Memorial award celebrates passions of former Concordy editor
The first Anthony C. LaVecchia '98 Memorial Award was presented on Prize Day, May 5. The award is designed to promote excellence in student journalism, particularly political journalism.
Anthony C. LaVecchia, Class of 1998
Anthony "Tony" Charles LaVecchia came to Union in fall 1994 and quickly made his voice heard as editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, Concordiensis. A political science major and member of Phi Sigma Kappa, he wrote against hazing and apathy, urged students to connect to then-new World Wide Web and came head-to-head with then-President Roger Hull on a few occasions.
"Tony never did anything half way," said Josh Katz '97, a fraternity brother and one of LaVecchia's best friends. "He approached all aspects of his life with the same passion."
"He was very concerned with getting down to business," said Union Assistant Librarian Courtney Seymour '98, a close friend. "He felt, if you've got something to say, say it, and be upfront about it."
Tony LaVecchia died Feb. 27, 2005 at age 28 in a highway accident in Texas. A Brooklyn native, the son of Janis LaVecchia of Las Vegas and Richard and Christiana LaVecchia of Deer Isle, Maine, he traveled widely, wrote poetry and was involved in fundraising programs to help children with cancer.
A number of LaVecchia's friends – including Katz; Phi Sig brothers Peter Farnum '98 (Seymour's husband) and Andy Fradkin '98; and co- Concordiensis editor Adrian MacLean Jay '98 – joined LaVecchia's parents in creating the LaVecchia Memorial Award. Frank Rossi '98 donated $1,250, and an anonymous alumnus created a matching challenge. Other classmates, fraternity brothers and Concordy staff, including Mike Korcynski '99, also pitched in.
"Tony loved Union. It was the basis of most of his deep friendships," said Rich LaVecchia.
LaVecchia was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Dean's List and Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honor society. He did a term abroad in Florence, Italy, and graduated magna cum laude.
His strong sense of ethics was well-known. In 1996, he and MacLean Jay were in the eye of a national media storm when the Unabomber story broke. When it became apparent the bomber was related to a faculty member, they turned away national networks rather than disclose personal details.
LaVecchia's ability to touch on sensitive topics with diplomacy and grace "helped make the editorial section a place of ripe debate for the student community," said Katz. "It is our hope that this memorial fund will impassion another Union student to learn the two things that gave Tony great joy during his time at Union, and helped shape his life after Union: his studies in political science and his work on the Concordy."
The Lee Davenport '37 Summer Research Fund is awarded annually to students in engineering, chemistry, biology, physics or geology who work closely with a faculty mentor on summer research. Davenport recently shared his Union reminiscences, including stories about his own inspiring faculty connections.
In 1934, Lee Davenport was removing insects from plants for 35 cents an hour when Physics Chairman Peter Wold made him an enticing offer.
"He invited me to help make scientific drawings. I'd never done anything like it before, but he said, 'It's better than picking bugs off salvias.'"
It was the beginning of an unforgettable relationship – one that helped lay the groundwork for Davenport's successful career as a physicist and leader in the development of advanced communications technology.
"Peter Wold was a remarkable man," Davenport said. "He was one of the kindest people I've ever met, and very inspirational."
For Davenport, one of two students in the Class of 1937 who became physicists (Howard Moncton was the other), living and learning at Union meant taking advantage of opportunities galore. "I did things I never dreamed I could do. We were allowed to develop our own challenges, in the labs, with professors, at General Electric," he said.
One of the greatest scientific developments of the day was the generation of high voltage electricity to help smash atoms, and Davenport set out to build a high-voltage generator known as a Van de Graaff machine. "I went down to GE and said, 'I need a ball made of two-and-a quarter square inches of aluminum, three feet in diameter," he recounted. "I made all the pieces in the Physics lab. Talk about being stretched. Peter Wold could have said, 'You're a little crazy to build a Van de Graaff.' But he didn't. He said, 'Go to it.'"
A Schenectady native, Davenport, who turned 91 on New Year's Eve, recalled his Union days while in town for the inauguration of Stephen Ainlay as 18th College president. It was the fourth time he participated in the swearing in of a new Union president.
"It's hard to be a film star," he joked while sitting in an armchair in Abbe Hall, surrounded by decades of Union memorabilia, as a video crew recorded the historic event. With his platinum hair, red tie and blue-gray suit, Davenport was a picture of dignity.
Union was the first choice for the young Mont Pleasant High student. His father (Harry L. Davenport '13), a Schenectady school teacher, and grandfather (Frank E. Davenport, Class of 1880), went to Union, as did a grand-uncle (Charles P. Sanders, Class of 1878).
On campus, Davenport joined the scientific research society Sigma Xi and the Radio Club. He enjoyed classes with John March and Ernest Ligon, professors of Philosophy. And he forged lifelong friendships with classmates Alan Van Wert and Ed Moulton, with whom he sang in the Glee Club under Prof. Elmer Tidmarsh ("a jewel").
Davenport holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in physics from the University of Pittsburgh. The Ph.D. is for work he conducted at the top secret MIT Radiation Laboratory during World War II, developing revolutionary fire control radar known as microwave radar. SCR-584 (Signal Corp Radio #584) was the most advanced battlefield radar system at the time. It was Peter Wold who helped make possible the unique degree arrangement between the two schools.
Davenport taught at MIT and at Harvard, where he was responsible for the nuclear lab and a 92-inch cyclotron that was the second largest atom smasher in the world at the time.
He spent 24 years with the GTE Corporation and various subsidiaries, retiring as vice president and chief scientist. In 1963, he appeared on the television show "I've Got a Secret" with GTE's plan to transmit TV pictures via lasers. Under Davenport, GTE patented the bright red phosphor now ubiquitous in television displays.
He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1973. Davenport lives in Greenwich, Conn. He has two daughters from his marriage to the late Anne Stephenson. Since his retirement, he has worked as a communications and advanced technology consultant, but he's nurtured his non-scientific side, as well, restoring vintage cars and caravanning in road rallies through his 80s.
A member of the Union Terrace Council, former ReUnion Leadership Gifts Committee and former Term Trustee (1968 to 1985), Davenport became a Life Trustee in 1985 and Trustee Emeritus in 1988.
"Part of our job as Trustees and alumni is to see to it that people believe in this place," he said. "This is a marvelous institution, and it has every opportunity to continue to grow in reputation and prestige."
The Class of 1941 is a distinguished one by any account. Graduates became engineers and executives, writers and publishers, diplomats, doctors, lawyers and inventors. They were heroes in two wars.
Paying permanent tribute to this outstanding group of men, a handsome glass case in the den of Sorum House now displays memorabilia of their days at Union and different phases of their lives. Many members took part in dedicating the den last year.
"My father would have been pleased to see the results of his classmates' efforts," said Union Board Chairman Stephen Ciesinski '70, whose father, Adam, was a class member.
One of Union's seven Minerva Houses, Sorum House is dedicated to the memory of Dean of Faculty Christina (Christie) Sorum. It is popular for Christie's Coffeehouse and its student-faculty book groups and discussions.
Endowed professorships help enrich the life of the mind
An endowed professorship is one of the most prestigious academic honors given to a faculty member. It's a living, lasting testimonial to the donor's belief in the importance of sustaining the vibrant intellectual community that is at the core of a strong liberal arts institution.
That vibrancy can't happen without great faculty.
"Endowed professorships recognize outstanding scholar-teachers, faculty members who inspire their classes through exemplary teaching, which includes working closely with students on research projects," observes Therese McCarty, interim dean of faculty. "They also are accomplished scholars in their fields, which is an essential foundation for their excellence."
Endowed professors touch the lives of not only their students, but their colleagues, as well, and help cultivate a campus climate of academic integrity, engagement, innovation and creativity.
On the following pages, Accolades celebrates the gifts that have created new professorships during the You are Union campaign and the faculty who are reaping the benefits of their donors' vision and generosity.
Dwane W. Crichton Professor of Philosophy: Raymond Martin
Dwane Crichton '33, a native of Canastota, N.Y., earned a B.A. in English at Union where he was manager of the swim team and a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He spent three years as a U.S. Army corporal during World War II and was an industrial relations manager at the American Can Co. in Fairport, N.Y., from which he retired in 1970. An avid golfer, he and his wife, Mary Elizabeth (Sill), lived in New Smyrna Beach, Fla. He died in 1996, followed by his wife in 2000. This professorship was established with proceeds from separate trusts established by the Crichtons; both gifts were unrestricted. Over the years, the couple gave a total of $4 million to the College.
Raymond Martin, Philosophy Department chair, holds a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester and was a professor and director of graduate studies in the Philosophy Department at the University of Maryland for many years before joining Union in 2002. The author and editor of several books, including "Self-Concern: An Experiential Approach to What Matters in Survival," he has focused his research on personal identity theory and the philosophy of history. He is the co-author of "The Rise and Fall of the Soul and Self: An Intellectual History of Personal Identity" (Columbia University Press, 2006), an interdisciplinary exploration of theories of self and personal identity from the ancient Greeks to present day.
Joseph C. Driscoll Professor of Sociology and Marine Policy: Ilene Kaplan
A native of Wilmington, Del., Joseph Driscoll graduated from Union with a B.A. in 1932 and earned his M.D. at Albany Medical College in 1935. He entered private practice in Schenectady in 1938. He was awarded the Bronze Star for heroism and five battle stars during the Battle of the Bulge for his U.S. Army service in World War II (1942-45). Driscoll returned to private practice in Schenectady until his retirement in 1978 and then served as the examining physician for the Workers Compensation Board.
Ilene Kaplan, who holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Princeton, is chair of the Sociology Department and a guest investigator at the Marine Policy Center of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod, Mass. Her recent research includes a longitudinal study on marine policy, co-management and socio-economic trends in New England's fishing communities. She has received many prestigious research grants and appointments, presented at international and national conferences, and published in leading journals in her field. She helped develop the Marine Studies Term Abroad.
Endowed Professorships
William D. Williams Professor of Classics: Hans-Friedrich O. Mueller
William D. Williams '32 earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering at Union, where he was a member of the national honor society Eta Kappa Nu. An accomplished violinist and longtime resident of Scotia, N.Y., he also studied at Duke and Cornell universities. After graduating from Union, he joined General Electric, where he was manager of the Magnetics Section and worked in the engineering lab. He retired in 1954. Williams was a loyal donor to the College, contributing annually, and in 1987, he donated a copy of Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Men of Our Times" to Schaffer Library. Williams died in October 2005 at 95, leaving behind a $20 million estate. His unrestricted gift of more than $7 million to Union is one of the College's largest individual gifts.
Hans-Friedrich Mueller (Molinarius), Classics Department chair, holds a Ph.D. in classical philology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He held a postdoctoral fellowship at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences in Munich, Germany, where he contributed articles (in Latin) to the "Thesaurus Linguae Latinae." He is the author of "Roman Religion in Valerius Maximus" (Routledge) and has edited a new abridgment of Edward Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" (Random House). His research interests are Greek and Latin literature and Roman history and religion.
William D. Williams Professor of Mathematics: William Zwicker
William Zwicker holds a Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His fields of interest and research include mathematical logic, especially set theory, applications to political science, game theory, voting and political power, social choice theory and fair division. He is the author, with Mathematics Professor Alan Taylor, of "Simple Games: Desirability Relations, Trading Pseudoweightings" (Princeton University Press, 1999).
William D. Williams Professor of Philosophy: Robert B. Baker
Robert B. Baker, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, is chair of the Alden March Bioethics Institute and director of the Center of Bioethics and Clinical Leadership in Albany, N.Y. A consultant on ethics and medical ethics, he recently worked with archivists on a documentary history of American medical ethics for Georgetown University Press. He is the author of "The American Medical Ethics Revolution" (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000), and chair of the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities Affinity Group on the History of Medical Ethics.
Henry and Sally Schaffer Professor of Holocaust and Jewish Studies: Stephen Berk
Henry Schaffer was a self-made businessman, philanthropist and Union Trustee (1953-82). He left school at 13 to help support his family and later became an honorary member of Union's Phi Beta Kappa chapter. During the Great Depression, he opened the first self-service store in Schenectady, which grew into the Empire chain of 31 supermarkets. He retired in 1958. Though not a Union alumnus, he was the principal benefactor of Schaffer Library, and he funded a scholarship in memory of his younger brother, Morris Schaffer '14, as well as several College fellowships. The College also has received several grants from the Schaffer Foundation. Schaffer received the Founders Medal in 1974. He died in 1982.
Stephen Berk, a member of the faculty since 1967, has earned an international reputation for his teaching, writing and research on Russian and Soviet Jewish history, the Holocaust, the American Jewish experience, anti-Semitism and the Middle East. He holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and teaching awards from the organization, Holocaust Survivors and Friends. He has published extensively and is the author of "Year of Crisis, Year of Hope: Russian Jewry and the Pogroms of 1881-1882" (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1985).
David L. '39 and Beverly B. Yunich Professorship of Business Ethics: Harold (Hal) Fried
Albany, N.Y., native David Yunich, who died in 2001 at age 84, was a longtime R.H. Macy & Co. executive. He earned his A.B. in Economics in 1939 and an M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1941, with an honorary LL.D. from Union in 1964. Yunich was president of Student Council; managing editor of the Garnet; and a member of Kappa Nu, the Debating Club, International Relations Club and the varsity baseball team. He won the Bailey Cup for distinguished service. From 1939-40, he played professional baseball for the Cincinnati Reds farm system. A former Union Trustee, he and his wife, artist Beverly F. Blickman, lived in Scarsdale and Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Hal Fried holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His areas of expertise include efficiency measurement and productivity, and applied microeconomics. In 2004, he created a class on "The Mind of the Entrepreneur," focusing on entrepreneurship from a liberal arts perspective, including entrepreneurial thinking, resource allocation in a market economy and the contributions entrepreneurs make to the economy. He and Philosophy Professor Robert Baker also expanded a pilot project on ethics into a college-wide initiative, making ethics a staple of classroom discussion across disciplines.
John '38 and Jane Wold Professorship in Religious Studies: Peter Ross Bedford
Union benefactor John Wold, geologist and former U.S. Congressman from Casper, Wyo., made his fortune through mineral and oil discoveries. The president of World Trona Company and Gastech Inc., he and his wife, Schenectady native Jane (Pearson) Wold, gave $20 million to the College in 2003, an endowment commitment that includes support for numerous programs, including the Religious Studies professorship. A Trustee Emeritus and Eliphalet Nott Medal winner, Wold is the son of former Physics Chair Peter Wold. As an undergraduate, he was a St. Andrews University Exchange Scholar and member of the varsity hockey team and Sigma Xi, the national honorary society for scientific research. He earned an A.B. degree in geology from Union and an M.S. from Cornell University. He is honorary co-chair of the $200 million You are Union campaign.
Peter Ross Bedford, associate professor of Religious Studies and History at Edith Cowan University in Australia, has been named the first John and Jane Wold Professor of Religious Studies. He officially joins Union Sept. 1. Bedford, who has taught classes in Christianity, Islam and Judaism, will direct an interdisciplinary program in Religious Studies, teaching a broad range of courses. He holds a B.A. from the University of Sydney and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Chicago's Department of Near East Languages and Civilizations, where he specialized in the history of ancient Syria-Palestine. A prolific scholar, he has authored dozens of book chapters, articles and technical reports.
Research at Union is a year-round experience. Students from every class year are eligible to pursue individual research projects with a faculty mentor, or assist with faculty research projects to acquire analytical skills and see the breadth of their fields in action.
Bilaal Mahmood '08 changes the cuvette, containing an insulin sample, on the dynamic light scattering setup in the physics lab.
Bilal Mahmood ‘08
Major: Math and Physics
Faculty Advisor: Jay E. Newman, the R. Gordon Gould ’41 Professor of Physics
“Dynamic Light Scattering of Bovine Insulin”
Physics and math major Bilal Mahmood ’08 prefers to spend his summers in a basement laboratory rather than in the sun. This summer, he’s using dynamic light scattering to study the aggregates of bovine insulin.
“During my first two summers at Union, I worked on reducing raw data for an astronomy survey and database,” said Mahmood. “Now that I’ve taken courses in biology and chemistry, I wanted to work on a project that combines what I’ve learned in my studies.”
In some patients with diabetes, insoluble, fibrous proteins combine to form aggregates called amyloids. When light is applied to these proteins, it will scatter in a random pattern. Measuring the scattered light tells you how fast the aggregate particles move, which is relative to their size (i.e., larger particles move more slowly).
Scattered light isn’t new technology, and similar experiments are taking place around the world. Since protein aggregation is present in diseases such as Alzheimer’s and diabetes, understanding the kinetics of insulin aggregation can help lead researchers to find a cure.
Why bovine insulin?
“In humans, 51 amino acid proteins make insulin,” explained Mahmood. “There is only a three-amino-acid difference between humans and bovine, so they were the logical choice.”
Mahmood chose to major in math because he always loved numbers, but it was program size that influenced his major in physics.
“The physics was a natural extension of math when I realized numbers could be applied to logical thinking and be helpful in any field,” said Mahmood. “Union had the added advantage of having a small physics program [approximately 10 majors accepted annually]. You get to know your professors quickly, and can participate in more exciting research that way.”
In addition to his physics thesis, which he will complete during winter term 2008, Mahmood is also doing a math thesis on Islamic tile art with a new math professor, Kim Plofken, from Brown University. He hopes to begin work on that in November when he travels to Egypt for a mini term abroad.
Mahmood is also a Resident Advisor and works in the Physics Help Center tutoring students in introductory physics courses. In 2005, he received the 2006 James Henry Turnbull 1929 Prize for an outstanding sophomore physics major. He is currently applying to medical school.
Wendy C. Beatty '09 spent summer 2007 developing an undergraduate engineering design text.
Wendy C. Beatty ’09
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Faculty advisor: William D. Keat
“Development of an Undergraduate Engineering Design Textbook”
While most students take a break from textbooks during summer, Mechanical Engineering major Wendy Beatty has been spending her time writing one.
“I’ve always scored much higher in English than in math, so my professor thought I would be a good guinea pig,” said Beatty, explaining how her writing skills reinforced her interest in developing an undergraduate textbook.
Beatty, whose passion for engineering lies on the humanistic side of the spectrum, hopes that her research with Prof. William Keat will give her new insights into career options.
“I plan to expand upon the creative process of engineering as opposed to the numeric process,” she says.
Beatty’s notebook is brimming with designs and sketches of different textbook diagrams and ideas. One such idea was the ping-pong launcher game, where students are given the task of designing a machine capable of launching a ping pong ball into a small basketball hoop. Although this has been done before in different ways, Beatty has devised several new solutions and is hoping to incorporate those into diagrams for the textbook.
Beatty says the textbooks she used her first two years were vague and “left the students depending too much on the professor.”
With its emphasis on hands-on learning, the new manual is designed to help students work more independently. For instance, Beatty intends to include a section on tools, showing techniques that will help students who have never used a saw before.
“I’m hoping my work will motivate first and second year students as well as support them in establishing good design and research habits that will serve them later in life.”
Beatty, who is from Saratoga Springs, is an active member of the Union community. She is a Union Scholar as well as a Commended National Merit Scholar.
Natalie Bernardi '09 spent summer 2007 researching racism and sexism on college campuses.
Natalie Bernardi ’09
Major: Psychology
Faculty advisor: Professor Cheryl Dickter
"Confronting Prejudices"
Imagine you’re with a group of good friends and someone makes a joke that implies prejudice toward a certain race. How would you react?
Natalie Bernardi ’09 has been studying these kinds of reactions for her summer research fellowship with Professor Cheryl Dickter; and the nearly 30 articles she’s read so far have opened her eyes to how widespread racism is.
“This is something the nation is plagued by,” says Bernardi, who became intrigued with the topic after studying the effects of racism in her Social Psychology course with Dickter last fall. “Working with Professor Dickter has been an amazing inspiration and eye-opener to this subject area.”
Bernardi’s summer research—a study she calls the “first” to examine behavior in a real-world setting—involves coordinating surveys using volunteers from the campus and local communities. She has created her own rating system and organizes the data using a statistical analysis survey program.
Still, she is astonished at some of her findings.
“There are some people who care about prejudice only when it affects them. I find that hypocritical, because we need to be fighting all prejudice,” said Bernardi. “People say racist or sexist comments every day,” she continued, “and sometimes people confront them, but more often they don’t.”
Noting that hate crimes affect all college campuses today, Bernardi hopes to publish her research “to heighten sensitivity to the subject, and make people increasingly aware of the negative impact of racism.”
A native of Altamont, N.Y., Bernardi is vice president of the Debate Club, a Green House Council member and coordinator and active in the Women’s Union. She plans to pursue her doctorate in psychology with a focus on counseling psychology.
Now that the Class of 2011 is set, the Office of Admissions is preparing to welcome more than 400 prospective students and their parents to the summer Open House Friday, Aug. 10, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The summer program features a more leisurely schedule with campus tours departing every hour and workshops that prepare students for applying to college. Sessions will focus on having a phenomenal campus interview, writing a great essay, making your application stand out and Q&A opportunities about the admissions and financial aid processes.
“Students who consider Union are bright, engaged, busy students,” said Ann Fleming Brown, interim vice president for admissions and financial aid. “The summer Open House works well for their schedules, allowing them time to explore the campus and introducing them to college life and Union’s diverse academic programs.”
Afternoon sessions include “Liberal Arts and Technology: Learn More about Engineering, Computer Science and Converging Technologies” and “An Introduction to the Leadership in Medicine Program.”
The day wraps with a closing reception featuring refreshments at Grant Hall.
At the Aug. 13 open house, students explore what matters most in the application processs.
Prospective students and their parents should register online at http://www.union.edu/Admissions. Advance notice is appreciated.
For more information, contact Lilia Tiemann, coordinator of event planning for admissions, at (518) 388-6586.
Open Houses are also scheduled for Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 8, and Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 12.
