March 22, 2018
Celebrate La Roche! Scheduled for April 20
PITTSBURGH, March 22, 2018 – La Roche University will host Celebrate La Roche!, an anniversary gala honoring 55 years of academic excellence and 25 years of the Pacem in Terris Institute.
The event will be held at the Omni William Penn Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh, kicking off with a cocktail reception at 6 p.m., followed by dinner, the program and dancing. Mike Clark, evening anchor for Pittsburgh’s Actions News 4, will serve as master of ceremonies. The event will feature a silent auction and entertainment by Gary Racan and Studio-e Band. Cocktail attire is required.
“We have had much to be thankful for over these past five decades. Emerging from humble beginnings to receive national acclaim for the quality of our academic programs and international focus, La Roche is now widely known for graduates who are well prepared for meaningful careers and purposeful lives, and for our multicultural and supportive campus environment,” President Sister Candace Introcaso, CDP, Ph.D., said. “All of our alumni, including those from the Pacem in Terris program who have so openly shared their customs and cultures with us, have helped mold our campus into a model of what the world could be – a world that appreciates diversity and promotes peace and social justice.”
During the event the University will induct 14 new members to its Distinguished Alumni Circle. Established during La Roche’s 50th anniversary celebration, the Distinguished Alumni Circle honors graduates whose outstanding professional achievements and community service projects exemplify the fundamental values of the University’s mission. After receiving nominations from alumni, parents, friends and other members of the University community in the fall of 2017, a committee comprised of a diverse cross-section of La Roche constituents selected the following alumni as recipients:
Anthony Battaglia ’95, M.S., RN of Hilton Head, S.C.
President
Pocket Nurse
LouAnn Brindle ’99, MSN, RN of Wexford, Pa.
Director, Medical Staff Services/Graduate
Medical Education
UPMC Passavant
Donna Brosky ’78, OTD of Johnstown, Pa.
Supervisor, Home Health & Hospice
Occupational Therapy
Bethlen Communities
James Dill ’77 of Foresthill, Calif.
Accounting/Finance Manager
Teledyne Wireless Inc.
J. Sean Frank ’02 of Glenshaw, Pa.
Lieutenant
Shaler Township Police Department
Karen Hartman ’93 of Pittsburgh, Pa.
President and CEO
Corazon Inc.
Karen Kersting ’79, NCIDQ, ASID of New Orleans, La.
Owner
Alane Design
Janice Kusserow ’91, RN of Pittsburgh, Pa.
Embedded Care Manager
Gateway Health
Kheir Mugwaneza ’04, M.S. of Pittsburgh, Pa.
Immigrant Health Program Manager
Allegheny Health Network
Sister Camille Panich ’73, SCN, Ed.D., M.Ed. of Pittsburgh, Pa.
International Baccalaureate Coordinator (Retired)
AP Calculus Teacher (Retired)
Vincentian Academy
Mary Anne Rivera ’94, Ph.D. of Evans City, Pa.
Associate Professor (Retired)
Gannon University
Faith Savasta ’85, MSN, RN of McMurray, Pa.
Registered Nurse
Primetime Adult Day Care
Laurien Sibomana ’04, M.S. of Pittsburgh, Pa.
Research Assistant
University of Pittsburgh
Marsi Thrash ’90, MBA of Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Regional Field Director/South
State Government Affairs
American Psychiatric Association
Biographies for all inductees are available online.
La Roche also will celebrate 25 years of the Pacem in Terris Institute. Established in 1993, Pacem in Terris brings students from war-torn and developing nations to study at La Roche. Throughout the years La Roche has welcomed 450 Pacem in Terris students who have traveled from various regions, including Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Bosnia, Palestine, Jordan, the Congo and Haiti. Many now lead productive, educated lives and have become leaders in their respective countries, fields and professions.
Organizations and individuals interested in supporting or attending Celebrate La Roche! should visit laroche.edu/celebrate to register or contact Janet Dennis, associate vice president and director of development, at janet.dennis@laroche.edu or 412-536-1092.
About La Roche University: A private liberal arts college in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, La Roche University offers more than 50 undergraduate majors, six graduate degree programs and one doctoral program, with particular strengths in education, business, criminal justice, psychology, and health and medical sciences as well as interior design and graphic design. This residential college provides a vibrant campus community for more than 1,500 men and women enjoying 30-plus student organizations and an exciting NCAA Div. III athletics program. Founded by the Sisters of Divine Providence in 1963, La Roche University embraces its Catholic heritage while welcoming people of all faiths and backgrounds. With a legacy of social justice and a commitment to international exchange, La Roche University educates students to be lifelong learners and achievers in an increasingly diverse and global society.
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