Little did he know that his cross-country venture would also inspire three young women back “home” on Monteagle Ridge to join the cause this year.

NU seniors Catherine Cardinal and Nicole Mehlman and 2011 graduate Ashley Blossom are following in Schiano’s tire tracks, having signed on to participate in the 4K for Cancer, a philanthropic activity affiliated with the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults that provides support for cancer patients. The nonprofit program raised nearly $500,000 last summer, including more than $7,100 from Schiano’s family and friends.

Aside from collecting donations, participants also support host communities by visiting cancer patients, taking part in community dinners and giving cancer awareness presentations during the cross-country trek. Funds from the ride are also dedicated to sponsoring scholarships for young adult cancer survivors.

Entrants can choose to join one of four rides: Baltimore to Seattle, Baltimore to Portland, Baltimore to San Diego, or Baltimore to San Francisco. Each day, riders bike anywhere from 50 to 120 miles, a significant challenge that is meant to emulate the struggle of one fighting cancer.

While 2013 marks the 12^th year of the 4K for Cancer, this will be the first time that one group of participants will run across the country. The inaugural 4K for Cancer Run Across America will depart from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and finish in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Runners will log 12 miles a day in one-mile increments.

In mid-June, Blossom will begin riding to Portland and Cardinal will start cycling to Seattle. Mehlman is part of the first team to run from San Francisco to Baltimore.

Incredible, huh? There’s also this: Blossom, Cardinal and Mehlman barely know each other.

It’s the cause that unites them.

Ashley Blossom | Team Portland | Raised $4,500 as of May 6

Blossom graduated from NU in May 2011, but became connected to the 4K for Cancer through Schiano. She donated to his ride last summer and followed his journey through his blog posts and Facebook updates. The passion that Schiano had for the cause and the difference she saw in her friend – in terms of renewed priorities and bolstered confidence – convinced her that the 4K was worth looking into.

Ashley Blossom, ’11, will ride a bike from Baltimore to Portland this summer as part of the 4K for Cancer.

“The drive that Vince displayed prior to and during his ride, and the compassion he showed after the ride is really what inspired me,” Blossom explained. “This is an opportunity of a lifetime to make a difference for young adults who have been affected by cancer. And this isn’t just a local opportunity, it’s a countrywide opportunity.”

A Lockport native who majored in tourism and recreation at Niagara, Blossom currently works as the event coordinator at Becker Farms in Gasport, N.Y., and manages accreditation with Populous, a well-known architectural firm in the sport industry. She was involved with cheerleading during her time on Monteagle Ridge, and says that studying at a Vincentian university influenced her decision to ride a bicycle across the country in support of a good cause.

“Though I had always taken part in community service and donated to various causes, studying at Niagara reiterated and stressed the importance of making a difference in the community, not only locally, but in the world,” she said.

Blossom is fortunate to have never lost a family member to cancer. Her grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer when Blossom was at an age that didn’t allow her to fully grasp the magnitude of the disease. She is pleased to say that her grandmother is celebrating 10 years of being cancer-free.

However, in October 2010, Blossom’s best friend’s mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer at age 53. She had a hysterectomy but the cancer had already metastasized to her brain. On New Year’s Eve of that year, Blossom’s best friend lost her mother, only two months after the disease was detected.

“It is tough to stand on the sidelines and watch what this disease does to the patient, and sometimes the effect even seems worse on the family and friends involved,” Blossom said. “Cancer touches lives in different ways. I am riding the 4k for Cancer for everyone who has been touched by cancer.

“I have no doubt that riding cross-country is going to be challenging,” she added, “but the purpose behind it will remind me to keep pushing myself, and keep pedaling.”

Catherine Cardinal | Team Seattle | Raised $4,500 as of May 6

Catherine Cardinal wasn’t one of the dozens of students in attendance during a 4K for Cancer information session Schiano held last fall. Why should she be, considering she had already committed to the 70-day, 4,000-mile bike ride moments after hearing Schiano talk about it the previous May?

The soft-spoken criminal justice major has very good reasons for not hesitating to join the fight.

“Cancer is something that really hits close to home,” said Cardinal, whose grandmother forged a long battle with breast cancer before passing in 2005. Her best friend overcame leukemia after being diagnosed at age 5. And Cardinal’s mother is currently embroiled in a three-year battle with cancer-related issues.

“I spent Christmas Eve last year in the hospital with my mom after she had surgery to have polyps removed from her colon that were thought to be cancerous. This has been really hard on my family,” she said.

Cardinal, a senior, is used to getting involved and helping others. At Niagara, she’s a community advisor in Varsity Village, and is part of numerous university clubs, including NUCAP, the Campus Programming Board, club rugby and the university ball.

To prepare herself to cycle from Baltimore to Seattle, Cardinal trains for at least two hours every day in the Kiernan Center.

“I have seen her in the Kiernan Center a lot and taken note of her persistence,” said Schiano, who recently organized another fundraiser for the Ulman Fund. “Just from working with Cat as a former community advisor, I know she has a very positive mindset, which is critical on the ride.”

As a child, Cardinal spent Saturday mornings performing community service in her hometown of Freeville, N.Y. To Cardinal, the 4K is a whole new way to think about serving those in need.

“Cancer affects everyone in some way,” she said. “This trip is one that I will be putting my whole body, mind and soul into and it will not be easy, but neither is fighting cancer. I plan to keep this in mind and use it as my motivation to keep moving forward in the journey.

“Cancer is a fear of mine as I am sure it is for many other people. I want to be strength for those who are experiencing the effects of cancer.”

Nicole Mehlman | The Running Team | Raised $4,500 as of May 6

Nicole Mehlman started running for the cross-country team as a freshman at Penridge High School in Perkasie, Pa. She quickly became hooked on the sport, later parlaying that passion into an opportunity to join the D-I program at Niagara University, where she ran for four years.

Mehlman’s love for running didn’t cease with the completion of her senior season at NU; conversely, she was searching for something, anything with purpose, to fill that competitive void. She found it in the 4K.

“Cross-country has given me so much, and I want to use the sport I love to give back,” she explained. “I am dedicating this run to the people I am going to meet through the 4K, the people suffering who would love to be able to run 4,000 miles. I hope that with the money raised, more people will be able to run, to exercise and to live the life they deserve to have.”

Mehlman, too, has had several people close to her touched by cancer. Her grandfather, a Korean War veteran who loves to discuss Philadelphia sports with his granddaughter, recently recovered from skin cancer. (“He is my absolute idol.”)

Mehlman’s aunt, a mother of three who teaches underprivileged high school students, was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2012. She underwent a double-mastectomy and has since been deemed cancer-free. (“She’s a hero. Many of her students are the first in their families to graduate high school and go to college – because of her.”)

When Mehlman turned 21 last May, she went out and celebrated like many do when they reach legal drinking age. Unlike most, though, she downplayed her birthday to commemorate the fact that her neighbor had been in remission from throat cancer for five years. She also participated in a Relay for Life in his honor. (“I knew that his milestone was far more important than mine.”)

Somehow, despite being classmates with the same major (communication studies), Mehlman and Schiano had never taken a course together, and were never introduced. That changed this fall when they worked together on a group project. The more they talked, the more Mehlman learned about the 4K for Cancer. By October, she was signed up.

“My parents were so supportive; they’re the most supportive people in the whole world. I wouldn’t be able to do this without them,” said Mehlman, who will also graduate with a minor in sport management. “My mom had like 50,000 questions and my dad was just like, ‘Okay, let’s do this!’”

Within weeks of signing up, Mehlman was asked to serve as co-director of the first 4K for Cancer Run Across America. She supplements twice-weekly cross-training sessions with Schiano with 4-5 days of running each week, including one “long run” of 10-plus miles. On May 26, she’ll warm up for the 4K by participating in her first half marathon in downtown Buffalo.

Just less than three weeks later – on June 15, her mother’s birthday, she’ll lace her sneakers back up and begin striding through 11 states.

According to Schiano, that’s when Blossom, Cardinal and Mehlman will commence what he can only describe as a “life-changing experience.”

“The ride was the most life-changing thing I’ve ever done,” Schiano said. “I realized how blessed I am, and was inspired to do more in the community, helping as many people as possible.

“The largest piece of advice that I have given to the ladies is to never give up, no matter what obstacle is in front of you. When fundraising, you may think that you’re not going to reach your goal. When you’re biking or running, you may feel that the hills are just too steep. The biggest thing to remember during these times of struggle is that someone with cancer is fighting their battle. If they’re going to keep fighting for their lives, we must keep fighting as well.”

To make a donation on behalf of the Niagara University students, please visit www.4kforcancer.org/profiles/ashley-blossom, www.4kforcancer.org/profiles/catherine-cardinal, or www.4kforcancer.org/profiles/nicole-mehlman.

Hundreds of Niagara University students were honored for their achievements as undergraduates during the Day of Recognition, which was also the last that the Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M., will preside over. It was Father Levesque who instituted the event while serving as the dean of the college in 1981. This summer, he will step down from the President’s Office after spending 13 years in the position.

The 2013 adaptation was also the last for Dr. Nancy McGlen, who is retiring after serving 15 years as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Along with the bestowment of numerous awards for academic excellence, the 2013 Day of Recognition featured remarks from Father Levesque and Dr. McGlen, as well as comments from Dr. Tim Downs, vice president for academic affairs; Dr. Henrik Borgstrom, associate professor of modern and classical languages, and Stephen Fuest, a senior majoring in biology.

To view more photos from the 2013 Day of Recognition, go to Niagara University’s Facebook page.

For more information on Niagara University’s College of Arts and Sciences, please visit www.niagara.edu/coas.

Schiano’s winning poster was titled “Young Adult Cancer Awareness: A Public Relations Presentation.”

“The opportunity offered a lot of experience in presenting about the young adult cancer community so I took a lot of time to do the research in it and eventually it paid off because I love expressing just how important it is to get involved in the young adult cancer fight,” explained the native of Gates, N.Y.

Seven other communication studies students, in addition to Schiano, presented posters or research papers derived from their honors theses or communication studies department’s courses. They included Jeannine Alsous, Kerisa Bonville, Robert Crates, Ashley Dilcher, Julie Fonzi, Julie Hunt, Jillian Teeter and Alicia Wainwright.

Many of the students said that they appreciated seeing the research done by others in their field. It helped them understand the vast possibilities of research in communication studies.

“The best part of this experience (was) being able to discuss the research that we were able to conduct throughout the year and it was great being able to talk about and learn about other people’s experiences and what they have done,” said Crates, whose co-presented a poster with fellow seniors Bonville and Dilcher.

Bonville also presented a research paper on the media’s construction of the ideal woman via televised Miss America and Miss USA pageants.

The Conference for Undergraduate Research in Communication, which began in 2004 as a small gathering of communication students from Western New York, has grown into a vibrant regional conference. Sponsored annually by RIT’s department of communication, the conference has drawn nearly 250 undergraduate scholars from colleges and universities in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Virginia.

“We’re incredibly proud of our students,” said Dr. Kalen Churcher, assistant professor of communication studies. “Their work is a sample of some of the best in the department. They represented Niagara University well.”

The following students are the newest members of Lambda Pi Eta:

• Cole Bielecki (of Franklinville, N.Y.)
• Courtney Corbetta (Lewiston, N.Y.)
• Ashley Dilcher (Oakfield, N.Y.)
• Rebecca Hamilton (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)
• Daniel King (South Glen Falls, N.Y.)
• Amanda Medole (Akron, Pa.)
• Victoria Pascuzzi (East Aurora, N.Y.)
• Carly Schul (Lewiston, N.Y.)
• Nick Solly (West Seneca, N.Y.)
• Leanne Stuck (Williamsville, N.Y.)
• Kayleigh Tierson (Clifton Springs, N.Y.)

To be eligible for the Omicron Iota chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, NU students must possess a cumulative grade point average (G.P.A.) of at least 3.50, a major G.P.A. of at least 3.50, and have earned at least 60 credits at Niagara, with at least 12 of those credits earned within communication studies.

Honorees received a recognition pin, a certificate of achievement and an honor cord that can be worn with their regalia at graduation to signify their achievement.

Lambda Pi Eta is the nationally recognized undergraduate honor society of the National Communication Association, an academic and professional organization created in 1914. It is the largest professional association for the study of communication in the world. Since 2003, Niagara has hosted a university chapter of the honor society to recognize the achievements of its communication studies students.

For more information on Niagara University’s communication studies programs, please call 716.286.8285 or visit www.niagara.edu/communication.

The announcement was made by the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Dr. Tewksbury joins the approximately 1,100 Fulbright Scholars from the U.S. who will travel abroad next year. The flagship international educational exchange program is designed to increase mutual understanding between people of the U.S. and other countries.

“This is a wonderful and well-deserved honor for Dr. Tewksbury, a young professor who already possesses an impressive background in scholarly research, service learning and social justice,” remarked Dr. Timothy Downs, vice president for academic affairs.

As a Fulbright Visiting Research Chair in Globalization and Cultural Studies, Dr. Tewksbury plans to investigate the use of social media as it relates to the Canadian Occupy Movement and the recent student protests in Quebec. He’ll spend a few weeks in each city, conducting interviews and ethnography work, and making field visits, while also collecting social media data.

“I’m captivated by how social and mobile media build online-offline community amongst organizations that have no center, no hierarchy and no formal structure, but still are able to construct a consensus-based movement,” explained Dr. Tewksbury, a resident of Niagara Falls, N.Y. “It’s such a new form of protest and new form of technology, and we still don’t know a whole lot about how these movements’ members worked together, or how they were able to organize and communicate with each other in the way that they did, especially with their social and mobile media uses. I’m interested to find out.”

A 2001 graduate of Vanderbilt University, Dr. Tewksbury earned a master’s in media studies from Suffolk University, where he also worked closely with faculty and undergraduate students to increase community service and civic engagement, in addition to teaching workshops on social justice and social action. He later earned a doctorate from the College of Communications at The Pennsylvania State University, before joining the Niagara University faculty in 2009. Dr. Tewksbury has been a driving force in the communication studies department’s integration of topics related to social justice into its curriculum.

“Fulbrighters enrich the educational, political, economic, social and cultural lives of countries around the world,” wrote Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board Chairman Tom Healy in a congratulatory letter to Dr. Tewksbury. “We expect that you, too, will become involved in the community while on your Fulbright exchange. In so doing, you will demonstrate the qualities of service, excellence and leadership that have been the hallmarks of this program for more than 60 years. As a representative of your country in Canada, you will help fulfill the principal purpose of the Fulbright program, which is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of the more than 150 countries that currently participate in the Fulbright program.”

For information on Niagara University’s programs in communication studies, please call 716.286.8285 or visit www.niagara.edu/communication.

Dr. Ireland succeeds Dr. Nancy McGlen, who will retire in June after serving for 15 years in the position.

As dean, Dr. Ireland’s primary responsibility will be the general administration of the college, and also to foster and nurture the growth and academic excellence of the college in accordance with Niagara’s mission. He will accordingly be tasked with recruiting, evaluating, retaining and promoting quality faculty; offering leadership in curriculum innovation, development and assessment; monitoring the evaluation of students; supervising and distributing the allocation of college resources; and working with other sectors to sustain and increase enrollments, among other duties.

“We were very pleased to be able to identify the most qualified individual for this critical position from within our university community,” stated Dr. Timothy Downs, Niagara’s vice president for academic affairs. “Nancy has done an incredible job in bringing the College of Arts and Sciences to its current level of excellence, and the person succeeding her has some sizable shoes to fill. We are very confident that Tim, with his credentials and experience at Niagara, will be that person.”

A professor in NU’s department of criminology and criminal justice since 1996, Dr. Ireland earned a B.S. (English literature) from St. Bonaventure University, an M.S. (criminal justice) from Northeastern University and a Ph.D. (criminal justice) from SUNY Albany.

Dr. Ireland’s research interests are diverse. For a number of years, he has been affiliated with a longitudinal research project (The Rochester Youth Development Study), which has allowed him to explore the causes and consequences of exposure to family violence. He recently finished work as a co-principle investigator on a National Institute of Drug Abuse grant. An article Dr. Ireland coauthored on intergenerational continuities and discontinuities in intimate partner violence was selected as one of the 10 best violence research publications of 2011 by the Psychology of Violence multidisciplinary research journal.

To learn more about the programs offered through Niagara University’s College of Arts and Sciences, please call 716.286.8060 or visit www.niagara.edu/coas.

This installment of The Ridge Report checks in with the NU men’s hockey team, kings of the Atlantic Hockey Association’s regular season, highlights a thrilling, come-from-behind victory for women’s lacrosse, recaps CPB’s ever-popular Casino Night, and takes a look at the communication studies department’s Media Awareness Week.

Anchoring this edition of Niagara University’s student-produced newscast is senior Stacey Czerwinski, a North Tonawanda native who hosted her own NU-themed talk show on Time Warner Cable Channel 21 a couple winters ago.

A new episode of The Ridge Report airs bi-weekly on Niagara University’s website.

Kalene Faricellie takes a turn anchoring March 1 Ridge Report, Niagara University’s student-produced newscast.

The NU sophomore from Williamsville provides a late-season update on the women’s basketball team, recaps a presentation by a speaker on deaf culture, highlights a playoff send-off for the men’s club hockey team, peeks in at open skating, and unveils the spring concert performer.

A new episode of The Ridge Report airs bi-weekly on Niagara University’s website.

This week’s edition offers a midseason update on the men’s basketball team, chats with Niagara junior Emmy Read about her bake sale fundraiser, provides highlights of a musical performance by Gary Johnson, crowns Mr. and Mrs. Niagara, and recaps a night of laughs with comedian Mike Birbiglia.

A new episode of The Ridge Report airs bi-weekly on Niagara University’s website.

Niagara University also performed well on the world’s biggest sporting stage, with current students and recent graduates involved in three different projects associated with Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans.

Eleven students enrolled in NU’s College of Hospitality and Tourism Management were selected for the five-day trip to The Big Easy, where they greeted visitors, worked on Super Bowl Boulevard and took a few shifts at the NFL Experience, the league’s interactive theme park, among the several other activities requested by organizers.

On Super Bowl Sunday, the hospitality, tourism and sport management majors offered hospitality services during the sold-out NFL On Location pregame party, before attending the game and coordinating the postgame hoopla on the field at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

“Being able to work with NFL On Location at Super Bowl XLVII was a true once-in-a-lifetime experience,” exclaimed senior Dan Pearson. “There were also so many events that not only went on at the Superdome, but throughout the city of New Orleans. Having the opportunity to work at pregame and postgame parties and ensure every fan had a memorable experience wherever I could time was very humbling. I know this trip will only help me in my future sports career.”

On the Monday morning following the game, the students woke up early to volunteer in a soup kitchen at the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Baton Rouge.

“While volunteering at the Super Bowl was an experience in itself, being able to give back to the people of the Baton Rouge community was also a rewarding experience,” stated senior Alexis Wayne. “Considering Niagara is a Vincentian university, it only felt fitting that we had the opportunity to volunteer for the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Louisiana. It felt good being able to relate the values we’ve learned at Niagara to a completely different community.”

This is the fifth time in seven years that Niagara University students have participated in the NFL’s showcase event. And this time, the group was assisted by a pair of Niagara University alumni: Cameron Kovach, ’11, a volunteer coordinator with the New Orleans host committee who attended Super Bowl XLV as an NU student; and Ashley Blossom, ’11, who worked in the NFL Accreditation Center.

Similar service-learning experiences are offered regularly by the College of Hospitality and Tourism Management. This spring, for example, several sport management students will volunteer during Major League Baseball’s spring training.

After graduating last May with a degree in communication studies, Derek Zeller hooked up with www.proplayerinsiders.com, a professional football website that’s affiliated with the NFL Players Association. Zeller photographed seven Buffalo Bills games from the sidelines this year (including preseason) and then, in January, got the call to capture images of the numerous events in New Orleans leading up to the Super Bowl – as well as The Big Game.

“It has been such a surreal experience – a dream come true,” said Zeller a few hours after snapping more than 3,000 pictures during Baltimore’s 34-31 win over San Francisco. “Between the events to Radio Row to the game itself, you’re used to seeing all these people on TV and now you’re standing right next to them, shaking hands with guys like Jerry Rice and Andre Reed.”

Meanwhile, Carmen Ruby Floyd, a 2000 Niagara University alumna, is used to rubbing elbows with A-list celebrities. The successful Broadway actress has performed for Ruby Dee, August Wilson and Bette Milder, and her work has given her the opportunity to meet former President Bill Clinton, Diana Ross Tom Hanks and Sarah Jessica Parker.

On Sunday, Floyd was featured prominently in Tide’s “Miracle Stain” advertisement, a 60-second spot that was rated among the evening’s top commercials by The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today and several others. Floyd played the role of the Baltimore Ravens fan who “mistakenly” washed her husband’s 49ers jersey after it had incurred a stain in the shape of former San Francisco great Joe Montana.

It was Tide’s first Super Bowl commercial since 2008.

Coincidentally, Floyd discovered that she would be working with the same director who coordinated a Sprint commercial she appeared in four years ago.

“It was quite wonderful and all we did was laugh on set,” Floyd told WIVB Channel 4. “It was one of the easiest, best jobs. It’s a wonderful blessing, it’s really, really great and I’m so fortunate to do this.”

In 2000, Floyd, then a student, appeared in a commercial for Niagara University. Interviewed by The Buffalo News on Tuesday, Floyd credited her time at Niagara for providing her with the well-rounded tools necessary to succeed in the profession.

“There is obviously dance, vocal and acting, but they have you do stage management, costumes, lighting and sound,” she said.

“It’s a very well-rounded theater school, and my training has definitely paid off.”

For more information on Niagara University, please visit www.niagara.edu or call 716.286.8700.