1962
Sheila Tunstall McKenna was presented with a game ball at the conclusion of this year’s girls basketball season at Attleboro High School, which was opened in 1962 and where Ms. McKenna was the first girls basketball coach. In September, a new $250 million school opened, replacing the 1962 building.
1971
Jean Ciborowski Fahey took part in a signing event for her book, I'll Build You a Bookcase, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, in June.
1973
Susan Flint was appointed vice president of clinical operations at Alzheon, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company.
1978
Gayle Cameron, last of the five original Massachusetts Gaming Commission commissioners, left her position after 10 years.
1979
Linda D. Midland joined The Registry for College and University Presidents as an administrator to Registry Advisory Services (RAS). In her new role as director of marketing and RAS operations, she will be looking to expand her responsibilities in marketing through media relations, direct marketing programs and the continued branding of The Registry while managing the ongoing operations function of RAS.
1981
Craig Kesselheim, G’81, who graduated with a Master of Arts in Teaching degree in biology, spent his career in education wearing many hats, primarily in Wyoming and Maine. He retired two years ago and lives happily in coastal Maine. He is grateful for the graduate education he received at Bridgewater State and remembers some favorite professors, in particular, Dr. Elizabeth Cirino, who taught ecology, and Dr. Walter Hewitson, whose real-time chalk board illustrations of plant morphology are artistically legendary in Mr. Kesselheim’s mind’s eye. He said he admires the growth and impact of BSU since his years as a student.
Dr. Mary E. Yakimowski, professor and director of the Educational and Organization Leadership Doctoral Program at Samford University in Alabama, was elected chair of the 25,000-member American Educational Research Association’s Classroom Assessment Special Interest Group. The theme of her tenure with the group is “Refresh, Rebuild, and Extend.”
1991
Paul Lambert was elected vice president of the New England Historical Association for 2022-2023, effective May 31. He is a member of the history faculty at Nichols College in Dudley, where he began teaching in 1995.
1994
Jenn Grunzweig Alvarez traded in shovels and snowblowers for sweet tea and barbeque and now lives in Georgia. She is an athletic trainer/physician extender and clinical manager for Emory Healthcare in Atlanta.
1995
Nicholas M. Garofolo played the role of Dave Slade in the film Feeding on the Living, which won best Sci-Fi Film at the Hollywood Monthly Film Festival.
1997
Jonathan Harper was named director of athletics at Rivier University, located in Nashua, New Hampshire. He will provide leadership for the Department of Athletics and oversee all aspects of intercollegiate athletics for the university’s 15 NCAA Division III programs.
1999
Frances Sharon graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree at the age of 72. Since then, five books of her poetry have been published, and now at 95, she is excited her sixth book of poetry is now in the hands of her publisher. Her books are available at the Turner Free Library in Randolph.
2008
Mark Climo, after teaching at a middle school, last year began teaching math at Palm Beach Gardens High School in Florida and also serves as the school's varsity basketball team’s head coach. When he arrived at his new classroom and introduced himself to his colleagues, he learned that four of the 10 math teachers are BSU graduates.
2011
Alicen McGowan, G’11, who earned a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in mental health, has published two books under the name AJ McGowan. Titled We Hid Under the Table and We Survived in Spite of the Systems, they were described by a University of Chicago professor as seminal works in the field of child maltreatment.
2012
Missouri “Lila” Bethel was accepted into the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
2016
Eric Derenski is serving in the U.S. Navy after graduating from the Naval Nuclear Power program.
2017
Stephen Natola, G’21, was hired right after graduating from BSU by the Walpole Zoning Board of Appeals, where he deals with 40B housing developments, zoning and land use.
2019
Thomas “Tommy” Southern, who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice at BSU, graduated from the Northern Essex Community College Police Academy and is a full-time police officer in Peabody.
2021
Eric Santos, better known as Ewreckage, had his song “Crystal Blue” debut at number one on the iTunes Portugal Singles Chart, while also staying in the top five for the week of April 18.