Sports at the Hall

Shavar Reynolds Jr. was over 6,000 miles away from home when he had an experience that shaped his athletic future and the way he saw the world.

His family lived in Japan for three years when his father, Shavar Sr., a master-at-arms in the U.S. Navy, was stationed there, and it’s where he attended fifth through seventh grade.

“It changed my outlook on life,” recalls Reynolds Jr., now a Seton Hall point guard, “because it showed me no matter where you go, people are people. I always thought it would be a whole different world, but it’s really not. We’re all just people.”

That’s one reason he felt the need to speak out about social injustice on a podcast last year, in the wake of several racially charged incidents in the country.

The years in Japan “showed me we can live equally and peacefully but we have to want to. … I think that’s the big thing. … I’m always going to advocate for it and speak out because it’s possible.”

Reynolds’ time overseas also changed his athletic direction, which had been oriented around the gridiron. But only flag football was available on the base, while basketball courts were plentiful.

“The passion for football went away,” he says. “I started falling in love with basketball because I started playing it so much.”

He played it well enough to be a three-year starter and 1,000-point career scorer back home in New Jersey at Manchester Township High School. But that didn’t earn him any Division I scholarship offers.

So why didn’t he give up?

“Belief,” Reynolds says. “I just knew I could. Even if I wasn’t good enough [at first], I would work hard enough to be good enough.”

He attended Covenant College Prep in nearby Belmar, and his coach, Ian Turnbull, set up an open-gym workout at Seton Hall. Reynolds showed his stuff, playing with notable Seton Hall seniors such as Angel Delgado and Khadeen Carrington.

“They really liked the way he played,” coach Kevin Willard recalls. “It was really about those guys saying they wanted him to be on the team.”

Reynolds was a walk-on at first. But that changed when he and Willard spoke after his freshman season.

“I thought he’d be a really good role player,” Willard says, explaining his reasoning for granting Reynolds a scholarship. “You have to give him a tremendous amount of credit for his work ethic. He has an edge.”

“I went into this with the idea that I was going to earn a scholarship,” Reynolds says, “but it doesn’t compare to the actual moment that it happened.”

Thrust into a starting point guard role this past season, Reynolds was outstanding for the Pirates, finishing in the top-10 in the BIG EAST Conference in assists (4.2 per game), assist/turnover ratio (1.9) and steals (1.8 per game).

Willard “believed in me when nobody else wanted to,” Reynolds says. “Technically I shouldn’t be here. … I’m not going to let that opportunity slip nor am I going to let him fall for taking that leap of faith on me.”

Shavar’s father recently retired and now can be there physically for his son, even though he always was there in spirit. Equally instrumental in his upbringing has been his mother, Teekemia, a social worker.

“She’s my rock. She’s always been there for me,” he says. “She has whatever I need. I love her a lot.”

Reynolds is about to graduate with a degree in social and behavioral sciences with a minor in criminal justice but isn’t ready to think about his future.

“I just try to live in the moment,” he says, although he wants to play basketball professionally if he can. “What I do know is I’m going to be the same guy that works hard and try to be the hardest worker in the room.”

As for his four years at Seton Hall, he says, “I’m just thankful for the culture here. … All of our fans, all of our donors, I love them. … I’m glad I was able to be surrounded by such good people. For the four years I’ve been here, I appreciate every bit of it and I’ll never forget it.” n

J.P. Pelzman is a freelance writer who covered Seton Hall basketball for 14 seasons for The Record of Hackensack, N.J.

Though Cornelia Jerresand has always felt at home in a pool — as a champion youth swimmer in Sweden and throughout a standout freshman campaign on Seton Hall’s women’s swim team — when it comes to her future, she sets her sights upward, far above Earth.

“I decided when I was pretty young that I wanted to be an astronaut and that was a dream job,” Jerresand says. “I’ve worked towards it.”

Those aren’t merely the words of a young kid who watched movies about space exploration and had stars in her eyes; Jerresand gears her classes and pursuits around the lofty goal.

“She’s very ambitious and has a passion for becoming an astronaut, which I love,” says Carissa Leoni, Seton Hall’s assistant director of academic support services for student-athletes. “We always joke anytime I’m on a video call with her — typically, she has a NASA shirt or something with astronomy [around her], and that’s a very clear passion. She said it since Day One. … I always find that international students, for whatever reason, have an uncanny drive to learn, and she definitely has that.”

Jerresand’s family nurtured her love for swimming and her obsession with space. With two older sisters who both swam, “I practically grew up in a swimming hall where my club team is,” she says. As a physics major who will also pursue a minor in applied scientific math, she credits her electrical engineer mom with inspiring her to always go “toward technical and scientific stuff.” Jerresand watched one of her mother’s university professors — an astronaut — go into space as a kid, and both her mother and sisters read books about the cosmos to her.

Exploring faraway places is also nothing new. Jerresand’s desire to prolong a successful swimming career led her to explore universities in the United States, following a path taken by a friend from Sweden, which does not offer the equivalent of NCAA swimming. She researched schools remotely, using videos and Google Images, loving Seton Hall’s location and size, which she feels allows for more personalized attention. “When I came my freshman year, that was actually my first time ever in the U.S. It was a big step, but I’m really happy I did it.”

As Jerresand adjusted to Seton Hall and American life, she experienced some culture shock but ultimately flourished, both in the classroom and the pool, where in her first meet as a collegiate swimmer, she had victories in the 50 and 100 freestyle and the 200-medley relay against Rider University. At the BIG EAST Championships, she notched personal-best times in the 50, 100 and 200 free.

Then COVID-19 hit. Jerresand returned home and spent much of the spring and summer with family, grateful that Sweden’s pools remained open and appreciative of her Seton Hall professors’ flexibility, considering the time difference she faced attending classes online. And though the pandemic has upended her sophomore campaign, the BIG EAST announced it will hold conference championships in April.

Through it all, Leoni says, Jerresand achieves “amazing grades in her classes and still dedicates so much time to swimming. She is an ideal vision of what a student-athlete is and can be.”

Jerresand’s vision for her future remains clear. She plans to pursue advanced degrees in engineering and is considering service in the Swedish military in order to become a pilot, “because I noticed it’s easier for people who are pilots to become astronauts.” She is on the lookout for opportunities to achieve her goal: one of her chemistry professors’ contacts could lead to a NASA connection. The European Space Agency looms as a possibility for technical internships and summer jobs, and a private outfit like SpaceX could be a future destination. n

Shawn Fury is an author in New York City.

Catherine A. Georges ’65 became a board member of the National Alliance for Grieving Children and Easterseals. … Brian Fitzgerald ’67, Easterseals NJ president and CEO, was given a lifetime achievement award by Vistage, a CEO coaching and peer advisory organization. … Richard C. Genabith ’69 was presented with the lifetime achievement award by Marquis Who’s Who for accomplishments as an entrepreneur, court officer and legal administrator.

Richard Cushing, J.D. ’72 was elected president of the New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys. ... Mary A. Fierro ’72 was named director of behavioral health for Community Health Programs. … Donald A. Maxton, M.A. ’74 published Chasing the Bounty, the first book to include eyewitness accounts from the 1789 rebellion on a British vessel that sparked the voyages of H.M.S. Pandora. … Nolan B. Dawkins, J.D. ’75 retired from the Alexandria Circuit Court (Va.) and was honored with a 100-car parade. … Hector L. Castillo ’77 ran for election to represent New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District. … Walter Zalewski Jr.’s ’77 book The Poohman, about four college friends reconnecting at a reunion, was published posthumously by his brother. … Robert J. Carroll, J.D. ’78 was sworn in as acting Morris County (N.J.) prosecutor in October. … Joseph Camarota, M.A.E. ’78 was re-elected deputy mayor of South Brunswick, N.J. ... Charles J. Harriman, J.D. ’79 joined Bertone Piccini LLP, a boutique law firm based in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., as of counsel. ... Walter F. Timpone, J.D. ’79 retired from the New Jersey Supreme Court — the first Seton Hall Law graduate to serve on the court — and was named senior counsel with Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP.

Bruce H. Bergen ’80 was appointed by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders as county counsel. … Annamarie Bondi-Stoddard ’80 was named a “Best Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers in America for 2021. ... Yolanda Ciccone, J.D. ’80 was approved by the New Jersey state Senate as the Middlesex County prosecutor. … Clifford E. DeGray ’80 retired from ABC News after 40 years. … James A. Hicks ’80 joined Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer as counsel in the workers’ compensation law team. … William R. Abrams, J.D. ’82 was named president and CEO of the Wisconsin Health Care Association/ Wisconsin Center for Assisted Living. ... Richard Krawczun ’82 was appointed by Naples Airport Authority in Florida to the noise compatibility committee. … Christopher W. Burdick, J.D. ’83 was elected to the New York State Assembly in District 93. … Sarah Draidfort ’86 joined the board of directors for the Wayne County Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization serving Wayne County, Pa. ... Pamela M. Kapsimalis, J.D. ’86 was promoted to principal (corporate/transactional) at the Porzio, Bromberg & Newman P.C. law firm in Morristown, N.J. … Kevin J. O’Toole ’86/J.D. ’89 joined New Jersey Globe as a regular columnist. … Chris Christie, J.D. ’87 launched a fund to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. … Jack Howarth, M.B.A. ’87 was appointed senior vice president of investor relations for MiMedx Group. ... Roger Clarke ’88 published the book Where Did Mommy Go? with his sons about dealing with the grief of losing a wife and mother. ... William Wielechowski ’89/J.D. ’92 was reelected to the Alaska state Senate to represent District H.

Nancy Bangiola, J.D. ’90 was appointed executive director at Preschool Advantage, a Morristown-based (N.J.) nonprofit organization. … Deborah Brim ’90/M.B.A. ’00 was elected president of the board of directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Paterson and Passaic (N.J.). ... Mark Kahrer, M.B.A. ’90 was named senior vice president of regulatory affairs, marketing and energy efficiency at New Jersey Natural Gas. ... Hope D. Mehlman, J.D. ’91 was appointed general counsel and corporate secretary for Bank of West (a subsidiary of BNP Paribas), as well as corporate secretary of BNP Paribas USA, Inc. in San Francisco. … Lori (Pylkowski) Trotte ’91 and Greg Trotte celebrated 25 years of marriage in September 2020. ... Margaret M. Calderwood, J.D. ’92 was promoted to first assistant prosecutor for Morris County, N.J. ... Carole Mortensen ’92 was named head of credit for Toorak Capital Partners Inc., a capital provider to the residential bridge real estate lending industry. … Christoph K. Kimker, ’92 was promoted to chief of detectives for the Morris County, N.J., prosecutor’s office. ... David J. Adinaro, M.A.E. ’93 joined the New Jersey health department as deputy commissioner for public health services. … Laura T. Fluor ’93 was promoted to general manager of Circle BMW, an Eatontown, N.J., dealership. ... Andrew L. Hurst ’93 joined Baker Donelson’s business litigation group as a shareholder in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. … Peter Marra ’93/J.D. ’97 was sworn in as president of the Hunterdon County Bar Association in September. ... Patricia O’Keefe, M.S.N. ’94/Ph.D. ’14, president of the Morristown Medical Center, was honored by the Tri-County Scholarship Fund at its annual awards celebration in October. ... Elizabeth L. Reiff, ’94 was named vice president, commercial loan underwriter, for Lexicon Bank, Las Vegas’ first community-chartered bank. … Kent Diamond, M.B.A. ’95 ran for a seat on the Westfield, N.J., board of education. … Faith Ogilvie-Alcantara, M.P.A. ’95 ran for Florham Park, N.J., school board seat. … Monsignor Joseph G. Quinn, J.D. ’95 was awarded the University of Scranton’s 2020 President’s Medal. ... Susan Schleck Kleiner, J.D. ’95 joined Santomassimo Davis, a Parsippanybased boutique law firm. … Melanie M. Rosengarden ’96 was elected to the

CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

Tucked away in the Upper Clinton Hill neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey, lies Green Oasis Village, a community garden where residents can appreciate and learn about nature. Since 2020, it has also been home to Apiary in the Sky, LLC and Marcellis Counts’ 60,000 bees.

Not all paths to success follow a traditional trajectory. In 2014, Counts ’18 followed in his sister’s footsteps by enrolling at Seton Hall, hoping to become a surgeon. But after the independence of campus life proved difficult, he made the tough decision to drop out.

Counts began working with Newark youth programs, gaining a new perspective and motivation to return to Seton Hall. Approaching his studies with more confidence, he graduated with degrees in social work and Africana studies.

Working at public radio WBGO 88.3 FM after graduation, he met a man who kept bees in his backyard. “The more research I did, the more I realized bringing beekeeping to Newark could change the landscape of the city,” he says.

Counts interviewed Tobias Fox, a leading urban farmer in Newark, who introduced him to green living. After gaining a network of environmentally conscious mentors and using skills he learned in Seton Hall’s Business Boot Camp, Counts transformed his ideas into a business called Arkhive, a combination of Newark and hive.

Now called Apiary in the Sky, the company transforms underutilized or vacant properties into beekeeping sites to support youth programs and training for Black and brown communities while it brings racial and socioeconomic diversity to the industry. The work is not without its challenges — there are high financial expectations in urban agriculture, and bee life faces global threats.

“Although there are beekeepers all over the world, the overall industry is behind due to things like climate change or the introduction of pesticides that drastically reduce bee populations,” Counts explains, noting that he is committed to protecting bees in an all-natural way.

Counts wants Apiary in the Sky to gain B Corporation certification as a socially and environmentally sound company and would love to add aquaponics and vertical indoor farming to his facility. “I think having my own honey store would be pretty legit, too,” he adds.

But at the heart of his dreams is a commitment to “injecting love” into his hometown. “There are tons of amazing people in cities like Newark that are often neglected. I want people to be proud of who they are, and where they come from because we all have beauty

Photo by Kristine Foley

within us.” | SHANICE CASIMIRO

1. Cheryl (Janus) McCloskey, M.A. ’12 and Ryan, M.A. ’19, a girl, Skyler Grace,

April 24, 2020. 2. Caitlyn (Cafferty) Mehok ’11 and Ian ’11, a boy, Reed, June 8, 2020. 3. Anne (Touhill) Cantine ’10/M.S. ’17 and Mark ’10/M.P.A. ’12, a boy, Miles

David, August 24, 2020. 4. Erin [Egan] Harvey ’13/M.S. ’15 and

Ryan Harvey ’15, a girl, Harper Rose,

February 25, 2020.

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SHARE YOUR JOY WITH THE PIRATE COMMUNITY

Please send us your wedding or baby photos to alumni@shu.edu or shuwriter@shu.edu.

We may run your submission in a future issue of the magazine or on social media.

From left: Rachel Sanford Nemeth ’07, Jessica Lackey (bride), Philip Sanford ’05 (groom) and Vincent Novicki ’05.

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Tag us in your Pirate Pride photos @setonhallalumni or email us alumni@shu.edu

Don’t have a Pirate bandana yet? Visit www.shu.edu/alumni to request yours.

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PRIDE IN ACTION 1) Dean Falcon ’17 displays an alumni banner at Abu Simbel, Egypt. 2) Kristen Santullo ’20, daughter of two alumni, travels to Russia. 3) Harry D. Snyder ’68 shows off his Seton Hall face mask. 4) Maritza Aisha Ahmed, M.P.A. ’03 displays her Seton Hall alumni banner at the Al-Fateh Mosque in Bahrain. Jessica Lauria ’16, Margaret Kuntz ’16, Brianna Bisconti ’16, Thomas Calo ’16 (groom), Dana Grazia ’15 (bride) Mairead Glynn ’16, Ryan Hardardt ’16 and Billy Sheridan ’16.

Have you been promoted? Earned an advanced degree? Been honored for professional or personal achievements? Recently married? Added a baby Pirate to the ranks? We want to know! Visit us at www.shu.edu/alumni and share your success. Your news may be published in an upcoming issue of Seton Hall magazine.

If you can’t log on, fill out the form below with your news and send it to:

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Flemington-Raritan (N.J.) regional school district board of education. ... James P. Gilligan, M.S. ’97 was appointed president and chief scientific officer for Tryp Therapeutics. ... Mary A. Hotaling ’97 was named a finalist for Ms. Veteran America, a competition that encourages female military veterans to uplift each other. ... J. Anthony Jalijali ’97 joined AAK USA Inc., a manufacturer of specialty vegetable fats and oils, as head of finance. … Grace E. Yoo, J.D. ’97 ran for a Los Angeles city council seat. … Jesus Cepero, M.P.A. ’98 has joined Stanford Children’s Health in California as chief nursing officer. … Melanie L. Cradle, J.D. ’98 was appointed to the Connecticut Appellate Court as a trial judge. … Father Timothy L. Hubbs, M.A.E. ’98 retired as a military chaplain. … Thomas B. Keeling, J.D. ’98 ran for Mendham Township, N.J., school board. ... Radame Perez ’98 was featured in an online real estate publication for developing affordable housing in the Bronx, N.Y., for 26 years. ... Nicole M. Pride, M.A. ’98 was appointed as the 12th president of West Virginia State University. … Nyugen E. Smith ’98 opened an exhibition at the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, Texas. … Heather Tormey ’98 was elected to serve on the Colts Neck, N.J., board of education. … Michael Valente, M.B.A. ’98/J.D. ’98, vice president and general counsel at GCP Applied Technologies, was featured in Profile Magazine for his career in global industries. … Angelica AllenMcMillan, M.A.E. ’99/Ed.D. ’06 was nominated by Gov. Phil Murphy to serve as the commissioner of education of New Jersey. ... Barbara L. Hadzima, Ed.D. ’99 was reappointed to the County College of Morris (N.J.) board of trustees. ... Thomas R. McConnell, J.D. ’99 will lead Bertone Piccini LLP’s new family law practice. … Margaret Wastie, M.A. ’99 gave a presentation called “The ABCs of Candy” at the Westfield Historical Society’s First Wednesday luncheon series.

Louis J. Manger, J.D. ’00 joined Everest Insurance as head of casualty claims. … Thomas C. Reilly, M.B.A. ’00 was named chief financial officer of Cara Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company. … Joseph L. Ricca ’00 was featured by News 12 New Jersey as an education ambassador for his role as superintendent of schools of the White Plains City district. ... Steven J. Robinson ’00 was named vice president of JLL’s Retail Advisory Services in Florida. ... Joanne Azulay, Ph.D. ’01 was named executive director of Hyde Street Community Services in San Francisco. … Joseph P. Burbridge, M.A. ’01 authored a book titled Suzi Softball, which focuses on a message of inclusion and acceptance. … Felicia I. Ladin, M.S. ’01 was named chief financial officer, vice president of finance and administration, and treasurer for Cyanotech Corporation. … Daniel Johnson, M.A.E. ’01/M.A.E. ’04/Ed.D. ’11 was appointed by the Butler, N.J., board of education to become superintendent of two Butler school districts. … Nicole Malliotakis ’01 was elected to represent New York’s 11th Congressional District. ... John Scott Thomson, M.A.E. ’01 was featured in the National Catholic Reporter for his work as police chief in Camden, N.J. … Danny F. Tommasino ’01 joined the Metropolitan Commercial Bank as first vice president, senior healthcare lender. ... Michele P. Williams, M.A.E. ’01 was re-elected to the Toms River, N.J., board of education. ... Jessica F. Battaglia, J.D. ’02 was named inhouse corporate counsel for Larken Associates, based in Branchburg, N.J. ... Malgorzata (Margaret) Kot, M.B.A. ’02 was appointed vice president of Peapack Capital Team. … Tyrone V. Ross ’02 was appointed to the board of directors for Reality Shares. … Barbara Boyle, M.A. ’03 was named partner for Murphy, Miller & Baglieri LLP. … Richard Rosell, M.A. ’03 ran for Indian River County sheriff in Florida. ... Robert C. Ellis ’04 was sworn into the Franklin Township, N.J., police department as lieutenant. ... Latronica Fisher, M.S.N. ’04/M.B.A. ’04 opened a science-based alternative healthcare business in Houston, Texas. … Jennifer Van Der Wende ’04 was promoted to corporal in the Bureau of Corrections of the Sussex County, N.J., sheriff’s office. ... Alexander L. D’Jamoos, J.D. ’05 was elected to the Long Hill, N.J., school board. … Charnette Frederic, M.H.A. ’05 was featured in the online publication The World News for her work as an Irvington, N.J., council member. … Jack N. Frost, J.D. ’05 was reappointed to the County College of Morris board of trustees (N.J.). ... Kathleen M. Grochala, J.D. ’05 was elected to the Basking Ridge, N.J., township committee. ... Craig McGraw ’05, vice president of sales and marketing for TransAmerican Trucking & Warehouse in South Plainfield, N.J., was named to the 2020 NJBIZ Forty Under 40 list. … Christopher J. Morgan, M.A. ’05 was appointed chief of the Princeton, N.J., police department. ... Dean M. Pinto, J.D. ’05 is chief of police in Rochelle Park, N.J. … Alanso Tangarife ’05 was named regional banking manager for Charles Schwab, Southeast USA. ... Derya Taskin ’05 was named Democratic Party delegate for New Jersey, the first Turkish-American in the electoral college. … Freedom-Kai Phillips, M.A. ’06 was recently awarded a Canadian Centennial Scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. in land economy and international law at the University of Cambridge. … C. Lauren Schoen, Ed.D. ’06 retired as superintendent of Mahwah Schools. … Jeanette Baubles, Ed.D. ’07 was appointed as the Mount Vernon City school district’s director of education for K-12. … Svetlana Ros, J.D. ’07 joined Pashman Stein Walder Hayden as a partner. ... Paul N. Bowles, J.D. ’08 joined Fox Rothschild LLP in New York as partner in the aviation and litigation departments. ... Myra Garcia, M.A.E. ’08 was appointed vice president, institutional advancement, at the San Diego Symphony. ... Valeria Feit, Ed.D. ’08 co-authored a book titled Student Research for Community: Tools to Develop Ethical Thinking and Analytic Problem Solving. … Monique K. Perry-Graves, M.A. ’08

Seton Hall’s 2020 Rock the Socks campaign raised more than $70,000 from nearly 1,000 passionate Pirates. The campaign sent pairs of Piratethemed socks to loyal donors to acknowledge the impact they make supporting Seton Hall students.

Join our virtual community to connect with fellow Seton Hall University alumni, faculty and staff as we read and discuss books on lifelong learning and personal growth, novels and more.

ALUMNI PODCAST

Have you listened to the Pirate’s Eye? In this podcast, we interview alumni about their accomplishments and career paths. Visit www.shu.edu/ pirateseye or subscribe through your favorite podcast app.

A semester-long philanthropy effort in support of the Division of Volunteer Efforts (DOVE) culminated with Seton Hall’s December 1 campaign for Giving Tuesday, an annual worldwide 24-hour movement that promotes the act of giving back. During the campaign, Seton Hall community members raised $45,000 from more than 570 donors, helping DOVE exceed its fundraising goal by 96 percent. Earlier in the semester, DOVE solicited donations for local and global communities in need through three successful initiatives: a relief drive for children at the Maison Fortune Orphanage in Hinche, Haiti; a “Christmas in October” toy drive; and a hunger and homelessness food drive.

joined NCCU’s College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities advisory board. ... Timothy Purnell, Ed.D. ’08 was appointed commissioner of the Middle States Association on Elementary and Secondary Schools. … Christopher C. Robinson, J.D. ’08 joined Proskauer, an international law firm, as a partner based in New York. … Christopher Stark ’08 was hired as the executive director of the Massachusetts Insurance Federation. ... Magdalena M. Dewane ’09 was hired as copy editor for The Lincoln County News in Maine. ... Terry A. Morawski, M.A. ’09 was promoted to superintendent of the Fort Smith, Ark., school district. … Ana Kolodzinski, M.A. ’06 was recognized by the State Department during its 2020 Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. … Ryan Smith, M.A. ’09 was hired as program executive and representative to the United Nations at the World Council of Churches in New York.

Rahil Darbar, J.D. ’10 was promoted to counsel (litigation) at the Porzio, Bromberg & Newman P.C. law firm in Morristown, N.J. ... Alexander Grabois ’12 was promoted to serve as Chile’s trade representative in Philadelphia. … Bijal Patel, ’10 joined the dental staff at Elegant Smiles in Brookhaven, Ga. … Frank J. Sutter, M.A. ’10/Ed.S. ’18 was awarded a certification status by the New Jersey State Association Chiefs of Police. … Brian Connors, M.A.’11/Ed.S. ’14/Ph.D. ’20 published the first textbook on multiculturalism and diversity in applied behavior analysis. ... Kevin Webster ’11 was named “Man of the Year” by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s NYC chapter. … Jason E. Glass, Ed.D. ’11 was elected to serve as commissioner of Kentucky’s department of education. … Thomas J. DeFelice, J.D. ’12 returned to Circle BMW, an Eatontown, N.J., dealership, as vice president and general counsel. ... Michelle J. Egan, M.A. ’12, corporate communications director for the Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. in Alaska, serves on the Public Relations Society of America board of directors. ... Charles Farmer ’12 was among four University Hospital members in Newark, N.J., to receive the state’s first COVID-19 vaccine in December. ... Candace Marie Stewart, M.B.A. ’12, founder of Black in Corporate, was interviewed by Business Insider about her career as a social media consultant to the fashion industry. … John Cohrs, M.A.E. ’13 was named principal and supervisor of related services at Calais School in Whippany, N.J. … Kimberly Harrigan, M.A.E.’13 was appointed principal of St. Bartholomew Academy in Scotch Plains, N.J. ... Kerly Guerrero Narvaez ’13 was featured by News 12 New Jersey as a rising leader and scholar of the LUPE (Latinas United for Political Empowerment) organization, a nonprofit helping young Latinas. ... Daria Pizzuto, M.A.E. ’13/Ph.D. ’18 contributed to the book The New Teacher Guide, a resource for teacher educators and new teachers. ... Jorge L. Vasquez, J.D. ’13 became the director of the Power and Democracy Project for the Advancement Project National Office, a racial justice organization. … James J. Baber, J.D. ’14 joined the Goldberg Segalla’s workers’ compensation group in Princeton, N.J. as an associate. … Brandon M. Erby, M.A. ’14 joined the University of Kentucky as an assistant professor in the department of writing, rhetoric and digital studies. ... Claire A. McGuinness ’14 completed a master’s degree in public affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. … Michael A. Preston ’14 was ordained a transitional deacon. … Rachel Simon, J.D. ’14 joined the Pashman Stein, Walder Hayden law firm as an associate. … Henry E. Ludeña, M.A. ’16 was appointed to the detective bureau of the Summit, N.J., police department. … Brian P. Regan, M.A. ’16 became a captain in the Franklin Township, N.J., police department. ... Kevin Scimecca ’16 joined Fox Business Network as an associate producer. … Alyra N. Liriano, J.D. ’17 was appointed deputy regional president of the New York region of the Hispanic National Bar Association. … Tyrone Burton, Ed.D. ’17 wrote the book The Reframing of American Education about understanding inequities in the education system post COVID-19. ... Dylan M. O’Byrne ’17 was elected to the Wood-Ridge board of education (N.J.). … James W. Love ’15/M.H.A. ’18 is writing educational content for Pharmacy Times Continuing Education. His first published webinar was titled “Navigating Drug Shortages: The Role of Pharmacy Technicians.” … Joseph M. Zichelli Jr. ’18 was re-elected to the Cedar Grove, N.J., council. ... Eric Andrews, M.A.E. ’19 was sworn in to the Plainfield Public Schools’ board of education in January. ... Roxane Heidrich, M.A. ’19 accepted a full-time role as political and security trainee at the European Union Mission to the United Nations in New York, working on disarmament, peacekeeping and international security on behalf of the European Union.

Maria Gonzalez Esquivel, M.A. ’20 signed a contract with DCAF Geneva to conduct research/analysis on hybrid security processes in Colombia. … Joshua Smith ’20 and Olivia Trowell ’20 coauthored the book Wisdom of the Word: Women’s Prayer Journal: 52 Week Devotional Guide to Scripture, Spirit, Stress Relief and Reflection. … Gilbert Starcher, M.D.M. ’20 was ordained a priest by the Diocese of Metuchen in August during a livestreamed Mass. … Isabella Dicosmo ’21 was awarded the inaugural Carmen J. Liuzza Jr. ’92 Memorial Scholarship by Seton Hall.

Edward Twomey ’12 realized he was hooked on scientific research and structural biology just weeks into his freshman year as a biochemistry major. He loved being in the lab so much he never left it — he’s now an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of the school’s Twomey Lab, which opened in January.

Forbes magazine recently named him to its “30 Under 30” list of scientists, a recognition he regards as a “vote of confidence” for the research his team is doing in protein architecture and function, and in more targeted drug design.

Twomey made several key stops between Seton Hall and his current post. Before heading to Harvard Medical School as a postdoctoral fellow, he completed his postgraduate work at Columbia University, receiving two master’s degrees in biophysics and a doctoral degree in structural biology.

Twomey works with proteins called glutamate receptors, the main signaling agents in the human brain. One neuron releases glutamate and a second neuron receives the glutamate signal via glutamate receptors, and the communication between the two neurons is critical for learning and memory. As Twomey explains, “We are using structural biology techniques to understand the precise details of how this occurs, and also to understand how drugs interact with these proteins.”

This research has important applications, especially for developing treatments for neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, stroke and schizophrenia. Because roughly 90 percent of communication in the central nervous system is carried out by glutamate, a patient needing treatment for epileptic seizures due to signals in one part of the brain, for example, can experience adverse side effects from a drug that targets all glutamate receptors. Twomey and his colleagues are trying to home in on what makes one receptor different from another in the hope of developing drugs with fewer side effects.

To do this, Twomey uses cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), which flash-freezes samples and fires them with electrons, resulting in the sharpest 3D imaging of proteins yet. For the first time, scientists are able to discern individual atoms in proteins, like glutamate, in ways not possible through X-ray and other methods. “It’s addicting, because often times we are the first people to see how things in our cells work,” Twomey adds. Right now, cryo-EM has taken center stage in the development of COVID-19 vaccines as well as in understanding how the SARS-CoV-2 virus functions.

What comes next for Twomey? Building the lab, he says, with a diverse team of doctoral students and undergraduate interns to work alongside him and his pup, Olive. His main advice for any aspiring scientist is to “follow your interests, keep at it and

Edward Twomey holding a model of a glutamate receptor complex structure — showing it at 4.5 million times larger than it is in human neurons.

never give up.” | SHANICE CASIMIRO

Photo courtesy of Edward Twomey

Cheryl (Janus) McCloskey, M.A. ’12 and Ryan, M.A. ’19, a girl, Skyler Grace, April 24, 2020. Aanchal Nebhnani ’06 and Banty J Patel ’06, a boy, Axl, May 21, 2020. Anne (Touhill) Cantine ’10/M.S. ’17 and Mark ’10/M.P.A. ’12, a boy, Miles David, August 24, 2020. Caitlyn (Cafferty) Mehok ’11 and Ian ’11, a boy, Reed, June 8, 2020. Brianna Grande ’17 and Christopher Pirrello, twin boys, Nico and Luca, February 7, 2018. Erin (Egan) Harvey ’13/M.S. ’15 and Ryan Harvey ’15, a girl, Harper Rose, February 25, 2020.

Philip Sanford ’05 and Jessica Lackey on July 25, 2020. Dana Grazia ’15 and Thomas Calo ’16 on December 5, 2020.

Andrew S. Vitiello ’46 John A. McVey ’49 John A. Cancillieri ’50 Grace T. Crystal ’50 John T. Elwood ’50 Pasquale L. Lepre ’50 Francis E. Morgenthien Jr. ’50 Joseph J. Radest ’50 Louis M. Cochet ’51 Vincent P. Fahey ’51 Michael C. Galuppo ’51 Adolph H. Haug ’51 Karl G. Heinze ’51 Dennis C. Hogan ’51 Alex T. Kowalenko ’51 Thomas G. Madden ’51 John B. Reynolds ’51 William V. Weithas Jr. ’51 Raymond E. Wozniak ’51 Sal Edward Abitanta ’52 Michael Chicoris ’52 Attilio J. Giannico ’52 William J. McCullough ’52 Robert P. McDonough ’52/J.D. ’57 Valentino E. Pallotta ’52 Father Harvey J. Ballence ’53 John E. Runyon ’53 Irene M. Young, M.A.E. ’53 Robert L. Brady ’54/M.A.E. ’61 Rudolph J. Krukar ’54 Anthony Robert Volpe ’54 William J. Labus ’55 John J. Mooney ’55 Arnold W. Ring ’55 Dominick R. Cordiano ’56 Edwin P. Crowell ’56 Edward J. Loughrey ’56 Raymond M. Moran Jr. ’56 Mildred Strack ’56 Michael H. Cusack ’57 Thomas F. King, M.A.E. ’57 Anne V. O’Sullivan, M.A.E. ’57 Louis C. Radler ’57 Eileen T. Rooney ’57 Joseph N. Tarinelli ’57 Angela M. Viverito ’57 Michael J. Zecca ’57 William E. Barry ’58 Harry T. Hammond ’58 Norman F. Hughes ’58 Gerald W. Tamburro ’58 Father Frank W. Weber ’58 Anthony J. Giordano ’59 Virginia V. Lambert ’59 Thomas P. Leyden ’59 Richard C. Manz ’59 Joseph H. Shepard III ’59 Louis Mark Denegre ’60 Brian X. Duffy ’60 Robert Paul Forte, D.D.S. ’60 Arthur T. Frerichs ’60/M.B.A. ’72 Robert Patrick Greeley ’60 Ellen Miller ’60 Thomas F. O’Shea ’60 Robert H. Troester ’60 Gerald P. Brady ’61 Harold Eisen ’61 Thomas P. Maloney, M.B.A. ’61 Edward M. Milko ’61/Ed.D. ’95 James C. Orr ’61/J.D. ’64 Stephen E. Reznak ’61 William J. Tenerelli, D.D.S. ’61 Flora Maria Barlotta, M.D. ’62 Leonard V. Forte ’62 George L. Greene ’62 David J. O’Connor ’62 Nino Jerry Carnevale, M.D. ’63 Joseph R. DiNardo ’63 William S. Mazur ’63 Michael J. McNamara Jr. ’63 Anthony G. Potuto ’63 Lawrence Falcon ’64 John R. Fitzgerald ’64 Charles R. Guariglia ’64 Joanne Marino ’64 Father Arthur B. Schute ’64 Craig V. Smith ’64 Charles W. Demyan, M.B.A. ’65 Niva Romano Donohue ’65 Anthony Lamparello ’65 John H. McNeill ’65/J.D. ’68 Edmund V. Caplicki Jr. ’66 Bertha Fiore ’66 Thomas M. King, M.B.A. ’66 Ann M. Lorusso ’66 Edna Sturno ’66 Robert F. Fischer ’67 Mary Elizabeth Froustet, M.A.E. ’67 Joan R. Gadek, M.A.E. ’67 Robert Kobberger Jr., M.B.A. ’67 Kenneth C. Lougheed ’67 Sister Mary C. Mitrichka ’67/M.A.E. ’72 Anita Barker-Gawenus ’68 Peter F. Falco Sr. ’68 Carolyn M. Anderson ’69 Richard J. Hakim ’69 Thomas Michael Hunt ’69 Morris Lee Johnson Sr. ’69 Kenneth E. Kurek, M.S. ’69 Jane Anne Lauridsen ’69 Mary Jo Cecelia McDonough ’69 William Joseph Mulkeen ’69 Sister Claire E. Ouimet ’69 Monsignor Joseph F. Ambrosio ’70 Allegra Smith Rondinella, M.A.E. ’71 Verna G. Smith, M.A.E. ’71 Donald James Woodruff ’71 Anthony Paul Colavita ’72 Lawrence Fanning ’72 Barbara Vail Hollandt ’72 Raymond A. Levandowski, M.S. ’72 Paul D. Magna Jr. ’72 Beverly Mitchell ’72 Walter Vincent O’Grady Jr. ’72 Donna Gabriele Hunter, M.S. ’73 Robert Maul ’73 Donna M. Novak ’73 Beverly Obal Zygadlo ’73 Mamie Tam, M.A. ’73 Joseph Costello, M.A.E. ’74 Joe Louis Clark, M.A.E. ’75 Ernest V. Manzella Jr., M.B.A. ’75 Edward F. Martz ’75 Monica Neblett ’75 John L. Ramsay ’75 Anthony M. Lee, M.A.E. ’76 Douglas McAndrew ’76 Robert T. McGowan ’76 Leonora Damiano, M.A. ’77 Henrietta Dixon TuTu ’77/M.S.N. ’90 Garry Giammarino ’77 Carlos A. Baeza ’78 Roberta F. Zelasko ’78

Virginia Earl Decesare ’79 Joseph S. Lepore ’79 Paul S. Hummel ’80 Tracy M. Cox ’81 Tozia Beckley Hemecker, M.S.N. ’81 Donald V. Stellhorn, M.A.E. ’81 Anthony Joseph Auriemma,

M.A.E. ’82 Lawrence John Devenny ’82 Thomas Sim ’82 Patricia Sutter ’82 John F. LaToracca ’83/J.D. ’86 Phyllis Dianne Reynolds ’83/M.A.E. ’87 Joan M. Bushong, M.S.N. ’84 Santo M. Scaglione ’84 Michael J. Hovaniak ’86 Jon Brian Lanza ’86 Barbara J. Robinson, M.S.N. ’86 Edward Walsh ’87/J.D. ’90 Marcia A. Aloi, M.A.E. ’88 Father Hugh Murphy, M.A.E. ’88 Daniel William Brois, M.S. ’90 Paul Guglielmino ’91 Father Robert Drummond Bruso,

M.D.M. ’93 Lenore M. Vega ’93 Mary Horsfield, M.S.N. ’94 Shannon Boyle ’96 Kerry K. Clifford ’97 Sister Maureen Elizabeth Hickey,

M.P.A. ’99 Tim Kennedy, M.S. ’99 Timothy H. Rounds ’99 Thelma May Smith, M.P.A. ’00 Patricia Elmiger, M.A. ’02 Richard Ballas, M.A.E. ’04 Raymond P. Encarnacion ’05/

M.A.E. ’09 Judith L Gill, M.S.N. ’05 Steven J. Rush, Ed.D. ’05 Denise Bomba, M.S.N. ’06 Florin Butunoi, M.A. ’06 Michael R. Kunzmann, M.S. ’12 Courtney Michelle Mills ’13

Friends Most Reverend John Joseph Myers Emeritus Charles Yen Monsignor William C. Harms Janine P. Buckner Melvin J. Shay Rabbi Asher Finkel Joseph Moloy Michael Villanueva

Did you know you have free access to professional development sessions through Seton Hall’s Alumni Webinar Series? Each month you can hear directly from industry experts on topics SETON HALL UNIVERSITY Alumni Webinar ranging from improving your social media for business to mental health and well-being. Learn more or watch previous webinars at www.shu.edu/webinars

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• VIRTUAL •

The 35th annual Many Are One Alumni Awards gala will be held online in 2021. Alumni are invited to celebrate and continue the tradition of honoring our Seton Hall alumni, including our 2021 Most Distinguished Alumnus, Dr. Sampson Davis ’95.

Learn more at: www.shu.edu/ manyareone