HONORING RETIREES

Photo by Linda Wach

FOR YOUR SERVICE FOR YOUR SERVICE

THE MEDAILLE COMMUNITY HONORS 2020 FACULTY & STAFF RETIREES

The year 2020 brought the retirement of 23 faculty and staff members who collectively served the Medaille College community for hundreds of years. On August 12, the Office of Academic Affairs hosted a gathering to honor these individuals who served in a variety of roles at the College and made a lasting impact on students and colleagues alike. Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs Janel M. Curry, Ph.D., thanked the honorees for their years of dedicated service and commitment to embodying the Medaille mission.

to the following full-time faculty members who have been elevated to faculty emeritus status upon their retirement, based on the recommendation of the Promotion and Tenure Committee:

Virginia Batchelor, Ph.D.

PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

“Virginia has been a mentor to many of us. She always reminded us of the importance of taking care of ourselves and each other, and her caring heart and gentleness are present in everything she does.” — Chair of the Department of Education Jeffrey A. Faunce, Ph.D.

Alan Bigelow, Ph.D.

PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

“Alan is a stellar artist (see webyarns.com) and teacher. He has pushed us all to embrace the evolving media environment, and led major efforts to assess and improve student learning at Medaille.” — Professor of Philosophy Gerald J. Erion, Ph.D.

Terri Borchers, J.D., Ph.D.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

“Terri is a brilliant writer and scholar who works tirelessly for her students, colleagues and friends. Her passion and creativity energize all of us!” — Professor of Philosophy Gerald J. Erion, Ph.D.

Craig Centrie, Ph.D.

PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

“Craig always brought a fresh perspective to his classes, our department and the entire campus. He would pose questions to his students and colleagues that often made us think in a new way and reminded us of our responsibilities as educators.” — Chair of the Department of Education Jeffrey A. Faunce, Ph.D.

Mary Louise Hill, Ph.D.

PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

“Mary Lou is an amazing writer, mentor and campus leader. Her creative, encouraging and interdisciplinary approach to student writing is one that we can all strive to use in our classes.” — Professor of Philosophy Gerald J. Erion, Ph.D.

Mark Lavatelli, M.A., M.F.A.

PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

“Mark’s warm smile, quick laugh and bright energy are familiar to anyone who knows him. He is a great academic leader and a remarkable artist whose work has inspired many of us to new critical and creative projects.” — Professor of Philosophy Gerald J. Erion, Ph.D.

Lisa Marsherall, M.A.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF THE PRACTICE AND FORMER CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION & SPORT STUDIES

“Lisa was more than a professor to her students; she served as a caring mentor and a homeaway-from-home loving adult. Her tireless work to always improve our department leaves a lasting legacy at the College.” — Chair of the Department of Social Sciences, Communication & Sport Studies Richard L. Jacob, Ph.D.

Marianne Sullivan, Ph.D.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF THE PRACTICE, DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP

“Marianne has been consistently mentioned by MAOL students as their favorite part of their experience at Medaille. I can honestly say that I have never seen an instructor who is more prepared for class or who makes herself more available to her students.” — Chair of the Department of Business, Management & Leadership Susan C. Steffan, MBA

“Bill is known for his thoughtful comments, his ability to focus on the bigger picture and his firm belief in the importance of good leadership. He is a legend among our business students and faculty, and is universally the person alumni remember and quote.” — Chair of the Department of Business, Management & Leadership Susan C. Steffan, MBA the following faculty retirees for their many years of service and commitment:

Deborah Ceppaglia, M.L.S.

PROFESSOR AND PROFESSIONAL LIBRARIAN, LIBRARY “College is all about teaching and learning, and Debby made her mark on Medaille by consistently and relentlessly improving both. Her expertise in this capacity helped her serve as a trusted mentor to students and colleagues alike.” — Associate Professor & Library Director Andrew Yeager, M.L.S.

Richard Gerber, Ph.D.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS & TECHNOLOGY “Richard’s legacy includes high-quality, impactful instruction and excellent attention to detail. His standards for his students were high, and he was a leader who contributed much to our mathematics and science programs.” “John served as a powerful advocate for students and faculty. He imparted wisdom and challenged students to dig deep to question and learn.” — Chair of the Department of Social Sciences, Communication & Sport Studies Richard L.

Jacob, Ph.D. — Lab Manager Lynn Kozinski and Chair of the Department of Science, Mathematics & Technology Vochita Mihai, Ph.D.

the following staff retirees for their many years of service and commitment:

Kathleen Crouse

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, ROCHESTER CAMPUS

“Kathy emulates excellence, positivity and professionalism, and she helped make our Rochester campus an inviting and fun place. She embodied the Medaille mission through acts of kindness, and was our ‘sunflower,’ always shining bright!” — Assistant Director and Academic Services Coordinator, Rochester Campus, Ann Horn-Jeddy

Marsha Glose, RN, B.S.N., M.S.Ed.

DIRECTOR OF STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES

“Marsha’s calming demeanor, professionalism and medical knowledge were always a source of comfort to those around her. She was always prepared to help students or colleagues in whatever ways she could.” — Vice President for Student Development Amy M. DeKay ’95

Ellie Hudson

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY TECHNOLOGY / DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS & TECHNOLOGY

“Ellie was instrumental in the development of Medaille’s vet tech programs. She was dedicated, extremely competent, resourceful and compassionate, and she faithfully and unselfishly shared her time and expertise. Her impact is immeasurable.” — Professor Joseph E. Savarese, D.V.M.

Chet Klimek

MANAGER OF THE ACADEMIC COMPUTER CENTER

“Chet was a dedicated, detail-oriented engineer. In IT, there is a lot of process-oriented work that needs to be done to make our solutions credible, and Chet took the time to plan, implement and document his work for the good of the College.” — Chief Information Officer Robert D. Chyka

Anita Kopra

BANNER SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR

“Anita is always willing to learn new things and is eager to go the extra mile to help keep our students, faculty and staff happy. She cares greatly about her work and the people she supports. Fortunately for us, our IT Department was able to convince Anita to join our Help Desk once again after a lengthy three months of retirement. Everyone is happy to have her back!” — Chief Information Officer Robert D. Chyka

Harvey Lyle

PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER

“Harvey had a wealth of knowledge about the College that was extremely helpful to new officers and staff. He worked hard to protect everyone, and his time and dedication will always be appreciated.” — Director of Campus Public Safety Debra Kelly “Deb led by example, with empathy, professionalism and a sense of humor. She always advocated for both students and colleagues, and was known as someone who was always willing to listen and help.” — Former Director of Academic Advisement Erin Pawlak

Jeanne Mossios

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL AID

“Jeanne touched the lives thousands of students over her 40 plus years at Medaille. She served on countless committees and professional groups, and her talents and spirits will be missed, not only in our office, but throughout the College.” — Director of Financial Aid James Ayers

Susan O’Leary

FINANCIAL AID OFFICE MANAGER

“In over 15 years at Medaille, Susan embodied hard work and optimism. Students and staff loved her, and she was never afraid to volunteer for a new challenge.” — Director of Financial Aid James Ayers

La’Wain Reed

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

“La’Wain served as the rock and glue of our department for a very long time. She was our sounding board and the person who we all counted on. Our students and faculty will miss her smile, her dedication and her presence.” — Chair of the Department of Education Jeffrey A. Faunce, Ph.D.

Michael Szczepanski

COLLECTIONS MANAGER

“Michael was hard-working and dedicated, even when the tasks were not easy, and he left an impact on many students and departments. We miss him making us laugh in the Student Accounts Office!” — Bursar Karen Kosowski and the Student Accounts Office Staff