A message from the president One of our senior staf members reminded me the other day that it wasn’t that long ago that gathering content for our alumni magazine was an easy task. We had room for just about everything.
signifcant opportunities for our students, and provide much-needed and well-paying jobs for our graduates and others. You’ll also see that one of our partners in the innovation district, Erie’s only Fortune 500 Company – Erie Insurance, is also partnering with us on a new risk management
Today, preparing a magazine starts with what seems like a never-ending list of story ideas that has to be painstakingly edited and edited again. Still, we are an institution that refuses to rest, to plateau, or to say we’re good enough. Because, as the old saying goes, good enough never is . Instead, our faculty, administrators, staf and students, not to mention our remarkable alumni, are known for upping their game, and this issue of Mercyhurst Magazine will highlight that energy and inventiveness in a grand way. Our cover story, for instance, features alumnus Tom Hanchin, who took a hospitality degree and an entrepreneurial spirit from Erie’s Elephant Bar to Boulder, Colorado, where today he owns a $25 million tech company. Speaking of hospitality, this issue we check in with a number of hospitality graduates, who are parlaying their skills into impressive careers. We also highlight one of our most generous alumni, Ellen Ryan, a 1964 home economics graduate and a member of our board of trustees. She is passionate about ensuring that today’s young people have the opportunity to experience the rewards of a Mercyhurst education just like she did, and she has gone to great lengths to make it happen. And please check out the latest in athletics, from a story about wrestling’s three gifted Mizia brothers to the latest renovations at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. In the 19 months since I became president, we have worked diligently to restore our collective spirit while making some tough but necessary calls. I’m pleased to say that we have our house in order and are moving forward with a strategic plan to guide us successfully into the future. As much as Mercyhurst remains our primary focus, we would be naïve to think that our future is not inextricably linked to that of our city. As this once thriving manufacturing town looks to reinvent itself, we are stepping up to help. Thanks to a $4 million grant, which you’ll read about within these pages, Mercyhurst is leading the development of a Downtown Erie Innovation District, which we believe will create
program, arguably another win for the university and for the City of Erie. Mercyhurst alumna Betsy Hirt Vorsheck has made a $1.25 million investment to launch the program. These meaningful and fruitful collaborations, I believe, are going to take our university to the next level. I must give my colleague, Provost David Dausey, credit for his untiring commitment to managing these projects and enlisting the support of our distinguished faculty and local community leaders. Finally, whether on campus or in our community, Mercyhurst continues to keep its Mercy mission top of mind. Within these pages, you’ll read about 20 of our students as they commit to service in the tradition of Catherine McAuley during our inaugural 4 th Vow Retreat. You’ll also see how Mercyhurst North East is helping renew the lives of those afected by recent layofs at GE Transportation, 70 of whom are back in school retooling for the future. It is most gratifying to see our students thrive, be it their frst, or second, time around. I’d like to think the Sisters are smiling everywhere.
Until next time, Carpe Diem .
Michael T. Victor, J.D., LL.D. President, Mercyhurst University
ON THE COVER: Tom Hanchin ’85 in the Boulder plant of CCX (Cable and Connection Experts), the tech frm he co-founded and built into a $25 million business. Photo by Marla Rutherford. Read more about his career on page 12.
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