When she quickly retired from her career as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) for the Saratoga Springs City Schools, Elizabeth Miller ’76, G’77 had envious skills and experience, having worked for 30 years in the field after earning her M.S. in communication sciences and disorders at Saint Rose. She had no training, experience, or interest in business leadership.

However, when her husband Myles, founder of metal-fabrication company Miller Mechanical Services Inc., passed away in 2007, she suddenly had leadership thrust upon her. Despite her lack of experience, Miller took the helm of the 19-year-old company in Glens Falls.

Read more about her journey – and her success – here.

Saint Rose students in the Faculty-Led Program in Panama are learning that selfies are a language spoken across the world.

When Dr. Claire Ziamandanis, a professor of Spanish at Saint Rose, took eight students enrolled in SPA 370 for a two-week trip to Panama during the winter break recently, she added a “daily selfie” to the students’ assignments.

“Students are working on Spanish language development and are also learning about the history and culture of Panama,” Ziamandanis said. “They go out every day in pairs with assigned topics and interview Panamanians to learn more about the history and culture.”

Read more about the trip here. You can also read about how study abroad began at Saint Rose – and the alumna behind it – here.

In early December 2017, The College of Saint Rose hosted a delegation from China. Guests represented Chongqing Vocational College of Transportation, Heifei College of Finance and Economics, and Xinyang University. This visit was the part of the ongoing global outreach efforts that were laid out in the College’s strategic plan.

As a result of the productive visit, Saint Rose President Carolyn J. Stefanco recently signed three Memorandums of Understanding. These Memorandums of Understanding will enable further collaboration between the College’s four schools and the Chinese institutions.

Read more about the agreements here.

Helping animals, inspiring their siblings, moving up the school system and accounting ranks, and giving a TEDx talk have put Saint Rose alumni in the headlines recently.

Tina Murray G’97, who has served as executive director for Ulster County’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals since August 2017, was featured on December 31, 2017, in the Daily Freeman article “Tina Murray’s devotion to animals began long before she became Ulster County SPCA’s executive director.” Murray, who had previously worked for the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society (Albany) as director of operations and cruelty investigator, has been concerned with animal welfare since early childhood.

Valerie Santillo ‘07 and her sister Alison Krawczyk appeared in a Q&A interview titled “You Inspire Me: Sisters motivate each other’s work.” Santillo, who teaches in the East Greenbush Central Schools District, and Krawczyk, who directs public relations at an Albany media agency, shared stories about playing school as kids, being spurred on by each other’s accomplishments, and supporting each other throughout their lives. The article appeared in the Times Union on December 29, 2017, and in the January/February 2018< print edition of the Times Union’s Women@Work magazine.

Timothy McNamara G’97 became superintendent of the Afton Central School District, in Chenango County, on January 1. Prior to this appointment, McNamara was principal of Downsville Central School District for 10 years, and before that served as principal and athletic director at Sidney High School for three years. His story appeared in “Afton hires Downsville principal as superintendent,” in The Daily Star on December 15, 2017.

Lynn A. Wadleigh G’03 joined Marshall Associates CPAs of Glens Falls, providing accounting and tax, as well as administrative, services. Wadleigh, who began her career with Ernst & Young CPAs in Albany after receiving her MBA from Saint Rose, consequently held senior financial-management positions with Kadant Inc. and AngioDynamics, and most recently served as CFO of WWARC. The announcement, “Changing Scene: Lynn A. Wadleigh joins accounting firm,” appeared in the Post-Star on December 13, 2017.

Jason Radalin ’94 will be one of several speakers at a TEDx talk at 6 p.m. on January 31, 2018, at Fulton-Montgomery Community College. Radalin is an assistant professor of theatre arts, film studies, and English at FMCC. He has worked as a freelance technical director and lighting designer, and a screenplay he co-authored was a semi-finalist in the 2003 Nicholl Fellowship. The event was announced in “TEDx talks return to FM in 2018,” in the Leader-Herald, on December 6, 2017.