Alynn Greene (Early Childhood Education) has been living in Western New York since April 2022. She decided to move to an Independent Living Facility near her older son, and is loving it. A majority of the people that live there are former NYS teachers and/or administrators. Her son Mark lives about a half hour away and is retired. Her other son Rick is still teaching at Villanova. Rick's older daughter and her husband are expecting in November, which will make Alynn a great grandma. She cannot attend Reunion anymore due to the long trip, but has attended all of her Reunions through the 65th. She is still in contact with some of her classmates. 

Anne Fiorentino Pflug (Art Education) has recently published a travelogue and a memoir, Return to Malta. The book is a compilation of several trips she had taken back to the land of her birth. While visiting friends, she recorded her experiences in Malta, not only from her point of view as a native but also as if she is seeing the country again for the first time. Anne is retired from the Greenville, NY school district where she served as a High School Art Teacher and a Department Chair. 

David Feinberg (Art Education) retired after 50 years of service as a Professor of Art at the University of Minnesota. In 2020 David was awarded the 2024 President's Award for Outstanding Service. His "Voice to Vision" project, started in 2002, captures the extraordinary experiences of people from different parts of the world who have encountered human atrocities. Their stories are first shared through dialogue, and then transformed into works of visual art. The art pieces are created through a collaborative effort involving a team of artists, students, witnesses, storytellers, and activists. David continues to work as a volunteer directing the project through the University Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. A new video documentary on his V2V project is on many of the University of Minnesota's websites. 

Wallace John '68 '70g (Political Science; Education: American History) is pleased to announce that his trilogy, "Chasing Hemingway," was published in December 2024. This first book, Chasing Hemingway, is Mr. John's memoir from 1945 to 1970. The book is introduced by SUNY New Paltz Professor Emeritus H.R. Stoneback, who unfortunately died before reading book two, "Chasing Hemingway, Hemingway Lost," and book three, "Chasing Hemingway, A Separate Peace." Book two covers the beginning of Mr. John's work towards a Ph.D. at the University of Iowa, and Book 3 involves the conclusion of his adventures at the University and his return to New York. Wallace invites fellow New Paltz alumni and students to immerse themselves in his stories about the 1960s and 1970s. From 1965 to 1970 were turbulent years not only at the New Paltz campus, but also involving most of America until students were shot and killed at Kent State University in Ohio. His career after leaving New Paltz included teaching 9th and 11th grade Social Studies at Hudson High School in the late 1960s. He taught freshman History at the University of Iowa and returned to New York to work for the New York State Assembly from 1976 until 2000. Mr. John then was Legislative Vice-President for the New York State Conservation Council until 2008, when he joined former New York State Assemblyman Pete Grannis to work as his Special Assistant to the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation until 2010. Mr. John used the isolation of the COVID pandemic to write and edit his trilogy. He continues to write additional stories each winter.

Juliann De Leo (Education) retired from teaching in Hyde Park, NY in 2004. She has recently published a children's Halloween book titled "Halloween Magic! A Little Pumpkin's Adventure." It is available on Amazon and select stores in the New Paltz area. The book is geared for children ages 4-8. While set amidst Halloween celebrations, the story provides examples of empathy, kindness and inclusion.

Ellen Brief (Art History) showed a collection of her recent collage work at the Meeting Room Gallery at the Katonah Village Library in September 2024. The 21 collages range in scale, and are comprised of original handmade paper, watercolors, and mono-prints created at the Woman's Studio Workshop in Rosendale, NY. 

Charles Dumas (Political Science) was honored on November 17, 2024 with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Centre Film Festival. Charles is an actor, writer, and director with over 400 shows to his name. He is a Professor Emeritus from Penn State University’s School of Theatre, notable for being the first African American to achieve tenure in the Penn State department and for directing Raisin in the Sun as the first African American play on the PSU mainstage. He taught at the University of Stellenbosch and the University of the Free State for four years. Dumas has been an active civil and human rights advocate for over sixty years. He was the Democratic Party nominee for the U.S. Congress in 2012 and has held roles including president of the UNA of Centre County, chair of the State College Borough Human Relations Commission, and member of the Planning Commission and MLK Plaza Planning Committee. He currently serves on the Borough’s Commission for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and is an election-day official.

Leslie Eisenberg, a Registered Professional Archaeologist and a Board Certified Forensic Anthropologist who recently retired from her position in the State Historic Preservation Office at the Wisconsin Historical Society, has recently been awarded the Increase A. Lapham Research Award which recognizes significant contributions to Wisconsin Archaeology and Anthropology. Named after the renowned pioneering antiquarian in the state, the medal has been presented periodically since 1926 by the Wisconsin Archaeological Society. 

Mark Novak (Education) found a blessing in the curse of COVID. He is the founder and spiritual guide of Minyan Oneg Shabbat (MOShDC.org), the world’s only online full-time Zoomagogue (a synagogue on Zoom!). MOSh is a unique home for Jews as well as other spiritual seekers who seek a relationship with the Divine. Both joyous and contemplative, he has created an interactive, intimate, and deeply immersive online environment where everyone is seen and heard, combining music with poetry, story, silence, sacred text, and multiple opportunities to breathe into presence. 

Lori Danuff-McKean (English) retired from a 22-year career with the USDA Forest Service and stepped down as founder/Director of the Eagle Institute, a non-profit formed to protect eagle habitats in the Upper Delaware region of NY and PA. She enjoys hiking, kayaking and visiting children and grandchildren in California, London and New York and splits time between her home in northeast Pennsylvania and Florida. 

Valerie Biundo (Studio Art) lives in West Virginia and works as a psychotherapist with disadvantaged youth who are in the legal system. She received her MSW from West Virginia University in 2003 and achieved her LICSW in 2013. In April 2024, she became a licensed pastor with the United Methodist Church and also works as a part-time Pastor within the UMC. Valerie is an avid motorcyclist and enjoys riding in the beauty of WV and surrounding states. 

Alex Storozynski (Political Science) has recently written a book titled "Spies in My Blood" based on a true story. His family survived Nazi slave labor camps and Soviet Gulags by fighting back as soldiers, spies and assassins. When Alex went behind the Iron Curtain to find his roots, the Communists declared him an "enemy of the state" and banned Alex from Poland. His household had three generations of undercover agents. This book is their story.

Dr. Conrad Fischer (Biology) is happy to announce that the guy from the "little state school" is the executive director of the film nominated for Best Documentary Short Film for "Stranger at the Gate," a story of disarming and healing a mass murderer. Dr. Fischer has also been promoted to Professor of Medicine at Touro College of Medicine, which is now the largest private medical school system in the United States. 

Terilee Edwards-Hewitt (Psychology) published a new academic article titled "The Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery Memorial of Alexandria, Virginia: A remembered, forgotten, and re-remembered memory site; Journal of American Culture September 2024." This summer she was selected as one of twenty participants for the 2024 NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities) Summer Institute Towards a Peoples History of Landscape: Black and Indigenous History; in Richmond, Virginia. Terilee teaches anthropology at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland, and at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. 

Anderson Center for Autism announced that William J. Sammis (Business Administration), who was most recently the Chief Executive Officer for Crystal Run Village, Inc., has been appointed Anderson’s new chief financial officer (CFO) and started on Nov. 11, 2024. In addition to his experience as CEO for Crystal Run Village, his career has included leadership positions at organizations such as Wraparound Services of the Hudson Valley, Inc., New Horizons Resources, Inc. and Arc of Mid-Hudson. Sammis has also been a member of the Financial Management Association of Rehabilitation Facilities since 1992, for whom he held the role of president from 2002-2007. He was also a member of the Pine Bush School District Audit Committee from 2009-2021, which he chaired from 2019-2021. 

Mike Badolato (Communication Studies) is the Director of Career Services and Experiential Learning at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica, NY. 

Candace (Cole) Bertino (Sociology) and Dr. Clifford Jean (Biology), both employees at Lehigh Regional Medical Center in Lehigh Acres, Florida, recently discovered while working together that they were both 1987 graduates of SUNY New Paltz. Bertino was a nurse when she graduated with her BA in Sociology. Dr. Jean graduated in 1987, and went on to attend Medical School at Rutgers.

Sophia Franklin (Early Childhood Education) started Lena's Library on May 5, 2015, in honor of her daughter Lena because she stated that her school didn't have any books for her to read. Lena received special educational services from 2nd grade until high school. Lena's Library will be celebrating its 10th anniversary on May 5, 2025, and has given away over 5,000 free books. Their motto is "We promote literacy, one book at a time".  

Dr. Ted Kaufman (Biology) has been the Divisional Chief of Surgery for The University of Rochester Medical Center for four years now after working in Cooperstown, NY as well as private practice for many years. He lives in the Finger Lakes with his partner Holly and their small family of dogs. They spend their free time hiking, property maintenance, and enjoying quiet evenings on their very quiet country property.

Penny Schneider (Art Education) will release her debut children graphic novel ARTY with monarch educational services. The book was written and illustrated by her. Penny has also been teaching Art at the High school level for 30 years. 

Todd Sliss (Journalism) spent the first 24 years of his career as a writer and editor for The Scarsdale Inquirer weekly newspaper in Westchester County, NY. Over the years he served as Sports Editor, Special Section Editor, Web Editorial Director and Senior Writer, winning more than 60 New York Press Association awards in a variety of categories, including Sports Writer of the Year, Sports Coverage, Sports Feature, Sports Column, Special Sections, Arts Coverage, Coverage of Local Government, Business/Financial/Economic News, Elections/Politics, News Website, News/Feature Series and Feature Story. When the company closed down in January 2024, Sliss, at the urging of the community, started Todd Sliss Communications Inc. and began publishing his own sports e-newspaper, The Raider/Panther Reporter, the next month, sharing a fully designed sports section as a PDF online each week. He has since added special sections covering graduations and back to school to further fill the void left by the closing of the local newspaper. Sliss is also creating content for the Village of Scarsdale's revived weekly newsletter and has freelanced for Westchester Magazine. He is the father of two incredible sons, ages 14 and 17. Sliss credits New Paltz professors like Howie Good, Shelly Green-Wright and Pauline Uchmanowicz, along with all of his friends and colleagues at The New Paltz Oracle and Habitat for Humanity and his brothers from Kappa Delta Phi National Fraternity for putting him on a path to professional and personal success after leaving the friendly confines of New Paltz. 

Joshua Reed (Communication Media) took on a new role as Head of Integrated Marketing for quip, an oral care and wellness consumer goods company in Brooklyn, NY. Josh still lives in Boston with his husband and two children. 

Alexander Marrero (Music) participated in meetings and conferences for music in the fall of 2024 at the local, state, and national levels. On September 14, Marrero attended the autumn meeting for the Greater New York Chapter of the American Musicological Society at the City University of New York Graduate Center. On October 19, Alex observed the New York State Music Teachers Association Conference at Ithaca College. On November 9, he was a Presider at the Annual National Conference for the College Music Society in Washington, D.C. 

Nathan Briggs (Adolescence Education: English) is the new Executive Director of The Autism Society of Greater Akron’s (ASGA) effective October 21, 2024. Briggs succeeds Laurie Cramer, who is stepping down after 13 years of service.

Rodney Carpentier (English) released his debut mystery novel on October 29th. Publishing under the name R.L. Carpentier III, his novel, "Our Lady of the Overlook," is a small-town mystery and crime procedural set in the Catskills. Mike Ellis, a rookie cop, is living in the shadow of his dead father, the former police chief. A true crime podcaster arrives in town and draws Mike into a 40-year-old cold case that Mike's father began. As he begins to sort through the case, he stumbles upon a modern-day murder investigation with similar elements.

Following college, Rodney began a law enforcement career working first for the New York State Department of Correctional Services before transferring to the Orange County Sheriff's Office in Goshen, NY. As a Deputy Sheriff, Rodney has worked in fraud investigations, computer forensics, and has been a first-line supervisor for the last nine years, currently overseeing administrative functions. Many of the characters in "Our Lady of the Overlook" are drawn from his professional experiences. Rodney currently lives with his family in Nyack, NY and has property located in the heart of the Catskills. He and his wife, Laura Carpentier '03 (Communications) have completed the Catskill 3500s and trekked the 24-mile Escarpment Trail in a single day. 

Edward Thomson '16 '19g (Adolescence Education: Mathematics; Public Accountancy) has been putting his accounting major and film minor together, and to fantastic use. He is a staff accountant for Golden Link Inc., a company that creates and sells novelty popcorn buckets and cups to movie theaters big, like AMC and Regal, and small, like Flagship Cinemas. 

Xiyu Zhang '16g (Music Therapy) was featured in the January 2024 AARP Magazine for her work as a Music Therapist with residents at an assisted living community for dementia patients.

Wes Buchanan (Painting) works as an Animator and Illustrator at NASA's Conceptual Image Lab. They returned to campus during Alumni Reunion 2024 to share their story with the Conceptual Image Lab for the painting undergrad program. 

Leah Alper '23g (Adolescence Ed: Chemistry) was chosen by the Knowles Teacher Initiative as a member of its 2024 Cohort of Teaching Fellows. Thirty-one promising mathematics and science teachers who are just beginning their careers were awarded Knowles Teaching Fellowships. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry and Sociology from Bowdoin College in 2017, and MAT in Chemistry from SUNY New Paltz in 2023, and is currently working towards an MSEd in Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages from SUNY Brockport.  

Jonah Pomerantz '24g (Music Therapy) presented his master's thesis at The Nordic Music Therapy conference this past June alongside Jorg Fachner, PhD, Angelica Ruskin University, Cambridge England and Kathy Murphy, PhD, LCAT, MT-BC, SUNY New Paltz.

Alynn Greene (Education) moved in April 2022 to an Independent Living facility outside of Buffalo. She is happy to be surrounded by more than 50% of retired teachers at the facility. Her move was motivated by the fact that her older son, Mark, lives nearby. 

Joanne (Vergona) Krapp (Early Childhood Education) has recently published her 8th children's book, “A Daring Rescue,” the biography of First Lady Elizabeth Kortright Monroe. Joanne retired after 38 years of teaching and library science.  

Richard Ott (Adolescence Ed: Social Studies) co-hosts a monthly photography seminar called “The Ongoing Moment.” This seminar discusses local work as well as the history and future of photography. Richard has been an active member of the photography community in the Twin Cities in Minnesota and has recently exhibited his work in the Fine Art Exhibition at the Minnesota State Fair. 

David Rappaport (Economics) has a collection of twenty-six derivative monochromatic watercolor paintings that depict the history of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Currently, these paintings are being exhibited at various venues in France and will also be displayed in the United States. 

Clifford Schwartz (Biology) is currently a medical device quality engineer at LGC Clinical Diagnostics in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and is living in the Washington, D.C., area. Schwartz has a graduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from Polytechnic Institute of New York-NYU and is available to advise or assist students who would like to pursue a career in medical device bioengineering.

Roberta (Crant) Stone (Elementary Education) has recently become a children's book author and has published two books titled "I Have Four Eyes" and "Where To?" 

After publishing eight books of poetry, Richard Morgan '73g (Adolescence Education: Physics) '80cas (Business Administration) wrote two more about writing poetry. The first, "Poems of Your Own A Guide to Writing Personal Poetry," gives the reader 39 Poet Points, mini-lessons on writing personal poetry. The second book, "Poems on Poems and Poets," contains original poems and quotes meant to inspire and encourage writing and reading poetry. Although Morgan trained to be a physics teacher, he currently finds writing and teaching how to write poetry takes all his attention.

Stephen Kowalsky Biology) became a grandfather on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2022, when his daughter, Erin (Kowalskly) Englund ’10, gave birth to a baby boy. Erin Kowalsky works for the University of Arizona, Tucson, as a recruiter for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. 

Mitchell Edelstein (Political Science) was re-elected to his fourth 4-year term as Town of Long Lake Town Justice. 

Thomas Richardson (Philosophy) published a book of poetry titled, "Collected Poems/A Part of My Life." 

Dan Kohane (Political Science) received the 2023 Richard T. Boyette Award for Outstanding Contribution to the National Foundation for Judicial Excellence (NFJE). Dan is a past president of the NFJE from 2019 – 2020 and the President and Chair of the Board of Directors from 2020 – 2021. He is a nationally known insurance coverage litigator and trial attorney who has a passion for teaching. Kohane has taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Buffalo School of Law since 1988. He was a founding member of the Board of Regents of the American College of Coverage Counsel. Kohane has served on the Board of Directors of DRI, Insurance Law Steering Committee and was program chair of its Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium. He was also CoEditor of the DRI Reservation of Rights Compendium. In 2017, Kohane was selected as a member of the American Law Institute, an organization of nationally prominent judges, lawyers, and law professors who work together to produce scholarly work to clarify, modernize, and improve the law.

Peter Slatin (Painting) was named the new chairman of the board of directors of The New York State Preferred Source Program for New Yorkers Who Are Blind (NYSPSP), a program that creates and sustains employment for New York residents who are blind. Slatin has been a member of the board for over three years. Slatin, who is blind, has been an advocate for disability rights for a long time. He is president of Slatin Group, which provides education and training to the hospitality and tourism industry on service to people with disabilities. 

Gordon Magenheim '79 (Geology) has accepted the Compliance and Outreach Program Manager position with the Texas Board of Professional Geosciences in Austin, Texas. 

Rose Burnett Bonczek (Theater), artistic director of Gi60 (Gone in 60 Seconds) International One Minute Theatre Festival: U.S., celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the festival at The Tank NYC in May 2024 - 60 plays in 60 minutes! To date, Gi60 International has produced over 2,500 plays on three continents (many can be seen on the Gi60 YouTube Channel), published "One Minute Plays: A Practical Guide to Tiny Theatre" (Routledge Press), launched multiple regional Gi60 festivals, and created opportunities for thousands of writers, actors and directors.

Halina Duda (Geology) received the NASLR 2023 Reclamationist of the Year award. Duda has made a substantial impact in her role as a Mined Land Reclamation Specialist and Program Supervisor for the Lower Hudson Valley at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Region 3. 

Kenneth Shaw (Business Administration), recently retired from a fulfilling career in manufacturing, is now focusing on a literary career. His newly published book, titled "Places I've Been, Things I've Seen, Opinions on Everything," shares moving personal stories delivered via insightful poetry and prose, covering topics including family, special places like the Basha Kill Area Wetlands and Woodlands, and environmental awareness in the Hudson Valley.

Gary Fitzgerald (Music) will release an album of classic rock tracks mid-December.

Pablo Hoffer (Communication Studies) is the principal owner and assistant vice chair of White Creek Acres, a somewhat not-for-profit turtle farm located in Boat Quay, Singapore. Their five-year mission to add sodium chloride to saltwater in an ecologically unbalanced sub-hemisphere was completed in less than six.

Pamela J. Bernardo '84g (Elementary Education) published an article titled Leadership, Literacy and Logic in the Fall 2023 issue of The Pennsylvania Administrator journal, the premier publication of the Pennsylvania Principals Association. Bernardo has been a public school educator for over 40 years. She is the former principal at Saucon Valley Middle School, Hellertown, Pennsylvania. She has served as an adjunct professor at Moravian University and The Regional Training Center. An elementary teacher at Central Bucks (Pennsylvania), Southern York (Pennsylvania) and Port Jervis School Districts (New York), Bernardo has presented professional development sessions to hundreds of educators across the country, as well as sessions at state and national professional conferences. She now lives in southern Vermont and is currently the Multi-Tiered System of Support and Educational Support team coordinator at Windham Southwest Supervisory Union 49 in Wilmington, Vermont

Luba Havraniak (Business Administration) is now the director of human resources, generalist, at Gastroenterology Associates of the Piedmont in North Carolina.

Rosa Silver (Studio Art) did an artist residency in Assisi, Italy, this year and is also working at the Rental Sales Gallery of the Portland Art Museum.

Erik Lehtinen (Psychology) completed original research as the final requirement for the granting of a Master of Science degree in Natural Resources at the University of Missouri. The thesis titled "Agroforestry Implementation in the State of Vermont" utilized the Delphi methodology. This method involved querying subject matter experts over a series of rounds to gain insight into why Vermont leads in national agroforestry implementation. The Delphi method is commonly employed in fields such as forecasting, policy-making and decisionmaking, where expert opinions are valuable but consensus may be difficult to achieve through traditional means.

Frank Pasquale (Journalism) played for the golf team and ice hockey club while at SUNY New Paltz and is now the new head coach of the University of Florida Gators ice hockey club.

Eddie Grigg (Visual Arts) held a one-man art show called Destinations - A Global Cultural Mosaic - Travel at the Bronxville Public Library Gallery in Bronxville, New York, in September 2024. 

Heather Hendershot (Elementary Education) was recently nominated and appointed by the Board of Directors of the New York Council of Administrators of Special Education (NYCASE) as a board member. Hendershot has been a member of NYCASE for the past 12 years and has served on various committees within this organization, including the Legislative and Membership Committees. NYCASE is a subdivision of the Council for Exceptional Children, which is an international professional organization that provides leadership to advance in the field of special education through professional learning, policy, and advocacy. Hendershot is an educator with 27 years of experience and currently serves as the director of pupil personnel services for the Goshen Central School District.

Keisha Parker (Black Studies; Communication Studies) accepted a position at New York Law School as a Professor of Law. 

Tammie (Hernandez) Guarino (Communication Studies) married her now husband Jason at a ceremony on Long Island in August 2023.

Joshua Reed (Communication Media) started the role of vice president of marketing for Dorel Juvenile US, makers of Maxi Cosi, Safety 1st, Cosco Kids and other baby gear brands, in January 2023.

Gordon Tepper (Communication) has been hired by the New York State Executive Chamber to serve as Long Island Press Secretary for Governor Kathy Hochul.

Ralph Pelosi (Business Administration) has been appointed senior analyst/ portfolio manager at M.Y. Safra Bank located on Park Avenue in Manhattan. Prior to joining M.Y. Safra Bank, Pelosi was an assistant vice president credit risk officer for Provident Bank in Paramus, N.J. Pelosi's Commercial Banking career spans over 25 years in Commercial Lending and Retail Banking. Pelosi received his BS from the NYU Stern School of Business, a Diploma in Credit Analysis for Bankers from the NYU SCPS School of Finance, Accounting & Taxation, a Diploma in Bank Strategy and Management from Babson College/ Massachusetts Banker& Association, and holds several Certificates from the Massachusetts Bankers Association in Advanced Commercial Credit Analysis. Pelosi is now enrolled in the Professional Development Program at Harvard University at the Harvard University School of Continuing Education.

Tara Dates (Sociology) received a promotion to senior staff assistant for budget & administration in the Provost's Office at SUNY New Paltz in April 2023. The following month, she received her Masters in Business Administration from the School of Business, also at SUNY New Paltz.

Stephanie (White) Holden (Communication) welcomed baby number four, a little boy, Leif John Holden, on 3/12/24 (7.13oz 20 inches).

Dr. Kyomi Gregory-Martin (Communication Disorders) received the American Speech-LanguageHearing Association's Certificate of Recognition for Special Contributions in Multicultural Affairs. 

Mitchell Trinka (English) was recognized as a 2023 Finalist for the Stony Brook University President Award for Nurturing a Welcoming, Inclusive Campus Culture.

Bette Sloane (Photography) was awarded $5,000 as a Fund For Teachers fellow to explore the mathematical motifs present in the art of the indigenous cultures of Australia & New Zealand and develop class projects rooted in community and culture that connect geometric concepts to art while honoring a First Nations perspective. She was previously awarded the same grant in 2019 to travel to China and Japan.

Ben Evans (Studio Art) was recently promoted to art director and director of the Gunnet-Shoval Family Imagination Lab at Berkshire Country Day School in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

Joshua Simons (Political Science) is the policy director in the Division of Budget & Policy Analysis with the Office of the State Comptroller. As an Undergraduate at SUNY New Paltz, Simons was a research assistant to Dr. Gerald Benjamin. After graduating, Simons started his career at the Center for Research Regional Education and Outreach (later renamed The Benjamin Center for Public Policy Initiatives) at SUNY New Paltz as a researcher for 14 years. "Gerald Benjamin was my professor, my mentor, my boss, and is my friend. In many ways, he inspired me to become the professional I am today

Sarah Fabrizi (Communication Studies) has accepted the position of director of marketing & communications at Cheshire Academy following her completion of graduate school in 2013.

After 13 years of community organizing and environmental advocacy, a decade of running a small business, and two terms as a trustee/deputy mayor in the Village of Port Jefferson, Rebecca Kassay (Contract Major) is taking public service to the next level by running for the New York State Assembly in District 4.

Alina Hernandez (Sociology; Latin American & Caribbean Studies) moved to New Orleans and entered the NOCHI Culinary School, where she won the student contest for Pop Up Concept restaurant.

Europa McGovern (Psychology; Enviornmental Studies) was appointed as director of the Department of the Environment by Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. 

Shauna Keating (Graphic Design) competed in the first figure skate competition of her career on behalf of the Skating Club of Saugerties in the 2024 Empire State Winter Games at the Lake Placid Olympic Center. She earned a gold medal in the Adult Beginner Free Skate event. Keating has also joined Travelers as a senior experience design lead, assigned to lead the continued design, development, and distribution of the Travelers Design System to their 200+ digital product teams across the enterprise, in addition to serving as a subject matter expert in the Accessibility Program Office. 

Kate Marriot (Visual Arts) is a highly regarded science educator and earth scientist, now working on her second Master's degree in teaching earth science at the American Museum of Natural History. She presented in the SUNY New Paltz EvoS Seminar Series on ammonoid evolution and how this relates to mass extinctions and climate disasters.

Jack O'Brien (Journalism) is the digital editor at MM+M, a Haymarket Media publication, that produces editorial content for an executive audience of leaders and thinkers in pharmaceutical and healthcare marketing based out of New York City. He writes a weekly column on health media, cohosts a weekly podcast and contributes to the monthly print edition of the magazine. 

Alexandra Shea (Contract Major) presented her work on studying lemurs in Madagascar as part of the 17th annual EvosS Seminar Series at SUNY New Paltz. Shea is now pursuing a doctorate in animal studies at UC Davis. 

Joan Mena (Graphic Design) was recently promoted to the position of art director at her role at KDD Marketing in Kingston, New York.

Jacqueline Lisella (Digital Media Production) is excited to announce that she wrote a book about the #MeToo movement. "If you ever had a bad experience at a doctor's office, then this book is for you. I share my experiences with doctors and how it could be fixed." It is titled "Doctor Experiences: Consent and other priorities." 

Maxine Gross (Digital Media Production) is pleased to share that she works for CNN as a production coordinator in the Creative Production division. In this capacity, Gross coordinates internal filming projects for CNN marketing campaigns as well as serving as a liaison with external production companies and agencies.

Briana Gary (Geography) presented via Zoom for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Women in Science series. Gary spoke on her work, "Creating Conservation Pathways for Local Youth." After graduating from SUNY New Paltz, Gary participated in AmeriCorps' Summer of Service then went on to do a 10-month Student Conservation Association (SCA) position at the NYS DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program. Gary worked at the Kingston YMCA Farm Project during high school and college. She has just begun a 2-year USDA NRCS grant-funded position at the Kingston YMCA Farm Project as the Conservation Pathways Coordinator.

Marielena Ferrer-Harrington (Studio Art) was awarded the prestigious 2023 Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award from the International Sculpture Center. Her work was selected from a pool of 182 nominees from 94 colleges & university sculpture programs in North America and abroad. Ferrer-Harrington's sculpture was featured in the award exhibition at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey, and Sculpture Magazine.

Calvin Jamison, Jr. (Marketing) is excited to announce that he recently joined TRIMMR as a Trainee. He extends his gratitude to Johnny LeHane (COO, Co-Founder Trimmr), Colin Glaum (CMO, Co-Founder Trimmr), and the entire Trimmr team for this incredible opportunity and for making the hiring process so smooth. A special thank you to Maureen Peters Gittelman (Business Professor, Dutchess Community College) and Danny Potocki (Adjunct faculty, SUNY New Paltz School of Business) for their invaluable introductions and unwavering support. Your guidance has truly made a difference in this journey. Jamison is looking forward to this new chapter and is eager to learn, grow, and contribute alongside such a talented team.

Rachel (Crum) Kaufmann ’75g (Education) reports: “Having turned 100 years old in February 2022, I am recalling days at New Paltz fondly. Horseback riding up to Mohonk in the fall moonlight, ice skating on the Schuylkill, learning our penmanship (one year of instruction) to records of The Blue Danube, roller skating and archery under the guidance of physical education instructor Mary Deane, working on illustrations for the Paltzonian, practice teaching on the campus, summers waiting tables at the Minnewaska resorts—all of this in wartime, as the boys in our class went off to military service. I taught primary grades in Spring Valley, New York, for 40 years after New Paltz, returning to campus for a master’s degree in the 1970’s. In retirement, I have been active with painting, quilting, travel, grandchildren, and regular visits back to New Paltz, Minnewaska and Mohonk. Now I live in Ithaca, New York, near my daughter, and enjoy reminiscing over photos, yearbook, and campus mailings. Fond memories, indeed.”

Carole Pflugfelder Rhodes ’75g (Art Education) reports, “I taught elementary art for five years. Had a full career doing office, exhibit and memorial design for the federal government in Washington, D.C. Now I’m in North Carolina and the love of art and education continues as my retirement is filled with teaching art to at-risk children and immigrant women who have never had to joy of learning to draw. I also volunteer creating artificial flower arrangements and wreathes for sale in a local charity shop. New Paltz enabled me to be capable of using art skills in so many different ways. It has been a blessing!”

Joel Milgram (Elementary Education) lives in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. He is retired after a 30-year teaching career at the University of Cincinnati.

Rosario (Ross) Prizzia ’67g (Secondary Education 7-12: Social Studies) had the third edition of his textbook titled, “Climate Change and Disaster Management” featured in the University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu’s online news site. 

Cynthia Winika (Art Education) showcased artwork in an exhibition titled, “Radical Fiber: Threads Connecting Art and Science" at the Tang Teaching Museum of Skidmore College in Saratoga, New York, from December 2021 through June 2022. The exhibition’s focus is to draw attention to the world's coral reefs and their fragility, an indicator of health of the oceans due to global warming. Winika also has a mixed media piece in artists@Home, a portfolio of works by A.I.R. artists responding to the impact of ecological exploitation on our home environment, organized by Daria Dorosh. “Extraction: Art on the Edge of the Abyss,” an international public awareness project initiated by the Codex Foundation that will be housed in the Nevada Museum of Art. 

Robert Devine (Political Science) has retired after practicing personal injury, wrongful death, and trusts and estate law, in Manhattan for 50 years. Some of his notable clients included Johnnie Cochran, The Cochran Firm, Philip M. Damashek, Philip M. Damashek. P.C., Scheinder, Kleinick, Weitz, and Damashek, P.C., Scheinder, Kleinick, Weitz, Damashek, and Shoot, P.C., Pazer & Epstein, P.C., Godosky and Gentile, P.C., Dankner Milstein, P.C. and Hecht, Kleeger, and Damashek, P.C., The Jacob D. Fuchsburg Law Firm. He is going to enjoy retirement on his estate in central Florida with his wife of 57 years, and lifelong best friend, Deborah.

Gayle “Jake” Jacobs Olson-Binder (Education) has been elected president of the Association of California School Administrators Retired Charter for Region 18 for San Diego County. She is working on many legislative issues to protect teachers’ retirement benefits. She previously served as chair of the State Retirement Committee as well as President of the Council for Student Services and Special Education. Gayle was twice selected as Administrator of the Year.

Joanne (Sabarese) Greenway (French) published her third chapbook of poetry titled “Low-hanging Fruit.” Her poems tell the story of growing up in upstate New York.  

C. Otis Sweezey (Theatre Arts) retired from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) after teaching for nearly 50 years. He was a professor in the Department of Theater and Dance, teaching and designing scenery, costumes, and lights. This past summer he designed scenery for “A Little Night Music” for the Union Avenue Opera Company, in St. Louis, Missouri. This is his third set that he has designed for that company. He has designed scenery and costumes for several other professional theater and dance companies. He lives outside of St. Louis, in Edwardsville, Illinois.

Dave Rappaport (Economics) is presenting a new exhibit of 24 derivative monochromatic watercolor paintings in support of the Society of Honor Guards of the Tomb of the Unknown Solider for public view, as well as adding paintings to the current exhibit  “The Changing Face of Courage” at the Military Women’s Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. Images include iconic historical events surrounding the first Unknown soldier and the interment at Arlington National Cemetery as well as portraits of recent Honor Guards who kept watch over the Tomb.

Ellen Brief’s (Art History) collages were included in “Opposing Forces” at the Katonah Museum of Art Artist’s Association show held in April 2023. This juried exhibition, featuring artwork expressing the tensions caused by opposition, was displayed in the 100-year-old barn of the Ridgefield Artist Guild in Connecticut. Ellen’s collage “Collision” incorporates recycled segments from her mono-prints with an original monotype print. “Opposing Horses” is a collage made from handmade paper created at the Women’s Studio Workshop in Kingston.

Joshua Kraushar (History) has written a very humorous memoir titled “In The Daze Of My Youth.” The vignettes include his time spent living and going to school at New Paltz in the 1970s.

Bonnie Lieberman (Elementary Education) is licensed by the state of New York as a reading specialist. She holds a B.S. in elementary education and M.S. in K-12 education with an emphasis on reading. She taught kindergarten and first grade in Albany, New York, and ELA for more than 15 years in a children’s psychiatric hospital. She is a mom, grandma, wife, dog lover, and writer. Her three picture books feature quirky characters struggling to build friendships, and a community that learns how to embrace the differences between themselves and others. Her books are: “The Radiant Rainbow Cap,” “Will Allie B. Able To Make New Friends?,” and “Seriously Silly.”

Richard Pravda (Political Science) has earned a master’s in museum studies from the School of Professional Studies of the CUNY Graduate Center/New York Historical Society. After 40 years of practice in civil litigation, he intends to enter a new field of law. He and his wife reside on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Pat Richter (Education) has been living in New Jersey for about 15 years, but still visits the New Paltz area at least twice a year. She is winding down her consultant business and only works with small, local nonprofits while building up a chair yoga practice with seniors. She is busy with gardening, cooking, crafts, pets, and cultural activities.

Eric Gray (Political Science) published his second book titled, “Bases to Bleachers: More Personal Baseball Stories from the Stands and Beyond.” The book can be purchased at online stores or a signed, personalized copy directly from the author. Upon graduation, Gray made his way to San Francisco where he spent his professional career administering job training programs for the U.S. Department of Labor. His wife and kids are, like him, huge baseball fans. This is his second collection of folks' baseball memories, stories that in one way or another, all touch upon America's pastime. Eric can be reached by email at eric.baseballstories@gmail.com.

Karen Marlib (Education) reports, “A Bucket List dream was to win my Team Districts and Sectionals and finally take it all the way to the Nationals Tournament. At the age of 68, ten months after a hip replacement, my dream actually came true. My 65+ tennis team representing the U.S. Middle States (New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania) traveled to Surprise, Arizona, to battle for the U.S. National Team Championship. I’m incredibly proud to say we, the Super Señioritas, won the National Championship on Feb. 6, 2022. My motivation was sparked over 40 years ago in New Paltz. We were awarded our championship medals and I truly embraced this awesome achievement.”

Denis Simon (Asian Studies, Political Science) reports, “On Jan. 1, 2023, I will start a new academic and administrative position at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I will do some teaching in international business strategy and China business as well as direct the corporate partnership program at the Business School. In addition, I will run a Global Business and Technology Seminar series that will focus on critical issues in competitiveness and innovation.”

Charles Dumas (Political Science) is a professor emeritus in the School of Theatre at Penn State and received the 2022 Lion’s Paw Medal during the society’s 2022 Convocation Ceremony. The ceremony took place over Blue-White Weekend, on April 23, 2022. Dumas was also chosen by the 2022 National Black Theatre Festival (NBTF) to receive the Living Legend Award at the Opening Night Gala Awards Banquet on Aug. 1, 2022.

Dan Kohane (Political Science) was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel at its Winter Meeting in March. 

Israel Helfand, Ph.D. (Political Science) recently self-published a book with his wife, Cathie, called, “The YUMMY Marriage.” It contains wisdom from their 40 years as marriage counselors and sex therapists running their “Marriage Quest” retreats. It contains advice for young people who are not yet married as well as couples in crisis looking for guidance. It’s available on Amazon and Apple Books.

Rabbi Mark Novak (Education) is founder and spiritual leader of MOSh: Minyan Oneg Shabbat, the world’s only exclusive Zoom-a-gogue. Think theater meets sacred text meets pop culture meets mysticism and maybe you get a taste. Novak received his rabbinic ordination in 2012 from ALEPH, and in MOSh has co-created a spiritual community that draws from Jews and non-Jews alike from across the U.S. and Canada. He is also co-founder of The Multifaith Storytelling Institute, which trains spiritual leaders in the use of storytelling in their work as clergy, pastors, lay leaders and spiritual directors. 

Debbie Babitt (Theatre Arts) published her next thriller titled, “First Victim,” which launched on June 28, 2022.  It has received acclaim from best-selling authors like Michael Connelly and Lisa Gardner.

Charles Helmig (Photography) went on to receive his professional degree in gardening at the New York Botanical Garden. Helmig became gardener at Gramercy Park, Bryant Park, and Kips Bay Towers. He was a gentle soul, always smiling, who loved to share his knowledge and passion in photography and gardening. He passed away in August 2021 in his favorite borough, Queens, New York.

Carrie Decker (Art History) relocated back to the Hudson Valley from a career in New England as a business systems analyst. She retired and began a non-profit for the fine arts. Decker incorporated a mobile art van that travels throughout the Hudson Valley bringing art to communities with limited resources. She has gained a presence in Poughkeepsie (birth city) and works with children, adults, seniors, vets, autism residents, and people with disabilities. Check out her website at CrazyOverARTontour.com.

Andrew Garn (Photography) has his latest photography book, "New York Art Deco: Birds, Beasts & Blooms” (Rizzoli books) was released in November 2022. “New York by Neighborhood” (Rizzoli) was published in Spring 2022. He is also the creator (photographer) of “Wildflowers of NYC” (Cornell University Press) and “The New York Pigeon” (Power House books). He lives and works in New York City (not Brooklyn).

Dr. Lawrence Kahn (Communication Studies) has retired as a chiropractor and naturopathic physician after a successful 35 years in practice in Pennsylvania.

Karin Schlenker (German) reports, “After 30 years in education, I will be retiring! I have taught all levels of German and French from grades three through university as well as English and ESL (I had a double major in German/English). The last 16 years I was at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan, teaching mostly German. Before teaching, I worked various office jobs. I am excited to go on to the next adventure, although I will miss teaching and the students, but not the grading!”

John Stegmayer (Political Science) is a Saugerties attorney and has retired from his position as a Family Court Support Magistrate after 28 years with New York State’s Third Judicial District, during which he presided over support and paternity proceedings in Rensselaer, Columbia, Greene, and Ulster Counties. A former board member of the College at New Paltz Alumni Association and president of both the Ulster and Greene County Bar Associations, Stegmayer has recently accepted a part-time position as an Assistant Ulster County Public Defender, assigned to the Family Court Unit. He has also opened his own law office on Wall Street, Kingston, New York.

Luba Havraniak (Business Administration) had the opportunity to become the Director of Recruitment and Human Resources at Griswold Home Care of Winston Salem.

Debra Kosinski (Accounting) ’03g (Educational Administration) ’05cas (School Business Administration) was appointed by the New Paltz Board of Education as the District’s new Assistant Superintendent for Business. Debra assumed her new position on July 7, 2022.

Sylvia Caminer (Theatre Arts) directed a film titled, “Follow Her” that was featured at the 2022 Woodstock Film Festival.

Doug Bartow (Graphic Design) began his new role as Director of Design at Overit, a marketing and design company based in Albany, New York. He also hired two more recent graduates, Johanna Turano ’19 (Graphic Design) and Lauren Gay ’20 (Graphic Design).

Dale Wolfield’s ’93g (Ceramics) ceramic work was selected and included in “Strictly Functional Pottery National” in 2022 at the Lancaster Museum of Art in Pennsylvania. The first of its kind, SFPN provides an opportunity for functional pots to receive a much-deserved spotlight. Every year they proudly feature some of the most talented ceramic artists from across the country.

Matthew Corozine (Theatre Arts) recently published his first book titled, “IF YOU SURVIVED 7th GRADE, YOU CAN BE AN ACTOR: Applying the Meisner Technique to get outta your head in Acting and in Life.” It is now available on Amazon and in major bookstores.

Craig McGuire (Journalism) recently published a book titled, “Carmine and the 13th Avenue Boys: Surviving Brooklyn’s Colombo Mob,” the true story of Carmine Imbriale, a street-level operative in one of the most violent crews in the Colombo Family. Now in hiding, Imbriale teams up with true-crime veteran writer Craig McGuire to take you inside the 13th Avenue rackets at the height of their violence. Since graduating New Paltz, and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, McGuire has covered many subjects as an NYC-based writer and digital content expert, from reporting a Coney Island beat and reviewing Manhattan Nightlife to writing about world history, Wall Street finance and Silicon Valley technology. This is his third book and can be purchased on Amazon. 

Margaret (Meg) Von Seggern (Visual Arts; Art History) graduated from Syracuse University on May 14, 2022, with an M.S. in Communications and a specialization in Journalism. She was accepted into Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute’s, Ph.D. in Communications program and awarded a four year, full-time, fully funded student with a teaching assistantship. Her research will focus on data-driven journalism that relates specifically to underserved and underrepresented populations in NYS and lack of equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.

Heather Hendershot (Elementary Education) earned a doctorate in Education from Manhattanville College in May 2022.

Stacey Lamar (Nursing) is a recent honoree of Hudson Valley Magazine's “Best of the Hudson Valley 2022.”

Julie Langdon (Biology) has been recognized by Vedder Price in their 2023 Best Lawyers in America list in the Litigation – Patent category.

Julie Majak (Educational Administration) was chosen by SUNY Empire State University to serve as their next Vice President for Administration and Finance. Majak began her new position on Aug. 15, 2022.

Garett Brackett (Elementary Education) is a logistics supply officer for the National Disaster Medical Services and received the COVID-19 Pandemic Civilian Service Medal for exemplary service to the nation as part of the federal medical response to the pandemic. Brackett serves on a Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) out of Atlanta, Georgia. NDMS is a federal program that supports communities with medical care, veterinary care, and mortuary assistance during disasters or public health emergencies at the request of states.

Jason Bryden (Public Relations) is the Coordinator of Athletics Statistics and Media Services at Washington College. Jason received the 2022 CoSIDA Achievement Award in the College Division. This award goes to individuals with 10 or more years of experience in athletic communications for outstanding service, and who are associate or assistant directors and have not served in the lead role of overseeing a sports communications office.

Lauren Corvino (English) reports, “I published my first picture book in Australia titled, ‘The Nearby Nanna.’ The picture book is having great success in Australia where I currently live and is stocked at a national chain here as well as being sold in the United States at Barnes & Noble, Walmart and Amazon.” 

William Kane ’02g (Marketing) is pleased to announce that his wife, Yvonne Kane (Chin-Cho Shih) ’03g (Finance), became an American Citizen on July 6, 2022.  It was a five-and-a-half-year Department of Homeland Security process, beginning with submitting a K-1 Marriage Visa in December 2016, ending with the Naturalization submission and testing on July 6, 2022 in San Francisco, California. William and Yvonne were married on Sept. 27, 2017 in Peace Park, New Paltz, New York. They currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Lisa Cohen (Taub) (Childhood Education) was one of 20 recipients of the NYC Department of Education’s most prestigious award, “Big Apple Teacher of the Year” for the field of Physical Education in June 2022. Candidates nominated went through a rigorous interview process, as well classroom observations. Lisa also presented her lesson colleagues during the NYC Chancellor’s Conference Day in June. Lisa was surprised with this award while teaching by her district Superintendent and the Office of Wellness Programs. 

Stephanie (White) Holden (Communication) gave birth to her third child, Ivy Willow Holden, on Feb. 15, 2022, 7.5 ounces and 21 inches long.

Aaron Lamb (Anthropology) and Jessica Patchett ’04 (Psychology) celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary in October. Now residing in Virginia and raising two awesome kids, Luna and Leo. “Love the beach and miss The Gunks.”

Jess Mullen (International Relations) has been hired as Executive Director of a highly respected local clean energy organization called Communities for Local Power.

Vanessa (Vasadi) Figueroa (Biology) and Billy Figueroa ’05 (Computer Science) welcomed their second child, a boy name Malakai Valentino Figueroa. He was born on Oct. 11, 2022, in Boca Raton, Florida, weighing 7lbs, 2oz and 20 inches in length. Big sister Milana is thrilled to have a baby “bruddah” as she lovingly calls him, and she is so gentle, helpful and kind to him. Malakai has a very sweet and calm disposition, and he is the perfect completion to the Figueroa family unit.

Kyomi Gregory-Martin (Communication Disorders) received tenure and promotion effective Sept. 1, 2022, to Associate Professor at Pace University in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department. Her research interests include child language acquisition and assessment in culturally and linguistically diverse populations, parent/teacher training and prevention models in speech-language pathology, inter-professional education, cultural humility/responsiveness, and regional dialect differences. She writes: “I am forever grateful to my undergraduate experience at SUNY New Paltz doing a dual minor in Black Studies and linguistics and being a part of the Minority Recruitment Program (MRP). I had the pleasure of taking a course by the late Margaret Wade-Lewis titled 'Black English' that laid the fundamental foundation for my area of research in my Ph.D. program at Louisiana State University.”

Danielle Sofer (Music) joined the faculty at the University of Dayton as a tenure-track assistant professor in music theory and music technology and had her first monograph published with MIT Press, on July 5, 2022. 

Jordan Bell ‘10g ‘17g (English, Humanistic-Multicultural Education) is an award-winning Black Studies, English, and Philosophy educator who teaches courses through a critical lens. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Urban Education at the CUNY Graduate Center with research interests that center around critical race theory, black crit, culturally responsive and sustaining education (CRSE), Healing Centered Engagement, and Racial Literacy. Jordan also serves as the Chair of the State University of New York (SUNY) Black Faculty and Staff Collective (SBFSC) where the collective works to support Black folx at SUNY and beyond.

Nora Gomez-Strauss (Art Education) joined the Whitney Museum of American Art as Assistant Director of Digital Content as of Sept. 28, 2022.

William Borchert, Jr. (Asian Studies, History, Biology) ’16 (Contract) received his Ph.D. in Population Health Sciences from Harvard University and SM in Epidemiology from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Thomas Murphy (Adolescence Ed: Social Studies) ’13g (Special Ed: Adolescence Ed) earned tenure as a teacher at Poughkeepsie High School.

Abe Uchitelle (Political Science) was appointed to the SUNY New Paltz College Council.

Lauren Brois (Childhood Education 1-6) is the Director of Sustainable Westchester’s EnergySmart Homes and GridRewards Programs. Sustainable Westchester is a nonprofit organization representing Westchester County municipalities and facilitates collaboration on sustainability initiatives.

Ian Whitt (Theatre Arts) was awarded a full scholarship at the Savannah College of Art and Design to pursue an MFA for up to five years. This comes after the last 10 years running a video business in midtown Manhattan providing audition prep and technical services to actors as well as live-streaming to various not-for-profits including theatre companies, churches, and charitable organizations. Ian worked as an actor on CBS, Disney/FX, Sundance TV, and various others including in New York theatre. Most recently he completed the programs in improv comedy and musical theatre improv at UCB, The People’s Improv Theatre, and Magnet Theatre.

Owen Kelso ’14cas (School Leadership) was selected as the new principal for the junior/senior high school of the Cooperstown Central District.

Jacob Meglio (Economics; Biology) is co-founder and managing partner of Arrowood Farms in Accord, New York.

Brenna McCaffrey (Anthropology) earned a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York for her dissertation, “All Aboard the Abortion Pill Train: Activism, Medicine, and Reproductive Technologies in the Republic of Ireland,” which she successfully defended in March 2022.

Kelly Cusack (Journalism) is currently an Account Executive at Sopheon, an enterprise innovation management solution provider, working with some of the biggest names in innovation: Honeywell, 3M, Hershey, Land O' Lakes, Mondelēz, and many more. Kelly partners with leaders in customer packaged goods, chemical, high-tech, aerospace/defense, and other verticals with complex new product development processes to streamline product development, portfolio management, and overall innovation.

Marco DaSilva (Painting) reports, “This year, my artist book, ‘Selfie Tableau,’ was accepted into the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art at the Watson Library. This was a major honor in my career as an artist and just wanted to share! Selfie Tableau examines the idea of the ‘selfie’ as a contemporary self-portrait through 50 colleges. There is an art to the curation of a selfie and these collages explore that through storytelling in the form of a tableau. Inspired by symbology personal to my life, each work has a specific narrative and is made with the same materials. For each work I printed out a selfie and painted on top of it with black and white acrylic paint, then collaged it with pink and blue construction paper to create this collection of stories.”

Melissa Lachetta (Geography) began working full-time as program manager for New Yorkers Clean Power, a nonprofit organization whose campaign is to help New York transition into a greener and cleaner economy.

Thomas Pulaski (Marketing) ’16g (Business Administration) currently runs Pulaski Fence Corporation with his brother. They provide fencing enclosure, combiner-box mountings, and occasional solar array racking installation.

Gabriela O’Shea (English) hosted four bicycle rides in May 2023 to support the Love Your Brain Foundation’s Ride for Resilience campaign, one of which was on the River-to-Ridge trailhead in New Paltz. After being in a bicycle accident that resulted in a coma and a TBI, Gaby became an advocate for cyclists and for people with disabilities.

Mimi Schmidt (Sociology) currently works for Curbside Compost as an administrator and in operations. Curbside Compost is a composting company and services commercial and residential customers in Westchester and Fairfield counties.

Abigail Waldron (History) wrote her first historical book titled, “Queer Screams: A History of LGBTQ+ Survival Through the Lens of American Horror Cinema.” This is a historical look at the queer experiences of the horror genre’s characters, performers, authors, and filmmakers. Offering a fresh look at the horror genre’s queer roots, this book documents how diverse stories have provided an outlet for queer people – including transgender and non-binary people – to find catharsis and reclamation. Waldron lives in Brooklyn and is the Education & Program Coordinator for King Manor Museum. 

Reshma Gheevarghese (Biology; Mathematics) is now a Forensic Scientist II - DNA Analyst for the Cuyahoga County Regional Forensic Science Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio.

Gisell Huiracocha ‘20g (International Business, Business Administration) was named the 2023 Excellence Award winner at Success Academy. 

Vivian Jaworsky (Psychology) started her Master of Arts in Social/Organizational Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University in fall 2022. Jaworsky has already co-authored 10 research reports in her previous role as a Research Analyst with The Conference Board, a nonprofit think-tank. Her time at New Paltz and a handful of her professors helped her build confidence and find her passion.

Dynahlee Padilla-Vasquez (Journalism) and Joseph got engaged on Feb. 14, 2016 in the backyard of Ridgeview Hall at SUNY New Paltz, facing the mountains. They were middle school sweethearts, but New Paltz is where their love as adults truly bloomed. Fast forward to March 11, 2022, they tied the knot in front of so many families and friends, including two tables dedicated to New Paltz alumni; all the way in Winchester, Virginia. It was a night to remember! 

Shanaya Alexandre (Psychology; Black Studies) is a 3rd grade teacher at Success Academy Bergen Beach and was named a 2022 and 2023 Excellence Award winner at Success Academy. The Rookie of the Year Award recognizes first-year professional associates who have embraced the challenge and demonstrated significant growth, based on outcomes and observed practice.

Brianna Fitapelli (Psychology) was accepted to join Adelphi University’s Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. Over the past several years, Fitapelli has secured and sustained employment in psychiatric hospitals and research organizations, working to improve mental health care for under-resourced populations. She plans to continue this work throughout her doctoral studies and hopes to open a private practice and continue supporting innovative research in NYS mental health facilities.

Austin Jefferson (Digital Media Production) is an Associate State Politics Reporter at City & State in Albany.

Clifford Schwartz (Biology) is a biomedical quality engineer at OpGen, an in-vitro diagnostic medical device company in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where he helps develop a rapid in-vitro diagnostic test kit for antibiotic-resistant infections. Schwartz lives in the Washington, D.C., area and would love to hear from fellow alumni at cliffcanoe@gmail.com. 

Carol Tidwell (History) lives in the Chicago with her husband, near their son and two granddaughters. A retired corporate and healthcare attorney, she is currently a labor arbitrator and enjoys the variety of this work. She reports, “I remember New Paltz fondly and hope all there are staying safe.” 

Lawrence Bleier (Secondary Education: Social Studies) is proud to announce his son, Richard Bleier, will be pitching for the Miami Marlins this season. 

Denis Simon (Asian Studies; Political Science) recently completed five years as executive vice chancellor at Duke Kunshan University, a Sino-foreign joint venture university involving Duke, Wuhan University and the city of Kunshan in Jiangsu.  He returned to the Duke campus in the U.S., where he currently is serving as senior adviser to the Duke President for China Affairs.  According to Simon, “this is a truly critical time in US-China relations and my goal is to help revitalize the bilateral relationship through more innovative projects like the Duke Kunshan campus.” 

Sherri (Froim) Kramerson (Communication Disorders) and Robert Kramerson celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary on September 12, 2020. Sherri met her husband in her junior year at New Paltz as a blind date and was set up by her roommate, Linda Simon and her boyfriend, Jerry Ormaner ’72 (English). Sherri is the proud mother of fraternal twin daughters and the grandmother of two grandchildren. She attributes her good education and marital bliss to the blind date she had on St. Patrick's Day at New Paltz in 1974. 

Leslie Klein (Elementary Education: Sociology) published her first book of poetry, “Driving Through Paintings,” by Shanti Arts Press. 

Edward Renehan ’80 (Political Science) will publish his book “Deliberate Evil: Nathaniel Hawthorne, Daniel Webster, and the 1830 Murder of a Salem Slave Trader,” in fall 2021 by the Chicago Review Press. Ashleigh Banfield of Court TV says, “Ed Renehan has combed through the murky annals to eloquently reveal one of the most riveting stories of crime, detection, and court drama in the history of American jurisprudence.” Renehan is the author of many other books, including the biography of Hudson Valley writer and naturalist John Burroughs. You can find him online at www.edwardrenehan.com.  

Richard Burlot (Communication Studies) married Grace Esposito of Plainview, New York, on March 6, 2021. 

Gina O’Brien-Carroll (Communication Studies) screenwriter and director, made her directorial debut with “First One In,” her third original screenplay, released on Sept. 8, 2020, and now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. “’First One In’ is a comedy for women, but it isn’t the typical comedy for women,” said O’Brien. “It isn’t about parenting, romance, marriage or girls’ nights in Vegas. I like those, but this is different. It’s about women who challenge themselves away from their everyday lives, on a team with other women.”  

Cynthia Soroka-Dunn (Communication) had one of her photos selected as the artwork for a skateboard deck at Hudson Valley Eclectics. The photograph is a black and white image of Kaaterskill Falls in the Eastern Catskill Mountains. While a student at New Paltz, Soroka-Dunn also minored in photography. The skateboard design can be found at www.hudsonvalleyeclectics.com/artboards. 

Patrick Dean Coleman (International Relations) published his first book “Of Mercy and Men: The Story of Elliot Brown, a Maryland Slave.” Copies are available for sale with major booksellers and on his publisher's website: http://bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com. 

Camille Jacobs (Communications Media) is an educator and restorative justice thought leader in New York City who brought her skills and perspectives to the ongoing anti-racism conversation at the College. The alumna expertly moderated two installments of the College’s “Dismantling Racism” series, via Zoom. The events serve as part of the ongoing conversations about the College’s work toward becoming an anti-racist institution, and how it can better serve all members of our community. 

Sofia Pertuz (Communication Studies) will be the keynote speaker for the Gender and Sexuality Center at East Stroudsburg University’s celebration of Womxn’s History Month. 

Janet Davis ’96 (Communication) celebrated the grand opening of JADE Grill & Café, located inside the RWJ Fitness and Wellness Center in Hamilton, New Jersey, in April 2021. Born and raised in Jamaica, Davis’s fascination with food began at an early age as she observed and later began helping her mother in the kitchen and at the family’s restaurant. Today, she is the CEO of JADE, a food, special event and media enterprise comprised Davis oversees operations at JADE, servicing clients like RWJ Barnabas Health and RWJ University Hospital, and as a contributor at Total Food Service. She is a proud mother to son Robert, active community volunteer, and member of Bible-Way Apostolic Missions, the NFL Alumni Association and the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ). After graduating from SUNY New Paltz, Davis went to work for Bloomberg, L.P. She spent twelve years in human resources and broadcasting, during which time she earned a master’s degree in communications from Temple University. In addition to her work, Davis also gives back to her local community and supports numerous causes, donating her services and sharing her knowledge and expertise via speaking engagements. She was the keynote speaker at the 2016 Bi-annual EOP Conference at SUNY New Paltz and volunteered her time as a panelist at the College’s Women’s Leadership Summit in 2015 and in 2021. 

Gordon Tepper (Communication Media) has been appointed to the Adults and Children with Down Syndrome (ACDS) board of directors.  ACDS serves those with Down syndrome, autism, and other developmental disabilities. 

Alexander Marrero (Music) started his second term as the chair of the Committee on Cultural Inclusion for the College Music Society. His international volunteer assignment for their Composer Advocation Project during calendar year 2021 includes North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and Antarctica.

Rebekah Stoll (Psychology) (Humanistic-Multicultural Education) ’09g was recently awarded the Dr. Mary Barter Scholarship for Women and Minorities from the New York State Council of School Superintendents. The council selects one winner each year who shows promise in the field of educational leadership with the likelihood of serving in a superintendency throughout their career. 

Jeffrey Canino (English) ’12g made his professional writing debut with “Besties: ‘Work It Out.’” The graphic novel will be published in fall 2021 by HMH Books. A sequel is to follow in 2022. More information can be found online at hmhbooks.com.   

Thomas Savage (Political Science) has been awarded a yearlong public policy fellowship with The Fund for American Studies (TFAS). The fellowship welcomes 17 rising stars from across the United States who will spend the next year discussing the fundamental questions and challenges a free society must address to flourish, as well as the unique advantages it can enjoy. Savage is the research manager of the Center for State Fiscal Reform at the American Legislative Exchange Council. His research interests include public pensions, other postemployment benefits (OPEB), state bonded obligations and fiscal policy. 

Elliot Frances Flynn (Digital Media; English) made her feature film debut in 2021 with the movie “Shoplifters of the World,” released by RLJ Entertainment, an AMC company in January 2021. “Shoplifters of the World,” is a comedy-drama based on an urban legend. The film is set over the course of one night in the lives of four friends in Denver, Colorado, who are spinning from the news of the split up of iconic British band The Smiths. 

Stephanie Whiteman (Psychology; Black Studies) is continuing to impact young learners’ lives through the successful tutoring business she started last fall. Whiteman made her entrepreneurial dreams a reality by creating “Early Learning Wit Da Wrks,” a private tutoring business focused on giving children a head start in literacy acquisition that can benefit their learning for years to come. Through one-on-one tutoring sessions offered to elementary students in The Bronx, Whiteman tailors lessons to individual needs and reinforces what teachers have taught in the virtual classroom. 

Kaisei Sugawara (International Relations) was featured in a New York Times article about the rising generation of young professionals in Japan. Kaisei is advancing quickly in his new role as an engineer at a security firm - a role for which he was recruited thanks in part to the international experience he got while studying at New Paltz. Read the full article, "An ‘Old Men’s Club’ Dominates Japan,”online. 

Erika Wasonoredjo (Communication Studies) recently accepted a position as associate video investor at Mediacom at WPP, a media company. Wasonoredjo interned at Atlantic Records and The Door PR. Although early in her career, she worked on brand strategy projects with clients such as American Express, Motorola, MTV, Uber and various musicians. 

Kaitlyn Gunter (Biology) is pursuing her career in conservation biology by working for the Student Conservation Association (SCA) Adirondack Corps this fall. The organization brings together students who have a passion for conservation service projects with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Corporation for National and Community Service. Read more online at NPHawks.com.  

Anthony Robert Levite ’64 (Secondary Education 7-12: Social Studies) enrolled in the Columbia University School of Social Work and earned a master’s degree. He worked with the New York State Division of Juvenile Justice for more than 30 years in research and management positions of increasing responsibilities. Upon retirement, he relocated to Wilmington, North Carolina. He writes: "Five years ago, I made my final move to Port St. Louis, Florida, for even more fun in the sun. I will be forever grateful for the four years at New Paltz where I experienced going from a high school graduate to a young adult with an excellent college education.”

Stann W. Reiziss ’65 (Elementary Education N-6: Sociology) ’68g (Educational Administration) won the 2021 Best of Kailua Awards in the category of Counseling Services. The Kailua Award Program honors and generates public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of businesses and organizations in and around Kailua, Hawaii.

John Beaver ’66 (Elementary Education Pre K-6: Earth Science) taught elementary science in Three Village School District, Setauket, New York, for 19 years and was also a science education professor at Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois, for 21 years. Beaver earned an M.S. in Science Education at Queens College in 1970 and a Ph.D. in Science Education at Michigan State University in 1982. He retired in 2006. Beaver and his wife Mary Candidus Beaver ’66 (Elementary Education Pre K-6: History) have been married for 54 years and reside in Millstadt, Illinois. Mary received an M.S. at Western Illinois University in 1992. Mary taught elementary school in the Massapequa School District and Three Village Schools, and St. Paul Elementary School in Macomb, Illinois. She served as an academic advisor to elementary education majors at Western Illinois University for 15 years and retired in 2005. John and Mary enjoy spending time with their daughters and grandchildren in Saugerties, New York, during the summer months and wintering on Perdido Key in Florida during the winter.

David Feinberg ’67 (Art Education) retired from the University of Minnesota in June 2021 after 50 years of teaching. He was the longest-serving art professor in the history of the university. The Art Department displaced 53 years of his artwork in the Katherine Nash Gallery, Sept. 14 to Dec. 11, 2021. https://cla.umn.edu/art/news-events/story/david-feinberg-retiring-department-art https://cla.umn.edu/art/galleries/katherine-e-nash-gallery

Lenore (L. E.) Kay ’69 (Psychology) worked for the New York City Department of Education as a special education teacher and then as a supervisor completing a professional diploma and school district administration. Last year, Lenore published her first book, “Life is What it is.” Her second book is titled, “Life Lines" and is scheduled to be published soon. She has written more than 500 inspirational cards to seniors quarantined in various nursing homes around the country since the pandemic began.

Susan Slotnick ’69 (Art Studio) was featured in an Impact Everywhere podcast titled, “Bringing the Power of Dance to the Incarcerated” and recently published a book titled, “Flight: The Dance of Freedom,” which provides guidance to those who want to use their skills to support inmates.

Frank Juliano ’72 (Theatre Arts), as the retired Executive Director of Reeves-Reed Arboretum, Summit, New Jersey, he was honored at the June 5, 2021, gala, ART in the Garden. Highlights of his tenure include increasing the Arboretum’s annual visitorship from 28,000 to over 100,000; creating the Arboretum’s Visitors Center; introducing diverse and full arts programming including exhibitions and performances by renowned, international artists; broadening the Arboretum’s outreach to include underserved communities; and developing a second-chance job training program for the homeless. While expanding upon the Arboretum’s reputation as a major resource for education, engagement, and inspiration, Frank is responsible for developing a master accessibility plan, Accessibility for All, which will burnish the legacy of the Arboretum for years to come.

Ellen Brief’s ’73 (Art History) collage “Tree Hat” was included in the ArtsWestchester show “Together apART.” The exhibition of art projects created by Hudson Valley artists during the pandemic was on display in the White Plains, New York, gallery and online in 2021. Ellen’s intimate-size collage incorporates sections of her recycled monotypes and watercolors, with the addition of colored pencils. Brief also contributed artwork to several of the weekly-themed slideshows screened in conjunction with the Katonah Museum of Art’s “Still/Live” exhibition that ran in 2021.

Richard Morgan ’73g (Secondary Education 7-12: Physics) ’80cas (Business) published his ninth book, “Poems of Your Own," a guide to writing personal poetry. A lifelong teacher (physics and math) and poetry writer, he shares the insights he has learned along the way. He lectures on the importance and benefits of writing poetry at book clubs, churches and the local community college. He lives with his wife, Pat, a watercolor artist, in Hendersonville, North Carolina. All of his books are available on Amazon.com.

Richard Blum ’74 (Political Science) went on to law school in California graduating from Western State University College of Law in 1977. His 40-year private practice in Santa Ana and San Clemente concluded in 2018 with his retirement. He has been married to his wife, Susan, for more than 41 years.

Linda Gerecitano ’75 (Art Education) recently published a children’s book, “I Loved You From Afar,” a grandmother’s letter to her grandchild born during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a heartfelt reflection of the emotions and experiences many dealt with during this difficult time. Gerecitano, the illustrator, and ironically the author, Joni Acquafredda, had granddaughters born on the exact same day and shared the same hardships of not being able to be with a newborn grandchild. As a retired New York City art educator, Gerecitano has finally realized the lifelong dream of being published. Their book shows that although many of us were alone, we were alone together.

Dr. Mekah Gordon, Ph.D. ’75 (Art Education) ’80g (Art Education) became a grandmother on Sept. 29, 2020, to a very handsome grandson named Asher Winter Ohayon Gordon.

Mary Stephanie Corsones ’76g (Elementary Education) ’78cas (Educational Administration: Curr/Gen Supv) was appointed Interim School District Superintendent with Onteora Central School District effective May 10, 2021.

Richard H. Adler ’77 (Sociology) recently published a book on traumatic brain injury titled, “Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury: A Guide for Survivors and Families.” It can be purchased on Amazon.com.

Douglas Branch ’80 (Journalism) had his first book published in 2020 titled, “The Addiction That Drove Me.”

Stewart Nachmias ’80 (Printmaking) reports, “My virtual solo show, Stewart Nachmias: Cast Paper & Prints, hosted by Cross Contemporary Partners, is up and running now through Dec. 2021. The show includes 33 of my cast paper pieces and prints. You can virtually move around the space and zoom in on the art.”

Marlene Wiedenbaum ’83 (N-6: Humanistic Education) has an exhibit of her pastel paintings at The Mark Gruber Gallery in New Paltz, New York in 2021. Learn more at www.wiedenbaum.com

Debra Scacciaferro ’85 (English; Theatre Arts) has published her first novel, a psychological thriller set in the Hudson Valley called “State of Innocence,” which she co-wrote with S.K. Mason. The story of a young therapist assigned to help a family who has just lost a baby to sudden infant death syndrome, is set in Newburgh, New York. Debra used her 20-year background as a reporter for the Times Herald-Record in New York, and the Daily Record in New Jersey, to build a psychological thriller that examines issues of generational poverty and family dysfunction, as well as the dedicated members of the community who try to help improve small cities and suburban working-class towns. Debra lives in Warwick, New York, and has helped research more than 20 books on American, World War II, and military history for her husband, New York Times bestselling author Jim DeFelice. She also has private clients as a personal editor and writing coach. She studied literature, creative writing and journalism with Professor Robert Miraldi and feature writing with Glenn Doty. Excerpts and essays about her writing life can be found at www.debrascacciaferro.com.

Richard Burlot ’86 (Communication Studies) married Grace Licata Esposito on March 6, 2021.

Arthur Pfister ’87 (English) recently published three books titled, “Jazz Stories,” “A Love Supreme,” and “My Name Is New Orleans: 40 Years of Poetry & Other Jazz.” Each is a collection of short stories and poems.

Adam Breier ’94 (Secondary Education 7-12: English) earned his doctoral degree in educational leadership from Fordham University in May 2020. In April 2021, Adam was appointed as a Deputy Superintendent for the New York City Department of Education's District 75, which is a citywide district that provides highly specialized instructional support for students with significant challenges.

Dr. Matthew Lee ’94 (Sociology; Philosophy) was recently named Executive Interim Provost at Louisiana State University. Lee received a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in sociology from LSU in 1996 and 1999, respectively.

Serena Marrero ’94 (Communication Studies) recently joined the Community Foundations staff as Director of Planned Giving.

Jenine Mayring ’94 (Theater Arts) is an energy medicine master, spiritual guide, author, and speaker. Mayring is widely known by her spiritual name “Divine J9.” Divine J9 is honored to be a featured author in the #1 Amazon best-selling book titled, “The Wellness Universe Guide to Complete Self-Care: 25 Tools to Achieve Anything” with the foreword penned by global entrepreneur and philanthropist John Paul DeJoria. The tools and stories shared in this beautiful book will help you to develop healthier habits in your life and make it more possible for you to create sustainable success on your own terms.

Tom Seaman ’94 (Elementary Education Pre K-6: Psychology) published his second book, “Beyond Pain and Suffering: Adapting to Adversity and Life Challenges,” an honest account of many life challenges people face each day. It addresses the light and dark side of adversity in a truthful manner, with the intent to acknowledge people who are struggling, offer understanding, provide hope and help find meaning in one’s life that transcends whatever challenge is in front of them.

Evelyn Varner ’94 (Business Administration) has been named head of Advice Enablement for Wealth & Investment Management with Wells Fargo.

Daniel Pare ’95 (Psychology)’s debut novel was released on Dec. 2, 2021, by Black Rose Writing. The title of the book is “No Matter the Price.” It is a psychological drama centered around a family dealing with the spiraling depression of their oldest child. It will be available on Amazon, the Barnes and Noble website, and the Black Rose Writing website. Pare can be reached at danielpare23@aol.com.

Nicholas R. Cartagena ’98 (Political Science) was appointed Special Counsel to the newly created New York State Public Campaign Finance Board. The Public Campaign Finance Board was created by the State Legislature in 2020 as a result of action by a Blue Ribbon Commission appointed in the state budget of 2019-2020 to study public campaign finance reform in the state. The Board is charged with the responsibility of administering a program of public matching funds for candidates for state office beginning with the 2024 general election. Learn more at this link.

Candace Seti ’99 (Psychology), best-selling author, recently published her latest book, “The Self-Sabotage Behavior Workbook!” It is a guidebook for anyone that is standing in their way to success, whether it be with career, relationships, weight, health or finances. It is a primer to learn how to conquer your own self-sabotage and thrive. The book is available on Amazon.

Todd Sliss ’99 (Journalism) won six awards in the New York Press Association’s 2020 Better Newspaper Contest for The Scarsdale Inquirer. The newspaper’s sports editor since the fall of 1999, Sliss temporarily turned to news and features full-time when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020 as there were no sports in New York State schools until late September. Based on his varied work, Sliss won first place for Business, Financial, and Economic News for his pandemic-related coverage; shared second place in Coverage of the Arts with a colleague, including a piece on former Poet Laureate Billy Collins, who spoke at New Paltz in the spring of 1999; took second place in Best Special Sections as the editor of the Kids! section; a third place with his colleagues in Elections/Politics; and for sports won first place in Sports Feature Story for the fifth time and took third place in Sports Writer of the Year, his seventh time placing in that category. The Inquirer staff took home 13 awards in total, including an honorable mention for Past Presidents Award for General Excellence, which honors all aspects of the newspaper from cover to cover. ss, who has also been the special sections editor since 2007 and the digital editor since 2018, launching a brand-new website in 2019, has won 55 NYPA awards.

Lanette Sweeney ’99 (English) had her debut poetry collection, “What I Should Have Said: A Poetry Memoir about Losing a Child to Addiction” published by Finishing Line Press in August 2021. The book, divided into the stages of grief, features 20 poems by Sweeney's late son, Kyle Fisher-Hertz, who died of an overdose in 2016. Leslea Newman, author and editor of more than a dozen poetry collections, called Sweeney's poems “poignant” and “beautifully crafted” and says she read the book “straight through with her heart in her throat,” adding, “Reader, prepare yourself, once you start reading ‘What I Should Have Said,’ you won't be able to stop.”

Elsa Maribel Batista ’00 (Spanish) ’03g (Humanistic-Multicultural Education) was chosen as Newington Public School Teacher of the year for 2020-2021 and was also a Semi-Finalist for the Connecticut Teacher of The Year Program for the 2020-2021 school year. "It was a true honor to have been chosen by my colleagues for this prestigious title," she said.

Christina M. Knopf ’00 (Communication Studies) published a new book titled, “Politics in the Gutters: American Politicians and Elections in Comic Book Media.” It explores the political critiques found in a multi-genre, historical cross-section of comic books and their transmedia adaptions.

Todd Joseph ’01 (Psychology) was named the co-chair of the American Psychological Association's Committee on Associate and Baccalaureate Education (CABE) for 2021. CABE helps set APA's national guidelines and policies for undergraduate education in psychology. Joseph also serves as the executive director of the Central Florida Psychology Summit and is the national president-elect of Psi Beta, the national honor society for psychology at two-year colleges. He is an associate professor of psychology and chair of the Public Safety, Behavioral, & Social Sciences Division at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida.

James Schlett ’02 (Journalism) published his book “Frontier Struggles: Rollo May and the Little Band of Psychologists Who Saved Humanism," with Akron Press.

Erin Brady ’05 (Communication Media) has become senior producer at Good Morning America. As part of ABC's Juneteenth recognition, Brady produced a segment with former President Barack Obama.

Travis Dillon ’05 (Marketing) was recently promoted to regional local leasing director at Central/East Coast with Pacific Retail Capital Partners (PRCP), the nation’s premier operating group of retail-led properties. With more than $3 billion in retail assets currently under management and a focus on enhancing the value and quality of a growing portfolio, PRCP is dedicated to creating a unique strategic vision for each property and exceeding the highest expectations of our investors, retailers and customers.

Vernon Byron III ’10 (Printmaking) has artwork featured in the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art Hudson Valley Artists exhibition “Who Really Cares? Hudson Valley Artists 2021.”

Ian Brodsky ’13 (Theatre Arts), a New York-based musician, actor, and dancer, performed on Sept. 26, 2021, in his first full-length studio release, “Clever But Devastating.”

Brenna McCaffrey ’14 (Anthropology; Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies) and fellow alum Peter Nicholson ’13 (Photography) became engaged in 2020 and are planning a wedding for October 2022. They both reside in New York City.

Carissa Cancel ’15 (Digital Media Management), a Long Island-born author, had the #1 New Release in Caribbean and Latin American Literature on Amazon for their poetry chapbook, "Whispers on the Wind." The chapbook encompasses life as a queer, Caribbean-American living through grief and battling mental illness while experiencing the allure and destruction of love. Their poems capture raw honesty in a beautifully tragic light. Find "Whispers in the Wind" on Amazon. 

Dylan Krakowski ’17 (Accounting) is currently the associate, IT audit and assurance at KPMG. She participated in a SUNY New Paltz Center for Student Engagement event via Instagram on April 20, 2021, where she spoke about her professional experience working in the financial industry.

Starr Sackstein ’18cas (Transition D - Alternative Certification for SDL) has joined Master Portfolio’s team as COO and partner. Master Portfolio is a Columbus-based Edtech start-up built by teachers for teachers to revolutionize grading and learning in schools.

Echo Goff ’19 (Painting) has a painting being featured in the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art Hudson Valley Artists exhibition series “Who Really Cares? Hudson Valley Artists 2021”

Jamie Lazan ’19 (Sociology) founded a multidisciplinary arts company in March 2020. Through virtual meetings with 13 artists and creatives across the country, Lazen produced a multimedia gallery online at msmvthac.com where true stories were adapted into audio plays and multimedia creations. Part two involved collaboration between the artists to shape perspective and empathy and resulted in an experimental film premiering in June 2021. Directed through Zoom, artists learned how to set up their equipment using resources from home and took us on a journey through filming underwater, bringing in poetry, devised theatre, physical theatre, dance, comics, animation and more. Part three shares the gifts of the cohort with the community through an immersive online arts festival. This festival is designed to deepen relationship with oneself, unlock artistic flow, and empower our gifts to share with our communities.”

Robert Piersall ’20 (Journalism) published an article in Metsmerized Online titled, “Carlos Carrasco: ‘I Will Be Ready For Opening Day.’”

Ana Maria Farina ’21 (Studio Art) has been named the 2021 recipient of the College Art Association Professional Development Fellowship in Visual Arts.

Faiza Faruque ’21 (Computer Science) accepted an employment offer at Hearst as an Information Security Analyst.

Clifford Schwartz (Biology) is a biomedical quality engineer at OpGen, an in-vitro diagnostic medical device company in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where he helps develop a rapid in-vitro diagnostic test kit for antibiotic-resistant infections. Schwartz lives in the Washington, D.C., area and would love to hear from fellow alumni at cliffcanoe@gmail.com. 

Carol Tidwell (History) lives in the Chicago with her husband, near their son and two granddaughters. A retired corporate and healthcare attorney, she is currently a labor arbitrator and enjoys the variety of this work. She reports, “I remember New Paltz fondly and hope all there are staying safe.” 

Lawrence Bleier (Secondary Education: Social Studies) is proud to announce his son, Richard Bleier, will be pitching for the Miami Marlins this season. 

Denis Simon (Asian Studies; Political Science) recently completed five years as executive vice chancellor at Duke Kunshan University, a Sino-foreign joint venture university involving Duke, Wuhan University and the city of Kunshan in Jiangsu.  He returned to the Duke campus in the U.S., where he currently is serving as senior adviser to the Duke President for China Affairs.  According to Simon, “this is a truly critical time in US-China relations and my goal is to help revitalize the bilateral relationship through more innovative projects like the Duke Kunshan campus.” 

Sherri (Froim) Kramerson (Communication Disorders) and Robert Kramerson celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary on September 12, 2020. Sherri met her husband in her junior year at New Paltz as a blind date and was set up by her roommate, Linda Simon and her boyfriend, Jerry Ormaner ’72 (English). Sherri is the proud mother of fraternal twin daughters and the grandmother of two grandchildren. She attributes her good education and marital bliss to the blind date she had on St. Patrick's Day at New Paltz in 1974. 

Leslie Klein (Elementary Education: Sociology) published her first book of poetry, “Driving Through Paintings,” by Shanti Arts Press. 

Edward Renehan ’80 (Political Science) will publish his book “Deliberate Evil: Nathaniel Hawthorne, Daniel Webster, and the 1830 Murder of a Salem Slave Trader,” in fall 2021 by the Chicago Review Press. Ashleigh Banfield of Court TV says, “Ed Renehan has combed through the murky annals to eloquently reveal one of the most riveting stories of crime, detection, and court drama in the history of American jurisprudence.” Renehan is the author of many other books, including the biography of Hudson Valley writer and naturalist John Burroughs. You can find him online at www.edwardrenehan.com.  

Richard Burlot (Communication Studies) married Grace Esposito of Plainview, New York, on March 6, 2021. 

Gina O’Brien-Carroll (Communication Studies) screenwriter and director, made her directorial debut with “First One In,” her third original screenplay, released on Sept. 8, 2020, and now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. “’First One In’ is a comedy for women, but it isn’t the typical comedy for women,” said O’Brien. “It isn’t about parenting, romance, marriage or girls’ nights in Vegas. I like those, but this is different. It’s about women who challenge themselves away from their everyday lives, on a team with other women.”  

Cynthia Soroka-Dunn (Communication) had one of her photos selected as the artwork for a skateboard deck at Hudson Valley Eclectics. The photograph is a black and white image of Kaaterskill Falls in the Eastern Catskill Mountains. While a student at New Paltz, Soroka-Dunn also minored in photography. The skateboard design can be found at www.hudsonvalleyeclectics.com/artboards. 

Patrick Dean Coleman (International Relations) published his first book “Of Mercy and Men: The Story of Elliot Brown, a Maryland Slave.” Copies are available for sale with major booksellers and on his publisher's website: http://bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com. 

Camille Jacobs (Communications Media) is an educator and restorative justice thought leader in New York City who brought her skills and perspectives to the ongoing anti-racism conversation at the College. The alumna expertly moderated two installments of the College’s “Dismantling Racism” series, via Zoom. The events serve as part of the ongoing conversations about the College’s work toward becoming an anti-racist institution, and how it can better serve all members of our community. 

Sofia Pertuz (Communication Studies) will be the keynote speaker for the Gender and Sexuality Center at East Stroudsburg University’s celebration of Womxn’s History Month. 

Janet Davis ’96 (Communication) celebrated the grand opening of JADE Grill & Café, located inside the RWJ Fitness and Wellness Center in Hamilton, New Jersey, in April 2021. Born and raised in Jamaica, Davis’s fascination with food began at an early age as she observed and later began helping her mother in the kitchen and at the family’s restaurant. Today, she is the CEO of JADE, a food, special event and media enterprise comprised Davis oversees operations at JADE, servicing clients like RWJ Barnabas Health and RWJ University Hospital, and as a contributor at Total Food Service. She is a proud mother to son Robert, active community volunteer, and member of Bible-Way Apostolic Missions, the NFL Alumni Association and the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ). After graduating from SUNY New Paltz, Davis went to work for Bloomberg, L.P. She spent twelve years in human resources and broadcasting, during which time she earned a master’s degree in communications from Temple University. In addition to her work, Davis also gives back to her local community and supports numerous causes, donating her services and sharing her knowledge and expertise via speaking engagements. She was the keynote speaker at the 2016 Bi-annual EOP Conference at SUNY New Paltz and volunteered her time as a panelist at the College’s Women’s Leadership Summit in 2015 and in 2021. 

Gordon Tepper (Communication Media) has been appointed to the Adults and Children with Down Syndrome (ACDS) board of directors.  ACDS serves those with Down syndrome, autism, and other developmental disabilities. 

Alexander Marrero (Music) started his second term as the chair of the Committee on Cultural Inclusion for the College Music Society. His international volunteer assignment for their Composer Advocation Project during calendar year 2021 includes North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and Antarctica.

Rebekah Stoll (Psychology) (Humanistic-Multicultural Education) ’09g was recently awarded the Dr. Mary Barter Scholarship for Women and Minorities from the New York State Council of School Superintendents. The council selects one winner each year who shows promise in the field of educational leadership with the likelihood of serving in a superintendency throughout their career. 

Jeffrey Canino (English) ’12g made his professional writing debut with “Besties: ‘Work It Out.’” The graphic novel will be published in fall 2021 by HMH Books. A sequel is to follow in 2022. More information can be found online at hmhbooks.com.   

Thomas Savage (Political Science) has been awarded a yearlong public policy fellowship with The Fund for American Studies (TFAS). The fellowship welcomes 17 rising stars from across the United States who will spend the next year discussing the fundamental questions and challenges a free society must address to flourish, as well as the unique advantages it can enjoy. Savage is the research manager of the Center for State Fiscal Reform at the American Legislative Exchange Council. His research interests include public pensions, other postemployment benefits (OPEB), state bonded obligations and fiscal policy. 

Elliot Frances Flynn (Digital Media; English) made her feature film debut in 2021 with the movie “Shoplifters of the World,” released by RLJ Entertainment, an AMC company in January 2021. “Shoplifters of the World,” is a comedy-drama based on an urban legend. The film is set over the course of one night in the lives of four friends in Denver, Colorado, who are spinning from the news of the split up of iconic British band The Smiths. 

Stephanie Whiteman (Psychology; Black Studies) is continuing to impact young learners’ lives through the successful tutoring business she started last fall. Whiteman made her entrepreneurial dreams a reality by creating “Early Learning Wit Da Wrks,” a private tutoring business focused on giving children a head start in literacy acquisition that can benefit their learning for years to come. Through one-on-one tutoring sessions offered to elementary students in The Bronx, Whiteman tailors lessons to individual needs and reinforces what teachers have taught in the virtual classroom. 

Kaisei Sugawara (International Relations) was featured in a New York Times article about the rising generation of young professionals in Japan. Kaisei is advancing quickly in his new role as an engineer at a security firm - a role for which he was recruited thanks in part to the international experience he got while studying at New Paltz. Read the full article, "An ‘Old Men’s Club’ Dominates Japan,”online. 

Erika Wasonoredjo (Communication Studies) recently accepted a position as associate video investor at Mediacom at WPP, a media company. Wasonoredjo interned at Atlantic Records and The Door PR. Although early in her career, she worked on brand strategy projects with clients such as American Express, Motorola, MTV, Uber and various musicians. 

Kaitlyn Gunter (Biology) is pursuing her career in conservation biology by working for the Student Conservation Association (SCA) Adirondack Corps this fall. The organization brings together students who have a passion for conservation service projects with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Corporation for National and Community Service. Read more online at NPHawks.com.