April 22, 2024
Class Notes: Spring 2024
1950s
Robert Perrino ’54 of Scottsdale, Arizona, a deacon in the Episcopal church since 2003, remains active in ministry in Scottsdale. He is proud and thankful for his Dominican education, which he says has greatly influenced his life.
1960s
Donald F. Brown ’63 of Bridgehampton, New York, spoke to the International Business Club at PC about his 35 years with TIME, Inc. He held management positions in Hong Kong, Japan, Canada, and the United States for TIME and People magazines. In retirement, he founded International Magazine Publishing LLC, a consultancy. He has been an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s graduate School of International and Public Affairs and at New York University and presents seminars for publishers.
John T. Fallon, M.D., Ph.D. ’68 of Greenville, North Carolina, was included in Marquis Who’s Who, a biographical resource that has chronicled the lives of accomplished individuals and innovators since 1899. He is a pathologist and educator who began his career at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1974 following his graduation from Albany Medical College. Specializing in cardiovascular diseases, he spent 20 years treating patients, then taught pathology courses at Harvard University, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and New York Medical College. In 2019, he joined East Carolina University as a professor and chair of pathology. In recognition of his career success, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Cardiovascular Pathology.
John DeMarco ’69 of Egg Harbor City, New Jersey, originally from Brooklyn, NewYork, is looking forward to seeing classmates at the Golden Friars reunion in June. He wonders where the years have gone. “My years at Providence taught me a lot about good values and certain disciplines and to always trust in God. My relationships with my classmates and ROTC Pershing Rifle and Drill Team buddies are friendships that will never be forgotten. Some are not with us today but will always be remembered. My tour of duty for my country, serving in Vietnam as a 1st lieutenant in the U.S. Army, would not have been possible if not for the teaching, demands, and discipline taught by my ROTC military instructors and all my professors. I do miss my four years at PC and wish we could somehow go back in time.”
1970s
Nicholas DiGiovanni ’70 of Newburyport, Massachusetts, an attorney with Morgan, Brown & Joy of Boston, was recognized in 2024 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, in the fields of employment law –management, and litigation – labor and employment. Best Lawyers is based on a peer-review survey and highlights the top 5 percent of practicing attorneys in the United States. Morgan, Brown & Joy is one of the largest management-side labor and employment law firms in New England, representing a range of Fortune 100 corporations, educational and health care institutions, and small businesses.
Thomas J. Martin III ’78 of North Providence, Rhode Island, coached the La Salle Academy girls tennis team to its 10th consecutive Rhode Island Division I Championship title in November 2023. Martin’s teams have played in the finals for 13 consecutive years and won 12 times. The girls have not lost a match since September 2015 — that’s 138 consecutive wins. “I’ve been blessed over the years with talented and dedicated players who excel in the classroom,” Martin said. He joined the La Salle faculty in 1989 as a history-social studies teacher. He has coached the girls team since it entered the Rhode Island Interscholastic League in September 1987 and has been head coach of the boys team since the spring of 2022. Martin retired as vice principal of student life at La Salle in June 2022 after 43 years in secondary education, the last 33 at La Salle.
That pickleball bond
Like many retirees, Bob Mayerick ’81, a Connecticut native residing in coastal Delaware, embraced the sport of pickleball after a four-decade Wall Street career. Playing in an indoor facility in Lewes, he was approached by a younger man who noticed his gray Providence College T-shirt. Ken Quezada ’08, who studied for an MBA at Wilmington University after a decade with the University of Pennsylvania Health System, introduced himself with the universal greeting, “Go Friars!”
Mayerick and Quezada began playing together regularly. In November 2023, they entered a pickleball tournament to benefit Meals on Wheels, though both were new to the sport and neither had played in a tournament before. A further challenge: Because Quezada is 27 years younger, Mayerick was forced to play in his age category, for those 30-49.
“After four hours and about a dozen games, this PC duo, separated by a generation, made it all the way to the gold medal championship game before having to settle for silver and second place,” Mayerick said. “We both agreed it was a fabulous experience and something that we might well do again.”
“Whenever I meet a fellow Friar there is an instant bond,” said Quezada, who grew up in East Providence and now lives in Lewes. “Although Bob and I attended PC many years apart, our love for the Friars runs deep. We refer to each other as our ‘Friar brother.’ I’m honored to be part of the Friar family.”
1980s
Richard Brundage ’81 of New York City won Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film at the International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema in Milan, Italy. Brundage was honored for his work in “Flesh is Heir To,” a 2020 psychological thriller written and directed by Dale Johnson. Brundage studied music and English at PC and has worked as a mathematics teacher, librarian, classical music engraver–editor, and semi-professional French horn player. He took his first acting class on a whim at age 39 at HB Studio in Manhattan and soon was acting full-time. He has played leading roles in several feature films, including “Creative Nonfiction” (written and directed by Lena Dunham ) , “YouAreAlone,” and “Fourhand,” and has appeared onstage in New York and throughout the United States.
Brian Patrick Kennedy ’83 of Westerly, Rhode Island, was elected president of the National Conference of State Legislatures, a bipartisan organization serving the nation’s state lawmakers and legislative staff, in August 2023. He has represented District 38, Hopkinton and Westerly, in the Rhode Island General Assembly since 1988. He is speaker pro tempore and the senior ranking member of the House of Representatives. A real estate broker and appraiser for Kennedy Realty Appraisal, he studied history and general social studies at PC and earned an MBA from Anna Maria College.
Michael Joyce ’84 of Hingham, Massachusetts, joined CBRE as vice chairman, the highest rank for advisory and transaction professionals within the company. He is part of the urban leasing team based in downtown Boston and focuses on investor and occupier leasing. He previously was vice chair of Cushman & Wakefield’s Boston leasing practice. Joyce is a trustee emeritus of Providence College and a member of the Boston Real Estate Board and the International Rett Syndrome Foundation.
Adele Ritchie Berardi ’85 of Bayville, New Jersey, retired after 37 years as an English special education teacher at Southern Regional High School in Stafford Township. She also served as class advisor, cross country coach, and after-school instructor, and established the Atlantic City Rescue Mission Food Drive and the Vintage Hut for Clothing to assist students in need. Berardi chose her vocation in high school after hearing someone speak about working with adults with special needs. “I knew I wanted to go to Providence College for the special ed program, which was one of the best at the time. It was the only college I applied to. I just didn’t want to do anything else,” she said in an interview with The SandPaper newspaper. Berardi is the wife of Robert Berardi ’85 and the mother of R.J. Berardi ’19.
Cindy Curley ’85 of Stow, Massachusetts, was named to the board of directors of Clinton Savings Bank. She is president of American Club Management Corporation and a USA Hockey Hall of Fame inductee. She played on the women’s ice hockey team at PC.
Jeff Carter ’86 of Washington, D.C., joined Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund as the president and CEO in April 2023. Jeff previously served for six years as executive director of Physicians for Social Responsibility. Founded during the campaign to pass the Clean Water Act in 1972, Clean Water Action/ Fund works to enhance and defend the nation’s major water and toxics laws, strengthen environmental protections, and support candidates committed to those issues.
Kate Behan, M.D. ’88 of Philadelphia is the chief medical officer at Arcadia, a leading data analytics platform for healthcare. She has more than two decades of healthcare experience in both clinical and administrative leadership roles at academic, large health system, and payer organizations. A graduate of MCP Hahnemann School of Medicine, she is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, a fellow of the American College of Physicians, and a member of the Pennsylvania State Medical Society.
John Denson Jr. ’89 of Edgartown, Massachusetts, was named to the board of trustees at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, which includes Windemere Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. He is a senior client partner at Korn Ferry, a consulting firm, and has two decades of experience partnering with healthcare systems, academic medical centers, payer organizations, and other entities in recruiting and evaluating executive and clinical leadership teams. He is a member of PC’s National Board of Overseers and chair of the advisory board for PC’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences. He holds an MBA from the University of Connecticut.
Paul Olivier, FACHE ’89 of Boardman, Ohio, was sworn in for a third consecutive term as a commissioner for Mill Creek MetroParks in Youngstown. Mill Creek spans more than 5,000 acres and is one of the largest urban parks in the country.
Father Ruggieri named bishop
Rev. James Ruggieri ’90, pastor of two Providence parishes and founder of St. Patrick Academy, has been named bishop of the Diocese of Portland, Maine, by Pope Francis. A Mass of ordination and installation will be celebrated on May 7, 2024, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland.
Father Ruggieri was honored in February 2024 with PC’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Vision Award. He has been pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish on Smith Hill since 2003 and became pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Elmwood in 2020. He is known for feeding the homeless from an old food truck.
He established St. Patrick Academy on Smith Hill as a Catholic preparatory high school with no set tuition, welcoming students who could not otherwise afford a Catholic education. The school enrolls a maximum of 100 students, 25 percent of them first-generation immigrants. PC’s Class of 2027 includes six St. Patrick alumni.
Father Ruggieri majored in religious studies at PC and has a master’s degree in theology from St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore. He was ordained in 1995.
1990s
Anthony Azar, Ed.D. ’90G of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, retired after a 40-year career in education. He began as a teacher at Bishop McVinney School in Providence and concluded as school superintendent for the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District in Massachusetts. Azar is president and CEO of ACA Consulting, LLC. He has been a Friar fanatic since age 12, following in the footsteps of his father, Probate Judge Louis E. Azar, who studied in the pre-law program at PC. Azar and his wife, Dawn, are the parents of two children, Surrey and Donny.
Rev. Marcel Taillon ’90, pastor of St. Thomas More Parish in Narragansett, Rhode Island, was named interim director of vocations for the United States Archdiocese for the Military Services. His challenge is to address the shortage of Catholic military chaplains due to retirements. He has served in the Diocese of Providence for 17 years, including as chaplain for the Narragansett police and fire departments and the South Kingstown Police Department. He also is a program host on Relevant Radio. Father Taillon was ordained to the priesthood on September 1, 1994, following five years of formation at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, where he studied at both the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas and the University of St. John Lateran. He studied philosophy and humanities at PC.
Mike Tuffin ’90 of Alexandria, Virginia, was appointed president and CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans, a national trade organization representing companies that provide healthcare coverage for millions of consumers and their families. He previously was senior vice president for external affairs for UnitedHealth Group. Tuffin has more than two decades of leadership experience in the healthcare sector, including with AHIP from 2003-2012 as executive vice president for public affairs. He holds an MBA from Vanderbilt University.
Christine Plain King ’92 of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, joined Wood River Health Center in Hope Valley as director of behavioral health. She worked for the past 10 years as executive director of the Interfaith Counseling Center in Providence, where she led the organization in growth and new programs. Her skills and development of community connections created a network of trauma healing services in Rhode Island. While trained as a counselor, she blended her knowledge of the field and practice with leadership and community development to form partnerships and referral paths for services for those in need. She studied psychology at PC and is a graduate of the Boston College Graduate School of Psychoanalysis.
Brian Kearns ’95 of Williston Park, NewYork, joined an international panel of business executives to present the annual Kearns Global Business Lecture at St. Bonaventure University. Kearns is CFO and a board director of B.H. Aircraft, a manufacturing company serving the aerospace and defense industries. He began his career with EY, where he spent 15 years in audit and consulting roles, including multiple international assignments in Europe and the Middle East. He also served in financial positions at Goldman Sachs and Pall Corporation. He studied accountancy at PC.
Kerri Murray ’95 of Santa Barbara, California, received PC’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Vision Award, presented annually to individuals and groups who exemplify the teachings and spirit of Dr. King. Murray is president of ShelterBox USA, a nonprofit that provides customized emergency shelter kits to displaced people. She has led ShelterBox through a significant expansion of its humanitarian efforts and personally worked in conflict and disaster zones, including Morocco and Ukraine. Under her leadership, ShelterBox has been twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Before entering the nonprofit sector in 2009, Murray spent 13 years as a healthcare leader at GlaxoSmithKline. As a student, she worked for the Rhode Island Public Defender, taught ESL, and was the first lobbyist for Save the Bay.
Chris Stanley ’95 of Warren, Rhode Island, a history teacher at Ponaganset High School in Glocester, is the 2023 recipient of the Susan B. Wilson Award from the South County League of Women Voters for his project, “Where the Rivers Meet.” The multidisciplinary project explored the origins of the land on which Ponaganset High School stands and the native people who once lived there. Students researched local and state archives and worked with local organizations to learn history and civics firsthand. Stanley also received the 2023 Beveridge Family Teaching Prize, awarded by the American Historical Association for excellence and innovation in history teaching. He is a student in PC’s graduate history program and has a master’s degree from La Salle University.
Jennifer Gunderman ’96 of Belfast, Maine, was named director of the city of Bangor Public Health and Community Services. She formerly was director of the Maine Area Health Education Center and was Midcoast Maine’s public health liaison for the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. She worked as an epidemiologist and health educator for the Maine Bureau of Health, was a health and safety director in Maine for the American Red Cross, and worked as a public health specialist for the U.S. Peace Corps in Niger. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in public health and other disciplines at the University of New England, University of Southern Maine, and University of Vermont. A health policy and management major at PC, she also has a master’s degree in public health from Emory University and is studying for a doctorate in public health. She is the mother of three grown children.
Dennis Sousa ’96, ’11G of Foster, Rhode Island, is director of the Office of Family, Youth, and Young Adult Evangelization for the Diocese of Providence. He formerly was director of faith formation for St. Philip Church in Greenville. Sousa studied sociology as an undergraduate at PC and earned a master of arts degree in theology. He is completing a master of arts degree in catechetics and evangelization through Franciscan University of Steubenville and is in the Diaconate Program of Formation for the Diocese of Providence. He also has experience in finance and construction and was an airborne ranger medic in the U.S. Army.
Debra A. Mulligan, ’97 Ph.D. of Warren, Rhode Island, is a professor of history and department chair at Roger Williams University, where she teaches courses in East Asian, European, and American history. She is a member of the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame and president of Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honor society. Mulligan is working on a manuscript tentatively titled Between Two Worlds: Rhode Island’s Little Italies, 1880-1930, and presented a program on the topic at the Johnston Historical Society. She has a master’s degree and Ph.D. in history from PC.
Erin Wright ’98 of Providence is associate ombuds at Boston University. The Office of the Ombuds is a confidential, independent, impartial, and informal problem-solving resource serving faculty, staff, and students. She previously was senior HR business partner with Lifespan and worked in human resources at Bristol Community College. Wright also managed programs for the Center for Mediation and Collaboration, now in Warwick, which she continues to support, and she serves on the board of the Nonviolence Institute in Providence. She has been a lecturer and associate director of career services at Roger Williams University School of Law. She has a master of human relations degree from the University of Oklahoma and a juris doctor degree from Notre Dame Law School.
Kerry Murphy Benenato, Ph.D. ’99 of Sudbury, Massachusetts, joined Sail Biomedicines, Inc., a Flagship Pioneering company and a leader in RNA-based programmable medicines, as chief platform officer. She previously was chief scientific officer at 76Bio, a startup where she led research and development activities, and was vice president, platform chemistry and formulation discovery, at Moderna. In 2022, she was awarded the American Chemical Society Heroes of Chemistry award for her work contributing to Moderna’s mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine. She studied chemistry at PC and holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Boston College. She also completed a research fellowship at Harvard University as a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow.
Thanks for the inspiration
On his way to the Rhode Island State House in December 2023 to be sworn in as the new state senator serving District 1, which includes Providence College, Jake Bissaillon ’09, ’10g stopped by the home of retired political science professor Mark Hyde, Ph.D., who inspired his interest in public service.
Bissaillon, a former chief of staff for Senate President Dominick Ruggierio ’74, was elected to fill a seat left vacant by the death of Majority Whip Maryellen Goodwin. He notes that at least three members of his graduating class at PC have chosen careers in public service.
“You can appreciate the deeper significance of the role the college played in cultivating within us a sense of service to thy neighbor,” said Bissaillon, who also holds an MBA from PC.
2000s
Jill M. Connolly ’00SCE, ’23G of Blackstone, Massachusetts, joined Milford Regional Medical Center as director, compensation and HR operations. The medical center, a 148-bed, nonprofit, acute care facility and community and regional teaching hospital, serves more than 20 towns. She earned an MBA from PC in May 2023.
Brendan Hurson ’00 of Baltimore was sworn in on October 11, 2023, to serve as a district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. He was nominated by President Biden in March 2023 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Hurson majored in public and community service studies at PC and minored in Black studies. After graduation, he served in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in San Francisco, then taught middle school in Washington, D.C. He graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law in 2005 and served as a law clerk for a U.S. district judge in South Carolina. Hurson then spent 15 years as a federal public defender in Baltimore and on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands before becoming a U.S. magistrate judge in 2022. He is the husband of Abigail Smith Hurson ’00 and the brother of Devin Hurson ’07.
Kelly A. Kincaid ’00 of Cumberland, Rhode Island, was promoted from counsel to shareholder at Adler, Pollock & Sheehan. She is a member of the litigation group, assisting clients in civil matters, including disputes involving personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, toxic torts, and premises liability actions. Kelly received a J.D. from Suffolk University School of Law.
Ben Sweeney ’00 of Cranston, Rhode Island, an adjunct professor of film at PC, was coordinating producer for the second season of the PBS documentary series Native America, which aired in October 2023. His duties ranged from pre-production (research and shoot planning) to production (coordinating all producers and directors, overseeing filming across the country, and working with editors, animators, and composers). For the second season, crews filmed with tribes throughout the country, in Arizona, New Mexico, Montana, South Dakota, Florida, South Carolina, and northern Maine, among other locations. Sweeney also was coordinating producer for the first season of Native America in 2018. He has worked for the production company Providence Pictures for 20 years and has an MFA from Boston University.
Bethany Schneider Lyons ’01, ’05G of Westerly, Rhode Island, was promoted to senior vice president and team leader of the Commercial Real Estate Division at The Washington Trust Company. She is responsible for managing the lending and sales activities of a team with a commercial loan portfolio in excess of $1.5 billion. She is board president of the Frank Olean Center in Westerly and a supporter and fundraiser for the American Heart Association. She holds an MBA from PC.
Kyle Snyder ’01 of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was appointed president of Penn State Health’s Hampden and Holy Spirit medical centers in February 2024. He joined Penn State Health in 2020 as chief operating officer of Holy Spirit Medical Center. He was appointed senior vice president and regional chief operating officer for Hampden and Holy Spirit medical centers in June 2022 and became interim president in July 2023. He has a master of health administration degree from Cornell University.
Keith Chobot ’02 of Rockville Centre, New York, has been appointed principal of P.S. 214, the Cadwallader Colden School, a New York City Department of Education elementary school in Flushing, Queens.
Sarah Beth Coughlin, LICSW ’03 of Dorchester, Massachusetts, was nominated to the Massachusetts Parole Board by Governor Maura Healey and confirmed by the Governor’s Council in November 2023. She formerly was director of community engagement and partnerships at Massachusetts General Hospital and served as director of the Charles- town Coalition. She has a master’s degree in social work from Boston College.
Karen Bagley Pambianchi ’03 of Merrimac, Massachusetts, CEO and founder of Swift Water Collaborative, presented a session on “The Impact of Perfectionism” at the Northeast HR Association’s annual conference in Newport, Rhode Island. Kristen Parsons ’98, the north region communications manager at Quest Diagnostics, attended the session. Karen, a leadership coach, speaker, and facilitator, and Kristen got to know each other at past Greater Boston Alumni Club events.
Liz Abel Catucci ’04 of North Providence, Rhode Island, was appointed vice president of the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island. She has been president and CEO of the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce since 2019. She serves on the boards of Delta Dental of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Commodores, United Way Community Advisory Board, and the Stadium Theater Foundation. She is vice chair of the Commerce Corporation Board, chair of the Twin River Advisory Council, and trustee to the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council. She also is past president of PC’s Alumni Club of Greater Providence (Mal Brown).
Karen Kane-Roby ’05G of Bowling Green, Kentucky, joined the law firm of English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley as senior counsel in September 2023. She practices in commercial real estate, real estate, litigation, and tax law. A native of Caribou, Maine, Kane-Roby earned a bachelor’s degree from Saint Anselm College. She taught fourth and fifth grades in Catholic schools in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Providence while earning a master’s degree in special education and secondary education from PC through the Providence Alliance for Catholic Teachers program, known as PACT. After two years of teaching, she entered Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan, completing her degree in 2008. She has 15 years of legal experience and is licensed to practice in Kentucky and Maine.
Martha McCahill Sprague ’06 of Gorham, Maine, earned her Certified Clinical Supervisor certification and the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification. She continues to work at a local psychiatric hospital as a clinical social worker.
Colleen Rosati McCormack ’07 has been named managing director of the Archbishop Fulton Sheen Center for Thought and Culture. The Off Broadway and Black Box theaters present concerts, theatrical works, film premieres, and lectures in the heart of downtown New York City. Colleen resides in Purdys, New York, with her husband, Joseph McCormack ’07, and their three children. She was a double major in theatre and music at PC.
Paul Coyne ’08 and Michael Rekola ’08 launched Veritas Films, LP, a Rhode Island-based partnership, along with several alumni. Their goal is to produce feature films in the Ocean State. Their first full-length film, a dark comedy, “Burying Doris,” will begin filming in the fall in Rhode Island, directed by Michael. Their proof of concept short film, “Last Laughs,” is on the film festival circuit.
Tyler Sims ’08 of Tampa, Florida, an attorney in the Newark, New Jersey, office of Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, was elevated to shareholder, effective January 1, 2024. Tyler advises and represents employers in all areas of labor and employment law. He focuses his multi-jurisdictional practice in two specialized areas: post-employment restrictive covenants, unfair competition and trade secrets; and traditional labor law.
Derek Gillis ’09 of Dedham, Massachusetts, was promoted to partner at the law firm Barton Gilman LLP. He is an appellate and complex litigation attorney practicing in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. He graduated magna cum laude from Suffolk University Law School.
Julie Parise Millet ’09 of Millwood, New York, joined WPIX-TV Channel 11 in New York City as a morning reporter. She previously was an investigative reporter at WAVY- TV, an NBC affiliate in Portsmouth, Virginia, and has worked for stations in Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Georgia. She began her career at age 20 as a producer with WCBS-TV in New York City. She studied political science at PC and was a member of the cheerleading team.
Dylan Zelazo ’09 of Cranston, Rhode Island, was named executive director of the Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corporation in February 2023. The agency is the state’s largest provider of bond financing for health and educational institutions. He most recently was director of administration for the city of Pawtucket, where he supervised department heads, developed the city’s annual budget, and oversaw economic development projects. He has a master of public affairs degree with a concentration in local government management from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Bloomington.
2010s
Owen Bligh ’10, ’14G of Providence was appointed dean of admission in PC’s Office of Admission in August 2023. He chairs the Committee on Admission, which is responsible for selecting candidates for admission to the college and for scholarships. He has worked in the Office of Admission since 2010, most recently as senior associate dean. Among his professional memberships, he has served as president of the Rhode Island Association of Admission Officers and treasurer of the New England Association for College Admission Counseling. He has presented nationally on topics ranging from the role of parents in the college search to athletic recruitment and NCAA eligibility.
Cassandra Santoro Fuller ’13 of Medway, Massachusetts, an attorney with Morgan, Brown & Joy of Boston, was recognized in 2024 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, in the fields of labor and employment law – mitigation, and litigation – labor and employment. The Ones to Watch category recognizes lawyers who are early in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice. Morgan, Brown & Joy is one of the largest management-side labor and employment law firms in New England, representing a range of Fortune 100 corporations, educational and health care institutions, and small businesses.
Katcy Stephan ’16 of San Jose, California, was named film reporter for Variety, where she focuses on news, features, and analysis-related content deals and business activity at Hollywood’s major studios and independent film distributors. She also serves as Variety’s primary reporter covering talent agencies and management firms. Stephan joined Variety in 2021 as social media editor and nearly doubled its social footprint across major platforms. Before joining Variety, Stephan worked for Access Hollywood and BuzzFeed News. She has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California.
Kathi Mattice Baker ’18G of Cumberland, Rhode Island, and her husband, David, run Baker’s Boffins, a Harrisville business that offers design and fabrication of hard-to-find automotive parts, prototyping and classic car mechanics, and laser cutting and engraving of art, signs, jewelry, and other home products. Baker earned a master’s degree in counseling at PC and worked as central reservation coordinator in PC’s Chirico Career Center before launching the business.
PLAY BALL!
The 2023 season was the best in the 17-year history of the PC in DC alumni softball team, which com- petes in the Capital Alumni Network in the shadow of D.C.’s famous landmarks. CAN Softball includes alumni teams from 50 colleges and universities, including Providence, which saw Friars competing in class years ranging from 1999-2020.
The Friars were 8-6 in the regular season, defeating BIG EAST rivals Villanova and Xavier and recording statement wins over Penn State and UCLA. During tournament time, the Friars shined, making their first Elite 8 appearance. They were undefeated in pod play, beating Johns Hopkins, Tulane, and the Air Force Academy before taking down Delaware and Michigan in the elimination rounds. The Friar magic couldn’t quite get them past local powerhouse George Mason to make it to the finals.
The team looks to build on its historic season in 2024, which began play in April. Contact Coach Emily-Anne Patt ’06 at emily.anne. patt@gmail.com to join the team as a player or a fan.
Team members in 2023 were Maura McConville Bashant ’05, Megan Bennett ’10, John Burke ’09, Ben Cabana ’10, Marc Capuano ’12, Matthias Connelly ’12, JR Cummings ’09, Brigid Flaherty ’16, Greg Hindsley ’99, Mike Killoy ’10, Allison Peck Mandich ’01, Alvaro Muniz ’07, Emily-Anne Patt ’06, Peter Rindfuss ’20, Patrick Sheridan ’16, Alexa Stiles ’20, Ryan Walsh ’02, and Peter Young ’10.
2020s
Perla Castillo Calderon ’20, ’22G of Providence was named director of PC’s Center at Moore Hall in January 2024. The center has been a multicultural space on campus since 2018, offering arts programming, lectures, and meeting spaces for students and faculty. Calderon previously was assistant director of diversity, equity, and inclusion for student success in the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She majored in public and community service studies at PC and earned a master’s degree in higher education.
Sokeo Ros ’20G of Providence was named executive director of Inspiring Minds in January 2024. The organization believes children deserve an educational environment that fosters a sense of belonging and purpose shared with the community. It works with school districts, higher education institutions, civic groups, and the community to produce programs that provide culturally responsive, academic, and social-emotional learning strategies vital to the educational and personal lives of students. Ros is excited to continue the work to recruit volunteers to tutor and mentor in Providence, send students to summer learning programs, provide workforce development and mentoring to aspiring teachers, and teach mindfulness education across the state. He earned a master of education degree from PC and teaches in the Master of Education in Urban Teaching Program. A professional dancer, artist, educator, and advocate, he had been director of PC’s Center at Moore Hall since July 2021.
Haley Gervino ’22 of Waltham, Massachusetts, is a graduate student at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, pursuing a master’s degree in public policy with a concentration in health policy. She majored in health policy and management and in theology at PC. She also works for the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, where she aids policy initiatives and writes testimony.
Aidan Arone ’23 of Pembroke, Massachusetts, is a financial representative with The Bulfinch Group, a wealth management firm headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts. Aidan was a summer intern with the firm in 2022 and performed talent acquisition research in 2021. A double major in finance and management at PC, he was recognized at graduation with the Mary Politelli Award for Outstanding Achievement in Management, presented for academic achievement and embodiment of the mission and values of the School of Business. He also received the Poets&Quants for Undergrads — Best and Brightest 2023 designation.
