IC News

This past weekend, hundreds of former Bombers returned to South Hill to celebrate Alumni Weekend with friends and classmates. Several ceremonies took place over the weekend, and many alumni were honored for their contributions to Ithaca College, and their communities.

On October 2, Emerson Suites was lit in blue and gold to celebrate the Ithaca College Alumni Association’s 2020-2021 Awards Dinner. The ceremony honors outstanding alumni whose professional and personal accomplishments showcase the incredible things that IC alumni can accomplish.

Hosted by Alumni Association Board President Tanya Hutchins ’89, the ceremony recognized alumni from across decades and schools.

“Tonight, we award 13 alumni for their extraordinary accomplishments and unflagging commitment to this institution and this community,” said interim president La Jerne Terry Cornish. “I offer my sincere congratulations to each one of you. Your effort, and our collective celebration of it, instills a sense of pride and connection within the entire IC family.”

Marc Hudak ’90 was the Edgar “Dusty” Bredbenner Jr. ’50 Distinguished Alumni Award winner for bringing the 2019 Cortaca Jug to MetLife Stadium.

“It feels amazing to attend in person, it’s been a great weekend on South Hill with amazing weather,” said Hudak. “The weekend has been widely attended and it's great to see so many familiar faces. To pick up the Edgar ‘Dusty’ Bredbenner Jr. Distinguished Alumni Award was very humbling and appreciated.”

Candace King ’15 was an Outstanding Young Alumni award winner. She has been a journalist for NBC Nightly News, PBS Newshour, and MSNBC, and is an advocate for accurate representation of Black voices in mainstream media. King, who is also currently a PhD student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, was honored to have her career recognized.

“I feel extremely grateful, especially because this is where I got my start,” she said. “Ithaca helped me to discover that my dreams are actually possible, and that it actually gave me the tools to achieve them, so it feels like a full circle moment for me.”

Janet Jacobs ’73 was awarded a Humanitarian Alumni Award. As the co-founder of non-profit Therapy Missions Inc., she has traveled internationally to care for people in underserved communities. Being all over the world has not caused her to forget Ithaca, however.

“When I was here as a student, I really appreciated every moment that I was here,” she said. “It wasn’t like I left and then ‘oh my god it was great.’ While it was happening, I knew this was an incredible place to be.”

Winner of a Humanitarian Alumni Award, Greg Silverman ’94 is no stranger to celebrations in Emerson Suites. A chef, restaurant owner, and advocate for access to fresh and nutritious food, Silverman got his culinary start through a catering job with IC dining services. Currently, Silverman is the CEO and executive director of the West Side Campaign Against Hunger, where he manages a $6 million budget and feeds 50,000+ food-insecure New Yorkers.

“I was the head waiter for IC Catering when I started my sort of food journey,” Silverman said. “That’s really where I started to learn about serving people, and I just continue to do that — try to serve people with the best food and support possible. It's fun to get to go full circle.”

For spending his career using chemistry to make the world a better place, Roger Harris ’80 was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award. As vice president of sales and marketing for internationally recognized contract research organization MRIGlobal, Harris’s work has spanned from doing research on the avian flu to preparing information for presidential daily briefs for the President of the United States.

“Ithaca is where I learned how to put teams together, interact with people, and solve problems, and that's what I did for most of my career,” Harris said. “Between the students and the professors, it was just a great experience. It’s an honor to be back on campus.”

In addition to the Alumni Association, the celebration was made possible by student volunteers from Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow (STAT), an IC student organization that promotes tradition and connections between current students and alumni. 

“It was great to get to hear all of their stories and learn about everything they’ve done,” said STAT member Elizabeth Cady ’22. We hear a lot about the really famous alumni, so it’s great to get to hear from other people who are doing amazing things.”

Earlier that day, the Bomber Picnic gave alumni a chance to mingle with classmates, while those from the class years ending in 0, 1, 5, and 6 celebrated milestone reunions and took class photos.

Erica Hicks ’11 returned to campus for the first time since graduating, at the urging of her best friend, Sasha Small ’11 and she was glad she did.

“I’m getting flashbacks to being in college, honestly,” she said. “I’m excited to be here, see all these new buildings, and catch up with people. I’m not on social media, so it’s a great chance to do that.”

“Why wouldn’t I be back for a weekend like this?” said Elisa Kurland Seeherman ’91. “I had an amazing four years here at IC — they were the best years of my life. Every time I come back, I meet people I didn’t know when I was a student, and we become friends. It’s a beautiful campus, and I love seeing how it’s grown and changed, but I can still recognize the window of my room in the Towers.”

In addition to seeing friends, alumni used the weekend as an opportunity to make future connections and give back.

“It’s my first time back here in 40 years, but after four decades of not being here, I wanted to see the growth of the campus,” said Brad White ’81. I spoke with [instructor of management] Ed Catto, and he wants me to come back to campus later in the year and speak to his students.

“It feels like I never left,” White continued. “I walked around campus today, and it was a wonderful feeling.”

Anne Murray Schoff ’70, whose 50th reunion was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, has had those same feelings ever since she graduated from South Hill.

“I lived here after graduating from IC, and when I left, I grieved,” she said. “Ithaca has such a charm and vibrancy to it, and getting to celebrate my 50th reunion this year is also special. I love the changes I see to campus, but I love that it’s still full of young people, ready to go. I’m proud of being an alumna of Ithaca College.”

Even for alumni who return to campus often, this weekend was special.

“I grew so much here, said Jim Ragusa ’95, who was a member of his class’s reunion committee. “I came as a boy and left as a man. I’m filled with gratitude every day for the opportunity that IC gave me.”

The night before those celebrations, Bomber fans got a chance to express their gratitude for decades of elite athletic performance as the department of athletics officially inducted the 51st Hall of Fame class, comprised of 10 individuals. More than 150 people were in attendance.

"Ithaca College athletics enjoys a rich tradition of excellence,” said Susan Bassett ’79 director of intercollegiate athletics and recreational sports. “The wait to celebrate our 51st Hall of Fame class was long overdue, and we were excited to finally bring them back to campus to honor their distinguished careers.”

You can read more about each of the inductees, and watch their Hall of Fame induction videos, on the athletics page.