Class Memories

My strongest memories of the U of R are of the many theatrical productions we put on at Strong Auditorium, Todd Theater, and the Drama House. Whether it was for class credit with Professor David Richman, or for fun through the Committee on Performing Arts, or even during the summer with David Runzo's UR Summer Theatre, the campus was always buzzing with something in auditions, rehearsal, or production. And no matter what your experience or talent level, there was always a place for you in a show.

Too many great memories to have a single favorite, but the environment that fostered such fantastic friendships and academic development is quite memorable. Favorite professors were Anna Leitgeb, German and John Mueller, Political Science, both for their teaching ability, especially in classes that had widely varying levels of proficiency.

25 years later, as an alum who has relocated to the Rochester area with my family, seeing UR continue to establish itself as an academic, economic, and cultural leader in the region has been a profound experience for us.

There are many memories I carry with me from Rochester. One of the more mundane, but memorable, comes from my time playing lacrosse. Though we didn't particularly distinguish ourselves on the playing field (a slight understatement!), some of my favorite recollections are the hours we spent travelling to and from far away schools, on long van rides, playing Hearts or any other card game to kill time. With the other '87's (Tim Crocker, Mark Wood, Howard Sumi, Evan Vapnek, Jeff Miller, and others) it was great camaraderie and a great four years.

I credit Rochester with much of my success today. Through NROTC, lacrosse, being an RA, various jobs, and the great friends I made, it was a truly formative experience. To this day, my closest friends are those I made freshman year at Rochester.

Not sure I have a favorite memory, but 25 years later, Rochester means "life-long friends" to me.

There are so many wonderful memories of UR. The most important was meeting my husband, Kevin. But the second and most influential moment, is when the chair of the math department referred me to Dr. Katherine Montgomery. She shared her precious time to enlighten me about the field of bioethics, and various methods for entering into it. This was the beginning of a lasting friendship. Her advice and direction led me to obtaining a PhD in philosophy with a specialization in bioethics. Today, I am a professor at Drexel University, teaching bioethics, co-chairing a hospital ethics committee, serving on other bioethics related committees and I have even published my own articles in the Hastings Center Report (among other journals). And it all began with that conversation with the chair of the math department. Whenever someone knocks on my office door or sends an e-mail asking for advice, I pay it forward, in remembrance of the professors who were so generous with their time for me.