NECASTRO HEADS INNOVATION DISTRICT BOARD
Joseph G. NeCastro, vice chair of Mercyhurst’s Board of Trustees, is now at the helm of the Erie Innovation District Board of Directors, which was recently reconstituted to refect more broad-based representation “Now that we are moving forward, it is important to ensure that we are representing the entire city and receiving strategic guidance from a diverse group of board members,” NeCastro said. He said the new directors represent entrepreneurship, philanthropy, higher education, business and industry and provide assorted pathways to innovate and grow a modern, digital economy focused on safety and security in the City of Erie. NeCastro retired in February 2016 from Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. During his 13 years with the Scripps group of media companies, he served as chief fnancial & administrative ofcer and chief development ofcer. BISHOP PERSICO PRESIDES AT MASS HONORING SISTERS Erie Bishop Lawrence T. Persico joined the Mercyhurst community on April 16 to celebrate a “Mass of Thanksgiving” honoring the contributions of the Sisters of Mercy. “Like so many of us, I am devoted to the legacy of the Sisters of Mercy, our founders,” said Mercyhurst President Michael T. Victor. “All that we have been, all that we are, and all that we will be, we owe to them. The Spring Mass of Thanksgiving is our opportunity to come together as a community and honor the vision and inspiration of the Sisters.”
Vice Admiral Matthew Kohler accepts an honorary degree from President Michael T. Victor MERCYHURST HONORS VICE ADMIRAL KOHLER, GRADUATES 904 Erie native Vice Admiral Matthew Kohler, whose distinguished career in information warfare and naval intelligence spans more than three decades and 15 assignments, received an honorary degree from Mercyhurst during commencement ceremonies in May. He addressed Erie graduates May 13 at Erie Insurance Arena. Admiral Kohler, who assumed duties as deputy chief of naval operations for Information Warfare and the 67th director of Naval Intelligence in June, related his perspective of the competitive world today’s graduates are entering. He’s the son of 1951 Mercyhurst alumna Sally Kohler. A total of 710 students – 566 baccalaureate degree candidates and 144 master’s degree candidates – graduated at Erie, while Mercyhurst North East celebrated 194 graduates from associate degree programs on May 12. Jonah Jackson, recipient of the university’s Carpe Diem Award for 2018, was the student speaker. A political science major, Jackson was Student Government President for 2017-18. Jenna Uhlig, who majored in mathematics and physics, received the Bishop's Award for Academic Excellence. Tifany Kephart, a business administration major, received the Medal of Honor and spoke at North East.
Prior to joining Scripps, NeCastro was chief fnancial ofcer for Penton Media, Inc., where he played a leading role in the execution of Penton's spin-of and initial stock ofering, as well as more than 20 acquisitions. He previously held senior fnancial positions at Reader's Digest and U.S. News & World Report . NeCastro earned a master’s degree in Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a bachelor's degree in Accounting from Mercyhurst.
Deacon Tony Alleruzzo and Bishop Lawrence T. Persico
opens each academic year at Mercyhurst, the Mass of Thanksgiving included special music by the Mercyhurst Concert Choir and instrumentalists. The Mercyhurst Liturgical Dance Ensemble danced to a musical setting of the “Suscipe,” the prayer of Catherine McAuley, who founded the Sisters of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. Sister Lisa Mary McCartney and other Sisters of the Erie community served as readers, gift bearers and Eucharistic ministers.
Like the Mass of the Holy Spirit, which traditionally
RILEY-BROWN NAMED HAFENMAIER DEAN Dr. Christina Riley-Brown, associate professor of English, has been named dean of the Hafenmaier College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. She succeeds Dr. Leanne Roberts who became Mercyhurst provost this summer.
As department chair, Riley-Brown led numerous initiatives, including curriculum revision and assessment, intensive student recruitment eforts, and development of a professional writing concentration in the English major. A strong supporter of interdisciplinary and experiential learning, she has traveled extensively with students for conference presentations and Faculty-led Study Abroad Trips.
Riley-Brown earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Arkansas and her master’s and doctoral degrees in English from the University of Mississippi. Her specialty is early American print culture, with interests in minority and women's writing.
Since coming to Mercyhurst in 2005, Riley-Brown has served as a faculty member, chair of the Department of English, and associate dean of the Hafenmaier College.
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