Lacross captain-cum-venture capitalist. Nott Scholar turned legal expert. Math lover-scientist-corporate leader. Union's three newest trustees Stephen W. Ritterbush, Lawrence B. Pedowitz, and John E. Kelly III bring exceptional energy and focus to the board
Stephen Ritterbush, PH.D. '68: Across the disciplines
“Union has a unique blend of engineering and liberal arts in a small college environment where students are able to get special attention,” said Steve Ritterbush '68, Ph.D., who holds a B.S. in civil engineering and B.A. in political science from Union College as part of a former combined five-year program.
At Union, Ritterbush served as class president for three years and captained the lacrosse team, memorably and dramatically scoring five goals in a victory over RPI while playing with a broken hand.
He also pioneered a term abroad program at the University of Stockholm. “Professor Joe Board was instrumental in helping me develop an independent overseas study program,” he said. “At the time, Union had only two programs – one in Scotland and one in Switzerland – that sent a total of three students abroad to study each year. I was one of the first students to create a program for myself.”
After earning advanced degrees at the University of Hawaii and Tufts and spending time at Harvard as a Rockefeller Foundation fellow, Ritterbush co-founded Fairfax Partners with Ray List '66. He is now managing partner of the firm, which manages a series of investment funds and has launched more than 25 different companies. He resides in Great Falls, Va.
As Union strengthens its image and positions itself in the academic community for the long haul, Ritterbush remains fiercely loyal to the institution that, he says, “provides one with the ability to look at problems in different ways, both from the engineering and technical side, as well as from an economic, social and political perspective.
“Union has a unique ability to turn out students with cross-disciplinary expertise.”
Lawrence B. Pedowitz, PH.D. '69: Value in education
Serving as a trustee is giving Lawrence Pedowitz '69 – Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude, B.A., economics and political science – “an education about education.” He's learning more, he says, about “the issues that the administration and professors must confront from a financial, social and moral standpoint.”
Pedowitz credits his own education at Union for much of his success since graduation. He won Union's Heck-Steingut Prize, was nominated as a Nott Scholar, served as class president and was an exchange student at St. Andrews University in Scotland.
“I was a very happy student,” he said. “The values that Union teaches – including how to achieve balance from the standpoint of intellectual, social and family pursuits – have been critically important to me. I will always be grateful for the superb liberal arts education Union's professors provided.”
In particular, Pedowitz expressed gratitude to Professor Joseph Board, who encouraged him to vie for the Root-Tilden Scholarship at NYU Law School, which he won. He went on to earn his J.D. cum laude and graduate first in his class from NYU, serve as editor-in-chief of the Law Review and clerk for two judges, including U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan Jr.
Pedowitz headed the criminal division of the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office and became a partner in the New York City firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. As a prosecutor, he was involved in the first criminal prosecutions of insider trading and the indictment of Marc Rich and Pincus Green. His role as a defense lawyer for Goldman Sachs earned him recognition in James Stewart's best-selling book, Den of Thieves.
In addition, he is a vice chairman and director of the Legal Aid Society, a co-founder of New York Law Firms for the Homeless and a director of The Brennan Center at NYU Law School.
His association with Union and his fellow trustees, he said, “has been enormously rewarding. The Board is full of dedicated and talented alums. I'm on a steep learning curve and trying to contribute where I have some expertise.”
John E. Kelly III, PH.D. '76: The right balance
Studying at Union, John Kelly III '76 learned to balance the theoretical with the practical, a proficiency that has served him well as both a top scientist and corporate leader. Senior vice president and group executive of IBM's Technology Group, he is responsible for developing, manufacturing and marketing IBM microelectronics products.
“I want to use the skills I have now, from the business and technical worlds, to help direct the College,” said Kelly, who holds a B.S. in physics from Union, as well as an M.S. in physics and Ph.D. in materials engineering from RPI.
The Kelly-Union connection is a strong one. Three siblings also attended Union, his father studied math and engineering in Union night classes while working at the General Electric R&D Center, and his grandfather graduated from Albany College of Pharmacy of Union University.
Highlighting Union's many strengths, Kelly said its small size fostered “tremendous interaction with faculty. They were always accessible; you could just walk in and chat with them. That allowed me to learn a lot from them, and not just academically.”
He said Ennis Pilcher, professor emeritus of physics, inspired him with “a wonderful balance of the theoretical and the practical,” while classes with Professor Byron Nichols of the political science department, “an exceptional professor,” helped round out a course of study that centered on math and science.
Now, after nearly three decades of benefiting from life lessons learned at Union, Kelly is glad to remain involved with the College. “The trustees are a great group of people,” he said. “It's a pleasure to spend time wrestling with the challenges and opportunities that Union faces.
“Union has tremendous potential, and we want to help realize all of that potential.”