Class Notes
1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
’50S
Earl Peter Taflan, Business Administration, 1950, turns 100 on Nov. 24 this year. A lifelong resident of Canton, Ohio, Taflan served in the Army and then attended Youngstown College on the GI Bill. He remembers taking an Economics class taught by Howard Jones, the iconic first president of YSU. Jones, he said, “was a very good teacher.” Taflan retired in 1982 as vice president of Dyneer Corp. He’s been playing Bridge since his Army days. For the past 35 years, Taflan and the same group of guys get together every week to play.
’60S
Ellene Tratras Contis, Chemistry, 1968, received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who’s Who. Contis is a professor of chemistry at Eastern Michigan University and director of the Creative Scientific Inquiry Experience program. She also served as associate vice president of Academic Affairs, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, director of the Women's Studies Program and was a Fulbright specialist scholar. She also holds a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a PhD from the University of Michigan. She has contributed articles to multiple scientific journals, chapters to several books and recently released the third edition of her own book. She is also an elected fellow of the American Chemical Society and received the EMU Distinguished Faculty Award, a Distinguished Faculty Award from the Michigan Association of Governing Boards and a Michigan Philanthropy Award.
’70s
Sister Mary Alyce Koval, Education, 1970, is Parish Leader at St. Luke Parish in Boardman, Ohio. She is among five parish leaders in the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown who serve in lieu of resident pastors. Sister Mary Alyce, a member of the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown Leadership Team, served as the education director for Beatitude House from 2009-2017 and prior to that was principal at St. Joseph School in Austintown, St. Rose School in Girard and St. Charles School in Boardman. She taught at several elementary schools, including St. Luke’s. “After entering the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown following graduation, it didn’t take long to realize that there were more doors to new adventures in my life than I could ever imagine,” she said in a diocese news release. “My heart is filled with gratitude.”
Larry Davis, Fine Arts, 1976, who has had decades-long successful creative career at the Walt Disney Co., presented as part of the Alumni Lecture Series program in February. The lecture, titled “How YSU Faculty Helped Shape My Career Trajectory,” is on the Alumni Engagement Facebook page. Davis, who also holds a master of Fine Arts from California State University in Long Beach, started his career at Disney in 1980 and has held numerous positions in a variety of creative roles, retiring from Walt Disney Imagineering as executive producer and creative director, for the Shanghai Disneyland Main Entrance.
Terence Blevins, bachelor’s and master’s in Mathematics, 1979 and 1980, has been named a Fellow of The Open Group and owner of Enterprise Wise LLC. The Open Group is a global consortium of more than 800 organizations that enables the achievement of business objectives through technology standards. Blevins is currently a director of The Open Group Governing Board and an active contributor to the TOGAF® Standard. Blevins has been involved with the architecture discipline since the 1980s, much of which was done while he was director of Strategic Architecture at NCR Corp. He was co-chair of the Architecture Forum and a frequent contributor of content to the TOGAF Standard, including the Business Scenario Method. He also was vice president and CIO of The Open Group.
’80s
Jeff Tolnar, Electrical Engineering, AAS 1984, BSAS 1986, has been named senior vice president of Electric Vehicle Solutions at Shoals Technologies Group Inc., a provider of electrical balance systems solutions for solar, storage and electrical vehicle charging infrastructure. Tolnar previously was chief commercial officer for Shell Greenlots and president of Global Software Solutions for Honeywell’s Homes, Buildings and Utilities businesses. He also holds a master’s of Business Administration from Baker University.
Michael Malmer, D.O., bachelor of Combined Science, 1985, has joined Southwoods Health’s network of primary care physicians. Malmer is board certified in internal medicine and earned his doctorate from Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his medical residency through Western Reserve Care System.
George Hachem, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering, 1986 and 1996, an associate principal in the Raleigh, N.C., office of Syska Hennessy Group, has been appointed to lead the engineering firm's life sciences practice nationally. Over the course of a three-decade career, Hachem has worked with some of the biggest companies and academic institutions in the sector, including Baxter, Bayer, the University of North Carolina, GlaxoSmithKline, GE Healthcare, Johnson & Johnson, and Lillly Research Laboratories. He is an active member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
Joe Conroy, Business Administration, 1987, has joined Premier Bank as senior mortgage loan specialist serving the Mahoning Valley. Conroy, who has 30 years of mortgage lending experience, most recently served as a senior mortgage loan officer at a regional bank headquartered in Columbus.
Karen DeSalvo, Business Administration, 1988 has been named the first chief experience officer at ValleyStar Credit Union. DeSalvo previously served on the executive committee for the Women’s Council for Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center Foundation, NCR Corporation’s Solution Advisory Board, Carolina Credit Union Services board of directors, the American Heart Association Heart and Stroke Walk Executive Leadership Team, the Women’s Fund, and served as the communications chairwoman and officer for the United Way of Trumbull County, Ohio. She was a 2018 recipient of the Triad Business Journal Women in Business Award and was a past ATHENA nominee for the Youngstown-Warren Chamber. She is a nationally Certified Financial Marketing Professional and a graduate of the American Bankers Association School of Bank Marketing and Management.
Michael A. Christman, Business Administration, 1988, has been named assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division in West Virginia. He most recently served as the special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh Field Office. Christman joined the FBI as a special agent in 1992 and has served in a variety of roles in Salt Lake City, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Washington D.C., including supervisory special agent at the Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, leader of the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, deputy assistant director of the CJIS Division’s Operational Programs Branch and was special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh Field Office.
Aaron Bartlone, Chemistry, 1989, has been named chief operating officer of Cybin US Holdings Inc., a biotechnology company focused on progressing psychedelic therapeutics. Bartlone, who also holds a master’s degree in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Notre Dame, was previously president and managing director at AB Dynamix LLC, commercial president and chief quality, patient safety, health safety & environment and risk officer UCB Inc., a global pharmaceutical company, and various director-level research, quality, regulatory and managerial positions at Eli Lilly.
’90s
GW ATHLETICS | Contributed
Caroline McCombs, Food and Nutrition Dietetics, 1998, who played basketball for the Penguins 1994-98 and was inducted into the YSU Hall of Fame in 2008, was hired by George Washington University as its women’s basketball coach. McCombs has been the coach for seven years at Stony Brook on New York's Long Island, leading the school to the NCAA tournament this past season after winning the America East Conference tourney. In her career at YSU, she scored 1,577 points, dished out 493 assists, grabbed 473 rebounds and had 236 steals.
Jorge Cadena, Chemical Engineering, 1996, has joined NOXCO as vice president of Business Development. NOXCO is a pioneer in the power generation industry. Cadena was previously vice president of Engineering and Business Development at Gas Turbine Efficiency. He is also the founder/president of Fusion Environmental Corporation. He also earned a master’s of Business Administration degree from the University of Florida.
Charu Manocha, master’s of Business Administration, 1999, has been named chief people officer at GreenLight Biosciences, where she will oversee talent management, culture and DE&I, among other areas of the human resources. Manocha has nearly 30 years of experience in HR, most recently as group vice president of talent strategies at Bright Horizons Family Solutions. She also held chief HR roles at iRobot, Keurig Green Mountain Inc. and Dana Corp. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Math, Physics and Computer Science from Delhi University.
Ralph Blanco, Management, 1996, has been named a 2021 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. Blanco spent the first seven years of his career working in information systems for what is now Mercy Health Systems, and in 1999 acquired Executive Computer Solutions and renamed the company Executive Computer Management Solutions Inc. The magazine says ECMSI prides itself on an average 19-minute response time that has helped the company earn a spot on CRN’s 2021 MSP 500 list. ENX is a monthly publication dedicated to the office technology and document imaging industry since 1994.
John Colonna, Finance, 1998, has been named president and CEO of K2-MDV Holdings, with responsibility for the MDV and K2 Sports business. Currently serving as president of K2 Sports, Colonna will oversee the global presence of the K2 Skis, K2 Snowboards, Marker, Dalbello, Völkl, RIDE Snowboards, LINE Skis, Full Tilt, Backcountry Access, Atlas Snow Shoe Co., Tubbs Snowshoes, Madshus and K2 Skates brands in his new role. Over the past 25 years, he has held senior-level leadership roles with global lifestyle brands such as Burton Snowboards, Rusty, Nike, Levi's and Converse.
’00s
Sara Stiffler, Theatre Studies, 2002, manages a Civic Education Program at the Ohio Supreme Court that received the 2021 Sandra Day O’Connor Award for the Advancement of Civics Education, presented annually by the National Center for State Courts. The program was selected for its multi-faceted approach to civics education, its longevity, its continued program expansion, and its ability to be replicated in other jurisdictions around the country. Stiffler is an alumna of the YSU Honors College.
Kayla Boye, Professional Writing & Editing, 2013, is the new executive director of the Youngstown Playhouse. Boye previously was the theatre's development director and helped sustain the organization through the pandemic. A member of Actors’ Equity Association, Boye has performed across the nation, including Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Drury Lane Theatre, Mercury Theater Chicago and Capital City Theatre, as well as Bigfork Summer Playhouse, Huron Playhouse and Youngstown Playhouse. She has worked in development, marketing and finance for nationally-recognized institutions such as Goodman Theatre and Writers Theatre, and she has served as a producer for Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s critically-acclaimed Garage Rep series. She worked for several other organizations as a consultant with Artistic Fundraising Group, including Arts of Life, BrightSide Theatre and Chicago Mosaic School. She cultivated her local development background with positions at the YSU Foundation, the American Red Cross and Akron Children’s Hospital.
David Perrico, Music, 2003, and an award-winning “Best of Las Vegas” trumpeter, composer, producer and conductor, was featured in a recent episode of “Talk About Las Vegas.” In the livestream interview, Perrico talks about his ongoing commitment to paying tribute and honoring the excellence behind the music of black artists; his love of live music and the interaction it provides; the challenges of performing when the audience is not in the room; how he balances all his roles in a given day; and the importance of live music to the future of Las Vegas. Perrico also holds a master’s degree in Music from the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
Heather Kaminski, Education/Life Science, 2005, has been named associate principal of Lewis F. Mayer Middle School in Fairview Park, Ohio. Kaminski was previously a teacher and department chair at Avon Lake City Schools and taught 10th grade and honors Biology at Elyria City Schools. She also holds a master’s degree in Educational Administration from Bowling Green State University and a bachelor’s in Exercise Physiology from Mount Union College.
Stacy Krueger, master’s of Education, 2006, was appointed judge to the Coconino County Superior Court. Krueger, who holds a law degree from the University of Toledo, has been a prosecutor with the Coconino County Attorney’s Office. She has volunteered for the High Country Stand Down for Veterans, Wills for Heroes, Northland Family Help Center, Big Brothers & Big Sisters and the Flagstaff Family Food Center. In 2018, she was named the Arizona Prosecutor of the Year by Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Citizen of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers - Arizona Chapter, Branch 3.
Dan Welch of Boardman, Instrumental Music Education, 2008, will be a speaker at the Seventh Annual Emerging Civil War Symposium in August. Welch previously was the education programs coordinator for the Gettysburg Foundation, the non-profit partner of Gettysburg National Military Park. He continues to serve as a seasonal Park Ranger at Gettysburg National Military Park. He also holds a master’s degree in Military History with a Civil War Era concentration at American Military University. He has been a contributing member at Emerging Civil War for over seven years and is the co-author of The Last Road North: A Guide to the Gettysburg Campaign, 1863.
’10s
Wilson Kwamogi Okello, Education, 2010, assistant professor in the Watson College of Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, presented “We Wear the Mask: Contending with Racial Battle Fatigue In and Beyond the Classroom Context” at YSU in March. The virtual presentation was sponsored by the Minority Education Association at YSU. Okello, Scholar-In-Residence for the Coalition on Men and Masculinities at the American College Personnel Association, is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work has been published in leading publications, including the Journal of College Student Development, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, and the Review of Higher Education. He has made more than 100 invited presentations. He also holds a Ph.D. from Miami University and master’s degree from the University of Rhode Island. He is the recipient of the University of Rhode Island’s Distinguished Alumni Rising Star Award, the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators’ Outstanding Professional Award, YSU Outstanding Alumni Award, and the Dissertation of the Year award from the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education.
Corban Baker, Telecommunications, 2012, has been named the new outreach coordinator for the Mahoning County Veterans Service Commission. Baker served in the Marine Corps from August 2003 to December 2008, including six months on the Harry Truman aircraft carrier during Operation Iraqi Freedom and seven months in Al Asad, Iraq. He also fulfilled a six-month deployment to Japan and South Korea. He performed as a standup comedian throughout southern California, including at The Comedy Store, a well-known club on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. And he was a production specialist, videographer, editor and director at the NBC affiliate in Palm Springs, Calif., working his way up to become a weekend anchor and cover sports. When he returned to the Mahoning Valley, Baker covered YSU Penguins basketball games on the Horizon League’s website and also was a news anchor for WYTV Channel 33.
Heidi Palipchak, Nursing, 2013, an aesthetic nurse practitioner at Apex Dermatology and Skin Surgery Center with locations throughout Northern Ohio, recently co-authored an article on CoolSculpting on Apex’s website. After graduating from YSU, Palipchak moved to Florida and worked with cardiac and stroke patients for five years. During that time, she became a board-certified family nurse practitioner with the goal of transitioning into dermatology. She has worked in aesthetic dermatology since 2018 and returned to Ohio in 2020. Palipchak also holds a master’s from Chamberlain College of Nursing.
William R. Soldan of Youngstown, English Literature, 2014, and master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, 2017, is the author of In Just the Right Light, a collection of interconnected short stories. It is Soldan’s first book. His second collection, Houses Burning, is also set for publication. Soldan, who also holds a master’s degree in Fine Arts from the Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts program, has been twice nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
Sarah Dowd, Psychology, 2016, and master’s of Counseling, 2018, one of the best softball players in YSU history, is the new senior woman administrator for the Michigan Tech Huskies. Dowd will also continue her role as the director of Student-Athlete Wellness and Clinical Counselor at Michigan Tech in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. At YSU, Dowd was a decorated softball student-athlete, including an Academic All-American, a three-time All-Horizon League selection, Horizon League Freshman of the Year, three-time Horizon League All-Academic and a four-time NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete.
Nicholas Hargate of Canfield, Long Term Care Administration, 2016, has joined the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation as director of Levy Gardens Assisted Living. Hargate began his career in long-term care in the kitchen of a nursing home and also worked as a long-term care administrative specialist. His last position was community relations manager for Canfield Place.
Gianna Cifalde, Business Administration/Marketing with a specialization in Marketing Management, 2019, is the social media coordinator at 898 Marketing in Canfield, Ohio. Cifalde is currently pursuing a master’s degree in digital marketing and leadership at YSU.
Brandon Mellott, Business Administration, 2019, has been named a brokerage agent at Aim Transportation Solutions in Girard.
’20S
Michael Merdich, 2020, Information Technology, has moved from an extended internship to a full-time position as a web designer at 898 Marketing. Among the 898 clients he works are Edison Lighting, contagion CLEAN, Valley Office Solutions and Thompson Heating & Cooling.