President Cheryl J. Norton [center] joins the honorees at the Distinguished/Outstanding Alumni Luncheon. The award recipients are [from left] Kenneth M. Mead, ’70; Sara R. Stadler, Esq., ’76; Dr. Joseph R. Testa, ’69, M.S. ’72; Maureen Collins, ’64; Dr. Kei-Hoi Cheung, ’87; and Sandra Summers, R.N., M.S.N, M.P.H.,’84.

It was a celebration of excellence for alumni, faculty, and friends who gathered to honor seven outstanding Southern graduates at the inaugural Distinguished and Outstanding Alumni Luncheon. The event, which was held Nov. 3 in the grand ballroom of the Michael J. Adanti Student Center, was cochaired by Jerry Katona, ’74, M.S. ’88, and Charlene H. Riccardi, ’65, M.S. ’74, 6th year ’77.

• Dr. Joseph R. Testa, ’69, M.S. ’72, an internationally recognized cancer geneticist, was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Alumni Association’s highest honor. Dr. Testa, director of the Human Genetics Program and the Carol and Kenneth Weg Chair in Human Genetics at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, specializes in the study of mesothelioma, a highly lethal form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. (A profile of Dr. Testa is profiled in a feature story in this issue.)

An additional highlight of the event was the presentation of the Outstanding Alumnus/a Awards to six alumni, one graduate from each of the university’s six schools.

• John J. Altorelli, Esq., ’91, a graduate of the School of Business, is a partner with Reed Smith, LLP, an international law firm serving the legal needs of industries and corporations. In 1993, Altorelli earned his Juris Doctorate at Cornell Law School, where he also received the American Jurisprudence Award and served as editor of the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy’s “Tenth Annual National Federalist Society Symposium on Law and Public Policy.”

• Dr. Kei-Hoi Cheung, ’87, a graduate of the School of Communication, Information, and Library Science, is an associate professor at the Center for Medical Informatics at Yale University School of Medicine. Cheung, whose research interest lies in a combination of computer science and biomedicine, has published and presented more than 60 peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals and conferences, and written scholarly work for several books.

• Maureen Collins, ’64, a graduate of the School of Education, attended Southern on a full scholarship that she received as America’s Junior Miss in 1960. Besides serving as a substitute teacher and as a teacher for homebound students, she established a preschool in Columbia, Md. An extremely active community volunteer and philanthropist, Collins presided over the Columbia Senior Citizens Stroke Club, which she founded in partnership with Easter Seals. In 2005, she was the honorary chairman for America’s Junior Miss Council.

• Kenneth M. Mead, ’70, who graduated from the School of Arts and Sciences with a degree in political science, served as inspector general of the U.S. Department of Transportation under presidents William J. Clinton and George W. Bush from 1997-2006. Under his distinguished leadership, Mead’s office identified billions of dollars in ineffective expenditures and addressed issues related to transportation safety and modernization. He is currently a special counsel with Baker Botts LLP in Washington, D.C.

• Sara R. Stadler, Esq., ’76, graduated with a master’s degree in urban studies from the School of Graduate Studies, and went on to earn a Juris Doctorate from the University of Connecticut Law School in 1979. A partner in the New Haven office of the New England-based law firm, Murtha Cullina LLP, Stadler was selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2007 and was recognized by Connecticut Magazine among its listing of the “Top 50 Connecticut SuperLawyers” and the “Top 25 Female Connecticut SuperLawyers.”

• Sandra (Sandy) Summers, RN, MSN, MPH, ’84, who graduated from the School of Health and Human Services with a degree in nursing, is committed to changing the way the media and consumers view nurses, through her position as executive director of The Center for Nursing Advocacy. Summers is a cofounder of the nonprofit organization, which is designed to increase public understanding of nursing through accurate media portrayals. She has worked internationally and in the emergency rooms and intensive care units of some of the nation’s largest trauma centers, including hospitals in Washington, D.C., New Orleans, and San Francisco.

Nominations are being accepted for next year’s awards. Please send your nomination(s), along with resume(s) and/or other supporting materials, to Southern Connecticut State University Alumni Relations, Attn: Awards Committee, 501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT 06515-1355.

Ida Hough Jamison, ’26

In the true spirit of Homecoming, 101-year-old alumna, Ida Hough Jamison, ’26, and her family traveled from Wisconsin to attend the event. On Nov. 3, Southern President Cheryl J. Norton honored Jamison by presenting her with a ceremonial Bachelor of Arts degree at the Distinguished and Outstanding Alumni Luncheon, which was held on Nov. 3 as part of Homecoming weekend.

After graduation, Jamison taught briefly before pausing in her career to raise a family. She later worked as a substitute teacher. As a student at Southern, then New Haven Normal School, she belonged to the Art Club, the Community Dramatic Club, and the Thrift Club and was lauded in the 1926 yearbook for being “Modest to a fault.” Known among friends as “ Idaho,” she was the author of the 1926 class poem, an excerpt of which hints at her long-held devotion to her alma mater:

“As utter strangers we first met
Within this school of ours,
But ’twas not long ’fore friendship buds
Turned to lasting flowers.”

The year is 1956. A new Buick costs $2,761, Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” and Carl Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes” are among the musical hits of the day, and plans are announced to begin filming “The Lone Ranger” in color. History is also being made at Southern, where the 1956 football team — under the leadership of Jesse L. “Jess” Dow, the founder of Southern’s intercollegiate athletics program and then head football coach — has finished a perfect season, the university’s only unbeaten, untied campaign. Some 50 years later, the record set by the 1956 team, which finished the season with nine wins and zero ties and loses, still stands. On Nov. 4, the players from the 1956 team were honored during the Homecoming football game.

Southern will hold a series of outreach events for alumni and friends this winter in Arizona and San Diego, Calif. Several members of the Southern community — including President Cheryl J. Norton and Vice President for Institutional Advancement Megan A. Rock — will attend the events, providing alumni and friends with an update on the latest developments at the university. For more information, call (203) 392-6500.

There’s good news for individuals aged 70½ or older with individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Thanks to the Pension Protection Act of 2006, a simple, tax-friendly option has expanded your charitable giving possibilities.

Under the law, you can make a lifetime gift using IRA funds without tax complications. Previously, you would have had to report money taken from your IRA as taxable income, then take a charitable deduction for the gift, but only up to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income. Some donors actually paid more in income taxes than if they didn’t make a gift at all.

Now you can easily make a gift while you are living and able to witness the benefits of your generosity. While you will not pay income tax on the amount, you also cannot claim a charitable deduction. You may contribute funds this way if:

• You are 70½ or older.
• The gift is $100,000 or less each year.
• You make the gift on or before Dec. 31, 2007.
• You transfer funds directly from an IRA or Rollover IRA.
• You transfer the gift outright to one or more public charities. (This excludes gifts made to charitable trusts, donor advised funds, and supporting organizations.)

Moving Forward
Be sure to contact tax professionals and your IRA custodian if you are considering a gift under the new law. Our planned giving staff would be happy to provide more details about this opportunity.

If you have already included Southern in your estate plans, please let us know so that we can welcome you into the Heritage Society. For more information, call Scott B. Schaffer, associate to the vice president for Institutional Advancement at (203) 392-8752.

In a continuing outreach program designed for alumni, the university will offer a series of financial seminars of special interest to women. The discussions will be led by Stephen S. McGuirk, ’74, M.S. ’79, and Craig Stearns, financial planners at Met-Life Securities, Inc. Among the upcoming seminars are:

Advanced Tax Strategies to Reduce Your Taxes
Jan. 30, 5-7 p.m.
Focus On: Financial Management
March 27, 5-7 p.m.

All seminars will be held in the Michael J. Adanti Student Center in the Alumni Conference Room (324). Please reserve your place by calling (203) 392-6500 or register online at griffinc1@SouthernCT.edu.

Calling all alumni authors.

The Alumni Relations Office is establishing an alumni library to showcase Southern’s talented writers and their works. If you have published a book, please consider sending a copy, along with a brief bio, for inclusion. Send your book to:

Alumni Relations
Attn: Alumni Library
Southern Connecticut State University
501 Crescent Street
New Haven, CT
06515-1355