UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 36, Page 6
July 3, 1996
Outstanding alumni honored with Presidential Citations
Twenty alumni from the University were honored recently as the
1996 recipients of the Presidential Citation for Outstanding
Achievement awards.
Begun in 1992, the award honors alumni of the last 20 years who
exhibit great promise in their professional careers or public service
activities.
At a ceremony this spring in Mitchell Hall, the alumni and their
guests were welcomed by President David P. Roselle. Remarks were
presented by Provost Mel Schiavelli. Recipients were introduced by
Robert R. Davis, alumni and University relations, and certificates
were presented by the president.
Kenneth L. Becker, Delaware '72, '76M, Wilmington, is a two-time
graduate of the University of Delaware, holding a bachelor's degree in
sociology and a master's degree in urban affairs and public policy.
Currently a vice president of Smith Barney Inc., an investment
banking firm, Becker has received numerous awards for his work,
including the Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development.
His financing structures also have won numerous awards including
the Most Innovative Financing Award from the U.S. Conference of
Mayors.
"When I entered Delaware I had no idea what I wanted to
do with my life. The University provided an atmosphere
that allowed me to grow at my own pace. It neither
pushed nor pulled me but allowed me to be ... I probably
made the strongest statement that I can make concerning
my experience at the University when two years ago I
entrusted the University with my daughter's education."
Virginia M. Burns-Ferrara, Delaware '76, Wilmington, received her
bachelor's degree in child development and young exceptional children
from the University and her master's degree in special education from
Delaware State University. She is a kindergarten teacher at Mt.
Pleasant Elementary School in Wilmington.
Burns-Ferrara has received numerous grants to enhance educational
opportunities for children, including the 1995 and 1992 Brandywine
School District Teacher Incentive Grant and the 1994 and 1992 DuPont
Mini Grant Award. She was selected as the Brandywine School District
Teacher of the Year for 1991-1992 and was inducted into the Delaware
Association for Childhood Education Hall of Excellence in 1993.
"My journey through the University of Delaware was an
adventure of personal, academic and professional growth.
The diversity of campus life was inspiring. It afforded
me the chance to meet and interact with many people
whose vital and diverse views encouraged and energized
independent thinking as I was discovering, expanding and
refining my beliefs and values. Along the way, I
developed lifelong friendships that are treasured today.
I will forever be indebted to my mentor, Alice Eyman,
with whom I continue to share a special personal and
professional relationship."
Harmon R. Carey, Delaware '77M, Wilmington, graduated from the
University with a master's degree in urban affairs and public policy
and also has completed some doctoral studies at UD.
He is the founder and executive director of the Afro-American
Historical Society of Delaware, as well as the executive assistant for
Africa-American heritage in the Division of Historical and Cultural
Affairs.
Carey has emerged as the foremost advocate for African-American
historic preservation in the state, preserving the cultural and
architectural heritage of Delaware's black community. He has taken an
active role in the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the
National Association for African-American Historic Preservation.
The Harmon. R. Carey Gallery of the Afro-American Historical
Society of Delaware, the first African-American art gallery in
Delaware, is named for him.
"During the two decades I have taken courses at the
University of Delaware, I have witnessed evidence of a
sincere commitment to diversity in terms of ethnicity,
sex and age as relected in the student body and faculty
at the College of Urban Affairs and Public Policy. I
have also been impressed by the University's increasing
commitment to urban public service and African-American
historic preservation. The former exemplifies the
University's acceptance of the responsibility to move
beyond academia in order to engage social problems
endemic to inner-city neighborhoods. The latter
demonstrates a valuing of the importance of documenting
and preserving the heritage of Delaware's largest ethnic
minority."
Patricia Ann Childs, Delaware '76, '78M, Tucson, received her
bachelor's degree in child development/ young exceptional children and
a master's degree in individual and family studies.
As a member of the American Association on Mental Deficiency, the
Delaware Association for Retarded Citizens and the National
Association for the Education of Young Children, Childs was extremely
active in her profession before her retirement due to multiple
sclerosis.
Since her retirement, she continues to contribute to the well-
being of others, focusing on helping others with chronic illnesses
reach their full potential and obtain a better quality of life.
She is the founder and co-facilitator of the M.S. Support Group
in Tucson and has helped form and chairs the Service Committee of the
M.S. Support Foundation of Pima County, Ariz.
"I received much more than an excellent education at the
University of Delaware. The dedication, caring and
expertise of the faculty inculcated values of
determination, creativity, teamwork and the importance
of standing up for one's beliefs. Their emphasis on
one's abilities and repeated questioning of "What's
another way?" would reverberate for years. When I
thought I could think no more, I was encouraged to come
up with alternate solutions. Years later, I would find
myself using some of the same teaching techniques when
multiple sclerosis entered my life."
Willie Curtis, Delaware '77, '80M, '83 Ph D, Bowie, Md.,was the
first African American to obtain a Ph.D. in political science from UD,
where he also earned a bachelor's degree in social studies education
and a master's degree in political science. He currently is an
associate professor at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.
Curtis has many accomplishments as a teacher and scholar. He has
provided the leadership for the development of the U.S. Naval Academy
model programs on the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO), the League of Arab States and the Organization of
American States (OAS).
"My academic experience at the University of Delaware
provided me with a solid foundation for the teaching
research that has characterized my career since
graduating in 1983. The fact that my professors were not
only scholars but outstanding teachers motivated me to
seek excellence in both teaching and research. Indeed,
my experience at the University of Delaware was such an
exciting and positive experience that I was unaware
until now that I was the first African American to
receive a Ph.D. in political science."
Brian Deleu, Delaware '92, New York City, received his bachelor's
degree in apparel design and fashion merchandising. He currently is
working as director of design for Regarde Inc., a juniors sportswear
company located in New York.
Deleu's current position requires extensive travel throughout the
world, including Europe, the Far East and India, to develop his own
textiles and garments. His line is carried by 83 percent of all
department stores in the United States.
Jacqueline Edington, Delaware '83, Buckinghamshire, Great
Britain, is the senior clinical nutrition adviser for the Ross
Products Division of Abbott Laboratories Ltd. in the United Kingdom.
She is a summa cum laude graduate of UD, where she received her
bachelor's degree in dietetics. She distinguished herself by being the
recipient of several honors, including the Amy Rextrew Award, and
received her doctorate in human nutrition from the University of
Oxford, England.
Edington is responsible for designing and implementing
nutritional clinical trials for efficiency and safety of nutrition
products. She also is involved in providing clinical data to
governmental regulatory agencies.
She has continued to support undergraduate students at UD through
her educational lectures in the London Semester-Abroad Program.
"As a mature student in the coordinated program in
dietetics, I received an education which was a quality
experience. The American Dietetic Association lays down
strict guidelines for the education which dietitians
must receive in order to become registered as
professionals. The faculty of the College of Human
Resources was uncompromising in demanding even higher
standards of its students. The result, for me, was a
superb grounding in my subject which has given me untold
advantages over others in my field. My sincere thanks to
all the faculty, particularly Louise Little, my mentor."
Martin L. Klopping, Delaware '76, Wilmington, received a
bachelor's degree in economics in 1976 and earned the professional
designation of Chartered Financial Analyst, conferred by the
Association for Investment Management and Research in 1983.
He is the president of Rodney Square Management Corp. (RSMC), an
investment adviser and mutual fund service company. He founded and led
the development of RSMC into the first fully integrated, bank-
affiliated, mutual fund complex and service company.
He serves as director, trustee and president of the Rodney Square
Funds. He also is a member of SEC Rules and Investment Adviser
Committees of the Investment Company Institute, the national trade
association of the mutual fund industry.
"My education at the University of Deaware has provided
me with a solid academic foundation upon which I have
built my career and also with an awareness of the
pleasures which derive from the pursuit of knowledge for
its own sake. I recall, in particular, the faculty of
the Department of Economics who were personable,
accessible and genuinely interested in, and committed
to, the development of their students. I consider myself
very fortunate to have been among them. I also owe a
debt of gratitude to my parents, whose life-long
advocacy of education and the pursuit of excellence are
responsible for much of what I am today."
Robert L. Lipstein, Delaware '77, Washington Crossing, Pa.,
received his bachelor's degree in accounting, is currently a partner
with KPMG Peat Marwick, a professional services firm.
Lipstein has served as the lead engagement partner for the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and
played a critical role in the merger of First Fidelity and First Union
Corp. He was the partner in charge of Midlantic Financial Services
Practice, as well as a member of National Financial Services
leadership team.
Lipstein also is involved in the community, serving on boards and
as an officers of several community organization.
"Through the efforts of the University faculty, I
learned the need to emphasize practical applications of
complex business issues. The administrators I dealt with
at the University also taught me many lessons that have
made lasting impressions on me. Most notably is the art
of negotiation and the benefit of considering the views
of others. My association with the University is also
life-long and I look forward to what the future holds."
Jeanne McCauley, Delaware '76, Baltimore, is a summa cum laude
graduate with a bachelor's degree in nutrition. While at UD, she was a
member of Phi Kappa Phi, Omicron Nu and Mortar Board honor societies
and received the Amy Rextrew Award for scholarship and leadership.
McCauley completed her medical degree at the University of
Maryland and her residency in internal medicine at the Georgetown,
Va., program. She also completed a fellowship in emergency medicine at
the University of Maryland.
She currently is on leave as an assistant professor of medicine
at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and is pursuing a
research fellowship in general internal medicine at Johns Hopkins.
McCauley is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and
was awarded the David E. Rogers Junior Faculty Education Award by the
Society of General Internal Medicine for her work on a curriculum
entitled "Gynecology for the Practicing Internist."
She also has published several articles on violence in the
medical setting, including the lead article in the Annals of Internal
Medicine last November.
"I will always be grateful to the University of Delaware
for the superb education that I received there. As a
graduate of the College of Human Resources, I had all
the advantages of a small college yet could still sample
the diverse offerings of a large univeristy. I learned
to think, study and organize skills that have been
critical to my development as a physician and person."
Renosi Mokate, Delaware '83M, '86 Ph D, Pretoria, South Africa,
is the director of the Center for Reconstruction and Development, as
well as a professor at the University of Pretoria .
She is a two-time graduate of UD, having received both her
master's degree and her Ph.D. in urban affairs and public policy.
As center director, Mokate is responsible for its training and
technical assistance services to local and provincial governments. She
also is responsible for coordinating the University of Pretoria's
applied works.
She also was the chief executive officer of the Independent
Electoral Commission that, in April 1994, administered South Africa's
first multiracial election.
Cynthia R. Ryan, Delaware '76, Fairfax. Va., received her
bachelor's degree in political science from and continued her
education at Widener University School of Law. Currently, she is the
associate chief counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA).
She provides advice and training to DEA management and field
agents worldwide on legal issues related to DEA foreign operations,
intelligence sharing and activities with U.S. intelligence agencies
and the Department of Defense.
She has received several awards from the Drug Enforcement
Administration, including a Special Act of Service, Excellence of
Performance and Outstanding Performance as a Supervisor awards.
"I headed off to college determined to become a trial
lawyer. My liberal arts education at the University of
Delaware taught me invaluable legal skill-to analyze and
articulate. The traditional campus setting inspired me
to study. I was thrilled to be able to pursue my passion
for sports both at the varsity and intramural levels.
The University provided me the opportunity to join my
national sorority, Alpha Sigma Alpha, in which I met my
life-long friends."
Elizabeth A. Schwenk, Delaware '88, West Chester, Pa., received
her bachelor's degree in animal science. She accepted a position as
open relief keeper at the Philadelphia Zoo and was trained in all
animal areas of the zoo. Currently, she is the lead keeper of the Rare
Animal House.
Schwenk participated in an internship at the Duke University
Primate Center and has worked with the primates at the Bronx Zoo. She
was accepted as the North American regional studbook keeper for the
spectacled langur, a species of leaf eating monkey, and is responsible
for tracing the genetic lineage of all langurs in institutions in
North America.
Schwenk is an active member of the American Association of Zoos
and Aquariums and a professional member of the American Association of
Zoo Keepers.
"My four years at the University of Delaware were some
of the more important in my life. One of the most
significant parts of my coursework was the opportunity
for hands-on experience. Not only was I taught from
books, but I was given a chance to learn how to apply
this knowledge in real situations. I have always felt
that it is important to have a working knowledge of
ideas presented in a classroom. I am convinced this
practical training has played a vital role in the
direction my career has taken."
Robert S. Slowik, Delaware '77, '85M, Vernon Hills, Ill., is a
two-time graduate of UD with a bachelor's and master's degrees in
physical education.
In 1992, he was the defensive assistant coach for the Super Bowl
Champion Dallas Cowboys.
In Dallas, Slowik's primary responsibility was the nickel
defense, which proved to be one of the league's best in 1992.
Currently, Slowik is the defensive coordinator for the Chicago
Bears. In his first year as a National Football League (NFL) defensive
coordinator, his unit finished fourth in the NFL in fewest yards,
while allowing just 230 points, third best in the league.
"The coaching profession has taken me to almost every area of the
country, and I am proud to say the University of Delaware football
program and coaches are highly respected throughout the nation. As my
career progresses, I have come to appreciate and apply their same kind
of teaching skills and values in coaching the professional athletes
with whom I am associated. It is my hope that these athletes use their
highly visible profile position to influence their communities in a
positive fashion."
Gwen L. Stauffer , Delaware '93M, Warrenton, Va., received her
master's degree in public horticulture administration and is director
of horticulture at Hillwood Museum and Gardens, where she is
responsible for the restoration and historic interpretation of the
formal gardens and greenhouses and curation and maintenance of the
plant collections.
Stauffer instructs the woody plants course for the landscape
design program for George Washington University and lectures at
regional and national horticulture clubs and professional
associations. She also is a consultant providing horticultural
services and technical assistance to landscape architectural and
design/building firms and commercial landscape companies in the
Washington metropolitan area.
She has received several awards, including a Beautification Award
from Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment.
"My training in the Longwood Graduate Program in public
horticulture administration through the University of
Delaware was much more than a learning ecperience. It
was an opportunity to meet, study under and work with
numerous professionals who generously shared their
knowledge and expertise, while allowing me to flex my
mind, expand my abilities and hone my skills. To have
gained these many professionals as my peers has been the
richest reward."
Shelley Sturman, Delaware '79M, Washington, D. C., received her
master's degree in art conservation from the UD-Winterthur Museum
Program, and completed a Mellon Fellowship at the Walters Art Gallery
in Baltimore.
She joined the staff of the National Gallery of Art in
Washington, D.C., where she has been head of object conservation since
1987. Her dedicated service to the gallery has earned her several
employee incentive and special achievement awards.
She has published important studies on the sculptural techniques
of Degas, Saint-Porchaire ceramics, enamels, outdoor sculpture and
Renaissance bronzes and has lectured nationally and internationally
about these subjects. Her ongoing interest in conservation issues of
contemporary art has led to lively exchanges with living artists.
Sturman has an outstanding record as a volunteer to the
profession. She is a fellow of both the American Institute for
Conservation (AIC) and the International Institute for Conservation.
"Twenty years ago, I faced a very difficult decision
whether to enter a doctoral program in archaeology or to
begin a second master's degree in art conservation. I
chose to enter the University of Delaware-Winterthur
Museum program in the conservation of artistic and
historic works and have never regretted my decision. The
University of Delaware graduate program, then in its
third year, offered the finest training available in the
the United States for a relatively unknown profession
that marries science with art. After graduation, my
professsors became my colleagues and friends. I still
rely on them for discussion of complicated conservaton
issues. I am certain that opportunities were open to me
both in this country and abroad because of the excellent
education I received in Delaware. In a small way I try
to repay my debt to Delaware by welcoming interns from
the University's art conservation program into my
laboratory. I challenge them to understand and preserve
some of the most important works of art in our nation."
Joan G. Thomas, Delaware '88M, Wilmington, is executive vice
president of St. Francis Hospital. She received her master's degree in
geriatric/gerontological nursing.
Thomas participates in several nursing and executive leadership
organizations as both a member and officer. These organizations
include Delaware Nurses' Association, American Nurses' Association,
American Organization of Nurse Executives, Delaware Organization of
Nurse Executives and the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Thomas was instrumental in establishing the nurse midwife
credentialing process at St. Francis, which resulted in a nurse
midwifery practice there.
She also was instrumental in the development and implementation
of a Clinical Pathway System of Care Management and a Patient Focused
Care Delivery model.
Julia E. Unger, Delaware '88, Wilmington, received her bachelor's
degree in animal science in 1988 and, after graduation, began working
with the Philadelphia Zoo's research team.
Today, Unger is the lead keeper of the World of Primates at the
zoo. Until a recent tragic electrical fire occurred, she was the
primary caretaker of the zoo's gorilla troop. While the facility is
being rebuilt, she will work with various small mammals, including
some primates.
Unger shares her knowledge by lecturing at schools and museums.
She has continued her training by attending programs at the Jersey
Wildlife Preservation Trust in the Channel Islands in England and the
Duke University Primate Center in North Carolina.
"The courage to pursue a career I truly love came from a
confidence I attribute largely to my experience at the
University of Delaware. I received a quality education
which made me extremely competitive in my field and
found that a degree from the University of Delaware
commands much respect. The friendships I forged through
sorority and dorm life also played an integral part in
my experience. This summer, I will wed one such friend,
a hallmate whom I have always adored. Combine the
ability to dream and a solid education, and the
possibilities are endless."
Sibusiso Vil-Nkomo, Delaware '83M, '85 Ph D, Pretoria, South
Africa, earned both UD degrees in urban affairs and public policy. He
is the commissioner of the Public Service Commission in the Republic
of South Africa.
Currently, Vil-Nkomo is responsible for transforming South
Africa's civil service from one developed in an era of apartheid into
one that fosters equitable and efficient democratic governance.
He has worked as an adviser to The World Bank, United Nations,
the Social Science Research Council and the Council on Foreign
Relations. He has been a roundtable presenter and participant at the
Brookings Institution policy think tank in Washington, DC.
Vil-Nkomo is a recipient of many honors, including the Lindback
Award for Distinguished Teaching and the Mark Haskell Political
Economy Award.
Jane Claire Wright Vincent, Delaware '77, '95M, Wilmington,
earned a master's degree in public administration in 1977 and has
worked in the field of housing and community development for nearly 20
years.
Currently, she is the director of the Department of Real Estate
and Housing for the city of Wilmington, where she administers housing
and community development programs and oversees the efforts of three
housing development corporations.
Vincent has been recognized for changing the quality of
production in city building programs and for upgrading the quality,
size and livability of houses supported through city efforts. She also
has moved the city into unique partnerships, including a home-building
construction training program for students through the New Castle
County Vocational Technical School District that effort won a National
Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) Award of
Excellence. The program has been replicated around the country.
"My education of the University of Delaware has spanned
more than 20 years so far-starting as a freshman right
out of high school until I completed a master's degree a
year ago. Formal education has not been the extent of
the relationship, though. My family has given me a
tremendous amount of support, but the University of
Delaware had been part of my extended family, too.
Whether serving as faculty, friend or peer, the
University encouraged me to continue my formal
education, been there as a cheerleader along the way and
played a part in my professional life. I have no doubt
that this relationship will continue."
-Gerry Elter