| October 14, 2009 | Vol 11. No. 4 |
The NetGazette features profiles of new and current faculty, staff and administrators. If you have an idea for a Canisius profile, please send an E-mail to Kristin Etu '91, NetGazette editor, at etuk@canisius.edu.
This month’s NetGazette features a profile of two beloved women. Mary Remmel and Judy Catalano served more than just soup and salad to their customers in the college’s Steffan Faculty Dining Room (FDR). Their warmth, humor and generosity lifted everyone’s spirits. The FDR closed in August after more than four decades of operation. Remmel retired. Catalano, who is presently recovering from recent surgery, says she is enjoying more time with her husband.
Mary Remmel and Judy Catalano, Former Faculty Dining Room Servers for Chartwells
When Mary Remmel started work as a server in the FDR, she only intended to stay for a few years. But, she became so attached to the people, a few years soon turned into a 27-year career at the college.
“It wasn’t like coming to work every day, it was like I was taking care of my family,” says Remmel.
She adds that nearly 30 years ago, the job’s hours were ideal for raising her then eight year-old daughter, Kristin, who is now 35 and an active volunteer with the SPCA.
“If you work in a restaurant, there is high turnover,” says Remmel. “But at Canisius, I was able to get to know faculty and staff very well. I knew when people would get married, have kids or lose parents. In turn, they knew what was going on in my life and were very supportive.”
Her favorite times in the FDR included the festive holiday buffets, where Remmel recalls lines that “would stretch out the door and down the hall.”
A resident of Wheatfield, she now enjoys spending time with her daughter and husband, Richard. The Remmel’s recently spent the weekend in Letchworth State Park where they viewed the fall foliage and perused the park’s annual fall craft fair.
Judy Catalano spent 24 years as the head waitress at the faculty dining room at D’Youville College and 21 years as a deli worker before she came to Canisius as an FDR server 10 years ago.
Like Remmel, Catalano loved to come to work everyday.
“I just love being with people – whether it is faculty, staff or students,” she says.
Catalano, who affectionately referred to all FDR customers as “honey,” is famous for her pizelles, (Italian waffle cookies), which she passed out along with a wide variety of her homemade Christmas cookies during the holidays. She also bakes specialty cakes and platters of cookies for family members for First Communions and other special occasions. Catalano and her husband, Fred recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with their family at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens.
“Our children surprised us with the party. There was a beautiful spread of cannoli and cookies that I didn’t have to bake myself!” she says with a laugh.
Catalano always looked forward to seeing the FDR’s regular customers, including several administrative associates she referred to as her “Thursday girls” and a group of history professors who always showed up daily at 11:30 a.m. on the dot.
“Mary and I called them the Knights of the Round Table,” says Catalano. “If they ever sat at a different table than usual, I jokingly told them to get back to their regular table!”
A Town of Tonawanda resident, she likes to spend time with her six grandchildren and is an avid bingo player.
Editor’s note: Both Remmel and Catalano wish to thank all the FDR customers for their patronage and support over the years.
Meet Canisius College’s Newest Faculty & Staff
Canisius added 15 new term and tenure track faculty members this fall. In this issue of the NetGazette, we introduce you to the newest members of the Canisius community.
| Rev. Michael Agliardo, S.J, is an assistant professor of sociology, anthropology and criminal justice. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Harvard University, a master of divinity degree and an S.T.L. in systematic and historical Theology from Weston Jesuit School of Theology, and a doctorate degree in sociology from the University of California. Father Agliardo’s areas of focus in sociology are religion, environment, social movement theory, classical sociological theory, qualitative methods and hermeneutics, and sociology of culture. He speaks fluent Latin and classical Chinese as well as Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, French and some Russian. Prior to Canisius, he taught at Boston College as a teaching fellow. |  | |
| New York State Regent and Chancellor Emeritus Robert M. Bennett HON ’09 joined the Canisius college faculty this fall as a Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership in the Graduate School of Education & Human Services. Bennett has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Notre Dame, a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from SUNY Buffalo and an honorary degree from Canisius College. In 1995, he was elected to a five-year term as a Regent for the Eight Judicial District of New York State, which encompasses the eight counties of Western New York. Bennett recently completed his third and final term as chancellor of the Board of Regents, which supervises all educational activities within New York State, including K-12 and post-secondary schools. |  | |
| Michael J. Braunscheidel, PhD, P.E., is an assistant professor in the Department of Management/Marketing and was previously an adjunct professor at Canisius College. Prior to Canisius, he was an assistant professor in the Department of Business Administration and Economics at The College at Brockport, State University of New York. Braunscheidel’s areas of specialty include operation/service management, supply chain management and organizational behavior. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from University of Detroit, a master’s degree in business administration from Canisius College and a doctorate in management from the State University of New York at Buffalo. |  | |
| James Goldstein, PhD, assistant professor of accounting, was previously an assistant vice president at M&T Bank – finance division, in Buffalo, NY. Goldstein holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Binghamton University, School of Management, a master’s degree in finance and economics from New York University, L.N. Stern School of Business and a doctorate in management information systems from Syracuse University, School of Mangement. |  | |
| Scott Hegerty, PhD, is an assistant professor in economics/finance. Prior to Canisius, Hegerty was a visiting assistant professor at Beloit College. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history, a master’s degree in economics and a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin. His focus is on international trade and finance, open-economy macroeconomics, economic development applied time-series econometrics and transition economies. |  | |
| Assistant Management/Marketing Professor Rev. Frank La Rocca, S.J., is a recent graduate from Boston College School of Law with a juris doctorate. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Italian from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in philosophical resources from Fordham University, a master’s degree of divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology, Berkeley, CA, and a master’s of business administration from Georgetown University. |  | |
| Christopher Lopata, PsyD, returns to Canisius as an assistant professor of education. He previously was an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology at SUNY Buffalo. Lopata held the position of director of graduate special education at Canisius College from September 2001 – May 2005. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from SUNY Buffalo, a master’s degree of science in counseling from San Diego State University, and a master’s and doctorate in psychology from the University at Albany. Lopata, who is also the clinical co-director of Connections – Summer Asperger’s Treatment Program, is an expert in the field of autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. |  |