Fall 2007—A decade-by-decade look at our alumni.
1950s
Joe Hillen (A.A.S. ’59), one of NYIT’s original graduates, still remembers when President Alexander Schure took students to see one of the new NYIT buildings he had just purchased. “It still had a Decca Records recording studio inside,” he says. After graduation, Joe served more than three years in the U.S. Army at a radar site just over the Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge in New York City. In 1962, he joined New York Telephone and was transferred to Mountain Bell Telephone in El Paso, Texas, in 1970. Years later, Joe moved to Southwestern Bell Telephone in San Antonio. He retired in 1991 as a manager. “The best part of my career was all the great people I worked with.” He has been married to his wife, Bonnie, since 1961, and together they have one son, Joseph Jr.

Alan Roth (A.A.S. ’59) recalls that his first classes in 1957 were held on the second floor of a building at Pacific and Dean Streets in downtown Brooklyn, N.Y. He credits Professor Martin Ginsburg for getting him into the technical writing field. “This led me to proposal writing and then into proposal management and development, where I have been for more than 30 years.” As the United States moved away from vacuum tubes and toward transistors in the late 1950s, Alan says it was his NYIT education that grounded him in the theory and concepts of this new technology. Alan’s first job at Link Aviation of Binghamton, N.Y., was writing technical manuals for a U.S. Air Force flight simulator. “It went from there and only got better!” Today, he is the vice president of operations at MJI Associates of Centerport, N.Y., where he has been since 1981. “I am the company senior proposal manager, which means I help client companies, both domestically and internationally, pursue and win major contracts with the U.S. government and other governments around the world.”

1960s
John Castellano’s (B.S. ’63) career began with Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation in 1963, where he worked on various aspects of the Apollo program, including the Lunar Module. He left in 1967 after accepting a position with NASA at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. He still works for NASA today in their Washington, D.C., headquarters as acting director in the Review and Assessment Division in the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance. John says he owes a good deal of his success to NYIT, and when he reads about the college today and how it has changed since his days as a student, he is proud to have been part of it. John is married and has two children and seven grandchildren.

Gordon “Chris” Christensen (B.S. ’64) is retired and enjoying the good life, though he remains a consultant with his former company, Microturbo Inc. (now part of The Safran Group), where he previously served as senior vice president. The firm designs, develops, and manufactures small gas turbines for missiles and unmanned aircraft. Chris recently celebrated his 35th wedding anniversary with his wife, and together they have two children.

Ron Flaum (B.F.A. ’66) is celebrating his 40th anniversary with CBS television. During the past four decades, he has worked in local news, sports, and soap operas. Now he does post production for the news show, 48 Hours. When he’s not working, Ron and his family enjoy visiting their lake house. He and his wife, Alicia Tanz, have two children and two grandchildren.

Larry Miller (A.A.S. ’66, B.S. ’69) of Wilmington, Del., is a vice president and the campus director of two Delaware Technical & Community College campuses. He has been with the college for 36 years, starting out as a student advisement counselor and an instructor. Earlier this year, he attended an NYIT basketball game and had to smile when he realized the young player wearing the same number he sported when playing for the Bears had scored more in that one game than he did in an entire season. Larry and his wife of 36 years, Florence, have two sons and a grandchild on the way. When he’s not hard at work, Larry and family like to relax at their vacation house in Bethany Beach, Del.

Spencer A. Freund (B.F.A. ’67) was named vice president for information resources and technology and chief information officer for Cal State-San Bernardino in August. He has spent more than 30 years in the fields of educational technology, telecommunications, and broadcasting. He joins Cal State from Sacramento State University, where he served as associate vice president for technology and planning as well as academic affairs. Spencer is a member of the Inter-national Association of University President’s Commission on Technology in Higher Education, and he sits on private industry executive councils for Dell and Lucent Technologies.

Michael Sporn (B.F.A. ’67) of Manhattan, N.Y., has operated his own 2-D animation production company, Michael Sporn Animations, for 27 years. He has won dozens of awards, including three Emmys, and was nominated for the Oscar in 1984 for his film, Doctor DeSoto. He is just beginning work on his first feature-length film. One of Michael’s first jobs was working at NYIT on the animated film, Tubby the Tuba, which was one of the first movies to use computer animation. He has been with his companion, Heidi Stallings, an actress, for more than 20 years.   

Mike Bandy (B.S. ’68) spent 28 years at Hewlett-Packard before his business group was spun into a new company, Agilent Technologies. He retired in 2005 as vice president and general manager of the semiconductor test system division. These days, he leads an active life in San Jose, Calif., with his wife of 38 years, Irene. His two daughters, Eileen and Cathy, also live in San Jose, with his two grandchildren, Michael and Olivia. “My most memorable teacher was Lester Siegel, Ph.D., who taught modern physics. He was very demanding but made the subject very interesting. He would teach physics as well as give us some insight into the lives of famous physicists.” When he looks back on his life, Mike says the three best decisions he made were marrying Irene, working for Hewlett-Packard, and, of course, studying electrical engineering at NYIT.

After working in the information technology industry for more than 35 years, Mark Hersh (B.S. ’68) is now dividing his time between selling insurance for Insurance Georgia and serving as marketing director for Solutions in Marketing. Mark, of Marietta, Ga., is an avid gardener with more than 80 varieties of hosta in his front yard. He serves on the board of CobbWorks, a workforce investment board; has been a member of Congregation Etz Chaim for more than 30 years; and volunteers with Hands on Atlanta, an organization dedicated to the betterment of the community. He and his wife of 39 years, Sherry, have two children and two grandchildren.

1970s
Thomas J. Kershaw (B.S. ’71) and his wife, Helene Klein (B.S. ’70), actually got married at the Old Westbury campus in 1972 and held their reception in the Student Activity Center. “Several of our guests commented on how lovely and peaceful the campus was. I couldn’t agree more.” Today, Thomas is a logistics management specialist for the U.S. Army. One of his favorite teachers was Rifat Tabi, Ph.D., whom he calls “an excellent instructor who was always willing to give extra assistance to whoever needed it.” Although the couple currently lives in Maryland, they plan to return to the site where they exchanged wedding vows 35 years ago.

An entrepreneur, Steven Drozdeck (B.S. ’74), has written 14 books on financial advising and business, operates three Internet companies, and has presented training programs at companies such as Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo. He enjoys exercising, especially walking, and reading.

In the past, David Baumgarten (M.B.A. ’76) has worked for Xerox Corp. as a project manager and as an instructor at Chabet College in Hayward, Calif. He returned to his native Israel in 1994 and now volunteers for the Israeli police, where he holds the rank of major and serves as headquarters officer in Jerusalem.

When named the 2006 Rural County Engineer of the Year by the National Association of County Engineers, William Lorence (B.S. ’77) was speechless. “The honor is really humbling, because I know the caliber of people who have been nominated and because this came from my peers.” The DeKalb County (Ill.) engineer is also licensed in New York, Wisconsin, Oregon, and Washington. He lives in Sycamore, Ill., with his wife, Susan. They have three sons: Michael, 25, a construction foreman; and 23-year-old twins Gregory, a software engineer, and Stephen, who is on his way to earning a doctorate.

Philip Monastero (B.Arch. ’77) has been named a partner at Baldassano Architecture LLP, where he will oversee all aspects of the design process and ensure that clients’ needs are met accordingly. His career spans nearly 30 years, during which he has studied virtually all aspects of architectural design and ran his own firm.

As principal of Narofsky Architecture, Stuart Narofsky (B.Arch. ’78) recently saw his company win a design competition held by the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, N.Y. The competition program challenged participants to design sustainable modular campus housing for graduate students at the university. Stuart is also a former chapter president of the American Institute of Architects.

Tamar Peleg (B.S. ’79) spends her days as a housewife in Lake Forrest, Calif. She loves going to the gym and practicing yoga (after all, she is a Californian now). Her other favorite hobby is oil painting. Tamar and her husband, David, have two children, Oren and Daphne.

Douglas J. Vaughn (B.S. ’79) is a former U.S. Marine and Vietnam veteran. He spent most of his 13-month tour in Vietnam just below the demilitarized zone near the Cua Viet River, where he served with Ron Kovic, author of Born on the Fourth of July. Douglas is also a 20-year veteran of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), where he gave technical advice to Paul Newman during the filming of Fort Apache the Bronx, planned escorts for dignitaries such as President George H.W. Bush, and received the Police Combat Cross. But now Douglas has a new title he can add to his resume: novelist. His first work, From the Heights, is now available online. “I learned creative writing skills at NYIT, mostly from Professor Faith Toperoff,” says Douglas. “She used to come to the Manhattan campus and teach the same class twice a day for cops working different shifts so they would be able to catch the class. She was terrific.” Douglas lives in Paradise Valley, Ariz., with his wife, Julie, and his son, Christopher, who is a musician and plans to buy his father a Bentley sedan as soon as he achieves “rock star” status.

1980s
Amy Manitone (B.S. ’80) says that her own design firm, Elements Graphic Design, is the culmination of a lifetime of work. She has owned the studio for the past 10 years after leaving Atelier International, the firm she worked for after graduating from NYIT. “The most gratifying part of my work is coming up with a marketing and design solution that creates successful results for my clients,” she says. In addition to corporate work, she also designs for nonprofit organizations and law firms. She lives on Long Island with her son, Matthew. “My favorite memories of NYIT had to do with the Graphic Designers Guild. We had wine and cheese parties, host special speakers, and talked about graphic design.”

Mike White (B.S. ’81) was promoted to vice president and general manager of Pro Mach’s Ossid division, which makes tray packaging, horizontal form/fill/seal, and weighing equipment. He joined the company in 2004 after leaving Bespak, a British supplier of drug-delivery technologies, where he had worked for 14 years in various roles. He lives in Rocky Mount, N.C.

Losing his wife, Mary, to breast cancer 12 years ago changed Alex Fezza’s (B.S. ’82) life forever. Since her passing, he has worked closely with the nonprofit organization, Breast Cancer Help Inc. and today serves as the group’s executive director. In addition to raising awareness and trying to find a cure for the disease, Alex works with business and community leaders on Long Island to raise funds that will hopefully cure the disease and provide the medical technology that diagnoses breast cancer at an earlier stage. In an interview he gave to the Smithtown News, Alex said, “My job is to put myself out of business. When I’m no longer needed, we will have a cure.”

Al Castelli (B.S. ’84) says one of NYIT’s biggest assets is the diversity of its faculty members, staff, and students. “I had professors from around the world with varied backgrounds. And fellow classmates were from around the world as well. We didn’t know it then, but this was what our world would turn into—a global society.” He recalls many of his professors, such as Spencer Turkel, Ph.D., and John Thoms, Ph.D. Al currently works for Reuters America Inc. as an operations specialist and lives in West Babylon, N.Y., with his wife, Diane, and their children, Thomas, Michael, and Tracey. One of his fondest NYIT memories was the chance to meet the chief engineer of the starship Enterprise. “A friend asked me if I was going to see ‘Scotty’ during free hour.
I thought this was a band and asked him about it. He said, ‘No, Scotty from Star Trek.’” Sure enough, James Doohan was at the Old Westbury Student Activity Center discussing his career, signing autographs, and chatting with students. No word yet on when dilithium crystals are being added to NYIT’s engineering lab.

Ronald S. Litman (D.O. ’85) is an associate professor of anesthesiology and pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine. He is also the director of clinical research, division of general anesthesia, in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Patrick Kirby (B.S. ’86) was named managing director of the asset services group at The Depository Trust and Clearing Corp. In his new position, he is responsible for managing the custody and asset servicing of businesses that fall under the parent company’s umbrella. He moved to this position from Citigroup Capital Markets and Banking, where he was managing director and head of global operations for cash products.

Phil Metz (M.B.A. ’86) is the vice president of self-service auto-mation for Solectron and responsible for his company’s kiosk business. Appropriately, he was named to the advisory board of the Self-Service and Kiosk Association for a two-year term.

In July, Robert Pilotti (M.S. ’87) joined Proof-it-Online, a provider of Web-hosted proofing and approval management solutions, as chief technology officer. The computer science graduate has more than 20 years of experience and has worked with global technology companies such as IBM and Document Services Corp. Robert is also a Certified Project Management Professional.

Steve Panariello (B.F.A. ’88, M.A. ’93) and a partner started their own production company, Digital Island Media, in South Florida three years ago and quickly found success. “We are currently in post production on our biggest gig to date, a 17-day location shoot in Panama where we had a budget of over a quarter million dollars.” As a proud NYIT grad, he loves that his work is seen around the world on TV news stations such as CNN, TWC, and CBS. “I often refer to my hands-on training at NYIT as being extremely useful in giving me the passion and skills necessary to stay in my first and only choice of careers for almost 20 years.”

Andrew Layton (B.S. ’89) has been a faculty member at the Georgia Institute of Technology for six years, where he is the research engineer for the Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing Institute. “The most gratifying part of my work is knowing that my skills as an engineer are creating knowledge and innovations that benefit society.” He recently received a three-year grant to work on the development of an artificial kidney. “I also create prototypes for other researchers, including blood flow models for laser velocimetry studies of aneurysms and arterial/venous malformations, prototypes of new heart valve replacement designs, and the development of new dental restoration techniques.” In addition, Andrew works with entrepreneurs and inventors to help them develop their ideas into marketable products. He lives with his wife of 17 years and two children in a suburb of Atlanta. Andrew also volunteers for Habitat for Humanity.

1990s
Robert Gerstman (D.O. ’90) is changing career paths. Instead of treating patients at an inpatient hospital, he will soon become a principal investigator for CRI Worldwide in northeast Philadelphia and participate in drug trials. He passed his psychiatry recertification exams from the American Osteopathic Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. In 2006, Robert served as program director at the American Osteopathic Association annual convention in Las Vegas and lectured to nearly 1,000 medical professionals on the co-existence of depression and physical symptoms.

Joe Buckingham (B.S. ’92) began developing his own career path during his senior year at NYIT. David “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur of hip-hop trio De La Soul approached Joe while he was a student in Central Islip, N.Y., and asked if he would like to develop the cover art of the band’s next album, De La Soul is Dead. This meeting marked the beginning of Joe’s design career, which would later include clients such as “Prime Minister of Funk” George Clinton, Digiwaxx, and Pepsi. In 2005, Joe launched his own clothing line, Artist Type.

Though it’s been more than a decade since her graduation, Lynda Woods Cleary (M.B.A. ’92) says she recalls her time at NYIT like it was yesterday. “One of my favorite activities was watching the pheasants on the lawns of the Old Westbury campus during breaks between classes.” Of course, she also remembers her alma mater fondly because that is where she met her husband, Richard Cleary (M.B.A. ’86). The couple plans to celebrate their 20th anniversary on Dec. 12. Linda is currently self-employed at Cleary Woods Consultants as a financial consultant. “I help individuals and small business owners plan for every stage of life for the people important to them. It pleases me when clients are able to send their children to the schools of their choice, purchase big-ticket items, retire, and maintain a comfortable lifestyle.” Linda acknowledges the encouragement she received from Professor Marvin Weiss, Ph.D., and the challenges placed before her by professors Nitzan Weiss, Ph.D., and Abram Poczter, Ph.D.

Cliff Mossey (O.A.S. ’92, B.P.S. ’94) recently married Donna Smiley at Melia Caribe Tropical in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, with a reception later in Northport, N.Y.  He is a manager at the Olive Garden restaurant in Centereach, N.Y.

Steven Wallstedt (B.S. ’92) is a senior vice president at Citigroup. “I’m the information security officer for the global consumer bank,” says Stephen. “My responsibility is to implement policy and procedures, manage the programs, and ensure the business complies with the policy.” He lives in East Meadow, N.Y., with his wife, Lori, and their two children, Ryan and Kayla.

Though it may not sound romantic, computer software developer David Moskowitz (M.S. ’93) of Sarasota, Fla., says his new Web site is akin to Internet dating sites. The main difference is, people aren’t dating, but swapping—properties, that is. Currently, the real estate site, www.domuswap.com, covers several areas in Florida and is already generating a lot of buzz. David expects his new venture to expand to other markets.

Ursula N. Landman (D.O. ’94) has written an abstract entitled “Who Wants to be a Physician?” Accepted by the Northeast Group on Educational Affairs, the abstract’s purpose is to make medical educators aware of alternatives to the normal lecture format of teaching. She advocates that teaching medical students and anesthesia residents about anesthesia, physiology, and pharmacology in a fun manner helps them retain information.

Fausto Y. Vinces (D.O. ’96) is chief of trauma and critical care services for Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., as well as program director for the Osteopathic General Surgery Residency Program. The board-certified physician is also a clinical instructor at NYCOM and has lectured worldwide on topics relating to trauma and critical care.

Akwasi Achampong (D.O. ’97) is a board-certified internal medicine physician at Elmont Medical P.C. in Elmont, N.Y. “Practicing medicine and solving people’s medical needs are the most exciting part of my work,” says Akwasi. He and his wife, whom he calls “the most beautiful woman in the world,” have four children. On weekends, Akwasi likes to spread his wings and fly private planes.

Nicholas Estavillo (B.S. ’97) has retired from the NYPD after 39 years. One of the highest ranking Latino men serving on the force, he oversaw 20,000 uniformed police officers and handled almost every aspect of patrol operations over the past five years. Before joining the NYPD, he was a U.S. Marine and served in Vietnam.

Michele C. Reed (D.O. ’97) of West Hempstead, N.Y., is a partner in MS Family Medicine Health Care P.C., which has offices in Queens and Garden City, N.Y. She also serves as a physician for the Malverne School District and medical director for the Lakeview Public Library on Long Island. She and her husband, W. Scott Kershaw, have twin boys, Marcus and Stephen.

Brenda Connolly (D.O. ’98) works at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center as chief academic officer and as a family practice program director for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). She enjoys establishing graduate medical education programs and offices from the ground up and creating ACGME and American Osteopathic Association dual programs. Along with her husband of 16 years, Brenda has three children.

Arsalan Sheikh (D.O. ’98) is the division head of endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism and the medical director of the Joslin Diabetes Center affiliate at Maryland General Hospital.

Eyal Amsalem (M.B.A. ’99) was hired as the chief accounting officer and controller at Newtek Business Services, which provides services and financial products to small businesses. Previously, he spent more than three years as director of corporate accounting at Primedia Inc.

John Cunha (B.Arch. ’99) began his own practice, 2mb Architectural Studios, P.C., in 2002 and serves as the firm’s principal. “I will always remember my classes with professors Paul Amatuzzo and David Diamond because they always challenged and encouraged me to explore the boundaries of design.” John lives in Mineola, N.Y., with his wife, Emily.

Freya Dittrich (D.O. ’99) joined Putnam Hospital Center in Carmel, N.Y., in August as an emergency medicine specialist. She completed her internship and residency at St. Barnabus Hospital in Bronx, N.Y.

NYIT’s former assistant director of human resources, Dawn Peterson Jones (M.S. ’99), has been installed as president-elect of the Human Resources Association of Central Connecticut. Since leaving NYIT in 1997, she has held a series of increasingly senior-level positions for companies such as Publishers Clearing House and Budget Rent A Car. She is now director of human resources for the Bushnell Center for Performing Arts in Hartford, Conn. “I miss the school terribly—such good people and good friends,” says Dawn. She has two children and sits on the board of the Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters. She loves swimming, golf, and tennis, and walks about 25 miles a week.

2000s
Samuel M. Galvagno Jr. (D.O. ’00) is chief resident at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Mass. He was one of two residents elected by the residents and faculty for the largest anesthesiology residency in the nation. Samuel was also accepted for a critical care fellowship at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, which will begin in 2008.

Anthony Caravello (D.O. ’01) joined the Somerset Medical Center in July as a radiologist in the Steeplechase Cancer Center. He currently works in the breast care program. Anthony completed a fellowship in women’s imaging with Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Mass.

Fahim Shan Ahmed (D.O. ’02, M.S. ’07) is a member of the core faculty for the emergency medicine residency program at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip, N.Y. This October, he will conduct an emergency ultrasound workshop for medical students at the second annual Emergency Medicine Resident Jeopardy Tournament in San Diego, Calif. In addition, Ahmed continues his role as adjunct professor of emergency medicine and medical nutrition at NYCOM.

Things have been going great since Farrah Sutriono (B.S. ’03) graduated from NYIT. After receiving her degree, she worked as a consultant for Arch Insurance. A year later, the company hired her as a business reporting analyst. Soon after, she met her future husband (they married last September), and now they live in the Bronx, N.Y. Farrah plans to attend graduate school, as well as take a few trips before starting a family.

Neil A. Russell (M.B.A. ’04) was named assistant vice president for investor relations at SYSCO Corporation, a global food-service marketer and distributor. Previously, he was a director for investor relations at Delta Air Lines. He and his wife, Jill, have one daughter.

Shahriar Saadat (B.S. ’04, M.S. ’05) works for Diebold Enterprise Security Systems as manager of the engineering department and is planning to earn his doctorate degree. He credits Steven Lu, Ph.D., in NYIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering for being “the greatest teacher I ever had.” Shahriar lives in Mount Kisco, N.Y., with his wife of five years, Maryam. Together, they enjoy traveling around the world. “Getting married to my lovely wife has been the greatest thing my life. She has been a great help to me in many different ways.”

Nawras Sawalha (B.S. ’05) joined Fifth Ring Integrated Corporate Communications’ office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as a production assistant this summer. He previously worked for Dubai Printing Press.

Jithendra Yogarasa (B.S. ’05) works for the Manhattan Traffic Authority and New York City Transit’s Department of Capital Program Management as an electrical engineer in the wireless communications group. “I take pride in being able to work on engineering projects for one of the world’s largest transit systems.” He also provides police, fire, and rescue workers with communications systems. While at NYIT, Jithendra was part of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and helped set up the ACM Greater New York Programming Contest. “NYIT will always be a special memory for me. The Harry Schure Hall lobby and David G. Salten Hall were some of my favorite places to hang out. When the weather was nice, I would hang out in the quad or take a stroll through the woods.”

Ahmed Latif (B.S. ’06) works for the Kuwait Finance House-Bahrain as assistant supervisor in the investment department. He says the most gratifying part of his job is working in a field that he studied. While he was an NYIT student, he considered the college’s Bahrain campus his second home. “I used to hang around the campus all day, even if I didn’t have classes. We would sit and enjoy our time playing guitar and singing or helping in the administrative offices. Even now, though I’m not a student, I still maintain contact with NYIT and help them with whatever I can.” Ahmed lives in Awali, Bahrain.

After graduation, Christopher Power (B.F.A. ’06) went to work at Data Centrum Communications as a production artist. He lives in Cortland Manor, N.Y., and moonlights as an athletic and personal trainer. From 2002 to 2006, Christopher played for the men’s soccer team, which made it to the Elite Eight of the 2006 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Tournament. He says it was a difficult feat but “one of my most memorable times with Head Coach Carlos DelCid and the rest of the NYIT Bears soccer family.”

Christopher John Guzda (D.O. ’07) has joined St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica, N.Y., and is completing a one-year osteopathic internship in its residency program.
 
Best friends Michael Riscica (B.Arch. ’07) and Charles Van Winckle (B.Arch. ’07) rode off on a bicyling adventure after graduating from NYIT. “We are cycling across the country to see how beautiful the landscape is and to meet all the fantastic people.” Visit www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/nt07 to read an online journal.