SUNY Geneseo President Denise Battles and Frank Csapo (SUNY Geneseo/Keith Walters '11)
The Geneseo Foundation and SUNY Geneseo recognized three donors for their exceptional generosity and support of the College at Donors of Distinction ceremonies on April 26 and 29. President Denise Battles presented each donor with a clock and unveiled a plaque on the Donors of Distinction Wall and Garden outside Wadsworth auditorium. The plaques pay tribute to those whose lifetime giving to the College exceeds $1 million.
The April 29th ceremony honored Frank Csapo for the Csapo Family and Ambassador Apartments, and Kevin ’75 and Nancy Mogab ’76 Gavagan. On April 26, the Jewish Foundation for Education of Women (JFEW) was honored.
The Csapo Family and Ambassador Apartments
Frank Csapo is a member of the Geneseo community who has generously given back to the College for more than 30 years in the form of annual scholarships and financial support for a variety of programs and areas. Csapo owns and operates Ambassador Apartments, a popular off-campus housing for Geneseo students, along with his nephew, Steve Csapo, who manages the property.
Frank Csapo established the Ambassador Apartments Endowed Scholarships, which provide seven scholarships annually to students in several areas, including campus life, international relations, study abroad, accounting, journalism, and biology. He also established the Donna Jean Csapo Memorial Endowed Scholarship in honor of his late wife. More than 170 students have benefitted from Csapo’s scholarships to date.
In addition to student scholarships, Csapo also created the Ambassador Apartments Faculty Excellence Endowment to support faculty development. His most recent gift to Geneseo established the Csapo Family Endowment to support student engagement and expand educational programs and experiences. Csapo’s endowments will support Geneseo students for years to come.
Kevin ’75 and Nancy Mogab ’76 Gavagan
Kevin ’75 and Nancy Mogab ’76 Gavagan have sustained a remarkable history of philanthropic support for the College, including an outstanding commitment to annual giving in many areas for more than 37 years. They established the School of Business Scholarship Endowment for business students and created athletic endowments for the men’s ice hockey, women’s basketball, and men’s basketball programs.
Career development is also a passion for the Gavagans, and their generous endowment for the College’s Career Design Center is enhancing applied learning opportunities for students. They also established the Kevin ’75 and Nancy Mogab ’76 Gavagan Endowed Faculty Incentive Award and the Kevin P. Gavagan Endowed Fund for Faculty Development, among other support, including flexible gifts to where the need is greatest.
Kevin spent 20 years on the Geneseo Foundation Board of Directors, serving for many years as board treasurer and as chair during his final term. In 2017, he was named emeritus. He also served as treasurer during the “Shaping Lives of Purpose” campaign, which raised over $23 million in support of the college.
Nancy has been a supportive leader to the college through her pivotal involvement with numerous alumni events and other activities throughout the years. Together, the Gavagans’ exceptional leadership, long-standing service, and generous philanthropic support of Geneseo are inspirational.
The Jewish Foundation for Education of Women
Since 2014, the SUNY Global Affairs Leadership program, established by the Jewish Foundation for Education of Women (JFEW), has awarded $1.2 million in scholarships and paid internships to 74 scholars at Geneseo.
JFEW’s two-year program provides a comprehensive experience, including a seminar series with leaders and experts who discuss major issues in international relations, paid internships at New York-based global organizations, and a strong career and professional development component, which is infused throughout the program.
At the recognition ceremony, JFEW scholar Alexandria Richards ’22 said, “I was a part of an important program that helped me navigate career choices and build the confidence I have today.”
Honorees from the Jewish Foundation for Education of Women included Rona Sheramy, executive director, and Stacey Winter, program director, and from the SUNY System Administration: Maryalice Mazzara, director of Global Affairs Leadership Programs, SUNY’s Office of Global Affairs, and Zainab Tahir ’19, program manager, JFEW SUNY Global Affairs Leadership Program and a class of 2019 Geneseo alum.
(Upper right photo: Kevin ’75 and Nancy Mogab ’76 Gavagan; Lower left photo: Rona Sheramy, executive director of Jewish Foundation for Education of Women)