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Daemen College Names Five as Distinguished Alumni for 2009
October 19, 2009
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Mike Andrei
Director-College Relations
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Lauren Metzger
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The Daemen College/Rosary Hill Alumni Association has named five individuals as its Distinguished Alumni for 2009. They are Mary T. McCarrick, OSF ’71, Dedication to the College; Barbara L. Capozzi ’69, Service to the Community; Dr. Michael D. Ross, ’92, Advancement in Career; Michael G. Patane, PA ’05, Graduate of the Last Decade; and Susan A. Falsone, PT ’96, 2009 Distinguished Alumna.
Mary T. McCarrick, OSF ’71
Mary McCarrick has been a Sister of St. Francis for forty years. Her service to the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity at Stella Niagara has included a term as Director of the Heath Center, and two terms as Provincial Minister. Sister Mary graduated with a B.A. in English from Daemen. She subsequently taught secondary school English at Bishop McMahon High School and at The Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart.
Having attained a graduate degree from the Franciscan Institute at St. Bonaventure University, Sister Mary has served the Franciscan movement nationally as Chair of the Reach Committee of the Franciscan Federation. She has taught at retreats and facilitated meetings of the Franciscan family – both nationally and internationally – as well as instructing in the graduate program at St. Bonaventure. She was, also, a founding member of the Common Franciscan Novitiate and served as Chair of its board.
With a Master of Social Work degree and post graduate certification in family therapy, Sister Mary has spent much of her adult life serving those in need. She worked for Catholic Charities in the Perry Project; in the First Ward of Lackawanna; and was Executive Director of Benedict House in Buffalo. Sister Mary is currently Executive Director of Heart, Love and Soul – a dining room and food pantry – and the creator and director of an after school reading program for HANCI, both in Niagara Falls, New York.
While Sister Mary served as Provincial Minister, she was instrumental in achieving a resolution to the long standing disagreement between the College and the Sisters. The results of this achievement returned Rosary Hall to the College for renovation and its use, and also created arrangements for the College to house members of the Order in perpetuity. Additionally, Sister Mary was instrumental in securing the first major gift launching the College's recent capital campaign, Anthologies: The Campaign for Daemen: an endowed scholarship fund in honor of the Sisters of St. Francis, founders of Rosary Hill College.
Sister Mary served on the NYS Governor’s Commission for AIDS Housing; the Peace and Justice Commission of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo; and on a number of boards of directors. Some of these included Cephas, a program for the incarcerated and for former offenders; Daemen College; The Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart; and Stella Niagara Education Park. She currently serves in the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities of Western New York.
Barbara L. Capozzi ’69
Barbara L. Capozzi ’69 has taught in the Williamsville Central Schools for over twenty-five years. She has been deeply involved with youth activities throughout her life, and, now in her eighteenth year as a Delegation Leader with the People to People Student Ambassador Program, Barbara is also President of the Buffalo/Niagara Falls Chapter of People to People International. She notes that the travel program, which affords students and adults from Western New York with opportunities to host international students at homestay visits in our area, “has brought family opportunities and experiences we could never have imagined.”
Barbara has traveled to over 50 countries around the world, leading student delegations for the People to People Student Ambassador Program. Recent itineraries included South Africa, Japan, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, France and Egypt. She is, also, the Area Director for People to People Ambassador programs in Upstate NY and Erie, PA. Barbara describes her role as helping select highly qualified delegation leaders, assisting leaders with the student interview process, and acting as a liaison between leaders and the People to People program office in Spokane, Washington.
Barbara also facilitates delegation leader training sessions to help teachers prepare for the organization’s extensive travel programs. She serves on the Board of Trustees of People to People International and serves as Vice Chairman of the Americas. Additionally, Barbara has been a leader and facilitator at PTPI's Peace Camp in Egypt in 2003, 2005, and 2007, and Jordan in 2009. Peace Camp brings together students from all over the world to promote Peace through Understanding.
Her years of non-stop dedication and energy on behalf of People to People have brought Barbara international friends numbering in the thousands. E-mails and Facebook allow her to stay in touch. She and her family have entertained guests from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Albania, Jordan, Egypt, Italy, Morocco and Japan. In February, she will return to Egypt (where she facilitates a Peace Camp) for her tenth visit to that country.
Her experiences, multiplied by the hundreds, have become part of what Capozzi considers the "living classroom" that she's helped to make possible over the past 18 years. "It's pretty phenomenal what has happened," she says. "We're a regular family from Buffalo who's gone international."
Dr. Michael D. Ross, DPT (BS Physical Therapy ’92)
Dr. Michael D. Ross, physical therapist and officer in the U.S. Air Force, currently serves as the Director of the U.S. Air Force Physical Medicine Training Programs at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. For more than 17 years, Dr. Ross has focused his life on improving the physical therapy career field. Moreover, he has made a significant impact on the profession through his patient care, teaching, service, research, and publications. He has improved the lives of thousands of patients through his own direct care and, indirectly, through the evidence-based instruction he has provided to hundreds of physical therapists through the years.
Dr. Ross currently leads and directs the $9.2 million, nationally accredited U.S. Air Force Physical Therapy Assistant Degree Program and U.S. Air Force orthotics/prosthetics course. He oversees five faculty members, and all aspects of the training program for 40 active duty U.S. Air Force students annually – including developing, validating, and assessing the quality and efficacy of the 2,000 hour curriculum. Dr. Ross also designs post-graduate courses vital for the career
enhancement/progression of program graduates, and directs the annual Physical and Occupational Therapy Management Symposium, which trains over 70 U.S. Air Force officers annually. Dr. Ross serves as the physical therapy advisor to the U.S. Air Force Surgeon General on medical malpractice issues and training needs for over 500 officer and enlisted members; he is, in addition, a faculty member for both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army annual advanced physical therapy training courses, which are designed to prepare military physical therapists for direct-access practice in deployed environments.
Beyond the military, Dr. Ross is currently an associate professor and graduate program director for the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Rocky Mountain University, and an adjunct faculty member for the physical therapy programs at the U.S. Army-Baylor University (Fort Sam Houston, TX); Northeastern University; Hardin-Simmons University (Abilene, TX); and Krannert School of Physical Therapy (University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN). He also serves as primary faculty for Evidence in Motion’s accredited physical therapy residency and Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, and senior clinical consultant and faculty member for the orthopaedic manual therapy and musculoskeletal primary care fellowship at Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center, CA. Dr. Ross also serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy.
Dr. Ross has made over 40 invited scientific presentations at national and international meetings, and has lectured extensively at the entry-level, graduate, and post-graduate levels on diagnostic imaging, medical screening and differential diagnosis in physical therapy. He is an active author and researcher, with over 70 peer-reviewed manuscripts and abstracts published relating to orthopaedic physical therapy. Dr. Ross has also been named the Air Force Physical Therapist of the Year (#1 out of 140) and has been named the Air Force Command Physical Therapist of the Year 5 times (# l out of 40).
Michael G. Patane, PA ’05
Michael G. Patane ‘05, M.S was an outstanding student while enrolled at Daemen, serving as a model of both excellence in the classroom, and commitment to campus life outside of classes. Michael served as Student Government President; participated in intramurals; was active in the Physician Assistant Department; and was also a founding member of the Student Alumni Ambassador program in 2001. As a Daemen Student Alumni Ambassador, he was a familiar sight, assisting audience members at Daemen Speakers Series events, as well as welcoming guests at Daemen fundraising events. Moreover, in recognition of Michael’s dedication to campus life, the Daemen College Student Alumni Ambassador program now each year presents an award to a graduating Ambassador, recognizing a student who exemplifies the passion and commitment to Daemen that Michael did, with the Michael G. Patane Outstanding Student Alumni Ambassador Award.
Michael has, equally, been a champion for Daemen since his graduation. Only a few months after graduating in 2005, Michael called the Alumni Relations Office inquiring to how he could best help the Department – and the College. Recognizing that Daemen’s support base includes many key audiences – alumni, prospective students, business and community leaders, to name but a few – Michael set out to assist the Alumni Office in its efforts to engage recent graduates. Since then, he has encouraged former classmates to accompany him to alumni events such as the annual Buffalo Chapter Holiday Party, and Young Alumni Springfest Reception. In addition, Michael serves on the National-level Daemen College / Rosary Hill Alumni Association Board of Governors, and has represented the College in place of Daemen President, Dr. Martin J. Anisman at another college's Presidential Inauguration Ceremony.
Michael has assisted the Admissions Department at College Fairs, answering questions potential students had about life and academics at Daemen. When parents of a soon-to-be graduate emailed the Alumni Office, seeking a Daemen Physician Assistant graduate in central NY that their student could chat with, a call was scheduled with Michael Patane. He is always pleased to speak with Daemen students and their parents about the ins and outs of finding a job after graduation. Michael visits the Daemen campus frequently, with Alumni Office staff and others at the College seeing his face so often, that it would be easy to believe that he lived just down the road. Michael’s most recent visit was to the Black Tie opening of the New Research & Information Commons, as a Leadership-Level donor. As a Distinguished Graduate of the Last Decade, Michael is proving himself to be a person Daemen can count on.
Susan A. Falsone ’96
Susan Ann Falsone ’96 is Director of Performance Physical Therapy at Athletes’ Performance, a private sports performance training company based in Phoenix, Arizona; Carson California; and Gulf Breeze, Florida. Susan and the Athletes’ Performance team work with professional athletes in all of the major sports – baseball, football, basketball, and hockey – bringing hands-on skills and extensive knowledge of human movement to speed rehabilitation and increase individual performance. In addition to her Physical Therapy Degree from Daemen, Susan has a Master’s Degree in Human Movement Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
In November 2007, Susan was named the physical therapist for The Los Angeles Dodgers – making her the first-ever female team physical therapist and athletic trainer in Major League Baseball’s history. While also working with other professional baseball teams, the Dodgers are the only organization that Susan travels with in-season. Considered part of the team’s medical staff, she began the 2008 and 2009 Major League Baseball seasons with them with spring training, staying through the regular 162-game season, plus the playoffs.
Sue directs all of Athletes’ Performance’s physical therapy initiatives. In addition, she brings a sharp focus to other areas of responsibility, including business development; facility and educational program development; and clinical work. Sue also does a great deal of public speaking, articulating to groups around the country her views on bridging the gap between rehabilitation and performance. She discusses traditional PT principles on top of strength and conditioning principles, and the importance of integrating all of that into a holistic approach for the athlete – evaluating an athlete’s weakest link and working on improving that, versus letting their strength get stronger. The goal: making sure whatever a body part is meant to be, is, in fact, working efficiently and not having to compensate for something else.
As Major League Baseball’s first female physical therapist and athletic trainer, her achievement is significant: It is one that will open paths for more women seeking to follow careers in athletic training at the very highest levels of competition, while also becoming a symbol for higher achievement for all women.
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