Former Alumni Association President Rose E. Cretella, ’61, M.S. ’66, with the Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient, Dr. Paolo Giordano, ’71.

The Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Alumni Association’s highest honor, was presented to Dr. Paolo Giordano, ’71, at the undergraduate commencement exercises. Giordano, who was chairman of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Loyola University at the time of the presentation, began a new appointment on August 8, as chairman of Foreign Languages and Literatures at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla.

Thanks to the SBC Community Connection Program, the SCSU Foundation may be able to turn your long-distance telephone bill into an important source of revenue for the university. When alumni and friends sign up with SBC for all of their long-distance calling — or confirm that they are already using SBC All Distance — the SCSU Foundation will receive five percent of monthly long-distance spending. There are no additional charges to take part in the program, but you must enroll for Southern to reap the benefits. To join, please call 1 (800) 635-7638 and give the operator code 3021.

In a second special offer, SBC will donate $25 to Southern when you subscribe as a new member to SBC Yahoo DSL high-speed Internet service. An informational flyer is available from the Alumni Affairs office at (203) 392-6500. DSL orders must be placed via email at: SCSULEAD@CTMAIL.SBC.com. Please include your name and contact number.

The university has launched a three-year campaign for women’s sports called SCSU Women — Stand Up and Be Counted. The goal of the campaign is twofold: to raise $100,000 through corporate and alumni sponsorships and donations, and to heighten the visibility of women’s athletics.

“I am happy to hear that these donations will be used to enhance the future of Southern’s women athletes,” comments campaign contributor, Fran Vandermeer, ’88, head volleyball coach at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. “Much of my motivation to help stems from the rich traditions in Southern’s past. The quality of Southern’s women’s athletic programs and physical education program has had a lasting impact on my own teaching and coaching.” For more information on the campaign, please call Gregg Crerar at (203) 392-5518.

Having majored in public health and exercise science, Christopher Piscitelli, ’93, joined the university staff as a hall director in 1994. He has held numerous positions at Southern, including associate director of housing and assistant dean of student affairs. As director of judicial affairs, he is charged with overseeing the discipline of all students on campus.

An avid golfer, Piscitelli volunteers with several organizations, including Special Olympics. In addition, New Haven Mayor John DeStefano appointed him to the city’s Humane Commission, which oversees the New Haven Animal Shelter and ensures that animals under its care are treated humanely. On campus, Piscitelli serves as president of the Administrative Faculty Senate and an adviser to the Student Government Association. He also was an adviser to the Classes of 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2004, and is currently helping guide the men and women of the Class of 2005. This is his first term on the Alumni Association Board.

Patricia Guiletti, ’76, first realized she wanted to be a physical education teacher at the ripe old age of 12. So it’s fitting that the dedicated educator is now teaching students at Hamden Middle School about the joy and importance of leading a physically active lifestyle.

Guiletti, who grew up in Hamden, has been employed by the town’s school system for the past 21 years and has worked at the middle school since 1992. She was elected to the Alumni Association Board in June.

An avid gardener who even enjoys weeding, Guiletti is co-president of the Hamden Woman’s Club, a volunteer service organization. As a Southern student, she excelled in long-distance running.

President Cheryl J. Norton (back row, center) joined alumni from the Class of 1938 who gathered on campus last spring to celebrate their 66th reunion. Also attending the event were Alumni Affairs Director Frank LaDore and (far right) Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement Susan Murray.

With the 2001 publication of his nationally best-selling debut novel, “Boy Still Missing,” John Searles, ’91, found himself in the media spotlight, dubbed a Time magazine “Person to Watch,” a Daily News “New Yorker to Watch,” and a Gotham magazine “Writer to Watch.” Three years later, all eyes are again on Searles, who blasted onto the literary radar screen in July with the release of his second novel, “Strange But True.”

John Searles

A tale of suspense, family, and redemption, “Strange But True” begins with a phone call. Ronnie Chase has been dead for almost five years, when his high school girlfriend, Melissa, contacts his mother and older brother, Philip. Melissa, who remains deeply scarred by Ronnie’s death, is nine months pregnant — and she is convinced that Ronnie is the father.

Searles credits Southern with fueling his success. “I had a poetry professor, Vivian Shipley, who gave me invaluable encouragement and is still very supportive to this day,” says Searles in an online interview presented by the book’s publisher William Morrow, an imprint of Harper Collins.

Searles, who is the deputy editor of Cosmopolitan magazine where he oversees all book excerpts and reviews, is promoting “Strange But True” with a national book tour. Meanwhile, Hollywood has come calling. Searles’ debut novel, “Boy Still Missing,” is slated to hit the big screen, courtesy of Daryl Roth of Daryl Roth Productions and Ross Katz. Katz has been nominated for Academy Awards for Todd Field’s In the Bedroom and Sophia Coppola’s Lost in Translation, which won the Best Picture Golden Globe. Roth has produced five Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, including Proof and Wit.

Appointed chief operating officer of Empower New Haven, Inc., in March, Carlah Bragg, ’85, is continuing a family tradition of activism. “I was born and raised in New Haven,” she notes. “My family was very involved politically. Involvement in the community was a must from the get-go.”

Carlah Bragg

Empower New Haven’s comprehensive approach to community building meshes with Bragg’s personal leanings. In January 1999, New Haven became one of only 15 urban centers nationwide to be designated a Round II Empowerment Zone. The goal? Bringing sustainable, measurable improvements to the economic status and quality of life of those who live and work in the area.

The results have been far-reaching. Among the many initiatives spearheaded by Empower New Haven, Inc., are grants to improve the facades of area businesses and programs designed to make home ownership a reality for neighborhood families.

Bragg graduated with a degree in business.

The achievements of four outstanding Southern graduates were recognized at the 2004 Alumni Awards Banquet, which was held on May 14. President Cheryl J. Norton (center) attended the festivities with the Alumni Award recipients, (back row) Michael Katz, Sr., ’66, and William Borden, ’83, and (front row) Carol Stiff, ’83, M.S. ’89, and Charlene Riccardi, ’65, M.S. ’74, 6th yr. ’77.

The Online Alumni Directory is a searchable directory of contact information on Southern graduates who have asked to be included. Also featured is the Alumni Mentoring Program, which provides information on a variety of careers. Go to www.SouthernCT.edu/alumni; click on “Online Directory.”

Annual Fund Gifts can be made to the university over the Internet. Simply click on “Giving to SCSU” on the home page, then click on “Make a Gift Online.” Pledge payments also may be made.
Southern Alumni Magazine can be viewed online at: www.SouthernCT.edu/alumni/southernmag.

Planned Giving information is available on the Internet at www.futurefocus.net/scsu/index.htm. The site can also be accessed through Southern’s home page at www.SouthernCT.edu. Click on “Alumni and Friends,” followed by “Planned Giving at SCSU.” Information is also available by calling Susan Murray at (203) 392-5598 or contacting her via email at MurrayS1@SouthernCT.edu.

Southern’s Alumni Association has partnered with Leader Frames to present a variety of custom diploma and portrait frames, all personalized with the university name and/or logo. Prices range from $25 to $124.95. A portion of each purchase will benefit the SCSU Alumni Association to support services and programs. More information is available on the company’s Web site at: www.degreeframes.com or by calling (416) 497-7518 or toll-free at (800) 884-3199.

More than 600 seniors attended the spring Elder Fair presented by the Louis and Joan M. Sirico Center for Elders and Families. The Sirico Center was established in 2001 at Southern in the School of Health and Human Services through an endowed gift from Teresa Sirico, ’70, M.S. ’73, (below, far right) made in honor of her parents, Louis and Joan Sirico. The mission of the center is to provide services and education to elders, their families, and students and professionals in the gerontology field. For more information on the center, call (203) 392-6905.