Two Faculty Members, Six Alumni Honored in 2018

The Livingston Alumni Association (LAA) honored two faculty members and six alumni from the former Livingston College of Rutgers University-New Brunswick, at an awards dinner on Tuesday, March 20, 2018, held at the Rutgers Club at the Livingston Dining Commons.

In photo, from left: Carlyle E. Shelton Jr., Dr. Everette Penn, Marie Varghese, Jeanie Bryson with her granddaughter Ayanna Jean Bryson, Staci Berger, Michael Greenberg and Robert W. Snyder.

Printed program from the event. (PDF file)

Wells KeddieWe honored two faculty members who played a key role in the establishment and growth of Livingston College and its mission, and who have contributed to the overall Rutgers and global communities, with the Livingston Legacy Award:

Michael R. Greenberg, Interim Dean and Professor of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Public Policy at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

Wells Hamilton Keddie (1925-2006), a Professor of Labor Studies and Employment Relations at Rutgers University-New Brunswick (posthumous, pictured at left).

We also honored six Livingston College Distinguished Alumni who have distinguished themselves by contributions they have made in their chosen fields of endeavor, by the leadership they have exhibited, and by the general benefits to the larger society resulting from their activities:

  • Staci Berger, LC’94, EJB/GSNB’04*, Housing and community development advocate.
  • Jeanie Bryson, LC’81, Jazz/pop/Latin vocalist.
  • Dr. Everette Penn, LC’91, Criminology professor; race/youth/justice scholar.
  • Carlyle E. Shelton Jr., LC’80, Deputy Inspector General, U.S. Marine Corps.
  • Robert W. Snyder, LC’77, Professor, American studies and Journalism.
  • Marie Varghese, LC’03, College advisor and social justice advocate.

Our thanks to:

  • Kenny Hinds, Facebook Live videographer;
  • Luis Largo, photographer;
  • The Rutgers Club;
  • Zimmerli Art Museum, for donating the gift book HereNow to the honorees;
  • Student guests/presenters: Amanda Batista, Peter Carkhuff, Colin Chehanske, Nicoletta Eby, Lauren Forsman, Dezzie Ligon, and Rajanpreet Pannu. Student attendance was made possible through financial support received from the Rutgers University Alumni Association.
  • Michelle Josias, event chairperson;
  • Mindy Hoffman, audio interviews;
  • Jason Goldstein and Iris Martinez-Campbell, printed programs;
  • LAA board members in attendance/event committee members, in addition to those listed above: Rosemary Agrista, Jeffrey Armus, Debra O’Neal, Eric Schwarz, Marty Siederer, and Derek Young.

* Rutgers University acronyms for its colleges/schools include: LC (Livingston College), EJB (Edward J. Bloustein School of Public Policy), and GSNB (Graduate School-New Brunswick).



Awards Celebrations

Livingston College Distinguished Alumni and Livingston Legacy Awards

The Livingston Alumni Association (LAA) of Rutgers University historically has presented the Livingston College Distinguished Alumni Awards and Livingston Legacy Award (for faculty and staff) approximately every two years.

See the information below on the awards celebrations from 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015. See the separate page for information from 2018.

See the award descriptions and biographies of all of the distinguished alumni and Livingston Legacy Award recipients.

LAA’s first Distinguished Alumni Awards were presented at a brunch on Saturday, September 9, 2000, honoring: Riki Jacobs, LC’80; Clifton R. Lacy, LC’75; John S. Lipori, LC’77; and Alfred E. Ramey, Jr., LC’73. Source: Livingston College newsletter, Winter 2002 (page 7).

Photo: From left, Distinguished Alumni John S. Lipori, Clifton R. Lacy, Riki Jacobs, and Alfred E. Ramey, Jr.

The 2002 awards were presented Saturday, October 12 at a luncheon in the Livingston Student Center. The four Distinguished Alumni were: Thomas F. Daley, LC’75; Susan Kille, LC’74; David A. Laskow, LC’77; and Steven D. Plofker, LC’78. Source: Livingston College newsletter, Winter 2003 (page 4).

Photo: From left, Distinguished Alumni Steven D. Plofker, David A. Laskow, Susan Kille, and Thomas F. Daley.

The 2004 awards were presented Saturday, November 6 at the Livingston Student Center. The honorees were Frank T. Carvill, LC’75, posthumous; Gina Collins Cummings, LC’84; Edward E. Johnson, Jr., LC’79; Michael C. Laracy, LC’74; and Harry V. Swayne III, LC’90.

The Livingston Alumni Association also presented the first Seth Dvorin Distinguished Young Alumni Award, named after Lt. Seth Dvorin, a 2002 graduate of Livingston who was killed in February 2004 in the Iraq conflict while attempting to defuse a roadside bomb. Karen Rogers Lee, LC’92, an honors graduate of Livingston College and a news reporter with 6ABC Action News in Philadelphia, was the first recipient of this award. Source: Livingston Alumni News, Winter/Spring 2005 (page 1).

Photo: From left, Karen Rogers Lee, named as the Seth Dvorin Distinguished Young Alumna; and Distinguished Alumni Gina Collins Cummings, Edward E. Johnson, Jr., Michael C. Laracy, and Harry V. Swayne III.

2006 award winnersThe 2006 awards were presented Saturday, October 14, at the Livingston Student Center. The Distinguished Alumni recipients were Avery Brooks, LC’73; Colleen Fraser, LC’74, posthumous; Mark Helias, LC’74; Liza Kirschenbaum, LC’87; and Andrea D. Lyon, LC’73. The Seth Dvorin Distinguished Young Alumni Award was presented to Gregg Spiridellis, LC’93.

Photo: Front, from left, Distinguished Alumnus Mark Helias; Gregg Spiridellis, Seth Dvorin Distinguished Young Alumnus; and Christine Fraser, who accepted the Distinguished Alumna Award on behalf of her sister, the late Colleen Fraser. Rear, from left, Marty Siederer, LAA President; Distinguished Alumni Liza Kirschenbaum, Avery Brooks, and Andrea D. Lyon; and Livingston College Dean Arnold G. Hyndman.

See the photo album, courtesy of Steve Goodman.

The 2009 awards were presented on Saturday, May 15, at the Douglass Campus Center. The Distinguished Alumni recipients were Marla Diamond, LC’92; Francoise Jacobsohn, LC’78; and Martha Nell Smith, LC’85. Kevin Apuzzio (LC’06) posthumously was honored with the Seth Dvorin Distinguished Young Alumni Award. The recipients of the first Livingston Legacy Awards were Professors Maria Canino, Edward Ortiz and Gordon Schochet.

Photo: Front, from left, Livingston Legacy honorees Edward Ortiz, Maria Canino and Gordon Schochet. Rear, from left, Livingston College Dean Arnold G. Hyndman; Distinguished Alumnae Franciose Jacobsohn, Martha Nell Smith and Marla Diamond; Joseph Apuzzio, father of the late Kevin Apuzzio, who had been honored as a Seth Dvorin Distinguished Young Alumnus; Leila Apuzzio, sister of Kevin Apuzzio; and Marty Siederer, LAA President.

See the photo album, courtesy of Matt Kleinschmidt. 

Watch the video tributes to the honorees.

2011 award winnersThe 2011 awards were presented on Saturday, May 14 at the Livingston Student Center.  Gregory Q. Brown, LC ’82; and Eddie Jordan, SMLR’15. one of the stars of the Rutgers basketball Cinderella 1976-77 basketball season, were honored as Distinguished Alumni. Livingston Legacy Awards were presented to Jerome Aumente, Leroy Haines, Gerald Pomper and Larry Ridley.  The 2011 Riki Jacobs Livingston Pride Award was presented to Matthew Cortland, SAS ’11. (Brown accepted the Distinguished Alumni Award in a presentation held on December 14, 2011, at Winants Hall on Rutgers’ College Avenue campus.) 

Photo: (Front) Livingston Legacy honorees Jerome Aumente, Gerald Pomper and Larry Ridley. (Rear) Livingston Legacy honoree Leroy Haines; Distinguished Alumnus Eddie Jordan; and Matthew Cortland, winner of the Riki Jacobs Livingston Pride Award.

See the photo album, courtesy of Rebecca Berkowitz.

 

2013 Distinguished AlumniThe 2013 awards were presented Wednesday, October 9, at the Rutgers Club.  LAA honored three distinguished alumni: Ndidi N. Amutah, LC’03; Nicholas Ferroni, LC’03; and Jessie J. Hanna, LC’07. The Livingston Legacy Award went to Roger Cohen, a professor emeritus of Livingston’s and Rutgers’ journalism program. 

Photo, from left: Distinguished Alumni Jessie Hanna, Ndidi Amutah, and Nicholas Ferroni.

See the photo album, courtesy of George Jones.

Watch the video tributes to the honorees.

 

 

The 2015 awards were presented Tuesday, November 10, at the Rutgers Club, to Distinguished Alumni Robert P. Bertrand, LC’01; Kenneth B. Cop, LC’95; and Deborah L. Stokes, LC’74.

LAA also posthumously honored Wilson Carey McWilliams with the Livingston Legacy Award. McWilliams was a distinguished political science professor at Livingston College and a prolific author who died in 2005.

Photo: Distinguished Alumni Robert Bertrand (left), Deborah Stokes (second left), and Kenneth Cop (right). Nancy Riley McWilliams (second right) accepted the Livingston Legacy Award on behalf of her spouse, the late political science professor Wilson Carey McWilliams.

See the photo album, courtesy of George Jones and Jeffrey Armus. 

Watch the video tributes to the honorees.