Graduates on the Go

1960s

If you’re looking for an example of some twists and turns that people take on the road to success, Joel Klein (B.F.A. ’66) fits the bill. His career has spanned several industries, from television production to the military after he was drafted to entertainment as a professional drummer. Today, Joel works for the Internal Revenue Service and produces Flash presentations and streaming video feeds as part of its visual communications group.

Michael Rikon (B.S. ’66) is a partner at Goldstein, Goldstein, Rikon & Gottlieb, P.C., a New York City law firm that specializes in the practice of eminent domain. Michael was among the first graduates of NYIT to become a member of the New York State Bar. Before entering private practice, he also worked as a judge. Married for 40 years, Michael has two children: Carrie “Shoshanna” Rikon (B.S. ’97), who runs a Jewish matchmaking service in Manhattan, and Joshua, who practices law at Michael’s firm.

When Ralph Schipani (B.S. ’66) attended NYIT, computers were still in their primordial stages and floppy disks had yet to be invented. But Ralph had the foresight to switch majors from electrical technology to computer technology, and he has never looked back. Over four decades, he worked for several computer firms until his retirement from IBM in 2005. Today, he fills his days coaching high school sports and lives in Connecticut with his wife of 40 years.

1970s

Step aside, Ed McMahon. If you’ve ever received an envelope from Publishers Clearing House, odds are that Joe Del Broccolo (B.F.A. ’70) played a role in it. At one point, the Brooklyn native was the art supervisor for the Port Washington, N.Y-based company. Although Joe has spent his entire career in direct mail, today he spends time on his blog,

Winter Haven, Fla., Police Chief Mark LeVine (B.S. ’77) is retiring this October. He was promoted to the position in 2006, and had previously served as chief in Lake Wales, Fla.

Game on! Rick Carini (B.S. ’78) works for Dell as senior manager of gaming technology and architecture, a role he took on when the company became more involved in PC gaming. He credits NYIT with giving him the start he needed to be successful in this competitive market. “From an engineering perspective, the logic design teachers and courses were excellent and really prepared me.”

After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Robert Kreuder (B.S. ’78) married his high school sweetheart. Today, they have two children, and Robert is enjoying a life of fishing and family time following his retirement from the Suffolk County Police Department in 2003.

Bruce Jabbonsky (B.Arch. ’79) is remaking history—literally. A graduate of the NYIT architecture program, Bruce specializes in restoring historical buildings. He is vice president at STV New York, an engineering, architectural, planning, and construction management firm with 28 offices throughout the United States. Bruce’s work aims to create a balance between preserving the character of structures and introducing modern upgrades, such as improved safety and fire systems, security, and communications. His current project is the Hoboken (N.J.) Terminal and Yard Complex, listed in the National Register of Historic Places. When completed, the facility will accommodate as many as 10,000 passengers daily.

1980s

Researching complex problems is something Dorian Archetto (B.S. ’81) has always enjoyed. And he certainly found something to get excited about at Grumman Aerospace, where he diagnosed flight anomalies associated with the autopilot system, radar altimeter, and flight control systems in the 1980s. In 1992, he switched gears and moved into the information technology field, where he still loves coming up with the right solutions.

Anthony DiDaniele (B.S. ’81) is now senior vice president, software engineering, at Xterprise Inc., where his more than 20 years of experience in the development of enterprise-class software applications that will support the Dallas/Fort Worth company’s continued growth.

“I make Web sites. Can I make yours?” That’s the signature in Mike Dragonetti’s (B.F.A. ’81) e-mails, and it describes the turn his life has taken. His vocation started out as a favor, when he designed a site for his local Knights of Columbus chapter. Today, he creates and maintains Web sites for a number of clients.

To Terry Niedzialek (B.F.A. ’81), hairstyles aren’t a fad; they’re a way of life. The founder of Earth Hair Sculpture utilizes the human form and hair to create works of art. Based in Kutztown, Penn., Terry has received fellowships and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and other institutions. Her sculptures have been featured in museums (including the Victoria and Albert in London and the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.), galleries, shows, magazines, and television programs around the world.

New York Governor David A. Paterson has named Mark J. Grossman (M.A. ’83) as the state labor commissioner’s Long Island regional representative. He has more than 25 years of experience in government and public relations, including serving as a top aide to Governor Mario M. Cuomo. He is also one of the founding faculty members of LI News Tonight, NYIT’s student-produced television news program, and served as its production manager from 1983 to 1985. Mark is also a former NYIT adjunct professor of communication arts and advertising. He and his wife, Lisa, live in East Patchogue, N.Y., with their two daughters.

Jeffrey S. Morosoff (B.F.A. ’83, M.A. ’01), former NYIT director of alumni and government relations and later director of foundation and corporate relations, is the new vice president for institutional advancement at Nassau Community College. A lover of all things radio, he also serves as part-time morning anchor “Jeff Scott” at three Long Island radio stations. Jeff is a fan of classic cars, sushi, and the New York Mets, as well as a devoted Beatlephile. His daughter, Sara Morosoff (B.S. ’07), is a high school English teacher in Islip, N.Y.

Jeffrey Helfand (D.O. ’84) left his clinical practice in rheumatology and internal medicine to become president and CEO of his own consulting firm, Executive Medical Management, in Norwalk, Conn. He also collaborates with a health care executive management service, The Experture Group, to determine best business practices for large health care organizations. Jeffrey presents workshops and lectures about various business issues related to the medical field, including risk management, identity theft, scheduling, and pay-for-performance.

Congratulations to John Panico (M.S. ’84), a graduate of NYIT’s labor and industrial relations program, who was appointed senior director of collective bargaining for the New York City Transit Authority.

Thomas Van Laan (M.B.A. ’84) is the president and CEO of Houston-based COADE Inc., a leading engineering software company, which he joined in 1990. Thomas also co-authored COADE’s CAESAR II, one of the world’s most popular pipe stress analysis software.

James Fauvell (M.A. ’85) loved NYIT so much that he is now an associate professor in its Department of Communication Arts. “Faculty like Don Fizzinoglia, Clive Enos, and Mike Regerie made me realize what it meant to be a person who could impact young lives in a special way,” he says.

Shari Fine (D.O. ’85) was appointed president of the New Jersey Chapter of the American College of Osteopathic Physicians in April 2008.

Wade Faerber (D.O. ’86), an orthopedic surgeon in southern California, serves as chief of staff, founder, and director of the orthopedic residency at the Riverside County Hospital in Riverside, Calif. Wade is married, has two daughters, and is a fitness fanatic, but still finds time to travel and collect wine. He is also an active philanthropist and devotes much of his time to charities such as the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Erik Fleischman (D.O. ’86) has been living in Bangkok, Thailand, for the past five years, working as a senior clinical advisor for President Bill Clinton’s HIV/AIDS Initiative and serving as a consultant for International SOS in southeast Asia. He has also traveled throughout Africa, setting up HIV care and treatment facilities. Erik is married and has a two-year-old son.

Andrew Hirsch (D.O. ’86) is a board-certified family physician in Goshen, N.Y. Along with fellow NYIT alumnus Arthur Klein (D.O. ’86), he is founder and partner of Horizon Family Medical Group in Orange County, N.Y. Andrew and his wife, with whom he performs and records music, have two sons. Arthur is a board-certified family physician and lives in Cornwall, N.Y, where he is married with two children and enjoys skiing, fly fishing, and wine collecting.

David Kessler (D.O. ’86) is a board-certified dermatologist in Massapequa, N.Y. He is married and has two teenage sons. His eldest, Andrew, is a freshman in college. David enjoys skiing and cruising on his sailboat.

Marc Tack (B.S. ’86, D.O. ’90) is director of infectious diseases at Northern Duchess Hospital, which provides emergency, medical, and surgical services to more than 140,000 people across the Mid-Hudson Valley of New York.

Salvatore Coco (B.Arch. ’87) is a partner at Beatty, Harvey & Associates Architects, which has offices in New York City, Riverhead, N.Y., and Baltimore, Md. His design of the public library in Farmingdale, N.Y., earned him an award from the American Institute of Architects. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-accredited architect recently completed another award-winning design for the 48,000-square-foot Ossining Public Library, which was submitted to the U.S. Green Building Council as LEED Gold.

Ray Colelli (B.S. ’87) is the senior project manager and director of retail operations at Brownworth Engineering, the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing arm of environmental engineering firm Whitman, based in East Brunswick, N.J. He has more than 20 years of engineering experience designing office spaces, schools, hospitals, medical offices, surgical centers, stadiums, and retail stores. Ray’s clients have included Target, Home Depot, Atlas Park Mall, Hilton Hotel, and Applebee’s restaurant.

Thomas O’Brien (B.S. ’87, M.S. ’90) has been recognized by the Cambridge Who’s Who directory for his dedication, leadership, and excellence in health care. He is a board-certified family physician, having earned his doctorate from the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Science (Des Moines, Iowa) in 1995. In addition, he is a captain in the New York Guard and commander of the 1102 Forward Medical Support Detachment. He also holds a U.S. patent for a medical instrument he developed and hosts a cable television show that discusses health care education.

Susan Volpicella Levy (D.O. ’87) is president of the New Jersey Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (NJAOPS), the state branch of the American Osteopathic Association. As the 2008-2009 leader, Susan will represent the legislative interests of more than 3,100 licensed osteopathic doctors in New Jersey, focusing on medical issues such as reimbursement, liability reform, and practice issues. Her association also helps organize the Atlantic Regional Osteopathic Convention, the largest physician exhibition in New Jersey and one of the largest osteopathic conventions in the country.

Greg Wendt (B.F.A. ’87) has joined Southern Illinois University’s Carbondale campus as a professor of communication design. He has worked for more than a decade in the film and television industry on projects that include feature films, music videos, documentaries, and independent productions. He is also a video producer and instructional technology specialist for the Instructional Support Services department at the Carbondale campus.

Henry Anhalt (D.O. ’88) has left the full-time practice of medicine to join the Animas Corp., a Johnson and Johnson company, as director of medical affairs. He maintains a part-time practice in pediatric endocrinology in Hackensack, N.J.

Rob Langer (B.F.A. ’88) works for Atlanta-based Metro Networks as an assistant director of operations and traffic reporter. He has been with the company for 18 years—the first 10 of which were in New York City as an air traffic reporter for WALK 97.5 FM. “I actually started in the professional radio field while I was in my junior year at NYIT. I was hired by WALK as a traffic producer in 1987 and would work the morning rush hour before driving to the Old Westbury campus. Within two months of graduation, I was hired as the full-time overnight disc jockey at WALK, and occasionally filled in as the traffic reporter in the Skywalk Traffic Copter.”

When AFCO Systems decided to launch its U.S. channel partner program with a focus on promoting the company’s green data center solutions, they choose Kevin Purdy (M.B.A. ’88) to lead the effort. As senior director of business development, he brings more than 25 years of experience in sales, management, and business development to the company.

Deborah Cohn (M.B.A. ’89) was so inspired by her NYIT experience that she is now an associate professor of marketing at Touro College. It was business professor Abram Poczter, Ph.D., who talked her into this path, and today she models her own teaching style upon him and other NYIT instructors.

Alan Goodman (M.S. ’89) founded his own business, Goodman Professional Development, after retiring from the New York Police Department. While serving on the force, he taught ethics and wanted to remain in that field after leaving the NYPD. “The courses in instructional design at NYIT helped me refine and accomplish my goals back when I was a manager in the NYPD … Those skills were the basis for the training design and presentation services I offer to clients, ranging from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Graduate School to the U.S. military to the United Nations Security and Safety Service, and many others.”

1990s

Frank Yip (B.S. ’91) is the president of Jam Mix Productions, which provides DJ entertainment services in the New York metropolitan area. He says NYIT helped set a “foundation of strength” upon which he was able to build his career. Frank is a firm believer that working hard and working smart are the most important skills.

Long Island Business News has named three graduates from NYIT’s Class of 1992 among the most influential women on Long Island: Bonnie Habyan (M.A. ’92), senior vice president for marketing at Arbor Commercial Mortgage LLC and Arbor Realty Trust; Constance Schwartz (B.F.A. ’92), executive director of the Nassau County Museum of Art (Roslyn Harbor, N.Y.); and Dianne Baumert-Moyik (M.A. ’92), who manages internal and external communications for Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems Eastern Region.

John L. Cavallo, Ph.D. (M.B.A. ’92) is the president of Comax Flavors in Melville, N.Y. Previously, he served as senior vice president of Symrise’s global beverage business. He is currently a member of the American Chemical Society, the Institute of Food Technologists, and the Flavor Extract Manufacturers Association.

Glenn C. Newell (B.S. ’92) is the associate vice chancellor for police and public safety at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, N.C.

Of his NYIT professors, James Renny Caleca (B.S. ’94, M.A. ’99), says, “The real-world level they held us to was such a tough thing to achieve, but I managed it and thrived. There was always something to be challenged by, always someone to rally against, always people to work with. It was a great experience I would not trade or change for anything.” While earning his master’s degree at NYIT, James served as an architecture professor from 1995 to 2000 and today works for Glen Irani Architects as a project manager and designer for high-end residences in Los Angeles.

Marco Corallo (D.O. ’94) and his wife, Janelle, became first-time parents to triplets this year. Their local hometown paper in Ohio featured them in a Mother’s Day story.

Jude Cozzolino (B.S. ’94) is the president of Precision Engineering Design PC, which is based in Bayside, N.Y., and specializes in architectural engineering services. Jude has been in the construction and engineering field for nearly 30 years.

Tehran, Iran native Nazafarine Keyvani (D.O. ’95) has opened a gynecological practice called Lancaster GALS in Lititz, Penn. She specializes in laparoscopic surgeries, including hysterectomies and endometriosis, polycycystic ovarian syndrome, and urinary incontinence.

Colleen Bain (B.A. ’96) has been recognized by Cambridge Who’s Who for showing dedication, leadership, and excellence in all aspects of working with students with disabilities. She is the sole proprietor of Hillsborough, N.J.-based Enhanced Learning Skills for Kids.

Joseph DiMeo (D.O. ’97) practices at Terrace Heights Family Physicians, part of the Central Washington Medical Group. In addition, he serves as a faculty member at the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences.

Colleen McBurney-Mollica (B.S. ’97, M.A. ’03) is the winner of the 2008 Employment—Youth in Transition award given by the Vermont Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. She is the vice president of human resources at Vermed, a manufacturer of cardiac monitoring and diagnostic electrodes.

Major Jennifer L. Gotkin (D.O. ’98) will be deploying to Iraq in November with the 47th Combat Support Hospital.

“NYIT gave me the confidence to realize my dreams,” says Wendy Tromblee (B.S. ’99). “Most importantly, the teachers encouraged me always to be self-confident, as well as trust who I am and what I am capable of doing. It took me years to realize how important self-confidence is in the workplace and in life.” With that foundation, Wendy went on to become an auditor for the Suffolk County Comptroller’s Office, a job she truly loves.

2000s

Major Robert Agnello (D.O. ’01), a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, was promoted to major in October 2007 and is completing a yearlong deployment at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he oversees the medical care of cadets and garrison support, while also providing outreach to local families.

Patricio Bruno (D.O. ’01) was named the United States Air Force Reserve Command Flight Surgeon of the Year by the U.S. Society of Air Force Flight Surgeons (USSAFFS). This prestigious award was presented to Patricio during the USSAFFS Aerospace Medical Association Annual Conference and Scientific Seminar in Boston earlier this year. In addition to serving as a medical officer in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, he is on the faculty of the University of Connecticut/St. Francis Family Medicine Residency Program and works with NASA’s Space Shuttle rescue and recovery efforts.

Ann Cooper-Ciccarelli (D.O. ’01) is practicing emergency medicine at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, Mass. Her husband, a radiologist, works at the same hospital. They live in Amherst, Mass., with their daughter, Eva.

Diane F. Flynn (B.P.S. ’02) has been recognized by Cambridge’s Who’s Who for showing dedication, leadership, and excellence throughout her career in restaurant management. She is a manager for Tom Schaudel, one of Long Island’s top chefs, and handles accounting, inventories, staff training, organizing charity events, and booking parties. Diane has more than 12 years experience and attributes her success to NYIT, as well as the skills she learned working with Schaudel.

New York City Police Sergeant Kevin D. Mulrooney (M.S. ’02) has been designated a Certified Emergency Manager by the International Association of Emergency Managers. He is also a Certified Business Continuity Professional through the Disaster Recovery Institute International, which deals with private sector business resiliency. At the NYPD, Kevin serves on the Counterterrorism Bureau’s Chemical and Biological Radiological Explosive Team and heads the Explosives Unit. In addition, he serves on the Board of the Institute for Disaster Mental Health located at the State University of New York at New Paltz. A graduate of the industrial labor relations and human resources management program, Kevin credits NYIT with preparing him “to work in the unionized environment and really understand contract negotiation, mediation, grievances, and contract interpretation.”

Success comes in many forms. For Phivos Papadopoulos (B.S. ’02, M.A. ’03), it has been two-fold. He is currently an account manager for TBWA\ENTELIA, an advertising and marketing firm whose clients include Volvo, Absolut, and Nivea. The Cyprus resident also founded a rock/heavy metal record label, Pitch Black Records, last year.

Keema Davis (B.F.A. ’03, M.A. ’04), former editor-in-chief of The Campus Slate and an LI News Tonight field reporter, works for New York City Children’s Services to help find adoptive homes for children in foster care. In that capacity, she runs a support group for teenagers and coordinates a segment each week with a local television station that features children who need a home. She is also part of its speaker’s bureau. “Society would have you believe that children in foster care are destined to fail,” says Keema, who spent 11 years in foster care. “I am living proof that this doesn’t have to be the case.”

Chuck Jensen (M.B.A. ’04) is vice president of travel account management at iSeatz, which provides customized online travel and entertainment solutions. Previously, he worked at Delta Airlines, where he held a variety of management positions.

Isobella Jade (a.ka. Heather Staub [B.S. ’04]), a petite model, is the radio host for “Model Talk” on Blogtalkradio.com. She also writes beauty tip video blogs for AOL’s Styledash.com, and her self-published book, Almost 5’4”, will be available in April 2009.

You could say Katherine O’Hara (M.B.A. ’06) is just “winging it” with her latest business venture. She is taking on the $1 billion-plus snack food market with her new Boontown, N.J.-based Buffalo Nickel Food Co., which produces all-natural potato snacks. Katherine was featured on MSNBC earlier this year in a segment about pitching product ideas to investors.

Scott Treiber, Ph.D., (M.B.A. ’06) works in the Chicago office of inVentiv Clinical Solutions LLC as senior vice president of clinical operations. He has more than 20 years experience in the clinical and medical research industries. Previously, he served as vice president of clinical research for PharmaNet.

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