Class Notes

1953

Luther R. Manus, JR. ’71M was honored by the Erie City Council with Oct. 10 being named Luther Manus Day. Erie Arts & Culture also commissioned local artists Antonio Howard and Ceasar Westbrook to design and paint a mural featuring a collage of images that recognizes pivotal moments in Manus’s life.

1964

John C. Skuce and his wife, Judy, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. They were married on Feb. 11, 1961 and have been inseparable since they went on their first date in 1959. The couple has not lost their joy and love for each other and have faithfully lived out the vows they made six decades ago.  

1970

Richard E. Griffith was awarded the 2020 Commitment to Erie Legacy Award. Griffith is president of Rick Griffith Properties and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park.

Elisabeth “Betsy” (Roeback) Monsalve VMC joined the Gannon University Board of Trustees, effective July 2020. Monsalve recently retired from McManis & Monsalve Associates of Erie, where she was the director.

1972

Patrick S. Shingleton retired after more than 45 years in weather forecasting. He most recently worked as the chief weather forecaster for Baton Rouge WBRZ. A 1968 Riverside High School graduate, Shingleton was also deeply committed to his community. He is the chairman of the board for WBRZ’s “Pat’s Coats for Kids.” He developed the concept for the St. Vincent De Paul Society’s Community Pharmacy, creating the “Fill a Prescription for the Needy” project. Shingleton also originated Baton Rouge’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, “The Wearin’ of the Green,” in 1986 and continues to be the parade’s coordinator. The mayor of Baton Rouge declared Jan. 29 as Pat Shingleton Day in his honor.

1973

C. Thomas Benson was selected as an inaugural member of the Erie County Community College Board of Trustees. Benson is the director of training for J.L. Nick & Associates and a former consultant with Gannon University’s Small Business Development Center.

1974

Anne (Dewey) McCallion was appointed to the Board of Directors of both Pacific Mercantile Bancorp and Pacific Mercantile Bank. McCallion has nearly 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. She worked for the Bank of America Corp. for more than 17 years, holding positions in fianance and operations. Following that, McCallion worked at PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust as its chief financial officer from 2009 to 2016 before advancing to chief enterprise operations officer from 2017 to 2019. MacCallion has also served on the Board of Directors for PennyMac Financial Services Inc. since 2018.

1976

Diana (Marchibroda) Manilla, D.D.S. retired in September from her 40-year career in dentistry, where she served hundreds of patients.

Richard G. Orlando, M.D. and his wife, Cynthia, established the Orlando Biomedical Ethics and Catholic Social Teaching Endowment at Gannon University with a $250,000 gift. The Orlandos established the endowment to provide funding for educational experiences that will enrich current and future Gannon students’ understanding of ethical considerations related to the care for human life. Orlando is a member of Gannon University’s Board of Trustees and retired president of Columbus Ophthalmology Associates.

1977

Harry Hairston III retired from NBC10 after 17 years as an investigative reporter in the Philadelphia region. Hairston has won multiple Mid-Atlantic Emmy^® Awards for his work and in 2011 was named “Journalist of the Year” by the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists.

1979

Nancy L. (Murray) Hogan, Ph.D. was added to Marquis Who's Who, a collection of 1.6 million-plus biographies of accomplished individuals from around the world. Hogan is a professor of criminal justice and corrections at Ferris State University and celebrates nearly 25 years of teaching and supervision at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. Among other honors, Hogan was recognized by Ferris State University as an Outstanding Faculty Member and was presented a 2017 Academic Scholar Award by the provost in support of her ongoing research and contribution to the scholarship on criminal justice.

1982

Anthony “Tony” V. Fulgenzio ’10M began his third year in November as vice president of advancement at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio. Prior to that he worked for Gannon for 17 years in University Advancementt, most recently as executive director of philanthropy and communications.

Cheryl (Rush) Dix ’07C was selected as an inaugural member of the Erie County Community College Board of Trustees. Dix is the co-founder of STEM Equity Alliance, an examiner with Mid-Atlantic Alliance for Performance Excellence, and chief consultant with Pathlight Associates, LLC.

1984

Frank J. Corapi ’89M was promoted to the rank of full professor at Jamestown Community College. He began teaching at Jamestown Community College in 2002 and became a full-time assistant professor of psychology in 2006. He is also currently the director of the psychology department and the social science division.

1985

Michael A. McClain, a long-time commercial airline pilot, spent his 59th birthday flying the NFL’s Kanses City Chiefs to Super Bowl LV. McClain had the opportunity to pilot the flight through his employer, United Airlines, where he has worked since 1997. Throughout his aviation career, McClain has flown the Chicago Cubs, Barack Obama prior to his presidency, actor Matt Damon, and journalist Geraldo Rivera, among others. McClain and his wife spend their time together in their homes in Cincinnati and Ridgway. 

1986

Rev. Shawn J. Clerkin, AOJN was voted Best Local Actor in the 2020 Best of Erie awards. Clerkin worked as Gannon University’s director of liberal studies from 2017 and 2020 and is the co-director and associate professor of the School of Communication and the Arts. He is also a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania.

1988

Darin M. Sutton is a systems test engineer for Spang Power Electronics, which is a division of Spang & Company.

1989

Richard C. Shopene retired as chief of police in Corry, Pa. after a 30-year career in the police service.  Shopene received a City of Corry Proclamation and a Pennsylvania Senate Citation, as well as an Erie County Council citation and a resolution declaring Oct. 24 – the day of his retirement – to be Shopene Day.

1990

Adrienne M. Dixon, Ph.D, '90M, '08PH.D. was named president and CEO of Sarah A. Reed Children's Center. Dixon has been making a difference at Sarah Reed for 32 years. She previously served as the agency’s associate vice president of Residential and Community Services for the past 18 years. Dixon has more than 35 years of clinical experience as a professional counselor and administrator.

Veronica C. (Vezzani) Dorsch, M.D. joined Butler Health System Primary Care. She completed an internship in general surgery at the Madigan Army Medical Center and a family practice residency at Heritage Valley Health System. Dorsch brings more than 20 years of experience to BHS. She was commander of the 31st Medical Detachment in Operation Joint Endeavor and was awarded the NATO Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal.

Christopher J. Deflitch, M.D. spoke about COVID-19 in the leadup of Governer Tom Wolf’s Dec. 9, 2020 press conference. Deflitch is the vice president and chief medical information officer for Hershey Medical Center.

1993

Cherie M. (Krysiak) Thierman was named chief financial officer and client accounting specialist at Evident Financial LLC, an Erie-based investment advisory firm.

Scott E. Miller, D.B.A. served on the judging panel for the 2020 Commitment to Erie Awards. Miller currently serves as the dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and the School of Business for Edinboro Univeristy.

1995

Paul E. Shields, D.O. joined Absolut Care of Aurora Park on Oct. 1, 2020. Sheilds is affiliated with Great Lakes Health Systems and is a general physician who holds more than 20 years in the medical field.

1996

Ryan J. Lynch, D.O. ’98M, ’99M was named a fellow of the American College of Neuropsychiatrists. Lynch is a neurologist for LECOM Health. Candidates for an ACN fellowship are nominated by two current fellows and reviewed by the ACN Board of Governors. Fellows must be board certified and serve the American College of Neurologists and Psychiatrists in some capacity.

1998

Jason Amory was promoted from game warden in Crawford County to information and education supervisor with the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Northwest Region.

1999

Jonathan P. Scialabba was an actor in the movie, “Judas and the Black Messiah,” which was recently released to theaters and on HBO Max on Feb. 12. In the movie – which is based on real events in 1969 – Scialabba portrayed Chicago police officer Valentino, who sparks a violent confrontation in a deli.

Bradley J. Collins, M.D. was featured on CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer” to address the effects of COVID-19 on health care workers. Collins is an internal medicine hospitalist at Miriam Hospital in Rhode Island.

2000

Stacey E. Reynolds, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA ’01M was named the new editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy. Reynolds is an associate professor of occupational therapy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Kevin Briggs is a professor of English at Gannon University. He expresses his thanks to his former professors for being a mentor to him during his time as a Gannon student including Michael S. Tkach ’79M, Sally L. (Delycure) LeVan, Ph.D. ’78M, William J. Doan, Ph.D. ’82 and Melinda Barthelson Holliday ’03M.

2001

Debra (Benjamin) Daniels ’01M joined Schweiger Dermatology Group as a family nurse practitioner.

2002

Amy L. Doolan, D.B.A. ’00, ’04M served on the judging panel for the 2020 Commitment to Erie Awards.  Doolan is the associate dean of Gannon University’s College of Engineering and Business.

Rebecca A. Styn, Ph.D. ’02M, ’20Ph.D. won the 2020 Ben Franklin’s Big Idea Contest for her Blind Tiger Spirit-Free cocktails. Styn and her team are developing natural, organic alternatives to alcoholic cocktails, which will be shelf stable for up to 18 months. The idea also won the $2,500 People's Choice Award. Styn is the owner of Room 33 Speakeasy.

Paul R. Gradl ’04M has been a senior propulsion engineer at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center for more than 16 years and is currently one of the leading researchers of the Rapid Analysis and Manufacturing Propulsion Technology Project. Gradl was named one of the Most Influential Personalities of Additive Manufacturing 2020.

2003

Nancy M. (Heiss) Morris, '03, '15M, '19Ph.D., is creating an interactive gaming platform for the education technology market. The idea was a finalist in this year’s Ben Franklin’s Big Idea Contest. Morris is the owner of Erie-based Two Sparrows Learning Systems, an inclusive company that creates adaptive products and deliveres product design and consultation services.

2007

Jeffrey R. Boyer ’07C was named superintendent of the Ferndale Area School District. Boyer recently spent four years as the assistant superintendent at Indiana Area School District.

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

2009

Sean M. Eperjesi is the new head coach of the football program at Gulf High School in Florida. He previously led the program at Gulf Middle School through an undefeated season and to its first conference championship in 43 years. Eperjesi received an NCAA Division II scholarship to play football at Gannon University, where he was a four-year starter, team captain and later, a defensive ends coach.

Tyler N. Stoczynski is a teacher and head varsity boys basketball coach at Highlands High School in Natrona Heights, Pa. Prior to the 2012-13 season, Stoczynski had led Highlands’ Golden Rams to six playoff appearances, reaching the WPIAL semifinals in four of the past five seasons. Highlands has also played in two championship games, including a 72-54 win vs. Belle Vernon High School in last year’s Class 4A title game - its first WPIAL title in 25 years. After waiting until Jan. 15 to begin their season, the Golden Rams kicked things off with a 52-51 comeback win on the road against then No. 2 Mars Area High School, announcing their arrival as a possible title contender in Class 5A. Highlands has since added three more wins in a span of five days, all coming by at least 30 points.

2010

Clayton Wesley Acker starred in season 1, episode 3 of the Netflix series, “Ratched,” a new series based on Ken Kesey’s novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

Hannah E. Kirby ’11M was the 2020 recipient of the Junior Achievement Celebrating Success award, which honors young entrepreneurial individuals from Erie County who have made or are positioned to make outstanding contributions to the business, social and cultural assets of this area.

Steve Piotrowicz is the head coach of the Cathedral Prep basketball team that was named the PIAA Class 5A state championship in boys basketball this past March.

Meaghan K. Ropski, D.V.M. was featured in two articles by “Reader's Digest” including “Popular Dog Facts That Are Actually False” and “Things Your Dog Wishes You’d Stop Doing.”

2013

Molly C. Martin and her husband, James “Jimmy” Wright Jr., D.O, helped raise more than $70,000 to purchase and deliver needed supplies to local hospitals. Martin received a master’s degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2019 and now works as an analyst for ECRI.

2014

Jacob I. Faith Ph.D., '14PH.D. was selected as a member of the Greene County Partnership's 2020-21 Leadership Greene County Class. Fait is the dean of the College of Business and executive director of the Center for Civic Advancement at Tusculum University.

Gina M. Fulgenzio ’15M joined faculty in the physician assistant program at her alma mater in Spring 2020. She is also a cardiology physician assistant at UPMC Hamot in Erie.

Samantha L. Fugagli was named an associate at McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC.

2015

Jessie M. Milliken, DO is a resident at Excela Health Frick Family Medicine at Excela Square at Frick in Mt. Pleasant. Jessie is a native of Mather, Pa. He thanks his western Pennsylvania upbringing, education and residency training for his career in community medicine.

2016

Kaitlyn M. Roose was named the director of ESports at Michigan Technological University. Roose previously served as the president and co-founder of the Esports Club at Michigan Technological University and a mentor for the Husky Game Development Enterprise. She is pursuing a doctoral degree in applied cognitive science and human factors. Roose played varsity softball during her undergraduate career at Gannon University and brings this background as a collegiate athlete to the new program.

2017

Emily A. Ernes ’17M purchased Glass Growers Gallery in Erie following the retirement of Deborah Vahanian, founder and dedicated owner of 46 years. Ernes holds an entrepreneurial spirit and artistic abilities and loves learning about other people, cultures and meaningful forms of creative expression. 

Katie R. Oknefski ’18M joined staff of UPMC St. Margaret in Pittsburgh, Pa. as an occupational therapist.

2018

Joel E. Heckman ’18M works as clinical director for Lucas Therapies’ new sixth location in the Kroger Marketplace in Rocky Mount, Va. Heckman specializes in multiple treatment options including blood flow restriction, which is a treatment technique used by Olympic and professional athletes to increase muscle size and strength while improving recovery time.

2019

Brad J. Kovaleski, ’19Ph.D. was appointed to the Scranton City Council’s Ethics Board. The council voted unanimously to authorize Kovaleski’s appointment for a term running through August 2023.

Gabriel J. Fulgenzio joined the staff of WQLN Public Broadcasting in Erie in August 2020 as producer and director of digital media. He was the recipient of the 2019 Gannon Excellence in Journalism Communication Award.

Kennedy N. Mason was honored by Erie News Now Lilly Broadcasting for her work as a nurse at UPMC Hamot.

2020

Justin M. Gallagher ’20M was named an inaugural member of the Erie County Community College Board of Trustees. Gallagher served on the Harbor Creek School Board for four years, becoming the youngest ever elected to the Board. He also served on the Board of the Erie County Technical School for two years.