WIXLIB

Lou Gilleran ’79CAPTAIN OF DESTINYWhen Lou Gilleran ’79 sayshe has an “interestingbackground,” the physician andretired Navy captain is reallyunderselling himself. A foster childin his teens, he navigated collegeand career choices alone, workedconstruction to help pay for collegeand still found time to play sports.After graduating Montclair with a BSin Biology, Gilleran dropped out ofNew Jersey Medical School “becauseI just don't think I was ready for it.”He went to St. George’s UniversitySchool of Medicine in Grenada andthen the U.S. invaded Grenada whilehe was there. “I came back andactually did a television interviewwith Montclair State after I gotevacuated from Grenada.”Growing up in New York City, Gilleranwas one of six children; his parentsdivorced when he was 5. As a teen,he lived with his aunt briefly, beforegoing to live with a friend’s motherin Montclair as a foster child at 16.A conversation with a guidancecounselor led him to Drew Universitybefore he transferred to Montclair.“A real saving grace is when Ispoke to my guidance counselorat Montclair High School, and hetold me because I was in the fostercare program, I was considered anemancipated minor” and eligible forassistance through the EducationalOpportunity Fund (EOF) program,Gilleran recalls.“I worked all through college,” hesays. “If I had had to work any more,there's no way I would have beenable to graduate, let alone excel.”In addition, Gilleran says he took fulladvantage of tutoring offered to EOFstudents, especially for calculus. “So,the program really saved me.”After completing an internalmedicine residency in Cleveland, hejoined the Navy as a medical officerand served as a flight surgeonand in various leadership roles,completing a residency in aerospacemedicine. He was deployed to manylocations, including Kuwait, Iraqand Afghanistan.In 2016, Gilleran retired from theNavy after 27 years, having achievedthe rank of captain and with morethan 20 awards, including theLegion of Merit, six MeritoriousService, Navy Commendation, twoNavy Achievement and two NationalDefense medals. Today, Gilleran livesin San Diego, where he practicesinternal and preventive medicinepart time and is also part of the SanDiego Sheriff’s Department team thatprovides medical care for inmates.Despite his challenges in college,Gilleran remembers Montclair fondly.“I had time to play water polo and beon the swim team my junior and senioryears and hung out at the StudentCenter,” he says. “I played someFrisbee on the lawn and spent a lot oftime in the library, needless to say.”He’s donated to Montclair over theyears but reading about fellow ’79graduate Greg Collins in Montclairmagazine last year inspired himto do more. Both were named EOFchampions (page 38). Grateful forEOF’s assistance, he has createdtwo scholarships, one to help EOFstudents with books and otherneeds, and the other for students inthe Health Careers program.“It's important to give back; I'mhonored do it,” Gilleran says. He wantsto help students the way EOF helpedhim and demonstrate that “you canget through some of your trials andtribulations and make something ofyourself, and then hopefully, help otherpeople out on your way up.” n–Sylvia A. MartinezSpring/Summer 202241

CONNECTIONS Class Notes’70CLASSNOTESs42’80 ’90sGina Coleman ’91 was named chief diversityofficer of PNC Bank. She also serves as cochair of the PNC Corporate Diversity Council,which focuses on embedding inclusion intoevery aspect of the organization.Franklin Walker Sr. ’74 retired after a 48-yearcareer in Jersey City Public Schools in January.John F. Clabby ’75 MA, PhD was appointedto the position of professor emeritus in thefield of Behavioral Health by the Robert WoodJohnson Medical School at Rutgers University.James Dorey ’92 became seniorvice president of operations for InserraSupermarkets in December.Joe Cosentino ’77 published Drama TV,the 13th book of the Nicky and Noah series,in December.Gregory Dell’Omo ’77, president of RiderUniversity, was included in the 2021 NJBIZEducation Power 50 list.Nancy Erika Smith ’77, Esq. was includedin Senator Loretta Weinberg’s 2021 Women’sPower List in InsiderNJ. (See profile, page 43).Donna Bonavita ’78, principal of BonavitaDesign LLC, collected eight awards atthe 53rd Annual Jersey Awards statewidecompetition in September, winning four firstand one second place awards as well as threeCertificates of Excellence for corporate andpromotional marketing material.CONNECT WITH US SOCIALLY@MontclairAlumniMontclair StateUniversity Alumni@officialmsualumniMontclair StateUniversity AlumniThe magazine of Montclair State UniversitysSamuel “Sam” D. Mills Jr. ’80 wasinducted posthumously into the Pro FootballHall of Fame in February. He played forthe New Orleans Saints and the CarolinaPanthers. (See story, page 33)Kevin J. O’Connor’92 was certified bythe Supreme Courtof New Jersey as acivil trial attorney inJanuary. Fewer than2% of attorneys inNew Jersey have thisaccreditation. He is the chair of Peckar &Abramson P.C.’s business litigation practiceand vice-chair of the firm’s labor andemployment practice.Constantino “Gus” Milano ’81 wasincluded on NJBIZ’s 2021 Commercial RealEstate Power 50 list.William C.Petzinger ’82, ’97MA was appointedas a major inCivil Air Patrol’sMaj Thomas B.McGuire CompositeSquadron at JointBase McGuire DixLakehurst. He is the squadron commanderand also serves as its public affairs officer.Founded during World War II, Civil Air Patrolpilots flew missions over the nation’s coastsand borders to protect the U.S.Peter D. Aquino ’83 was appointed thenew president and chief executive officer ofSeaChange International, Inc. – a leadingprovider of video delivery, advertising andstreaming platforms – in September.Mary Bell Steffen ’96 MFA exhibited herpaintings at the Aiken Center for the Artsin Aiken, Pickens County Museum of Arts& History in Pickens, and ArtFields in LakeCity, all located in South Carolina. She wasalso awarded honorable mention in theWaccamaw Arts & Crafts Guild MembersShow in November. Steffen is a member ofthe National Association of Women Artistsand has been treasurer of the South Carolinachapter since 2019.Anthony J. Scardino ’97, PhD wasappointed the associate dean of the Schoolof Business and Information Sciences atFelician University in November. He is also anassociate professor.

Nancy Erika Smith ’77LEGALHAWKNancy Erika Smith ’77 has scaled theheights of her profession as a civilrights lawyer who, since the age of 25,has been breaking ground and makingnews, winning cases for those whoface discrimination based on age, race,gender, sexual orientation or disability.And as she squares off in court withlawyers who went to institutions likeBrown, Columbia and Harvard, sheremains proud and appreciative ofher degrees from Montclair (SocialWork) and Rutgers Law School.“When an adversary feels theneed to tell me where they went tocollege 30 years ago, I always tellthem where I went – starting withOcean County College. Then I beatthem,” Smith told graduates asthe Distinguished Speaker for theCollege of Humanities and SocialSciences Commencement last year.Smith, who has argued before theU.S. Supreme Court, is perhaps mostfamous for her role in the sexualharassment suit that resulted inRoger Ailes being fired from FoxNews, but she has many wins inher column starting with Slohodavs. United Parcel Service, whichultimately rewrote the law on maritalstatus discrimination.“It helped that I didn’t knowanything,” says Smith, who pursuedan argument for the workplacetermination suit that big firmlawyers thought was outrageous.“Jon Slohoda was fired from UPSfor having a relationship outsidehis marriage, but he was separated,getting a divorce and not supervisinghis wife. They fired him because hewas an ‘adulterer.’ Isn’t that maritalstatus discrimination?”It was a heady start to her career,but it didn’t go to Smith’s head.Coming from a working classbackground in Keyport, New Jersey,Smith is well grounded. After herfather died when she was 15, sheand her mother lived in a trailerpark in Toms River. Smith startedat Ocean County College andultimately transferred to Montclairas a commuter student when shemoved to Parsippany.Now Smith lives a busy life, richwith court cases, five grownchildren, nine grandchildren (sofar) and a successful law practicewith her husband. One secretto her success: “Do your bestin everything you do,” she toldstudents last spring. “Never settlefor OK.”But she also says she doesn’t wantto play into the Horatio Alger myth.“Very few people change class inour society,” says Smith. “I’m reallyeternally grateful to Montclair State,and I really hope that we can investin public education so that kids don’tleave with debt and they can affordto do public interest work.”“I think that Montclair doesn't getenough credit for that,” says Smith.“We need to really let people knowthat this is the place where we dopublic service and train people to dopublic service.”She adds, “I appreciate andunderstand the privilege of anaffordable public education thatprepared me for a life of meaning.”n–Mary Barr MannSpring/Summer 202243

CONNECTIONS Class Notes’00sAllison Bressler ’00 becamethe co-founder and co-director ofA Partnership For Change, a NewJersey-based nonprofit organizationthat trains individuals statewide onpreventing and ending domesticviolence and dating abuse.Keith T. Campbell ’06, Esq. waspromoted to senior associate ofScarinci Hollenbeck out of the firm’sLyndhurst, N.J., headquarters. Hepractices education and specialeducation law.Al-Nesha Jones ’07, ’13 MBA is amember of the Intuit Tax Council, andrecently provided content to “The Pathto Advisory,” a guide to creating andmanaging an advisory practice.Paige A. Dworak ’08 played a pivotalrole in the rebranding of the EastOrange General Hospital, now namedCareWell Health Medical Center. She isthe co-owner and CEO.Joseph “Joe” Fiduccia ’01 built afull-scale replica of Optimus Prime fromthe Transformers films in 2016 to inspirehis son. With approval from Hasbro,he travels with Optimus to elementaryschools around the country and shareslife experiences to encourage studentsto stand up to bullies. Upon graduation,Fiduccia dabbled in radio beforebecoming a software application trainerand consultant.Cristina A. Pinzon ’08 was includedon InsiderNJ’s 2021 Top 100 Millennialslist. She is the founder of StatesideAffairs, which serves as a critical bridgebetween the state’s political structureand the Latinx community.Alvin Mallette ’01 helped welcomeAfghan refugees arriving in the UnitedStates at Joint Base McGuire-DixLakehurst in New Jersey in September.He is an Air Force Major.Promotion?Jennifer Higgins ’04 MA joinedthe New Jersey State Health BenefitsCommission as the state employeerepresentative of the New Jersey AFLCIO in November.Angelo Auteri ’05, Esq. was promotedto a partner of Scarinci Hollenbeckin the Public, Labor & Employmentgroup out of the firm’s Lyndhurst, N.J.,headquarters.44SHAREYO U R N E W SMarriage?A new baby?Let us know!Send us aclass note atclassnotes@montclair.edu.You can also updateyour information bycalling theOffice ofAlumni Engagementat 973-655-4141.The magazine of Montclair State University’10sEmily Midkiff ’10, who went on to earna master’s and a PhD, published a bookof research with the University Pressof Mississippi. Titled Equipping SpaceCadets: Primary Science Fiction forYoung Children, the book is about howscience fiction is great for children.Mark J. Comesañas ’11 MA wasnamed the first full-time executivedirector of My Brother’s Keeper Newark,an initiative of Newark Opportunity YouthNetwork aimed at helping young peoplein New Jersey succeed.Christina A. Vance ’11 and GregoryS. “Greg” Winick ’15 Cert. weremarried in November 2021, at theWestmount Country Club in WoodlandPark, N.J.Sean R. Verbist ’11 and MatthewDobrowolski ’12 helped save a sixday-old infant in December when hisairway was obstructed. They are bothMontclair police officers.Shante D. Palmer ’12 was reelectedtreasurer of the New Jersey DemocraticState Committee in January. Shewas also included in Senator LorettaWeinberg’s 2021 Women’s Power Listin InsiderNJ.Avraham Groll ’13 had a conversationabout “Using JewishGen to ResearchYour Roots – Including HolocaustRelated Information” with Jerry Zaks, aretired technology expert, who has donejust that. He is the executive directorof JewishGen – The Global Home forJewish Genealogy.Sandy Alzubi ’14 MA was named theeducational service professional for 2021.She works as a school social worker forthe Union City (N.J.) Board of Education.Amanda J. Del Gaudio ’15 becamethe inaugural director of Gender Equityand LGBTQIA Life at Gettysburg(Pa.) College.Maria Harper ’15 joined A.Y. Strauss asa litigation associate in September. Shealso married fellow alumnus Ryan J.Harper ’16 in September 2020.Stephen Lyman ’15 was namedexecutive director of The MaritimeAssociation of the Port of New York/New Jersey.Anthony Fasano ’16 was included onInsiderNJ’s 2021 Top 100 Millennialslist. He was elected deputy director ofthe Hopatcong (N.J.) Board of Educationin early 2021.Hope Kremer ’16, ’21 MA hopesto raise 3,000 for the LymphomaResearch Foundation in order to gainentry to the New York City Marathonin October. She also recently beganworking full time in University College asan academic advisor.

Diamonique Lundy ’21 MSNOURISHINGTHE SOULDiamonique Lundy ’21 MS hadalways been fascinated by theholistic approach of nutrition andthe role our diets play in our overallhealth. “I love the idea of farm totable and of knowing where youringredients come from,” she says.“Plus, I really enjoy cooking. It is sorewarding to use great ingredientsand recipes to make healthy meals.”Lundy’s coursework in Montclair’sMaster of Science in Nutrition andFood Science program added a newdimension to her thinking. “I learnedthat many communities, both urbanand rural, do not have access to freshingredients, which leads to poorhealth and dietary diseases,” shesays. “In addition, the communitiesthat lacked access to healthy eatingoptions tended to be populated bypeople of color.”She began creating workshops toeducate people about nutrition froma culturally competent viewpoint andbegan thinking about how she couldmake healthy, fresh food convenientand represent what people like to eat.The result is SoLo’s Food, a meal prepservice specializing in healthy andauthentic soul, Caribbean and Latinfood. Her company offers researchbased meal plans that allow people toenjoy their cultural foods while alsomeeting their healthy eating goals. Theentrepreneurial venture was a winningteam at the 2020 Startup Montclairpitch competition, sponsored by theFeliciano Center for Entrepreneurship& Innovation.The company is already reachinga national market and Lundy hasplans for more. She earned acoveted spot in Target’s Acceleratorprogram, an online incubator forsome of the country’s most promisingentrepreneurs. “My goal is to getSoLo’s Food onto retail shelves, tobring healthy food to an even broaderpopulation,” she says.“Montclair State provided my firstadult experience with social justice,”Lundy continues, noting that as astudent at Montclair, she workedpart time on campus as a graduateprogram coordinator. “In addition tothe conversations and projects thatwere part of my classes, Montclairconnected me with volunteeropportunities at a community gardenand food pantry in Paterson. I learnedthe importance of equity and inclusion,and of making sure everyone isrepresented and has a voice.”It’s a philosophy that infuses all ofLundy’s entrepreneurial ventures,including WEALTTH Social, a socialnetworking mobile app that helpsbusiness-to-consumer professionalsconnect in real life.Despite the demands ofentrepreneurship, network buildingand lifting up the talents of others,Lundy finds time to give back tothe community. “I particularly likementoring students,” she says.“I encourage them to always beauthentic in what they believe andin their life’s mission. When you aresure of your purpose and goals, andyou keep them front and center inyour mind, you can put your energyinto executing your plans.” n–Michele HickeySpring/Summer 202245

CONNECTIONS Class Notes’10sStephen P. Blazejewski ’17 led thebranding transformation process of theNew Jersey Pride Chamber of Commerce(NJPCC). He was appointed presidentof NJPCC in 2021 and is the youngestpresident to preside over a chamber inthe state. He has worked to improve thebrand and reorganize the board and itsprocesses, in order to add more value toits membership.’20sGabrielle “Gabi” Bartnik ’21 wona 2021 Jersey Award at the NJ AdClub’s 53rd Annual Jersey Awards,along with Joanna Zaccardi ’21,Zoe W. Gleason ’21, and ChristinaGiordano ’22 in October. They createda Motown curriculum guide for theMotown Museum.Rahjaun Gordon ’21 PhD waspromoted to director of the EducationalOpportunity Fund (EOF) program atMontclair State University.MONTCLAIRconnect is the online community exclusive to Montclair alumni.montclairconnectCONNECT WITH MORE THAN 130,000 ALUMNISign up to bea mentor or volunteer!Tap into youralumni network! Search the Alumni Directory by name, year,location, company and more. Check out events happening on and off campus.Marilyn Joyce Lehren ’21 MA andAriana Leyton ’17, ’18 MS, ’22 MAhelped produce an episode of AmazonPrime’s The College Tour, whichfeatured Montclair State University.(See story page 12)Samantha Johnson Boyer ’17 wasnamed the 2021 Cumberland CountyTeacher of the Year. She is a prekindergarten teacher in Upper Deerfield(N.J.) Township at C.F. Seabrook School.She is the first Pre-K teacher to earnthis title. Explore recorded digital opportunities andaccess online career resources.Diamonique Lundy ’21 was afeatured speaker at the FelicianoSchool of Business’ 8th Annual WomenEntrepreneurship Week in October.(See profile, page 45)Sign up for your freealumni email accountCraig J. Merkle ’21 was sworn in as apolice officer for Montgomery Township,N.J., in January. Use your alumni address as a fully functionalemail account.Beth L. Gottung ’19 MA joinedMontclair Film as the new co-headand executive director in February. Inher new role, she leads development,external affairs, education and communityrelations initiatives for the organization.With an @alumni.montclair.edu email account,you can: Access your email from anywhere in the worldusing Gmail. Rest assured that your account will be managedwith the reliability of Google services.Connecting with AlumniEngagement has its perksPerksConnect is a serviceproviding benefits to alumni,including deals and discountson travel, insurance, eventtickets and more. It is free forall Montclair graduates. To getstarted with PerksConnect, justsign in to your exclusive alumniaccount at MONTCLAIRconnect.For more information, visitmontclair.edu/alumni.46 Visit the alumni groups page and connectwith fellow alumni.The magazine of Montclair State UniversityStart Now!Go to connect.montclair.edu, click AlumniSign On, and follow the simple instructions.For more information, contact theOffice of Alumni Engagementat 973-655-4141.For more information,visit montclair.edu/alumni.

IN MEMORIAMMuriel Leeming Haag ’44Dorothy P. Franken ’78Clorinda M. Daizoni Scagnelli ’48, ’58 MADavid R. Noack ’78 MARussell F. Reed ’49, ’50 MAJoseph S. Savino ’80Marion Metz Bauermann ’50Olga Pelesh Maio ’84, ’92 MA, ’11 Cert.Catherine J. Buce ’51Terry L. Blau ’85Nancy L. Geyer ’51Brian T. Lamb ’85J. Robert Parkinson ’54, ’59 MALissette Gutierrez ’86Barbara L. Smith ’54Alyce Jane Suk Strapec ’87Virginia A. Cavalluzzo ’56 MARobert A. Frisch ’94John T. Hopkins ’57John A. Kuzora ’03Angelo R. Costa ’62Hamza Muheisen ’19Joan L. Eacovalle ’63Alisonstar Molaf ’21Eileen K. Fallman ’64Mary E. Williams Fisher ’65Carla A. Schechner ’67*Ron HollanderJeannette Wiener ’69, ’73 MA*Ludwik KowalskiMiriam H. Willinger ’69 MA*Walter SwalesLouis F. Broccoletti ’70*Rhoda K. UngerCynthia Hasterlis Boyle ’71*Chaim ZemachMarion J. Thomas ’71**Michele KnobelJudith A. Waage ’71**Catherine B. RolandJames T. Nally ’72**Richard O. Taubald ’67Stephen W. Carroll ’73Raymond “Ray” M. Michue ’73*Former FacultyHugh E. “Hughie” Pryor ’77**Faculty EmeritiSpring/Summer 202247

F E AT U R E S O p e n f o r B u s i n e s sLASTINGLESSONSGERARD COSTA FORMER DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR AUTISM AND EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTHFrom 2011 through

SCHOOL OF NURSING: Elsie Alabi-Gonzalez '18, '21 MSN was a member of the inaugural RN to BSN class at Montclair State University. As a registered nurse caring for adults in long- term care facilities and in the community, she also served as a peer development coach during her studies at Montclair. In the