Friday, October 26, 2018

Alumni Link October 2018 Edition for Friday, 26 October 2018 from The Elmira College Office of the Alumni in Elmira, New York, United States

Alumni Link October 2018 Edition for Friday, 26 October 2018 from The Elmira College Office of the Alumni in Elmira, New York, United States

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Weekend Activities Bring Families to Campus

Family Weekend 2018 invited families to campus for a weekend of fun, entertainment, and celebration. Festivities included the 51st annual Octagon Fair, live music and art, fall-themed activities, and the Phi Eta Sigma honor society induction. Photos from the weekend can be found here.

Service of Remembrance Honors Alumni

OnOn Mountain Day, September 24, students, faculty and administrators took a moment to honor and remember more than 80 loyal alumni and staff who passed away this past year.

The annual Service of Remembrance, hosted by the Office of Alumni Relations, featured photos and memories of each alumni along with a poem read by Brittany Francis ’19, and piano accompaniment by Dallas Winchell ’18. The ceremony concluded with attendees linking arms and singing the alma mater.

Immediately following the Service of Remembrance, iris bulbs were planted around the Cowles Hall portico, in memory of each alumni.

Gloria Berman Baker ’47	Marylee Johns ’67
Margaret Coman Swain ’47	Carole Chalk Becker ’69
Ruth Thevenet Miller ’47	Gerald Eaton ’71
Janet Fiske Langguth ’48	Bonnie Chabot Seeley ’71
Marguerite Warren Pyhtila ’48	David Olszowy ’72
Carolyn Byrne Wheeler ’48	Michael Balok ’74
Judy O'Neil Cowan ’49	Miles Barnes ’74
Jane Carpenter Pitcher ’49	Michael Commins ’74
Margaret Garman Todd ’49	Beatrice Jean Zyga ’74
Angeline Schimizzi Viladas ’49	Nicholas Chalk ’75
Ellen Williams Bacigalupa ’50	Mark Schneider ’75
Ann McCullough Cook ’50	Sarah Parker Cave ’76
Alice Northup Saar ’50	H. Gregory Tetor ’76
Josephine Pastirik Roemmelt ’51	Peter Barton ’77
Rita-Ann Roessel Comfort ’52	Richard Kankus ’78
Gwendolyn Robinson Fredo ’52	Jeffery Gauer ’78
Ellen Huey ’52	John Bolton ’82
Cynthia Hamilton Jones ’52	Norma Mallette Wood ’82
Mary Hall Aarons ’53	Susan Brill ’83
Joanne Parker Perry ’53	David Conklin ’83
Edna Mae Jones Wood ’54	Leslie Fowler Halsted ’84
Dolores DiPipi Muyskens ’55	James Schiefen ’84
Susan House Plantz ’55	Mary Sobus ’84
Diana Downes Wallace ’55	Daniel Hudock ’85
Doris Ehrenfried Freudenberg ’56	Anne Marie Stephens Lewis ’87
Mary Cesari Mann ’56	Joseph Sears ’98
Carol Cusick Fenton ’57	Christine Ferrara Macauley ’99
Margaret Good Updyke ’57	Meghan Beeney ’01
Nancy Gunderman Burns ’58	Dr. Malcolm Marsden
Harriet Stone Heller '58	Joseph McGinnis
Chantal King Morris ’59

[Read more]

2018 Moser Prize Awarded

The 2018 Moser Freshman Prize was awarded to Brenna Garrison ’21 and Elizabeth Foster ’21 at ceremony during Family Weekend.

Garrison, a speech and language disabilities major from Chester, NY, is an officer for Orchesis and Tap Ensemble. She is also a member of Rotaract and League of Intern Speech Pathologists (LISP). During the 2019 Term III, Garrison will be traveling abroad to study in Italy.

Foster is a political science and legal studies double major with a minor in criminal justice from Frankfort, NY. She is an officer for Model UN, Amnesty International, and Pre-Law Club, as well as a member of Active Minds.

Both Garrison and Foster are Elmira College Key Award recipients and were recently inducted into the Phi Eta Sigma International Freshman Honor Society.

The Moser Freshman Prize was established by Raymond and Nancy Crane Moser '34 to acknowledge and support the academic tradition at Elmira College. The Prize is presented annually to the student achieving the highest grade point average at the end of the first year of full-time academic work.[Read more]

Annual Key Awards Presented During Family Weekend

Elmira College recognized many of its most promising new students with the 83rd awarding of the Elmira College Key Awards on Friday, October 5 at an afternoon reception in Peterson Chapel.

Presented by the Alumni Association, the Key Award recognizes students for high scholastic achievement, leadership, citizenship, and participation in extracurricular activities. More than 100 Key Award recipients are currently enrolled at the College, including 30 freshmen. The event was held during Family Weekend, allowing many students’ families to attend the event.

Bo Manuel ’82, president of the Elmira College Alumni Association, reflected upon the significance of the award, "The Elmira College Key Award is such an important part of the Elmira College experience and the Alumni Association takes great pride in recognizing this long-standing tradition and the accomplishments of our students".

Manuel and Ellen Himmelreich, Director of Alumni Relations, presented the students with the traditional Key Award pins during the ceremony.

The Elmira Key Award is a merit-based award bestowed upon one outstanding man and woman in their junior or senior year of high school or preparatory school at each participating school. Each Key Award winner receives an $80,000 scholarship over a four-year period, $20,000 per year, upon enrolling at Elmira College. [Read more]

Students Inducted into Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society

Last weekend, 49 students were inducted into Phi Eta Sigma, the International Honor Society rewarding first-collegiate-year scholarship, during a ceremony held in Peterson Chapel.

In addition to the 49 students, Joel Stoker, professor of religious studies, was inducted as an honorary member. Professor Stoker was selected because the membership found him to exemplify the qualities of Phi Eta Sigma through his commitment to continually pursuing intellectual growth and encouraging his students to do the same. Members also commented that Professor Stoker is extremely passionate about what he teaches and always finds ways to make his classes interesting.

Phi Eta Sigma, the oldest and largest first-year honor society, was founded in 1923 at the University of Illinois with the goal of encouraging and rewarding academic excellence among full-time, first-year students in institutions of higher learning.

The Society has established chapters in over 350 institutions of higher learning in the United States. Elmira College is the 289th chapter, established in 1990.

The three Greek letters, Phi, Eta, and Sigma, represent the basis of the organization’s membership, in that they mean literally “lovers of wisdom.”

The list of 2018 inductees include:

Kelsie Aloi '21
Brittany Boyce '21
Cassandra Brown '21
Derek Caramella '21
Ravi Chauma '21
Kate Cota '21
Anastasia Couch '21
Destiny Decker '21
Victoria Dunham '21
Adam Eby '21
Rachel Feltz '21
Sienna Fleury '21
Elizabeth Foster '21
Brenna Garrison '21
Elizabeth Hanson '21
Isabel Hanson '21
Taylor Hanson '21
Sydney Harris '21
Kassi Hastings '21
Patrick Hoose-Saukas '19
Adam Horey '21
Cali Horton '21
Fallon Huck '21
Corinne Hyland '21
Jessica Jones '21
Rafael Joseph '21
Zoya Katta '21
Emma Kelly '21
Anna Kempf '21
Sadie Kennett '21
Taylor Kibbler '21
Lily Kronick '21
Krystyna Lilland '21
Evan Mendoza '21
Cody Metcalf '21
Lydia Milligan '21
John Mullan '21
Sarah O'Hanrahan
Akari Ota '19
Bianca Palese '21
Bridgette Patterson '21
Nicole Pride '21
Arael Scott '21
Zackarie Stedge ‘21
Christine Stevens
Janice Teeter '21
Tristen Tolan '21
Mason Weir '21

Avery Yeates '21[Read more]

Alumni Board Spotlight: Jay Wolkoff ’93

Jay Wolkoff ’93

Alumni Board Member

Jay joined the Alumni Board in October 2013. He majored in business administration with a marketing specialization at EC and received his MBA from Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, NY. Currently, Jay is a national account manager at Stanley Black & Decker. Jay lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.

What have been the highlights and milestone of your career and life?

I walked across the stage at commencement with a job in my major and fortunately, I have not stopped growing professionally since. I have held a few different positions with different organizations, but it all started because of Elmira. I would never have gotten to my current position as a National Account Manager with a Fortune 500 company without the lessons I learned at Elmira.

How did your experience at Elmira College prepare you for this professional life? Specifically, were there experiences, courses, or faculty that made a significant influence on your education?

EC prepared me in many ways for my career. The faculty was probably the most influential. The real world experiences my professors were able to bring to the classroom have been invaluable during my career. Their guidance also proved indispensable when choosing an internship as I continue to use the skills I learned during my internship. Being involved with a few clubs and activities when on campus also taught me about teamwork and how to work with others.

Alumni Board members lead the way as ambassadors of the College. What motivated you to serve EC on the Board?

The opportunity to meet other alumni from different class years was definitely a factor when deciding to serve on the board. However, the aspect that intrigued me the most was the time I would be able to spend with current and prospective students. It is inspiring to talk with students to hear about their goals and provide advice to help them meet those goals. Coming back to campus three times a year is also fun.

What advice would you give a prospective student?

Any student who attends and graduates from Elmira is guaranteed to be a successful, outgoing and dynamic individual. Even if a person does not consider themselves that “type” of person they need not worry…the EC community will bring out the best in them and when they leave Elmira they will be that type of person. I have always believed Elmira cultivates and brings out the best in people and students as they take on the careers. Also, it may be a cliché but the friends they make at Elmira will be with them for the rest of their lives. [Read more]

Alumni Spotlight: Matt Burr ’07

Matt Burr ’07 is the owner of Burr Consulting, LLC and is a full-time faculty at Elmira College as an Assistant Professor of Business Administration. Click here to read more about Matt.

Matt Burr ’07

Owner, Burr Consulting, LLC & Assistant Professor, Elmira College

“Work hard while you’re in school, take advantage of all the college has to offer, set goals and reward yourself after accomplishments. Also, pay off your student loans as fast as possible!”

Matthew Burr ’07 did not always know that he would be working in the human resources field or even academia, but he cites failure as one of his most powerful academic inspirations.

Burr, whose original interest was in pre-law, started his undergraduate career in community college before transferring to Elmira College. The College’s small class size, similar to that of community college, made Elmira a great fit.

A business administration major at EC, Burr did an internship with Kennedy Valve Manufacturing in their Human Resources department. This is where he found his inspiration to work in HR. Burr cites this experience, as well as mentorship from Professor Jim Mullen and Professor John Savash, as some of the key factors to his current career. Also while at EC, Burr received the Stand Energy Prize for his internship work and did community service at the Ernie Davis Community Center, where he now works as an HR consultant.

After graduating from EC, Burr went on to Syracuse University where he obtained a master’s degree in human resources and industrial relations in December 2011, and an MBA in December 2017. He now has more than 11 years of experience in the HR field and is the owner of Burr Consulting, LLC and a full-time faculty member as an assistant professor at EC. Burr is also the president of the local Society for Human Resources chapter, the Human Resources Association of the Twin Tiers, serves on the board of the Community Dispute Resolution Center in Elmira, is a Fact-Finder and Mediator for the State of New York, and most recently is a merit badge counselor for the Boy Scouts.

Of all of his accomplishments, Burr cites paying off his student debt in less than two years, founding his consulting business, and becoming a full-time professor at the College as the major milestones and highlights.

Lastly, Burr gives this advice to prospective students: “Work hard while you’re in school, take advantage of all the college has to offer, set goals and reward yourself after accomplishments. Also, pay off your student loans as fast as possible!”

Adriana Giancoli ’98, M.S. ’14 Rejoins College

On Monday, October 15, the Elmira College Community welcomed Adriana “Dri” Foti Giancoli ’98, M.S. ’14 to the team as the new Director of Major and Planned Gifts. Dri comes to the College after serving as a Major Gifts Officer at Ithaca College.Elmira College is pleased to announce Adriana “Dri” Foti Giancoli ’98, M.S. ’14, will join the College as Director of Major and Planned Gifts on October 15.

Dri comes to the College after serving as a Major Gifts Officer at Ithaca College. Previously, she served as the Director of Development at Corning Community College.

Dri’s professional career in higher education began at Elmira College where she held several positions including Director of Alumni Relations, Director of Development Information Technology, and Director of Advancement Services and Communication.

Dri graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Elmira College in 1998, and earned a master’s degree in corporate and community education in 2014. She also holds two advanced certificates in training of trainers and human resource development.

“I am honored and excited to be returning to my alma mater in this role. Elmira College has always held a special place in my heart and I, like many alumni, owe so much of who I am today to the unique and transformational opportunities I had at EC,” said Giancoli. “These opportunities were made possible by the generosity of so many who came before me, and I am continually grateful for the scholarships, leadership experience, and education I received because of their support. I’m looking forward to connecting with members of our EC family to help make these opportunities possible for our next generation of leaders.” [Read more]

LECOM Earns Accreditation to Expand to Elmira College

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) has received approval to increase class size and offer courses at Elmira College in Elmira, New York. The announcement was made today by LECOM President John M. Ferretti, D.O. and Elmira College President Charles W. Lindsay, Ph.D.

LECOM has received formal notification that at a meeting in Chicago in late August, the Council on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) of the American Osteopathic Association gave approval to the opening of an additional LECOM location at Elmira College. The Elmira campus joins LECOM campuses in Erie and Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and in Bradenton, Florida and the College expects to have the first Elmira medical students start in late July 2020 pending final approval by the New York Department of Education Board of Regents.

According to Dr. Ferretti, "LECOM is extending medical education to the Elmira College campus to attract students who will fill the need for physicians in the Southern Tier and Western New York." Upstate New York has a large, rural underserved population with a critical shortage of physicians. Medical school graduates often continue their post-graduate training and establish residency in the same area in which they attend medical school. LECOM has seen many of its graduates stay and practice near its campuses in northwest and southwest Pennsylvania and southwest Florida.

The College opened in Erie in 1993 to train Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, added the Florida campus in 2004 and the Greensburg campus in 2009. In addition to the College of Osteopathic Medicine, LECOM operates a School of Pharmacy, School of Dental Medicine and School of Health Services Administration. LECOM has more than 4100 students and the Elmira College location will increase enrollment by more than 400 students in a few years.

Since 2012, LECOM has sent third-year and fourth-year students for clinical education at the Arnot Health System in Elmira and other surrounding hospitals in the Southern Tier. "Our relationship with the Elmira medical community and other affiliated hospitals in the region exposed LECOM students to quality training" said Richard Terry, D.O., MBA, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for LECOM at Elmira. "The affiliation demonstrated that LECOM could better serve the region by bringing all four years of medical education to Elmira."

Elmira College is a private, coeducational, Phi Beta Kappa college offering 30-plus majors, an honors program, 17 academic societies, and 20 Division III varsity teams. Founded in 1855, it was the first college for women with a course of studies equal in vigor to the best men's colleges of the time. Elmira College became coeducational in 1969.

Elmira College is affiliated with LECOM through the Early Acceptance Program (EAP) where select Elmira undergraduate students will be granted provisional acceptance to LECOM when they matriculate at Elmira College. Successful EAP students will be admitted to LECOM upon graduating from Elmira College.

"We were pleased to learn of COCA's approval for LECOM to build a medical school on the Elmira College campus," said Dr. Lindsay, president of Elmira College. "We've worked closely with the LECOM team over the past couple of years to help bring this project to fruition. LECOM's presence in Elmira has great benefits for the city, and for Elmira College and our students. A certain number of spots each year will be reserved for EC students who meet the LECOM requirements, and we anticipate this will assist EC in attracting more students interested in the health professions."

LECOM expansion to Elmira has received enthusiastic support from Mayor Daniel J. Mandell, Chemung County Executive Thomas J. Santulli, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, U.S. Representative Tom Reed and other state and congressional leaders.

"The news that LECOM has received approval to expand medical education to Elmira is just what the doctor ordered. A medical college means investment, more economic activity, and new physicians to help support the health needs of residents in the Southern Tier and Western New York, where the need is high and general practitioners are scarce," said Senator Schumer. "I was pleased to fight on behalf of this important proposal, and am proud to have stood alongside officials from LECOM, Elmira College, Chemung County and the City Of Elmira, who have worked tirelessly to see this project across the finish line."

"Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine opening a medical school at Elmira College is great news," said Rep. Reed. "We were happy to provide critical support for this expansion at the federal level to guarantee our neighborhoods have the resources they need as our local hospitals are frequently passed over by students looking for medical school residencies. We care about this problem our local hospitals face and this state-of-the-art medical education facility will ensure hardworking people in our rural communities have increased fair access to health care."

LECOM at Elmira College will use the highly successful Problem-Based Learning (PBL) curriculum developed at LECOM Erie and used exclusively at LECOM Bradenton and LECOM Seton Hill. PBL involves small groups of students working together on patient cases. Students develop learning objectives in basic science or clinical care needed to solve the patient case.

Faculty facilitators guide the students as they gain medical knowledge. The College will hire 17.5 full time equivalent faculty members to serve as PBL facilitators and instructors. Support for faculty staff salaries and benefits will approach $4 million annually.

LECOM will invest more than $20 million to construct a building on the Elmira College campus to accommodate the new medical school program. The two colleges plan an announcement about the building project in the near future.

About LECOM
In just over 25 years, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) has grown to become the largest and one of the most affordable medical colleges in the country. Enrollment in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, School of Pharmacy, School of Dental Medicine and Master's Degree Programs has surpassed 4100 students at campuses in Erie and Greensburg, Pa. and Bradenton, Fla. More than 11,000 LECOM graduates are providing health care to patients across the United States.

The College of Osteopathic Medicine and School of Pharmacy attract more applicants than any other programs in the country by offering innovative, student-centered and affordable degree programs. LECOM medical college tuition is the second lowest private college tuition in the U.S and LECOM consistently ranks in the top ten programs for graduating primary care physicians. In addition to providing healthcare providers to serve patient needs, the College also offers master's degree programs to prepare professionals who can run the business of health care, serve the patient's best interests and teach future physicians, pharmacists and dentists.

LECOM is the core of an osteopathic academic health center. LECOM Health is a highly innovative health care and education system that strives to add to the quality of life of our neighbors by bringing total health care to the community. Members of LECOM Health include the College, Millcreek Community Hospital, Corry Memorial Hospital, the clinical practices of Medical Associates of Erie, LECOM Senior Living Center, LECOM Senior Living Communities, LECOM Medical Fitness and Wellness Center, LECOM Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Lifeworks Erie, and Visiting Nurses Association of Erie County.

As LECOM continues to contribute to health and wellbeing for everyone, it looks forward to continued growth and preparation of future healthcare providers to provide quality care for generations to come.[Read more]

Step Afrika! To Perform at Gibson Theatre

On Friday, November 9, 2018, the community is invited to a high-energy, toe-tapping, heart-pumping performance by Step Afrika! in Gibson Theatre at Elmira College. Doors open at 7:00 p.m., with the performance beginning at 8:00 p.m.

Step Afrika! is the first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping. The group, ranked as one of the top ten African American dance companies in the United States, has previously performed locally at the Clemens Center.

The Company blends percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities, African traditional dance and influences from a variety of other dance and art forms. Performances are much more than dance shows; they integrate songs, storytelling, humor, and audience participation. The blend of technique, agility, and pure energy makes each performance unique and leaves the audience with their hearts pounding.

Step Afrika! promotes stepping as an educational tool for young people, focusing on teamwork, academic achievement and cross-cultural understanding. It reaches tens of thousands of Americans each year through a 50-city tour of colleges and theatres and performs globally as a cultural ambassador.

The company has performed at the White House and is also featured prominently at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African-American History & Culture with the world’s first stepping interactive.

Tickets for the performance, which are $20 for the general public and free for Elmira College students, employees and alumni, are available online at: https://ec_stepafrika.eventbrite.com. [Read more]