The philanthropy of alumni, parents, and friends continues to make a substantial impact at Marist. The College is grateful for their support and ongoing dedication. Among recent commitments are the following.
Naming Commitments for the New Dyson Center
Marist has received several recent pledge commitments in support of the exciting renovation and expansion of the Dyson Center underway on campus. A dedicated donor who wishes to remain anonymous recently pledged to name the café in the Collaborative Study Center on the first floor of the new facility. The centrally located café will be dedicated in the name of the School of Management Advisory Board, providing a visible symbol of the board’s ongoing support and advocacy for Marist students, faculty, and staff.
In addition, Wayne Schmidt ’80 and his wife, Marisa, made a pledge towards the Dyson Center project to name two spaces that directly impact students and faculty. The Schmidts will name a premier classroom in memory of Wayne’s father, Wayne Schmidt Sr., as well as a collaborative study room in honor of Wayne’s uncle and legendary former Marist crew coach Bill Austin. Marist is grateful to Wayne and Marisa for their generous support of this important project and appreciate their generosity and thoughtfulness as they remember Wayne’s father and honor Bill Austin.
Longtime member of the Marist Board of Trustees Mark Dennis generously committed to name the STEM–Teaching Methods Lab in the Dyson Center. The lab, outfitted with running water, gas, and other essentials for demonstrating science concepts, will support not only STEM teacher-candidates but also teachers in the areas of social studies, language arts, and special needs. Mark, as a trustee of the Evelyn Davies Trust, directed this gift to recognize and honor Evelyn Davies, who was an elementary school teacher in the Arlington School District for 35 years. Mark has made an enormous impact on the College through his thoughtful stewardship of the Evelyn Davies Trust and previously of the Jeannette F. Schlobach Charitable Trust, of which he was the trustee. Mark is a prominent certified public accountant in the Hudson River Valley and has served on Marist’s board since 2004.
To explore the wide range of naming opportunities associated with the landmark Dyson Center project, please contact Chris DelGiorno, vice president for college advancement, at chris.delgiorno@marist.edu.
Support for Scholarships
Chris Bricker ’90 and his wife, Jennifer, have pledged additional support for the Michael C. Holland Memorial Scholarship in honor of her father. Created to recognize his extraordinary commitment to serving the public, the scholarship will be awarded to a first-year student who has shown a strong devotion to community service. Marist is grateful for their caring and generous support.
Nick Citera ’87 and his wife, Rossana, have made a generous gift to establish the Nick ’87 and Rossana Citera Endowed Scholarship. The Citeras’ scholarship will support first-year undergraduates in the School of Management who have considerable academic promise and demonstrated financial need. First preference will be given to residents of the Hudson Valley. A longtime Hudson Valley resident, Nick is a partner in Cosimo’s Restaurant Group and a dedicated member of the School of Management Advisory Board. Previously, the Citeras established an endowment to support students enrolled in the Business 100 course offered in the School of Management. The course brings students and local businesses together for collaboration on special projects with real-world implications. Marist deeply appreciates the Citeras’ ongoing generosity and leadership.
Marist lost one of its most dedicated volunteer leaders and supporters last spring with the passing of Ellen Hancock, immediate past chair of the Board of Trustees. Ellen, a highly accomplished technology executive and business leader, served on the Marist Board for 34 years, including seven as chair. Ellen’s husband, Jason, has made a gift to support the Ellen Hancock Endowed Scholarship, originally established by the Board of Trustees in her honor; the Dennis and Marilyn Murray Endowed Scholarship; and the Music Program at Marist. The College appreciates Jason’s continued dedication and his generous and thoughtful support.
Maureen Sorbo Logan ’78 and Mark Logan have made an additional gift towards the Mark and Maureen (Sorbo ’78) Logan Scholarship. The scholarship supports students from the Mid-Hudson Valley who have significant financial need and are majoring in STEM, accounting, or finance. The Logans visited with their scholarship’s recipient at the annual Celebration of Scholarships held on the campus Nov. 12. The College is grateful for their impactful support of Marist students.
The James J. McCann Charitable Trust has provided a grant extending its invaluable support of scholarships for deserving traditional-age Marist students who live in Dutchess County and graduate from county high schools. This is the 54th year the trust has supported this special program that has touched the lives of countless local students. Over the years, trust has also played a lead role in the construction of signature facilities at the College such as the James J. McCann Recreation Center. The entire Marist community extends its thanks to the trust for its transformational support of scholarships and state-of-the-art facilities at the College.
Sisters Kari Redl-Daniels, Kelley Redl-Hardisty, Kristi Redl-Deasy, and Kimberly Redl-Lawrence are carrying on the tradition started by their parents Herb and Sue Redl of generously supporting Marist through the endowment of the Herb and Sue Redl Scholarship. Established by their parents in 1995, the scholarship is awarded to continuing students with financial need who reside in the Hudson River Valley. More than 75 talented and deserving students have benefited from this special scholarship over the years. The College is deeply appreciative of the entire Redl family for their steadfast support, dedication to students, and passionate commitment to the Hudson River Valley community.
Trustee Genine McCormick ’88 and her husband, Michael ’88, have made a gift to name a Marist–Gilder Lehrman Institute Scholarship in President Kevin Weinman’s honor. The McCormicks established the GLI–Marist partnership program in fall 2021. Their support, combined with that of other donors, is providing meaningful term scholarships for deserving students who are recognized as top high school history students by GLI’s recently launched National Academy of American History and Civics. The first Long Reach Society dinner brought together donors of the scholarship program and scholarship recipients at Marist’s Cornell Boathouse on Nov. 3. The event featured remarks by President Kevin Weinman; Dr. James G. Basker, president of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History; Dr. Martin Schaffer, dean of the School of Liberal Arts; Mike McCormick, and the two inaugural scholarship awardees, Harumi Kameda ’25 and Elisabet Guerrero Hernandez ’25 as well as a presentation by Dr. David Woolner, professor of history, on the current exhibit at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library about FDR’s final campaign. Over the past 30 years the McCormicks have been among the College’s most engaged alumni, not only volunteering their time to lead the Marist Fund but also supporting the James A. Cannavino Library, the music building, theatre facilities, the Career Center in the School of Management, and the Presidential Fund for Equity in the Marist Experience. And in recognition of their very generous gift to support a new residence hall on the North End of campus, McCormick Hall was formally dedicated to them in 2019. Marist extends its profound thanks for their longtime commitment.
The trustees of the Dr. Edwin A. Ulrich Charitable Trust — Jack Conklin, John Regan, and Jeff Armstrong — have again initiated a generous grant from the trust to support scholarships for business and fine-art majors from the Hudson River Valley, as well as outstanding music students at Marist. Marist is thankful for the trust’s longtime support for scholarships, which has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of Marist students over the years.
Dr. Sam and Gail Simon have pledged to establish an endowed scholarship in the School of Science. Dr. Simon is a retired orthopedic surgeon and the founder of Hudson Valley Fresh. He also serves on the School of Science Advisory Board. The College is most grateful for this leadership and support that will change the lives of students pursuing science degrees at Marist.
Executive Vice President Dr. Geoffrey L. Brackett and his wife, Michelle Rider, CPA, Esq., have pledged to establish an endowed fund to support Marist’s LGBTQ+ community. The Rainbow Fox Fund will strengthen and enhance programming, resources, and opportunities for students. The fund will also provide a platform for reaching out to Marist alumni, parents, and friends for additional support for the LGBTQ+ community. The College appreciates Geoff’s and Michelle’s generosity and thoughtfulness in creating this special fund and are grateful for their support of Marist’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
