print | close window | Graduates on the Go A decade-by-decade look at our alumni.   NYIT Graduates: Please send your updates to alumni@nyit.edu   | 1960s | Anthony Canzoneri (A.A.S. ’63) of Malverne, N.Y., is retired after 31 years with Delta Airlines. When he first started with the company, he had never been on an airplane. “I started as a loader and worked my way up to international customer service agent, a position that allowed me to put my multilingual skills in Spanish and Italian to good use.” Now, a seasoned world traveler, Anthony has a pass to travel for free for the rest of his life. Looking back on his days at NYIT, where he was one of the college’s earliest broadcasting students, he remembers being impressed that his professors were actually working in the broadcast industry. Charles H. Leone (A.A.S. ’64, B.S. ’66) of Annandale, Va., is one of NYIT’s earliest biomedical engineering graduates. The value of his NYIT education became evident during a 22-year career in the U.S. Air Force, where he held several engineering positions and ultimately retired as a colonel. After the military, Charles pursued another career, serving as program manager at Northrop Grumman until he retired once again. Four years ago, Charles underwent bypass surgery and now uses that experience to help others. He is the Fairfax Hospital coordinator for Mended Hearts, an organization of bypass survivors who visit those scheduled to have the operation and provide information that can only be conveyed by someone who has already been through the experience. Charles and his wife, Lydia, have two children, Jennifer and Greg. Nelson Luks (B.S. ’66) of Endwell, N.Y., says, “Life is good.” After more than 34 years with Lockheed Martin, Nelson has retired and enjoys volunteering, woodworking, golfing and skiing. Right after graduating from NYIT, Nelson started working for a division of IBM, which later became Lockheed Martin. He began as an electrical engineer and worked his way up to program manager. “My time at NYIT laid the groundwork for a very successful career.” He and his wife, Marsha, have two children, Jeffrey and Lisa. Herbert Lynn (A.A.S. ’66, B.S. ’67) of New York City is an associate partner and director of research and specifications with the New York architectural firm Skidmore Owings & Merrill. His 25-year career has afforded him the opportunity to work on projects all around the world — from a train station in Singapore to an airport in Tel Aviv. But now he is working on a project close to home — the Freedom Tower. The 1,776-foot tower will be built on the World Trade Center site. Upon graduating from NYIT, Herbert served with the Seabees, a group of civilian construction workers who helped build bases, roadways and airstrips for the U.S. Navy. Herbert and his wife, Judith, have been married 22 years. After 15 years as an electrical engineer for the Consolidated Edison Company, Ronald J. Balgain (B.S. ’67) of Brooklyn, N.Y., now volunteers for Jehovah’s Witness at its world headquarters in Brooklyn. Ronald is engaged and expects to marry his sweetheart, Silvana Zanella, soon. Mike Bandy (B.S. ’68) of San Jose, Calif., is winding down his 31-year career with Hewlett-Packard and its spin-off company, Agilent Technologies, where he most recently served as a vice president of the semiconductor industry. He began 2005 as an Agilent volunteer for the United Way. Mike and his wife, Irene, have two daughters, Eileen and Cathy; and one grandson. Mark G. Baran (B.F.A. ’68) of Burke, Va., is a senior liaison with the Internal Revenue Service. For 17 years, he has been responsible for setting up agreements with states and other federal agencies. Mark, who recalls attending NYIT as it was getting started, fondly notes: “We did great things with what we had. I especially appreciated the one-on-one relationship I had with my teachers.” Mark continues to follow the college’s growth and development. He and his wife, Mary, have two children, Melissa and Max. Michael Price (B.S. ’68) of Pembroke Pines, Fla., operated his own accounting practice for 18 years before joining Segall Properties as chief financial officer five years ago. He and his wife, Caryn, have three children, Joe, Alyson and Mindy; and three grandchildren. When he’s not working, Michael likes to golf and go on cruises. | 1970s | Leonard L. Muroff (B.F.A. ’70) of Port St. Lucie, Fla., is an inventor and entrepreneur. Leonard first applied his NYIT education as a videographer, and during a project to film surgery for a New York eye surgeon, he fell in love with optometry and went back to school to become an ophthalmic technician. “While examining patients, I learned that many of them had trouble using eye drops, so I decided to do something about it.” After much research, he invented E-Z Drops, a disposable strip that allows patients to easily apply eye drops. According to Leonard, one of the ingredients to success is to be very proactive and willing to accept rejection. “For example, I have my own three-foot rule — I talk with everybody whom I come within three feet of and hand them a business card. This lets me be persistent in a very nice way.” Leonard and his wife, Laurie, have two children, Bret and Cara. Witold Rak (B.S. ’70) of Queens, N.Y., is a fencing master with his own studio, Woodside Fencing. He began fencing in high school and fell in love with the sport. He devoted so much time to fencing while attending St. John’s University that he decided he had to switch schools to better focus on academics. That’s when he came to NYIT, where he served as president of the Life Science Club and student senator. But after college, Witold went right back to fencing and spent eight years competing internationally. He worked at the Olympics in 1984 and 1996. He holds a master’s degree in exercise physiology from Queens College and studied medicine at the Hanover Medical College in Germany. In addition to running his studio, Witold conducts research in motor and balance control. Barry A. Wall (B.S. ’71) of East Meadow, N.Y., is a vice president with JP Morgan Chase Bank and runs a successful wedding photography business. Barry and his wife, Eileen, have two children, Jonathan and Heather. Looking back at the good times he had at NYIT, Barry says, “We thought those days would last forever.” Mark Hehl (B.S. ’72) of Woodbury, Conn., has just started his own company, Hehl & Associates, which provides offshore supply-chain development consulting services. Previously, he was manager of worldwide quality for Timex Corp. While there, Mark implemented quality improvement and Six Sigma initiatives with the supply base in China. Building on his NYIT degree and subsequent master’s degree from Polytechnic Institute of New York, he has applied his skills in many industries, including aerospace, metal parts, plastics, glass, consumer products, pharmaceuticals, textiles, cosmetics, and automotive. Mark spends a significant amount of time in China, Latin America and other offshore locations, assisting clients and suppliers on various improvement projects. “The most rewarding part of my work is experiencing the different cultures of the world,” he says. Mark and his wife, Olga, have three children, Erik, Devon and Lauren. Doug Spero (B.F.A. ’72, M.A. ’96) of Laurinburg, N.C., credits the contacts he made at NYIT with helping him launch a 30-year career in broadcast news. In 1969, while attending classes at the Old Westbury campus, a classmate helped to get him a job as a weekend news editor in New York City. Doug transferred to our Manhattan campus, and NYIT’s faculty and staff members created a class schedule around his new job. Doug’s career took off, and he quickly established himself as a journalist able to move easily among radio, TV and other broadcast media. Praising the faculty at NYIT, Doug says, “They were fabulous teachers with real-world experience from within the broadcast industry. They made such an impact on me that I decided to return to NYIT to earn a master’s degree so I could become a teacher. It was time for me to give something back.” Once again, NYIT gave Doug the scheduling flexibility he needed by allowing him to work on special independent projects. Doug now teaches at Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C., and owns a media-training business. Doug and his wife, Liz, adopted their 8-year-old daughter, Molly, in China when she was just 14 months old. Doug also has two grown children; Cory is a member of the hip-hop group Northern State, and Tim is a physician assistant. Martin D. Springer (B.S. ’73) of Boca Raton, Fla., is an assistant vice president and investment associate with Merrill Lynch. He has been with the company for 21 years and specializes in private clients. Martin enjoyed working on the NYIT student newspaper and said it was “always a kick to see my name in print.” Tony Attanasio (B.S. ’77) of Orange Park, Fla., can add the word “author” to his list of achievements, having recently completed a suspense novel, “The Orchid Memorandum.” The novel is based on his 10 years with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and his work in the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) Crime Control Bureau. Royalties from the book are donated to the NYPD Foundation for Orphans and Widows, which helps the families of police officers killed on Sept. 11, 2001. After more than 15 years with NYPD, Tony joined DEA, where he specialized in tracking organized crime. An expert in international drug trafficking, he now teaches courses on terrorism investigation, police management and money-laundering techniques at Broward Community College and Florida Community College in Jacksonville. He recently designed a course on terrorism for local communities and industries to help focus on threat assessment. Tony has been married to his wife, Roxanne, for 14 years. He has four children. For his entire adult life, Rudolf E. Sonina Jr. (B.S. ’78) of Huntington Station, N.Y., has worked in roles to improve the safety of Americans — as a police officer with the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and as a serviceman in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He retired from the police duty in December 2001 after 30 years of service, during which he rose from patrolman to detective and earned nine awards for Excellent Police Duty. In the four months immediately following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Rudolf helped design and implement new security procedures to protect commuters, employees and assets of MTA. His work in the Naval Reserve is equally impressive. Rudolf won more than 20 military awards, including the National Defense Service Medal three times and the Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal four times. He was recalled to active duty in December 2001 and served on the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Joint Intelligence Task Force for Countering Terrorism. Rudolf and his wife of more than 30 years, Nancy Roberts, have three children, Candace, Rudolf III and Kurt; and two grandchildren. At first, Charles H. Spencer (B.S. ’78) of Babylon, N.Y., wasn’t interested in taking over the family business, a funeral home, so he became a New York City police officer instead. He took advantage of NYIT’s program to help police officers earn their bachelor’s degrees and says the flexible scheduling was key to his success. After 13 years with NYPD, an injury forced Charles to retire, and he’s now director of the Boyd-Spencer Funeral Home in Babylon. Charles sits on the boards of many charitable organizations, including Good Shepherd Hospice, and is past-president of the Babylon Chamber of Commerce. Of his years at NYIT, Charles says, “The professors left a lasting impression and gave me the tools to explore new things in life.” Charles and his wife, Adele, have four daughters. One of them, Jacqueline Spencer (D.O. ’97), chose her father’s alma mater and is a graduate of NYCOM. She has a private practice in Babylon. | 1980s | Brian Finn (B.T. ’80) of Sayville, N.Y., was named chief engineer for the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) last year. Finn started at the railroad in 1979 while still working on his NYIT degree. He quickly rose through the ranks and, by 1998, became assistant chief engineer of power, responsible for the construction, operation and maintenance of LIRR’s power infrastructure. In 2002, he was promoted to general manager of engineering infrastructure, where his responsibilities included oversight of the infrastructure of Penn Station, West Side Yard and East River tunnels. Brian says his academic and athletic experiences at NYIT helped prepare him for these challenges. “My engineering classes laid the foundation for structural and critical thinking,” he notes. “And as a captain of the football team, I developed strong leadership skills and learned the importance of teamwork. I apply these skills daily in my job and work with a team of people who support each other and work towards our combined success.” Brian and his wife, Kathleen, have three children, Katie, Colleen and Brian Jr. Andrew M. Kinigson (B.S. ’80) of Bollingbrook, Ill., is vice president of employee relations for Pepsi Americas. Having earned his Juris Doctor at John Marshall Law School, he is now responsible for all labor and employment law issues for the national corporation. He and his wife, Kris, have two children, Michelle and Adam. Caryl Gordon (B.T. ’81) of Huntersville, N.C., is an instructional technology consultant at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. She helps support the school’s Web-based course management system, WebCT, and works with students and faculty on technical issues. Prior to joining the university last year, Caryl was a curriculum developer and trainer for Element K, and a systems designer for Eastman Kodak. “I like meeting new people and explaining how technology can make their lives easier,” she says. “NYIT gave me the technical background to be able to do anything. The students studying in our major were very close, and we helped each other with school projects as well as life’s ups and downs. This is something that I look for in my career — people with whom I can share professional accomplishments and celebrate life!” Caryl and her husband of 24 years, Steve, have a daughter, Sara. Howard Storfer (B.S. ’81) of Coral Springs, Fla., is a busy man. In addition to working as a full-time professor at the University of Phoenix’s Fort Lauderdale campus, Howard is chief operating officer of a venture capital fund specializing in Internet projects. He is also working on a second doctorate degree. Keenly aware of the negative headlines regarding corporate ethics, Howard uses his work as a professor to influence “the next generation of managers to do the right thing.” Howard and his wife, Elida Claudia, have two daughters, Traci and Ariella. Herminio Torres Jr. (B.F.A. ’81) recently retired from the U.S. Marine Corps after 30 years of active duty. A lieutenant colonel, Herminio is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He recently joined EDO Corp. as a senior program manager. He and his wife, Margaret, have two children, Jay and Selina, and live in the Washington, D.C., area. Eva-Maria Heurich (D.O. ’84) of Longwood, Fla., is a physician in her third year of private practice, specializing in age-management medicine. She taught for many years at New York Medical College and Florida Hospital before becoming fascinated with what she calls the “ultimate prevention medicine” and decided to dedicate her life to combating the effects of aging. Eva-Maria says she was part of a very special class at NYCOM. She still keeps in touch with many classmates, and even shares the office of Andrew E. Krupitsky (D.O. ’84). Kenneth R. Dassau (M.S. ’85) of Marlow, N.H., is the assistant superintendent for student services for the New Hampshire School Administrative Unit, which oversees three school districts in the southwest corner of the state. He supervises special education programs and personnel, as well as the English as a Second Language program, and serves as the homeless liaison to the New Hampshire Department of Education. Kenneth’s commitment to education doesn’t end there — he is also an active member of the Marlow School Board. One of his favorite professors while attending NYIT was Dr. Richard Dibble (rdibble@nyit.edu). “When I read Alumni Notes, I am pleased to see that Dr. Dibble is still there,” he says. “It makes me feel not quite so old!” Ronald S. Litman (D.O. ’85) of Merion Station, Pa., is an attending anesthesiologist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He says the most rewarding part of his job “is allaying the anxiety and pain of children and their loved ones in times of great angst and stress.” Ronald and his wife, Ruth, have twin boys, Alan and Cory. Valerie Benton Pazmino (A.A.S. ’85, B.F.A. ’86) of Bellmore, N.Y., is a specialty sales representative for Bayer Pharmaceuticals. In her daily work, she often meets fellow NYIT alumni while calling on physicians for Bayer. She and her husband of 16 years, Melvin, have two children, Taylor and Preston. Dawn Romano (M.B.A. ’85) of Marlton, N.J., opened her own e-business in 2003. The idea for launching A Collector’s Haven came from Dawn’s growing awareness that many items found in local area stores were selling for more on the Internet. That’s when she decided to put her 20-plus years of information technology experience to work. She dabbled in eBay sales for a while, then dedicated herself to building her own business. “The added value of my M.B.A. from NYIT is that I have the knowledge needed to manage all aspects of my growing business,” she says. Dawn and her husband, Anthony, have three children, Robert, Nicholas and Lauren. Thomas Matteo (B.F.A. ’87) of Marlborough, Mass., is a photographer for WBZ-TV in Boston, Mass. For Tom, every day is unique since there’s always something interesting happening and he isn’t tied to a desk. He believes that the experiences learned during two semesters with LI News Tonight were the key to his successful career. “We have several interns at [WBZ-TV], and when I talk to them, I realize just how valuable my experience was. Many of the colleges these kids attend don’t offer such great media programs and real-world training.” Diego V. Pelaez (B.F.A. ’87) of Tampa, Fla., credits his work on LI News Tonight with launching his career in broadcasting. “I really owe a lot to NYIT. The college prepared me well for my jobs at News 12 and CNN, and for the Army afterward, where I spent many years as a film and video specialist.” Since 1999, he has worked for the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa and was promoted to producer in April. He is also a producer/director for the cable show Hip Hop 411 TV. Diego and his wife, Helen, have two children, Christopher and Alexandra. John Keville (B.S. ’88) of Houston, Texas, has been a patent attorney for the firm Howrey Simon Arnold & White for the past nine years. He put himself through law school at night while working as an engineer. John and his wife, Sandra, have three children, Max, Jake and Olivia. He says he still enjoys playing lacrosse and coaches his sons’ baseball and football teams. Norman C. Pimentel (M.S. ’88) of San Antonio, Texas, is the purchasing director for Desert Glory, one of the largest greenhouse operations in the country. Raised in Costa Rica, Norman attended NYIT on a Fulbright Scholarship. While attending class, Norman remembers having to learn about heat transference, but never thought he would use that knowledge in his daily life. “Now that my responsibility is overseeing the heat in the company’s greenhouses, that information has become real handy.” | 1990s | Sal Castro (B.S. ’90, M.S. ’93) of Elmont, N.Y., is the chief engineer for North Shore Towers Apartments Inc., which has its own cogeneration plant and is completely isolated from the national utility grid. Sal, who has been with North Shore Towers for 27 years, recently attended a meeting of NYIT alumni, faculty and students to offer his ideas for the Solar Decathlon, a national solar-energy house contest. “It was great to be back on campus again,” he says. “There are a lot of great things going on.” Sal and his wife, Carol, have three children, Michael, Daniel and Allison; and one granddaughter. James J. Lillie (B.S. ’90, M.B.A. ’97) of Ronkonkoma, N.Y., recently opened his own law practice, where he specializes in patents, trademarks, copyrights and business law. James and his wife, Donna, have two children, Kendall and Benjamin. Neven Soric (B.S. ’92, M.S. ’97) of Huntington, N.Y., operates his own Internet and marketing solutions business, Nasiks Productions, which specializes in creating custom Web sites for small to medium-sized businesses. He decided to start his own company after years of working for others. “I was ready to be in a position where I could make my own decisions and set the course for a company. Sink or swim ... there’s no greater risk, and there is no greater reward,” he says. Neven, a diehard Mustang automobile enthusiast, is the proud owner of a 1995 Mustang GT and has successfully launched his own Web site, StangBangers.com, which celebrates Mustang cars. “NYIT gave me the tools to meet the challenges that lay ahead,” he says. “The friendships made were lifelong. Funny, my wife also went to NYIT, but we didn’t meet until years later.” Neven and his wife, Ivy Silver Soric (B.F.A. ’90), have a son, Nathan. Denise Rafkind (B.S. ’93) of Babylon, N.Y., is an art director at Sanna Mattson and MacLeod, where she handles many high-profile clients. Her most recent accomplishment was designing all elements of a program for Perillo Tours. In addition, she captured bronze BOLI (Best on Long Island) awards in both 2003 and 2004. Denise also runs her own scented card company called Common Scents Cards. “I absolutely loved NYIT,” Denise says. “Roz Reiman, who was the head of the advertising department when I attended, was a true role model for me. I really learned a lot from her.” Katelyn Galante (B.F.A. ’94) (formerly Kathrine Dohm) of Epping, N.H., is director of interior design for JSA Inc., a national design firm. Katelyn has more than a decade of commercial interior design experience in the healthcare arena. She is a member of the International Design Association and has served as past director for the Healthcare Forum. She has written numerous articles for the journal Healthcare Review. She and her husband, Tom, have two children, Meghan and Jessica. Paul McGinniss (M.S. ’95) of Farmingdale, N.Y., was promoted to director of people development at Time Warner Book Group this year. He started with the company four years ago as training manager and built the training department from scratch. In addition, Paul is a published poet and musician. “NYIT was great,” he says about his years at the college. “Dr. [Richard] Dibble (rdibble@nyit.edu) is phenomenal — a great mentor, a great teacher.” Since his father was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Paul has helped out with numerous fundraising events to help find a cure and bring comfort to those with the disease. Juan Aviles (B.S. ’96) of East Islip, N.Y., is a project manager with Einhorn Yaffee Prescott Architecture and Engineering. He has been involved in the historical preservation of several famous sites, including the United Nations building and the Federal Hall National Memorial. He has also been involved in the construction of many college and university structures, including the new dining and residence halls at St. John’s University. Juan and his wife, Jacqueline, have a daughter, Amanda. Lisa Canari Mitnick (B.F.A. ’97) of Selden, N.Y., is the senior marketing and public relations manager for People’s Alliance Federal Credit Union. Lisa is a newlywed, having recently married her longtime sweetheart, Keith Mitnick. She said her experiences working at LI News Tonight confirmed for her that she was better at the behind-the-scenes work of public relations than reporting in front of a camera. But she values the time she spent reporting for the program. “It was the experience of a lifetime,” she says. | 2000s | Maria Dontas (B.F.A. ’00) of Bethlehem, Pa., is an interior designer with Haberle Design Inc., a commercial furniture dealership in Allentown, Pa. She says, “NYIT was a great experience. I have so many memories. Some of my very best friends are people I met while at NYIT. We still try to e-mail or call each other whenever possible. It’s a bit tough now that we’ve all moved away, but it sure is great to hear their voices when they call.” Donald Smith (B.S. ’00) of White Plains, N.Y., teaches computer-aided drawing at a high school in the Bronx, N.Y. He was recently included in the seventh edition of “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.” Shelia Daugherty Mims (B.F.A. ’03) of Manhattan is back at NYIT, pursuing a master’s degree in communications, which she hopes to complete in May. For the past 11 years, Shelia has worked in the advertising department of Thirteen/WNET, where she serves as assistant director of advertising. Shelia started her college career at a big school in the South where she grew up but didn’t like the large class sizes. She subsequently moved in with an aunt in New York City so she could gain access to “NYIT’s more intimate setting.” Shelia and her husband, George, have one son, Isaac. top | print | close window | ©2006 New York Institute of Technology. All rights reserved.