Columns Summer 2018 Edition is Available Online

07/16/2018 

For 150 years, SUNY Cortland has been all in educating tomorrow’s leaders.

That theme — all in — is how the College reflects on a century and a half of history in the Summer 2018 edition of Columns, SUNY Cortland’s alumni magazine. The issue is available to read online.

Highlights of this issue include:

• Kyle Richard, current captain of SUNY Cortland’s football team, and Merilyn Hiller ’49 are examples of Red Dragons who went all in with their courage and heroism. Hiller saved lives when she led her sorority sisters out of a fire in the Arethusa House in 1948. Richard was shot twice, once in each leg, as he stopped a sexual assault in progress during the summer of 2017. He returned to the field that fall and was presented with a Biden Courage Award for Bystander Intervention this spring.

• Peter Goggi ’78, with a background in chemistry, has become America’s foremost expert on tea, having managed a €1.3 billion portfolio of ingredients for Unilever.

• Brandon Herwick ’10 and Elyse Loughlin ’07, M ’13 are on the front lines of a grassroots effort to help physical educators engage students through the Online Physical Education Network (OPEN), which was created by SUNY Cortland graduates Aaron Hart M ’99 and Nick Kline M ’05.

• Paul Alexander ’82, the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive line coach, has developed a reputation as one of the top assistant coaches in the NFL. He also pushes himself off the field, as he’s grown into an accomplished concert pianist over the past decade. The multi-talented Alexander was awarded an honorary degree at Commencement 2018.

• Red Dragons played a role at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, as well. Matt Oakes M ’11, head trainer for USA Luge, helped Chris Mazdzer win a silver medal. Mike Bowe ’83 and Debbie Starr Bowe ’80 watched as daughter Brittany Bowe took home a bronze medal in women’s team pursuit speed skating.

• A group of former SUNY Cortland men’s lacrosse players remain as committed to the game as ever, competing in tournaments around the country. Their average age? 66.

• Gil Brown ’51 shares his memories of meeting his late wife, Shirley Haft Brown ’51, in an English class at SUNY Cortland. “What a life Cortland gave me, and, if you will pardon me, the only Valentine of my life, my greatly-missed wife of 65-plus years,” Brown said.

The issue also features profiles on the 2018 Distinguished Alumni honorees, as well as the Distinguished Young Alumni, honorary alumna, outstanding alumni volunteer and the inaugural distinguished educator awards.

Of course, Columns has the latest Class Notes of personal and professional updates of Red Dragons from around the world.

The center spread of this edition includes a timeline of 150 years of SUNY Cortland history. To view a thorough look at the College’s past, visit the SUNY Cortland Sesquicentennial page to see a digital timeline curated by faculty and students from the History Department. Sesquicentennial celebrations begin at Alumni Reunion 2018 and will continue into 2019. Alumni are encouraged to join in on social media using the hashtag #Cortland150.

Readers may navigate the online version of Columns in a variety of ways. The page view simulates reading the hard-copy version of the magazine and the reading view offers a more mobile-friendly experience. Toggle between the two options using the button in the top right corner of the screen.

To go all in and share your news, please visit RedDragonNetwork.org.