Class Notes

1965

Rev. Msgr. Thomas J. McSweeney celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination as a Catholic priest. He is now retired after a long and illustrious career in education and television. McSweeney worked as the chair of the Department of Theatre and Communication Arts at Gannon University for nearly 25 years. He also worked as executive director of The Christophers, a national organization based in New York City. McSweeney finished his career as a pastor at Holy Trinity Church.

F. Jack Goellner recently celebrated 50 years in business as president and co-founder of Jackson Advertising Inc. In addition, he also worked as president of the Gannon Golden Knight Booster Club – now Knight Nation – from 1997 to 2002 and is a proud member of Gannon’s Heritage Society.

The Gannon University Alumni Association is proud to recognize the five Distinguished Alumni honorees for 2021. For thirty years, the Distinguished Alumni Award has been presented to Gannon and Villa Maria college alumni in recognition of meaningful contributions in their professions, community and the university. It is the highest honor an alumnus can receive.

1967

Sister Mary Miller VMC was featured in the City of Erie Government's #ErieWHM series, which features women who have made or are making a powerful impact across the community and the nation. Miller has served the Erie community as director at Emmaus Ministries for 40 years.

1968 

Diane Marie Dudzinski, Ph.D., VMC was added to Marquis Who's Who, a collection of more than 1.6 million biographies of accomplished individuals from around the world. Dudzinski built an impressive career as an educator with expertise in marine biology, microbiology, ecology and environmental science. She taught at several institutions, including Manhattan College, Santa Fe College, Mercyhurst College and Washington State Community College. She earned an American Society of Science Educators Fellowship from the NASA Ames Research Center. She was the first woman participant of the U.S.-USSR Joint Oceanographic Expedition to the Bering Sea. Dudzinski received a Distinguished Alumni Award from Villa Maria College in 1986 and a 50-year Heritage Society Medallion from Gannon in 2018.

Melvin Witherspoon received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Northwestern Pennsylvania High School Sports Awards for his work in coaching and mentoring children in Spoon’s Summer Basketball League. Witherspoon spearheads the league to provide opportunities for students in Erie and its surrounding areas to play organized recreational basketball every week in June and July. The league is in its 31st year.

1969 

Robert W. McGee, Ph.D. won six gold and two silver medals at the Taekwondo World Championship tournament in Phoenix, Ariz. in July of 2021.

1970 

Richard E. Griffith received the Louis J. Tullio Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2021 Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership's Celebration of Excellence. David T. Acanfora was inducted into the Western New York Baseball Hall of Fame. Acanfora played 14 seasons for the West Herr team in the Lake Shore Division of Suburban League after playing for St. Francis High School and Gannon University. He began his second stint as an umpire in 2013 and is still active.

Joseph P. Karpinski and his wife, Linda, celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on Sept. 26, 2021.

1971 

Kathleen A. (Bohrer) Mroczkowski VMC and her husband, Henry, are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on Nov. 27, 2021.

1973 

Ronald D. Manilla retired as tennis director at the University of Virginia Foundation-owned Boar's Head Sports Club on March 12, 2021. Manilla worked as the tennis team captain at Gannon University and later as head coach. He started several programs including the Get Acquainted Tennis Club, an adult program that he ran for 33 years at Charlottesville High School. He also started the “Xperience” Special Olympics tennis tournament at the Boar’s Head. In 2013, the Professional Tennis Registry named him an International Master Pro, a distinction equivalent to a lifetime achievement award. He worked as the Special Olympics coach for Virginia in 2018 and was a national coach at the World Games in Abu Dhabi, Dubai.

1977

Harry Hairston III was the keynote speaker for Gannon University’s Erie commencement ceremony. He received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, honoris causa, for his work in journalism and in the community. Hairston recently retired after 17 years at NBC10 Philadelphia, where he worked as a senior investigative reporter. T T. Srinivasaraghavan ’77M retired as the managing director of Sundaram Finance after 38 years. He joined Sundaram Finance in 1983 and was a leader in the growth of the company’s net worth.

1978

Claudia G. Christy, CCRC, ACRP-CP, FACRP, VMC is a member of The Association of Clinical Research Professionals’ Class of 2021 Fellows. She has more than 40 years of clinical experience and has worked in an array of clinical trial roles during the last 25 years.

1979 

Pamela (Hornaman) Tronetti, DO, AGSF is the medical director of Aging Services at Parrish Medical Center in Titusville, Fla. She developed a series of videos for caregivers called Alzheimer's SOS, which are available on Parrishmed.com, as well as a podcast featuring topics of interest to seniors. 

1981

Joy A. (Mezzacapo) Nemitz VMC was named the new chief marketing officer of Intel 471, the premier provider of cybercrime intelligence for leading intelligence, security and fraud teams. Nemitz has spent more than two decades building and leading global marketing teams in highly competitive verticals, including information and cybersecurity technology, communications, health care and financial services. This latest position at Intel 471 marks her fifth role as a CMO.

1982

Kathleen B. (Cappello) Elinski ’83AA marked her 30-year anniversary as a physical therapist in June 2021. Home health care has been Elinski’s primary focus for 25 of those years. She has worked with UPMC Home Healthcare-Kane Community Hospital since August 2019. Anthony V. Fulgenzio ’10M was named vice president for Advancement at Mercyhurst University. In his new role, Fulgenzio will lead philanthropic initiatives and oversee key programs including major gifts, alumni and parent engagement, as well as planned giving. Previously, Fulgenzio was vice president for Advancement at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio.

1986

Anthony Angelone, Esq. joined the Law Offices of Gery T. Nietupski LLC – now NietupskiAngelone LLC – as a partner. The firm serves both individual and corporate clients. Angelone brings more than 25 years of experience as an attorney, primarily in government, personal injury and estate cases. 

Theresa M. Gamble joined the Hagen History Center in Erie as director of library and archives. Gamble brings more than 30 years of experience in archival and records management and will focus on digitizing the documented history of Erie County for increased public access. Previously, she was the director of corporate compliance at Erie Insurance and has served as a volunteer on the collections committee of the Erie County Historical Society, as well as project manager and guide at the Hurry Hill Maple Museum.

Kathleen A. Getz, Ph.D., ’86M was named Mercyhurst University's 13th president. She began her tenure on July 12, 2021. Previously, she served as dean of the Sellinger School of Business and Management at Loyola University Maryland and as the dean of the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University Chicago. She was named one of Maryland's Top 100 Women for 2018. Getz is the first woman to lead Mercyhurst in nearly 50 years.

1990 

Mark J. Kuhar, Esq. joined the Erie law firm of MacDonald, Illig, Jones & Britton LLP as a partner. Kuhar focused his entire career on labor and employment law and litigation. He assists employers in establishing and maintaining employment policies, conducting workplace investigations, negotiating employment contracts and severance agreements, conducting engagement surveys, as well as training supervisors and other employees.

1992 

Parris J. Baker, Ph.D., MSSA is a member of the Erie County Council's COVID-19 Impact & Economic Revitalization Committee, which was formed earlier in 2021. He is currently the director and assistant professor of the social work, mortuary science and gerontology programs at Gannon University. Rev. Stefan P. Starzynski of the Diocese of Arlington celebrated his 25th ordination jubilee. He received his priesthood ordination in May of 1996 and currently serves as chaplain at Inova Fairfax Hospital.

1993 

Tracey McCants Lewis, Esq. is the first Black woman to serve as board chair of Downtown Pittsburgh's August Wilson African American Cultural Center. She has served on the board for the past six years and currently works as the deputy general counsel and director of Human Resources for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

1994 

Lisa J. (Merz) Massarweh ’94M was named senior vice president and chief nursing officer for Albany Medical Center Hospital. She previously served as executive director of performance and workforce strategy for Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California region. Her research and expertise have been published in several journals. The Kaiser Foundation Health Plan/Hospitals’ Board of Directors presented her with the David M. Lawrence Patient Safety Award in 2010 and 2013.

1997

Shelley J. (Bortz) Ligashesky was named one of 13 individuals in the 2021 Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame induction class. A standout basketball player at Geibel Catholic High School in Connellsville, Pa., she was a three-time all-section selection, a WPIAL Class 2A All-Star, and the WPIAL Class 2A Player of the Year in 1992. She led the WPIAL in scoring her senior year, averaging more than 27 points per game. She played in the 1992 Roundball Classic and set a WPIAL Class A record with 35 points in the championship game. She remains Geibel's all-time leading scorer in basketball with 1,977 career points.

2001

Bert A. Copple, Jr. is the owner of Trusted Care at Home Inc, which was named the No. 1 Healthcare in America in 2021 by Energage Top Workplaces.

2002

Paul Gradl ’04M was named one of the Most Influential Personalities of Additive Manufacturing 2020 by 3D Printing News. He has worked as a senior propulsion engineer at NASA for more than 16 years and was one of the lead researchers of the Rapid Analysis and Manufacturing Propulsion Technology project, which aims to incorporate additive manufacturing in the development of large rocket engines.

2005

M. Andrew Wheeling, Jr.  ’05M, ’06C, ’08C was named principal at West Forest High School in Tionesta, Pa. Previously, he worked as principal at Lucy Addison Middle School in Roanoke, Va. and as assistant principal at Virginia High School, Penncrest School District, and Titusville High School.

Lt. Col. Ashley Philbin assumed leadership as the support operations officer with the 17th Sustainment Brigade on Feb. 19, 2021. She is the first woman to occupy this position within the unit. Philbin has more than 15 years of military service and is currently pursuing her MBA with a concentration in strategic leadership from Pennsylvania State University.

Wesley Kareem Whiteside, received the 2021 Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence for Outstanding Contributions to the Student Experience and University Initiatives. The award highlights faculty and staff who have enhanced the undergraduate experience or made invaluable contributions to advancing Syracuse University’s mission and goals. Whiteside is the associate director of diversity and recruitment in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

2007 

Terra Youngblood ’07M was appointed the first chief marketing officer of Prime Capital Investment Advisors. Prior to joining PCIA, Youngblood worked as the director of Business Marketing for Broadridge Fi360 Solutions, where she spearheaded the firm’s content development, creative design, event administration and public relations.

Julie M. Boyer ’07M, ’08C is the new principal of St. Mary’s Area Middle School. Previously, she worked as the assistant principal at South St. Mary’s Street Elementary School.

Donald Larmon, DNP, CRNA ’07M, ’17DNP received the Didactic Instructor of the Year Award during the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology's 2021 Virtual Congress. The award was established in 1991 and is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to the education of student registered nurse anesthetists in the classroom. Larmon is the program director at the UPMC Hamot School of Anesthesiology/Gannon University.

Carl L. Zimmerman III is the new athletic director at Iroquois School District. Zimmerman is also a special education teacher at the high school.

Steven M. Srnka is an attorney at Orton & Orton Attorneys at Law in North East, Pa. He focuses on family law, real estate law and regulatory compliance.

2009

Nicholas S. Orlando was promoted to development group manager at FeneTech Inc. and will serve as group manager for both the software development’s production and service teams. Orlando has been with Fenetech his entire career and previously worked as quality lead.

Brad Higginson ’09M joined the Cumberland University football coaching staff as the linebacker’s coach.  He spent the past 12 seasons working at Manchester University in North Manchester, Ind. as an assistant football coach.

2011

Shanna M. Thompson was named Earlham College's new head women's basketball coach, effective May 2021. Prior to joining Earlham, Thompson was an assistant coach and head junior varsity coach at Illinois College.

Rev. Eric J. Dinga was assigned to be the new pastor of Christ, Prince of Peace and St. Lawrence Parishes in Latrobe, Pa., effective June 24, 2021.

Julie Kleber RN, BMTCN was the keynote speaker at Gannon University’s Ruskin commencement ceremony on May 15, 2021. She was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, honoris causa, during the ceremony. Kleber is an oncology nurse at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a member of the Gannon National Alumni Board of Directors. She is currently pursuing her master's in nursing leadership and healthcare systems from the University of Colorado.

2012

Benjamen Gangewere, D.O. was named the director of the Penn Highlands Psychiatry Residency Program. Gangewere joined Penn Highlands in 2019. Along with his time as a staff psychiatrist, he is also the associate medical director of Behavioral Health Services.

2014

Gina Fulgenzio ’15M joined the faculty in the physician assistant program at Gannon University. She is also a physician assistant in cardiology at UPMC Hamot in Erie.

2015

Daniel J. Smith ’15M will be the strength and conditioning coach for the Hudson Valley Renegades, High Class-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. This is Smith’s fifth season with the New York Yankees.

2016

Ray J. Titler is a new officer with the Fairview Park Police Department. Titler has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in psychology and is a recent graduate of the Cleveland Heights Police Academy.

2017

Nicholas M. Restuccia is a recruiting associate at Spectrum Careers in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore areas. He received his master’s degree in accounting in 2018 from North Carolina State University.

Randall B. Clapp, DMD joined Scott Pruckner, DMD and Chester "Chip" Zaleski, DMD as a full-time associate at Family Dentistry in Corry, Pa.

Stephanie Peck, DO received a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from LECOM and will begin psychiatry residency training with LECOM/Millcreek Community Hospital. She would like to thank Gannon University’s biology professors, Gregory Andraso, Ph.D., Elisa Konieczko, Ph.D., and Steven Ropski, Ph.D., as well as mathematics professor, Michael Caulfield, Ph.D., for writing her letters of recommendation and helping her grow as a professional.

2018

Richard Makowski ’19M was named chief investment officer at Evident Financial LLC. In his new role, he will oversee research, selection of asset classes and investment funds, as well as investment decisions in client portfolios. In addition to serving as CIO, Makowski creates clients’ financial plans tailored specifically to their individual needs, preferences and risk tolerance.

Kyle J. Joseph was named one of MoldMaking Technology's 30 Under 30 Honors Program for 2021. The list highlights individuals who are making a difference in moldmaking, both in their company and in the moldmaking community while emphasizing leadership. Joseph is currently a design engineer and program manager at Accede Mold & Tool Co. Inc. in Rochester, NY.

Patrolman Zachery Buell ’19M was sworn into the city of Corry Police Department on May 4, 2021. He is also working on his doctoral degree in health and human performance through Concordia University of Chicago. He expects to graduate from the program in 2022.

2019

Alafias J. Satcher ’21M joined General Motors Co. as a software developer. He is thrilled to be a part of the driving force behind their bold vision to create a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion.

Brad J. Kovaleski ’19Ph.D. was appointed the director of student affairs at Penn State Brandywine. He previously worked as the director of student services and engagement at Penn State Scranton since January 2016.

2021

Mitchell D. Cashmer was awarded the Joseph A. Williams Medical Scholarship by the Elk County Community Foundation. The scholarship was established by Joseph A. Williams for local students in pursuit of a medical degree. Cashmer was accepted into LECOM through Gannon’s LECOM 4+4 Early Acceptance Medicine program.  

editors

Doug Oathout
Chief of Staff and Director of Marketing and Communications

Brianna Mariotti
Marketing and Content Strategist

design

• Laura Giannelli
• Andrew Lapiska ’09M