| 1960s |

Ron Flaum (B.F.A. ’66) has produced and directed shows at CBS television for 45 years, including Sunday Morning and 48 Hours.

Poestory, an animated film of Edgar Allan Poe’s life that’s voiced by an all-star cast (actors Hugh Dancy, Alfred Molina, and Dianne Wiest) is slated for release in 2012, courtesy of Michael Sporn (B.F.A. ’67). His New York-based animation studio is behind the production. Read about it at poestory.net.

Fusing jazz and classical melodies is the forte of Los Angeles-based musician Vinny Golia (B.F.A. ’68). His sextet performed in October 2011 at the Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor, Mich., as part of EdgeFest, an annual event for creative jazz musicians. 

Engineer Robert Accomando (B.S. ’69) is vice president of asset operations at the corporate headquarters of Arden Realty Inc. in Los Angeles. 

At the tip of Long Island’s North Fork, artist Richard Fiedler (B.A. ’69) operates his namesake gallery in Greenport, N.Y. He paints ships, lighthouses, harbors, barns, and beaches around town. View his art at fiedlergallery.com. 

Rosina Wachtel (B.S. ’69) is assistant professor of fashion merchandising management at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.    

| 1970s |

There are three secrets to success for Michael Ingbar (B.S. ’70): his NYIT degree and the practical accounting knowledge it gave him; his immersion in management technology strategies; and never giving up. “Through a few recessions, scraping the bottom, I held on through the hard times and learned to find other sources of income within my own business,” he says. Michael just celebrated 33 years as founder and president of MFI Art Co. Inc., a corporate art consulting company, as well as 25 years as owner of Soho Picture Framing in New York City.

Robert Shure (B.F.A. ’70), who won the Gold Medal in Sculpture award while at NYIT, is a figurative sculptor and the founder of Skylight Studios in Woburn, Mass. “The high quality of my NYIT teachers gave me a strong foundation in studio art, art history, and aesthetics,” he says. “Since they were all practicing artists as well as teachers, I was able to help a few of them as an assistant in their studios. This opportunity compounded my learning experience and helped establish my career path in fine art and sculpture.” 

Richard Ackerman (B.F.A. ’72) knows the recipe for entrepreneurial success—and making a good truffle. Chocolate lovers should check out sunflowerchocolates.com, the online business he runs with his wife, Elizabeth, offering made-to-order chocolates in crème de rum, mocha, and more. 

John Sorrenti (B.A. ’72, M.B.A. ’78), founder and president of JRS Architect P.C. in Mineola, N.Y., has been named to the board of directors for the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.

Former New Yorkers Larry Reoch (B.S. ’73) and his wife, Barbara, live in Westerville, Ohio, where they attended the town’s 10th Anniversary Memorial Remembrance of 9/11. They were special guests at the two-hour ceremony, where they carried an American flag and presented it to young people of the next generation. The Reochs lost their beloved niece, Arlene Babakitis, who worked for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, on Sept. 11, 2001.

Larry Parisi (B.Arch. ’75), an architect who became president of the New Jersey chapter of the American Institute of Architects in January, is a man of many talents. He moonlights in his band, Pocket Rockets, and enjoys gourmet cooking and sailing at the Nyack Boat Club in Nyack, N.Y. 

Diane Ketcham (M.A. ’78) is an award-winning former New York Times columnist and author of the crime thriller The Vanishing A-List (tidelowpress.com). She got her start working as a graduate assistant for retired NYIT professor Adrienne O’Brien, who was featured in the summer 2011 issue of NYIT Magazine. Diane says: “Adrienne has meant so much to me personally and professionally. She was my mentor.” 

Karen Stehlin (B.S. ’78) is the interim director of the North Country Small Business Development Center in Plattsburgh, N.Y. 

William Zerella (B.S. ’78) is chief financial officer of Vocera Communications Inc., headquartered in San Jose, Calif. The firm provides mobile communication solutions for hospitals.

| 1980s |

Onofrio “Noff” Colabella (B.S. ’80), principal and co-founder of BNC Insurance Agency in Rye Brook, N.Y., was recognized by Cambridge Who’s Who for dedication, leadership, and excellence in insurance services. 

Thomas Tiefenwerth (B.S. ’81), Ph.D., is a forensic consultant at Forensic Mental Health Services in Temple, Texas.   

Mark Grossman (M.A. ’83) is the commissioner’s Long Island regional representative for the New York State Department of Labor. 

Tony Jones (B.F.A. ’83) serves as public information officer for St. Mary’s County, Md. He’s also a sports fan and enjoys traveling.

NYIT sweethearts Bob Marcinka (B.F.A. ’84) and Barbara Genova-Marcinka (B.F.A. ’84) celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. Bob has been a 3-D computer graphic artist manager for 22 years at Schawk Inc., in Stamford, Conn. The company provides global imaging resources for clients such as Unilever, Pepsico, Kellogg’s, Proctor & Gamble, and Nestle. Right now, he is “enjoying family, set design with building large-scale props, and fishing in the Florida Keys.”

Andrew Nuzzi (B.S. ’84) owns Andrew Nuzzi Architects LLC in Stamford, Conn.  

C.J. Cornell (M.B.A. ’85) is the Kauffman Professor of Digital Media and Entrepreneurship at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona
State University.

Wade Faerber (D.O. ’86) is a team physician for Cypress College in Cypress, Calif., and chairperson and director of the orthopedic department of Riverside Community Hospital’s Orthopedic Residency Program.

Steven Nadel (M.S. ’86) is executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a nonprofit research organization. 

Former NYIT fine arts professor Martin Clements (B.F.A. ’87, M.A. ’03) has spent the past 10 years traveling the world to study the arts of many cultures and civilizations. He is currently working in his studio to produce a series of paintings and photographs for exhibition. Track his progress at martinclements.weebly.com or follow him on Facebook at Martin Art.

Cheryl Davidson (M.P.S. ’87) is executive director of LI Works, a nonprofit organization that collaborates with educators and local businesses to prepare students for Long Island’s professional workforce. 

Joseph Carcione (D.O. ’88), a Yonkers, N.Y.-based physician, specializes in neurophysiology and neurology. 

Edward Gray (B.T. ’88, D.O. ’99) is medical director for critical care at Grand View Hospital in Sellersville, Penn.

If you are looking for ways to reach your full potential, financial and motivational coach Darryl Wortham (B.T. ’88) offers ideas in his book, Transforming from Consumer to Producer in 90 Days: Saving Money, Energy, and Time Equals More Money to Invest. He is also program manager at Cisco Systems in San Jose, Calif.

| 1990s |

Lawyer Stephen J. Gobbo (M.S. ’90) is chair of the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly for 2011-2012. 

Tony Lanni (B.F.A. ’90) is a senior producer for IMG Media, a global sports, fashion, and media company in New York City. In this role, he produces the U.S. Open Tennis Championships for USA Network’s sports division. 

Andrew Marcus (D.O. ’90) is an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon at University Orthopedics Center’s office in State College, Penn.

Carrie Moyer (M.A. ’90) exhibited her art in “Canonical,” an art show at CANADA Gallery, Sept. 14-Oct. 16, 2011, in New York City. 

NYIT alumni are collaborating at Plainview (N.Y.) Hospital. Gary Rachlin (D.O. ’90) is director of medical education at the hospital, and Gus Katsigiorgis (D.O. ’00) is program director for the new orthopedic surgery residency. 

For Michael Schwartz (D.O. ’90), The Fighter is more than an Oscar-winning film; it is something he actually experienced. Schwartz served as the ringside physician for the first fight between Micky Ward and Arturo Gatti, an event depicted in the film. On Oct. 29, the NYIT grad was inducted into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame, an honor recognizing his 20-year career, during which he has worked as a ringside physician and internal medicine specialist at hundreds of boxing matches. 

John Swanteson (B.S. ’90) is owner of Mirage Software Services, which he launched 19 years ago. The Charlotte, N.C.-based company specializes in custom software solutions and products for medium and large corporations. “Graduating from NYIT at the beginning of the computer revolution, at the dawn of the Internet providers, gave me the technical expertise and skills required to be one of the few technology leaders in a newly growing industry,” he says.

Catherine Bennett (B.S. ’91) is an insurance advisor at Southwest Professional Insurance Consultants in Scottsdale, Ariz. 

David Charash (D.O. ’91) is medical director of the Robert J. and Pamela Morganti Center for Wound Care at Danbury (Conn.) Hospital.

Jamie Cooper (B.S. ’91, D.O. ’95) is a physician at Associates for Women’s Health in Greenwood, Ind.

Andrew Frohn’s (B.S. ’91) next big initiative is the Honolulu Rail Transit Project, a 20-mile, 21-station elevated rail system linking West Oahu to Honolulu, Hawaii. Frohn will apply his expertise as design quality assurance manager in the Honolulu office of engineering firm Parsons Brinckerhoff. 

James Liguori (B.S. ’91, D.O. ’92) is a physician specializing in neurology and osteopathic manipulative medicine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y.   

Jacqueline Watson (D.O. ’91) is a family practice physician with an M.B.A. in health management and policy. She serves as director of the District of Columbia’s Department of Health Board of Medicine. 

Encouraging girls to pursue careers in science is a priority for Steve Kitchener (B.T. ’92), a facilities manager at Cable-vision in Bethpage, N.Y. In his spare time, he coaches an all-girls robotics team of eight Girl Scouts in ninth and tenth grades. This year, they are planning to design and build a robot rigged to do specific tasks. 

Christopher Rivielle (B.Arch. ’92, M.B.A. ’02) is first vice president responsible for developing new business for Tishman Interiors Corporation, part of the construction company of the same name in New York City. 

James Carlson (D.O. ’93) is chairman of the medical advisory board of PharmStar Pharmceuticals in Wilson, N.C., the company that manufactures liquid pain reliever Aquaprin.

Eric Cole (B.S. ’93, M.S. ’94) is now chief technology officer of InZero Systems Inc., a producer of cyber security technology in Herndon, Va. 

Vincent Dell’Aquila (B.Arch. ’93) knows that good restaurant design and delicious food go hand-in-hand. He is a New York City-based architect who has managed designing stores for Starbucks and currently serves as regional design manager for Chipotle Mexican Grill. 

Kenneth R. Gehringer (B.S. ’93), senior project architect for engineering and architecture firm H2M’s private sector studio in Melville, N.Y., was elected to a two-year term as Northeast region president of the Construction Specifications Institute.

Michael Oliveri (B.S. ’93) is vice president and general manager of Suntron Corporation’s Open Systems Solutions business unit in Methuen, Mass. Suntron provides integrated electronics manufacturing solutions and commercial off-the-shelf technology.   

Nora Tapp Franzese (B.F.A. ’94), a New York-based artist and teacher, illustrated the children’s book, Miss Sugar Crumb’s Cooking Lesson. 

David Quintyne (D.O. ’94) is medical director at Phillips Medical Center in Orlando, Fla.

Steven Rubin (B.S. ’94), a patent attorney at law firm Dilworth & Barrese, served on the advisory panel of the IEEE Innovation Forum at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

Laura Gray Schoenberg (D.O. ’94) is a neurologist affiliated with Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y. 

Stephen T. Cestari (D.O. ’95), a board-certified gynecologist with Women’s Medical Care of Hudson Valley PC, is now part of Crystal Run Healthcare’s group medical practice in Newburgh, N.Y. 

Jenny Lynn Cook (D.O. ’95) specializes in family medicine and practices at Cape Regional Physicians Associates in Stone Harbor, N.J.

Go green with Dina Lima (M.S. ’95), founder and CEO of the Living Green Institute in Hurst, Texas, a training firm that helps builders improve their eco-leadership and attract green buyers. 

Roberto Palmerini (B.Arch. ’95) is a principal at the Congers, N.Y.-based ROAM Design LLC, which he founded to provide architecture, design, and planning services to commercial and residential clients.  

If you’re hunting for a home in Manhattan, Monica Luque (B.S. ’96) can help. She is a licensed real estate broker with Prudential Douglas Elliman in New York City. Monica also volunteers for an orphanage that is home to 200 children in her native Colombia. Learn more at hogarelenajuan.org. 

Dan Smith (B.S. ’96) is a resident of Holtsville, N.Y., and served as a New York City police officer for 25 years. 

Community service motivates Juan Acosta (D.O. ’97), who teaches emergency medicine and cardiac care certification at Pacific Northwest University (PNWU) and volunteers at an urgent care clinic supervising PNWU students.

Food and beverage industry veteran Ed Byrne (A.O.S. ’97, B.P.S. ’98) has more than 20 years of experience in his field and is catering operations manager at the New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan.

Carrie Rikon (B.S. ’97) is the founder of Rikon Associates LLC, a professional recruiting agency in New York City with clients that include Fortune 500 companies. 

Courtney Stephenson (D.O. ’97) is a trailblazer in fetoscopic laser ablation, a procedure used to save identical-twin babies who share a placenta but don’t receive blood supply equally. She is the director of the Charlotte Fetal Care Center in Charlotte, N.C., the only center doing fetoscopy in the Baltimore-Miami region.  

Bellamy Brook (D.O. ’98), a specialist in geriatrics and urgent care medicine, is medical director at Peconic Landing in Greenport, N.Y., and has offices in Cutchogue and Riverhead.

Harry Rivera Jr. (B.S. ’99), project manager of Brooklyn Health Information Exchange in Brooklyn, N.Y., was noted by Cambridge Who’s Who for excellence in information technology.

| 2000s |

Steve Flinkenstein (D.O. ’00), a board-certified physician in internal medicine and rheumatology, leads the specialty practice at Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake, N.Y. 

Jayson Vitta (B.S. ’00) has more than 10 years of experience in the advertising/marketing/PR field, has consulted for the likes of the global agency Euro RSCG in New York City, and credits his NYIT education for preparing him to succeed in his chosen career. 

Ripal Parikh (B.S. ’01), D.O., is a board-certified physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Pain Management Center at Galion Community Hospital in Findlay, Ohio. 

Get fit with Susan Scharr (M.P.S. ’01), a personal trainer at Lighthouse Fitness Center in Lighthouse Point, Fla. 

Michael Schmid (B.S. ’00, M.S. ’01) is experienced in orthopedic outpatient settings and works as a physical therapist at Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group in New York City. 

Nicole Solomos (D.O. ’01) is a family practice and sports medicine physician on the staff of Saratoga Hospital in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. 

Khorsheda Begum Ali (D.O. ’03), a board-certified OB/GYN physician at Catskill Regional Medical Center in Monticello, N.Y., has been named a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.  

After an eight-month reporting stint in Ghana, Erica Ayisi (B.F.A. ’03, M.A. ’10) began the prestigious NBC Page Program in January 2012. She was one of 50 applicants selected from a pool of about 8,000 and joins the ranks of past Page Program participants turned media personalities such as Regis Philbin, Ted Koppel, and Sara Haines.

The NYIT career network is a useful resource for Michael Benjamin (B.F.A. ’03, M.A. ’04) and Joseph Castillo (B.Arch. ’11), who used it to find their jobs at Certified Site Safety in Purchase, N.Y., a company of trained safety professionals who service construction sites. Benjamin is the company’s controller, and Castillo is a project engineer.

Elisa Bocchieri-Bustros (D.O. ’03) is clinical instructor of endocrinology, diabetes, and bone disease at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. 

Lisa Preston (D.O. ’03), a Yonkers, N.Y.-based physician, is an internist who specializes in emergency medicine and osteopathic manipulative medicine. 

Rahul Walawalkar (M.S. ’03), Ph.D., brought his energy management expertise to Dalian, China, where he chaired an energy storage session at the Low Carbon Earth Summit. Walawalkar, who was profiled in the “Green Grads” feature of the Summer 2011 issue of NYIT Magazine, is vice president of emerging technologies and markets for Customized Energy Solutions.

Christian Brickner (B.S. ’04, D.P.T. ’06) treats orthopedic disorders using manual and mobilization skills in the Massapequa, N.Y., office of Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group. 

Chris Bondy (B.S. ’04) is the Gannett Distinguished Professor and interim administrative chair of the Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of Print Media in Rochester, N.Y. 

Brooke Davidson (D.O. ’04) is a physician specializing in obstetrics, gynecology, and basic infertility at Women’s Healthcare in New Milford, Conn.

NYIT is all in the family for Johanna Decal (M.A. ’04) and her sisters, twins Janese Pfeiffer (M.S. ’06) and Ingrid Archaga (B.S. ’01). Johanna is a sales executive at Axis Promotions in New York City; her sisters are both teachers.

Keith Kazmark (M.S. ’04) was elected mayor of Woodland Park, N.J., in November 2011 and took office in January 2012. Previously, he was the municipal clerk of Elmwood Park, N.J.

Brand architect Ramzi Ghurani (M.B.A. ’05) has launched the strategic marketing business, PIQUE, in Amman, Jordan. The trilingual entrepreneur (he speaks English, Arabic, and some Spanish) brings a wealth of marketing experience to his start-up, including past work for the Jordanian telecom company, Orange, and one of the country’s top real estate developers, Saraya. 

Karryn Lepley (M.B.A. ’05) knows the business side of the pharmaceutical industry. She is process manager in the Abbott Park, Ill., corporate headquarters of Abbott Laboratories, a leading global health care company. 

Varuni Rao (D.O. ’05) is board certified in internal medicine and is a clinical assistant professor of medicine at New York Medical College at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, N.Y. 

Shawn Ryan (M.B.A. ’05) was promoted to vice president of operations at Atlas Oil Company in Taylor, Mich.

Jose Acevedo (M.B.A. ’06), M.D., is the first physician to serve as president and CEO of Finger Lakes Health in Geneva, N.Y. 

What better way to celebrate Gergaoon Night than to bring together NYIT alumni and students? That’s what Yousif Lori (B.S. ’06) did when he hosted the celebration on Aug. 15 in Manama, Bahrain, to mark the 14th night of Ramadan. Children dressed in traditional costumes and collected sweets from neighbors after singing the Gergaoon song.  

Applying renewable energy solutions for the greater good of his community is the goal of David Schieren (M.S. ’06), CEO of EmPower Solar. He was honored as an extraordinary Long Island leader in November 2011 by the National Foundation for Human Potential. The award recognized his collaboration with the Family Residences and Essential Enterprises Inc. on the largest solar power installation for residential and commercial properties on Long Island, saving the organization 27 percent annually for reinvesting in social and educational programs.

When Seema Dhimmer (B.S. ’07, D.P.T. ’09) scratched her “Make Me Rich” ticket in September, she couldn’t believe her eyes—she had won $3 million from New York Lottery. The lucky ticket came from her parents’ store, the Corner News Deli on Main Street in Nanuet, N.Y.  

Matt Holler (B.Arch. ’07) is an architectural associate at Mark P. Finlay Architects in Southport, Conn. 

Golf historian and collector Wu Linqi (M.B.A. ’07) made history in Shenzhen, China, where he founded China Golf Museum, the first museum for the sport in Asia. The museum’s collection covers nearly 2,000 years of Chinese golf history.

Emily Bolling (B.S. ’08) is communications coordinator for the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization in Anchorage, Alaska.  

Nigel Chiwaya (B.F.A. ’08), a reporter and photographer covering the Highbridge section of Bronx, N.Y., for BronxInk.org, is a digital media student in Columbia University’s School of Journalism. 

Nicholas Amato (B.P.S. ’09) enjoys the sand and surf in Hawaii, where he is the guest relations manager at Westin Princeville Ocean Resort and Villas. 

Multimedia journalist Kate Mosso (M.A. ’10) honed her skills at LI News Tonight and now reports for WVVA News in Bluefield, W.V.

More Alumni Notes

Winter 2012 Table of Contents