U
R S U L A L
A U R U S C I T A T I O N
The
Ursula Laurus
Citation, created by the College of New Rochelle in 1956, is a special
and distinctive award honoring alumnae and friends of New Rochelle who
have provided outstanding leadership and have demonstrated by their
capabilities, efforts, and interest, their selfless and generous
devotion to furthering the high ideals and rich traditions of Ursuline
education.
2010
Ursula Laurus
Citation Recipients
Class
of 1950
Elizabeth
Stanton Colleran
Betty’s career in education involved much more than time spent in the
classroom. Having earned her MA in English from Trinity College
in Hartford, CT, Betty also completed summer sessions at several
universities both here and abroad. She continued to develop her
knowledge through affiliations with Yale University’s Women’s
Organization, Rare Book Library, and Art Gallery Associates, as well as
the New Haven Symphony Auxiliary. Betty has been an active member
of the Connecticut Association of Retired Teachers. In
retirement, Betty has had more time to indulge her love of France,
where she has studied French conversation in several French language
schools. The annual Elizabeth Stanton Colleran Award
in English was established by the school system upon Betty’s retirement
from the Amity Regional Junior High School.
Gertrude (Doty)
Quinlan Ryan
Doty’s ties to CNR are strong. She was active in the
Yonkers/Bronxville Alumnae Club, serving as President, hosting bridges
and various speakers, to raise funds for the College. She is a
past Class President and has served on planning committees for many
reunions. When Doty moved to Putnam, she helped revive the
Northern Westchester/Putnam alumnae group, arranging luncheons and
inviting Ursulines to speak. For forty-five years, she has been a
member of the Lake Mahopac Garden Club which initiated a spring
clean-up program that gradually grew to include Boy and Girl Scouts
first and, eventually, the entire town. She has served her parish
for many years as a CCD teacher, a member of the parish council and a
dedicated volunteer at the food pantry.
Class
of 1955
Marianne Bachand
Geiger
Marianne is currently an Adjunct Professor in the History Department at
Fordham University, having earned a Masters from LIU and her PhD from
NYU. In 2008 she was awarded the Teacher of the Year award from
the graduating seniors at the Lincoln Center campus, where she has
taught since 1979. Currently News Agent for the Class of ’55, she
has also remained active in CNR alumnae/i activities, helping organize
the 50th and 55th class reunions. A wonderful writer, she had
produced the 50th reunion booklet for her class.
Jeannette Carry Parshall
Professionally, Jeannette has built a successful career in the tax
preparation industry, as Director for 13 years of the largest H&R
Block Premium office in the country, and as an expert in the field who
once had a call-in radio show and now is called upon by the media for
her expertise. In addition to her career, she is a devoted wife
and mother of four boys, now grown, and an active member of the Class
of ’55 through her work as Fund Agent and support as a member of the
President’s Circle.
Class
of 1960
Anne Butkovsky
Messina
Anne has been an active member of the Class of ’60, serving as News
Agent, Fund Agent, and now as Reunion Co-Chair, a role she also
fulfilled five years ago. Her community has also benefitted from her
time and energy, including her parish, where she has taught CCD for
fifteen years. In East Williston, Anne is involved in the Art Upstairs
Gallery and Friends of the Library. A librarian at New Hyde Park
Memorial High School and advisor to the school’s Library Club, she has
also been a support to her local school district, through the Floral
Park Bellerose School PTA and Sewanhaka High School, volunteering for
Homecoming activities and the Scholarship Committee, and serving as
advisor to the high school’s Junior Honor Society.
Class
of 1965
Patricia Ahearn
Mastellon
Pat’s experience at CNR obviously made an impression on her daughters,
both of whom graduated from the College in the 1990s. A teacher, Pat
retired in 2009 after twenty-five years with the Archdiocese of Newark,
NJ, nineteen of those spent at St. Joseph’s School. She is affiliated
with the National Catholic Educational Association and has been
recognized by her peers and community with the Golden Apple Teacher’s
Award from the New Jersey Cable Television Network and has multiple
listings in Who’s Who Among
America’s Teachers. Active in her two communities, Pat has
given of her time to the Girl Scouts of America, the Order of the
Evergreen, the Irish Repertory Theatre, and her parish’s CCD program;
in the summer months in Cape Cod she volunteers at a thrift store
benefitting abused women, Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, and her
summer parish. Pat is currently on the Board of the Alumnae/i
Association; her example of service is continued by her daughter,
Meghan, who is also recognized by the College today.
Class
of 1975
Nancy Harkins
As Class President, Nancy has taken on another leadership role, in
addition to her longtime involvement with the Board of the Alumnae/i
Association, of which she is the current Vice President. Nancy
has assisted the College with recruiting. One of two sisters who
graduated from CNR, she is currently a Manager at The Vanguard Group in
the area of Information Technology, and previously served in systems
management positions for Bank America and Security Pacific Automation
in California. At Vanguard she continues to give back to the community,
coordinating their blood drive and spearheading a community outreach
program in partnership with local colleges that promotes interest in
computer science and math to area middle school students.
Rosa Puleo Napoleone
Within a year after graduation, Rosa jumped right into alumnae/i
affairs by volunteering her time as Class President and presenting at a
CNR Women in Technology event. Her involvement has continued throughout
the years, with her service as Class Fund Agent, Class President, a
Director of the Alumnae/i Board (2004-09), Chair of the Annual Giving
Committee (2005-09), and most recently, President of the Alumnae/i
Association. She was recruited on campus by New York Life
Insurance and has worked there since her graduation, holding a number
of positions within the company’s Information Technology department and
has enjoyed a successful career culminating in her current position of
Vice President. In 2001, Rosa attained professional accreditation
as a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) from
the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium
(ISC)2. Active for several years in Women Unlimited, a mentoring
group, Rosa was one of the original mentors when the program was
launched in the early 1990s. In recent years, she has remained
committed to offering mentoring support by actively participating in a
formal mentoring program within New York Life, and by informally
forming mentoring relationships with those who seek her guidance,
including a fellow CNR graduate at New York Life. Rosa has
another strong connection to the College, having married George in Holy
Family Chapel on campus in 1980. Rosa is also active in Holy Name
of Jesus Church in Valhalla, NY, the site of her son Michael’s Boy
Scout Eagle project.
Class
of 1980
Susan Ball Miles
A very involved student while attending CNR, Sue has maintained her
ties by taking on her current role of Class President, in addition to
her service as Class News Agent for the past thirteen years. She is
currently a sales associate for AFLAC, and is affiliated with the
Society for Human Resources Management and the Eastern Connecticut
Personnel Association. Sue has devoted time to various church groups
and is also President of the Connecticut Chapter of the Boyds Bears
Collectors Club, which raises funds for various charitable groups,
including the World War II Warriors Association. She took time off from
her career and volunteer activities to care for her mother, who
suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and passed away in 2005, but began a
new chapter of her life in 2007 when she married and became “Grandma
Sue” to her husband’s twelve grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Marianne Smith Sullivan
Marianne has spent a majority of her post-graduate years applying her
artistic talent for the benefit of others. From helping to develop a
weekly art studio class at her children’s grammar school in California
to mentoring and assisting students at her local community college in
New Jersey with portfolio development and applications for BFA
programs, to her current project of instituting clay programs in local
underperforming schools, Marianne has made a difference in the lives of
many. Currently practicing her ceramic art full time, she has
also found time through the years to teach CCD, volunteer for Special
Olympics, help raise funds for local charities as a spouse through
Chevron’s Office of Public Affairs in Utah, and, since 2002, has served
as Fund Agent for her class. A former business owner, Marianne stays in
touch with the alumnae/i office to stay on top of class communications
and reunion details.
Class
of 1985
Silvana Bajana
Currently the Director of Purchasing for the College’s Financial
Affairs department, Silvana is also involved with Campus
Ministry. To date, she has participated in three “Plunges,” the
CNR-sponsored community service projects to Texas, Mexico and
Guatemala, where she helped provide health education and assistance in
the constructions of homes for needy families. Acting as both a
translator and a cultural bridge, Silvana clarified any misconceptions
of an impoverished community. She has served as a chaperone with
a Student Services’ trip to Paris, teaches English to newly-arrived
immigrants at the Adult Learning Center in New Rochelle, delivers food
for the homeless, and has worked with Habitat for Humanity.
Silvana is also involved in alumnae/i affairs, having served her class
as Reunion Chair.
Class
of 1990
Meghan Mastellon
Mahon
Currently enjoying time at home with her three children in
Pennsylvania, Meghan is part of a CNR family that expanded when she
married. In addition to her mother and sister, she also has a
mother-in-law and cousin-in-law who have CNR degrees. After
graduation she earned her JD at Villanova and focused on a successful
legal career, but also found time to serve the Class of ’90 as Fund
Agent and to volunteer for Roundhouse, an agency for battered women in
Philadelphia. Meghan has followed her mother’s example of
service, and the College is proud to recognize two generations of
Mastellons today.
Class
of 1995
Mildred Perez
Since graduation Mildred’s professional focus has been in the human
resources industry, and she is currently the Senior Human Resources
Generalist at Jetro Holdings, LLC. She has also made a point of
helping those in need through her involvement with
www.drivingfordonors.com, a non-profit organization that works with The
National Marrow Donor Program, The Marrow Foundation, law enforcement
department, local donor centers, businesses, colleges and the media to
host successful bone marrow donor drives across the country. She
is also involved with the New York Blood Center organizing Blood
Drives, with Support Our Troops Care Package Drive, preparing hundreds
of care packages for our military troops stationed in Afghanistan and
Iraq and recently organized a Haiti Relief Fund drive among the
employees at Jetro Holdings, LLC which collected over $30,000 which
were given to www.americares.org a non-profit organization that
delivers medicines, medical supplies and aid to people in crisis across
the world.
Class
of 2000
Angela Valitutto
After earning both her undergraduate and master’s degrees from CNR,
Angela forged a successful career in fundraising, leading to her
current position as Director of Annual Giving at Calvary Hospital in
the Bronx. For more than 10 years, Angela served as a key member
of Holy Family Chapel’s Liturgy Committee, bringing forth innovative
ideas to the Chapel community which she continues to serve as a
Eucharistic Minister. Angela is an Ursuline Associate who
continues to embrace the principle of Serviam that she learned in her
freshman year. With an emphasis on social justice, Angela has
volunteered as counselor, mentor and tutor to disadvantaged youth
throughout New York City. More than a dozen women and men,
encouraged by Angela to pursue their dream of a college education, have
graduated from the School of New Resources. Currently, Angela
serves as President of her class. She is extremely proud of her
alma mater, and her alma mater is equally proud of her.
Suzette Walker-Vega
As Campus
Minister at the College, Suzette has been a vital part of on-campus
affairs. Off campus, she volunteers her time every weekend at Safe
Haven in Waterbury, CT, and Meriden Women and Family Center in Meriden,
CT, counseling women and children who have been sexually assaulted or
domestically abused. Suzette has also been involved in alumnae/i
affairs by having served on the Board of the Alumnae/i Association.
Class
of 2005
Jennifer
Smith Jacobs
Jennifer has
chosen a career path that takes the CNR mantra of “Wisdom for Life” one
step further. After graduating with a BA in English and Psychology,
Jennifer worked first in the fundraising department of CNR and then at
Columbia University's Business School. In 2008, Jennifer moved to
Georgia where she currently works at Georgia Tech's College of
Management as the Coordinator of the TI:GER (Technological Innovation:
Generating Economic Results) Program. TI:GER is an innovative
multidisciplinary program, in conjunction with Emory Law School, that
brings together PhD, MBA and Law students in the classroom and research
lab. Students are awarded a unique opportunity to work on teams to
learn about the challenges of commercializing the research of Science
and Engineering doctoral students.
Jennifer is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, an organization
whose mission is to provide service to all. Begun in 2004 through
Omicron Eta, the Westchester County undergraduate chapter, it afforded
Jennifer the opportunity to enhance her leadership skills while serving
as an active student leader on campus. She continues to
be active in CNR's Alumnae/i Association and the Annual
Giving Committee, as well as the Omicron Eta chapter.
W O M E N O
F A C H I E V E M E N T A W A R D
This award was
instituted in 1999 to recognize alumnae/i for brilliant accomplishments
in their chosen careers. We honor them for their talents which
distinguish them amongst their colleagues. Their outstanding
achievements as innovators, visionaries, and leaders have already been
noted within their fields with numerous other awards and citations.
They bring acclaim to themselves and to The College of New Rochelle,
and we are proud to acknowledge them as Women of Achievement/
2010
Women of
Achievement Recipients
Mary Ellen Masterson-McGary ’70
Taking the road less traveled, Mary Ellen Masterson-McGary entered the
traditionally male-dominated world of physics as a CNR undergrad.
Today, as Chief Physicist at the Cyberknife Center of Tampa Bay, she is
responsible for groundbreaking work in clinical cancer treatment.
It is obvious that her choice of career field was the right one.
While pursuing her graduate degrees at Columbia
University and then at Cornell University Graduate School of Medical
Sciences, Mary Ellen was introduced to the chairman of the Medical
Physics Department at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
(MSKCC). She spent the next nineteen years at MSKCC researching
emerging detection and treatment technologies and serving on the
faculty of Cornell University Medical College. Armed with this
cutting-edge knowledge and experience, Mary Ellen left New York for
Florida, where she gains immense satisfaction from offering
state-of-the-art care on the local level. “I’d like to bridge the
gap between the academic medical center, where the major R&D takes
place, and the community hospital and out-patient treatment
environment.”
While at Naples Community Hospital Regional Cancer
Institute, Mary Ellen pushed for the purchase of the CyberKnife, a
major advance in radiation therapy. The precision offered by this
tool decreases the collateral damage to healthy tissue associated with
radiation, and provides effective treatment for otherwise inoperable
cancers near vital organs and the spinal cord. She and her
physician colleagues are carrying forward this seminal work at the
CyberKnife Centers of Tampa Bay. Mary Ellen is a Diplomate of the
American Board of Radiology and the American Board of Medical Physics,
and is a Fellow of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine
and the American College of Medical Physics. She has served her
profession in many roles including as Chairman of the Board of
Chancellors of the American College of Medical Physics. She has
published and spoken on her work at many national and international
conferences. In fact, she recently spoke at a conference in
Brussels where she shared some of the exciting clinical outcomes now
being observed following CyberKnife treatment.
As a woman, Mary Ellen has set the bar very high for
future graduates of CNR and all women pursuing careers in the
sciences. She has proved that with dedication and perseverance,
it is possible to find your niche and make a difference. For
this, the College is pleased to honor Mary Ellen Masterson-McGary with
the Women of Achievement Award.
Esther Schoffelen Rada ’75
To many, it is hard to believe that Esther Schoffelen Rada has
accomplished as much as she has since graduation thirty-five years ago.
From law school to her appointment as Brigadier General in the Air
National Guard to elder law attorney, she has demonstrated a commitment
and drive that has taken her far beyond the halls of CNR.
Esther graduated from St. Louis University School of
Law in 1978, and began her six-year active duty tour with the Air Force
in 1980. During this time she served as a Chief of Military Justice and
Chief of Labor Law for Strategic Air Command. She then
transferred as a Staff Judge Advocate to the Air Force Reserve, then to
the New York National Guard. In 2001, Esther was promoted to the
rank of Colonel, and was appointed the Joint Headquarters New York Air
National Guard Staff Judge Advocate at the Division of Military and
Naval Affairs. She was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General
in 2005, and became the Assistant Adjutant General of the Air National
Guard for the State of New York.
While in the military, Esther received numerous awards,
including the Meritorious Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism
Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and Strategic Air
Command Outstanding Attorney. In 2007, she moved on from her long
and distinguished military career to practice law at Connecticut Legal
Services, with a specialization in Elder Law and Poverty Law.
Referring to a recent advocacy training program she
attended, Esther said, “This training reinforced that we must be very
careful in assessment of people and their situations - it actually
brought me back to my basic values: treating every person with dignity
and respect.” For her faithfulness to these core values which are
such a large part of the Ursuline tradition, we honor Esther Schoffelen
Rada with the Women of Achievement Award.
