SUNY Fredonia alumni of all ages gathered with campus officials in the Cranston Marché dining complex this afternoon to honor three of the university’s most accomplished alumni and steadfast university supporters.
John G. Baust, Ph.D., ’65 (Biology); Kimberlee Neifer Caldwell, Ph.D., ’87 (Recombinant Gene Technology); and Clifton C. Turner, ’84 (Business Administration), were honored by President Dennis L. Hefner at the annual Alumni Awards Luncheon. The three were given the Outstanding Achievement Award for their special contributions to society through their careers as well as their impacts on their alma mater.
“We are honored to recognize three SUNY Fredonia alumni with the Outstanding Achievement Award — the highest honor presented by the Fredonia Alumni Association and SUNY Fredonia for stellar achievement,” President Hefner said. “All are outstanding professionals and, as such, bring great distinction to their alma mater. We are proud to recognize these outstanding individuals this afternoon. All have shown a commitment to Fredonia through their willingness to share their experiences, stories and resources with current students in a variety of ways.”
As one of the world’s leading researchers in cryobiology and cryomedicine, Dr. Baust has developed techniques used in the treatment of cancers and other diseases, and has made advances in cell and tissue preservation. He is a professor of biological sciences and director of the Institute for Biomedical Technology at SUNY Binghamton, and this past year has served as a visiting professor at the Medical Schools of Duke University, UCLA and the University of Amsterdam.
“I’ve had warm feelings for this institution for many years,” Dr. Baust said upon receiving his award. “It’s the horse I’ve ridden to the professional success in my career. I’ve been affiliated with many universities during my career, and I can tell you that the students and faculty here at Fredonia are as good as they come.”
Dr. Baust is leading a unique honors cancer seminar for Fredonia undergraduates this semester, including in-person lectures, distance learning techniques, and a weekend trip to his laboratory in Binghamton.
Dr. Caldwell, an associate professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, began her Homecoming weekend with a lecture for students and faculty on Friday afternoon that detailed some of the advances she and her colleagues have made in the study of the causes of Parkinson’s disease.
“The opportunity to potentially change a line in a textbook can be a wonderful motivator to students,” Dr. Caldwell stated, “and it certainly motivated me.”
Dr. Caldwell has found that excretions from common soil bacteria kill dopamine neurons in two different worms and in human neurons in culture. These are the same neurons that die in Parkinson’s patients. Her research team hypothesizes that this soil bacterium could be an undiscovered contributor linked to idiopathic Parkinson’s disease.
Dr. Caldwell gave particular thanks to several of her former biology faculty members, including Dr. Ken Mantai and Dr. Wayne Yunghans, both of whom were in attendance. She also singled out the impact of Patricia Feraldi, ’77, Director of Alumni Affairs, for the impact she had on her while Feraldi was in the Department of Residence Life and Dr. Caldwell was a residence hall director.
“Patty Feraldi was a wonderful role model for me and for many young women at that point in our lives.”
Mr. Turner, a businessman who has held high-level managerial positions for such companies as General Motors, Bloomingdales and Tommy Hilfiger, echoed those remarks, calling Ms. Feraldi, “the heart of this college.”
Turner’s remarkable career also included nine years with LensCrafters as manager of its Manhattan store on Fifth Avenue and eventually serving as a worldwide company spokesperson. He has even appeared as part of a comedy sketch on the “David Letterman Show.” In 2008, Turner joined the airport security industry, managing operations in the Westchester Airport and Grand Central Terminal for a company known as Clear, serving as an airport security consultant.
A three-time class President during his Fredonia years, Turner thanked many others in the audience, but had a special message for his longtime friend, Mrs. Elizabeth Beal, the widow of former SUNY Fredonia President Dallas Beal, about the man they and many others still miss. Turner shared with the audience what a tremendous impact the Beals have had on his success, and he drew a poignant analogy with Fredonia and another pivotal time in his life.
“On September 11, 2001, my (LensCrafters) store was destroyed in the (terrorist) attacks, and I lost many friends and customers,” Turner recalled. “Whenever I go back to that site, I find myself thinking, ‘No matter what else is built there, there will always be something missing.’ Today, as I am back on campus and I look around, for me, there will always be something missing here as well.”
The event concluded with a presentation of five scholarships made possible by the Michael J. Livingston Memorial Scholarship fund, the recognition of numerous “Golden Alumni” from the Class of 1949 who celebrated their 60th reunion, and the singing of the alma mater, led by the School of Music’s Dr. Gerald Gray, professor of voice, and accompanied by Dr. Linda Phillips, professor of piano.
