FALL 2021
Introducing our 13th President Kathleen A. Getz, Ph.D.
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Inside this issue: Re-envisioning the Motherhouse P.4 Historic graduation season P. 12 Legendary Coach Schaetzle to retire P. 19 The Centennial Countdown P. 23
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A Message from Chair NeCastro
There are some strange things about serving as an interim university president. Take this column, for instance. It’s my frst chance to address the Mercyhurst community in this forum, and it’s also my last. Although this is such an unusual role, it’s been one of the most engaging and inspiring chapters in my professional and personal life. As I write these words, I’m happily anticipating the arrival of our new president, Dr. Kathleen Getz. And by the time you read them, she will have assumed the presidency. This period of waiting gives me a chance to refect on the last six months and all that has transpired. When I began this brief journey, my goal was simply to keep the trains running. I wanted to help us all to move beyond the uncertainty of a change in leadership and to encourage this team of professionals to get back to what they do best — provide an outstanding college experience for those lucky enough to pass through our gates. But the world of higher education, and at Mercyhurst in particular, stands still for no one, interim or not. There was much to be done, and every day brought new opportunities and challenges for the occupant of the ofce of the president. In these moments, I learned more about Mercyhurst than I First, and this probably goes without saying, there is something really special about this place. One of our Core Values states that we are “compassionately hospitable.” I was warmly welcomed to the university and to my interim role by everyone I met. More importantly, we welcome everyone in this way, and it leaves a lasting impression — on students, families, staf, and faculty. This is truly a great place to call home. As you welcome Dr. Getz to her new home, I’m certain that you’ll make her feel this sense of hospitality as well. Second, we are part of a community that embraces hard work. Our mission statement says that we have an “appreciation for the dignity of work and a commitment to serving others.”The people at Mercyhurst live this every day. Every time I asked someone to take on additional work or a special project or to help me work through a difcult situation, they accepted the challenge without hesitation. Rather than let COVID-19 waylay graduation plans for our students, we planned and executed fve diferent socially distanced commencement exercises over one weekend. We made great strides in our diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, we continued to renew campus facilities, and even forged some new partnerships along the way. And, lest we forget, we successfully concluded the search for a new president! had learned in my prior 46-year afliation with the school. Here are the three most important things I’ve learned.
Lastly, the Mercyhurst communyit always looks to the futuerwith a sense of optimismTh. is is an infectious qualyit, one thta makes all of the hdawrork we do ef el justifed and meaningful. Presiding ta commenecment gave me a
true sense of thixsceitement for the futuer, andof r what we do and wyhwe do it. We prepare our studetns for the futuer, and ther is almost nothing so impotrant. Further, a presidential seacrh is all about the fuet,uarnd we’ve selected a leader who will help us acehoieuvr visionofr that futuer. I feel this optimism andxceitement from one end of campoustht e othe. r As we look aheadowt ard our seocnd century, we are fully wa are that our work is never done. Dr. Getz will hvae no shotrage of oppoturnities and challengesotmanag.eBut she will inhitear rich traditionofunded in the Mercy Mission, a hiostry of sucessful innvoation, and a taletend and hard-working team ot make her sucecssfu.lI have every confdenec that Mercyhurst will thivre under her leadership andt wtheaare well positioned for the nxet 100 years. Let me closeybthanking everyone of r your warm welcome, your unfagging suppotrand your hadr work. A special thankos the cabin,et who pulledotgether in a time of uenrtcainty and tarnsition andocntinued to move Mercyhurstofrward; andot my assistatn, Stacey, for taking on the difcult task ofytirng ot make me look go.oI dam porud ot have been a member of thiesatm. In anticipation of my return to the boadr, I lookofrward to watching our progress, and will do so withidper, afection, and a belief thtahe best iseyt to come. Please know that serving as the tienrim per sident of Mercyhurst University has been one of threagtest honors ofymlife.
In Gratitude,
Joseph G. NeCastro Chair, Mercyhurst University Board of Trustees
’ ON THE C OVER: Meet Kathleen A. Getz, Ph.D., who assumed her duties as Mercyhurst ' s 13th president on July 12, 2021. A formal investiture will be held on Saturday, Oct. 2. Complete details will be posted to the university s inauguration webpage at mercyhurst.edu/inauguration. (Photo by Leena M. Clint ‘16)
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Mercyhurst Magazine is a publication of the Ofce of Marketing and Public Relations.
Magazine Editors Deborah W. Morton dmorton@mercyhurst.edu 814-824-2552 Sean Cuneo scuneo@mercyhurst.edu 814-824-2118 Design Leena M. Clint ‘16 lclint@mercyhurst.edu 814-824-3677 Contributing Writers Kristian Biega ’20 Brandon Boyd Craig Butler Susan Hurley Corbran ’73 Deborah W. Morton Contributing Photographers Brandon Boyd Craig Butler Leena M. Clint ’16 Lauren Esper
Inside this issue 2 MERCYHURST WELCOMES NEW PRESIDENT
Ben Friesen Ed Mailliard Deborah W. Morton Director of Alumni Engagement Lindsay Cox Frank ’12 ’14M lfrank@mercyhurst.edu 814-824-2330 Director of Annual Giving Mitchell Marsh ‘20 mmarsh@mercyhurst.edu 814-824-3625 Send changes of address to:
Read a profle of President Getz as she describes her vision and message of hope. 4 THROUGHOUT TIME, THERE FOR EACH OTHER University, Sisters of Mercy seek path forward on future of Mercy Motherhouse. 12 MERCYHURST CELEBRATES HISTORIC GRADUATION SEASON Read how Mercyhurst marked graduation for the Classes of 2020 and 2021.
Alumni Relations Mercyhurst University 501 East 38 th Street Erie, PA 16546 alumni@mercyhurst.edu
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University Prepares New Home for Nursing
Historic Memorabilia Sought in Countdown to Centennial Remembering Them Fondly Police Academy Graduate Strives to ‘Be the Change’ An Educator Ahead of Her Time New Partnership Takes Cyber to Next Level Admissions Introduces New Regional Rep Initiative
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Bidding Farewell to St. Mary’s Chapel
’ If you haven t been receiving the bi-monthly Alumni eNewsletter, Mercyhurst does not have an active email address for you. Visit mercyhurst.edu/alumni/update to update your information and reconnect. We’d love to hear from you! Send your story ideas, suggestions and comments to dmorton@mercyhurst.edu . 1
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MIAC Ushers in Star-Studded Season
Welcome Newcomers
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Project Celebrates Rich Heritage of African Americans in Erie Grads Pave Way for New Generation
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of Financial Analysts
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Athletics — From Tourneys
Alumni Adventures in
to Triumphs
Ireland & Africa
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Artist Proves You’re Never Too Old
Class Notes
to Follow Your Dreams
Kathleen Getz named 13 th president of Mercyhurst University By Deborah W. Morton
Dr. Kathleen A. Getz assumed the ofce of Mercyhurst University’s 13 th president on July 12, 2021, with a level of self-confdence that belied her calm, almost serene demeanor. “I may not have been the best president for Mercyhurst at diferent times in its history, but I believe I am now,” she said in an interview last summer. “I think the partnering of Kathy Getz and Mercyhurst University will make us both better.” Getz is well known as a strategic thinker, but where she shines is in communicating her thoughts in a way that is straightforward and easily digestible. Her frst order of business is to “deeply engage” with the college community as an active listener. From there, she thinks, “we’ll need to talk about stabilizing and growing the enrollment. We’ll want to decide which new programs we should be investing in and address opportunistic challenges like planning for our Centennial. And that’s just for starters.” As for the proverbial “frst 100 days,” she said, “I will deem mine successful if we have a shared sense of how we are going to move forward to address our challenges and to inspire all of our stakeholders with optimism that the best is yet to come.” Getz comes to Mercyhurst with 18 years of senior leadership experience in major business schools, including 10 years at Catholic universities. Prior to Mercyhurst, she was dean of the Sellinger School of Business and Management at Loyola University Maryland, a Jesuit Catholic institution whose business school is home to nearly 2,000 students, 55 full-time faculty, and 13 full-time staf. From 2011 to 2014, she was dean of the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University Chicago, one of the largest Catholic universities in the United States. Previously, she was senior associate dean for academic afairs at the Kogod School of Business
at American University from 2006 to 2011 and chair of the Department of Management from 1999 to 2002. She also served as a professor of management at all three institutions. “As a mission-driven, servant leader, Kathy Getz holds a strong record of service to students and communities, of supporting and advancing the work of the faculty, and engaging donors and alumni in the mission of her institution,” said Board of Trustees Chair Joseph G. NeCastro. “She is a passionate and accessible leader who we believe is ideally suited to lead Mercyhurst into the future.”
While her senior leadership experience
and many accomplishments —
among them being named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women for 2018 — position her well for Mercyhurst’s top job, it was her connection to the university’s values that most appealed to her. “I was struck by the consonance of my own values with those of Mercyhurst,” she said. “Leading people with whom I share certain core values to transform the lives of students and help our community seems to me to be the opportunity of a lifetime.”
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MY FAVORITES In her frst interview with Mercyhurst Magazine, President Kathleen A. Getz made it clear that she intends to be a relatable leader by being herself, living an authentic life, forging positive interactions, and inspiring others to do their best. “I don’t just want to be the president; I want to be a human being.” In deference to that wish, President Getz agreed to share some of her MUSIC: Everything but rap and hip hop; rock ‘n’ roll is my go-to. I play instrumentals when I’m working because if there are words, I start to sing along. I’m learning to play the mandolin and have become enamored with bluegrass. I often say, “Alexa, play world music,” and I get African, Japanese, Indian … I think it is part of what makes a full human being. HOBBY: Walking; also enjoy playing the piano and gardening. COKE or PEPSI: Oh, Coke! favorite things: FOOD: Ice cream WINE or BEER: Wine TRIP: Southern Spain, particularly Andalusia ERIE EXCURSION: Presque Isle. I remember it with such fondness; my husband and I were sailors when we lived in Erie. And I love to swim in the lake. BUCKET-LIST TRIP: Hungary. My husband’s heritage is Hungarian and I have a friend who lived there for 10 years after the fall of communism. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Budapest. I really want to go. BOOK: Thrillers, such as those by Robert Ludlum
University of Pittsburgh. She is quite familiar with Erie, where she and her husband, Gary, lived for several years. She worked as an assistant manager and retail lending ofcer at Mellon Bank from 1981 to 1986. She was also a member of the St. Patrick Parish Choir and volunteered at St. Patrick’s Haven, a homeless shelter, from 1989 to 1990. The Getzes have taken up residence at the Kern House on upper State Street, marking the frst time the recently acquired presidential residence has been used to house a Mercyhurst president. They are the parents of one adult son, Dietrich, who lives in Lynchburg, Virginia, with his wife, Dr. Christen Laughorn. Getz’s selection was the result of an extensive search conducted over fve months by an 18-member committee under the leadership of then-interim President NeCastro and co-chaired by Trustees Stephen J. Fiedler and B. Scott Kern. The committee included representation from the Sisters of Mercy, Trustees, alumni, students, faculty, and staf, with guidance from nationally recognized search frm RH Perry & Associates. Getz succeeds Michael T. Victor, who served as university president from 2015 until early 2021.
Values, even those that may seem old-fashioned by today’s standards, have a special place in Getz’s life, starting with those instilled by her parents, Frank and Vivian Eck, and the home they built with their fve daughters in Nisbet, Pennsylvania. They were all frst-generation college students, encouraged by their parents to get an education “in case you ever have to work,” Getz remembered with a chuckle. They all went on to successful careers, from teachers, to vice president of a children’s hospital, to, now, a university president. Getz said the success she has enjoyed throughout life is “grounded in the love and support of family and friends, as well as lots of optimism and persistence.” Calling herself “a sunny-side up, glass is half-full kind of person,” she keeps this quote by Robert Brault always close at hand: “Optimist: Someone who fgures that taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster; it’s a Cha-Cha.” As much as Getz looks to strengthening the university’s profle, she envisions an even bigger picture. Her previous university work involved participation in broader community issues. For example, she was actively engaged in the Results Baltimore Impact Network, a group of 150 Baltimore-area leaders committed to developing and implementing an efective response to Baltimore’s social and economic challenges. “As Mercyhurst approaches her Centennial, our work will focus on building the foundations of prosperity and justice across the greater Erie region, by strengthening our academic programs, and creating dynamic partnerships with business, In beginning her tenure, Getz becomes the frst woman to lead Mercyhurst in nearly 50 years — since the 1963-1972 tenure of Sister Carolyn Herrmann, RSM, Ph.D., who was preceded in that role by six Sisters of Mercy, starting with Mother Borgia Egan, RSM, in the year of the university’s founding, 1926. Although honored to be joining the ranks of the university’s esteemed female leaders, she doesn’t see the distinction as defning. “I don’t think my strengths lie in being a woman, but in being my own person … likewise, I don’t just want to be the president; I want to be a human being.” Getz earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Development from Pennsylvania State University, an MBA from Gannon University, and a doctorate in Business Environment and Public Policy from the government, the Erie Catholic Diocese, non-profts, and marginalized groups across the region,” she said.
THEATRE PERFORMANCE: Les Miserables (drama) and Much Ado About Nothing (comedy) SPORT: Hockey PIECE OF ADVICE: Be true to yourself and your values.
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Sisters of Mercy, Mercyhurst University: Throughout time, there for each other
For nearly 100 years, the Sisters of Mercy and the Mercyhurst University community have thrived in symbiotic association, there for each other through life’s many changes and challenges. The Sisters founded Mercyhurst in 1926 and, for many years, not only assumed its leadership, but stafed its classrooms and ofces, guiding it into an era of growth and prosperity. By 2016, only two Sisters worked at the university full time, and by 2018, there remained just fve Sisters serving as part-time staf, prompting the university to establish new initiatives to ensure the Sisters’ legacy remained a guiding force. Now, an imposing reality has drawn them together again. Like most groups of women religious in the United States, the Sisters of Mercy are experiencing a decline in numbers as their members age. As a result, the Mercy Motherhouse, just up the hill from the university at 444 East Grandview Boulevard, is underutilized. At one time, the Motherhouse housed 68 Sisters; now there are 17 in residence.
Mercyhurst University, meanwhile, is experiencing the inverse, needing more space to accommodate academic initiatives. Realizing that this day might come, Mercyhurst and the Sisters entered into a formal agreement four years ago to establish a path forward for the university’s future purchase of the Motherhouse building. Following the university’s Board of Trustees meeting in February 2021, steps were taken to move ahead on its option to buy the Motherhouse and allocate funds for renovations. The renovations are consistent with the university’s announcement in 2019 that, in consolidating with its North East campus, it would make a multimillion-dollar investment in facilities upgrades on its Erie campus, particularly in the form of high-tech labs and classrooms for its expansive health care programming. Many of those upgrades are designated for the Motherhouse, where renovations began last spring and will continue until year’s end so they are ready for students in January 2022.
Presently, the university is operating under a short-term lease arrangement with the Sisters until a formal sale can be completed. Mercyhurst already leases some residential space at the Motherhouse; 18 students were living there at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. “Committed to good stewardship of buildings and property and recognizing that unoccupied space is available in the Motherhouse, the Sisters in Erie are grateful that Mercyhurst University will share portions of this facility,” said Sister Patricia Whalen, RSM, Leadership Team, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, New York Pennsylvania West Community. “The university is a beloved educational ministry. Sharing university programs in this building is not only a natural ft, but also will beneft both groups.” In shaping the transition, two ministries that had been housed at the Motherhouse — the Mercy Center of the Arts and Mercy Hilltop Center — have relocated to other locations. Mercy Terrace Apartments will remain on site.
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Besides these three, the Sisters also sponsor a number of other ministries locally, among them Mercyhurst Preparatory School, Mercy Center for Women, and the House of Mercy. Further, any agreement, now or in the future, ensures that the Sisters will continue to live in the Motherhouse and that all of their space needs, including worship, community, ofce, dining, and infrmary, will be accommodated. “We cherish our longstanding bond with the Sisters,” said Mercyhurst Vice President for Mission Dr. Greg Baker. “Amid this transition, we remain indebted to and grateful for the Sisters and their steadfast and generous support of the university.” The Sisters of Mercy, founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, arrived in Titusville, Pennsylvania, in 1870, where they taught the children of oil drillers, later expanding new ministries throughout northwestern Pennsylvania. They arrived in Erie in 1917 to staf Holy Family School and, in 1926, founded Mercyhurst. In 1968, they relocated to the new Motherhouse on East Grandview. The university, meanwhile, is deeply committed to the legacy of its founding Sisters. In 2016, the university established voluntary Mercy Mission training for employees, which became known as the Mercy Emissary Program. Today, more than 165 faculty, staf, alumni, and students act as Mercy Emissaries in keeping the mission alive at Mercyhurst.
Sister Lisa Mary McCartney, RSM, at Mass in Motherhouse chapel.
“We cherish our longstanding bond with the Sisters. Amid this transition, we remain indebted to and grateful for the Sisters and their steadfast and generous support of the university.” — Dr. Greg Baker
Sister Mary Felice Duska, RSM, leads Sisters in song.
Sister Edith Langiotti, RSM, gardening.
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Sister Patricia Whalen, RSM ’63, at left, and Mercyhurst Vice President for Technology Jeanette Britt ’94 get construction briefng from Mickey Young, facilities manager for the Sisters of Mercy. (© Greg Wohlford – USA TODAY NETWORK) Keeping with traditional values, nursing moves to Motherhouse By Kristian Biega ’20
The center area of the Motherhouse, including the chapel, common room, cafeteria, and the McAuley Wing and St. Joseph Wing, will remain occupied by the Sisters. Renovations will continue through the fall as the Hilltop and Marian Wings will house classrooms and simulation labs, while the Grandview Wing will be converted into faculty ofces. All of the state-of-the-art technology and lab equipment will move from North East to Erie over the winter break so the space will be ready for students as they return in early 2022. “We are very lucky,” Kiskadden said. “Not very many schools have that compassion and willingness to jump in and help out like the Sisters did. They are very excited to have us with them and we plan on maintaining that good relationship and respect as well.”
Since their humble beginnings in 19 th century Dublin, the Sisters of Mercy have pioneered schools, hospitals, and other ministries around the world. The Sisters’ commitment to education and to health care continues today in Erie as the Mercy Motherhouse undergoes renovations to house Mercyhurst University’s growing health care programs, driven by the consolidation of its North East campus with the Erie campus. “We are honored and excited to be in a place that is so special to Mercyhurst,” said Nursing Department Chair Candice Kiskadden. “Nursing follows the Mercy tradition and speaks back to the values of the Sisters. We plan to continue the tradition to make a positive impact in the Erie community.” Instead of being split between the North East and Erie campuses, Mercyhurst’s nursing programs — including practical nursing, registered nursing, and the RN
to BSN program — will be located in the Motherhouse beginning in January 2022. The master’s in Integrative Nursing Leadership will continue as a fully online graduate program. “The move also allows us to collaborate with the other health sciences ofered at Mercyhurst, such as physical therapy and athletic training,” Kiskadden said. “It will be a great opportunity for students to learn from each other, and that will be a great beneft once they go into practice.” The available space in the Motherhouse lent itself to be just what the program needed, said Vice President for Technology and CIO Jeanette Britt ’94, who has been overseeing the logistics of the move. “It was truly divine intervention that the Motherhouse became the solution to our need for the nursing program. We think it will be a great experience for both the nursing students and the Sisters to be together in the same building,” Britt said.
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‘If these walls could talk…’ Bidding farewell to St. Mary’s Chapel By Brandon Boyd
Dozens of people flled the pews of Mercyhurst North East’s St. Mary’s Chapel, taking photos on their cell phones and reminiscing about days and moments come and gone. For some, St. Mary’s Chapel was a place of refection and thankfulness. For others, it was home to a new beginning. For all, it was a welcoming structure that held in it the spirit of the Redemptorist and Mercy traditions. As Mercyhurst North East and its entities transfer to the Erie campus, the building that housed St. Mary’s Chapel stands as a remnant of the past 30 years of Mercyhurst history and of a full history that dates back more than a century. The chapel, dedicated in 1902, originally functioned as the student chapel for minor seminarians of the Society of the Holy Redeemer (the Redemptorists), whose seminary occupied the campus grounds from 1871 to the mid-1980s. “If these walls could talk,” said Deacon Ray Sobina, a former criminal justice faculty member at the North East campus, “what a wonderous story that would be told.” Those gathered for the St. Mary’s Chapel farewell prayer service in May 2021 shared their stories with one another, and after a brief greeting and introduction, the frst hymn began. “O God, our Help in ages past, Our Hope for years to come…” Linda Newara remembers those ages past. She married her husband, Darrell, on Sept. 14, 1968, at St. Mary’s Chapel, and as she sat in a back pew at the farewell prayer service, she could not help but go back in time to her day of wedded bliss.
“As I sat here,” she said, tears welling in her eyes, “I can still hear Father May singing and picture me walking down the aisle.” Newara also visited the Chapel sparingly for special events and attended classes at Mercyhurst North East. “I have mixed emotions about it all. But I understand the dynamics,” she said. “Things change, and we have to go with the change.” The potential buyer for the Mercyhurst North East campus does not have a religious mission, and, as required by Canon Law, St. Mary’s Chapel has been deconsecrated. Altars, crucifxes, and the extraordinary stained-glass windows will be removed, and items like the major windows with religious icons and pews will be repurposed in new churches being built in the southern United States. However, at least one item from Mercyhurst North East will make its way to the Erie campus. The Mary statue from the grotto on the North East campus will be moved to the grotto on the Erie campus, a sort of physical representation of the Mercy spirit that comes from Mercyhurst North East and the St. Mary’s Chapel. “While Mercyhurst North East might be at one kind of end, its true end, its purpose and goal must live on and now make a new beginning on the Erie campus,” said Sister Lisa Mary McCartney, mission associate, in her speech at the farewell prayer service. “Mercyhurst
North East was special in its beginning, in its Mercy spirit and way of being, and in our educational mission.”
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MIAC marks silver anniversary of Performing Arts Center with star-studded lineup By Brandon Boyd
& Booze. ” Gasteyer is best known for her six-season run on NBC’s Saturday Night Live , as well as Broadway appearances in Wicked, Annie, Grease Live! and A Christmas Story Live! Her new holiday album, Sugar & Booze , is a collection of festive seasonal songs that ofers a swinging nod to the vintage holidays of yore with a modern touch and plenty of style. The fall half of the season concludes Monday, Dec. 6, with a concert by multifaceted, award-winning vocalist, songwriter, author, and actor Leslie Odom, Jr. Odom currently stars and performs the songs of legendary singer Sam Cooke in the critically acclaimed Amazon flm adaptation of the Olivier Award-nominated play One Night in Miami , directed by Regina King, but he is perhaps best known for his breakout role as Aaron Burr in the smash hit Broadway musical Hamilton . The spring season features performances by legendary saxophonist Branford Marsalis, audience favorite Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, internationally acclaimed vocal ensemble The Ten Tenors, beloved humorist David Sedaris, and Tony Award-winning Broadway star Kelli O’Hara. The 2021-22 MIAC Live season is made possible through the generosity of Scott Enterprises, Aetna, Dr. & Mrs. Robert Guelcher, Cumulus Media, the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority, B. Scott Kern & Amy Cuzzola-Kern, Curtze, Mary Lincoln, Velocity Network, Building Systems Incorporated, Burger King, Gary’s Flower Shoppe, Make It Fabulous Catering, Erie Insurance, Humes Chrysler Jeep Dodge & Ram, Dahlkemper’s Jewelry Connection, Knox Law Firm, Christian Brothers Services, US Netting, Cheryl Vicary, Cheryl Ward, and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
The Mercyhurst Institute for Arts & Culture celebrates the 25 th anniversary of the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center with a spectacular lineup of legendary entertainers, musical icons, and audience favorites in its 2021-2022 season. “For more than a quarter of a century, the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center, widely heralded across the tri-state area as an unrivaled performance venue, has hosted some of the world’s fnest artists,” said MIAC Artistic Director Brett D. Johnson. “Our 2021-22 season is no exception. We’ve assembled a dynamic roster of world-renowned performers whose talents are perfectly suited to our beautiful venue and whose artistry is certain to entertain, inspire, and empower Erie audiences.” The MIAC Live season opens Thursday, Sept. 23, with comic icon Martin Short, who will take the stage for a side-splitting evening of impressions, songs, and sketches. Short has won accolades in television, flm, and theatre since his breakout season on Saturday Night Live more than 30 years ago. A two-time Emmy winner, Short is known for his work on SCTV, SNL, and The Martin Short Show , and his flm credits include starring roles in Three Amigos, Cliford, Mars Attacks!, and Father of the Bride . Legendary performer Vanessa Williams takes the stage on Friday, Oct. 22, to enthrall Erie audiences with a concert of Broadway tunes, pop songs, and heartwarming stories. Williams is one of the most respected and multi-faceted performers in the entertainment industry today. Having sold millions of records worldwide, she has also scored numerous #1 and Top 10 hits on various Billboard album and singles charts. Actress, comedienne, and singer Ana Gasteyer kicks of the holiday season on Tuesday, Nov. 30, with a whimsically retro concert titled “ Sugar
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MIAC welcomes Broadway talent Nick Adams as honorary board member
he’s also a champion of the arts and arts education. We look forward to working together to advance the Institute’s mission of strengthening the vibrancy of the Erie region through richly varied, inclusive cultural experiences.” Adams returned to his hometown in late May when he performed before a sold-out audience at MIAC’s frst in-person concert since March 2020. “The Institute is uniquely cultivating an artistic lifeline to Erie that is so important to me,” Adams said. “I am honored to be a part of the board and to help continue the cultural advancement of my hometown.” Adams got his start in local theatre, which began an upward trajectory that led him to Broadway. He most recently performed American Dream Study with the Forest of Arden acting company under the direction of Michael Arden. He received critical acclaim for his recent portrayal of Whizzer in the North American tour of Lincoln Center Theater’s Broadway production of Falsettos . Notably, he originated
and starred as Adam/Felicia in the Tony-winning Broadway musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert , for which he was named American Theater Hall of Fame Honoree, Broadway Audience Choice Award winner, and Astaire Award nominee. He was the fnal Fiyero in the frst national tour of Wicked and Damian in the world premiere of Mary and Max at Theatre Calgary. Other Broadway performances include A Chorus Line , Guys and Dolls , Chicago , La Cage Aux Folles , and The Pirate Queen . TV and flm appearances include The Other Two (HBO Max), Inventing Anna (Netfix), Sex and the City 2 , An Englishman in New York , Still Waiting in The Wings , Smash , As the World Turns , Guiding Light , Go-Go Boy Interrupted , and It Could Be Worse . He has also wowed audiences in concert performances with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Boston Pops, Indianapolis Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, Erie Philharmonic, and as a guest soloist with New York City Gay Men’s Chorus, among others.
Erie native and Broadway actor, singer, and dancer Nick Adams has been named an honorary board member of the Mercyhurst Institute for Arts & Culture, Executive Director Brett Johnson announced. “We’re thrilled to welcome Nick as our frst honorary board member,” Johnson said. “In addition to being an extraordinary performer,
Anthony Fulgenzio named new vice president for advancement
For nearly four years, Fulgenzio was vice president for advancement at Lake Erie College in nearby Painesville, Ohio. Previously, he spent 17 years at Gannon University in major gifts, related philanthropy initiatives, and advancement communication. His professional afliations include the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and American Fundraising Professionals. “These are exciting times at Mercyhurst University under the leadership of Dr. Getz and planning for the 2026 Centennial celebration,” Fulgenzio said. “I am looking forward to working with the talented advancement team, alumni, and the entire Mercyhurst community.” He and his wife, Gloria, are the parents of two adult children. He can be reached at afulgenzio@mercyhurst.edu or 814-824-3320.
Anthony V. Fulgenzio, a dynamic and experienced fundraiser, has been named vice president for advancement at Mercyhurst University. His tenure began Aug. 1, 2021. Fulgenzio is a fundraising professional with over 20 years of experience in higher education and a proven track record for securing transformational gifts. As vice president for advancement at Mercyhurst, Fulgenzio will lead philanthropic initiatives and oversee key programs, including major gifts, alumni and parent engagement, and planned giving. “We are pleased to welcome Tony to the Mercyhurst University community,” said President Kathleen A. Getz. “Tony understands the value of a liberal arts education, and he will be a dedicated and energetic advocate for securing the resources that will enable us to continue our mission of providing our students with the utmost educational experience.”
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A stop on the trail is St. Paul Cathedral, home of a legendary youth choir. America’s frst Black concert artist, Harry T. Burleigh, was known to sing songs of his youth here.
Among the highlights on the trail is a baseball team, the Pontiacs, whose story
is honored at Bayview Park.
Public history students celebrate region’s rich African American heritage
By Deborah W. Morton
As the national reckoning with racism continues to unfold, a public history project long in the making at Mercyhurst University has cast a light on the rich heritage of African Americans in Erie, Pennsylvania. “African Americans in Erie: A Trail of Shared Heritage” publicly commemorates the culturally rich, historically courageous, and socially dynamic history of African Americans in Erie County — “a history deeply entwined with this region’s overall development,” said Mercyhurst University History Professor Dr. Chris Magoc, whose collaboration with community partners brought the project to fruition. “These are stories of daring heroism, pioneering innovation, of generational perseverance in the face of impossibly difcult odds — in short, great American stories.” The centerpiece of A Shared Heritage is a walking and driving tour of 29 signifcant sites of African American history encompassing the entire county. Visitors to the project’s website, sharedheritage.org , will fnd an illustrated guide to the sites. A Shared Heritage is the culmination of a project that began in 2012, when the Edinboro Area Historical Society received a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to develop an exhibit honoring the legacy of local civil rights champions Leroy and Beatrice Smith, and to begin development of a countywide tour of African American history. Drawing on the extensive research of community historians Johnny Johnson and Sarah Thompson, Mercyhurst public history major Adriana Houseman ’12 drafted the original tour of 22 sites as her senior project. “It was outstanding work by an undergraduate student,” noted Magoc, her advisor at the time, “but it was intended essentially as a draft.”
With no funds to further develop and publish the work, the tour languished until 2017, when Magoc and community colleagues secured a $3,000 grant from Erie Arts & Culture. Two Mercyhurst seniors in 2019-20 “really helped get this project across the fnish line,” Magoc said. Public history major Hannah Pfeifer ’20 conducted additional research, helped curate oral history interviews conducted at WQLN studios, and edited copy for the tour map. Pfeifer earned the Bishop’s Award for Academic Excellence in Mercyhurst’s Class of 2020 and was the frst student to earn a Roy and Rosanna Strausbaugh Fellowship, which supports student research and production of public history projects. The Fellowship also supported the work of graphic design major Samantha Sherwood ’20, who developed the project website, making the tour and its supplemental educational resources digitally accessible. The long journey to complete the project may have been fortuitous, Magoc noted. “What a moment to be bringing this history more fully into our region’s public consciousness, with interest heightened in historic racial injustice and the struggle for full citizenship for all Americans,” he said. “We’re confdent A Shared Heritage will not only help raise public consciousness and appreciation of a rich and important history, but also foster interracial understanding and enliven the regional conversation about how to achieve a more just and equitable future.” How right he was. The tour was so well received when it debuted in August of 2020 that it spurred a partnership with tourism promotion agency VisitErie, which went on to expand the tour even further. Today, there is a self-guided, audio- narrated tour, which is available through VisitErie’s “Hello Erie” mobile app,
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Partnerships play important role in preserving history The Public History and Museum Studies program at Mercyhurst University is part of the Thomas B. Hagen Department of History. Established in 2003, it works with partners throughout northwestern Pennsylvania to advance the preservation, interpretation, and appreciation of the rich history of the people and places of the region. In recent years, students in the program have undertaken other projects of note, including “You Are Here, We Are Here: An Illustrated Walking Tour of Erie’s Historic East Side.” Students collaborated with the Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood Network to create a portrait of Erie’s historic eastside multicultural community. In another project, students traveled Erie’s streets, photographing historic buildings and gathering oral histories from local experts to create “Erie Places, Erie Stories,” contributing to the frst countywide survey of historic buildings in more than three decades. In the summer of 2019, then-senior Rose Pregler ’19 ’20M presented fndings of her historic archaeological investigation of the Spring Creek farmhouse of U.S. Supreme Court Justice and Nuremberg Trials Chief Prosecutor Robert H. Jackson. More recently, students made signifcant contributions to two wayside interpretive markers — Russell’s Log Cabins and Open for the Season — which celebrate stories unique to Harborcreek history. The panels were slated for installation this past summer at the Giford-Blanchfeld House. Home to seven generations of the same family, the historic homestead has since become the home of the Harborcreek Historical Society.
Melinda Meyer, chair of Preservation Erie, at left, historian Johnny Johnson, center, and Mercyhurst History Professor Chris Magoc gather at the Erie Cemetery in August 2020 to unveil “African Americans in Erie: A Trail of Shared Heritage.”
featuring historic points of interest, public art, and businesses that pay tribute to the City of Erie’s African American heritage. For its part, Mercyhurst’s Thomas B. Hagen Department of History continues to supplement its work on the project, thanks to an Anti-Racism Grant from the university that department chair Dr. Benjamin Scharf secured last semester. As a result, students will script and produce video spots highlighting some of the sites, which will be featured on the Shared Heritage website. Further, Scharf said the project will be highlighted in the plenary session of the Pennsylvania Historical Association’s annual meeting in October. “Being selected as the plenary session at the Pennsylvania Historical Association’s annual meeting is a great honor for the Department of History, the university, and the City of Erie,” Scharf said. “While most conference sessions are run concurrently with other sessions, dividing up the audience, the plenary session is run alone and kicks of the conference proceedings. As a result, the focus of the entire Commonwealth will be on this project. The decision to highlight this endeavor is a testament to the important work undertaken by Dr. Magoc, the history department, students enrolled in the public history concentration, and a number of important community partners.”
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Marking a year of resilience, resolve, and romance
It was a graduation weekend like none other. For all the taxing moments that last year’s Commencement Committee navigated to stage fve separate exercises in one weekend, tensions melted like butter when graduates shared their reactions. The ceremonies included one for a group of senior athletes who were competing in championships and could not attend with their classmates, another for members of the Class of 2020 who returned a year later after COVID-19 forced the cancellation of their graduation, and three separate events for the Class of 2021 to accommodate social distancing guidelines. “I am so thankful that Mercyhurst wanted to do this for us,” said Daniel Leonard, who came from North Bethesda, Maryland, to graduate with the Class of 2020 on Saturday, May 15, at the Erie Insurance Arena. “It reassured me of what I had thought all along — that our values are the same.” Although a year had passed since he earned his undergraduate degree in hospitality management, Daniel made the trip to honor his father, who died in October 2019. “Dad instilled in me how important education is, and I know he would have wanted me to come back,” he said. “I did it for him.” Business major and volleyball player Tess Ganich had her own reasons for returning to Mercyhurst a year later. The 2019-2020 academic year had
come to an abrupt end, leaving little time for goodbyes. Members of the volleyball team rallied upon learning that Mercyhurst would proceed with an in-person graduation. “I just really wanted to see my friends again,” said Tess, who made the trip from Royal Oak, Michigan, where she works as a mortgage banker at Quicken Loans. “We got rooms together in a hotel and it’s just been really exciting to be reunited.” Although Mercyhurst dealt with the pandemic through resilience and resolve, romance blossomed for several couples intent on celebrating their love in spite of it. Nate and Becca Myers started dating as sophomores at Mercyhurst, where they both pursued education degrees and were active in Campus Ministry. They married in the midst of COVID on July 3, 2020, slashing a 300-person guest list to 30. Both said they were fortunate to have secured teaching jobs during the pandemic, ironically at the same inner-city school where Becca also recently won the “New Teacher of the Year” award. With life settled and a future seemingly secure, Nate and Becca chose to celebrate their Mercyhurst experience by making the trip from Sterling,
Nate and Becca Myers
Noah and Addison Richmond
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Virginia, to graduate with the Class of 2020. “I love Mercyhurst,” said Becca. “It has always felt like home.” Nate agreed, and added, “I am so happy that Mercyhurst gave us this opportunity.” For new alumni Noah and Addison Richmond, who met while working for the university’s Ofce of Residence Life, last year’s extended Christmas break posed on opportunity. On Dec. 12, 2020, they eloped. “We wanted to be together in the eyes of God,” said Noah. “We fgured we had two whole months, and doing it that way was a lot less stressful,” Addison added. Noah graduated with the Class of 2020, earning a bachelor’s degree in intelligence studies. The following day, Sunday, May 16, he celebrated with the Class of 2021, earning his master’s in cyber security, while Addison received her undergraduate degree in interior architecture and design. Addison is enrolled at the University of Maryland, where she intends to continue her studies in architecture. Noah, meanwhile, is looking to secure an intelligence job in nearby D.C. Also headed to the University of Maryland is former Laker defensive lineman Uwaila Omorogbe, who came from his home in Laurel, Maryland, to receive his Bachelor of Science degree in biology on May 15. He will pursue studies in pharmacy. “After living with the pandemic, you learn that nothing is guaranteed,” he said. “I wanted to come back to experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and share with my family, who defnitely helped me get where I am today.” His entire family came with him, including parents and younger siblings. “My mom and dad were able to be there in person, and my brother and sisters watched the livestream on their cell phones.” For Braeden Barnett, the Class of 2021 Commencement was more meaningful for having persevered through the trials of COVID. “We had to adapt to all kinds of new systems and roles; there was a lot of learning, a lot of adjustments, and today’s graduation is an opportunity to celebrate all those successes,” he said. As the Frank Barry Leadership Award recipient, Braeden played a prominent role among his classmates, serving as president of the Ambassadors, chair of the Student Activities Council, and a Mercy Emissary. He was also on the Student Constituent Group that participated in the past year’s Presidential Search. But, the most fun of all was going incognito as Luke the Laker, energizing athletic contests, welcoming new students, and hobnobbing with the president at various functions. “It was the greatest joy of my life,” he said of playing the university’s much-loved mascot all four of his years at Mercyhurst. Braeden so loved the college life that he has plans to make a career of it. He is of to Kent State, where he has a hall director’s post and will do graduate work in higher education administration and student afairs.
Braeden Barnett
Daniel Leonard
Uwaila Omorogbe
Assistant Women’s Volleyball Coach Jenell Patton (center) is joined by former players (L-R) Tess Ganich, Katie Baird, Leah Kern, and Mary Marusza.
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Commencement season highlights Senior Class Gifts honor distinctive role models On Friday, May 14, the Mercyhurst 2020 with a bachelor’s degree accumulated $18,332 intended University Class of 2021 presented in sport business management, to help a future Laker who the university with its Senior Class and had intended to return in the embodies Kenny’s spirit and Gift — a scholarship in memory fall and study for a master’s degree legacy in an inspirational and of Kenny Robinson, who lost his in organizational leadership meaningful way. life tragically in an accidental while helping to coach the On hand for the presentation drowning on May 16, 2020. baseball team. were members of Kenny’s family, Earlier that Friday, the Class of Kenny’s fnal tweet was May 10, who came from Pittsburgh for 2020, whose commencement 2020, the day of Mercyhurst’s the day. festivities were canceled a year graduation, which had to The Class of 2020, meanwhile, ago because of the COVID-19 be canceled because of the raised $17,376 to support the pandemic, made their Senior Class pandemic. In it, he said: Mike Folga Legacy Scholarship. Gift presentation — a scholarship “Today was supposed to be the day Even as “Folgs” struggled through in memory of Mike Folga, longtime I walked across that big stage and a dire cancer prognosis, he never equipment manager for men’s shed a few tears, the day where lost the kindhearted spirit that hockey, who died of cancer I looked back on all the times I he brought to his job every day in 2019. wanted to quit but kept pushing. It’s for 18 years as the equipment Both scholarships, noted then- been a crazy fve years but I couldn’t manager for men’s hockey. interim President Joe NeCastro in be more excited to fnally say I am a “He loved our student-athletes,” accepting the gifts, are tributes college graduate.” NeCastro said, “and they from Mercyhurst students who Kenny had “beat the odds” to loved him.” chose to remember such positive reach that pinnacle, an expression A special thanks to Mercyhurst and distinctive role models during he used to describe his own life Trustee Lev Kubiak ’88, who a time of such upheaval in their circumstances and to motivate his contributes to each year’s own lives. fellow teammates. scholarship in order to help Kenny was a key member of the In raising funds for the Kenny the senior class reach the Lakers back-to-back Regional Robinson Beat the Odds $25,000 mark needed to Championship and World Series Scholarship, Mercyhurst seniors endow their scholarship. baseball teams. He graduated in Marina Boyle shows true ‘Carpe Diem’ spirit With three commencement ceremonies for the Class of and chair of the 2021 Senior Class Gift Committee. 2021, the year’s Carpe Diem Award recipient and class During her tenure, she also received the national speaker had a decision to make. Would she speak at her Jim Mathews Undergraduate Award and Fellowship own graduation and tape her address for the other two, or for Intelligence Excellence. go live at all three? More than her academic accomplishments and her In true form, Marina Boyle said, “It’s been a tough year; I extracurricular activities, Marina was best known around think I want to do it live for everyone.” campus for her bright smile and uplifting spirit. The Carpe Diem Award is presented annually to the “Mercyhurst is truly a place that changes lives,” she said. graduating student who has made the most positive efect “My time at Mercyhurst has been a journey, from a small on the Mercyhurst community and who best exemplifes town in Ireland, or Éire, to Erie, Pennsylvania. Mercyhurst the university motto, “Carpe Diem” — “Seize the Day.”
Kenny’s twin brother, Keith Robinson, with nephew Maurice Murry, both of Pittsburgh. Keith is wearing a shirt with his brother Kenny’s image, and Maurice is wearing a jacket that refects the “Beat the Odds” scholarship message.
Archival photo of “Folgs,” center, at the Mercyhurst Ice Center on Mike Folga Day, Jan. 26, 2019. (Photo credit Ed Mailliard)
has given me so much, and I’ll always remember it as the place where I made lifelong friends, expanded my horizons, and grew in mercy. My journey with Mercyhurst is not over, and I am honored to be recognized with this award as I continue to go out and seize the opportunities beyond the gates, knowing that Mercyhurst will always be home.” Marina has taken a job as a fnancial crimes investigator with Key Bank in Cleveland. Eventually, she would like to start her own business and later an NGO that would enable
A native of Dublin, Ireland, Marina completed majors in business & competitive intelligence and international hospitality & tourism, and minored in pre-law. Coincidentally, her sister, Rhona Boyle, won the same award when she graduated in 2013. A pre-med student while at Mercyhurst, Rhona is now a junior doctor in
Aberdeen, Scotland.
Certainly, the Boyle family has made its mark on
Mercyhurst. For her part, Marina served as an RA, Merciad editor-in-chief, International Student Association president,
her to use her skills for humanitarian work.
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