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Doug Robinson '67 Travels Around World to Protect Priceless Works of Art
For the past 10 years, independent art consultant Doug Robinson '67 has traveled across the United States and around the world securing and monitoring priceless works of fine art and organizing exhibitions. "It’s an amazing feeling to walk into a gallery at the State Russian Museum for the first time and see a painting created by an artist I’ve never heard of," he says. In the U.S., he has consulted for the Smithsonian Museums, World Bank, and Kennedy Center, among others. Previously, the economics graduate spent 23 years as registrar at the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
May 04, 2007
Class of ’62 Will Strengthen Bonds at Reunion
June 1-3 is sure to be memorable for the Class of 1962 as it celebrates its 45th reunion. "Reunion gives me the chance to reconnect with friends from different groups, such as my fraternity brothers, classmates from my chemical engineering major, baseball teammates, and my fellow ROTC, choir, and College Church members," says Jim Lyttle '62, who has been reunion chair for 20 years. Says Matt Thomases '62, "I am really looking forward to the opportunity to see a classroom in action on Friday. I am an education-centered person and would like to put my mind around what is happening on campus today in the intellectual sphere," he says. "Reunion allows us to see our classmates, get an update on the College, and, in a small way, continue to be a part of the Lafayette family."
Apr 23, 2007
N.J. State Bar Foundation Names Ronald Levitt '65 Volunteer of the Year
The New Jersey State Bar Foundation named English graduate Ronald Levitt '65 Volunteer of the Year for his work with the state's high school mock trial program and involvement with the first American Mock Trial Invitational competition. He has been a member of the foundation's Mock Trial Committee for more than 10 years and has chaired it since 2003. Levitt has been practicing law, primarily civil litigation, since receiving his law degree from Seton Hall in 1968. Levitt is a shareholder and senior partner in a large law firm, primarily handling cases concerning product liability and construction defects. "Lafayette gave me the confidence and ideas necessary to be prepared for a world totally different from that which I had expected," he says.
Apr 10, 2007
Class of ’67 Will See How Classmates and Campus Have Changed at Reunion
For the Class of '67, its 40th reunion celebration is all about reconnecting with old friends. "I love class reunions," says history graduate Karl Pusch '67, reunion co-chair. "Mostly, we get to see how people have changed throughout the years. This one is special. Alumni should come back to see the changes at Lafayette, and to visit with all those classmates whom they may not have seen since 1967." Getting a close look at the physical changes to campus facilities is what industrial engineering graduate Bob DeVente '67, reunion co-chair, is anticipating the most. "One of the things I'm looking forward to most is taking one of the tours with the student guides," he says.
Apr 04, 2007
Alan Novich '66 Overcomes Addiction, Prison, and Family Struggles to Find Success
Three months in rehab and a lifetime of AA have helped Alan Novich '66 beat alcohol and cocaine addictions. He's also overcome five years in prison after being convicted of securities fraud. In prison he lost weight, read 535 books, and became a head tutor for the GED program, helping 45 men get their high school diplomas. He's now succeeding at Steve Madden Shoes, where he has helped the company find its footing by trouble-shooting business problems, overseeing real-estate leases, and executing licensing agreements. The company had an extraordinary year, doubling in size. It was named brand of the year by Footwear Plus, the leading business-to-business magazine covering the footwear industry.
Mar 19, 2007
Charles Q. Smith '61 Helps Bring the Best to Lafayette For 40 years, mechanical engineering graduate Charles Q. Smith '61 has been a part of bringing talented students to Lafayette. Since becoming an alumni admissions representative (AAR) in 1966, he has never missed a single appointment. One year, all four of the students he spoke to were not only accepted, but received substantial scholarships. Last fall, his dedication earned Smith the William G. Wilson Distinguished Service Award, a fantastic surprise to Smith and the highest honor for AARs at Lafayette. "I love it, absolutely love it," he says of his work as a AAR. "It broadens my horizons and I wouldn’t have it any other way."
Feb 09, 2007
Rieger ’63 Works to Educate Public about Violence
Chemistry graduate Sam Rieger '63 and his wife Wanda have received an award for which they wish they were never eligible: the Connecticut Victims of Crime Award, presented by victim advocacy groups. The conference is named for their daughter, Melanie, who was murdered in 1994 by her boyfriend. In addition to organizing the annual conference, Rieger speaks at schools, fraternal organizations, and anywhere else he can to educate people not only about the judicial system, but also about violence awareness and how to combat it. He has spent most of his life as an educator, including 30 years as a chemistry professor at Naugatuk College before retiring in 1997.
Feb 02, 2007
Alumni Association VP Reif '68 Earns Respect of Peers for Legal Excellence
The Connecticut Bar Association selected Dave Reif '68 to join the James W. Cooper Fellows, a group of lawyers, academics, and judges selected by their peers based on experience, reputation in the legal profession, and service to the community and the bar. "We fund research into issues related to the courts and the future of the profession, engage in projects like a high school truancy reduction program, and sponsor an annual high school essay scholarship program," he says. He is vice president of outreach for Lafayette's Alumni Association Executive Committee. "I like where Lafayette has gone and where it is going," he says. "It's academically rigorous and has an incredible tradition."
Jan 17, 2007
Bruce McDermott ’69 Takes Relationship-Based Approach to Wealth Management For Bruce McDermott ’69, the personal attention he gives clients is just as important as the wealth-management services he provides. As senior vice president and client adviser for Wells Fargo Private Bank in San Francisco, McDermott limits his client load to no more than 50. “Investment consulting is relationship-based, unlike the deal business,” he explains. “I can have a huge impact on the lives and well-being of my clients, as well as providing for future generations. Many of my clients have become good friends.” An economics and business graduate, McDermott specializes in clients in the real estate business, business owners, professional people, and inheritors. Average assets under management per family are $10 million.
Jan 15, 2007
Maggin ’65 Joins Online Community to Keep in Touch
Bruce Maggin '65 attends Reunions and gave the keynote address at the Lafayette Leadership Institute two years ago. A member of the Board of Trustees and former chair of Lafayette Leadership Council, he was “looking for a way to keep in touch with my classmates and make it easier for them to contact me.” He joined Lafayette’s Alumni Online Community. “I joined the online community as part of the reunion effort, which I helped organize,” Maggin says. “I have most enjoyed seeing the pictures of classmates and others, especially our Reunion photos. The only question I have for those who have not joined is: Why not?”
Nov 17, 2006
Rose ’64 Honored With Award by The Long Island Home Several hundred guests attended the Tapestry Ball of The Long Island Home community health care system at which Chairman Robert F. Rose '64 was honored. He received the Tapestry of Life Award, given to one person each year for commitment to advancing the quality of life on Long Island. The economics graduate's volunteer work extends to Lafayette -- he is past president of the Long Island Alumni Association and is an alumni admissions representative. "There is no doubt that my Lafayette education, the school's excellent reputation in the business world, and the well-run placement department were most instrumental in providing me with the opportunity to succeed," he says.
Sep 29, 2006
Perlman ’69 Gives Patients “Extreme Makover” on TV
Biology graduate Jon Perlman '69, a cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon, performed over 40 extensive cosmetic surgeries on 27 different patients during the first run of the hit ABC show "Extreme Makeover." He says, "I didn’t know how gratifying the experience would become. The theme of taking someone and offering them a chance for a makeover -- in conjunction with corrective dentistry and vision surgery, physical fitness, and diet changes -- seemed to resonate with millions of viewers around the world. To realize that so many viewers were brought to tears as a result of the changes that often occurred in the lives of the participants was heart warming and gratifying."
Sep 26, 2006
Reynolds Jr. ’61 Helps Companies Succeed and Brings New Ones to Life
English graduate William W. Reynolds Jr. '61 has what he calls "the job of a lifetime" -- directing the Rohrer Center for Management and Entrepreneurship at Rutgers University Camden (N.J.), an outreach arm to the region’s business community. "My job is to coordinate outreach programs that link local businesses in an eight-county area with the services of the university," he says. "We provide all sorts of corporate training and seminars to businesses all the way up to Fortune 500 corporations." The center's incubator has 33 tenant businesses and 14 virtual tenants. The former have created about 135 jobs, and the combined payroll of these businesses is more than $6 million annually.
Sep 18, 2006
Alumni Online Community: Hanson '61 Likes Sharing Breaking News
Two days after getting married, Peter Hanson ’61 sent a note to his class correspondent to share the exciting news with his classmates and other friends in Alumni News. Since he just missed the deadline for the next issue, he posted the news of his nuptials and a photo of himself on Lafayette's new alumni online community. "There are many benefits to it,” says the economics graduate, who is retired after a career in publishing and as a college professor. "The biggest benefit is that the online community is quick. You can use it to network and share photos. It's also a great time saver. I can send one posting for multiple people to see instead of making many phone calls. And, last but not least, it's free."
Aug 22, 2006
Epifanio ’66 Steers Marine Studies
Professor of marine biology-biochemistry at University of Delaware, Charles Epifanio '66 took the helm as Sea Grant director and dean of the College of Marine Studies (CMS) in January. In 2002, he became the first recipient of the university’s Outstanding Graduate Student Mentoring and Advising Award at the master’s degree level. pifanio plays a lead role in coordinating Delaware Sea Grant’s research efforts. Projects range from developing a coastal ocean observing system to advance real-time forecasting of weather and wave conditions, to exploring the molecular biology of the horseshoe crab in a quest to develop an artificial bait that fishermen can use instead of the horseshoe crab in the eel and whelk fisheries.
Aug 18, 2006
Carpenter ’69 Seeks to Launch Leading Companies
After 14 years as a banking industry executive and 18 years of successfully building a global banking technology company, Bruce Carpenter '69 is using his experience to help other entrepreneurs grow successful companies. The geology graduate is president of Mirabilis Ventures’ investment banking arm, Pacific Atlantic Capital Corp. In 2003, he and a partner founded Harbour Bridge Ventures, which quickly accumulated a portfolio of outstanding companies. "In 2005, one of our portfolio companies received an investment from a rapidly growing Orlando private equity group, Mirabilis Ventures," Carpenter says. "After meeting them, I became enthused by their vision, ambitions, and portfolio model, and my partner and I accepted offers to join their team."
Jul 24, 2006
Kenneth Henke ’69 Helps Scholars Seeking Ancient Religious Texts
German graduate Kenneth Henke '69 developed a fascination in religion as chapel assistant during his senior year at Lafayette and as an active member of the College Church. Recently he became reference archivist at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he works with materials as diverse as German writings on the Reformation and cuneiform tablets from ancient Egypt. He uses the vast resources at his fingertips to help with research projects from around the world and local high school students who want to better understand history, using his working knowledge of Russian, German, Latin, French, and Spanish. In college, Henke traveled to Europe, then served in India through the Gandhi Peace Organization.
Mar 21, 2006
Roger Hansen '65 Provides Homes for Recovering Drug Addicts
As the father of a daughter who was addicted to heroin, Roger Hansen '65 knows the heart-twisting pain that seeing a child in the grips of dependence can impose upon a family. So he started the nonprofit Hansen Foundation, which operates Hansen House, a substance-abuse halfway house that provides follow-up care to 24 men and 24 women. The foundation also opened Serenity House, an extended care program for eight men who may live there for up to two years after completing treatment at Hansen House. Hansen began working at Ole Hansen & Sons as a 12-year-old sweeping floors during summer breaks from school. He worked his way up the company’s ladder to become president in 1978 and, in 1982, became chairman and chief executive officer.
Feb 27, 2006
ROTC Taught O’Dwyer ’60 About Service, Discipline
Duncan O’Dwyer '60 stands ready to serve. He is a member of the board of trustees at Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, N.Y., which his law firm Forsyth, Howe, O'Dwyer, Kalb & Murphy has represented for more than 20 years. Service, however, started long before that for the English graduate. During his time at Lafayette, Reserve Officers Training Corp was mandatory for a student's first two years. O'Dwyer continued, serving as brigade commander during the first semester of his senior year. "We commissioned 70 officers out of my class," says O’Dwyer, who spent 26 years in the Army Reserves. Being an English major "was the most spectacular preparation for law school," he says. "It basically taught you to read, write, and analyze."
Feb 27, 2006
Hiebert ’61 Helps Disabled Gain More Independence
Dennis Hiebert ’61 has seen his inventions fly into space and transfer blood in safety, but the mechanical engineering graduate's latest efforts have had simpler goals – though no less important. After 42 years of consulting in design engineering, Hiebert has been consulting for Volunteers for Medical Engineering, a group of engineers and medical professionals who help people with disabilities gain further independence by designing new products and modifying existing devices. He credits the exhausting work he completed at Lafayette for developing his skills. "Lafayette taught a lot of hands-on experience," Hiebert says, reciting a litany of yearlong labs. "This did more to help me as an engineer than anything else."
Feb 23, 2006
