University at Albany Alumni to be Honored May 3 for Contributions

ALBANY, N.Y. (April 30, 2014) – Outstanding leaders in education, economy, public policy, technology, law, sports and public services are among 16 alumni and friends of the University at Albany who will be honored on Saturday, May 3, with 2014 University at Albany Alumni Association Excellence Awards.

The 2014 Excellence Award Categories and Recipients are:

Distinguished Alumni Award — Gerd Schwartz, M.A. ’87, Ph.D.’89
As deputy director of the Fiscal Affairs Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Gerd Schwartz helps to direct one of the IMF’s major departments combining research and policy advice. The division informs the Fund’s key decisions on long-term fiscal policy issues and the aiding of countries in crisis. Five years ago, Schwartz brought assistance and counsel to the troubled European nations of Greece, Portugal and Cyprus. A seasoned global crisis manager, he is a prolific scholar, publishing more than 40 articles and two books. Read more about Gerd Schwartz.

Citizen of the University — Roberto J. Vives  
Now in his 29th year of coaching at the University at Albany, Roberto Vives has led track & field and cross country teams to 48 conference championships, three IC4A championships, four New York State titles, and three top-three team finishes at the NCAA championships. He has coached 144 All-America athletes and 14 individual NCAA champions, but is equally proud that his athletes have received more academic awards than those at any other school in the America East Conference. Read more about Roberto Vives.

Bertha E. Brimmer Medal — Pegeen H. Jensen, M.S. ’89,
Teacher Leadership Certificate ’12  
Prototype of the “teacher leader,” Pegeen Jensen began her 25th year of teaching in the primary grades at the South Colonie School District last fall and serves as Saddlewood Elementary’s literacy facilitator and summer literacy coordinator. Jensen has been recognized by the NYS Reading Association as an educator and been praised as a mentor to her colleagues in guiding young children in writing. She also plays an active role in UAlbany’s M.S. in Literacy degree by allowing graduate students to acquire field experience in her classrooms. Read more about Pegeen Jensen.

Excellence in Education Award —  Ellen M. Sullivan, M.S. ’79 
Ellen Sullivan is an assistant in Educational Services at the New York State United Teachers, where she coordinates NYSUT’s implementation of the Federal Investing in Innovation grant on teacher evaluation and development. She is renowned as an educator who interacts with teachers, principals, superintendents, state education department staff, state lawmakers, business leaders and others who support schools and students. A former classroom teacher, Sullivan was a longtime director of the Greater Capital Region Teacher Center. Read more about Ellen Sullivan.

Excellence in Alumni Service —  Lewis S. Wiener, B.A.’84
A former trial lawyer with the U.S. Department of Justice and now a partner with Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP in Washington, D.C., Lewis Wiener has generously shared his time with UAlbany. A director of The University at Albany Foundation since 2011, he is a member and former co-chair of the Rockefeller College Advisory Board and was instrumental in the creation of the UAlbany-Albany Law School’s Financial Market Regulation Initiative. He has served on committees for numerous Washington, D.C., alumni receptions, and was Rockefeller College’s 2007 commencement speaker. Read more about Louis Wiener.

International Alumni Award for Exceptional Achievement —
Yong-Ho Baek, Ph.D. ’85  
Yong-Ho Baek became one of South Korea’s most influential government officials, receiving the Order of Service Merit in 2013. After a teaching career, in 2002 he became president of a Seoul think tank for public policy, drawing the admiration of Mayor Myung-bak Lee. After serving as chairman of the Fair Trade Commission of Korea and then leading reforms as president of the National Tax Service, he became chief secretary and then special adviser to Lee, upon Lee becoming South Korean president in 2008. Baek is the author of three books on financial theory. Read more about Yong-Ho Baek.

Excellence in Science & Technology Award —  Andrew Deitsch,  
B.S ’89, M.B.A. ’99  
Andrew Deitsch is the technology leader for Computational Science & Architectures at GE Global Research as well as acting cybersecurity leader for GE Healthcare. He leads GE research and development in areas such as big data & knowledge representation, high-performance computing, robotics & autonomous systems, the Internet of Things, and cyber security. Deitsch and other senior GE leaders strategize “Industrial Internet” solutions for customers in emerging markets, including China, where he has been instrumental in guiding the GE Healthcare China team. Read more about Andrew Deitsch.

Excellence in Community Service Award —
Florence E. Frazier, M.S.W. ’72   
Florence Frazier is renowned in the Capital Region for her advocacy on behalf of children and families as both a community leader and social worker. As an employee of the NYS Department of Mental Health, she helped establish the Capital District Psychiatric Center. She participated in the creation of the Urban League of the Albany Area and the founding of its Street Academy, an alternative high school for youth with academic and behavioral challenges, and is active with several other community organizations. Read more about Florence Frazier.

Excellence in Alumni Service Award —    
Joseph Zanchelli, B.A.’49, M.A.’50, and Joyce Zanchelli, B.A.’52  
The lifestyle of Joseph and Joyce Zanchelli is characterized as one of “commitment in service together.” They have been leaders in various retirement organizations and in their church and praised by Gansevoort-area neighbors for giving relief to the poor and promoting the community. They have also given tremendous alumni leadership to UAlbany. Serving as class counselors for the Classes of ’49 and ’52, respectively, they have chaired a combined seven reunion committees. Joe was MC for a 2012 1940s-decade reunion, and both collect news from their classmates for each issue of UAlbany magazine. Read more about Joseph and Joyce Zanchelli.

Excellence in Public Service Award — Lois J. Uttley, B.A. ’74, M.P.P. ’02   
From her days as newspaper reporter and then NYS Department of Health public affairs director, Lois Uttley saw that successful, sustainable public policies begin at the grassroots level. As vice president of Family Planning Advocates of NYS, she created MergerWatch, a project working with grassroots women to protect access to reproductive health services. After moving MergerWatch to New York City, Uttley co-founded a national initiative dedicated to ensuring the Affordable Care Act meets the needs of diverse women and their families. Read more about Lois Uttley.

Outstanding Young Alumni Award 2014 —
Bethany Lesser, B.A. '04, M.P.A. '05  
In the decade since her graduation, Bethany Lesser has gone from a promising University at Albany student to key player on the political stage as deputy communications director for U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. In 2004, while still working on her master's degree, Lesser was named assistant regional representative in Sen. Chuck Schumer's Albany office; she became Schumer's press secretary in 2006. She played integral roles as communications director in the successful U.S. senatorial campaigns of Mark Begich in Alaska in 2008 and Gillibrand in 2012. Read more about Bethany Lesser.

Excellence in Business Award — Maryanne R. Lavan, B.S. ’81  
As senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary for Lockheed Martin Corporation since 2006, Maryanne Lavan has been praised for leading the company’s legal department, and the corporation itself, with integrity and efficiency through trying economic times. She joined the Bethesda, Md.-based firm in 1990 as an attorney, serving in positions of increased responsibility thereafter. In honor of her parents, she set up The Anne and Thomas Lavan Scholarship at UAlbany to benefit a UAlbany business student who demonstrates need and academic achievement. Read more about Maryanne Lavan.

International Alumni Award for Exceptional Achievement —
Dr. Jotham Musinguzi, M.P.H. ’91  
After 10 years of practicing medicine and 10 more teaching in medical school in his native Uganda, Jotham Musinguzi left medicine to impact public policy in the areas of in reproductive health, family planning, population and development, and HIV/AIDS epidemiology. He went on to serve Uganda as director of the Ministry of Finance’s Population Secretariat in Planning & Economic Development and became chair of the International Council on Management of Population Programs. Musinguzi also served on the board of the Kenya-based African Population and Health Research Centre. Read more about Jotham Musinguzi.

Excellence in Community Service Award — Catherine Cerulli,
M.A. ’98, Ph.D. ’04  
As both academic and attorney, Catherine Cerulli has been recognized on the local, state and national levels for her commitment to helping those impacted by domestic violence. A member of the psychiatry faculty in the University of Rochester’s School of Medicine and Dentistry since 2002, her recent work includes founding and directing the Laboratory of Interpersonal Violence and Victimization, and directorship of her university’s Susan B. Anthony Center for Women’s Leadership. She is on the board of the Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America. Read more about Catherine Cerulli.

Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award — William P. Kelly, M.P.H. ’95  
William Kelly has made health care – and health-care payment innovation – his priority for the past quarter-century. Via his business acumen, he created Treo Solutions, a Troy-based firm that provides analytic services to shape policies and strategies for hospitals, health plans and large physician groups. Named to Modern Healthcare’s list of 40 of the industry’s fastest-growing firms, the company was acquired by 3M in spring 2014. Prior to Treo’s founding, Kelly played a key role in the design, implementation and evaluation of Medicaid ambulatory payment systems for the NYS Department of Health. Read more about William Kelly.

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