The Imagine Canisius campaign comes to a historic conclusion. Pictured (l-r) are: Lillian Levey MS ’67, HON ’03, James McNicholas ’68, MS ’97, Hugh Neeson ’55, John J. Hurley ’78, Campaign Chair R. Carlos Carballada ’56, HON ’81 and his wife, Virginia, Jerry Castiglia ’55, HON ’94, MartinM. Breen ’52 and Chet Pawenska ’52.
It’s Throwback Thursday!
Each Thursday, throughout the summer, the Office of College Communications will include historical facts about the college in The Dome, on Facebook and Twitter. It’s all part of our yearlong sesquicentennial celebration, which culminates in September 2020 when Canisius turns 150 years old.
Today, we flash back to June 2000 when the college’s largest-ever capital campaign, Imagine Canisius, concluded with a total of $38.8 million raised, surpassing the goal by $8.8 million. Highlights of the campaign included 13 gifts of $1 million or more to Canisius. The campaign also attracted 65 gifts of $100,000 or more, saw the creation of 95 new endowed scholarships and the enhancement of several existing scholarships.
Students from the WNY Teacher Residency program were among those who volunteered at Mt. Olive Church on Tuesday, June 2. They are (standing, l-r): Ricky Mendiola, Abbey Staebell, Ayana Britt, Finn McCance, Stephanie McCance, Marshawn Goodrum, Char Zmuda. (Kneeling, l-r) Dr. Marya Grande and her son, Jackson Grande.
On Tuesday, June 2, a contingent of 20 Canisius students and faculty volunteered at Mt. Olive Church on Delavan Avenue to fill grocery bags with food that will be delivered to neighborhood residents. Pastor Kinzer Pointer coordinated the event. Students in the Western New York Teacher Residency program, who are enrolled in Dr. Marya Grande’s Inclusive Strategies class, participated, along with students from Allyson Backstrom’s pre-health programs. Combined, the group pitched in to fill close to 800 grocery bags.
Canisius alumni, faculty, staff and friends later joined in to make quick work of distributing the pallet loads of staples into bags for individual families. Raisa Mehltretter, a student in the WNY Teacher Residency program who was not able to attend, sewed 60 cotton face masks for adults and children, and donated them to the church.
Pastor Pointer indicated that this is an ongoing project and volunteers will be needed every week. If you would like to join in, please contact mary.rockwell@canisius.edu.
(r-l) Conor Shea, Stephanie McCance, Julia Schurr
(l-r) Pastor Pointer, Marya Grande, PhD and Char Zmuda
(l-r) Abbey Staebell, Ayana Britt and Ricky Mendiola
(l-r) Abbey Staebell, Ayana Britt
Abbey Staebell
Raisa Mehltretter
Submitted by: Mary R. Rockwell, director, The New Buffalo Institute
Canisius President John J. Hurley was one of several college and university presidents recently interviewed by The Buffalo News about plans for face-to-face classes in the fall. President Hurley spoke about scenario planning on campus and what students should expect when classes resume. Click hereto read the full story.
Also, Business First reported on the college’s transfer of ownership of two college-owned houses at 6 and 16 Glendale Place to Zambito Realtors. Canisius purchased a vacant home at 64 Florida Street from Zambito’s 64 Florida Trust.
Public Safety Director Kim Beaty participated in a live panel discussion hosted by WKBW-TV Channel 7 on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. The half-hour special, titled “Buffalo Strong Conversations: Perspective on Racial Tension in WNY,” featured discussions with several religious leaders, local law enforcement and public safety experts who addressed concerns and proposed solutions to the local and national reaction to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Click here to watch the program.
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation awarded the Women’s Business Center (WBC) at Canisius College a six-month, $47,000 grant to support small businesses harmed due to COVID-19. The WBC will use the funding to expand capacity and provide additional technical assistance and support services to women-owned businesses in Western New York. Small businesses, moreso women-owned small businesess, have been disproportionately harmed by the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. Many need additional assistance to develop recovery plans, to work through Small Business Administration funding opportunities and to support their employees.
The Women’s Business Center at Canisius College empowers entrepreneurs to succeed and grow their businesses through education and engagement with and in the community. The professionals at the WBC work with women business owners at every stage of their business growth to help them build relationships with experts and agencies in the area and to bring a wide and strong network of support to the business owners. It develops leaders through fostering opportunities and building collaboration. As reported by the WBC in its 2018-2019 Impact Report, the center assisted 286 distinct clients that year, supported 363 jobs, helped launch 19 new businesses and contributed to $3.89 million in revenue growth.
The Canisius College Video Institute production of the June episode of “Kaleidoscope” premieres on Saturday, June 6 at 5:30 a.m. on WGRZ TV 2. This 30 minute television program celebrates the religious diversity of the region and is produced in conjunction with the Network of Religious Communities. “Kaleidoscope” is rebroadcast each Friday at 6:30 p.m. on Spectrum Cable 20 and each Sunday at 8:00 p.m. on Charter 6 in Olean, NY.
In the first segment, Stan Bratton, PhD, Executive Director of the Network of Religious Communities, talks with Buxees Singh about the life and significance of Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru and a martyr who was known for contributing to and compiling the Sikh Scriptures, as well as for his teaching that Sikhism is open to all, regardless of caste.
Pentecost is the commemoration of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Jesus, and it marks the beginning of the Christian Church. Dr. Bratton talks with Rev. Jeff Carter, Ephesus Ministries, about Pentecost and the Pentecostal movement.
Students in the Canisius College Video Institute produce “Kaleidoscope” under the guidance of Barbara J. Irwin, PhD, professor in the Department of Communication and co-director of the Video Institute, Jamie O’Neil, associate professor of Digital Media Arts and co-director of the Video Institute, and Paula DeAngelis-Stein ’86, MS ’02.
Submitted by: Barbara J. Irwin, PhD, professor, Department of Communication
