longafter, KRYTAR was born in Sunnyvale, Ca.,and its Silicon Valley neighbor, HewlettPackard, was his first customer. KRYTAR,though small, took off and has grown justabout every year since. Tom obtained sevenpatents throughout his leadership of KRYTAR.

Sadly, Tom’s health declined in the early’90s, and an important decision had to bemade about what would happen toKRYTAR. “We talked about the business somuch, and I enjoyed it,” Nancy says. WhenTom died in 1994, Nancy met with a fewkey people about plans to move ahead withkeeping the company. Nancy becameChairperson and CEO, while alsoremaining in her position at SouthernPacific Railroad for two more years.

“Where I am today, I have been preparingfor most of my life, and I didn’t even knowthat I was preparing for it,” Nancy saysabout her surprise in becoming a CEO.“Leadership roles in high school andcollege, volunteering, running non-profitevents, all of those things prepared me forwhere I am today. These things mold youfor the future.”

Eventually, Nancy needed someone toreplace the retiring president of KRYTAR in2006. She had both of her sons in mind forprospective candidates. Jeff had anundergraduate degree from StanfordUniversity and a Master in Business

Administration from The Wharton School,University of Pennsylvania. Doug had anundergraduate degree from the Universityof Pennsylvania and an MBA from TheWharton School. He was working forNetgear at the time and was more familiarwith the field. He accepted the position aspresident of the business. “I am Italian andvery family-oriented, so we are justcontinuing that tradition,” Nancy says.

“It’s great,” Doug says about working forhis mom. “I am really proud of all she hasaccomplished in business and life, andworking with her at KRYTAR has beengratifying both professionally andpersonally. Her initiative, drive, anddedication to the business have beeninstrumental in the growth of thecompany.”

On top of the work that Nancy does forKRYTAR, she is a member of the Women’sLeadership Board of Harvard University’sJohn F. Kennedy School of Government,comprised of women from all over theworld. She is also a member of the WomenPresident’s Organization.

Nancy has contributed countless hours ofvolunteer service to the San Franciscocommunity and other non-profit boardsincluding the San Francisco Food Bank,California Pacific Medical Center’s PacificVision Foundation, The San Francisco MaritimeNational Historic Park, Kara Grief SupportFoundation, and currently, Family House.

Family House provides free temporaryhousing for families with seriously illchildren that receive treatment at theUniversity of California San FranciscoBenioff Children’s Hospital. “Family Househas my heart and soul,” Nancy says. Afterhearing a story from a husband and wifeabout Family House, in which they were sograteful for its support when their child wasdying, Nancy felt compelled to be involvedin the organization.

There is a theme of compassion and charityin Nancy’s life, as she also goes onhumanitarian missions with the Order ofMalta. In April 2010, Nancy traveled toLourdes, France, to spend a week with theseriously and terminally ill. She was pairedwith a “malade,” the French term for onewho is sick. They spent time together aspart of a spiritual healing process for themalades.

Because of her business and humanitarianachievements, Nancy received the Hall ofFame Award from Norristown High School,her alma mater, in 2006.

In the pinnacle of Nancy’s humility, she willbe officially inducted as a Dame of the Orderof Malta, Society of St. John this June. �

(Left to right) Nancy’s son Jeff, granddaughterMadeline, daughter-in-law Katie, son Doug, grandsonsWill and Colin, daughter-in-law Alison, granddaughtersAnna and Sophie, and Nancy.

“It’s great to have the opportunity to work together to tackle thechallenges of leading a business, especially when you canshare the same values of hard work and customer focus mixedin with some good laughs.” – Doug Hagan

From the Director of AlumniRelations,Shannon Bruno...

Alumni AssociationBoard Nominations

The Office of Alumni Relations iscurrently accepting nominations for the2011-2012 Alumni Association Board.Nominees must be active members ofthe GMC Alumni Association, able toattend quarterly meetings, willing toparticipate on a subcommittee, andinterested in enhancing and promotingactivities for alumni. Please submitnominations to bruno.s@gmc.edu orcall 215-641-5554. All nominations willbe reviewed and decided upon by thecurrent Alumni Association Board.

Alumni Benefits

Gwynedd-Mercy College alumni canreceive a special group discount of up to20 percent on auto, home and rentersinsurance through Group Savings Plusfrom Liberty Mutual. With GroupSavings Plus, members can enjoy theease and convenience of payingpremiums through checking accountdeductions with no down payment orfinance charges. Fast, easyround-the-clock claims service and avariety of discounts including multi-car,multi-policy, safe-driver, passiverestraints and anti-theft device discountsare some of the many benefits.

For a free, no-obligation quote fromLiberty Mutual, call Joseph O’Gara at215-641-0400, ext. 50931, or request afree quote online.

1955Mary Ellen Tagliaferri, of PrincetonJunction, N.J., is a proud grandmother ofnine grandchildren.

1966Patricia Kiefer, of Fort Washington, Pa., isretired and reads stories as part of theHead Start Program.

1967Kathleen Fluss, of Princeton, N.J., has a2-year-old granddaughter named Aubrey.

1968Gail Kolb, of Glenside, Pa., has twodaughters who were recently married – onein September and the other in January.

Kathleen Thygeson, of Hatboro, Pa., has agrandson, David John Schivell, born onOctober 21, 2010.

1969Rosemary Ryan, of Abbott Park, Ill.,celebrated the birth of her first grandchild,Collin Steven Ryan, in October 2010.

1971Kathleen Lynch, of Havertown, Pa., is theproud grandmother of Jack, age 2, andPatrick, 6 months.

1974Kathleen Goldman, of Waterford Works,N.J., has spent the last year getting to knowher two grandchildren born two days apart.

1975Karen Pirolli Cramer, of Little EggHarbor, N.J., welcomed another grandchild,Lucas, in February 2010.

1976Honorable Maureen Fitzpatrick, ofNewtown Square, Pa., recently retired fromher position as the Delaware CountyCommon Pleas Court judge.

Deborah Mattes, of Lansdale, Pa., wasrecently given the North PennSuperintendent Achievement Award.

Theresa Sweitzer, of Wyomissing, Pa., hasa granddaughter, Leah, who was born onJanuary 18, 2011.

1977Helen Marcarelli, of Lansdowne, Pa.retired in June 2008.

Loretta Tabasco, ’56/’77, of Ventnor City,N.J., has one great grandchild and fivegrandchildren.

1978Kristin King, PhD, of Huntington Valley,Pa., was selected to serve as interimpresident of Bryn Athyn College.

Class Notes

Class Notes Today 21

22 Today

Acknowledging Alumni Achievement

On Friday, September 24, 2010, Gwynedd-Mercy College celebrated outstanding alumniduring the Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner. The Distinguished Alumni Award is theCollege’s highest alumni honor. It acknowledges the achievements of exceptional alumniwhose personal lives, professional achievements and community service embody theobjectives of their alma mater. Alumni honored were:

• Commander Sarah Arnold ’91, for her tireless work to provide medical care toher fellow soldiers and to the people living in impoverished nations around the world.

• Reverend Susan Kiely ’70, for her entrepreneurial, philanthropic and humanitarian spirit in her work with Women With a Cause.

• Ruth Daller ’83, RN, MSN, CRNP, for her outstanding work in the nursing field, and for her efforts with the Daller Family Charitable Trust.

• Veronica Collins Harrington ’77, BS, MEd, for her extraordinary devotion tothe field of education as an educator and administrator over the last 25 years.

• Janet Kelly ’60, for her professional and philanthropic endeavors with Kelly &Associates Insurance Group, Inc., a company she founded with her husband, Frank, through which they support many charitable organizations.

Also presented that evening was the Ann Fitzpatrick Murray Alumni Award forDistinguished Service. This award is given to those alumni who make significantcontributions in the area of public service by sharing or volunteering his or her talent, timeand resources in the spirit of Mercy service. Sean McMahon ’93/’97/’00, RN, MSN, wasrecognized as this year’s recipient for his compassionate care for those in his owncommunity and around the world through volunteer missions with Global Health Ministry.

(Top, left to right) Sean McMahon, GMC PresidentKathleen Owens, PhD, Commander Sarah Arnold andReverend Susan Kiely

(Right) Sandra D. Mangano, EdD, dean of the School of Education, Veronica Collins Harrington and Dr. Owens

Theresa Ledet, of Mays Landing, N.J., is amedical physicist in the radiation oncologydepartment at AtlantiCare Cancer CareInstitute.

Dorothy Sweet, of Hazleton, Pa., has a son,Joey, who graduated in December fromGwynedd-Mercy College’s School ofBusiness.

1979Peter Angelini, of Philadelphia, Pa., isattending ITT Technical Institute forcomputer network technology.

Georgine Russell, of Hollidaysburg, Pa., isa student at University of MassachusettsBoston in the family nurse practitionerprogram.

Janet Snyder, of Oakford, Pa., has a sonwho is a freshman at Notre DameUniversity.

Ann Zsiga, of Edison, N.J., has a newgranddaughter, Kaelon, born June 16, 2010.

1980Marybeth Farquhar, of Sterling, Va., wasrecently named vice president of researchand measurement at URAC, a leadinghealth care accreditation and educationorganization.

Melissa Hartman, of Fleetwood, Pa., isnow an empty nester. Her daughter, Keely,graduated from the Pennsylvania College ofTechnology in Williamsport, Pa., and isnow employed by the U.S. Air Force inDayton, Ohio. Her son, Keefe, graduatedfrom high school and is now in the U.S.Navy to become a medic.

1981Mary Elizabeth McGovern, of Blue Bell,Pa., works at Macy’s as the countermanager for Clinique and Estee Lauder.

Maureen Staudt, ofSouderton, Pa., obtained herPennsylvania license inmassage therapy and has apractice as a nurse massagetherapist. She was accepted into the teachertraining program of Zero Balancing techniqueand plans to graduate in spring 2012.

1982Joan Cunningham, of Lansdale, Pa.,retired after working for 35 years at Merck& Co., Inc. She was an administrator in theIT department.

Elaine McElroy, of Yardley, Pa., has beenteaching anatomy and chemistry for 12years at Archbishop Ryan High School inPhiladelphia.

1983Roberta Altenor, of Boyertown, Pa.,retired from the PA Office of Mental Health.

1984Livia West, of Glenside, Pa., has a son,Billy, who is currently a junior atGwynedd-Mercy College majoring incriminal justice.

Frederick Winner, ofWomelsdorf, Pa., took part inthe 2011 Florida WinterNational Wood Art Expo andCompetition in Fort Myers,Fla. He placed third in the Advanced Class,Shorebird Category with his carved “Puffin.”

1986Elizabeth Ligato, of Warrington, Pa.,works in special education for the SchoolDistrict of Philadelphia. She attainedNational Board Certification as anexceptional needs specialist in 2010.

1987Elizabeth McCarty, of Phoenixville, Pa., isattending Montgomery County CommunityCollege to obtain an associate degree inhealth care.

1988Pamela Rock ’78/’88, of Emmaus, Pa., is arespiratory therapist at Lehigh ValleyHospital. She is also a happy grandmotherof three children.

1989Barbara Thompson, of Lansdale, Pa., hasa daughter, Sue Kunz, who is receiving hermaster’s degree in business management inMay 2011.

Today 23

Members of the Class of 1960 gathered for a reunion Mass and luncheon in Assumption Hall on Sunday, November14, 2010. Pictured from left to right, back row: Eileen (Govan) Dabich, Janet (DeMaine) Kelly, Judith Boyd, andRosalie (Yarchick) Pasquini; front row, Bonnie (Burdick) Waldron, Mary Ann (Nemchik) Pappano, Johanna (Sutjak)Malinowski, and Mary Rita (Berry) Bennetts.

GMC on the ROAD:MARYLAND

Gwynedd-Mercy College cordiallyinvites you to attend an eveningwith GMC alumni in the Maryland,

D.C. and Virginia area.

TUESDAY, MAY 10, 20116 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.Hunt Valley, Md.

Featuring: Kathleen Owens, PhDPresidentGwynedd-Mercy College

Hosted by: Janet (DeMaine) Kelly ’60

Invitation with further details to follow.

Please call Shannon Bruno, Directorof Alumni Relations, with questions

215-641-5554 or e-mailbruno.s@gmc.edu.

Make the connection and rediscover

the Gwynedd-Mercy College

of today and tomorrow.

24 Today

Francis J. Bowe Jr. ’06, of Phoenixville,Pa., is engaged to Marie Crouse. A July 9,2011 wedding is planned.

Anthony DiMarzio ’03, of Gilbertsville,Pa., married Maranda Taylor DiMarzio onOctober 23, 2010.

Kevin Dougherty ’09, of Warrington, Pa.,is engaged to Kate Goffredo ’09. A July2011 wedding is planned.

Gina Marie Ferriola ’05, of Morton, Pa., isengaged to Timothy Jon Smith. A May 2011wedding is planned.

Ryan Herrmann ’06, of Phoenixville, Pa.,married Kristen Cairns ’05 in Decemberof 2008. The best man was his collegeroommate, Christopher Rapone ’06.

Marie Hohenwarter ’51, of Venice, Fla.,recently celebrated her 55th weddinganniversary by flying to Ireland and sailingback on the Queen Mary.

Dawn A. (Coe) Meyer ’07, of Lansdale,Pa., married Bruce Meyer on May 1, 2010.

Tina Mandarano ’05/’09, of Bethlehem,Pa., is engaged to Michael Recchiuti. AJune 18, 2011 wedding is planned and threeGMC alumnae will be bridesmaids: AlyshaMartindale ’05, Lauren Humphries-Dangelmaier ’05 and Jen Walsh ’05.

Mary Palumbo-Janda ’84/’86, of Ewing,N.J., is engaged to Terry Miklox.

Stephanie Rooney ’06/’10, of Hammonton,N.J., is engaged to Christopher Pistone. ASeptember 2011 wedding is planned.

Richard Smith, ’07, of Hatfield, Pa., wasmarried in July 2010.

William J. Smith Jr. ’03, of Philadelphia,Pa., is engaged to Lindsey E. Brod. ASeptember 2011 wedding is planned.

Congratulations!Engagements, Marriages

and Anniversaries

Gina Marie Ferriola and Timothy Jon SmithStephanie Rooney and Christopher Pistone

Tina Mandarano and Michael Recchiuti

Anthony andMaranda DiMarzio

Heidi Wright ’86/’89, of Southampton, Pa.,has been a nurse practitioner for the past 15years. She is attending Jefferson to attainher doctorate.

1990Genevieve McAndew Poladian ’87/’90, ofLincolnwood, Ill., works in the quality riskmanagement department at La RabidaChildren’s Hospital in Chicago. In January2010, she graduated from the JohnMarshall Law School in Chicago. She hasfour children and her oldest is a freshmanat Northwestern University studying tobecome a doctor.

1992Ida Draugh ’91/’92, of Trumbull, Conn., isa manager at Benit Cancer Center andCyber Night Center at Stamford Hospital inConnecticut.

Tina Franklin, of Bluffton, S.C., becamenational board certified for secondary mathfor the second time.

1993Kimberly Kearns, of Lebanon, Pa.,recently received her certification to workas a clinical research coordinator.

Lynn Grasso Moon, of Willow Grove, Pa.,is director of tax at GMAC Mortgage whereshe has worked for ten years. She is marriedwith two children, Erin, 8, and Kyle, 5.

1994Donna (Jacquinto) Palmieri ’70/’94, ofNorth Wales, Pa., was recognized as one ofPhiladelphia Business Journal’s 2010Women of Distinction and was also recentlynamed as interim CEO of the SoutheasternPennsylvania Chapter of the American RedCross.

1995Janice Stearns, of Rosyln, Pa., earned amaster’s in education with a readingspecialist certification.

1997Tracy Kelso, of Trumbauersville, Pa., wasnamed as shareholder of Dunlap &Associates, P.C. in Chalfont.

John Robinson, of North Wales, Pa., isemployed as an information assurancemanager.

1998Marc Rowe, of Glenside, Pa., is a managerat Merck. He received a MBA in 2007. In2006, he married and now has two children.

2000Jennifer DeCaro, of Springfield, Pa., is anassistant professor of allied health and themedical assistant program director atDelaware County Community College.

Paul Meehan, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa.,was recently named as acting principal atWilliam Penn Middle School.

2001Kyle Longacre, of Harleysville, Pa., wasnamed acting vice principal for SoudertonHigh School in Souderton, Pa.

2002Daniel Heffernan, of Harleysville, Pa.,recently returned home from serving in Iraq.

Nathaniel Robinson, of Willow Grove,Pa., is an assistant principal at SoutheastDelaware County School District.

2003Jason Garnett, of Philadelphia, Pa., hasbeen working as a full-time lecturer inEnglish at La Salle University since fall 2009.

Luciann Gavin, of Telford, Pa., opened anew family business called Lighthousewhich sells solar electric systems.

Harry Latsch, of Yardley, Pa., has beenworking as a nurse at Capital Health Systemsin Trenton, N.J., for the last five years.

Jillaine Ross, of Woodbridge, Va., is aresource specialist at Prince WilliamCounty Public School. She completed hermaster’s degree in education curriculumassessment and instruction in December 2009.

Jill Zielinski, of Horsham, Pa., wasintroduced by the Arc Advocacy Services asthe new county director of advocacy.

2004Carol Brown, of Blue Bell, Pa., received amaster’s degree for holistic spirituality inhealth care from Chestnut Hill College in 2009.

Leslie Donnell, of Lansdale, Pa., wasrecently promoted to assistantcommunications manager in the publicaffairs department at Citizens Bank inPhiladelphia. In 2010 she also completedher second master’s degree in humanresources.

2005Kári D. King-Hill, ofCollegeville, Pa., was recentlyappointed principal ofCrooked Billet ElementarySchool in Hatboro, Pa.

Susan A. Smith, of Drexel Hill, Pa., wasnamed principal of the Upper MorelandPrimary School in Willow Grove, Pa.

2006Jonathon Cole, of North Wales, Pa., isgraduating from medical school in May 2011.

T.J. Gretchen, of Plymouth Meeting, Pa.,is the dean of students and athletic directorat the Paxon Hollow Middle School in theMarple Newtown School District.

Kaitlyn Kalita, of Holland, Pa., currentlyworks as a nurse in the oncology unit atAbington Memorial Hospital.

Michael Kennedy, of Hatfield, Pa., is ateacher at Frankford High School.

Amanda Lipira, of Hamilton Square, N.J.,is a nurse in the Emergency Room at St.Francis Medical Center.

Amanda Stewart, of Boothwyn, Pa.,traveled to Ghana, Africa, for four monthswith the Volunteer Corps. She is currentlyattending graduate school at VillanovaUniversity.

Katrina Stokes-Johnson, of Philadelphia,Pa., is currently working as an auditor atthe Pennsylvania Public Utility Commissionin Philadelphia.

Today 25

“GMC Sorority”A group of GMC alumnae from the class of ’62 and ’63 who refer to themselves as the “GMC Sorority” get togethermonthly for lunch. This photo was taken at the Jersey shore in 2009. Pictured standing from left to right are: PeggyCraig Ehlinger ’63/’76, Sue Moran Holloway ’63, Marg Parham Schwab ’63 and Terry Wolf DeCamara ’63. Seatedfrom left to right are: Patsy John Kelly ’63/’75, Lee McCallion Krumenacker ’62/’81, Maryanne Bodziock Doyle ’63,Kathy Doyle Dougherty ’63, Mary McLaughlin Herczeg ’63, Sue Parham Hovancik ’62 and Sandy Eyth Johnson’63/’96. Not pictured is Marianne Milligan McDermott ’63.

Robert Veight, of Philadelphia, Pa. is abusiness teacher in the Abington SchoolDistrict. He obtained a master’s degree inclassroom technology from WilkesUniversity in 2009 and his principal’scertification from GMC in 2011. He marriedJillian Egan ’06 in October 2009.

2007Donna Gill, of Allentown, Pa., is currentlya school nurse and plans to enter EasternUniversity to study for a master’s ineducation.

Anastacia Kontz, of Linden, Pa., isworking as a registered nurse in a NICU.

Beverly Slifer, of Sellersville, Pa., isstudying to become a registered nurse. Sheis the grandmother of two children,Abraham and Josephine, both ages 3.

2008Joseph Bamberski, ’07/’08, of Philadelphia,Pa., is attending Drexel University for amaster’s degree in nursing education.

Michele Forbes Borai, of Collegeville,Pa., has a son, James, who was born onApril 4, 2009. She also has a grandson, bornNovember 29, 2010.

Megan Brozena, of Trenton, N.J., is a casemanager at Catholic Charities. She marriedRonald in June 2009. She is currentlyattending Rutgers University to obtain hermaster’s in social work.

Eileen Dadon, of Lansdale, Pa., is startingher own pet care business.

Dawn DellaBarba ’04/’08, of Collegeville,Pa., was recently hired as the accountingcoordinator at the Indian Creek Foundation.

Ashley King ’06/’08, of Philadelphia, Pa.,has been working for the last six years atLincoln Hospital of Labor and Delivery.

Cynthia Koons, of Warrington, Pa., is aprincipal at St. Albert the Great School inHuntingdon Valley, Pa. She is alsoexpecting her first grandchild in March.

Frank Mayo, of Newtown,Pa., was named PennsylvaniaK-12 Business Educator of theYear by the PennsylvaniaBusiness EducationAssociation (PBEA).

Congratulations!Griffin Babies

David Bickle ’10 and Laura McFarland-Bickle ’97, of Jeffersonville, Pa., a daughter,Morgan Siobhan Bickle, on July 26, 2010.

Christina (Braccio) Caruso ’06, of BlueBell, Pa., a son, Trevor Ryan Caruso, onDecember 30, 2010.

Megan A. (Wiley) Brosso ’01/’05, ofHatboro, Pa., a son, Zachary, on June 1, 2010.

Katherine Doll ’83, of Lansdale, Pa.,recently adopted twins, Caitlin and Alexis.

Elizabeth Haegele ’08, of Perkasie, Pa., ason, Grayson, on September 30, 2010.

Karen Entenman Harris ’01, of North Wales,Pa., a son, Michael, on October 16, 2010.

Kristen Hindley ’96, of Philadelphia, Pa., ason, Evan, on May 10, 2010.

Amy Roche ’95, of Macungie, Pa., adopted agirl from China, Emma Grace, in April 2010.

Mary (Mansolino) Spencer ’98/’00, ofHatboro, Pa., a girl, Sophia, on December13, 2010.

Amy Webb ’10, of Berlin, N.J., a son,Michael Christopher, on December 23, 2010.

David and Laura Bickle’s daughter, Morgan

Christina Caruso’s son, Trevor

Megan Brosso’s son, Zachary

Amy Roche’s daughter, Emma Grace

Elizabeth Haegele’s son, Grayson

26 Today

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How to submit Class Notes and updateyour contact information

• gmc.edu/alumni “Update YourInformation” form

• E-mail your message and photos toalumni@gmc.edu

• Contact Shannon Bruno, director of alumnirelations, at 215-641-5554

Class Notes PolicyGwynedd-Mercy College welcomes updatesfrom alumni to include in this section ofToday. We make every effort to ensure theaccuracy of this information. If there is anerror or omission of any kind, please acceptour apology and notify the Office of AlumniRelations of the mistake immediately. It maytake two issues of Today for your informationto appear. Class Notes have been edited forspace and clarity.

Keep in touch!

Today 27

Margaret Place, of Pipersville, Pa., wasnamed principal of Jarrettown ElementarySchool in Dresher, Pa.

Daniel Ream, of Baltimore, Md., recentlyreturned from an interfaith delegation tripin Israel and Palestine where he exploredissues relevant to the young people wholive there.

Sandra Suhy, ’04/’08, of Ambler, Pa.,works in oncology at Abington MemorialHospital. She is also chemotherapy certified.

Catherine G. Tipson ’04/’08, of Glenside,Pa., was appointed vice president, creditadministration, for Conestoga Bank, locatedin Philadelphia.

2009Shanoel Booker, of Philadelphia, Pa., isattending graduate school at St. JosephUniversity, where she studies criminaljustice with a concentration in behavioralanalysis.

Christine Harrison, of Havertown, Pa., isa special education teacher in thePennridge School District.

William James, of Langhorne, Pa., is aprogram specialist at Barc DevelopmentalService Vocational Workshop for adultswith special needs. He is currently finishinghis master’s degree at Gwynedd-MercyCollege.

Rick Khan, of Seattle, Wash., has an18-month-old daughter and now lives inSeattle.

Ruth McDevitt, of North Wales, Pa., iscurrently a kindergarten teacher in theNorth Penn School District.

Jeanette Scally, of Philadelphia, Pa.,recently welcomed a new grandchild.

2010Amy John, of Bethlehem, Pa., is aregistered nurse at Lehigh Valley Hospital.

Danielle Kehoe ’09/’10, of Horsham, Pa.,is currently working as an RN at FoxSubacute. She is planning on gettingmarried in July.

Cassandra Lloyd ’08/’10, of Horsham, Pa.,works at Rittenhouse Pine Center GenesisHealthcare. She is also the secretary ofSigma Theta Tau, GMC’s National HonorSociety.

Rebecca Lohwasser ’07/’09/’10, ofLansdale, Pa., works at MontgomeryHospital.

Jessi McConaghy ’09/’10, of Oaklyn, N.J.,is a registered nurse at Kennedy Hospital inWarrington Township, N.J.

Jenna Nagele ’09/’10, of Conshohocken,Pa., was recently hired as a labor anddelivery nurse for the University ofPennsylvania.

Megan O’Brien ’10, of Exton, Pa., wasnamed the new assistant daybreak directorat The Birches at Arbour Square.

Lauren Schadley ’09/’10, of Norristown,Pa., is a registered nurse at Main LineHealth.

Mary Tha, ’08/’10, of Las Vegas, Nev., iscurrently director of Kindred Healthcare.

Venus Whitehead, ’09/’10, of Philadelphia,Pa., was recently promoted toadministrative technician with the City ofPhiladelphia Office of Human Resources.

Upcoming Reunions November 2011

Gwynedd-Mercy College will hold a Mass and luncheon to honorthe 25th and 50th reunions for the classes of 1986 and 1961.

Office of Institutional Advancement1325 Sumneytown PikeP.O. Box 901Gwynedd Valley, PA 19437-0901

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDLansdale, PA

Permit No. 444

Thinking about advancing yourcareer in teachingor nursing?

800-205-5900gmc.edu/admissions graduate@gmc.edu

Master of Science in Education:

� Master Teacher Program Elementary Education certificationSecondary Education certification

content areas include: biology, business, computers and information technology, English, mathematics or social studies

Special Education certification

� School CounselingElementary, Secondary or Dual certification

� Special Education

Master of Science in Nursing:

� Nurse Educator

� Clinical Nurse Specialist (gerontology or oncology)

� Nurse Practitioner (pediatric or adult health)

� Post-MSN Certification (pediatric or adult health)

gmc.edu

In MemoriamSandra I. (Sharpe) Burritt’65, of Tempe, Ariz., passedaway on October 9, 2010.

Kathleen P. Collins ’73/’08,of Havertown, Pa., passedaway on June 13, 2010.

Theresa V. Felix ’50, of Elkins Park, Pa.,passed away on October 20, 2010.

Cleo M. Gaston ’96, of Willow Grove, Pa.,passed away on October 13, 2010.

Peggie Gillis Johnson ’00, of Chalfont,Pa., passed away on October 30, 2010.

Mary Jane Lewandowski ’83, of Hatfield,Pa., passed away on January 25, 2011.

Denise (Molnar) Paul ’95, of Audubon,Pa., passed away on January 18, 2011.

Arlene Quinn ’86, of Downingtown, Pa.,passed away on January 18, 2011.

Mary Jane (Connor) Ryan ’54, of Wayne,Pa., passed away on July 27, 2010.

Margaret (Liotta) Savaro ’76, of Blue Bell,Pa., passed away on January 21, 2011.

Barbara Ann Willison ’88, of Townsend,Del., passed away on January 20, 2011.

Susane J. Zamitis ’85, of Oaklyn, N.J.,passed away on June 20, 2010.

Elaine Goldberg1989-2010On Nov. 3, 2010, nursingstudent Elaine Goldbergdied suddenly inPhiladelphia. Elaine, ofNortheast Philadelphia,was the beloved daughterof Joseph and Darrah(nee Smith) Goldberg and loving sister ofKristie (Alan), Jaime, Stephen, Careen andJoey. Elaine’s brother, Stephen, is also aGwynedd-Mercy College student. “Elainewas a bright student who had a strongdesire to be a nurse,” says AndreaHollingsworth, PhD, dean of the FrancesM. Maguire School of Nursing. “I admiredher perseverance and enthusiasm for thenursing profession. I am deeply saddened,as is the whole college community, aboutElaine’s death. We lost someone with somuch potential.”

Pamela Minnichbach1986-2010On Nov. 28, 2010, PamelaMinnichbach, a nursinggraduate living inWarrington, Pa., died aftera lengthy illness. “Pamdedicated herself tobecoming a nurse,” saysDona Molyneaux, associate professor ofnursing. “She was goal driven and nothingcould stand in her way. I never knewanyone who tried harder than Pam toachieve her dream. Most students wouldhave given up -- not Pam. She had awonderfully supportive family.”

Mandeep (Rana)1985-2010On Nov. 14, 2010,Mandeep Rana, aninternational studentliving in Glenside, Pa.,died as a result of anautomobile crash.Mandeep was enrolled asa business administration major with aconcentration in marketing and was ontrack to graduate in August 2011.Mandeep’s family donated all of his organsso that others may live through the Gift ofLife Donor Program, located in Philadelphia.“Mandeep was the type of student all teachershope for, the student who sits in the front ofthe class,” says Stephen Mumford, assistantprofessor of business. “He was dedicated tolearning and did not spare any effort inattaining that knowledge. Mandeep was a goodclassmate as well, willing to share anythinghe could with other students. I think heenjoyed his interactions with his fellowstudents as much as he enjoyed learning.”

Barbara Rex1941-2011On Jan. 15, 2011, BarbaraRex, a college employeefrom Dresher, Pa., diedwhile in AbingtonMemorial Hospital.Barbara worked in thehousekeeping departmentat Gwynedd-Mercy College for nearly 40years. She performed housekeeping tasksfor the Sisters in the convents before doingsimilar duties in the Lourdes Library.“Barbara was very dependable, conscientiousand friendly to all the staff. She will be missedby the College community,” says BridgetSmith, office manager of Lourdes Library.

Are You a Secret Admirer? Many alumni and friends have included Gwynedd-Mercy College in their estate plansbut haven’t had the opportunity to tell us. Why not let us know?

We often talk about how giving really makes a difference here. Your future commitment to GMC will assist us in the preparation of distinctive Mercy graduates.

Contact Jill Dow at dow.j@gmc.edu or 215-542-4661 to share your secret.

28 Today

ChangingLives

Supporting the Annual Fund

Nearly every campus initiative that makes asignificant impact for our students is supported bythe Annual Fund, including scholarship support forthose students who need it most. Last year,Gwynedd-Mercy College awarded $12.6 million inscholarships, which benefited more than 92 percentof our students. The future of our campus is brightwith the help from caring alumni like you.

Support Gwynedd-Mercy Collegestudents with a gift to the 2010-2011Annual Fund today.

215-641-5550 • gmc.edu/giving

Tara Sochalski, senior cardiovascular technology majorSteven Bocchese, senior nursing (BSN) majorAnna Candeloro, junior education major

HOMECOMING WEEKEND2011

September 23-25, 2011

Mark your calendar for Homecoming Weekend

The 2011 Homecoming Weekend will include an All Alumni Reunion, FallFest, sporting events and more!

A special tribute will be held to honor the 10-year anniversary of our 2001 champions in baseball, women’s basketball and women’s soccer and the five-year anniversary of our 2006 champions in women’s basketball.

For updates, visit gmc.edu/alumni and Gwynedd-Mercy Alums on Facebook.