One Day for Montclair

Montclair’s Annual Giving and Alumni Engagement team along with members of the student group FAN (Future Alumni Network) are all smiles during One Day for Montclair and World’s Fair Day, on the way to a record-breaking day that raised more than $270,000 from 1,588 donors.

Save the date for this year’s One Day for Montclair: April 25, 2024.

Waichungo Family Courtyard Opens

Wamwari Waichungo ’90 and President Jonathan Koppell were among those who celebrated the ribbon cutting and dedication of the Waichungo Family Courtyard in University Hall in April, recognizing Wamwari’s commitment to creating opportunities for the University, the College for Community Health and the next generation of food science leaders.

Class of 1973 – 50th Reunion Celebration

Members of the Class of 1973 reconnected with former classmates at their 50th Reunion. In celebration of this milestone anniversary, reunion participants led the procession during the University’s 2023 Commencement exercises. The class also returned to campus for a gathering and tour. Members of the Class of 1974 – help plan your celebration! Contact Rachel Vigilante at vigilanter@montclair.edu or 973-655-5465.

Carpe Diem Luncheon

Members of the University’s Carpe Diem Society gathered in October for a recognition luncheon, bringing alumni, former faculty, loyal donors and friends back to campus for lunch and a performance by students from the College of the Arts.

Carpe Diem Society members are the University’s legacy giving community committed to advancing Montclair by establishing gifts through their wills, life insurance policies, retirement designations, trusts or other gift plans.

“You’ve promised to keep our mission strong by investing in future students,” Rita Walters, vice president for Development and Alumni Engagement, told the luncheon guests. “And I thank you deeply. We cannot be who we are meant to be without you.”

Black Alumni Advisory Council’s Summer Barbeque

In June, members, families and friends of the BAAC gathered for a special barbecue in celebration of Juneteenth. There was fun, food, music and games, and a special performance by the Montclair State University West African Drumming and Dance Ensemble. If you are interested in joining the group, please visit montclair.edu/alumni/baac for more information or contact Briana Curtis at curtisbr@montclair.edu or 973-655-7478.

Hispanic Latinx/a/o Alumni Network Kickoff

Hispanic Latinx/a/o alumni gathered this past spring to expand their network and hear from representatives from the Office for Hispanic Initiatives, LASO (Latin American Student Organization) and MASA (Mexican American Student Association). The Hispanic Latinx/a/o Alumni Network was created to provide opportunities for networking among alumni and a forum to strengthen connections with the University and its students. If you are interested in joining the group, please visit montclair.edu/alumni/hlan for more information or contact Renee Giliberti at gilibertir@montclair.edu or 973-655-7872.

Sizzling Summer Fun at McLoone’s

Alumni gathered at McLoone’s Boathouse in West Orange to network and enjoy the early summer and waterfront views.

Members of many affinity groups, including the Black Alumni Advisory Council, Hispanic Latinx/a/o Alumni Network, Recent Alumni Network and Women’s Initiative Network were in attendance.

Women’s Initiative Network Presents ‘Negotiation in the Workplace’

One of the leadership development workshops presented by the Women’s Initiative Network (WIN), led by career coach Tara Chiari, guided alumni and friends on using negotiation skills to get what they want in their careers and in their lives. WIN engages the University’s more than 93,000 alumnae in the intellectual, cultural and educational life of the University, forming a vibrant community to inspire and empower women to become leading volunteers and visionary donors. If you are interested in joining the group, please visit montclair.edu/alumni/win for more information or contact Rachel Vigilante at vigilanter@montclair.edu or 973-655-5465.

Reid’s Alumni ‘Fan Club’ Attends Dedication

In the years since Helen Archontou ’91 led “Operation Blueberry Pie,” the code name for a student takeover of administration offices in protest of rising tuition, she’s looked back at the occupation of the former College Hall – with then-President Irvin D. Reid stepping over her while she slept outside his office – as a turning point in her life, one leading to a career dedicated to community organizing and public service.

“I don’t want to say Dr. Reid supported the protest, but he tolerated it in a way that let us go through our process, which empowered us and helped shape our own civic engagement,” says Archontou, CEO of the YWCA Northern New Jersey and adjunct faculty in Social Work and Child Advocacy.

This past September when the renamed Science Hall was dedicated as Irvin D. Reid Hall, Archontou was among the Student Government Association alumni who attended the ceremony to thank Reid for the respect he showed them as student leaders involved in the issues of the time.

“President Reid really had a big impact on our lives,” says Paul Prior ’93, an attorney who represents people with disabilities. “He was a fantastic leader of the college, and I say college because I’m a member of the last graduating class of Montclair State College.” Thirty years, nearly to the day, his son Alexander Prior ’23 graduated from Montclair State University, the change of status credited to Reid’s tenure.

“College is a time when you explore different personalities, you explore different ideas, you explore different beliefs, you get introduced to different belief systems, and all of us in student leadership, we were kind of a self-selecting bunch that challenged authority and challenged the status quo. Reid let us do that and he did it with grace and dignity. He treated us with deep respect,” Prior says.

“President Reid enjoyed watching us try to challenge authority knowing that in the future these were skills we would need in the ‘real world.’ Because of that, we all had great admiration for him and I think we have developed even greater admiration for him as the years have gone by,” he says.

Recent Alumni Network Welcomes New Grads

Recent alumni from the past 10 graduating classes welcomed the new year, networking and learning more about the Recent Alumni Network. The affinity group focuses on programs for the newest graduating class as they become alumni, addressing the special interests and needs of the first years following Commencement, as well as providing opportunities for networking, community service, and cultural and professional development activities. For more information or to join this networking group, visit montclair.edu/alumni/ran or contact Nada Rustom at rustomn@montclair.edu or 973-655-3323.

Good Chemistry

For Mary Ann (Leonard) Siklosi ’70 and Michael Siklosi ’70, Montclair degrees provided a solid foundation for graduate school and successful careers at Procter & Gamble. Their time at Montclair also paved the way for a happy life together. In 2021, their family celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a special gift to reward high-achieving chemistry majors. The $5,000 gift, raised from the Siklosi, Raraigh and Gorman families, will support awards for students majoring in chemistry or biochemistry who have excelled in General Chemistry I and II courses. The generous contribution will make it possible to award $500 a year for 10 years. In 2023, Montclair recognized Mary Ann and Michael, and the gift that honors them, with a bench plaque tribute on the Alumni Green. In May, the couple attended the College of Science and Mathematics Chemistry Awards ceremony via Zoom, offering remarks and letting students know how much Montclair means to them.

As a senior, 2-D Animation major Aurelio Soto ’23 traveled to Makhanda, South Africa, as part of a team working to create 360-degree video tours for an innovative virtual study-abroad program between Bloomfield College and the town of Makhanda in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.

Facilitated through faculty development funding and Bloomfield College’s Changing Lives Internship program, Soto accompanied Jason Torreano, Bloomfield College instructor of media communications, on the trip to South Africa during spring break. There, Soto conducted interviews and shot video using a 360-degree camera at nearly a dozen locations in Makhanda.

The final product leveraged virtual reality, mobile technology, an Oculus and similar devices to create 360-degree video tours that were later woven into existing Bloomfield College coursework, taking a traditional virtual study abroad program to the next level.
“Virtual study abroad offerings are often little more than Zoom conversations,” says Torreano. “Creating this type of immersive experience offers students who have the desire, but not the financial resources, to study abroad through a transformative learning opportunity that transcends the boundaries of campus.”

Soto says that the distinctive learning experiences he gained while at Bloomfield helped him land a position with Princeton University, working in its Africa World Initiative, a hub for Africa-related research, programming and international scholarly networks.

Fifty colorful pedestrian light pole banners recently hung within Bloomfield Township’s primary commercial district are the latest artistic collaboration between the Bloomfield Center Alliance and Bloomfield College of Montclair State University.

Professor Yuichiro Nishizawa, chair of the College’s Division of Creative Arts and Technology, worked closely with the Alliance and the project’s design leader, Vincent Leu ’14, to create the banner designs earlier this year.

“This collaborative effort is truly born out of our strong and persistent mutual interest in community building and developing projects that showcase the College and the vision and talents of our students,” says Nishizawa.

Leu, who majored in graphics for print and digital media, says he was honored to be part of the team. “It is not every day that you get to do something fun that will be seen by an entire community and its visitors.”