Alumni Association Recognizes Commitment to Education, Service and Professional Achievement
GENESEO,
N.Y. - The State University of New York at Geneseo Alumni
Association presented
awards to five individuals during its summer reunion July 10-11 to
recognize
their commitment to the association, college and higher education.
The
association also inducted four alumni into the society of Old Main
for their
service to the college and three alumni received Minerva Awards for
their
excellence in librarianship.
Receiving
Excellence in Education Awards were Leo
Lambert, president of Elon University in Elon, N.C., and Leslie Leibling Yardeni, a
middle-school counselor in the Syosset (N.Y.) Central School
District. The
award is presented to alumni who have achieved extraordinary
distinction in the
field of education, including pre-K through post-secondary
classroom teaching
and school services.
Lambert
received a bachelor's degree in English from Geneseo in 1976, a
master's degree
in education from the University of Vermont in Burlington and a
doctorate in
education from Syracuse University. Before being named president
of Elon in
1999, he was provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at
the University
of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Geneseo conferred an honorary doctorate of
humane
letters upon Lambert in 2002 to recognize exceptional achievements
in higher
education.
"Dr.
Lambert is recognized as a leader in higher education and is
highly respected
by all of his colleagues," said Tanya Gesek, a member of the
Geneseo Alumni Association
Board of Directors, who presented the awards. "You are a shining
star of
excellence in the post-secondary world of education and we are
proud to count
you as a distinguished Geneseo alumnus."
Video: Dr. Lambert responds to receiving his Excellence in Education Award.
Yardeni
received a bachelor's degree from Geneseo in 1996 with a double
major in
psychology and communicative disorders and sciences. She earned a
master's
degree in guidance and counseling at Hofstra University. Her colleagues praise her service to students
and their families, saying she has inspired hundreds of students
to achieve
their goals.
"We
are very proud of your accomplishments in continuously working to
improve your
students' lives," said Gesek.
Bruce Jordan, theater producer and director,
received
a Distinguished Service Award for making exceptional contributions
to the
Geneseo Alumni Association. Jordan is a 1966 Geneseo speech education major. After several years of teaching, he decided to
pursue his
passion for theater. As the original co-producer and director of
the stage production
"Shear Madness," he took the show on the road in 1978 and it has
been on the
road ever since. The production is the longest-running stage
production in
American history.
"Among
his many commitments to Geneseo, Bruce is a reunion committee
volunteer and
consistently enjoys serving as a host to alumni, friends and
classmates," said
Gesek. "Bruce is a true asset to the alumni association and to our
college."
Receiving
Professional Achievement Awards were Paul
Lambert and John Tournour.
The award goes to Geneseo alumni who have
achieved distinction in his or her profession.
Lambert
graduated in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in management science.
He is the
regional managing director of Merrill Lynch and oversees private
wealth
advisers spanning six Midwestern states. He recently accepted a
leadership role
as co-chair of the Geneseo Regional Alumni Committee of Chicago
and is
assisting with broadening the scope of the alumni externship
program next
spring in Chicago.
"You
have distinguished yourself in your profession and are a valued
member of the
Geneseo community," said Gesek. "We enthusiastically look forward
to your
continued service to the college."
John
Tournour, better known as "J.T. the Brick," graduated in 1987 with
a bachelor's
degree in communication. He began his career as a stock broker but
won the
first Jim Rome Smack-Off Contest, which paved his way into radio
full time. He has
built the largest nationally syndicated sports talk radio show at
night in
America. He also has been employed with the Oakland Raiders in
various media
roles. He began as the pre- and post-game host for radio, moving
on to sideline
reporting and then eventually hosting The Raiders
Report, a
weekly TV show.
"Your
ascent in the sports media world has been impressive and we
congratulate you on
your achievements," said Gesek. "We are proud to bestow this award
upon you."
June Mitchell, Betty Mitchell
Minemier, Joan Swarthout Carlucci and Patricia
Southcombe were inducted into
the Society of Old Main for their service to Geneseo. Old Main was one of the earliest buildings on
campus.
Mitchell
is a 1941 Geneseo graduate who majored in education and had a very
successful
career as an administrative librarian. She has served Geneseo well
in every
aspect through her volunteer efforts and through her generosity in
support of
the Geneseo library and students. Mitchell is also a member of the
Robert
MacVittie Society, which recognizes individuals who have the
foresight and
thoughtfulness to make bequests and other planned gifts to the
Geneseo
Foundation.
Minemier
received her bachelor's degree in education and two master's
degrees: library
science and English. She enjoyed an outstanding career as an
educator and
library media specialist. She has served on the Geneseo Alumni
Association
board since 1982, including a term as board president. Minemier is member of Delta Kappa Gamma International, an international eduator's organization. She and her
husband,
Bob, have been generous supporters of Geneseo, and she also is a
member of the
Robert MacVittie Society.
Carlucci
graduated in 1961 with a degree in elementary education and was a
dedicated
teacher for the Warsaw Central School District. She also earned a master's degree and computer diploma from the University at Buffalo and a certificate of advanced study in administration from SUNY Brockport. She served as an adjunct professor at Geneseo, supervising student teachers at the college. She served on the
Alumni
Association Board of Directors from 1988 - 2010. Carlucci is active in
the Alpha
Clio (Phi Kappa Pi) sorority, Geneseo's oldest sorority, founded
in 1872 as a
literary society, and established the Clio Endowment Fund for a Clio student at Geneseo. She also is a member of Delta Kappa Gamma International. Her husband, Chic, is also a 1961 Geneseo
graduate and both
have been generous supporters of the college.
Southcombe
received a bachelor's degree in education in 1961 and also
received a master's
degree in library science. She enjoyed a very rewarding career as
a librarian
and library media specialist in several school districts. She
served on the
Alumni Association Board of Directors from 1963-2011, which
included a term as
secretary and a term as president. She is a member of the Robert
MacVittie
Society.
The
college presented Minerva Awards to three alumni during the
library science
reunion reception. Minerva is the Roman goddess of wisdom and
protection and
Geneseo's Minerva Award recognizes alumni of the college's School
of Library
and Information Science, or earlier Department of Library
Education, for their
outstanding achievements and excellence in librarianship.
Receiving
Minerva Awards were Helen Rice, Joan
Lippincott and Michael Keller. Rice is a 1935 Geneseo
graduate, who was on
campus for her class's 76th reunion. Rice had a 39-year
career in
education as a teacher, librarian and curriculum planner in the
Irondequoit
(N.Y.) School System. She retired in 1973 as assistant
superintendent of
schools.
Lippincott
is a 1974 Geneseo graduate and is the associate executive director
of the
Coalition for Networked Information in Washington, D.C., a joint
program of the
Association of Research Libraries and EDUCAUSE. She previously
held positions
at the libraries of Cornell University, George Washington
University and SUNY
Brockport. She received a doctorate in higher education policy,
planning and
administration from the University of Maryland.
Keller,
a 1971 master's graduate of Geneseo, is dean of the Stanford
University
Libraries and was pivotal in establishing HighWire Press as an
enterprise
within the Stanford Libraries. He is active in the American
Association for the
Advancement of Science and other scholarly societies, including
the Digital
Library Federation and the Council on Library and Information
Resources.
Media
Contact:
David
Irwin
Media
Relations Manager
(585)
245-5516
Irwin@geneseo.edu