Spotlight on Alumni Fall/Winter 2010

Greetings Alumni and Friends!

Our alumni are part of our extended family. We hope you enjoy this newsletter and that you will stay in touch. See what your peers have been up to, then log onto our Alumni Web pages developed just for you.

Art & Design | Broadcasting & Communication Studies  | Music | Theatre & Dance

Alumni on the Move . . . Recent News

Art & Design

BARBARA ANELLO (MA in Fine Arts with concentration in Art History, 2006) was accepted into the PhD program in Art History at SUNY Binghamton, with a teaching assistantship.

TERESA DICK (MFA in Studio Art, 2009) had work selected for the 33rd Annual National Juried Small Works Exhibition at Harper College in Palatine, IL.

NUNZIO ESPOSITO (BFA in Graphic Design, 2003) and ANDRES JIMINEZ (BFA in Graphic Design, 2003) won a silver medal and two bronze medals from the Art Directors Club of New Jersey in its Annual Design Competition. They were also noted as “the toast of Newark’s corporate and political set” in a New York Times article.

CASEY FLINDT-DECARLO (BA in Fine Arts, Graphic Design specialization, 2000) had her package design work for Hershey’s Good & Fruity candy featured on the cover of Graphic Design USA magazine’s Annual Awards issue. Her package designs for Good & Fruity and Good & Plenty candy both received awards from the magazine.

BETTY VERA (MFA in Studio Art, 2002) received the 2010 Silvio and Eugenia Petrini Grant, awarded by the Handweavers Guild of America, for study in a non-accredited program. She also was awarded an Artist-in-Residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts to complete a sculpture and drawing project.

Broadcasting

• GREG ADDO: Video producer, City of Newark/Cory Booker, mayor
• KRISTINE BATES: Editor/Director of AT&T Communications, Basking Ridge, N.J.
• LEIGH DANA (SCHEPS): Reporter/Fill-in Anchor of WBNG News 12, Binghamton, N.Y.
• CAMERON FERRARA: Technical Coordinator of Lion Television, N.Y.
• TIMOTHY FEELEY: Production Assistant of Sound One, New York, N.Y.
• STEPHANIE GOMEZ: Production Assistant for the USA series White Collar, Silvercup Studios, Astoria, N.Y.
• ANNIE HENCKEL: Associate Producer of Mystery Diagnosis, TLC, True Entertainment, N.Y.
• TANIA IVANOVA: Associate Producer of Due Process, NJN, Newark, N.J.
• KIM MAYAS: Production Assistant for Concepts Television, Boonton, N.J.

• NICOLE PICA: Script Coordinator of Good Morning America, ABC Network, N.Y.
• ANNICA RILEY: Production Assistant for the USA series White Collar of Silvercup Studios, Astoria, N.Y.
• BOB ROWE: Editor of MLB Productions, Secaucus, N.J.
• TANYA TAYLOR: Desk Assistant of Westwood One/CBS Radio, New York, N.Y.
• RONALD TOMAINO: Director of News 12 New Jersey
• LAUREN WILLDEBOER: Assistant Location Manager of Columbia Pictures, Los Angeles, CA

Communication Studies

Recent Montclair State graduate, JENNA ROCCA, developed the Curtain Call Award Competition concept and served as a host for the Curtain Call Awards.

Music

RACHEL CAMP (BFA, ’10) is currently performing with the Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia, understudying the lead female role in Sunday in the Park with George. In September, she will be playing the role of Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, with the Theatre Horizon in Philadelphia, PA.

KELLY KARCHER (BFA, ’10) will be working with Ocean City Theatre Company over the summer. In August, she will be part of the ensemble and performing for the Prather Entertainment Group.

MATT LEMMEL (BMus, ’10) is attending Summer Trios and was accepted to the Hartt School of Music for graduate study with a scholarship.  MATT SEARING (BMus, ’10) and MATT LEMMEL were both members of the New York Youth Symphony. They performed the Rite of Spring and Ein Heldenleben in Carnegie Hall with the group.

MICHAEL MAHADEEN (BA, ’10) was chosen as one of just 15 student teachers statewide to receive the state’s annual Outstanding Student Teacher Award. There were more than 20 nominees from Montclair State, and the Center Of Pedagogy was permitted to send three on to the state level for review. The state received 54 applications from which to select the 15 winners. He also won the Cali School Composer Award.

Double bassist DAVID MARKS (BA Mus. Ed., ‘97), the Midland Park High School Director of Bands, has been teaching in the Midland Park public school system for the past 13 years and is currently the 2009-2010 Knights of Columbus Teacher of the Year.

ASHLEY PICCIALLO (BFA, ’10) and AARON CATANO (BFA, ’10) will spend the summer with the Mt. Washington Valley Theatre Company performing leading roles in HAIR. Ashley is also working as an extra in a new movie called Something Borrowed, starring Kate Hudson.

Alumna CATIE SHELLEY (AD, ’10), student of Dr. Peter Gillis, has been chosen for Opera New Jersey’s Apprenticeship Program this summer.

ASHLEN UDELL (BA, ’10) was accepted into the ARIA 2010 International Summer Academy at Mount Holyoke College, MA. She will be studying with Keith Underwood, Amy Porter, Judith Mendenhall, and Jonathan Keeble.

Theatre & Dance

DONNA SCRO-GENTILE (BFA Dance, 1991), Artistic Director for Freespace Dance, and members of the Freespace Dance Company performed in Scotland at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival from Aug. 15-23, 2010.

NICOLE SMITH (BFA Dance, 2007) was chosen to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland this summer. Her choreography continues to be showcased in selective festivals in the tri-state area. In addition, she’s been commissioned to create work by performing arts high schools, universities, and even fellow choreographers for full-length evening concerts this year. She currently serves as a teaching artist for Montclair State and YANJ, as well as an understudy/apprentice for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company. She’s danced for Freespace Dance since graduation in 2007, and as a guest artist for other companies such as Pascal Rekoert/Flexicurve and Naganuma Dance.

OMNI KITTS (BFA Dance, 2003), ERIN PRIDE (BFA Dance, 2003) and NICOLE SMITH (BFA Dance, 2007) presented Ingredients, an alumni dance concert at Montclair State on May 14 and 15.

MAUREEN GLENNON (BFA Dance, 1991), founder of her own dance company MOETION, presented dance concerts to promote breast cancer awareness.