2012 Spring – Alumni News and Notes 1970s

Sherwood J. Anderson ’70 (CLAS) was inducted into the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame for his 36-year career at The Hartford Courant, reporting on high school sports. Sandra Donaldson ’70 MA, ’77 Ph.D. received the 2011 Faculty Achievement in Research Award from the University of North Dakota. A Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor, […]

Sherwood J. Anderson ’70 (CLAS) was inducted into the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame for his 36-year career at The Hartford Courant, reporting on high school sports.

Sandra Donaldson ’70 MA, ’77 Ph.D. received the 2011 Faculty Achievement in Research Award from the University of North Dakota. A Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor, she has been a faculty member in the English department since 1977.

Michael J. Beecher ’72 (BUS) is chief financial officer for Vasomedical, Inc., based in Westbury, N.Y., after serving as chief financial officer of Direct Insite Corp.

Joanne Michaels ’72 (CLAS) is the author of Hudson River Towns: Highlights from the Capital Region to Sleepy Hollow Country, published by SUNY Press in October. She lives in Woodstock, N.Y.

Paul Hinman ’73 (CLAS) is group leader for the Vermont Chapter of the UConn Alumni Association.

Joseph Wocoski ’73 (CLAS) wrote and illustrated his fourth book of poetry, A Journey Through DC Land, published by CreateSpace in August.

Ed Bezursik ’74 (SFA) is piano marketing manager at Yamaha Corporation of America, based in Buena Park, Calif.

Thomas H. Moss III ’74 (CLAS), ’77 MBA is executive director for the Council on Aging of Nassau County, Fla.

Stephen Verchinski ’74 (CANR), boat program coordinator and marine officer for New Mexico State Parks, received the Boating Safety Award from the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators. A certified and commissioned law enforcement officer, he has been with the New Mexico State Parks Division for 13 years.

Douglas Hardisty ’76 (ENG), ’78 MBA is director of media and marketing for the Carolinas Golf Association in West End, N.C.

John Rodolico ’76 MS was elected mayor of Ledyard, Conn., in November 2011 after retiring from his 39-year career as a principal engineer at General Dynamics Electric Boat Division in Groton, Conn.

Paula (Riggi) Singer ’76 (ED), president and chief executive officer of Laureate Education’s Global Products and Services Group and chair of the Walden University board of directors, delivered the keynote address at Walden’s winter commencement ceremony in January. She has been a leader in education for more than 25 years. Laureate International Universities is an international network of quality, innovative institutions of higher education. The Laureate network of 58 accredited campus-based and online universities offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 675,000 students around the world in 28 countries throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.

Jesse Wenzel ’77 MBA is chief lending officer at Eastern Federal Bank in Norwich, Conn. He previously served as the vice president and senior commercial lending officer of Essex Savings Bank.

Stephanie (Green) Giancola ’78 (BUS) released her first two novels, Between a Rock and a Mad Woman and The Throwbacks, last fall under the pen name of Stephanie Queen.

David L. Tucker ’78 (BUS), ’83 MBA is the author of The Islander, the second book in his Stone Wall Freedom Series, released in August by Two Harbors Press.

Peter W. Ghiorsi ’79 MBA received the Harold J. Seymour International Award from the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, given annually to a fundraiser whose career has fostered volunteerism and philanthropy. He is co-founder of Ghiorsi and Sorrenti, Inc., a full-service philanthropic consulting firm based in Wyckoff, N.J.