In Memoriam | Livingston Alumni Association

Last updated on December 24, 2024

We remember some of the many notable administrators, faculty members, staff members, and alumni who made a difference at Livingston College and in the Livingston alumni community. Brief notes and links to profiles with additional available information are included.

Administrators, Faculty, and Staff:

Jerome Aumente (1937-2023, age 85): Founder of journalism departments at Rutgers’ Livingston College and School of Communication and Information. Founder and director of Rutgers’ Urban Communications Teaching and Research Center and Journalism Resources Institute. Recipient of Livingston Legacy Award (2011).
Albert E. Blumberg (d. 1997, age 91): Philosophy professor; Official in the Communist and Democratic parties. Honorary member of the Livingston Alumni Association.
George Warren Carey (1927-2012, age 85): Acting dean of Livingston College from 1973-1974. [No photo available.]
Roger Cohen, RC’65 (1943-2022, age 78): Journalism professor at Livingston College. Honorary member of the Livingston Alumni Association. Recipient of Livingston Legacy Award (2013).
Lora (Dee) Garrison (1934-2009, age 74): Professor of history and women’s studies. Honorary member of the Livingston Alumni Association.
Melvin L. Gary (1938-2015, age 76): Psychology professor. Honorary member of the Livingston Alumni Association.

Hilda Hidalgo (1928-2009, age 81): Chair of the Department of Urban Studies and Community Development at Livingston College. Founder of several community organizations. Gay-rights pioneer. Recipient of the Rutgers Presidential Award for Public Service.
- In 2010, the Newark Public Library held a memorial for Hidalgo. Her donated papers are also available for review at the library.
- In 2010, the City of Newark renamed a street for Hidalgo. Read the NJ.com (Star-Ledger) article, or see a PDF copy with additional photos.
Richard F. Hixson (d. 2003, age 71): Chairman of the Livingston College/Rutgers journalism department. Namesake of a scholarship for undergraduate students in Rutgers’ School of Communication and Information.
W. Robert Jenkins (d. 2015, age 88): Dean of Livingston College from 1977-1990. Honorary member of the Livingston Alumni Association.
Wells Hamilton Keddie (1925-2006, age 80): Professor Emeritus of Labor Studies and Employment Relations and Livingston College Fellow. Honorary member of the Livingston Alumni Association. Recipient of Livingston Legacy Award (2018, posthumous).
Lynne M. Kellermann (d. 1986): Director of the Livingston College Honors Program. [No photo available.]
John C. Leggett (1930-2020, age 90): Sociology professor.

Ernest A. Lynton (d. 1998, age 71): Dean of Livingston College from 1965-1973. Honorary member of the Livingston Alumni Association.
Patrick McCreary (LC’75, MGSA’79) (d. 2016, age 67): Theater technical director at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and formerly at Livingston College.
Wilson Carey McWilliams (1933-2005, age 71): Political science professor and essayist. Recipient of Livingston Legacy Award (2015, posthumous). Honorary member of the Livingston Alumni Association.
Emmanuel George Mesthene (d. 1990, age 69): Dean of Livingston College from 1974-1977.
Edward G. Ortiz (1931-2010, age 78): Retired associate professor and chair of the Rutgers Department of Community Development. Recipient of the Livingston Legacy Award (2009). Honorary member of the Livingston Alumni Association.

Henry A. (Hank) Plotkin (d. 2017, age 74): Executive Director of the New Jersey State Employment and Training Commission; formerly Assistant Professor of Political Science at Livingston College.
Felice C. Ronca (d. 1996, age 43): Assistant Dean for Curriculum at Livingston College. [No photo available.]
Seth Scheiner (d. 2015, age 82): History professor and planner of Livingston College.
David C. Schwartz (d. 2022, age 83). Political science professor at Livingston College.

Shanti S. Tangri (d. 2024). Professor of Economics and South Asian Studies. Honorary member of the Livingston Alumni Association.

Winston Edna Thompson (1933-2016, age 82): Associate Dean of Student Affairs at Livingston College.

Paula Van Riper (1947-2015, age 67): Rutgers Assistant Dean and Director of Advising in the Office of Academic Services; formerly Livingston College Assistant Dean for Academic Policy.

Alumni:

(Seven of the 37 Rutgers graduates who died in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks had earned Livingston College degrees. Read about all 37 of the graduates on Barbara Preston’s website.)

Kevin Anthony Bernardo Appuzio, LC’06 (1984-2006, age 21): Emergency medical technician killed in a house fire rescue mission. Recipient of Livingston Alumni Association’s Seth Dvorin Young Alumni Award (2009, posthumous) and Rutgers University Alumni Federation’s Edward J. Bloustein Award for Community Service (2006, posthumous).
William S. (Bill) Bauer, Jr., LC’86, GSNB’89 (1964-2013, age 49): Former Livingston Alumni Association president.
Frank Carvill, LC’75 (d. 2004, age 51): New Jersey National Guard member, killed in the Iraqi conflict; survivor of World Trade Center terrorist attacks in 1993 and 2001. Livingston College Distinguished Alumnus (2004, posthumous).
Thomas F. Daley, LC’75 (d. 2015, age 61): District Attorney, attorney, adjunct professor of law. Livingston College Distinguished Alumnus (2002).
Michael A. Davidson, LC’97 (d. 2001, age 27): Victim of 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks. From Old Bridge, NJ. Equity trader for Cantor Fitzgerald. The Zeta Psi fraternity held a memorial service at Homecoming on October 20, 2001.

Jayceryll Malabuyoc de Chavez, LC’99, School of Business-New Brunswick’99 (d. 2001, age 24): Victim of 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks. From Carteret, NJ. Portfolio analysist for Fiduciary Trust Co. Founding member of Rutgers chapter of the Delta Chi fraternity.
Seth Jeremy Dvorin, LC’02 (d. 2004, age 24): U.S. Army first sergeant killed in Iraq in 2004. Namesake of the Seth Dvorin Distinguished Young Alumni Award.
Colleen L. Fraser, LC’74 (d. 2001, age 51): Hero of United Airlines Flight 93 (9/11/2001 terrorist attacks); advocate for people with disabilities. Livingston College Distinguished Alumna (2006, posthumous).
Riki E. Jacobs, LC’80 (1957-2009, age 51): Executive director of Hyacinth AIDS Foundation; namesake of Livingston Pride Award. Livingston College Distinguished Alumna (2000).
Patrick Konan Kouassi, LC’06 (1981-2021, age 40): “Mr. R.U.” in 2003. Drug safety associate in the pharmaceutical industry.

Brendan Mark Lang, LC’83 (d. 2001, age 30): Victim of 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks. From Red Bank, NJ. Project manager for StructureTone, Inc.
Christina Yuna Lee, LC’08 (d. 2022, age 35): Artist and music producer.
James A. Martello, LC’83 (d. 2001, age 41): Victim of 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks. Worked for Cantor Fitzgerald. Former Scarlet Knight middle linebacker from Rumson, NJ (formerly of Montville).
Jon A. Perconti, Jr., LC’93 (1969-2001, age 32): Victim of 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks. From Hoboken, NJ. Worked for Cantor Fitzgerald in World Trade Center, Tower 1, 104th Floor. Perconti’s wife, Tammy, gave birth to the couple’s daughter in December 2001.
Gary Scott Pfeffer, LC’77 (1955-2018, age 62): Founder of Men’s Coming Out Group and longtime activist at The Pride Center of New Jersey.

Scott M. Schertzer, LC’97, SMLR’97 (1972-2001, age 28): Victim of 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks. From Edison, NJ. Worked in human resources for Cantor Fitzgerald, World Trade Center, Tower 1, 104th Floor.
Paul Taub, LC’74 (1952-2021, age 68). Flutist and pioneer of new music.
Derek Lamont Young, RC’87 (1964-2020, age 55). Vice President of the Livingston Alumni Association.

Jerome Aumente	Albert E. Blumberg	Roger Cohen	Lora (Dee) Garrison	Melvin L. Gary

Hilda Hidalgo	Richard F. Hixson	W. Robert Jenkins	Wells Hamilton Keddie	John C. Leggett

Ernest A. Lynton	Patrick McCreary	W. Carey McWilliams	Emmanuel G. Mesthene	Edward G. Ortiz

Henry A. Plotkin	Seth Scheiner	David C. Schwartz

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