1. University recognizes five outstanding faculty members
2. Six receive commissioning at U.S. Army ROTC ceremomy
3. Herzig, Novak named Ideal Bonaventure Students
4. Delta president tells grads that lessons learned at SBU helped his career take off
5. Newsmakers

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University recognizes five outstanding faculty members

St. Bonaventure University recognized five outstanding faculty members Saturday, May 10, during its annual Honors Luncheon and again during the University’s 148th Commencement Exercises Sunday, May 11.

Patrick J. Casey, Ph.D., associate professor of education, and Donald J. Swanz, J.D., associate professor of accounting, received the Award for Professional Excellence in Teaching; Oleg V. Bychkov, Ph.D., associate professor of theology, received the Award for Professional Excellence in Research and Publishing; Patrick Panzarella, Ph.D., associate professor of English, received the Award for Professional Excellence in Service; and Darryl J. Mayeaux, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, received the Junior Faculty Award for Professional Excellence.

Dr. Patrick J. Casey, who has over 45 years of classroom and administrative experiences, has been a full-time faculty member in St. Bonaventure University’s School of Education since 1998. Colleagues and students alike describe him as a charismatic, demanding and supportive instructor who inspires his students to be as dedicated to the profession of teaching as he is.

“Patrick Casey was meant to be a teacher,” two of his colleagues wrote in their nominating letter. “Dr. Casey’s ability to connect with students and his willingness to talk with them at any time regarding educational, personal or career issues demonstrate his deep sense of respect and caring for each individual.”

Students praise his ability to motivate and to seize any teachable moment that comes his way. His courses are rigorous, his standards are high, and he challenges students to be “better than good.” At the same time, he is known for the support and guidance he extends to students, and for nurturing student-professor relationships that often extend well past graduation.

Casey has served as director for the Educational Leadership Program and the Adolescence Education Graduate Program at St. Bonaventure. He was instrumental in bringing the Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to use Technology grant to the School of Education.

A native of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, he was a teacher and administrator at high schools in Canada. He is a former microcomputer resource center director and adjunct instructor at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York, and a former assistant professor in the School of Education, Nursing and the Health Professions at the University of Hartford in Connecticut.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from Iona College, bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Memorial University of Newfoundland, two master’s degrees from Teachers College at Columbia University, and his Ed.D. from Teachers College at Columbia in 1991.

Donald J. Swanz, Esq., joined the School of Business in 1981, and since then has been a “valued teacher and faculty member,” said Dr. John G. Watson, School of Business dean. “His courses are always highly popular with the students, and his teacher evaluations over the years have been extraordinary.”

Swanz created the China Studies Program, an offshoot of having been invited to the People’s Republic of China as a guest lecturer in 1993 and 1994. Since 1997, when the first group of 14 departed for Beijing, the annual program has sent some 225 students overseas to study the history and culture of China, and the obstacles to doing business there.

An attorney who practiced law for 49 years, Swanz has taught a variety of law-related courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He was primarily responsible for developing the Legal Environment of Business course that is a core course in the MBA program, and was solely responsible for development of content for International Legal Environment, a popular elective in the MBA program.

Dr. Charles Coate, associate professor of accounting, said Swanz is “at his best” in the “unique and challenging educational environment” found at St. Bonaventure’s Buffalo Center at Hilbert College.

Swanz earned his bachelor’s degree and law degree from Georgetown University. He has served on the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the American Academy of Legal Studies in Business, and the European Community Studies Association.

Dr. Oleg V. Bychkov has been a member of the Department of Theology at St. Bonaventure University since 1999. His contributions to research and publishing are many and varied, said Dr. James Fodor, associate professor of theology, in his nominating letter.

“Oleg’s main publication achievement to date is his two-volume edition and translation of Duns Scotus’ Parisian Lectures, produced jointly with Fr. Allan Wolter, one of the most widely recognized scholars of Duns Scotus,” said Fodor. Volume two of the 2,500-page, two-volume set was completed by Bychkov on his own, he said.

Dr. John Mulryan, Distinguished Board of Trustees Professor of English, called the Duns Scotus set a “notable achievement, not only for scholarship in general, but for Franciscan scholarship in particular, as Duns Scotus is one of the leading philosophers of the Franciscan order, as well as a thinker who is taken very seriously by modern linguistic philosophers.”

An internationally recognized expert in theological aesthetics, Bychkov has published numerous articles, translations and book chapters on the subject and has three book-length scholarly works in progress. He has also organized three international academic conferences, two of them at St. Bonaventure. He is also a member of several editorial boards.

Bychkov has a diploma in classics from the University of Moscow. He did post-graduate study at the University of Moscow and the University of Oxford. He earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Toronto.

Dr. Darryl J. Mayeaux has been an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology since 2003. A graduate of Loyola University in New Orleans, he earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of California at Davis, where he was an associate instructor from 1993 to 1995. He was a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow at Cornell University from 1999 to 2001.

“While there are many outstanding teachers at St. Bonaventure and also many successful researchers at this University, it is rare to find an individual who excels in both areas,” said Dr. Robin Valeri, Department of Psychology chair, who recommended Mayeaux for the Junior Faculty Award for Professional Excellence.

Mayeaux has established an active research program and laboratory facility in his short time at St. Bonaventure. He regularly involves undergraduates as collaborators in his research work. He has also co-written several grant proposals, two of which were funded for a total of $200,000.

In the classroom, Mayeaux sets high, but achievable, standards and provides students with the knowledge and guidance to reach those goals. He dedicates hours each week to working one-on-one with students outside of the classroom.

Mayeaux has mentored five students in honors projects, said Dr. Joel H. Benington, professor of biology, who also nominated Mayeaux for the award. “Considering that fewer than 100 students have graduated with honors from the entire University during Dr. Mayeaux’s time here, this is a remarkable record,” said Benington.

Added Valeri, “Students regard Dr. Mayeaux as knowledgeable, flexible in his approach to teaching, clear, considerate, concerned, and available for help. He is an asset not only to the Department of Psychology, but to the St. Bonaventure community as a whole.”

Dr. Patrick Panzarella has been a faculty member of the Department of English at St. Bonaventure University for 43 years. “His record of service over that period makes a long catalog,” said Dr. Jeffrey White, chair of the Department of Classical Languages, who presented Dr. Panzarella at the awards luncheon.

Panzarella’s record is “crammed with examples more than sufficient to represent the singular unselfishness of his work on behalf of his students and his colleagues at St. Bonaventure,” said White.

Panzarella served on the Faculty Senate for more than 15 years, was director of freshman composition for 30 years, and was a member of the Alumni Reunion Committee for 26 years. He was a member of the Campus Ministry Council, was on several dean search committees, and was a member of many University and Department of Athletics committees and councils.

He founded the St. Bonaventure Study in Italy Program and has been director of the Summer Study in Italy Program since 2003. “This program serves to place undergraduate students, intellectually and socially, into the most authentic environment of Franciscanism worldwide, and it gives St. Bonaventure an international presence and prestige,” said White.

Panzarella was the men’s tennis team coach for 30 years, and for 21 years coached the women’s tennis team, which he founded. He was inducted into the St. Bonaventure University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003.

Panzarella graduated from St. Mary’s College of California in 1964, earned his master’s at the University of Rhode Island in 1965, and his Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1977.

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Six receive commissioning at U.S. Army ROTC ceremony

The St. Bonaventure University U.S. Army ROTC program hosted its 2008 Commissioning Ceremony on Saturday, May 10, for six new second lieutenants going into the U.S. Army.

The guest speaker for the ceremony, held in The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, was Rear Adm. Fr. Louis V. Iasiello, O.F.M. (Ret.), president of Washington Theological Union.

Fr. Louis is a 1972 graduate
of St. Bonaventure and a member of the University Board of Trustees.

From left: LTC Richard Trietley, professor of military science, and new second lieutenants Benjamin Christian, Noelle Helgeson, Ashley Manocchio, William Maloney, Robert Rapone, and Jared Kausner. At right is 1LT Zoe Coor, a Gold Bar recruiter.

He is the former chief of chaplains for the 2,400 active and reserve chaplains and religious program specialists serving the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Maritime Administration. Immediately after the ceremony, the new second lieutenants participated in the silver dollar salute, a tradition in which each hands a shiny silver dollar to the first soldier who salutes him or her. Those commissioned include:

- Benjamin Charles Hess Christian, a political science major from Long Valley, N.J. Christian enrolled in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) as a freshman, receiving a four-year scholarship at St. Bonaventure University. He is a graduate of the United States Army’s Airborne School. Upon completion of the Leadership Development and Assessment Course, he was selected for commissioning as a military intelligence officer with a branch detail in Infantry. As an ROTC cadet, he has served as the Battalion S-3 and as Bravo Company Commander. Christian is the son of Worth and Mariellen Christian.

- Noelle Louise Helgeson, a sociology major from Brockway, Pa. Helgeson enrolled in ROTC as a junior, attended leadership training camp and received a two-year advanced designee scholarship at St. Bonaventure University. Upon completion of the Leadership Development and Assessment Course, she was selected for commissioning as an adjutant general in the National Guard. As an ROTC cadet, she has served as the Bravo Company Commander and the Alpha Company Executive Officer. Helgeson is the daughter of John and Nancy Helgeson.

- Jared L. Kausner, a history major with a minor in political science, from Portville. He enrolled in ROTC as a freshman and received a three-year New York National Guard Scholarship at St. Bonaventure University. Kausner is a graduate of the United States Army’s Airborne School and Air Assault School. Upon completion of the Leadership Development and Assessment Course, he was selected to branch Armor and will serve with B Troop, 2-101 Cavalry of the New York Army National Guard. As a ROTC cadet, he has served as the Battalion Commander and the Alpha Company Commander. He is the son of Thomas and Cheryl Kausner.

- William S. Maloney, a history major from Fairfax Station, Va. He enrolled in ROTC as a freshman and received a three-year advanced designee scholarship at St. Bonaventure University. Maloney is a graduate of the United States Army’s Airborne School and the Army Mountain Warfare School. Upon completion of the Leadership Development and Assessment Course, he was selected for commissioning as a field artillery officer. As an ROTC cadet, he has served as the Battalion Executive Officer and the Battalion S3. Maloney is the son of Patrick and Victoria Maloney.

- Ashley Manocchio, a social science major from Clarence. She enrolled in ROTC as a freshman and attended the Leadership Training Camp where she received a two-year scholarship, as a junior, at St. Bonaventure University. Upon completion of the Leadership Development and Assessment Course, Manocchio was selected for commissioning as an aviation officer. As an ROTC Cadet, she has served as the Alpha Company Commander and the Battalion Executive Officer. She is the daughter of Dario and Mary Lou Manocchio.

- Robert L. Rapone II, an honors graduate in political science from Waynesville, Mo. He enrolled in ROTC as a freshman, receiving a four-year scholarship at St. Bonaventure University. He is a graduate of the United States Army’s Airborne School. Upon completion of the Leadership Development and Assessment Course, Rapone was selected for commissioning as a Military Police officer. As an ROTC Cadet, he has served as the Battalion Commander and the Battalion S-2 and S-5. He is the son of Susan and Col. Joseph Rapone (Ret.).

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Herzig, Novak named Ideal Bonaventure Students

St. Bonaventure University seniors Stephanie Herzig and Christopher Novak were recognized as Ideal Bonaventure Students on Saturday, May 10, during the University’s Honors Luncheon, and again Sunday during its 148th Commencement Exercises.

The Ideal Bonaventure Students, who are selected by a committee that receives nominations from the University community, are recognized as exemplifying the spirit of St. Bonaventure and the ideals of St. Francis through community service and academic excellence.

The honorable mentions were Katherine Rogers of Almond, N.Y., and Randy Moley of Depew, N.Y.

Herzig, daughter of David and Sharon Herzig of Elmira, is an elementary and special education major and history minor. A dean’s list student, she is a member of Kappa Delta Pi, an international education honor society.

Traveling was a consistent aspect of Herzig’s education at St. Bonaventure.

She was a member of BonaResponds and spent service time in 2006 helping clean up the Gulf Coast struck by Hurricane Katrina. During the summer of 2006, she attended two classes with the University’s Francis E. Kelley Oxford Program in England. Last summer, Herzig was accepted into the Summer in the City program, which allowed her to teach inner-city students for six weeks in New York City. And this spring, Herzig embraced a seven-week student teaching internship on Grand Bahama Island.

Her extracurricular activities included serving as a Student Ambassador, a First-Year Experience Mentor, and a Peer Mentor in a University 101 course, where she assisted in instruction. She has served on a First-Year Experience committee designing new experiences for freshmen and was a leader of the Freshman Hall Council. She has also served on the University’s Judicial Board.

As a member of Students in Free Enterprise, Herzig has spent Friday afternoons teaching business and marketing skills, ethics and entrepreneurship to students in an enrichment class at a local elementary school.

She also served as a Challenge 24 Competition Leader, has been active with Students for the Mountain.

Following graduation, Herzing plans to pursue a master’s of education degree in Advanced Inclusive Processes at St. Bonaventure, where she has accepted a graduate assistantship in the First-Year Experience program.

Novak, son of John and Filomena Novak of Orangeburg, N.Y., is a dean’s list student who enjoys the respect of faculty, staff and peers. He will earn a degree in journalism and mass communication with a minor in English. His Bonaventure experience has been partially sponsored by a Friars’ Scholarship and the Thomas Mosser Public Relations Scholarship.

On campus, he has worked for the student-run newspaper, The Bona Venture (serving as associate editor in 2007-08), the student-run radio station, The Buzz, and the Teaching and Learning Center.

Off campus, he has worked for the Rockland County Times and as a stringer for The Associated Press, covering St. Bonaventure men’s home basketball games.

As vice president of the junior class during the 2006-07 academic year, Novak regularly participated in Student Government Association meetings, and planned junior class social and philanthropic activities.

Novak has been involved with Mt. Irenaeus since he joined the St. Bonaventure family in 2004. With his unassuming, sincere manner, Novak has affected countless peers and has organized Men’s Overnights at the Mountain as well as traveled with friars in Bona’s On The Road ministry outreaches to alumni and friends.

Following graduation, Novak plans to pursue a master’s degree in Adolescence Education at St. Bonaventure, where he has accepted a graduate assistantship in the Teaching and Learning Center.

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Delta president tells grads that lessons learned at SBU helped his career take off

Researching the University’s mission statement in preparation for his Commencement address, Edward Bastian realized that the foundation for his success as a business leader was poured 30 years ago at St. Bonaventure.

“The values that I learned here are what it took to save Delta Air Lines,” Bastian, SBU class of 1979 and the president and CFO of Delta, told St. Bonaventure’s 148th graduating class Sunday morning at the Reilly Center Arena.

Bastian was instrumental in developing the business plan that led Delta from bankruptcy three years ago to its status today, if a merger with Northwest is approved, as the world’s largest air carrier.

Bastian, who received an honorary doctorate, said the University’s core values of discovery, community and individual worth were the values that Delta executives embraced in the painful restructuring of the company.

“We made it a priority to make our people part of the solution,” Bastian said. “We brought 40,000 Delta employees to Atlanta, 400 people at a time, to apologize to them for past mistakes” and to let them know how much management valued their service.

“It was servant leadership, and they responded,” he said. “We had lost our way as a company, but found it just in time.”

Bastian stressed to the graduates that “service to others is the most rewarding thing you can do — for your world, and for our world.”

More than 700 St. Bonaventure students — 465 undergraduates and 272 graduate students — who have completed their undergraduate or graduate studies since August 2007 were recognized during Commencement Exercises, which also celebrated the University’s 150th anniversary. Graduates wore bronze medallions that most of them received April 1 at the Anniversary Convocation.

“You carry a mark around your neck today, the 150th Anniversary medallion,” said John McGinley Jr., chair of the University’s Board of Trustees. “Always remember the mark you’ve made here and carry it close to your heart.”

Student speaker Stephanie Nikolaou of Rochester encouraged her classmates “to be fearless.”

“Let’s not let our anxiety for tomorrow obstruct our view of today,” Nikolaou said. “We have the opportunity to live out our dreams and achieve as much as we can stand to achieve. We’re not always going to succeed at everything, but let’s pretend we can.”

Also receiving honorary degrees were Monsignor William H. Shannon, professor emeritus at Nazareth College in Rochester, and Sr. Maureen Avril Chin Fatt, O.S.F., Congregational Minister of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany.

Lisa Biedenbach, SBU class of 1976, accepted the degree on behalf of Monsignor Shannon, who couldn’t attend due to health concerns. She is an editorial director at St. Anthony Messenger Press and a close friend of Monsignor Shannon’s.

Faculty members Patrick J. Casey, Ph.D., Donald J. Swanz, J.D., Oleg V. Bychkov, Ph.D., Patrick Panzarella, Ph.D, and Darryl J. Mayeaux, Ph.D., were also recognized for the faculty service awards they were honored with Saturday.

Stephanie Herzig of Elmira and Christopher Novak of Orangeburg were also recognized Sunday after being named the Ideal Bonaventure Students during the University’s Honors Luncheon on Saturday.

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Newsmakers

Kimberly DeSimone, lecturer in the School of Business, had two papers published in the International Academy of Business Disciplines 2008 journal Business Research Yearbook: “Emotion and Decision Making in Achieving Optimal Sports Performance” and “The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Learning.”

Dr. Mark Huddle, assistant professor of history, published a short essay, “Remembering Mildred Loving, Unsung Hero of the Civil Rights Movement,” in the May 9, 2008, edition of the political newsletter Counterpunch. For those interested, the essay can be read here.

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