WNE100 Profiles
As part of Western New England University’s Centennial celebrations in 2019, we are sharing the stories of alumni, faculty, staff, and students through the WNE100 Profiles Project. Profiles highlight members of the University community who represent diverse educational, professional, and personal experiences.
Ready to share your story? Complete our WNE100 Profiles Questionnaire and your responses will be included in the project and added to the official University Archives. With questions, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at alumwne@wne.edu or (413) 796-2240.
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Guy Asadorian '86 Says Foundations for Success Found at Western New England
July 12, 2019 - 12:00 PM
“When I was a senior in high school, the only two things I knew about what I wanted in a college was that I wanted to study business and...
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Hadiatou Barry '15/L'17 Applies Her Engineering Expertise To Law
July 11, 2019 - 12:00 PM
Hadiatou Barry, from Harlem, New York, took full advantage of her time at Western New England University: in 2015, she graduated as a Biomedical...
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Reflecting on Career, Mark Berthiaume '78 Wants to Give Back
July 10, 2019 - 12:00 PM
With a note of self-deprecation, describing his job as “weird” seems like just the sort of thing Mark Berthiaume ’78...
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Student Turned Staff Member Alyssa Caliguri '13 Continues to Learn at Western New England
July 7, 2019 - 12:00 PM
Not every student who shows up on campus in their freshman year can expect to stay there for ten years - most college degrees take only four to...
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ANTHONY CAMMILLERI '94 CREDITS WESTERN NEW ENGLAND WITH HELPING HIM FIND THE RIGHT PATH
July 7, 2019 - 11:00 AM
“I owe a huge debt of gratitude to WNE for putting me on the right path,” said Anthony Cammilleri '94. “I am a...
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Western New England Students Control Their Future, Says Sophie Cannon '17
July 6, 2019 - 12:00 PM
Traditional retail isn’t dead. It’s just changing now, more than ever before, and in the middle of this change is Sophie Cannon...
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Bani Chandrasena '93 Leads Diversity & Inclusion Efforts at the London Stock Exchange in Sri Lanka
July 5, 2019 - 3:00 PM
Today she’s the Head of Human Resources for the London Stock Exchange (LSEG) in Sri Lanka, responsible for leading the new Diversity,...
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The Story of Robin '84 & Roger Chiasson '83 Remains Rooted to Western New England
July 2, 2019 - 12:00 PM
The world has changed a lot over the last almost four decades, but their relationship has remained constant, as the story of Robin (Wagner)...
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Danielle Chylinski '17 Harnesses Positive Potential of Social Media
July 1, 2019 - 12:00 PM
There’s not a day that goes by where political tweets aren’t making headlines and family feuds aren’t taking place on...
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Andrew Cohen Can Do Anything He Sets His Mind To
June 30, 2019 - 1:00 PM
From being a peer advisor to student ambassador to Stageless Player to a member of FIRST Robotics, sophomore computer science major Andrew Cohen...
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A Registered Nurse & An Attorney: Donna Craig L'82 Has Secured Position in Healthcare Law as Both
June 30, 2019 - 12:00 PM
A registered nurse, and an attorney. That's a powerful combination, and Donna J. Craig L’82 happens to be both. Craig began her career...
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Rishi Desai L'09 Pursued his Passion at Western New England
June 26, 2019 - 12:00 PM
Today, Rishi Desai L’09 is Managing Attorney at RKD Law LLC, but ten years ago he was an uncertain law student facing abysmal job...
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Teaching Excellence Has Sent Bryan Dickinson '12 All Around the World
June 26, 2019 - 11:00 AM
Math and the great outdoors; seems like an unconventional pairing. But it is that kind of “thinking outside the box,” that has...
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Alyssa DiNubila '10 Keeps the Music Blaring at Sirius XM
June 25, 2019 - 12:00 PM
As she listens to Pat Boone songs, goes through clips of All About Eve, and promotes a celebration for Neil Sedaka, one wouldn’t think...
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Nomadic Soul Goes Around the Globe: Diana (Sigona) Doddrell '08
June 24, 2019 - 1:00 PM
From Springfield, to Florence, Italy, to New York City, and Sydney Australia. To say Diana (Sigona) Doddrell '08 has done some traveling in her...
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Nick Domings '04 is Producing Change at WPRI12 Eyewitness News
June 24, 2019 - 12:00 PM
Nick Domings graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication. Originally from Ashland, Massachusetts, he...
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David Dragon '78 Brings Business Success To The Pages Of His Newly Published Book
June 23, 2019 - 12:00 PM
“If you can combine learning with having an inquisitive mind,” remarked David Dragon ’78, “you will be very...
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Boston Marathon Bombing Survivor Dave Fortier '87/G'96 Channels Tragedy into Change
June 22, 2019 - 3:05 PM
Running down Boylston Street in support of a friend suffering from leukemia, exhausted but determined to complete the Boston Marathon, Dave Fortier...
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Before Denis Gagnon G'76, People Hated Hand Dryers
June 20, 2019 - 12:00 PM
“Everybody hated hand dryers,” recalled Denis Gagnon G’76. “They’d be animated about rubbing...
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Communication Department's Brenda Garton-Sjoberg Has Enjoyed Lifetime of Reporters and Lectures
June 18, 2019 - 12:00 PM
In 2007, a student of journalism took her seat, among a group of 20-somethings just itching to get their careers underway. But she’d...
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Improv, Yoga, Comcast: Rebecca Giudici '06 Loves What She Does
June 16, 2019 - 12:00 PM
She’s the first to tell you it sounds cliché, but Rebecca Giudici ’06 believes that if love is at the center of what...
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Leigh-Ann Gomes '10 Grateful Western New England Propelled Career in Higher Education
June 15, 2019 - 12:00 PM
Leigh-Ann Gomes ’10 may have moved on from Western New England to join the ranks of regional rival Springfield College, but...
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Samantha Gray '10 Has Found Family in Military Community
June 14, 2019 - 12:00 PM
By the time she left high school, Samantha Bashaw Gray ’10 knew she wanted to study forensic chemistry. She was interested in the...
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Elizabeth Griffin '85 Continues Family Tradition of Service
June 13, 2019 - 12:00 PM
Her family has a tradition of committing themselves to service. Her father was a college professor, her mother an operating room nurse. Her father...
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Dean of Students Jeanne Hart-Steffes Continues Helping College Students After Almost 30 Years
June 12, 2019 - 12:00 PM
The current Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, Jeanne Hart-Steffes, has been a part of the Western New England staff for ten...
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Henry Hayes '70 Says Applying to Western New England "Was the Smartest Thing I've Ever Done"
June 10, 2019 - 3:06 PM
“Applying to Western New England was the smartest thing I’ve ever done,” said Henry Hayes ’70. The...
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Scott Hubener Proves Business Success Through Four Company Promotions
June 8, 2019 - 12:00 PM
“I am so appreciative of Western New England and the open-mindedness that it gave me,” remarked Scott Hubener ’16....
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"Working here is much more than a job" Says Dean Kerri Jarzabski '98
June 7, 2019 - 12:00 PM
As an undergraduate student at Western New England studying Communications and English Literature, current Dean of First Year Students, Kerri...
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Kara Kapinos '87/G'89 Happy to Call Western New England Home for Her and Her Family
June 6, 2019 - 12:00 PM
To many, the completion of a bachelor’s degree is the end of their college experience. But for one graduate of Western New England...
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Maureen Keizer "Blessed" With Forty Year Career
June 6, 2019 - 11:00 AM
A professional’s experience and expertise will often not only benefit their work, but the work of those around them as well. For 40...
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The Honorable Chris Kelley L'85 Has Found Constant Intellectual Challenge and Stimulation in Legal Career
June 5, 2019 - 12:00 PM
Besides continuing to work as a judge for as long as she is able, The Honorable Chris Kelley L’85 is not sure what comes next for her in...
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Devin Kindred '18 Attributes Great Success to Support Provided at Western New England
June 4, 2019 - 1:00 PM
“A goal of mine that has come from Western New England is the want to be a life-long learner, and never stop networking and building...
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Dennis Kolodziejski Brings Windows and a New PHD Program to WNE
June 4, 2019 - 12:00 PM
Professor of Psychology, Dennis Kolodziejski, has begun his 47th year with Western New England University with this fall semester, and has gotten...
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Cheryl Kozak '88 Adding Value to Life, Career at Travelers
June 3, 2019 - 12:00 PM
With Travelers now for over twenty years, Cheryl Kozak ’88 says she is at a point in her career where she’s focused on working...
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Matthew LaBranche Aims to Expand Opportunities For Female Student-Athletes As Athletic Director
May 29, 2019 - 12:00 PM
Matthew LaBranche, the current Athletic Director of Western New England University, is no stranger to intercollegiate athletics and has big hopes...
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Gina Lanzano '18 Continues Student Achievement Into Graduate Studies At Emerson College
May 28, 2019 - 2:00 PM
After graduating at the top of her class, working several jobs on and off campus, and receiving a Skookum student leadership award, Gina Lanzano...
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Bill Laramee '69 Says Western New England Made it Possible For Him to Prosper
May 28, 2019 - 1:00 PM
Even in the August before many of his peers would begin their first semesters, the future college Dean had no plans to attend college. But driven...
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Working For You, Mike Masciadrelli '15 is Committed to Local News
May 28, 2019 - 12:00 PM
“Working for you” is more than just the slogan his station is known for, it’s a mantra that Mike Masciadrelli...
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Emily McGuinness Eager to Transition From Student to Professional
May 27, 2019 - 12:00 PM
Emily McGuinness says she has always been a “Type A student.” She was studious and involved in high school, then wasted no time...
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Miller Still an Inquisitive Student of Law at Heart
May 26, 2019 - 12:00 PM
“‘This law school thing sucks, I can’t wait to be a lawyer,’” he remembers thinking. Eventually...
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Abdimajid Mohamed '14 Learns to Trust Himself as He Learns About Medicine
May 25, 2019 - 12:00 PM
It’s not often that Abdimajid Mohamed ’14 makes a decision based on gut feeling alone, but on the rare occasion he does, it...
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William Nagel '85/G'99 Says Being a Part of the WNE Family is Forever
May 24, 2019 - 12:00 PM
“Being a part of the WNE family is forever,” says William Nagel '85/G'99. He’s reminded of it often, especially when...
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Screenwriter Layla O'Shea '00 Hopes to Tell Stories That Raise Awareness
May 23, 2019 - 12:00 PM
When filming began on Just Say Goodbye, the cast and crew were on a miniscule budget, working around busy schedules, and filming only on weekends....
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Mark Parent '70 Has Become A One of a Kind Leader
May 22, 2019 - 12:00 PM
In the early days of Western New England, it wasn’t uncommon to find a student on campus who was commuting, working and raising a family...
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Non-profit Leader Suzanne Parker L'03 Fosters Success at Girls Inc. of the Valley
May 21, 2019 - 12:00 PM
Growing up in a blue-collar family from Belchertown, Massachusetts, law school never even seemed like a possibility. With a dad that enlisted into...
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How Justin Parlapiano '16 Made the Leap from a Career in Business to Study Engineering
May 20, 2019 - 2:00 PM
After earning his degree and working for a couple of years, Justin Parlapiano ’16 decided to shake things up and go back to school. This...
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BRENNA PETERSON '06 DEDICATES HER CAREER TO HELPING MANAGE THE ACTIVITIES OF THE RED SOX ORGANIZATION
May 20, 2019 - 1:00 PM
Though she’ll tell you it was never on her radar to work for the Boston Red Sox, it’s really the only career Brenna Peterson...
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McKenzie Pezze '16 Sees the Business Side of Basketball With Boston Celtics
May 19, 2019 - 12:00 PM
Being a part of the 17-time World Champion Boston Celtics is something not everybody can claim. But for one Western New England University alumna,...
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Corinne Porter-Taugher '07 Happy to Live in the Moment, Examining the Past
May 17, 2019 - 12:00 PM
When asked what she thinks her future holds, Corinne Porter-Taugher '07 admits, “In my line of work, I’m much more comfortable...
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After All the Changes That Have Happened in His Life, Trevor Reynolds '87 is Happier Now Than Ever Before
May 16, 2019 - 12:00 PM
In 1983, his father told him that he would attend Post College in Waterbury, Connecticut to study accounting. Everything sounded like it was...
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Setty Looks to the Future of the School of Law With Optimism
May 12, 2019 - 12:00 AM
She never thought she’d be a law school professor, let alone a dean. Which is curious, considering she showed an interest in the legal...
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With Hard Work, Dedication and a Dash of Luck, Brian Shimansky '08 Goes Global as Male Model
May 11, 2019 - 12:00 PM
Attending a John Mayer concert while undergoing treatment for Lyme disease doesn’t sound like a typical pathway to success, but it was...
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From Law Classroom to General Counsel's Office: Cheryl Smith L'83
May 9, 2019 - 12:00 PM
For Cheryl Smith L’83, there were many different “twists and turns” on her path of life, as she continued to learn...
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Ken Stratton '19 Brings Impressive Background to WNE School of Law
May 8, 2019 - 12:00 PM
“I came to Western New England because I knew that I would be more than just a face in the crowd,” said Ken Stratton '19. The...
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Willingness to Learn Led James Tierney '08 to Life in Improv, Business and Teaching
May 7, 2019 - 12:00 PM
“I chose WNE because of the bowling team; true story,” said James Tierney ’08. While he came for the bowling...
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Whether at Six Flags or UMass, Joe Van Allen '08 Has Always Worked to Help People Feel Positive
May 5, 2019 - 12:00 PM
In his first year at Western New England University, he was a self-described introvert, unsure about his future. Fast forward about ten years, and...
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Chief Adam Woodrow '02 Turns Broken Plans Into Police Success
May 3, 2019 - 12:00 PM
Not many people can say they became the chief of police at the University they graduated from, but Chief Adam Woodrow '02 loves being able to say...
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Lashawna Wright Edmond '12 Remains Committed to Multicultural Student Affairs
April 30, 2019 - 12:00 PM
Imagine attending a school you didn’t like very much, and were ready to transfer from - only to find yourself more involved on campus,...
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