At the commencement liturgy on Friday, Most Rev. Richard J. Malone, bishop of Buffalo, was presented with an honorary Doctor of Laws.

On Saturday, May 11, undergraduate students received their degrees at two separate ceremonies in the Gallagher Center. Nikolas Wallenda, the world-renowned daredevil who triumphantly crossed Niagara Falls on a two-inch steel wire last June, delivered the commencement address to Niagara’s colleges of Business Administration and Hospitality and Tourism Management at the morning event. He and John P. Rumschik, ’77, president and chief operating officer of M&T Insurance Agency Inc., received honorary degrees.

That afternoon, Niagara’s colleges of Arts and Sciences and Education heard from Father Levesque, who was presented with the university’s prestigious Medal of Honor in light of his numerous contributions to Niagara University and the surrounding communities.

Also at the ceremonies, NU alumnus Sen. George Maziarz,’76, received the St. Vincent De Paul Award for his “vision, accomplishments, and good works (that) reflect the life and ministry of St. Vincent de Paul.”

You can listen to all three commencement addresses here and see photo galleries here.

“Empowering Volunteers” is open at no cost to residents of Niagara and Erie counties. The event was conceived by Border Community SERVICE, a community empowerment arm of Niagara University.

The conference will begin at 9 a.m. in the Castellani Art Museum, and include a keynote address on the state of preparedness in the Western New York region.

The conference will have two breakout sessions, one in the morning and another in the afternoon.

Conference presenters include:

• Dave Whalen, Statewide Project Coordinator for First Responder Disability Awareness Training
• Dennis Carson, Coordinator of the Emergency Services and Homeland Security Bureau for the Town of Tonawanda Police Department
• Frank McNamara, Captain and SWAT Commander, Town of Tonawanda Police Department
• Brent Costello, Patrol K-9 Officer and SWAT Tactical Officer, Town of Tonawanda Police Department
• Joann Sands, Clinical Instructor for the School of Nursing at the University at Buffalo
• Christopher Griffiths, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent
• Nicole Gerber, Emergency Manager for Roswell Park Institute and Town of Grand Island Emergency Services Coordinator

The workshops will be held in St. Vincent’s Hall.

There is no charge for this conference, but participants must preregister by Thursday, June 6, 2013. Registration is available online at www.niagara.edu/conference-registration or by calling Gail Struzik at 716.205.0077 or Dana Estrada at 716.205.0075.

The mission of Border Community SERVICE (Special Emergency Response Volunteer Initiative for Community Empowerment) of Niagara University is to provide emergency preparedness training to citizens and to encourage their participation in opportunities that enhance regional emergency readiness.

For additional information, please refer to the Border Community SERVICE webpage at www.niagara.edu/bordercommunityservice.

Dr. Cristantello will assume his new role at Niagara in mid-June. He replaces Don Bielecki, who retired last summer after 10 years at NU, a period that included the realization of the largest capital campaign in the university’s history.

Mary Borgognoni, associate vice president for operations and outreach, has served as the university’s interim vice president for institutional advancement since September 2012.

Dr. Cristantello brings years of experience in higher education fundraising, as well as a strong knowledge of philanthropy in the Western New York region. Most recently, he served as the vice president for external relations at Daemen College for more than 12 years. He is also familiar with Niagara University, having worked as the institution’s director of development from 1997 to 2000.

In addition, Dr. Cristantello previously served as the vice president for development and administration at the Hauptman Woodward Medical Research Institute, and as the director of development at St. John Fisher College. He is the president-elect of the WNY chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

“We are very pleased to welcome David back to the Niagara University community,” stated the Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M., president. “To be able to fill this position with someone of David’s experience, expertise and institutional knowledge gives us great confidence that he is the right person to help us attain our future advancement objectives.”

In his new role at Niagara, Dr. Cristantello will be responsible for providing visionary leadership, management and strategic direction for the institutional advancement sector. He will be a visible and active presence on campus and throughout the Western New York region, and will maintain primary accountability for establishing and cultivating university relationships with alumni and members of the community.

Dr. Cristantello earned a Ph.D. in higher education from the University at Buffalo, which is also where he attained a master’s degree in college counseling and student personnel. His undergraduate degree in business administration is from SUNY Oswego.

View the Global Top 100 lists for that week.

The project was part of the students’ work for a MGT 691 course (Business Research, Strategy and Planning) taught by Dr. Stephen Mayer, assistant professor of management.

The purpose of the game is to give students an opportunity to make real-world business decisions and to see the results of those decisions. Over the last 12 months, the Business Strategy Game has been playedby 45, 979 students in 2,495 classes/sections at 561 college/university campus locations in 49 countries.

To learn more about Niagara University’s MBA programs, please visit mba.niagara.edu.

Upon completion of the oath, administered by Brig. Gen. Douglas R. Satterfield, commander of the 412th Engineer Command, family members pinned gold bars on the shoulders of the new second lieutenants:

• Andrew Burger (Buffalo, N.Y.)
• Adam Burns (North Tonawanda, N.Y.)
• Sean Clough (St Louis, Mo.)
• Stephan D’Urso (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
• Kyler Dabolt (Varysburg, N.Y.)
• Thomas Eggert (Lockport, N.Y.)
• Skylar Fairchild (Trumansburg, N.Y.)
• Daniel French (Mt. Airy, Md.)
• Cy Hibsch (Attica, N.Y.)
• James Kemnitz (Mumford, N.Y.)
• James Kerins (Youngstown, N.Y.)
• Samuel Lee (Glastonbury, Conn.)
• Michael Lowitzer (West Seneca, N.Y.)
• Justin Morris (Fruita, Col.)
• Matthew Mulvihill (Middletown, N.Y.)
• Daniel Palazzo (New Windsor, N.Y.)
• Grace Phillips (Temple, Texas)
• Ethan Rugani (Lancaster, N.Y.)
• David Saxton (Wayland, N.Y.)
• Jaimee Schweigert (Canandaigua, N.Y.)
• Marc Skill (Dayton, Ohio)
• Phillip Sutton (Lockport, N.Y.)
• Nicolas Zehr (Cocoa Beach, Fla.)

The most memorable portion of the ceremony was when Senior Airwoman Chelsea Hibsch arrived in time from Korea to render the traditional first salute to her brother, 2^nd Lt. Cy Hibsch. Her arrival was a surprise to her brother and parents.

According to Lt. Col. Paul T. Dansereau, a professor of military science at NU, this class exemplified the terms:

• Scholar, by maintaining a class average cumulative GPA of 3.46.
• Athlete, by achieving the third-highest Army physical fitness test score among the 41 ROTC programs in the Northeast during last summer’s Leader Development and Assessment Course.
• Leader, by actively participating as representatives in the Niagara University Student Government Association and Sigma Alpha Sigma Presidential Honor Society, as well as various other clubs and activities.

The new officers joined the less than 1 percent of the United States population who have sworn to serve and protect the nation. They are part of an even smaller percentage of the Army who are responsible for the health, welfare and training of the nation’s sons and daughters during a time of continual conflict and uncertainty.

The Army ROTC program is designed to augment the college learning experience by identifying and developing future leaders. Its primary goals are to identify, instruct and commission young men and women for service as officers in the United States Army Reserve or the Army National Guard. Intermediate goals include providing students with the managerial skills necessary to organize and effectively run a student club, small business, or an Army platoon.

Over the last eight years, Niagara has been ranked in the top 10 percent of Army ROTC programs in the United States. The Purple Eagle Battalion’s rise to excellence culminated in 2004, when it was the top-ranked program in the nation.

Additional photos from the commissioning ceremony can be viewed on Niagara University’s Facebook page.

The main objectives of Omicron Delta Epsilon (ODE) are recognition of scholastic attainment and the honoring of outstanding achievements in economics, the establishment of closer ties between students and faculty in economics, the publication of its official journal, The American Economist, and the sponsoring of panels at professional meetings. ODE is one of the world’s largest academic honor societies.

Each student was selected based on the completion of 12 semester hours of economics courses, attaining a minimum of a B average in all economics courses and an overall GPA of a B average in all classes.

Dr. William Peek, professor of economics and ODE faculty advisor, commended the students on this achievement, quoting the famous economist John Maynard Keynes, “Keynes once said that, ‘The theory of economics does not furnish a body of settled conclusions immediately applicable to policy. It is a method rather than a doctrine, an apparatus of the mind, a technique of thinking which helps its possessor to draw correct conclusions’”

Dr. Peek added, “This quotation resonates strongly with the students inducted this year. The inductees have all excelled in the study of economics using critical thinking and problem solving and have now been inducted into a very select group.”

Residence hall furniture will be among the many items for sale this Friday and Saturday as part of Niagara University’s “2 Good 2 Toss” event.

Members of the Vincentian Mission Certificate program are organizing a new, end-of-spring semester recycling program that they’ve termed “2 Good 2 Toss.” The service project invites all NU students (and employees) to donate items that are clean and in good condition, as well as nonperishable food, rather than toss them into dumpsters or leave them behind.

The committee will sell these items at a “garage sale” from 12 to 3 p.m. on May 17, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 18 in the Kiernan Center on Niagara University’s campus. The event is open to the public.

All purchased items must be removed from campus by 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 18.

Monetary proceeds will be given to NU’s Office of Campus Ministry and the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Unsold items in good condition will be donated to the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store.

For the past two weeks, graduating students have donated items – such as televisions, beds, chairs, dressers, bicycles, rugs, futons, lamps, athletic equipment, small appliances (coffee pots, toasters, microwaves, etc.), books and even computers – at designated drop-off locations in each residence hall.

“Our goal is twofold: to raise money for the underserved in our community and prevent usable items from ending up in landfills,” explained Jay Stockslader, who is participating in the Vincentian Mission Certificate program. “We are proceeding with the philosophy, ‘Give as you would give unto the Lord.’”

University employees are welcome to donate items by bringing them to the Kiernan Center’s Scaffidi Gymnasium May 13-16.

Questions about “2 Good 2 Toss” may be directed to Stockslader at ude.aragainnull@sj.

Students attended workshops, career panels and listened to keynote speakers ranging from prominent economists and finance professionals to investment managers. A few of the esteemed speakers included Dr. Roger Ibbotson, professor in the practice of finance at Yale University and chief investment officer of Zebra Capital Management LLC, Guy Adami, managing director at Drakon Capital and fast money contributor for CNBC, and Dr. Frank Hathaway, chief economist for NASDAQ OMX Group Inc.

Professor Hutton advised, “This was a wonderful opportunity for students to network with some of the best financial managers in the world.”

According to finance major Marco Bubic, “For future students and members of the Niagara University Finance Association, I would highly recommend participating in the New York City trip. The G.A.M.E. conference that we attended was an excellent opportunity for finance and business majors to gain invaluable industry knowledge, while simultaneously creating an excellent networking opportunity for those looking to work in the finance industry upon graduation.”

The first day of the forum was comprised of keynote panels discussing the global economy, global markets, corporate governance and provided a Federal Reserve perspective. Day two included a variety of breakout panels, workshops and keynote perspectives emphasizing on portfolios, trading, trends and analysis. The last day focused on panels discussing career opportunities within the financial services industry.

Finance major Debra Ishman added, “Attending the Quinnipiac G.A.M.E Forum was an excellent experience that enhanced my professional and educational development. Being exposed to top finance professionals within the industry and surrounded by students from many different backgrounds allowed me to have a different perspective on the financial topics discussed. This is a trip that I would recommend the university take part in every year and all business students should have the opportunity to attend.”

Eta Sigma Delta is open to hospitality, tourism and sport management students who have completed at least 50 percent of the credit hours required for graduation, and are in the top 20 percent of their class. The honor society is governed by the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (ICHRIE), and has over 90 active chapters throughout the world. Niagara University has maintained a chapter since 1990.

Congratulations to this year’s inductees:

• Marissa Peters, ’14 (Baldwinsville, N.Y.)
• Margaret Kroczynski, ’14 (Tonawanda, N.Y.)
• Joanna Toomey, ’14 (Williamsville, N.Y.)
• Rachel   Zilka, ’14 (Lancaster, N.Y.)
• Adam Listman, ’14 (Livonia, N.Y.)
• Danielle Caloia, ’14 (Syracuse, N.Y.)
• Anna Tamashuk, ’14 (Dryden, N.Y.)
• Erinn Hill, ’14 (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
• Brandon Sterner, ’14 (North Evans, N.Y.)
• Christine Brumfield, ’14 (Rochester, N.Y.)
• Megan Erickson, ’14 (Selkirk, N.Y.)
• Ryan Wichhart, ’14 (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)

In 1978, a group of students from the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore School of Business and Economics identified a need to recognize hospitality and tourism students for outstanding academic achievement, meritorious service and demonstrated professionalism. The result was the establishment of the first chapter of Eta Sigma Delta, the International Hospitality Management Honor Society.

For more information on Niagara University’s College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, including its new master’s program in sport management, please visit www.niagara.edu/hospitality or call 716.286.8279.

It’ll be a banner day for the Sydors – Kathy, a sociology major, and Aaron, who will receive degrees in international studies and political science.

Fortunately for them, their areas of study both fall under the umbrella of Niagara’s College of Arts and Sciences, where Kathy has served as assistant to the dean since 2008. Otherwise, the two may have graduated during separate commencement ceremonies this weekend.

The timing had to be right, too. It wasn’t a given that mother and son would fulfill their graduation requirements during the same semester. Kathy, despite the insider access that comes with her position, says that she didn’t realize she would be graduating with Aaron until about a year ago.

“I knew it would be very close, but I couldn’t say for sure if we’d both be graduating this May,” she said. “It was somewhat difficult to estimate because I only take two courses each semester, whereas Aaron’s a full-time student.”

It helped that Kathy had a headstart on her son, receiving an associate’s degree from Niagara’s College of Business Administration in 2001.

Aaron, who also minored in history and Spanish, originally planned to move on to law school after completing his undergraduate studies. However, a few factors, including a positive experience he had studying abroad in Spain has altered his outlook, at least temporarily. His cultural experience in Spain helped improve his speaking skills and advance his interest in Latin America.

The 2009 Lewiston-Porter graduate is now considering relocating overseas – Chile is his first choice – to teach English as a second language, the topic on which is honors thesis was based.

“Spanish was really the only class that I truly struggled in at NU; I think it was the only class that I got lower than a B in,” he said. “I took that as a challenge, and I really started to enjoy it. When I want to do something and it’s something I’m passionate about, I’ll definitely do it.”

Aaron is also passionate about international relations, commenting that when he does decide to apply to law school, international law will be his field of choice.

Kathy, meanwhile, has no interest in finding a new career path. An NU employee since 2001, she says that it was Dr. Nancy McGlen, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Kathy’s boss, who talked her into going back to school.

“Dr. McGlen was instrumental in getting me to commit to earning my bachelor’s degree,” said Kathy, whose younger son, Stephen, is a junior at Syracuse University. “My family’s been so supportive, but I owe a lot to Nancy.”

Saturday’s commencement will take on greater significance since it will be the last for Dr. McGlen, who is retiring after 33 years at Niagara University. (On Wednesday afternoon, Dr. Tim Downs, vice president for academic affairs, announced that Dr. McGlen would be bestowed the title of dean and professor emeritus, as approved by the Board of Trustees.)

“It’s especially exciting because it’s her last graduation,” Kathy admitted.

The Sydor family affiliation extends beyond the Dean’s Office as well.

The Rev. John Maher, C.M., a former NU employee whose brother will be installed as the university’s 26^th president this summer, confirmed Aaron when he was in 11^th grade. The two stayed in touch, occasionally meeting for lunch before Father Maher assumed a new assignment in Rome in June 2011.

When Aaron was studying abroad in Europe, he connected with Father Maher in Rome on the afternoon of his 22^nd birthday, and then stayed for a couple days in the Vatican City compound.

“I got to stay for free and they even gave me a birthday cake!” Aaron remarked.

Aaron has also formed a close relationship with Dr. John Stranges, who Aaron ranks among his favorite professors and considers a great mentor. In fact, Aaron laments that they only see each other sporadically now, due to the fact that Aaron took all of Dr. Stranges’s classes during his freshman and sophomore years at Niagara.

Hours before that birthday lunch he shared with Father Maher, Aaron met Dr. Stranges for breakfast in Barcelona.

Kathy and Aaron attest that attending the same college at the same time has brought them closer. Kathy says that it was nice having her son drop by her office just to chat or to go to lunch with.

“Or when I’m a little poor and come in to ask for money,” Aaron joked.

Having your mother work in the Dean’s Office is also (usually) advantageous in that it offers another set of eyes and ears on campus.

“It definitely helped that my mom was able to fill me in on different opportunities or events that I might not have seen, being a commuter student,” Aaron said. “I will admit that my attendance is probably a little better than it would’ve been, too.”

Kathy and Aaron never took a class together at NU, although they nearly registered for the same 300-level course this past semester. They talked about it. Aaron wanted to, Kathy didn’t.

Why not?

“I think she was embarrassed because I was going to do better than her,” Aaron cracked.

It will be Kathy, however, getting the last laugh: She’ll be graduating with magna cum laude status, signifying a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5. Aaron, who fell just short of that distinction, will have to “settle” for cum laude (cumulative GPA over 3.25).

“Right after Dr. McGlen says, ‘Aaron Matthew Sydor, cum laude,’ I’m going to hear, ‘Kathleen Ann Wagner Sydor, magna cum laude,’” Aaron explained. “Mom’s going to make me look bad.”