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Events Calendar
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Look for upcoming alumni events in your area!
Highlighted events offer online registration.
October 21: Manhattan: Reception for Geneseo Alumni, Parents and Friends
October 28: Chicago: Alumni Reception
October 29-30: Geneseo Alumni Hockey Weekend
November 3: Rochester:
Alumni Networking Event, "Financial Regulatory Reform"
November 3: Buffalo:
Alumni Reception with Distinguished Guest Speaker: Terrance (Terry) Flynn
November 6: West Newton, Mass:
Alumni Reception
December 9: Manhattan:
Alumni Networking Social
January 20, 2011:
Boston/New England
Alumni Networking Social:
January 21-22, 2011: Women's Basketball
Alumni Weekend
February 9, 2011:
Washington, D.C.
Alumni Networking Social
February 10, 2011:
Raleigh, N.C.
Alumni Networking Social
April 30, 2011:
Spring Weekend, Greekfest;
Alumni Games: Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, Field Hockey and Volleyball
July 8-10, 2011:
Summer Reunion
September 23-25, 2011:
Homecoming
**Greek Hall of Fame**
Look for
upcoming alumni events in your area!
For more information about events, visit our website, e-mail alumni@geneseo.edu
or call (585) 245-5506.
Are you interested in sponsoring an event in your area? Let us know!
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Alumni Return to Campus for Homecoming '10
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Kathy Marschall Blackwell '92, Stephanie Brown '04, Julia McDaniel '12 (this year's Alpha Kappa Phi Endowed Scholarship recipient) and President Christopher C. Dahl.  |
Celebrating:
Click on links to view images from each event or go here for a full listing of Homecoming photos. Also see articles below.
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Geneseo Celebrates the Sciences as Part of Homecoming Weekend
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Distinguished
Geneseo alumni in the fields of biology,
chemistry,
physics and geology returned to campus Sept. 24 to share their career
experiences and professional insight with students during the college's second
Celebrating the Sciences event.
Gerald Rhodes '74 was one of several panelists receiving a tour of the ISC from biology Professor Abbi Cox.  | Gerald
Rhodes '74, vice resident of research at Gilead Sciences Inc., was one of 18
panelists who spoke on four separate panels. Over 150 students attended the
event, which highlights the college's dedication and diversity in science
programs, as well as achievements of alumni.
Internationally
renowned scientist Dr. Norman Neureiter, director of the Center for Science,
Technology and Security Policy for the American Association for the Advancement
of Science (AAAS), was the keynote speaker. He discussed "Reflections on
Science and Science Policy."
Neureiter
is a distinguished scientist, diplomat and international business executive. He
is overseeing the effort to build new connections between scientists, research
institutions and federal policy-makers involved with anti-terrorism efforts and
other national security issues. He worked both in private industry and public
service in the United States and abroad. In 2008, he received the Public
Welfare Medal, which honors the "extraordinary use of science for public
good."
His
father, Paul Neureiter, came to Geneseo in 1937 as chair of the Division of
Natural Sciences. The Neureiter family established a scholarship in his memory
for women science majors at Geneseo.
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Sports Hall of Fame Inducts Five
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 The college's department of Intercollegiate Athletics and
Recreation inducted five new alumni into its Sports Hall of Fame on Sept. 25 as
part of the college's Homecoming festivities.The 2010 class included (above, from left to right)
women's swimmers Michelle Standora Wolinski '00
and Danielle Schoen '00, distinguished patron and Geneseo Foundation Vice Chairman James N. Leary
'75, men's lacrosse player David Spennacchio '04 and
women's soccer star Logan Hadzicki Blask '04. |
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Geneseo Hits High Marks - Again
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Students take advantage of warm,
sunny weather by studying on the
College Green. Photo by Vasiliy Baziuk  | Geneseo continues to shine
in the growing list of magazines publishing college rankings - five in the past
few months - including two "best of"
lists that mark Geneseo's first appearance.
Creating such rankings seems
to be part of American culture, says President Christopher C. Dahl. All of the
organizations and publications evaluate schools using different and various
criteria.
"There seems to be no
end to Americans' tendency to make lists and rank things, from food to football
teams," says Dahl. "In the world of higher education this year, there
are more lists than ever. Whatever angle they take, however, their rankings
consistently underscore Geneseo's reputation for excellence in undergraduate
education."
Dahl says he has received
feedback from alumni, parents and friends throughout the United State about the
Parade magazine ranking, which
appeared in Sunday newspapers all over the country.
· Parade placed Geneseo on its
"A-List" of 20 small public universities in the nation. Inclusion was
based on recommendations from top high-school counselors.· Geneseo ranked 7th overall
in the nation among 551 "master's universities" in The Washington Monthly's rankings. The
college is the only public school among the top18 on the list. The rankings are
based on colleges' contributions to the public good. |
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· U.S. News & World Report ranked SUNY
Geneseo first among four regional universities in the North identified as
having a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching. Geneseo is one of 86
schools from all four regions of the country on the list, contained in the
magazine's 2011 rankings of the nation's top colleges and universities. Geneseo
placed second among "Top Public Universities" in the North. It also
ranked 12th in the "Best Regional Universities" category for the same
region, a category that combines both public and private institutions.
· The Princeton Review included Geneseo on
its list of the country's best institutions for undergraduate education.
· Geneseo is among 45
"Best Buy Schools" named in the 2011 edition of The Fiske Guide to Colleges.
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Preserving the Tradition
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President Christopher C. Dahl speaks at Opening Convocation on Aug. 27. Photo by Sarah Kosloski.  | By Christopher C. Dahl, President
Dear
Alumni:
With
the 2010-11 academic year well under way, we move forward with renewed passion
to provide the best possible liberal arts educational experience to our
students. Our commitment is unwavering, but this year will be the most
difficult in decades because of the budgetary consequences from New York's
fiscal crisis. Working together, I believe we can weather the economic storm
and preserve Geneseo's rich and vibrant learning environment.
As
expressed in the title of my fall convocation address, Geneseo now faces "The Paradoxes and Perils of Excellence." Through astute planning and firm resolve, the College has kept on its
trajectory of becoming the premier public liberal arts college in the country -
despite financial barriers.
For
example, Geneseo is again ranked highly this year in many national publications,
including for the first time The Washington Monthly and Parade Magazine, the Sunday newspaper supplement
which cited Geneseo on its "A-List" of 20 small public schools for being "... one
of the very best public institutions for teaching and learning in the nation." Read
more about these rankings here.
Frankly,
such national recognition is not surprising. We offer experiences in and out of
the classroom that transform lives - reflected by Geneseo alumni who make a vital
difference in their careers and communities.
What
is surprising - and at the same time, cause for concern - is our ability to
sustain such excellence during a prolonged cycle of diminished state support. Paradoxically,
Geneseo's reputation remains strong even as our state funding sharply declines.
Consider the following:
· Since the 2007-2008
fiscal year, Geneseo's state budget has been cut more than 20 percent, or about
$8 million. Given the current political climate
and the projected duration of state budget problems, it is unlikely that such
funding will ever be restored, making it that more difficult to thrive in the
coming years.
· Funds generated by a modest
tuition increase in 2009 were actually "swept" by state government to fill in
holes elsewhere in the state budget. On top of this, mid-year cuts in January
2010 eliminated nearly $900,000 more from Geneseo's budget at a time when the
College was obligated to pay $1.7 million in salaries previously mandated by statewide
collective bargaining agreements.
· The
failure to provide even a modest tuition increase this year, combined with a
state funds allocation method that negatively affected undergraduate
institutions like Geneseo, has resulted in significant additional reductions -
beyond what we assumed when we began to build the 2010-11 budget. This has created
a structural budget gap of nearly $6.4 million that we have closed through a
series of unsustainable, one-time budget actions.
Over
the last several years, Geneseo has carefully monitored its budget and taken
appropriate measures in response to state funding cuts, including one-time
actions such as mandating four percent savings on all salary accounts; delaying
hiring; cutting non-personnel expenditures; and covering expenses for utilities
and academic non-personnel expenditures with College reserves.
Additional
savings will accrue from the salaries of faculty and staff who elected to
participate in the College's voluntary separation incentive programs and the state's
early retirement incentives. In all probability, however, further one-time
actions and, ultimately, permanent cuts will be required.
I
share this to inform you of the "new normal" in which the College now operates
- and to reinforce the critical importance of private giving. Our faculty and
staff have gone above and beyond what's been asked these past few years to
achieve significant cost savings. With our students, they continue to do wonderful
work on campus and in other communities.
As
alumni, you can help make a real and lasting difference during this challenging
period. To those who have supported the College, my colleagues and I extend our
sincere thanks. We hope you will continue to answer the call, and ideally,
increase your giving to the next level.
To
those of you who are undecided, I urge you to reflect on what Geneseo gave to
you - the knowledge, friendships, memories and connections - and consider how
you might generously give back now to help the students following in your footsteps.
Every
gift, regardless of amount, makes a difference and enhances our ability to
preserve the Geneseo that students expect. Your continued support will help us
sustain the vibrant programs and great traditions that you cherish. Geneseo
remains a very special place. Together,
we can keep it that way and even make it better.
I
pledge to you that each and every dollar will be used to preserve and
strengthen the student experience. Thank you.
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Jerry Bastedo '69: Dedicated to Outdoor Education
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 More than 380 years ago, New York's rolling hills and scenic
valleys were under an ocean. Out at the Penn Dixie Paleontological and Outdoor
Education Center, Jerry Bastedo '69 leads curious students and other visitors
along trails rich with upstate geologic history.
Bastedo helps them look and dig for fossils. Penn Dixie is
one of the few places where the discoverers can take the fossils of trilobites,
fish, plants and tiny marine invertebrates they find home with them.
"People are absolutely amazed at the abundance, the number
and variety of fossils found here," says Bastedo. "It's really an outdoor
classroom. You can get out and really see science come alive."
Bastedo, who earned his master's degree in geology from
Buffalo State, is executive director of the 54-acre preserve in Hamburg, N.Y.,
near Buffalo. As the only full-time employee, he is responsible for
group tours, programming, fundraising, finances and marketing. He also oversees 300
volunteers.
Bastedo has been an advocate for Penn Dixie for more than 20
years, when he and other community residents started working to protect it in
1990. The town of Hamburg bought the site in 1995 and deeded the original acreage to
the Hamburg Natural History Society in 1996. Bastedo was the group's co-founder
and first president. The group immediately brought in school groups for
educational field trips in geology, fossil collecting, astronomy, birding and
wetland investigations and studies.
In 2009, more than 74,000 children and adults were
introduced to Penn Dixie through nearly 380 on-site and off-site programs
including summer camps. Penn Dixie is raising funds for an education center that will feature a working seismograph to record earthquakes around the
world, class and meeting rooms, and an exhibit area. Visiting groups range from
schools to daycare centers, Scouts, senior citizens and everything between.
Earlier in his career, before dedicating his efforts as Penn Dixie's director, Bastedo served
as a geologist at a science museum, as an
exploration geologist for an oil and gas company, and as a chief geologist of a
team that specialized in environmental investigations and remediation projects.
Now, Bastedo's happy to provide an opportunity for visitors to enjoy nature and
learn about western New York's unique geologic history.
"It's not just a job for me," says Bastedo. "We're
accomplishing something positive - we're educating people with an outdoor
hands-on experience 'where science comes alive!'"
· Visit Penn Dixie in
Hamburg, N.Y. online (http://www.penndixie.org/)
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Geneseo Momentum Builds Across America |
The Geneseo Alumni Engagement Initiative was launched last spring
to engage our more than 50,000 alumni across the country and inspire them to
connect with their alma mater and classmates.
Our goal is to create vibrant alumni networks in areas where
we have great numbers of alumni.
We have identified the following 18 regions to form Alumni
Regional Committees:
· Albany
· Buffalo
· Chicago
· Colorado
· Florida (East Coast)
· Florida (West Coast)
· Long Island
· Los Angeles
· New England
· New Jersey North
· New York City
· North Carolina
· Philadelphia/New Jersey
· Rochester
· San Francisco
· Syracuse
· Washington D.C.
· Westchester, N.Y./Connecticut
Each regional committee will be led by alumni volunteers, who
will collaborate with their alma mater to develop a portfolio of regional events
over the next 18 months.
Committees are still forming. Stay tuned for upcoming
events in your region and help build Geneseo momentum across the country!
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Summer Reunion '11: We Need Reunion Committee Members! |
 Celebrate Summer Reunion on July 8 and 9 during the Village
of Geneseo's Summer Festival. It is a fantastic time to come back to campus,
reconnect and celebrate your years here. But, we need your help! The alumni
relations team is seeking alumni to serve as Reunion Committee members, and help
contact and invite their classmates and friends to the reunion.
The following years are celebrating an anniversary: 1936,
1941, 1946, 1951, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001
& 2006. Please contact the Alumni Relations Office by e-mail at alumni@geneseo.edu or call (585)245-5506 for
more information.
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U-Knight is Coming! | 
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From our readers ...
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Do you have a photograph or humorous anecdote
about Geneseo that you would like to share in our next newsletter? Would you
like to update us about events in your life or the accomplishments of fellow
alumni?
If so, please send the photograph
(JPEG format) or stories to alumni@geneseo.edu. We will feature readers' photos and anecdotes in each newsletter.
Summer Reunion Mischief!
Dick Goldbaum '60, left, Craig Mills '60
and Helen LiFeber-Rosener '60/ MS
'66 laugh before they successfully decorated
the Painted Tree with a "60"
inside of a star to celebrate their
graduation year at Summer Reunion
2010. They brought the paint and brush
along to remake their mark on
campus.
Geneseo Alumni Gather at Summer Weddings for Group Photos
 Over 50 Geneseo alumni (52 to be exact) posed for a picture at the
wedding of Jason Kane '04 and Joanna (Laker) Kane '05 on June 5, 2010. In attendance was the aunt and uncle of the groom, Barbara (Bangerter)
Kane '80 and Mark Kane '80. Mark Kane is currently the Treasurer
for the Geneseo Alumni Association and ironically celebrated his 52nd
birthday on this very day.
At the wedding of Kris Heeres '06 (assistant Ice Knights coach) and Meredith (Costello) Heeres '06 on
August 28, 2010 the DJ called for all the "Geneseo" people to gather
on the dance floor. This is the group!!
 All in the Family
I wanted to share this picture with the alumni association - certainly
the
best thing my wife and I have as a result of our time at Geneseo. Our older daughter Livia - just turned 4. From Steve and Lynsey Byer LaMorte both class of '00.
 Alumni Baseball Club Reunites
Alumni baseball members (left to right): Kyle Bill, Joe Glauber, Greg Feltes, Eric Schillinger, Dan
Kirkpatrick, Shane Dehn, Jimmy Zahensky, Jeff Strollo, Dave Amidon, Josh
Sterling, Chris Romesser, Tom Hughes, Mike Robertson, Devin Preston, Vinny
Dallo, Brandon Ewald, Gary Catena, Ryan Feldbauer, Greg Maier, R.C. Holmes,
John Keene, Robert Silsbe, Steve Witter, Tim Yancy, Justin Swackhamer.
 Drama & Dance Reunion
David Conaway '86 organized a drama and dance reunion for alumni of the 1980s. More than 40 alumni returned to campus Aug. 20-22 to enjoy old places and old friends.
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