print | close window | Where Are They Now?   | 1960s | Chris Christensen (B.S. '64) of Southlace, Texas, is VP of business development at Microturbo Inc., which specializes in gas turbine engines. Michael Battaglia (B.S. '65) of Oakton, Va., is a commercial programs manager at NASA. He develops policy and guidance for conducting NASA's commercial outreach programs, and for overseeing NASA's business incubators. Joel Klein (B.F.A. '66) of Centennial, Colo., says, "I am the senior communications specialist for the Small Business Self Employed Operating Division of the Internal Revenue Service. I represent the states of Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. I am responsible for all internal and external communications excluding media relations. I was a professional musician for 25 years and played the drums all over the United States. I currently have two drum students." Joel and his wife, Judith, are the proud parents of an 11-year-old son, Shelby, and a 6-year-old cat, Storm. Robert Nisbet (B.S. '68) of Huntsville, Ala., is a senior staff engineer at Dynamics Research Corp. at the Redstone Arsenal-Marshall Space Flight Center. He and his team provide technical support to the U.S. Army Aviation's helicopter programs, including supporting tactical uses for Internet and advanced digital mapping capabilities. Bob and his wife, Joan, have two grown sons, both physicians. Sharyn Kramer Shin (B.F.A. '69) of Long Beach, N.Y., says, "I went to the University of Wisconsin and received my M.A., M.F.A. and the equivalent of a doctorate in fine arts. I traveled, worked as an artist, photographer and teacher. My husband and I are at retirement age now and will be moving south in a year or so. I'm still into creating, but now I do small sculptures and digital art." Thomas Vanderputten (B.S. '69) of Shoreham, N.Y., is an electrical engineer for Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island. He is also the owner of Cypress House, a bed-and-breakfast in Key West, Fla. He says, "Since I was an old man (all of 22 years old) when I started NYIT back in January of '66, not too many of the Old Westbury branch are getting up to retirement. I think I'm going to clock out, hopefully before my actual retirement date of November 2003. I plan to move to Tampa Bay and find a few things to keep me out of trouble. I am hoping I can continue working in electrical power metering, which is what I do at Brookhaven Laboratory. Last summer, I enjoyed meeting my old class chum, Keith Rouse (B.S. '69), at the house. I am pleased to announce that my oldest daughter, Christine, will deliver my first grandchild in December. She was in attendance at my commencement, in her mother's arms."   | 1970s | Peter Primont (B.S. '71) of New York City is the CEO of Cherry Lane Music Publishing Co., which owns or manages the rights for hundreds of artists and companies, including Dreamworks SKG, the Elvis Presley catalog, the John Denver estate and Sammy Cahn. The company also publishes four music magazines and songbooks for such artists as Barbra Streisand, Steely Dan and the Dave Matthews Band. Jack Pitt (B.S. '72) of Allentown, Pa., is the author of the recently published book "Little Gentlemen." The book, available through major online booksellers, "aims to persuade teenagers to turn off their computers for a while and head down to the local park to play in sports activities," says Jack. A prolific writer and inventor-he holds a patent for a mechanical guitar adapter and has written a number of songs and screenplays-Jack works as a nuclear engineer for Pennsylvania Power & Light. He and his wife, Lynn, have two daughters attending college. Lawrence Roech (B.S. '73) of Westerville, Ohio, retired in September 2000 as senior corporate mechanical buyer American Electric Power after 26 years with the company. The following year, he graduated from Westerville's Citizen Police and Fire Academies and now volunteers for the city's fire and police departments. Sam Jasin (M.B.A. '74) of Jakarta, Indonesia, is the CEO of the Netrada Group, a communications, networking and web development firm in Jakarta. Gerri Ambrico Lanzetta (B.F.A. '74) of Malverne, N.Y., is a bridal consultant with two sons attending college. Gerri says, "I am a survivor of two bouts with breast cancer and am doing well. I was 31 the first time, 40 the second. I am now turning 50!" Daniel Marrone (M.B.A. '75) was recently named Member of the Year by the Long Island chapter of APICS-The Educational Society for Resource Management. He is a member of the business and management technology faculty at SUNY Farmingdale. Robert Bram (B.S. '76) of Manorville, N.Y., has launched a consulting career at age 76, after retiring from a 31-year career in the aerospace industry. William Byrum (B.S. '76) of North Augusta, S.C., says, "I am a retired Eastern Airlines employee. I was a technical writer in the flight publications department in Miami for 13 years. I enrolled in the degree program offered by NYIT [the Florida Program offered a special degree option to Eastern Airlines employees] to earn my B.S. in business administration and graduated with honors. I am now 85 years old." James Sherrard (B.S. '76) of Smithtown, N.Y., is a senior VP for Guy Carpenter and Company, Inc., a global reinsurance intermediary firm headquartered in New York City. he has been married for 25 years and has five children. Denise DiCristofalo (B.S. '76) of Floral Park, N.Y., is a special-education teacher at New Hyde Park Memorial High School, in charge of the Life Skills Program for developmentally disabled students. Denise says, "My son will be graduating in 2003 and will be looking at NYIT for architecture. He plays soccer (goalkeeper) and would like to play in college." Stephen Churchill (B.F.A. '73, M.A. '77) of Charlotte, N.C., is VP of instructional design technology at Wachovia Corp. in Charlotte. A former NYIT faculty member, Stephen says, "I have been in every facet of the training profession since the late '70s in a variety of organizations. My work currently centers around leading design on and development of desktop-delivered courseware using CBT, multimedia, web-based training, electronic performance support and virtual classroom technologies." Frank Darconte (B.S. '77) of Merrick, N.Y., is principal of Park East Construction Co. on Long Island. His company has designed and constructed spaces for a number of school districts and fire departments on the Island. A registered architect, he received a master's degree in city and regional planning from the Pratt Institute. Joseph J. Crispino (B.S. '78) of East Norwich, N.Y., is a security operations manager for the State Bank of Long Island in Jericho, N.Y. Ursula Adams Kurek (B.S. '78) of Woodbury, N.Y., is a nurse practitioner at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, providing physical as well as psychiatric assessment for patients who are admitted to the center's Hillside Hospital. Peter O'Leary (B.S. '78) of Moriches, N.Y., recently received the Tribute to Law Enforcement Award from the Suffolk County Police Athletic League, an organization that encourages fellow police detectives to volunteer time with youngsters and support fundraisers. Peter is president of the Suffolk County Detectives Association and serves as co-chairman of the Suffolk County Joint Labor/Management Committee. The committee oversees the administration of health and medical benefits for county employees, retirees and their dependents. Peter and his wife, Carol, have four children-Brian, Jennifer, Kevin and Peter G.-and two granddaughters. Shelly Albrechtsen (B.S. '79) of Centereach, N.Y., is a marketing/outreach coordinator for Parents for Megan's Law, a nonprofit organization in Stony Brook, N.Y. She speaks with PTAs, school psychologists and social workers in the New York metropolitan area to promote her agency's counseling and prevention programs. Shelly is married with two children, one of whom started college this fall. Richard Tesoro (B.Arch. '79) of Babylon, N.Y., runs his own architectural firm in Babylon.   | 1980s | Steve Celeste (B.S. '80) of Bohemia, N.Y., recently retired as a teacher for Suffolk County BOCES. His children are both NYIT alumni and BOCES teachers as well. Daughter Jean Celeste Hoffer (B.S. '86) of Saratoga, N.Y., teaches in Albany and son Stephen J. (A.A.S. '02) of West Sayville has followed in his father's footsteps in the Suffolk County system. BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services) provides specialized educational services to school districts throughout New York State. Gary Fippinger (B.F.A. '76, M.A. '80) of Hicksville, N.Y., is a manager for facility operations at MSNBC in Secaucus, N.J. Stephanie Dircks Cuddahy (B.F.A. '81) of Hamilton, N.J., says, "After writing advertising copy in Manhattan for many years, I've made a midlife career change and now teach elementary school in suburban New Jersey. I am married to Sean, an architect, and have a 10-year-old daughter." Meryl Manthey Dean (B.S. '81) of San Francisco sends good wishes, and says, "Many of you know that the high-tech world has taken its toll here in northern California and I'm no stranger to that! I've discovered that one has to get creative to earn a living during these times. So, after holding a California real estate license since 1989, I have finally decided to employ it." Meryl is now a buyer's agent with Prudential California Realty in Marin County. Vilma Lancaster (B.S. '82) of Freeport, N.Y., is the treasurer for the Village of Freeport and assistant VP of the board of directors at the Woodward Children's Center in Freeport. She is pursuing a master's degree in special education at Hofstra University. Audrey Leif Muller (B.S. '79, M.P.S. '82) of New Bern, N.C., has recently retired as a teacher of behavioral sciences for NYIT's distance learning programs and at other local North Carolina colleges. She is active in community service and secured the funding to start her community's library, the Red Caboose Library of River Bend. Audrey says, "Although I no longer teach, I continue to learn every day. What an adventure!" Sandra Wilson (B.S. '82) of Staten Island, N.Y., says, "Presently, I work for the New York City Police Academy as an instructor in the civilian training program. I teach Principles of Management and Supervision, Coping Strategies and Introduction to Supervision. I'm happily married but we have no children. We've been together 14 wonderful years." She recently received a master's degree in public administration from Marist College. Robert Ziermann (B.Arch. '83) of Greenville, S.C., is a project architect for the Pazdan-Smith Group in Greenville. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects. William Kolceski (M.B.A. '84) of Marcellus, N.Y., is controller of Auburn Vacuum Forming Co. in Auburn, N.Y. William J. Lindsay (M.A. '84) of Suffolk County, N.Y., was elected in November 2001 to a full two-year term on the Suffolk County Legislature, representing the 8th Legislative District, where he has lived for 26 years. He and his wife, Pat, have been married for 32 years. They have three grown children and are the proud grandparents of twin boys Gabriel and Daniel. Gail Drum (M.S. '85) of Bronx, New York, is a field representative at the National Education Association of New York in Melville, N.Y. Kevin Falvey (B.F.A. '85) of East Quogue, N.Y., is the technical editor of Boating Magazine in New York. Douglas Goldhush (B.T. '85) of Falls Church, Va., says, "After graduating, I moved to Boston to work for Digital Equipment, and went to law school at night." He now heads up the East Coast intellectual property practice at the law firm of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey in Tysons Corner, Va. Kurt Greer (B.S. '85) of Waterford, Mich., is an engineering supervisor, leading a component application engineering team. Donald Hankinson (D.O. '85) of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, was named 2001 Maine Physician of the Year by the Maine Osteopathic Association. Donald has a private practice in Portland and is a clinical instructor in family medicine at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. Richard A. Kennedy (B.S. '85) of Jericho, N.Y., is retired from his position as an inspector for the Nassau County Police Department. He was also the commanding officer of the county's 1st Precinct. John Sheid (M.B.A. '85) of Merrick, N.Y., is a manager for KeySpan Energy Delivery in Springfield Gardens, N.Y. Carmine Soldano (B.T. '85) of Deer Park, N.Y., is a sergeant in the Nassau County (N.Y.) Police Department. Joseph Umberto (B.S. '85) of Huntington Station, N.Y., is a project manager at Barnes & Noble, Inc. in Westbury, N.Y. Robert J. Corona (D.O. '86) of Skaneateles, N.Y., was appointed to a second term on the Board for Medicine of the New York State Board of Regents through June 2007. A nationally recognized speaker on the use of information and communications technology in medicine, he is the medical director of Welch Allyn, Inc., a medical technology company in upstate New York. He is also a faculty member at Albany Medical College and the SUNY Health Center in Syracuse, N.Y. Frank Ladonne (B.S. '86) of Buffalo Grove, Ill., says, "I originally enrolled in 1970, fresh out of high school. I was in the electrical engineering curriculum. The Vietnam War was on and this was a great motivation for staying in school. More than a few of my engineering classmates flunked out of a very difficult engineering curriculum, only to be quickly drafted." Two years later, Frank took a break in his studies to work full-time and did not return to NYIT until 1979. "I spent seven hard years finishing my degree at night. Keep in mind, one of the first courses that I took was Calculus III after taking Calculus II seven years prior! My degree from NYIT served me in good stead indeed. NYIT gave me an extremely well-rounded and practical education that I have found to be a very rare commodity." Frank now works in administrative services for Underwriters Laboratories in Northbrook, Ill., and is completing an M.B.A. at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. An avid runner, he has completed 12 marathons, the most recent in Paris. Patricia McMahon (B.S. '86) of Babylon, N.Y., is general manager at BAE Systems, a systems, defense and aerospace contractor with offices throughout the world. She works for the North American division in the Bohemia, N.Y., facility. Richard Trautwein (B.Arch. '87) of Pequannock, N.J., is a New Jersey associate for Mancini Duffy, an architecture and design firm based in New York City. He works out of Parsippany, N.J. Catherine Fox Martin (B.S. '88) of Springfield, Ill., attended medical school at Southern Illinois University and become a psychiatrist. She is currently taking time off to stay at home with her two children, a 5-year-old daughter, Claire, and a 20-month-old son, Eric. She is married to Dr. Randy Martin, a cardiologist. Robert Langer (B.F.A. '88) of Atlanta, Ga., says, "I have been working for Metro Networks for 12 years. The first 10 were spent in New York, doing airborne traffic reports from a plane. The last two years have been spent in Atlanta as an airborne traffic reporter, again in a plane-can't seem to move up to the helicopter! I am married to another alum, Nancy Mainelli Langer (B.F.A. '89). She is now an elementary school teacher in the Atlanta suburb of Newnan, and we have a daughter, Madison. While we love Atlanta, there are some things we miss about Long Island-beaches, good bagels and good pizza! Southern hospitality does exist in Atlanta, though-Braves fans have been very gracious when my family and I arrive at Turner Field with our Mets jerseys and hats." Sue Scott Ptacek (B.F.A. '88) of Bellmore, N.Y., is a teacher at W.C. Mepham High School in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District on Long Island. Giovanni "John" Graceffa (B.S. '89) of Syosset, N.Y., is an engineering consultant for a construction management firm on Long Island, and an active member of the Syosset Volunteer Fire Department. He and his wife of seven years have a 19-month-old daughter with another child on the way. Franco Nese (B.S. '89) of Morris Plains, N.J., is a demo pilot and project manager at Dassault Falcon Jet, a international manufacturer of business jet airplanes. He works out of Teterboro Airport in South Hackensack, N.J. Susan Wagner (B.F.A. '89) of Hilton Head, S.C., works for TRI-COMM Productions, a video and multimedia production company that produces advertising and marketing vehicles for corporate clients.   | 1990s | Tracy Stone LeMaire (B.A. '90) of Lafayette, La., says, "I have been working in the social service arena for the past 10 years, with a five-year break to stay at home with my beautiful 6-year-old daughter, Meridith. When I wasn't being paid for my social work, I volunteered. Presently I work for an organization called 232-HELP. We are an information and referral agency and I am the program coordinator for donated dental services. I have also been on the board of directors for Lafayette's local Rape Crisis Center since December 1995. I recently married a man named Marcus LeMaine. Life in Louisiana is wonderful. The food, culture and people are amazing." Angelo Michilli (D.O. '92) of Harrison, N.J., is in private practice (internal medicine) and an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx. Thomas Winzinger (B.S. '92) of Evansville, Ind., runs a business trading rare and used books. He recently relocated to Indiana from New Jersey. Stephen Panariello (B.F.A. '88, M.A. '93) of Key West, Fla., is a freelance videographer working in the Florida Keys region. Rajesh Goel (B.S. '94) of Richmond Hill, N.Y., is owner and chief technology officer of Brainlink International, a company that provides multiplatform technical support, digital security and web hosting services. He is the father of a 1-year-old daughter. Raymond Caliendo (B.S. '95) of East Meadow, N.Y., has been named one of the Long Island Business News "40 Rising Stars Under 40" for the year 2002. He is the president and founder of Art-of-Form Architects, a full-service firm with expertise in medical, restaurant and industrial design. His civic affiliations include the Suffolk County chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, World Vision and St. Christopher-Ottilie Services for Children. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the American Society of Interior Designers. Kyra Carbone (B.S. '95) of Massapequa Park, N.Y., is a medical technologist in the quality assurance department at the Pall Corporation, a manufacturer of purification, filtration and separation products. Gina Colon-Bumbalo (B.F.A. '95, M.A. '97) of Howard Beach, N.Y., says, "I am working for MTV Networks as a production manager. I oversee such shows as "MTV Cribs" (showcases celebrity homes), "Diary" (follows the life of celebrities), "Truelife" (documentary-style show) and many more. I am married for one year and am starting to get heavily involved with the Alzheimer's Association, due to my father and grandmother having the disease." James Bonasia (B.F.A. '96) of Westbury, N.Y., is a student at the New York City Police Academy. He recently returned from a tour of duty as a military police commander with the U.S. Army in Kosovo. William Greelish (B.S. '96) of Auburn, Mass., is a project manager in the design department at Goodman Associates Inc., an architectural, design and construction management firm in Shrewsbury, Mass. Sue Kimbrough (B.S. '96) of Jamaica, N.Y., is chairperson of the office administration department at Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York City. She has twice been listed in "Who's Who Among America's Teachers." Denine Agnew Mallilo (B.S. '96) of Sayville, N.Y., is a case administrator at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Central Islip, N.Y. Keith Bona (B.S. '97) of Medford, N.Y., is a graphic designer for Eastern Exterior Wall Systems in Bohemia. David Bridgelall (B.S. '97) of Manchester, Conn., is a manufacturing engineer with Hamilton Sundstrand, a division of United Technologies Corp. His company designs and manufactures aerospace systems for commercial, regional, corporate and military aircraft. Joseph Fenner (B.S. '97) of New York City is a writer and independent filmmaker whose poetry has been featured in national print and electronic publications. He is the father of a 6-year-old daughter, Jasmine. Carmelo Musacchia (B.S. '97) of New York City is a construction project manager at Fisher Development, a construction and design firm with offices throughout the United States. Melanie Torres (B.S. '98) of College Park, Md., says, "I own a home in College Park and work in Arlington, Virginia, for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, examining patent applications in the vehicle shock absorber and braking arts. I attend Strayer University, working towards my master's in business administration. My hobbies include home improvement, whitewater rafting, kayaking, hiking, traveling and skiing. A goal I'm working towards is a week-long backpacking trip in Glacier National Park in Montana." Ronald Marchesano (B.S. '99) of San Diego, Calif., is a teacher at the Horizon Bible Institute in San Diego and the chair of House of Compassion Women's Shelter. Thomas Palumberi (B.S. '99) of Kings Park, N.Y., is a traffic reporter for Metro Traffic & Weather in Woodbury, N.Y. Anthony Saline (B.S. '99) of Port Chester, N.Y., is a sergeant in the Mamaroneck Police Department. Gregory Ziminski (B.S. '99) of Bethpage, N.Y., is a research manager at Cable Scope in New York City.   | 2000s | Omar Deonarine (B.S. '00) of Jackson Heights, N.Y., is a switch technician at Vartec Telecom in New York City. He is enrolled in the master's program in telecommunications information management at Polytechnic University. Michael Mallari (B.S. '00) of Briarwood, N.Y., is a Senior Web Site Builder and Architect at the Rockefeller University, where he has played a vital part in transforming the University's online presence and capabilities. Nicolette Palmer (B.A. '00) of Amityville, N.Y., is an education and training specialist in the sales department at GEICO Insurance Co., where she has worked for four years. David Dimmler (B.S. '01) of Commack, N.Y., is an officer in the New York City Police Department. Andrea Schmidt (B.F.A. '01) of North Babylon, N.Y., is the associate director of development at the Ward Melville Heritage Organization, a nonprofit group that provides Long Island students with educational programs about the Island's salt marsh wetlands. Andrea manages special events for the organization. top | print | close window | ©2006 New York Institute of Technology. All rights reserved.