Graduates on the Go

A decade-by-decade look at our alumni.

| 1950s |
Alan L. Roth (A.A.S. ’59) isn’t ready to retire. The 72-year-old electronics and technology expert still loves his job at MJI Associates Inc., a Massachusetts consulting firm that specializes in business development. He keeps busy as the vice president of field operations for the company he helped create more than 25 years ago. Alan takes great pride in being a member of NYIT’s first graduating class and believes his education is responsible for a long and successful career. “During the past 47 years, I have worked for a large number of public and private companies and as a contractor to NASA. I’ve visited more than 50 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East—all because I graduated from NYIT.” Alan has worked on many notable U.S. government programs, including the space shuttle, the first communications satellites, missile systems, and other major defense systems. Alan enjoys fishing in the waterways of Sharon, Mass., where he lives with his wife, Rena. Together, they have five daughters, Harriet, Susan, Tammy, Mara, and Jennifer.      

| 1960s |
For nearly four decades, Joseph C. Dimino (B.Arch. ’62) has been responsible for the design and construction of post offices along the East Coast. One of his largest projects was the Morgan Mail Processing Center in Manhattan, a two-million-square-foot facility completed in 2002 at a cost of more than $250 million. Since retiring in 2001, Joe enjoys traveling, golfing, woodworking, and playing bocce in Jackson, N.J., where he lives with his wife, Jeanne. They have two children, Joseph and Lauren.

Robert Barone (A.A.S. ’63, B.S. ’65) swears his lifelong desire to learn was a direct result of his NYIT experience. A self-proclaimed professional student, he has spent the past 40 years earning higher education degrees from several accredited universities in New York. Robert is currently assistant dean and director of strategic planning and budget for a Long Island university, but he says his professional career began as a design engineer on the Apollo space program, thanks to his NYIT education. His favorite pastime is drag racing, a passion he shares with his sons.

Not only did George Marks (B.S. ’65) walk away from NYIT with “the technical background to compete with the best engineers in the country,” but he also says he learned more about life from his former NYIT psychology professor, Murray Banks, than he has from anyone else in the 40 years following graduation. After retiring from a successful engineering career, George joined Bette, his wife of 41 years, to work on two companies of their own: one is a wholesale dairy distribution company, the other an overstock merchandise business. They also “dabble” in wedding photography. George and Bette live in San Diego, Calif. They have two children—Don and Amy—and three grandchildren, Evan, Taylor, and Noa.

After “Coach” Ralph Schipani Jr. (B.S. ’66) enjoyed a successful career with IBM as a senior architect for the Websphere family of products, he devoted much of his spare time to community events in his hometown of Guilford, Conn. Volunteer work earned him several honors, including the 2004 State of Connecticut Volunteer Coaches Award; 2004, 2005, and 2006 Guilford Rotarian of the Month awards; the 1998 Guilford Sideliners Award for Outstanding Contributions to Guilford High School Athletics; and the 1997 Town of Guilford Coach of the Year. Ralph’s interest in sports stems from his years as an NYIT student. He was captain of the 1965 and 1966 baseball teams and earned four varsity letters from 1963-1966. Ralph has been married to his wife, Beatrice, for 37 years, and together they have two children, Marissa and Ralph III.

Hans “Peter” Haendler (B.S. ’67) says his NYIT experience laid the foundation for an exciting career in electrical engineering. “My education prepared me to work on the Apollo space program and, years later, on nuclear submarine design.” Peter has worked in countries such as Singapore, Germany, and the United Kingdom. He is currently senior staff consultant of engineering for the American Bureau of Shipping. Peter says he is proud to be an early NYIT graduate and is thrilled to see the accomplishments and strides that his alma mater has made through the decades. He lives with his wife, Nancy, in Woodlands, Texas. They have two children, Susan and Michael.

Bernard Rashes (B.S. ’67) has enjoyed a long relationship with NYIT. During the 1960s, he was the student manager of the Bears baseball team and a regular at basketball games on the Manhattan campus. After graduation, he was the first president of NYIT’s New York City Alumni Chapter, serving from 2000-2002. Bernie has enjoyed a successful career as an auditor and accountant. He lives in Fresh Meadows, N.Y., with his wife, Sylvia. They have two children, Michael and Elizabeth, and three grandchildren, Emma, Lily, and Daniel.

In 2004, James J. Stefanich (B.S. ’67) was elected to his second four-year term as the receiver of taxes for the Town of Oyster Bay, N.Y. Because NYIT taught him that “learning is forever,” Jim has enjoyed a flexible and successful professional career.
He finds his current position most gratifying as he utilizes his technical, professional, and managerial experience to serve his constituents. In addition, Jim has won numerous awards and recognition for his volunteer efforts. He has been actively involved with the Boy Scouts of America since 1978 and is a current board member for the Nassau County Theodore Roosevelt Council. Jim and his wife, Kathleen Hope Bannon, live in Syosset, N.Y., and together they have raised three sons: James, an officer with the Intelligence Division of the New York Police Department; Kevin, a lieutenant in the United States Air Force; and Thomas, a staff associate with the Plainview water district. The Stefanichs also have two grandchildren, Thomas and Katelyn.  

Paul D. Blumstein (B.S. ’68) remembers the Manhattan campus when it was still located in the old Knights of Pythias building. Despite those humble beginnings, he is proud that NYIT has become a well-respected university with campuses all over the world. Paul spent the majority of his career working in the electrical technology industry. One of his most rewarding projects was working for Grumman on the space program. Paul now enjoys a successful career in senior management assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He lives with Joan, his wife of 33 years, in Rancho Palos Verdes, a suburb of Los Angeles. They have a son, Brett, and a daughter, Ashley.
Harry Thal (B.F.A. ’68) may not recognize the contemporary, well-groomed college that is today’s NYIT. He was part of the first class to graduate from the Long Island campus and remembers when Education Hall was originally a horse stable. Regardless of the surroundings, Harry says the quality of his NYIT education was always top notch. Because this communication arts graduate was trained in front of a TV camera, he has no fear of public speaking and has taught and addressed millions of people on the subject of health insurance. Harry has published three books and written several articles for leading insurance publications. He has also helped draft legislation in Sacramento, Calif., and Washington, D.C., in support of lowering prescription drug costs and is a recognized member of the Health Underwriters Leading Producers Roundtable. Harry and his wife, Stephanie, live in the Sequoia National Forest in Kernville, Calif. They have one daughter, Melanie, and two grandchildren, Colby and Reagan.

| 1970s |
Reggie Shell (B.S. ’70) calls himself a “get-things-done kind of guy.” That’s an interesting way to describe a man who has enriched countless lives over the years. As executive director of Community Options of NYC, Reggie helps provide developmentally disabled adults and traumatic brain injury survivors with counseling, life skills training, and employment and residential opportunities. His dedication to sustaining and improving the quality of life for residents in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood is well known. Reggie started the Neighborhood Housing Services of Bedford-Stuyvesant in 1979 to fight unfair lending practices in the mostly African-American and Afro-Caribbean community. He lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant with his wife of 33 years, Sheryl—just four blocks away from the house where he grew up.

Gerard Bilotto (B.S. ’70) is a partner at Fox Rothschild, where he works in the corporate department and the intellectual property group of the firm’s New York office. He has more than a decade of experience in civil and patent litigation focusing on biotech and pharmaceutical litigation, products liability, and commercial litigation involving chemical polymers, pharmacology, toxicology, pharmacokinetics, and drug efficacy. In addition to being a registered patent attorney with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Gerard is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the City Bar of New York, and the New York Intellectual Property Law Association. Gerard credits his NYIT education with the success he has enjoyed throughout his career. “NYIT provided the preparation and course work I needed to take the U.S. Patent bar exam.” He adds that NYIT’s mechanical engineering courses came in handy while building his home in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. Gerard has two children, Gregory and Stephanie.

Emory Allen Burton (M.B.A. ’75) is the assistant academic dean for Georgia Military College, which includes several campuses across the state with more than 5,000 students. He attended an NYIT program for U.S. Army signal corps officers in Fort Monmouth, N.J., while on active duty as part of his 23-year military career. He retired from the army as a lieutenant colonel in 1988. Emory’s assignments included tours in Vietnam and Europe, as well as the United States. As part of his current position, Emory is involved in hiring teachers, managing academic schedules, advising students, and teaching history. “My NYIT experience was one of the factors that led to my current employment.” Emory and his wife, Patricia, live in Washington, Ga., and have a son, Bonner, and a daughter, Julie.

Christopher M. Neilson (B.S. ’76) was recently appointed county court judge in Hollywood, Fla. Chris has 19 years of legal experience, including 13 years in private practice handling civil, juvenile, and personal-injury matters. As special magistrate for the city of Hollywood for nearly five years, Chris worked in the code-enforcement area. Prior to that, he worked as a judicial staff attorney for the Broward circuit court and as an assistant attorney general in the Florida attorney general’s office. He once owned his own private investigations agency and served as a police officer in Hollywood, where he lives with his wife, Connie.
As managing director of the Dormitory Authority State of New York (DASNY), James M. Gray, R.A. (B.Arch. ’77) oversees a workforce of more than 400 people. The Office of Construction Services, which makes up two-thirds of the DASNY workforce, provides construction project management services to state and city universities and their community colleges, the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, special education schools, and other municipal, private-sector healthcare and independent higher education institutions. At present, the DASNY is supervising more than $5.8 billion in projects and is the largest public building agency in the United States. Before joining the DASNY, Jim was a senior building engineer in charge at the New York State Office of General Services, Design and Construction. He lives in Nathan, N.Y.

Robert D. Kopp (B.S. ’77) retired at the rank of colonel from the United States Air Force effective Aug. 1, 2006, after serving 28 years in the civil engineering career field. His 14 worldwide assignments included three command positions. Bob has since accepted the position of director of public works for the city of Carrollton, Texas, just north of Dallas.

Not only is John R. Sorrenti, FAIA (M.B.A. ’78), founder and president of JRS Architect, PC, considered a pioneer of alternative project delivery methods and marketing strategies in his field of study, but he has also become well known for his lobbying efforts on behalf of disabled Americans. Over the past 20 years, John has held such positions as the president of the New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects and vice president of the national association. In 1991, John helped form the guidelines for the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), and in 1993 assisted with the New York City ADA Code. John has also served on the National Architectural Accrediting Board’s committee for college accreditation programs, has performed peer reviews for the American Council of Engineering Companies, and is a commissioner for the Town of North Hempstead’s Historical Landmarks Preservation Commission on Long Island. In 2001, he designed and constructed his firm’s headquarters in Mineola, N.Y. As a NYIT student, John and his classmates successfully lobbied to have the architectural library moved to Education Hall. During his off-time, John enjoys traveling and driving his 1963 Buick Riviera.

| 1980s |
Michael Silber (B.S. ’80) has been named president of the Petroleum Group for PennWell Corporation, a global business-to-business publisher and organizer of conferences and exhibitions. Michael is responsible for many PennWell publications, including Oil & Gas Journal; Offshore; Oil, Gas & Petrochem Equipment; and Oil & Gas Financial Journal, in addition to the group’s conferences and exhibitions held for the global petroleum industry. Prior to joining PennWell, Michael held executive positions at several publishing and media companies.

Paul K. Gartelmann (B.S. ’82) was recently named associate at William F. Collins Architects, based in Setauket, N.Y. During his past five years with the firm, Paul has worked on the renovation of a Verizon building damaged in the Sept. 11 attacks and was involved in the construction of a communications center for the town of East Hampton. He is now working on several projects for KeySpan Energy and the U.S. Postal Service. Paul is past president and a current member of the Design Professionals Coalition of Long Island and has also served on the board of directors of the Long Island chapter of the American Institute of Technology. Paul spends much of his spare time building an environmentally friendly vacation home for his family.

Architectural model builder Gary Lawrence (B.Arch. ’82) is an expert on Gilded Age mansions. Gary’s book, Houses of the Hamptons 1880-1930, is scheduled for publication by Acanthus Press next spring. Gary enjoys gardening and studying architecture and social history. He lives in Stony Brook, N.Y.

As vice president for development at Midtown Equities LLC in New York City, Michael Stone’s (B.Arch. ’82) most recent projects include the Steel Point Development, a 52-acre, $1.5-billion waterfront development in Bridgeport, Conn. Prior to joining Midtown, Michael spent several years as an executive with The Related Companies, developing retail centers in the New York metropolitan area, such as Home Depot, Target, and BJ’s Wholesale Club. While working for Toys “R” Us, Mike was the project manager in charge of the chain’s remodeling design, which included the prototype for the Babies “R” Us stores. Mike lives in Melville, N.Y., with his wife, Janet, and two sons, Jordan and Brandon. In his spare time, he enjoys gardening, playing tennis, and traveling.

Maureen Picard (B.S. ’84) earned dual bachelor’s degrees in finance and accounting when she graduated from NYIT. She is now assistant superintendent of Norwich Public Schools and has been elected president of the Connecticut Association of School Business Officials. Maureen worked in the private sector for 16 years before her career in public education. Today, she is responsible for her school system’s finances, which includes a budget in excess of $60 million, as well as transportation, school lunch programs, 16 facility buildings, the technology infrastructure, and all non-certified staff members. Maureen has been married to her husband, Richard, for 23 years. She has no children of her own, but adds, “I see myself as having approximately 6,000 children, pre-kindergarten to grade 12.”

William J. Ennis (D.O. ’85) has been named president of the Association of Advancement of Wound Care, a worldwide association of 1,600 healthcare professionals, lay caregivers, and patients founded in 1995 and based in Malvern, Pa. He is the medical director of the St. James Center for Comprehensive Wound Care facility in Illinois. An osteopath who is board-certified in general surgery, vascular surgery, and family medicine, William is also a leading researcher. He has published more than 30 scientific papers and won several awards, and his research team has published more than 50 research trials. William lives is Palos Heights, Ill.

John Daab (M.B.A. ’86, M.P.S. ’88) has enjoyed tremendous success as a business owner, college professor, and art expert. The owner and operator of two preschools in his hometown of Princeton, N.J., he has also taught and lectured at several universities and colleges (including NYIT) on the subjects of building construction and management and has earned awards for his teaching abilities. In addition, John is a certified fraud examiner, specializing in art forgery. In 2005, his article about art forgery was published in Fraud magazine. He says NYIT “provided the foundation” for many of his achievements. In their spare time, John and Irene, his wife of 43 years, enjoy collecting and creating art. They have three children—John, Erik, and Catherine—and five grandchildren.

Merrill Lynch financial advisor Max A. Cameau (B.S. ’87, M.S. ’90) recently received his Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy designation. Max joined the River Oaks, Texas, office of the capital management giant in May 2006. He is also a member of the Planned Giving Council of Houston and the Greater Houston Partnership, International Business Initiatives. Before joining Merrill Lynch, Max worked for Morgan Stanley.

 | 1990s |
Every teacher wants to make a difference in their students’ lives. As a recipient of this year’s Chattanooga State Professional Staff Excellence Award, college professor Bruce Alston (B.F.A. ’90) is making all the difference in the world. His colleagues note his impact on “virtually every aspect of life and culture on the college campus.” Bruce has been working with Chattanooga State Technical Community College for 12 years as a media services team member and, most recently, as a producer. He assists the broadcast club and the radio station, WAWL-91FM, and serves as a member of the Tennessee Access Funds Committee. A New York native who grew up in Connecticut, Bruce now lives in Chattanooga, Tenn., with his wife, Susan, and their children, Amanda and Keith.

Christie Gucker (B.A. ’91) has been appointed production director of Oxford Communications, a full-service advertising, public relations, and graphic design firm with offices in Lambertville, N.J., and New York City. It is Christie’s responsibility to oversee all agency jobs to make certain they are produced on–—or under—budget. She lives in Hillsborough, N.J., with her husband, Chris, and their daughters, Samantha and Sydney.

Emmy-award winner and LI News Tonight Program Director Gary Licker (M.A. ’92) of Holbrook, N.Y., recently added “published author” to his list of accomplishments. Licker and his wife, Lori, spent years researching and developing their soon-to-be-published children’s book, Writing Right with Professor Pendleton Pencil, an activity book designed to improve handwriting and written language skills. In the spring of 2007, Gary will celebrate two decades with NYIT’s student-produced nightly newscast.

Henry C. Lyons (M.B.A. ’96) of New York City was appointed senior vice president and chief financial officer of Transaction Systems Architects Inc. in September. The company’s software facilitates electronic payments and is used by banks, retailers, and payment processors around the world. Henry brings 20 years of global finance experience to the company, having served most recently as CFO for the Discovery Systems Business Unit of G.E. Healthcare. He is a certified public accountant with extensive experience in financial planning and analysis, management reporting, and compliance.

Vertel T. Martin (M.S. ’96) is a full-time associate professor of criminal justice at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pa. She retired from the New York City Police Department in February 2002 with the rank of lieutenant commander of detectives after 20 years of service. Vertel taught various criminal justice courses as an adjunct instructor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania prior to joining Northampton College. She is also a paralegal and a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

Gabrielle Strati (M.S. ’96) has been recognized for “excellence in human resources” by the South Florida Business Journal. She earned the award for her “resourcefulness, work ethic, integrity, and commitment.” Gabrielle has more than 12 years of experience in the field and has spent the past three in charge of human resource programs for the GEO Group, a world leader in privatized correctional and detention management and a developer of medical and mental health facilities. She has a varied background in management and labor union environments, serving such industries as security, retail, supermarkets, and hospitality. She is also known for her philanthropic work as a volunteer for the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the March of Dimes.

| 2000s |
Thomas Bono (B.A. ’00) was recently appointed director of interactive production and animation of Group DCA, an award-winning online healthcare communications company. He credits his NYIT education and experience in the field of 3-D animation as one of the reasons for his success. Tom is responsible for the design, animation, and programming of Group DCA’s interactive, online sessions and oversees quality assurance inspection of all Group DCA offerings. Prior to joining DCA, Tom worked with clients that included Major League Baseball, NBA.com, and Hot Wheels.

David Rubin (M.A. ’00) fell in love with the Pacific Northwest after visiting some friends in Portland, Ore. Today, he works as an account executive with The Frause Group, a Seattle, Wash.-based marketing and public relations firm. Before moving to
the West Coast, David helped with the start-up of the Air America radio network.

Rahul Walawalkar (M.S. ’03) took home first-place honors from the 2006 Write Around the World competition organized by the Institution of Engineering and Technology. His award-winning paper was based on research that he did as part of his Ph.D. on asteroid impact. As the winner, Rahul will get a chance to present his paper to colleagues in other countries. Rahul is also being considered for a position at the Insight Engineering and Science Workshop, which is made up of the top 15 to 20 doctoral students from the United States and Canada. He and his wife, Netra, are expecting their first child soon.

Jonathan Varela-Agudelo (M.A. ’05) is a teacher at the Southern New York Residential Center in New York City. Jonathan is dedicated to helping young adults improve their reading and critical thinking skills. He and his wife live in Briarwood, N.Y.

Franca Trunzo (B.A. ’05) is the new director of education of the Greenville Baker Boys and Girls Club. She began working part-time at the club in 1997 when she was a sophomore in high school. Franca lives in Locust Valley, N.Y.

Thomas E. Downey (M.B.A. ’06) is vice president of training solutions for Karta Technologies, a provider of information technology and systems integration solutions to government and commercial clients nationwide. Prior to joining Karta, he served as chief technology officer and president of Thomson Learning in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was responsible for the development of all instructional technology product initiatives, business systems, marketing sites, and product support sites. Thomas has earned global success in the aerospace, engineering, publishing, medical education, and health industries and has more than 20 years experience in adult technical training and instructional technology. In addition, he led major development projects at Boeing Aerospace, Boeing Commercial Airlines, and several institutes of higher learning. Thomas lives with his wife, Maria, in San Antonio, Texas.  

Patrick Lynch (M.B.A. ’06) is a technical sales representative for the northeast region of the United States for Madison, Wis.-based Bell Laboratories, a leading manufacturer of rodent control products with clients on six continents. Prior to joining Bell, Patrick was a sales manager for Fastenal Company, a worldwide industrial distributor. He also worked as an assistant project manager in the construction industry in New York. Patrick lives in Bergenfield, N.J., and is engaged to be married.

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