Harpur Professor Leaves $1 Million Estate to Binghamton University
by Susann Thiel

Paul Weigand, a native of Austria who taught German at Triple Cities College and Harpur College for 32 years, left an estate valued at $1 million to Binghamton University to benefit students of German language or comparative literature studies.

"As one of the founding faculty members of our University, Paul Weigand dedicated himself to helping achieve our vision of academic excellence," said President Lois B. DeFleur. "This gift is a testament to his passion for public higher education and the liberal arts. It will have a significant impact on the quality of our curriculum for years to come."

Jean-Pierre Mileur, dean of Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, said the endowment will support both undergraduate and graduate students majoring or minoring in German language or literature. In addition to tuition support, the endowment may fund study abroad opportunities in Germany or the German-speaking nations.

"This gift will energize our department in ways we could never have hoped for," said Rosmarie Morewedge, associate professor and chair of the German, Russian and East Asian Languages department at Harpur College. "It's a wonderful gift that will enhance international studies for all our students.  Imagine all the lifelong cross-cultural experiences that have been built through such generosity."

"Through his generosity, Professor Weigand has done much to ensure that German will be a permanent part of the intellectual landscape of Harpur College," said Mileur.

Weigand was born on Christmas Day in 1910 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1933. He began teaching at Triple Cities College in 1948, having previously held positions at New York University, Cornell University and the University of Wisconsin. Specializing in 18^th and 19th century

German literature, Weigand published numerous scholarly articles on and translations of German literature throughout his academic career and was an advisor to several student organizations. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the College of the City of New York and his Ph.D. from New York University. From 1957 to 1959, Weigand served as president of the Central New York Chapter of the American Association of German Teachers. He also served as an interpreter for the US Department of State.

Weigand lived alone in Endicott for most of his life. He retired from Binghamton University in 1980 and died in RiverMede Nursing Home earlier this year.

"Paul was a very private individual," said Aldo Bernardo, distinguished service professor emeritus of Italian and comparative literature and a former colleague of Weigand's. "He was very serious about his teaching and he taught his undergraduate courses as a kind of mission. He really believed in the value of the German language.

"He simply did his job quietly and well," Bernardo continued. "He was a good man and a humble man, and students really liked him. He was very dedicated to his work, and very frugal."

"I always thought of Paul as a quiet, reserved person," agreed Helen Ketcham, whose late husband, Rodney, chaired the foreign languages department at Triple Cities and hired Weigand as one of its first faculty members. "I was surprised by his gift and thought it was a lovely contribution to the University."

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Dean Mileur Thanks Longtime Employees

Harpur College faculty and staff with 10 and 25 years of service were the guests of honor at a luncheon given by Dean Jean-Pierre Mileur on Tuesday, November 18. This annual tradition gives the Dean the chance to personally thank Harpur College employees for their dedication and recognize their 10 and 25 year anniversaries.

Congratulations to the following employees:

• Rifa'at Abou-El-Haj, Professor of History
• Vincent Cordi, Senior Staff Associate, Mathematical Sciences
• Jean Farrant, Staff Associate, Anthropology
• Christine Gelineau, Adjunct Assistant Professor of English
• Robert Gonzales, Instrument Repair Specialist, Chemistry
• Leslie Heywood, Professor of English
• Julie Johnson, Adjunct Lecturer, Romance Languages
• Wayne Jones, Professor of Chemistry
• Maria Lugones, Associate Professor of Comparative Literature
• Dennis McGee, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences
• Donna Mendelson, Lecturer, English as a Second Language
• Colleen Reardon, Professor of Music
• Maria Romero, Associate Professor of Psychology
• Craig Saeger, Adjunct Lecturer, Theatre
• Jürgen Schulte, NMR Specialist, Chemistry
• Elizabeth Signorotti, Adjunct Lecturer, English

25 years

• Don Boros, Associate Professor of Theatre
• Matthew Brin, Professor of Mathematical Sciences
• Richard Deveraux, Instructional Support Technician, Biological Sciences
• Margaret Ann Rogers, Secretary, History
• Liz Rosenberg, Professor of English
• Teri Tanenhaus, Secretary, Psychology
• Richard Trexler, Professor of History

Dean Mileur, in recognizing the employees' service, said, "You carry with you the knowledge and experience that are crucial to the University. To each of you, I want to extend my personal thanks. All of us here at Harpur College are grateful for all you've done."

Although Jean Farrand `88 (M.A., `92), was honored for 10 years of service to the Anthropology department, she has been involved with Harpur College for much of her life. Her husband, Livingston, graduated in 1968 and she took classes part time while raising her family. Her sons, Livingston `89 and Matthew `96, followed in her footsteps with Harpur College degrees as well. Farrand plans to retire at Christmas and write a book.

Robert Gonzales `87, an instrument repair specialist in the Chemistry department, said his 10 years at Harpur College have been fun and challenging. He has especially enjoyed working with our diverse population of graduate students from around the world.

Jürgen Schulte, a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance specialist, said his colleagues and the students have been the best part about spending a decade in the Chemistry department.

Don Boros, professor of theatre, was among the 25-year honorees. "Being with the students has been the best part of the job," he said. "I've loved seeing them succeed and win Tony awards and appear in movies and on TV."

Another 25-year honoree, Richard Trexler, professor of History, said "The University has always supported me in my research and scholarship and I've loved the students."

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1963 Harpur Alumni Share Stories and Advice
Former roomates return to campus 40 years later

On Friday, November 21, Harpur College alumni Barry Zirkin `63 and Peter Ornstein `63 returned to campus for the first time together since their graduation 40 years ago.  The former roommates, now both professors at prestigious universities, wanted to bring back some of their skills and knowledge to the school where they started their academic careers, and more importantly, their lifelong friendship. 

Zirkin presented, "Aging and Male Reproduction: What Happens? Why Does it Happen? Does it Matter?" to students and faculty in biological sciences.  Ornstein delivered, "Children's Memory Development: Learning to Remember" to students and faculty in psychology and biopsychology. 

In between presentations, they shared a trip down memory lane and spoke about "The Good Old Days of Harpur and the Opportunities 'Out There'" to students and faculty.

"There's no exaggerating the importance of the beginning," said Zirkin.  "What we did here laid the foundation for what we did later."

The former roommates talked about Harpur College in the early 1960s.  Tuition was $400 a year.  The Vietnam war had not begun, and the civil rights movement had just begun to take shape. 

The social life was also much different.  1963 was not yet "the sixties." Zirkin said, "We lived in the dorms and the idea of having girls anywhere nearby was grounds for expulsion." Women students had a curfew and they had to get written permission from their parents to spend the night away.  "The campus was entirely dry, even though the drinking age was 18."

The campus in Vestal was still new and barely developed.  Digman and Rafuse were the only residence halls and the East Gym was the only recreational building.  The union, academic buildings, offices, and classrooms had not been built.  Students lived on campus in Vestal and took the bus to Harpur College's old campus in Endicott.

Classes took place in two temporary "pre-fab" aluminum buildings.  "They were so cold I had to wear gloves to class," remembered Zirkin, who also noted the students had to move the chairs themselves from one building to the other.

Ornstein said Harpur College's faculty is much like it is today: focused on both teaching and research.  "Every science class had labs and students worked very closely with professors one on one," he said.

"The faculty generated the curriculum, and it was rigorous and demanding," said Ornstein.  He recalled the professors' pride in this new institution, Harpur College, and how the pride spread throughout the student body.

Zirkin and Ornstein then switched gears and gave students sound advice, based on their own experience, on what to do after graduation.  "Students should take time off and work before graduate school," stressed Ornstein.  "Working not only helps you know what you want to do, but also, what you don't want to do."  He also said work experience strengthens graduate school applications.

They both told students to take their time in choosing a career and education path beyond college.  "You won't know for sure what you want to do until you've been out of college for a while," they said, "Give yourself some time and enjoy the experience."

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Scholarship Donors and Students Honored
by Roberto T. de la Fuente `98, assistant director of development

Saturday, November 15, 2003 afforded university-wide scholarship recipients and their donors an opportunity to say thanks and be thanked.  The annual event honors the hard work and generosity of all who attend.

Harpur College alumnus Mark Newman `71 endowed the university's first ever full-ride, four-year scholarship for a high-achieving Harpur undergraduate.  "Any chance to return is exciting.  I am delighted to give back to the school for all it did for me," he shared.  Mark's wife Sharon said of her husband, "He is who he is because of Harpur College."  His recipient, Biological Sciences major Katherine Yau `07 said gratefully, "This will help me out a lot!"

Eugene Flood `57, a Harpur graduate and 34-year veteran of the Harpur College Dean's Office had a scholarship named in his honor by friends and family on the occasion of his retirement.  The scholarship supports local Broome County students.  This year's recipient is Bonnie Parker `05 of the Decker School of Nursing.

Larry Schorr `75 (MA `77) and his wife, Jennifer Brink Schorr (MBA `81) are strong supporters of Harpur College and the University as a whole.  They have endowed three scholarships and Larry was the keynote speaker at last year's luncheon.  They are pictured left with Grant Tse `04, one of this year's hard working recipients.  Tse is double majoring in Creative Writing and Studio Art.

Alumni alone do not endow scholarships.  The Norah B. Harcave Scholarship awards a history major showing academic excellence and was endowed by Professor Emeritus Sidney S. Harcave in his wife's memory.  Recipient Nathan Hilburger `05, a double major in history and anthropology, said, "I feel good to be here.  It's an honor."

Agnes Chio `04 is majoring in Spanish and Biological Sciences at Harpur College.  She was very glad to be able to meet the donors of her scholarship, Dr. Thomas `61 and Beverly `78 Brown.  "It's heartening to see these kids, these enthusiastic students, " said Dr. Brown.

While Harpur College still mourns the loss of late Professor Emeritus of English, Pete Gruber, his spirit continues to support Harpur College students through the scholarship he and his wife Marilynn created.  "It is always a delight to be here and meet students," she said, "Scholarship arrangements allow me an opportunity to meet students in a way I never thought possible since retirement."  Benjamin Spiewak `04, an English major, said, "It's an honor to meet Mrs. Gruber and to be associated with the Grubers and the Binghamton University community."

John Keeler, former president of the University Board of Directors, and his wife, Marcy `86, have endowed a scholarship in music.  "We are truly honored to have a positive impact on the lives of these students," he said.  He also expressed wonder at seeing, "the human impact of our gift."  This year's recipients are music majors, Jody Shum `04 and Vitaly Maystruck `04, and Johanna Blackstone `05, who is majoring in music and theater.

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Harpur Debate Team Students Rise Above Competition
By Joe Schatz `01 (M.A. `03, Ph.D.`07)

Binghamton University's debate team ranked first in every single category possible at New York University's debate tournament, November 14 - 17, winning first place and triumphing over longtime rival, the United States Military Academy, by 2-1 at the last tournament of the semester. 

Harpur College's Ravi Gupta `05 and Jenny Bloom `06 defeated teams from Kansas State University, Vanderbilt University, West Virginia University, and Cornell, thus ranking them the top team going into elimination rounds.  Although this was only Bloom's fourth tournament, she held her own against teams that had several more years of experience.  Gupta went on to win the top speaker award in his division.

Sponsored by Harpur College Dean Jean-Pierre Mileur and the Binghamton Scholar's Program, the team has almost doubled in size from last year.  In spite of their largest ever influx of beginners, they've been successful from the start.

In their very first debate tournaments ever, Harpur College's Peter Koutros `06 and Steve Lickstein `06 both reached the finals at the University of Rochester and University of Vermont.

The debate team eventually defeated Cornell, the University of Vermont, University of Rochester, Case Western Reserve University, Western Connecticut University and John Carroll University throughout the Fall 2003 semester at several tournaments.

Binghamton's success is spreading throughout the debate circuit, attracting numerous high school debaters who came to watch college debate rounds at the NYU tournament. Students have asked Schatz for admissions materials and questions on how to apply, after seeing our team in action.

Currently, the debate team is planning an Internet debate with another university, possibly Marist College, set to happen within the next few months. 

The team also has the privilege of publishing Professor William Spanos' lectures from his course The Globalization of American Culture on their website http://www.sa.binghamton.edu/~bsad. The university debate community often uses material from Spanos' books to support their arguments.

Between semesters, the debate team looks forward to competing at the University of Texas, as well as traveling to The United States Naval Academy Tournament, Novice Nationals at Towson University, Cross-Examination Debate Association Nationals at Louisville University, East Regionals at Marist College, and The Russell D. Martin Tournament at Cornell. 

Binghamton University will host a tournament February 13 - 15, 2004 with an expected attendance of many of the schools the team has competed against throughout the year.  Debates will be free and open to the public, and Universities will be competing to fundraise for non-profit organizations of their choice.

Joe Schatz `01 (M.A. `03) is a Ph.D. candidate in English and feminist theory.  The Northeast Region of the Cross Examination Association named him Top Program Director and Most Preferred Judge in the region at the end of the 2002 - 2003 season.

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The Binghamton University Art Museum and Spool Mfg. Gallery in Johnson City, NY are displaying the paintings of the late Professor Angelo Ippolito from November 22, 2003 to January 10, 2004. His use of intense, saturated color and gestrual brush strokes give rise to dynamic relationships on canvas. In the 1950's, Ippolito and others founded the Tanager Gallery in Lower Manhattan, one of the first and most respected artists' cooperative galleries in the city. His work belongs to collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Institution, and many other galleries. He taught painting at Harpur College for more than 20 years. Ippolito died October 29, 2001. Pictured at left: Ephesus 1989, Oil on linen, 62 x 72 inches

Do shows like The Sopranos accurately represent Italians in New Jersey? Maria Mazziotti Gillan, professor of English and director of Harpur College's Creative Writing Program, replies with a resounding NO. Her new anthology, co-edited with Jennifer Gillan and Edvige Giunta, Italian American Writers on New Jersey: An Anthology of Poetry and Prose, published last week by Rutgers University Press, gathers fiction, poetry, memoirs, oral histories and journalistic pieces by some of the best Italian American writers to chronicle the true Italian American experience in the Garden State. The collection features male and female writers whose work focuses on Italian American life and the distinctive culture of New Jersey, which long as been home to a large and vital American community. Click the book for more information.

1954: Happy 50th Anniversary to Ed and Teri (Melchionna) Rosen! The couple met at Harpur College and tied the knot while still students during holiday break in New York City on December 19th, 1953. "She was working in the cafeteria at Harpur College and I saw her, and my heart went pitter patter. I really courted her the rest of the way." The Rosens celebrated their golden anniversary at a small party on November 24 and will mark the occasion formally on December 20, 2003. Ed was president of the debate team in 1952 and 1953 (which, at the time, was ranked 3rd nationally). He co-founded two venture capital backed companies which played an important role in the development of the information processing industry, Vydec, Inc. and Ziyad, Inc., which combined, earned over $200 million in revenue. Today, Ed is an active member of the American Electronics Association and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Venture Association of New Jersey.

1967: Bob Kaplitz has become an owner and strategist for Audience Research & Development, a branding and research firm in Irving, TX. Clients include TV stations, networks and interactive divisions of broadcast groups. Bob's Sunday night radio program at the Harpur College radio station, WHRW, included guests like Simon & Garfunkel and George T. Zebrowski `69, then a student and now a successful science fiction writer. Kaplitz recently married Carisa Hodges, a web site development project manager. Both were fans of singer Phil Collins, who was the first to inform Carisa that Bob was going to propose.

1972: Cindy (Clemente) Biles told the Hotline, "I am now enjoying a new passion: working with clay. I enjoyed my extensive science training at Binghamton and still use what I learned - from how to look at something and really see it, to saving big bucks on my vet bills!" Biles said the many anthropology courses she took at Harpur College are now serving her well in her studies of pottery of other cultures.

1976: Congratulations to Debra (Ditkowich) Alt on her debut CD, "A Spirited Mother," 18 songs of soft rock and ballads with an attached booklet of original artwork and inspirational messages. Alt said, "It is ultimately a celebration of the miracles that unfold when we follow our heart's passion, as well as the authenticity we aspire to model for our children." This is a great gift for anyone who is or knows a spirited mother. Click the CD for more information.

1982: Ed Robbins and his wife, Shari, are delighted to announce the arrival of their first child, Lauren Rachel on November 1, 2003. She measured 5 lbs., 5 oz. and 17 inches long. The family resides in Hollywood, FL. Robbins is an attorney in Ft. Lauderdale. He would love to hear from old friends and classmates at esrlaw@bellsouth.net.

2002: Julie Rostan, Alex Hanes-Stetter and Anya Stockburger spoke at "Career Options in Finance/Risk Management/Public and Private Sector", a workshop given by the Economics Dept. on Nov. 13. Julie is a consultant for Factset Research Systems, an online provider of data for the financial industry. She lives in Stamford, CT. Alex and Anya are both pursuing Masters of Arts in Economics at BU and look forward to starting careers in the field.

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Shop Harpur Online

Shop the campus bookstore from the comfort of your PC or Mac. Want to pick up a copy of the new Harpur history book The Cornerstone? Visit The Campus Bookstore.

For more Harpur College merchandise, such as hats, shirts and window stickers, contact the bookstore at 607-777-2745.

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Harpur College Development Team Mission Statement:

The Harpur College of Arts and Sciences Development Team encourages alumni, students, faculty and friends to identify with Harpur College's past, present and future by engaging them in events and programs that connect them to the college. We facilitate ways for our constituents to enrich Harpur College through their financial contributions and personal talents and resources.

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